CHAPTER 40

"Come on Elfman, is that the best you could do?", Enzo said as he began firing multiple pebbles at the youngest Strauss sibling.

"Damn it", Elfman said as he began running faster just to get away from the painful projectiles that Enzo was firing at him.

It has been 6 hours since Enzo had started firing pebbles at him. At first, Elfman thought that Enzo would teach him how to properly used Take-Over Magic. Since aside from Mira and him, Enzo was the other mage in the guild that utilize the same type of magic. And he is an extremely powerful mage, so that idea had merit, if you thought of it logically.

But when he had asked Enzo the question 'why he could not fully transform to his beast mode', he was quite disappointed.

FLASHBACK:

"Look, I have no idea why you can't transform fully", Enzo said as he shrugged his shoulders and he continued, "For me, transforming is as easy as turning a switch. If I want to transform, I transform. Just like that".

"Huh? But how will you help me become powerful if you can't teach me to fully transform?", Elfman asked.

"There are many ways to become powerful aside from just your magic ability. In fact, I'm using my magic to supplement my main ability"

"Really?", Elfman asked. He is quite interested in what the secret of Enzo is.

"When I was young my teacher ingrained in my brain that once's body is your most important weapon. Having another ability that can help you supplement your main weapon is just an added bonus", Enzo stated.

"What do you mean by that?", Elfman asked confused.

"Put it this way. I can fight without using my take-over magic. I only use it when I know that my enemy is stronger than me in my base form, which is me not using my magic... Do you get it now?".

After a few moments of Elfman digesting what Enzo said, he replied, "I think".

"Look, my training won't be focusing on your magical problem. My training will help your body become stronger. This will, in turn, strengthen your magical abilities as a by-product of strengthening your body", Enzo said.

With a determined look on Elfman's face, he said, "Then bring it. I'll do anything to become powerful. To be the man that won't let his family members die in front of him".

When Enzo heard this, he had a face that Elfman could only describe as being sadistic. Enzo took out pebbles from his pockets and he said to Elfman, "Okay, get ready now".

"Huh? What do---OUCH!!!", Elfman's sentence was cut short when he was suddenly hit by the pebbles that Enzo had in his hands.

"If I were you, I would run", Enzo said with a grin on his face.

"OUCH! STOP THAT", Elfman said as he was hit by a pebble once again.

"Run Elfman, run", Enzo said. Seeing this Elfman began running with everything he got. Those pebbles were just so damn painful.

Seeing Elfman run deeper in the forest, Enzo said to himself, "So, this is what the old man felt when he trained me..huh, this seems fun". And then he proceeded to follow his target, he didn't want him to slack off after all.

BACK TO PRESENT:

"ah....ah.....ah.....ah...", Elfman can be seen panting on the ground due to exhaustion. If you look closely at both his legs you can see multiple bruised marks that were fairly small, but numerous in number.

"That wasn't so bad wasn't it?", Enzo said with a smile on his face.

"...that....hurt....", Elfman said to the S-rank mage of Fairy Tail.

"My training will require you to have a strong physical body. When this requirement is achieved, only then will I teach you a fighting style that will greatly make you powerful. Then supplement that with your take-over magic then you can become a powerful mage. I predict that within at least 3-4 years, you will become one of the S-rank mage of Fairy Tail", Enzo said to his tired student.

"ah....bring..it...I...will...be....a...MAN!!!....", Elfman shouted when all the energy that his aching body could muster.

"Good, this is only the trial run. Pack your bags, you will train with me for a year. You have the remainder of the day to get your belongings and to talk with your sister. Then meet me here tomorrow. Same time", Enzo stated.

"But...I can't leave Mira alone... Lisanna just died", Elfman said with pain in his voice.

"Tomorrow will be the only time I will wait for you here", Enzo said in a commanding tone.

"...but...."

"Elfman, the best decisions in life are often the most painful", Enzo said as he left Elfman in the ground.

Later that day, Elfman shakily returned home due to the pain that his legs were still in. The moment Mira saw the state of his only sibling that was alive, she went ballistic. She subconsciously flared her magic and she demanded Elfman to tell her what happened.

Elfman tried to calm his sister down and then proceeded to tell her what Enzo was proposing to him. A chance to become powerful, a chance to be a true man, a chance that will help him to protect those he loved. The longer Elfman talked the weaker Mira's magic became, and the moment Elfman told her that he would be gone for 1 year, Mira started crying. Elfman did his best to console his sister, and he told her that he needed to do this, he needed to become stronger. For the rest of the afternoon, the two siblings just talk with each other, and eventually, when night came Mira helped his brother pack his bags for his journey tomorrow.

The next day at exactly the same time that Elfman and Enzo met up on the previous day. Elfman was accompanied by his sister together, they saw Enzo at the entrance of the forest.

When Mira saw him, she went towards the White Titan of Fairy Tail and she said to him, "You better make sure that nothing happens to my brother".

With a confident smile on his face, Enzo replied, "Of course, I'll make sure of it".

Before they left, Elfman gave his sister a loving hug. A hug that the two of them needed.

"See you soon, sis", Elfman said as he departed.

Mira just looks at the departing figure of her brother with pain in her heart. The moment that his visage was no longer visible, Mira cried. She knew that his brother was feeling guilty about what happened to Lisanna but right now she felt alone. She understood the pain of Elfman but she felt like she lost another sibling because of Elfman's departure.

But before she even knew it, a person went towards her and gave her a strong hug. She was shocked and when she looks at who the figure that was hugging her, she was even more shocked. It was Erza, her rival was hugging her.

"Enzo told me about today", Erza said as she wipes the tears that were coming out of Mira's eyes. "Let's get you home", Erza said as she brought her rival to the guild, to the comfort of her family

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