Jujutsu World
At XX Elementary School, Grade X, Class X, a young boy with black hair, dark eyes, and bright, pearly-white teeth was fast asleep with his head resting on his desk.
The teacher standing at the podium curled his lip in annoyance as he glanced at the student known throughout the school as a “genius.”
In the end, he could only sigh helplessly.
He wanted to discipline the boy, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
So, he had no choice but to let him sleep.
In his daze, some sound seemed to reach the little boy’s ears, causing him to frown slightly.
But he didn’t take it seriously.
He assumed it was simply a classmate making noise nearby.
He shifted his position, rolled over, and soon drifted back into a deep sleep.
Byakuran closed his eyes and carefully sorted through the information the system had just forced into his mind.
After a while, he finally understood where this unexpected information about traveling to another world had come from.
To put it simply, the system originally possessed the ability to travel between worlds.
However, something had gone wrong during its very first transit.
As a result, the system and Byakuran had been split into multiple fragments, which crossed over into different worlds separately.
Since then, the system had lost its world-traveling function.
The only ability it had retained was helping its host randomly draw skills.
However, after coming into contact with the space-time power of the Eclipse Gate, the system had managed to detect information about its “other selves” from different worlds within the chaotic currents of space-time.
It then completed a synchronization process.
The skills from those worlds were sent here, while the skills from this world were copied over there.
After copying them, the system had even thoughtfully modified them to suit this world’s rules, allowing them to be summoned through magical power.
Getting a free skill for nothing isn’t bad.
As for Mahoraga…
If Byakuran remembered correctly, it was a shikigami that prioritized attacking its summoner when summoned.
To properly control it, the summoner first had to defeat it.
But defeating Mahoraga required someone who was at least a top-tier Jujutsu Sorcerer.
That’s rather ironic.
To use a cheat, you have to be a cheat yourself first.
I wonder if the version of me in the Jujutsu World has already figured out a way to tame it.
Still, compared to its strict conditions of use, Mahoraga’s abilities were absolutely ridiculous.
As long as it wasn’t killed instantly, it could rapidly recover before continuously adapting to whatever attack had been used against it.
After adapting four times, it could completely neutralize that particular attack.
And that wasn’t the end of it.
It would continue optimizing its adaptation afterward.
However, there was a limit to how many abilities it could adapt to simultaneously.
If it adapted to too many different abilities, older adaptations would eventually be overwritten.
Overall, it was basically a downgraded version of the Black Dragon.
A truly ridiculous shikigami.
But how to actually use this new skill was a problem.
An unsubjugated Mahoraga was completely uncontrollable.
Once summoned, it would attack friend and foe alike.
It wouldn’t exactly be fun if he accidentally created an unbeatable monster.
Although Mahoraga could be summoned repeatedly and there was no consequence if it died, a tamed Mahoraga was different.
Once a controlled Mahoraga was killed, it would disappear forever.
That would be a huge waste.
A freshly summoned, blank-slate Mahoraga would already be considered a top-tier powerhouse in the Jujutsu World, with very few people capable of killing it instantly.
But here in the Fairy Tail world…
There were far too many people who could obliterate it in an instant.
Suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed through Byakuran’s mind.
The figures of the three Strauss siblings surfaced in his thoughts.
Mirajane.
And her brother and sister.
Take Over Magic!
If I can master Take Over Magic and use it to Take Over Mahoraga, wouldn’t I be able to obtain Mahoraga’s broken abilities for myself?
The more Byakuran thought about it, the more excited he became.
He decided that once he returned to the guild, he would immediately begin studying Take Over Magic.
Then he would try to Take Over Mahoraga himself.
If this idea worked…
His long-standing weakness in close combat would be solved instantly.
Nature Magic already gave Byakuran tremendous vitality.
If he combined that with Mahoraga’s high-speed regeneration and insane adaptability, he would become an absurdly durable close-combat fighter with overwhelming offensive power.
This might actually work.
“I’m back—”
Byakuran pushed open the guild doors.
However, the moment he stepped inside, he was greeted by a scene that was unmistakably Fairy Tail.
The first thing he saw was Erza beating up Gray.
Standing awkwardly to the side was a middle-aged man holding a briefcase, looking completely out of place.
The man’s face was pale.
He stood frozen in place, staring in horror at the “crime scene” before him.
Upon closer inspection, his entire body was even trembling slightly.
“Put your clothes on!”
Erza’s furious voice rang through the guild.
“What if the client sees this and thinks we’re a guild full of perverts?!”
Byakuran’s eye twitched.
He wasn’t sure whether Fairy Tail would actually earn the reputation of being a pervert guild…
But the reputation of being a violent guild was certainly already deeply ingrained.
He glanced sympathetically at the middle-aged client, who was clearly questioning every decision that had led him to this moment.
Pure fear flickered in the man’s eyes.
He wanted to turn around and run.
But under the terrifying aura radiating from Erza, he couldn’t even move a single step.
“Oh ho! Byakuran! You’re finally back!”
The first person to notice him was Wakaba, who was sitting nearby and puffing away on his pipe.
Today, however, his usual partner, Macao, was nowhere to be seen.
He was probably out on a quest.
“…Who’s that?”
Byakuran casually placed his luggage beside a table and pointed toward the middle-aged man.
“Oh, him?”
Wakaba blew out a smoke ring, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice.
“He’s a client who just came in today to post a request.”
“Erza happened to meet him at the entrance and brought him inside.”
“But the moment they walked through the door, Gray was running around naked right in front of her.”
“So Erza felt that the guild’s reputation had suffered a devastating blow.”
“And then she snapped.”
Cana walked over and added in a solemn tone, perfectly imitating Erza.
“‘The guild’s reputation must never be ruined by a clothes-shedding exhibitionist pervert!'”
“That’s what she shouted.”
Byakuran glanced at the client.
The poor man was already questioning every decision he’d ever made.
The guild’s reputation isn’t being saved.
It’s being destroyed even further.
Bang!
With one final thud, Erza finally released Gray.
Gray collapsed onto the floor like a dead fish washed up on a beach.
A strange white, soul-like substance seemed to float out of his mouth.
Erza caught her breath.
She tossed her scarlet ponytail over her shoulder and turned around.
In an instant, she transformed from a raging demon into a proper knight.
She approached the client and bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
“I am terribly sorry that you had to witness such a disgraceful display.”
“Please rest assured. We will complete your request flawlessly.”
The client was so terrified that he hurriedly bowed back.
“Please… do as you wish!”
With that, the middle-aged man nearly dropped his briefcase as he bolted out of the guild at lightning speed.
Erza stared at the empty doorway and sighed with some distress.
Then her sharp gaze suddenly landed on Byakuran.
Her eyes lit up slightly.
She immediately walked toward him.
Feeling the overwhelming pressure radiating from her, Byakuran instinctively straightened his back.
Erza stopped in front of him.
Her expression was solemn and completely serious, as though she were about to announce something of great importance.
“Welcome back, Byakuran.”
“Ah… yeah. I’m back, Erza.”
Erza nodded gravely.
Then, without breaking the serious atmosphere in the slightest, she naturally asked:
“So, where are the souvenirs?”
Byakuran fell silent.
He did often bring back souvenirs whenever he went out.
But had Erza already started treating it as an established tradition?
Judging from the way she was looking at him, she was clearly expecting something.
If I ever forget one day, won’t that be awkward?
Looks like I’ve created extra trouble for myself.
He silently complained in his heart.
Then, with a resigned sigh, he bent down and rummaged through the duffel bag at his feet.
He pulled out an exquisite square box wrapped with a delicate ribbon and handed it to her.
“Here. This is for you.”
Erza accepted the box with both hands.
She held it as reverently as if it were some priceless treasure, anticipation filling her face.
“…What is this?”
“It’s a cake from a famous dessert shop in the city where I train.”
“The gift box has a temporary preservation spell on it. Once you open it, you have to finish it that day.”
“But if you leave it unopened, it’ll stay fresh for about a week.”
Erza’s eyes immediately lit up.
She hugged the cake tightly against her chest and nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at grain.
“Thank you. I really like it as a souvenir.”
With that, she couldn’t wait any longer.
Still clutching the box, she turned around and walked toward a clean, empty table nearby.
She sat down.
Her posture was as dignified as though she were attending a solemn ceremony.
But anyone could tell from her expression that she couldn’t wait to open the box and eat the cake.
Byakuran shook his head helplessly.
He then began distributing the other souvenirs.
Tarot cards for Cana.
A pair of “high-tech, anti-exhibitionist, impossible-to-slip-off underwear” for Gray.
And various other gifts for the remaining guild members.
Finally, Byakuran picked up the fine wine he had brought back from the royal capital and walked toward the bar counter.