"Takeover Magic? What's that?"
Erina and Hisako blinked in unison. Their childhood fantasies of magic involved cards, wands and magic tricks; not this.
"Takeover Magic lets me fuse with magical creatures," Mirajane explained. "My appearance shifts to mirror theirs, borrowing their powers. But… the creatures here lack magic. And I… can't use it anymore."
"Could you fuse with the Regal Mammoth?" Erina's question hung in the air, stunning even Zed.
Mirajane shook her head. "Without magic in its body, no. And my own power…" She trailed off, fists clenching.
"Edge ahead. Hold on tight."
Tatsu halted at the Regal Plateau's cliff, its scales glinting like onyx under the twin suns. The drop below spanned kilometers, the ground a hazy mosaic of shadows and jagged rock.
Mirajane gripped Tatsu's spines, her knuckles whitening. Without magic, the void yawned like a predator. Wind roared in her ears, carrying the metallic tang of the Heavycliff Cave below, where massive rodent with Capture Level 30 live.
Tatsu descended, claws grinding stone to dust. Erina and Hisako pressed low, their Gourmet Cells humming with adrenaline. Mirajane's heart raced—every scrape of scale against cliff face echoed like a drumbeat.
"L-Landed…!"
Erina exhaled as Tatsu touched down. The Swamp of Antiquity sprawled ahead, its murky waters teeming with ancient life. Bioluminescent fungi clung to gnarled trees, casting eerie green light over armored fish and six-legged reptiles.
"Swamp of Antiquity. Ingredients here are living fossils." Zed scanned the terrain. "We'll target abundant species. No overharvesting."
"Zed… Is there truly no way back?" Mirajane's voice wavered. Fairy Tail's laughter, Lisanna and Elfman's smile—they haunted her.
"Erina and Hisako told you the truth. Strength is our only lead." Zed's gaze hardened. "In this world, power opens paths. Even ones we can't yet see."
"Strength? But I—" Mirajane clenched her fists. Her Takeover Magic lay dormant, shackled by guilt. Without it, she felt hollow.
Zed gestured to the primordial Swamp of Antiquity, its waters thick with the musk of millennia. "Here, strength comes from Gourmet Cells. They rewrite biology, transcend limits. But obtaining them…"
He explained the grueling process: hunting Capture Level beasts, consuming rare ingredients for years. Mirajane paled. The Regal Mammoth's mountain-like bulk flashed in her mind.
"That's… impossible. I'd never survive such creatures!"
"Food Luck." Zed's voice cut through her doubt. "It's not just luck. Here, it's a force as real as gravity."
Erina leaned in. "Like… finding ingredients against all odds?"
"More." Zed's eyes gleamed. "Food Luck guides you to survival. To allies. To evolution."
He recounted Komatsu tales—a mere chef who'd bonded with Toriko through sheer Food Luck, allowing him to survive Gourmet World horrors. "His luck drew him to Toriko, to Melk Knives, to food itself. With enough Food Luck, even Gourmet Cells bend to your will."
Mirajane stared at her palms. "But how do I… harness it?"
"Start by living." Zed nodded to the swamp. "Survive. Adapt. Food Luck favors those who chase flavor and fate."