"Of course you can. Erina, Hisako, take care of your family."
Zed didn't mind at all—he wasn't responsible for the safety of these people. That task fell to Erina and the others. After all, they were their family.
Although Hisako's parents didn't say anything, it was clear that they also wished to see this magic world.
Upon hearing Zed's words, Erina and Hisako nodded quickly. Their families were naturally their responsibility, and with their current strength, protecting them would be easy.
After that, Zed and the others returned to the Gourmet World. Since the dimensional breach was in the Gourmet World, they needed to open the gateway to other worlds from there.
"I'll go first this time. After all, I was in the guild when I came to this world," said Mirajane, stepping through the portal first. The group followed one after another.
As they stepped out, everyone looked around. They were standing inside a shop counter, and beyond the glass, a large group of people stared at them with wide eyes.
"......Mira, you're finally back! Where have you been all this time?"
The members of Fairy Tail quickly rushed over, relieved and surprised. Mirajane had suddenly vanished from the guild, and everyone had been frightened. Makarov had even mobilized the entire guild to find her, but it was as if she had vanished off the face of the earth. Elfman had nearly gone mad.
"Sorry, everyone. Something came up, so I had to leave for a few days."
Mirajane didn't reveal her inter-world travels. There were too many people, and too many possible reactions. The world of Fairy Tail was different from the world of Shokugeki. In the latter, only Senzaemon and Hisako's parents knew about their time travel, and they had chosen not to tell anyone else.
Besides, who would believe them?
Even though Mirajane wasn't afraid of those watching Fairy Tail, she couldn't be sure they wouldn't try to take advantage of her absence to attack others. So, she kept things vague.
"Everyone, please disperse. Also, get Elfman. Mira, let's take these people to the second floor to talk."
Makarov noted the strange way the group appeared, which reminded him of Doranbolt. However, Doranbolt's space magic didn't involve opening doors—it teleported directly. Though it could move people together, it used a lot of energy. Makarov wanted to know what had really happened.
After hearing Mira's response, he understood that this wasn't something to be explained publicly. He led the group to the second floor—only S-Class Wizards were allowed there, making it a private place to talk.
"Mira, introduce these people to me!" said Makarov.
Mirajane nodded and quickly introduced the group.
"This is the Master of our Fairy Tail, Mr. Makarov."
Once the introductions were finished, Mirajane explained her situation to Makarov.
"Traveling through worlds?! That's possible? Wait...what's going on?"
Makarov was still processing the idea when he noticed something strange. The magic power in the air was being drawn toward Zed and the others.
It started slowly, but now it was gathering quickly.
"The Gourmet Cells are devouring the magic power around them!" said Mirajane.
Not only Zed and the others, but even she was absorbing magic from the air—just at a slower rate.
"Gourmet Cells have strong devouring power. Do you remember what happened when you got yours?" Zed asked.
"When I received them? I remember...my magic source was devoured, and then my magic fused with calories."
Mirajane recalled the experience clearly.
"Exactly. Since there was magic in your body, it directly fused with the Gourmet Cells. There's a lot of magic in the air of this world, so as soon as we arrived, the Gourmet Cells began absorbing it."
"You're slower because your magic is already fused with the Gourmet Cells. For us, it's the first contact—so the reaction is bigger."
"Gourmet Cells can consume many ingredients to strengthen themselves. Now that they've fused with magic, magic has become another type of food."
"In this world, the air itself is food. So as long as you're breathing, the Gourmet Cells are constantly absorbing magic."
Everyone was stunned by this explanation.
"So you're saying, as long as we're here, our Gourmet Cells will keep absorbing magic and growing stronger?!"
"Yes, but remember—Gourmet Cells only improve the most the first time they consume something. The same food later gives weaker effects. It's the same with magic. It's a slow improvement, like passive training."
Zed continued, "The real benefit is—once we absorb enough magic, we can awaken magic of our own."
"Awaken magic? Haven't we always had that? We know about Mira's transformation magic," Erina asked.
"That's because Mirajane's magic is her innate awakened magic. Her magic source merged with the Gourmet Cells, so her magic evolved. But the rest of us had no such fusion—until now."
Just then, a magic circle appeared beneath Zed's feet.
"Huh? That's a magic awakening!" exclaimed Makarov.
He didn't understand everything about Gourmet Cells, but he could tell they were powerful. After all, they had devoured Mirajane's core—her magic source—and she had survived, even grown stronger.
When he saw the magic circle form under Zed, he recognized it as the mark of a true awakening.
Moments later, more magic circles appeared under Erina, Hisako, and Rukia Kuchiki.
"Mr. Makarov, what is magic awakening? Is it dangerous?" asked Senzaemon, concerned for his granddaughter.
"Don't worry. It's not dangerous. In our world, you can gain magic through two methods—learning or awakening. What they're experiencing is an awakening—probably triggered by the magic they've absorbed."
Soon, the magic circles began to change.
Zed's circle expanded until it filled almost the entire room. Its color faded until it became almost transparent.
Erina's and Hisako's circles were each about a meter wide, metallic in color.
Rukia's magic circle was about the same size, but glowed fiery red.
After a while, the circles disappeared, and everyone returned to normal.
"Zed, what kind of magic did you awaken?" asked Mirajane.
"Space teleportation magic," Zed answered.
It wasn't full space magic, but he could now teleport to distant places as long as he had the coordinates. He could even bring groups with him—if his energy allowed.
Doranbolt's magic had limits, like short-distance jumps and high energy usage when teleporting others. Zed's teleportation was more efficient.
Right now, Zed could even sense another world on the other side of the space barrier. He guessed it might be the Edolas Continent.
Although he hadn't awakened full space magic—so he couldn't yet use space blades or open dimensions—he was satisfied. The magic also had offensive uses. By repeatedly teleporting a boulder high into the air, he could simulate powerful falling attacks like a meteor strike.
Though such techniques were useless in the Gourmet World, where the enemies were far too powerful.
Even now, if he used the "Disaster Rain" move of the Leader Slime, he could level everything within hundreds of kilometers.
Once Zed's Gourmet Cell level surpassed 100, he would also be able to use "Disaster Rain." As for "Supernova Explosion," he hadn't learned it yet—and even if he did, he wouldn't dare use it recklessly. The move was far too destructive.
In the original story, the Leader Slime's supernova would have blown up the planet if Acacia hadn't absorbed most of the blast.
"Space teleportation magic? That's pretty amazing!" Makarov and Mirajane both looked impressed.
Then Mirajane turned to the others. "What about you, Erina, Hisako, Miss Kuchiki?"
Erina and Hisako had the same type of magic circle, so they likely awakened the same ability.
"My magic is Sharpness, which makes the weapon in my hand sharper," said Erina.
A straightforward ability—but simple didn't mean weak.
Zed noted it was similar to Irene's Enchantment Magic, though Irene's magic could enhance any attribute. Erina's only enhanced sharpness.
Hisako had the same ability. It was a perfect match for them as chefs—sharpening their kitchen knives to the extreme.
"My magic is Temperature Magic—I can control temperature," said Rukia.
Zed nodded. That suited her. Her Zanpakutō had always been a double-edged sword. Especially with Bankai, her ultra-low temperature harmed both the enemy and herself.
In the original story, after using Bankai: Hakka no Togame, Rukia had broken her own fingers from a mere movement.
With Temperature Magic, she might be able to stabilize her body temperature and reduce the damage to herself during Bankai.