Editing Mahou Sensou:Volume 2 Chapter 4 (section)

===Part 5===
Ya eran pasadas las seis de la tarde y Takeshi se encontraba de nuevo en el pasillo de los espejos después de pasar por su cuarto para dejar su mochila. Ahora, llevaba consigo el mapa doblado en el bolsillo del pecho. Estaba plenamente consciente de que afuera la batalla se estaba poniendo cada vez más cruda. Pero eso no le importaba, ya que lo único que tenía en mente, era encontrar a Mui lo más rápido posible y no podía quedarse de brazos cruzados.

—¿Qué haces aquí? —Preguntó alguien de repente.

Era otro estudiante de curso superior que venía completamente equipado el apareció mientras él se encontraba allí parado. Llevaba un uniforme azul marino de apariencia militar con un emblema de una estrella de cinco puntas en el pecho. Era un uniforme totalmente distinto al uniforme escolar normal.

«Ese es el emblema de “Wizard Breath”», Analizó Takeshi.

El emblema que Midorikawa —el chico que conoció la última vez—, portaba en el pecho, era el de una luna. Ese emblema, era el de la comunidad llamada “Eclipse”. Fue a partir de ese momento en que vio eso, que Takeshi se dedicó a investigar acerca de los emblemas de cada una de las comunidades del C7, y supo de inmediato a cual comunidad pertenecía este otro chico.

—Estoy esperando a alguien. —Contestó Takeshi. Luego miró directamente al chico y preguntó—. ¿Acaso están planeando una estrategia?

—Sí, más o menos…

Al igual que hizo Midorikawa, este chico también se apretó las agujetas de sus botas y revisó su equipo. Pero cuando escucho “estrategia” alzó la cara. Takeshi se llevó la mano al bolsillo de su pecho y dijo:

—Tengo algo que entregar a Midorikawa-san de Eclipse. ¿Me puedo ir contigo? Estuve esperando a mis demás compañeros pero parece que ya no van a venir y tengo prisa.

Aquel chico miró con cierta sospecha a Takeshi.

—Oye ¿Ya te dieron tu botón de “Concierge”?

—Claro que si…

A decir verdad, Takeshi no tenía ni la más remota idea de lo que significaba “Concierge”, pero de cualquier manera mantuvo la farsa.

—Fuu…  a ver, ¿Dónde es que iban a ser desplegados tus compañeros de Eclipse? Porque ya te digo que yo voy hacia la zona de Ebisu.

-Never mind that," Takeshi replied.

However, seeing Takeshi's strange attitude, the boy frowned.

-What do you mean it doesn't matter? What are you going to do if they're lined up somewhere too far away from where I'm going?

-W-well... I'm sure they'll be very close to there.

The student was getting more and more skeptical and stared at Takeshi who looked away.

-Hey... Are you from the special class? Because I don't think I've seen you before?

-Well, I'm not special class, but I am an evasive magic user.

Takeshi knew perfectly well, that evasive magic wizards were very few and very rare to find in any of the communities. Indeed, the student seemed to have been convinced and with an aura of curiosity asked:

-Really? And what kind of evasive magic do you use?

-It's "strike vision," an intuition skill.

-Hee! How nice... I wish you were with us at Wizard Breath," said the boy excitedly. Well, there's no time to be with this. It's time for me to go. But... Are you really going to come after me?

-Yes.

The student put his hand on the mirror and activated his magic circle to open the portal. Takeshi went after him while holding Twilight's grip tightly. No matter where he appeared, he had to think fast about his next move.

"Mui..."

The surface of the mirror rippled as if it were water. And, as soon as the portal was ready, both boys headed for it without delay. Right behind the other boy, Takeshi took a long step and stepped into the mirror at once. However, before his whole entire body passed through, something coming at him in a hurry suddenly hit him in the back forcing him through the portal. After the terrible fall, that student exclaimed:

-What's going on, who are you?

Takeshi could not even get up due to the great weight of something that had fallen on him from somewhere. He couldn't even lift his face.

-Well, looks like we made it. The mirror was about to close.

-Hey! Ida-kun, get out of the way, you're too heavy.

Takeshi was astonished to hear two familiar voices. Slowly, as the weight of his body was lifted away, Takeshi was able to stand up and looked at them.

-Ida! Isoshima...! How did you...?

Those two didn't even look at Takeshi, but looked around.

-Hey... we're outside the academy, right?

Kurumi's question was not answered by the student, but by another person who said:

-Are you students of the academy? Come back immediately.

At that moment, Takeshi found himself prostrate at the feet of a woman sitting on a luxurious red velvet chair. The woman was dressed in a white cloak and hood, and gave them a cold look. The student let out a heavy sigh and said:

-This is no place to play around. All of you, return to the academy at once.

The boy pointed to a place where a mirror the size of a person stood. Takeshi stood up and realized that the place where they were, was a room about four tatamis in size* However, the walls were transparent and you could see through them. That kind of room was in the middle of what seemed to be a street between buildings. The room they were in could look from the outside like some kind of giant showcase.

-I'm very sorry Yuri-san. But... could you take care of them? I have to go or I'll be late for the meeting point," said the boy.

The woman nodded slightly and the student slipped through the wall and went outside. The glass room had no doors, but it looked like its walls could be walked through as if it were a hologram. Takeshi was still in shock when suddenly the woman spoke to them:

-I'm going to open a portal for you to return immediately to the academy.

The woman had no need to touch the mirror. She did not even get up from her seat, but simply pointed her finger at it. A number of magic particles flew towards it and drew a magic circle.

-Come on, go back to the academy. This place is dangerous.

The woman had already opened the portal back to the academy. However, Takeshi shook his head and said:

-My friend is out there.

The woman frowned.

-Your friend is a member of the special class?

-She used to be... but not anymore....

Kurumi took the floor in Takerhsi's place and said:

-We are looking for Aiba Mui.

-Aiba... Mui..." the woman stammered while looking at Takeshi and Kurumi. Then she looked at Ida who was simply observing the matter with her arms crossed. I haven't seen her. At least around here, it hasn't happened....

-Mui left three days ago," Takeshi replied.

The woman averted her gaze and ducked her head saying:

-In that case, the chances of her still being alive are slim.

-What do you mean?

-Observe...

The woman looked away and urged the three of them to look in the same direction. Through the transparent wall, in the distant sky, Takeshi saw something that looked like many birds fluttering in the air. Or so he thought, until Kurumi said:

-Those... Are those people?

Those objects could barely be noticed as small dots in the sky that collided with each other scattering sparks and moving at speeds impossible for a bird. Some suddenly fell to the ground while others soared into the sky illuminating the entire airspace with different colored lights. When Takeshi looked closely at one of these points, he noticed that it was a person in free fall with his arms and legs outstretched. Then, a shiver ran down his back.

-As you can see, the C7 is now in the middle of a combat operation that....

The woman's explanation was suddenly interrupted. A dark gray object that looked like mud suddenly fell on the transparent room causing it to shudder violently.

-Kyaa!

-Uaa! What the heck is going on?

Kurumi and Ida reflexively ducked and Takeshi did the same later.

That mass of grayish slime began to gather above the small room as if it were a living creature, and quickly emerged into a huge ball. From its interior, a person's arm came out and moved up and down energetically as if trying to escape from its interior, but the slime ball quickly rose into the air.

Beyond it was a single wizard floating in the sky. The man appeared to be manipulating said mudball and caused it to crash again and again into the buildings in the area. The sphere exploded splattering everywhere and revealing the person trapped inside.

It was a man who looked completely weakened, who was again caught by the slime before it fell to the ground and slammed him against a wall.  The weakened man opened his eyes and seemed to say something. The slime mage, too, seemed to have answered him. After that, a blue and red flash shone brightly between those two mages. The blue magic particles seemed to be stronger and penetrated the man in the wall like an arrow. When the mage who had won the battle called out the slime sphere, the man on the wall fell to the ground and the other flew away without even looking back.

Not only Takeshi, but also Kurumi and Ida, were completely stunned and speechless. And, as the three of them looked stunned, the woman spoke to them in a calm voice:

-Don't worry. You are safe here. You are inside a barrier that does not allow any magic to pass through. -The woman sighed as she saw that the three were still absorbed by what they had just witnessed. It seems that you don't know what "The boxes" are, nor what a "Concierge" is. And it seems that you are not the special kind either. So tell me... What class are you exactly?

Ida, who quickly came to her senses, whispered back in a depressed tone:

-We are Class C....

The woman shook her head and said:

-Get back this very instant. This is no place for you.

Just then, Kurumi, who was still watching, suddenly shouted, drawing Takeshi and Ida's attention. It turned out that more than ten tigers were running across the intersection of the street where they were. One person was riding on the back of the last tiger, but this person immediately jumped up and transformed into a tiger just like the others, and ran along with them.

-That person turned into a tiger!

Kurumi quickly clung to Takeshi's arm unconsciously, and he reciprocated by holding her hand tightly. Her body was completely stiff as she still couldn't believe everything she saw with her own eyes. Even Kurumi's hands felt cold and trembled.

-It's a squad of armored beasts from Wizard Breath. -The woman explained. They seem to be in the middle of a battle. You guys wouldn't be getting in their way, so you'd better get back.

The woman didn't seem to want to get up from her chair, but she still urged the boys to return to the academy. Takeshi had begun to get a good grasp of what was going on outside. But, still, he could not retreat.

-We have to find Mui. -Takeshi insisted.

Saying that, he tried to go out through the wall like the other boy did. However, when he approached the transparent walls and tried to touch them to see if he could get through, the woman shouted:

-Don't touch the barrier!!!!!

Takeshi turned to look at her and refuted:

-She's still alive. She was chased by the Trailers before and managed to escape under her own power. I'm sure Mui is fine.

-That doesn't mean you have permission to come in! Class C students going outside is practically guaranteed suicide.

Takeshi stared at the woman intently. He knew beforehand that going there was dangerous. But still, he felt that if he gave up there and went back, he would never see Mui again.

-Listen, from the first moment you set foot outside the barrier, you will be considered a fighter like the others. So, now that you know that, go back to the academy. The walk ended.

The woman spoke with a stern tone. But Takeshi's head was only thinking about being on the other side.

"Mui is out there."

The map he carried in his breast pocket suddenly became hot.

Most places on the map, was marked with red ink. But there was only one place that was enclosed in a circle. Suddenly, Kurumi grabbed Takeshi's shoulder and pulled him.

-Takeshi, we'd better get back....

Her voice seemed to be full of fear.

-Please Takeshi.

Kurumi's face looked pale. Takeshi held Kurumi by the shoulders and said:

-Isoshima, you go back to the academy. Ida, you too.

-Hey... What are you planning to do? -Ida asked.

Takeshi didn't answer. He just let go of Kurumi's shoulders.

-Takeshi!?

-I'm sorry...

Takeshi turned around and crossed the barrier. For a moment he felt like some kind of membrane clinging to his whole body, but it was relatively easy to cross.

-Wait!

The woman tried to stop Takeshi however the voice no longer reached him. The outside and inside of the barrier were completely isolated.

-Wait Takeshi, don't go!

Ida at that moment held Kurumi by the hand because she tried to pass the barrier to chase Takeshi.

-Isoshima, we'd better go back don't you think?

-Takeshiiiiiii!!!!

Kurumi turned to Ida and stomped on her foot.

-Auuuuch!!!

When Ida jumped up and down in pain, he let go of Kurumi and she took the opportunity to run into the barrier and through it.

-Wait, Isoshima!

Ida chased after her in a hurry and before she knew it, she had broken through the barrier as well. When she stopped and looked back, that transparent room was nowhere to be seen.

-What on earth...?

That entrance they called "The Box", could only be recognized by those who carried and held down a button they called "Conscierge". Once you were completely outside, no other person, wizard or not, would be able to see or touch "the box". Of course, neither Takeshi, Kurumi, nor Ida, had any knowledge of that. Ida knew it was more important to follow Kurumi than to stay and investigate where the box had gone, so she continued running.

She quickly found Kurumi and in turn, they both met up with Takeshi. At the end of the road, there was an intersection where the Wizard Breath and the Trailer were still engaged in a fierce battle, so Takeshi had to hide for the time being.

The three of them ducked into the entrance of a subway parking garage of one of the nearby buildings, waiting for the battle to end.

-Hey, the person we saw fighting earlier... did he really die? -Kurumi asked.

-It's possible," Ida answered.

At that moment they both sighed with concern.

-It looks like it's serious. -Ida added.

While both of them were getting depressed, Takeshi began to check the map seriously.

-Takeshi, the color of your eyes?

When Kurumi pointed, Ida turned to look at Takeshi in surprise.

-You're always pulling out your sword huh?

Takeshi who already had Twilight drawn in his right hand said to them:

-You guys should also prepare to use your magic.

Kurumi put her hands in her skirt pockets and checked to make sure her lipstick was there.

-Even if you say that, you know well that I can't fight. -Kurumi clarified.

-You know how to use basic magic, don't you?

-I'm still practicing...

Ida laughed at Kurumi's weakness and then said:

-Wait a second, In your case, Isoshima can transform you into a little girl to escape right?

-Even having seen that before, you're saying such things? Even if I'm a little girl or something else, here they're going to try to kill me no questions asked.

Kurumi shrugged her shoulders in complete terror.

Meanwhile, Takeshi continued to look at the map very carefully.

Finally, Ida and Kurumi also approached to see the map spread out on the ground next to him.

-We are in Ebisu, aren't we? -asked Ida.

-That's supposed to be it...

While Ida and kurumi were looking for the location of the Ebisu neighborhood on the map, Takeshi pointed to a spot and said:

-If you look closely, Ebisu here is different from the living world where we came from. In this world, there is no Garden Place yet.

Once they were aware of their location, they realized that they were not far from the area Mui had marked on the map.

-The red circle marks the station, right?

Just as Kurumi mentioned, the circle marked a building near the station in the Ebisu neighborhood. Takeshi looked up and saw them both seriously concentrating on the map. Then he said:

-Hey, you are still in time to go back. It would be good if you both did that.

However, Takeshi's suggestion was immediately denied.

-I'm not going back.

-I'm not going to either.

-But it could be very dangerous. Are you sure? Isoshima, you were even screaming in fear until a while ago....

Kurumi tilted her head as if she was confused and said:

-Mmm... I didn't scream.

-Of course you did," Ida pointed out.

However, Kurumi again flatly denied it while looking sideways.

-I didn't scream! Besides, I wasn't scared at all.

Unexpectedly, Takeshi smiled.

-All right. Then we'll look for Mui quickly and come back here.

-Yes...

-Affirmative!

Kurumi whispered and nodded, while Ida gave a military salute.

-Hey, don't do that. -Kurumi mentioned.

-Why? -Ida asked.

-You look ridiculous saying "affirmative" and making that gesture.

-Are you serious?

—…

Takeshi and Ida looked at each other, then burst out laughing while Kurumi pouted.