Editing Mahou Sensou:Volume 2 Chapter 4 (section)

===Part 7===
While Mui was fighting with Tsuganashi, Takeshi and the others were hurrying towards Ebisu station.

-This is it!

Takeshi emerged from the shelter of the gloom of a building, and hurriedly ran to a corner ten meters ahead where he ducked behind a flowerbed. After him, Ida and Kurumi ran toward the same spot.

With Twilight drawn and the purple circles of evasive magic glowing in his eyes, Takeshi was using his intuitive ability "Strike Vision" to detect enemies and in that way, he had managed to approach the station without running into any Trailers or Wizard Breath mages.

After Ida slipped behind the small shadow of the flowerbed and after standing behind Takeshi, she said:

-Hey, I had been wondering what kind of magic yours was, and now that I see it in action, I realize it's quite useful.

When Kurumi heard that she turned to look and said:

-Of course it is. Your intuition is practically a prediction.

Indeed the intuition effect of "Strike Vision", seemed to have increased its range of action thanks to the training. Four months ago, he could barely predict things that were an instant away from happening, but now, he was fully capable of anticipating up to a minute. However, his ability did not show him things that were going to happen as a kind of vision, as it did with the other prediction magics.

In Takeshi's case, his prediction was nothing more than an intuition that allowed him to feel the events that were going to happen. Like when you feel a shiver down your back or when you feel a kind of electrical signal that tells you something is wrong.

Just at that moment, Takeshi felt something approaching from the front. It was coming towards them from a very close place.

-Shhh...

Takeshi silenced Ida and Kurumi who were behind him. A few seconds later, five mages flew past from that direction and crossed the street. A blue cloak they wore, billowed in the wind revealing a navy blue military uniform.

"They are wizards from Wizard Breath."

If they found them, possibly the only thing they would do, would be to scold them and tell them to return back to the academy, so Takeshi and his friends stayed hidden until the wizards left. When he stood up after they left, Takeshi began to concentrate his magic on the hand that held the sword.

—…

Takeshi suddenly ducked his head as if he had just been in severe pain.

-Takeshi! -Kurumi exclaimed worriedly.

-It seems that the way to that side is dangerous. -Takeshi mentioned.

Then he pointed to the east route towards the station. Kurumi stared at a straight road in front of them and said:

-Well... How about we go that way?

However, Takeshi slowly denied and said:

-No, I don't know what will happen yet. I have to look ahead.

Takeshi again concentrated his magical power on the hand wielding the sword. The purple-colored magic particles completely covered Twilight. However, they were beginning to shake unsteadily.

-Takeshi, be careful. Don't overdo it....

Kurumi gently placed her hand on Takeshi's arm. But he inadvertently shook her off.

"More...more...I need to concentrate more. I need to find a route that will take us directly to Mui."

Takeshi closed his eyes and deposited a large amount of magical power into Twilight.

-Just a little more...

Soon Takeshi started panting and breathing heavily until suddenly, he felt something else and said:

-Someone is coming from behind.

Quickly Ida turned to look behind and said:

-I think we'd better move from this spot.

Ida seemed to have heard hurried footsteps a moment ago.

-That's enough, Takeshi. I'll go see if anyone is there.

Kurumi came out from behind the flowerbed and started walking across the street.

-There doesn't seem to be anyone around here.

Then she turned to look at Takeshi. Both he and Ida followed her across a street in a straight line and began to run. However, when Kurumi turned right into a narrow passageway, Takeshi was horrified and his whole body shuddered.

-Wait, Isoshima! Don't go that way...

She made an attempt to stop, but it was too late. Something from the sky fell to the ground and landed right in front of Kurumi. It was three black shadows that landed in front of her. Those shadows were actually three crows that had landed in a dark passageway between two buildings which immediately transformed into three people. Two men and a woman.

-Th-those crows turned into people. -Ida exclaimed.

He caught up to Kurumi and stood alert.

-What do you mean?

When Kurumi took a step back, those three strangers looked at Takeshi and then at the others in a serious manner.

-Are they students of the academy? -said one of them.

-They don't seem to be wearing combat uniforms," said the woman.

Those three looked to be in their early twenties and although they wore black fatigues, their clothes were casual and did not look like military uniforms at all.

-What are they doing here? -He asked Ida, one of the men who looked like he was their leader.

-Well, we have something to do. -Ida replied.

The man frowned at the answer.

-Where is your community? The C7 rules clearly specify that they must wear military uniforms, don't they?

-That's not important," Takeshi replied instead of Ida. The man became even heavier at the answer and said:

-What doesn't matter? Then tell me what you are doing here...

-We're just looking for someone. We didn't come here to fight.

At Takeshi's answer, the other guy, who was not the leader, laughed.

-What are you talking about?  You've come to the battlefield, but you're not going to fight? it's a very funny joke.

The leader of the group also smiled.

-Even if they are students. Once you are here, you are enemies of the Trailers. Surrender and we won't hurt you.

-We won't. -Takeshi replied.

The man smiled even wider.

-Then we'll make you feel some pain.

-Do you want to try?

The woman, who had been silent all the time, made a face of displeasure. The other two men, meanwhile, set about taking their weapons from her hips.

-Agreed, we'll finish them off quickly.

The two men took their swords while the woman, touched a brooch she wore on her chest.

-Free yourself! -exclaimed the three in unison.

Immediately magical particles of different colors began to come out of their bodies. Takeshi, Ida and Kurumi, also had their aspects prepared. They had not done anything yet, but the woman suddenly looked at them and asked:

-It looks like they are not going to use the release spell.

-Are they underestimating us? -one of the men exclaimed, completely angry. But then the leader called out to him:

-Don't lose your cool.

At that moment, vivid magic particles of cobalt blue, wine red and beige colors shone and concentrated on their respective aspects.

-Drive!" exclaimed the three again at the same time.

Immediately, the magic particles covered their bodies like a kind of membrane. Neither Takeshi nor his two friends knew that it was an advanced combination of defensive magic spell. However, Takeshi and Kurumi instantly activated the defensive magic.

- "Protection!"

After a short delay Ida also hurriedly exclaimed the same simple basic magic spell.

-Ah that's right, Protection!

One of the men looked at the small particles covering the body of Takeshi and his friends and began to sneer.

-Ha ha ha! Did you hear that? they said "protection". How adorable. I hadn't heard it in a while.

-Can I kill them? -asked the woman coolly. Then the leader nodded.

-We have orders to join another group as quickly as possible. We'll leave that to you. The two of us will go ahead.

-We'll leave that to you. We're moving out. You take over...

The two men again transformed into crows, and left the same way they came. They left the woman alone and flew away in no time.

-They are right. I must do this quickly.

The mage still looked annoyed but still she reached out to touch the swan-shaped brooch she wore on her chest and exclaimed:

- "Flake!"

Suddenly, the mage's body changed shape and transformed into another creature.

-Kyaaa!

-What the heck, that chick turned into a cat now?

Ida and Kurumi stepped back at that moment while Takeshi, raising his sword against them, stepped forward.

-It doesn't matter what she looks like. She's not a cat.

She was too big to be a cat.  She had black fur and her body reached a length of a couple of meters.

-Is she a black panther?

When Kurumi said that in surprise, the panther quickly pounced on her.

-Isoshimaaa!

Takeshi quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her. While holding Kurumi in his arms as if she was going to fall, Takeshi stared at the creature.

-Are you all right? -Ida exclaimed.

Kurumi nodded with a rigid expression of complete bewilderment. The black panther had descended on the spot where she had previously been standing and was licking its paws gracefully. The spot where it landed, however, had been torn to shreds.

-There's a hole in the ground....

Takeshi suddenly sensed danger for Ida who was still in a daze and exclaimed:

-Ida! To your left

-Ouu!

This time, the paws of the panther that jumped at Ida were covered with beige-colored magic particles. It had strengthened its paws with magic, so the panther left another hole where Ida had been standing.

-Even though I dodged it, I don't think I can do it again," Ida exclaimed.

But Takeshi had already activated his magic power on Twilight.

—…

An intense headache invaded him, making him gasp involuntarily.  In an attempt to get too far ahead of events that his intuition could detect, Twilight had begun to try to absorb more of the magical power than Takeshi had willingly given her.

She was losing a great deal of magical power. Takeshi didn't know what would happen if he completely lost control of the sword at that moment.

-Takeshiiiii!!!

Kurumi was still still in Takeshi's arms. She just looked at Takeshi with a face full of anguish and not realizing that she was about to cry. But Takeshi, suddenly smiled a little making her surprised.

-I could see something," she mumbled.

-Huh?

After that, Takeshi made Kurumi stand behind him. The black panther jumped in front of Takeshi, who narrowly dodged it. The skateboarder snorted in disgust and in a single instant, bit Takeshi in the throat but he tried to hit it with his sword and the panther quickly jumped back and placed itself at a distance where it couldn't reach it with the sword.

-Ida, concentrate..." Takeshi exclaimed without taking his eyes off the animal.

-I am! -Ida exclaimed.

-No, I mean try to attack it.

Once she understood what Takeshi meant, Ida nodded:

-Understood.

Kurumi behind Takeshi clasped her hands together and asked:

-Takeshi What are they planning to do?

Kurumi didn't need an intuition skill to have a bad feeling.

-You back off Isoshima.....

Takehsi waved his hand indicating Kurumi to stay as far away as possible.

-Takeshi!

Right after, Takeshi waved his sword and uttered a spell.

- "Flick!"

That was a basic magic spell, used to shoot down objects with one shot.

The magic particles that came out of Twilight, flew towards the panther, but it nimbly dodged it. Takeshi continued to launch more attack one after another without knowing what would happen.

The panther dodged each and every attack by jumping this way and that while at the same time, it was slowly approaching towards Takeshi.

-It's too fast! -exclaimed Takeshi.

Just then the panther jumped at him once again.

-Takeshi!

Although he managed to block the attack with his sword, the blade was supposed to have wounded the panther's front paws, but instead, the blade was repelled and Takeshi staggered backwards. That was due to the strengthening of his paws with magic.

"No way..."

Once the panther touched the ground, it jumped back again. Takeshi's sword made a sharp noise as if it had clashed against metal. However, Takeshi couldn't fight the huge creature and it ended up digging its claws into his shoulder.

-Takeshiiii!" Kurumi exclaimed with intensity. Echoing throughout the place.

When the panther landed on the ground after its attack, it quickly attacked again and again. While Takeshi was facing the panther, Ida was standing back by gathering magic power in his right hand.

Even though Takeshi had asked her to do that, Ida was beginning to lose patience seeing what was happening in front of him.  Takeshi started to receive multiple wounds all over his body and seeing that, Kurumi started to turn pale.

-Ta...Ta...ke...shi....

In the area where they were, there had been many battles previously. Most of the walls of the surrounding buildings had been destroyed and the few remaining concrete walls were badly cracked. Takeshi was fighting the panther while being chased by it, until suddenly Takeshi took cover behind a wall. The panther attacked Takeshi repeatedly with its powerful jaws.

Takeshi stepped out and moved his head to the right to dodge and called out to Ida while holding the panther.

-Ida! Hit it on the right side.

-Hey? What are you saying? -There?

Seeing Takeshi's position, Ida quickly reached out her hand.

Instantly, Ida's orange-colored magic spread throughout the area and exploded. Flames and hot air hit Takeshi and the panther while Kurumi who was far behind him, ducked down and nothing but a gust of wind reached her.

Takeshi raised his sword in the middle of that hot glow and exclaimed:

- "Wreck!

A purple-colored magic power shot out in a straight line and destroyed some overhanging eaves of the buildings. The thick chunks of concrete collapsed on Takeshi and the panther. As the orange flames dispersed, Ida involuntarily wanted to cover her eyes.

-Gee!!!

Kurumi raised her face and looked at Ida who only made a sound and seeing the situation, shouted at her:

-Hey Ida!!!!

The place where Takeshi and the panther had been, was full of pieces of collapsed concrete.

-It can't be... Takeshi....

Kurumi stood up to get a good look at the promontory of rubble, a part of the panther was sticking out of the rubble and suddenly, it started to move strangely. Takeshi slowly crawled out from under the animal.

-It looks like it served as a mattress for you. -Ida mumbled, relaxing her shoulders. However, Kurumi distorted her mouth in annoyance.  She ran up to Ida and slapped her back with all her might.

-You idiot! You almost burned Takeshi.

But Takeshi, who could barely stand up, asked Kurumi to calm down.

-Don't worry. It was part of the plan.

Even so, Kurumi was still uneasy.

-Is she dead? -Ida asked, approaching the panther.

Takeshi simply shook his head.

-Don't worry, she's just unconscious. Let's seize the moment and get out of here.

She had been embraced by Ida's flames and then hit in the back by the concrete chunks so she wasn't going to wake up any time soon.

-Even so, a magic that transforms a person into a huge panther must be very advanced," Ida said as she nodded. -And since it was a woman who turned into a panther, then that means this is a female panther, right?  Wow, she's not cute at all.

When Kurumi heard him say that, she silently walked over and kicked him in the shin.