Mahou Sensou:Volume 1 Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4: Wizard's Rule

Part 1

Ida Kazumi was a student at Sakuraya High School. However, most of the time he did not wear his uniform. Not because he hated school (even though the teachers looked at him with suspicion, and his classmates made expressions as if there was a monster among them always holding him as the vilest). He just let it all go and took it easy, since he had promised his mother that he would graduate no matter what. Ida didn't have his father and therefore, she had become the most important thing so he would never betray cher. He would never break his promise to her. Although his grades were not good, he was still within the necessary limit to pass the course.

During the three years he would be there, he would have to grudgingly put up with all the prejudices against him. There were very few students whom Ida could call "friends". (not to say that there were none) and no matter how hard he tried to make conversation with his classmates, it was more than clear that he was just a nuisance and they always looked at him with dread. For that reason, there came a time when he stopped doing so.

However, Nanase Takeshi treated him differently. To Ida, Takeshi was someone special even though he was not very talkative, not very studious. Just an average boy with a few friends in class, who attended the kendo club. He didn't excel at anything and wasn't too serious, so he was the perfect normal kid. The only unusual thing was that Takeshi had the same kind attitude with Ida that he had with other people. Perhaps, if the first time the two of them had spoken in the classroom, Ida might have disliked Takeshi. He had many friends with whom he got along very well, which was not a bad thing for Ida. Otherwise he would have considered the act of talking to him as an act of hypocrisy. However, Ida met Takeshi in a very different place than at school. Takeshi didn't remember that, but Ida kept it in the back of her mind.

It was a Sunday, when school was closed. Ida was standing with her younger sister in front of the station, but at one point they separated and she got lost. While he was looking for her, a series of mishaps occurred.

On a busy sidewalk, the sound of a bicycle falling was heard. Ida rushed to the scene with a bad feeling and indeed found his sister there crying. Every time he recalls that moment, Ida's hair stands on end. For it was Takeshi who was standing there, and with great aggression he trampled the bicycle lying on the ground and grabbed a delinquent riding on it by the neck causing him to get up while shouting at the guy in great anger.

What he understood from Takeshi's words was that the guy was riding the bicycle on the sidewalk at high speed. On the other hand, it seemed that the bike the guy was riding was dangerous, as it was one of those so-called "track bikes" that have no brakes equipped. The guy apologized when he understood that he might have hurt the little elementary school girl, Takeshi gave him a push and kicked the bike to the corner of the street.

Finally Ida approached her crying brother and although Takeshi looked at him, he didn't know it was Ida or that he was her classmate. At the time, Ida was wearing a large woolen cap that concealed his blonde hair as well as a particular flashy outfit. But even if he had been wearing a uniform, he would not have recognized him. Ida also didn't know that Takeshi was a classmate.

They had barely been attending high school for five days. Takeshi simply advised Ida not to let go of his little sister's hand and then left without further ado. The next day, Ida's astonishment when he ran into Takeshi in the classroom was monumental. Takeshi, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice anything, perhaps because he didn't remember.

But from that moment on, Takeshi became for Ida someone out of the ordinary in the classroom. As he watched him, he noticed that Takeshi had a big cut on the back of his hand, and then he remembered that his little sister had told him that Takeshi had stepped in front of the speeding bicycle and stopped it to protect her.

Takeshi's manner at school, compared to the angry Takeshi with that guy on the bike when he was on the street, had Ida completely confused. At school, Takeshi seemed like a serious and impeccable student, he was a very sociable person who could get along great with anyone. However, you could tell that he had suppressed his emotions as much as possible. In fact, he was someone who did not like to get involved in any kind of trouble and used to subtly move away from people who represented some kind of mishap in order not to get involved.

Hardly someone like that would get into a fight over someone else. But now, being classmates and friends, and also for having saved his little sister, Ida was helping Takeshi find an escape route, yet he couldn't help but be a little intrigued as well. For some reason, that stoic kendo student, whose girlfriend was none other than Isoshima Kurumi, the most desired girl by all the boys in the school. That Takeshi who never missed a single class, was running hand in hand with a woman with blond and curly hair (very beautiful by the way) who looked like a college student, trying to run away from some guys who were chasing them.

Seeing that situation, anyone would be interested. After the narrow hallway of the building, there was a cargo entrance. Ida went out that way, and suddenly while waiting behind a truck parked there for Takeshi to come out, he was completely stunned for a moment.

"Ishoshima? But how...?"

The woman who accompanied Takeshi out of the door was no longer the beauty he had seen before, but was Isoshima Kurumi. (Obviously Kurumi was also very beautiful). She stared at Ida who was stunned and asked:

"What, is it wrong for me to come too?"

"Hey, where is that beautiful onee-san who came with us?"

Ida shook her head from side to side, looking behind Takeshi for that girl, but there was only Kurumi. The curly-haired beauty had vanished.

"I'm sure I saw her." Ida looked coldly at Kurumi.

"Aah? you're sure you saw... what? I don't know what you're talking about."

Having been denied what he had seen, Ida, annoyed, turned to Takeshi.

"Nanase, where is the girl from earlier?"

However, Takeshi did not react in any way.

"Ehh..."

"That's enough, for God's sake! Remember that they're still chasing us." Kurumi said, pointing to the exit door.

At that moment both Takeshi and Ida tensed up.

"That's right, come this way!" Ida said, walking away from the truck and the building.

As she continued on her way, Kurumi held tightly to Takeshi's hand.

"Takeshi, I..."

"Ahh, you're back to your old self." Takeshi said, smiling at Kurumi who looked uncomfortable.

Certainly Kurumi's appearance was different until a while ago. It was when that girl from <the Trailers> named Hotaru started to forcibly apply lipstick on her, that she was surrounded with particles of magic power and changed her appearance. At first Takeshi was shocked to see that Kurumi had completely transformed into someone else as they ran while holding hands.

Her appearance was that of a young woman in her twenties with curly hair. Even they ran he couldn't help but cast sidelong glances at him from time to time, but he recognized the features of her own face. So I had a clear idea of what had happened. Kurumi had changed her appearance, probably increasing her age by 4 or 5 years. Takeshi pondered about the systematic magic the headmistress had mentioned.

If the guys in <the Trailers> had mentioned that Takeshi's magical affinity was "Evasive Magic", then Kurumi who had also become a wizard, must also have a magical affinity. Transformation magic had been something completely mind-blowing, but because Kurumi was frightened and bewildered by such a change, Takeshi was trying to handle the matter as delicately as possible.

"It seems that after a while you are back to normal." Takeshi mentioned with a shrug.

"I didn't feel like myself. It was awful." Kurumi replied.

"I like you just the way you are."

"Really?" Kurumi asked staring at him.

Takeshi nodded calmly and answered.

"Of course."

Hearing that Kurumi smiled. and putting her hand on her chest she thought, "I don't have to worry about that anymore."

Part 2

Although Ida had managed to get them out of the building, Takeshi stopped at a park near the station from where they had left. It was getting late, but they had decided to take a break as they were exhausted and thirsty from running in the heat. As it was summer, the park was practically empty. Takeshi and Kurumi sat together on a bench and Ida sat on a nearby swing. The three of them were drinking tea they had bought from a vending machine. But suddenly, Ida took out her cell phone and after looking at the screen for a while, exclaimed:

"I got an email from my sister!"

He stood up cheerfully and approached Takeshi and Kurumi.

"It looks like mom went out early today and is already home."

"She went out early?" Takeshi asked.

"Yes, our mother is a nurse. When she has to work at night, I have to be at home so that Futaba is not alone, so that's why they send me an email.

At that moment Ida started frantically operating her cell phone.

"Look, this is our Futaba."

He showed the screen of his cell phone to Takeshi and Kurumi.

"She's cute, isn't she?"

Seeing the image of an elementary school girl on the screen, Takeshi nodded with some hesitation.

"Y-Yeah..."

That elementary school girl shown in the picture had pigtails and was smiling, showing that she was missing her front teeth. Kurumi who was looking at the photo sitting next to Takeshi, had no reaction and muttered:

"Yes, more or less..."

There was no compliment in those words so Ida and Takeshi turned to look at Kurumi involuntarily.

"What?!" she asked

Seeing that both boys had stared at her, Kurumi turned away angrily.

"There's no need to get angry." Ida replied.

Ida let out a sigh, and Takeshi suddenly lowered his head apologetically.

"Why are you apologizing?" -Kurumi asked indignantly.

She pursed her lips and turned her face away from both of them again.

"Do you two... have siblings?" Ida asked as he put his cell phone in his pocket.

"I'm an only child," Kurumi answered with a sidelong glance.

"I thought so." Ida said instinctively.

Kurumi glared at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. And you Nanase?"

Takeshi hesitated to answer Ida.

"I..."

"He has a younger brother," Kurumi answered instead of Takeshi.

"Hee...your younger brother must be very serious and honest like you."

"..."

Takeshi didn't answer anything. It was very complicated to answer about what kind of person Gekkou was. even though he was his younger brother, he didn't know much about him.

"Hey, I'll go take a look around the station. They don't know me after all."

Ida had noticed how thoughtful Takeshi had been getting, so he finished the conversation and after throwing the plastic bottle of whatever he had been drinking into the trash can, immediately ran out of the park. Takeshi drank tea from a plastic bottle that had already warmed up in his hands. Whenever it was about Gekkou, Takeshi simply could not be calm. Sitting next to him, Kurumi noticed Takeshi's melancholy expression.

"Still not?" she asked.

At Kurumi's words that sounded like a complaint, Takeshi replied:

"It's useless..."

"If you want, I can talk to Gekkou." said Kurumi.

"Don't even try."

He didn't want anyone to go between him and Gekkou. That was Takeshi's thinking and Kurumi was aware of that. But now Kurumi is trying to do something different.

"Listen, it wasn't your fault."

"..."

"It was an accident."

Takeshi had said those same words to himself on more than one occasion. Doctors, nurses at the hospital and his parents had all said the same thing to him. Everyone had said it except Gekkou. Since only Gekkou and himself knew what really happened.

"It was my fault. I pushed him and that's why he..."

"Even if you pushed him, I know you didn't do it on purpose. You and Gekkou are rare boys."

"..."

Takeshi was aware that Kurumi was saying that because she was worried, but his patience had run out and he was holding back from yelling "Leave me alone" at her. For him, there was no excuse for forgiving someone who ruins his little brother's promising future. Besides, Takeshi lived remembering more clearly than anyone else, the exact moment when he pushed him. He had clearly pushed Gekkou with his own hand into the road.

It happened during the summer vacation two years ago. Takeshi and Gekkou were on their way home after practicing Kendo in the neighborhood dojo. In the evening when the heat had already gone down, they were walking along a very narrow road which didn't even have anything that could be called sidewalks, just a couple of white lines painted on each side.

The two conversed in the most natural way as they walked ahead of each other. Unlike Takeshi who was able to control his anger, Gekkou had a completely angry personality. Gekkou was someone who did not like to lose. There were many occasions when he would end up arguing with other people.

That day was no different, on the walk Gekkou insisted on being the first to take a shower when they got home. As usual, Takeshi simply agreed saying there was no problem. Most of the time as an older brother, it was best to let Gekkou do as he pleased, as it was no bother to him. It was at that moment when Gekkou who was walking ahead changed the topic of conversation.

"Hey, Takeshi..."

"What?"

Since long ago, Gekkou used to refer to his older brother only as "Takeshi".

"I wanted to talk to you about Kurumi..."

Takeshi didn't notice, but Gekkou stuttered a little as if what he was about to say was something embarrassing and difficult to say.

"What's going on with Isoshima?" Takeshi asked.

"You know, there are rumors going around the school that you are dating her, did you know that?"

"Yeah, I knew."

It turns out that just two weeks after Kurumi suffered the stalker attack, Takeshi made a deal with her to pretend to be her boyfriend. It didn't take long for that rumor to spread around the school, which Takeshi quickly found out about. But obviously no one was telling it like it really was. Neither did Gekkou.

"I've denied it as much as possible, but I think you should also say that it's not true." Gekkou continued.

However, Takeshi kept silent, thinking about what to do with what Gekkou (who didn't believe the rumors) was advising him to do.

"Takeshi?"

Turning back a little Gekkou called out to the silent Takeshi. Takeshi didn't like to lie to Gekkou, so he had to do the inevitable and tell him the truth.

"The truth is, Isoshima and I are dating."

"W-what are you saying? You're lying right?"

Turning back completely, Gekkou was dumbfounded.

"I'm not lying, it's truth."

Eyes wide with shock, Gekkou couldn't believe it even though he heard it clearly from Takeshi's mouth.

"W-Wait a second. Why would you and Kurumi do that so spontaneously? I mean, I know you're childhood friends but... you hadn't said anything."

With nothing more to say to the bewildered Gekkou, Takeshi kept silent again. On the other hand, Gekkou began to mutter.

"Takeshi and Kurumi don't make a good couple..."

But no matter how much he protested, Takeshi was not to blame.

"That's the way it is."

After saying that, he went ahead of Gekkou to get home earlier.

"I don't understand... what's going on?"

While shouting Gekkou followed Takeshi.

"Why are you angry? It shouldn't be something that matters to you."

"Of course I care!"

Suddenly, Gekkou grabbed Takeshi by the bogu bag hanging on his back.

"Hey..."

Pulling back, he made Takeshi stop in his tracks. A huge truck sped past on that narrow, two-lane street, coming very close to brushing Takeshi.

"You're an ordinary guy, even I'm better at Kendo than you!" Gekkou exclaimed.

"Be careful..." Takeshi said, thinking more about the place where they were, than what his brother was saying.

"I'm closer to Kurumi than you are!"

Gekkou let go of Takeshi's bogu bag who still hadn't tidied up his bad posture, and stepped forward to try to run away.

"Hey, wait!"

At that moment, Takeshi grabbed Gekkou's shoulder.

"Let me go!"

"Listen, this whole thing was not my idea. You have no right to protest what she decided to do."

"Ahh!? That means you used Kurumi's trauma with the stalker to your advantage, right? That's the most vile thing you could have done, Takeshi."

"You're wrong."

"That's enough. Get off me!"

Gekkou forcibly got rid of Takeshi's hand and pushed Takeshi's chest making him retreat a few steps. Gekkou himself also moved back a little from the force of the push.

"Gekkou!"

At that moment a white colored car jumped into Takeshi's sight approaching from the left lane. Gekkou, who was in front, could see the car more clearly.

"Aah?"

Gekkou stopped as his bogu bag slipped off his shoulder.

"Gekkou!"

For some reason that Takeshi didn't understand, he ended up pushing Gekkou unconsciously. He may have just been trying to pull Gekkou away from danger and a miscalculation of distance caused him to push him instead of grabbing him, but regardless of the reason, it didn't change what happened.

That hand with which he tried to grab his brother Gekkou's arm, pushed him off the shoulder and Gekkou's body leaned towards the inside of the road within the reach of that white vehicle that finally ended up hitting him full force sending him flying through the air.

Takeshi stood completely motionless watching Gekkou fall to the ground. After his parents rushed to the scene in a short time Gekkou was rushed to a hospital. There, he had to undergo surgery. Meanwhile, no matter how many times Takeshi was asked about what happened, he didn't say anything because he didn't know what to answer. His memories before and after what happened had been clouded and he was so shocked that he could not even speak.

"We had to operate on his son's right knee in order to reconstruct the meniscus."

What the doctor had said after the operation was like a nightmare for Takeshi.

"He will recover after rehabilitation. I don't think he'll have any trouble walking after this."

Next to his tearful mother and silent father, Takeshi lay completely confused. But the restlessness wouldn't leave him alone and he asked the doctor a question. In his mind he thought everything would be all right, but still, he had to ask for gekkou's sake and also for your own sake.

"Doctor, Gekkou practices Kendo. Will he be able to continue to do so after this?"

The doctor frowned and stared at him.

"It will be very difficult for him to return to sports. If he does, it will put a great strain on his bad knee."

"It can't be... that's terrible." The mother burst into tears again.

Hearing such news for her parents, who had always shown favoritism towards the innocent Gekkou, was as if they had heard their own death sentence. The mother was still crying while the father, with an expression that seemed to be either fury or frustration, bowed his head.

With a slight sobbing that caused a great pressure in his chest, Takeshi's mind sank into a dense fog. And from that day on, every time Takeshi thinks of Gekkou, his mind goes into complete darkness. Naturally he considered giving up kendo. The reason he had not quit, however, was because he had to accept reality. Giving up kendo was not going to make Gekkou well. However, in the dojo they began to view him in a hostile manner. But Takeshi continued to attend the dojo alone until he graduated from high school.

There, there was no place for him anymore. And the situation at home also changed completely, as Takeshi began to be treated as a stranger. His mother had worn down from accompanying Gekkou in his arduous rehabilitation work and looked very haggard. His father would sink into work to avoid coming home, and Takeshi, silent, avoided talking to them and behaved as if he were a ghost. After two years, Takehsi had never had a conversation with Gekkou again.

Even if he tried, Gekkou would simply ignore him and walk away clicking his tongue in disgust. It was completely impossible to get along with him. For that reason, the two years spent under those conditions had become eternal.

While Kurumi was talking bringing up the subject of Gekkou, Takeshi had remained pensive, however, his body was shaken by a spontaneous electronic sound. He immediately reached into the bogu bag he was carrying across and pulled out his cell phone that was ringing. He answered the call quickly the screen without seeing who it was.

"Hello..."

The reply was immediate.

"Takeshi-kun?!"

"Mui?"

"You know, I think it's dangerous to be there after all. I want you to go back to the academy the way I taught you."

Because it was the second time they talked on the phone, Takeshi looked more relieved than surprised by Mui's sudden call.

"You're right, I thought it would be better to go back too. Those guys just ambushed us a while ago."

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, we somehow managed to lose them, but it doesn't look like they're going to give up easily."

As Takeshi spoke, he noticed Kurumi beside him, watching him with some suspicion and for some reason he frowned. Takeshi tried to flash her a smile, but Kurumi's displeased expression didn't change.

"Do you have any mirrors nearby that are big enough? If you can find one, you can come back here right away."

After hearing those words from Mui, Takeshi stood up. However, because the place they were in was a small park, it didn't seem to have bathrooms where he could find mirrors.

"It's useless. There are no mirrors nearby." Takeshi replied after glancing around.

"Is there any other place nearby where you can find a mirror?"

"Well... considering where we are, the school is the closest thing we have."

the school was located somewhere in between his house and that park.

"The school? That's fine. I'm on my way there right now. I'll come for you," Mui replied.

"It's not necessary. I remember well how to get back."

"Do you really think you'll be ok?" Mui insisted.

but Takeshi answered with an unexpected tone full of confidence:

"Yes, don't worry. So, I'll meet you in the hall of mirrors."

"Okay."

After ending the call with Mui, Takeshi faced Kurumi and her annoyed expression, but before he could explain anything, Kurumi asked:

"Since when did that girl have your number?"

"Since before we came back."

"Huh..."

Putting the cell phone back in the briefcase, Takeshi felt strange again the fact that Mui was in an academy located in a different world. The original World and The Ruined World, they were connected through a phone call.

When they exchanged numbers, Mui had told him that she had used magic on his cell phone which was similar to the portals in the mirrors in order to connect the two worlds. There was a moment when she had taken the battery out of Takeshi's cell phone, so it had possibly been at that moment when she had done her magic stuff. Kurumi let out a heavy sigh after hearing about what Takeshi had talked to Mui on the phone and said:

"Well, she's right, we can't go back home, so we have no choice."

However, Ida, who had returned just as Takeshi was talking on the phone, had no idea what was going on.

"So... What were they talking about?"

Based on his demeanor, he didn't seem to have run into the guys chasing them anywhere in the park. Takeshi didn't say anything and just apologized to him as he walked with Kurumi out of the park as it was too complicated to explain the matter to Ida at that moment.

"I'm sorry Ida. You helped us a lot. But it's time to leave this place."

Ida started to follow them while looking at both of them with concern.

"Are you really all right?"

"Of course"

After watching the two of them leave the park for the school, Ida didn't turn away and began to run after them.

"I'm a little worried about you, so I'll go with you to school."

"You don't need to trouble..."

"Don't worry, it's no trouble at all."

In fact, Ida was interested to know the reason why Takeshi had such a varied personality. Was he just pretending to be gentle, or was his attitude towards the guy who was going to run over his sister just because he had some pent-up anger? Whatever the case, he wanted to know. Takeshi didn't suspect any of that, and had no idea what to say to Ida, so he simply headed for the school in order to put an end to the pursuit of those guys once and for all.