Mahou Sensou:Volume 1 Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3: SUBARU Magic School in The Mirror

Part 1

There was a long corridor at least ten meters wide that had no windows. Its length was no more than two hundred meters, and on the wall on each side were huge one-piece mirrors that ran the entire length of the hallway.

"It's amazing, the mirrors run the entire length of the hallway." Takeshi exclaimed.

The mirrors along the hallway stretched behind him beyond the horizon to become a single point.

"This is where all the students and teachers of the Academy come and go." Mui commented, and then began to walk forward.

Takeshi stood admiring the mirrors in awe, but after a while he turned around and ran after Mui. They passed through a white door and then came to a crossroads where Mui crossed to the right and then went down some stairs.

The place certainly had a school-like feel to it; there were white walls and each hallway was very wide and spacious. However, everything was so quiet that anyone would doubt about the presence of any person in the place. Takeshi also went down the stairs. There were flowers planted along an outside path that led into the building.

From a distance, a classroom could be seen, but no one seemed to be there. Meanwhile, Mui remained completely silent as she guided Takeshi to a certain place in the building where they finally stopped.

"Excuse me, I'm Aiba from first year...."

The door opened, and when Mui looked inside, a woman's voice greeted her.

"Aah, well. Come in..."

Mui and Takeshi entered the room. That place was about half the size of a normal classroom, and there were several stainless steel desks placed in front of each other.

"Aiba-san, you ran away from the Academy, didn't you?" that woman said, appearing from behind

"I'm sorry..." Mui said, apologizing to the woman and then turned to look back with a bitter smile.

"You're very stubborn..."

The woman, who was dressed in a formal gray suit, had a very firm chest and legs. All of her seemed to be brimming with youth. She was about the same age as Takeshi's mother, her eyes were sharp and you could tell she had a good physique. At that moment, she shifted her point of view from Mui to Takeshi and said:

"Now, the real problem is you. Ajaa... I see..."

While examining Takeshi from head to toe, he approached him.

"E-ee..."

"Write down your name and address."

The woman went back to one of the desks after handing him a sheet of paper and a pencil.

"Excuse me?"

"Quickly!"

Confused, Takeshi received the items the woman handed him and after pressing the pencil against the sheet of paper to begin writing, he turned at Mui and she nodded. Takeshi then reluctantly set about writing what he had been instructed to write. When he finished, the woman snatched the paper from him and then opened a drawer and took out a tape measure.

"Good, now take off your clothes..."

"Huh?"

"Quick, get undressed!"

As Takeshi was too slow, the woman grabbed his shirt.

"Hey... Wait, please!" Takeshi exclaimed.

However, the woman didn't wait and took off his shirt. Takeshi's upper body had been quickly undressed. Mui's cheeks flushed and she suddenly didn't know where to look, so she focused her gaze on the corner of the wall.

The woman had forcibly removed Takeshi's shirt, so with mouth tightly closed Mui stood stiffer than a statue as she stared at the wall. Then, the woman made her hold Takeshi's shirt which was still warm.

With the tape measure in her hand, the woman took Takeshi's measurements so fast that it didn't even take her a minute.

"This is the order for your uniform, go with this paper to the store..."

With red cheeks, Mui handed the shirt back to Takeshi. And they set out to do as they were instructed.

"What is all this?"

Takeshi, despite having received the paper, wanted to inquire, but immediately the phone in front of the woman rang.

"Hello?, Subaru Magic Academy Office..."

When the woman started talking on the phone she made her voice higher pitched, and Takeshi let out a sigh and watched her. She started talking on the phone about subjects that were taught at the Academy: "Basic Principles of Magic", "History of Magic", "Study of Charms", "Study of Territories"... All of those were subjects he had never heard of before.

"Yes... Yes... Yes... Understood..."

Takeshi hadn't put on his shirt and had continued to watch the woman talking on the phone, until she finally hung up. Then she turned around and looked at Takeshi who was still there and frowned.

"Are you still here? Come on... go where I told you to go. Aiba-san, please take him with you."

Standing next to him, Mui, took the paper from his hands and quickly urged him to put on his shirt. Takeshi, who was half naked, deduced that staying there would not solve anything, so he proceeded to put on his shirt, and them, the woman began to complain.

"Geez, why do i have to be so busy? Now it turns out there's another transfer student. Let's see... Isoshima... Kurumi."

With his shirt half on, Takeshi exclaimed:

"Isoshima...!?"

He quickly finished putting on his shirt and asked:

"Excuse me .... Did you just say, Ishoshima Kurumi?"

"Yes, that's what I said. Looks like she's the other transfer student, do you know her?"

Takeshi was puzzled, for he no longer knew how many surprises he had been in for that very day.

Part 2

"Are you all right, miss?"

"Mmm..."

Letting out a seductive voice, accompanied by heavy breathing and her shiny brown hair spilling over the sheets, Kurumi used the back of her hand to rub her eyes and began to get up.

"This is... Takeshi's room?"

She recognized it at a glance. The room felt rustic and was smaller than it needed to be, so it was obvious that there were things piled up in one corner. From where she stood, she saw a man who was not Takeshi, who was standing up.

"Who are you?!" she exclamied.

She looked around a second time, and made sure that the place she was in was Takeshi's room, but he was nowhere to be seen. Kurumi thought that the man in front of her was too suspicious so she made a disgusting gesture.

"I'm really sorry, but i had to use the bed without permission," the bespectacled man commented. He appeared to be almost thirty years old. And when Kurumi finally noticed something, she said:

"It's Takeshi's bed..."

"I see... So it was it a bad idea to use it?"

"No... it's ok..."

When she understood that what the man meant, was that he had laid her down on that bed, her face turned a little red. She had sat there many times before, but she had never laid down before. Suddenly her chest began to throb, but then she asked a question to the man who had his face turned away from her.

"Who exactly are you?"

The appearance of the room seemed normal, the only unusual thing was that man standing there, so it was normal that she did not understand what was going on. That man standing in front of her had a okappa haircut and wore completely round glasses and, even though it was summer, he wore thick white tuxedo.

"I apologize... My name is Hitouji Makoto, and i am a Special Examiner of the <Wizard's Breath> Comunity, and also a teacher at Subaru Magic Academy.

"What did you say?" Kurumi interrupted coldly.

"I mean, that i'm a Wizard..."

"I've heard enough, do you think i'm stupid?"

"Oh, that's not what i think." replied the man, bowing exaggeratedly.

Kurumi, who was still sitting on the bed, looked at him coldly. Then she realized that she didn't remember how long she had been lying on Takeshi's bed, let alone how long the man had been standing there.

"By the way, if i remember correctly... i was attacked by some strange men." Kurumi said, associating the men from before with her loss of consciousness.

"So you remember? They are part of Ghost Trailer, and they seem to have affected you unexpectedly."

"..."

In addition to Kurumi's cold stare, pity began to show in her, as if she was pitying that foolish and pathetic man.

"I think you're misunderstanding something. Do you think i'm a preschooler or something? Do you really think a high school student would believe a story like that?" Kurumi replied, with graat heat and judging the man.

"But..."

"That's enough! What you have to do right now, is to get as far away from here as possible." Kurumi exclaimed, pointing to the door.

However, he doesn't pretend to have the intention of doing that.

"That kind of reasoning..."

The man tried to speak, but Kurumi, once again, interrupted him.

"Just at this moment you are a stranger who has broken into this house, and on top of that you are a person full of lies. That's more than enough reason for me to call the police. Do you know what that means?"

Kurumi quickly reached into her skirt pocket, and pulled out her cell phone to show it to the man. He just took a step back and shrugged his shoulders. It seemed that high school girl was very arrogant. The man regretted his asignament and wished to leave, but he couldn't because it was his job. So, in order not to show hostility, he raised both arms and began to speak:

"We are still investigating whether you are a wizard or not. But if it turns out positive, you would be the second person to become a wizard this day, besides Nanase Takeshi, so you must cooperate."

When Kurumi heard that name, her eyes widened.

"Takeshi?"

"Excuseme?"

"You said Takeshi, right? that's what you said? Nanase Takeshi?"

Kurumi didn't know how many surprises she had gotten that day, but it was more than clear to the man, that her attitude had softened considerably when she heard Takeshi's name, so she nodded a lot.

"That is correct. On the other hand, your arrival at Subaru Magic Academy was already appointed so it's inevitable. All the formalities for your transfer have already been settled and you has been accepted as a basic level wizard.

"And Takeshi...? Is he already in that academy?"

"Of course..."

"So you've come to take me there?"

"Well, we're still investigating if you've become a Wizard..." The man answered.

Then Kurumi stood up quickly and said:

"Well, then finish that investigation quickly. I want to meet with Takeshi, I want to hear what he has to tell me."

The girl's facial expression had changed completely. She was facing the man insistently and had a bright and well-marked smile all over her face. She had full confidence that, upon meeting with Takeshi, everything would be resolved as if it was the last move one makes during sword practice.

She was showing a smile at that moment, but nothing described better what she really felt, than the thorns underneath a beautiful rose, as, inside, she was hiding a fierce anger. Who was that girl running with him while they were holding hands? She wanted to hear an explanation directly from Takeshi. So, at that moment, that was the most important matter for her.

Part 3

Through the halls of the Academy, Mui was leading the confused Takeshi. The fact that the woman in the office mentioned Kurumi's name was disturbing to him. However, a few moments ago they had just received a satisfactory explanation, a textbook had been noted on the paper along with other things that were also part of the application for the store.

"Where are we going now?" asked Takeshi.

then Mui stopped walking and said:

"The next stop is The Principal's Office"

Then she quickly turned to forward again and continued walking. So far, Takeshi had been following her unconditionally, but his patience was reaching its limit.

"Hey, wait!"

Takeshi grabbed Mui's arm and pulled on it. Then Mui stopped again.

"It's the Transfer process." she said clearly.

"Aah!? What transfer?

"Don't worry, everything is arranged so that there won't be any discrepancy between the magical world and the other side."

Then Takeshi angrily replied:

"That's not right! You are involuntarily transferring me."

Takeshi's anger was in stark contrast to Mui's carefree attitude.

"Now you have the responsibility of being a wizard and you can't refuse. You can no longer attend an ordinary school."

"Responsibility to be a wizard? You say something like that because it suits you and..."

"Mui..." she replied, interrupting Takeshi as she grabbed his arm and looked him in the eyes.

"Huh? what do..."

Confused by what she said, Takeshi stopped talking and then she repeated:

"My name is Mui..."

"..."

"I think i didn't introduce myself properly at the infirmary."

"..."

Takeshi's anger subsided, and his shoulders slumped.

"I understand. So... You are Mui..."

"Yes?"

Being called her name, Mui flashed a smile. Takeshi slowly loosened his grip on her arm, felt dizzy, and quietly said what he truly felt:

"I think after all, I want to go back..."

The corridor was silent and his voice echoed loudly everywhere. Mui kept quiet and soon after that silence, the girl looked down and replied:

"I'm sorry..."

It was just for a while, eut her voice cracked within that silent atmosphere.

"I'm really sorry."

She apologized again, and for a moment her eyes became very serious, making the gloom increase.

"I didn't want to ruin your life like this."

It looked like Mui was being tormented by those words. Takeshi frowned, raised his face and stared straight ahead keeping quiet.

She continued:

"In spite of everything, I know that my life would not be enough to make amends for what I did to you. You are a wizard now and you must accept that responsibility."

He needed to be informed that he should be prepared for anything, including death.

"I'm not asking you for anything like that," Takeshi replied, shaking his head in puzzlement.

"I'm so sorry, Nanase-kun."

To keep saying that was useless, so Takeshi let out a sigh, pulled himself together and said:

"Call me Takeshi..."

Inevitably, a bitter smile appeared on Takeshi's face, and then Mui breathed a sigh of relief.

Part 4

The principal's office and the teachers' lounge were located on the second floor of the Academy building, side by side. Unlike the teachers' lounge, where adults could be heard chattering, the hallway was completely silent. Mui knocked on the principal's office and, after waiting for an answer, opened it.

"Excuse me..." said Mui as she entered, her voice instantly lowered.

"Aah, come in, I've been waiting for you two..."

However, the tone of voice she responded with was quite unusual, as it was a soft, high-pitched voice, similar to that of a small child. Tilting his head as he followed Mui, Takeshi remembered that this was the principal's office, but unexpectedly saw a middle school student girl.

There was a full set of couches the reception area, and at the back of the room, near the window, was a huge desk. However, the person sitting at the desk was not a bald old man in a Tanuki belly as expected, but a silver-haired girl. Her hair matched the tie she was wearing next to her sailor-style uniform.

Underneath the desk could be seen his small brown loafers slowly swinging back and forth like pendulums. Either because the chair was too high or the desk was too big, but her feet did not touch the floor while she was sitting. Cause of the laptop she kept open on the desk, her face could not be seen, however, judging by her body size, she did not look like a high school student, but a middle schooler.

"Mui, do you think it's right for that girl to be sitting there?"

When Takeshi asked that, for some reason Mui opened her eyes wide and laughed ~Fu ~Fu and with a smile replied:

"Don't worry about it, just take a seat over there."

Mui quickly walked with him to the couch and sat down. Although Takeshi thought it was strange, he sat down next to her. Meanwhile, the girl was moving the mouse on her computer and for some reason, it groaned as she manipulated it. Takeshi thought that the principal would be angry if when he came back he saw the little girl touching his computer and doing what she wanted.

But, because Mui feigned ignorance as she sat there, Takeshi was left calmly take a pick the interior of the office. On the wall, the usual pictures of all the principals who have gone in succession were nowhere to be found.

Takeshi looked at the nearby area with great interest. Then the little girl let out a sigh and leaned back in the seat. Then, casually, she jumped off the chair and approached the two of them who were sitting on the sofa. And then, facing them, he began to stroke the back of the sofa in front of them and said:

"Well, Aiba-kun. Looks like there will be double punishment for you."

Hearing that, Takeshi was surprised, and turned to look at Mui's face sitting next to him.

"I'm sorry"

Mui apologized, following out of the corner of her eye the movements of the little girl, who then nimbly jumped over the backrest and sat on the sofa.

"Maybe i should make you spend the whole day apologizing?"

"..."

Mui bowed her head and her hair spilled down in front hiding her face. And, even though the girl was smiling at Mui, her gaze was very piercing.

"Well, i always seem to be talking to myself, since my warnings are always falling on deaf ears. You're not a little girl anymore, you know."

"..."

Takeshi stared at the girl scolding Mui. Perhaps because of the way she spoke and acted, it was logical to come to a certain conclusion that at the same time seemed impossible. Then the little girl continued:

"I have told you on many occasions that it is dangerous to leave the academy and the community and, being a student, I thought you were aware of that. You must be aware of how serious the consequences of your actions are."

"Yes..."

As Mui bowed her head in agreement, silence hung in the air for a moment. While he had been listening to the two talking, Takeshi hadn't been able to say anything, but at that moment he had found the opportunity.

"Excuse me..."

It was at that moment that the girl's gaze fell on Takeshi for the first time.

"What do you want...?" she asked.

The girl, who looked like a middle school student, watched Takeshi with her large light brown eyes that seemed to pierce through him as if trying to peer into his innermost thoughts.

With a strange feeling in between, Takeshi said:

"I've been wondering about something for a while"

"really? And what could it be?"

"Are you... are you the headmistress of the academy?"

Takeshi showed a bitter smile as he said what he was thinking. Then the girl looked at him with a beaming smile.

"That's right, i know i haven't introduced myself yet. It's a pleasure to meet you, and welcome to Subaru Magic Academy. I'm the headmistress Shijou Momoka.

Puzzled, Takeshi unconsciously shook her outstretched hand which was small.

"I knew it..."

Normally anyone would be surprised to see something like that. That girl, who didn't even look like a High School student, was actually the headmistress of the academy. Either way, that was something surprising. Takeshi could only avert his gaze from the headmistress's bright smile, and with a bit of difficulty he spoke:

"Excuse me, but... I want to make it clear that I have no intention of transferring to this place."

Unconscious of his attitude, Takeshi was determined to go home and have nothing to do with strange things ever again. From his side, Mui interrupted the conversation, hoping to do something about Takeshi's absolute refusal.

"Excuse me, Takeshi-kun, but you don't know all the details yet. You can't make a decision so lightly."

Seeing the bitter expression Takeshi had towards the headmistress, Mui quickly got up from the sofa with a worried and guilty expression.

"Really? Well, until someone else i'm waiting for arrives, you and I will talk some more," the headmistress replied to Takeshi.

She then stood up from her place and quickly walked to a stop a short distance away. She then took out a capped pencil that he had tucked away in a breast pocket of her sailor uniform.

"First of all, I want to tell you that this world is not the same as the one you are used to living in. Although they look the same, in reality they are very different from each other. Let me show you..."

Despite her appearance, that little girl was the headmistress of the academy, and as she pirouetted with her pencil, twirling its cap and passing it between her fingers, she kept flashing a smile. Consequently, because Mui had gotten up from her seat, Takeshi also did the same.

"Do you see this pencil...?" added the principal, showing him the pencil she was holding in her hand. At first glance it may look like an ordinary pencil, like one you can find anywhere, however....

The headmistress removed the cap of her pencil, and as soon as she did so, a darkness pierced reality and assaulted Takeshi's eyes. That darkness devoured the light completely and his vision was submerged in it without being able to see absolutely nothing. That darkness was total, and it was so heavy that it had made him feel as if he had fallen into the depths of the ocean, where the sunlight is no longer able to reach.

"What the...!?!

Mui looked away quickly to avoid that effect, but Takeshi was slow and had to press his hands against his eyes.

"I'm sorry, it seems that the control i have over my own magic has weakened."

Although he wasn't able to see the headmistress, her voice sounded like a lament.

"It's over... you can open your eyes now..."

Takeshi had to blink several times, and fearful at first, he was reluctant to look until he finally confirmed that Mui could clearly see the headmistress and looked up. From the place where the darkness emanated from the pencil, a black light was now being emitted that had become smaller.

It was a black sphere about two or three centimeters in diameter that was emerging directly from the tip of the pencil. In fact, before Takeshi saw that, he already knew that it was the magic particles possessed by all wizards.

Mui's gun emitted vivid yellow particles, but the headmistress's pencil emitted black particles. At that moment, the headmistress swung her pencil from left to right as if drawing in the air.

"It's this way..." she said, approaching a wall where she subsequently drew a line.

"H-hey..."

Takeshi noticed that what she had scribbled on the wall disappeared in a few seconds. Beside him, Mui reached out her hand and shook her head in the hope that her gaze would convey the message to stop protesting.

Using her pencil, the headmistress drew a line on the wall from the height of her feet to as high as her arm could reach, and immediately began to draw a horizontal line to the right at least a meter long, then down again with another vertical line to the ground. Black magic particles could be seen at the ends of that line. Then the headmistress recited a few words:

"<BLACK DOOR...>"

turning around, she walked away from the wall and commented:

"This spell is part of the Systematic Magic in which i classify myself, which is called Black Magic. Every Wizard belongs to a different type of Systematic Magic. In my case, i am able to use a spatio-temporal change magic ability peculiar to Black Magic. Of these Systematic Magic , there are six categories in total, plus singular magic that cannot be categorized as the above."

As she spoke, Takeshi was surprised by what he was seeing, as the graphite particles inside the line began to spread inward, staining part of the wall's surface black.

"Please, Aiba-kun," Headmistress put the cap back on her pencil and put it in the breast pocket of her uniform while talking to Mui,

"Please be so kind as to explain to us the different types of Systematic magic categories that exist."

-Yes, Headmistress. The six categories of Systematic Magic are: Evasive Magic, Illusory Magic, Destructive Magic, Black Magic, Acceleration Magic and Biological Magic. Then there is Singular Magic."

"I see you remember them all. Very well... very well..."

The headmistress nodded her head, while Mui threw a little tantrum saying:

"Headmistress, i'm not a rookie. Of course I remember them all."

Mui was annoyed because she thought the headmistress was underestimating her.

"Really? However, even rookies know that leaving the academy is dangerous."

"..."

Mui could not argue anything in the face of that logic, and kept quiet. As expected, the headmistress was actually upset. So, once again, feelings of guilt returned to Mui's heart. As she stared at Mui, the headmistress spoke to Takeshi:

"Nanase Takeshi-kun, there is something you should know. This world is currently in a constant state of war. Although the board of directors of this academy is affiliated with <Wizard's Breath>, they are a trustworthy community, and the official position of this academy in the war, remains completely neutral."

For a moment, Takeshi's piercing gaze focused on the black particles as he tried to concentrate as much as he could on the rectangular shape the headmistress had drawn on the wall. The particles that were on the wall, became lumpy and formed a huge black mass. Then, without caring whether Takeshi heard her or not, the headmistress continued speaking:

"To avoid giving long explanations, this community, which is on the side of ordinary humans, is opposed to another community that defends, first and foremost, the supremacy of Wizards. For that reason, both communities are in constant confrontation for the control of Tokyo, a dispute that has lasted about sixteen years. And because both sides have defended and strengthened each other, the battle is becoming increasingly difficult and has now reached a stalemate.

That rectangular mass of black particles didn't look like it was going to move from its post, so Takeshi finally turned his attention to what the headmistress was saying.

"Although i say it has stalled, that doesn't mean there is a ceasefire. Leaving the academy facilities is extremely dangerous. <Ghost Trailer> is a community that has currently been engaging in capturing wizards, therefore, our community might as well attack any student who wanders around there alone thinking that she has become one of them, don't you think so, Aiba-kun?"

Mui, who was pressed to answer, nodded her head and said:

"That's right, Headmistress..."

At that moment, Takeshi wanted to express his surprise that she was Headmistress. Only part of what Mui had told him had become clear to him.

The outside of the academy was dangerous, and for her sake, headmistress was being reminded of it over and over again. Even if she was looking for her older brother, she couldn't just walk out of the academy.

The headmistress knew about Mui's brother's situation, and all the wizards at the academy knew about Aiba Tsuganashi: a high-class wizard belonging to <Wizard's Breath> comunity and an outstanding user of Destructive Magic who was able to oppose any fire magic with his ice magic technique <Evil Ice>. And now, that same Aiba Tsuganashi, had betrayed <Wizard's Breath> and joined <Ghost Trailer>. By the time they found that out, it was too late. Many of the wizards who were captured by Aiba Tsuganashi never returned.

"Hey, what's a community?"

Takeshi, who had been listening distractedly, posed that question to both of them. He sensed that the headmistress was hiding complicated feelings behind her smile. Also, without knowing the circumstances, Takeshi sensed a strange atmosphere around Mui, who did not want to leave her brother.

"Communities are groups formed by people who share the same ideals," the headmistress answered quickly.

"<Wizard's Breath> is the predominant community, and although there are communities that prefer to remain neutral, most of them are on our side and share with us the same idea that wizards and ordinary humans should coexist. Most of the students of this academy are already affiliated with <Wizard's Breath>. And later on, you too will be able to become part of a community which will be very helpful in getting a job.

The headmistress winked at Takeshi coquettishly, causing him to be surprised.

"Contrary to the ideals of <Wizard's Breath> is the community known as <Ghost Trailer>. They adamantly claim that wizards have been discriminated against by ordinary humans and want to dominate human society. Because most of the members are wizards who come from the same family lineage, they are very powerful, but more than that, they are wizards who are willing to use any method to achieve their goals."

"Is this academy safe?" asked Takeshi, who had begun to feel uncomfortable in the place.

Then the headmistress nodded with a smile.

"It is safe. The community has deployed strong protection magic around the perimeter, but the <Trailers> still don't attack this place."

"Why?"

"Think a bit from the perspective of a Trailer. Don't you think it would be easier to recruit a fellow graduate? Since this is an academy where they teach magic lessons, by doing it that way they no longer have to go through the whole teaching process to get a well-trained partner."

Finishing the conversation, the headmistress turned her gaze to the wall where a moment ago she had drawn something.

"Follow me, I'm going to show you something interesting..."

Headmistress pressed her hand against the black part of the wall. Inmediatly, from a part of the black particles a strange figure emerged. It was like some kind of emblem with characters he had never seen before, which faded away after a moment.

Then, the director added a little force in her small hand and pushed the black wall, which began to turn clockwise as if it were a revolving door. Her hand stopped the door midway and she turned to look over her shoulder, inviting them to follow her.

"Is that Magic too...?" Takeshi wondered.

Mui shyly walked forward to where the headmistress stood, and Takeshi started to follow them, but his feet stopped abruptly. He had been surprised by what he saw behind the door, and slipping, he stopped just before walking through it.

From there he could see the sky, and beyond was a cluster of buildings that looked like they had been there for a long time. However, the door was located in a strange place. In front of it, the headmistress seemed to be standing on a glass floor, so Mui turned to look slightly, and motioned to Takeshi.

After swallowing a little, Takeshi advanced and walked in the same place as them with utmost care. The headmistress nodded when she saw that Takeshi had finally caught up with them and said:

"Good... now look behind you."

Takeshi timidly turned to look as the headmistress had instructed, and saw a huge building standing nearby. Takeshi immediately recognized the building.

"Is it the Tochou building?"

"Exactly. That's Tochou, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building."

Right in front of their eyes, the two towers of that building began to approach them, as they were floating in front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building. Normally, in order to see that part of the building, he had to look up and arch his neck as far as he could, hoping not to hurt himself. However, that view of the building was right in front of Takeshi's eyes.

"That means this is where..."

Takeshi had already realized that they were floating, but he hadn't realized the height, until he saw his feet and then he became dizzy. He was at a height of at least a couple of hundred meters. He then turned his gaze again the building and noticed a small rectangular section of the wall of the building, which had a black rectangular cutout. Takeshi realized that it was from there that they had exited.

"Huh? But... the inside is..."

"Is the Academy located inside the building?" Takeshi wondered. Remembering that from inside the principal's office and from the corridors Mui had led him through, the academy's facilities looked just like any other school's.

"The interior was converted into the Academy..." commented the headmistress indifferently.

"So, that means... it's really the Tochou building?" asked Takeshi with admiration.

Then the headmistress laughed a little and then, flashing him a smile, replied:

"In this world there are no ordinary humans, only wizards. Therefore, there are no public employees in the building."

"Not even one?" Takeshi insisted.

"No one... Now look."

The headmistress held out her arms and Takeshi looked.

"You don't see anything strange here?"

She stepped forward and began to turn around with her arms outstretched as if she was showing him the whole place. Mui just silently watched the interaction of the two of them. Takeshi glanced in all directions from the Tochou building and replied:

"It's so quiet... are there really no other people here?"

On the other side of the Tochou building, the greenery of Shinjuku's central park could be seen. Suddenly, Takeshi realized something and changed the direction of his gaze. He turned to face a group of buildings with a tense look. Using the Tokyo Tower as a reference, he tried to look for the sector where his house was located.

However, what should normally be seen from that point was missing. The whole area seemed to have been devastated and there was very little left of what used to be there. Collapsed buildings everywhere, overturned vehicles on the roads, the trees that should have lined the streets were in pieces and the surface of the ground was covered with a black soot.

Beyond could be seen the clock tower that belonged to Sakuraya Academy, which appeared to have been blown up in an explosion. Part of the tower had collapsed and exposed the steel inside the concrete. The entire school itself had been mercilessly destroyed and there was no sign of life. There was no sound of the characteristic bustle of people in the city, no car horns, no ventilation systems in the buildings.

All that could be heard was the cawing of crows standing on the few trees that were left standing in the central park. Takeshi's body shuddered when he saw such a scene. It was something he could never have imagined and he was completely stunned to see, in such a state, a place he knew.

"These are the consequences of the battles that have occurred in this place. They are irreparable scars left by a war that has been going on for 16 years," commented Headmistress, staring in the same direction as Takeshi and added:

"This is a space where time has been distorted. Everything you see is Tokyo, and at the same time it is not..."

Those words from the headmistress had been harsh, and Takeshi thought it was hard to believe that what he was seeing was actually Tokyo. The principal turned her gaze away from the devastated area, and looked in the direction of Yoyogi Park. All that was there was dense foliage.

"About a year before you were born, a war between wizards broke out on a large scale. I think they'll teach you more about it in History of Magic, but let me give you a brief summary: a wizard with incredible powers tried to eradicate all of humanity from the face of the earth.

The headmistress spoke with total indifference.

"With a Singular Magic spell, capable of annihilating more than six billion people."

Although Takeshi was listening to what she was telling him, he thought it was unrealistic and sounded just like those fantasy stories he had once read. However, thinking about the possibility of the existence of such a great power, capable of killing six billion people, made Takeshi curious and a desire to hear more entered him. The headmistress seemed to have noticed that, so a wicked smile emerged on her face and she continued:

"Yes, a power capable of killing six million people, which came from a single man. For that reason, the most powerful wizards, in order to save ordinary humans, used their magic to divide the world into two parts."

"Split the world in two?! Is that possible?" Takeshi asked, interrupting the headmistress involuntarily, provoking a wry smile from she.

"Well, I know it sounds like too fantastic a story. Maybe I should put it another way: it wasn't really the world, but something like time."

The headmistress looked down, and fixed her attention on one of the street trees just below her feet and said:

"Do you know the World Tree?"

"No, I don't" Takeshi replied, shaking his head.

"Explaining to you how the time axis behaves in the world is like talking about a tree. For example: it was the case that you met Aiba-kun today, however, there should be a different option. One that would create a parallel world where you did not meet her. Right now you find yourself here, as part of a future where it did happen. Always the time axis ends up branching that way."

The headmistress joined her hands and continued:

"The wizards split the time axis creating a second world. One where that wizard succeeded in eradicating humanity."

As she explained, the headmistress separated her hands in a motion similar to forcibly splitting an apple. She opened her palms and then quickly closed her right hand tightly. Takeshi quickly realized the matter at hand.

"That means that this world is...?"

The headmistress nodded her head at Takeshi's deduction and said:

"This is that parallel world?"

Until then, Takeshi understood why the whole place was completely desolate, but he still couldn't say that he knew everything. The headmistress did not question whether or not Takeshi understood the matter and continued:

"This world was created by force, and for that reason, space-time has been distorted. Somehow Tokyo has resisted, but some time ago it was discovered that the sky has begun to collapse. Eventually this world will disappear. However, wizards are only able to fight here."

"Huh? But..."

Takeshi recalled the moment when Mui was attacked, but the headmistress gave him a brief explanation.

"Strictly speaking, you can't attack using your Systematic Magic within the world of ordinary humans. You can use basic magic while there, but if you attack another mwizard, you will lose all your powers. This rule is valid for all communities including <the Trailers>. They all have that same restriction equally.

Takeshi didn't understand how such an agreement worked, but nodded his head anyway.

"So this place is necessary for the war?"

"That's right, because this world was forcibly extracted from the time axis, no one is restricted here. This will be the stage where our community and <the Trailers> will have their final battle....

As she spoke, suddenly an electronic sound rang around the hadmistress. Then she pulled out a cell phone and began to talk. Takeshi shifted his gaze and focused on Mui, who was a bit distanced.

She was still wearing her navy blue summer uniform and her hands and knees were covered in scratches. She appeared to be distracted, staring in one direction. Her countenance, seen in profile, was like that of someone about to cry, but far from that, she looked rather angry. Takeshi had already gotten used to being with her, but at that moment it felt as if he was looking at her for the first time.

She inhabited the world she was in and was used to it. From her gun holstered in the girth of her skirt, to the yellow particles that fell from it fluttering as if dancing, they made her fit in completely with that environment. When Mui realized she was being watched, she turned to look at Takeshi, but at that moment the headmistress called out both of them:

"Well, it's time to go back. It seems that the other student we were waiting for has arrived."

Takeshi averted his gaze as Mui began to approach. He had finally understood that she was a real wizard. And the impression she gave was that of a person with an unbreakable will and a firm heart to face her adversary in battle.