Magical Boy ~ English version

Chapter 8

The 1-A class was silent. Some weren't so sure they wanted to continue.

Angel Ferret then urged them all to get up and follow her. They left the classroom and headed for the first floor and out of the building, where a bus was waiting for them. The adult briefly explained that there was a special place to get their guaridan. That this location was the reason the school was located here.

Their little trip did not last long. All they had to do was reach Lake Towada, where there was a Torii, a towering red arch that marked the entrance to a sacred place.

It seemed to be standing there quite by accident. There were no temples behind, just a few altars around. Angel Ferret explained to them then. This particular Torii could only be crossed under two conditions. Receive a call from a Guardian on the other side in the Spirit World or obtain permission from a Guardian in the Material World. Washi then fluttered up to the structure. He was there to fulfill this role. With his permission, they would enter the spirit world and find their guardian.

No one dared to budge, however. The girls were terrified, suddenly much less sure they wanted to be magical girls. It was the same every year. The hidden side of this role frightened more than one. Seeing the terror of his comrades, though not understanding it, Nanaya then stepped forward. Angel Ferret gave him an encouraging smile.

" Good. You just have to go through the portal." She assured. "Time flows differently on the other side so don't worry if you feel like you're spending days in it. On the other hand, you'll have to find your guardian, somewhere in his world. It is different for each person. They say nothing happens by chance. The guardian who will appear to you is certainly meant for you ... well I imagine. "

She remembered that he wasn't supposed to be in this class and suddenly found herself uncomfortable. Her words, however, called out to Nanaya. Did nothing happen by chance? Really ? What if this is also the case for this "error"? He hesitated for a second and finally stepped forward to cross the sacred entrance.

While from the outside he could just see the other side, a view of the huge lake, once that strange door passed, he found himself in an icy cave and there was no opening behind him. He rubbed his arms, his breath creating a cloud of mist. The uniform with the open area on the belly didn't keep him warm at all.

What exactly was he supposed to do here?

" There is someone ?" He asked. 

Only his echo answered him. Then, straining his ears, he thought he heard another sound. Something, like crying. The noise reverberated and it was difficult to know where it was coming from. Nanaya blew hot air on his hands as he stepped forward. He had no other choice anyway. The place seemed huge. And it seemed like a maze of hallways and large empty rooms. The echo made it impossible to locate the crying. Nanaya was getting colder and colder. His fingers were numb. He walked through endless galleries, which all looked alike.

After what seemed like several hours, he untied the gem from his uniform and dug a mark in a wall, to find out where it had been. When he drove past it a while later, he was sure he was going in circles now. So he tried another path, but always came back to the same place.

Annoyed and tired, he paused for a moment. It was the spirit world. It might not all be real. He raised his hand and lit his prosthesis, activating the heat detector. It was because of this that he spotted a shape in slightly warmer colors, in a direction that seemed blocked by a wall. He walked over to it and when he put his hand out it went through the wall.

He turned off his detector, which was bothering him now, and walked down this new hallway. It overlooked another large room, but a small transparent shape stood in the center. A little curled up being, looking like a child in a white kimono. Nanaya walked over to him.

"Hey." He called. "Are you the guardian? "

The child raised his head. He was barely visible but his eyes were just as blue as the human's. He wiped away his tears as he stood up.

" Why are you crying ?" Nanaya continued.

"It's been so long since I've been alone here." Sobbed the ghost. "What are you doing here ?"

"... I'm coming to get my guardian."

"You're a boy."

"Yes. Are you my guardian, yes or no?"

The little boy was torn between sobs and fear. He hesitated a moment, before reaching out to the teenager with a smile.

"So, I'm Hyokko." He said. "If you really want me as your guardian, take my hand."

"... I'm Nanaya. "

The young man slipped his palm into that of the spirit which began to glow. Between their two hands appeared a scepter whose ornament was in the shape of a cat's head embellished with a crystal in the shape of a heart. Like the walls, the floor was covered in ice and a blinding light escaped.