Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance

Volume 2, Chapter 9 - Team Scarlet

Part 1

At that moment, Fianna prepared her ritual outfit and began the arrangement of the resealing.

There were violent sounds of weapons clashing outside the door of the true shine.

"—It seems that he has come."

Claire summoned her Flametounge and glared at the door.

"Kamito and I'll defend the door to our last. Fianna, wait here."

"Are you saying you're going to hide me in a safe place alone!?"

"Yes, he isn't an opponent on whom you can use petty tricks many times. Even if you could, you no longer have any more Blood Stones."

"Don't misjudge me, Claire Rouge. I'm not a princess, who only has to be protected. Now, I'm an equal comrade of the team."

Fianna thrust her iron-ribbed fan, used for performing the ritual dance, towards Claire.

"I am the second rank princess maiden of the Divine Ritual Institute— As Rubia Elstein's sister, you know that that is not a frail existence that can only perform the dance, don't you?"

She had an expression as though she was challenging her. Claire gulped at the intensity emitted by the top-ranking princess maiden.

Certainly, the princess maidens of the Divine Ritual Institute did not receive battle training as elementalists.

However, by no means did it mean that they were powerless. On the contrary, as long as they chose the time and place, there were cases where their power surpassed even a high-ranking elementalist.

And, this very shrine was exactly the most suited place for her to exhibit her power.

"...I get it."

Claire brushed her red twintailed hair up.

"I'll protect you. Perform the most supreme kagura!"

Part 2

—There was nothing like a warning sign. The blade dance suddenly began.

There were shrilling metallic sounds. Silver sword flashes flickered, intense sparks scattered inside the cave.

Terminus Est, which was swung downwards by Kamito, was repelled by Jio's sword.

Kamito stepped further in and scythed down his sword. Jio slightly shifted his center of gravity and evaded by a paper-thin margin. He made a shrilling loud laughter, as he jumped straight up.

Like a spider, he clung onto the ceiling as—

"Huh, there's no foreplay?! Let me enjoy a little conversation, Ren AshbellStrongest Blade Dancer!"

"My bad, I don't have something like a chivalrous spirit— just like you!"

"...Wh!?"

Jio widened his red eyes. Kamito kicked the wall and jumped.

Terminus Est, swung in midair and struck Jio's sword.

As though metal was being forcibly scraped, a shriek resounded; and Jio's sword spirit was smashed up into many small pieces.

Kamito did not stop. He kicked the wall again, changed his course of direction and hit the side of Jio's face with his fist. He chased after Jio, who was pulled by gravity and falling to the ground, moreover, he kicked the ceiling and accelerated.

With movements like a bird hunting a prey in midair, he grabbed him by his collar, and the back of his head struck onto the ground like that.

A thick sound had reverberated. It was a strike without any mercy.

He threw a punch again with movements like a precision instrument— but at that moment.

Jio's right hand's spirit seal glowed. Sensing danger, he immediately jumped aside from on top of Jio.

At that moment, a silver sword-shaped flash emitted from Jio's palm.

What appeared in Jio's hand was a new elemental waffe.

It was a narrow sword attached with an ornament. It was a stabbing sword, called a rapier, used exclusively for thrusting.

Kamito retreated and put some distance between them. He prepared Terminus Est in both hands.

"As expected of Ren AshbellStrongest Blade Dancer— What absurd movements."

"A high-order multi-sided movement in a closed environment— The first technique to be trained at the Instructional School. But I wasn't doing it that thoroughly as you."

"..."

Jio kept silent.

"Just now, I understood it when our swords clashed. You are the same as me, an orphan of the Instructional School— A failure of the Demon King."

Instructional School— That was the name of the institution, where Kamito received training as an assassin when he was a child.

It was a secret training institution established by some nobles. There, they collected girls who possessed the qualities of an elementalist from orphanages all over the continent in order to raise a group of superior assassins.

At first, the establishment was supposed to be an agency for supplying assassins to their noble colleagues. However, the teachers of Instructional School became independent of the nobles before they knew it, and it had become something to embrace a monologue fanatic creed.

—Namely, the second coming of the Demon King.

He was the only male elementalist in history.

He was a Demon King, who used seventy-two spirits and led the continent to ruin.

It was to create his successor.

For that reason, the measures they took were very simple.

He was the only male elementalist left in history— If that was the case, it was natural that his successor had to be a boy.

With that thought, they collected boys who were deemed to have the ability to even slightly exchange feelings with spirits, and conducted hypnotism, drug administration, spirit possession experiments and so forth. However, the success rate should have been nil.

For this reason, the moment when Kamito was discovered eight years ago, those guys had been in ecstasy.

"—Correct."

Jio Inzagi expressed an extremely dreadful smile.

"The experiment of the Demon King's second coming by the hands of man— Its very first success is me."

Kamito—

Distorted his mouth cynically, and shrugged his shoulders.

"Its very first success? Are you joking?"

"I understand your feelings of not wanting to acknowledge it. Nevertheless, this isn't a joke."

"I do not mean it like that."

Kamito shook his head like he was commiserating.

"A male elementalist, who uses seventy-two contracted spirits— if that was considered a success, then you are absolutely not a success, you know."

"...What?"

Jio's red eyes widened, and his expression distorted in hatred.

"I too was fooled at first. Whether you were really using seventy-two contracted spirits. —However, I was wrong."

Kamito indifferently informed him.

"Your spirits aren't contracted spirits. —They're all sealed spirits."

"...!"

That's right— The spirits, that Jio Inzagi was using, were not spirits that had exchanged the ritual of contract.

They were spirits that were sealed and treated as equipment for the seals engraved on his body.

The reason Kamito realized that was that Jio never used the same spirit twice.

(...Besides, he was also using several sword spirits of the same type.)

Unless one planned on using and throwing them away from the start, there was no point in contracting a large quantity of sword spirits in that way. Compared to handling several sword spirits, it should be much more efficient to nurture one sword spirit.

Besides, no matter how powerful Est's elemental waffe was, it was strange that a sword spirit, famous for being the toughest in its endurance, was broken that easily.

"...My point is that they're the same as the spirit crystal that Fianna had used and thrown away."

As long as the ritual of contract was not exchanged, a spirit could not even be nurtured, and its true power as an elemental waffe also could not be drawn out.

The divine power that he thought was inexhaustible was also a mere illusion.

"You are a fake Demon King, Jio Inzagi. No, you're not even an elementalist."

Certainly, while he housed that many sealed spirits in his body, the fact that he could maintain his body was a definite success. If he was an ordinary person, he was sure to go crazy because of the spirits' rejection.

However, it was greatly incomplete for him to call himself the Demon King— an elementalist.

He pretended as if he was contracted with several spirits, it was no more than a deception.

"...Huh, so what?"

Jio's red eyes shone glaringly, and he spat out.

"Even if you know that, there's no changing the fact that you can't beat me!"

Jio kicked the ground. The rapier sword spirit accelerated like it exploded in his hand.

"I'm the Demon King! That verification will be achieved by killing— Ren AshbellStrongest Blade Dancer, you!"

Just before reaching Kamito, he ducked to lower his body, aimed for Kamito's throat, and launched a thunderous thrust.

Kamito slightly turned his head and avoided it. Turning about on his pivot leg, he returned with a counter kick.

His sole gouged Jio's chest. Continuing the momentum, Kamito held aloft Est overhead.

"—, Manifest, Barguestflame wolf spirit!"

Jio's arm's seal glowed— at that moment, a blazing flame fang attacked Kamito.

It was a lava hound, clad in black flames. The flame fang bit his left arm that was raised overhead.

Intense pain coursed through his whole body, as though his blood was boiling. However—

"...Raaaa!"

Kamito rotated, swung his arm, and smashed the lava hound that was biting him into a wall.

The flame exploded and scattered. There were smashed up lava rocks. If it was a contracted spirit, it would go back again to protect its master— however, a sealed spirit, which was only forcefully released, vanished into empty space as it was.

"How lukewarm... Claire's flames are much hotter!"

An extremely dreadful smile surfaced, and Kamito immediately swung Terminus Est horizontally.

Jio's posture was slightly crumbled by the wind pressure— that chance of a moment was not overlooked by Kamito.

Holding the silver shiny sword up overhead, he launched a strike with all his might—

"—Manifest, Aegisshield spirit!"

However, that strike was stopped by the shield spirit Jio released.

Sword spirit against shield spirit— even for Est, the attribute compatibility was overly poor!

However, Kamito did not draw back. Without change— he further pushed the sword in.

"—Let's go Est, show me just how serious you can be!"

Responding to Kamito's shout, Terminus Est's light glowed brighter.

The brightness became a long flash and covered the sacred sword—

At that moment, it changed its appearance to a gigantic sword that far exceeded Kamito's stature.

"Wh...at!?"

"Ooooooo!"

Kamito roared. He set a crack into the released shield spirit.

And then— It was smashed right in half!

"This is absurd... A sword spirit destroyed a shield spirit!?"

"This is the power of a contracted spirit bound by the spirit seal— Jio Inzagi!"

Kamito held the large sword overhead again, at that moment—

"... You bastaarrd!"

(—What?)

Clutched within the hand that Jio stuck out, was a shiny red comma-shaped jewel.

The moment Kamito saw that jewel, an indescribable chill ran down his spine.

Terminus Est in his hand weakly shook.

The moment her blade touched the surface of the jewel—

*Pishi*— a small crack developed on Est's blade.

"...!?"

The Demon SlayerDemon King Killing Sacred Sword lost its dazzling brightness.

From the place the crack was developed, something like a black stain was spreading—

(—, Est is being corroded!?)

Kamito tried to draw back Est, and at that moment.

Jio sneered at him.

"I had said that that was your weakness— Ren Ashbell."

"Guu...!"

The released rapier had pierced the side of Kamito's abdomen.

As Kamito grasped Est, who was being varnished black, he went down on his knees at that spot.

"You can't accept spirits as tools. Therefore, you are weak."

Jio calmly stood up while playing with the red shiny comma-shaped jewel in one hand.

"That spirit crystal is... don't tell me—"

"Ahh?... That's right. That princess was holding the same thing."

"A Blood Stone...?"

It was a national-level treasure that could seal the power of a top-ranking spirit.

(Why does he have—)

"That's right. This very thing is the source of my power— the power of Nebuchadnezzarmad king spirit that rules over many spirits."

Jio loudly laughed with the jewel in his hand, and the seals engraved on his whole body ominously emitted a glow.

"..., I see, the reason you were using that many sealed spirits was the power of the high-ranking spirit that was sealed in that jewel."

In contrast to the Blood Stone which Fianna had possessed which had its releasing done, it seemed that the one Jio had, manifested its effect just by being attached onto his body.

"...What a complete fake. What an unthinkable Demon King-sama."

"You have the gall to say that, I'll make your sword spirit mine right here and now—"

The black stain was encroaching Terminus Est. Jio's loud laughter resounded within the cave.

However, a faint smile surfaced at Kamito's lips.

"Jio Inzagi, do you know? This tunnel reverberates voices well."

"Ahh? What are you saying—"

"Why do you think I was specially lecturing you about the true form of your magic tricks?"

"What?"

That's right, it did not mean that he was having a pointless talk.

Kamito was doing it to convey information.

That the spirits he used were not contracted spirits, but just sealed spirits.

"Don't misunderstand. The one you're fighting isn't Ren AshbellStrongest Blade Dancer."

At that moment, Flametounge that was let loose coiled around Jio's right hand.

"—It's Team Scarlet."

"...!?"

The door to the true shrine was opened. There—

Brushing up her red twintailed hair, and holding Flametounge in her hand, Claire Rouge was standing.

"You did well, Kamito. As expected of my slave spirit!"

"Why you..."

Pressing onto his side abdomen injury, Kamito groaned with a deadpan look.

Jio shook off Flametounge, and glared at Claire.

"Huh, thank you— You opened the true shrine's door especially for me."

"Yes, to defeat you."

There was a voice coming from behind Claire.

Fianna, who had put a solemn ritual costume on her body, was calmly walking.

Even for a girl, who had acted like an imp, she wasn't a powerless girl frightened with fear.

Standing rigidly— was a white robed Queen.

"I'll show it to you. The ritual kagura of the Empire's second princess, Fianna Ray Ordesia."

Part 3

Four years ago. That day— the girl's heart had been completely broken.

Being beat by the overwhelming fear and the sense of helplessness, she became unable to use her spirit.

To become a splendid Queen like Rubia-sama— The girl, who was cut off from that dream, had already lost it.

It became that her parents, even her sisters, and even the court ladies ignored her as they quickly changed their attitude.

The attitude of the girl, who was overly strict with herself and others, seemed to have incurred enmity before she knew it.

Therefore, the moment that the fact that she lost her power was known, it became that no one would care for her.

Before she knew it, it became like the girl closed her heart towards everything.

Without opening her heart to anyone, without embracing any interest— she had been secluding herself inside the castle.

—However, it was three years ago. The girl met her.

The Strongest Blade Dancer, who was advancing through the Blade Dance with overwhelming strength.

The girl became engrossed with her blade dance that blew away everything.

She felt like her blade dance had changed something.

Once again, she was given the strength to stand up.

(Kamito-kun, the real reason that I came to this academy— I feel like I understand it now.)

As long as she was alone, she would not have noticed it.

The things like the Wish attained because of the Blade Dance might be truly inconsequential to her.

With just her, who she admired.

With the boy from that day, it might be just that she wanted to fight together.

(...Kamito-kun, you had said that I am your comrade.)

Even when he knew that she couldn't use her contracted spirit, he had said that.

(Besides, Claire Rouge... She also had come in contact with me without being different.)

Four years ago, that time when she stood against the Calamity Queen, she was just alone.

However, now— she had comrades that she had to protect.

Holding her iron-ribbed fan in both hands, Fianna Ray Ordesia danced the kagura.

—(Dance, you many spirits, be released from that binding body, and dance wildly together with me!)

She was the second ranked princess maiden of the only Queen training institution in the continent— Divine Ritual Institute.

That kagura she was dancing was not a combat support dance that strengthened spirits.

Hearing Kamito and Jio's conversation that could be heard from the other side of the wall, she knew it intuitively.

Kamito had conveyed the things she could do as a kagura dance expert.

If supposed that Jio Inzagi's spirits were mere sealed spirits—

To stamp their feet like time ticking away and move vigorously with stream-like movements.

Those were the perfect dance movements that they were trained in at the Divine Ritual Institute before they learned words.

"The seventh ritual of the ritual kagura— The ritual of the mad banquet, I'll dedicate it here!"

Part 4

"Ga...Aaah, ah, ah... you bastard, what did you do to meeee!"

Suddenly, Jio Inzagi's body twisted and fell to the ground.

Both arms were twisted in impossible orientations, and the seals of his whole body flickered violently.

"Your sealed spirits are going on a rampage. They're reacting to Fianna's dedicated ritual kagura."

Kamito slowly stood up with Terminus Est in his hand.

"What...was that...!"

"Listen, your body that housed sealed spirits is something like a shrine that deifies many spirits."

He shrugged his shoulders as he told him.

"Furthermore, they were certainly not contracted spirits that were bound by a bond. Because of that jewel's power, they are just sealed spirits that were forcefully made to obey. There's no way that they would not be affected by an interference from outside— like the effect of Fianna's dedicated kagura."

"Guu... Damn, gaaaa!"

Jio yelled, faced towards Fianna, who was dancing the kagura at the true shrine, and released spirits.

Five spirits of varying attributes became entangled, and rushed in a squirming manner.

That—

"It's useless."

Claire, who was standing before the door, gathered and knocked them down with her Flametounge.

"I'm sorry but something like spirits that lost control can't even be an opponent for me."

"Guu... haa..."

With his body's freedom stolen by the rampaging sealed spirits, Jio's body violently convulsed.

"I'll take you under our custody. And, we'll have you speak about the incident on the Jormungandrstrategic-class militarized spirit."

Kamito approached him to apprehend him, at that moment.

"—That'll be troubling, Kamito."

From an empty space, a clear girl's voice was heard.

In front of Kamito, who stopped his feet spontaneously, thick darkness appeared.

"...!?"

It was that pleasant voice, which he would never forget.

Before long, the darkness, which was born from empty space, transformed into the appearance of a beautiful girl.

"Jio is a precious experimental body. It would be troubling for you to take him arbitrarily."

"Restia..."

Kamito groaned like he was squeezing it out from the inside of his throat.

She was his former contracted spirit— that lovely appearance of hers, which had not changed in a single way from three years ago.

Despite that Kamito had changed so much.

"You, you're the darkness spirit from that day."

"Long time no see, Miss Hell Cat."

The girl sweetly waved her hand at Claire, who was taken aback and had shouted.

"...Restia, is it you? The one trying to release Jormungandrstrategic-class militarized spirit."

He had a premonition— a premonition that she was involved behind the scene of this incident.

There was the fact that Jio Inzagi knew Kamito's true identity.

And then, there were the darkness spirits that were holding a ritual at the shrine above ground.

Above all else, the throbbing from the spirit seal, which was engraved on his left hand, was telling him of her presence.

The lovely darkness spirit made a lonely smile and nodded.

"That's right. It's my mission to release the spirit sleeping here."

"Why are you doing..."

"Because that's her desire. That's all."

"...Her?"

"Kamito, you'll eventually meet her. However, it's not now. You have not awakened yet."

"Restia, I—"

—At that moment, Jio, who had fallen to the ground, roared.

"Move aside, darkness spirit. I have not lost yet!"

"Give it up. I've said it, haven't I? You can't even beat the current him."

"Shut up, I'm-I'm the one, who will succeed the Demon King! To be beaten at..."

"You are not the Demon King. You're not even an elementalist, you're just a failure."

The darkness spirit girl said in a cold tone.

"After all, the one, who will succeed the Demon King, is—"

"..., Shut up, shut up shut up shut up, you bratsssssss!"

Suddenly, Jio, who shouted, grabbed the darkness spirit's ankle with his hand.

He stood up like that, and hung Restia upside down.

"Jio, what are you trying to do!?"

"To thank you. I am going to use you, darkness spirit!"

Jio loudly laughed with a face filled with madness.

A shiny deep crimson comma-shaped jewel was tightly grasped in one of his hand. That—

Was struck onto the ground near his feet.

"Wh!?"

"Ha, hahahaha, ha! This is the power of the Demon King, who coercively rules over even the high ranking darkness spirit!"

The deep crimson Blood Stone made a shrill crushing sound and was smashed up.

The power of Nebuchadnezzarmad king spirit poured out, became a feeler of shadow and swallowed the darkness spirit's body.

"Restia!"

Enraged, Kamito swung Terminus Est,

However, that slash, which was charged and released with the strength of all his might— did not cut and tear Jio apart.

A gigantic jet-black demon sword was grasped in Jio's hand.

That had stopped Terminus Est's blade, and was absorbing her radiance.

"That's... don't tell me, Restia's—!?"

It was her elemental waffe— Vorpal SwordThe sword that pierces the truth.

Its shape was certainly different, but that was no other than the demon sword, which the once Ren AshbellStrongest Blade Dancer was using.

"Scarlet!"

Claire shouted.

Aiming at Jio, who was madly laughing loudly, the scorching hell cat rushed on at him.

"Small fry, do not hinder the Demon Kinnggg!"

Losing his composure, Jio swung the jet-black demon sword.

Forcing back Kamito's sword— countless black lightning attacks were released from its blade.

"Kyaa!"

"Claire!"

Claire screamed, as her petite body was blown away.

"Jio Inzagi!"

Kamito roared, and swung down Terminus Est again.

"You too— Dieeeeee!"

Facing Kamito, who was rushing at him from the front, he released the black lightning attack.

It was one long lightning attack that had several times the power of the previous one.

It was directly aimed at and converged on Kamito—

"Like such a thing will hit—"

"—It'll hit."

Jio expressed a ferocious smile.

Just before dodging, Kamito realized it.

Fianna was behind him.

Part 5

Fianna was staring at the assailing black lightning attack dumbfounded.

She could not dodge it. The heavy ritual costume had stolen her body's freedom.

(...Am I going to die here?)

The girl's chest was filled with a calm resignation. She reflexively closed her eyes.

However—

"Fianna!"

She was taken aback by that.

When she opened her eyes, Kamito had caught the rampaging lightning attack with his sword.

"Kamito-kun!?"

"Oooooooooo!"

While his whole body was being struck by the lightning attack, Kamito went forward.

Ren AshbellStrongest Blade Dancer, the one who had performed a splendid blade dance at the venue of the Blade Dance.

Was protecting Fianna in a tattered condition.

Even though he became bloody and was even barely standing.

"No, Kamito-kun! You're going to die—"

"I never want to lose it again. My precious comrades."

"...!"

His back was the same as that day three years ago.

It belonged to the boy, who had saved a powerless girl in the forest of Astral Zero.

It was the back of the boy, who she first fell in love with— And it was right in front of her eyes!

(This time I have to protect—)

*Ba-thump*. A hot emotion was filling Fianna's chest.

(—I want to protect him, the one who I love.)

Since that day— she had always been alone.

Without being needed by anyone, without anyone accompanying her, she was the Lost Queen.

Without anything to expect, she had given up on everything.

(—However, it's different now.)

She saw Ren Ashbell's blade dance three years ago.

And then, now she was looking at Kazehaya Kamito's back.

(—I've changed! After all, I have a wish I want granted!)

She wanted to aim for the Blade Dance together with Kamito.

(That was— my real wish.)

The black lightning attack was pushing back and covering the light from Terminus Est held by Kamito.

His body seemed like it was going to collapse at any time. However, he was still standing.

"—Thou, servant of the king of the child of man, knight and master swordsman!"

Fianna's lips spun the spirit language summoning majestically.

"—By the contract of the old blood, become the sword that protects me, come forth and do my bidding! "

A nostalgic feeling was resurrected in her chest.

It was the sensation that should have been lost four years ago— The throbbing of the spirit seal.

The princess' knight, which had not responded no matter how many times it was called since that day, was now—

"Come forth, holy knight spirit Georgios— Thou shalt become the sword that protects me!"

A dazzling light overflowed before her eyes.

It was the holy light that cleansed all darkness. It was the light that had been always protecting Fianna.

The armored knight, armed with a silver sword and a large shield, was standing before her.

It was the holy knight spirit, handed down in the Ordesia Empire— Georgios.

There was no need for words. Fianna gently smiled at that nostalgic appearance.

A holy attribute spirit was a spirit that could only be used by a princess maiden possessing an absolutely pure soul.

Fianna, who had etched into her chest the pain of the past and yet recovered—

Was now recognized as the true master.

"I command you in the name of the Ordesia Empire's second princess— Protect Kamito-kun!"

Fianna, cloaked with the majesty of a queen, placed her hand at her waist and ordered it.

The holy knight spirit nodded without a word and brandished its large sword, which was approximately as long as its height.

Making an underground rumbling, like the ground was shaking, it rushed into the raging black lightning attack.

"—Why you, are you defying the Demon King!"

Jio Inzagi shouted. The lightning attack became a rushing stream and surged forward.

However— Georgios rushed onwards in the face of that.

The black lightning attack was being repelled by the shield it held aloft.

A high ranking holy spirit had full resistance against the darkness attribute.

Its large knightly sword cut and cleansed the darkness, and cleared the path in front of Kamito!

"Wh...at...!?"

Jio's face distorted with shock— Kamito didn't overlook that opportunity.

"Let's go, Est!"

Kamito drove in all the divine power he had into Terminus Est.

The Demon SlayerDemon King Killing Sacred Sword, which was swallowed up in darkness and lost its light, shone brightly once more.

"Ooooooo!"

Kamito ran with Terminus Est, who became a gigantic sword, in his hand.

"Tch— Manifest, flame spirit!"

Aiming at Kamito, who was plunging towards him from the front, Jio released the flame spirit—

"I won't let you!"

*Hyun*— A red killing flash occurred and swallowed that flame.

Claire, who was covered with injuries, was standing with her Flametounge in her hand.

"—I told you, we are a team."

As he plunged towards Jio's chest, Kamito told him.

"Therefore, I'll continue to grow strong. Stronger than the time I was called Ren AshbellStrongest Blade Dancer."

And then— Kamito's single hit cut off the fake Demon King's arm.

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