Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume10 Chapter1 (section)

===Part 1===

—The first night of the Blade Dance final round had arrived.

After defeating Muir Alenstarl's militarized spirit Valaraukar, Kamito and his entourage left the center of the abandoned city and took refuge at the historical ruins of a shrine to rest.

The fire spirit crystal they placed on the ground glowed red, illuminating the pitch black darkness in the shrine. A simple hearth was built using stones nearby and a pot bubbled as soup boiled inside it.

"...Night time in Astral Zero is really cold after all."

Sitting on Kamito's right, Ellis shivered.

"...Yeah. It really did not feel that cold during the preliminary round."

"That was thanks to Her Highness the imperial princess' Barrier."

Sitting on Kamito's left, Rinslet replied.

Holding a bowl and a spoon in her hands respectively, she was dressed in a cute apron over her uniform.

Despite being a highborn daughter hailing from the Empire's elite nobles, the aproned look suited her unexpectedly well.

"It is possible to set up a barrier of wind, but divine power will involuntarily spread out and easily attract swarms of Forsaken Spirits. Furthermore, it would be best to conserve energy for now."

Ellis nodded honestly. After all, she had exhausted her strength in the consecutive battles against Lily Flame and Valaraukar.

Similarly, having exhibited norm-defying power for Kamito's sake, Est was now in deep slumber in sword form. Resting against the wall, she was probably not going to wake up for quite a while.

"Speaking of which, Captain..."

Rinslet coughed deliberately.

"Aren't you leaning too close to Kamito-san?"

Ellis instantly blushed.

"I-I cannot help it. Unlike you who were born in the northern part of the country, I am very vulnerable to cold."

"Your demon wind spirit should be quite warm to hug. Claire frequently uses Scarlet as a body pillow."

"...But Simorgh's face is kind of scary."

"Well, well, indeed it is an intrepid face."

Watching Kamito's group as they chatted—

"..."

The girl sitting opposite them bore a blankly staring expression.

Her ash-gray hair was tied up on the sides of her head. Her eyes were blue like the surface of a pristine lake.

Dressed in a military uniform, her petite body was sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest.

Muir Alenstarl—the Instructional School's second ranked combatant.

The extraordinary Monster—specialized in mass destruction.

Like a small animal that was wary of humans, she kept a delicate distance away from Kamito's group.

"Muir, you're going to catch a cold. Why don't you move closer to the fire?"

Hearing Kamito's words, the two young ladies beside him instantly prepared a stance.

This sort of tense atmosphere had repeated itself many times.

(...Oh well, it's only natural for these two to be on alert.)

After all, Muir was the one who attacked them only hours earlier.

Furthermore, Muir had tried to kill them before.

These acts could not be forgiven nor forgotten so easily. In actual fact, the two highborn ladies were not exactly pleased with the way Kamito was handling things.

Muir quietly shook her head.

"Don't wanna. The temptresses who bewitched Onii-sama are over there."

"W-What are you talking about!?" "Well I never!"

Ellis and Rinslet raised their voices at the same time.

"Kamito, I still think we should take away her magic stone."

"Seconded. She is far too dangerous!"

Indeed, after fighting Valaraukar—

Kamito had decided explicitly not to take away Muir's magic stone.

In a blade dance, taking the loser's magic stone was the winner's legitimate right. In fact, Kamito's decision could be said to contravene the spirit of the Blade Dance held by the Elemental Lords.

Naturally, Ellis and Rinslet were likewise opposed to Kamito's decision. Even so, Kamito did not take Muir's magic stone because he wanted to have a good chat with her after four years of separation.

(Also...)

On the day the Instructional School was attacked by the unidentified archdemon...

Kamito felt quite guilty about leaving young Muir behind alone.

"Muir is not an ordinary elementalist. Having lost her militarized spirit, she can't do anything."

In actual fact, Muir was not even capable of using a contracted spirit. The special power she was born with—the Jester's Vise, caused spirits to go berserk until their very being was consumed to nothing.

"Ara, even without a contracted spirit, killing you Onee-chans is still very easy."

"...What did you say!?"

Hearing Muir's boastful remark, Ellis glared back severely.

"...Muir lost to Onii-sama, yes, but Muir did not lose to you two, Onee-chans."

"Guh...!"

"Muir, shut up—"

Kamito forcefully ended her conversation.

"...What you just said now, even I would be angered!"

"Onii-sama...?"

"Stop talking about killing this or that whatever all the time."

Kamito stared at Muir head on.

"..."

Muir began to sulk and pout—

"...Yes, Onii-sama."

Despite her reluctance, she still nodded.

Kamito secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

(...Muir is not a bad kid.)

She simply had no concept of good and evil.

This was a common trait in the orphans raised by the Instructional School.

(...Before meeting Restia, I was the same too.)

"The soup is ready."

Cough cough. Rinslet coughed deliberately.

As she lifted the lid for the pot, a delicious aroma of fish soup wafted over.

The crimson soup was filled with chilli peppers and spices with diced pieces of white-colored fish, shelled prawns, scallops, mussels and other sumptuous ingredients.

"Wow, looks very delicious!"

"This is Bouillabaisse-style fish soup. It's very effective in warming up the body."

"...You really know how to make everything."

"I made preparations in advance before the finals began. Besides, Fenrir's alternate dimension is even able to keep the fish fresh."

Sitting by her obediently, Fenrir barked happily when it heard words of praise from her.

As soon as Kamito received a bowl of soup from her, he instantly drank in big mouthfuls.

"Gulp gulp... Phew..."

"Does it suit your tastes?"

Rinslet asked, a little apprehensive.

"...Tasty!"

Kamito burped with satisfaction.

Despite the large amount of chilli peppers in the red soup, it was not as spicy as its appearance suggested. A complicated mix of delicious seafood flavors were concentrated together. The soup warmed the entire body from within.

"Phew, looks like my efforts were not in vain... Fufu♪"

Rinslet happily covered her red cheeks with her hands.

"Hmm, so Kamito turns out to enjoy spicy cuisine, I see now..."

For some reason, Ellis began to write a note in her mysterious booklet with a serious expression while sitting beside Kamito.

"Muir, you must be hungry, right?"

Kamito extended a bowl filled with fresh soup out to Muir.

"Don't want any. Not hungry either. I don't want charity from enemies."

"...~Y-You, what is with that attitude!?"

Seeing Rinslet anger, Kamito frantically tried to make peace.

"You just used a militarized spirit of that level. You can't possibly be not hungry."

"Trained combatants from the Instructional School can execute combat missions continuously for a week without eating."

"...That's true. However, now is not the same kind of situation."

Kamito shrugged and moved the steaming bowl beneath Muir's nose.

"..."

Gulp... Muir swallowed.

"Come on, just drink a mouthful. While it's still hot."

"Hmph, Muir's stomach is not hungry..."

...Growl.

A cute sound resounded in the shrine.

"...See?"

"...~!"

Muir shifted her gaze away from the soup defiantly.

"D-Don't wanna. Maybe it's poisoned."

"How impudent, of course I won't poison it!"

Rinslet objected loudly.

"Hmph, who knows?"

"...Sorry, Muir doesn't mean any offense."

Kamito apologized softly for Muir's words.

"In the place where we were raised, wariness of poison is only natural..."

"...I-I see."

Despite her domineering airs, Rinslet was actually quite gentle at heart. Displaying a mixed expression, she nodded.

"Muir, don't worry. See, aren't I drinking it too?"

Kamito drank a mouthful of soup in Muir's view.

"..."

"See?"

Muir gurgled in her throat.

"I-In that case..."

"Hmm?"

"Onii-sama must feed Muir. Or else Muir refuses to believe."

Suddenly, she said something incredible.

"...Eh?"

"What did you say!?" "What!?"

Ellis and Rinslet yelled at the same time.

[[image:STnBD V10 041.jpg|thumb]]

"...I-I need to feed you, Muir?"

"That's right, Onii-sama."

As if examining Kamito's expression, Muir smiled mischievously.

"Muir, don't toy with me."

"Not toying with Onii-sama... See, ah~!"

She slowly drew her face near and opened wide her lovely dainty lips.

Kamito could not help but feel his heart racing. Then—

"...Seriously, what am I going to do with you?"

Shrugging lightly, he filled a spoon with soup and delivered it into Muir's mouth.

"...O-Onii-sama!?"

Widening her eyes, Muir's face instantly went bright red.

She swallowed the soup with a gulp.

"...Hmph, n-not bad!"

She offered her comment as she turned her gaze away.

"A-Another, okay... Ah~!"

"W-Wait a minute!" "Hold it right there!"

Ellis and Rinslet frantically interfered.

"Kamito, th-that is so unfair! Me too..."

"S-Same here, I-I want..."

Blushing, the two girls shyly demanded.

"W-Why would you two want to be fed too, Ellis and Rinslet!?"

"I just want it!"

"Indeed! I simply want it!"

Closing their eyes, the two girls brought their faces near.

...Although Kamito had no idea what was going on, he decided it would be prudent to simply do as they say.

"...Okay, say ah—"

"...Aamph♪" "...Ah~♪"

Kamito delivered the spoon into the lovely lips of the highborn ladies one after another.

"Oooh... What is up with me, to have done something so shameful..."

"Th-This is so embarrassing!"

Covering their blushing faces with their hands, the two girls murmured in seductive-sounding voices.

...Looking like that, they really seemed so innocent and adorable.

"No, I feel quite embarrassed too..." 

Kamito scratched his face awkwardly.

"...Onii-sama!"

Watching Kamito, Muir pouted unhappily.