Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume10 Chapter8 (section)

===Part 1===

In the spiral staircase that rose into the sky, the sound of hard footsteps could be heard.

Chasing after Scarlet as she leaped nimbly, Kamito and Fianna sprinted.

The third floor was already smashed to unrecognizable levels by Leonora and Lily's fight. Weaving nimbly through the corridors where collapsed stone columns piled over one another, Scarlet ran across.

"W-Wait up... Humans can't really pass through this kind of place!"

However, these restraining words came too late and could no longer reach Scarlet on the other side.

Left with no other recourse, Kamito tried to find a way around&mdash;

"...We should be able to climb over there... Hmm!?"

Suddenly, Kamito held his chest and bent over.

"W-Wait up, Kamito-kun!"

Fianna frantically supported Kamito's back.

"...Are you okay? Could it be that the battle just now&mdash;"

"No, it's nothing."

As sweat appeared on his forehead, Kamito shook his head.

"However..."

"Hurry. I have a bad feeling about what's coming."

Kamito stood up and continued to chase after Scarlet.

(...My endurance will reach a limit sooner or later.)

Even though a healing stone was taking effect on his body right now, the body's fatigue could not be recovered so simply.

Due to the effects of performing the Absolute Blade's secret technique, the Last Strike, his entire body's muscles were screaming in pain.

Although during his days at the Instructional School, Kamito had learnt combat skills for self-suggestion to alleviate the body's pain, he did not dare use these techniques.

Relieving pain was essentially dulling of the senses. In a blade dance against a comparable opponent, it would be fatal.

Passing through the corridor, they mounted the spiral staircase once more&mdash;

Finally, the door to a new floor appeared before them.

"Is this the fourth floor...?"

Opening the door, they discovered a floor roughly just as vast as the third floor.

The ceiling was held up by arched pillars. Carved on the ground, a massive magic circle glowed faintly, lighting up the entire space.

The instant they stepped on this floor&mdash;

Kamito could feel divine power coursing through his entire body.

"...What is this?"

"The power in the leylines has gathered together. Because this is the Lost Cathedral's core function."

"...In other words, we're close."

"Yes. Claire should be just up ahead."

Fianna nodded. Before them, Scarlet's flames could be seen flickering ahead.

Wagging its tail, she seemed to be urging them to hurry.

"Very well, let's go."

Resolving himself, Kamito was just about to take a step forward&mdash;

&mdash;Throb.

"...Ooh... Ah, guh...!"

Intense pain like being pricked by needles caused Kamito to groan in pain.

&mdash;Throb. Throb. Throb.

No ordinary pain. This was&mdash;

(...Damn, it... Came again, did it...)

&mdash;Kamito, going any further 

An unknown voice, very similar to Restia's.

&mdash;Without awakening the Demon King's power, you definitely cannot defeat her.

(...Mind your... own business...!)

Against the murmurs resounding in his mind, Kamito desperately resisted.

"...Kamito-kun?"

"Fianna, stay away from me a little more...!"

Hearing Kamito's sharp voice, Fianna suddenly stared with her eyes wide open.

"You're hearing that voice again?"

Kamito crouched down silently and covered his ears with his hands.

However, as if mocking Kamito's efforts, the voice continued to whisper.

&mdash;Form a contract with me, Kamito.

&mdash;Then I can grant you the Demon King's power, allowing you to rule the world.

(...Stop it! I don't need that kind of thing!)

The shapeless darkness eroded his consciousness.

This was not the comforting darkness of night.

Not the mysterious darkness under Restia's rule.

Instead, this was an astoundingly otherworldly darkness.

Resembling the Wish that devoured her three years ago on that day.

The cruel and merciless darkness that devoured the warm heart Restia had given him, devoured his memories of the precious comrades he met at the Academy, and even devoured everything.

(Stop, it... Ah, ahhhhhhhhhhhh...!)

"Please be calm, Kamito."

Suddenly, Kamito found himself being hugged by a pair of slender arms.

A supple sensation enveloped him. Beautiful silver-white hair brushed against his face.

"Es...t...?"

The sacred sword hanging by his waist had transformed back into a girl without him knowing.

"Kamito, don't worry. I am here."

Her slender arms wrapped around his neck as Est whispered softly.

The phosphorescence of her silver-white hair covered Kamito's entire body.

(...My headache... Is gone?)

At the same time, ''that voice'' which had been so clear earlier could no longer be heard.

Terminus Est was both a demon sword with an accumulated curse and also a sword that could dispel all magical effects. Similar to how she sealed away the Brand of Darkness Rubia had carved last time, she now sealed away the voice tempting Kamito towards the darkness.

Soon after, the phosphorescence enveloping Kamito vanished and his headache was gone.

As Est released her arms gently, Kamito slowly stood up.

"...I'm fine now. Thank you, Est."

As Kamito stroked Est's head, she half-closed her eyes in enjoyment.

"Kamito-kun... Are you seriously okay?"

"Yeah... Sorry for making you worry."

Kamito thanked Fianna for worrying about him.

"...Let's move on. Otherwise, the headaches might come again."

"Yeah, you're right..."

Fianna nodded, still showing a worried expression.

At this moment&mdash;

"Meow&mdash;!"

"...?"

Scarlet was waving her tail intensely in this dimly lit floor.

Kamito turned his gaze towards Scarlet and in that very instant&mdash;

Crimson pillars of fire erupted from the magic circle that covered the floor.

"...What!?"

As the intense, swirling flames drove away the darkness, the vast floor's entire appearance could be seen for the first time.

In the furthest depths of the floor, the door to the top level opened slowly with a low sound.

Then&mdash;

"Even now, do you still refuse to awaken as the Demon King, Kazehaya Kamito?"

&mdash;''She'' appeared there.

With flaming red hair and crystal-clear eyes of ruby.

The scarlet mask removed, showing her true face to all&mdash;the other Strongest Blade Dancer, Ren Ashbell.

"...Rubia Elstein."

Kamito's forehead sweated as he called out her name softly.

Indeed, her facial features resembled her younger sister greatly.

&mdash;Kamito could not help but find the word "pretty" surface in his mind.

Walking amidst the bursting crimson flames, the figure of the Calamity Queen exuded a tragic sense of beauty.

"I have already cast that name away four years ago."

Rubia answered without much feeling.

"Then your current name is the Strongest Blade Dancer, Ren Ashbell?"

"Whether I am worthy of that name or not, that shall be determined here."

She was unfazed by Kamito's sarcasm.

Walking to the center of the floor, she stopped.

She was ten and a half steps away&mdash;a distance that could be crossed within the blink of an eye.

"&mdash;Give Claire back."

"She has already fallen to darkness. All that is left is your awakening."

"...!"

Kamito stared with his eyes wide open&mdash;

(Am I too late again?)

Then he clenched his fist tightly.

(...No, it hasn't ended yet.)

Even if Claire had fallen and become the Darkness Queen, so long as Kamito did not awaken as the Demon King, there was still a chance to save her.

"Claire is your sister, you know."

"Indeed. Having inherited the same blood of fire&mdash;which is why she is qualified to become a Queen."

"If only you were as cute as Claire."

Kamito suppressed his anger as he spoke.

"Don't blame me if I show no mercy."

...By this point, there was no room for negotiations.

Kamito communicated with his eyes with Fianna behind him, gesturing for her to retreat to the wall.

As much as he would like to have Save the Queen's support, given Fianna's dual contract state with Scarlet, releasing her elemental waffe would be too much of a challenge.

Kamito gripped Est's hand as she stood beside him.

"Est, I'm relying on you."

"Yes, Kamito&mdash;I am your sword, your wish is my command."

Est's body dissipated into the air as particles of light&mdash;

Immediately, the Demon Slayer appeared in Kamito's hand.

"The strongest blade dancer, Ren Ashbell&mdash;return that title to me!"

"&mdash;Come with everything you've got, Demon King's successor."

Thus began the blade dance between the two Strongest Blade Dancers, both Ren Ashbell.