Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume9 Chapter3 (section)

===Part 1===

Opening his eyes, Kamito found a dim gray sky displayed before him.

"...Is this place the stage for the final round?"

Experiencing the dizziness unique to the aftereffects of Leap, Kamito surveyed his surroundings.

Entering his view were the scattered ruins of an astoundingly vast city.

Monolithic structures resembling shrines stood tall everywhere, or rather, collapsed rubble and debris formed mountains. Strange trees were growing out of the ground, displacing stone tiles, creating a scene like a sea of trees.

"As the stage for offering kagura to the Elemental Lords, this is really a creepy place."

The abandoned city, Megidoa -- a historic battlefield of the Spirit War thousands of years ago.

Howling winds blew sand and dirt across his cheeks.

Compared to the sanctuary Ragna Ys, the air was completely different.

The presence of destruction -- a substance that could be described in such a way, clung stubbornly to one's skin.

Here was a place completely devoid of life's presence.

Even the presence of spirits, which should normally be widespread throughout the world, was also--

"...In any case, it looks like there aren't any enemy teams I'll run into straight away."

Kamito started walking as he paid close attention to his surroundings.

These massive structures gave off an intimidating presence simply by existing.

Although this was in Astral Zero, a realm where time was half-stopped, the sight of these millennia-old structures still standing intact was quite astounding.

--Suddenly, Kamito noticed something as he approached the walls surrounding the abandoned city.

(...Perhaps, these building materials are not simply stone?)

One would like to call them stone, but their surfaces were as smooth as mirrors.

...It was hard to imagine that an object that had withstood erosion from wind and rain over millennia could remain in this condition.

Just as he reached out with his hand to pat dust off the surface, sparks scattered where his fingers made contact.

The divine power released from his fingertips had reacted with the stone material.

(...This, it can't be!)

Kamito widened his eyes.

If one were to ask what kind of substance could react to an elementalist's divine power, only one answer came to mind.

(These ruins were originally built from unrefined spirit crystals!?)

Truly incredible -- but based on what he witnessed, it was the only conclusion.

This abandoned city could have been a massive mine for spirit crystals.

Only because the purity of the crystals were low, they could not be used even after processing.

Standing there in amazement for a while--

(...By the way, now is not the time to be doing something like this. I must find Claire and the others as quickly as possible.)

Coming back to his senses, Kamito instantly began to search around.

"...By the way, I might as well try this."

Searching his uniform pocket, he took out a communications spirit crystal.

Infusing a little divine power through his fingers, he concentrated his awareness--

kx,kxkxkx--kxkx,kx--

Bringing it to his ear, all he could hear was the noise of static.

"...No use. Oh well, I never expected it to either. So, what about this?"

Next, Kamito took out a different type of spirit crystal and quietly chanted the words for releasing.

In it was sealed a guide spirit which was very handy during times when lost.

Kamito had caught it in the Spirit Forest near the Academy before the Blade Dance started.

The fairy of light was quickly summoned and began to fly casually in front of Kamito's nose.

"Tell me, which way is north?"

Might as well try asking--

...However, the fairy simply tilted its little head and kept spinning in circles in the same spot.

"...Oh my, I guess I have no choice but to search on my own two feet."

Was this because an isolation barrier had been erected within the field, or was it a property of the abandoned city's land itself? In any case, clearly he could not rely on convenient spirit crystals.

Of course, this was already anticipated as soon as they heard the rules for the Cross Fire event.

Hopefully, he could meet up with at least one other member from Team Scarlet before night fell--

"...Hmm?"

At this moment, Terminus Est gave off faint light as it hung on his waist.

"...Est?"

Kamito touched the sacred sword's hilt and infused a little divine power--

Within the blink of an eye, the sword had transformed into an adorable silver-haired girl.

"What's the matter, Est?"

"Kamito, I recognize this place."

"What's the story?"

Indeed, Est was a spirit who had lived for centuries -- no, millennia.

Recognizing a place that had been a battlefield during the Spirit War was not anything too mindblowing.

However, the current Est was supposed to carry only the portion of power that split off from the original Demon Slayer when the contract with Kamito was established. Hence, only fragments of her memory remained--

"...Could it be that your memory returned?"

"No."

Est shook her head expressionlessly.

"But this scenery is indeed stored in my memory--"

--At this moment.

A terrifying presence suddenly appeared.

"...!?"

"Kamito, a terrible presence--"

"Yeah, I know."

Earlier, there were no presences around, not even spirits.

But now, Kamito could sense hostility so strong that it pricked his skin.

(An enemy elementalist? No--)

Instantly, as if spewing out from the earth, numerous shadows appeared in the surroundings.

"...What!?"

Humanoid shadows with ambiguous outlines.

"What, these guys!? They're... spirits?"

"These are the ghosts of destroyed spirits -- Forsaken Spirits, Kamito."

"...The ghosts of spirits?"

"Yes. When spirits die with excessively strong resentment, sometimes they lose their spiritual qualities, becoming ghosts that linger in the ground -- This abandoned city seems to harbor large numbers of these ghosts."

"...I see. After all, this is the historical site of a battlefield."

Muttering, Kamito licked his parched lips.

Although spirits had all sorts of forms, these ghosts were all generic humanoid without exception. Did all spirits all become like this when their spiritual qualities were lost--?

The ghosts gave off resentful noises as they reached out towards Kamito.

Kamito frantically held Est's hand as he dodged the arms coming from all directions.

"...Tsk, these guys are not targeting me but Est!?"

"Apparently so, Kamito. Very likely, I--"

As if trying to smother Est's words--

The Forsaken Spirit swarm attacked once again.

"...Tsk!"

"Ah, Kamito!?"

Kamito swiftly embraced Est with both arms and took a flying leap.

"Dealing with them one at a time would take forever. We must break through in one go, Est."

"Yes. I am your sword, your wish is my command--"

Est nodded in midair.

--You, Dispassionate Queen of Steel, sacred sword that destroys evil!

--Here in this time and place, take form as the sword of steel to become the power in my hand!

As the spirit seal gave off dazzling light, a shining silver-white sword immediately appeared in Kamito's hand.

"Sorry, I don't have time to handle your obsessions."

Wielding the strongest elemental waffe, Kamito charged into the swarm of ghosts.