Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume10 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 2===

...After that, several minutes passed.

As sizzling sounds came from the frying pan, the sweet fragrance of slightly charred butter wafted through the passageway.

While making her special pancakes, Rinslet explained the whole story about how she escaped the underground maze.

&mdash;Of course, she also talked about the incredible girl she met inside the maze.

"...A young girl spirit."

After hearing her story, Kamito crossed his arms and muttered.

According to Rinslet, a spirit with a young girl's appearance had told her how to reach the exit to the ground surface.

"Must be quite a high level spirit to be able to take on human form."

Like Est and Restia, spirits who manifested in complete human form were extremely rare, even in Astral Zero. Of course, not all high level spirits existed in human form, but appearing as a young girl implied that she must be quite a powerful spirit.

"She really needs to be thanked properly for helping you, Rinslet."

"Yeah, so I promised her already, we'll help her leave this place."

The girl spirit was apparently sealed in this underground maze by a powerful barrier. Furthermore, she had lost virtually all her memories.

"Are you able to release this seal, Your Highness?"

"Eh, let's see..."

Prompted by Rinslet's question, Fianna rested her chin on her hand as she entered deep thought.

"I think in my current state, I will have difficulty releasing a barrier that is able to seal a high level spirit. But I will still try my best..."

"Thank you."

Rinslet bowed her head.

"However, will that spirit really appear?"

Ellis asked, a little doubtful.

"Rest assured. Even Fenrir offers undying praise for my pancakes."

Rinslet placed her specially made pancakes on a porcelain dish and sprinkled liberal amounts of honey.

"...But it is hard to imagine spirits of the highest level being enticed by food."

Ellis said, somewhat worried. Kamito agreed on this point.

(...Well, we do have a sword spirit here who loves bean curd.)

After that, they waited a while longer&mdash;

"...No one is coming."

"H-How strange."

Rinslet surveyed her surroundings, slightly taken aback.

...If this continued, her specially made pancakes were going to get cold.

"Then can I test the taste, a little bit?"

"Not allowed."

Rinslet slapped Kamito on the back of the hand just as he was reaching out to the food.

"Kamito-kun, I allow you to taste me carefully, okay?"

"Fianna, what on earth are you talking about!?"

Just as Kamito retorted&mdash;

(...?)

Glare&mdash;

He suddenly felt someone's intense gaze.

"What is it, Kamito?"

"Well, I felt someone watching just now&mdash;"

Kamito reached for the hilt of his sword as he stared into the depths of the darkness.

Twitch... Where the passage made a turn, he discovered a figure that quickly hid itself.

"...?"

Kamito rubbed his eyes.

(...I think I saw something resembling insect antennae?)

Twitch, twitch... He saw two bouncing antennae again.

"That thing, Rinslet, could that be...?"

"It's Miss Spirit!"

Rinslet raised her voice. Movements could be sensed in the darkness again.

"Kamito-kun, hurry and give chase!"

"Got it!"

Before he replied, Kamito had already started running.

The other party was also very swift in movement. But compared to Kamito when he was serious, it was nowhere near enough.

"W-Wait up!"

"Fuah!"

In the darkness, Kamito pushed his fleeing quarry to the ground. It was a little violent, but capturing this nimble fellow would be very difficult otherwise.

"W-What are you doing, you insolent fellow!"

The girl struggled desperately in Kamito's grasp.

She was apparently wearing an outfit with a very long hem. Kamito could hear the sound of clothing rubbing intensely.

"...I'm sorry! Please calm down and listen to me!"

"Noooooooooooooo!"

Another round of struggling.

"Kamito-san, where are you?"

"Here!"

Rinslet and the girls lit a light and ran over.

Then&mdash;

"...Kyah!" "Ahhh!" "Wha...!"

The three girls instantly froze in expression.

"...?"

Getting a bad premonition, Kamito looked at the girl he had captured.

Over there&mdash;

"Sob, sob..."

Tears glimmering in her clear eyes, the girl was half-naked with her priestess outfit pulled wide open.

"Kamito-san, what on earth were you trying to take advantage of in the confusion!?"

Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble...!

"N-No, this is a misunderstanding!"

On the floor, Kamito frantically screamed for dear life.