Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume2 Chapter2 Draft (section)

===Part 2===

After various things happened, the lunch of buns ended and it was time to rest.

"Ahh, that reminds me—"

Ahem! Rinslet cleared her throat and said,

"Have you gathered members for your team for the Blade Dance ?"

"...N...not yet."

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Claire shook her head in shame.

Rinslet smiled, it seemed she already knew that answer.

"Ah, you still have not? It seems I’ve touched a sore spot."

Fufun! She held up her tea cup in an elegant maner.

Claire sullenly responded.

"It's just that there isn't a person who matches up to our desired skill level. What about you? Have you decided on your members?"

"Tha...that's ... I just have not found a person who matches with my skill level!"

"Eh? Rinslet, you couldn't gather anyone either?"

Kamito tilted his head to the side.

As one who used the demon ice spirit «Fenrir», Rinslet was about on par with Claire, ability-wise.

He thought that if it was her, she would be highly sought after but...

"Fo...for now, there isn't, for now!"

Rinslet's face reddened and she quickly turned away.

"Kamito-san, Milady—"

"Uh huh?"

Carol tugged Kamito's sleeves as she came to his side, telling him the reasons in his ear.

"The truth is... *mumbling*..."

"Hmm..."

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According to Carol's words—

It seemed that although she had tried gathering a team several times, so far, the ideals she demanded from her members were too high and her excessively big pride didn't help things go smoothly either. The teams she gathered repeatedly broke up and so, there were no students left to invite.

...How should he say it, it was indeed a Rinslet-like reason.

"Hmm, her pride is certainly high but... she is a good girl, regardless."

"That's right..."

Carol earnestly nodded.

"Carol, what are you talking about with Kamito-san!?"

"It was about the order in which Milady washes her body in the bath."

"Carol!"

Glancing at the playful ojou-sama and her maid, Claire sighed deeply. 

"Haa... I wonder if there's really no one... An excellent elementalist who will enter our team."

"...We...well, you seem to be in a dire situation."

Ahem. 

Rinslet coughed and looked at Claire with one eye.

"That's right. I better try approaching the newly admitted student you just mentioned. Perhaps I’ll get lucky."

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"That is right. However, there might be an even better member for the team and she might be unexpectedly close."

Ahem. Ahem.

...Kamito finally realized.

(Ahh, I see. So that's the reason she brought up the subject of the team.)

"Hey, Claire, give me just a minute—"

"What? Faa, do..don't suddenly breathe into my ear."

"What are you turning red for? Lend me your ear for a while and listen."

Kamito whispered into Claire's ear in a quiet voice.

"For some reason, this ojou-sama obviously wants to join us as a comrade but are you against it?"

"Absolutely against it."

Claire immediately replied.

"Why? Rinslet's is more than adequate with her battle strength."

"That's... even I recognize her strength. However, no. We suffered in the duel with Ellis a while ago, didn't we? Because she didn’t even think the slightest about teamwork."

"Well, wh..."

It was certain that in the duel with Ellis' group the other day, despite being a sniper, she was standing in the most conspicuous place for some reason and was knocked down in the very beginning.

"Be...besides, Rinslet ... about you ..."

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"Hn? Did you say something?"

"I..it's nothing, at any rate, it's a no! No Rinslet!"

"Err, this goes without saying, but isn't she somewhat pitiful?"

"Wh...what are you two sneakily talking about?!"

While twirling the front of her platinum blonde hair with her index finger, Rinslet was staring at them with a fidgety, nervous expression.

"Wh...?"

"......"

Claire groaned seemingly unhappy.

"...I got it. I'll try asking for the time being."

She sighed deeply and nodded. There were two months remaining till the opening of the Blade Dance. She might have reconsidered and accepted that it wasn't the time to be making a fuss about her desires anymore.

"Hey, Rinslet."

"Wh...what is it, Claire Rouge?"

Rinslet tensed and her voice sounded slightly excited.

"You wouldn't, by any chance, want to enter my team?"

"Id...idiot, you're asking too bluntly!"

Kamito shouted in a soft voice.

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Asking Rinslet, who was a highly prideful girl, in such a way—

Rinslet's finger, which was twirling a lock of her hair stopped.

"Hm, if you think about what you suddenly said—"

She placed her hand at her waist and pointed at Claire in a thrust.

"Aren't you the ones who want to join my team?"

"Huh?"

Claire's eyebrows sternly lifted up.

"What are you saying? Are you an idiot? You'll join my team!"

"Rejected, rejected, rejected. You two will join my team!"

The two ojou-sama started quarreling about something trivial.

...They completely wouldn't see eye to eye.

"Either way is the same, right..."

Kamito retorted,

"It's completely different!" "It is completely different!"

They shouted together. Only at a time like this were their breaths in sync.

"...Uhm, these two are hopeless, it would be absolutely impossible for them to be a team."

"Really, can't you guys keep quiet? This is a public place!"

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A cold voice resounded in the salon café.

Everybody turned around—

At the entrance, a ponytailed beautiful girl, wearing light armor, was standing.

"Ellis!"

Claire sullenly groaned. ...Another hindrance came. She had an expression saying that.

Ellis Fahrengart.

The captain of the Sylphid Knights, who observed the academy's public morals.

She was charming in appearance which was completely opposite to her strict personality. Her relationship with Claire's group, which normally caused problems, seemed to be mutually bad.

Although, it did not mean that she was such a hard-to-deal-with person to Kamito. 

At first, when he entered into the academy, just because he was a male elementalist, she was prejudiced against him, but she had already remorsefully apologized to him regarding that matter.

Even if there were times she was a little too serious she was a straightforward person, who held a strong belief for their own case. He could respect that part of her that held the pride of a knight.

Ellis walked, briskly, towards their table.

"Captain-sama, what business do you have with us?"

"If it's about the duel, I'll accept a rematch anytime."

Rinslet and Claire, both gained a dangerous glint in their eyes.

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On that subject, the duel the other day remained unsettled because of the demon spirit's sudden intrusion.

He wondered if they were going to try to conclude that match again.

(......Spare me. A duel again, no thanks.)

Coming closer, Ellis looked down at Claire with sharp eyes.

"Hmm, I have no problem settling it here and now, Claire Rouge."

"Just what I want."

Ellis drew out her sword and Claire also pulled out her leather whip from under her skirt.

In the tense atmosphere, the girls, who occupied the surrounding tables, stood up rattling.

"Hey, Claire..."

Kamito attempted to stop it—

"Ca-Captain, calm down!"

"Y...you can't draw out a sword here!"

From the café's entrance, two girls run in with flustered looks.

They were wearing the same Knights armor as Ellis.

One was a short haired and boyish and the other a somehow serious looking girl with braided hair.

Kamito immediately recognized them both. They were the Knights he fought in the duel the other day.

If he remembered right, their names were— Rakka, for the one with the short hair, and Reishia, for the one with the braids.

Stopped by her comrades, Ellis sheathed her sword embarrassed.

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"...S...Sorry, my Knights followers."

Feeling ashamed, she cleared her throat and apologized to the two girls—

Then she turned towards Kamito.

"Kazehaya Kamito."

"Me?"

Kamito tilted his head to the side, seemingly puzzled. Claire aside, he certainly did not recall doing anything to be kept an eye on by the Knights.

"It seems you lost completely to the Wolverine Class in this morning's match."

"What?! As I thought, you're trying to pick a fight."

Claire stood up with a clank sound.

"That's not it. Th...the truth is Kazehaya Kamito, you—"

Ellis shook her head, and rapidly blushed and bashfully looked down.

"Hn, what's the matter?"

"So, err..."

"Come on, Captain, it is embarrassing so you better say it quickly."

"You're always so resolute but at times like this you are too slow."

Reishia and Rakka were whispering behind Ellis.

"However, such a timid captain is also cute."

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"Ahh, it's like that, it's almost like a girl who has fallen in love—"

"D...don't make fun of me! I...I am really not thinking about such an insolent person!"

Ellis shouted with her face turned bright red.

After that she coughed to cover their whispers up.

"It is certain that I've gotten a better opinion of you because of that day's case, but ... that's all. The one I admire is a pure strong female like the {{Furigana|Strongest Blade Dancer|Ren Ashbell|margin=13}}. It's most certainly not a boy!"

"..."

With half-opened eyes, Kamito gazed at Ellis, who informed him about that in a cold voice.

(...I'm sorry, your admired female is an illusion.)

"Unh, wh..what's with that look!"

Ellis thrust her sword at the back of Kamito's neck.

"Is it that strange for me to be admiring Ren Ashbell?"

"...N...no, that's not it!"

Kamito panicked and shook his head.

At the event three years ago— the dance of the participant, left a strong impression on the girls of the same generation. Henceforth, many princess maidens, who aimed to become elementalists aspired to be like her.

It seemed that Ellis was not an exception either.

"That's enough, quickly state your business."

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"Shut up, I know that!"

After turning and retorting to Claire, Ellis stared at Kamito again.

"Kazehaya Kamito—"

"Wh...what..."

"Err, what I'm saying is, ..."

Ellis seemed nervous as her hand was lightly trembling.
[[Image:STnBD V02 069.jpg|thumb]]

By the way, she didn’t move the sword from his neck, so he couldn’t help but feel his life in danger.

"What I'm saying is... I...I want you!"

"..."

—Silence fell upon the cafe.

Claire and the others, even Rakka and Reshia, were dumbfounded.

For a while, time froze.

"Wh...wh...wh..wh..."

Claire was the first one who opened her mouth.

Her face was bright red and her mouth opened and closed repeatedly.

"...!?"

Ellis widened her eyes, seemingly taken aback and shook her head.

"Th...that's not it… my words… just now… I didn’t mean it!"

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"Wh-wh-what other possible meaning could those words have!?"

"I wanted to say, th...that—"

After Ellis took a deep breath,

"Kazehaya Kamito, would you join my team?"

"Eh?"

Kamito did not believe his ears when those unexpected words came out.

(...Ellis and me, a team?)

"What did you say?"

Claire and Rinslet were also staring in wonder.

Rakka and Reshia saw Ellis turn bright red, and were grinning.

"...Wait! Wh-what do you mean?"

"I...I meant just that. Kazehaya Kamito, I welcome you to my team. Because you defeated that militarized spirit, there's nothing to object about with regards to your ability."

Ellis replied fast and quickly averted her eyes, trying not to look at him. 

It seemed her true intention was to scout Kamito.

But with a sword held at the back of his neck, rather than being scouted, it looked like he was being threatened.

Ellis' results were straight at the top of class. If Kamito joined this team, in all likelihood his chances to obtain the entry qualifications for the Blade Dance would greatly increase.

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However—

"Ellis, I—"

"No way, this is my contracted spirit after all!"

The one who interrupted Kamito's reply with a shout was Claire.

She stood up from the chair and tightly grabbed the sleeves of Kamito's uniform.

"Claire, you..."

Kamito turned around and looked down only for his eyes to met her clear ruby pupils.

Claire's had an anxious look in her eyes.

It was likely that she was not aware of it, but she was staring at him pleadingly.

(I see, she's...)

It seemed that being betrayed by her sister, Rubia, caused a deep wound to her heart.

After being abandoned by someone, it could not be helped that things like that frightened her.

That was why she kept to hersself. She could not depend on anyone.

Because she was afraid of being betrayed again—

"..."

Kamito took a sharp breath and scratched his head.

(...Being shown such a face...)

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With a wry smile, he gently placed his hand on top of Claire's head.
	
His reply was obvious from the beginning. She did not have to be worried.

"Ellis, sorry, but I am her contracted spirit. I don't intend to change teams."

"...Kamito!?"

Claire, taken aback, raised her face and widened her eyes.

"...I see."

Ellis tightly bit her lips.

However, the next moment, she had already returned to her cold expression.

"...I understand. I'm sorry for asking something unreasonable so suddenly."

"No, me too ... thank you for inviting me."

Kamito apologized and Ellis was a little bashful.

"I...it's alright. It's solely because you're that sort of person, I—"

"Uh?"

Ellis seemed to have said something, but her voice was so soft he didn't catch it.

"Ahh, you've been rejected."

"It's alright, the captain has us."

"Y...you guys... I...it's not like that!"

Ellis turned bright red and shouted at her two comrades, who were grinning teasingly her.

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"H...hey, Kamito..."

"Hn?"

While still holding Kamito's uniform sleeve, she tried to shyly say something else.

"What's the matter?"

"...Th...thank...you."

"...? What?"

She told him something, but her voice was too soft, so he could not hear her well.

It was unusual for Claire to be so hesitant.

"S...so... erm..."

And at that moment. Bam! The door opened—

"Is the licentious… no— Kazehaya Kamito here?!"

An academy student came running into the salon café.

She seemed to have come here in a great hurry so she was out of breath.

(Wait, it seems like she was about to say licentious beast just now...)

"I'm here."

Kamito raised his hand and the girl stroked her chest in relieve.

"The academy director is calling for you. So, go over there immediately."

"Greyworth?"

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