Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume3 Chapter7 (section)

=== Part 2 ===

Claire was walking through the Spirit Forest on the outskirts with a dejected expression.

The lively noise from the plaza far away could be heard.

The day was almost over, but it was somewhat vexing for her to return just like that and she also felt that she didn't want to meet Fianna and Rinslet.

"...Euph! What's with the work of the Knights? D-Despite that I was planning to forgive him."

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Claire rubbed her eyes briskly with her uniform sleeves.

The cold evening wind blew her red twintailed hair like it was making fun of her.

Claire bit her lips tightly and dropped her sight onto her leather loafers. 

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Potaa*<ref>sound of waterdrops</ref> A drop of tear spilled over and fell.

"...It's my birthday and yet..."

Upon voicing it out, she suddenly became unbearably lonely.<!--taking a break here-->

Every year, both her parents, her sister and the locals would gather in great numbers in their castle and a grand birthday party would be held. She would wear a beautiful dress, the table would be fully lined up with her favorite cakes and feasts, and she would be sleeping in a warm bed together with her sister, who would return from the Divine Ritual Institute only on that day— that would be the most enjoyable day of the year.

However, four years ago— on that day when her sister Rubia Elstein betrayed the Elemental Lord of Fire.

Young Claire lost everything.

(...That's right, I still have my goals.)

Shaking off her sentiments, Claire sharply raised her face from the ground.

It was not the time to be having fun with such things like her birthday or the Valentia Holy Festival.

(My goals are to win through the Blade Dance and know the truth of four years ago. For that objective, I have to become even stronger—)

Her red twintailed hair bristled up like flames.

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(Even if someone like Kamito isn't there, I'll—)

"Fufu, you seem to be harboring a lot of stress, Miss Hell Cat."

"...!?"

Towards the voice from behind—

Claire quickly turned around.

A girl was giggling as she was standing at the opposite of the grove of trees.

She had jade-green hair that grew till her waist and ears with sharp tips.

She had recollections of her.

She was the waitress, who came carrying the gigantic parfait, at the restaurant yesterday.

(When did she get close?!)

Claire got cautious and readied herself. To approach Claire, an elementalist, without being noticed, she couldn't be a normal person.

Her intuition was telling her that this lady was dangerous.

"Who... are you? I am sorry but I am now in a terribly bad mood."

"Ah, what a cute face you're making, what a very scary cat."

Vivian Melosa swung both her hands to show her.

"Despite that I took great pains on planning to lend you power."

"...Power?"

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Claire's eyebrows twitched.

"Yes, it's the thing that you now desire the most."

"You... could you be...?"

Clare glared at the lady before her.

"The Cursed Armament Seal smuggler!"

"Correct! However, to be more accurate, it would be researcher, you know♪"

As Vivian Melosa was swinging her index finger, she was slowly walking towards her. 

Her red glaringly shiny pupils were peering motionlessly into Claire's eyes.

It was like she saw through till the innermost depths of her heart.

"—Hmm, kitty, don't you want that splendid power?"

Her words roaringly reverberated.

Claire couldn't move like her feet were bound.

(This is domination magic?!)

It was a type of mind manipulation magic.

Her words echoed many times in her head and penetrated the innermost part of her mind.

"... You"

"If you implanted my Cursed Armament Seal, your little hell cat will become an even mightier spirit."

It hurt like her head was splitting. Even if she plugged her ears with both hands, the words penetrated through. 

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—Hey, don't you want power?

—The power to overwhelm everything— The power to achieve your Wish.

(...It's obvious that I want something like that!)

She had wanted power. She had needed power at any cost for the sake of her goals.

For that reason, she would do anything— She had prepared herself like that since that day four years ago.

Thus, she had even risked the danger to her life to reach her hand out to a powerful sealed spirit.

She had made a contract with that darkness spirit's presented frenzy spirit.

However.

"Don't look down on me!"

In an instant, Claire's blazing Flametounge manifested in her hand, and mowed down the space before her.

"...My domination magic was broken?"

"My apologies but I'll reject your forceful sale."

As Claire raised her breathing, she swung her Flametounge with a snap as if to shake off the temptation.

"How disappointing. I thought you had the qualifications but it looks like I miscalculated."

Vivian Melosa shrugged her shoulders looking bored.

If it was Claire from a few weeks ago, she probably wouldn't have been able to oppose the temptation.

She might have sought for easy power and laid her hands on the Cursed Armament Seal.

(But I'm now different.)

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If you want power— I will become your contracted spirit.<!--leave this like this first-->

(...After all, he had promised me)

"So, I don't need such phony powers!"

At the same time Claire shouted, she released a fireball of spirit magic.

She didn't go easy on the merchant opponent of the Cursed Armament Seal. She attacked with the intention of turning her completely into cinders.

A terrifying shock and explosion resounded in the quiet forest.

The trees in the surroundings were blown off at one go and had fallen down in a straight line.

The trees burned up. However, Vivian Melosa wasn't there.

"Fufu, please don't be in such a hurry.  There is someone else who wants to meet you without fail."

A bewitching voice sounded from within the forest.

Claire was startled and turned around—

From deep within the forest, a tall girl appeared.

"You are..."

She was the adamantine elementalist upperclassman, who provoked Claire yesterday.

There was completely no expression on that face of hers.

She came over, walking unsteadily like a ghost.

"Don't tell me... the Cursed Armament Seal?"

"Ah, please don't be mistaken. The one who wanted power was her. Although, it looks like her mind couldn't bear my Cursed Armament Seal."

The sound of chuckling scorns reverberated within the forest.

"...Wa...a...laire...Rouge...Aaaahhh!"

The adamantine elementalist girl released an ear-splitting wail.

In that instant, a violent wind swept over, and a huge beast appeared from nowhere.

Over there— There was large deer of the metal attribute, which easily surpassed Claire's height.

It had two horns that extended out radically and black pupils that harbored signs of atrocity.

It had a terrifying air of intimidation that caused her skin to tremble.

"What? Isn't this... the adamantine spirit!?"

Claire raised her voice in shock.

Her contracted spirit shouldn't be a powerful high-ranking spirit of this level.

"No, that is without doubt her spirit. It evolved with my Cursed Armament Seal, you know♪"

Vivian Melosa chuckled.

"So, would you please cooperate with my experiment, Miss Hell Cat."

"...!?"

The frenzied large deer released a repulsive roar and came charging over.

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