Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume7 Chapter1 (section)

===Part 2===

...Several minutes later.

"Y-You are really the worst, the utter w-worst, w-worst kind of pervert!"

As Claire smacked her whip against the ground, Kamito knelt before her.

Seeing him in this disgraceful state, no one could possibly believe he was once the Strongest Blade Dancer, Ren Ashbell, whom girls all over the continent idolized.

"I can't believe you made Est wear th-that indecent outfit..."

Simply recalling the image was enough to make her blush... What a pure and innocent young lady.

"No wait, speaking of which, the whole reason Est dressed like that was because of your book, right?"

Kamito narrowed his eyes and questioned in return. Instantly, Claire's expression froze completely.

"...Say, Kamito."

"Hmm?"

"Could it be possible, did you actually see the contents of the book?"

"No, I didn't read it but simply flipped through it."

"I-Is that so... Then it's fine."

Claire breathed a sigh of relief.

(...Hoho, I see.)

Kamito gloated in his mind... This was perhaps a chance for a counterattack.

"Oh well, I did glance at that one folded page."

"...Eh!?"

"It was really shocking. To think that a daughter of the prestigious Elstein family would read that kind of shameless book."

"...!?"

Claire's face instantly became bright red.

"I-It's not some kind of shameless book, okay! It's a noble love story!"

"I don't see it at all... By the way, didn't you want to experience the same thing that happened to the heroine?"

"N-No, th-that, th-that kind of thing is impossible, you pervert...!"

Claire frantically denied the suggestion. However, her tone of voice sounded rather weak and unconvincing.

"You're actually the pervert, right, Claire? If other people in the Academy found out you were reading that kind of book, how do you think they'd react?"

"T-That kind of thing... N-No, I am not some kind of pervert..."

Claire gazed at Kamito with tears in her eyes.

(...Crap, I think I went too far.)

Kamito scratched his head, a little apologetic.

...Every time he was talking to Claire, somehow he always felt the urge to tease her.

"What happened here? What's with all the noise?"

Rinslet entered at this time, returning from the path in the woods.

Her emerald eyes flashed brightly. Her rose-colored lips invited tender affection.

Bathed beneath the sunlight, her platinum blonde hair glittered with brilliant luster.

Spotting Kamito sitting formally in kneeling posture, she raised her eyebrows and frowned.

"Claire, are you punishing people again? Kamito-san is such a poor dear."

Despite her haughty attitude which easily caused misunderstandings, Rinslet was in actual fact a very kind-hearted young lady.

"B-Because Kamito..."

"Kamito-san, you should stop serving this violent master. Come and be my slave instead. If you do that, I will personally prepare food for you every day."

Blushing slightly, Rinslet made her offer.

"...Hmm, even though it's strange for a master to be cooking personally for the slave, that doesn't sound so bad at all."

Kamito nodded as a joke. Rinslet's cooking skills were indisputable. If he were really treated to such delicious cuisine every day, oh how wonderful his days would be.

However--

"...W-Wait a minute, Kamito?"

Claire seemed frozen as if she had suffered some kind of shock.

...Making an expression like an abandoned kitten, she bit her lip hard.

Seeing her like that, Kamito shrugged.

"However..."

He stood up from the ground and placed his hand on her head.

"I already have a contract with Claire."

Contracted. I will become your contracted spirit -- That was how it went.

"Kamito..."

Claire instantly blushed as she stared at Kamito.

Then she averted her gaze as if embarrassed--

"T-That's right, Kamito is indeed my slave spirit. Furthermore, I-I have already given you my first time."

"Your first time?"

"W-What on earth is this!?"

Rinslet's voice shuddered.

(...Could it be, she meant that time?)

Kamito inclined his head in thought and finally remembered.

That was not long after he had met Claire, back when the military spirit had gone berserk in the academy town.

At the time, in order to motivate Kamito who was in a state of dejection after re-encountering Restia, Claire had kissed Kamito.

Surely she was blushing because she recalled what happened back then.

...Feeling a little embarrassed himself, Kamito also averted eye contact as he scratched his face.

"No fair, what is with you two!? It feels like I'm the only one left out!"

Pouting, Rinslet displayed anger on her face.

At this time, a sudden gust of wind blew by.

"Yah!" "Uwah!"

"...!?"

The two young ladies frantically pressed down on the hems of their skirts.
[[image:STnBD V07 033.JPG|thumb]]

"K-Kamito, you must have seen it!"

"Kamito-san is such a pervert."

"No, it was unavoidable just now--"

"Hmm, Kamito, what sort of shameless act are you engaged in again?"

Just as Kamito shook his head repeatedly in protest, a shrill voice was heard from the air above.

Stern brown eyes. A ponytail swaying in the cyclone.

A storm gathering about her, the girl stared at Kamito as she landed on the ground.

The girl making her appearance was Ellis Fahrengart. The knight in armor.

"What's going on, Ellis? You're even using Flight magic."

Hearing Claire's surprised enquiry, Ellis coughed lightly.

"Ah, there's something urgent."

"...?

Kamito and the other girls looked at each other in turn.

"Look at this. It was just delivered by a spirit familiar."

Saying that, Ellis handed on a scroll made from animal skin.

Releasing the buckle, they found words written in a squiggly snake-like script.

"...What foreign language is this?"

Kamito frowned. Even having undergone Restia's education and being able to decipher literature written in spirit language, Kamito was unfamiliar with foreign languages.

"Hmm, I can't read it either."

"Seriously, you guys are hopeless..."

Claire sighed with a surprised expression.

"This is a script widely used in oriental cultures. This should have been covered in the Academy's foundation courses, right?"

"...I-I'm not good at languages."

Ellis' ponytail dangled with dismay.

True to her reputation as a high achieving student, Claire read the contents of the letter fluently.

But after reading it, her expression became very solemn.

"What did it say?"

"...It's a declaration of war. And it's from the Four Gods."

"The Four Gods...!?"

Ellis gasped.

The Four Gods was a formidable team from the Quina Empire, a major country on the eastern part of the continent. Not only did the Quina Empire have a longer history than the Ordesia Empire, it had also won the Blade Dance a greater number of times.

Widely known amongst the participants of the competition was their topnotch team cooperation as well as the name of Shao Fu, the user of the divine beast spirit White Tiger.

Disregarding Team Inferno, this was a team that rivaled Dracunia's Knights of the Dragon Emperor and the Holy Kingdom of Lugia's Sacred Spirit Knights. It was imperative to be wary of them.

"The Four Gods established their stronghold relatively close to here. After dominating all the surrounding teams, the only one remaining in the area seems to be ours."

"By declaration of war, they mean?"

"A direct confrontation at a location away from either side's stronghold."

Re-rolling the scroll, Claire shrugged.

The Blade Dance was not simply a combat festival that pitted competitors against one another in contests of martial strength. Instead, it was the stage for exalted elementalists to act as priestesses and make blade dance offerings to the Five Great Elemental Lords. Consequently, when one team was intent on engaging in blade dance with another, they would send the recipient a letter that implied a declaration of war.

It was already the fourth day of the Tempest main event. Nearly all teams had already constructed secure strongholds. Even though blade dances in the opening stage were dominated by skirmishes and ambushes, now that the middlegame had started, teams were increasingly engaging in duels like this to break stalemates.

"Then what should we do?"

Kamito surveyed the girls' faces one after another.

Of course, there was the choice of ignoring this unilateral declaration of war, however&mdash;

After some consideration, Claire quietly spoke.

"I believe we should accept. If we cower at a time like this, it would tarnish the honor of Areishia Spirit Academy and Headmistress Greyworth."

"I agree with Claire."

"To dare challenge an exalted lady like me to battle, how bold!"

Just as expected, Team Scarlet's young ladies all seemed eager to battle.

Kamito had no objections. After all, only three days remained in the competition. This was a chance to take possession of the massive number of spirit stones collected by the Four Gods.

"The time for the decisive duel is tomorrow morning. Ellis will send a messenger to bring our reply to the Four Gods--"

"Wait a minute."

Kamito suddenly interrupted.

"Why?"

"We haven't asked Fianna's opinion yet. Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

"Indeed. Where is she currently?"

"Just now, I think she walked towards the forest..."

...Come to think of it, where the heck did she go? Kamito began to worry a bit.

Even within the forest's barrier, it was not absolutely safe. After the damage caused by Nepenthes Lore, the stronghold's defenses were full of openings. It was possible for  beasts or malevolent spirits to take advantage of the barrier's weaknesses to invade.

"Let's search briefly in the forest. Ellis can continue scouting the surrounding situation."

"Yes, acknowledged."

Ellis nodded.

"I will go search."

"Then I'll go as well."

"Rinslet, it's time for me to take your shift. You should go into the tent for a break."

"I-I'm fine!"

"It's important to rest according to the prescribed schedule. After the battle yesterday, you should be quite tired. Why don't you warm yourself a little right now?"

"Sniff sniff... I understand."

Admitting defeat to Kamito's thoughtful consideration, Rinslet nodded obediently despite her pouting lips.


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