Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume7 Chapter8 (section)

===Part 2===

Meanwhile, the Raven Class combo of Claire and Rinslet were searching the forest on the west side.

Scarlet and Fenrir were tasked with searching for traces of Fianna's divine power.

"Looks like she definitely passed through here."

"Yeah. But it will very difficult to continue tracking from here. In any case, let's meet up with Kamito first."

Turning around to make their way back, Rinslet asked a question.

"So anyway, why were you quarreling with Her Highness the imperial princess?"

"It has nothing to do with you."

"...Could it be about breasts?"

"O-Of course not!"

Claire could not help but roar angrily.

"...Fianna seems quite troubled about this morning's blade dance."

She explained what just happened in the forest.

Obviously, all the parts related to Kamito -- were omitted.

"Carrying out elemental waffe releasing training on her own? That's way too dangerous!"

"That's right. However, it's not like I can't understand Fianna's impatience. Even for myself, I once went through a period of anxiety when I sought power in order to participate in the Blade Dance."

Claire recalled what happened two months earlier. Due to her excessive desire for power, the time when she made her bid for the dangerous sealed spirit.

(...Did Kamito ever go through such a phase?)

During the blade dance against the Four Gods, he had exhibited overwhelming skills in blade dance.

Once that level of power had been achieved, there was probably no need for this sort of worrying?

...As soon as her thoughts turned to Kamito, it felt like she was unable to stay calm.

(Seriously, it's all Fianna's fault for saying that--)

In an attempt to cool her head which felt like it was on fire, Claire shook her head vigorously.

--I love Kamito-kun.

Back then, Fianna was not showing a mischievous expression like always.

(Those eyes of hers, it was as if she had made some sort of resolution...)

--At this very moment.

"What a coincidence. To think we'd meet here."

"...!?"

From the depths of the darkness came a voice, causing Claire and Rinslet to enter a battle stance.

(We failed to sense the other person's presence!?)

This particular fact caused Claire's instincts to raise quite an alarm.

"...Who is this!?"

With a shrill cry, Rinslet summoned her elemental waffe of the magic bow. Without waiting for the other party to answer, she immediately unleashed an attack to achieve containment -- such was the natural result expected from the Ice Storm.

The freezing arrow was shot straight forward, leaving a trail like a comet's tail.

However--

"How boorish, little Laurenfrost lady."

The darkness gave birth to crimson flames which instantly devoured the arrow of frost.

Amidst the dancing flames, a person's figure was illuminated in the darkness.

"...Y-You... are...!"

Claire could feel shivers traveling all over her spine.

"I-I don't believe this..."

Similarly, Rinslet was frozen in her bow-drawing posture.

Subduing the crimson flames, a scarlet mask appeared in the darkness.

Dark-colored hair fluttered in the wind.

"Ren Ashbell--!"

Claire cried out with despair.

(...Why, why would she be in a place like this!?)

Questions spread out and filled her mind.

No, the reason was not important right now. The undeniable truth currently was the fact that the strongest elementalist of the current Blade Dance had appeared before Claire.

(...What should I do? Right now, what is the best possible course of action?)

Cold sweat flowed down to Claire's chin.

Fighting was out of the question. But what if running away presented an opening to the enemy--

--At this time, Claire suddenly noticed.

Why the Strongest Blade Dancer, Ren Ashbell, had appeared at this location.

Team Inferno had made moves on Team Scarlet numerous times already.

That Ren Ashbell was unrelated to the current situation... Making such an assertion would be utterly naive and optimistic.

"Are you actually the one who took Fianna away!?"

Suppressing the fear she felt towards the existence before her, Claire cried out.

"Me, taking the Ordesia princess?"

"T-That's right, transforming into Kamito's appearance... It must be your doing!"

"..."

Several seconds passed--

"...I see, so that's what happened."

Ren Ashbell nodded to herself as if she figured out something.

"Did the witch intend to steal a march -- or perhaps, it was under the orders of the Alphas Theocracy's Snake?"

"Stop pretending you're unaware of it!"

Claire summoned the fiery hell cat by her feet.

Even though it was a meaningless act, Claire thought it could at least provide some sort of intimidation--

The instant Scarlet appeared--

"Hoh--"

Suddenly, Ren Ashbell exclaimed profoundly.

"The Elstein's family's Scarlet Valkyrie, eh? A spirit completely unsuited to you in your current state."

"...What?"

After whispering words completely unfamiliar to Claire, she continued.

"Interesting. Let's play for a bit."

Using her white gloved right hand, she started a small fire.

"...!"

Claire bit her lip hard.

"What should we do, Claire?"

"There's no choice, Rinslet, we must fight."

After all, if Ren Ashbell were to get serious, escape was completely out of the question.

"However, you might be able to escape while I'm fighting."

"Hmph, please keep these stupid jokes to yourself."

Rinslet shook her head with great resolve and readied her magic bow of ice.

"...Rinslet, thank you."

With a barely audible voice, Claire spoke to her childhood friend, then immediately--

She turned to face the strongest blade dancer who emanated a terrifyingly oppressive aura simply by standing there.

No chance for victory. Also impossible to flee.

Most likely, they were going to lose their magic stones and be forced to retire here.

However, Kamito and the rest of the team should be able to continue fighting to the last day of the Blade Dance.

--Precisely because she believed so, Claire was able to resolve herself.

So long as she had resolution, fear was no longer a problem.

"Ren Ashbell, I have a question for you."

Claire inquired at this time.

"What?"

"You, are you truly ''that'' Ren Ashbell?"

"What do you mean?"

The ruby-like eyes flashed from behind the mask, penetrating Claire.

"You are not the Strongest Blade Dancer, Ren Ashbell, the one whom I idolize -- That's what I mean."

"...Indeed."

The masked elementalist admitted with forthrightness.

"It's true, I am not the Ren Ashbell you know."

"Hearing that, I am relieved."

With a sigh of relief, Claire summoned Flametongue in her hands.

"--In that case, I can go all out without reservation!"

Yelling at the same time, she began to swing the fiery whip.

A crimson slash split the darkness of the night acutely.

"Not bad in terms of the elemental waffe's purity. Nevertheless--"

The elementalist who had stolen Ren Ashbell's name -- drew a magic circle in the air with flames burning on her fingertip.

"--Come forth from the furnace of conflagration, Hellhound."

From the burning magic circle appeared a hunting hound enveloped in fire.

Rather than spirit summoning magic, this was a pseudo life form forged from magical flames.

The flaming hound roared and rushed forward, ripping Flametongue apart with its sharp claws.

"Impossible! My Scarlet...!"

"Let me show you the proper way to use fire."

The summoned Hellhound roared with savagery as it pounced.

"...!?"

"Claire, dodge!"

Slicing through the air with an acute sound, freezing arrows flew over Claire's to smash the hound.

"Thanks a lot, Rinslet!"

"The Laurenfrost family's strongest demon ice spirit -- So you're the one who inherited it."

"You know Judia?"

Rinslet's eyes widened in a stare.

Ren Ashbell silently summoned a vortex of fire in her hands.

"Let's go, Scarlet!"

As Claire released divine power, Flametongue swiftly regenerated and lit on fire once more.

Just as the crimson slash flashed again -- in that very instant, Ren Ashbell disappeared.

"...!?"

In the next instant, the scarlet mask appeared in Claire's view.

"...Impossible, teleportation!?"

"The power of fire lies not only in destruction. Its traits also include producing mirages through differences in air temperature."

Her tone of voice sounded almost like a teacher lecturing a student.

(Is that so, using flames to disorient light around the body--)

Enveloped in fire, a fist landed on Claire's chest.

As her body was wrapped in fire, Claire was easily blown away like a piece of paper, falling on the ground.

"...Guh... Ooh...!"

Unable to breathe. The flames around her were snatching oxygen from the surrounding air.

As Claire panted, Flametongue returned to the hell cat's form. Like a ravenous creature, Scarlet devoured all the flames surrounding her.

Amidst flickering fire, Ren Ashbell's figure approached without pause.

"Freezing fangs of ice, go forth and pierce -- Freezing Arrow!"

Innumerable freezing arrows tore through the darkness of the night as they were shot.

However, Ren Ashbell did not make any motion to evade.

"Red castle walls, intercepting armies ten thousand strong -- Flame Wall."

Instantly, the erected barrier of fire vanquished the freezing arrows completely.

"Excellent aim and speed -- However, your power is decisively inadequate. This is fatal for a sniper."

As soon as these words were uttered, burning arrows were shot from behind the wall of fire, flying towards Rinslet.

Rinslet intended to unleash freezing arrows again but was too late.

"I'm not going to let you succeed -- Flame Wall."

Claire immediately performed the same magic.

However.

"Yah!"

The burning arrows easily penetrated the barrier of fire, striking the two girls and blowing them into the thicket.

"...Im... possible...!"

"Whether it is the skill in spirit magic or the absolute amount of divine power, you two are both inferior. Even if you use the same magic, a difference in power is only inevitable."

"Guh..."

Completely overwhelming.

As users of the same attribute of fire, to think such a difference in level was possible.

Stepping upon the intensely burning flames, the masked elementalist approached slowly.

As if trying to protect Claire who was collapsed on the ground, the fiery hell cat blocked her path.

"Scarlet, don't!"

Despite Claire's cries--

Scarlet roared acutely and attacked the enemy before them.

However, the masked girl easily dodged and unleashed a punch infused with divine power.

The hell cat was struck down on the ground with a painful scream.

"--Scarlet!"

"Without releasing its true name, even a renowned spirit weapon can only perform at this miserable level--"

"...Releasing its true name?"

Still lying on the ground, Claire frowned.

She had heard from her grandfather that Scarlet's true name as a spirit had been lost since ancient times.

Why would this girl know about that--

At this very moment.

"How disappointing, Claire Rouge. You are not worthy of fighting me in the finals."

"...!"

A massive ball of flame appeared in Ren Ashbell's hand.

This was the spirit magic of Fireball. However, its size was orders of magnitudes greater than Claire's.

(If this attack strikes us directly--)

Claire forcefully shifted her gaze towards behind her.

Struck down by the burning arrows and collapsed on the ground, Rinslet was panting painfully.

She was in no state to stand up and evade--

"--Rinslet!"

In that very instant--

Claire's twintails became untied and stood up burning like flames.

A fiery blaze burst forth from the depths of her eyes of ruby.

"--What?"

An exclamation of surprise was leaked from beneath Ren Ashbell's mask as she released the fireball.

Crimson flames came forth from Claire's hands, devouring--

--Or rather, it incinerated the massive fire into nothing.

Instead of exploding, the giant fireball disappeared in midair.

"Pant, pant, pant... Guh..."

Maintaining the same pose as when she unleashed the crimson flames--

Claire fell upon her knees like an unstringed puppet.

"W-What on earth just happened...?"

Rinslet moaned with her face filled with surprise.

This was not without reason. The unbelievable phenomenon that just occurred had completely surpassed common sense knowledge of spirit magic.

"Flames that incinerates other flames -- What an interesting sight to witness."

Ren Ashbell spoke softly as she approached Claire who had collapsed from exhaustion.

"As I thought, the one suited to the role of the Darkness Queen is--"

Just as her fingertips were about to caress Claire's face, in that very instant--

Stab--!

A short sword flew across the scarlet mask, embedding itself into the ground.

"Don't think you can touch my master so easily -- Ren Ashbell."

"...!?"

That voice caused Claire to open her eyes slightly--

"Kami... to..."

Hurrying to the scene from out of the darkness was Kamito with the Demon Slayer in hand.

"Kazehaya Kamito--"

"You bitch, how dare you do this to Claire and Rinslet...!"

Wrath swelled in Kamito's jet black eyes as he kicked the ground and leaped.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Closing the distance instantly, he swung the brightly shining sacred sword straight down without question.

With a great flash of light, the sword blade sung with metallic timbre.

"...!"

Summoned suddenly without anyone noticing--

Appearing in Ren Ashbell's hand was a burning sword of fire.

"Elemental waffe -- no wait, that's a creation of spirit magic..."

Claire murmured as she shuddered. For the elemental waffe of the strongest class, Terminus Est, to be blocked by a sword of spirit magic--

How much divine power had been infused to forge its creation?

Sparks shone brightly in the darkness. One round, two rounds... The two clashed and engaged one another intensely in battle.

"How could that kind of thing block Est!?"

During the third round, Ren Ashbell's sword of fire shattered.

Kamito took a step forward and unleashed a slash with godlike speed.

"Your movements are much improved compared to a few days ago. As expected of the one who defeated Nepenthes Lore without awakening--"

Ren Ashbell whispered softly beneath the mask. Immediately afterwards, her figure disappeared suddenly like a mirage--

Kamito's sword simply sliced through air.

"...She's fleeing?"

"Go on and advance to the finals, Kazehaya Kamito."

From the forest enshrouded in darkness, her voice could be heard.

"--Once that time arrives, you shall learn about the truth of what happened three years ago."