Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume8 Chapter5 (section)

===Part 2===
The spectating nobles had already gathered at the Grand Shrine.

A magnificent bonfire blazed in front of the massive stone gates and the solemn aria of the Divine Ritual Institute's princess maidens could be heard.

Undoubtedly, the five Queens were receiving the oracle at the deepest reaches of the Grand Shrine.

"......There are a lot of people as usual."

"Claire, if you're scared, do you wanna hold hands?"

"Y-Yeah......wait, I'm n-not scared!"

Kamito teased her and Claire averted her face from him.

They walked down the hall extending from the stone gate and,

"Ahh, Onee-sama and everyone!"

Rinslet's little sister waved her hand after noticing them.

"Mireille!"

Rinslet hugged her little sister who came running over.

"Since you're not here with father, you'll get lost in these crowds."

"Milla's here so I'm fine."

Milla the maid nodded from behind Mireille.

"That's true but......by the way, you're not here with Carol?"

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"......Yeah, we were with her partway, but it seems that we lost her."

"My apologies. I had to accompany Lady Mireille so......"

Milla hung her head as if she had no excuse.

"No, Carol always gets lost."

Rinslet sighed.

"......I've had this question for a while, but how did Carol pass the Laurenfrost employment exam?"

"The foremost criterion of a Laurenfrost maid is that she is cute."

Rinslet said that as if it was extremely obvious.

"......Well, true, Carol and Milla do fulfill that condition."

"......!"

Milla's ears twitched in response to Kamito's words.

"Oh, your ears are red, Milla; what's wrong?"

"......It's nothing. I'm fine."

Milla replied expressionlessly to Mireille's teasing smile.

"Haa, Kamito is truly a natural demon king......"

Fianna sighed in resignation.

And.

"Excuse me, Kazehaya Kamito-dono."

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"---?"

All of a sudden, his shoulder was hit from behind.

Turning around, an elderly man with frighteningly good physique was glaring sharply at Kamito.

A fearless face like a falcon. Blue hair that was trimmed short.

......He somehow had the impression that there was a great resemblance to someone he knew well.

"Umm, you are---"

Kamito knit his brows with suspicion and,

"Grandfather!"

Ellis let out a surprised voice beside him.

"Grandfather......wait, no way!"

Kamito realized.

Then this old man was---

(The empire's chief advisor on military matters, Duke Fahrengart---)

A hero of the Ranbal War that had contributed greatly. Honestly speaking, rather than by word of mouth, just seeing him, he was an important noble.

Claire, Rinslet and even Fianna who was from the royalty nodded respectfully.

Kamito, who was staring in blank amazement, was lightly elbowed by Claire and hurriedly nodded respectfully.

"You need not be so rigid. Lift your heads."

Duke Fahrengart nodded in a composed manner and smacked Kamito's shoulder.

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"I have heard much about you from Ellis. Your feats in the Blade Dance are truly admirable."

"......Umm, it's an honor."

Kamito replied like that while still bewildered. He had imagined someone more fastidious as Ellis' grandfather, but he seemed unexpectedly candid.

"We troubled you with the matter of Velsaria. I am told that you were the one who severed those foolish misguided notions. She said she would like to meet you once again after she has finished atoning for her crime."

"Ah, my esteemed sister did, to Kamito......?"

Ellis interjected, looking like she was doubtful.

"What, are you interested?"

Duke Fahrengart teasingly patted his granddaughter's head.

"N-No, that's......"

Ellis' face went bright red and she twined her fingers.

Seeing that, Duke Fahrengart nodded like he had reaffirmed something and,

"Kamito-dono."

"Eh?"

He leaned in near Kamito's ear and whispered.

"I leave Ellis to you. She has her overly serious and stubborn points but she's an earnest girl. I trust you have no problems with her heritage?"

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"Umm, what do you......"

He tried to ask but his shoulders were grabbed.

"However---"

Duke Fahrengart's voice lowered.

"Affairs are not allowed, they are not. You had best remember this. If you make my granddaughter cry, the full military might of Fahrengart house which stands at the head of the warrior class will become your enemy."

Grind, grind, grind......the old man's fingertips dug into his shoulder.

(......This old man has crazy grip!)

Kamito shuddered......if he were to make Ellis cry, he may really be killed.

"With that, I shall excuse myself here. I will be hoping for your victory."

Duke Fahrengart smiled gently and left quietly.

"......"

"Ka-Kamito, well, what did my grandfather say to you?"

"Ah, no, he entrusted me with you. O-Of course he meant as a teammate."

Kamito scratched his head while averting his eyes and,

"I-I see......"

Ellis held a hand to her chest as if relieved.

"---It seems the other teams have also come."

Everyone turned to the stone gates at Claire's words.

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The ones who entered were the Knights of the Dragon Emperor spearheaded by Leonora Lancaster.

"Leonora---"

Kamito was about to call out but---

He changed his mind when their eyes met.



---The next time we exchange words will be when we blade dance.



He remembered the words she said when they parted.

Exchanging words was unnecessary. What came later would only be serious sword strikes.

Leonora smiled fearlessly and immediately turned her eyes elsewhere and left.

"......I feel amazing divine power. It looks like they've also leveled up."

"Yeah. Leonora now is probably stronger than she was when the Dragon Blood was raging. Her eyes had no trace of hesitation."

"......Mu, Kamito observes Leonora-dono quite a bit."

"Truly, you at least tamed her with that date."

"I said that wasn't a date!"

Kamito shook his head in a fluster in response to the unsatisfied glares of Ellis and Fianna.

The next to appear were the Sacred Spirit Knights who had advanced through the Tempest in second place.

They were wearing a uniform that was like the reverse of the Rupture Division's. Since the Principality of Rossvale had gained its independence from Lugia, it was expected.

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Standing at the head was the Paladin --- Luminaris Saint Leisched.

A nineteen year old female knight with interwoven brilliant blonde hair. She was a powerful person that had fought Kamito in the Blade Dance for the championship three years prior.

(......She's a powerful holy spirit user. I had a hard battle against her.)

Kamito remembered that time.

A holy attribute spirit had a strong resistance to darkness spirits. Consequently, his darkness elemental waffe, Vorpal Sword, was completely repelled.

It seemed like she had sought revenge against Ren Ashbell for three years, but decisively suppressed the surrounding weaker teams in the Tempest.

(......It's probably something like having a conclusion at the finals.)

To begin with, she thought the commander of Team Inferno was the real Ren Ashbell but---

"It's already time. Does Team Inferno not plan to appear?"

"Well, as long as they leave a familiar, they can hear the oracle."

Kamito answered Claire's mutter.

And. The hall suddenly became noisy and then fell into silence.

Princess maidens wrapped in white ritual clothes came from the altar's inner door.

The five Queens that directly served the Five Great Elemental Lords. Their faces were shrouded by a veil so the audience couldn't see them.

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"Reicha's the furthest on the left."

Fianna whispered so that just Kamito could hear.

Even the girl of whom he had an unshakeable impression that she was a normal girl when they'd met at the Grand Shrine was now wrapped in a solemn atmosphere.

The Queens at the center continued out in front of the shrine.

Everyone came to a pause and paid attention to the words that came from those lips.

Then---

"---I will now relay the Elemental Lords' oracle."

The Queen's dignified voice was carried throughout the hall by the power of wind spirits.

"---The stage for the finals is the old abandoned capital, Megidoa."