Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume13 Chapter8 (section)

===Part 3===

The cursed ice's remains scattered like glittering stars.

In the center was Kamito standing there, holding Rinslet in his arms.

"...Kamito... -san...!"

Rinslet's lips, as lovely as a flower bud, parted slightly.

Kamito placed her onto the back of Fenrir who was waiting on the side.

"&mdash;Thank you, Rinslet."

Rinslet had exhausted her power. Kamito gently placed his hand on her head.

Currently, massive divine power was flowing in a fierce torrent inside Kamito's body.

This was the divine power that Rinslet had used all her strength to deliver to him. Light from the Demon Slayer in his hand illuminated every nook and cranny inside Zirnitra's body.

The light illuminated the figure in the deepest part of the cursed ice where darkness resided.

The Queen of Ice Blossoms&mdash;Judia Laurenfrost.

Za, zazaza, za, zazazazazazaza, zazaza, zaza&mdash;

Her lips kept producing strange noises, creating cursed ice in Kamito's surroundings.

But it was useless. So long as the Demon Slayer in Kamito's hand still had divine power, the cursed ice was unable to approach him.

"Judia..."

With a pained expression, Rinslet stared at her sister inside the cursed ice.

But Judia's empty gaze did not reflect her figure.

"...What is going on? What is actually up with her&mdash;"

While staring at the girl in the cursed ice, Kamito asked Rinslet behind him.

Rinslet bit her lip and hesitated for a moment before...

"&mdash;Like the corrosion of the Elemental Lords, the Otherworldly Darkness is responsible."

Finally, she explained with an expression of suffering.

"...The Otherworldly Darkness is in her body?"

"Yes. Iseria-sama told me&mdash;The truth of that particular day."

Rinslet nodded and lowering her gaze slightly, she began to recount.

&mdash;Four years ago, on the day of the Water Elemental Festival.

Corroded by the Otherworldly Darkness, the Water Elemental Lord was on the verge of losing control. If further corruption continued at the same rate, it was easily conceivable that she would eventually end up along the same path as the Fire Elemental Lord who had destroyed the town of Dylus.

But her actual condition was actually more severe than that of the Fire Elemental Lord's back then.

The Otherworldly Darkness corroding the Water Elemental Lord not only intended to invade Astral Zero but also the human realm which was supposed to be isolated on a material level.

"...Coming into contact with that darkness by chance was Judia."

Looking at the girl in the cursed ice, Rinslet bit her lip.

"If only I had conducted the ritual on that day as customary&mdash;"

Sensing that a princess maiden in the human realm intended to contact the Water Elemental Lord, the Otherworldly Darkness caused part of the darkness to sneak into her body through the ritual.

Judia was an excellent princess maiden. This was perhaps one of the factors causing the tragedy. Infected by the insanity of the Otherworldly Darkness, she intended to summon the main body of the darkness to the human realm&mdash;

"...I see."

Listening to this point, Kamito suddenly reacted.

"In order to stop that, Iseria&mdash;"

"...Yes."

Rinslet nodded and continued.

"On that day, the Water Elemental Lord was on the last vestiges of sanity. In order to prevent the worst outcome, she sealed her&mdash;Judia&mdash;in cursed ice, together with the Otherworldly Darkness."

&mdash;Those were the memories of the truth that Iseria had found from within the Water Elemental Lord.

"But it has awakened once more&mdash;"

Most likely in the instant when Kamito and his team were liberating the elemental lord in Astral Zero, the Otherworldly Darkness had activated.

The darkness sealed in the cursed ice resonated and recovered its power.

Then breaking the cursed ice, the darkness controlled Judia and started moving autonomously.

First it used mind control on the Elfim inhabiting the forest and started preparing the revival of the powerful spirit, Zirnitra. Then merging with the powerful entity, it intended to summon the true body of the darkness into the human realm to replace itself.

"...Is there a way to save her?"

Looking at Judia who was still making noises, Kamito asked.

Rinslet readied her bow elemental waffe and stood next to Kamito.

"&mdash;Definitely possible. Assuming it's you, Kamito-san, the one who freed the Fire Elemental Lord."

Kamito silently nodded and readied the Demon Slayer.

Concentrating the turbulent divine power into one point, he poured it into the blade.

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

Rinslet used the last of her divine power to fire the final shot.

Anxious to save her sister, the arrow she had fired with full concentration pierced the wall of cursed ice, creating a tiny crack.

Kamito made a thrust with the sword's tip towards that crack&mdash;

"&mdash;Come back. Your sister is waiting."

Shining silver-white, the sacred sword pierced the chest of the Queen of Ice Blossoms.

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