Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume1 Chapter1 (section)

=== Part 3 ===

Claire's fluffy crimson twintails swung back and forth over her back as she led Kamito deeper into the forest. Although Claire's leather loafers looked quite difficult to walk in, Claire was a well trained elementalist; her steps were light and lively.

"Here it is," Claire muttered.

Her well-proportioned feet stopped walking. With her hands on her hips, Claire looked back at Kamito with a glare.

"Why are you following me, you pervert-peeping maniac?"

"Without your guidance I don't know the way to the academy. As I have said several times, I am not a pervert-peeping maniac. My name is Kamito, Kazehaya Kamito."

"Fufufu, what a weird name. Are you from Quina?" she replied.

Quina is an empire in the eastern region of the continent. It is said that Quina's language, culture, and the relationship between people and spirits largely differ from that of Ordesia.

"No, I am not from Quina. I was born on a far-away, remote island in a very small village."

Kamito intentionally obscured his own statement. Certainly, he was born in an island country in the east, but the larger half of his childhood was not spent there.

"Your name also has quite a unique taste, Claire Rouge." Kamito hinted.

"Do not call my name in a friendly manner," Claire snapped. "Anyway, my name is a strange name."

"Really? I think it is a nice name."

"Wha-what are you saying, st-stupid!"

Claire blushed, suddenly turned back around and briskly walked in the direction she had indicated earlier.

Claire Rouge—obviously the name is a pseudonym.

Most of the students attending the Areishia Spirit Academy were the young ladies of noble families who have been trained as potential elementalists since childhood. However well-versed he was in the noble families, Kamito had never heard of the Rouge family. Claire was hiding her noble family name. She must have some reason to do so, but Kamito had no intention to delve deeper.

''Everyone has some secrets they want to hide'', Kamito thought. Kamito glanced down at his left hand covered by the leather glove. ''Even I have mine, too...''

Claire kept walking through the forest. Kamito quickly moved to follow her swaying crimson twintails. Losing sight of Claire inside the forest now would only bring trouble for him later. Kamito was well-aware of the dangers of spending a night inside the Spirit Forest.

"Is that dress the academy's uniform?" Kamito asked.

"Yeah." Claire nodded coldly as she kept moving.

Areishia Spirit Academy uniforms are pretty sturdy and can also serve as a protective garment. They have undergone spirit blessings and have the added effect of raising sacred attributes. The uniform could also function nicely as a ceremonial dress for contracting with or summoning spirits.

"What, are you saying that it doesn't suit me?" 

Kamito shrugged his shoulders. "No, it suits you gorgeously," he answered. "Honestly speaking, I am charmed by it."

Fine feathers make fine birds; Kamito planned to mock her with caustic words such as those, but the uniform did fit her so perfectly that Kamito couldn't help but to compliment her.

"Wh-Wha-What are you saying!? Stop being an idiot!" Claire stammered cutely.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Kaatsu* Claire blushed deep red, while *Pyun-Pyun* waving her whip around in agitation.

"Uwahh, Calm down!" Kamito pleaded.

"Wasn't it because you said some weird thing?"

"What I said was weird? I simply spoke the truth! I got it, I understand, so please stop pulling out your whip for every little thing."

''Phew, if I didn't need her as a guide...but what a bothersome princess.'' Dodging the swinging whip, Kamito sighed in his mind.

<center><nowiki>*******</nowiki></center>

The shrine that held the holy blade stood quietly in a clearing in the forest.

Claire easily removed the ward that forbade entry and stopped walking, then turned to Kamito. 

"From here onwards it will be really dangerous, so, as a commoner, you should stay away."

"If you know that it's dangerous, why not stop?" Kamito asked.

"As I was saying, I need to contract with a strong spirit." Claire calmly shook her head and stepped into the shrine.

Disregarding her warnings, Kamito followed her. As for coming all the way, it was true that he needed a guide, but more importantly he was just worried about Claire.

After all, sealed spirits were the strongest of the strong and at the same time have a wild nature. They prefer destruction and chaos; given the chance, they would even murder the elementalist that employs their power.

They are not something that can be managed by humans—that is why they have been sealed away.

Being only sixteen years of age with such an innate talent for wielding a spirit, Claire might as well be called a prodigy. However, if by any chance, she was to release the sealed spirit and fail to control it, what would happen?

Although she was just a girl he met by chance, Kamito couldn't leave her alone.

"Why did you follow me? I cannot guarantee what will happen to you." Claire warned.

"Don't you have the absolute confidence to tame it?" Kamito snarkily answered.

"Of-Of course I do!"

"Then there's no problem if I come along." Kamito shrugged his shoulders, prompting Claire to turn away from him.

"....Suit yourself."

The inside of the shrine was misty and dark and had a heavy atmosphere. Claire frowned slightly at the smell of mold mingling in the air.

"''Flames, let there be light''."

A tiny fireball immediately formed from Claire's fingertips; a basic spirit spell that draws on the power of a flame spirit. The flickering light of the fireball dimly illuminated the walls of the shrine. The shrine looked like a cavern filled with stalactites.

The sword was at the innermost area of the shrine.

"That is the sword that the sealed spirit resides in?" Kamito muttered. Claire nodded quietly in confirmation.

An unsheathed sword was standing hilt-up in a huge stone. It was an undoubtedly an antique which was most likely hundreds of years old but it had no rust on its length nor dents on its edge. Delicate ancient runes were engraved on the flat of the blade, radiating a dim blue light.

"A sword that has existed from even before the academy was founded, The Sacred Sword of Severian," Claire muttered reverently.

"The Sacred Sword of Severian? The one that slayed Demon King Solomon?" Kamito asked, shocked.

Demon King Solomon commanded seventy-two powerful spirits, brought chaos and destruction to the continent and was the only recorded male elementalist in history.

It was said that the one that slew the Demon King was the sword of Severian.

"Idiot, there's no way that's the real thing." Claire stated like she was amazed. "A Sacred Sword of Severian stabbed into a stone can be found everywhere in the Empire. Some remote villages even have one for the revitalization of the village. Anyhow, even if it is not the real deal, since it is a rune sword, there might be a powerful spirit sealed in it."

"...Indeed. Certainly, the real thing would not be in such a place..." Kamito finished.

Claire walked towards the sword determinedly.

"Hey..."

"You stay back." Claire snapped as she gestured to Kamito who had been approaching. Claire clenched the hilt of the holy blade.

"Don't strain yourself."

"...Got it."

Kamito decided to watch over Claire from the edge, where the light barely reached. The sealed spirit might be provoked by the presence of more than just one person. A heavy silence filled the surroundings.

"...Let's do this, Claire Rouge." Breathing deeply, Claire murmured to herself. Her voice trembled a bit; it seemed that she was nervous after all, Kamito noted.

"''Oh Noble Spirit Sealed in Ancient Holy Sword!''"

"''Thou Shall Accept Me as Thy Master and I Shall Be Thy Sheath!''"

From her cherry-red lips flew a fluent incantation for a contract ritual in spirit language. Her crimson hair stood on its ends. A crashing wind started to swirl inside the shrine.

Holding his breath, Kamito watched her intensely. Once the contract has been spoken and the spirit recognized Claire as its master, a spirit seal would be engraved somewhere on her body. The contract vows would then enter their conclusion. As he watched, a dreadful gust of wind swept through the shrine.

"...eh?" Kamito involuntarily stuttered.

Claire was unfazed, however, as she calmly recited her contract vow.

Dazzling light radiated from Severian's holy blade in her hand.

''I can't....believe it, She was exchanging a contract with the sealed spirit!?''

Preventing himself from being swept by the wind, an astonished Kamito was dumbstruck.

From the holy blade stabbed in the stone came an overwhelmingly tremendous amount of divine energy. If Claire was an average elementalist, she would have already passed out.

''"Thrice I Command Thee, Exchange Vows With Me!"''

Claire's vow reverberated inside the shrine in that instant.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Clink!*

"Pulled-Pulled out. I pulled it out," she said.

"...What, seriously!?" 

Brandishing the sword she pulled from the stone at her feet, Claire exclaimed her joy. However, in the next second—

The ancient runes engraved in Severian’s blade suddenly shone violently!

"...huh!?"

Claire involuntarily released the blade from her hand—

The holy blade thrust itself back into the ground. With a flash, it blasted itself into bits.

"Kyaaaaah!"

A short shriek flew, then Claire collapsed onto the ground.

"Hey, are you okay!"

Kamito quickly ran towards Claire.

"Wha-What? What exactly has...."

Claire held her temple and slowly got up, then looked around restlessly.

"My-My sealed spirit?"

"Wait, I...can sense something terrible," Kamito warned.

Sweat was flowing intensely down the back of Kamito's neck. His face was showing the terror he felt as he looked up at the shrine's ceiling. Near the rock ceiling was the sword, swinging while floating in the air.

It's not the shattered holy sword. However, it was a rough steel blade that looked very sharp.

"Is that the sealed spirit of the sword!?" Claire asked.

"So it was of the sword spirit class. Looks like it is rather irritated," Kamito replied.

"How do you know so much? You are not even an elementalist!"

"It is plain to see. No matter how you look at it, that doesn't seem to be someone who pledges allegiance to his master."

"...Umm, indeed so." Claire meekly nodded uncharacteristically.

The floating sword slanted, pointed its tip downwards and suddenly became motionless.

Then—

"Get down!" In that instant Kamito pushed Claire down to the ground. A buzzing sound of an insect grazed his ear and continued past.

"Wai-Waa-Wait, where are you touching me!? I'll turn you into cinders!"

With her face deeply red, Claire beat on Kamito's chest repeatedly.

"Idiot, stop rampaging!" Kamito quickly moved his body away and looked in the direction that the sword spirit had flown to.

Fragments of rocks fell down with clattering sounds. The shrine's stalagmites had been cleanly sliced off.

"It is remarkable to be able to release a spirit of such rank—" Kamito glared with half opened eyes towards Claire. "...but the spirit has completely gone berserk."

"Shu-Shut up. The-The taming of it starts now."

"You...." Kamito was stupefied by her silliness, but he was in no situation to quarrel with her.

The spirit sword released a chattering noise while flying back towards them. Inside the shrine they couldn't move freely and even their range of sight was restricted.

Kamito grabbed Claire's hand and stood up. Touching each others' soft skin made Kamito's heart flutter but he did not show any reaction on his face. <!-- this sentence need to be polished. - how's this? -->

"Hwaah." 

"Stop making such cute reactions at every little thing. Let's flee," Kamito said.

"Wha.. whaa. whatt.. Cute.. what, me? Kyaa!"

"Let's run outside!"

Kamito grasped Claire's hand while they both ran in the direction of the shrine's exit.

The spirit sword did not immediately chase after them. Maybe it has not yet completely awakened. With this opportunity they might be able to run away.

The moment they were out of the shrine, the flash of the sword grazed in front of their eyes. Kamito's cut forelocks fell and danced in the breeze. The spirit sword let out a tremendous roar, decisively knocking down the surrounding trees in succession.

"Crazy! What a wild spirit, just like a certain princess I know," Kamito sighed.

"Alwa-Always, you're noisy..." Feeling slightly awkward, Claire deliberately coughed, then stood up. "What a rebellious child.....I'll give you a proper spanking later."

Her pair of crimson eyes were burning with a fierce determination, yet somehow she said some lines of provocation. Rolling up the fringe of her skirt, she then took out the leather whip coiled around her thigh, hitting it hard on the ground. Kamito's heart skipped a beat at the brief sight of her white underwear, but he said—

"Are you insane!? Your opponent is a high rank sealed spirit!"

"It will be an easy victory. Amateurs like you please stay back!"

"Where are you getting all of your confidence? Whatever, let's run away!"

Claire shook off Kamito's hand that was grabbing her wrist. "No, you escape yourself. I will absolutely make this spirit mine."

"You, for what reason—do you need a strong spirit that badly?"

".....You will never understand." Claire averted her eyes.

"I need...power, I need a powerful spirit that will not lose to any other spirit!"

"''Guardian of the crimson blaze, keeper of the undying hearth!''"

"''Now's the time to abide by the blood contract, come forth and do my bidding!''"

Claire recited the summoning spell of her flame spirit. A crimson flame surged and she was engulfed by an intense heat.

"The hunting begins, Scarlet!"

Together with scorching flames a red Hell Cat appeared. Instead of fur, it was blazing with scarlet-colored flames that were wrapped around the beast's body.

''Is that the real form of her flame spirit!?'' Kamito wondered.

Indeed, she was not all talk. She truly is a prodigy. <!--This need to be double checked. - not really, this sentence works pretty well, unless ur talking about discreprencies with the trans-->

For a spirit to be manifested in beast form is proof that it is a high ranking spirit. Scarlet might just be an affectionate name, perhaps it was not the true name of the spirit. Without a doubt, it was a high ranking spirit that carries a true name. <!-- anyway, I am guessing only high rank spirits have names. page 44 -->
 
Claire wielded her whip, the hell cat growled with a frightful roar and then rushed towards the sword spirit. Dancing sparks scattered and the atmosphere trembled at the roar of the beast. The floating spirit sword spun towards the Hell Cat, cutting the trees in its way.

"Scarlet, go get it!"

In response to Claire's shout, the Hell Cat leaped. High above the floating sword it jumped and its sharp blazing claws swung down at the sword. With a high pitched shrill sound, intense sparks scattered from the contact and the spirit sword dropped to the ground.

Claire ran at the same time. It was not a fatal hit. The spirit sword rose and flew back into the air in a split second, rolling over itself while drawing an arc in the air.

The flame spirit chased after it, trying not to let it escape. Roaring loudly, it made a great leap again.

Violent sparks scattered once again. Claire struck hard at the ground with her leather whip, slowly pressing forward against the sword spirit. It looked like the leather whip was not meant for battle, rather for signaling instructions to the spirit.

At the fierce attacks of Scarlet, the spirit sword's movement stopped—At that instant,

"Eat this—''Searing Fireball''!"

Claire released a huge fire ball from her palm.

Fireball is a high level fire spirit magic spell that uses ultra-hot flames and can terribly burn up the object of its ire, leaving it completely traceless and unrecognizable. The spell's power is determined by the elementalist's own divine energy and the contracted spirit's strength in combination.

The released fireball drew an arch in the air, then exploded in a blast that even Scarlet was caught in. The shockwave of the explosion knocked down the trees in the immediate surroundings and fallen tree trunks radiated from the explosion center.

''What terrible power...'' Kamito thought. As he shielded himself from the flying stones that were blown into the air by the spell, Kamito marveled at the power exhibited by Claire.

Such power was not one that would normally be in the hands of one so young.

Inside the swirling fire, the Hell Cat's figure reared. Naturally, the Hell Cat cannot possibly be harmed by a blazing fire because of its base nature.

The spirit sword hovered motionlessly in the air. It seemed that it had not received any damage either. Naturally, Claire didn't think that she would bring down a high ranking spirit with just spirit magic, but she should be able to get its attention.

"Scarlet!" Claire exclaimed.

The flame spirit's claws attacked the spirit sword again. Its scourging hot claws could melt normal steel. If its opponent were an average spirit, it would be instantly eradicated. However, the spirit sword quickly moved to intercept the claws and the attack was stopped by the steel edge of the blade.

In an instant, the strange sound of metal-on-metal scratching reverberated in the trembling atmosphere.

"Wh...What?...." Kamito suppressed both his ears with his hands.

Receiving the full impact of the sound, Claire's face distorted from pain and she crouched down.

The spirit sword had released a weird sound and then transformed. Its shape changed from an average long sword to that of a huge bastard sword in a flash.

"What!?"

Claire's flame spirit took an unexpected strike, it couldn't avoid the big swing of the large sword. The Hell Cat's body was severed into two and it vanished into the void together with its flames.

With only one hit, Scarlett had lost the strength to manifest in this world.

''...Damn! Isn't this thing in a completely different league? It seems that it has finally completely awakened.'' Kamito cursed, then glanced at Claire—

Claire had collapsed on the ground, and her stunned blank eyes were fixed upward at the void where the flame spirit had disappeared.

Having finished off the flame spirit in one swing, the spirit sword aimed its next attack at Claire.

The huge bastard sword flew at the crouching girl—

"Claire!" Kamito shouted, and started to run. Without reason, his own body just moved before he knew it.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Diving in front of Claire, he thrust his palm toward the bastard sword. Not his left hand enclosed by the leather glove – it was his right hand.

''...No choice but to do this!''

"''Oh Noble Spirit Sealed in Thy Ancient Holy Sword!''"

"''Thou Shall Accept Me as Thy Master and I Shall Be Thy Sheath!''"

Sweat rushed down from his forehead as he started to recite the incantation for spirit contracts, one which he had sworn to never utter again. The spinning tip of the sword pierced the skin of his palm. Red blood gushed intensely from it.

''...Gwaah, Gah!''

Crushing amounts of divine energy swirled around him, the gravel and dirt surrounding them whirled up from the strength of the wind. He almost lost consciousness from the sharp pain, but he knew that if he fainted, Claire, who was behind him, would surely be cut in half.

"''Thrice I Command Thee!''"

"...No way, a spirit contract!?" A surprised sound came from Claire's throat.

Kamito's heels sank into the ground. The sound of his breaking bones resounded underneath his scalp.

"''Exchange Vows With Me!''"

Withstanding the terrible sharp pain, Kamito finished the last words of the contract ritual.

Instantly, the body of the spirit sword radiated with a pale blue light.

''What!?''

Intense flashes of light and thunderous sounds crashed into his brain.