Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume20 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 3===

After experiencing a dazzling sense of floating...

Kamito slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself standing on solid floor.

It was the familiar deck of the flying ship, the ''Revenant''.

Cannon fire kept thundering, shaking eardrums.

He looked around him and noticed that Claire and the others, who had jumped into the shadow before him, were fallen on the floor.

They probably jumped too hastily and failed their landing.

"Hmm, it really was in the nick of time&mdash;"

"Greyworth..."

Kamito looked back to see Greyworth standing, arm crossed, dressed in a suit.

"&mdash;Looks like the Queens are safe. I am glad we made it in time."

Saying that, she turned her gaze towards the four Queens sitting collapsed on the floor.

"Dame Greyworth, I never expected to meet you here&mdash;"

Faced with the legendary Dusk Witch, Reicha and the rest all acted with reverence.

"Explain to me, old lady. Why is the ''Revenant'' here?"

"Because we received a report that you had gone to Astral Zero. Never did I expect you would try to invade the Holy Capital&mdash;"

"...I see. Anyway, looks like we lucked out. Thanks."

Hearing Kamito's thanks, Greyworth went hmph and looked away.

"This ship's exterior is different from the ''Revenant'' before."

Standing up, Claire raised a question.

Indeed, Kamito remembered the ship was not equipped with such powerful weaponry.

"Yes, the ship is currently merged with Velsaria Eva's Fortress."

In response, Greyworth answered nonchalantly.

"You can do that!?"

"It's military technology first developed during the Ranbal War. Vivian Melosa apparently stole Murder's research results from after the war."

"So this ship's weaponry is essentially my esteemed sister's elemental waffe?"

Ellis looked astonished.

"Rather than weaponry, it would be better to say that the entire ship is under Velsaria Eva's control. She has connected to the drive reactor's spirit crystal, thereby controlling the ''Revenant''."

"...I see."

Just then&mdash;

"Onii-sama<nowiki>~~~~~~</nowiki>!"

An adorable voice was heard as a tiny girl ran up to the deck.

It was Kamito's adopted little sister, Muir Alenstarl.

Without slowing down at all, she threw herself headlong into Kamito's bosom, rubbing her face against him.

"Sheesh, Onii-sama, how dare you leave Muir behind and run off!"

"Sorry for making you worry, Muir."

Kamito smiled wryly and stroked his adopted sister's ash-gray hair.

"Hwa, Onii-sama..."

Leaning against Kamito's bosom, Muir kept rubbing her head against him. Next...

"Hmph... Onii-sama, you have other women's smell on you."

"...!?"

With eyes glaring straight at him, Kamito frantically averted eye contact.

Just at that very moment...

"Oh no, look at Mr. Whale!"

Rinslet pointed into the sky and wailed.

Dozens of Sacred Spirit Knights had surrounded the white whale, which crashed slowly in the forest of Astral Zero with a scattering of dots of light.

Despite the giant pectoral fin struggling to rise, it looked like the spirit no longer had the strength to take to the sky.

"Is there any way to help Mr. Whale?"

"Worry not. The Dire Whale is an ancient and powerful spirit. Although it may lose strength and become unable to manifest for a short period of time, it will not be erased permanently."

Seeing Rinslet about to cry, Iseria comforted her.

"Lad, who is this shorty?"

Greyworth raised an eyebrow, asking in surprise.

"S-Shorty!?"

"Um, that child is the avatar of the great Water Elemental Lord, you know?"

"...W-What did you say?"

Even Greyworth was taken aback with surprise, widening her eyes.

"Given the emergency situation, I shall overlook this insolence for now."

"&mdash;Look, the enemy is coming."

Saying that, Claire pointed up.

Perhaps noticing that Kamito and his group had moved, the Sacred Spirit Knights were now targeting them again.

"Then I shall handle this!"

Suddenly, a giant shadow descended from above with a voice.

"Leonora!"

Kamito looked up, only to see Leonora emerge from the clouds, riding a flying dragon.

The wind blew up her skirt, offering an unrestricted view of her bare bottom.

"...!?"

Kamito hastily turned his gaze away.

Leonora looked down at Kamito from above and smiled.

"Kamito, your power seems to have increased again."

...Impressive as ever. She saw through right away.

"I really want to fight you."

"Any time you want, after we survive this."

"Yes, I know."

Leonora replied happily and vanished among the clouds again.

"Leave the vanguard to Leonora. We will break through from the front and enter the Holy Capital."

"Yeah, understood."

"Could the princess and the Queens construct a barrier, please?"

"Very well."

Hearing Greyworth's instruction, Fianna and Reicha nodded.

"Ellis and I will break through from the front.

"I will cover you. I will not let a single enemy through."

"Muir will go too."

"No, you're the trump card for taking care of the big ones."

"Eh&mdash;"

Pulled back by Greyworth, Muir pouted unhappily.

"Ellis, can your Simorgh carry three people?"

"It is possible, but carrying three people will affect flying speed."

"I see, I was thinking I could join too&mdash;"

Claire shrugged with disappointment.

Claire's Flametongue was an elemental waffe for mid-range combat and thus unsuitable for providing support from the back. Unlike Rinslet's ice arrows, her specialty of flame spirit magic was an area-of-effect attack and difficult to target friend and foe separately, and thus unsuitable for chaotic skirmishes.
[[image:STnBD V20 BW05.jpg|thumb]]

Even though she had a spirit crystal for levitation, aerial combat would be too much of a stretch.

"Master."

&mdash;Just then, a flaming silhouette emerged behind Claire.

"Scarlet... Ortlinde!?"

Claire cried out in surprise and turned her head back.

Standing behind her was the spirit weapon in the form of a young girl, with flames all over her body.

This was the hell cat's true identity, Ortlinde the Scarlet Valkyrie.

"S-Scarlet, what's going on? I clearly didn't release your true name...!"

"Through the ritual earlier, your divine power has taken a massive leap in power, Master. Thus, I am able to take this form on my own."

Ortlinde straightened her flaming tail and spoke.

"...I-I see."

Claire looked down at her own hand. Originally, releasing Scarlet's true name required spending a huge amount of divine power even for an elementalist of Claire's caliber&mdash;

(...Did I release her true name subconsciously?)

Evidently, the effects of that ancient ritual of Darkness Kagura really lived up to its reputation.

Or perhaps, the power Kamito inherited from the Darkness Elemental Lord was way too strong?

"At your current level of power, Master, you should be able to use the elemental waffe's second release."

"Second release!?"

"Could it be that it will allow her to fly?"

"&mdash;Yes, I will turn into the elemental waffe pictured in Master's thoughts."

Elemental waffen were weapons materialized from the soul form of elementalists. Although they were not identical to what one imagined, they did not differ too far either.

"G-Got it. Let me try."

Claire took a breath and faced Ortlinde with a nervous look.

It was like looking at a mirror. Two girls with crimson long hair brought their hands gently together.

&mdash;O guardian of crimson flames, watchman of the sleepless furnace!

&mdash;Turn into my ideal form according to the contract of blood!

Instantly, Ortlinde turned into fire and covered Claire's entire body.

"C-Claire!?"

Rinslet could not help but worry.

The flames surrounding Claire roared&mdash;

"...!?"

Everyone present was astonished.

Claire emerged, clad in shining crimson armor.

Like an avatar of flame, that appearance like a valkyrie's&mdash;

"Elemental waffe, second release&mdash;Einherjar!"

Flames spewed out from the back of the armor like a pair of outspread wings.

"You have obtained the power of flight, Master."

"Amazing, Scarlet!"

"No, it is your talent, Master, for bringing out my power as a spirit weapon."

Claire gently kicked against the floor and her body began to float up.

"Will you be able to get used to it?"

"I'll get used to it through actual combat."

Hearing Kamito's question, Claire nodded.

"I cannot lose either&mdash;Simorgh!"

Ellis summoned her demon wind spirit too.

Kweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

With the gathering of particles of light, a gigantic sacred bird took form.

"...! Looks even more impressive than usual!"

"The feathers are giving off iridescent light!"

"There is a crown on his head."

Claire, Rinslet and Fianna widened their eyes in amazement.

The summoned Simorgh glowed with the light of divine power, displaying an appearance worthy of a sacred bird's.

Normally the terrifying face of a bird of prey, his face now looked stern and dignified, perhaps a matter of psychological effect?

"Simorgh, so this is your original form&mdash;"

Ellis stroked his bright feathers. Simorgh cooed in joy.

"Onii-sama, how did everyone become stronger?"

Muir looked suspiciously at Kamito.

"...! U-Umm...!"

Hearing that, Kamito instantly panicked. The girls also avoided eye contact.

"&mdash;Rinslet, allow me to lend you some power too."

Just then, Iseria Seaward clasped Rinslet's hand.

"Iseria-sama?"

"Stay still, it will be over soon."

Iseria closed her eyes and gently kissed the back of Rinslet's left hand.

"I-Iseria-sama, isn't this a spirit contract!?"

Rinslet widened her eyes in shock.

In response, the Water Elemental Lord smiled&mdash;

In the next instant, she vanished into particles of light.

"...E-Excuse me, Iseria-sama?"

'I am here, Rinslet.'

"...!?"

Instantly, the ice rose seal on Rinslet's left hand glowed with blue light.

'I might as well stay here since I will be nothing more than a burden on the deck. In this state, Fenrir's power ought to be amplified greatly too.'

"An Elemental Lord personally came to this seal, this is too great an honor..."

Hearing Iseria's explanation, Rinslet seemed a bit troubled.

"There is no time. Let us set off for the Elemental Lord's shrine!"

"Yes, you are right&mdash;"

The Sacred Spirit Knights had entered formation and kept approaching from the front.

Kamito gathered divine power in the spirit seals of his left and right hands.

The ultimate sword spirit and darkness spirit. The two seals glowed.

"&mdash;This is the final battle."