Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume2 Chapter7 Draft (section)

===Part 3===

After that, the blade dance began.

Sounds of clashing weapons filled the night and every time swords met, sparks flew around bathing the tunnels in their light.

"Jio Inzagi— what on earth is your goal?!"

"Huh, I don't have anything like a goal. Honestly, I don’t care about {{Furigana|the strategic-class militarized spirit|Jormungandr|margin=13}}. I'll defeat you and prove that I'm the successor of the Demon King— That's all."

"What successor of the Demon King? You megalomaniac rascal!"

Kamito, who came close enough to Jin for his sword to reach him, swung his weapon down with both hands. <!--maintaining the continuity chancs-->

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The speed and strength of the attack was tremendous, but Jio managed to bring his elemental waffe up in time to defend himself, however—

"What!?"

With a high-pitched metallic sound— Jio's {{Furigana|Sword Spirit|Gladius|margin=13}} was smashed to pieces.

The thief’s face twisted in surprise.
 
"Hey, hey, what an elemental waffe— To do that to my sword spirit in one blow?"

"Sorry, my Est is the strongest."

Kamito stepped closer.

Jio recited a summoning, and called upon a new sword spirit.

"There's still more to come, it starts after this!"

"It's useless—"

Aiming at the elemental waffe that replaced the broken one, Kamito relentlessly swung down his sword.

There was a sound of steel shattering, and Jio's second weapon also tragically vanished.

In contrast, despite having just destroyed two sword spirits, Terminus Est’s edge wasn’t even chipped. 

It was an elemental waffe that held two names, the «Demon King Killing Sacred Sword» and «Demon Slayer».

But more terrifying was the fact it still didn’t poses its complete power.

Despite everything that happened, Jio still kept his composed expression.

"Hmm, in that case, I will use this next!"

From the spirit seals on his whole body, flashes of lightning surged out and a third sword appeared in his hand.

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(...What the heck, how many spirits does this guy have!?)

Kamito started showing impatience.

Despite all her strength, Est had a major weak point.

She consumed too much divine power.

At this point, Kamito was used to the drain, so he wouldn’t faint like he did the first time, but if the battle dragged on, the boy would quickly exhaust himself.

If he were to assume that Jio Inzagi really was contracted to seventy-two spirits—

(It's bad. If this keeps up—)

This was an opponent unlike that rampaging giant spirit at Academy Town that he could defeat with one blow. 

If this became a prolonged battle, he'd be at a disadvantage.

(... But what if that guy's divine power is inexhaustible!?)

The use of so many spirits should tire him long time ago, but that wasn’t happening.

"Kamito, I'll cover you!"

At that moment, Claire swung Flame Tongue at their enemy.

The burning whip left a red afterglow in its wake before hitting Jio in the face.

"Tch, don't get in my way!"

He summoned a translucent ice ball and threw it at Claire.

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"What, such a thing!"

Claire released a spirit magic fireball to intercept the attack—

However, that was a trap.

"...!?"

The ice ball exploded in front of her and transformed into countless needles that cut up Claire's whole body.

"Kyaa!"

"Claire!"

For a moment the girl’s scream distracted Kamito.

"Don't look away!"

Seizing that chance, Jio quickly drove in for a slash—

Kamito barely managed to intercept the blow with his sword.

However, Jio didn't slow down his attacks. He kept it up, pressing on and coming closer—

"What's wrong, {{Furigana|Strongest Blade Dancer|Ren Ashbell|margin=13}}— Is that all you’ve got?"

As he stopped the sword pushing him back, Kamito grit his teeth.

It seemed that his past wouldn’t let him go—

He made sure to not turn towards Claire and give Jio the chance to use his spirit.

These thee years of inaction were catching up to him.

He had a contracted spirit that couldn't draw out its original power.

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(Ah, I certainly became weaker, but—)

Exhaling with a puff— Kamito suddenly jumped back.

"Freezing ice fang, pierce «Freezing Arrow»!"

He did it just in time, as moments later Rinslet released a barrage of ice arrows that rained down on the spot the two of them were at.

It was a direct hit— Jio's silhouette was swallowed by the raining death and disappeared.

"Hmm, it is troubling that you have forgotten me!"

Placing her hand at her waist, Rinslet quickly brushed aside her platinum-blonde hair.

It seemed that all the while Kamito fought Jio, the girl was waiting for a moment to attack.

From the crumbled rocky area a thick cloud of dust was rising up.

They didn't think he could be fine after being hit.

However.

"Hn, did you do something just now?"

Jio— stood up from within the cloud of dust.

He smirked, and turned to Rinslet.

"No way...it should have been a direct hit!?"

"«Argos» — an earth spirit that protects its elementalist automatically."

The ground all around Jio was littered with cones of rocks.

Her Freezing Arrow was stopped by that.

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"...What a thing..."

"And then, this fellow, uh— can also be used in such a way."

Jio turned his hand.

"Kyaaaa!"

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At that moment, cones of stone flew out from under the ground at Rinslet's feet, and stuck her to a wall.

Her academy uniform was torn to pieces, and her smooth white skin became exposed.

With both her arms spread apart and unable to move Rinslet bit her lips in shame.

"Guu...Th-This is unforgivable... to do this... to me..."

Glaring firmly at Jio, the girl’s body shook in anger.

"—Jio Inzagi!"

Enraged, Kamito attacked his enemy.

The wide slash destroyed the cones standing in its way, as it approached Jio—

But then...

"Guu..."

Terminus Est suddenly started shrinking until it became a short sword.

It happened because Est was unable to maintain her form as an elemental waffe after consuming a huge amount of Kamito’s divine power.

"Ren Ashbell— you're no longer the strongest blade dancer."

Jio sneered.

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"That may be so. After all, I hadn’t trained for three years."

"No, that's not it. The reason you became weak is—"

At that moment, a spear of light appered in Jio's palm.

It wasn't a melee weapon, but a ranged elemental waffe.

Kamito instantly analyzed the situation and was about to dodge, when—

 (—Wrong!)

He realized where Jio aimed.

"Something like this!"

It wasn't Kamito who was targeted.

The spear of light—

Was pointed and thrown at Fianna and the injured female Knights who were behind the boy.

(Damn...!)

Kamito immediately jumped in its way and shielded them with his body.