Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume9 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 3===

Her consciousness in a haze as if enshrouded by a thin layer of mist--

"...mi,to... Kami... to..."

Ellis repeated Kamito's name.

Perhaps because the poison secreted by the thorns of the demon tree spirit was spreading, she could not even lift a finger.

No, even without the paralysis, it was impossible to escape the vines entangling her entire body. Restraining her four limbs, the vines ripped apart her tights, burrowing sharp thorns into her supple flesh.

"...Ah, hah, ooh..."

Ellis felt like her body was burning.

The sense of debilitating sweetness caused Ellis to produce painful sighs.

"Guh... To think you would, use poison... Yah..."

"Assassins are unconcerned with the means employed. I have no reason to accommodate your sense of chivalry."

The orphan from the Instructional School, Lily Flame, looked down at Ellis with merciless eyes.

"The demon tree spirit Titania was sealed in a sacred tree at the Elfim village. It is able to refine several hundred types of poisons, including fatal poisons, paralytic poisons, hallucinogenic poisons and aphrodisiacs. However, fatal poisons cannot be used due to the disqualification rule--"

"Guh..."

The squirming vines dove beneath Ellis' uniform and began to search her bosom.

"Ooh, yah, ah...!"

They were trying to find the magic stone hidden in her uniform.

Once the magic stone was taken away, the owner's body would be forcibly teleported to Ragna Ys and retired from the Blade Dance unless the stone was retrieved within thirty seconds.

Pop. Pop pop.

As the buttons of the uniform popped off, the massive bosom clad in black underwear was exposed.

"...Oooh..."

Ellis bit her lip hard in humiliation.

From her inside pocket, the magic stone rolled out.

"...With this, one member is eliminated from Team Scarlet."

Bending over, Lily tried to pick up the magic stone.

"...No... Don't...!"

Ellis struggled and desperately reached out despite the vines entangling her arm.

Even though it made numerous scratch wounds on her arm, she still mustered all her strength.

"Guh... Ah...!"

"How unsightly, Ellis Fahrengart."

Lily swept Ellis' arm aside derisively.

"Ultimately, you people, who simply train as though you were playing in a sandbox, can't possibly defeat assassins who grew up in true hell."

"...What, did you say..."

Hearing that assertion--

Ellis gritted her teeth hard.

The faces of her comrades back at the Academy surfaced in her mind one after another.

--Rakka, Reishia, comrades of the Sylphid Knights.

The foster elder sister Velsaria who prayed for Ellis' victory.

Last but not least, her four teammates who were fighting in the same match.

Lily's current assertion was equivalent to insulting all of Ellis' comrades back at the Academy.

"Take those words... Back--"

"...?"

"To call it playing in a sandbox -- Take those words back!"

Gathering divine power in both hands -- Ellis released it all in one go.

As sharply slicing winds began to blow, all the vines tying her up were severed.

"--The paralytic poison's not working!? No--"

Lily Flame displayed alarm on her face.

Ellis swiftly reached out to the magic stone and grabbed it.

...The poison was actually working. Ellis' consciousness remained hazy and could barely remain standing.

Even so -- as one of the Sylphid Knights, there were things she must defend at all costs.

"...For my comrades who entrusted dreams of victory to me--"

She released Ray Hawk in her right hand, a storm gathering at its front tip.

"I cannot be defeated in a place like this!"

"Tsk!"

Ellis swung Ray Hawk with all her might.

Faced with the onslaught of the swirling blades of wind--

Lily took a leap, evading the wind blades as she threw knives.

Two knives struck Ellis in the legs.

"Guh... Ah..."

Swallowing the scream she was about to emit, Ellis glared at the enemy before her.

Fortunately, the spreading paralytic poison reduced the intensity of the pain.

"--If you stop resisting, you will be free of suffering soon."

Lily grumbled calmly as she snapped her fingers.

The severed vines of the demon tree spirit instantly regenerated.

"...Darn, to think it would have such regenerative powers...!"

For Ellis' elemental waffe which was geared towards slashing attacks, the demon tree spirit was a poor matchup.

If it were Claire's flame spirit or Rinslet's demon ice spirit instead, the fight would perhaps be more in their favor--

Ellis' entire field of view was hazy. In a poisoned state, she could not fully refine her divine power.

However--

(I cannot let my comrades back at the Academy witness an unsightly blade dance--)

Ray Hawk's spear tip once again gathered wind.

A prolonged battle must be avoided. Victory had to be decided in one strike.

"--Slaughter the foolish sacrifice, Titania!"

The countless wriggling vines all rushed towards Ellis.

In that instant.

"Fahrengart style of the spear, secret technique -- Flash Gale!"<!--烈閃槍-->

The violent gale released with all her strength ended up penetrating the ground far from the target.

"A futile struggle--"

A jeering expression appeared on Lily's face.

At the same time, the demon tree spirit's vines reached into the dust cloud to capture Ellis--

"...What!?"

However, in the next instant -- Lily's expression froze.

Behind the dust cloud, Ellis could not be found.

"--Is she above!?"

She suddenly realized -- But too late.

Hidden amongst the dust scattering and flying in the wind, Ellis had flown high up in the air.

(--Since my legs cannot move, I flew using the wind!)

"Success--!"

Riding the wind, she altered her trajectory in midair.

Firming her grasp of Ray Hawk which swelled with a violent gale, Ellis rapidly descended as she took aim at Lily on the ground.

BOOM--!

The instant the spear tip made contact with the ground, a storm erupted.

"...!"

In the very last second, Lily tried to evade.

However, her petite body was blown away, crashing hard into a wall.

Landing on the ground, Ellis accelerated once more, charging forth in order to deliver a decisive blow.

But already -- the wind had begun to lose coherence.

"Wha...!"

Losing balance, Ellis suddenly collapsed on the ground.

(...Oooh, my body, feels scorching hot...!)

The circulation of divine power had caused the paralytic poison to spread even faster.

As the wind enveloping her scattered, Ellis could hardly lift a finger.

"...Guh, just a little bit more..."

Ellis clawed at the sand on the floor surface, trying desperately to muster her final strength--

"...Too careless of me. I underestimated you."

However, the first to stand up was Lily Flame.

Although she suffered injuries from the attack just now, she was more than well enough to continue battling.

"However, further struggles are futile--"

"--Not necessarily."

Suddenly.

In her hazy state of consciousness, Ellis heard a familiar voice.

"...What!?"

Lily Flame turned back to stare at the great staircase in the ruins.

(You, really...)

Seeing his figure in her gradually blurring vision, Ellis suddenly smiled.

(--Indeed, I was waiting for this voice.)

Ellis believed firmly he would surely come.

Hence she was able to persevere and continue fighting.

"...Ka...mito...!"

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Ellis."

Kamito jumped down from the great stairway and landed next to Ellis.

"...How... did you get here?"

"Ellis, your voice was carried by the wind."

"I... see--"

Kamito pressed a healing spirit crystal into Ellis' hand and stood up lightly. Then he turned towards Lily who had taken a combat stance.

"The fifth member of Team Inferno turns out to be you."

"Kamito..."

The Elfim girl groaned in her throat.

...Apparently, these two seemed to know each other.

But since they both came from the Instructional School, that possibility had crossed Ellis' mind--

"I'm so glad, you and Muir are okay... Oh well, though reuniting in this manner was not what I hoped for."

Just as Kamito sighed.

"...Guh, go forth and slaughter, Titania!"

Responding to Lily's voice, the demon tree spirit's vines attacked Kamito.

"--Kamito!"

Ellis cried out. --However, such worry was unnecessary.

Pulling out the Demon Slayer, Kamito instantly severed all the vines.

"Stop it. You can't defeat me... I'm sure you know that quite well, right?"

"But..."

Lily bit her lip in chagrin.

"I-I'll retreat for now!"

She swiftly jumped towards the demon tree spirit that sprouted out of the ground.

Leaping inside the massive red flower, the petals instantly closed up and disappeared into the ground.

Within the blink of an eye, the demon tree spirit had swallowed Lily and disappeared without trace.

"...That kind of trick again. That girl sure loves fancy tricks just like the way she's always been."

Kamito could not help but exclaim.

"Ellis, are you okay?"

"Ah, hmm... Because you are here, ah..."

Still collapsed on the ground, Ellis nodded.

Immediately, her face suddenly became bright red.

"K-Kamito, say..."

"...Hmm?"

Suddenly, Kamito found his gaze being drawn to a certain location.

Those voluptuous breasts, clad in black underwear, fully exposed in view due to the unbuttoned uniform.

"S-Stop looking... Jerk!"

"S-Sorry...!"

Kamito frantically turned his gaze away as he blushed.


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