Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume16 Chapter6 (section)

===Part 4===

At a military facility underground, deep beneath Scorpia, a place known as the "sealed territory"&mdash;

Sjora Kahn and her trusted follower Valmira had spent the last few days here.

On the wall of this tetrahedral space was a gigantic magic circle written using High Ancient.

As the name "sealed territory" implied, this was a place isolated using a sturdy door and countless barriers. A dangerous being requiring such drastic measures was currently sealed beneath.

&mdash;Leviathan, the city spirit.

In compliance with the treaty at the conclusion of the Ranbal War, it was one of the seven ''strategic-class militarized spirits'' sealed and scrapped by various countries. According to official records, during the first battle it was deployed in, this spirit had destroyed an entire city in a small nation within merely seventeen hours.

This space was the magic device for controlling Leviathan. At the same time, this was the historical site of the Demon's Circuit, created by the Demon King a thousand years ago.

Wearing a Demon King cultist mask, Sjora's trusted princes maiden Valmira reported:

"Preparations to connect to Leviathan are complete. Operation in and of itself is fine."

But after a brief pause, she continued.

"What is it?"

"There are control issues. If the seal is lifted as-is, Leviathan will most likely go on a rampage."

"...Hmm, now that would be a problem."

Resting her chin on her hand, Sjora seemed to contemplate.

"How long will adjustments take?"

"Half a month or so, by estimates&mdash;"

"Is that so? Then there is no helping it&mdash;"

Sjora sighed with disappointment then...

"In that case, activate it under imperfect conditions."

"...!?"

Faced with her monarch's nonchalant but terrifying declaration, Valmira was speechless.

"F-Forgive me for being forward, Lady Hierarch, but suppose Leviathan were to be activated in this current state, there will be thousands, no, tens of thousands of casualties in the city of Zohar, the populace will become sacrifices&mdash;"

Normal operation of a strategic-class militarized spirit required a team of well-trained elementalists to conduct a large-scale ritual over multiple days. If control was lost, the militarized spirit would indiscriminately steal divine power from around it before finally collapsing itself.

However&mdash;

"&mdash;So what?"

Curling her crimson lips, Sjora sneered.

"...Sjora... -sama...?"

Valmira's entire body trembled.

Originally, dozens of princess maidens, already prepared to give up their lives, had been arranged as sacrifices&mdash;

However, Sjora was planning to sacrifice all of Zohar.

This was not a normal person's mindset. If something like that was done, the Theocracy itself would collapse even if the rebel army gathered at the Demon's Fist could be eliminated.

"...I implore you... Please reconsider, Sjora-sama!"

Valmira, the princess maiden who had served Sjora since childhood knelt on the ground and pleaded.

However, Sjora Kahn laughed mockingly.

"Whether the people or this country, none of that matters ''to us''&mdash;"

"...!?"

Valmira looked up forcefully and frowned.

The voice coming from Sjora's lips sounded like multiple old men talking at the same time. Very weird.

"Sjora-sama, you... No, who on earth are you&mdash;"

Valmira swiftly leaped backwards and faced off against her monarch.

Her instincts as a princess maiden informed her.

Sjora Kahn had been possessed by something ominous&mdash;

Valmira instantly made a hand sign and prepared to chant exorcism magic.

However&mdash;

"Foolish&mdash;"

"...Ah, guh...!"

Sjora Kahn drew a circle with her finger&mdash;

Instantly, a pattern resembling a coiled snake appeared on the girl's neck.

"...Hu, guh... Guh, o-ooh..."

The pattern gradually took root, constricting Valmira's slender neck tightly.

Groaning in pain, she struggled violently&mdash;

Finally, she tragically breathed her last breath.

"&mdash;You are the first sacrifice. Feel honored."

Sjora Kahn&mdash;or rather, the people possessing her spoke quietly. Despite having just killed the retainer who had followed her since childhood, she was showing a terrifying smile on her face.

&mdash;At that very moment.

"What a poor dear. You used to love her so much, right?"

In this space where no one else was supposed to be present except for Sjora Kahn and Valmira's corpse, a girl's adorable voice was suddenly heard.

What method had been used to invade this "sealed territory"?

Sjora looked back to see ''that'' standing there without anyone noticing.

Vestments of pure white, symbolizing law and order. Glittering golden hair.

The right eye was beautiful and violet. The left eye was covered by an eye patch.

She was none other than Millennia Sanctus, a cardinal of the Holy Kingdom.

"You sure can appear anywhere&mdash;"

"Indeed, the omnipresence of light is precisely my attribute."

Millennia Sanctus chuckled then used her hands to gesture at the deceased Valmira, making the Holy Kingdom's sign to pray for the dead to rest in peace.

"The assassination of the Dragon King apparently failed."

"It has no effect on my lord's plan. ''On the other hand, losing one of me was a painful price to pay''&mdash;"

"Oh, plan?"

Sjora Kahn whispered, quite interested.

"None of your business, Sjora&mdash;no, I suppose I ought to call you Lord Hierarch here?"

"Either is fine. A mere title holds no meaning for us by this juncture."

The witch's crimson eyes glowed faintly.

During the Blade Dance at Ragna Ys, what had possessed Sjora Kahn was&mdash;

A being that could be described as the conglomeration of grudge and obsession from unbroken generations of Demon King cult hierarchs since antiquity. Using unorthodox and secret techniques passed down the cult, they repeatedly reincarnated themselves into the princess maidens of royal blood, engaging in clandestine machinations under the shadows of history.

Their ultimate goal was to obtain the Demon King's power&mdash;

A thousand years ago, they had failed. However, now that someone inheriting the Demon King's power had appeared, these ghosts were now restless to devour that power and claim it as their own.

"So, Lady Millennia, have you obtained the ''coffin'' lying dormant in the Pyramid?"

She spoke in a gloomy voice that sounded like multiple people talking at the same time.

"Lurie is in the process of retrieval. However, it is impossible in the near term."

Millennia shook her head.

"As expected of the Sacred Maiden's seal. Obtaining the Demon Slayer at the Academy would have saved plenty of trouble&mdash;"

"Hasten the retrieval. Once the ''coffin'' is obtained, our objective would be half complete."

"Yes, I know. Do everything you can to plunge the continent into chaos."

"There is no need to remind me of that."

The people possessing Sjora's body spoke with resentment.

The objectives of Millennia Sanctus and the organization of Des Esseintes behind her were still unknown.

Her assistance to the Theocracy did not seem like she was seeking some kind of benefit. It was as though using this opportunity to create chaos on the continent was in itself her goal&mdash;

However, the Holy Kingdom's objectives did not matter to them at all.

So long as their interests were aligned, exploitation was possible&mdash;

Sjora Kahn released a droplet of blood on the magic circle written in High Ancient.

"&mdash;I expect this Leviathan to bring the result you desire."
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