Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume1 Chapter8 (section)

===Part 4===

Kamito stood still at that place with a frozen expression.

"Don't tell me, tha..t's..."

What was there was—

A girl, who was the very light to Kamito.

She gave the boy, who had closed his heart into a cold cage, a warm light—

"...Res...tia?"

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Kamito muttered in a blurry voice.

"—It has been quite a long time, Kamito."

The girl, wearing a darkness-color dress, impishly smiled.

...It was unbelievable.

However, that appearance was the same as it was from that time, three years ago.

That beautiful face, without doubt, belonged to the girl, who Kamito knew.

The darkness spirit, Restia.

The contracted spirit of the strongest blade dancer—Ren Ashbell.

"Restia, I—"

Kamito reached out his hand and he planned to approach the girl.

However, his legs, as if they were sewed on to that place, could not move.

Despite that, the girl who he was continuously searching for the last three years, was right in front of him—

—Something was strange. His elementalist intuition was telling him that.

She was smiling like that.

Moveover, in the girl's hand, what was that ominous black lump?

"I wanted to meet you, Kamito. However—"

The girl faced that black lump at the altar in the center and threw it there.

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"...?"

"Let's leave the hug to the next opportunity. Look, as that child wakes up."

When the black lump turned into a fog in midair, it surrounded the holy stone pillar at the altar.

The stone pillar that was brought in from the imperial capital and in which was the sealed militarized spirit.

"Restia... What in the world are—?"

Kamito muttered and at that time.

Suddenly, the ground violently shook.

"What...!?"

"Ah, looks like it has already woken up."

"Restia...?"

"Kamito, be careful! She is the one who gave me that frenzy spirit!"

Claire shouted to the absentminded boy.

"Wh...at...!?"

At that moment, a ground-shaking roar resounded.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Pishii*— the stone pillar enveloped in the black fog cracked.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Zu...zuzu...zuzuzuzu...!*

From the tear in the stone pillar, a giant human hand appeared.

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That was—

(Glasya-Labolas is—going into a frenzy!?)

Taken aback, he turned around. Restia was giggling.

That somewhat devilish smile was something Kamito had never seen.

"—Good bye, Kamito. Let's meet again."

"Restia... What is going on!? What are you—"

"Because that is your wish."

"...!?"

Kamito's face froze.

"Wait—Please wait, Restia!"

"I had waited, it has already been three years."

"Resti..."

Restia smiled once again and disappeared into the empty space that became a black fog.

Kamito dropped both his hands like he was exhausted and stood still and dumbfounded.

—He did not understand what had happened.

(Restia gave Claire that frenzy spirit...?)

He could not believe it. No, he did not want to believe it.

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However, the girl's appearance belonged to the darkness spirit that he had certainly been continuously searching for.

His former contracted spirit.

The girl showed Kamito, who lost his human heart, his first warm light.

If that girl changed, that—

(It's my fault... I had changed her into something different.)

The Blade Dance three years ago.

Kamito, who came out victorious as Ren Ashbell,—

Attempted to have a Wish that humans can never wish for to be granted.

For that reason, he decided to lose her.

He believed that she would be alive somewhere.

The aching of the spirit seal engraved on his left hand whispered.

—She would be alive again. He could still make up for his crimes.

By no means, it became that they met up again in such a manner—it was something he never thought of.

"Restia... Is this my punishment?"

If that was the case, it was too cruel.

Like his whole body's strength was drawn out and he was going to collapse, his knees hit the ground.

He was plunged into darkness. <!--He lost all hope.-->

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"Kamito!? Hey, are you listening, Kamito!"

Even Claire's voice calling for Kamito was only absentmindedly heard.

Once again, the ground violently shook.

Passing through the Gate opened in the empty space, Glasya-Labolas was attempting to emerge.

The wall of the arena collapsed due to the tremor and a large amount of rubble poured down over Kamito's head.

Just before his body was going to be crushed—that moment.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Pashii*— Kamito's head was twined around by a whip.

"...Guoo!"

Kamito was violently dragged along the ground and he made an anguished voice.

Immediately after, a large amount of rubble fell at the place where Kamito had been at.

There was a thunderous sound. Clouds of dust fluttered up in the air.

...If he was crushed, he would have, without a doubt, died.

"Idiot! Wh...What are you doing!"

Over his head, Claire took up a daunting pose and shouted.

"Hey, do you want to die? Or do you want to turn to cinders?"

"No, not those two choices—Guoo!"

"Hmm, if you can retort, you are alright, aren't you!"

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Claire constricted Kamito's head with her whip and with a jerk, drew her face closer.

"..."

It was at a point-blank distance as if the tips of their noses were touching.

Her ruby-colored pupils, filled with a strong will, were before his eyes.

Nevertheless in such a moment, Kamito was reflexively startled.

"...Come on, what? What is it?"

Seemingly noticing that her face was too close, Claire's cheeks turned red and she slightly loosened her whip.

"It...It's not like I'm particularly interested but... for once, listen up."

"Wh...What..."

"That girl just now, h...how is she related to you?"

"She—"

Kamito averted his eyes from Claire's clear eyes<!--カミトは、透き通ったクレアから瞳から目を逸らした。-->

"Was my contracted spirit."

"Spirit?"

Kamito silently nodded and clenched his left hand.

"...It's my fault. It's my fault that she—"

Thoughts of her made Kamito sink into the dark abyss once again,—

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"So what!"

Claire's voice, which was cold, drew him back.

"Eh?"

"I am saying so what!"

Claire was standing straight up, with both hands on her waist and her twintail hair over her shoulder.

Until a while ago, she was extremely depressed. <!-- funny word used? maybe "her depressed state was still quite extreme? -->

Now, there was above all else her noble, beautiful crimson flame.

"No, it is because I..."

Kamito was taken aback and became dumbfounded—

"Didn't you promise me just now that 'I'll be your contracted spirit'?! Please hold on to the responsibility of your own words!"

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Pishipashi!* Claire struck Kamito's back with her whip.

"Ouch! Wh...What are you doing! Whipping a dead person!"

Without thought, Kamito stood up and shouted.

Claire suddenly smiled.

"A dead person? Then how about dying once? Look, look at that."

"Aah?"

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Kamito turned his face—

From the Gate in the empty space, bluish-white light emitted and Glasya-Labolas came crawling out.

The battle-class militarized spirit, whose seal was undone; its over-all length was more than ten-odd meters.

Glasya-Labolas roared. With just that roar, half of the audience seats were blown away.

It seemed that the audience had already escaped, but there should still be many citizens outside the arena.

From the giant empty hole in the wall, the state of the plaza could be observed.

Everyone was screaming and jostling, while running away. In response to the sudden appearance of Glasya-Labolas, the plaza and the main street were filled with chaos and agonizing cries.

Placing its hand on the crumbled arena wall, Glasya-Labolas slowly walked out.

With his every step, the ground shook as if an earthquake occurred.

How things would  turn out, if such a thing got into the town was quite obvious.

"Waiting for help from the academy would be pointless. They will arrive too late. Just the two of us will have to do this."

"...Ah, that's right."

However—Kamito still had not recovered from the shock.

Even Terminus Est, which he was tightly grasping, was losing that cool and clear radiance.

An elemental waffe would demonstrate its true value according to the elementalist's divine power.

With Kamito's current condition, he was unable to even maintain the sword's strength.

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For example, even if he fought, it was certain that it would be instantly broken.

"..."

Claire stared at Kamito in such a state with a rigid expression.

"It seems like you're still half asleep. If that's the case, I'll wake you up."

After that, for some reason, her face turned red and she quickly looked away.

And, in the next moment.

"...!?"

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Suddenly, his lips were closed.

It was hot. It was a tender sensation that was gently getting wet.

His nose was tickled by the faint scent of her hair.

"Hn..."

Several seconds later, their lips slowly separated.

"Are you awake?"

"...A...Ah."

Kamito nodded like he was befuddled.

"Th...This is something... only once."

Biting her lips, Claire turned bright red and looked downwards.

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The numbing kiss had blown away all the anguish from Kamito's mind.

"...Shock therapy? However, this is a little too effective."

"Hm...hmm, that's fine! —Well then, let's go, Kamito!"

While her face was bright red, Claire spun the spirit language summoning.

"''—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!''"

Immediately, a blazing flame whip was born in Claire's hand.

It was not the black flame, invaded by the frenzy spirit.

That was the flame of the noble Claire Rouge—Scarlet's elemental waffe.

"Thank you, Scarlet. Lend me your power for just a bit longer."

Responding to Claire's feelings, the flame whip thunderously growled.

"I won't make Scarlet, who is weakened, do something unreasonable. I'll go around it to support, so you strike that giant human spirit."

"Ah, I got it!"

Kamito firmly nodded and tightly grasped Terminus Est.

(—That's right.) It is alright to not think about Restia now.

(Now, just—)

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(To protect this tomboy princess because that's what I promised!)

Taking a stance with the sword, Kamito kicked the ground and jumped.

"I'll show you, Claire Rouge"

The Strongest Blade Dancer—Ren Ashbell's blade dance!

Glasya-Labolas smashed the stone wall and stepped his foot out to the plaza outside the arena.

Kamito took a roundabout path to its behind and with a one-step jump, he pierced its ankle with the sword.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Vuoooooon!*

Glasya-Labolas let out a destructive roar. While the shock seemed to be blowing him away, Kamito clung onto the sword that pierced it.

(...What power! As expected of a militarized spirit!)

The eyes of the giant, that were burning in anger, caught sight of Kamito's figure at its feet.

It roared again and swung down its boulder-like fist.

Kamito pulled out the sword and jumped back, then using the giant's arm as a stepping stone, he jumped again.

In order to crush Kamito, who appeared on top of his head, Glasya-Labolas reached out with its hand—

At that moment, when it seemed like it caught his ankle.

"Kamito!"

Claire swung her flame whip and bound that arm. As Scarlet was exhausted, cutting up the spirit could not be done. However, roughly sealing its movement was possible.

There was the thunderous sound of the wind blowing violently. Glasya-Labolas shifted its anger to Kamito on its head. In the state of passing by, Kamito brandished the sword. He cut the black crystal-like eyeball.

At that moment, from the eyeball that cracked, something like a black fog was blown out.

(That's the frenzy spirit...!?)

The black fog coiled about the sword. Just at that moment, the tip of its edge was corroding to black.

Kamito was taken aback. —The frenzy spirit was a spirit that granted crazy attribute to spirits.

(Est is being encroached—!)

Kamito twisted his body and swung and cleared away the black fog.

He broke his stance in the air and was about to strike the ground as he was.

Then, Glasya-Labolas' fist swung downwards.

Kamito took a stance with the sword in front of him—but he did not make it!

"...!"

Glasya-Labolas' fist was—precisely stopped above his head.

Its arm, which was about to swing down at any time, was twisted with a burning flame whip.

"Kamito! Now's the chance, quickly do it!"

"Ah—"

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Kamito laughed fearlessly, stood up and concentrated his consciousness on the sword.

The elemental waffe of the sword spirit, Est, increased in radiance as it responded to Kamito's feelings

He kicked the ground and jumped. Kamito's sword once again danced in the midair.

And then—

"Oooooooooooo!"

The shining flashing sword cut Glasya-Labolas' body right in half.