Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume3 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 4===

Parting with Ellis, Kamito returned to the room—

Claire was wearing a cute apron and was standing in the kitchen just like in the morning.

There was a sweet yet slightly burned smell. He heard the sound of something simmering.

Quietly concealing his footsteps, Kamito approached Claire's back.

"Hn, are you making chocolate again?"

"Fuaa, Ka-Kamito!?"

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Pyon*, her red twintailed hair sprung up.

"Id-Idiot, don't startle me! I'll turn you into cinders!"

Claire's face turned bright red, and *pishi* *pishi* she swung her whip. Kamito avoided it in a fluster.

"...Good grief, where did you go? Your supplementary lecture should have been long over, right?"

"What? Are you already hungry?"

"Th-That's not the problem, you are my slave spirit, so without your master's permission, you can't totter around as you please!"

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"...Am I a dog?"

Kamito breathed a sigh of disappointment.

"I went over to Ellis' place, and it resulted in me being treated to a little meal."

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Pishi*— Claire was petrified.

"...What...was that?"

"Ahh, it seems to be an expression of gratitude for helping her the other day. What a conscientious person."

As expected, he hid the matter about the maid uniform for the sake of Ellis' honor—

"I-I see, you were treated...really?"

Claire's face twitched.

"I also helped and yet... she only invited Kamito."

"Didn't you receive a box of cakes from the Knights? An assorted box of macaroons. If I'm not mistaken, you ate all of it by yourself."

"Th-That was certainly delicious... Eh, that's not the problem, what do you mean by you went over to Ellis' place? D-Don't tell me, you went up to her room?"

"Yeah, Ellis' room is properly tidied up. You should also follow her example—"

"I-I can't believe you...!"

Claire's slender shoulders trembled.

She tightly bit her cherry-colored lips, tears were slightly appearing on her ruby pupils.

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"...Claire?"

"Y-You've been successfully seduced by things like Ellis' breasts and were degraded to being the Knights' dog, right?"

"No, what breasts....? Well, although, I was invited to join the Knights."

"—Huh?"

This time— Claire completely became stiff.

"Wh-What's that...? What do you mean?"

"Hn, currently, the Knights seem to be shorthanded of people. I was asked to assist them."

"O-Of course, you rejected her, right? You rejected her...right?"

Claire tightly grabbed Kamito's arm, and was gazing at him with a serious expression.

As Kamito scratched his head—

"No, I decided to assist them. I also have various obligations to Ellis."

"...!?"

While Claire kept hold of Kamito's arm, she was taken aback and widened her eyes.

The truth was that he had another reason to accept it but—

It was embarrassing to tell Claire that now.

"I apologize for deciding without your permission, but it's not particularly a problem, right?"

"There's no way it isn't, you know that I'm on bad terms with the Knights, right!"

"That's because you cause problems—"

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Then, Kamito noticed.

Claire's fingertips that were grabbing his arm were trembling bit by bit.

"...I see, you're on Ellis' side again."

Claire calmly muttered.

"No, it's not whether I'm on her side or not—"

"...You said so, and yet."

"Eh?"

"Despite that you said— ''<nowiki>'</nowiki>I'll be your contracted spirit<nowiki>'</nowiki>''."

Claire raised her face, and drops of tears overflowed from her pupils.

"Y-You..."

"That's enough, get out—"

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Don*— Claire thrust Kamito away.

"Hey, Claire..."

"Quickly get out! I-I hate people like you, I really hate you!"

A red hot fireball was released from Claire's palm.

"Owa!"

A showy explosion resounded, and a gaping wide hole was opened in the wall behind Kamito.

"He-Hey, wait, why are you that angry?"

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"Shut up, idiot, get out——!"

This time she began reciting a spirit magic of the strongest class, so Kamito got out in a fluster.

If Claire made a serious effort, she'd be quite capable of blowing this very dormitory away.

After running to the outside of the dormitory and taking refuge, Kamito sighed.

"Wh-What on earth was that..."

Why was Claire that angry?...It was incomprehensible.

(...Is she that displeased with me joining the Knights?)

He looked up at the window of the room on the second floor, but— he didn't see Claire there.

Before long, the window's curtains were closed.

(...Ahh, if she's become like this, she won't listen.)

Claire Rouge. She was a girl almost like a blazing flame.

(Well, however, that's the part that suits her best...)

Kamito took a deep sigh once again—

He left behind the Raven Class dormitory with heavy footsteps.