Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume14 Chapter5 (section)

===Part 7===

"Hurry, the knights' reinforcements are arriving&mdash;"

"Yes, over here!"

While Kamito was playing hide-and-seek with the knights, Claire and company were running along a passage leading to an exit at ground level.

Along the way, they encountered a number of spirit knights, but with excellent coordination from silent understanding, Claire and Ellis defeated them successfully. They were already a match for the knights of Ordesia. Having survived battles against the elites of other nations and obtained victory at the Blade Dance, the two girls had improved their abilities dramatically.

"&mdash;By the way, security on this side seems to be quite weak."

"Yes, my hunch is that Kamito is occupying the majority of their forces."

Ellis nodded and replied while running in the lead.

Since Miss Freya's shadow spirit had vanished, Ellis had to summon a wind spirit to lead the way to the exit. The spirit had not mapped out the facility's entire layout, but simply by following the flow of wind, they should be able to reach the exit at ground level. However, this facility apparently had a number of exits, hence where they were going to end up would be a matter of luck&mdash;

"Darkness spirit, are you okay?"

"Huff, huff... I'm fine, yes..."

Restia tried her best to answer bravely, but the prolonged running seemed to be tough on her.

...Still, it was not like they could stop to rest. As soon as the Knights' reinforcements arrived, there would be no hope left.

"We'll be there soon. Hang in there."

"V-Very well..."

Passing through a passage for transporting cargo, they went up a flight of stairs leading to the ground surface.

&mdash;Ahead of the passage after reaching the top of the stairs, they could see a great door that looked like the exit.

There were two spirit knights in front of the door.

"That must be it&mdash;"

"Yes, it looks like the exit is completely sealed."

Wrapping herself in a gale, Ellis accelerated forward all at once.

"&mdash;Vicious wind, rampage!"

She swept Ray Hawk horizontally, instantly producing a haphazard dance of wind blades.

"...! Defend me&mdash;Rock spirit!"

A knight instantly reacted and summoned her contracted spirit.

A giant of rock appeared out from thin air and blocked the wind blades with its massive body.

"How naive&mdash;"

Claire summoned Flametongue and swung it back and forth endlessly. A raging dance of crimson slashes criss-crossed the passage. In the next instant, the rock giant's body shattered, disappearing into space.

A flame spirit was supposed to fare poorly against a rock spirit, but using skillful maneuvers of the whip, Claire had severed the rock spirit's joints in an instant. Next&mdash;

"O wind, I beseech thee to sweep away mine enemies&mdash;Wind Bombs!"

Ellis released an explosion of wind blades.

This was attack magic meant for releasing a storm over a wide area. Inside the narrow passage, it formed a compressed mass of wind, blowing the two knights ahead of them, smashing them against the door.

"Hah&mdash;!"

Ignoring the collapsed knights, Ellis released wind blades at the door.

However, the door's surface remained unscathed. It was no ordinary door, probably made of mithril, the same material used for the armor of military ships.

"...Tsk, looks like this will take time to break."

"Wait, I'll do it&mdash;"

Claire stepped forward and pressed her palm against the very center of the door.

"...What are you planning to do?"

Ellis looked surprised.

Claire closed her eyes and focused. Then she chanted.

"O true flame carved upon the ancient bloodline, dwell in my hand to devour flames&mdash;"

&mdash;Instantly, a fierce crimson flame appeared on Claire's palm.

"This being the flame that reduces all creation to oblivion&mdash;End of Vermilion!"

The crimson flames exploded, turning the mithril door deep red.

In the next instant, the door was scorched red-hot, melting easily.

"Claire, w-what on earth was that..."

"I guess you could call it a secret move... Guh..."

After replying to the surprised Ellis, Claire instantly fell on her knees.

"A-Are you alright?"

"...Huff, huff... It's too draining, this move..."

"All that is left for us to do is leave the base. Hang in there a bit longer."

Ellis supported Claire by the shoulder and walked out of the facility.

There was no moon outside. A completely dark night. Perfect weather for escaping.

"What good fortune, we will get to the Spirit Forest&mdash;"

"This farce has gone on long enough, Lady Ellis&mdash;"

"...!?"

A flash of light illuminated Claire and company while they were walking in the darkness.

The blinding light was forcing Claire to squint. After a while, she realized it was a military flash grenade created using spirit crystals.

The flash of light subsided. Claire opened her eyes wide again then gasped.

Dozens of guards and spirit knights had already surrounded them.

"...They guessed we would leave from the cargo entrance huh."

"Lady Ellis, please return quietly to the jail. Or else&mdash;"

The captain of the knights, Claudia, drew out a longsword, her elemental waffe.

"You will have to suffer even though you are Duke Fahrengart's granddaughter."

"Guh..."

Glaring at Claudia before her, Ellis bit her lip hard.

"...Looks like a fight cannot be avoided."

Holding Flametongue, Claire counted the numbers around them.

"Eight knights and twenty to thirty guards huh."

"Claire, the odds do not favor us&mdash;"

"...I know. But at least, we can stall for time."

While standing back to back with Ellis, Claire said softly.

"Right, as long as Kamito gets here in time, perhaps..."

"Fools&mdash;"
[[image:STnBD V14 156.jpg|thumb]]

Claudia shook her head and spoke with disdain.

Raising her longsword, she ordered her subordinate knights.

"Catch them, even if it means harming Lady Ellis! I authorize it."

The knights deployed their elemental waffen at once.

"Very well, let us see how long we can endure..."

Ellis wiped sweat from her brow.

"Darkness spirit, stay there quietly and wait&mdash;"

Claire looked back but noticed something alarming.

"...Darkness spirit?"

Claire frowned in astonishment.

Despite such a tense situation, she was looking up into the sky instead.

Her dusk-colored eyes were wide open, her face frozen in a stunned expression.

(...What on earth is she looking at?)

Claire could not help but follow her gaze. Next&mdash;

"...What!?"

Seeing the object currently high in the sky, Claire was rendered speechless.