Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume6 Chapter7 (section)

===Part 8===

"Ah, this is so invigorating..."

Beneath the starry sky, Kamito was enjoying a soak in an open air bath alone.

This was not a hot spring but a pool created by piling rocks in a ring and using a fire spirit to boil water for a bath. Since the water in the sanctuary carried fatigue recovery properties, soaking his wounds in the crystal clear water felt especially comfortable.

Under the moonlight, Kamito looked at the spirit seal on his left hand.

Blood was slightly seeping out from the crescent-shaped crest.

...Recently, I seem to keep dreaming about her.

Those were Kamito's memories from before he became the strongest blade dancer.

On that day, Restia was sealed away once again. Because she had taught the boy what he was not supposed to know -- human emotions.

After that, through the ''re-education'' efforts of the elders at the Instructional School, the boy lost his emotions once more -- however, his feeling of longing for her, that alone was never forgotten.

Then four years ago, on the day that the archdemon of flame<!--炎の魔神--> attacked and destroyed the Instructional School, he took the ring where she was sealed and the two of them began their journey.

--Those short but wonderful days.

(Restia...)

As if trying to catch a hold of the night sky which reminded him of her beautiful black hair, Kamito reached out with his hand.

The spirit seal on his left hand was hurting.

(Summoning? Calling for me...)

Very soon, he would have to settle things with her--

That was what his intuition predicted.

Splash -- Suddenly, he heard a light noise in the water behind him.

"...!?"

Frantically turning around, he saw a tiny figure in the shadows of the rocks obscured by the steam.

"...Kamito?"

"Is that Milla?"

"Yes."

He could hear Milla's voice.

"This is the men's bath reserved for me. The women's bath is located over there by the cliff."

"I didn't know."

"Sorry. It's quite easy to mix up... Anyway, I'm getting out so just enjoy yourself here."

Kamito hastily prepared to leave--

"...Wait."

But Milla stopped him.

"I have something to say to you."

"...Here?"

"If it's here, the others won't come."

...I see. Indeed, Claire and the girls were probably not going to come to this men's bath.

(Something she doesn't want the others to hear--)

Kamito immersed himself in the bath again.

On the other side of the light mist, Milla appeared, wrapped in a white towel.

Her body was small and slender. As her moistened dark brown hair clung to her face, there was a sense of charm that did not seem to belong to a thirteen-year-old girl.

As she walked over to the side, Kamito shifted his gaze away as his heart began to race.

"...So, what did you want to tell me?"

"About my ''eye''. I only want you to know."

Milla's amber left eye flashed in the night.

"This is the value of my existence. The reason I was raised as a tool."

"--The Demon Sealing Eye, right?"

"...You already... know?"

Milla exclaimed in surprise.

"No I didn't. But I could guess."

The Demon Sealing Eye. This was a special eye that descendants from lineages of elementalists were born with in rare instances.

A type of extremely rare spirit crystal.

Due to numerous cases of Demon Sealing Eyes with powerful spirits sealed inside of them, the possessors were regarded as dangerous in most situations and persecuted, either that or used as weapons by those in authority -- that was how things were.

In any case, this thirteen-year-old girl was saddled with a cruel and harsh fate.

The reason why Kamito knew about the Demon Sealing Eye which was unknown to most people, was because there was another girl at the Instructional School who also possessed the same type of ''eye''.

That girl had been used as a weapon and perished at an early age.

"When I was young, my parents feared this ''eye'' and sold me to the knights of the Principality of Rossvale, to be trained as a weapon needed to win the Blade Dance festival."

Milla gazed at Kamito expressionlessly.

"In order to control the sealed spirit with stability, anger, sorrow, joy -- all unnecessary emotions were deprived."

"...Crazy fellows. They exist everywhere."

Kamito groaned painfully. Recalling how his own emotions were killed off and the orphans at the Instructional School who were used and expended like tools--

(If I had never met Restia, my fate would have been the same as those guys...)

"...Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I -- deceived Kamito."

Milla uttered this sentence with great suffering.

"...?"

"Sealed within my Eye is the conquering<!--覇軍--> army spirit 'The Crusaders' -- a tactical-class militarized spirit."

"A tactical class militarized spirit?"

Tactical class -- amongst militarized spirits, this was a type of spirit that was particularly difficult to control.

Other than for exceptional cases like Muir Alenstarl -- this was not the type of spirit that ordinary elementalists could control alone.

Controlling that type of spirit required specialized training as a team.

Kamito finally realized.

"I see. The Rupture Division also served as the team for controlling that militarized spirit."

"That's right. They were the team prepared for using the tool that is me. Only with the Rupture Division present can the Demon Sealing Eye be operated."

In other words--

Milla by herself was unable to draw out the spirit's power, basically.

"Possessing a spirit with the holy attribute is true... But I have no way of using that power."

"...So by deception, you mean this."

Allying with Milla who employed a holy spirit in order to facilitate battle against Nepenthes Lore--

This was the benefit she brought up during negotiations for the alliance. However, if that spirit could not be used, then Kamito and his team's strategy had to be altered fundamentally.

"I apologize. I must prevail in this Blade Dance no matter what. Because, being raised as a tool, that is my mission."

Despite the Rupture Division's collapse and nearly losing everything, she still struggled for survival.

Because Milla Bassett's value in living only lay in that.

"That's okay. That's your achievement after all."

Kamito gently placed his hand on Milla's head.

"...Kamito?"

"This alliance is the victory you won with your own hands, Milla. Be proud of yourself."

Gently, he caressed her dark brown hair.

"...Milla, have you heard of the Instructional School?"

Suddenly, Kamito brought up such a topic.

"...Existing somewhere in the Ordesia Empire, a secret organization for raising assassins."

"Yeah. That's where I came from."

"...!?"

Milla's eyes widened with surprise.

"I am the same as you, Milla. Raised as a tool for murder from childhood."

"However, you... Don't look like it."

"Because there was a girl who helped me recover a human's heart."

Kamito gently withdrew his hand from Milla's head.

"..."

Milla hung her head... As if pondering something.

Soon after, she slowly looked up--

"Last night's story."

"Hmm?"

"The continuation of last night's story, I want to hear it."

"Ah sure..."

Kamito recalled and nodded.

It was the fairy tale he had heard from Restia when he was young. In this open air bath where one could hear the sound of the river flowing, Kamito continued the story he told the previous night.

"...Fufu."

Was something really funny? Milla once again was desperately suppressing laughter.

...Oh well, as long as she's happy.

"You really are much cuter when you're smiling."

"W-What are you talking about..."

Kamito's half-joking comment made Milla blush slightly.

"Since you are able to laugh like this, you are no longer just a tool."

Assuredly, lost things had to be taken back.

As long as she had someone beside her the way Restia was to Kamito.

Gazing up at the night sky concealed by darkness, Kamito muttered to himself.

(...Restia, even now, I'm still waiting for you to continue that bedtime story.)

At this very moment -- a sharp pain was felt in his left hand's spirit seal.

Intense pain like scorching fire, it made Kamito's face distorted.

"...Kamito?"

"--That person has arrived."