Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume12 Chapter10 (section)

===Part 1===

"...Gah... Huff&mdash;"

The black blade was dyed with blood.

Kamito watched in shock as this sword stabbed into his own heart's location.

"Luri...e... Why...?"

"Sorry, Kamito-kun."

She smiled with a troubled expression.

As though feeling sadness from the bottom of her heart.

Whoosh&mdash;She swiftly pulled out the sword held in her hand.

"Ughh... A-Ahhhhhhh...!"

A great amount of blood gushed out, dyeing Kamito's uniform red all over.

With that, he collapsed on his knees.

(...What? What on earth happened?)

Unable to grasp the situation. Why did she&mdash;

"&mdash;Kamito!"

In the underground hall, Ellis's scream was heard.

She rushed over to Kamito who was collapsed in a pool of blood, pressing a healing spirit crystal against him.

The sacred light of healing enveloped Kamito's entire body&mdash;

"It's useless. Wounds inflicted by this sword cannot be healed by something of that sort."

However, a cold voice came from behind.

Holding the bloodstained sword, she looked down at the two of them indifferently.

"Dame Lurie...!"

Ellis looked back and readied Ray Hawk in a stance to protect Kamito.

Her dark-brown eyes were filled with intense rage.

"Why did you do something like this..!? You, why on earth&mdash;"

"Please put your weapon away, Ellis. I have no interest in killing an unrelated girl."

Lurie spoke coldly while flinging the blood off the jet-black blade.

"Didn't I say already? Obtaining the Demon Slayer is my lord's wish."

"...Est?"

Ellis spoke while glaring at her angrily.

"Est is Kamito's contracted spirit. She can't possibly be taken away&mdash;"

"It's possible. Given Kamito-kun's current condition."

Saying that, Lurie reached out into empty space.

(...Wh...at...?)

Something resembling a crack appeared in a space where nothing existed earlier.

On the other side of the crack, several flashing geometric patterns appeared.

"The Burial Chamber&mdash;As expected, it reacted to the Demon King's life and death crisis."

"Burial... Chamber... Come again?"

In his hazy consciousness, Kamito muttered.

"The treasure vault inherited by the legitimate Demon King. In actual fact, I didn't want to resort to such violent means to begin with, but given your current state, Kamito-kun, there's no way you could open the Burial Chamber through your own will, is there?"

Lurie continued while reaching into the crack in space.

"The Demon Slayer is being kept in the Burial Chamber in its materialized form and currently with its connection to Kamito-kun interrupted. This is a perfect opportunity to intervene."

"...Could it be that those militarized spirits, you are the one!?"

Ellis cried out with an expression of trepidation.

Was it that in order to distract the Imperial Knights and lead Kamito to this place where Est was sealed, a large-scale act of terrorism was perpetrated&mdash;

"Tampering with the princess's magic circle was not difficult. Neither Greyworth nor Virrey ever suspected me, one of the Numbers, of being the traitor."

"...Dame Lurie, as the noblest healer, why did you&mdash;"

"Didn't I say so already? Because my lord wishes to obtain the sacred sword."

She pulled her hand out from the crack in space.

Held in her hand was a sword bound by countless chains.

(That... is...!)

Kamito recognized instinctively.

That sword was the girl he had seen in his dream&mdash;the Demon Slayer.

"&mdash;Thank you for your generosity, Kamito-kun."

Lurie pulled the sword out with her slender arm.

"W-Wait up!"

Seeing that, Ellis yelled loudly and swung Ray Hawk.

This was a completely merciless strike. However&mdash;

Lurie's figure vanished. In the next instant, accompanied by a dull and heavy sound similar to bone being crushed, Ellis was easily sent flying into one of the rock surfaces.

"Ell...is...!"

"You would do well to value your life more. I won't hold back from a killing move next time."

Swinging the Demon Slayer in her left hand in an experienced manner, she taunted.

(What's going on... That power...)

Lying in a pool of blood, Kamito could not help but groan.

As a healer, Lurie Lizaldia should be unversed in swordsmanship.

However, the skill she had just displayed was on the level of a knight's swordsmanship&mdash;in fact, that of a sword master.

Was the impression she had given off until now all an act for the sake of concealing her true power&mdash;

"Farewell, Kamito-kun. Most likely, we shall never meet again&mdash;"

The Numbers woman turned her heels and walked towards the darkness.

The crack in space closed up and the surroundings were plunged into darkness once more.

"Wait... Wait..."

As though trying to grab the gradually distant Demon Slayer, Kamito reached out with a trembling hand.

But it was not enough. He failed to protect again.

(I... have once again&mdash;)

As blood loss continued, his consciousness gradually grew distant.

Just as he was about to lose consciousness, Kamito yelled.

As if pleading to the departing sword one last time to make it stay.

(...Please, Est... Lend to me, lend me enough power to protect!)

&mdash;Just at this moment.

The seal on his extended right hand gave off powerful light.