Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume12 Chapter6 (section)

===Part 1===

Meanwhile, in an empty classroom in the secondary block separate from the school building...

Having eaten breakfast, Claire and the others were preparing for the Great Festival of the Spirits.

"Jeez, Kamito is clearly my contracted spirit..."

"The captain is so sly!"

Dressed in their cafe uniforms, Claire and Rinslet were pouting.

They were dressed similar to maids while wearing decorated headbands. The decorations came with cute animal ears and were very popular with the spirits, known for their love of beautiful girls.

As a side note, Claire had cat ears while Rinslet's were those of a fox.

"Aha, you two are jealous."

Carol wiped the table while smiling.

"N-No way!" "Of course not!"

Hearing that, the two girls blushed intensely and frantically denied.

"Putting that aside, who knows if we'll be able to handle the customers properly tomorrow. Due to participating in the Blade Dance, we didn't even have time to practice much. I'm a bit worried."

"Don't offend the visiting nobles and spirits."

"I know that..."

Tomorrow, not only nobles but also many aristocratic spirits from Astral Zero were going to be visiting. Since high-ranking spirits wielded massive influence over the human realm, they definitely could not be treated lightly.

"Oh well, it would be bad to be overly self-aware and cause stiff expressions. I am cute enough as things stand already, so all I need to do next is practice smiling a little&mdash;Ouch."

Suddenly, Rinslet frowned.

"What's the matter?"

"The seal..."

"...!"

The rose seal branded on her left hand was flashing intensely.

"It must be ''that esteemed one''."

"That esteemed one, could it be...!"

Claire instantly became nervous and looked at the surrounding students.

"Uh, Rinslet is feeling a little unwell, I'm going to accompany her to the infirmary to get some rest."

Then, grabbing Rinslet's left hand to hide it, she exited the classroom.

"Claire-sama, just allow me to accompany her instead."

Carol tried to help but Rinslet stopped her.

"I have important matters to discuss with Claire. Stay here, Carol."

"...Understood."

Carol bowed reverently. Useless as a maid usually, it was a great help that she instantly understood Rinslet's intentions during times like these.

Claire and Rinslet walked through the corridor to reach a first-floor classroom that was being used for storage.

"...There's no one listening here."

Confirming no presences around, not even spirits, Claire whispered.

The dim classroom was illuminated by the seal's dazzling light.

"...Fenrir!"

Rinslet called out the name of the demon ice spirit.

Instantly, a large magic circle appeared in midair, summoning the white direwolf.

Fenrir sat down on the dusty floor, supporting itself on its front limbs and opened it giant jaws&mdash;

"&mdash;Excuse the suddenness of this communication, princess maiden Ice Demon."

A calm voice came out.

"Y-Your dog can speak!?"

"A direwolf not a dog, okay!?"

Rinslet corrected rigorously.

"Ahhh, the Elstein princess maiden is present too. Perfect."

The person on the other side spoke using Fenrir.

Claire took a deep and sudden breath&mdash;

"Could it be... Iseria-sama?"

"Yes. Only through this demon ice spirit, I am able to make an appearance."

The wolf's head nodded once.

Claire and Rinslet frantically knelt down on the spot. Even when appearing in the form of an adorable wolf, she was still an Elemental Lord's avatar. The highest level of respect must be expressed.

Still in Fenrir's form, the Elemental Lord coughed lightly.

"My apologies. I originally intended to enter in a dialogue earlier but stabilizing my main body has already consumed all of my strength. Simply opening the Gate took a great deal of effort."

Listening to the elemental lord, Claire and Rinslet looked at each other.

"...Speaking of which, are the Elemental Lords still in a state of insanity?"

Claire asked gingerly.

They had undertaken the Elemental Lord liberation plan during the audience.

Was the darkness spirit girl's sacrifice in vain&mdash;?

"I remember it was mentioned that the Fire Elemental Lord's madness was supposed to subside somewhat."

Rinslet also spoke up.

"Volcanicus has stabilized now. The Demon King's sacred sword did indeed succeed in liberating the Elemental Lord's consciousness from being swallowed by the darkness. Vanishing from the True Sanctuary, it was most likely reborn in an amnesiac state somewhere, presumably in the same manner as I was sealed underground in the abandoned city&mdash;"

"Successfully liberated, I see."

"Yes. But the Otherworldly Darkness's corruption continues. This is temporary respite at best. In the near and foreseeable future, it will most likely exceed the level where I can suppress it on my own."

"No way...!"

"At least, if Alexandros and the liberated Volcanicus return, taking back the initiative should be possible, maybe."

Still in Fenrir's form, the elemental lord shook her head powerlessly.

"...The Holy Lord?"

Claire and Rinslet frowned at the same time.

Back then, Kamito was only supposed to have freed the Fire Elemental Lord.

"...The empty seat."

"Huh?"

"Three years ago, even before I was liberated, the Holy Lord's seat was already empty. As for when the absence started and where the Holy Lord had vanished to, I have no idea at all."

(...Liberated by someone else apart from Kamito?)

Claire tilted her head and wondered in her mind.

&mdash;The Holy Lord's unexplained disappearance.

There was an inexplicable sense of foreboding. As much as it was merely instinct, it was Claire's instinct after all, and Claire's potential as a princess maiden even exceeded her elder sister's. It could not be ignored.

(That said, it's useless no matter how much I tried to ponder this...)

Claire shook her head and asked the first question she should have raised.

"Excuse me, Iseria-sama, do you know anything about the situation of Kamito's darkness spirit?"

"Darkness spirit&mdash;You are referring to Restia Ashdoll, aren't you?"

The elemental lord whispered through the direwolf. As though choosing her words, the wolf cautiously spoke:

"The disappearance of that youth's spirit seal implies what has happened. Originally nothing more than the tool for realizing Darkness Elemental Lord Ren Ashdoll's will, she must have obtained a humanized heart through her interactions with that youth. In exchange for her own life, she saved the world. Rather, whom she saved was the youth, but in doing so, the world was saved as a bonus."

"I... see..."

The elemental lord's message was positive but merciless at the same time.

The darkness spirit was gone from this world. So long as reality was not rewritten&mdash;

Then even if Kamito recovered his memory, he would plunge into despair once more.

(...When the time comes, his mind and soul will surely collapse.)

Perhaps in consideration for Kamito, staying in his amnesiac state might be better&mdash;

Claire wondered.

"The Knights of the Holy Kingdom of Lugia are also searching for the whereabouts of the missing darkness spirit."

"Luminaris?"

During the final round of the Blade Dance, the Sacred Spirit Knights intended to exterminate the darkness spirit for some unknown reason. Their actions were almost as though they regarded the team's victory as irrelevant&mdash;

(...After the Blade Dance ended, they were still looking for the darkness spirit?)

&mdash;What on earth for?

"Ignoring the Divine Ritual Institute's warnings, they persisted in staying on Ragna Ys. Only after repeated warnings did they finally give up on the search and made their return."

"Why do they know that Kamito lost his darkness spirit?"

"The Holy Kingdom of Lugia seems to be suspicious too..."

Claire spoke with her chin resting against her hand. At this moment&mdash;

"Speaking of which, how is the youth's condition now?"

Iseria asked.

"Kamito, uh&mdash;"

Claire explained about Kamito's amnesia due to losing the darkness spirit as well as Est being sealed underground at the Academy at the same time.

Hearing this, Iseria&mdash;

"So this caused him to endure something harsh..."

The wolf's face distorted in suffering and murmured:

"The sacred sword being sealed, in other words, the Burial Chamber has manifested in the human realm."

"Burial chamber?"

Hearing the unfamiliar term, Claire and Rinslet cocked their heads in puzzlement.

"The Demon King's Burial Chamber&mdash;A special dimension conferred to those eligible Demon King candidates. In it are the seventy-two spirits under the Demon King's command and all his possessions."

"...Why would that kind of thing be at the Academy?"

Rinslet asked.

"The Burial Chamber manifests itself at the Demon King's base of operations. In other words, that youth subconsciously regards the Areishia Spirit Academy, where you are present, as his place of shelter that he is supposed to protect."

"...So it's like that."

The corners of Claire's lips relaxed somewhat. But in the next instant, she reacted strongly.

"The headmistress said that an investigation team assembled from the Knights will be arranged soon!"

The seventy-two spirits serving the Demon King. If that were to be discovered, the fact of Kamito being the Demon King's successor would be revealed to the world.

If that came to pass, even the headmistress would no longer be able to protect Kamito.

Things were still fine as a male elementalist.

But being the Demon King's successor was an entirely different matter.

"Don't worry. The only one capable of discovering the Burial Chamber is none other than the Demon King himself. Other humans definitely cannot open it nor find it. However&mdash;"

At this moment, the elemental lord seemed a bit lost.

"Retrieving the Demon Slayer once more would imply that the lid over his memories must be lifted&mdash;"

Saying that, the direwolf suddenly stared off into space.

It froze like that, as though time had stopped.

"...Iseria-sama?"

"...Otherworldly Darkness... Active again... I must go, back..."

"A-Are things okay?"

"I can still... do my best... to suppress..."

Fenrir's eyes gradually lost brightness.

Then&mdash;

"..."

Fenrir remained seated in front of the two girls.

"...Iseria-sama?"

"Woof!"

...Fenrir barked.

It looked like the elemental lord had stopped possessing it.

"...Iseria-sama was pushing herself in order to communicate."

Fenrir lay down on the floor, looking exhausted.

Rinslet snapped her fingers. The white wolf instantly returned to Astral Zero.

"...The Demon King's Burial Chamber. Something troublesome has arrived as well."

Claire sighed.

Kamito himself had lost his memory, yet the Demon King's destiny still clung relentlessly to him&mdash;

"Hey, you two over there&mdash;"

Suddenly, a voice was heard inside the empty classroom.

"...!?"

The two girl frantically looked back.

Outside the window, a person was standing, covered all over by a gray overcoat.

...Evidently not one of the Academy's students. Obviously someone suspicious.

Furthermore, this person's presence was hidden even to first-rate elementalists like these two here. Clearly no ordinary accomplishment.

(No way, our conversation with the Elemental Lord was overheard!?)

Claire released Flametongue and questioned acutely:

"You, who are you!?"

Hearing her, the person simply put down her hood.

Long black hair fell down and scattered. Beneath the overcoat were vestments of the highest rank.

"My companion went off somewhere on her own, so I'm totally lost."

"Eh?"

Claire had seen this bespectacled face before.

"Y-You are&mdash;!"

"Could you please take me to the headmistress' office, little lady of the Elstein family?"