Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume17 Chapter1 (section)

===Part 1===

"Nnn... Ooh, nnn..."

On a giant canopied bed, Kamito was groaning in discomfort.

Kamito partially opened his eyes and cast his gaze at the window.

The sky was gradually brightening. Dawn's rays were shining on the walls of the small town.

...I didn't get much deep sleep, huh? After some time, he began to dream again.

However, this dream did not leave a very clear impression behind. No matter how hard he tried, he could not recall.

(...The sword... and the girl... It somehow feels like an incredibly sad dream...)

Muttering to himself in his thoughts, Kamito used a towel to wipe the massive amount of sweat he had perspired during his sleep.

Then Kamito slowly sat up and removed the shirt he had been wearing for the night.

Three days had passed since the battle against Leviathan, the strategic-class spirit released by Sjora Kahn. Kamito and company were staying at Mordis, the stronghold city, and the sleepless nights continued.

Since water spirits were practically absent from this place, the nights were also unbearably hot.

Next to his pillow was a spirit crystal he had borrowed from Rinslet to release cold air, but the sealed ice spirit, unable to bear the desert's harsh heat, had escaped from the spirit crystal long ago.

Sighing lightly, Kamito, returned the long empty spirit crystal to his pocket.

Putting on a fresh shirt, Kamito lay down on the bed again.

"I used to be able to sleep soundly no matter how uncomfortable the environment..."

During his days as an assassin raised by the Instructional School, he could sleep soundly anywhere, whether damp caves or forests in the pouring rain. By the time he knew it, his body had gotten used to ordinary life at Areishia Spirit Academy.

"...The Academy, huh?"

Kamito naturally looked up at the ceiling, muttering to himself.

"It's been a very long journey."

Instead of his memories from the Instructional School, where he had spent the majority of his life, what suddenly surfaced in his mind was&mdash;

Bits and pieces of life since enrolling in the Academy several months ago after Greyworth summoned him.

Forming a contract with Est in the cave. Obtaining victory with his comrades of Team Scarlet, earning the right to participate in the Blade Dance tournament. The deadly battles against Muir, Leonora and Nepenthes Lore on Ragna Ys. Rubia's reveal of the plan to assassinate the Elemental Lords.

"That's right, we freed Elemental Lords who were tainted by the Otherworldly Darkness&mdash;"

Having emerged victorious from the Blade Dance and granted an audience with the Elemental Lords, Kamito had liberated the berserk Fire Elemental Lord, but losing Restia as the price.

After that, there was the incident where former Numbers knight Lurie Lizaldia and the Holy Kingdom cardinal Millennia Sanctus attacked the Academy, followed by the battle in Laurenfrost territory and finding Restia again. They were then caught up into the conspiracy of the Ordesian throne's succession, and currently on the run, pursued by the Empire.

"An almost absurd set of experiences. And it's only been a couple months&mdash;"

Incredibly, he was starting to miss his days attending lectures in classrooms, shopping at the Academy town.

His classmates in Raven Class, Carol the maid, homeroom teacher Ms Freya. In addition, there was Greyworth with whom he had crossed blades at the canyon in Dracunia&mdash;What were they all doing now?

How unbelievable all the details he could remember about everyone.

In the bed, something seemed to be moving&mdash;

"...What?"

Kamito hastily flipped the blanket&mdash;

"Good morning, Kamito."

"E-Est?"

Sort of crouching or kneeling, the creature in the bed was a sword spirit, naked except for a pair of kneesocks.

Her clear violet eyes stared motionlessly at Kamito.

Blushing at the sight of Est's naked body, Kamito frantically looked away.

Est would often slip into Kamito's bed whenever she wanted. Due to Kamito's recent reminders, Est had gradually reduced such occurrences down to about twice a week.

Normally, Kamito would scold Est and order her to return to her sword form.

"..."

"Est?"

But right now, Est seemed a bit different from usual.

From her eyes whose emotions could not be read, staring at him, Kamito could sense faint wavering.

"Did something happen?"

"A dream."

"A dream?"

Kamito asked in surprise.

"Was it a scary dream?"

"I do not know."

Est expressionlessly shook her head.

"A dream from a very long time ago."

"..."

&mdash;A past dream. Then it probably took place before Kamito and Est's encounter. For a spirit like Est, who had lived for thousands of years, her concept of "the past" was incomparable to what humans could understand.

However, Est was currently separated from her main body, thus preventing her from accessing the majority of her memories. It was very likely that this dream was a means to express the past memories that Est had lost.

"What was the dream like?"

"I forgot. I only remember it was a very sad dream."

"I see..."

She must have sneaked into his bed because she experienced a dream whose content she could not remember, but still left her with unease.

If that was the case, there was no helping it&mdash;Kamito shrugged and suddenly thought of something.

(The dream I had just now... That's&mdash;)

Kamito's gaze settled on the ''spirit seal'' carved on his right hand.

A rare portion of elementalists were able to share memories with their contracted spirits. The dream Kamito had just experienced might have been a memory from Est's main body.

(...!?)

He was suddenly struck by intense pain in his brain. A vague image flashed in his mind. However, he still could not recall the content of the dream. Still, remnant emotion resembling sadness lingered in his mind.

"...Kamito?"

Est looked up at Kamito's face and brushed her fingertips across his cheek.

Kamito gently took her hand and held it.

"May I stay here?"

"Y-Yeah, but, umm... You've got to put on some clothes."

"Yes, Kamito."

In front of Kamito, who was speaking with a blush, Est nodded while quietly murmuring an incantation in spirit language.

In the next instant, particles of light surrounded Est's naked body&mdash;

"Is this acceptable?"

Est conjured a loose-fitting shirt, draped over her shoulders.

"...O-Of all things, why a white shirt!?"

Kamito turned red and exclaimed in panic. Clad in a shirt too big for her, the half-naked kneesocks spirit looked in some ways even more scandalous than fully nude.

"Not allowed to sleep in the Academy uniform."

"Well, I guess you have a point."

Looking closely at Est's shirt, Kamito noticed it was constructed using Kamito's own shirt as a reference.

...Naturally, it was the wrong size.

But dressed like that&mdash;
[[image:STnBD_V17_BW01.png|thumb]]

She looked like she was not wearing any underwear.

(...Uh, if I take a closer look, she might not be wearing any!?)

Est's round bottom flashed before Kamito's eyes.

What he had glimpsed was probably without underwear, no, she clearly was not wearing underwear.

"Sheesh, you've got to create underwear too!"

Kamito cried out frantically.

"Understood. Constructing."

A pair of pure white panties appeared in Est's hand.

While Est was holding the ribbon, putting on her panties, producing the rustling of fabric in the meantime...

"Good grief..."

Kamito breathed a sigh of relief the moment Est finished.

He could hear boots, the sound of someone's powerful footsteps in the passage outside the room.

Not the loafers that Claire and the girls wore as prescribed by the Academy. Instead, they were steel-toed combat boots&mdash;the footsteps of Rubia Elstein.

(W-Why Rubia, of all people...!?)

Kamito panicked. If Rubia were to see him in such circumstances, surely all kinds of misunderstandings would arise.

"Est, sword! Turn back into a sword!"

"...? Kamito, I cannot wear panties like that."

"Forget about panties!"

"Then I should remove the panties?"

"T-That's not what I mean..."

In that instant, the door to the room was violently flung open.

"Ren Ashbell, we are holding an emergency war conference. To the great hall immediately... What the!?"

The moment Rubia Elstein opened the door, she froze.

In front of her was a naked sword spirit dressed in a shirt, in the middle of removing her panties, and Kamito, desperately pushing her down.