Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume18 Chapter7 (section)

===Part 1===

Twenty-eight hours after setting off from Zohar, Kamito's team took a land route to enter the Spirit Forest in the Alzanu earldom bordering the Theocracy.

Just as Rubia had predicted, slipping into Ordesia was not that hard. Although Earl Alzanu was among the nobles on the Emperor's side, he had not deployed any troops to monitor the Spirit Forest, a notoriously terrifying realm.

(...I guess only suicidal armies would invade this kind of forest.)

It was night. Kamito's team were forcing a march through the dense and lush forest.

Since it was a new moon tonight, there was no moonlight in the forest. However, even during a full moon, moonlight would likely have trouble penetrating such a dense forest.

The ground was illuminated by nothing more than the flame on Scarlet's tail.

"...So eerie. I can clearly sense breathing, but there are no sounds from wild beasts at all."

"The Spirit Forest hates living things. Looks like we're not welcome."

Hearing Claire's murmurs, Kamito replied.

"Avoid making noise as much a possible. The spirits in the forest dislike outsiders."

"Yes, I know."

Across the human realm, the Spirit Forest was the location closest to Astral Zero. In the depths where the density of divine power was highest, it was not unusual to encounter archdemon-class spirits.

(...Greyworth brought me here before.)

Just then, Kamito recalled an unpleasant memory.

Even though he was trained as an assassin at the Instructional School, abandoning the twelve-year-old Kamito in this kind of place was not something a normal person would do.

That being said, this was undoubtedly the fastest route to the Academy.

Assuming safety considerations could be ignored, of course.

"Onii-sama, this is scary♪"

Squish.

Holding Kamito's arm, Muir pressed her developing bosom against it.

Even though she was only thirteen, her chest was starting to show bounciness.

"M-Muir!?"

"H-Hold it right there, get away from him now!"

"No. Onee-chan, isn't his other hand free anyway?"

"Gunununu..."

Sparks flew from Claire's twintails as though they had ignited.

"Settle down, you two. The spirits in the forest have started to clamor."

Walking in the lead, Ellis warned.

"Captain, have we not reached the Academy's area yet?"

"We should be close..."

Ellis murmured. Perched on her arm, Simorgh crowed.

In the forest, maps and compasses were completely useless.

All they could rely on were directions from Simorgh whose hunting grounds was the forest.

Eight hours had gone by since they entered the Spirit Forest. Even for well-trained elementalists, advancing through a danger-filled forest in the night without any rest would naturally be quite exhausting.

"I'll give you a piggyback ride if you're too tired. Just tell me, don't be shy."

"I-I can still manage!"

"The Temple of the Contract should be up ahead."

"The Temple of the Contract?"

"It's where I released Est."

Claire glanced at Kamito beside her and explained.

"Really? So we're around there..."

It was a place where Kamito had suffered greatly soon after transferring into the Academy. In order to protect Claire from Est who had gone out of control, Kamito intervened and established a spirit contract with Est.

Failing to obtain Est, Claire had complained and insisted on taking Kamito as her slave spirit&mdash;

(...Now that I think back, everything started at that temple.)

Kamito reminisced with emotions stirring within him.

Although it was merely a couple months of time, those bewildering days at the Academy really felt longer to him than the three years he spent wandering around in search of Restia.

"Y-You jerk! You're remembering the sight of my naked body, a-and groping my chest, right!?"

Claire glared obliquely at Kamito.

"What? I have never heard of this!"

"This is my first time hearing of it!"

Ellis and Rinslet interrogated.

"Y-You've got it wrong! It was Claire herself, swinging Flametongue around wildly..."

"...! What, you did grope me there, didn't you!? And you even said something about poorly developed breasts and having no interest in a child's body, right!?"

(...Crap, now I've really poked a hornet's nest!?)

Probably recalling her experience from that time, Claire flew into a rage.

"Poor you! Claire, your breasts have grown even if only a little!"

"Wait a sec, Rinslet!?"

"Onii-sama, I can't believe you said you're not interested in a child's body. I can't let that slide!"

While the group began to fight&mdash;

"Quiet, all of you&mdash;"

Velsaria, who had been quiet so far, spoke sternly.

Scolded by the former captain of the Sylphid Knights, Claire and the girls could not help but stand up straight.

Velsaria placed her hand on the sword at her waist and kept staring into the darkness.

Deep behind the crisscrossing trees, there was a deer with large antlers.

"That's&mdash;"

"An ancient divine beast spirit inhabiting the Spirit Forest. Do not make a sound."

"...!?"

Everyone held their breaths. This was a high-tier spirit whose appearance had become identical to an animal's.

"I never expected to encounter a spirit of that level not that deep in the forest..."

"I guess we'd better make a detour now."

"Yes, no matter how much longer a path it takes&mdash;"

Just as Claire quietly prepared to retreat.

Whoosh, there was a sound of something slicing through the air.

Countless shadows attacked Kamito's group from between the trees.

"...!?"

Kamito hastily jumped and slashed the shadows closing on his feet.

However, Kamito was the only one who managed to react to the sudden incident in the nick of time.

"Hyah, hyahhhhh!"

"Kyahhh, what is it doing... Ahhh♪"

Shadows resembling tentacles ensnared the young ladies' legs within the blink of an eye, tying them up onto the trees.

"...Guh... W-What is this...? Uwah, d-do not touch me there!"

Deprived of her armor, Ellis' voluptuous bosom was vulnerable to all kinds of groping.

"D-Damn it... I cannot believe I would end up, ah..."

Suspended in a bizarre pose, Velsaria was thrashing her limbs, struggling.

Her innocent skirt was boldly lifted. Kamito could see her pure white panties seductively wrapped around the well-developed root of her thighs.

"...! R-Ren Ash&mdash;Kazehaya Kamito, what are you staring at!?"

"N-No&mdash;"

Glared at by her ice-blue eyes, Kamito frantically avoided eye contact.

"Yahh, Onii-sama, save me...♪"

Muir was the only one who seemed a little happy.

Kamito approached the wriggling tentacles with the glowing Demon Slayer.

Very quickly, he saw the true identity of the tentacles.

...It looked like they were merely plant vines.

"They seem harmless."

Kamito exhaled in relief.

"What are you talking about? Aren't I harmed right now? Hyahhhhhhhh♪"

"I-It has even made its way into my underwear... Nnnn♪"

"...I-In front of Kamito... Huahhh♪"

Entangled by vines, the young ladies kept moaning.
[[image:STnBD V18 BW05.jpg|thumb]]

"Meow?"

Kamito did not know if Scarlet thought her master was playing or if it was due to a cat's instincts, but Scarlet kept jumping around nearby.

"K-Kamito, stop watching and start helping!"

"I-I got it!"

Kamito hastily swung the Demon Slayer.

Just then&mdash;

"What are you people doing here!?"

A girl's voice echoed throughout the dense forest.

"...! Y-You're&mdash;?"

Kamito turned around&mdash;

Only to see a familiar girl riding the back of a giant wolf.