Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume1 Chapter8 (section)

===Part 2===

(—Weak. Why am I so weak?)

While being thrown to the ground, Claire strongly bit her lips. The taste of blood spread across her tongue. It seemed that she was cut somewhere inside her mouth. She planned to stand up, but her hands went numb and did not move. It seemed to have caused a cerebral concussion. Even several bones of her ribs might be suffering damage.

"Guu...!"

Even so, she still did not raise the surrender card.

She slowly stood up on shaky legs.

She sternly looked up. At the center of the altar was a worshiped stone pillar. Within that, there was a rank-A battle-class militarized spirit—Glasya-Labolas sealed inside, brought in from the imperial capital.

Having brought down many spirit knights in the past wars, it was a famous giant-man spirit.

(...If I obtain that, I can be strong.)

—Nee-sama surely can be saved!

"Flame—dance in my hand, dance!"

She turned the divine power dwelling within herself into flames and produced a fireball of spirit magic in her palm.

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In her situation where there was no supply of divine power from Scarlet (her contracted spirit), even for Claire, who was superior, to produce such a small flame took all her might. Naturally, such a thing could not bring down spirits.

However, if she aimed for the elementalists, possibly—there might be a tiny chance of winning.

"Huh? Do you still plan on doing this? You don't learn, do you"

—She heard a scorning voice from her front.

"...!"

She bit her teeth and lifted her head. The two elementalists were standing with ridiculing expressions.

They were the Academy's upper classmen. They were respectively using Adamantine Spirit and Demon Mirror Spirit.

"Hey, are you truly an idiot? You don't even have a contracted spirit."

"That very part of you is irritating, you know."

"...You!"

Aiming at the two upper classmen ridiculing her, Claire released the fireball.

However, the fireball was stopped by the bore-looking Adamantine Spirit and easily repelled.

"Ahahaa, what's that, spirit magic? —Do it, Adamantine!"

The girl on the other side cruelly curved her lips and gave an order to her contracted spirit.

The Adamantine Spirit emitted a blue radiance and rushed and struck Claire's abdomen.

"Agg...!"

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A mumbling scream escaped from Claire's mouth.

She did not dare aim for her vital points. She was slowly tormenting her and enjoying herself.

This was not a splendorous blade dance for spirits to enjoy. It was merely unsightly violence.

"...How cheeky, you. Despite being that Calamity Queen's younger sister."

The upper classman's face was really distorted in hatred. While being hit many times over her whole body—finally, Claire recalled. These two were colleagues, who were one-sidedly knocked down by Claire at a practice match a month ago. They were still resentful about that time.

"What's with that look? If you don't give up quickly, you'll really die!"

"It's alright if you quickly kneel down and lick our shoes. Truly, that foolishness is the same as your sister."

"...Shut...up, be silent."

Claire tightly grasped the sand scattered on the ground.

"Hn, did you say something?"

"I said... be silent."

It was no good. She could not restrain it.

(Only abuses at Nee-sama, no matter what, my boiling point for that is low!)

She put divine power into her left hand, which was grasping sand. A black spirit seal that was re-engraved ominously glowed.

And then the moment the path was connected, a horrifying sensation ran all over her body.

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She would not be defeated at such a place. There was no value in her weak self.

(To grasp a more powerful power in my hand—!)

"What... a contracted spirit!?"

The upperclassmen's eyes opened in surprise.

"If you wish for it, I'll show you. This is—my true power!"

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Gou!*

The black flame, released from Claire's hand, gulped down the Adamantine Spirit in an instant.

Appearing from within the blazing flame was—

A flickering jet black magic beast.

It was not a noble flame like Scarlet. It was a flame of darkness, showing signs of madness.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Guo...ruuuuuu...*

The beast's hair-raising roar shook the entire atmosphere in the arena.