Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume4 Chapter5 (section)

===Part 2===

"This time the knight captain is the demon!"

"I won't lose in swimming."

"Ellis, you can't use your wind armor."

The lovely voices echoing within the forest. Glistening water droplets.

Breasts that shook in tango with the rest of the body met the eyes.

The swimsuit-clad beauties frolicked in the lake.

......No matter how you look at it, there's no feeling of this being a purification ceremony.

(Well, it's important to relax as well......)

Kamito stretched out on the lake shore.

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He couldn't play with the girls because he'd be constantly distracted, so he took to sunbathing. The girls seemed dissatisfied, but perhaps because they had heavy-handedly forced him to come, they let him go.

Beside him, Est was kneeling while licking a popsicle.

Her snow fairy-like body was covered by a navy blue academy-issued swimsuit.

Her smooth milky skin and smooth silvery white hair.

On both of her legs were knee-high socks.

Est had the sort of appearance that maniacs would like, wearing both a swimsuit and knee-high socks.

There wasn't much skin showing, but for some reason, it felt like it crossed even more lines than being fully nude.

"Est, you're not going to play with everyone?"

"It would be embarrassing to be barefooted."

Est replied expressionlessly.

"Besides, I can't swim."

"Ahh, I see......"

Est was a sword spirit so she couldn't float.

No matter how strong of a spirit she was, she couldn't cast off her basic metal attribute.

(......Come to think of it, it was also near a lake that I made the contract with Est.)

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While gazing at Est's side profile, Kamito thought that.

Demon Slayer – Terminus Est.

A legendary sealed holy sword spirit. It was a mystery why a sword of her caliber had chosen Kamito.

–He still had no idea.

Besides, Est had many other secrets as well.

"Hey, Est–"

"?"

Est turned towards him while licking the popsicle.

"Are you really the holy sword that defeated the Demon King?"

The legend of the Demon Slayer remained everywhere on the continent.

Est was undoubtedly an unrivaled sword, but there was no way she was the real one – that's what he thought.

(But if she really is......)

The power that had destroyed the Cursed Armament Seal on Velsaria's heart two weeks ago.

That was not the ability of a regular sword spirit.

In the legend of the Demon Slayer, the holy sword was also said to have destroyed the spirit seals for all seventy-two of the Demon King's contracts.

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"I'm sorry, Kamito."

But Est silently shook her head.

"My memories are incomplete right now. If I regained my true body, my memories should return with my full power."

"No, I should be the one to apologize. Sorry."

Because Kamito clung to his contract with Restia, the contract with Est remained incomplete. Est could not display her true power.

"No, Kamito."

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Est brought the popsicle away from her lips and gazed at Kamito with her mysterious eyes.

And then–

"I'm glad I contracted with you."

"......Est?"

For a moment, the fleeting expression on Est's face made his heart race.

"–Kamito-san."

"Owaa!"

Platinum blonde hair sparkled in the sunlight.

At some point in time, the swimsuit-clad Rinslet had stood beside him.

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"Don't surprise me like that......"

"No, that is, sorry......"

Kamito apologized to the pouting Rinslet.

"What's wrong, Rinslet, you're not going to swim with everyone else?"

At his words, Rinslet squirmed a bit and her face reddened.

"I c-can't, that is......I can't swim very well."

"Is that so?"

That was unexpected. That the perfect Rinslet would have that kind of weak point.

"Hmm? Even though you were playing tag in the water normally just now?"

"Th-That was......umm, it was a little trick."

"Trick?"

Rinslet nodded timidly and stuck out her finger.

A freezing atmosphere gathered and from thin air appeared a white wolf.

The demon ice spirit Fenrir.

"I was riding on this child's back while in the water."

"......I see."

Upon imagining the white wolf elegantly running around under the water surface with all its might, Kamito wryly smiled.

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"Y-You just laughed, didn't you! That's horrible!"

"S-Sorry......"

"And so, umm......"

And Rinslet's cheeks became even redder.

"I'd like to ask a favor of you, Kamito-san."

"A favor?"

"Umm, that is, my......"

And then Rinslet became inarticulate.

(......What?)

It was at times like these that her maid would translate for him–

Kamito looked around and found the hiding figure of Carol.

......He had been thinking for a while now that he hadn't seen her, but she was hiding this entire time.

She was moving her lips and appeared to be saying something–

Kamito used the lip-reading ability he had been trained in at the institute.

(Milady, do your best – was it......what did that mean?)

Waiting for a little while like that–

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"Ka-Kamito-san!"

Rinslet yelled out and seemed to have found her resolve.

Sweeping her platinum blonde hair up and pointing at Kamito–

"I-I shall allow you to teach me how to swim!"

......I see, thought Kamito with a wry smile.

(......As always, she's a lady that just can't be honest.)

But if you got used to it, those points about her also became cute.

"Est, I'm going to swim with Rinslet for a bit."

"Yes, Kamito......"

Est pouted a little sadly.