Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume7 Chapter9 (section)

===Part 2===

"--Evil winds, go and rampage!" 

"Turn into charcoal, Fireball!"

Using blades of wind released like raging waves, the swarm of demon spirits in the passage were swept clean all at once. Riding on that tornado, scorching flames of conflagration burned intensely.

Although there were still many demon spirits inside the shrine, they numbered far fewer than those outside. Exterminating the demon spirits who kept popping up like bubbles, Claire and her group continued to advance along the passageway.

"Will Kamito be fine?"

"Don't worry about that guy."

As Ellis voiced her concern, Claire shook her head.

(...That's right, that guy will never lose.)

The instant Kamito's face surfaced in her mind, Claire inexplicably found her cheeks getting boiling hot as if being burned by a fire.

Lubdub -- the beating in her chest intensified as well.

(...N-No, th-this isn't anything like that!)

Claire shook her head as if trying to deny the notion.

(D-Damn it, it's all Fianna's fault for saying something weird...)

"Claire, what's the matter?"

"N-Nothing of any importance!"

Claire brandished Flametongue and sent the demon spirits before them flying.

As the sound of their footsteps rebounded off the hard surface of the ground, the trio continued to run along the long passage that seemed to stretch to who knows where.

"...I never knew these ruins were so vast."

Would they be able to find Fianna amidst such vast premises?

Just as Claire began to worry--

Suddenly, the passage opened up to reveal a large spacious hall.

"Be careful. This could very well be a trap."

With a wave of the hand, Claire produced illumination using spirit magic.

Suddenly, a collapsed figure appeared at the depths of the great hall.

"Who is that!?"

Claire readied Flametongue with wariness, then--

"Wait... It's me!"

"...Fianna!?"

Sprawled on the ground was Fianna whose uniform was all cut and tattered.

"W-What happened to you!?"

"Are you injured?"

The trio swiftly rushed over.

Fianna lowered her gaze as if very apologetic.

"Yeah, I was able to find an opportunity to escape, but my foot--"

She displayed an expression of pain. It seemed like she had sprained one foot.

"Are you able to stand?"

"...Uh, yeah."

As Fianna reached out, Claire was just about to hold her hand when--

Suddenly, she was struck with a sense of dissonance.

(--This is wrong!)

Swiftly she withdrew her hand and leaped backwards.

In that instant, a sharp shortsword narrowly missed the top of her head by millimeters.

"...You, you're not Fianna!"

"Fufu, as befits the younger sister of the Calamity Queen, your senses are quite sharp."

As soon as the sentence was finished, Fianna's image began to quiver like a mirage--

A beautiful girl dressed in a highly exposing outfit appeared.

"...Sjora Kahn!"

Yelling out shrilly, Claire struck out with Flametongue.

Intensely burning crimson flames attacked the witch--

"Ara, what an impatient little lady. Come forth -- demon spirit Baldanders!"

"...!?"

From Sjora's shadow, out crept a thin and faceless humanoid.

The humanoid spread its arms to protect its contractor--

Immediately, it was unceremoniously sent flying by Flametongue.

"...Eh?"

Claire paused with disappointment, for she originally expected her attack to be blocked, .

Striking the wall of rock, the humanoid lay tilted and powerless like a puppet. Scorched by the crimson flames, its outer skin that resembled black metal was melting. It struggled desperately, trying to escape from the fire, but--

"Freezing fangs of ice, go forth and pierce -- Freezing Arrow!"

Numerous freezing arrows rained down from above, shattering its arm.

(...This thing is the Demon Caster's contracted spirit?)

--Regardless, it was way too weak.

(This seems rather suspicious instead...)

"You think you can defeat us alone?"

"Fufu, the true value of Baldanders lies not in brute force but in its other abilities--"

While dodging Rinslet's arrows of ice, the witch recited words for a contracted spirit's releasing.

"--Thou, weakest of the weak and strongest of the strong, heed my command and hereby take form!"

"...I won't let you succeed!"

With a flying leap, Ellis made a thrust using Ray Hawk but ended up being a step late.

A pure white mask appeared in the witch's hand.

"Elemental waffe -- Proteus Masques."

In the blink of an eye, Sjora's red lips twisted as the image of her figure distorted like a mirage.

Then--

"...!?"

Claire, Rinslet and Ellis gasped at the same time.

Over there was--

With gorgeous black hair and mysterious jet black eyes -- a beautiful girl.

She was dressed in an exotic foreign outfit that had a relatively long lower hem and resembled ritual attire.

In her left hand, she wielded a demon sword of darkness that emanated an aura of disaster.

"How on earth..."

The winner of the Blade Dance festival three years earlier.

--The Strongest Blade Dancer, Ren Ashbell, was now standing present.