Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume9 Chapter5 (section)

===Part 2===

(...I-I'm saved. My sanity is mere inches from the limit.)

--After that, several minutes had passed.

Ellis was now sound asleep on Kamito's lap as he listened to her calm breathing noises.

It seemed like the aphrodisiac's effects had ended.

Because sleeping in wet clothes would result in catching a cold, she was now in her underwear with Kamito's jacket draped over her.

Despite the immense difficulties faced when taking her clothes off just as she was falling asleep, Kamito channeled the superhuman self-control he had developed through the Instructional School's training and managed to complete the task without distraction.

...That said, he did stare once or twice at the impressive contours of her cleavage.

In any case, she should recover her strength after some rest.

Placing a fire spirit crystal on the ground to give off warmth, Kamito suppressed a yawn.

The sun had just set outside, causing the interior of these ruins to become rather dim.

(...We'll have to spend the night in this place.)

As much as he wished to meet up with the rest of the team as quickly as possible, Ellis' current condition did not allow for reckless action.

"Mmm, Kamito, I will make you into a ham sandwich..."

On his lap, Ellis talked in her dreams.

"O-Of course, you are the ham, I-I am the bread, okay..."

"What on earth is she dreaming about..."

Kamito shrugged wryly.

Ponytail untied, her innocent sleeping face was truly adorable.

(By the way...)

Kamito looked up and immersed himself into a different line of thought.

(I never expected even Lily would be roped into being their teammate...)

Number seven of the Instructional School -- "Venom" Lily Flame.

Not only was she accomplished in combat techniques, she was also top class in espionage ability in the facility.

When they were teamed up in the past, she was still a girl who spoke little. However, the impression she gave off just now was much different from back then.

--Ever since the Instructional School's destruction, four years had passed.

(...In other words, I'm not the only one who changed.)

Kamito had heard that basically all the orphans from the facility had obtained protection from the Knights of Ordesia. However, amongst those that were already executing missions, the so-called "Ranked Ones" there were apparently a few whose whereabouts were unknown.

Team Inferno's commander -- the masked elementalist who stole Ren Ashbell's name, where and how did she come into contact with the lost children of the Instructional School?

"--Kamito."

"Hmm?"

Suddenly hearing his name called out, Kamito turned to look.

Dressed in her uniform, Est was approaching from a dark corner.

"Est, are you okay now?"

"Yes. Although I still need rest in order to fulfill my duties as a sword."

Depleted in power by the contamination of Forsaken Spirits, Est had apparently recovered enough to maintain human form.

Est walked quickly over and sat down lightly beside Kamito.

Her mysterious violet eyes kept staring at Kamito.

"Kamito, I am hungry."

"Yeah, it's already that time of the day."

Spirits normally did not need to eat but there were many high level spirits who treated human food as a kind of hobby they indulged in. Especially Est. Because she required three square meals a day at the Academy when together with Kamito, it did cause him some grief as he agonized over the increase in the food budget.

"Speaking of dinner, all we have is this sort of thing..."

Taking care not to wake up Ellis on his lap, Kamito took out from his uniform pocket a pill the size of a pea.

This was a drug regarded as a treasure amongst portable food for elementalists.

It was prepared from dozens of herbs and flavored with sugar and honey.

Filling, easy to digest and highly nutritious, it was known as a masterpiece.

"..."

"...Uh, Est?"

"Kamito, you don't have any food?"

Est inquired with innocent eyes.

"...I'm sorry. Right now there's only this."

...Feeling inexplicably guilty, Kamito apologized.

Due to the matter of weight, all conventional food and cooking equipment were stored in Fenrir's belly. Before meeting up with Rinslet, they had no choice but to endure.

"...I understand, Kamito."

Est nodded obediently.

"I'm really sorry. When we return to Ragna Ys, feel free to eat your favorites as much as you want."

"Yes."

Est nodded again, then said:

"Then Kamito, please feed me that snack."

Like a baby bird waiting to be fed, she opened her little mouth.

"..."

Currently, the legendary Demon Slayer was making an "Ah--" posture with her mouth open.

...How should one put it? It was cuteness overload.

Kamito coughed and surveyed the surroundings.

"...Yeah, say ah--"

Holding the pill in his fingers, he delivered it to Est's mouth.

Bite... Chew chew.

Expressionlessly, Est slightly dilated her pupils.

"...This is quite tasty."

"Really? Good to know you like it."

Seeing her offer unexpected praise, Kamito breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing Est looking like that--

"By the way, Est--"

Kamito suddenly thought of something and asked.

"...?"

"Just now, when we were being attacked by those swarms of Forsaken Spirits, you were trying to say something. Yeah, just before you changed into a sword, Est--"


'...Tsk, these guys are not targeting me but Est!?'

'Apparently so, Kamito. Very likely, I--'


...There had been an exchange like that.

"What were you talking about back then?"

Hence Est nodded.

"Yes. Back then, the reason the Forsaken Spirits attacked was most likely because I am a spirit weapon -- that was what I wanted to say."

"...A spirit weapon?"

...An unfamiliar term.

(No wait, I remember from the lectures at the Academy...)

Kamito tried hard to recall his supplementary lessons with his teacher Freya.

(...Right. I remember it was an umbrella term for powerful spirits mobilized during the Spirit War.)

"Est, is it that kind of spirit weapon?"

"Yes. That is what fragments of my memory tell me."

Est nodded again.

The reason why she acted so ambiguously was because the current Est merely inherited the memories of the true Terminus Est as fragmented knowledge.

"I do not know whether I belonged to the side of the Elemental Lords or the rebels. However, I am sure my past self exterminated large numbers of spirits in this abandoned city."

Est murmured with her usual ice-cold expressionless demeanor.

...No emotions could be read from that kind of face.

"Those ghosts should all have been famous spirits before they fell to such depravity. However, they are now beings without sanity, relying on hatred to exist--"

"..."

Come to think of it, after leaving the central area of the abandoned city, Kamito no longer saw any signs of Forsaken Spirits.

Considering that those things were ghosts bound to the land, perhaps their appearance depended on the location. Or maybe, they did not attack right now because Est's current output of divine power was relatively weak.

Est closed her violet eyes--

"Kamito, I will enter a dormant state to prepare for the next battle. Please rouse me if anything happens."

"...Yeah."

Dissipating into particles of light in the air, she returned to sword form once more.

Kamito swiftly reached out with his hand towards the sacred sword fallen on the ground -- At this moment.

"Mmm, hmm..."

Ellis stirred slightly on his lap.

"Ellis, you woke up?"

"Mmm, I already woke up back when you were feeding Est."

"...Y-You saw it all!?"

"I-I could not possibly get up during such an embarrassing situation!"

For some reason, Ellis began to sulk and pout.

"But wait, weren't the things you did earlier even more embarrassing, Ellis?"

"...~S-Speak of it no more!"

Thud thud thud thud.

Ellis sprang up and tearfully hammered her fists against Kamito's shoulder.

...Oh well, it's good to see her energy recovered.

"Okay, go and sleep a little longer. You still have a bit of fever."

"A-All your fault..."

Ellis instantly blushed, but had no choice but to lie down again with Kamito's jacket draped over her shoulders.

Watching this pure and innocent maiden of a knight, Kamito smiled wryly--

At this time, his gaze rested on his leather gloved left hand.

(By the way, what was with that pain earlier...)

Currently, there was no reaction at all from the spirit seal on his left hand.

(...Did something happen to Restia?)

--A long night was just beginning.