Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume18 Chapter1 (section)

===Part 3===

"What is going on?"

"I have no idea either&mdash;Kyah!"

A violent earthquake was taking place. Seeing the ground in front of them suddenly crack open, Georgios, who was carrying Fianna in his arms, jumped and leaped over the gap.

With the heavy sound of metal, the knight spirit landed safely.

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

Leading the way, Rinslet looked back from riding Fenrir's back.

"I am fine, though I accidentally bit my tongue."

Frowning, Fianna stuck out her reddened tongue.

"Let us exit the city first. The buildings here are too densely packed, which is dangerous."

"What about Claire and the others? Also, we have yet to locate Kamito-kun."

"Those three will be fine. Your safety is of paramount importance, Your Highness."

Listening to Rinslet, Fianna bit her lip lightly.

Currently, she was the symbol of Ordesia's anti-Emperor faction.

She must not lose her life here.

"...I understand. Georgios, sprint out of the city gate!"

&lt;Yes, Master!>

Answering in a hollow voice, the knight spirit began to run, crushing stone tiles underfoot.

"Time to go, Fenrir!"

"Woof!"

No one on the streets paid attention to the two escaping girls. As the city began to collapse, the residents of the Demon King City turned into particles of light and disappeared.

(...The Pyramid is gradually vanishing.)

From the knight spirit's arms, Fianna stared in astonishment at the scene.

The gigantic structure, standing where the Demon King's palace used to be situated in the past, was visible from anywhere in the city.

Right now, it was gradually disappearing, turning into particles of light as though it were melting into the air.

What connection was there between the Pyramid fading away and the sudden earthquake?

Amid the earthquake's intense tremors&mdash;

Georgios and Fenrir forcibly jumped over the bulging ground and continued to run.

Suddenly, Fenrir halted.

"Your Highness, please stop!"

Rinslet called out.

"What is the matter?"

"Something is emerging!"

"...!?"

Grrr, Fenrir growled as a warning.

In the next instant...

An explosion was heard. The ground in front of them cracked open wide.

With a billowing dust cloud, some kind of giant shadow emerged from underground.

ROAR!

"W-What is that!?"

A terrifying roar shook the atmosphere.

From the crack in the ground appeared a wild beast. A ridiculously gigantic beast.

It was a double-headed lion with burning claws and teeth.

"Could this be a spirit...?"

Fianna widened her dusk-colored eyes.

Furthermore, this was quite a high-tier spirit. A rare archdemon-class spirit, seldom encountered even in the depths of the Spirit Forest, no, even in Astral Zero&mdash;

"Why is there a spirit in a place like this!?"

"I-I have no idea either... Oh no, more are coming!?"

After the lion spirit, a giant spirit clad in armor of ice blades appeared.

Its total height far exceeded that of the surrounding buildings. With dense blades of ice sprouting from them, the arms looked like they could smash houses of stone in an instant.

"Unbelievable..."

"What on earth is going on...!?"

Facing the humongous spirits emerging from underground, the two girls stood astonished, rooted to the spot, unable to move.

The two spirits, slowly crawling out of the ground, glared at each other and began to face off.

ROAR!

Then they roared at the same time&mdash;

Unbelievably, they began to fight.

"...! H-Hold on a second, this must be some kind of joke, right!?"

A giant piece of stone debris flew over, Georgios deflected it with his sword.

The clash of fists against claws was ripping up the stone tiles on the ground, creating craters.

"Looks like this path is closed. Let us take a detour."

"I-I suppose&mdash;"

While taking care to avoid discovery by the fighting spirits, the two girls quietly made plans to leave.

Just then...

"...Save... me!"

Hearing a scream, so faint that it seemed like their imagination, the two girls exchanged a glance.

"Did you hear that just now?"

"Yes, it was... a cry for help, right?"

Rinslet nodded.

The residents of this city should have vanished already.

Then whose voice was it just now?

Woof woof. Fenrir barked twice.

"What is the matter?"

"Someone's scent seems to be coming from that side!"

Rinslet hastily urged Fenrir to go over there.

Arriving at a pile of rubble collapsed during the earthquake, Fenrir stopped.

"Is anybody here?"

Rinslet called out loudly while explosions continue to sound.

However, she did not hear any response.

"Georgios, dig this up!"

At Fianna's command, the knight spirit began to deftly clear away large pieces of rubble.

After the biggest piece of rubble had been moved away&mdash;

"Wait, there is someone!"

Fianna cried out.

"...Ooh... Oooooh... Ooh..."

A girl dressed in a gray cloak was groaning, her leg was trapped under rubble.

"A-Are you okay!?"

"Stay still. I will heal you right away."

Fianna hurried over and directed Georgios to move away the surrounding rubble. As she swiftly chanted spirit magic for healing, the girl's leg injury gradually vanished.

"...T-THank you... very much..."

Despite the pain showing in her expression, the girl still voiced her gratitude.

After all, spirit magic was only able to heal but not erase the pain.

"That leg does not look like it can walk yet. I will have Georgios carry you."

"May I ask who are you...?"

"I am Rinslet of House Laurenfrost."

"Lauren...?"

Hearing that, the girl tilted her head in puzzlement.

At that moment&mdash;

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Especially loud rumbling could be heard nearby. An adjacent building collapsed at the same time.

The resulting cloud of dust caused Fianna and the others to cough incessantly.

"Let us chat properly later. We must get out of here first."

"V-Very well&mdash;"

The girl nodded and was picked up by Georgios.

Suddenly, Fianna noticed a certain object the girl was clutching tightly to her chest.

It was a book written in High Ancient.

"That book&mdash;"

As a talented princess maiden, Fianna could tell from a single glance that this was no ordinary book.

Exuding a mysterious aura, this was a book-shaped elemental waffe.

In other words, this girl was an elementalist.

"...Could it be that you are Princess Saladia!?"

"Eh!?"

Hearing the name uttered by Fianna, Rinslet could not help but exclaim.

The girl widened her eyes forcefully and closed her lips tightly.

Upon closer examination...

Her face did resemble that of her older sister, Sjora.

"N-No, I..."

Saying that, she frantically hid her face under her hood and tried to deny.

However, Fianna held the girl's hand and introduced herself.

"I am Fianna Ray Ordesia, the second princess of Ordesia."

"The second... princess...?"

"We offer a warmest welcome to you, Princess Saladia."

The girl widened her crimson eyes.
<noinclude>
{{SeireiDance Nav|prev=Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume18 Prologue|next=Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume18 Chapter2}}</noinclude>