Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume5 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 3===

In this part of the floating island, Ragna Ys, was a chain of vast underground caves.

No one alive today knew when it had been constructed, or even for what purpose.

There was a figure standing in this place where even the highest ranked princess maidens were ordered to stop.

She was the girl in the bright red mask – Ren Ashbell.

She was in an area carved into a square space.

A stark contrast to the natural caves surrounding it, this room had obviously been built by man.

The small stone room was in fact the sacred True Sanctuary.

The Grand Shrine erected aboveground was merely there to provide a majestic appearance.

There was a rotting smell wafting about the place.

The masked girl was staring at the black sarcophagus placed in the middle of the room.

The mere presence of the sarcophagus gave its surroundings a sinister and ominous air.

"– I have searched for you for a long time, Ren Ashbell."

Out of the blue came the childish voice of a young maiden.

A gray-haired girl slowly walked out of the darkness.

She was Muir Alenstarl.

She, who had been missing since the battle last night, was the second-ranked "Monster" of the Instructional School. 

"It seems that the fourth person is finally here. Lily is fetching her here now."

"Is that so? That princess really brings trouble to other people."

The one they were talking about was the fourth member of Team Inferno – Sjora Kahn. She and Lily were different from Muir in that they had not been picked by Ren Ashbell's own people, but were elementalists appointed on recommendation by the religious Alphas Theocracy.

The Alphas Theocracy had not provided Ren Ashbell with any information on Sjora's abilities, because Sjora's other responsibility was to monitor all of Ren Ashbell's actions.

"Muir Alenstarl... You looked for me only to talk to me about this?"

"Of course not. Let me ask you... you fiend, what have you done to my brother?"

Muir asked severely, as if a knife had been stabbed into her neck. 

"You are dissatisfied with how I unleashed his full power?"

"It should be Muir's responsibility to awaken my own brother."

"It was not my intention to deny you that, but because of other reasons, I had no choice but to speed up the initial plan."

Ren Ashbell shrugged her shoulders, seemingly without any second thoughts.

"And if my brother's body cannot bear it, what do you intend to do then?"

"If so, it will mean that he does not have the right to be the one to succeed the Demon King – that's all."

"What are you saying...!"

At this, Muir's expression turned sharp and murderous.

"You can't accept that? Then next time... wake him using your own hands."

After saying that, Ren Ashbell tossed Muir a small, delicate ring.

"... And this is?"

"I got this mythical class ancient artifact from the old fogeys at Alphas. The three militarized spirits sealed within are all weapons that were scrapped by the international guidelines."

"Do you think Muir will be so easily bribed by this toy of yours?" 

"This is merely a token of our good friendship; please accept it."

"... Hmph, I'll just watch and see how long you can endure this."

While putting on the ring, Muir glared angrily at her.

"Although Muir is helping you for now, I am not like Lily. If you dare lay a hand on my brother again, I will kill you without mercy."

"Whatever... Go ahead, if you can."

Ren Ashbell easily shrugged off Muir's ferocious glare, then – 

Turned again towards the black sarcophagus.

"Speaking of which... What are you doing here?"

"A resurrection ritual."

"... Huh? What's that?"

"Bringing spirits of the dead back to the living world – the Institutional School regards this as the most forbidden act of all."

"Bringing spirits of the dead...?"

Ren Ashbell was placing a chain of jewels on the sarcophagus.

That was the Blood Stone – found only in the original spirit world, such a highly prized spirit crystal contained power that ordinary spirit crystals could not possibly rival.

Next, in a clear bright voice, she started singing a chant that sounded like a curse.

"O Nether World Elemental Lord, I humbly beg you to call back the souls of the seeds of darkness – "

From behind the mask came some hard-to-understand spirit language.

If there had been princess maidens from the Institute there, they would certainly be very surprised.

For only the highest ranked princess maidens were permitted to sing the High Ancient language.

Bump, bump – from the black sarcophagus came sounds like a heartbeat.

Suddenly, the bright red Blood Stone shattered!

Then – 

Sizzle... Hiss... Sizzle

With tiny movements, the lid of the sarcophagus slowly opened, and from the resulting small crack – emerged something!

"W-What on earth... is this...?"

Muir Alenstarl could not help but flinch at the repellent, horrifying sight before her eyes.

"He is the previous Ren Ashbell – Nepenthes Lore."

Ren Ashbell's voice echoed brightly in the stone room suffused with the smell of rotting flesh.

"He is also – the fifth member of Team Inferno."

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