Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume6 Chapter9 (section)

===Part 3===

"...This is!?"

The sight before him made Kamito widen his eyes in surprise.

Pure and serene brightness was emitted from numerous magic circles extending all across the ground.

The power released from the leylines, carrying the holy attribute, was purifying the filthy darkness.

No, not only that.

From the innumerable magic circles, something was coming out--

Namely, innumerable swords. Innumerable spears. Innumerable shields.

An army composed of a great number of knights of light.

"W-What the heck, this is...!"

"Unbelievable, a legion type tactical-class militarized spirit...!"

Seeing the massive number of knights filling the surroundings, Kamito muttered in amazement.

The ranks of these various knights were all vastly inferior to Fianna's Georgios.

However, their numbers were greatly inflated.

Several dozen -- no, there were probably hundreds of them.

The manifested knights held shining swords and chopped apart the darkness invading the ground.

Great numbers of knights disappeared continually as they were devoured by the darkness or cut down by Nepenthes Lore's demon sword, but due to the power of their expanding numbers, the dark mud was blocked from advancing.

"Is it Milla...?"

Kamito looked up as he muttered softly.

--Suddenly at this time, the Demon Slayer stabbed into the ground shone with brilliance once more.

The body of the blade was instantly enveloped in dazzling light, illuminating the darkness of the night.

"This is..."

Kamito could feel the rushing flow of power in his body.

Via the leylines flowing underground, pure and sacred divine power was continuously poured into him.

Although the stronghold built by Fianna already carried the function of refilling the divine power of elementalists, the amount flowing into Kamito from the ground was massive divine power several dozen times that of normal.

Soon after--

The Crusaders who had trampled the darkness with their overwhelming numbers, turned into particles of light and dissipated in the air.

The mud of darkness that had turned the ground into a swamp was banished in a mere period of a minute or two.

"--Are you ready, Est?"

Kamito asked the sword in his hand.

As if answering, Terminus Est shone with maximum brightness.

Wielding the shining Demon Slayer in both hands, Kamito--

"--Let's finish this, go!"

He shouted at the young ladies, his teammates.

"Right." "Yes." "Understood."

Claire, Ellis and Rinslet nodded simultaneously.

Kamito rushed towards Nepenthes Lore who was swinging the demon sword of darkness.

In that instant, the dark demon sword sounded as the Vorpal Blast flashed.

A merciless lightning strike at maximum power, this was without a doubt a red herring intending to pin down Kamito's movements.

Dodging it would be easy -- However, Kamito advanced directly instead.

"Wait a minute, Kamito!?"

Claire cried out in surprise.

Kamito smiled fearlessly and swung the sacred sword in his hand.

"--Don't worry. Given the Est and I currently, we ''can slice it apart''!"

As the Demon Slayer flashed with brilliance, the dark lightning was easily sliced in half.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Just like that, Kamito kicked the ground to gain speed.

His body felt exceptionally light. Every time he stepped on the ground, divine power coursed through his entire body, delivered from the leylines.

Before him, Nepenthes Lore seemed to be displaying fear slightly. However, the opponent in Kamito's eyes was not the dark monster but the elemental waffe held in its hand -- the Vorpal Sword.

"--I have arrived, Restia!"

As he yelled, Kamito performed an astounding series of strikes.

With an intense showering of sparks, the Demon Slayer clashed against the Vorpal Sword.

Kamito's high speed attacks overwhelmed Nepenthes Lore's regeneration rate, causing the humanoid dark matter to begin collapsing.

(...This is the end!)

Gripping Terminus Est tightly, Kamito entered a low attack stance.

This was a purely offensive stance, full of openings, that sacrificed all defenses.

Nepenthes Lore's arm regressed into an ugly dark mass as it approached Kamito head on.

However, Kamito had absolute confidence.

He trusted his most precious comrades.

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

Numerous freezing arrows rained down, shot from afar.

The arm reaching out was frozen by the magical ice and nailed to the ground.

Nepenthes Lore roared as it prepared to crush Kamito beneath its massive body--

"Keeper of the burning furnace, release your wrath -- Flame Chain!"

The spiral burning Flametongue restrained Nepenthes Lore's entire body.

Just as the dark masses stopped moving -- in that instant, Kamito seized the opportunity to press near.

Lightly lowering his posture, he leaped -- !

"Courageous wind, grant your blessing to the brave warrior -- Sylphid Feathers!"

Having leapt, Kamito was pushed by the wind released by Ellis' spirit magic.

(...''The way I am now, will I be able to perform the sixteen hit combo''?)

Slashing at Nepenthes Lore's massive body, Kamito smiled fearlessly.

Not intended to be used against elementalists, this was a destructive sword technique for destroying massive spirits.

Three years ago, taught by the Dusk Witch Greyworth, an ultimate secret technique.

It was originally a dual wielding sword skill -- nevertheless, Kamito in his current state was able to imitate it.

(I was only able to master this technique thanks to you, Restia...)

The Demon Slayer in Kamito's hand gave off light which overwhelmed darkness--

Instantly, Kamito's figure disappeared.


"--Bursting Blossom Spiral Blade Dance - Sixteen Consecutive Strikes!"


Numerous slashes streaked brightly against the darkness of the night.

Dancing in midair, Kamito unleashed a furious wave of sixteen consecutive attacks.

Reduced to a dark mass, Nepenthes Lore's body was being sliced and chopped, gradually collapsing.

"That sword skill--"

"Could it be, Ren Ashbell's!?"

Watching from the ground, Claire and Ellis exclaimed in surprise.

This was precisely the sword technique displayed three years ago at the Blade Dance festival by Ren Ashbell, the strongest blade dancer.

With a thunderous boom, Nepenthes Lore fell upon the ground as black mud. Even though it barely maintained humanoid form, its movements were rather sluggish now.

Still possessing one remaining arm, it swung the demon sword of darkness--

"--You, dispassionate Queen of Steel, the demon slaying sacred sword!"

A spirit language incantation could be heard coming from above.

"--By the sacred light of punishment, may my enemies be crushed!"

Descending, Kamito pierced the dark mass with the Demon Slayer in his hand.

A bright and intense explosion occurred, instantly filling his view.

In that instant, Nepenthes Lore's material body was completely destroyed.

Clang--

Restia's elemental waffe, the Vorpal Sword, was embedded in the ground like a tombstone.

The demon sword of darkness then started dissipating into the air as particles of light--

"Restia!?"

Before she fully disappeared, Kamito grabbed the demon sword's hilt.

"...Guh, ah... Ahhhhhhhhhh!"

The leather glove started melting with a sizzling sound as Kamito felt the searing pain of burns.

Kamito's spirit seal was displaying a rejection reaction.

"Kamito, what are you doing!?"

Claire cried out with shock.

Even so, Kamito did not let go. Enduring the pain, he infused divine power into the sword.

--Don't do this, Kamito. You can no longer touch me.

Starting from the tip of the black blade, the demon sword of darkness was gradually disappearing as if melting. 

Restia's voice sounded mournful as it resounded in Kamito's mind.

"Shut up... I'm not going to let go. ''I will absolutely never let you go''!"

--What a fool. Clearly I am no longer the same me that you knew.

"''Is that really true''?"

--Huh?

"Have you really become a totally different existence from the Restia in the very beginning?"

Despite the frighteningly intense pain, Kamito embraced the gradually disappearing demon sword.

...Three years ago on that day, something happened.

Then she changed -- that was indisputable.

(But...)

--He could feel it without a doubt.

The existence of her who had brought Kamito light when he was young.

"Kamito..."

"...!?"

A faint trembling voice.

Kamito felt warmth embraced in his arms.

By the time he noticed, Kamito found himself embracing a girl instead of a demon sword.

The darkness spirit, a girl in a dark dress.

"...I'm sorry, Kamito. The me you know is no longer."

Her dusk-colored eyes wavered as she made a lonely smile.

Her body gradually disappeared.

"...Let me tell you. Three years ago on that day, what wish you tried to make."

Restia's soft lips lightly touched Kamito's lips.

"--!"

Plunged into the paralyzing sweetness--

Kamito's mind was swept into the memories of that day.
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