Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume11 Chapter7 (section)

===Part 4===

&mdash;A few minutes later, Fianna had finished her magic circle in the cavern.

The candlestick's flame burned intensely while the pattern drawn on the ground glowed faintly.

The girl spirit in the priestess garb was standing in the center of the pattern.

"I just need to wait here?"

"Yes. In the next part, you might feel some strain, so please endure it."

Fianna waited on the girl spirit. Dressed in the top-class ritual attire, the imperial princess was exuding a sacred aura that Kamito never would have imagined in the past.

(...She really is a princess maiden who was the Queen candidate.)

"Kamito-kun, you're not thinking something impertinent, are you?"

Fianna glared at Kamito.

"Also, Kamito-kun, is it really true? This spirit is&mdash;"

"Yes. I was half-skeptical at first, but there's definitely no mistake."

The one who answered was Restia rather than Kamito.

"That child is the Water Elemental Lord's incarnation that was separated."

&mdash;After the ritual's preparations were complete, Kamito had revealed the girl spirit's true identity.

Namely, she was the incarnation of the Water Elemental Lord&mdash;Iseria Seaward.

Of course, he did not mention the assassination plan from three years ago.

"...Extremely difficult to believe that this child is really the Water Elemental Lord."

"Yes, the same goes for me..."

Unsettled, the girl held Rinslet's hand.

Upon hearing about her true identity, she seemed to be the one in the most shock.

"Darkness spirit, you're not trying to scheme against us, are you?"

"Oh dear, what purpose would that serve? In any case, everything will become clear once that child is unsealed."

Restia effortlessly deflected Fianna's questioning.

"If the true name turns out to be mistaken, the unsealing will fail."

"Let's believe Restia for now, Fianna. This child's existence might prove to be the key to understanding the mystery of the Elemental Lords' madness that Rubia mentioned."

Kamito interrupted.

"...I understand. Seeing as Kamito-kun says so."

Hearing him, Fianna nodded reluctantly.

Holding her palms together, she turned to face the girl spirit.

"Iseria-sama, once the ritual begins, it cannot be stopped midway. May I ask if it is okay?"

"...Understood."

She nodded.

"Kamito, all of you should keep your distance until the ritual ends."

"Yeah, got it."

Pulling the Demon Slayer out from the ground, Kamito retreated to the walls of the cavern.

Fianna slowly stood up&mdash;

"&mdash;You, Iseria Seaward, shall be liberated from here."

She declared in a clear and pure voice.

The altars at the four corners gave off intense light.

Sparks burst forth from the giant magic circle, piercing Iseria's entire body.

"...! A-Ah, ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

Screaming as though she were struggling, the girl clutched her head with both hands and knelt down in pain.

"Miss Spirit!"

"...Did the ritual fail!?"

Rinslet and Kamito could not suppress the urge to rush over&mdash;

"No, Kamito&mdash;"

But Restia reached out to stop them.

"That is the strain from releasing the seal. It is evidence that the seal-breaking ritual is succeeding... That princess over there really lives up to her position as a former Queen candidate."

"...O-Ooh... Head... hurts... so much..."

Confronted with the rushing flow of light piercing her, the girl spirit desperately endured.

Her petite body began to tremble slightly.

"...So scary... darkness... is... swallowing... me..."

"...Darkness?"

Hearing the girl's murmurs, Kamito suddenly reacted.

"Could it be that she's remembering her past memories...?"

"Yes, that seems to be the case."

Restia concurred.

&mdash;Just at this moment.

"&mdash;Heh, well isn't this interesting?"

"...!?"

A voice was heard in the darkness.

Kamito turned his head back&mdash;

Only to see the Theocracy's witch, her bright red lips twisted in a sneer.