Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume8 Chapter1 (section)

===Part 4===
"......Wait, what's this about?"

"We've finally come to the city so not having fun would be such a waste."

"We didn't come to play around. As the academy's representatives---"

"I know. But I think relaxing is also necessary."

While still holding the perplexed Claire's hand, Kamito walked along the street.

"Wh-What, that......fuaa, e-everyone's looking at us!"

"Don't mind it."

"D-Don't mind it, you say, uuu......"

Maybe because holding hands was immensely embarrassing, Claire's face was beet red.

But it was necessary with this crowd. If they let go, they would end up separated without a doubt.

(Now then, what to do......)

Kamito scratched his cheek as they walked down the main street.

Somehow he had ended up bringing her along with great zeal but---

He pondered as they walked and they arrived at a large plaza.

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Sacred Areishia Plaza --- in the plaza bearing the name of the Sacred Maiden that slew the Demon King, a large crowd of nobles clamored.

The topic of their discussions were, of course, the Blade Dance finals.

Which country's representing team would win, what method would be used to decide the match, and finally, whether the Strongest Blade Dancer who was leading Team Inferno would display overwhelming strength once again in this competition.

In that kind of crowd, it seemed the faces of Kamito and the others who had advanced to the finals were already famous so stares of curiosity flooded in from around them.

There were favorable gazes amongst them, but there were also ones heavily laden with hostility here and there.

(......Well, if a minor team won, there would be those who wouldn't like it.)

While pulling Claire's hand, Kamito shrugged in his heart.

There might be those inside these onlookers who knew Claire as the younger sister of the Calamity Queen.

As expected, due to the highborn noble status they held, there were no openly rude comments being made, but even the favorable gazes didn't give off a good feeling.

"It might be a good idea to enter some place."

"......Th-That's true. If possible, a place where we won't draw attention."

"Yeah......"

Kamito looked around the plaza for a place and---

"......Ohh, they're showing an action drama."

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His eyes had stopped on a small theatre.

An action drama was a form of amusement where the scene of a play was copied onto a special spirit crystal and then projected onto a screen.

"That kind of theatre should have a relay of the Blade Dance on a large projector. Since the only ones that can enter the Grand Shrine as spectators are the highborn nobles.

"......I see. So they show the action drama while there's no real combat going on."

Kamito nodded as if in admiration.

And after seeing the theatre's signboard, she let out a gasp.

"......What is it?"

"That theatre, it's showing 'The Three Cat Knights'."

"......Cat?"

Certainly, there was a picture of three cats wielding swords on the theatre's signboard.

"Is that a famous work?"

"Yes. I've only heard rumors about it though and haven't actually seen it myself."

Claire gazed at the signboard like she was boring through it.

(......It's because she likes cats, isn't it.)

"Okay, then let's watch that."

Kamito gave a wry smile as he pulled her hand and,

"Y-Yeah!"

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Claire nodded in a happy manner.

His heart throbbed uncontrollably at that innocent smile.

"Although saying that, it looks like there's still some time left until the showing."

"Ah, that's true. What should we do?"

"Shall we look around at a nearby souvenir shop?"

And at that time.

"Hrm, it appears that you've been training your teammate well."

"......!?"

Suddenly, he heard a voice from behind him.

......He couldn't believe it. Even if Kamito had let his guard down in the town, she had approached without letting him feel even a shred of her presence.

(---And, this voice, it couldn't be!)

He turned around and.

There stood a bewitchingly beautiful woman with a mature charm.

Ash blonde hair that stretched down to her waist. Dressed in a jet black dress that seamed to have darkness interwoven, beauty like a carving, and eyes reminiscent of a falcon that shone sharply.

"---Greyworth!?" "Headmistress!?"

Kamito and Claire yelled out at the same time and,

"It's been a while, lad."

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She shrugged her shoulders like she was amused.

Greyworth Ciel Mais --- the former number one of the empire's celebrated Numbers. She had been named a hero of the Ranbal War and was the winner of the Blade Dance twenty four years ago.

Having taken the nickname of Dusk Witch, the strongest elementalist in the continent.

"You, why would you be here---"

Kamito scowled at the witch before him.

"Hmph, how cold."

Greyworth slightly lifted her glasses with her fingertips and,

"Even though I expressly came here because I was worried about a pair of young lovers."

"Wha---"

"Kamito, what is she talking about?"

Claire turned to glare at him.

"W-Wait, don't believe her!"

As if happy with watching Kamito's panicked condition, Greyworth chuckled lightly and smiled.

"It was a joke. As headmistress, isn't my coming to see what my pupils are doing a given?"

"I'm sure the Blade Dance is also being shown at the academy. What's going on with the academy?"

"I have left the academy to Freya. Sylphid is also doing well."

Greyworth then turned in Claire's direction and,

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"Claire Rouge. I have seen the great efforts of Team Scarlet. Especially in the latter half, your growth as a commander has been magnificent."

"N-No such thing, your words are wasted on me!"

Claire stiffened up and answered.

It seemed that even the academy's problem child was nervous before Greyworth.

For an elementalist girl, the name of the Dusk Witch held that much weight behind it.

(......Although to me, she's just a super sadistic granny.)

Remembering the unreasonable training from three years ago, Kamito cursed in his heart.

(Still......)

Why would Greyworth visit Astral Zero with this timing?

There was no way it was for the purpose of spectating the battle.

To begin with, the one who had baited Kamito with information on Restia and made him participate in this Blade Dance was Greyworth.

(---And she also proposed that I defeat the other Ren Ashbell.)

There was no doubt that something was happening behind this Blade Dance.

And it was likely to be a combination of several predictions. Did this witch know what the masked girl masquerading as Ren Ashbell was planning---?

"......"

He could not acquire any information from Greyworth's grey eyes.

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The witch would absolutely not tell lies. However, she also would not speak the truth.

......Asking her any questions would be useless.

He wondered if he should propose a trade seeing as there was no other way to get information.

"It's the final break before the finals. You should enjoy it to the utmost."

Greyworth showed a smile on her face and patted both of their shoulders.

"Incidentally, our academy has no rules against relations between different genders. Do your best."

"H-Hey!"

"Headmistress!?"

Claire's cheeks flushed red.

Greyworth disappeared into the crowd while waving at them.

"......What's with her."

Kamito muttered complaints under his breath and pulled on Claire's hand.

"So, let's go. It seems it would be a good idea to enter the theatre now."

"Y-Yeah......"

Kamito turned towards and began walking to the theatre and Claire quickly followed after him.

The theatre's interior was unexpectedly wide and the two easily managed to get seats.

Perhaps because there was still time until the showing, the patrons were still sparse.

Claire was eating the peach crepe she had bought at the theatre's shop as if to show that it was delicious.

"......You sure can eat. You just ate not too long ago, is that okay?"

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Kamito said while astonished and,

"It's completely fine, elementalists don't gain weight......mm, this is delicious ♪"

"You have cream stuck to your cheek."

"......Eh? Fuaaa!"

He wiped the cream from her face with his fingers and Claire's face tinted red.

"......j-jeez, wh-what are you doing......!"

Hit, hit, hit.

"S-Sorry......"

Certainly, suddenly touching a girl's cheek might be a breach of manners.

Claire puffed her cheeks in an angry manner.

......That action was strangely cute.

"Hey, Kamito---"

And Claire suddenly put on a serious expression and whispered.

"Yeah?"

"......Umm, what kind of relationship do you have with the headmistress?"

"Y-You wouldn't happen to still be suspicious about what she said about a lover's outing?"

"That's not it. Come on, you said it before. That you had learned the same sword techniques as Ren Ashbell from the headmistress."

"Ahh, that thing......"

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"Exactly when did you come to know the headmistress?"

"Mm......"

While Kamito lightly scratched his cheek, he slightly averted his gaze.

"......Kamito?"

(......Now then, what should I say?)

It was something that happened a year before Kamito debuted as Ren Ashbell.

(......Well, it should be fine if it's a story about before I became Ren Ashbell.)

To a certain extent, telling her the circumstances might, on the contrary, dispel some of her doubts.

(Moreover, it would probably be a good idea to tell her about my relationship with Restia as well.)

He would probably end up fighting Restia again in the finals. With what had happened so far, he couldn't say that Claire and the others weren't involved anymore.

Claire gazed at Kamito with upturned eyes.

......It looked like there was still time left before the showing of the recording.

"It will probably be a boring story about long ago?"

"It's fine. I'd like to know more about Kamito."

"Eh?"

Kamito questioned in return and Claire covered her mouth with a gasp.

"Ah, th-that's not it! It didn't have that meaning!"

"I know."

Kamito shrugged his shoulders with a wry smile and breathed out.

While remembering about those days, he muttered.

"I met with the Dusk Witch four years ago --- immediately after the destruction of the Instructional School."


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