Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume5 Chapter5 (section)

===Part 6===

After a while more—

"– Now then, let's begin the ritual."

Reicha, who had changed into a set of pure white ritual clothes, knelt demurely in front of Kamito. 

Her serene, assured appearance contrasted sharply with that of the nervous, embarrassed young girl just a while ago; they seemed like virtually two different people. 

So as not to disrupt the ritual, Fianna had retreated to a corner of the room to guard them from afar. 

"I'll leave everything in your hands, R-Reicha-sama."

"Please, just call me Reicha, Kamito-sama."

The Fire Queen smiled quietly, then caressed Kamito's hand gently.

"Will you be scared – I mean, scared to touch a male's body?"

"... To be honest, yes, a little scared. But... you are a friend of my sempai."

"It seems like you trust Fianna a lot."

"... Yes, indeed. Fianna-sempai was one of the only people to stand by my side."

Reicha mumbled to herself, as if recalling a faraway memory of some past event. 
The rapport between the two seemed to go deeper than mere friendship. 

"Also, I can feel it, you're not a dangerous evil person."

"Is that so?"

"Don't judge me based on my looks and age. I am after all a Queen, and I am quite confident in my ability to assess people."

Reicha said with a genuine smile.

Her smile was full of charm and could easily mesmerize someone looking at it. 

"Now, then, Kamito-sama, please remove your shirt."

"Oh... Mmm-hmm..."

Kamito nodded, and took off the thin tunic he was wearing under the princess maiden dress. 

The Brand of Darkness on his chest, positioned just above his heart, had turned into a pitch-black wound. 

"Ahhh... T-That's really something...!"

Reicha clapped both hands to her cheeks, blushing furiously red. 

"T-This is my first time seeing a m-male's body..."

"Oh, is that so..."

Kamito looked away, feeling a little uneasy. 

To have his naked body scrutinized so closely by a girl made him mysteriously embarrassed. 

"Kamito, your face is very red."

Standing at a side of the room, Fianna said, then immediately coughed a few times.

Reicha stretched out a hand nervously to touch Kamito's chest. 

"... Very... very firm and solid!"

"It's alright, it's a result of all the training at the Instructional School..."

The Queen's slim fingers wandered along Kamito's naked upper body, making him itch slightly. 

However, where her fingers touched, he suddenly felt waves of aching pain. 

Then, Reicha shut her eyes, and solemnly began chanting a curse in spirit language. 

"O supreme master of all earthly flames, our harsh judge and great warrior—

These were the words of the prayer for a ritual dedicated to the Fire Elemental Lord.

Reicha's hair started blowing wildly as if by a hot gust of wind, and a bright white light shone at her fingertips. 

"Sacred Flames of Judgment – redeem our sins and cleanse our filth—"

The words coming from her thin pale lips were the highest level of spirit language, the High Ancient. 

The little girl before his eyes seemed to be possessed.

"... Oooo, uhhhhh...!"

Kamito let out uncontrollable moans of pain. 

The bright blue flames from Reicha's fingertips were burning his skin, scorching his flesh. 

"Oww... aaaaaaaa... aaah—!"

The unimaginable pain seemed to morph into the roar of a monstrous beast, which rushed out of Kamito's throat.

He felt a sharp tinnitus, as if fireworks were exploding in his head. Sweat oozed from his every pore, and his muscles tensed so hard as to nearly break his bones.

"Into ash and dust! Your flames can purify all darkness, burn away all curses!"

The Brand of Darkness imprinted on Kamito's chest suddenly started burning intensely. 

"... – !"

Kamito burst into wordless howls.

In his quickly fading awareness – Kamito felt a dull pain coming from his right hand. 

(– Could it be... Est's spirit mark...!?)

Just as he saw, from the corner of his eye, his spirit mark began radiating a bright light— 

Kamito lost consciousness, and plunged into darkness. 

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