Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume7 Chapter5 (section)

===Part 6===

"Everyone, are you all okay?"

Kamito glared at the Four Gods before them as he asked the girls.

"I'm okay... Is what I'd really like to say. It's really dangerous!"

Claire shrugged as she replied.

"All we can do is fight on..."

Kamito smiled wryly as he infused power into the Demon Slayer.

His right arm was too numb to use at all. More urgently, he was going to lose consciousness from blood loss if he continued to move like this for a few more minutes. Also, the damage from Shao's Fist of Assassination still remained.

Shao Fu of the White Tiger cracked her knuckles with displeasure as she approached.

"You're terrible, Kazehaya Kamito. To think we were having so much fun together."

She must be complaining about the little trick he used as a delaying tactic.

"Unlike these young ladies of noble birth, I don't have much of an upbringing."

The Four Gods cautiously kept their distance. Not letting down their guard in the face of injured prey, their discipline truly befitted a renowned strong team.

(Well then, what should we do...)

Kamito calmly observed the four elementalists. Rao, Hakua and Rion were individually inferior to the ace Shao Fu. If they were engaged in blade dance one on one, Claire and the girls were most likely stronger.

(--However, the truly troublesome factor is these girl's teamwork tactics.)

Against a coordinated attack from all four members of the Four Gods, even Kamito could not take them lightly.

(If I do it alone, it really is a bit challenging...)

Kamito glanced behind him.

Discovering his intention, Claire spoke up.

"Rinslet and I can still fight."

"Leave the support to us."

Rinslet nodded as well and readied her magic bow of ice.

Indeed, Kamito was no longer alone. He had trustworthy teammates now.

These comrades, worthy of protection, brought power to Kamito's sword even greater than any ritual dance performance.

"I'll leave Fianna to take charge of Ellis' treatment."

"Understood."

Ellis nodded vigorously.

"...Sorry, Kamito."

"Ellis, I will avenge you."

Comforting Ellis who was biting her lip out of regret, Kamito suddenly kicked the ground for a flying leap.

The first to react was Hakua of the Black Tortoise. Bending over in a low stance, she swiftly approached.

Based on her movements, Kamito instantly discerned that she was also a user of the Fist of Assassination just like Shao.

The other three also ran over at different intervals, as if planning to attack wave after wave in succession to wear down his stamina -- However, the fact that they did not attack all at once actually provided Kamito with an opportunity instead.

Through the battle against Shao, his senses had already been sharpened to a very keen level.

Feeling something was awakening within his body, Kamito started to blade dance.

"O Earth, may thy roars resound -- Earth Blast!"

Hakua struck her shield against the ground. As the ground swelled up, numerous pellets of stone flew out. Even though it was not magic with particularly high damage, trying to block all the pellets with a sword was virtually impossible.

"Kamito, hurry and dodge!"

Claire swung Flametongue. The freely dancing crimson flames deflected all of the stone pellets.

Kamito instantly crossed the sandstorm sweeping across the ground.

The girl wielding the azure dragon blade rushed before him. Rao of the Azure Dragon. Due to the effects of the ritual dance performance, the azure dragon blade's cutting edge had grown several fold.

As the gigantic azure dragon blade swept horizontally, Kamito bent over to evade the attack. Immediately, several arrows of ice flew over his head. It was Rinslet's cover fire.

"How foolish, to think you'd attempt to freeze a blade of water--"

"This is no ordinary ice -- Blossoming without waiting for winter, Ice Break!"

Instantly, the ice fragmented to produce a scatter shot, blowing Rao away.

Using this opening, Kamito instantly closed in.

"Don't think you can succeed!"

Hakua rushed before him, trying to block the sword's attack with her elemental waffe, the shield, however--

"Est, my apologies -- I will be using a slightly reckless skill!"

Kamito yelled out as he poured his entire body's divine power into Terminus Est.

Spinning his body rapidly, he thrust the tip of the brilliantly radiant sword towards the shield.

An intense showering of sparks exploded. Even for the strongest sword spirit, trying to pierce with one strike a spirit specializing in defense was not possible.

However, the attack did not end there. Kamito momentarily released the sword--

"Absolute Blade Arts -- Sixth Form, Crushing Fang!"

Then he forcefully hammered his fist against the hilt of the sword.

Using the blade to transmit the impact -- this was a weapon breaking technique that belonged to the domain of unorthodox sword skills.

The Black Tortoise's shield was shattered into particles of light. Hakua's eyes widened greatly.

Having shattered the shield, the sword's blade pierced Hakua's chest.

Damage to the body was instantly converted into psychological damage. Infused with immense divine power, this attack immediately rendered her unconscious.

"How dare you do that to Hakua!"

Emotionally distraught, Rao slashed with her weapon. At the same time, brandishing the crimson club, Rion attacked from the opposite flank. On the other hand, Shao charged in from straight forward with the Divine Tiger Fangs positioned at her waist.

Faced with simultaneous attacks from three directions--

"Absolute Blade Arts, Third Form--Shadowmoon Waltz!"

Using one foot as a pivot, Kamito unleashed a spinning slash like a tornado.

Sparks flew all around. Spinning, slashing then turning again -- Kamito's sword danced madly like a tempest, shattering Rao's azure dragon blade and Rion's club at the same time.

"...Y-You weren't being serious just now!?"

Crossing the Divine Tiger Fangs, Shao used its teeth to block Kamito's sword strike.

Her forehead broke out with cold sweat.

"I wasn't holding back out of mercy. However, it was your blade dance that awakened me."

Kamito found his limbs moving on their own accord. His body was recalling the sword skills he had used in the past as the Strongest Blade Dancer, Ren Ashbell.

"Impossible, for a single person to overwhelm us, the Four Gods..."

"Don't forget about me, Flame Chain!"

"And me too -- Freezing Arrow!"

The flaming whip and the arrows of ice attacked. Faced against repeated coordinated attacks from the Raven Class combo, even the Four Gods's ace could not help but halt her movements.

Kamito kicked the ground to gain speed to follow up with an attack against Shao who had lost balance--

Suddenly, he felt a chilling presence from behind.

The presence appearing behind -- Rion of the Vermilion Bird.

"Hmph, ''your shadow belongs to me now''."

"...!?"

Kamito instantly spun around to release a slash, but Rion swiftly fled.

She seemed like she did not intend to attack.

(...What's going on?)

Even though doubts entered his mind, Kamito could not attend to them yet.

Using the momentum of the spinning slash, he was about to turn towards Shao.

"Tsk -- Roar of the Royal Fang!"
 
Shao unleashed the shockwave of wind towards Kamito's feet.

A deafening shockwave was heard. As a large amount of dust was swept up, Kamito's view was obscured.

Discovering her intent, Kamito instantly swung his sword to blow away the dust with the pressure--

But by the time the dust settled, the Four Gods had already retreated back to Linfa's location.

Shao panted painfully. Unconscious, Hakua was being carried in Rao's arms.

"Linfa-sama, as much as it pains me, let's retreat first for now."

Rao quietly advised.

"The Four Gods of the Quina Empire, retreating in the face of a second rate team?"

"Looks like our judgment was off. Team Scarlet is not some second rate team. Furthermore, that Kazehaya Kamito--"

"Is no ordinary lustful beast but a veritable monster. To be honest, I have little hopes of victory."

"Gununu..."

Linfa bit the sleeve of her ritual attire regretfully.

"L-Listen well and bear this in mind, Kazehaya Kamito! The next time we meet will be your time of death!"

Leaving behind such villainous dialogue, they fled.

"H-Hold it right there!"

"We're not going to let you escape!"

"W-Wait up..."

Kamito frantically called back Claire and the girls who wanted to pursue the Four Gods.

"..? What? Why shouldn't we pursue at this time?"

"No, well you're not wrong... But my body, I'm reaching my limit..."

Groaning in spasms, Kamito collapsed to his knees.

Just as expected, using sword skills from before so forcibly, the strain on his body was immense.

"Kamito!?"

Claire rushed over frantically.

Stabbed into the ground, the sacred sword disappeared into the air and returned to its original form, a young girl.

"Kamito is always so reckless."

Est grumbled expressionlessly with her back towards Kamito.

Fianna had finished Ellis' emergency treatment and ran over, panting.

Taking out a piece of spirit crystal from her chest, she pressed it against Kamito's body. Even though it was only treatment of the lowest level, it had some comforting effects and could reduce pain to some extent.

"I'm sorry. It's all because my ritual dance performance ended up helping the enemy..."

"Don't let it weigh on your mind, Fianna, it's not your... fault..."

"That's right. An elemental waffe for amplifying a princess maiden's powers is absolutely too unfair!"

Even Claire who usually quarreled with Fianna all the time was comforting her.

However, Fianna's expression remained gloomy. Probably because her power did not help at all in this battle, she felt more or less responsible.

"By the way, the sword skills just now... Hey, Kamito!?"

Kamito's view suddenly went dark.

Hearing the worried voices of Claire and the rest, Kamito lost consciousness.