Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume13 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 8===

"Luminaris-sama, that tree looks familiar&mdash;"

"...We circled back here again? What on earth is going on?"

&mdash;In the depths of the Forest of Ice Blossoms. Covered by thick snow, the forest was shrouded in dense fog. The Holy Kingdom's knights had already gone in circles for dozens of hours.

In the forest's center, the surrounding fog was getting denser and denser. Spirits that looked just like trees were using skillful changes of their appearances to deceive the intruders' eyes.

It was like the entire forest was refusing their entry.

(...By the way, why did it become like this?)

Luminaris could not help but show a bitter expression on her dignified face.

Despite being the cream-of-the-crop from the Sacred Spirit Knights with their outstanding martial ability, perhaps they might even get wiped out by the enemy if they kept circling aimlessly in the snow-covered forest like this. But on the other hand, the surrounding fog's increasing density was indicating that they were getting closer and closer to their destination.

This dense fog was definitely no natural phenomena&mdash;A magic Barrier.

Not the darkness spirit's doing. Back when the old couple from the village discovered her, she was incapable of walking, not even able to speak. In her current state, making this kind of barrier was impossible.

(...No mistake, this Barrier must belong to the Elfim race.)

A Barrier capable of covering the entire forest was definitely impossible to deploy by one person's efforts alone. Very likely, this was erected using ancient ruins as a foundation.

Also, with great certainty, the darkness spirit was with the Elfim race.

(...So, we shall not falter here.)

Luminaris issued orders to her subordinates.

"Starting now, we will split into two teams to act separately. If you find any ancient stone monuments or old trees in the forest, destroy them directly. They are very likely to be the barrier's foundations."

"...!"

The four subordinates looked at one another.

"But doesn't that go against the treaty&mdash;"

Even during war time, destroying ancient ruins was forbidden. This was part of the terms that the nations had already decided between themselves. However, Luminaris was issuing an order to destroy ruins.

"Just act according to my orders, for I will take responsibility. Otherwise, we will die in this land of snow at this rate."

Faced with Luminaris's irrefutable command, the Holy Kingdom's knights nodded with determination.

<noinclude>
{{SeireiDance Nav|prev=Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume13 Chapter3|next=Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume13 Chapter5}}
</noinclude>