Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume8 Chapter2 (section)

===Part 8===
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Kamito immediately changed his thoughts into battle mode.

His opponent was short with a feminine physique.

A girl ― if it was, the chance of her being an elementalist was high.

Kamito quickly reached for the twin blades beneath his skirt and gathered divine power into his hands.

This was the first time an elementalist assassin had come to the mansion. By no means, they should not be of the remnants from the Instructional School but―

"It's unfortunate, but the Dusk Witch is not here."

"......"

Kamito said those words but the assassin was not perturbed at all. She stood there wordlessly while sending out killing intent.

(Greyworth isn't the target? If not, then what exactly―)

An instant. From the assassin's fingers, a sphere was formed.

Aiming at Kamito, she launched the sphere.

(Spirit magic......as I thought, an elementalist!)

As he reflexively moved to dodge ― he realized.

On the desk behind him was the Key of Solomon that was necessary for freeing Restia.

He turned around in an instant. He stopped it with the twin swords infused with divine power ― but,

"......Guu!"

Even if it was infused with divine power, something like a sword couldn't deflect spirit magic. The black orb that hit the blades exploded right in front of him. Kamito's body was blown away violently and smacked into the wall.

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"......Ku, ah......"

At the spot the ball had exploded, a hole like the air had been gouged out opened and the fragments of the twin swords that had stopped the spirit magic had been eliminated without a trace.

"......Annihilation magic, huh!"

This one was on a different level from all the assassins that had come to the mansion before―!

The assassin wordlessly shot several black orbs at him.

Kamito quickly grabbed the Key of Solomon and threw himself to the ground.

The black spheres exploded overhead. The shards from the wooden wardrobe that was broken by the technique grazed against his cheek.

(......Don't tell me, the target is this book!?)

And yet, his opponent was firing her magic carelessly.

He decided the objective wasn't recovery but destruction and―

Kamito tightened his grip around the book in his hands.

(......I definitely will not let go of this.)

―This book was the sole key to freeing that girl.

(Restia......)

The girl with black wings that wore a night-colored dress.

When they had parted, the last smile she had shown him was deeply etched into his mind.

With the remains of the twin sword in his left hand and the copy held in his right hand, Kamito confronted the assassin.

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Essentially, with the book's safety as a priority, he would prefer to retreat at this point, but unfortunately there were no windows in this room and the sole exit had an assassin standing in it.

(It seems I have no choice but to defeat her―)

The assassin held out her fingers.

Instantly, black spheres fired out consecutively ― there was nowhere to hide in the room.

But that was with the general knowledge of an average battle technician. Kamito kicked off the floor and moved from the wall to the ceiling in but a moment, avoiding all the orbs with minimal movement.

The specialty of the Instructional School's assassins, meta three-dimensional movement ― moreover, Kamito's version of that had been nicknamed "Shadow Weaving", otherworldly movement.

"......!"

The first signs of agitation were born in the black-clothed assassin.

Kamito ''kicked off the ceiling and jumped''. Closing the distance in an instant, he released a slashing attack.

―But the blade fruitlessly cut only air.

The assassin's image disappeared into thin air like a mirage.

There was no particular reason for surprise. With an elementalist as an opponent, it was a natural thing.

He calmly checked for a presence ― and overhead, the air slightly wavered.

"......!"

Rather than confirming the enemy by sight, Kamito quickly took evasion maneuvers.

A moment later, the place Kamito had been standing just before was peppered with annihilation magic."

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The floor that had become nothing was gouged out along with the air.

If that hit directly, a person would vanish without a single trace.

(I can't let it touch me even slightly.)

Kamito gripped the copy even tighter.

(―I will definitely protect this!)

That time. Kamito realized.

(―I see, this is the first time I've fought this kind of battle.)

And.

Without any orders, he wanted to protect something by his own will and was fighting while strongly desiring that.

The assassin swooped down before his eyes. In her hand was a blade made through magic.

The flash of a blade ran. Kamito promptly whipped out his one-handed sword, protecting the book against his chest.

The one-handed sword was eliminated as if it had been absorbed.

The assassin kicked off the ground again and moved into striking distance.

(Cra―)

Just before the assassin's blade touched the copy.

Restia's smile once again flashed across his mind.

(―I won't let you!)

"Ohhhhhhhh!"

Kamito instantaneously infused his left hand with divine power.

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Normally, an elementalist with no contracted spirit could not use spirit magic. However, Kamito concentrated his divine power to the utmost limit and created a pseudo-blade of divine power.

It was possible in theory ― but it was the first time it had ever succeeded.

The surging divine power blade deflected the assassin's annihilation sword.

On top of that, the black cloth mask was lightly cut.

The cloth gently fell from her mouth.

"―I'm surprised. To think that other than through spirit magic, you would pull out a blade of divine power."

"......!?"

The one who smiled fearlessly was―

With clear grey eyes, a beautiful ''girl''.

"You are―"

"―This is a reward for that. ''See through it this time.''"

And then, the sword flash burst out.

"Absolute Blade Arts, First Form ― Purple Lightning."