Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume8 Chapter3 (section)

===Part 8===

---Dozens of minutes later.

Rinslet piled the books she had taken from the shelves onto the floor.

"......Phew, there was worth in coming. This is an amazing collection."

For some reason, she slapped the books with old leather covers that had complicated characters on them.

She didn't really understand the contents, but she had just gathered every book that had extravagant binding and looked difficult.

"Rinslet-chan, can you read books written in spirit language?"

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Picking up one of the books from that pile. Claire spoke out in surprise.

Rinslet pressed her lips together. She had received education for gifted children ever since she was a child, but as expected, she still couldn't decode spirit language.

"C-Can you read it?"

"Yeah, just a bit. Nee-sama taught me."

Claire nodded.

Rinslet instantly puffed her cheeks as if displeased and,

"H-How impertinent!"

"Fuaa, Rinfure-hyan, it hauts!"

She was pulling on Claire's cheeks.

And then.

"......?"

Claire's shoulders slightly stiffened.

"What's wrong?"

While questioning her, Rinslet released Claire's cheeks.

"Y-Yeah, just now, there was something---I felt a chill."

"A chill?"

Rinslet knitted her brows.

The underground library was cool, but not to the point of shivering.

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"Come on, please don't scare me!"

"But, I really---"

Whooooooooosh---

"......Kyaa!?"

Rinslet screamed out without thinking at the blast of cold air from somewhere.

"Rinslet-chan......"

"I-It's fine, it's just a draft."

"But there was no draft until just now."

Claire whispered that, sounding worried and started looking around at the surroundings restlessly.

......Just like a frightened small animal.

(......Jeez, it can't be helped.)

Rinslet shrugged slightly and---

Held the shivering Claire's hand.

"......?"

"Relax. I'm here."

"Y-Yeah......"

It seemed she'd calmed down as her hand stopped shaking.

"......Rinslet-chan's hand is warm. It's like nee-sama's."

"Wh-What are you saying! I'm a cold ice demon!"

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Rinslet's face reddened and she averted her eyes.

"At any rate, this is......"

The sound of the blowing wind was gradually getting stronger.

The books on the ground were flapping and their dress' skirts were flying up.

Just what exactly was happening---

"......It seems like a good idea to go back."

Rinslet muttered and just then.



"---Who is the one who has disturbed my slumber."



A ghastly voice resounded within the underground room.

"Kyaa!"

"Wh-What!?"

"---Who is the one who has disturbed my slumber!"

This time, a louder voice from far away shook the lines of bookshelves.

"......Fuaaa!?"

The two pressed against each other and cringed.

"Rinslet-chan, th-that book---"

Claire pointed at the ground and yelled. It was one of the books that Rinslet had brought over. The page that had been opened by the wind was giving off bluish white light.

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"Could it be that there was a sealed spirit sealed in that book!?"

"What did you say!?"

Sealed spirit---it was a general term for spirits that were sealed into magical items as a result of their ferocity.

It was an existence that an elementalist with little experience should fear the most.

"Th-That kind of dangerous thing was in that book---kyaaa!"

Lots of dust was falling from the ceiling as a result of the room's rumbling.

And then---

"---Who is the one who has disturbed my slumbeeeeeeeeer!"

A magic square of light formed around the book.

A giant ice figure appeared in the middle of the blinding light---!

"......!"

That was a dragon---no, it was a large lizard crafted of ice.

Of course, there was no way that was a natural living creature.

It was a spirit. ---And an extremely strong one.

"Ice salamander---......"

Claire muttered in a trembling voice.

"You know what it is?"

"I read about it in a book. It's a terribly ferocious ice beast spirit......"

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"......"

Rinslet gulped at Claire's words.

The giant ice beast that appeared from the magic square leered at the two with its red eyes.

"So you two are my offerings......"

Waving its long tongue, it slowly moved towards them.

It seemed it happened to be able to understand human language, but it didn't seem like the kind that one could have a conversation with.

(......There's no way but to do it!)

Rinslet resolved herself and quickly chanted the summoning.

"---Answering to my command, come forth, demon ice spirit Fenrir!"

In a moment, the white wolf appeared from thin air. With a sharp roar, it attacked the ice beast.

"I, I did it!"

Summoning without a magic square was a dangerous bet but---

There was no prey the demon ice spirit could not hunt.

---But in the next instant. Rinslet's victory smile froze over.

The ice beast swung its tail and blew Fenrir away.

Fenrir smacked into the wall and was scattered into particles with only one attack.

"No way......!"

A hoarse cry came from Rinslet's throat.

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The demon ice spirit Fenrir was a high-level spirit that had served generations of the Laurenfrost house. It was an existence far above sealed spirits like that one.

But its contractor, Rinslet, was no more than a six year old girl. Because of her inexperience as an elementalist, it could not unleash its full potential.

"---Foolish girl."

The ice beast's long tongue licked Rinslet's cheek.

"Ah, ahh......"

Her entire body cowered in fear.

(It's my fault......)

Rinslet heavily regretted her actions.

It would have been best to just do as Claire had said and obediently play with dolls back in the room.

(It's my fault that even she---)

She turned her gaze backward and Claire was on her knees shaking.

"Claire, you have to escape at least!"

"I, I can't......!"

Claire shook her head intensely.

"It's fine, so run. Protecting the weak is also a part of noblesse oblige!"

Rinslet yelled in a quavering voice and stood before the ice beast that was closing in.

"Rinslet-chan!?"

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"Hurry, now!"

"No! I can't just run and leave a friend behind!"

"Claire---"

In an instant, the giant ice beast's claws flashed.

"Kyaaaaa!"

Rinslet's small body was easily blown away and smacked into the bookshelf.

A dull sound from the impact echoed and a great deal of books fell.

The shredded white dress was dyed with the pure red color of blood.

"---......!?"

A sharp scream gushed forth from Claire's throat.

"......Ah, h......kuu......"

"Rinslet-chan, get a hold of yourself! Rinslet-chan!"

She could hear Claire's voice from far away.

She could tell that blood was leaving her from her entire body.

(I was really foolish......)

In her hazy conscience---

Regrets swirled around.

......I thought I could do anything. I had nothing to fear.

She had not realized until now that that was just the conceit of youth.

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(At least, that girl......)

She wanted to at least save the girl that had called her a friend.

"Quick......ly, run......away......"

"......Forgive."

"Eh?"

Even while on the verge of losing consciousness, that voice reached her ears.

"---I definitely won't forgive you!"

"......!"

She finally realized that was Claire's voice.

The red twintails were swaying like a burning fire.

(......Wh-What?)

Her body was hot. The surrounding temperature was rising.

The ruby eyes that housed flames glared at the ice salamander as if piercing it.

The ice beast that was slowly drawing closer stopped for a moment as if it felt fear.

"---Born of nothingness, the flames governing destruction!"

The spirit language chant spun from her lips.

It was not an informal chant. It was a true chant that drew forth the utmost of one's divine power.

Rinslet's conscience was awakened by that unbelievable scene.

"---Don't tell me, Fireball!?"

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It was a middle-class fire element spell.

The ice salamander roared.

It swung its claws to stop the chant---

Just before that, the spirit magic was completed.

"Take this, incinerating conflagration --- Fireball!"

The swelling blaze engulfed the surrounding oxygen and attacked the ice beast.

Rinslet reflexively protected her forehead from the raging explosion she expected.

However---

"......?"

Even ignoring whether it struck the ice beast, there was no explosion.

(......What is that!?)

On the other side of the wavering air---

''The red lotus of flames had greedily devoured the ice spirit.''

It was like a giant carnivorous predator had massacred its prey.

Those flames moved as if they had their own will and relentlessly devoured the spirit.

---''Was that really Fireball magic?''

"......"

At last, with the final death cries of agony from the ice beast, the flames vanished.

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"Haaa, haaa, haaa......"

Claire had exhausted her strength from firing those flames and fell to her knees.

"......Y-You can use that kind of amazing magic?"

Rinslet asked as she pressed down on her clotting flank.

"Y-Yeah......but, father said to never use it......kuu......"

"Your hands are!?"

Rinslet gasped.

......Claire's hands were severely burnt.

"I-I'm fine, this much......"

With her face distorting from pain, Claire put on a smile to act strong.

Rinslet sighed.

"......I swear. Even though you're a crybaby, you're rash."

"......"

There was no response. Whether she'd used up her vitality or divine power, Claire had lost her consciousness as if having fallen asleep.

Rinslet gently touched her cheek and,

"Claire Elstein---"

Softly whispered that.

"I will recognize you as my destined rival."