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Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume1 Chapter8

2012-04-07T06:38:04Z

81.243.80.150: /* Part 3 */

==The strongest blade dancer==
===Part 1===

Academy Town was a small-scale town within the premises of the Areishia Spirit Academy.

The townscape, lined with stone buildings, was filled with the tumult of people.

While bumping many times over into the coming-and-going crowds of people, Kamito was running towards the arena.

—If that was him thinking about it too much, it was alright. However, he was feeling strangely uneasy.

(…Absurd. With the loss of her contracted spirit, the blade dance is just...)

While he was out of breath, he ran at full speed, pulling Est’s hand.

He did not understand why he was in such a frantic for her sake.

Claire Rogue was a – tyrant, who was prideful, willful and quick to lash her whip.

However, he somehow could not leave her alone.

(After all, her true self is—)

Kamito stopped at that moment.

“—Here, right?”

Before the arena built at the center of the town, there was a crowd of spectators gathered.

The blade dance was originally a holy ritual to let spirits enjoy themselves – a kind of Kagura.


However, there was no change to the fact that that was also the highest form of entertainment to humans.

Also, the same as other festivals, the spirits preferred a great number of enthusiastic people.

He showed his academy student badge to the guard and entered inside, and pushed aside clamoring spectators to get to the front.

There were ear-splitting cheers. The sound of shrills of weapons. The intense blade dance had already started at the arena.

There were about 20 participants. Various types of spirits were jumbled together and fighting.

It was a battle royal system where the last one remaining would earn the right to contract with a powerful military-use spirit.

Kamito searched for Claire—

“…!?”

For that unbelievable sight, he doubted his eyes.

That Claire Rogue was—

Covered all over with wounds and crawling.

Against the contracted spirits boasting tremendous power, Claire was fighting with just a whip and spirit magic.

While her whole body was hit and slammed into a wall, she stood up and fought again and again.

“Claire—“

He could not go help her. If Kamito got in and helped her, she would be naturally disqualified.

If he did that, she would probably never forgive him.

Kamito bit his teeth and in front of him, Claire was blown away.



===Part 2===

—Weak. Why am I so weak?

While being thrown to the ground, Claire strongly bit her lips. The taste of blood spread across her tongue. It seemed that she was cut somewhere inside her mouth. She planned to stand up but her hands went numb and did not move. It seemed to have caused a cerebral concussion. Even several bones of her ribs might be suffering damage.

“Guu…!”

Even so, she still did not raise the surrender card.

She slowly stood up on her shaky legs.

She sternly looked up. At the center of the altar was a worshiped stone pillar. Within that, there was a rank-A battle-class military-use spirit– 'Glasya-Labolas' sealed inside, brought in from the imperial capital.

Having brought down many spirit knights in the past wars, it was a famous giant-man spirit.

(…If I obtain that, I can be strong.)

—Nee-sama surely can be saved!

“Flame – dance in my hand, dance!”

She turned the divine power dwelling within herself into flames and produced a fireball of spirit magic in her palm.


In her situation where there was no supply of divine power from Scarlet (contracted spirit), even for Claire, who was superior, to produce out such a small flame took all her might. Naturally, such a thing could not bring down spirits.

However, if she aimed for the spirit contractors, possibly – there might be a tiny chance of winning.

“Huh? Do you still plan on doing this? You don’t learn, do you”

—She heard a scorning voice from her front.

“…!”

She bit her teeth and lifted her head. The two spirit contractors were standing with ridiculing expressions.

They were the Academy’s upper classmen. They were respectively using 'adamantine spirit' and 'magic mirror spirit'.

“Hey, are you truly not an idiot? You don’t even have a contracted spirit.”

“That very part of you is irritating, you know.”

“…You!”

Aiming at the two upper classmen ridiculing her, Claire released the fireball.

However, the fireball was stopped by the ore-looking adamantine spirit and easily repelled.

“Ahahaa, what’s that, spirit magic? – Do it, 'Adamantine'!”

The girl on the other side cruelly curved her lips and gave an order to her contracted spirit.

The adamantine spirit emitted a blue radiance and rushed and struck Claire’s abdomen.

“Agg…!”


A mumbling scream escaped from Claire’s mouth.

She did not dare aim for her vital points. She was slowly tormenting her and enjoying herself.

This was not a splendor blade dance for spirits to enjoy themselves. It was merely unsightly violence.

“…How cheeky, you. Despite being that Calamity Queen’s younger sister.”

The upper classman’s face was really distorted in hatred. While being hit many times over her whole body, — finally, Claire recalled. These two were colleagues, who were one-sidedly knocked down by Claire at a practice match a month ago. They were resenting about that time.

“What’s with that look? If you don’t give up quickly, you’ll really die!”

“It’s alright if you quickly kneel down and lick our shoes, and yet. Truly, that foolishness is the same as your sister.”

“…Shut…up, be silent.”

Claire tightly grasped the sand scattered on the ground.

“Hn, did you say something?”

“I said… be silent.”

It was no good. She could not restrain it.

(Only abuses at Nee-sama, no matter what, my boiling point for that is low!)

She put divine power into her left hand, which was grasping sand. A black spirit crest re-engraved and ominously glowed.

And then the moment the path was connected, a horrifying sensation ran all over her body.


She would not be defeated at such a place. There was no value in her weak self.

(To grasp a more powerful power in my hand –!)

“What… a contracted spirit!?”

The upperclassmen’s eyes opened in surprise.

“If you wish for it, I’ll show you. This is – my true power!”

Gou!

The black flame, released from Claire’s hand, gulped down the adamantine spirit in an instant.

Appearing from within the blazing flame was—

A flickering jet black magic beast.

It was not a noble flame like Scarlet. It was a flame of darkness, showing signs of madness.

Guo…ruuuuuu…

The beast’s hair-raising roar shook the entire atmosphere in the arena.

===Part 3===

“…What’s that!?”

Kamito got up from the audience seatings and shouted.


The black flame spirit, Claire brought forth, engulfed the adamantine spirit in front of it in an instant.

—It was not Scarlet.

Its appearance was similar to that hell cat but the presence of that divine power was overly ominous.

The jet-black flame spirit bit and crushed the magic mirror spirit at the other side and was devouring those remains like a starving beast. That was not all. The spirits around the black spirit suddenly writhed as if going mad and began eating each other’s existence.

“The frenzy is spreading…!”

Kamito recalled about the magic spirit that appeared in Astral Zero last night.

And about the water spirit that went out of control in the bathroom.

The spirits, in a frenzy, lost their reasoning and were unable to restrain their powers. Until their own existence extinguished, they would conduct themselves with their impulses for destruction.

However, that black magic beast –

(It’s forcefully snatching away Clare’s divine power!?)

Claire stood rock still at the center of the arena with an exhausted expression.

From the black spirit crest engraved on her left hand, blood was trickling down.

Her face was pale and her whole body was quivering bit by bit. It looked like she was also barely standing.

If the situation was left as it was, she might lose her life.


The spectators, who realized that something was strange with the appearance of the spirits, suddenly began a commotion.

The spirit contractor girls, in the arena, were also perplexed at their contracted spirits that suddenly did not listen to their commands.

“Damn, what are the guys in Knights doing?”

Kamito looked around the inside of the arena. Despite being an obvious strange situation, the spirit knights that should have been prepared for unexpected situations were not moving. What was going on?

However, the spirit knights standing at the arena gate were all rooted at the same spot, staring into empty space. The eyes were not focused. It was as if they were entranced –

“…What? What the heck is happening?”

“That’s a crazy spirit, Kamito.”

Est, who was beside him, muttered expressionlessly.

“A crazy spirit?”

“It is a possession-type spirit that bestows berserk-ness to spirits. It isn’t such a high status spirit but the spirit possessed loses its reasoning and, until its own existence vanishes, it will continue to fight.”

“Possess – don’t tell me, that black magic beast is 'Scarlet'!?”


“Affirmative. That hell cat is a very powerful spirit, it should not vanish from the extent of being beaten by the magic spirit. It seems that it temporary lost the ability to manifest but–“


“Is that so…”

The fire remains of the flame spirit remained. However, Claire continuously thought that Scarlet vanished, so she was not able to connect the path.

“—But, in that frenzied condition, vanishing completely is also just a matter of time.”

“Ah, I understand.”

Kamito nodded.

'Scarlet' – a flame spirit with the appearance of a hell cat cladded in noble flames.

That was the very flame of a girl named Claire.

That flame turned into a crazy disgusting magic beast and was indulging and eating the spirits.

Something like that could not be her –Claire’s desired flame.

“—Est. I ask of you, lend me your strength.”

“I am Kamito’s sword. I’ll do as you desire.”

Est gently grasped Kamito’s hand. There was a feeling of a hand, cold but surprisingly soft.

“The cool-headed steel queen, the sacred sword that destroys evil – here and now, become my sword!”

Kamito spun the releasing of the elemental waffe; at the same time, Est’s body turned into particles of light and vanished.

In the next moment, a silver glowing single edged sword appeared in Kamito’s hand.

The spirit language inscription, carved on the edge, was – 'Terminus Est '.


Just by lightly holding it, he understood that it was a tremendously famous sword.

“I’m sorry. The path to my true form is closed, so this is the limit for me currently.”

Est, who turned into the form of a sword, said apologetically.

“No, this is plenty. – Let’s go, Est!”

Kamito prepared Terminus Est and jumped into the arena where the raging black flame was.

The moment he landed onto the ground, the magic beast of darkness bared its fangs and prounced to attack him.

He brandished the sword in a turning manner. He knocked away the black flame, and rushed over to Claire’s side.

“Claire!”

“…Kamito”

Claire opened her ruby-colored eyes.

Her knees were on the ground and she was breathing heavily. Her delicate body was going to collapse at any time.

The blood, trickling from the spirit crest on her left hand, was dying the sand scattered on the ground red.

At that moment, the black flame magic beast mowed onto the ground, like it was making fun of it, with its claws.

There was the scent of burning in the air. The hot wind with pebbles mixed in gently brushed Kamito’s cheeks.

“…!?”

In a hair’s breadth, Kamito dodged the black flame’s claws. He drove in a slash at the black flame spirit that was just knocked down.

The silver sword flash drew an arc. The elemental waffe of the sword spirit cut up even the intangible flames –


The black flame magic beast let out an ear-splitting scream and broke up in the air. It didn't mean that it vanished. The flames that were scattered were burning at their respective positions and formed a flaming wall surrounding Kamito in it. Kamito clicked his tongue and stopped at that spot.

“Claire, get yourself together, come to your senses!”

“Wh…what… Why are you here—“

A confused expression surfaced on Claire’s face –

“…!?”

Then, as if she just began to realize it, she opened her eyes in terror.

The scene that flew into her eyes was a cruel disastrous scene.

There was a blazing disgusting black flame.

A group of spirits was in a frenzy and devouring each other.

The students of the academy were losing their consciousness from having their divine power eaten and were falling down to the ground one by one –

“Claire, is this the power you wanted? Something like this? That’s your flames!”

Kamito shouted as if he was throwing up.

While he cleared away the attacking flame with the sword, he reached out his hand towards Claire.

“I…I…—“

Claire moved her lips with her pale facial expression –


She instantly shook her head as if she had changed her mind.

“Sh…shut up! I… I need the power!”

The red twin-tail hair violently sprung up.

The black flame blazed even more as if responding to Claire’s fury.

“…You don’t understand. My feelings of being always alone –“

Claire lied face down and said that gaspingly.

That day, four years ago, was when the still childish Claire Elstein’s life ended.

The girl, who was betrayed by her most loved sister, had both her parents imprisoned and lost everything, was –

To live taking persecutions as Calamity Queen’s sister.

If she didn't become strong alone, she would not be able to live on.

“…You’re not alone, idiot.”

“Eh?”

At Kamito’s words—

Claire raised her head with a blank expression.

“I am here. I’ll be by your side. After all, I’m –“

Kamito approached Claire with a step.

The flame wall in their surroundings burned with intimidation.


“D…Don’t come here…”

“Claire—“

“Do not come here!”

Pashin! –She closed her eyes and strongly struck her leather whip at Kamito’s cheek.

Red blood flowed from his cheek. Kamito did not even wipe that and took another step—

“…!? Why didn’t you avoid it?”

Claire’s cherry blossom-colored lips were quivering.

“I didn’t plan on hitting… and yet.”

Kamito stood before Claire and slowly raised his hand over his head.

“…!”

Claire thought it was a strike, and reflexively closed her eyes tightly.

Then—

….Poff.

“Eh?”

Claire widely opened her ruby-colored eyes.

She looked up at Kamito with a blank expression.

“—Claire, I like your flames.”


Kamito stirred up and crumpled Claire’s red hair.

“…Wh!? Ah, …li…like… Eh?”

Claire’s cheeks were dyed bright red inside.

“It burns prettily, dazzlingly and nobly. I like your flames.”

“Ah, sh…sh…”

—That was why he wanted to protect those flames.

“If you want power –“

Kamito looked straight into Claire’s eyes and said.


“I’ll be your contracted spirit.”

“Kamito…”

In Claire’s red eyes, a drop of tear surfaced—

Confused, she wiped it with her uniform sleeve.

“Wh…what are you saying? You are originally my slave spirit!”

“Ah, that is right…”

Kamito bitterly smiled and gently removed his hand from Claire’s head.


At that moment, he sliced and drove away the black flame magic beast that roared and came attacking with the sword.

With his back facing Claire, he blocked its way like a knight protecting a princess.

“—Hey, Scarlet. Did you forget your precious master?”

With Kamito’s words thrown at it, the black flame that cladded the magic beast trembled for a moment.

Scarlet – it seemed to respond to that name.

“…Scarlet?”

Claire asked.

“Ah, it wasn’t that your partner vanished. It just temporary lost its power. Although, it’s now possessed by a crazy spirit and has turned into such an appearance.”

“…Scarlet is alive!?”

Claire was taken aback and raised her head. Kamito nodded.

“Ah, this sword – Est informed me.”

“… That’s, by no means, that sword spirit?”

“That’s right. But probably even a tenth of her original power still can’t be used.”

Taking a stance with Terminus Est in both his hands, Kamito turned towards the black flame magic beast.

“…”

Claire stared at the thunderously raging black flame.


She saw something within that flame and swiftly raised her head –

“…Yes that is Scarlet.”

She wiped her tears to shake it off.

“If that’s the case –“

“Claire, stand back. A frenzied spirit will attack even its contractor.”

Kamito controlled Claire, who planned to go to the front, with his hand –

Claire stopped that hand and shook her head.

“Scarlet is in a frenzy because of me. Therefore, only I can take her back.”

—Flames, dance in my hand, dance!

Spun from her cherry blossom-colored lips was the spirit language aria.

At that moment, a small fireball was born at the palm of her hand.

“Spirit magic? What can such a small fireball –“

“— Like this.”

At that instant, Claire pushed the burning fireball into her left hand.

There was the sound of flesh burning.

“O…oi, Claire!?”

“…A…gu…uuuu—!”


While barely clenching her teeth, Claire moaned in anguish.

On her pale face, perspiration like waterfalls flowed along her chin.

“You…!”

Kamito finally understood.

The black spirit crest, re-engraved on Claire’s left hand – that was the symbol of contract with that crazy spirit.

The spirit crest was an exclusive 'gate' to connect the path between Astral Zero and this world.

If that was destroyed, naturally, the contract with the spirit would be annulled.

Claire was physically burning the spirit crest and was breaking the contract with the crazy spirit!

Guorooooouuu…

The magic beast, cladded in black flames, raged like a thunderous wind.

With the path being burned off, it shared the same pain as Claire, its contractor.

“Sorry, Scarlet, I too… will endure—“

Claire was putting up with the pain and that moment when Claire’s knees hit the ground –

The frenzied magic beast roared and sprung at Claire.

“—!”

Kamito quickly stepped in and got into the magic beast’s bosom in one bound.

The claws, cladded in flames burned the ends of his hair and at that instant – he mowed down with the sword when they passed each other.


There was a flashing sword swing. At the same time, the red hot flames that melts even iron attacked Kamito’s whole body –

“Kamito!”

Claire’s scream resounded.

However, Kamito’s body had already disappeared.

The moment the sword and the claws crossed, he dodged like a shadow and had turned to the flame spirit’s back.

(—A frenzied spirit certainly has its power greatly increased.)

The black flame spirit turned behind – but it was too late.

(However, no matter what, its movement became dull. In that case, it can’t win against me—)

Kamito kicked the ground and sharply turned, and swung the silver shining Terminus Est—

With that stroke of the sword, the black flame, possessing the flame spirit, was severed and killed.

“—Claire, are you alright?!”

Kamito rushed over, Claire was lying on the floor with a pale face.

From her red forelock clinging onto her forehead, drops of perspiration were dripping down.

“A…guu…!”

A gasping, like it was hoarse from her inner throat, leaked out. Her left hand sustained a severe burn.

Just the texture of her thin pretty skin was hideously burned, that scar was too painfully to look at.

However, the black spirit crest that was engraved disappeared without leaving any trace.


With this, the path with that crazy spirit should be completely severed.

“That was so reckless. Look, I’ll treat it for you, so show it to me.”

“I…I’m fine, it’s just this much…”

Claire’s cheeks slightly turned red and she quickly turned away.

At that moment, intense pain was running all over, she softly screamed “Hyauu” and her eyes turned teary.

“What, you’re not being honest.”

“S…shut up, I’ll turn you into cinders!”

Kamito bitterly smiled at Claire’s usual behavior.

—However, this is the usual Claire Rogue.

She was not suited to have just a sorrowful face.

“By the way, where—“

Suddenly, Kamito turned serious and asked.

“What…”

“Where did you contract something like the crazy spirit?”

“That’s—“

Claire stammered with her words and at that time.

“Ah, did you receive my present with pleasure?”


From behind, they heard such an inappropriate voice.

It was a gentle voice, like downy hair tickling one’s earlobe.

“…!?”

It sounded familiar – that was out of the question.

For three years, he always – yearned to hear it, that voice.

Kamito slowly turned around.

And there –

A beautiful girl, wearing a dark black dress, was giggling.

===Part 4===

Kamito stood still at that place with a frozen expression.

“Don't tell me, tha..t’s…”

What was there was –

A girl, who was the very light to Kamito.

She gave the boy, who had closed his heart into a cold cage, a warm light –

“…Res…tia?”


Kamito muttered in a blurry voice.

“—It has been quite a long time, Kamito.”

The girl, wearing a darkness-color dress, impishly smiled.

…It was unbelievable.

However, that appearance was as it was from that time, three years ago.

That beautiful face, without doubt, belonged to the girl, who Kamito knew.

The darkness spirit, Restia.

The contracted spirit of the strongest blade dancer – Ren Ashbell.

“Restia, I—“

Kamito reached out his hand and planned to approach the girl.

However, his legs, as if they were sewed on to that place, could not move.

Despite that the girl, who he was continuously searching for even three years, was in front of him —

— Something was strange. His spirit contractor intuition was telling him that.

She was smiling like that.

Moveover, in the girl’s hand, what was that ominous black lump?

“I wanted to meet you, Kamito. However –“

The girl faced that black lump at the altar in the center and threw it there.


“…?”

“Let’s leave the hug to the next opportunity. Look, as that child is waking up.”

When the black lump turned into a fog in midair, it surrounded the worshipped stone pillar at the altar.

The stone pillar that was brought in from the imperial capital and sealed the military-use spirit.

“Restia…What in the world are –“

Kamito muttered and at that time.

Suddenly, the ground violently shook.

“What…!?”

“Ah, looks like it has already woken up.”

“Restia…?”

“Kamito, be careful! She is the one, who gave me that crazy spirit!”

Claire shouted to Kamito, who was being absentminded.

“Wh…at…!?”

At that moment, a ground-shaking roar resounded.

Pishii—the stone pillar enveloped in the black fog got greatly cracked.

Zu…zuzu…zuzuzuzu…!

From the tear of the cracked stone pillar, a giant human hand appeared.


That was –

(Glasya-Labolas is – going in a frenzy!?)

Taken aback, he turned around. Restia was giggling.

That somewhat devilish smile was something Kamito had never seen.

“—Good bye, Kamito. Let’s meet again.”

“Restia… What is going on!? What are you –“

“Because that is your wish.”

“…!?”

Kamito’s face froze.

“Wait – Please wait, Restia!”

“I had waited, it has already been three years.”

“Resti…”

Restia smiled once again and disappeared into the empty space that became a black fog.

Kamito dropped both his hands like he was exhausted and stood still there dumbfounded.

— He did not understand what happened.

(Restia gave Claire that crazy spirit…?)

He could not believe it. No, he did not want to believe it.


However, the girl’s appearance belonged to the darkness spirit that he had been certainly continuously searching for.

His former contracted spirit.

The girl showed Kamito, who lost the human heart, his first warm light.

If that girl changed, that –

(It’s my fault… I had changed her into something different.)

The blade dance three years ago.

Kamito, who was victorious as Ren Ashbell, —

Attempted to have a 'wish' that humans can never wish for to be granted.

For that reason, he decided to lose her.

He believed that she would be alive somewhere.

The aching of spirit crest engraved on his left hand whispered.

—She would be alive again. He could still make up for his crimes.

By no means, it became that they met up again in such a manner – it was something he never thought of.

“Restia… Is this my punishment?”

If that was the case, it was too – cruel.

Like his whole body’s strength was drawn out and he was going to collapse, his knees hit the ground.

He was plunged into darkness. 


“Kamito!? Hey, are you listening, Kamito!”

Even Claire’s voice calling for Kamito was only absentmindedly heard.

Once again, the ground violently shook.

Passing through the 'gate' opened in the empty space, Glasya-Labolas was attempting to emerge out here.

The wall of the arena collapsed due to the tremor and a large amount of rubble poured down over Kamito’s head.

Just before his body was going to be crushed – that moment.

Pashii – Kamito’s head was twined around by a whip.

“…Guoo!”

Kamito was violently dragged along the ground and he made an anguishing voice.

Immediately after, large amount of rubble fell at that place where Kamito had been at.

There was a thunderous sound. Cloud of dust fluttered up in the air.

…If he was crushed, he would have, without a doubt, died.

“Idiot! Wh…what are you doing!”

Over his head, Claire took up a daunting pose and shouted.

“Hey, do you want to die? Or do you want to turn to cinders?”

“No, not those two choices – Guoo!”

“Hmm, to retort, you are alright, aren’t you!”


Claire constricted Kamito’s head with her whip and with a jerk, drew her face closer.

“…”

It was at a point-blank distance as if the tips of their noses were touching.

Her ruby-colored pupils, filled with a strong will, were before his eyes.

Nevertheless in such a moment, Kamito was reflexively startled.

“…Come on, what? What is it?”

Seemingly noticing that her face was too close, Claire’s cheeks turned red and she slightly loosened her whip.

“It…it’s not like I’m particularly interested but … for once, listen up.”

“Wh…what…”

“That girl just now, h…how is she related to you?”

“She –“

Kamito averted his eyes from Claire's clear eyes

“Was my contracted spirit.”

“Spirit?”

Kamito silently nodded and clenched his left hand.

“…It’s my fault. It’s my fault that she –“

The thoughts of Kamito, who sank into the dark abyss once again,—


“So what!”

Claire’s voice, which was cold, drew him back.

“Eh?”

“I am saying so what!”

Claire was standing straight up, with both hands at her waist and her twin-tail hair over her shoulder.

Until a while ago, her depressed state was not even minute.

There was her above all else noble beautiful crimson flame.

“No, it is because I…”

Kamito was taken aback dumbfounded—

“Didn’t you promise me just now that ‘I’ll be your contracted spirit’?! Please hold on the responsibility of your own words!”

Pishipashi! Claire placed a strike with her whip onto Kamito’s back.

“Ouch! Wh…what are you doing! Whipping a dead person!”

Without thought, Kamito stood up and shouted.

Claire suddenly smiled.

“A dead person? Then how about dying once? Look, look at that.”

“Aah?”


Kamito turned his face –

From the 'gate' in the empty space, bluish-white light was emitted and Glasya-Labolas came crawling out.

The battle-class military-use spirit, whose seal was undone, —its over-all length was more than ten-odd meters.

Glasya-Labolas roared. Merely with that, half of the audience seats were blown away.

It seemed that the audience had already escaped but there should still be many citizens outside the arena.

From the giant empty hole in the wall, the state of the plaza was in sight.

Everyone was screaming and jostling, while running away. In response to the sudden appearance of Glasya-Labolas, the plaza and the main street underwent a chaos of agonizing cries.

Placing its hand on the crumbled arena wall, Glasya-Labolas slowly walked out.

With just that, the ground shook like an earth tremor occurred.

How would things turn out, if such a thing got out into the town – there was no need to think so.

“Waiting for help from the academy would be too late. Just the two of us will have to do this.”

“…Ah, that’s right.”

However – Kamito still had not recovered from the shock.

Even 'Terminus Est', which he was tightly grasping, was losing that cool and clear radiance.

An elemental waffe would demonstrate its true value according to the spirit contractor’s divine power.

With Kamito’s current condition, he was unable to even maintain the sword’s strength.


For example, even if he fought, it was certain that it would instantly be broken.

“…”

Claire stared at Kamito in such a state with a rigid expression.

“It seems like you’re still half asleep. If that’s the case, I’ll wake you up.”

After that, for some reason, her face turned red and she quickly looked away.

And, in the next moment.

“…!?”

Suddenly, his lips were closed.[[Image:STnBD V01 250.jpg|thumb]]

It was hot. It was a tender sensation that was gently getting wet.

The tip of his nose was tickled by a faint scent of her hair.

“Hn…”

Several seconds later, their lips slowly separated.

“Are you awake?”

“…A…ah.”

Kamito nodded like he was befuddled.

“Th…this is something… only once.”

Biting her lips, Claire turned bright red and looked downwards.




The numbing-like kiss had blown away all the anguish from Kamito’s mind.

“…Shock therapy? However, this is a little too effective.”

“Hm,,,hmm, that’s fine! – Well then, let’s go, Kamito!”

While her face was bright red, Claire spun the spirit language summoning.

– Protector of red flames, watchman of the unsleeping hearth!

–Now is the time, by the blood contract, hurry and come to my side!

Immediately, a blazing flame whip was born in Claire’s hand.

It was not the black flame, invaded by the crazy spirit.

That was the flame of the noble Claire Rogue – Scarlet’s elemental waffe.

“Thank you, Scarlet. Lend me your power for just a bit longer.”

Responding to Claire’s feelings, the flame whip thunderously growled.

“I won’t make Scarlet, who is weakened, do something unreasonable. I’ll go around it to support, so you strike that giant human spirit.”

“Ah, I got it!”

Kamito firmly nodded and tightly grasped Terminus Est.

— That’s right. It is alright to not think about Restia now.

Now, just –


(To protect this tomboy princess, because that’s what I promised!)

Taking a stance with the sword, Kamito kicked the ground and jumped.

“I’ll show you, Claire Rogue”

The strongest blade dancer – Ren Ashbell’s blade dance!

Glasya-Labolas smashed the stone wall and stepped his foot out to the plaza outside the arena.

Kamito took a roundabout path to its behind and with a one-step jump, he pierced its ankle with the sword.

Vuoooooon!

Glasya-Labolas made a destructive roar – while the shock seemed to be blowing him away, Kamito clung onto the sword that pierced it.

(…What destructive power! As expected of a military-use spirit!)

The eyes of the giant, who was burning in anger, caught sight of Kamito’s figure at its feet.

It made a frenzy roar and swung down that blouder-like fist of its.

Kamito pulled out the sword and jumped back and using the giant’s arm as a stepping stone, he jumped again.

In order to crushed Kamito, who appeared on top of his head, Glasya-Labolas reached out its hand –

At that moment when it seemed like it caught his ankle.

“Kamito!”

Claire swung her flame whip and bound that arm. As Scarlet was exhausted, cutting up of the spirit could not be done. However, roughly sealing its movement was possible.

There was the thunderous sound of the wind blowing violently. Glasya-Labolas shifted its anger to Kamito on its head. In the state of passing by, Kamito brandished the sword. He cut the black crystal-like eyeball.

At that moment, from the eyeball that cracked, something like a black fog was blown out.

(That’s the crazy spirit…!?)

The black fog coiled about the sword. Just at that moment, the tip of its edge was corroding to black.

Kamito was taken aback. – The crazy spirit was a spirit that granted crazy attribute to spirits.

(Est is being encroached—!)

Kamito twisted his body and swung and cleared away the black fog.

He broke his stance in the air and was about to strike the ground as he was.

Then, Glasya-Labolas’ fist swung downwards.

Kamito took a stance with the sword in front of him – but he did not make it!

“…!”

Glasya-Labolas’ fist was – precisely stopped above his head.

Its arm, which was about to swing down at any time, was twined with a burning flame whip.

“Kamito! Now’s the chance, quickly do it!”

“Ah—“


Kamito laughed fearlessly and stood up, and concentrated his consciousness to the sword.

The elemental waffe of the sword spirit, Est, increased in radiance as it responded to Kamito’s feelings

He kicked the ground and jumped. Kamito’s sword once again danced in the midair.

And then –

“Oooooooooooo!”

The shining flashing sword cut up Glasya-Labolas’ body right in half.

===Part 5===

That moment when Kamito cut and turned over Glasya-Labolas, Claire was motionlessly staring at it.[[Image:STnBD V01 255.jpg|thumb]]

With the shining sword in his hand, Kazehaya Kamito danced a splendor blade dance,–

That was almost–

Like the blade dance of Ren Ashbell, who she saw at the stage of the blade dance three years ago.

(…Don’t tell me.)

The moment Glasya-Labolas turned into particles of light, the flame whip returned to the form of a small hell cat. Claire preciously embraced the flame spirit, which became small like a kitten.

“—Thank you, Scarlet.”



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Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume1 Chapter8

2012-04-07T06:25:33Z

81.243.80.150: /* Part 2 */

==The strongest blade dancer==
===Part 1===

Academy Town was a small-scale town within the premises of the Areishia Spirit Academy.

The townscape, lined with stone buildings, was filled with the tumult of people.

While bumping many times over into the coming-and-going crowds of people, Kamito was running towards the arena.

—If that was him thinking about it too much, it was alright. However, he was feeling strangely uneasy.

(…Absurd. With the loss of her contracted spirit, the blade dance is just...)

While he was out of breath, he ran at full speed, pulling Est’s hand.

He did not understand why he was in such a frantic for her sake.

Claire Rogue was a – tyrant, who was prideful, willful and quick to lash her whip.

However, he somehow could not leave her alone.

(After all, her true self is—)

Kamito stopped at that moment.

“—Here, right?”

Before the arena built at the center of the town, there was a crowd of spectators gathered.

The blade dance was originally a holy ritual to let spirits enjoy themselves – a kind of Kagura.


However, there was no change to the fact that that was also the highest form of entertainment to humans.

Also, the same as other festivals, the spirits preferred a great number of enthusiastic people.

He showed his academy student badge to the guard and entered inside, and pushed aside clamoring spectators to get to the front.

There were ear-splitting cheers. The sound of shrills of weapons. The intense blade dance had already started at the arena.

There were about 20 participants. Various types of spirits were jumbled together and fighting.

It was a battle royal system where the last one remaining would earn the right to contract with a powerful military-use spirit.

Kamito searched for Claire—

“…!?”

For that unbelievable sight, he doubted his eyes.

That Claire Rogue was—

Covered all over with wounds and crawling.

Against the contracted spirits boasting tremendous power, Claire was fighting with just a whip and spirit magic.

While her whole body was hit and slammed into a wall, she stood up and fought again and again.

“Claire—“

He could not go help her. If Kamito got in and helped her, she would be naturally disqualified.

If he did that, she would probably never forgive him.

Kamito bit his teeth and in front of him, Claire was blown away.



===Part 2===

—Weak. Why am I so weak?

While being thrown to the ground, Claire strongly bit her lips. The taste of blood spread across her tongue. It seemed that she was cut somewhere inside her mouth. She planned to stand up but her hands went numb and did not move. It seemed to have caused a cerebral concussion. Even several bones of her ribs might be suffering damage.

“Guu…!”

Even so, she still did not raise the surrender card.

She slowly stood up on her shaky legs.

She sternly looked up. At the center of the altar was a worshiped stone pillar. Within that, there was a rank-A battle-class military-use spirit– 'Glasya-Labolas' sealed inside, brought in from the imperial capital.

Having brought down many spirit knights in the past wars, it was a famous giant-man spirit.

(…If I obtain that, I can be strong.)

—Nee-sama surely can be saved!

“Flame – dance in my hand, dance!”

She turned the divine power dwelling within herself into flames and produced a fireball of spirit magic in her palm.


In her situation where there was no supply of divine power from Scarlet (contracted spirit), even for Claire, who was superior, to produce out such a small flame took all her might. Naturally, such a thing could not bring down spirits.

However, if she aimed for the spirit contractors, possibly – there might be a tiny chance of winning.

“Huh? Do you still plan on doing this? You don’t learn, do you”

—She heard a scorning voice from her front.

“…!”

She bit her teeth and lifted her head. The two spirit contractors were standing with ridiculing expressions.

They were the Academy’s upper classmen. They were respectively using 'adamantine spirit' and 'magic mirror spirit'.

“Hey, are you truly not an idiot? You don’t even have a contracted spirit.”

“That very part of you is irritating, you know.”

“…You!”

Aiming at the two upper classmen ridiculing her, Claire released the fireball.

However, the fireball was stopped by the ore-looking adamantine spirit and easily repelled.

“Ahahaa, what’s that, spirit magic? – Do it, 'Adamantine'!”

The girl on the other side cruelly curved her lips and gave an order to her contracted spirit.

The adamantine spirit emitted a blue radiance and rushed and struck Claire’s abdomen.

“Agg…!”


A mumbling scream escaped from Claire’s mouth.

She did not dare aim for her vital points. She was slowly tormenting her and enjoying herself.

This was not a splendor blade dance for spirits to enjoy themselves. It was merely unsightly violence.

“…How cheeky, you. Despite being that Calamity Queen’s younger sister.”

The upper classman’s face was really distorted in hatred. While being hit many times over her whole body, — finally, Claire recalled. These two were colleagues, who were one-sidedly knocked down by Claire at a practice match a month ago. They were resenting about that time.

“What’s with that look? If you don’t give up quickly, you’ll really die!”

“It’s alright if you quickly kneel down and lick our shoes, and yet. Truly, that foolishness is the same as your sister.”

“…Shut…up, be silent.”

Claire tightly grasped the sand scattered on the ground.

“Hn, did you say something?”

“I said… be silent.”

It was no good. She could not restrain it.

(Only abuses at Nee-sama, no matter what, my boiling point for that is low!)

She put divine power into her left hand, which was grasping sand. A black spirit crest re-engraved and ominously glowed.

And then the moment the path was connected, a horrifying sensation ran all over her body.


She would not be defeated at such a place. There was no value in her weak self.

(To grasp a more powerful power in my hand –!)

“What… a contracted spirit!?”

The upperclassmen’s eyes opened in surprise.

“If you wish for it, I’ll show you. This is – my true power!”

Gou!

The black flame, released from Claire’s hand, gulped down the adamantine spirit in an instant.

Appearing from within the blazing flame was—

A flickering jet black magic beast.

It was not a noble flame like Scarlet. It was a flame of darkness, showing signs of madness.

Guo…ruuuuuu…

The beast’s hair-raising roar shook the entire atmosphere in the arena.

===Part 3===

“…What’s that!?”

Kamito got up from the audience seatings and shouted.


The black flame spirit, Claire brought forth, engulfed the adamantine spirit in front of it in an instant.

—It was not Scarlet.

Its appearance was similar to that hell cat but the presence of that divine power was overly ominous.

The jet-black flame spirit bit and crushed the magic mirror spirit at the other side and was devouring those remains like a starving beast. That was not all. The spirits around the black spirit suddenly writhed as if going mad and began eating each other’s existence.

“The frenzy is spreading…!”

Kamito recalled about the magic spirit that appeared in Astral Zero last night.

And about the water spirit that went out of control in the bathroom.

The spirits, in a frenzy, lost their reasoning and were unable to restrain their powers. Until their own existence extinguished, they would conduct themselves as with their impulses for destruction.

However, that black magic beast –

(It’s forcefully snatching away Clare’s divine power!?)

Claire stood rock still at the center of the arena with an exhausted expression.

From the black spirit crest engraved on her left hand, blood was trickling down.

Her face was pale and her whole body was quivering bit by bit. It looked like she was also barely standing.

If the situation was left as it was, she might lose her life.


The spectators, who realized that something was strange with the appearance of the spirits, suddenly began a commotion.

The spirit contractor girls, in the arena, were also perplexed at their contracted spirits that suddenly did not listen to their commands.

“Damn, what are the guys in Knights doing?”

Kamito looked around the inside of the arena. Despite being an obvious strange situation, the spirit knights that should have been prepared for unexpected situations were not moving. What was going on?

However, the spirit knights standing at the arena gate were all rooted at the same spot, staring into empty space. The eyes were not focused. It was as if they were entranced –

“…What? What the heck is happening?”

“That’s a crazy spirit, Kamito.”

Est, who was beside him, muttered expressionlessly.

“A crazy spirit?”

“It is a possession-type spirit that bestows berserk-ness to spirits. It isn’t such a high status spirit but the spirit possessed loses its reasoning and, until its own existence vanishes, it will continue to fight.”

“Possess – don’t tell me, that black magic beast is 'Scarlet'!?”


“Affirmative. That hell cat is a very powerful spirit, it should not vanish from the extent of being beaten by the magic spirit. It seems that it temporary lost the ability to manifest but–“


“Is that so…”

The fire remains of the flame spirit remained. However, Claire continuously thought that Scarlet vanished, so she was not able to connect the path.

“—But, in that frenzied condition, vanishing completely is also just a matter of time.”

“Ah, I understand.”

Kamito nodded.

'Scarlet' – a flame spirit with the appearance of a hell cat cladded in noble flames.

That was the very flame of a girl named Claire.

That flame turned into a crazy disgusting magic beast and was indulging and eating the spirits.

Something like that could not be her –Claire’s desired flame.

“—Est. I ask of you, lend me your strength.”

“I am Kamito’s sword. I’ll do as you desire.”

Est gently grasped Kamito’s hand. There was a feeling of a hand, cold but surprisingly soft.

“The cool-headed steel queen, the sacred sword that destroys evil – here and now, become my sword!”

Kamito spun the releasing of the elemental waffe; at the same time, Est’s body turned into particles of light and vanished.

In the next moment, a silver glowing single edged sword appeared in Kamito’s hand.

The spirit language inscription, carved on the edge, was – 'Terminus Est '.


Just by lightly holding it, he understood that it was tremendously famous sword.

“I’m sorry. The path to my true form is closed, so this is the limit for me currently.”

Est, who turned into the form of a sword, said apologetically.

“No, this is plenty. – Let’s go, Est!”

Kamito prepared Terminus Est and jumped into the arena where the raging black flame was.

The moment he landed onto the ground, the magic beast of darkness bared its fangs and prounced to attack him.

He brandished the sword in a turning manner. He knocked away the black flame, and rushed over to Claire’s side.

“Claire!”

“…Kamito”

Claire opened her ruby-colored eyes.

Her knees were on the ground and she was breathing heavily. Her delicate body was going to collapse at any time.

The blood, trickling from the spirit crest on her left hand, was dying the sand scattered on the ground red.

At that moment, the black flame magic beast mowed onto the ground, like it was making fun of it, with its claws.

There was the scent of burning in the air. The hot wind with pebbles mixed in gently brushed Kamito’s cheeks.

“…!?”

In a hair’s breadth, Kamito dodged the black flame’s claws. He drove in a slash at the black flame spirit that was just knocked down.

The silver sword flash drew an arc. The elemental waffe of the sword spirit cut up even the intangible flames –


The black flame magic beast let out an ear-splitting scream and broke up in the air. It didn't mean that it vanished. The flames that were scattered were burning at their respective positions and formed a flaming wall surrounding Kamito in it. Kamito clicked his tongue and stopped at that spot.

“Claire, get yourself together, come to your senses!”

“Wh…what… Why are you here—“

A confused expression surfaced on Claire’s face –

“…!?”

Then, as if just began to realize it, she opened her eyes in terror.

The scene that flew into her eyes was a cruel disastrous scene.

There was a blazing disgusting black flame.

A group of spirits was in a frenzy and devouring each other.

The students of the academy were losing their consciousness from having their divine power eaten and falling down to the ground one by one –

“Claire, is this the power you wanted? Something like this? That’s your flames!”

Kamito shouted as if he was throwing up.

While he cleared away the attacking flame with the sword, he reached out his hand towards Claire.

“I…I…—“

Claire moved her lips with her pale facial expression –


She instantly shook her head as if she had changed her mind.

“Sh…shut up! I… I need the power!”

The red twin-tail hair violently sprung up.

The black flame blazed even more as if responding to Claire’s fury.

“…You don’t understand. My feelings of being always alone –“

Claire lied face down and said that gaspingly.

That day, four years ago, was when the still childish Claire Elstein’s life ended.

The girl, who was betrayed by her most loved sister, had both her parents imprisoned and lost everything, was –

To live taking persecutions as Calamity Queen’s sister.

If she didn't become strong alone, she would not be able to live on.

“…You’re not alone, idiot.”

“Eh?”

At Kamito’s words—

Claire raised her head with a blank expression.

“I am here. I’ll be by your side. After all, I’m –“

Kamito approached Claire with a step.

The flame wall in their surroundings burned with intimidation.


“D…Don’t come here…”

“Claire—“

“Do not come here!”

Pashin! –She closed her eyes and strongly struck her leather whip at Kamito’s cheek.

Red blood flowed from his cheek. Kamito did not even wipe that and took another step—

“…!? Why didn’t you avoid it?”

Claire’s cherry blossom-colored lips were quivering.

“I didn’t plan on hitting… and yet.”

Kamito stood before Claire and slowly raised his hand over his head.

“…!”

Claire thought it was a strike, and reflexively closed her eyes tightly.

Then—

….Poff.

“Eh?”

Claire widely opened her ruby-colored eyes.

She looked up at Kamito with a blank expression.

“—Claire, I like your flames.”


Kamito stirred up and crumpled Claire’s red hair.

“…Wh!? Ah, …li…like… Eh?”

Claire’s cheeks were dyed bright red inside.

“It burns prettily, dazzlingly and nobly. I like your flames.”

“Ah, sh…sh…”

—That was why he wanted to protect those flames.

“If you want power –“

Kamito looked straight into Claire’s eyes and said.


“I’ll be your contracted spirit.”

“Kamito…”

In Claire’s red eyes, a drop of tear surfaced—

Confused, she wiped it with her uniform sleeve.

“Wh…what are you saying? You are originally my slave spirit!”

“Ah, that is right…”

Kamito bitterly smiled and gently removed his hand from Claire’s head.


At that moment, he sliced and drove away the black flame magic beast that roared and came attacking with the sword.

With his back facing Claire, he blocked its way like a knight protecting a princess.

“—Hey, Scarlet. Did you forget your precious master?”

With Kamito’s words thrown at it, the black flame that cladded the magic beast trembled for a moment.

Scarlet – it seemed to respond to that name.

“…Scarlet?”

Claire asked.

“Ah, it wasn’t that your partner vanished. It just temporary lost its power. Although, it’s now possessed by a crazy spirit and has turned into such an appearance.”

“…Scarlet is alive!?”

Claire was taken aback and raised her head. Kamito nodded.

“Ah, this sword – Est informed me.”

“… That’s, by no means, that sword spirit?”

“That’s right. But probably even a tenth of her original power still can’t be used.”

Taking a stance with Terminus Est in both his hands, Kamito turned towards the black flame magic beast.

“…”

Claire stared at the thunderously raging black flame.


She saw something within that flame and swiftly raised her head –

“…Yes that is Scarlet.”

She wiped her tears to shake it off.

“If that’s the case –“

“Claire, stand back. A frenzied spirit will attack even its contractor.”

Kamito controlled Claire, who planned to go to the front, with his hand –

Claire stopped that hand and shook her head.

“Scarlet is in a frenzy because of me. Therefore, only I can take her back.”

—Flames, dance in my hand, dance!

Spun from her cherry blossom-colored lips was the spirit language aria.

At that moment, a small fireball was born at the palm of her hand.

“Spirit magic? What can such a small fireball –“

“— Like this.”

At that instant, Claire pushed the burning fireball into her left hand.

There was the sound of flesh burning.

“O…oi, Claire!?”

“…A…gu…uuuu—!”


While barely clenching her teeth, Claire moaned in anguish.

On her pale face, perspiration like waterfalls flowed along her chin.

“You…!”

Kamito finally understood.

The black spirit crest, re-engraved on Claire’s left hand – that was the symbol of contract with that crazy spirit.

The spirit crest was an exclusive 'gate' to connect the path between Astral Zero and this world.

If that was destroyed, naturally, the contract with the spirit would be annulled.

Claire was physically burning the spirit crest and was breaking the contract with the crazy spirit!

Guorooooouuu…

The magic beast, cladded in black flames, raged like a thunderous wind.

With the path being burned off, it shared the same pain as Claire, its contractor.

“Sorry, Scarlet, I too… will endure—“

Claire was putting up with the pain and that moment when Claire’s knees hit the ground –

The frenzied magic beast roared and sprung at Claire.

“—!”

Kamito quickly stepped in and got into the magic beast’s bosom in one bound.

The claws, cladded in flames burned the ends of his hair and at that instant – he mowed down with the sword when they passed each other.


There was a flashing sword swing. At the same time, the red hot flames that melts even iron attacked Kamito’s whole body –

“Kamito!”

Claire’s scream resounded.

However, Kamito’s body had already disappeared.

The moment the sword and the claws crossed, he dodged like a shadow and had turned to the flame spirit’s back.

(—A frenzied spirit certainly has its power greatly increased.)

The black flame spirit turned behind – but it was too late.

(However, no matter what, its movement became dull. In that case, it can’t win against me—)

Kamito kicked the ground and sharply turned, and swung the silver shining Terminus Est—

With that stroke of the sword, the black flame, possessing the flame spirit, was severed and killed.

“—Claire, are you alright?!”

Kamito rushed over, Claire was lying on the floor with a pale face.

From her red forelock clinging onto her forehead, drops of perspiration was dripping down.

“A…guu…!”

A gasping, like it was hoarse from her inner throat, leaked out. Her left hand sustained a severe burn.

Just the texture of her thin pretty skin was hideously burned that that scar was too painfully to look at.

However, the black spirit crest that was engraved disappeared without leaving any trace.


With this, the path with that crazy spirit should be completely severed.

“That was so reckless. Look, I’ll treat it for you, so show it to me.”

“I…I’m fine, it’s just this much…”

Claire’s cheeks slightly turned red and she quickly turned away.

At that moment, intense pain was running all over, she softly screamed “Hyauu” and her eyes turned teary.

“What, you’re not being honest.”

“S…shut up, I’ll turn you into cinders!”

Kamito bitterly smiled at Claire’s usual behavior.

—However, this is the usual Claire Rogue.

She was not suited to have just a sorrowful face.

“By the way, where—“

Suddenly, Kamito turned serious and asked.

“What…”

“Where did you contract something like the crazy spirit?”

“That’s—“

Claire stammered with her words and at that time.

“Ah, did you receive my present with pleasure?”


From behind, they heard such an inappropriate voice.

It was a gentle voice, like downy hair tickling one’s earlobe.

“…!?”

It sounded familiar – that was out of the question.

For three years, he always – yearned to hear it, that voice.

Kamito slowly turned around.

And there –

A beautiful girl, wearing a dark black dress, was giggling.

===Part 4===

Kamito stood still at that place with a frozen expression.

“Don't tell me, tha..t’s…”

What was there was –

A girl, who was the very light to Kamito.

She gave the boy, who had closed his heart into a cold cage, a warm light –

“…Res…tia?”


Kamito muttered in a blurry voice.

“—It has been quite a long time, Kamito.”

The girl, wearing a darkness-color dress, impishly smiled.

…It was unbelievable.

However, that appearance was as it was from that time, three years ago.

That beautiful face, without doubt, belonged to the girl, who Kamito knew.

The darkness spirit, Restia.

The contracted spirit of the strongest blade dancer – Ren Ashbell.

“Restia, I—“

Kamito reached out his hand and planned to approach the girl.

However, his legs, as if they were sewed on to that place, could not move.

Despite that the girl, who he was continuously searching for even three years, was in front of him —

— Something was strange. His spirit contractor intuition was telling him that.

She was smiling like that.

Moveover, in the girl’s hand, what was that ominous black lump?

“I wanted to meet you, Kamito. However –“

The girl faced that black lump at the altar in the center and threw it there.


“…?”

“Let’s leave the hug to the next opportunity. Look, as that child is waking up.”

When the black lump turned into a fog in midair, it surrounded the worshipped stone pillar at the altar.

The stone pillar that was brought in from the imperial capital and sealed the military-use spirit.

“Restia…What in the world are –“

Kamito muttered and at that time.

Suddenly, the ground violently shook.

“What…!?”

“Ah, looks like it has already woken up.”

“Restia…?”

“Kamito, be careful! She is the one, who gave me that crazy spirit!”

Claire shouted to Kamito, who was being absentminded.

“Wh…at…!?”

At that moment, a ground-shaking roar resounded.

Pishii—the stone pillar enveloped in the black fog got greatly cracked.

Zu…zuzu…zuzuzuzu…!

From the tear of the cracked stone pillar, a giant human hand appeared.


That was –

(Glasya-Labolas is – going in a frenzy!?)

Taken aback, he turned around. Restia was giggling.

That somewhat devilish smile was something Kamito had never seen.

“—Good bye, Kamito. Let’s meet again.”

“Restia… What is going on!? What are you –“

“Because that is your wish.”

“…!?”

Kamito’s face froze.

“Wait – Please wait, Restia!”

“I had waited, it has already been three years.”

“Resti…”

Restia smiled once again and disappeared into the empty space that became a black fog.

Kamito dropped both his hands like he was exhausted and stood still there dumbfounded.

— He did not understand what happened.

(Restia gave Claire that crazy spirit…?)

He could not believe it. No, he did not want to believe it.


However, the girl’s appearance belonged to the darkness spirit that he had been certainly continuously searching for.

His former contracted spirit.

The girl showed Kamito, who lost the human heart, his first warm light.

If that girl changed, that –

(It’s my fault… I had changed her into something different.)

The blade dance three years ago.

Kamito, who was victorious as Ren Ashbell, —

Attempted to have a 'wish' that humans can never wish for to be granted.

For that reason, he decided to lose her.

He believed that she would be alive somewhere.

The aching of spirit crest engraved on his left hand whispered.

—She would be alive again. He could still make up for his crimes.

By no means, it became that they met up again in such a manner – it was something he never thought of.

“Restia… Is this my punishment?”

If that was the case, it was too – cruel.

Like his whole body’s strength was drawn out and he was going to collapse, his knees hit the ground.

He was plunged into darkness. 


“Kamito!? Hey, are you listening, Kamito!”

Even Claire’s voice calling for Kamito was only absentmindedly heard.

Once again, the ground violently shook.

Passing through the 'gate' opened in the empty space, Glasya-Labolas was attempting to emerge out here.

The wall of the arena collapsed due to the tremor and a large amount of rubble poured down over Kamito’s head.

Just before his body was going to be crushed – that moment.

Pashii – Kamito’s head was twined around by a whip.

“…Guoo!”

Kamito was violently dragged along the ground and he made an anguishing voice.

Immediately after, large amount of rubble fell at that place where Kamito had been at.

There was a thunderous sound. Cloud of dust fluttered up in the air.

…If he was crushed, he would have, without a doubt, died.

“Idiot! Wh…what are you doing!”

Over his head, Claire took up a daunting pose and shouted.

“Hey, do you want to die? Or do you want to turn to cinders?”

“No, not those two choices – Guoo!”

“Hmm, to retort, you are alright, aren’t you!”


Claire constricted Kamito’s head with her whip and with a jerk, drew her face closer.

“…”

It was at a point-blank distance as if the tips of their noses were touching.

Her ruby-colored pupils, filled with a strong will, were before his eyes.

Nevertheless in such a moment, Kamito was reflexively startled.

“…Come on, what? What is it?”

Seemingly noticing that her face was too close, Claire’s cheeks turned red and she slightly loosened her whip.

“It…it’s not like I’m particularly interested but … for once, listen up.”

“Wh…what…”

“That girl just now, h…how is she related to you?”

“She –“

Kamito averted his eyes from Claire's clear eyes

“Was my contracted spirit.”

“Spirit?”

Kamito silently nodded and clenched his left hand.

“…It’s my fault. It’s my fault that she –“

The thoughts of Kamito, who sank into the dark abyss once again,—


“So what!”

Claire’s voice, which was cold, drew him back.

“Eh?”

“I am saying so what!”

Claire was standing straight up, with both hands at her waist and her twin-tail hair over her shoulder.

Until a while ago, her depressed state was not even minute.

There was her above all else noble beautiful crimson flame.

“No, it is because I…”

Kamito was taken aback dumbfounded—

“Didn’t you promise me just now that ‘I’ll be your contracted spirit’?! Please hold on the responsibility of your own words!”

Pishipashi! Claire placed a strike with her whip onto Kamito’s back.

“Ouch! Wh…what are you doing! Whipping a dead person!”

Without thought, Kamito stood up and shouted.

Claire suddenly smiled.

“A dead person? Then how about dying once? Look, look at that.”

“Aah?”


Kamito turned his face –

From the 'gate' in the empty space, bluish-white light was emitted and Glasya-Labolas came crawling out.

The battle-class military-use spirit, whose seal was undone, —its over-all length was more than ten-odd meters.

Glasya-Labolas roared. Merely with that, half of the audience seats were blown away.

It seemed that the audience had already escaped but there should still be many citizens outside the arena.

From the giant empty hole in the wall, the state of the plaza was in sight.

Everyone was screaming and jostling, while running away. In response to the sudden appearance of Glasya-Labolas, the plaza and the main street underwent a chaos of agonizing cries.

Placing its hand on the crumbled arena wall, Glasya-Labolas slowly walked out.

With just that, the ground shook like an earth tremor occurred.

How would things turn out, if such a thing got out into the town – there was no need to think so.

“Waiting for help from the academy would be too late. Just the two of us will have to do this.”

“…Ah, that’s right.”

However – Kamito still had not recovered from the shock.

Even 'Terminus Est', which he was tightly grasping, was losing that cool and clear radiance.

An elemental waffe would demonstrate its true value according to the spirit contractor’s divine power.

With Kamito’s current condition, he was unable to even maintain the sword’s strength.


For example, even if he fought, it was certain that it would instantly be broken.

“…”

Claire stared at Kamito in such a state with a rigid expression.

“It seems like you’re still half asleep. If that’s the case, I’ll wake you up.”

After that, for some reason, her face turned red and she quickly looked away.

And, in the next moment.

“…!?”

Suddenly, his lips were closed.[[Image:STnBD V01 250.jpg|thumb]]

It was hot. It was a tender sensation that was gently getting wet.

The tip of his nose was tickled by a faint scent of her hair.

“Hn…”

Several seconds later, their lips slowly separated.

“Are you awake?”

“…A…ah.”

Kamito nodded like he was befuddled.

“Th…this is something… only once.”

Biting her lips, Claire turned bright red and looked downwards.




The numbing-like kiss had blown away all the anguish from Kamito’s mind.

“…Shock therapy? However, this is a little too effective.”

“Hm,,,hmm, that’s fine! – Well then, let’s go, Kamito!”

While her face was bright red, Claire spun the spirit language summoning.

– Protector of red flames, watchman of the unsleeping hearth!

–Now is the time, by the blood contract, hurry and come to my side!

Immediately, a blazing flame whip was born in Claire’s hand.

It was not the black flame, invaded by the crazy spirit.

That was the flame of the noble Claire Rogue – Scarlet’s elemental waffe.

“Thank you, Scarlet. Lend me your power for just a bit longer.”

Responding to Claire’s feelings, the flame whip thunderously growled.

“I won’t make Scarlet, who is weakened, do something unreasonable. I’ll go around it to support, so you strike that giant human spirit.”

“Ah, I got it!”

Kamito firmly nodded and tightly grasped Terminus Est.

— That’s right. It is alright to not think about Restia now.

Now, just –


(To protect this tomboy princess, because that’s what I promised!)

Taking a stance with the sword, Kamito kicked the ground and jumped.

“I’ll show you, Claire Rogue”

The strongest blade dancer – Ren Ashbell’s blade dance!

Glasya-Labolas smashed the stone wall and stepped his foot out to the plaza outside the arena.

Kamito took a roundabout path to its behind and with a one-step jump, he pierced its ankle with the sword.

Vuoooooon!

Glasya-Labolas made a destructive roar – while the shock seemed to be blowing him away, Kamito clung onto the sword that pierced it.

(…What destructive power! As expected of a military-use spirit!)

The eyes of the giant, who was burning in anger, caught sight of Kamito’s figure at its feet.

It made a frenzy roar and swung down that blouder-like fist of its.

Kamito pulled out the sword and jumped back and using the giant’s arm as a stepping stone, he jumped again.

In order to crushed Kamito, who appeared on top of his head, Glasya-Labolas reached out its hand –

At that moment when it seemed like it caught his ankle.

“Kamito!”

Claire swung her flame whip and bound that arm. As Scarlet was exhausted, cutting up of the spirit could not be done. However, roughly sealing its movement was possible.

There was the thunderous sound of the wind blowing violently. Glasya-Labolas shifted its anger to Kamito on its head. In the state of passing by, Kamito brandished the sword. He cut the black crystal-like eyeball.

At that moment, from the eyeball that cracked, something like a black fog was blown out.

(That’s the crazy spirit…!?)

The black fog coiled about the sword. Just at that moment, the tip of its edge was corroding to black.

Kamito was taken aback. – The crazy spirit was a spirit that granted crazy attribute to spirits.

(Est is being encroached—!)

Kamito twisted his body and swung and cleared away the black fog.

He broke his stance in the air and was about to strike the ground as he was.

Then, Glasya-Labolas’ fist swung downwards.

Kamito took a stance with the sword in front of him – but he did not make it!

“…!”

Glasya-Labolas’ fist was – precisely stopped above his head.

Its arm, which was about to swing down at any time, was twined with a burning flame whip.

“Kamito! Now’s the chance, quickly do it!”

“Ah—“


Kamito laughed fearlessly and stood up, and concentrated his consciousness to the sword.

The elemental waffe of the sword spirit, Est, increased in radiance as it responded to Kamito’s feelings

He kicked the ground and jumped. Kamito’s sword once again danced in the midair.

And then –

“Oooooooooooo!”

The shining flashing sword cut up Glasya-Labolas’ body right in half.

===Part 5===

That moment when Kamito cut and turned over Glasya-Labolas, Claire was motionlessly staring at it.[[Image:STnBD V01 255.jpg|thumb]]

With the shining sword in his hand, Kazehaya Kamito danced a splendor blade dance,–

That was almost–

Like the blade dance of Ren Ashbell, who she saw at the stage of the blade dance three years ago.

(…Don’t tell me.)

The moment Glasya-Labolas turned into particles of light, the flame whip returned to the form of a small hell cat. Claire preciously embraced the flame spirit, which became small like a kitten.

“—Thank you, Scarlet.”



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Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume1 Chapter8

2012-04-07T06:21:21Z

81.243.80.150: /* Part 1 */

==The strongest blade dancer==
===Part 1===

Academy Town was a small-scale town within the premises of the Areishia Spirit Academy.

The townscape, lined with stone buildings, was filled with the tumult of people.

While bumping many times over into the coming-and-going crowds of people, Kamito was running towards the arena.

—If that was him thinking about it too much, it was alright. However, he was feeling strangely uneasy.

(…Absurd. With the loss of her contracted spirit, the blade dance is just...)

While he was out of breath, he ran at full speed, pulling Est’s hand.

He did not understand why he was in such a frantic for her sake.

Claire Rogue was a – tyrant, who was prideful, willful and quick to lash her whip.

However, he somehow could not leave her alone.

(After all, her true self is—)

Kamito stopped at that moment.

“—Here, right?”

Before the arena built at the center of the town, there was a crowd of spectators gathered.

The blade dance was originally a holy ritual to let spirits enjoy themselves – a kind of Kagura.


However, there was no change to the fact that that was also the highest form of entertainment to humans.

Also, the same as other festivals, the spirits preferred a great number of enthusiastic people.

He showed his academy student badge to the guard and entered inside, and pushed aside clamoring spectators to get to the front.

There were ear-splitting cheers. The sound of shrills of weapons. The intense blade dance had already started at the arena.

There were about 20 participants. Various types of spirits were jumbled together and fighting.

It was a battle royal system where the last one remaining would earn the right to contract with a powerful military-use spirit.

Kamito searched for Claire—

“…!?”

For that unbelievable sight, he doubted his eyes.

That Claire Rogue was—

Covered all over with wounds and crawling.

Against the contracted spirits boasting tremendous power, Claire was fighting with just a whip and spirit magic.

While her whole body was hit and slammed into a wall, she stood up and fought again and again.

“Claire—“

He could not go help her. If Kamito got in and helped her, she would be naturally disqualified.

If he did that, she would probably never forgive him.

Kamito bit his teeth and in front of him, Claire was blown away.



===Part 2===

—Weak. Why am I even so weak?

While being thrown to the ground, Claire strongly bit her lips. The taste of blood spread across her tongue. It seemed that she was cut somewhere inside her mouth. She planned to stand up but her hands went numb and did not move. It seemed to have caused a cerebral concussion. Even several bones of her ribs might be suffering damage.

“Guu…!”

Even so, she still did not raise the surrender card.

She slowly stood up on her shaky legs.

She sternly looked up. At the center of the altar was a worshiped stone pillar. Within that, there was a rank-A battle-class military-use spirit– 'Glasya-Labolas' sealed inside, brought in from the imperial capital.

Having brought down many spirit knights in the past wars, it was a famous giant-man spirit.

(…If I obtain that, I can be strong.)

—Nee-sama surely can be saved!

“Flame – dance in my hand, dance!”

She turned the divine power dwelling within herself into flames and produced a fireball of spirit magic in her palm.


In her situation where there was no supply of divine power from Scarlet (contracted spirit), even for Claire, who was superior, to produce out such a small flame took all her might. Naturally, such a thing could not bring down spirits.

However, if she aimed for the spirit contractors, possibly – there might be a tinge chance of winning.

“Huh? Do you still plan on doing this? You don’t learn, do you”

—She heard a scorning voice from her front.

“…!”

She bit her teeth and lifted her head. The two spirit contractors were standing with ridiculing expressions.

They were the Academy’s upper classmen. They were respectively using 'adamantine spirit' and 'magic mirror spirit'.

“Hey, are you truly not an idiot? You don’t even have a contracted spirit.”

“That very part of you is irritating, you know.”

“…You!”

Aiming at the two upper classmen ridiculing her, Claire released the fireball.

However, the fireball was stopped by the ore-looking adamantine spirit and easily repelled.

“Ahahaa, what’s that, spirit magic? – Do it, 'Adamantine'!”

The girl on the other side cruelly curved her lips and gave an order to her contracted spirit.

The adamantine spirit emitted a blue radiance and rushed and struck Claire’s abdomen.

“Agg…!”


A mumbling scream escaped from Claire’s mouth.

She did not dare aim her vital points. She was slowly tormenting her and enjoying herself.

This was not a splendor blade dance for spirits to enjoy themselves. It was merely unsightly violence.

“…How cheeky, you. Despite being that Calamity Queen’s younger sister.”

The upper classman’s face was really distorted in hatred. While being hit many times over her whole body, — finally, Claire recalled. These two were colleagues, who were one-sidedly knocked down by Claire at a practice match a month ago. They were resenting about that time.

“What’s with that look? If you don’t give up quickly, you’ll really die!”

“It’s alright if you quickly kneel down and lick our shoes, and yet. Truly, that foolishness is the same as your sister.”

“…Shut…up, be silent.”

Claire tightly grasped the sand scattered on the ground.

“Hn, did you say something?”

“I said… be silent.”

It was no good. She could not restrain it.

(Only abuses at Nee-sama, no matter what, my boiling point for that is low!)

She put divine power into her left hand, which was grasping sand. A black spirit crest re-engraved and ominously glowed.

And then the moment the path was connected, a horrifying sensation ran all over her body.


She would not be defeated at such a place. There was no value in her weak self.

(To grasp a more powerful power in my hand –!)

“What… a contracted spirit!?”

The upperclassmen’s eyes opened in surprise.

“If you wish for it, I’ll show you. This is – my true power!”

Gou!

The black flame, released from Claire’s hand, gulped down the adamantine spirit in an instant.

Appeared from within the blazing flame was—

A flickering jet black magic beast.

It was not a noble flame like Scarlet. It was a flame of darkness, showing signs of madness.

Guo…ruuuuuu…

The beast’s hair-raising roar shook the entire atmosphere in the arena.

===Part 3===

“…What’s that!?”

Kamito got up from the audience seatings and shouted.


The black flame spirit, Claire brought forth, engulfed the adamantine spirit in front of it in an instant.

—It was not Scarlet.

Its appearance was similar to that hell cat but the presence of that divine power was overly ominous.

The jet-black flame spirit bit and crushed the magic mirror spirit at the other side and was devouring those remains like a starving beast. That was not all. The spirits around the black spirit suddenly writhed as if going mad and began eating each other’s existence.

“The frenzy is spreading…!”

Kamito recalled about the magic spirit that appeared in Astral Zero last night.

And about the water spirit that went out of control in the bathroom.

The spirits, in a frenzy, lost their reasoning and were unable to restrain their powers. Until their own existence extinguished, they would conduct themselves as with their impulses for destruction.

However, that black magic beast –

(It’s forcefully snatching away Clare’s divine power!?)

Claire stood rock still at the center of the arena with an exhausted expression.

From the black spirit crest engraved on her left hand, blood was trickling down.

Her face was pale and her whole body was quivering bit by bit. It looked like she was also barely standing.

If the situation was left as it was, she might lose her life.


The spectators, who realized that something was strange with the appearance of the spirits, suddenly began a commotion.

The spirit contractor girls, in the arena, were also perplexed at their contracted spirits that suddenly did not listen to their commands.

“Damn, what are the guys in Knights doing?”

Kamito looked around the inside of the arena. Despite being an obvious strange situation, the spirit knights that should have been prepared for unexpected situations were not moving. What was going on?

However, the spirit knights standing at the arena gate were all rooted at the same spot, staring into empty space. The eyes were not focused. It was as if they were entranced –

“…What? What the heck is happening?”

“That’s a crazy spirit, Kamito.”

Est, who was beside him, muttered expressionlessly.

“A crazy spirit?”

“It is a possession-type spirit that bestows berserk-ness to spirits. It isn’t such a high status spirit but the spirit possessed loses its reasoning and, until its own existence vanishes, it will continue to fight.”

“Possess – don’t tell me, that black magic beast is 'Scarlet'!?”


“Affirmative. That hell cat is a very powerful spirit, it should not vanish from the extent of being beaten by the magic spirit. It seems that it temporary lost the ability to manifest but–“


“Is that so…”

The fire remains of the flame spirit remained. However, Claire continuously thought that Scarlet vanished, so she was not able to connect the path.

“—But, in that frenzied condition, vanishing completely is also just a matter of time.”

“Ah, I understand.”

Kamito nodded.

'Scarlet' – a flame spirit with the appearance of a hell cat cladded in noble flames.

That was the very flame of a girl named Claire.

That flame turned into a crazy disgusting magic beast and was indulging and eating the spirits.

Something like that could not be her –Claire’s desired flame.

“—Est. I ask of you, lend me your strength.”

“I am Kamito’s sword. I’ll do as you desire.”

Est gently grasped Kamito’s hand. There was a feeling of a hand, cold but surprisingly soft.

“The cool-headed steel queen, the sacred sword that destroys evil – here and now, become my sword!”

Kamito spun the releasing of the elemental waffe; at the same time, Est’s body turned into particles of light and vanished.

In the next moment, a silver glowing single edged sword appeared in Kamito’s hand.

The spirit language inscription, carved on the edge, was – 'Terminus Est '.


Just by lightly holding it, he understood that it was tremendously famous sword.

“I’m sorry. The path to my true form is closed, so this is the limit for me currently.”

Est, who turned into the form of a sword, said apologetically.

“No, this is plenty. – Let’s go, Est!”

Kamito prepared Terminus Est and jumped into the arena where the raging black flame was.

The moment he landed onto the ground, the magic beast of darkness bared its fangs and prounced to attack him.

He brandished the sword in a turning manner. He knocked away the black flame, and rushed over to Claire’s side.

“Claire!”

“…Kamito”

Claire opened her ruby-colored eyes.

Her knees were on the ground and she was breathing heavily. Her delicate body was going to collapse at any time.

The blood, trickling from the spirit crest on her left hand, was dying the sand scattered on the ground red.

At that moment, the black flame magic beast mowed onto the ground, like it was making fun of it, with its claws.

There was the scent of burning in the air. The hot wind with pebbles mixed in gently brushed Kamito’s cheeks.

“…!?”

In a hair’s breadth, Kamito dodged the black flame’s claws. He drove in a slash at the black flame spirit that was just knocked down.

The silver sword flash drew an arc. The elemental waffe of the sword spirit cut up even the intangible flames –


The black flame magic beast let out an ear-splitting scream and broke up in the air. It didn't mean that it vanished. The flames that were scattered were burning at their respective positions and formed a flaming wall surrounding Kamito in it. Kamito clicked his tongue and stopped at that spot.

“Claire, get yourself together, come to your senses!”

“Wh…what… Why are you here—“

A confused expression surfaced on Claire’s face –

“…!?”

Then, as if just began to realize it, she opened her eyes in terror.

The scene that flew into her eyes was a cruel disastrous scene.

There was a blazing disgusting black flame.

A group of spirits was in a frenzy and devouring each other.

The students of the academy were losing their consciousness from having their divine power eaten and falling down to the ground one by one –

“Claire, is this the power you wanted? Something like this? That’s your flames!”

Kamito shouted as if he was throwing up.

While he cleared away the attacking flame with the sword, he reached out his hand towards Claire.

“I…I…—“

Claire moved her lips with her pale facial expression –


She instantly shook her head as if she had changed her mind.

“Sh…shut up! I… I need the power!”

The red twin-tail hair violently sprung up.

The black flame blazed even more as if responding to Claire’s fury.

“…You don’t understand. My feelings of being always alone –“

Claire lied face down and said that gaspingly.

That day, four years ago, was when the still childish Claire Elstein’s life ended.

The girl, who was betrayed by her most loved sister, had both her parents imprisoned and lost everything, was –

To live taking persecutions as Calamity Queen’s sister.

If she didn't become strong alone, she would not be able to live on.

“…You’re not alone, idiot.”

“Eh?”

At Kamito’s words—

Claire raised her head with a blank expression.

“I am here. I’ll be by your side. After all, I’m –“

Kamito approached Claire with a step.

The flame wall in their surroundings burned with intimidation.


“D…Don’t come here…”

“Claire—“

“Do not come here!”

Pashin! –She closed her eyes and strongly struck her leather whip at Kamito’s cheek.

Red blood flowed from his cheek. Kamito did not even wipe that and took another step—

“…!? Why didn’t you avoid it?”

Claire’s cherry blossom-colored lips were quivering.

“I didn’t plan on hitting… and yet.”

Kamito stood before Claire and slowly raised his hand over his head.

“…!”

Claire thought it was a strike, and reflexively closed her eyes tightly.

Then—

….Poff.

“Eh?”

Claire widely opened her ruby-colored eyes.

She looked up at Kamito with a blank expression.

“—Claire, I like your flames.”


Kamito stirred up and crumpled Claire’s red hair.

“…Wh!? Ah, …li…like… Eh?”

Claire’s cheeks were dyed bright red inside.

“It burns prettily, dazzlingly and nobly. I like your flames.”

“Ah, sh…sh…”

—That was why he wanted to protect those flames.

“If you want power –“

Kamito looked straight into Claire’s eyes and said.


“I’ll be your contracted spirit.”

“Kamito…”

In Claire’s red eyes, a drop of tear surfaced—

Confused, she wiped it with her uniform sleeve.

“Wh…what are you saying? You are originally my slave spirit!”

“Ah, that is right…”

Kamito bitterly smiled and gently removed his hand from Claire’s head.


At that moment, he sliced and drove away the black flame magic beast that roared and came attacking with the sword.

With his back facing Claire, he blocked its way like a knight protecting a princess.

“—Hey, Scarlet. Did you forget your precious master?”

With Kamito’s words thrown at it, the black flame that cladded the magic beast trembled for a moment.

Scarlet – it seemed to respond to that name.

“…Scarlet?”

Claire asked.

“Ah, it wasn’t that your partner vanished. It just temporary lost its power. Although, it’s now possessed by a crazy spirit and has turned into such an appearance.”

“…Scarlet is alive!?”

Claire was taken aback and raised her head. Kamito nodded.

“Ah, this sword – Est informed me.”

“… That’s, by no means, that sword spirit?”

“That’s right. But probably even a tenth of her original power still can’t be used.”

Taking a stance with Terminus Est in both his hands, Kamito turned towards the black flame magic beast.

“…”

Claire stared at the thunderously raging black flame.


She saw something within that flame and swiftly raised her head –

“…Yes that is Scarlet.”

She wiped her tears to shake it off.

“If that’s the case –“

“Claire, stand back. A frenzied spirit will attack even its contractor.”

Kamito controlled Claire, who planned to go to the front, with his hand –

Claire stopped that hand and shook her head.

“Scarlet is in a frenzy because of me. Therefore, only I can take her back.”

—Flames, dance in my hand, dance!

Spun from her cherry blossom-colored lips was the spirit language aria.

At that moment, a small fireball was born at the palm of her hand.

“Spirit magic? What can such a small fireball –“

“— Like this.”

At that instant, Claire pushed the burning fireball into her left hand.

There was the sound of flesh burning.

“O…oi, Claire!?”

“…A…gu…uuuu—!”


While barely clenching her teeth, Claire moaned in anguish.

On her pale face, perspiration like waterfalls flowed along her chin.

“You…!”

Kamito finally understood.

The black spirit crest, re-engraved on Claire’s left hand – that was the symbol of contract with that crazy spirit.

The spirit crest was an exclusive 'gate' to connect the path between Astral Zero and this world.

If that was destroyed, naturally, the contract with the spirit would be annulled.

Claire was physically burning the spirit crest and was breaking the contract with the crazy spirit!

Guorooooouuu…

The magic beast, cladded in black flames, raged like a thunderous wind.

With the path being burned off, it shared the same pain as Claire, its contractor.

“Sorry, Scarlet, I too… will endure—“

Claire was putting up with the pain and that moment when Claire’s knees hit the ground –

The frenzied magic beast roared and sprung at Claire.

“—!”

Kamito quickly stepped in and got into the magic beast’s bosom in one bound.

The claws, cladded in flames burned the ends of his hair and at that instant – he mowed down with the sword when they passed each other.


There was a flashing sword swing. At the same time, the red hot flames that melts even iron attacked Kamito’s whole body –

“Kamito!”

Claire’s scream resounded.

However, Kamito’s body had already disappeared.

The moment the sword and the claws crossed, he dodged like a shadow and had turned to the flame spirit’s back.

(—A frenzied spirit certainly has its power greatly increased.)

The black flame spirit turned behind – but it was too late.

(However, no matter what, its movement became dull. In that case, it can’t win against me—)

Kamito kicked the ground and sharply turned, and swung the silver shining Terminus Est—

With that stroke of the sword, the black flame, possessing the flame spirit, was severed and killed.

“—Claire, are you alright?!”

Kamito rushed over, Claire was lying on the floor with a pale face.

From her red forelock clinging onto her forehead, drops of perspiration was dripping down.

“A…guu…!”

A gasping, like it was hoarse from her inner throat, leaked out. Her left hand sustained a severe burn.

Just the texture of her thin pretty skin was hideously burned that that scar was too painfully to look at.

However, the black spirit crest that was engraved disappeared without leaving any trace.


With this, the path with that crazy spirit should be completely severed.

“That was so reckless. Look, I’ll treat it for you, so show it to me.”

“I…I’m fine, it’s just this much…”

Claire’s cheeks slightly turned red and she quickly turned away.

At that moment, intense pain was running all over, she softly screamed “Hyauu” and her eyes turned teary.

“What, you’re not being honest.”

“S…shut up, I’ll turn you into cinders!”

Kamito bitterly smiled at Claire’s usual behavior.

—However, this is the usual Claire Rogue.

She was not suited to have just a sorrowful face.

“By the way, where—“

Suddenly, Kamito turned serious and asked.

“What…”

“Where did you contract something like the crazy spirit?”

“That’s—“

Claire stammered with her words and at that time.

“Ah, did you receive my present with pleasure?”


From behind, they heard such an inappropriate voice.

It was a gentle voice, like downy hair tickling one’s earlobe.

“…!?”

It sounded familiar – that was out of the question.

For three years, he always – yearned to hear it, that voice.

Kamito slowly turned around.

And there –

A beautiful girl, wearing a dark black dress, was giggling.

===Part 4===

Kamito stood still at that place with a frozen expression.

“Don't tell me, tha..t’s…”

What was there was –

A girl, who was the very light to Kamito.

She gave the boy, who had closed his heart into a cold cage, a warm light –

“…Res…tia?”


Kamito muttered in a blurry voice.

“—It has been quite a long time, Kamito.”

The girl, wearing a darkness-color dress, impishly smiled.

…It was unbelievable.

However, that appearance was as it was from that time, three years ago.

That beautiful face, without doubt, belonged to the girl, who Kamito knew.

The darkness spirit, Restia.

The contracted spirit of the strongest blade dancer – Ren Ashbell.

“Restia, I—“

Kamito reached out his hand and planned to approach the girl.

However, his legs, as if they were sewed on to that place, could not move.

Despite that the girl, who he was continuously searching for even three years, was in front of him —

— Something was strange. His spirit contractor intuition was telling him that.

She was smiling like that.

Moveover, in the girl’s hand, what was that ominous black lump?

“I wanted to meet you, Kamito. However –“

The girl faced that black lump at the altar in the center and threw it there.


“…?”

“Let’s leave the hug to the next opportunity. Look, as that child is waking up.”

When the black lump turned into a fog in midair, it surrounded the worshipped stone pillar at the altar.

The stone pillar that was brought in from the imperial capital and sealed the military-use spirit.

“Restia…What in the world are –“

Kamito muttered and at that time.

Suddenly, the ground violently shook.

“What…!?”

“Ah, looks like it has already woken up.”

“Restia…?”

“Kamito, be careful! She is the one, who gave me that crazy spirit!”

Claire shouted to Kamito, who was being absentminded.

“Wh…at…!?”

At that moment, a ground-shaking roar resounded.

Pishii—the stone pillar enveloped in the black fog got greatly cracked.

Zu…zuzu…zuzuzuzu…!

From the tear of the cracked stone pillar, a giant human hand appeared.


That was –

(Glasya-Labolas is – going in a frenzy!?)

Taken aback, he turned around. Restia was giggling.

That somewhat devilish smile was something Kamito had never seen.

“—Good bye, Kamito. Let’s meet again.”

“Restia… What is going on!? What are you –“

“Because that is your wish.”

“…!?”

Kamito’s face froze.

“Wait – Please wait, Restia!”

“I had waited, it has already been three years.”

“Resti…”

Restia smiled once again and disappeared into the empty space that became a black fog.

Kamito dropped both his hands like he was exhausted and stood still there dumbfounded.

— He did not understand what happened.

(Restia gave Claire that crazy spirit…?)

He could not believe it. No, he did not want to believe it.


However, the girl’s appearance belonged to the darkness spirit that he had been certainly continuously searching for.

His former contracted spirit.

The girl showed Kamito, who lost the human heart, his first warm light.

If that girl changed, that –

(It’s my fault… I had changed her into something different.)

The blade dance three years ago.

Kamito, who was victorious as Ren Ashbell, —

Attempted to have a 'wish' that humans can never wish for to be granted.

For that reason, he decided to lose her.

He believed that she would be alive somewhere.

The aching of spirit crest engraved on his left hand whispered.

—She would be alive again. He could still make up for his crimes.

By no means, it became that they met up again in such a manner – it was something he never thought of.

“Restia… Is this my punishment?”

If that was the case, it was too – cruel.

Like his whole body’s strength was drawn out and he was going to collapse, his knees hit the ground.

He was plunged into darkness. 


“Kamito!? Hey, are you listening, Kamito!”

Even Claire’s voice calling for Kamito was only absentmindedly heard.

Once again, the ground violently shook.

Passing through the 'gate' opened in the empty space, Glasya-Labolas was attempting to emerge out here.

The wall of the arena collapsed due to the tremor and a large amount of rubble poured down over Kamito’s head.

Just before his body was going to be crushed – that moment.

Pashii – Kamito’s head was twined around by a whip.

“…Guoo!”

Kamito was violently dragged along the ground and he made an anguishing voice.

Immediately after, large amount of rubble fell at that place where Kamito had been at.

There was a thunderous sound. Cloud of dust fluttered up in the air.

…If he was crushed, he would have, without a doubt, died.

“Idiot! Wh…what are you doing!”

Over his head, Claire took up a daunting pose and shouted.

“Hey, do you want to die? Or do you want to turn to cinders?”

“No, not those two choices – Guoo!”

“Hmm, to retort, you are alright, aren’t you!”


Claire constricted Kamito’s head with her whip and with a jerk, drew her face closer.

“…”

It was at a point-blank distance as if the tips of their noses were touching.

Her ruby-colored pupils, filled with a strong will, were before his eyes.

Nevertheless in such a moment, Kamito was reflexively startled.

“…Come on, what? What is it?”

Seemingly noticing that her face was too close, Claire’s cheeks turned red and she slightly loosened her whip.

“It…it’s not like I’m particularly interested but … for once, listen up.”

“Wh…what…”

“That girl just now, h…how is she related to you?”

“She –“

Kamito averted his eyes from Claire's clear eyes

“Was my contracted spirit.”

“Spirit?”

Kamito silently nodded and clenched his left hand.

“…It’s my fault. It’s my fault that she –“

The thoughts of Kamito, who sank into the dark abyss once again,—


“So what!”

Claire’s voice, which was cold, drew him back.

“Eh?”

“I am saying so what!”

Claire was standing straight up, with both hands at her waist and her twin-tail hair over her shoulder.

Until a while ago, her depressed state was not even minute.

There was her above all else noble beautiful crimson flame.

“No, it is because I…”

Kamito was taken aback dumbfounded—

“Didn’t you promise me just now that ‘I’ll be your contracted spirit’?! Please hold on the responsibility of your own words!”

Pishipashi! Claire placed a strike with her whip onto Kamito’s back.

“Ouch! Wh…what are you doing! Whipping a dead person!”

Without thought, Kamito stood up and shouted.

Claire suddenly smiled.

“A dead person? Then how about dying once? Look, look at that.”

“Aah?”


Kamito turned his face –

From the 'gate' in the empty space, bluish-white light was emitted and Glasya-Labolas came crawling out.

The battle-class military-use spirit, whose seal was undone, —its over-all length was more than ten-odd meters.

Glasya-Labolas roared. Merely with that, half of the audience seats were blown away.

It seemed that the audience had already escaped but there should still be many citizens outside the arena.

From the giant empty hole in the wall, the state of the plaza was in sight.

Everyone was screaming and jostling, while running away. In response to the sudden appearance of Glasya-Labolas, the plaza and the main street underwent a chaos of agonizing cries.

Placing its hand on the crumbled arena wall, Glasya-Labolas slowly walked out.

With just that, the ground shook like an earth tremor occurred.

How would things turn out, if such a thing got out into the town – there was no need to think so.

“Waiting for help from the academy would be too late. Just the two of us will have to do this.”

“…Ah, that’s right.”

However – Kamito still had not recovered from the shock.

Even 'Terminus Est', which he was tightly grasping, was losing that cool and clear radiance.

An elemental waffe would demonstrate its true value according to the spirit contractor’s divine power.

With Kamito’s current condition, he was unable to even maintain the sword’s strength.


For example, even if he fought, it was certain that it would instantly be broken.

“…”

Claire stared at Kamito in such a state with a rigid expression.

“It seems like you’re still half asleep. If that’s the case, I’ll wake you up.”

After that, for some reason, her face turned red and she quickly looked away.

And, in the next moment.

“…!?”

Suddenly, his lips were closed.[[Image:STnBD V01 250.jpg|thumb]]

It was hot. It was a tender sensation that was gently getting wet.

The tip of his nose was tickled by a faint scent of her hair.

“Hn…”

Several seconds later, their lips slowly separated.

“Are you awake?”

“…A…ah.”

Kamito nodded like he was befuddled.

“Th…this is something… only once.”

Biting her lips, Claire turned bright red and looked downwards.




The numbing-like kiss had blown away all the anguish from Kamito’s mind.

“…Shock therapy? However, this is a little too effective.”

“Hm,,,hmm, that’s fine! – Well then, let’s go, Kamito!”

While her face was bright red, Claire spun the spirit language summoning.

– Protector of red flames, watchman of the unsleeping hearth!

–Now is the time, by the blood contract, hurry and come to my side!

Immediately, a blazing flame whip was born in Claire’s hand.

It was not the black flame, invaded by the crazy spirit.

That was the flame of the noble Claire Rogue – Scarlet’s elemental waffe.

“Thank you, Scarlet. Lend me your power for just a bit longer.”

Responding to Claire’s feelings, the flame whip thunderously growled.

“I won’t make Scarlet, who is weakened, do something unreasonable. I’ll go around it to support, so you strike that giant human spirit.”

“Ah, I got it!”

Kamito firmly nodded and tightly grasped Terminus Est.

— That’s right. It is alright to not think about Restia now.

Now, just –


(To protect this tomboy princess, because that’s what I promised!)

Taking a stance with the sword, Kamito kicked the ground and jumped.

“I’ll show you, Claire Rogue”

The strongest blade dancer – Ren Ashbell’s blade dance!

Glasya-Labolas smashed the stone wall and stepped his foot out to the plaza outside the arena.

Kamito took a roundabout path to its behind and with a one-step jump, he pierced its ankle with the sword.

Vuoooooon!

Glasya-Labolas made a destructive roar – while the shock seemed to be blowing him away, Kamito clung onto the sword that pierced it.

(…What destructive power! As expected of a military-use spirit!)

The eyes of the giant, who was burning in anger, caught sight of Kamito’s figure at its feet.

It made a frenzy roar and swung down that blouder-like fist of its.

Kamito pulled out the sword and jumped back and using the giant’s arm as a stepping stone, he jumped again.

In order to crushed Kamito, who appeared on top of his head, Glasya-Labolas reached out its hand –

At that moment when it seemed like it caught his ankle.

“Kamito!”

Claire swung her flame whip and bound that arm. As Scarlet was exhausted, cutting up of the spirit could not be done. However, roughly sealing its movement was possible.

There was the thunderous sound of the wind blowing violently. Glasya-Labolas shifted its anger to Kamito on its head. In the state of passing by, Kamito brandished the sword. He cut the black crystal-like eyeball.

At that moment, from the eyeball that cracked, something like a black fog was blown out.

(That’s the crazy spirit…!?)

The black fog coiled about the sword. Just at that moment, the tip of its edge was corroding to black.

Kamito was taken aback. – The crazy spirit was a spirit that granted crazy attribute to spirits.

(Est is being encroached—!)

Kamito twisted his body and swung and cleared away the black fog.

He broke his stance in the air and was about to strike the ground as he was.

Then, Glasya-Labolas’ fist swung downwards.

Kamito took a stance with the sword in front of him – but he did not make it!

“…!”

Glasya-Labolas’ fist was – precisely stopped above his head.

Its arm, which was about to swing down at any time, was twined with a burning flame whip.

“Kamito! Now’s the chance, quickly do it!”

“Ah—“


Kamito laughed fearlessly and stood up, and concentrated his consciousness to the sword.

The elemental waffe of the sword spirit, Est, increased in radiance as it responded to Kamito’s feelings

He kicked the ground and jumped. Kamito’s sword once again danced in the midair.

And then –

“Oooooooooooo!”

The shining flashing sword cut up Glasya-Labolas’ body right in half.

===Part 5===

That moment when Kamito cut and turned over Glasya-Labolas, Claire was motionlessly staring at it.[[Image:STnBD V01 255.jpg|thumb]]

With the shining sword in his hand, Kazehaya Kamito danced a splendor blade dance,–

That was almost–

Like the blade dance of Ren Ashbell, who she saw at the stage of the blade dance three years ago.

(…Don’t tell me.)

The moment Glasya-Labolas turned into particles of light, the flame whip returned to the form of a small hell cat. Claire preciously embraced the flame spirit, which became small like a kitten.

“—Thank you, Scarlet.”



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Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume1 Chapter7

2012-04-07T06:18:20Z

81.243.80.150: /* Part 4 */

== Chapter 7: Contracted Spirit Est ==

=== Part 1 ===

.....He remembered that he was taken into a black room.

A room like a prison cell without windows.

He recalled being taken by people in black, also the day he met '''her''' for the first time ---

It was since eight years ago when the young boy became The Strongest Blade Dancer --- Ren Ashbell, .

Before that he was at an orphanage.

It was no ordinary orphanage. It was a so called <Instructional School> that didn't exist on any maps.

From every part of the continent, young girls with talents as a spirit contractor were gathered from　orphanages　or relief institutions, and received special training in the secret facility. Those were raised there were exceptional assassins. The emotions of the girls were killed by the crazily education, and nothing but massacre techniques using spirits where thoroughly hammered into them.

On that day eight years ago, a young boy who was taken in by the Instructional School was able to communicate with the spirits.

The Demon King's Reincarnation --- called the miracle child by the training instructor, that young boy was trained with highest priority.

He was subjected to the highest assassin skills training, handing to him their treasured one of the most powerful pillar spirit.

Formerly, a sealed spirit because of the demon king, the dark spirit.

But, four years ago, an enigma berserk accident suddenly destroyed the Instructional School.

Thanks to the incident, the hideous truth of the Instructional School was brought to light, and the aristocrat faction in charge of the scheme was purged; its existence was erased from all the records of the Orudeshia empire.

The young boy, escaped with his contracted spirit.

Running away from his pursuers, he disguised himself as a girl. Originally the young boy had well equipped features; his voice has yet changed, and nobody thought that he was a boy.

Also, three years ago. The Strongest blade dancer magnificently debuted.

Winning the <Spirit Blade Dance Play Festival>, in order to fulfill '''her''' one and only <wish>.

But, It's --- '''something he must never had wished for'''.

=== Part 2 ===

Kamito opened his eyes and found himself lying in bed.

Birds were chirping outside the window. Bright morning light entered into the room.

He strongly felt that he had a very nostalgic dream, but couldn't remember what it was about.

His head hurt. Kamito slowly turned his head and sat up. Then he noticed.

What he was wearing was not the the Areidesia spirit academy school uniform. It seemed that someone had helped him into pajamas. The freshly washed clothes were very comfortable.

"By the way ... where am I?"

Kamito looked around the room.

The layout of the room was very familiar. This must be the dormitory of academy.

However, this was not Claire's room. It was impossible for her room to be so clean. The furniture and household items looked very upscale and polished spotless. The room was like a luxury hotel. It did feel like a girl's room, but with a different perspective from Claire's.

He moved his arms to get out of bed - but a sharp burning pain shot up from his right hand.

Grimacing from the sharp pain, Kamito finally remembered.

(At that time, I ......)

In order to protect Claire, Kamito had surpassed the limit to release the contract spirit's power.

Conjuring up a powerful Elemental Waffe was of course good. But since the spirit was too strong, his divine energy was exhausted all at once, and he had passed out.

(Right, ... How was Claire?)

Kamito was going to get up from bed, but at that moment -

(Hm?)

Something squirmed inside the sheets.

"Wow! What ... What the hell!?"

Kamito bounced up to quickly yank the sheets aside.

Something unbelievable was there.

A silver-haired girl.

And she was naked, stark naked.

No, more precisely she was not completely naked; she had black knee socks on.

A knee socks wearing, nude, silver-haired girl was there.

... Silence for about a full half minute.

"...Who are you?" Asked Kamito. His head was spinning, and he couldn't come up with any other questions.

"Est." The girl expressionlessly replied. It was a cold and mechanical-sounding voice.

"Est ... so that's your name?"

"Right. Human vocal organs are incapable of pronouncing my true name, so call me Est."

"Well, Est."

"Yes."

One would blink in amazement at the transparent violet eyes of the beautiful silver-haired girl.

She seemed to be younger than Kamito.

Her body was very petite, maybe even smaller than Claire's.

"Uh ... Why ... are you ... in my bed?"

"Because I belong to you, my master."

The girl answered with no hesitation.

"......"

Cold sweat flowed down from Kamito's forehead.

... Wait. Calm down. He had no memory of such a thing. Wrong, isn't that he doesn't remember anything about it even worse?

Why am I in bed with a naked girl? Kamito Kazehaya, were you really such a despicable pervert that stripped innocent little girls and then brought them to bed?

NO! Absolutely not!

"Hey, Est."

"Yes, master."

"Why are you calling me master? Please briefly explain."

"Because master is my master. Was there any self-contradiction? "

Est replied expressionless.

"Or would you like me to call you differently?"

"For now, anything other than master."

"Well, Aniue-sama<ref>An extremely respectable way of calling an elder brother</ref>."

"No."

"Daddy."

"Even worse."

"... Onii-chan?"

"... Uh ... no!"

Kamito averted his eyes slightly. Involuntarily, he felt that the last one was quite good.

"My bad. Kamito, please call me Kamito."

"Got it. I'll call you Kamito."

The knee socks wearing nude silver-haired girl nodded.

Kamito ... Kamito ... my master is Kamito ... the girl murmured, as if constantly chewing these words.

Kamito's head gradually started aching. What is with this girl?

"Why are you wearing nothing but knee socks? Isn't it odd?"

"Are you saying that I should take the socks off!?"

Est's always expressionless face showed a sign of wavering for the first time.

"Actually demanding me to show my bare feet ... Kamito is such a pervert. "

"No, aren't you naked? What is this mysterious sense of embarrassment?"

Kamito sighed. Oh, well, perhaps it was due to cultural difference.

At this point, suddenly the sound of someone coming up the stairs was heard through the door.

"... Oh, no! Someone is coming!"

It would be bad regardless of whom, seeing this situation.

"Hide somewhere now!"

"Why?"

"No questions! Hurry up!"

"Oui, roger that."

Est wiggled deep into the sheets.

"Why there out of all places!"

Snip -

At this instant, the door opened.

"Kamito, you woke up!"

Rinslet's maid Carol appeared. She was carrying a basin and towels.

"Carol!? That you are here means this is -"

"The room of my lady, Rinslet."

Carol smiled.

I see. Indeed she was a daughter of the Laurenfrost family. No wonder the room was so different from Claire's.

"By the way, why am I in Rinslet's room?"

"My lady was very worried because you fainted and had you carried here. She and I took care of you."

"......So that's why. Thank you."

Kamito felt very grateful. That girl was surprisingly a good person.

Carol walked over towards the bed.

(... Oh, no!)

The moment Kamito put on the alert posture, Est squirmed in the sheets.

Kamito's body suddenly involuntarily froze.

(Hey ... Hey! Come on. Please stay still!)

"You woke up, Kamito Kazehaya."

Snip - this time the uniformed Rinslet came in.

Although he thought Rinslet would breath a sigh of relief, but she put two hands upon her waist, and glared sharply at Kamito.

"...I was so startled because you suddenly fainted."

"Ah, My bad. I heard that you have been taking care of me. Thank you."

"Humph! Taking care of the servants is also the duty of a master!"

Rinslet's face suddenly became red and she looked away.

"... Besides, you saved my friend ..."

"Well?"

"Nothing ...!"

Rinslet suddenly folded her arms, and turned her face aside.

Her behavior of not being frank with herself was somehow quite lovely, actually.

"By the way, how is Claire?" Asked Kamito. Back then Claire looked very haggard, and something was obviously wrong.

... Hopefully she was not thinking something strange.

"She locked herself in her room the moment she came back to the academy and has stayed there since then. No matter how I provoke her outside the door, she completely refuses to come out."

"So..."

Kamito sighed. It seemed that even that defiant princess could suffer from depression. Although she acted very tough, she was just an ordinary girl after all.

"My lady is really worried about her childhood friend Miss Claire."

"Carol! what, what are you talking about! " Red faced Rinslet repetitively beat Carol on her back.

Looking at the exchange between the two girls, Kamito smiled bitterly.

(... Ah. That girl, even though she was seemingly convinced that she was alone,)

(She does have good friends.)

"What is it, Kamito Kazehaya? Why are you smiling?"

Rinslet puffed her cheeks and stared at Kamito.

"Since you have woken up, get out already. Men are prohibited in the female dormitory!"

"Ah, Oh. I'll go out now...... uh!"

Just then, Kamito suddenly froze.

... No way. He absolutely could not get out of bed now. There was a beautiful knee socks wearing nude young girl hidden under the sheets.

This was bad. Extremely bad. If she was to be discovered by these two girls, his life will be in danger in all kinds of ways.

(What should I do ... right!)

Kamito needed to change from pajamas into uniforms. Using that as an excuse, he could sent Rinslet and Carol away, then take this opportunity to escape with Est from the window.

No, no good. To go out with Est in her current state, they would surely be caught.

If they were to be dragged to that stubborn leader of the Knights, he would end up even more miserable.

That being the case, he had to -

"Uh ... right! Can I ask for a favor?"

"What's that? Do you ... want to lick my toes?"

"No one asked for such a thing!"

Kamito retorted out of reflex ... Why was there an expectation in her tone?

"That's not what I ask. I was thinking ...could you lend me some clothes."

"Clothes? Oh, of course, your uniform is right here."

Rinslet snapped her fingers, and Carol immediately brought out the folded uniforms. The ripped uniforms from battle yesterday was mended, even the buttons were sewn back on neatly.

"That's not what I meant. I would like to borrow a girl's uniform. "

"......"

(Eh? I feel like I have made some kind of fatal mistake just now ...)

Rinslet stared at Kamito as if looking at a cockroach on the roadside.

"Oh? What do you plan to do with a girl's uniform, Kamito Kazehaya?"

Gogogogo...

"No ... No, not what you think ... uh ... that ..."

Kamito stammered, trying to find excuses to gloss over the question.

"Then it can't be helped. Then although it is a bit embarrassing, I'll lend you my clothes..."

Carol's face turned red, and she started to remove her clothes uneasily.

"Not your clothes! And that's not even a uniform!"

"So that's how it is. What Kamito-sama desires most is a uniform of my lady's."

"What? ... My uniform?"

Rinslet suddenly blushed totally red, and quickly covered her chest.

(Ah ah ah ah! These two are so troublesome!)

Kamito cried in his mind. Just at this time.

From the abdomen of Kamito somehow came a wiggling sensation.

(...! Est! What are you are doing!)

"Hmm? Kamito Kazehaya, what are you doing?"

"No ... nothing ..."
[[Image:STnBD V01 207.jpg|thumb]]
"You have been acting strange since earlier. Come to think of it, the sheets seemed to bulge mysteriously."

"My lady, men are the kind of creatures to bulge in the morning."

"Yes ... a normal physiological phenomenon, it can't be helped ... that's not what this is!"

"Out with it already, what exactly are you hiding there!"

Paa-tsu - Rinslet forcefully yanked the sheets off.

"What!" "Ah!"

Rinslet and Carol simultaneously covered their mouths, and opened their eyes widely.

It was no wonder. In the bed, after all, there was one beautiful knee socks wearing naked girl.

"Kamito, we are caught."

Still expressionless, Est suddenly hugged Kamito tightly.

"Wh... Wh... What!"

"Hold on! Rinslet, do not misunderstand! This is because -"

Kamito panically shook his head, trying desperately to explain.

"This is because what?"

"Uh ... because ... that ..."

...Uh, no good. Even Kamito didn't know why the young girl was here.

Having said that, regardless of what excuses that Kamito came up with, he had no confidence to convince these two.

"- I see, that's how it was."

Rinslet grinned, a chilling smile appeared on her face.

An elegant, graceful, and truely aristocratic smile.

"You ... you understand?"

"Yes, I completely understand. While I was worried about you, you...you secretly brought such a lovely girl to bed ---"

Rinslet's freezing cold stares repeatedly stabbed Kamito.

Or rather... it was really cold, cold enough to freeze one to death.

Unknowingly, the windows were covered with frost. Just as one thought that a blizzard was bursting around in the room, the wolf spirit of magic ice suddenly appeared on top of the bed.

"... Wait! This is no joke - I am really going to die!"

"Then ...then die! You pervert ----!"

The magic ice spirit <Fenrir> let out a terrifying roar, then started attacking Kamito.

"... Wahh! For real!"

Kamito nimbly jumped out of bed and fled around in the room.

Baring its fangs, the magic ice spirit chased Kamito back and forth.

Bark! Bark!

"......"

At this moment, Est quietly rose up and stood in front of Kamito as if to shield him.

The white wolf bared its sharp fangs fiercely, and then leaped.

Still expressionless, Est thrust her hand in front of the nose of the white wolf.

Fenrir's movement suddenly froze.

"Woo...ong..."

"Stay back! How dare you as a magic ice spirt to defy me, the <Demon Slayer>? "

The moment Est calmly finished her words, Fenrir began to tremble.

And then -

"Sit down."

Chokun<ref>Sound of sitting down</ref>."

"Hand."

Pofu.

"Good boy."

Rub. Rub.

"......"

Kamito was speechless. Rinslet's mouth also hung wide open.

Even spirits of the rank of Fenrir were lead by the nose. This girl, could she be -

"Might you be a spirit!?"

"Yes, I'm the contract spirit of Kamito."

Stroking the head of the tamed Fenrir, Est nodded expressionlessly.

===Part 3===

"Unbelievable. I never expect you to be the <sealed spirit> of that sword."

Having left the female dormitory and walking in the courtyard of
the academy, Kamito took a glance at the girl next to him.

Of course, she was not naked. Currently, she was wearing the
uniform of the Areishia spirit academy.

The spirits that had a human form were the highest rank in Astral
Zero. So it is understandable that Kamito did not immediately
discover the girl's true identity.

"I mean, you can reconstruct clothes, so why were you naked?"

"I thought you would be pleased that way. Or do I really have to
show you my bare feet?"

It seemed that this spirit would be embarrassed if she exposed
her bare feet. Such an obscure type of shyness.

Kamito sighed, and tried to sort out what he had talked about with Est.

-- Back then Est resonated to the strong will of Kamito, and was
summoned in the form of Elemental Waffe. However, at the same
time when Kamito lost his consciousness, the path<ref>More literally, "magic circuit", but the author has indicated in furigana that it should be read as "path".</ref> was once again
closed, and she ended up not being able to return to Astral Zero.

"Why was the path not connected? We did form the contract after all."

"One factor is that my original existence is an overly powerful being, but probably the main cause is from Kamito
yourself. Subconsciously, Kamito was ''rejecting the contract with
me.''"

"......"

Kamito had an idea. His eyes rested on the left hand in the black leather gloves.

Back then to save Claire, Kamito strived to not consider about it.

But it is undeniable, ''her'' presence still haunts the heart of
Kamito.

"... Sorry. It is not that I was unwilling to contract with
you. That's not how it was."

Unable to return to Astral Zero put an enormous stress on the
Spirits.

However, most of the power of Est was left in Astral
Zero, so at the moment she was seemingly unable to display her
original strength.

Perhaps because Est took the form of a human girl, Kamito became
more distressed.

"It does not matter. Anyway, I'm tired of being sealed inside
the sword. It has been hundreds of years since I last came to
this world. I decided to enjoy everything here. Say, Kamito - "

Est pulled the sleeve of Kamito's uniform.

"It feels like I have a good impression of you."

"... A good impression?"

"Meaning that I might like you."

"Ah. So ... thank you."

Kamito could not help but blush, and averted his eyes.

Despite being a sealed spirit with extraordinary power, her
appearance was that of a lovely girl.

To receive such a straight confession ... Kamito did not know how to respond.

"But when you were sealed inside the sword, haven't you rejected
contracting with all the other spirit contractors?"

"Yes, Kamito. So far, I have rejected 53 spirit contractors."

"Then why has such a high rank spirit like you chosen me?"

"Well, if I had to guess - it might have been an intuition."

Est watched Kamito with the pair of clear violet eyes.

"Because I felt - that the two of us are alike."

"... What do you mean?"

"Kamito."

Est suddenly held out her forefinger and gently pressed the lips
of Kamito.

"Do not snoop about a girl's secrets!"

"...!"

A completely unexpected reaction. Kamito's heart raced at the soft
touch of her fingertips.

Then, her skirt twirled as Est quickly turned around. She ran forward lightly.

Going a long way from the dormitory, Kamito finally arrived at
the school building of the academy.

Could Claire be here? After being driven out of Rinslet's room,
Kamito immediately went to Claire's room to check her out. But she was
not in the room.

Maybe she had already recovered, and went to the class to take
the lectures.

It was good if that's the case - but somehow his heart jitters anxiously.

While walking together with Est in the corridor, Kamito heard
whispers constantly coming from all directions.

"Look. Look. There is that male tranfer student."

"As expected, he has already layed his hand on a new girl."

"What a pretty girl ... do we have such a student in our academy?"

"Hey. Is it true that Alice's group engaged in a duel with him?"

"He can't be planing to lay his hand on all the girls of the academy, can he?"

"what a pervert ... or rather, a lewd beast?"

"Definitely a lewd beast."

"Yeah, a lewd beast."

"Public enemy of the girls ..."

Twitter twitter ...

... Kamito's heart hurt. The target of this chattering had heard everything.

"Is Kamito really a lewd beast?"

Est dealt a further blow. Well, she meant no harm.

Clink -- the sound of a sword being drawn came from the back at that moment.

"- Kamito Kazehaya, you nasty man!"

"...!"

With no time to turn around, the blade had been mounted on the
back of his neck.

Kamito raised both his hands, and timidly moved nothing but his
line of sight -

Standing there was the pony-tailed leader of the Knights, emitting
a terrifying murderous intent.

"E ... Ellis ...?"

"I misjudged you, you sex maniac! How could you lay your hand on
such an innocent girl!"

"... Listen."

Kamito sighed, and said with half squinted eyes: "You have made a
very rude misunderstanding about other people. She is
my contract spirit."

"...... What?"

Ellis raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"You are saying this girl is that sword spirit that slayed the magic spirit with one blow?"

Ellis skeptically stared at Est for a moment, then turned back to
Kamito again.

"Stop making lame lies, Kamito Kazehaya!"

Clang - the blade was placed on his neck again.

But the next second, Ellis's startled eyes widened.

The blade that was stabed towards the back of his neck turned soft
and bent down.

"What is going on?"

"Howling - as a sword spirit, I can freely interfere with various
blades. Are you willing to believe us now?" 

"...!"

Ellis, with her eyes wide open, examined the bent sword.

Spirit magic could bring about similar phenomenon, but Est bent the sword without even lifting a finger.

"I see. ...Sorry for having doubted you."

Ellis put away the sword, and apologized seriously with a bow.

"No. Originally, I did not think she was a spirit."

Kamito shrugged and shook his head.

Although there were times where she was overly stubborn, but this
candor was also endearing.

"By the way, how are the other two? Hm, from the knight brigade-"

"You mean Rakka and Reishia? They regained their conscious this
morning. They were beaten pretty badly by you guys. They need to
rest for a while before they can control the spirits again."

"Sorry ... Once I use Elemental Waffe, it is difficult to
calibrate my strength."

"It was a duel. Please do not mind it. For them it was a good
lesson."

Ellis fake coughed, and then -

"...I'm sorry."

"Hmm?"

"I said, I'm sorry. I disliked you for no other reason except
that you are a boy. So I feel compelled to apologize."

With her cheeks blushing red, she stared into the eyes of Kamito.

"When you stood up to the magic spirit to save Clare Rogue, you
looked really ... really cool. To be honest I was petrified with fear."

"I had to deal with frenzied spirits several times before. It was
just experience."

Kamito, scratched the back of his head, like he was feeling a bit shy.

"Kamito, I am unhappy to be ignored." Est said, puffing out her cheeks.

"Oh, sorry ..."

Then, Kamito suddenly recalled his purpose here.

"Ellis, do you know where Claire is?"

"Isn't Claire Rogue still locking herself in her room? Losing
the contract spirit seemed to be a very big blow to her."

"But she doesn't seem to be in her room. Do you have a clue?"

"Well ..."

Ellis raised her hand to her chin and pondered a bit.

"Come to think of it, the <military spirit> contract ceremony will be held
in the academic town this afternoon."

"Contract ceremony?"

"Ah, volunteers are recruited among the students of the academy
to form a contract with military spirits."

In short, it is scouting from the military - Alice explained.

In return for the powerful military spirit that the Orudeshia
Knights brigade provides, the academy presents the students. Once
the student forged a contract with the military spirit, he becomes
part of the army, and as a cost for the powerful military spirit,
he must obey the orders and be dispatched immediately whenever
requested by the brigade.

"Although there are a lot of troubles to become military
personnel, there are many voluntary participants seeking to form
contracts with powerful spirits. From the very beginning, there
are many student who entered the academy aiming to become
spirit knights."

"With so many participants, how do they pick the candidate?"

"Of course - the spirit blade dance."

The format of the competition was a free for all battle royal.

Serving also as a demonstration from the Orudeshia knight brigade
to the public, the blade dance would be held in the arena of
the academy town, rather than in Astral Zero.

"Having lost her contract spirit, it is possible that she will
volunteer to participate in the ceremony."

"However, without her contract spirit, to enter a blade dance
ceremony is -" Kamito stopped in mid-sentence and swallow the
remaining words.

Impossible-- but he was not sure.

To perform blade dance without the contract spirit, that kind of
action amounts to nothing but suicide.

Without the power of spirits, there was absolutely no way to beat
other spirit contractors. Such a no-brainer simple truth.

But Claire now--

Kamito recalled how she looked like that day when she stood in
the rain.

"...Ellis, where is the ceremony going to take place?"

"If I remember correctly, just go straightly along the Olivier
Avenue - Kamito?"

"- Got it. Ellis, thank you!"

Kamito took Est's hand and started to run.

(Do not try to shoulder everything by yourself. Idiot!)

===Part 4===

Clare walked alone in the alley within the academic town.

She looked dejected, and her steps were very heavy.

However, she had to go. There is no choice but to move forward.

For the sake of Scarlet who shielded her with its own body, she
must obtain an extremely strong spirit---an overwhelming power that
will not lose to anyone.

... It could not be reconciled. In front of that terrifying magic
spirit, she couldn't do anything.

Moreover, because of her own arrogance and stupidity, she had
lost Scarlet, her most important partner that had accompanied her
since childhood.

Further, had Kamito not come to her rescue, she would surely have been killed.

"... Why do I think about the face of that guy again!"

Claire shook her head, trying to get rid of the image of Kamito
in her mind.

"- I do not need that guy. I survived on my own from the past to
present."

Yes, she would not stop here. Claire Rogue must face the battle
alone.

- I want more power, a strong power that will not lose to anyone.

A strong power so I would never lose anything again. A strong
power to take back what I have lost.

For example --- like the power of that girl that I admired on
first sight three years ago.

The overwhelming power of the Strongest Blade Dancer, Ren Ashbell.

"- You desire power so much?"

"......?"

Hearing the sudden voice, Claire quickly turned around.

There stood a beautiful girl.

It was a girl in a dark dress with lustrous black hair.

Her refined face exhibited a subtle grace, and a beauty
that somehow looked like a dissociation with normal humans.

She had pitchblack pupils, as if one will be sucked in with one
look.

Claire instantly discarded her alertness, charmed by the beauty
of the girl.

"Thank you. Because of you, Kamito has awoken."

"Who are you? What are you talking about?"

"However, this is not enough, his true self is much more than that."

The girl giggled, and slowly approached Claire.

Claire did not move. No, she couldn't move.

"What?"

"If you seek more strength, please accept this."

The girl gracefully stretched out a slender hand.

Above her palm, a mass of ominous fog-like black object floated.

"This is a spirit!?"

"Yes, it can help you draw out your real strength."

"The real strength ..."

Claire absentmindedly murmured.

Had it been the usual Claire, surely she would not hesitate to
brush that hand away.

The contract spirits were to be gained by one's own hand. They
are not something received from others.

However, the flame in Claire's heart was gradually diminishing.

So weak that it would likely extinguish at any time.

Therefore -- Claire took that hand. She accepted the spirit
presented by that girl.

The black mist gradually seeped into her hand and disappeared.

Sharp pain instantly shot up from the left hand, an ominous black
spirit seal was engraved on it.

"The frenzy spirit <Gespenst> - do you like it?"

The girl in black smiled.

Like a cruel little girl.

Like an innocent demon.

==Translator's notes and References==
<references/>

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| Forward to [[Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume1 Chapter8|Chapter 8]]
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Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume1 Chapter7

2012-04-07T06:13:39Z

81.243.80.150: /* Part 3 */

== Chapter 7: Contracted Spirit Est ==

=== Part 1 ===

.....He remembered that he was taken into a black room.

A room like a prison cell without windows.

He recalled being taken by people in black, also the day he met '''her''' for the first time ---

It was since eight years ago when the young boy became The Strongest Blade Dancer --- Ren Ashbell, .

Before that he was at an orphanage.

It was no ordinary orphanage. It was a so called <Instructional School> that didn't exist on any maps.

From every part of the continent, young girls with talents as a spirit contractor were gathered from　orphanages　or relief institutions, and received special training in the secret facility. Those were raised there were exceptional assassins. The emotions of the girls were killed by the crazily education, and nothing but massacre techniques using spirits where thoroughly hammered into them.

On that day eight years ago, a young boy who was taken in by the Instructional School was able to communicate with the spirits.

The Demon King's Reincarnation --- called the miracle child by the training instructor, that young boy was trained with highest priority.

He was subjected to the highest assassin skills training, handing to him their treasured one of the most powerful pillar spirit.

Formerly, a sealed spirit because of the demon king, the dark spirit.

But, four years ago, an enigma berserk accident suddenly destroyed the Instructional School.

Thanks to the incident, the hideous truth of the Instructional School was brought to light, and the aristocrat faction in charge of the scheme was purged; its existence was erased from all the records of the Orudeshia empire.

The young boy, escaped with his contracted spirit.

Running away from his pursuers, he disguised himself as a girl. Originally the young boy had well equipped features; his voice has yet changed, and nobody thought that he was a boy.

Also, three years ago. The Strongest blade dancer magnificently debuted.

Winning the <Spirit Blade Dance Play Festival>, in order to fulfill '''her''' one and only <wish>.

But, It's --- '''something he must never had wished for'''.

=== Part 2 ===

Kamito opened his eyes and found himself lying in bed.

Birds were chirping outside the window. Bright morning light entered into the room.

He strongly felt that he had a very nostalgic dream, but couldn't remember what it was about.

His head hurt. Kamito slowly turned his head and sat up. Then he noticed.

What he was wearing was not the the Areidesia spirit academy school uniform. It seemed that someone had helped him into pajamas. The freshly washed clothes were very comfortable.

"By the way ... where am I?"

Kamito looked around the room.

The layout of the room was very familiar. This must be the dormitory of academy.

However, this was not Claire's room. It was impossible for her room to be so clean. The furniture and household items looked very upscale and polished spotless. The room was like a luxury hotel. It did feel like a girl's room, but with a different perspective from Claire's.

He moved his arms to get out of bed - but a sharp burning pain shot up from his right hand.

Grimacing from the sharp pain, Kamito finally remembered.

(At that time, I ......)

In order to protect Claire, Kamito had surpassed the limit to release the contract spirit's power.

Conjuring up a powerful Elemental Waffe was of course good. But since the spirit was too strong, his divine energy was exhausted all at once, and he had passed out.

(Right, ... How was Claire?)

Kamito was going to get up from bed, but at that moment -

(Hm?)

Something squirmed inside the sheets.

"Wow! What ... What the hell!?"

Kamito bounced up to quickly yank the sheets aside.

Something unbelievable was there.

A silver-haired girl.

And she was naked, stark naked.

No, more precisely she was not completely naked; she had black knee socks on.

A knee socks wearing, nude, silver-haired girl was there.

... Silence for about a full half minute.

"...Who are you?" Asked Kamito. His head was spinning, and he couldn't come up with any other questions.

"Est." The girl expressionlessly replied. It was a cold and mechanical-sounding voice.

"Est ... so that's your name?"

"Right. Human vocal organs are incapable of pronouncing my true name, so call me Est."

"Well, Est."

"Yes."

One would blink in amazement at the transparent violet eyes of the beautiful silver-haired girl.

She seemed to be younger than Kamito.

Her body was very petite, maybe even smaller than Claire's.

"Uh ... Why ... are you ... in my bed?"

"Because I belong to you, my master."

The girl answered with no hesitation.

"......"

Cold sweat flowed down from Kamito's forehead.

... Wait. Calm down. He had no memory of such a thing. Wrong, isn't that he doesn't remember anything about it even worse?

Why am I in bed with a naked girl? Kamito Kazehaya, were you really such a despicable pervert that stripped innocent little girls and then brought them to bed?

NO! Absolutely not!

"Hey, Est."

"Yes, master."

"Why are you calling me master? Please briefly explain."

"Because master is my master. Was there any self-contradiction? "

Est replied expressionless.

"Or would you like me to call you differently?"

"For now, anything other than master."

"Well, Aniue-sama<ref>An extremely respectable way of calling an elder brother</ref>."

"No."

"Daddy."

"Even worse."

"... Onii-chan?"

"... Uh ... no!"

Kamito averted his eyes slightly. Involuntarily, he felt that the last one was quite good.

"My bad. Kamito, please call me Kamito."

"Got it. I'll call you Kamito."

The knee socks wearing nude silver-haired girl nodded.

Kamito ... Kamito ... my master is Kamito ... the girl murmured, as if constantly chewing these words.

Kamito's head gradually started aching. What is with this girl?

"Why are you wearing nothing but knee socks? Isn't it odd?"

"Are you saying that I should take the socks off!?"

Est's always expressionless face showed a sign of wavering for the first time.

"Actually demanding me to show my bare feet ... Kamito is such a pervert. "

"No, aren't you naked? What is this mysterious sense of embarrassment?"

Kamito sighed. Oh, well, perhaps it was due to cultural difference.

At this point, suddenly the sound of someone coming up the stairs was heard through the door.

"... Oh, no! Someone is coming!"

It would be bad regardless of whom, seeing this situation.

"Hide somewhere now!"

"Why?"

"No questions! Hurry up!"

"Oui, roger that."

Est wiggled deep into the sheets.

"Why there out of all places!"

Snip -

At this instant, the door opened.

"Kamito, you woke up!"

Rinslet's maid Carol appeared. She was carrying a basin and towels.

"Carol!? That you are here means this is -"

"The room of my lady, Rinslet."

Carol smiled.

I see. Indeed she was a daughter of the Laurenfrost family. No wonder the room was so different from Claire's.

"By the way, why am I in Rinslet's room?"

"My lady was very worried because you fainted and had you carried here. She and I took care of you."

"......So that's why. Thank you."

Kamito felt very grateful. That girl was surprisingly a good person.

Carol walked over towards the bed.

(... Oh, no!)

The moment Kamito put on the alert posture, Est squirmed in the sheets.

Kamito's body suddenly involuntarily froze.

(Hey ... Hey! Come on. Please stay still!)

"You woke up, Kamito Kazehaya."

Snip - this time the uniformed Rinslet came in.

Although he thought Rinslet would breath a sigh of relief, but she put two hands upon her waist, and glared sharply at Kamito.

"...I was so startled because you suddenly fainted."

"Ah, My bad. I heard that you have been taking care of me. Thank you."

"Humph! Taking care of the servants is also the duty of a master!"

Rinslet's face suddenly became red and she looked away.

"... Besides, you saved my friend ..."

"Well?"

"Nothing ...!"

Rinslet suddenly folded her arms, and turned her face aside.

Her behavior of not being frank with herself was somehow quite lovely, actually.

"By the way, how is Claire?" Asked Kamito. Back then Claire looked very haggard, and something was obviously wrong.

... Hopefully she was not thinking something strange.

"She locked herself in her room the moment she came back to the academy and has stayed there since then. No matter how I provoke her outside the door, she completely refuses to come out."

"So..."

Kamito sighed. It seemed that even that defiant princess could suffer from depression. Although she acted very tough, she was just an ordinary girl after all.

"My lady is really worried about her childhood friend Miss Claire."

"Carol! what, what are you talking about! " Red faced Rinslet repetitively beat Carol on her back.

Looking at the exchange between the two girls, Kamito smiled bitterly.

(... Ah. That girl, even though she was seemingly convinced that she was alone,)

(She does have good friends.)

"What is it, Kamito Kazehaya? Why are you smiling?"

Rinslet puffed her cheeks and stared at Kamito.

"Since you have woken up, get out already. Men are prohibited in the female dormitory!"

"Ah, Oh. I'll go out now...... uh!"

Just then, Kamito suddenly froze.

... No way. He absolutely could not get out of bed now. There was a beautiful knee socks wearing nude young girl hidden under the sheets.

This was bad. Extremely bad. If she was to be discovered by these two girls, his life will be in danger in all kinds of ways.

(What should I do ... right!)

Kamito needed to change from pajamas into uniforms. Using that as an excuse, he could sent Rinslet and Carol away, then take this opportunity to escape with Est from the window.

No, no good. To go out with Est in her current state, they would surely be caught.

If they were to be dragged to that stubborn leader of the Knights, he would end up even more miserable.

That being the case, he had to -

"Uh ... right! Can I ask for a favor?"

"What's that? Do you ... want to lick my toes?"

"No one asked for such a thing!"

Kamito retorted out of reflex ... Why was there an expectation in her tone?

"That's not what I ask. I was thinking ...could you lend me some clothes."

"Clothes? Oh, of course, your uniform is right here."

Rinslet snapped her fingers, and Carol immediately brought out the folded uniforms. The ripped uniforms from battle yesterday was mended, even the buttons were sewn back on neatly.

"That's not what I meant. I would like to borrow a girl's uniform. "

"......"

(Eh? I feel like I have made some kind of fatal mistake just now ...)

Rinslet stared at Kamito as if looking at a cockroach on the roadside.

"Oh? What do you plan to do with a girl's uniform, Kamito Kazehaya?"

Gogogogo...

"No ... No, not what you think ... uh ... that ..."

Kamito stammered, trying to find excuses to gloss over the question.

"Then it can't be helped. Then although it is a bit embarrassing, I'll lend you my clothes..."

Carol's face turned red, and she started to remove her clothes uneasily.

"Not your clothes! And that's not even a uniform!"

"So that's how it is. What Kamito-sama desires most is a uniform of my lady's."

"What? ... My uniform?"

Rinslet suddenly blushed totally red, and quickly covered her chest.

(Ah ah ah ah! These two are so troublesome!)

Kamito cried in his mind. Just at this time.

From the abdomen of Kamito somehow came a wiggling sensation.

(...! Est! What are you are doing!)

"Hmm? Kamito Kazehaya, what are you doing?"

"No ... nothing ..."
[[Image:STnBD V01 207.jpg|thumb]]
"You have been acting strange since earlier. Come to think of it, the sheets seemed to bulge mysteriously."

"My lady, men are the kind of creatures to bulge in the morning."

"Yes ... a normal physiological phenomenon, it can't be helped ... that's not what this is!"

"Out with it already, what exactly are you hiding there!"

Paa-tsu - Rinslet forcefully yanked the sheets off.

"What!" "Ah!"

Rinslet and Carol simultaneously covered their mouths, and opened their eyes widely.

It was no wonder. In the bed, after all, there was one beautiful knee socks wearing naked girl.

"Kamito, we are caught."

Still expressionless, Est suddenly hugged Kamito tightly.

"Wh... Wh... What!"

"Hold on! Rinslet, do not misunderstand! This is because -"

Kamito panically shook his head, trying desperately to explain.

"This is because what?"

"Uh ... because ... that ..."

...Uh, no good. Even Kamito didn't know why the young girl was here.

Having said that, regardless of what excuses that Kamito came up with, he had no confidence to convince these two.

"- I see, that's how it was."

Rinslet grinned, a chilling smile appeared on her face.

An elegant, graceful, and truely aristocratic smile.

"You ... you understand?"

"Yes, I completely understand. While I was worried about you, you...you secretly brought such a lovely girl to bed ---"

Rinslet's freezing cold stares repeatedly stabbed Kamito.

Or rather... it was really cold, cold enough to freeze one to death.

Unknowingly, the windows were covered with frost. Just as one thought that a blizzard was bursting around in the room, the wolf spirit of magic ice suddenly appeared on top of the bed.

"... Wait! This is no joke - I am really going to die!"

"Then ...then die! You pervert ----!"

The magic ice spirit <Fenrir> let out a terrifying roar, then started attacking Kamito.

"... Wahh! For real!"

Kamito nimbly jumped out of bed and fled around in the room.

Baring its fangs, the magic ice spirit chased Kamito back and forth.

Bark! Bark!

"......"

At this moment, Est quietly rose up and stood in front of Kamito as if to shield him.

The white wolf bared its sharp fangs fiercely, and then leaped.

Still expressionless, Est thrust her hand in front of the nose of the white wolf.

Fenrir's movement suddenly froze.

"Woo...ong..."

"Stay back! How dare you as a magic ice spirt to defy me, the <Demon Slayer>? "

The moment Est calmly finished her words, Fenrir began to tremble.

And then -

"Sit down."

Chokun<ref>Sound of sitting down</ref>."

"Hand."

Pofu.

"Good boy."

Rub. Rub.

"......"

Kamito was speechless. Rinslet's mouth also hung wide open.

Even spirits of the rank of Fenrir were lead by the nose. This girl, could she be -

"Might you be a spirit!?"

"Yes, I'm the contract spirit of Kamito."

Stroking the head of the tamed Fenrir, Est nodded expressionlessly.

===Part 3===

"Unbelievable. I never expect you to be the <sealed spirit> of that sword."

Having left the female dormitory and walking in the courtyard of
the academy, Kamito took a glance at the girl next to him.

Of course, she was not naked. Currently, she was wearing the
uniform of the Areishia spirit academy.

The spirits that had a human form were the highest rank in Astral
Zero. So it is understandable that Kamito did not immediately
discover the girl's true identity.

"I mean, you can reconstruct clothes, so why were you naked?"

"I thought you would be pleased that way. Or do I really have to
show you my bare feet?"

It seemed that this spirit would be embarrassed if she exposed
her bare feet. Such an obscure type of shyness.

Kamito sighed, and tried to sort out what he had talked about with Est.

-- Back then Est resonated to the strong will of Kamito, and was
summoned in the form of Elemental Waffe. However, at the same
time when Kamito lost his consciousness, the path<ref>More literally, "magic circuit", but the author has indicated in furigana that it should be read as "path".</ref> was once again
closed, and she ended up not being able to return to Astral Zero.

"Why was the path not connected? We did form the contract after all."

"One factor is that my original existence is an overly powerful being, but probably the main cause is from Kamito
yourself. Subconsciously, Kamito was ''rejecting the contract with
me.''"

"......"

Kamito had an idea. His eyes rested on the left hand in the black leather gloves.

Back then to save Claire, Kamito strived to not consider about it.

But it is undeniable, ''her'' presence still haunts the heart of
Kamito.

"... Sorry. It is not that I was unwilling to contract with
you. That's not how it was."

Unable to return to Astral Zero put an enormous stress on the
Spirits.

However, most of the power of Est was left in Astral
Zero, so at the moment she was seemingly unable to display her
original strength.

Perhaps because Est took the form of a human girl, Kamito became
more distressed.

"It does not matter. Anyway, I'm tired of being sealed inside
the sword. It has been hundreds of years since I last came to
this world. I decided to enjoy everything here. Say, Kamito - "

Est pulled the sleeve of Kamito's uniform.

"It feels like I have a good impression of you."

"... A good impression?"

"Meaning that I might like you."

"Ah. So ... thank you."

Kamito could not help but blush, and averted his eyes.

Despite being a sealed spirit with extraordinary power, her
appearance was that of a lovely girl.

To receive such a straight confession ... Kamito did not know how to respond.

"But when you were sealed inside the sword, haven't you rejected
contracting with all the other spirit contractors?"

"Yes, Kamito. So far, I have rejected 53 spirit contractors."

"Then why has such a high rank spirit like you chosen me?"

"Well, if I had to guess - it might have been an intuition."

Est watched Kamito with the pair of clear violet eyes.

"Because I felt - that the two of us are alike."

"... What do you mean?"

"Kamito."

Est suddenly held out her forefinger and gently pressed the lips
of Kamito.

"Do not snoop about a girl's secrets!"

"...!"

A completely unexpected reaction. Kamito's heart raced at the soft
touch of her fingertips.

Then, her skirt twirled as Est quickly turned around. She ran forward lightly.

Going a long way from the dormitory, Kamito finally arrived at
the school building of the academy.

Could Claire be here? After being driven out of Rinslet's room,
Kamito immediately went to Claire's room to check her out. But she was
not in the room.

Maybe she had already recovered, and went to the class to take
the lectures.

It was good if that's the case - but somehow his heart jitters anxiously.

While walking together with Est in the corridor, Kamito heard
whispers constantly coming from all directions.

"Look. Look. There is that male tranfer student."

"As expected, he has already layed his hand on a new girl."

"What a pretty girl ... do we have such a student in our academy?"

"Hey. Is it true that Alice's group engaged in a duel with him?"

"He can't be planing to lay his hand on all the girls of the academy, can he?"

"what a pervert ... or rather, a lewd beast?"

"Definitely a lewd beast."

"Yeah, a lewd beast."

"Public enemy of the girls ..."

Twitter twitter ...

... Kamito's heart hurt. The target of this chattering had heard everything.

"Is Kamito really a lewd beast?"

Est dealt a further blow. Well, she meant no harm.

Clink -- the sound of a sword being drawn came from the back at that moment.

"- Kamito Kazehaya, you nasty man!"

"...!"

With no time to turn around, the blade had been mounted on the
back of his neck.

Kamito raised both his hands, and timidly moved nothing but his
line of sight -

Standing there was the pony-tailed leader of the Knights, emitting
a terrifying murderous intent.

"E ... Ellis ...?"

"I misjudged you, you sex maniac! How could you lay your hand on
such an innocent girl!"

"... Listen."

Kamito sighed, and said with half squinted eyes: "You have made a
very rude misunderstanding about other people. She is
my contract spirit."

"...... What?"

Ellis raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"You are saying this girl is that sword spirit that slayed the magic spirit with one blow?"

Ellis skeptically stared at Est for a moment, then turned back to
Kamito again.

"Stop making lame lies, Kamito Kazehaya!"

Clang - the blade was placed on his neck again.

But the next second, Ellis's startled eyes widened.

The blade that was stabed towards the back of his neck turned soft
and bent down.

"What is going on?"

"Howling - as a sword spirit, I can freely interfere with various
blades. Are you willing to believe us now?" 

"...!"

Ellis, with her eyes wide open, examined the bent sword.

Spirit magic could bring about similar phenomenon, but Est bent the sword without even lifting a finger.

"I see. ...Sorry for having doubted you."

Ellis put away the sword, and apologized seriously with a bow.

"No. Originally, I did not think she was a spirit."

Kamito shrugged and shook his head.

Although there were times where she was overly stubborn, but this
candor was also endearing.

"By the way, how are the other two? Hm, from the knight brigade-"

"You mean Rakka and Reishia? They regained their conscious this
morning. They were beaten pretty badly by you guys. They need to
rest for a while before they can control the spirits again."

"Sorry ... Once I use Elemental Waffe, it is difficult to
calibrate my strength."

"It was a duel. Please do not mind it. For them it was a good
lesson."

Ellis fake coughed, and then -

"...I'm sorry."

"Hmm?"

"I said, I'm sorry. I disliked you for no other reason except
that you are a boy. So I feel compelled to apologize."

With her cheeks blushing red, she stared into the eyes of Kamito.

"When you stood up to the magic spirit to save Clare Rogue, you
looked really ... really cool. To be honest I was petrified with fear."

"I had to deal with frenzied spirits several times before. It was
just experience."

Kamito, scratched the back of his head, like he was feeling a bit shy.

"Kamito, I am unhappy to be ignored." Est said, puffing out her cheeks.

"Oh, sorry ..."

Then, Kamito suddenly recalled his purpose here.

"Ellis, do you know where Claire is?"

"Isn't Claire Rogue still locking herself in her room? Losing
the contract spirit seemed to be a very big blow to her."

"But she doesn't seem to be in her room. Do you have a clue?"

"Well ..."

Ellis raised her hand to her chin and pondered a bit.

"Come to think of it, the <military spirit> contract ceremony will be held
in the academic town this afternoon."

"Contract ceremony?"

"Ah, volunteers are recruited among the students of the academy
to form a contract with military spirits."

In short, it is scouting from the military - Alice explained.

In return for the powerful military spirit that the Orudeshia
Knights brigade provides, the academy presents the students. Once
the student forged a contract with the military spirit, he becomes
part of the army, and as a cost for the powerful military spirit,
he must obey the orders and be dispatched immediately whenever
requested by the brigade.

"Although there are a lot of troubles to become military
personnel, there are many voluntary participants seeking to form
contracts with powerful spirits. From the very beginning, there
are many student who entered the academy aiming to become
spirit knights."

"With so many participants, how do they pick the candidate?"

"Of course - the spirit blade dance."

The format of the competition was a free for all battle royal.

Serving also as a demonstration from the Orudeshia knight brigade
to the public, the blade dance would be held in the arena of
the academy town, rather than in Astral Zero.

"Having lost her contract spirit, it is possible that she will
volunteer to participate in the ceremony."

"However, without her contract spirit, to enter a blade dance
ceremony is -" Kamito stopped in mid-sentence and swallow the
remaining words.

Impossible-- but he was not sure.

To perform blade dance without the contract spirit, that kind of
action amounts to nothing but suicide.

Without the power of spirits, there was absolutely no way to beat
other spirit contractors. Such a no-brainer simple truth.

But Claire now--

Kamito recalled how she looked like that day when she stood in
the rain.

"...Ellis, where is the ceremony going to take place?"

"If I remember correctly, just go straightly along the Olivier
Avenue - Kamito?"

"- Got it. Ellis, thank you!"

Kamito took Est's hand and started to run.

(Do not try to shoulder everything by yourself. Idiot!)

===Part 4===

Clare walked alone in the alley within the academic town.

She looked dejected, and her steps were very heavy.

However, she had to go. There is no choice but to move forward.

For the sake of Scarlet who shielded her with its own body, she
must obtain an extremely strong spirit---an overwhelming power that
will not lose to anyone.

... It could not be reconciled. In front of that terrifying magic
spirit, she couldn't do anything.

Moreover, because of her own arrogance and stupidity, she had
lost Scarlet, her most important partner that had accompanied her
since childhood.

Further, had Kamito not come to her rescue, she would surely been killed.

"... Why do I think about the face of that guy again!"

Claire shook her head, trying to get rid of the image of Kamito
in her mind.

"- I do not need that guy. I survived on my own from the past to
present."

Yes, she would not stop here. Claire Rogue must face the battle
alone.

- I want a more power, a stronge power that will not lose to any one.

A stronge power so I would never lose anything again. A stronge
power so to take back what I have lost.

For example --- like the power of that girl that I admired on
first sight three years ago.

The overwhelming power of the Strongest Blade Dancer, Ren Ashbell.

"- You desire power so much?"

"......?"

Hearing the sudden voice, Claire quickly turned around.

There stood a beautiful girl.

It was a girl in a dark dress with lustrous black hair.

Her refined face exhibited a subtle grace, and a beauty
that somehow looked like disassociated with normal humans.

She had pitchblack pupils, as if one will be sucked in with one
sight.

Claire instantly discarded her alertness, charmed by the beauty
of the girl.

"Thank you. Because of you, Kamito has awokened."

"Who are you? What are you talking about?"

"However, this is not enough. his true self is much more than that."

The girls giggled, and slowly approached Claire.

Claire did not move. No, she couldn't move.

"What?"

"If you seek more strength, please accept this."

The girl gracefully stretched out a slender hand.

Above her palm, a mass of ominous fog-like black object floated.

"This is a spirit!?"

"Yes, it can help you draw out your real strength."

"The real strength ..."

Claire absentmindedly murmured.

Had it been the usual Claire, surely she would not hesitate to
brush that hand away.

The contract spirits were to be gained by one's own hand. They
are not something received from others.

However, the flame in Claire's hearts was gradually diminishing.

So weak that it would likely extinguish at any time.

Therefore -- Claire took that hand. She accepted the spirit
presented by that girl.

The black mist gradually seeped into her hand and disappeared.

Sharp pain instantly shot up from the left hand, an ominous black
spirit seal was engraved on it.

"The frenzy spirit <Gespenst> - do you like it?"

The girl in black smiled.

Like a cruel little girl.

Like an innocent demon.

==Translator's notes and References==
<references/>

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Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume1 Chapter7

2012-04-07T06:01:03Z

81.243.80.150: /* Part 2 */

== Chapter 7: Contracted Spirit Est ==

=== Part 1 ===

.....He remembered that he was taken into a black room.

A room like a prison cell without windows.

He recalled being taken by people in black, also the day he met '''her''' for the first time ---

It was since eight years ago when the young boy became The Strongest Blade Dancer --- Ren Ashbell, .

Before that he was at an orphanage.

It was no ordinary orphanage. It was a so called <Instructional School> that didn't exist on any maps.

From every part of the continent, young girls with talents as a spirit contractor were gathered from　orphanages　or relief institutions, and received special training in the secret facility. Those were raised there were exceptional assassins. The emotions of the girls were killed by the crazily education, and nothing but massacre techniques using spirits where thoroughly hammered into them.

On that day eight years ago, a young boy who was taken in by the Instructional School was able to communicate with the spirits.

The Demon King's Reincarnation --- called the miracle child by the training instructor, that young boy was trained with highest priority.

He was subjected to the highest assassin skills training, handing to him their treasured one of the most powerful pillar spirit.

Formerly, a sealed spirit because of the demon king, the dark spirit.

But, four years ago, an enigma berserk accident suddenly destroyed the Instructional School.

Thanks to the incident, the hideous truth of the Instructional School was brought to light, and the aristocrat faction in charge of the scheme was purged; its existence was erased from all the records of the Orudeshia empire.

The young boy, escaped with his contracted spirit.

Running away from his pursuers, he disguised himself as a girl. Originally the young boy had well equipped features; his voice has yet changed, and nobody thought that he was a boy.

Also, three years ago. The Strongest blade dancer magnificently debuted.

Winning the <Spirit Blade Dance Play Festival>, in order to fulfill '''her''' one and only <wish>.

But, It's --- '''something he must never had wished for'''.

=== Part 2 ===

Kamito opened his eyes and found himself lying in bed.

Birds were chirping outside the window. Bright morning light entered into the room.

He strongly felt that he had a very nostalgic dream, but couldn't remember what it was about.

His head hurt. Kamito slowly turned his head and sat up. Then he noticed.

What he was wearing was not the the Areidesia spirit academy school uniform. It seemed that someone had helped him into pajamas. The freshly washed clothes were very comfortable.

"By the way ... where am I?"

Kamito looked around the room.

The layout of the room was very familiar. This must be the dormitory of academy.

However, this was not Claire's room. It was impossible for her room to be so clean. The furniture and household items looked very upscale and polished spotless. The room was like a luxury hotel. It did feel like a girl's room, but with a different perspective from Claire's.

He moved his arms to get out of bed - but a sharp burning pain shot up from his right hand.

Grimacing from the sharp pain, Kamito finally remembered.

(At that time, I ......)

In order to protect Claire, Kamito had surpassed the limit to release the contract spirit's power.

Conjuring up a powerful Elemental Waffe was of course good. But since the spirit was too strong, his divine energy was exhausted all at once, and he had passed out.

(Right, ... How was Claire?)

Kamito was going to get up from bed, but at that moment -

(Hm?)

Something squirmed inside the sheets.

"Wow! What ... What the hell!?"

Kamito bounced up to quickly yank the sheets aside.

Something unbelievable was there.

A silver-haired girl.

And she was naked, stark naked.

No, more precisely she was not completely naked; she had black knee socks on.

A knee socks wearing, nude, silver-haired girl was there.

... Silence for about a full half minute.

"...Who are you?" Asked Kamito. His head was spinning, and he couldn't come up with any other questions.

"Est." The girl expressionlessly replied. It was a cold and mechanical-sounding voice.

"Est ... so that's your name?"

"Right. Human vocal organs are incapable of pronouncing my true name, so call me Est."

"Well, Est."

"Yes."

One would blink in amazement at the transparent violet eyes of the beautiful silver-haired girl.

She seemed to be younger than Kamito.

Her body was very petite, maybe even smaller than Claire's.

"Uh ... Why ... are you ... in my bed?"

"Because I belong to you, my master."

The girl answered with no hesitation.

"......"

Cold sweat flowed down from Kamito's forehead.

... Wait. Calm down. He had no memory of such a thing. Wrong, isn't that he doesn't remember anything about it even worse?

Why am I in bed with a naked girl? Kamito Kazehaya, were you really such a despicable pervert that stripped innocent little girls and then brought them to bed?

NO! Absolutely not!

"Hey, Est."

"Yes, master."

"Why are you calling me master? Please briefly explain."

"Because master is my master. Was there any self-contradiction? "

Est replied expressionless.

"Or would you like me to call you differently?"

"For now, anything other than master."

"Well, Aniue-sama<ref>An extremely respectable way of calling an elder brother</ref>."

"No."

"Daddy."

"Even worse."

"... Onii-chan?"

"... Uh ... no!"

Kamito averted his eyes slightly. Involuntarily, he felt that the last one was quite good.

"My bad. Kamito, please call me Kamito."

"Got it. I'll call you Kamito."

The knee socks wearing nude silver-haired girl nodded.

Kamito ... Kamito ... my master is Kamito ... the girl murmured, as if constantly chewing these words.

Kamito's head gradually started aching. What is with this girl?

"Why are you wearing nothing but knee socks? Isn't it odd?"

"Are you saying that I should take the socks off!?"

Est's always expressionless face showed a sign of wavering for the first time.

"Actually demanding me to show my bare feet ... Kamito is such a pervert. "

"No, aren't you naked? What is this mysterious sense of embarrassment?"

Kamito sighed. Oh, well, perhaps it was due to cultural difference.

At this point, suddenly the sound of someone coming up the stairs was heard through the door.

"... Oh, no! Someone is coming!"

It would be bad regardless of whom, seeing this situation.

"Hide somewhere now!"

"Why?"

"No questions! Hurry up!"

"Oui, roger that."

Est wiggled deep into the sheets.

"Why there out of all places!"

Snip -

At this instant, the door opened.

"Kamito, you woke up!"

Rinslet's maid Carol appeared. She was carrying a basin and towels.

"Carol!? That you are here means this is -"

"The room of my lady, Rinslet."

Carol smiled.

I see. Indeed she was a daughter of the Laurenfrost family. No wonder the room was so different from Claire's.

"By the way, why am I in Rinslet's room?"

"My lady was very worried because you fainted and had you carried here. She and I took care of you."

"......So that's why. Thank you."

Kamito felt very grateful. That girl was surprisingly a good person.

Carol walked over towards the bed.

(... Oh, no!)

The moment Kamito put on the alert posture, Est squirmed in the sheets.

Kamito's body suddenly involuntarily froze.

(Hey ... Hey! Come on. Please stay still!)

"You woke up, Kamito Kazehaya."

Snip - this time the uniformed Rinslet came in.

Although he thought Rinslet would breath a sigh of relief, but she put two hands upon her waist, and glared sharply at Kamito.

"...I was so startled because you suddenly fainted."

"Ah, My bad. I heard that you have been taking care of me. Thank you."

"Humph! Taking care of the servants is also the duty of a master!"

Rinslet's face suddenly became red and she looked away.

"... Besides, you saved my friend ..."

"Well?"

"Nothing ...!"

Rinslet suddenly folded her arms, and turned her face aside.

Her behavior of not being frank with herself was somehow quite lovely, actually.

"By the way, how is Claire?" Asked Kamito. Back then Claire looked very haggard, and something was obviously wrong.

... Hopefully she was not thinking something strange.

"She locked herself in her room the moment she came back to the academy and has stayed there since then. No matter how I provoke her outside the door, she completely refuses to come out."

"So..."

Kamito sighed. It seemed that even that defiant princess could suffer from depression. Although she acted very tough, she was just an ordinary girl after all.

"My lady is really worried about her childhood friend Miss Claire."

"Carol! what, what are you talking about! " Red faced Rinslet repetitively beat Carol on her back.

Looking at the exchange between the two girls, Kamito smiled bitterly.

(... Ah. That girl, even though she was seemingly convinced that she was alone,)

(She does have good friends.)

"What is it, Kamito Kazehaya? Why are you smiling?"

Rinslet puffed her cheeks and stared at Kamito.

"Since you have woken up, get out already. Men are prohibited in the female dormitory!"

"Ah, Oh. I'll go out now...... uh!"

Just then, Kamito suddenly froze.

... No way. He absolutely could not get out of bed now. There was a beautiful knee socks wearing nude young girl hidden under the sheets.

This was bad. Extremely bad. If she was to be discovered by these two girls, his life will be in danger in all kinds of ways.

(What should I do ... right!)

Kamito needed to change from pajamas into uniforms. Using that as an excuse, he could sent Rinslet and Carol away, then take this opportunity to escape with Est from the window.

No, no good. To go out with Est in her current state, they would surely be caught.

If they were to be dragged to that stubborn leader of the Knights, he would end up even more miserable.

That being the case, he had to -

"Uh ... right! Can I ask for a favor?"

"What's that? Do you ... want to lick my toes?"

"No one asked for such a thing!"

Kamito retorted out of reflex ... Why was there an expectation in her tone?

"That's not what I ask. I was thinking ...could you lend me some clothes."

"Clothes? Oh, of course, your uniform is right here."

Rinslet snapped her fingers, and Carol immediately brought out the folded uniforms. The ripped uniforms from battle yesterday was mended, even the buttons were sewn back on neatly.

"That's not what I meant. I would like to borrow a girl's uniform. "

"......"

(Eh? I feel like I have made some kind of fatal mistake just now ...)

Rinslet stared at Kamito as if looking at a cockroach on the roadside.

"Oh? What do you plan to do with a girl's uniform, Kamito Kazehaya?"

Gogogogo...

"No ... No, not what you think ... uh ... that ..."

Kamito stammered, trying to find excuses to gloss over the question.

"Then it can't be helped. Then although it is a bit embarrassing, I'll lend you my clothes..."

Carol's face turned red, and she started to remove her clothes uneasily.

"Not your clothes! And that's not even a uniform!"

"So that's how it is. What Kamito-sama desires most is a uniform of my lady's."

"What? ... My uniform?"

Rinslet suddenly blushed totally red, and quickly covered her chest.

(Ah ah ah ah! These two are so troublesome!)

Kamito cried in his mind. Just at this time.

From the abdomen of Kamito somehow came a wiggling sensation.

(...! Est! What are you are doing!)

"Hmm? Kamito Kazehaya, what are you doing?"

"No ... nothing ..."
[[Image:STnBD V01 207.jpg|thumb]]
"You have been acting strange since earlier. Come to think of it, the sheets seemed to bulge mysteriously."

"My lady, men are the kind of creatures to bulge in the morning."

"Yes ... a normal physiological phenomenon, it can't be helped ... that's not what this is!"

"Out with it already, what exactly are you hiding there!"

Paa-tsu - Rinslet forcefully yanked the sheets off.

"What!" "Ah!"

Rinslet and Carol simultaneously covered their mouths, and opened their eyes widely.

It was no wonder. In the bed, after all, there was one beautiful knee socks wearing naked girl.

"Kamito, we are caught."

Still expressionless, Est suddenly hugged Kamito tightly.

"Wh... Wh... What!"

"Hold on! Rinslet, do not misunderstand! This is because -"

Kamito panically shook his head, trying desperately to explain.

"This is because what?"

"Uh ... because ... that ..."

...Uh, no good. Even Kamito didn't know why the young girl was here.

Having said that, regardless of what excuses that Kamito came up with, he had no confidence to convince these two.

"- I see, that's how it was."

Rinslet grinned, a chilling smile appeared on her face.

An elegant, graceful, and truely aristocratic smile.

"You ... you understand?"

"Yes, I completely understand. While I was worried about you, you...you secretly brought such a lovely girl to bed ---"

Rinslet's freezing cold stares repeatedly stabbed Kamito.

Or rather... it was really cold, cold enough to freeze one to death.

Unknowingly, the windows were covered with frost. Just as one thought that a blizzard was bursting around in the room, the wolf spirit of magic ice suddenly appeared on top of the bed.

"... Wait! This is no joke - I am really going to die!"

"Then ...then die! You pervert ----!"

The magic ice spirit <Fenrir> let out a terrifying roar, then started attacking Kamito.

"... Wahh! For real!"

Kamito nimbly jumped out of bed and fled around in the room.

Baring its fangs, the magic ice spirit chased Kamito back and forth.

Bark! Bark!

"......"

At this moment, Est quietly rose up and stood in front of Kamito as if to shield him.

The white wolf bared its sharp fangs fiercely, and then leaped.

Still expressionless, Est thrust her hand in front of the nose of the white wolf.

Fenrir's movement suddenly froze.

"Woo...ong..."

"Stay back! How dare you as a magic ice spirt to defy me, the <Demon Slayer>? "

The moment Est calmly finished her words, Fenrir began to tremble.

And then -

"Sit down."

Chokun<ref>Sound of sitting down</ref>."

"Hand."

Pofu.

"Good boy."

Rub. Rub.

"......"

Kamito was speechless. Rinslet's mouth also hung wide open.

Even spirits of the rank of Fenrir were lead by the nose. This girl, could she be -

"Might you be a spirit!?"

"Yes, I'm the contract spirit of Kamito."

Stroking the head of the tamed Fenrir, Est nodded expressionlessly.

===Part 3===

"Unbelievable. I never expect you to be <sealed spirit> of that sword."

Having left the female dormitory and walking in the courtyard of
the academy, Kamito took a glance at the girl next to him.

Of course, she was not naked. Currently, she was wearing the
uniform of the Areishia spirit academy.

The spirits that in human form were the highest rank in Astral
Zero. So it is understandable that Kamito did not immediately
discover the girl's true identity.

"I mean, you can reconstruct clothes, so why were you naked?"

"I thought you would be pleased that way. Or do I really have to
show you my bare feet?"

It seemed that this spirit would be embarrassed if she exposed
her bare feet. Such an obscure type of shyness.

Kamito sighed, and tried to sort out what he had talked with Est.

-- Back then Est resonated to the strong will of Kamito, and was
summoned in the form of Elemental Waffe. However, at the same
time when Kamito lost his consciousness, the path<ref>More literally, "magic circuit", but the author has indicated in furigana that it should be read as "path".</ref> was once again
closed, and she ended up not being able to return to Astral Zero.

"Why was the path not connected? We did form the contract after all."

"One factor is that my original existence is an overly powerful being, but probably the main cause is from Kamito
yourself. Subconsciously, Kamito was ''rejecting the contract with
me.''"

"......"

Kamito had an idea. His eyes rested on the left hand in black leather gloves.

Back then to save Claire, Kamito strive to not consider about it.

But it is undeniable, ''her'' presence still haunts the hearts of
Kamito.

"... Sorry. It is not that I was unwilling to contract with
you. That's not how it was."

Unable to return to Astral Zero put an enormous stress on the
Spirits.

However, because most of the power of Est was left in Astral
Zero, so at the moment she seemingly was unable to display her
original strength.

Perhaps because Est took the form of a human girl, Kamito became
more feel distressed.

"It does not matter. Anyway, I'm tired to be sealed inside
the sword. It has been hundreds of years since I last came to
this world. I decided to enjoy everything here. Say, Kamito - "

Est pulled the sleeve of Kamito's uniform.

"It feels like I have a good impression of you."

"... A good impression?"

"Meaning that I might like you."

"Ah. So ... thank you."

Kamito could not help but blushed, and averted his eyes.

Despite being a sealed spirit with extraordinary power, her
appearance was a lovely girl.

To receive such a straight confession ... Kamito did not know how to respond.

"But when you were sealed inside the sword, haven't you rejected
contracting with all the other spirit contractors?"

"Yes, Kamito. So far, I have to rejected 53 spirit contractors."

"Then why such a high rank spirit like you has chosen me?"

"Well, if I had to guess - it might have been an intuition."

Est watched Kamito with the pair of clear violet eyes.

"Because I felt - that the two of us are alike."

"... What do you mean?"

"Kamito."

Est suddenly hold out her forefinger and gently pressed the lips
of Kamito.

"Do not snoop about a girl's secrets!"

"...!"

A completely unexpected reaction. Kamito's heart raced at the soft
touch of her fingertips.

Then, her skirt twirled as Est quickly turned around. She ran forward lightly.

Going a long way from the dormitory, Kamito finally arrived at
the school building of the academy.

Could Claire be here? After driven out of the Rinslet's room,
Kamito immediately went to Claire's room to check her out. But she was
not in the room.

Maybe she had already recovered, and went to the class to take
the lectures.

It was good if that's the case - but somehow his heart jitters anxiously.

While walking together with Est in the corridor, Kamito heard
whispers constantly coming from all directions.

"Look. Look. There is that male tranfer student."

"As expected, he had already lay his hand on a new girl."

"What a pretty girl ... do we have such a student in our academy?"

"Hey. Is it true that Alice's group engaged in a duel with him?"

"He can't be planing to lay his hand on all the girls of the academy, can he?"

"what a pervert ... or rather, a lewd beast?"

"Definitely a lewd beast."

"Yeah, a lewd beast."

"Public enemy of the girls ..."

Twitter twitter ...

... Kamito's heart hurt. The target of this chattering had heard everything.

"Is Kamito really a lewd beast?"

Est dealt a further blow. Well, she meant no harm.

Clink -- the sound of a sword being drawn came from the back at that moment.

"- Kamito Kazehaya, you nasty man!"

"...!"

With no time to turn around, the blade had been mounted on the
back of his neck.

Kamito raised both his hands, timidly moved nothing but his the
line of sight -

Standing there was the pony-tailed leader of the Knights, emitting
terrifying murderous intent.

"E ... Ellis ...?"

"I misjudged you, you sex maniac! How could you lay your hand on
such an innocent girl!"

"... Listen."

Kamito sighed, and said with half squinted eyes: "You have made a
very rude misunderstanding about other people. She is
my contract spirit."

"...... What?"

Ellis raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You are saying this girl is that sword spirit that slayed the magic spirit with one blow?"

Ellis skeptically stared at Est for a moment, then turn back to
Kamito again.

"Stop making lame lies, Kamito Kazehaya!"

Clang - the blade was placed on his neck again.

But the next second, Ellis's startled eyes widened.

The blade that was stab toward the back of his neck turned soft
and bent down.

"What is going on?"

"Howling - as a sword spirit, I can freely interfere with various
blade. Are you willing to believe us now?" 

"...!"

Ellis, with her eyes wide open, examined the bent sword.

Spirit magic could brought about similar phenomenon, but Est bent the sword without even lifting a finger.

"I see. ...Sorry for having doubted you."

Ellis put away the sword, apologized seriously with a bow.

"No. Originally, I did not think she was a spirit."

Kamito shrugged and shook his head.

Although there were times where she was overly stubborn, but this
candor was also endearing.

"By the way, how are the other two? Hm, from the knight brigade-"

"You mean Rakka and Reishia? They regained their conscious this
morning. They were beaten pretty badly by you guys. They need to
rest for a while before they can control the spirits again."

"Sorry ... Once I use Elemental Waffe, it is difficult to
calibrate my strength."

"It was a duel. Please do not mind it. For them it was a good
lesson."

Ellis fake coughed, and then -

"...I'm sorry."

"Hmm?"

"I said, I'm sorry. I disliked you for no other reason except
that you are a boy. So I feel compelled to apologize."

With her cheeks blushing red, she stared into eyes of Kamito.

"When you stand up to the magic spirit to save Clare Rogue, you
looked really ... really cool. To be honest I was petrified with fear."

"I had to deal with frenzied spirits several times before. It was
just experience."

Kamito, scratched the back of his head, like he was feeling a bit shy.

"Kamito, I am unhappy to be ignore." Est said, puffing out her cheeks.

"Oh, sorry ..."

Then, Kamito suddenly recalled his purpose here.

"Ellis, do you know where Claire is?"

"Isn't Claire Rogue still locking herself in the room? Losing
the contract spirit seemed to be a very big blow to her."

"But she seems to be not in the room. Do you have a clue?"

"Well ..."

Ellis raised her hand to her chin and pondered a bit.

"Come to think of it, the <military spirit> contract ceremony will be held
in the academic town this afternoon."

"Contract ceremony?"

"Ah, volunteers are recruited among the students of the academy
to form contract with military spirits."

In short, it is scouting from the military - Alice explained.

In return for the powerful military spirit that the Orudeshia
Knights brigade provides, the academy presents the students. Once
the student forged a contract with the military spirit, he become
part of the army, and as a cost for the powerful military spirit,
he must obey the orders and be dispatched immediately whenever
requested by the brigade.

"Although there are a lot of trouble to become military
personnel, there are many voluntary participants seeking to form
contracts with powerful spirits. From the very beginning, there
are many student who entered the academy aiming to become
spirit knights."

"With so many participants, how do they pick the candidate?"

"Of course - the spirit blade dance."

The format of the competition was free for all battle royal.

Serving also as a demonstration from the Orudeshia knight brigade
to the public, the blade dance would be held in the arena of
the academy town, rather than in Astral Zero.

"Having lost her contract spirit, it is possible that she will
volunteer to participate in the ceremony."

"However, without her contract spirit, to enter a blade dance
ceremony is -" Kamito stopped in mid-sentence and swallow the
remaining words.

Impossible-- but he was not sure.

To perform blade dance without the contract spirit, that kind of
actions amounts to nothing but suicide.

Without the power of spirits, there was absolutely no way to beat
other spirit contractors. Such a no-brainer simple truth.

But Claire now--

Kamito recalled how she looked like that day when she stood in
the rain.

"...Ellis, where is the ceremony going to take place?"

"If I remember correctly, just go straightly alone the Olivier
Avenue - Kamito?"

"- Got it. Ellis, thank you!"

Kamito took Est's hand and started to run.

(Do not try to shoulder everything by yourself. Idiot!)

===Part 4===

Clare walked alone in the alley within the academic town.

She looked dejected, and her steps were very heavy.

However, she had to go. There is no choice but to move forward.

For the sake of Scarlet who shielded her with its own body, she
must obtain an extremely strong spirit---an overwhelming power that
will not lose to anyone.

... It could not be reconciled. In front of that terrifying magic
spirit, she couldn't do anything.

Moreover, because of her own arrogance and stupidity, she had
lost Scarlet, her most important partner that had accompanied her
since childhood.

Further, had Kamito not come to her rescue, she would surely been killed.

"... Why do I think about the face of that guy again!"

Claire shook her head, trying to get rid of the image of Kamito
in her mind.

"- I do not need that guy. I survived on my own from the past to
present."

Yes, she would not stop here. Claire Rogue must face the battle
alone.

- I want a more power, a stronge power that will not lose to any one.

A stronge power so I would never lose anything again. A stronge
power so to take back what I have lost.

For example --- like the power of that girl that I admired on
first sight three years ago.

The overwhelming power of the Strongest Blade Dancer, Ren Ashbell.

"- You desire power so much?"

"......?"

Hearing the sudden voice, Claire quickly turned around.

There stood a beautiful girl.

It was a girl in a dark dress with lustrous black hair.

Her refined face exhibited a subtle grace, and a beauty
that somehow looked like disassociated with normal humans.

She had pitchblack pupils, as if one will be sucked in with one
sight.

Claire instantly discarded her alertness, charmed by the beauty
of the girl.

"Thank you. Because of you, Kamito has awokened."

"Who are you? What are you talking about?"

"However, this is not enough. his true self is much more than that."

The girls giggled, and slowly approached Claire.

Claire did not move. No, she couldn't move.

"What?"

"If you seek more strength, please accept this."

The girl gracefully stretched out a slender hand.

Above her palm, a mass of ominous fog-like black object floated.

"This is a spirit!?"

"Yes, it can help you draw out your real strength."

"The real strength ..."

Claire absentmindedly murmured.

Had it been the usual Claire, surely she would not hesitate to
brush that hand away.

The contract spirits were to be gained by one's own hand. They
are not something received from others.

However, the flame in Claire's hearts was gradually diminishing.

So weak that it would likely extinguish at any time.

Therefore -- Claire took that hand. She accepted the spirit
presented by that girl.

The black mist gradually seeped into her hand and disappeared.

Sharp pain instantly shot up from the left hand, an ominous black
spirit seal was engraved on it.

"The frenzy spirit <Gespenst> - do you like it?"

The girl in black smiled.

Like a cruel little girl.

Like an innocent demon.

==Translator's notes and References==
<references/>

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