Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume15 Chapter1 (section)

===Part 3===

Numerous flashes of swords produced a showering of sparks while the sound of blades clashing continued to ring&mdash;

A haphazard dance between the crimson demon sword against the Demon Slayer, slicing through the rain.

A beautiful blade dance, like watching princess maidens dancing.

However, this was not a blade dance offered to spirits.

Purely&mdash;A battle to the death.

"...Tsk, wake up, Greyworth!"

While blades clashed intensely, Kamito stared into those gray eyes, calling to her desperately.

However, the young maiden did not answer at all. As though suggesting that raising the sword was the same as speaking, she unleashed a sharp slice at him. This astounding pressure of the sword did not match her petite physique.

(...Tsk, and this is only at 30% output&mdash;)

Kamito gritted his teeth hard

A bystander might see this as a balanced battle.

However, Kamito knew better. The witch's true level was beyond this.

Was she suppressing her power intentionally, or had she yet to exert  full control over this body? If the latter, then maybe he still had hope.

(...Defeat her before she awakens fully!)

But conversely, once the Dusk Witch fully awakened, he would not even have one ten thousandth of a chance of winning.

"Absolute Blade Arts, First Form&mdash;Purple Lightning."

Kamito stepped forward, closing in instantly to unleash a deadly move from the Absolute Blade Arts.

With Greyworth as his opponent, holding back would mean getting killed.

However, Greyworth read his full-powered strike.

The flash of godlike speed was dodged by a paper-thin margin&mdash;

"Absolute Blade Arts, Alternate Form&mdash;Ice Storm Rakshasa!"

As though trying to dig up the stone-paved ground, she swung the demon sword's blade downwards.

Instantly, the ground was covered by vines of ice with countless sharp thorns to pierce Kamito.

This sword technique was unknown to Kamito.

It was impossible for Kamito to inherit the entirety of the Absolute Blade Arts. The Absolute Blade Arts was a set of techniques combining swordsmanship with divine power. Among them included instances of spirit magic that Kamito had not inherited because of his lack of talent in those areas.

Instantly, Kamito stabbed the Demon Slayer's blade into the ground.

(...I'm counting on you, Est, hang in there.)

He poured his entire body's magical power into the sword.

The vines of ice instantly vanished the instant they came into contact with the bright flash released by the Demon Slayer.

Acting on a hunch that he could rely on the power of Est's unparalleled magic resistance to neutralize spirit magic Absolute Blade Arts, Kamito took a gamble.

Once again, Greyworth closed in instantly.

A downward slash from an upper stance, Kamito blocked using a two-handed grip.

So heavy.

Next, Greyworth released the divine power concentrated in her legs in one go the instant she kicked the ground. This was the most basic skill that Kamito had learned during his first time. However, Kamito's use of it was still far inferior in potency compared to the Dusk Witch's continual use of it, supported by her vast reserves of divine power.

A mere step forward.

Yet raised to the realm of divine speed, Purple Lightning was probably impossible to see clearly.

With only a split second remaining, in order to evade this Purple Lightning successfully&mdash;

(I can't believe that's really just a greeting...!?)

Without retreating, Kamito counterattacked the incoming sword.

Retreat was absolutely not an option. Without seeing through a thrust of godlike speed, it would be very dangerous if the enemy seized an opening. He had no choice but to engage in melee.

Fortunately, this was also what the other side wanted. Joy surfaced in the girl's eyes

(...Tsk, her sadistic nature hasn't changed at all!)

While Kamito was making a snide mental remark...

He heard a faint explosion from afar.

It was in Fianna's direction.

Although he did not turn his head to look, for an instant, his concentration was broken.

"Don't get distracted during battle&mdash;"

The girl before him said coldly. In the next instant&mdash;

"Kaha&mdash;!"

She kicked him violently in the belly.

Kamito fell on the ground and stopped breathing for an instant.

"Is this all you can do, Demon King&mdash;?"

The girl asked coldly.

Her demon sword's blade flashed before his eyes&mdash;

(...Tsk, has nothing changed compared to three years ago?)

Just as Kamito prepared himself for death, in that very moment...

A crimson flash flew over.

(What!?)

Greyworth forcefully swung her demon sword horizontally in front of herself, deflecting the flash.

CLAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!

The flash bounced away in another direction, causing a huge explosion when it struck a building.

Debris fell, producing a huge cloud of dirt and dust.

Greyworth jumped away. Crimson flashes of light fell like torrential rain upon her earlier position.

(...Wh... at...?)

Kamito turned his gaze to where the flash of light had originated.

At that moment&mdash;

"&mdash;Shall I lend a helping hand, Kazehaya Kamito?"

Sternly, a voice as hard as glass resounded in the air.

In the sky of the drizzling imperial capital, a girl dressed in military uniform&mdash;

"Leonora?"

Kamito widened his eyes.

Indeed, the one who had rescued Kamito was Leonora Lancaster.

She was the princess knight from the Dragon Duchy of Dracunia whom Kamito had fought in deathmatches at the Blade Dance festival.

"What a disgrace, Kazehaya Kamito. To think that the one who had defeated me would fall so low."

Saying that, Leonora jumped down gallantly from her dragon's back to land by Kamito's side.

"...Leonora, what are you doing here?"

Forgetting the situation, the dumbfounded Kamito asked.

Leonora suddenly smiled mischievously.

"Despite how I may look, I am a princess of the Dragon Duchy of Dracunia, you know? As the Dragon Nation's representative, I am participating in Ordesia's All Nations Conference."

"...I see. Now that you mention it, you are a princess of sorts."

Like not wearing underwear on occasion, his brain had unintentionally forgotten this detail, but&mdash;

Indeed, Leonora Lancaster was a princess from the Dragon Duchy of Dracunia.

"Hmm, what do you mean by 'of sorts'? How impudent."

"S-Sorry...! Anyway, thanks a lot, Leonora."

Realizing he had been quite rude just now, Kamito apologized frantically.

"But quite an interesting situation seems to have arisen."

Leonora looked at Millennia who was hovering in the air.

"Cardinal of the Holy Kingdom, what are you plotting in secret? If you are involved in the earlier abortive attempt at assassinating the emperor, then on principle, the Dragon Nation cannot overlook the matter."

Millennia laughed derisively and said:

"Oh my, Miss Dragon, the Holy Kingdom is responding to His Highness Arneus' request to capture the Second Princess, the mastermind of the emperor's attempted assassination. Know that if you were to cause trouble, the Holy Kingdom would naturally regard this as an international conflict between Ordesia and Dracunia."

Leonora smiled fearlessly in response.

"It matters not to me. I have already obtained my own nation's consent."

"...What do you mean by that?"

"The Dragon Nation's delegation will be returning home today with the intention of exercising unilateral intervention in the Theocracy's civil war. There is no reason anymore to join forces with Ordesia which has become the Holy Kingdom's puppet."

"In that case, Dracunia's Dragon King intends to make enemies with a certain person of authority..."

Millennia's violet iris flashed with penetrating light.

"Your side will surely come to regret this choice, Miss Dragon&mdash;"

Greyworth readied her demon sword in a stance and started facing off against Kamito and Leonora.

"Allow me to aid you. This isn't an opponent you can defeat singlehandedly, right?"

Saying that, Leonora stood at Kamito's side.

"Leonora... No, that's&mdash;"

Kamito shook his head.

Although he was very grateful for her offer, given the opponent, he must not get her involved.

"No, I am doing this willfully. You may not refuse."

Leonora raised her hand and recited a spirit language summoning.

At the same time, the pitch-black magic dragon transformed into a gigantic sword held in Leonora's hand.

Balmung the holy sword of dragonslaying&mdash;an elemental waffe concealing astounding destructive power.

"It would be troublesome if you were to die here&mdash;"

Swinging the gigantic sword with one hand, she stabbed its blade into the ground.

"..."

Kamito agonized for a moment then immediately replied.

"&mdash;Thanks."

One simple word.

Leonora Lancaster&mdash;The strongest elementalist of the Knights of the Dragon Emperor.

For Kamito right now, she was the strongest ally.

Supposing Greyworth had yet to enter a fully awakened state&mdash;

There was still a chance of winning if the two of them worked together.

"Leonora, go all-out from the start. We'll die unless we decide the match in one go."

"Yes, I already know that this is no ordinary opponent&mdash;"

As expected of Greyworth, Kamito could sense her power through his skin even though she had not returned to her normal state.

"&mdash;Excellent. I was feeling that a single opponent would be slightly underwhelming."

The Dusk Witch licked her demon sword's blade and said with a smile.