Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume17 Chapter10 (section)

===Part 4===

"...Did you say ''Volcanicus''?"

Claire was so surprised that her entire body froze.

There was probably no one on the continent who did not know this name.

Fire Elemental Lord Volcanicus, ruling over the fire spirits, was one of the five Elemental Lords.

(Don't tell me... this child is...?)

Her mind in chaos, Claire suddenly remembered something.

(Come to think of it, Nee-sama said before&mdash;)

She remembered it was when they were heading to rescued the imprisoned Fianna&mdash;

On board the flying ship, her sister had mentioned it.

At the Elemental Lord's shrine, they had liberated the Fire Elemental Lord from the Otherworldly Darkness' corruption.

At the time, the Fire Elemental Lord vanished and was transported somewhere&mdash;

Wasn't that the holy capital of Alexandria?

(Right, no mistake...)

Claire bit her lip hard.

This girl was the incarnation of the Fire Elemental Lord.

She was the same as the Iseria Seaward's incarnation that had teleported to Astral Zero.

In that case, it was only natural for her to wield powers capable of destroying a city in an instant.

(This child is the Fire Elemental Lord... who destroyed my homeland...!)

"Lord Volcanicus, please distance yourself from those people!"

At the plaza's entrance, Luminaris called out.

However, the spirit girl glared at her.

"What is the matter with you people? I am currently having fun with them."

The girl's crimson hair stood up on end, wavering like flames.

That astounding aura of wrath made the Sacred Spirit Knights all freeze.

Only Luminaris managed to stand firm and hold her ground.

"O Lord, please forgive us. We are only fulfilling our responsibilities as your bodyguards."

"Oh? Who are you to worry about my safety?"

"...!?"

Confronted by the Fire Elemental Lord's blazing wrath, Luminaris turned deathly pale.

The only reason why the Fire Elemental Lord had not turned the paladinss into charcoal was because she had promised Claire just now.

"I have no need for bodyguards. I shall remain in these people's company."

Saying that, she turned to Claire.

Now, she noticed for the first time.

Claire's gaze towards her had changed completely.

"Seriously, ah..."

"...What is it?"

"You really are the Fire Elemental Lord..."

Claire's twintails were standing up like burning flames.

As though looking at a mortal enemy, Claire glared at the girl.

"What now, hell cat girl?"

"You, it's all because of you, Nee-sama and my parents...!"

Tears flowed out of her clear ruby-like eyes.

The downpour of the rain of fire. Cities burning in a blaze. Endless cries of suffering. The people rushing to the castle.

With the people's curses in the background, that very day when she had been banished from the castle together with her parents&mdash;

"...What are you talking about?"

The spirit girl made a perplexed look, standing there frozen.

Most likely concluding this to be the best opportunity to reclaim her&mdash;

"Please leave them, Lord."

Luminaris drew her sword and charged swiftly. She intended to take this opportunity to take Claire out.

"&mdash;Do not think you will succeed!"

Holding Ray Hawk, Ellis blocked her path.

"Get lost, small fry!"

Luminaris swung her sacred sword, Murgleis.

Faced with that sword, glowing with holy light&mdash;

"...!"

Ellis blocked using the shaft of her magic spear.

"What?"

Luminaris widened her blue eyes in shock.

She never expected her merciless strike to be blocked.

"Is this all you can do, Dame Luminaris?"

"...Gah!?"

Wind gathered at Ray Hawk's spear tip, producing a thunderous rumble.

"Take that...!"

Releasing the compressed air, Ellis blew away the holy sword.

Not expecting a counterattack from whom she thought was a small fry, Luminaris lost balance.

Ellis did not miss the opportunity. Immediately, she rotated her magic spear and attacked with lightning speed.

Enveloped with magical wind, the spear tip pierced the paladin's mythril gauntlet, shattering it.

"Damn you!"

Luminaris was plunged into confusion.

Ellis Fahrengart.

The second daughter of Duke Fahrengart, hailing from a prestigious Ordesian noble house with generations of military tradition.

That was the extent of what Luminaris knew about her.

When entering the Blade Dance, Luminaris had focused virtually all her attention on Ellis' adopted sister Velsaria Eva, completely unconcerned about the younger sister.

"Dame Luminaris, I used to admire you, having blade danced against Ren Ashbell&mdash;"

Spinning the magic spear of wind fluidly in one hand, Ellis spoke.

"&mdash;But as I am now, ''I am stronger than you''."

She stepped forward, closing the distance all at once.

The thrust of godly speed, enveloped in a storm, was deflected by Luminaris with the holy sword.

"Don't get too full of yourself, mere student knight!"

"I return the same words to you. Do not belittle the Sylphid Knights!"

Their elemental waffen clashed intensely again.

A hurricane-like storm surrounded the crossing blades.

Just as their blade dance gradually intensified&mdash;

Claire and the Fire Elemental Lord continued to stare at each other silently.

"Hell cat girl&mdash;"

Volcanicus was the first to break the silence.

"Do you hate me?"

"...Uh&mdash;"

Claire was speechless.

She was not even sure of her own feelings.

(...Is this child really the Fire Elemental Lord who destroyed my homeland?)

No wait, this girl was undoubtedly the incarnation of the Elemental Lord, but&mdash;

Claire thought back to the Water Elemental Lord's incarnation she had met on Ragna Ys.

(She had lost virtually all of her memories as an Elemental Lord...)

In that case, this Fire Elemental Lord might have lost her memories too.

In other words, she might not remember what she had done in the past.

"...Can I ask a question?"

Claire said.

"Do you still remember the name of the princess maiden who resembles me a lot?"

"..."

The Fire Elemental Lord shook her head calmly.

"I do not remember her name, but&mdash;"

She replied with apparent sadness.

"She is my precious friend. This is the one thing I recall clearly."

"...I see. In that case&mdash;"

Hearing that&mdash;

Claire steeled a certain measure of determination in her heart.

This girl was the enemy who had destroyed Elstein. However&mdash;

"Volcanicus, I want to bring you to meet someone."

"...What?"

"Make your decision now. Will you return to those Holy Kingdom people or will you come with us?"

"...!"

The Fire Elemental Lord stared intently into Claire's ruby-like eyes. Perhaps through Claire, she was looking at the image of the dear friend who greatly resembled Claire.

After several seconds of silence&mdash;

"...That will not be possible."

She shook her head.

"Why?"

"I am bound by a covenant with those people. I cannot break it."

"No way...!"

With a weak smile, the Fire Elemental Lord fluttered her dress.

"Although it was brief, I greatly enjoyed myself on this occasion, hell cat girl."

Surrounded by intense crimson flames, the girl gradually disappeared.

Claire went "ah" but could not chase after her.

"...W-What the heck, this sucks!"

Unable to vent emotions that she could not tell was anger or something else, Claire kept stomping the ground.

Just then&mdash;

"Claire&mdash;"

Holding the magic spear, Ellis landed softly next to her.

"She went back to Astral Zero, right?"

"Yeah, looks like it..."

Nodding, Claire straightened her standing posture.

She looked around, only to see the two of them surrounded by ten members of the Sacred Spirit Knights.

...All things considered, chances of victory were slim if they had to fight this many knights at the same time.

"Break through the encirclement and retreat."

"...Yes."

Saying that, Ellis readied Ray Hawk while Claire deployed Flametongue.

The two girls ran at the same time.