Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume17 Chapter6 (section)

===Part 4===

With Safian leading the way, Kamito went up Quseir Amra's twisting stairs. Similar to Areishia Spirit Academy's academic building, the internal layout was dizzyingly complicated. That being said, the Academic's unique layout was supposed to incorporate principles of spirit engineering.

(...But here, it's surely because of continual unplanned expansion.)

Keeping his eyes intently on the merchant walking in front of him, Kamito pondered.

After walking up the stairs and passing through another passage, they finally arrived at the accommodations block.

"Living quarters are here. All you need to do is get sorted out at the front desk."

"...You've been a great help. Thank you very much."

"You are welcome. After all, it is rare to find people entering this city by accident. If I may be of any assistance&mdash;"

Before he could finish, Kamito swiftly closed the distance.

Instantly, he pressed his index finger on the man's neck.

"...?"

The young man looked puzzled.

"You&mdash;''Who the hell are you?''"

Kamito asked coldly.

His index finger was pressed on the carotid artery. This was an assassination technique that Kamito had learned during childhood at the Instructional School. Taking the man's life from here would be a piece of a cake.

However&mdash;

Safian remained calm and smiled confidently.

He could not be unaware of what kind of situation he was in. After all, Kamito had shown his intent to kill, enough for even ordinary people to feel it.

"An ordinary merchant&mdash;Do you really think I'll swallow that? When you first showed up in front of us, ''it was completely silent''."

Indeed, when the man spoke to them on the street, Kamito had not relaxed his guard towards the surroundings. He would have been the first to notice as soon as anyone intentionally approached the girls.

However, this man had appeared in front of Kamito's group without making a sound.

"I'm not bragging when I say you can count on one hand the people capable of doing this in my presence. At least on the level of my master or one of the Numbers specializing in stealth operations. For someone like that to be an ordinary merchant? Brought here by the Sphinx when collapsed in the middle of your journey? Like hell anyone would believe such lies."

"...I see."

Safian smiled wryly and shrugged.

"But you really cannot blame me for having no presence."

"...!?"

Instantly, Kamito widened his eyes.

"After all, I am someone who never existed in the first place."

Imperceptibly...

Safian disappeared from before his eyes then stood behind Kamito.

(...! He vanished without me noticing!?)

Cold sweat flowed down Kamito's cheek.

...This was impossible. Kamito's attention did not leave the man in front of him, not even for a second.

But the fact was he had slipped away from Kamito's grasp.

(...Spirit magic for spatial movement? No, it's not that kind of trick&mdash;)

The man must have moved during an opening in Kamito's attention. Nothing more than that.

Kamito's entire body stiffened. Safian spoke to him.

"You should use the Demon Slayer if you truly intended to threaten me."

"...! How do you know about Est!? Who the hell are you&mdash;"

"I am a fragment."

"...Fragment?"

"Yes, a fragment of his regret, remaining in this Demon King's Capital&mdash;"

"...? What are you talking about?"

Safian smiled and turned his back to Kamito, walking down the stairs where they had come from.

"I am glad to meet you, Demon King's successor and holder of the Sacred Sword. She must have been the one to guide you and your companions here."

"...! Wait, what the hell does this all mean?"

Kamito hastily chased after him.

However, Safian, who was supposed to be descending the stairs, had already vanished without a sound.