Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume11 Chapter7 (section)

===Part 5===

"Sjora Kahn...!"

"&mdash;An amazing coincidence. To think I would run into you here in a place like this."

The Theocracy's witch giggled and walked out of the darkness.

"But regrettably, my target is that spirit. I don't have time to play with you."

"...Is that so?"

Kamito readied the Demon Slayer.

"What happened to Fenrir?"

Kamito demanded with murderous intent.

"&mdash;Fufu, if you're asking about that demon wolf, it's right here."

Sjora sneered and chanted a summoning incantation.

Instantly, a blizzard blew in the cavern and a giant wolf appeared out of thin air.

"...!"

But despite resembling Fenrir's appearance, there were decisive differences.

The snow-white fur had turned pitch black and its eyes were bright red like blood.

The demon ice spirit's noble bearing was completely lost, exuding an ominous aura from its entire body.

"Fenrir...!"

"Wait, Rinslet&mdash;"

Kamito frantically caught Rinslet by the hand before she could rush over.

"Kamito-san...!"

(...They have seven or eight elementalists?)

Kamito calmly counted the enemies lurking in the darkness.

Sjora Kahn's combat strength was already known, Although she was feared as a demon caster within the Theocracy, what she specialized in was summoning magic. She did not seem to be used to blade dancing with elemental waffen.

Her prowess was far inferior to top elementalists like Muir or Leonora.

(...The problem lies in her subordinates. There's quite a number of them.)

White masks appeared in the darkness. All of them were dressed in crimson military uniforms.

If they were elementalists belonging to the military, their strength should surpass a certain threshold. He could not act recklessly.

While staying alert of Sjora before him, Kamito turned his gaze towards the back.

The seal-breaking ritual continued. Unperturbed by the change in situation, Fianna was focused on offering prayers with her eyes closed.

(...Nothing less from the imperial princess. Calm and composed despite the crisis.)

Kamito curled his tongue.

She trusted in Kamito's group and focused on her own mission.

Iseria was inside the magic circle, appearing to be in great suffering.

"Rinslet, go over to Iseria's side."

"...I-I understand."

Even though she glared at Sjora, Rinslet obediently followed his directions.

"Kamito-san, please... Fenrir&mdash;"

"Yeah, I know."

Kamito nodded.

"Restia&mdash;"

He called out behind him. The darkness spirit girl proceeded to hold Kamito's hand.

"&mdash;I am your sword. Your wish is my command."

Accompanied by the sound of her pure voice, the Vorpal Sword formed itself in Kamito's hand.

&mdash;Please don't copy me, darkness spirit.

&mdash;Oh dear, Kamito won't like you if you're too petty.

Immediately, the two voices sounded in his mind.

"...I already told you not to argue, right?"

Groaning, Kamito infused his dual swords with divine power.

Holding both swords in a reverse grip, he instantly converted them into small-sized daggers.

Although the power was less per hit, this was more flexible and nimble in a group battle.

"...Using two spirits at once. As expected of the Demon King's successor."

Sjora Kahn smiled with delight.

(...Her tone of voice changed?)

Suddenly, Kamito felt his hair stand on end.

Kamito had heard from Ellis and Rinslet about Sjora Kahn's subtle change.

Back when the battle was in full swing, she suddenly seemed as though she were a different person&mdash;

(Indeed, there's something different about the witch compared to before...)

"Although this might be overkill for the sake of targeting one spirit&mdash;"

Sjora extended her hand.

"Bringing these girls here turned out to be the right decision."

Instantly, the masked girls advanced with perfect discipline.

"&mdash;Master, please issue your orders."

The military uniformed girls spoke in unison.

"Capture the spirit. It's fine to kill the rest. However, do not damage Kazehaya Kamito's body. It belongs to me."

"Affirmative&mdash;"

The girls drew their weapons. The blades glowed faintly. They were mithril daggers.

(Those weapons... Are not used by knights. They're assassins!?)

Instantly, the air shook. Kamito could sense it through his skin.

The girls attacked, their breathing in unison&mdash;no, there were slight discrepancies in timing.

(...These movements, could they be&mdash;!?)

Kamito instantly noticed.

The attack trajectories were unpredictable for ordinary people. These three-dimensional movement skills, treating the walls of the cavern as no different from flat ground, belonged to assassins originating from the Instructional School.

Within the blink of an eye, some of them had circled behind him to surround him from all sides. The naked blades shone in the darkness. Bound to the mithril daggers, steel wires were entangling Kamito's arms and legs.

(...The formation of absolute death!)

This was part of the Instructional School's group tactics. This was a technique developed to allow assassins who were not elementalists to defeat powerful spirit knights. Once tightened completely, Kamito's four limbs were going to be sliced to pieces before he could resist&mdash;

(...Don't underestimate me!)

Kamito poured divine power into the Vorpal Sword.

The pitch-black lightning exploded and traveled to the masked girls along the steel wires.

This was an application of the Vorpal Blast&mdash;his prided technique as the Strongest Blade Dancer, Ren Ashbell.

(...Only two of them were taken out. Unexpectedly few.)

Kamito counted the number of disappeared presences.

The others had apparently released the steel wires at the last instant. They looked quite highly trained.

With both of his arms free now, Kamito readied his dual swords&mdash;

"...Who could have thought that the Theocracy's princess would be rearing assassins from the Instructional School."

Kamito yelled out at Sjora in the passage.

"This group was Rubia Elstein's private army."

The witch shrugged and said:

"That woman took in the Instructional School's orphans to serve as her subordinates. I simply interfered and reeducated them to become the cult's elite troops."

"...So Rubia was being used by the Theocracy as well."

Muttering, Kamito took a step forward.

(...Six of them remain.)

These assassins' average ability was roughly the same as the nobles studying at the Academy.

However, they were experts in killing elementalists.

They were highly proficient in ways to neutralize elementalists.

Possibly, they might even include Cursed Armament Seal test subjects like Jio Inzagi or people with inborn special powers like Muir Alenstarl... They could not be underestimated.

However&mdash;

"...I'm not gonna let you harm a single hair of my companions."

"Now that's the Demon King I hoped for."

Sjora snapped her fingers

The pitch-black demon wolf blew an astounding blizzard.