Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume16 Chapter3 (section)

===Part 5===

"...O-Ooh... Ooh..."

In absolute darkness with vision and hearing sealed off...

The chained girl could not help but moan in pain.

<!--Strangely enough, Saladia was decribed as having blue hair and amber eyes in Volume 12 Chapter 3.  Perhaps it's been so long that the author forgot?-->Her hair was beautiful and golden. Possessing the same bewitching eyes that glowed crimson like her elder sister's, this girl was precisely none other than Saladia Kahn, the second princess of the Alphas Theocracy.

On the day of the coup d'etat at Scorpia, she had resisted her elder sister's attempt to kill their father the king, Rajihal Kahn, and ended up imprisoned here, the most notorious prison in Zohar.

...After that, it was anyone's guess as to how much time had gone by.

In this darkness insulated from all light, her sense of time had grown hazy. At this rate, she could very well forget even her own identity one day.

She was still able to cling to her sense of identity, thanks to her training at the Divine Ritual Institute, but any normal person would have gone insane long ago.

The truth of this darkness was an ''isolation barrier'' crafted by a cult sorcerer. No spirit, no matter how strong, could break the barrier from inside.

(...Why hasn't my sister killed me?)

She had asked herself this question many times.

Having killed their father and taken control of the Theocracy's government, there should be no need for her to keep Second Princess Saladia alive. Factions opposed to Sjora would probably band together under Saladia's name. Or perhaps, that was precisely the intent. Was Sjora planning to use Saladia as a hostage so as to wipe out the rebel army in one fell swoop when they came to save her?

...Impossible to read Sjora's thinking. Ever since the Blade Dance, she had changed. Although she was a crafty schemer to begin with, Sjora was not supposed to be someone to take bold action like this.

(Indeed, it's almost as though ''she has been possessed by something''&mdash;)

Just as she was lost in her thoughts...

"&mdash;Hey, are you there? The second princess, inheriting the Kahn dynasty's bloodline?"

"Huh?"

Saladia jumped in surprise to hear the sudden voice.

It was not the usual princess maiden who brought food and water.

Instead, it was a young man's voice, resembling a savage beast's.

"...Who are you?"

Staying wary, Saladia asked quietly.

"I am the one asking questions here. Are you the Theocracy's Second Princess Saladia Kahn?"

"...Yes, indeed. That is I."

&mdash;While feeling offended by this rude man, she still answered.

Despite the visitor's unknown identity, at least he did not seem to work for her sister.

"...I see. Ha, looks like I'm in luck for once."

The man laughed heartily from across the darkness. In the next instant, the darkness sealing Saladia's vision and hearing was broken by light from a spirit crystal, lighting up the surroundings immediately.

The sudden light entering her eyes caused Saladia to groan.

She could not get a clear look at the man's face because he was wearing a hood that reached his eyes.

"I'll get straight to the point. Do you know the Pyramid's location?"

"...The Pyramid?"

"Yeah, it's rumored to be where Demon King Solomon's remains were buried after he was vanquished a thousand years ago. It's said that the secret location was passed down the generations, known only to those inheriting the royal bloodline&mdash;"

Saladia fell silent. Of course, she knew about the Pyramid. Her father, King Rajihal Kahn had told her the day she completed her contract ritual with her contracted spirit.

However, why did this man know about this secret, never mentioned to anyone outside the royal family?

"This is the deal. I'll help you escape this place and in exchange, you'll take me there."

"...What are your intentions?"

Saladia demanded an answer from him solemnly. How could the Demon King cult's greatest secret be told to him in this place where they could be overheard? Leading the way for him would be even more out of the question.

"None of your business. Forget that, hurry up and make your decision. Although I've knocked out the guards, it'll be hard to escape once reinforcements arrive. You don't want to spend the rest of your life here, do you?"

"...Hmm, well&mdash;"

Saladia bit her lip and fell into deep thought. This man was very dangerous. Her instincts as a princess maiden informed her. However, this could very well be her one and only chance to escape from her sister's grasp.

"Will you be able to take me out of this city safely?"

"Yeah, I guarantee you that. Even if I found out the tomb's location, the door won't open without someone of royal blood there, right?"

"...You are quite informed."

Saladia sighed with resignation and made her decision.

...This man's motives were unknown. However, taking his offer would still be better than keeping the royal family's secret while waiting here for her own execution.

"Fine. Suppose we were to escape from Zohar safely, then I shall take you to the Pyramid."

"Hmph, deal."

The man scoffed.

"Swear on it, by your spirit's name."

"You do not trust me?"

"My creed is to trust no one."

Hearing the young man's answer, Saladia shook her head in exasperation.

"I hereby swear upon my contracted spirit Scheherazade&mdash;"

After chanting the words of the oath, Saladia's body gave off a faint glow of divine power.

Swearing upon a spirit was the most solemn oath for an elementalist. In the event of breaking the oath, one could lose the power of the spirit contract.

"Are you satisfied now?"

"Yeah, not bad&mdash;"

Nodding contentedly, the man took off his hood.

Revealed as the tanned face of a young man with malicious eyes.

"And your name?"

When Saladia asked, the man laughed savagely, showing his fangs.

"I am Jio Inzagi&mdash;The Demon King's successor."
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