Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume9 Chapter6 (section)

===Part 5===

The sight of the red-haired girl appearing out of the crimson flames--

Made Claire even forget the pain in her bleeding right hand--

"It's Scarlet...?"

Claire murmured in shock.

Within Claire's hazy and unsteady field of vision--

The girl stepped up to protect Claire, facing off against Luminaris.

A petite, graceful and slender figure.

Pristine pale complexion, clad in a dress of flames.

Emerging from her crimson hair that was redder than fire--

Triangular ears like a cat's.

"Yes, Master."

The pair of cat ears moved slightly.

The red-haired girl nodded as she stared at Luminaris before her.

"The Scarlet Valkyrie -- whose true name of old is Ortlinde."

"...!"

Instantly, the flames on the girl's body burned even more intensely.

Claire held her breath in the face of such flames that seemed as if though they were charring the night sky.
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(Amazing...!)

In contrast to its cute appearance as a cat, Scarlet was already a powerful spirit.

However, the girl before Claire's eyes -- was an existence far surpassing norms.

"...Is that the flame spirit's true appearance?"

Luminaris groaned in her throat.

Her expression no longer displayed the same composure as before.

"Spirits bearing human form are known as the highest level spirits--"

Staring at Scarlet unerringly before her eyes, Luminaris held the sacred sword Murgleis with both hands.

"Luminaris-sama!"

At this moment.

An arrow of light shot at Scarlet from behind.

This was the doing of the other female knight lurking on the other end of the darkness.

She probably intended to launch a surprise attack from the direction opposite to Luminaris.

However.

"--Too slow."

Scarlet created little fireballs in both hands.

The fireballs silently rotated around her, easily deflecting the incoming arrow.

"...Wha!"

"Over there--"

With a mere turn of her finger--

Suddenly, a fireball flew towards where the arrow was shot from--

In the next instant, an astounding explosion was heard as a pillar of fire emerged.

"...!"

Taking this as the signal for their fight to begin--

Wielding Murgleis in her hand, Luminaris stepped forward forcefully, instantly closing the distance.

"--Master, please issue your orders."

A crisp voice with a touch of sternness was heard.

"...Please order the Scarlet Valkyrie -- Ortlinde!"

Gradually slipping towards unconsciousness, Claire cried out.

"''Defeat the enemy!''"

"Understood, Master."

Scarlet swiftly swung her arm towards the air.

With a burst of scattering fire, she summoned a massive crimson scythe in her hands.

Its ferocious appearance seemed as if it were forged out of the flames of hell directly.

Held in this adorable little girl's hands, it seemed extremely out of place.

"--O Knight, thou art the one who prevaileth against the trials of fire!"

Luminaris chanted for protection against fire.

Producing slicing wind from the swings of her sword, she slashed apart the burning flames.

Scarlet leaped with agility, swinging the massive crimson scythe in midair.

With an ear-splitting sound of impact, sparks flew all around.

The shockwave from the clash caused rubble on the ground to fly.

This was a blade dance between a topnotch elementalist and a top-class flame spirit.

"Amazing..."

Seeing the blade dance being performed before her eyes, Claire could not help but exclaim in admiration.

Scarlet's movements far surpassed her speed in hell cat form.

Although they were well-matched in the initial clashes, the tides quickly turned against Luminaris who could not defeat the incoming flames.

"...So this is the power of a top-class spirit!?"

"--Unforgivable. I cannot show mercy to you who have hurt Master."

Scarlet swung the massive crimson scythe, her slashes forming flames that began to burn.

The scorching flames she produced could not be defended against by mere defensive magic.

"...No matter what, I cannot lose in this kind of place!"

Despite the flames surrounding her, Luminaris continued to swing her sword.

"I must resume my duel with ''her'' and bring victory back to my homeland--"

"Regrettably--"

Instantly, Scarlet's figure vanished.

Or rather, using the sacred sword's blade as a stepping platform, she jumped into the air at once.

"You will disappear here."

--The crimson crescent shone against the dark night.

An expression of despair was spreading from the blue eyes of the Paladin as she gazed upwards.

Next--

"O Flames, let a night of red descend upon the earth -- Crimson Judgment."

The dancing flames of conflagration devoured Luminaris.