Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume2 Chapter7

Status: Incomplete

The Abandoned-Mine Battle

Part 1

It was the dead of the night when, after riding their horses throughout the day, the party reached the entrance of Mine Town.

Since all members rode here practically without rest, they were totally exhausted.

However, it wasn't possible to have a carefree rest.

"This is Mine Town Gado... It's like a ghost town."

Rinslet, who dismounted from the horse, calmly muttered.

"It's because several decades have passed since it became an abandoned mine. There should be no humans living here."

"Humans— huh."

Claire squinted her eyes staring deep into the darkness.

Bluish-white will-o'-wisps were wavering here and there near a ruin.

They were low-rank spirits that were floating about. For this sort of ruin, there were many nasty spirits gathered.

It was just like how the «Spirit Forest» was at night.

On the other side of the abandoned town, still containing countless abandoned tunnels, huge mines stood towering over the surroundings.

Gado Mine— It once produced a large quantity of spirit ores, it was the Empire's largest mine.

During the war, the spirit ores were dug up and exhausted, and it hadn't even been twenty years since it became an abandoned mine.

Below that mine, Jormungandr the strategic-class military-use spirit was sleeping; sealed by the Ordesia Knights of that time.

"—By the way, you better get away from him."

Claire glared at Fianna, who was tightly clinging onto Kamito's arm.

"I don't want to, after all, Kamito-kun will protect me."

"You may be in a position to be protected. However, to begin with, what's the matter with your contracted spirit? As that spirit contractor might be hiding in ambush, have it in a state you can use it immediately."

"That's—"

Fianna's words were blocked unusually.

She tightly closed her lips and abruptly turned away.

"I-It still isn't the time. The contracted spirit of the Ordesia royal family must not be summoned so indiscreetly. It's clearly different from your cat."

"Wh-What was that...!"

The ground at where the four were standing greatly shook suddenly.

"An earthquake...!?"

"It seems that we had better hurry. I have a bad premonition."

Claire softly muttered, and in her palm, a spirit magic fire was lighted.

The place of their objective was found instantly without even searching.

At the deepest part of the main street going through the abandoned town— before the entrance of the mine, there was a gigantic grand shrine.

It was a splendid shrine that made use of several gigantic stone pillars.

A grand shrine of this scale existed only in the capital even in the Ordesia Empire.

However—

"How terrible, this..."

The grand shrine, which had its sculptures destroyed, had the spirit ores inlayed in its stone pillar robbed and had let spirits enjoy themselves, had transformed into a ruin that was even tragic to look at.

"How strange—"

The one, who noticed the unusual phenomenon, was Fianna, who had received training as a spirit princess.

"What's strange?"

"This shrine, despite being in such ruins, shows traces of someone taking the trouble to perform a ritual. Furthermore, many times over the period of these several months."

"Ritual?"

Nodding at Claire, who was frowning, with a serious face, Fianna kneeled onto the ground.

It seemed that she was looking for footprints and traces of injury and so forth that were on the stone paving.

"This dance— is probably the Ritual of Releasing. It seems that it was more or less arranged, though."

"The Ritual of Releasing..."

Kamito groaned in a low tone.

It was because he remembered how the spirit contractor, who was also a male spirit contractor just like Kamito, assailed the academy and took away the highly classified material concerning the seal specification.

Is that brat really planning on releasing the sealed Jormungandr?

It was impossible for any kind of spirit contractor to control Jormungandr individually.

If that was the case, what was his goal?

At any rate, if the spirit's seal was undone, it was certain that the town in the vicinity would be turned into scorched earth.

"Is the seal almost undone?"

"No, it's still alright. This shrine isn't the superior «true shrine»."

"The «true shrine»...? What do you mean?"

"The grand shrine here, at most, it's purpose was to camouflage the original shrine— Which should be at an important place like the mine. There were many splendid grand shrine built needlessly above ground to hide the existence of the original shrine. Of course, it doesn't mean that this shrine isn't usable, though."

"That means there's a real shrine somewhere?"

"Yes, it's mostly likely being hidden deep in the mine."

Fianna raised her head, at that moment.

"Be careful, there's something here!"

Rinslet, who was on a lookout of their surroundings, suddenly shouted.

Kamito turned around—

In the surroundings of the shrine that the four of them were in, there was a wriggling crowd of figures of people.

"Humans? No, they're—"

"Fire, illuminate!"

Claire recited the incantation, and a spirit magic fire lit in an empty space.

The figures that were shone by the flame's light were—

"Wh-What!?"

It was a crowd of skeletons holding rusty swords and clubs in their hands.

From the gap of their bones, something like a black fog was being emitted out.

"What, are these... spirits!?"

"The skeletons that were left alone seems to be possessed by low-rank spirits."

While muttering— Kamito noticed something with a "hmm".

Claire was slightly holding onto Kamito's uniform's sleeves.

"...You, by any chance, are you weak against horror-ish things like these?"

"Th-That's not it— Who do you think I am?!"

"You don't have to push yourself, look out, hold on."

"...I-It's not anything scary."

Claire, who was hiding her face while biting her lips, was a little cute.

"At any rate, it's strange—"

Normally, the so-called low-rank spirits didn't possess a distinct self.

Even if there were rare times when they attack humans, there shouldn't be a time when they formed a group like this.

"Kamito-kun, these guys, you know. They are the ones doing the ritual here."

"What was that?"

Kamito was surprised and turned around. Fianna nodded.

"Those movements of the skeletons are pretty rough, but...it's just like the Ritual of Releasing."

"Don't tell me, the low-rank spirits were doing an advanced Ritual of Releasing?"

Kamito stared at the approaching figures. Now that she mentioned it, he could see that the skeletons possessed by the spirits were moving with a fixed regularity.

"No, such a thing is impossible... There has to be some practitioner manipulating the spirits."

"Well, does it mean that these guys won't come to attack us?"

Claire tightly griped Kamito's sleeve as she said that.

The group of skeletons went up the stairs of the shrine in a slow manner of walking.

"Freezing ice fang, pierce «Freezing Arrow»!"

The ice arrow, released by Rinslet, collected and mowed down the group of wriggling skeletons.

It was the high-rank magic ice spirit «Fenrir's» elemental waffe.

To a spirit contractor, an enemy of this level was only a small fry.

From the broken skeletons, a black fog spouted out and vanished into an empty space.

"That's a darkness attribute spirit—"

Suddenly, a flash occurred in Kamito's mind.

Don't tell me—

He cast his sight to his left hand covered by his black leather glove.

A piercing-like pain was running in his engraved spirit seal, at that moment—

"...!?"

A terrible explosion sound resounded from the direction of the mine.

"Don't tell me the battle is beginning!?"

"Let's go, Kamito!"

Claire sounded her whip with a snap, and began running.

Part 2

It was the spirit ore mine that towered in the abandoned town. They finally arrived at its entrance—

From within the tunnel, the violent sound of weapons reverberated.

"Kamito, that—"

At the deep darkness where Claire pointed at, an intense flash occurred.

The one, who was fighting, was Ellis Fahrengart, wielding her elemental waffe lance.

Her ponytail hair was fluttering in the thunderous-blowing wind.

That appearance of hers was that she had her Knights armor destroyed and was covered in lacerations. From that, he could see that she had wounds all over her body.

"Ha, as expected of Knights leader-sama, you've entertained me considerably, haven't you?!"

There was a loud ear-hurting laughter that resounded in the tunnel.

Before Ellis, a boy with glaring shiny red eyes was standing.

Jio Inazagi—A male spirit contractor, who called himself the successor of the Demon King.

Rakka and Reishia, who were injured, laid collapsed at his feet.

"You bastard, my comrades, how dare you—"

Ellis swung her «Ray Hawk».

The tunnel wall was destroyed, and the hard bedrock was smashed up like glass.

Jio gave a shrilling laughter as he jumped up. It was not a possible movement for humans—there might be some body-strengthening-spirit possessing him.

"Hey, hey, is that it? Is the Knights a child's play?"

"You bastard!"

Ellis raged at the insult towards the Knights.

"Evil wind, thou, become countless blades and cut up my enemies—"

She released the power of her «Ray Hawk»—the elemental waffe of her magic wind spirit «Simorgh».

It was the spear that created blades of wind, something that tormented Kamito in the duel at the academy. Even if he avoid it with a paper-thin difference, the countless wind blades that were additionally invoked would cut up the target into shreds—

However.

"How reckless—reflect it, Mirror Wall!"

The moment Jio shouted, a shiny red mirror appeared before Ellis.

The moment when her lance of wind wings cladded in wind touched the mirror surface, the countless wind blades pared their teeth towards Ellis.

"…!?"

Cut up by the blades boisterously dancing, Ellis's body was thrown into a wall.

"—Ellis!"

Kamito ran with Terminus Est in his hand.

Having seemed to already notice their presence—Jio turned around, and sneered.

"Yo, idiots are squirming out."

"Kamito, don't!"

Kamito's movement stopped for a moment to Claire's voice he heard from behind.

At that moment, an engraved spirit seal on Jio's right arm glowed—

"—It's fine till the inside of their lungs are sore, manifest, Rafflesia!"

A thick bluish purple fog gushed out with tremendous force.

The skin-burning fog of poison wrapped his whole body, and was invading his lungs—

"Ga, Ha…!"

Pain was running in his eyes. His throat was hot as if it was being burned.

From the gaps between his fingers covering his mouth, blood spilled out and dripped onto the ground.

(This is a poison attribute spirit… is this fog itself its elemental waffe!?)

A muttering groan echoed in the tunnel.

Bearing the burning-like pain, Kamito opened his eyes slightly.

Ellis and the two girls, who were flat-out bathed in the poison fog, were cowering and in agony.

"Ellis…Kuu!"

His throat muscle had a spasm, so he couldn't speak out satisfactorily. It was still possible to stand over here, but if he continued to advance, he would lose his consciousness before reaching the girls.

(…Why didn't he receive the poison?)

A wide range extermination type spirit like Rafflesia couldn't be handled normally.

As controlling it was hard, if he did it poorly, he would end up dragging himself into it too.

However, Jio Inzagi was calmly standing in the fog of deadly poison.

—Then, Kamito noticed it.

There was a slight wind flow in the boy's surroundings.

(…I see, he's using a wind attribute spirit at the same time!)

A spirit contractor that uses multiple contracted spirits—in that case, by combining the powers of the other spirits, he heard that he could also use a spirit that would be too much to handle originally.

"…Damn, isn't that almost like cheating?!"

Kamito cursed in his heart.

(If it was Rinslet's magic bow, could she shoot from outside the fog's effective range?)

He turned around and peeked behind, but—

Rinslet nock her ice arrow, and without moving, she affixed her aim at Jio.

(—She isn't shooting?)

Rinslet's judgment was correct.

Jio was displaying Mirror Wall, which reflected Ellis's elemental waffe.

If she shot poorly, she might end up finishing off Ellis and the others, who had collapsed nearby.

It seemed that Claire was standing like she was covering for Fianna, and did an aria for her fire attribute elemental waffe.

It was a mere second of thought, but even in this meantime, the bodies of Ellis and the others were being eaten into by the poison.

(Damn…)

His body had a burning-like irritation.

—At that moment.

In the dark tunnel, a faint rubbing sound resounded.

(Ellis!?)

"Oh…winds, mow down my enemies—«Wind Bombs»!"

At that moment, the lump of violent wind released blew away the fog of poison without leaving a trace.

And then—

"Haa, Haa…ka…haa!"

Ellis pierced her magic lance of wind onto the ground, and stood up.

Her stab-proof uniform was cut up, and her whole body was full of wounds.

Both her legs, which were covered in her torn stockings, were having mincing cramps.

Even so, her appearance of her standing up frigidly and firmly was—

Beautiful to till the extent that he was charmed spontaneously.

Ellis prepared her elemental waffe lance, then she glared at Jio and declared with her voice that became hoarse.

"Putting the pride of the Sylphid Knights on the line, even if I lose… you will be defeated!"

"That hurt… you death escapee."

Jio, who received a direct hit of the violent wind, warped his lips, and clicked his tongue.

"If that's the case, I'll hit you to death as you wish!"

The spirit seals engraved on Jio's whole body ominously glowed—

"—Like I'll let you!"

At the same time as Kamito getting away, two shots of fireballs, which were released, attacked Jio.

It was Claire's covering. In that chance of the moment when Jio repelled the fireballs, Kamito accelerated—coming close to Jio.

And the, like hacking down every space he mowed down directly horizontally with Terminus Est.

Gaa—The bedrock, which was touched by the sword's tip, was smashed up.

"Haa, don't make just a scary face, hey!"

Jio, who dodged the sword swing, jumped up and landed on a rocky area that was about to collapse.

Without pursuing, Kamito went straight towards Ellis and the others.

Ellis was out of breath, and seemed like she was going to collapse at any time.

"Ellis, are you alright? I'll lend—"

"D-don't do something… unnecessary."

When he tried to lend her help, who wobbled, she shook off his hand.

"I do not need all of your—"

"Don't be stubborn about trivial things, think about them."

Ellis's facial expression stiffened. Rakka and Reshia had collapsed on the ground. They seemed to be conscious, but if they were left like that, their lives would be in danger.

Ellis herself was in a condition where she was at her last just standing already.

"Guu…Kazehaya Kamito, I owe you a debt."

"It isn't something like a loan. It's natural to help my comrades."

"…!"

Ellis's cheeks reddened at Kamito's words.

Laying the injured Ellis by the wall for her to rest, Kamito fixed his sights towards Jio.

"You, how dare you—"

Ellis Fahrengart—She was a girl with a strong sense of justice with her seriousness and her bravery.

Just by looking at her injured appearance, overflowing-like anger surged.

"Don't get in my way, it was the long-awaited part where I hit that impertinent girl to death."

Jio smirked as he slowly got off the rocky area.

"—I'm relieved."

Kamito wielded his sword and glared at Jio.

"If it's a nasty rascal like you, I'll seriously beat you up."

"Haa, aren't you saying something! It's too bad, but it's impossible for you to defeat me."

"We are also here!"

Claire and the others came running. Holding her Flame Tongue, she stood next to Kamito.

Rinslet nock an arrow to her ice magic bow, and Fianna was grasping onto spirit ores in both hands.

"Fianna, could I count on you for the treatment of Ellis and the others?"

"Yes, I'm holding a few healing spirit ores. However, the effect is just till the extent of temporary peace of mind."

Fianna nodded with a tense expression.

"Kamito, you and I will corner that guy. Rinslet will be the support artillery battery."

"What is a s-support artillery battery! I am a splendid archer!"

Rinslet snarled, but Claire didn't respond.

"—Hey, is the discussion over?"

Jio calmly laughed as he came closer.

The spirit crest that was engraved on his right arm glowed ominously, and a bluish-white flash of lightning surged out.

What appearance in that hand was—the same sword elemental waffe as Est.

"Shall we find out which is stronger, Gradius or that sword?"

"Don't mess around. Don't confuse my Est with that third-grade sword spirit."

Wielding Terminus Est, Kamito ferociously roared.

Part 3

And then, the blade dance began.

There was high-pitched metallic sound that reverberated together. Every time a sword flash occurred, sparks scattered within that dim light.

"Jio Inazagi—what on earth is your goal?!"

"Huh, I don't have anything like a goal. Honestly, to me, I'm indifferent about Jormungandr. I'll defeat you and prove that I'm the successor of the demon king—That's all."

"What successor of the demon king, you megalomania rascal!"

Kamito, who stepped into his area, mowed down Terminus Est with both hands.

It was a tremendous sword pressure. Jio promptly guarded with Gladius—however,

"What!?"

Together with the high-pitched metallic sound—Jio's Gladius was smashed up.

Jio's expression warped in shock.

"Hey, hey, what an elemental waffe—To do that to my Gladius in one blow?"

"Sorry, my Est is the strongest sword spirit."

Kamito stepped in closer.

Jio recited the summoning, and summoned a sword spirit into his hand again.

"There's still more to come, it starts after this!"

"It's useless—"

Aiming at the sword spirit that appeared from an empty space, Kamito relentlessly swung down his sword.

There was the sound of steel breaking, and his second sword spirit also tragically vanished.

In addition to making his second sword spirit vanished, Terminus Est didn't have a chip on its edge.

It was an elemental waffe that held the two name of the Sacred Sword That Killed the Demon King and Demon Slayer.

It was terrifying as even with this, it was not in its complete state.

However, Jio still kept his composed expression.

"Hmm, in that case, this will be next!"

From the spirit seals on his whole body, flashes of lightning were gushing out—a third sword appeared in Jio's hand.

(…, this guy, what the heck, how many spirits is he contracted with!?)

As expected, even Kamito's face expressed impatience.

Even the strongest sword spirit Est had a large weak point.

Her divine power consumption was too intense.

As a result of getting used to controlling it, he wouldn't suddenly faint like before, but if the battle was dragged on, he was certain that he'll be exhausted eventually.

If he assumed that Jio Inazagi really was contracted to seventy-two spirits—

(It's bad if this keeps up—)

There wasn't an opponent that he could decide the victory in one blow, like the rampaging giant spirit at Mine Town.

If this became a protracted battle, he'll be at a disadvantage.

(…However, is that guy's divine power inexhaustible!?)

If he was using this many spirits, his divine power consumption should also rapidly increase, however—

"Kamito, I'll cover you!"

At that moment, Claire's Flame Tongue that she swung came flying in an arc.

There was a red hot afterglow that shone in the darkness—Her carefully-aimed whip quickly entangled Jio's face.

"Tch, don't get in my way!"

Jio summoned a spirit as an ice ball that became transparent, and aiming at Claire, he threw it.

"What, such a thing!"

The spirit magic fireball Claire released intercepted the ice spirit—

However, that was a trap.

"…!?"

The ice ball, which blasted before her eyes, became countless of needles, and cut up Claire's whole body.

"Kyaa!"

"Claire!"

Kamito's awareness strayed for a moment to Claire's scream.

"Don't look away!"

In that chance, he quickly drove in a slash—

Kamito barely stopped the blow with Terminus Est's edge.

However, Jio didn't slow down his attacks. He kept it up, pressing on and approaching closer—

"What's wrong, Ren Ashbell—Is that all you got?"

As he stopped the sword pushing him back, Kamito gritted his teeth.

If he was Ren Ashbell three years ago—

He was sure to not have turned towards Claire and gave him the chance to use his spirit.

As a spirit contractor, it was a fatal three year blank.

He had a contracted spirit that couldn't draw out its original power.

(Ah, it is certain that I became weak. However—)

Exhaling with a puff—Kamito suddenly jumped behind.

"Freezing ice fang, pierce «Freezing Arrow»!"

At that moment, Rinlet's released ice arrow rained at the spot the two of them were at.

It was a direct hit—Jio's silhouette was swallowed up by the downpour of arrows and disappeared.

"Hmm, it is troubling that you have forgotten me!"

Placing her hand at her waist, Rinslet quickly brushed up her platinum-blonde hair.

While Kamito was stopping the sword, she was holding an aim affixed on him.

From the crumbled rocky area, there was a cloud of dust that thickly rose up.

It wasn't thought that he could be fine receiving that rain of arrows.

However.

"Hn, did you do something just now?"

Jio—stood up from within the cloud of dust.

He smirked, and turned to Rinslet.

"No way…it should have directly hit!?"

"«Argos»—a earth spirit that protects its spirit contractor automatically."

At Jio's surroundings, cones of rocks that stuck out from the ground were standing tall.

Her Freezing Arrow was defended by that.

"…what a thing…"

"And then, this fellow, uh—can also be used in such a way."

Jio turned over his wirst.

"Kyaaaa!"

At that moment, cones stuck out from the ground at Rinslet's feet, and crucified her on the wall.

Her academy uniform was torn to pieces, and fine textured white skin became exposed.

With both her arms placed in crucifixion, Rinslet bit her lips in shame.

"Guu…Th-This is unforgiveable… to do such… to me…"

Glaring firmly at Jio, Rinslet's body quivered, seemingly vexed.

"—Jio Inazagi!"

Kamito raged, and struck with Terminus Est.

The massive slash collected and destroyed the cones standing in a line, and came close to Jio—

However, it was till that extent.

"Guu…"

Terminus Est that was a large sword size suddenly became a small sized short sword.

It was the result of Est, who consumed a huge amount of divine power, being unable to maintain her form as an elemental waffe.

"Ren Ashbell—you're already not the strongest blade dancer."

Jio sneered.

"That may be so. After all, I had a three year blank."

"No, that's not it. The reason you became weak is—"

At that moment, a spear of light was born in Jio's palm.

It wasn't a close range weapon, it was a shooting-type elemental waffe.

Kamito, who made a judgment in an instant, was about to dodge, but—

(—Wrong!)

Just before that, he realized Jio's aim.

"Something like this!"

It wasn't an attack aimed at Kamito.

The spear of light—

Was pointed and released toward Fianna and the injured Knights girls behind Kamito.

(Damn…!)

Kamito thrust himself in at once, and caught the spear of light with his whole body.