Volume 1 Chapter 8 (1/2)
Academy Toas a small-scale toithin the premises of the Areishi+a Spirit Academy
The townscape, lined with stone buildings, was filled with the tumult of people
While bu crowds of people, Ka towards the arena
—If that was hiht However, he was feeling strangely uneasy
(Absurd With the loss of her contracted spirit, a blade dance is just)
While he was out of breath, he ran at full speed, pulling Est's hand
He did not understand why he was so frantic for her sake
Claire Rouge was a—tyrant, as prideful, willful and quick to lash her whip
However, he somehow could not leave her alone
(After all, her true self is—)
Kamito stopped at that moment
”—Here, right?”
Before the arena built at the center of the town, there was a crowd of spectators gathered
The blade dance was originally a holy ritual to let spirits enjoy theura
However, there was no change to the fact that it was also the highest form of entertainment to humans
Also, the sareat number of enthusiastic people
He showed his acadeuard and entered inside, and pushed aside claet to the front
There were ear-splitting cheers The sound of shrills of weapons The intense blade dance had already started at the arena
There were about 20 participants Various types of spirits were ju
It was a battle royale systeht to contract with a powerful militarized spirit
Kamito searched for Claire—
For that unbelievable sight, he doubted his eyes
That Claire Rouge was—
Covered all over ounds and crawling
Against the contracted spirits boasting tre with just a whip and spirit ic
While her whole body was hit and slaain
”Claire—”
He could not go help her If Kaot in and helped her, she would be naturally disqualified
If he did that, she would probably never forgive him
Kamito bit his teeth and in front of him, Claire was bloay
(—Weak Why am I so weak?)
While being thrown to the ground, Claire strongly bit her lips The taste of blood spread across her tongue It seemed that she was cut somewhere inside her mouth She planned to stand up, but her hands went numb and did not move It seemed to have caused a cerebral concussion Even several bones of her ribs e
”Guu!”
Even so, she still did not raise the surrender card
She slowly stood up on shaky legs
She sternly looked up At the center of the altar was a worshi+ped stone pillar Within that, there was a rank-A battle-class ht in from the imperial capital
Having brought down iant-man spirit
(If I obtain that, I can be strong)
—Nee-sama surely can be saved!
”Flame—dance in my hand, dance!”
She turned the divine poelling within herself into flaic in her palm
In her situation where there was no supply of divine power from Scarlet (her contracted spirit), even for Claire, as superior, to produce such a s could not bring down spirits
However, if she aiht be a tiny chance of winning
”Huh? Do you still plan on doing this? You don't learn, do you”
—She heard a scorning voice from her front
She bit her teeth and lifted her head The two ele expressions
They were the Acade Adamantine Spirit and Demon Mirror Spirit
”Hey, are you truly an idiot? You don't even have a contracted spirit”
”That very part of you is irritating, you know”
”You!”
Ai her, Claire released the fireball
However, the fireball was stopped by the bore-looking Adamantine Spirit and easily repelled
”Ahahaa, what's that, spirit ic? —Do it, Adamantine!”
The girl on the other side cruelly curved her lips and gave an order to her contracted spirit
The Adamantine Spirit emitted a blue radiance and rushed and struck Claire's abdomen
”Agg!”
Ascream escaped from Claire's mouth
She did not dare ai her and enjoying herself
This was not a splendorous blade dance for spirits to enjoy It was htly violence
”How cheeky, you Despite being that Calaer sister”
The upper class hit many times over her whole body—finally, Claire recalled These tere colleagues, ere one-sidedly knocked down by Claire at a practice o They were still resentful about that time
”What's with that look? If you don't give up quickly, you'll really die!”
”It's alright if you quickly kneel down and lick our shoes Truly, that foolishness is the same as your sister”
”Shutup, be silent”
Claire tightly grasped the sand scattered on the ground
”Hn, did you say so?”
”I said be silent”
It was no good She could not restrain it
(Only abuses at Nee-sa point for that is low!)
She put divine power into her left hand, which was grasping sand A black spirit seal that was re-engraved olowed
And then thesensation ran all over her body
She would not be defeated at such a place There was no value in her weak self
(To grasp a more powerful power in my hand—!)
”What a contracted spirit!?”
The upperclassmen's eyes opened in surprise
”If you wish for it, I'll show you This is—my true power!”
Gou!
The black flaulped down the Adamantine Spirit in an instant
Appearing fro flame was—
A flickering jet black ic beast
It was not a noble flans of madness
Guoruuuuuu
The beast's hair-raising roar shook the entire atmosphere in the arena
”What's that!?”
Ka and shouted
The black flaulfed the Adamantine Spirit in front of it in an instant
—It was not Scarlet
Its appearance was similar to that hell cat, but the presence of that divine poas overly ominous
The jet-black flame spirit bit and crushed the de those re beast That was not all The spirits around the black spirit suddenly writhed as if goingeach-others existence
”The frenzy is spreading!”
Kamito recalled the deht
And about the water spirit that went out of control in the bathroom
The spirits, in a frenzy, lost their reasoning and were unable to restrain their powers Until their own existence were extinguished, they would conduct themselves with their impulses for destruction
However, that black Magic Beast—
(It's forcefully snatching away Claire's divine power!?)
Claire stood rock still at the center of the arena with an exhausted expression
Froraved on her left hand, blood was trickling down
Her face was pale and her whole body was quivering bit by bit It looked like she was also barely standing
If the situation was left as it was, she ht lose her life
The spectators, who realized that soe with the appearance of the spirits, suddenly begana commotion
The eleirls, in the arena, were also perplexed at their contracted spirits that suddenly did not listen to their commands
”da?”
Ka an obviously strange situation, the Spirit Knights that should have been prepared for unexpected situations were noton?
However, the Spirit Knights standing at the arena gate were all rooted at the sa into empty space Their eyes were not focused It was as if they had been entranced—
”What? What the heck is happening?”
”That's a frenzy spirit, Kamito”
Est, as beside him, muttered expressionlessly
”A frenzy spirit?”
”It is a possession-type spirit that causes spirits to go berserk It isn't such a high status spirit, but the spirit possessed loses its reasoning and, until its own existence vanishes, it will continue to fight”
”Possess—? Don't tell ic Beast is Scarlet!?”
”Affirmative That hell cat is a very powerful spirit, it should not vanish fro beaten by the demon spirit It seems that it temporary lost the ability to manifest but—”
”Is that so”
The fire of the flaht that Scarlet vanished, so she was not able to connect the path
”—But, in that frenzied condition, vanishi+ng completely is also just a matter of time”
”Ah, I understand”
Kamito nodded
Scarlet—a flame spirit with the appearance of a hell cat cladded in noble flames
That was the very flairl named Claire
That flaing and eating the spirits
So like that could not be her—Claire's desired flame
”—Est I ask of you, lend th”
”I am Kamito's sword I'll do as you desire”
Est gently grasped Ka of a hand, cold but surprisingly soft
”Dispassionate Queen of Steel, the sacred sword that destroys evil—now form my sword!”
Ka of the elemental waffe; at the saht and vanished
In the next ed sword appeared in Kamito's hand
The spirit language inscription, carved on the edge, was—Terminus Est
Just by lightly holding it, he understood that it was a tremendously famous sword
”I'm sorry The path to my true form is closed, so this is the limit for me currently”
Est, who turned into the foretically
”No, this is plenty —Let's go, Est!”
Kamito prepared Ter black flame was
The ic beast of darkness bared its fangs and pounced to attack him
He brandished the sith a flourish, knocked away the black flame, and rushed over to Claire's side
”Claire!”
”Kamito”
Claire opened her ruby-colored eyes
Her knees were on the ground and she was breathing heavily Her delicate body was going to collapse at any time
The blood, trickling fro the sand scattered on the ground red
At that round with its claws, like it wasfun of it
There was the scent of burning in the air The hot ith pebbles ently brushed Kamito's cheeks
In a hair's breadth, Kaed the black flame's claws He drove in a slash at the black flame spirit that was just knocked down
The silver sword flash drew an arc The eleible flames—
The black Fla scream and broke up in the air It didn't mean that it vanished The fla at their respective positions and for Kaue and stopped at that spot
”Claire, get yourself together, come to your senses!”
”WhWhat Why are you here—”
A confused expression surfaced on Claire's face—
Then, as if she just began to realize it, she opened her eyes in terror
The scene that flew into her eyes was a cruel disastrous scene
There was a blazing, disgusting black flame
A group of spirits was in a frenzy and were devouring each other
The students of the acade their divine power eaten and were falling down to the ground one by one—
”Claire, is this the power you wanted? So like this? These are your flames!”
Ka up
While he cleared away the attacking flame with the sword, he reached out his hand towards Claire
”II—”
Claire moved her lips with her pale facial expression—
She instantly shook her head as if she had changed her mind
”ShShut up! I I need the power!”
The red twintail hair violently sprung up
The black fla to Claire's fury
”You don't understand My feelings of being always alone—”
Claire lay face down and said that while gasping
That day, four years ago, hen the still childish Claire Elstein's life ended
The girl, as betrayed by her most loved sister, had both her parents i, was—
To live taking persecutions as Calamity Queen's sister
If she didn't beco alone, she would not be able to live on
”You're not alone, idiot”
”Eh?”
At Kamito's words—
Claire raised her head with a blank expression
”I am here I'll be by your side After all, I'm—”
Kamito approached Claire with a step
The flas burned with intimidation
”DDon't come here”
”Claire—”
”Do not come here!”
Pashi+n!— She closed her eyes and strongly struck her leather whip at Kamito's cheek
Red blood flowed from his cheek Kamito did not even wipe that and took another step—
”!? Why didn't you avoid it?”
Claire's cherry-colored lips were quivering
”I didn't plan on hitting and yet”
Kamito stood before Claire and slowly raised his hand over his head
Claire thought it was a strike, and reflexively closed her eyes tightly
Then—
Poff
”Eh?”
Claire widely opened her ruby-colored eyes
She looked up at Kamito with a blank expression
”—Claire, I like your flames”
Kamito stirred up and crumpled Claire's red hair
”Wh!? Ah, LiLike? Eh?”
Claire's cheeks were dyed bright red inside
”They burn prettily, dazzlingly and nobly I like your flames”
”Ah, shsh”
—That hy he wanted to protect those flames
”If you want power—”
Kaht into Claire's eyes and said
”I'll be your contracted spirit”
”Kamito”
In Claire's red eyes, a drop of tear surfaced—
Confused, she wiped it with her uniform sleeve
”WhWhat are you saying? You are originally my slave spirit!”
”Ah, that is right”
Kaently removed his hand from Claire's head
At that ic Beast that roared and advanced while attacking with the sword
With his back facing Claire, he blocked its way like a knight protecting a princess
”—Hey, Scarlet Did you forget your precious master?”
With Kaic Beast trembled for a moment
Scarlet—it seemed to respond to that name
”Scarlet?”
Claire asked
”Ah, it wasn't that your partner vanished It just teh, it's now possessed by a frenzy spirit and it has changed into such an appearance”
”Scarlet is alive!?”
Claire was taken aback and raised her head Kamito nodded
”Ah, this sword—Est informed me”
”That's, by no means, that sword spirit?”
”That's right But she probably can't even use a tenth of her original power”
Taking a stance with Terminus Est in both his hands, Kaic beast
Claire stared at the thunderously raging black flame
She saw so within that flame and swiftly raised her head—
”Yes, that is Scarlet”
She wiped her tears to shake it off
”If that's the case—”
”Claire, stand back A frenzied spirit will attack even its contractor”
Kao to the front, with his hand—
Claire stopped that hand and shook her head
”Scarlet is in a frenzy because of me Therefore, only I can take her back”
—Flames, dance in my hand, dance!
Spun froe aria
At that moment, a small fireball was born at the palm of her hand
”Spirit ic? What can such a small fireball—”
”—Like this”
At that instant, Claire pushed the burning fireball into her left hand
There was the sound of flesh burning
”OOi, Claire!?”
”Aguuuuu—!”
While barely clenching her teeth, Claire uish
On her pale face, perspiration like waterfalls flowed along her chin
”You!”
Kamito finally understood
The black spirit seal, re-engraved on Claire's left hand—that was the symbol of contract with that frenzy spirit
The spirit seal was an exclusive Gate to connect the path between Astral Zero and this world
If that was destroyed, naturally, the contract with the spirit would be annulled
Claire was physically burning the spirit seal and was breaking the contract with the frenzy spirit!
Guorooooouuu
The Magic Beast, clad in black flaed like a thunderous wind
With the path being burned off, it shared the same pain as Claire, its contractor
”Sorry, Scarlet, I too will endure—”
Claire was putting up with the pain and that round—
The frenziedat Claire
Kaic beast's bosom in one bound
The claws, clad in flames, burned the ends of his hair and at that instant—he slashed doith the shen they passed each other