Volume 2 Chapter 9 (1/2)
At that e
There were violent sounds of weapons clashi+ng outside the door of the true shi+ne
”—It seems that he has come”
Claire sulared at the door
”Kamito and I'll defend the door to our last Fianna, wait here”
”Are you saying you're going to hide me in a safe place alone!?”
”Yes, he isn't an opponent on whom you can use petty tricks er have any more Blood Stones”
”Don't e I'm not a princess, who only has to be protected Now, I'm an equal comrade of the team”
Fianna thrust her iron-ribbed fan, used for perfor the ritual dance, towards Claire
”I am the second rank princess maiden of the Divine Ritual Institute— As Rubia Elstein's sister, you know that that is not a frail existence that can only perform the dance, don't you?”
She had an expression as though she was challenging her Claire gulped at the intensity e princess maiden
Certainly, the princess maidens of the Divine Ritual Institute did not receive battle training as elementalists
However, by no means did itas they chose the time and place, there were cases where their power surpassed even a high-ranking elementalist
And, this very shrine was exactly the most suited place for her to exhibit her power
”I get it”
Claire brushed her red twintailed hair up
”I'll protect you Perforura!”
—There was nothing like a warning sign The blade dance suddenly began
There were shrilling metallic sounds Silver sword flashes flickered, intense sparks scattered inside the cave
Ter doards by Kamito, was repelled by Jio's sword
Kahtly shi+fted his center of gravity and evaded by a paper-thin ht up
Like a spider, he clung onto the ceiling as—
”Huh, there's no foreplay?! Let est Blade Dancer!”
”My bad, I don't have so like a chivalrous spirit— just like you!”
”Wh!?”
Jio widened his red eyes Kamito kicked the wall and jumped
Ter in midair and struck Jio's sword
As thoughforcibly scraped, a shriek resounded; and Jio's sword spirit was smashed up into many small pieces
Kaed his course of direction and hit the side of Jio's face with his fist He chased after Jio, as pulled by gravity and falling to the ground,and accelerated
With rabbed hiround like that
A thick sound had reverberated It was a strike without any mercy
He threw a punch again with movements like a precision instrument— but at that moment
Jio's right hand's spirit seal glowed Sensing danger, he immediately jumped aside from on top of Jio
At that moment, a silver sword-shaped flash emitted from Jio's palm
What appeared in Jio's hand was a new elemental waffe
It was a narroord attached with an orna sword, called a rapier, used exclusively for thrusting
Kamito retreated and put some distance between them He prepared Terminus Est in both hands
”As expected of Ren AshbellStrongest Blade Dancer— What absurd movements”
”A high-order multi-sided movement in a closed environment— The first technique to be trained at the Instructional School But I wasn't doing it that thoroughly as you”
Jio kept silent
”Just now, I understood it when our swords clashed You are the same as me, an orphan of the Instructional School— A failure of the De”
Instructional School— That was the na as an assassin when he was a child
It was a secret training institution established by soirls who possessed the qualities of an elees all over the continent in order to raise a group of superior assassins
At first, the establish assassins to their noble colleagues However, the teachers of Instructional School became independent of the nobles before they knew it, and it had becoue fanatic creed
—Na
He was the only male elementalist in history
He was a De, who used seventy-two spirits and led the continent to ruin
It was to create his successor
For that reason, the measures they took were very simple
He was the only male elementalist left in history— If that was the case, it was natural that his successor had to be a boy
With that thought, they collected boys ere dees with spirits, and conducted hypnotis administration, spirit possession experiments and so forth However, the success rate should have been nil
For this reason, the uys had been in ecstasy
”—Correct”
Jio Inzagi expressed an extremely dreadful smile
”The experi by the hands of man— Its very first success is me”
Kamito—
Distorted his ed his shoulders
”Its very first success? Are you joking?”
”I understand your feelings of not wanting to acknowledge it Nevertheless, this isn't a joke”
”I do not mean it like that”
Ka
”A male elementalist, who uses seventy-two contracted spirits— if that was considered a success, then you are absolutely not a success, you know”
”What?”
Jio's red eyes widened, and his expression distorted in hatred
”I too was fooled at first Whether you were really using seventy-two contracted spirits —However, I rong”
Kamito indifferently informed him
”Your spirits aren't contracted spirits —They're all sealed spirits”
That's right— The spirits, that Jio Inzagi was using, were not spirits that had exchanged the ritual of contract
They were spirits that were sealed and treated as equipraved on his body
The reason Kamito realized that was that Jio never used the same spirit twice
(Besides, he was also using several sword spirits of the same type)
Unless one planned on using and throwing the a large quantity of sword spirits in that way Co several sword spirits, it should be much more efficient to nurture one sword spirit
Besides, no e that a sword spirit, fahest in its endurance, was broken that easily
”My point is that they're the same as the spirit crystal that Fianna had used and throay”
As long as the ritual of contract was not exchanged, a spirit could not even be nurtured, and its true power as an elemental waffe also could not be drawn out
The divine power that he thought was inexhaustible was also a mere illusion
”You are a fake Dei No, you're not even an elementalist”
Certainly, while he housed that many sealed spirits in his body, the fact that he could maintain his body was a definite success If he was an ordinary person, he was sure to go crazy because of the spirits' rejection
However, it was greatly inco— an elementalist
He pretended as if he was contracted with several spirits, it was no more than a deception
”Huh, so what?”
Jio's red eyes shone glaringly, and he spat out
”Even if you know that, there's no changing the fact that you can't beat me!”
Jio kicked the ground The rapier sword spirit accelerated like it exploded in his hand
”I'! That verification will be achieved by killing— Ren AshbellStrongest Blade Dancer, you!”
Just before reaching Kamito, he ducked to lower his body, aimed for Kamito's throat, and launched a thunderous thrust
Ka about on his pivot leg, he returned with a counter kick
His sole gouged Jio's chest Continuing the momentum, Kamito held aloft Est overhead
”—, Manifest, Barguestflame wolf spirit!”
Jio's ar attacked Kamito
It was a lava hound, clad in black fla bit his left arm that was raised overhead
Intense pain coursed through his whole body, as though his blood was boiling However—
”Raaaa!”
Ka his ar him into a wall
The flame exploded and scattered There were smashed up lava rocks If it was a contracted spirit, it would go back again to protect its master— however, a sealed spirit, which was only forcefully released, vanished into empty space as it was
”How lukewarm Claire's flames are much hotter!”
An extre Terminus Est horizontally
Jio's posture was slightly crumbled by the wind pressure— that chance of a moment was not overlooked by Kamito
Holding the silver shi+ny sword up overhead, he launched a strike with all his ht—
”—Manifest, Aegisshi+eld spirit!”
However, that strike was stopped by the shi+eld spirit Jio released
Sword spirit against shi+eld spirit— even for Est, the attribute compatibility was overly poor!
However, Kae— he further pushed the sword in
”—Let's go Est, show me just how serious you can be!”
Responding to Kahter
The brightness beca flash and covered the sacred sword—
At that antic sword that far exceeded Kamito's stature
”What!?”
”Ooooooo!”
Kamito roared He set a crack into the released shi+eld spirit
And then— It was sht in half!
”This is absurd A sword spirit destroyed a shi+eld spirit!?”
”This is the power of a contracted spirit bound by the spirit seal— Jio Inzagi!”
Kaain, at that moment—
” You bastaarrd!”
(—What?)
Clutched within the hand that Jio stuck out, was a shi+ny red comma-shaped jewel
The moment Kamito saw that jewel, an indescribable chill ran down his spine
Terminus Est in his hand weakly shook
The moment her blade touched the surface of the jewel—
Pishi+— a small crack developed on Est's blade
The De brightness
Fro like a black stain was spreading—
(—, Est is being corroded!?)
Kamito tried to draw back Est, and at that moment
Jio sneered at him
”I had said that that was your weakness— Ren Ashbell”
”Guu!”
The released rapier had pierced the side of Kamito's abdomen
As Ka varnished black, he went down on his knees at that spot
”You can't accept spirits as tools Therefore, you are weak”
Jio cal with the red shi+ny comma-shaped jewel in one hand
”That spirit crystal is don't tell me—”
”Ahh? That's right That princess was holding the sa”
”A Blood Stone?”
It was a national-level treasure that could seal the power of a top-ranking spirit
(Why does he have—)
”That's right This very thing is the source ofspirit that rules over many spirits”
Jio loudly laughed with the jewel in his hand, and the seals engraved on his whole body olow
”, I see, the reason you were using thatspirit that was sealed in that jewel”
In contrast to the Blood Stone which Fianna had possessed which had its releasing done, it see attached onto his body
”What a co-sama”
”You have the gall to say that, I'll ht here and now—”
The black stain was encroaching Terhter resounded within the cave
However, a faint smile surfaced at Kamito's lips
”Jio Inzagi, do you know? This tunnel reverberates voices well”
”Ahh? What are you saying—”
”Why do you think I was specially lecturing you about the true foric tricks?”
”What?”
That's right, it did nota pointless talk
Ka it to convey information
That the spirits he used were not contracted spirits, but just sealed spirits
”Don't est Blade Dancer”
At that ht hand
”—It's Team Scarlet”
The door to the true shrine was opened There—
Brushi+ng up her red twintailed hair, and holding Fla
”You did well, Kamito As expected of my slave spirit!”
”Why you”
Pressing onto his side abdoroaned with a deadpan look
Jio shook off Flalared at Claire
”Huh, thank you— You opened the true shrine's door especially for me”
”Yes, to defeat you”
There was a voice co from behind Claire
Fianna, who had put a sole
Even for a girl, who had acted like an ihtened with fear
Standing rigidly— was a white robed Queen
”I'll show it to you The ritual kagura of the Empire's second princess, Fianna Ray Ordesia”
Four years ago That day— the girl's heart had been completely broken
Being beat by the overwhel fear and the sense of helplessness, she became unable to use her spirit
To becoirl, as cut off from that dream, had already lost it
It became that her parents, even her sisters, and even the court ladies ignored her as they quickly changed their attitude
The attitude of the girl, as overly strict with herself and others, seemed to have incurred enmity before she knew it
Therefore, the moment that the fact that she lost her poas known, it became that no one would care for her
Before she knew it, it beca
Without opening her heart to anyone, without e herself inside the castle
—However, it was three years ago The girl met her
The Strongest Blade Dancer, as advancing through the Blade Dance with overwhelth
The girl beca
She felt like her blade dance had changed so
Once again, she was given the strength to stand up
(Kamito-kun, the real reason that I came to this academy— I feel like I understand it now)
As long as she was alone, she would not have noticed it
The things like the Wish attained because of the Blade Dance ht be truly inconsequential to her