Greetings Internets. Whew, this was a long one but writing it was well worth it. There are a lot of OCs this chapter. I know there's probably no such thing as a well written OC, but since they're side-characters, I'm hoping that rule won't affect the story. As a side note, it looks like winter is coming. Are you all staying warm? (- and if it's still in the high 70's where you live, well screw you :P). Finals begin in two weeks, but I'll try to finish volume 4 first (no promises though) Well anyway, here's chapter 19. Enjoy and review (or don't) \
P.S. To 'Friend A'. Both Restia and Est will be a lot stronger than in the novels, so don't worry. So far Kamito hasn't really gone all-out on anyone, since he's restraining himself to'just' the Strongest Blade Dancer (even against Jio he was just playing around).
Chapter 19
"Your honored Queens, I have returned with a report" said a mid-aged women kneeling before five seated figures, who were enjoying afternoon tea at a mahogany table in a luxurious room. She had her silver hair tied in a bun and stern, blue-grey eyes. Though she was kneeling, it was still easy to see she was a very tall woman, more than six feet tall (about 183cm).
She was the head of an elite, secret group of guards branching off the Divine Ritual Institute that was dedicated to serving the Queens called the Sentinels of the Queens. She was code-named Nine, which indicated that she was the strongest of the corps, as well it's leader. Because of her height and rigid personality, she was also know as the Iron Giantess.
"You may rise, NIne-dono." Said a sleepy looking blonde girl with long hair. Though she was reclining lazily in her chair, she still emitted an aura of nobility. It was the Holy Queen, Luxaris "Lux" Marwan.
"Yeah, yeah, we're all friends here!" A short, green haired girl exclaimed. This excitable girl, who seemed to have trouble staying seated for more than five minutes, was the Wind Queen, Elyssa Iris.
"Y-Y-Yes, f-feel free t-to make y-yourself at h-home Nine-dono. W-Would y-you like some t-t-tea?" Came the stammering of a shy young woman with long, black bangs covering her right eye. The eldest of the Queens, despite her diminutive appearance and timid personality, it was the Earth Queen, Helena Antoinette.
"H-Helena-senpai, you're spilling the tea!" Rushing over was a girl with black braids, who gave off the aura of a small animal. She was the Fire Queen, Reicha Alminas.
"Enough fooling around! Nine-dono, continue your report." The stern rebuke came from a girl with long, straight, purple hair. The Water Queen, Haqua Bell, she was the most mature of the Queens, in both personality and appearance.
The five Queens were goofing around with each other, as if they didn't have a care in the world. One would never expect that these girls were the most eminent of all princess maidens, but the kneeling woman showed no sign of surprise; clearly, she was already used to it.
"Yes. As ordered, I have come to inform you that Ren Ashbell has arrived on Ragna Ys. She is being observed as we speak."
The instant those words came out of Nine's mouth, the atmosphere of the room immediately turned cold. The five Queens all stopped what they were doing and simultaneously turned to face the kneeling woman.
"ZA ZAZA ZAZAZAZA—"From all of the Queen's mouths came a strange, menacing sound. Startled, the woman Nine looked up to see that the gazes of the five girls were shockingly empty.
"W-What is going on!? Are you alright!?" Being the one in charge of the safety of the Queens, Nine was naturally startled.
"…What are you talking about Nine-dono? We're perfectly fine" Haqua asked, as if nothing had happened.
"N-No, but—"
"Hey, hey, are you feeling alright Nine-san? Is your age catching up to you?" Elyssa asked with a playful smile.
"E-E-Elyssa, d-d-don't say s-such things to N-Nine-dono!" Helena scolded Elyssa.
"…No, it must have been my imagination…" Nine said, more to herself than anyone else.
"Is that so? Well anyway, in light of your report, we have orders for you and your subordinates" Lux said, leaning forward.
"Yes, ma'am! We, the Sentinels of the Queens, exist to serve you after all!" Nine replied with a smart salute.
"V-V-Very r-reassuring N-Nine-dono. T-Then w-we Queens order y-you to assassinate R-R-Ren A-Ashbell's teammates" Since Helena asked this in her usual, stuttering voice, Nine didn't realize what she was saying at first.
"W-What? A-Assassinate!?" Nine was taken aback. 'Assassinate? Coming from Helena, of all people, who apologizes profusely when she steps on a bug!?'
"Oh? Could you not understand Helena with all her stuttering?" Lux asked, putting a hand on the shy girl's head "We want you to get rid of Ren Ashbell's teammates. Permanently if at all possible"
"B-But why—?"
"Ren Ashbell isn't called the Strongest for nothing, you know? Even if it was you fighting her, it wouldn't be guaranteed that you'd win, so obviously it's safer to go after her teammates" Reicha answered matter-of-factly.
"That's not what I meant! For what reason are we attacking Ren Ashbell and teammates in the first place!? A-And Reicha-sama, weren't you friends with Fianna-sama? Why would you of all people order her death!?"
"Ren Ashbell simply cannot be allowed to enter the Blade Dance. She is far too dangerous, the Elemental Lords themselves said it. Sacrificing one or two people is a small price to pay to prevent her from participating." Haqua said with a shrug.
"Sacrificing one or two…are you serious?" Though Nine had noticed that the Queens were behaving a bit strangely the past few years, she would have never imagined that they would say something like this. "In the first place, shouldn't we be more worried about the rumored Demon King?"
"Oh, so even you fell for that trick?" Reicha said with a disappointed sigh "That Demon King is a fake, Nine-san. Ren Ashbell is the real threat."
"Why would you—?"
"We already said it, didn't we? The Elemental Lords told us. I'm getting bored, are you going to kill them or not?" Elyssa asked with an uninterested expression "Just make sure you don't forget who you've sworn loyalty, okay?"
"…Very well then. By the honor of the Sentinels of the Queens, I swear that by the nights end, the members of Team Scarlet shall be dead" Nine solemnly said with a reluctant expression.
"E-Excellent N-Nine-dono, w-we l-l-look forward to y-your success. N-Now, w-would you like s-some tea?"
"…No thank you Helena-sama. I'll have to make preparations with the rest of my team if we want to accomplish this mission. Please excuse me" Nine responded, her expression hardening as she left the room.
"Yare, yare, I wonder if she's in a bad mood or something?" Lux asked in curiosity "Ooh, Haqua, you've got to try this cake, it's delicious!"
"…."
Kamito was desperately attempting to understand what was going on. After leaving Claire under the care of the rest of the girls, he had left the lake to take a short nap. He had only gotten a few minutes of sleep when he was awoken by—
"…N-Nyaa" A cute cat. No, more accurately, it was a person wearing cat ears on their head. To be even more precise, it was the Ordesia Empire's second princess wearing cat ears on her head.
"..."
"..."
"...Um. Fianna, what are you doing?" Kamito asked, astonished.
"I-I have come to s-service my master-nyan."
"...Sorry, but I'm more of a dog person myself…"
"Are you seriously saying that?" Fianna asked, a bit peeved.
"My bad…but seriously, what are you doing?'
"A-As I said, I have come to s-service my master-nyan."
"…I'm going back to sleep" Kamito said with a yawn.
"W-Wait!" Fianna said, pouncing on Kamito.
"Fianna…I'm actually pretty tired. If it's nothing important, then I'd really like to go back to sleeping" Kamito said, losing patience.
"Okay, I'm serious now. I thought you looked tired, so I thought I'd do a ritual to help with the fatigue"
"Oh? Sorry for making fun of you then." Kamito said, looking a bit ashamed of himself.
"R-Right? Now then, let's get started" Fianna said eagerly.
"…Wait. You still haven't explained the cat ears" Kamito realized suddenly.
"Fu, fu, this is a tool for the ritual...ah, a tool for the ritual-nyan." Fianna quickly amended the end of her sentence.
"…This seems really familiar. This ritual doesn't happen to involve kissing, does it?" Kamito asked suspiciously.
"! ! ! H-How d-did you know Ren-chan!?" Fianna started.
"Hah…really, what are they teaching you girls at the Divine Ritual Institute…as if that one time wasn't enough." Kamito sighed
"Eh? So you've done this ritual with someone else, have you?" Fianna asked with a glare.
"N-Not at all! I will honestly say that I, Ren Ashbell, have never done that ritual before" Kamito said.
"Oooh? Then what about Kamito Kazehaya?" Fianna asked
"…."
"…"
"…"
"I'm waiting for an answer, Ren-chan" Fianna said, tapping her foot impatiently.
"…ZZZ"
"Are you serious!?" Fianna said incredulously.
*poke, poke*
"ZZZ" Kamito didn't respond to the prodding
*poke, poke*
"If you don't wake up I'll give you a kiss~~" Fianna said, continuing to poke the sleeping girl (?).
"! ! ….ZZZ" Kamito was startled, but continued feigning sleep.
"I-I'll really do it you know?" Fianna said, drawing he face closer.
*Boom* Suddenly the room's door exploded into smithereens.
"!?" Fianna jumped up, and turned to the door way to see—
"Hey Fianna, what do you think you're doing?" Claire, with a blazing Flame Tongue in hand.
"Um…I-It's a rejuvenation ritual!" Fianna said professing her innocence.
"Humph, and the cat ears?" Claire said, unconvinced
"I-It's a tool for the ritual…nyan?"
Claire's glare intensified. No matter how anyone looked at it, those cat ears took away all credibility.
"Do you want to be cooked: well-done, or medium-rare?" Claire asked, brandishing her whip.
"H-How about bleu Claire-san?" Fianna said backing away.
"Well-done it is ! ! !"
"…ZZZ"
"I-I'm telling you, I really saw her!"
"Claire, ghosts do not exist" Fianna said patiently.
Having returned from playing in the pool as the sun began to set, the girls (?) returned to their room for the evening. The five were chatting amicably, but when Claire brought up the girl she meet in the woods, it had turned into the debate on the existence of ghosts.
"Humph, is your stamina so pathetic Claire Rouge, that you've begun to see things from exhaustion?" Rinslet said. Though her words were haughty, she had a worried expression on her face.
"I know what I saw!' Claire insisted, starting to tear up.
"I believe her" Everyone turned to the Ellis, who had spoken up
"Eh, you believe in ghosts captain-san? That's kind of surprising…" Fianna said.
"No, I don't believe in ghosts, but I think Claire probably did see someone. It might have just been another Blade Dance participant or something." Ellis responded.
"C-Captain….humph, it's not like I need your support on this" Claire said, turning her head away in embarrassment.
"W-Well, if you put it that way, I suppose it does make sense" Fianna said.
"H-Humph, it looks like you haven't been hallucinating after all" Rinslet said, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Say Ren-sama, you haven't said much, is something wrong" Ellis asked Kamito worriedly.
"….Sorry, what was that?" Kamito was sitting by the window, watching the sunset forlornly.
"Oh, is something the matter Ren-san? You've been looking a bit down" Rinslet asked.
"…Oh, sorry if it's bothering you. It's just something rather unpleasant is coming up…"
"U-Unpleasant?" Ellis asked, getting worried.
"Yeah…the big ball tonight…hah" Kamito set out an exhausted sigh. Kamito had a little trauma concerning the dance. Remembering all the dance invitations and marriage proposals he had received during the last Blade Dance gave him goosebumps even now.
"Eh!? But the dance is one of the highlights about the pre-tournament celebrations!" Claire cried out. Rinslet and Ellis also expressed similar protestations.
"Ah, I see" Fianna said with a impish grin "Don't worry so much Ren-chan, I'm sure you'll look great in a dress"
"Fianna, I consider you a great friend, but right now I have a great urge to defenestrate you."
"Hai, hai, shutting up now~" Fianna replied, her grin not leaving her face.
"But really, what a troublesome event that is…maybe I should just skip—"
Before he could finish the sentence, the room's atmosphere froze.
"YOU'RE GOING!" The four girls yelled, with a gleam in their eyes.
"…Ahahaha, right, right, I'm definitely going, so please calm down" Faced with the overbearing pressure of the four girls, Kamito could only surrender with a weak laugh.
"Master, Restia-nee has contacted me. She wants to talk"
"Good timing!" Kamito though getting up.
"Ren-sama?"
"Sorry, but I need to go right now."
"But—"
"I'll definitely be at the Ball, don't worry!" Kamito said as he ran off.
"Okay, turn right here"
Kamito was traversing the maze-like castle with Ivy acting as a guide. With the sun setting, the opening dance drew closer.
Kamito eventually came to a halt in a small, beautiful flower garden with a fountain spilling out pure water. Near the water fountain were five stone sculptures.
A warrior wielding a blazing sword - Fire Elemental: Lord Volcanicus.
A boy with kind eyes - Wind Elemental Lord: Belphal.
An iron mallet-wielding giant - Earth Elemental Lord: Lode Gear.
A woman hugging a water jug to her chest - Water Elemental Lord: Iseria Seaward.
An aged man with a set of scales and bishop's staff - Holy Elemental Lord: Alexandros.
Those that may bring prosperity or hardship to all of humanity, the kings of all spirits, the Elemental Lords.
"…But in reality, they're just cheeky brats" Kamito said with a nostalgic grin "Still, it's kind of funny to see them looking like this"
Of course, the spirits did not actually look like their sculptures. The images here were simply representations of what people imagined their qualities to be when put in human form.
Looking around, he saw the remains of a statue with nothing remaining above the knees.
"Tch. This used to be such a beautiful stature too; a real work of art" Kamito murmured in disgust. "Even after thousands of years, being reminded that your existence was erased is rather unpleasant"
"Awawa! S-So sorry about that Ashdoll Onee-sama!" Came a worried voice behind him. It was a voice that brought to mind many ancient memories "I-If we hadn't betrayed you…!"
Turning around, Kamito saw a familiar young girl with blue hair sticking up like antennae cowering behind a very familiar girl in a dark purple dress, with black wings. After several thousand years, The Darkness Elemental Lord and Water Elemental Lord reunited for the first time.
"Oh, you heard that Iseria? Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. I don't blame any of you for my death" Kamito said, giving the cowering young girl a reassuring smile. "You were driven mad by the Otherworldly Darkness; it wasn't your fault"
"R-Really…?" The Water Elemental Lord asked with an unsure tone.
"Yeah. It's been far, far too long, my dear imouto" Kamito's gentle, generous expression brought tears to Iseria's eyes.
"Onee-sama!" Iseria cried out, giving Kamito a hug. "Sorry, I'm so, so very sorry…!"
"There, there" Kamito patted the girl's back gently. "It wasn't your fault, Iseria. It wasn't your fault at all"
Having cried herself to sleep, Iseria slept soundly, using Kamito's lap as a pillow. Kamito and Restia sat side by side, observing the sleeping Elemental Lord.
"Did you call me here so I could see Iseria? Thanks, Restia"
"Oh, it's no problem. I got to see something rather cute after all"
"Even so, thanks. I never got to meet up with her after I freed her, so I'm grateful you've given me the chance to talk with Iseria"
"Ha, ha, you sure forgive your siblings easily, considering that 'you' have sworn to kill them for thousands of years" Restia said, giggling with amusement.
"Oh, shush. None of the previous Demon Kings knew about the Otherworldly Darkness, so of course they were easily consumed by 'my' rage at being betrayed by my siblings." Kamito said with a shrug.
"I suppose. I had almost given up hope of finding a Demon King who was able to resist that hatred" Restia said
"Yes, it was rather fortunate that I was an emotionless tool when I first awakened 'my' memories, or else I would have become just another insane Demon King" Kamito said giving Restia conflicted smile "I suppose it was a good idea for 'me' to establish the Instructional School after all…"
"Perhaps, but it was because of that organization that you had suffer much agony…" Restia said, looking at Kamito sadly.
"Ah, let us stop this depressing chat" Kamito said "What really matters is that we are here now, and soon we will defeat the Otherworldly Darkness."
"Very inspiring words! As expected of my elder sister" Another familiar voice rang out through the garden. Turning to face the newcomer, Kamito beheld a person with blonde hair and blood-red eyes.
"Oh, if it isn't Alexandros! I haven't seen you since the liberation of Lugia, two years ago" Kamito exclaimed while breaking out into a strained grin. Restia just face-palmed. Alexandros, ignoring both their reactions strode confidently up to Kamito.
"I'd get up to greet you but…" Kamito looked down at the sleeping Iseria
"Of course onee-sama…ah, right, it's onii-sama right now isn't it?" Alexandros said with a laugh.
"Oh? You've got some nerve to speak to me like that" Kamito replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Ahaha…sorry, I got cocky" Alexandros said, looking down.
"I was just joking, you know? But I do have something I need to ask you. I was hoping you would bring it up yourself, but it seems I must do it…" Kamito said, his smile getting even more complex.
"Yes, onii-sama?" Alexandros asked curiously.
"It has been two years, so I suppose a few changes are just to be expected, but…" Kamito paused awkwardly, not entirely sure how to say it "…I'm fairly certain the last time I saw you, you were still a boy"
Indeed, the figure before Kamito had the familiar golden-blonde hair and blood-red eyes of the Holy Elemental Lord Alexandros. However, instead of his usual form of a young boy, right now Alexandros had the appearance of teenage girl, with her long hair tied back in a ponytail.
"Yes, since Ashdoll onee-sama is now Ashdoll onii-sama, I have accordingly changed into a girl!" Alexandros declared boldly
"…Why?" Kamito asked, completely perplexed.
"Hm? Obviously because it would be a bit awkward to flirt with you if we were both male…ah, but right now you're female as well…this is confusing"
"Flirt…" Dredging up some ancient memories, Kamito recalled that Alexandros had indeed always been an enormous sis-con. "…Hm? Weren't you always trying to hide that you were a sis-con, though? You know, with lines like 'I-It's not like I appreciate your help!', and all that. Why are you suddenly so…blasé about it?"
"Y-You already knew about it back then!? Uuu, how embarrassing, I wanted to surprise you with my announcement…" Alexandros said, blushing.
'…It's surprising enough to see my younger brother acting like an embarrassed young girl…what a strange feeling this is''
"Ah, now you know what I feel whenever I see you get embarrassed about something. You're much more adorable, though"
"Umu, Restia-nee is correct! Master Kamito is the cutest of them all!"
"Delightful. That's just what I needed to hear"
*Ahem* "Anyway, even though I was ashamed of it in the past, I truly have always held you in higher regard than anyone else! And the gracious way that you forgave me two years ago moved me to the core, calling me to act on my feelings! Ren Ashdoll, no, Kazehaya Kamito onii-sama! Please—"
"No"
"I didn't even fin—"
"No"
"But—"
"No"
"Okay…" Alexandros looked down sadly.
"Now that it's been settled, can you please change back to your male form? My personal feelings aside, I'm sure if any priestesses saw the Holy Elemental Lord looking like that, they'd have an aneurism." Kamito asked while pinching the bridge of his nose.
"No way! You may have rejected me now, but I'll definitely win you over!" Alexandros said excitedly.
"…As amusing as this display of sibling love is, the dance is about to begin. Kamito here needs to get going." Restia said, interjecting.
"Humph, very well, I shall leave for now! But Darkness Spirit, I'll definitely win onee, err, onii-sama over! There's no way I'll leave my beloved Ren to someone shady like you!" Alexandros yelled as (s)he ran off.
"I suppose I should be happy that he, no, it's she now isn't it, is more energetic than usual?...But calling Restia shady, looks like I'll have to reeducate that brat about manners" Kamito said, managing to look both relieved and irritated at the same time.
"Ha, ha, I don't mind at all Kamito. The prattling of idiots doesn't really bother me" Restia said with a laugh.
"Though it hurts to say it, I can't deny that Alexandros hasn't always been the smartest of the Elemental Lords, even though he's the second eldest of us… Ah, but anyway, thanks for ending that conversation. It was getting a bit awkward" Kamito said giving Restia a grateful glance.
"Oh, but I was only saying the truth, the ball is about to begin" Restia said, looking at Kamito with a playful gleam in her eyes. Under this strange pressure, Kamito began to shy away. "…Ufufufu, let's get you into a dress, shall we?"
It was now evening. The Blade Dance opening ceremony began at the castle which housed the representatives. There were already many guests having friendly conversations in the grand hall of the castle.
There was elegant music flowing about, and chandeliers that were arranged lavishly with spirit crystals as decoration. Extravagant dishes were laid out on a table in the center of the hall.
The only people invited to the ceremony were participants or royalty and high-ranking nobles.
"This time, our representatives will be getting the victory."
"What? The most superb elementalists are in my White Knights, you know?"
Even though they behaved politely on the surface, in truth they were engaged a fierce war of words. Dressed in a crimson, lacey dress and polished heels, Claire glanced at those nobles with a fed up expression.
'Geez, it's not like you're the ones doing the Blade Dance' Claire thought to herself.
On the other side, the girls participating in the Blade Dance had nervous expressions. They were extremely competent, top-notch elementalists selected by the major nations of the continent. Since a requirement to participate was to be 20 years old or younger, all of them were young women.
"A-Anyway, where is everyone else…n-not that I'm getting lonely or anything!" Claire said no one in particular.
Holding a plate of seafood, Claire looked about for the rest of her team. Looking at the entrance of the hall, she caught sight of a princess maiden being held up at the entrance.
"Please don't bring your pet inside!"
"Um, it isn't a pet! This wolf is a friend of the forest!"
"Even if it's a friend, no means no!"
It seemed like the Druid girl was leading a wolf into the hall. Although she was from a different team, it was a little embarrassing, as they were representing the same academy. Seeing this, Claire let out a sigh.
"Oh, what's got you down Claire? And nice dress, by the way" Fianna, dressed in a white dress that showed off more skin then it really ought to be for a formal event, asked as she walked up to Claire.
"…" In response, Claire just pointed to the Druid girl.
"Ha, ha, they should just let the wolf in; I imagine its personality is much better than most of these nobles" Fianna snorted in laughter.
"Ha, ha" Claire giggled at Fianna's joke "You look pretty good too"
"Oh, so you two finished up before me, huh?" Rinslet said, entering the grand hall "Hm, it's been quite some time since I last saw you in a dress, Claire Rouge"
This time, it was Rinslet, who came in a striking marine-blue dress. Her glittering, platinum-blonde hair was tied up.
"Hm, is Ren-san not here yet?" Rinslet asked, looking around expectantly.
"Nope. I haven't seen her since she left suddenly" Fianna replied with a sigh.
"Really? That's too bad, I wanted to invite her to a dance" Rinslet said with a shrug.
"…H-How sly, me too." Claire complained.
"No way, I'll be taking her first dance" Fianna came in with a competitive expression.
The trio glared at each other, generating a menacing aura that made the surrounding guests begin stepping away from them.
"Hey you three! Stop ruining the festive atmosphere!" Ellis yelled out, running over.
"Fine, fine, just stop yelling captain-san"
"We came here to represent our academy. You should be more self-aware." Placing her hand at her waist, Ellis strictly scolded the three.
"We already apologized. Let it go already." Claire complained.
"As long as you understand" Ellis said with a satisfied nod.
The knight captain was wearing a pure-white dress with many frills. Despite her usual gallant appearance, the girlish dress fit her very well.
"You are Team Scarlet, are you not?" Hearing an unfamiliar voice, the four girls turned to see a girl staring at them.
She had an azure dress where a dragon insignia was sown at the chest area. She had on a hat with a feather attached to it.
"Y-You're…?" Claire asked, surprised.
"My apologies, I haven't introduced myself. I am Leonora Lancaster" Leonora said, giving the girls a cursory nod.
"Dragon Princess, Leonora Lancaster… I've heard many good rumors about you lately." Ellis placed her hand at her chest, and faced Leonora, paying her respects as a knight.
"And you are?"
"Areishia Spirit Academy representative, Ellis Fahrengart."
"The Fahrengart…the same as that Velsaria Eva?"
"Yes, but this time, Aneue isn't participating due to some circumstances." Ellis lifted her head and nodded." I've heard that you're a pure and selfless knight. I'm pleased to be able to cross swords with a knight like you."
Saying these words, Ellis held her hand out to Leonora.
"It seems like splendid knights exist even in the Empire." Leonora smiled, and grasped Ellis' hand without hesitation. Both being fellow knights, it seems that the two got along well with each other.
"Sorry to ruin the mood, but what business does the ace of Dracunia have with us?" Fianna cut in.
"Right. Earlier I was in your teammate's care, so I thought I'd offer my gratitude. It seems she isn't with you though." Leonora said, looking around.
"Hm, Ren-sama did mention meeting you, but she didn't give us many details. What do you mean by in your care?" Ellis asked curiously.
"No, it was nothing particularly important." Leonora said, turning to leave. "Just give her my thanks when you see her"
"She seems rather…dangerous…" Rinslet said warily, watching the girl walk away.
"Yeah…" The rest of the team agreed heartily. The Dragon Princess was probably one of the strongest elementalists they had ever met.
After chatting with her teammates for a bit, Claire walked up to the buffet for dessert.
Though initially she hadn't attracted much attention, now that walked into the middle of the ballroom, her breathtaking beauty was raising a commotion.
"Hey, is that red haired girl also a representative of the Blade Dance?"
"Oh, so this is what they mean by spirits liking pure and beautiful girls…"
"Hey, aren't you going to invite someone to dance?"
It seemed like a group of young nobles were setting their eyes on her. Hearing their poorly concealed whispers, Claire began to feel annoyed.
"That flame-like red hair… Don't tell me, she's the daughter of that Duke Elstein family?"
"The sister of the Calamity Queen that brought about disaster to the Ordesia Empire?"
"…What an ill omen. She must be a devilish girl."
It seemed like there were several people who knew Claire's lineage among the participants of the ball. Suppressing her mounting rage, Claire tried her best to remain composed.
Then, a young noble stepped before her.
"Would you like to dance a song with me, flame-haired ojou-san?" His atmosphere seemed frivolous but he was quite a handsome man. He seemed to be an especially high-ranking person even among the nobles, as he led a group of followers with him.
"Hey, hey, are you serious?"
"Milord, I'm also worried about you playing with fire."
His companions made a bitter smile. The boy seemed to be a royalty of some country.
"I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline." Realizing that he was just asking to dance for the novelty of dancing with the Calamity Queen's younger sister, Claire coldly refused.
"What was that!?" One of the followers looked outraged.
"Now, now, it's fine to have such strong-willed girls once in a while." The boy nodded, full of composure, and forcibly grabbed Claire's arm. "Now, ojou-san, I'll give your hand a kiss"
"Don't touch me!" Claire sharply shouted. Normally, she'd act tough, but the truth was that she was an ojou-sama who wasn't used to men. Her voice slightly trembled in apprehension.
"Who do you think you are, putting on airs? I'm the crown prince of the Balsutan Kingdom."
"No, let go! You—"
*Pan* A high pitched sound resound in the hall. Claire slapped the boy on the cheek.
"Damn you, that's my face!" The boy roared with outrage. "I'll pay you back double you little—!"
The boy raised his fist, and was about to strike Claire. However—
Before he could bring his fist down, it was stopped by a slender hand covered in a black dress glove.
"Yare, Yare, that won't do at all, now will it?" A bewitching voice filled the great hall. Though it wasn't a particularly loud voice, everyone in the hall immediately stopped whatever they were doing to look at the source of the charming voice. Silence fell as all conversation ceased and the musicians stopped playing abruptly. It was as if time itself stopped in awe of the speaker.
Stopping the boy was a stunning girl with black, waist-length hair darker than the night sky. Her dark, pure eyes seemed to suck in anyone who looked at them. She was in an elegant jet-black dress, like a queen controlling over darkness. Covering her hands were matching black, velvet dress gloves, and she was wearing a pair of stylish high-heels.
Completely entranced by the girl in black's hypnotizing aura, not a single person in the room was capable doing anything but stare at her, completely captivated.
Ren Ashbell had arrived to the ball.
"My dear prince, I'm not sure what my teammate may have done to cause such an uproar, but you really shouldn't resort to violence" Enchanted by the pure sound of the girl's voice, not only prince, but everyone else in the hall began to nod in agreement.
"I'm glad that you are being reasonable, prince" Ren continued on "Now then, what exactly has happened?"
"H-He tried to kiss my hand!" Claire told her how things had unfolded.
"I see, that must have been tough on you..." Ren said, patting Claire on the head. "Why don't you take a walk out back for now, to cool off? I'll handle this."
"Y-Yeah, I'll do that Ren-sama" Giving her a nod, Claire then turned to and ran towards the entrance of the hall.
"Now then, prince. Though I'm sure you weren't aware, to an elementalist, a kiss is the most sacred ceremony of a spirit contract. Even if it's on the hand, it is unforgivable to thoughtlessly request for that."
"I-Is that so? I-I apologize…" The prince, in fact, had known beforehand and would never have thought to apologize normally. However, after being admonished by the overpowering woman before him, he couldn't help but repent.
"Since you didn't know, I can let it go this time" Ren said airily "However, do be careful not to do it again."
"Y-Yes!"
"That being said, our dear little hellcat did bring you some trouble, so you do deserve some recompense…" Ren continued on, thinking deeply "…Hm, how would you like to dance with me for one song?"
Kamito was currently dancing with Fianna. His black dress and Fianna's white dress seemed to mix together as the two twirled about the dance floor. Kamito was leading the dance as the monochrome pair strode danced boldly across the great hall.
"Hm, you are quite the excellent dancer. I wonder if the prince enjoyed his dance with you." Fianna asked Kamito coyly.
"I sure he did" Kamito said with a daring grin.
(10 Minutes Earlier)
The Strongest Blade Dancer and the crown prince of the Balsutan Kingdom were dancing in the middle of the ballroom. Holding onto each other, the two were beautifully dancing to a fast-paced song perfectly in synch. Or at least that's what appeared to be happening to the audience.
"*Stomp* Oh, my bad, I seem to have stepped on your foot. *Stomp* Oh, my. Your face seems to be growing pale for some reason. *Crack* I did warn you I was a rather poor dancer…"
"Ow…argh…GAAH!"
Distracting the onlookers with elaborate dance moves, Kamito was repeatedly stomping on the prince's foot with his high-heels, digging in with great strength. At first the prince laughed it off as a clumsy mistake, but now he was desperately looking for a way to escape. The onlookers, unable tell what was happening, let out whispers of admiration of the pair's dancing skills.
"*Crack* Oh dear, I did again *Smash* Why are you sweating so much, prince?"
"Ugh….AAAH!"
The prince tried breaking away, but Kamito's vice-like, bone crushing grip prevented him from escaping. Completely caught in the trap, the prince could only suffer the pain.
"*Shatter* Oh dear, prince! Are you alright?" Having pinned the prince's foot in place, Kamito had abruptly turned, shattering bones in the prince's ankle.
"GYAAAAAAAH! ! !" Having finally been let go, the prince writhed in agony, clinging to his injured foot. It was bent in an unnatural position, and a shard of bone was sticking out of his ankle.
"Oh my. With an injury like that, you probably can't even walk anymore. You should have danced more carefully, prince" Kamito leaned forward with mock concern.
"Y-Yeah, I can't dance at all like this! T-Too bad, right!?" The prince exclaimed desperately, trying to crawl away.
"Don't be silly, I'm quite adept at healing magic" Kamito said, putting a hand over the prince's wound. There was a flash of light, and the injury disappeared. "See, good as new. Now then, shall we get back to our dance?"
(Present)
"Watching you do that was extremely enjoyable. Would you mind doing the same trick to my brother some time?" Fianna asked while giggling slightly.
"I'm not sure what you're talking about" Kamito said innocently "Still, the prince has some very brittle bones, to have his ankle broken five different times from a just bit of dancing. Maybe he should get some more calcium?"
As the song ended, the two concluded their dance with a beautiful pose. Surrounded with applause, Kamito made eye-contact with the prince. Startled, the prince jumped out of his seat and spilled a bowl of soup on himself.
After dancing with Fianna, Kamito danced with Ellis, Rinslet, and several girls from other teams, as well as some of the attending nobles. Right now, he was with Ellis and Rinslet mingling with the crowd. Fianna, who didn't have as much stamina, was resting a bit away in a chair by the buffet table.
"Muu, weren't you getting too friendly with that girl from the Holy Kingdom of Lugia?" Rinslet asked accusatorily "You danced with her for two whole songs."
"Ah, we knew each other from awhile back. She's a bit strange, but Millennia is a good kid" Kamito explained.
"Even if she's not on an opposing team, you should still be careful of people from other countries, Ren-sama. They might try something to keep you from participating; you are the favorite to win, after all." Ellis said worriedly. "Even if you know them, they might do something you don't expect"
"I suppose that's true. Okay, I'll be a bit more cautious next time." Kamito said "…Say, Claire's not back yet?"
"Humph, she's probably just ashamed that she needed you to clean up her mess" Rinslet said, while looking concerned.
"Is that so…would you mind looking for her Rinslet, Ellis?" Kamito asked "If I looked for her, it would probably just make her feel worse"
"Yeah, sure thing Ren-sama" Ellis replied curtly, leaving the ballroom with Rinslet in tow.
"Hm, so you're finally alone" A cold voice behind Kamito said once the two left. Turning to the source of the voice, Kamito broke into a cold sweat.
It was relatively short young man with black hair, tied behind him in a ponytail. His face was hidden by a scarlet mask and he wore a formal suit. What made Kamito nervous was not the man's cold voice or overwhelming presence but—
"S-Say, t-that drink you have there isn't a-alcoholic, right? Right!?" Kamito asked with a terrified expression.
"? ? ? No, it's just apple cider?" Rubia responded confusedly, taking a sip from her glass.
"Phew, that's a relief….ah, no! I mean, so you must be the Demon King Cardinal, huh?" Kamito said, putting on a belligerent expression. 'It's good to see the illusion on the mask is working properly. Restia is surprisingly good at creating enchanted items…'
"Humph, that's right Strongest Blade Dancer. I will surely defeat you, so don't even bother participating" Rubia said, falling into her role. The two glared at each other.
"…"
"…."
"…."
Feeling the intensity of the glaring match between the eldritch beauty and the mysterious masked man, everyone in the room held their breath in anticipation for what would happen next. Eventually, the Strongest Blade Dancer opened her mouth and—
"…Say, do you want to dance?" Said this.
"….Sure"
"Six, Eight, are you ready?" Nine asked her subordinates through a communication spell. The stern, silver-haired woman was doing last minute checks before beginning the assassinations.
"Yes, ma'am! Targets are in sight!"
"Excellent. Seven?"
"Preparations are complete, ma'am."
"One through Five?"
"We're in position."
"I see…so we're really doing this…" Nine muttered bitterly.
'We're killing four innocent princess maidens, for what? The Queens haven't even explained why Ren Ashbell is a threat to the Elemental Lords….' Filled with unease, Nine hesitated for a brief moment.
"….Commence operation. Our targets are Claire Rouge, Ellis Fahrengart, Rinslet Laurenfrost, and Fianna Ray Ordesia. Ensure that none of them see tomorrow's rising sun." Nine said, getting up to take down her own target.
Taking Rubia's hand, Kamito elegantly waltzed with her in the center of the ballroom, drawing the attention of everyone around them.
Just like a princess maiden performing an offering ritual, it resembled a true ceremonial dance. With fluid movements the dance was intense like a burning flame.
"As expected, you're quite good at dancing Rubia-nee" Kamito whispered to his masked partner.
"Naturally, I am from nobility after all" Rubia whispered back "I'm more surprised by your own skill. I don't recall you ever learning to dance this well"
"Well 'I' have been nobility and royalty several times, so I suppose it just rubbed off" Kamito chuckled with a shrug. "I did need Ivy to upload modern dancing etiquette, though"
"Hm, I see" Rubia responded with a brief nod "Anyway, I must give you my thanks"
"Oh? What for?"
"Dealing with that pompous prince. If you hadn't done that, I might have incinerated him…"
"Ahaha, that would be bad. We can't have it revealed that our leader is actually a massive sis—"
*Stomp* Taking a book out of Kamito's book, Rubia 'accidently' stepped on his foot "I'm sorry, what was that?"
"No, it's nothing…Say, you really look good in that suit, seeing as you currently look as flat as you were when we first met" Kamito said mockingly
"Humph, then that dress really suits you; I don't think there's a single woman in the world who could wear it as well as you" Rubia shot back with a glare.
"That tie looks like it was made for you to wear it"
"You handle heels like you were born with them on"
"That mask makes you seem a lot manlier, very cool"
"Those gloves really compliment your feminine charm"
The back and forth of compliments (?) intensified with the music as the dance picked up. Rubia quickly shifted her steps to the beat. Kamito followed her lead and pulled her towards himself. They turned like a flickering blaze, both of them leaving their bodies to the music. To those watching, it was almost like watching a fierce blade dance.
"Iyaaaaah!" However this splendid display was suddenly cut short when a shrill scream rang out through the hall.
"! ! !" Reacting instantly, Kamito dashed to the source of the scream. He arrived to see a distraught woman pointing. Following the woman's line of sight, Kamito spotted something on the ground.
No, to be more precise, it was a person in a white dress collapsed on the ground, clutching a spilled wineglass.
"Fianna!"
"Here comes another one!" Ellis yelled out.
"I see it!" Rinslet aimed her Freezing Arrow at an incoming projectile.
Rinslet and Ellis had left the venue to search for Claire, but were unable to find her. As they were wandering about, wondering where in the world Claire could have possibly ended up, a swiftly moving spear suddenly came flying at Ellis. Though she tried her best to roll aside, the spear still managed to score a nasty wound on Ellis' right arm.
'No, to be precise, I did dodge it. The spear definitely changed direction in flight. Some sort of remotely controlled waffe?' Ellis wondered to herself.
"Take this!" Rinslet fired several ice arrows at the incoming spear. The icy missiles struck the black spear and exploded into a cloud of diamond dust but—
"It's no good!" Ellis exclaimed. Though the arrows managed to divert the spear's trajectory, it turned mid-air until it was once again heading straight for them. "Tch, Winds, grant us the hand of divine protection— Wind Wall!"
At Ellis' recited chant, a protective wall of wind formed in front of the two girls. The spear flew at the wall of wind and—
"Kyaa!" The spear broke through the wind wall, and the resulting explosion of air sent the two girls flying into the sky.
"Captain-san! Are you okay!?" Rinslet exclaimed worriedly. Having already been injured by the first spear, Ellis was in poor condition.
"D-Don't worry about me! Here comes the next one!" Ellis cried out, pointing at the third incoming missile.
In the dark forest surrounding the castle, Claire ran. Various trees' branches clung to the crimson dress, tearing it apart. Mud stuck to her red high heels. Countless wounds appeared on her smooth skin. Without minding any of that, she ran.
"Who the hell are you!?" Claire yelled behind her.
In response, an enormous ball-and-chain crushed its way past any trees in its way as it flew at her.
"! ! !" Claire jumped out of its way, in to a clearing. Splinters from the destroyed trees behind her dug into her skin. Pulling herself off the ground, Claire turned to face the direction she had come from.
At that moment, heavy footsteps could be heard from within the forest. A tall woman with silver hair and blue-grey eyes walked into the clearing, dragging a giant, black ball-and-chain behind her. The woman was wearing pieces of heavy plate armor over her chest, arms, and legs, but Claire had experienced first-hand that the woman could move abnormally fast.
Claire had been walking through the woods, trying to calm herself down after the issue with the prince. After wandering about for a bit, she realized that she was lost. When she looked for a way out of the forest, she had suddenly been attacked by the mysterious woman, who had chased her to this isolated clearing.
"Who are you!?" Claire asked again, summoning Flame Tongue. "Why are you doing this!?"
"Why, huh? That's a good question…" The armored woman said with a sigh "As for who I am, you can call me Nine"
Declaring her name, Nine swung the ball-and-chain in circles, then launched it at Claire.
"!" Claire jumped to the left, then swung her whip at Nine. The flaming whip traced a flaming arc in the air, but—
"It's futile" Nine manipulated the chain to block the blow. She then pulled back her weapon, and swung it at Claire in a wide arc.
"Tch!" Claire quickly jumped into the air as the ball passed below her "Take this! Fireball!"
The blazing ball of flames flew straight at the armored woman in the face.
"Ha, how's that!?" Claire exclaimed with a triumphant expression.
"Hm, that was a splendid attack. As expected of Rubia's sister."
"! ! !"
Despite taking a face full of fire, the armored woman appeared unmoved. She stood calmly as the flames around her burned wildly.
"Y-You knew my sister!?"
"Yes, before she betrayed the Divine Ritual Institute. But I have said enough, let's end this" Nine said casually as she swung the ball-and-chain at Claire, this time much faster.
"! ! !" Claire tried to leap backwards. Though she managed to avoid the ball itself, the air pressure the swing generated blew her into the air. She spun about a few times in the air before crashing down onto the ground.
"It's over" As the dispassionate voice said this, Claire looked up to see an enormous mass of metal coming down at her.
"Onee-sama…Ren…sama…" Facing impending death, Claire called out these two names desperately. Closing her eyes, Claire waited the inevitable impact.
"Tiamat, Judgment Ray" Just as the ball was about to crush Claire, the cute voice of a certain young girl rang out. An intense beam of blinding white-hot light blasted into the ball, knocking it away.
"Who's there!?" Nine, flustered for the first time, whirled about to see the source of the interruption.
It was a five-headed, demonic dragon covered with countless blades-like scales. Its spread wings hid the moon and its claws gouged the earth. No mistaking it. What was before her was a first-class military spirit.
"Annihilation Spirit….Tiamat!" Nine breathed out, taking a step back.
"Tee hee, you sure know your stuff, onee-chan" Came a giggling voice above the beast. Finally noticing that the demon dragon wasn't alone, Nine looked up to see that upon Tiamat's back was a cute girl with ash-grey hair.
"This is just perfect! Muir was just getting bored of the ball, but now there are two onee-chans to play with" Muir said with a sinister laugh. "Hey, hey, onee-chan. You wouldn't mind playing with Muir and this spirit Tiamat, would you? Let's have some fun"
Everyone loves cliffhangers right? Volume 4 coverage is probably going to end next chapter, so I'm like almost one third of the way through the series. Since it's Fall, there are a lot of game releases, but I'll try not to let it affect my update speed. No database or omake, since I've used up all my creative juices writing this chapter. Well, until next chapter then and have a safe Thanksgiving.