Welcome to another installment of Tides of Change. I know this is a bit late, so it is also a little longer. I also tried to have a bit more action this chapter. I hope you enjoy the changes to the events.
"Kamito, thank you for agreeing to join the knights, even if it is only temporary. We really are short handed, and someone of your power would be a valuable asset for the protection of the academy and all its students." Ellis thanked Kamito as they sat on a bench under the shade of a tree. A week had passed since the events at the mine and Claire and Rinslet joining Kamito's team.
Ellis had been explaining what his role would be during the festival the next day while patrolling the academy town when they decided to take a short break. Iseria and Est were spending the day browsing the local shops, careful to not stray too far from Kamito.
Kamito was actually fairly impressed at the extent the knights assisted the residents of the academy town. He could see the pride that Ellis felt as she helped even with menial tasks. She had explained that in order to keep the order in the town, it was best to know and be known by the locals. This built a level of trust that allowed the town to coexist with the academy.
Kamito looked to his right when he felt a tug on his sleeve. "Kamito, I'm hungry." Est stated, looking into his eyes.
Looking at the position of the sun, Kamito gauged it to be around lunch time. "Alright Est, let's go find a cafe. Are you coming with us, Atlantae?"
"Of course, Kamito. How about you miss Fahrengart? Would you care to join us?" Iseria offered.
"I wouldn't want to intrude." Ellis declined.
"Nonsense, please join us." Iseria insisted.
Ellis paused for a moment. "Very well, I know a local cafe that has excellent pastries." Ellis lead them to the shop. When they arrived, Kamito was pleasantly surprised at how affordable the items on the menu were. After placing their orders, the group found an empty table on the terrace.
"Kamito!" Claire called out when she spotted him. Rushing up to him she almost missed that Ellis was there. "Kamito, where have you been? I've been looking all over for you."
Kamito arched an eyebrow at her tone. "Ellis has been showing me around the town and introducing me to many of the shop owners."
"Tch. Why do you have to have her to show you around? She's not even on our team." Claire protested.
'Our team huh?' Kamito thought amused. "That may be true, but I am going to be helping her with the festival tomorrow, so it only makes sense to have the captain of the knights introduce someone that will be joining their ranks, however temporary as it may be." Kamito crossed his arms over his chest.
"Hmph! But you're my….." Claire's stopped herself from finishing that thought when she saw the look on Kamito's face. "My.. teammate."
"Claire, was there a reason that you were searching for me?" Kamito asked.
"Of course I have a reason, it's not like I was trying to get to spend time with you or anything." Claire huffed. "Greyworth sent notification to me about our next match. It's against the Silent Fortress, Velsaria Fahrengart, who is ranked number one in the academy. If we beat her, we'll pretty much be guaranteed a place in the blade dance!"
Kamito had a brief flashback to the image of an attractive blonde wearing a massive armor suit with considerable firepower. He had almost forgotten that she was a representative of the academy. She would definitely make a good addition to his team, but how to convince her?
"You're fighting big sister?" Ellis asked in a concerned voice.
"Your big sister?" Claire asked confused.
"Apparently." Kamito answered Ellis. "The Fahrengart family has a reputation of adopting strong fighters." Kamito said in answer to Claire. 'I should know, old man Fahrengart approached me no less that five times at the last blade dance offering me a place in the ranks of their family.' Kamito thought dryly.
"Imagine their surprise if they were to discover that they had adopted a son instead of a daughter." Iseria giggled in his mind, making Kamito choke on his tea. The other girls looked at Kamito curiously. He just shook his head to tell them not to worry about it.
Ellis shrugged it off. "Kamito is correct. The Fahrengart's are a military family. In order to maintain our strength, we seek out talented individuals to ensure the strength of our family." Ellis expanded on what Kamito had said. "Kamito, please be careful. I know you are strong, but big sister...she has changed. She used to be kind and honorable, but since…" Ellis's eyes filled with tears. "Since the blade dance, she has become so cold and distant. She obsesses over power and getting stronger.". Ellis couldn't hold back the tears any longer. Iseria and Kamito exchanged a look and Iseria placed a hand on the bluenette's shoulder. Ellis looked into Iseria's eyes for a moment then buried her face in the spirit's shoulder and quietly cried for a few moments. She Loved her sister and wished she would return to her former self.
Claire, feeling more than just a little awkward, excused herself and left the cafe. After a few moments, Ellis was able to collect herself. "I'm -sniffle- pathetic. Look at me, crying while on duty. I'm not fit to be a knight." Tears threatened to fall once again.
"Ellis, you must love your sister very much." Iseria noted.
"Yes, she was my inspiration to become a knight and to enter the blade dance. That is why I have to win...so I can wish my sister back to her old self once again." Ellis stated.
"That is a very respectable wish." Kamito commented.
"I'm sure that one day your sister will realize she is on the wrong path, so stay strong so that you will be able to support her when she eventually needs you." Iseria assured Ellis.
Ellis stood and bowed to Kamito, Iseria, and Est, who had been eating on a large parfait the whole time. "Thank you for your kind words, I truly hope that they come true. I must be going now." Ellis wipe one last tear from her eyes. "Kamito, please come to the old sanctuary tomorrow morning at 0900 for the morning briefing and to meet the other knights. Until tomorrow." Ellis quickly walked away.
"So it seems that Velsaria took losing to Ren Ashbell worse than I thought." Kamito mused out loud.
"What are you going to do about her?" Iseria asked.
"I don't know yet." Kamito admitted. They sat in silence for another free minutes. "Well, what would you girls like to do for the rest of the day?"
Iseria smiled playfully. "How about we go take in a show?" Kamito raised an eyebrow. "They are putting on a play about Areishia Idriss defeating the Demon King."
Kamito looked at her for a moment before her shook his head and chuckled. "Sure, why not? What do you think, Est?"
"I will accompany you, Kamito." Est responded without emotion.
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Kamito awoke to an odd smell coming from the kitchen. Iseria was not in the bed with him and Est was nowhere to be seen either. While he did enjoy spending time with them, he wished that Est would wear something a little more appropriate. He knew she was almost as old as Iseria, but her body just made him uncomfortable to look at. Getting out of bed, he found a note from Iseria stating she needed to check up on something and would be back that evening, and hoped that he could make time to check out the festival with her when she returned. Kamito smiled at the thought of wandering the festival with her.
The strange smell was getting stronger, so Kamito decided to check out what was going on. He hoped Est was not trying to cook again, the kitchen still had evidence of the battle that ensued after her dish came to life and tried to attack Fianna.
"What are you trying to do? Poison him?" Kamito heard Claire ask. Getting closer to the kitchen, Kamito could distinguish multiple smells emanating from the room and two energy signatures. 'Claire and Fianna? What the heck are…..' Kamito face palmed. 'Shit! Today is Valentia Day!' Kamito sighed and opened the kitchen door.
"Kamito!" Both girls spun towards the door trying to hide what they were doing.
"Morning girls. What's going on?" Kamito feigned ignorance.
"Well, to-today is Valentia Day, and..umm.." Claire looked to Fianna for help.
"We were preparing our offerings for the spirits." Fianna smiled sweetly.
"Glad to hear that someone still remembers to honor the spirits rather than as a day to give chocolates to the boy they like." Kamito couldn't help but inwardly laugh at the scathing look that Claire shot Fianna or Fianna's own momentary look of panic.
"But Kamito, we need you to try our offerings to be sure they are worthy of the spirits." Fianna quickly reasoned, Claire nodding her agreement.
Kamito looked carefully at their offerings. Claire's was burnt to charcoal and Fianna's, while looking normal enough, had an aura about it that bothered Kamito. Thinking quickly, Kamito said. "I don't think I would be a good judge of what a spirit would enjoy." Kamito sensed Est approaching. "Why don't you ask Est to try it for you.
Just as he said that, Est walked in wearing her naked knee socks with a tube of chocolate in her hand. Written in chocolate across her bare chest was 'Eat Me' along with a line of chocolate leading down to her nether regions.
Walking up to her master, Est simply stated "Kamito, please lick the chocolate before it melts." Kamito covered his face with his hand and shook his head while Fianna blushed furiously.
Claire's face was a brighter shade of red than her hair, which was an impressive feat. "K-k-k-kamito?..." Kamito looked at the stuttering redhead. Suddenly the front door opened revealing Ellis. She had something hidden behind her back.
Seeing the state Est was in, Ellis immediately summoned Ray Hawk as Claire's called forth Flametongue. Kamito glared at Fianna. "I blame you, I hope you know that." She just offered him a cheeky smile and wave as the other two girls stalked toward him. "This is a misunderstanding. Please, you have to believe me." Sensing the rise in divine power from the two, Kamito thought quickly. True, he could withstand their attacks, but that didn't mean it wouldn't hurt like hell.
"Girls, hold on." Kamito raised his hands in a placating manner. " Attacking me in here could damage the Ashbell collectables." That made the girls hesitate just long enough for him to escape the room. Once out of the room, Kamito empowered his legs with divine power and vanished in a flash. The girls made it out of the room just in time to see him exit the building. Turning around, the saw Est with her head hanging sadly.
"Kamito did not like my offering. Is he upset with me?" Est asked in a melancholic voice.
Fianna retrieved a damp cloth to help clean up the spirit. "I don't think Kamito is upset with you, Est. It's just that this sort of thing is meant for when you are alone." Fianna explained.
"But you said that Kamito would like this sort of offering." Est looked at Fianna. Fianna suddenly felt two other sets of eyes on her. Chuckling nervously, Fianna tried to back up, only to find she was backed into a corner. "Umm..hehe...Happy Valentia Holy Day?" Fianna said, offering her chocolate to the annoyed girls. The kitchen was in shambles and Fianna was left unconscious in a burnt and tattered uniform after Ellis and Claire finished with her.
On her way out, something caught Claire's eye. It was a full size replica of Ren Ashbell's sword, the Vorpal Sword. Something about it seemed very familiar. She had a sudden vision of the sword that Jio person was holding after gaining control over that Darkness spirit. It wasn't exactly the same, but the similarities were striking. She knew that the Darkness spirit used to be Kamito's, so that couldn't have been there same sword. Ren was a girl, right? She then remembered that Fianna claimed to know Ren Ashbell. Looking back at the slightly crispy girl, Claire decided to ask her about it later.
Kamito decided to walk around the campus for a little while until things calmed down at the dorms. Figuring that it should be safe, Kamito returned to the dorms to pick up Est so they could go meet up with the knights. "Damn that Greyworth.". Kamito muttered as he walked. She had threatened to start billing him for the property damage any time he was involved in a misunderstanding. Why was he being held responsible? It was those girls, always overreacting.
Kamito found Est waiting for him in front of the dorm. Kamito could sense that she was feeling down about something. "Hey Est, what's the matter?"
"Kamito did not accept my offering of chocolate." Kamito could hear the tinge of sadness in her answer.
" Est, you just surprised me, that's all. You are irreplaceable to me. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. I really do like you, but sometimes you can be a bit too bold." Kamito tried to reassure his spirit.
"Kamito, kiss me." Est looked up at him expectantly.
"What? Where did this come from?" Kamito asked.
"You kissed Lady Iseria and Restia. I want a kiss too."
"Well, to be honest, they kissed me. But you're right, it isn't fair to you." Kamito placed a finger under her chin and gently tilted her face up. "Est, never forget that you are precious to me and I promise you will never have to be alone again." Kamito placed a gentle kiss on her lips that only lasted a few moments, but that was enough to reassure Est of her place in Kamito's heart. Even though her face was still neutral, Kamito could see a spark of happiness in Est's eyes and a light blush on her cheeks.
Kamito and Est arrived at the old sanctuary that now served as the headquarters for the Sylphid Knights about twenty minutes early. Not sure if he was at the right location, he tentatively knocked and was relieved when Ellis opened the door.
Going inside, Ellis introduced Kamito to the others. "Ladies, this, as you may know, is Kazehaya Kamito. He will be joining us for today to assist with the security of the festival."
The room was suddenly in an uproar. It seemed everyone was wanting to be partnered with the male elementalist. Kamito thought a riot would break out when Ellis informed everyone that she would be partnering with Kamito. Suddenly the doors flew open, slamming into the walls. In the doorway stood a tall blonde of stunning beauty. The morning sun was dazzling as it reflected off her highly polished armor. She exuded a commanding presence as she strode into the room. Kamito was thoroughly unimpressed by the display.
"Pathetic. The Sylphid Knights have fallen to shame. All these pawns and you could not even apprehend one intruder?" Velsaria sneered looking over the assembled knights.
"What do you mean pawns? How can you insult your fellow knights like that?" Ellis questioned her older sister.
"Simple, these girls are too weak to be anything other than just fodder for the battlefield. And yet it took the actions of a civilian, a male at that, to dispose of the intruder. Tell me, Ellis, Why do you even still call yourself a knight? You are supposed to be a Fahrengart, but you are just a weak pathetic girl playing pretend." Ellis hung her head and looked away ashamed.
"That's enough! I don't give a damned who you think you are, but I have seen Ellis working to protect the community and her fellow students. What right do you have to question her validity as a knight? You, whose whole world turned upside down when you lost in the last blade dance without even landing one hit on your opponent." Kamito said standing in between the two sisters.
"Ah, the male transfer student. I was hoping to meet you so I can expose you are nothing more than a charlatan. When I was Captain of the Guard, I would have had you thrown in stockades just for stepping foot on these sacred grounds." Velsaria stated.
"Ah, so the fact that I was summoned here by the Headmistress herself would have been of little importance to you. Some loyal knight you are." Kamito smirked.
Velsaria raised her right hand in front of her. "So, mr elementalist, let's see just what you're made of." Kamito sensed the build up of divine power in her hand and immediately brought his hand up and released enough divine power to cancel out her attack. While there was no physical damage done, several of the girls passed out from the amount of released power. "Tch!" Turning to a group of third year students, Velsaria called out to them. "You four, come with me, you are now on my team." She turned to leave when Kamito cleared his throat.
"Velsaria Fahrengart, I challenge you to a duel. I'll even allow you to choose the place and the rules." Kamito glared at the elder Fahrengart.
Velsaria smirked viciously. "I accept. I will expose you for who you really are and make you regret ever coming here. My team against yours." With a flourish of her cape, Velsaria strode out of the building, followed by the girls she had chosen.
"Big sister, I am a Fahrengart Knight, and I'll prove it to you." Ellis said quietly to herself, clenching her fist in determination.
Kamito and Est were walking with Ellis through the academy town when Kamito spotted Claire looking in the window on a jewelry store with a sad look on her face. Walking up behind her, he saw that she was looking at a cat pendant on a silver chain. 'She really likes cats a lot.' Kamito chuckled inwardly.
"Hey Claire, what's up?"
"Kyah!" Claire screamed as she skin around. She has been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't even noticed anyone was behind her. When she saw it was Kamito, she turned her head away and crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you want?" She huffed.
"I was checking to see if everything was alright. You seemed a bit out of it." Kamito said, annoyance in his voice.
"What do you care?" Claire countered.
"You are a member of my team, and as such, if your performance suffers, the whole team suffers." Kamito told her.
"You don't have to worry about my performance. Just worry about making sure we have enough members to compete." Claire turned and was able to walk away when a couple of upperclassmen blocked her path.
Kamito recognized them as the Adamantine and Demon Mirror team from the contest for the militarized spirit, Glasya Labolas.
"Oh look, it's the Calamity Queen's sister and the male elementalist. What's the matter? Lover's quarrel?" The Adamantine user said venomously.
"What did you just say?" Claire growled.
"Claire, they are just trying to bait you into fighting." Kamito whispered to her.
"Don't worry, I know. I'm not going to fall for their ploy."
"I don't even see why they allow either of you here." The Mirror contractor spat. "Do you have any idea what the people had to endure because of your sister, the traitor!"
"My my, what distasteful behavior. We are all members of nobility here, but you two are acting like backwoods nobles. If you have an issue with another , settle it in a duel." Rinslet said walking calmly down the block.
"What was the? We'll show you who the backwoods noble is!" Both girls raised their hands to summon their spirits.
"Too slow!" Rinslet called out , already having summoned her waffe.
"I think it would be in your best interests to go home." The girls heard behind them, Kamito had gotten behind them and had a sword next to each of their necks.
Shaking, the girls ran off screaming "This isn't over yet!"
"I truly detest those who are nobility in title only." Rinslet said with a frown. Kamito released his swords, which dissipated back into spirit particles before they hit the ground.
Ellis came around the corner of the shop at that moment. "Kamito, there you are. I've been looking for you. Why did you suddenly disappear like that?"
"Sorry about that. I saw Claire and wanted to make sure she's was alright. Which reminds me….." Kamito turned in time to see Claire walking away still looking a bit down. He was about to go after her when a hand on his arm stopped him.
He looked at Rinslet who just shook her head. "Just let her be. This is always a difficult day for her, it's her birthday today, but she has had nothing to celebrate since the incident with her sister at the shrine. It was only due to Greyworth's influence that spared her from being sent to prison with the rest of her family." Rinslet informed them sadly.
"I see." Kamito frowned.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
"Damn, we could have gotten rid of that traitorous bitch's sister if those two had not interfered." The Adamantine user fumed.
"How in the hell did that bastard elementalist get behind us so fast? I never even saw him move." The Mirror user added angrily.
"It sounds as if you girls are in need of my help. How would you two like to possess the power to crush your enemies?" A cool voice asked from the shadows. A woman with jade green hair and red eyes stepped from the shadows.
Both girls were instant on their guard. "Who are you?" The Adamantine user asked sharply.
The Elfim woman raised her hands placatingly. "I am merely a researcher, as you can see, I'm unarmed."
The girls relaxed slightly. "What did you mean when you said you could give us more power?" The Mirror user asked cautiously.
"Oh that? I have found a way to unlock the full potential of a spirit, but I'm still testing it, so I guess you two wouldn't be interested." Vivian said offhandedly.
"Wait. What do you need from us?" Vivian smile darkly when she heard this.
Claire was standing in the plaza looking at the fountain, list on her thoughts. She wondered how her parents were doing, and where her sister was. She hoped that Rubia was doing well wherever she was. She wished everything would go back to how it used to be. "Why nee-san?"
"Claire, there you are." Rinslet said approaching the redhead.
"What do you want, Rinslet?". Claire asked. She didn't want to be around anyone today.
"Here." Rinslet put a small box into Claire's hand.
"What's this?" Claire asked confused.
"What did it look like? It's a birthday present. It was Kamito's idea." Rinslet said.
"It's from Kamito?" Claire asked clearly surprised.
"He told me to tell you not to look too deeply at it, it's just a token of friendship, something to tell you that you do have friends." Rinslet relayed.
Claire was about to respond, but was cut off when someone shouted at her.
"There you are, Claire Rouge!" A familiar voice called out.
"We're finally going to get revenge for what your sister did!" A second voice added. Claire and Rinslet turned to see the same two girls from earlier.
The two girls both raised a hand to summon their spirits, but started screaming in pain as their bodies were enshrouded in dark energy. Two large spirits materialized in front of them. One resembled a large metallic deer and there other took the form of a large silver boar. Suddenly the two screaming girls collapsed, but the spirits remained, and it was obvious from their erratic behavior that they were frenzied.
The sudden appearance of the large spirits sent the crowds in the plaza into a panic. Reisha and Rakka rushed over to Claire and Rinslet. "What happened? Did someone offend the spirits?" Reisha asked.
"No, those two summoned them." Claire said indicating the two unconscious elementalists.
"We need to rescue them before they get trampled." Rinslet said. "They are still students of the academy, even if they tried to attack us."
All four girls summoned their elemental waffes and took up defensive stances.
"Just because we are fighting together doesn't mean we like you." Claire stated brandishing her flametongue.
"The feeling is mutual." Rakka replied hefting her giant hammer.
"Rinslet, stay back and support us with covering volleys. Rakka, go after the boar, I'll occupy the deer. Reisha, you get those girls to safety. Let's go!" Claire's called out directions. The two knights were not happy taking orders from Claire, but her strategy was sound, so they didn't argue.
Reisha and Rakka nodded to each other then sprinted towards the boar like spirit that was stomping near the unconscious upperclassmen. Claire lashed out with her whip and struck the deer like spirit across its flank, but this only angered the spirit.
'Damn, this is bad!' Claire screamed in her head as she dodged to the side as there deer charged her. Rinslet waited until it was well past Claire before launching a storm of arrows at the deer, halting it before it could crash into a nearby building. While the attack did stop the deer's charge, the arrows just bounced off the deer's crystalline hide. As it turned and eyed Claire and Rinslet angrily, Rinslet dispelled her bow allowing Fenrir to assume his spirit form.
Ellis and Kamito were patrolling a quiet part of town far from the plaza when they detected there disturbance. While Kamito was able to sense the frenzied spirits faintly, Ellis relied on small wind spirits to gather her information.
"The plaza!" They both shouted at the same time. Empowering his legs with divine power, kamito easily leapt to the nearest rooftop and took off for the plaza while Ellis took to the air on a column of wind using her flight magic.
A pair of hard blue eyes watched the confrontation from a bluff that overlooked the academy town. The frown etched on her face deepened to a scowl when she felt someone approach her from behind.
"What a shame, it would appear that those girls just weren't worthy of the gift I bestowed on them." Came a mocking voice. Velsaria didn't even turn to look at the owner of said voice.
"What do you want, Elfim?" Velsaria growled.
"My my, what hostility. You are so uptight, you really should learn how to unwind and relax. What would everyone think if they were to learn of your little secret?" Velsaria felt a lithe hand press against her breastplate just over her heart. Velsaria drew her sword and turned in the blink of an eye, her slash encountering no resistance as it passed through the fading image of Vivian Melosa.
"Temper temper." Vivian's voice could be heard from the shadows. "I wonder if your little sister would be more receptive of my gift?"
"You leave her alone!" Velsaria screamed, her body glowing as she summoned her spirit. "Dreadnaught!"
Ellis landed on the rooftop next to Kamito as they came to a stop when a large explosion rocked the bluff overlooking the town. "What was that?" Ellis asked nervously.
'That was Velsaria's power. She can handle herself, we need to get to the plaza.' Kamito knew Velsaria was more than capable as a fighter. "We can worry about that later, we need to take care of the disturbance inside the town first."
Ellis looked like she wanted to argue for a moment before she nodded. "You're right, let's go!" Ellis was airborne again. Kamito stole one last glance at the bluff before following.
Rakka and Reisha were having a tough time with boar spirit. On their first charge, Rakka slammed her hammer down on the boar's head, only to be blasted back when her attack was reflected by the boar's mirror hide. This gave Reisha enough time to grab one of the unconscious girls and get her took the relative safety of the edge of the plaza.
Since her arrows had no effect of the deer spirit, Rinslet had summoned Fafnir, who was currently holding the deer by the back leg while Claire had wrapped flametongue around an antler, trying their best to hold the spirit until reinforcements could arrive. Rinslet had rushed over to the crowd of fleeing townsfolk to help with the evacuations.
Hearing a familiar scream, Rinslet turned in time to see the deer spirit swing its head violently, flinging Claire like a rag doll. Claire flew through the air as her whip slipped off the antler. Rinslet moved without thinking, catching Claire and softening her landing. Unfortunately Rinslet's foot caught on a broken tile and, with a sickening crack, both girls fell in a heap on the ground. Shooting pain in her leg told Rinslet that something was seriously wrong.
"Rinslet! Are you okay?" Claire asked worriedly.
Through clenched teeth and tear filled eyes, Rinslet shook her head. "It's my leg, it's broken!"
"Idiot! Why did you do that?" Claire asked while checking her leg.
"I couldn't allow you to be injured so carelessly." Rinslet said.
Claire was almost bowled over when Rakka went flying by after trying to block a charge from the boar spirit. There was a loud yelp as Fenrir was kicked away from the deer and eyed the downed Sylphid maliciously. Claire watched on helplessly, knowing she was too far to be of help. Claire looked back the other way just in time to see Reisha get slung into a wall by the boar spirit.
Suddenly, the boar was knocked away following a loud crash that sounded like a gunshot. Standing in between the boar and Reisha was Kamito.
Behind her she heard Ellis call out. "Go forth and rampage: Evil Winds!" A barrage of wind blades hammered into the deer knocking it off balance.
Claire looked back and could see that Kamito would be able to hold off his spirit for the time being, so she went to assist Ellis with the deer spirit. Then they could finish off the boar afterward. "Ellis! Hit it with a large blast, if I add my fire, we should be able to overwhelm it!"
"Right!" Ellis acknowledged. "O wind, blow wildly!" The deer was instantly trapped within a massive tornado.
Claire closed her eyes and focused on her strongest flame attack. "Dance, oh crimson flame that calls upon destruction: Hellblaze!" The resulting explosion blasted the deer across the plaza. It was missing all of one antler and part of the other and cracks and fissures covered its body.
The boar had regained its feet and had charged at its new adversary, Kamito. The boar stopped cold when Est impacted with its tusk. In a contest of wills, Kamito and the boar seemed to be in a stalemate, that is until Est's blade started to cut through the tusk. Kamito used his strength to force the boar away from Reisha as Est cleaved the boar's tusk off. A sudden surge of divine power was all the warning that they received before a bombardment of projectiles would have leveled much of the town surrounding the plaza. "Bakudo 81: Danku!" The bombardment was blocked before too much collateral damage could be wrought.
"Velsaria." Kamito growled. Sure enough, floating above the center of the plaza was the academy's strongest blade dance, the Silent Fortress, Velsaria Eva Fahrengart. She stared back at the male elementalist with narrowed eyes. The boar took advantage of his apparent distraction and charged him from behind. Before any of the girls could scream in worry, Kamito calmly thrust Est through the boar's skull between the eyes, all the while never taking his eyes off the elder Fahrengart.
"That attack could have caused considerable collateral damage, what possible reasoning could you have for using an attack of that magnitude?" Kamito called to Velsaria.
"I was merely dispatching those rogue spirits. Anyone caught up in that would just be unlucky." Velsaria responded coldly.
"Does the welfare of the people you have sworn to protect mean nothing to you?". Kamito asked angrily.
"This world favors the strong, if they are too weak to fend for themselves, then they are nothing more than fodder." Velsaria sneered.
"You are not worthy to call yourself a knight. You have lost the honor that you used to have, I am disappointed." Kamito spat before turning his back to the fuming blonde.
Blinded by anger, Velsaria charged a cannon and fired at Kamito's back.
Kamito turned and held out his left hand. "Bakudo 8: Seki!" A small blue shield appeared next to his hand and blocked the blast and reflected it back at Velsaria. She barely avoided the reflected shot and glared menacingly at Kamito.
"To attack someone's back, you truly have fallen far, Silent Fortress. The you of three years ago would never have stooped to such tactics. I will open your eyes to the true path of a knight, even if I have to use force to do it." Kamito stated resolutely.
"Big words for a small man. I will show you that strength is the only truth in this world."
"Let's make things interesting; if I win, you admit your mistakes and join my blade dance team." Kamito smirked.
"Very well, but when I win, you must admit that you are a fraud and leave the academy forever." Velsaria challenged.
"You sound rather confident, Velsaria." Kamito responded. "I accept, we will settle this in Astral Zero." Velsaria's elemental armor glowed brightly before fading away. She appeared to float gracefully to the ground in a glowing sphere of energy.
A silence fell over the plaza, the only sound was the wings rustling Velsaria's white cape as Kamito and Velsaria stared each other down, both sizing up the other. Suddenly the silence was broken as the Adamantine deer regained its feet. In a flash, both Kamito and Velsaria appeared on the opposite side of the spirit, swords held in a post strike position.
Velsaria smirked as the deer's head fell off from a clean strike, but quickly turned into a scowl when the rest of the body crumbled to pieces from multiple strong blows. Turning on her heel, Velsaria walked indignantly towards the Astral gate to await their duel.
Kamito turned to follow, but was stopped by Ellis and Claire, who was supporting Rinslet and her broken leg. "Kamito…". Ellis started.
"Don't worry, I'll bring your sister back to you." Kamito interrupted her.
"But…" She tried again.
"I'll be fine.". He assured her. She looked like she was going to try and say something else, but just nodded her thanks.
"I'm sorry Kamito, but it appears I won't be able to be on your team after all." Rinslet said sadly.
"I understand. You did good, Rinslet. Go rest and recover. Claire, get Fianna to see what she can do." Kamito instructed.
"Right. Can you defeat her?" Claire asked concerned. She knew that he was the Demon King, but but also knew that he had most of his powers sealed to keep his true identity concealed. She had no doubt that unsealed he could wipe the floor with her, but would he be able to do it sealed as he was?
Kamito allowed himself to smirk confidently. "I think I'll manage."
"You better win, I'm depending on you to get me to the blade dance." Claire retorted as she led Rinslet to the hospital.
"Lady Rinslet!". Carol cried out as she broke through the crowd that had gathered around the plaza. She rushed to her master's side and took some of the strain of Claire. Ellis was directing the knights that were arriving to crowd control and assisting the wounded.
Kamito left the plaza to head to the Astral gate. He resisted the urge to groan and roll his eyes when he saw Greyworth standing near the gate.
"So brat, care to tell me where you think you are going?" The headmistress inquired.
"I have some business to take care of." He answered vaguely.
"This 'business' you speak of wouldn't involve a certain former captain of the knights, now would it?" Greyworth asked feigning ignorance.
"What do you want, old woman?"
"A little respect would be nice." Greyworth answered quickly. "It would be such a shame if this gate suddenly stopped working while people were on the other side."
"That would be little more than an inconvenience, what with my alternative modes of transportation. I think my companion would be more than a little put out of that were to happen though." Kamito shrugged.
"You're no fun." Greyworth pouted before turning serious. "Velsaria is in possession of a very powerful cursed seal, one that is killing her. I'm about to go have a nice little chat with a former apprentice of mine."
At a small camp deep in the spirit forest a certain Elfim felt a chill of dread creep up her spine. "I think it's time to go. Looks like I overstayed my welcome." Vivian Melosa said as she started to quickly break down her camp.
Kamito stepped into the sacred circle that marked the gate to Astral Zero and was teleported to the spirit realm. Closing his eyes, he quickly found Velsaria's location. Est regained her human form and looked up at Kamito.
"Kamito, what will you do?" Est asked in her normal monotone.
"We need to free her from the cursed seal. How are you holding up?" Kamito asked, concerned for more than one reason.
"I am fine Kamito. I am your sword, my place is fighting alongside you." Est intoned.
"Thank you Est, now let's get going, wouldn't want to keep her waiting, now would we?" Kamito smirked lightly.
Velsaria was irritated, and growing more so the longer she waited. 'Who the hell does he think he is? He should have to wait on me, not the other way around!'
Kamito emerged from the treeline into a large clearing where he spotted Velsaria standing and glaring daggers at him. Shrugging, Kamito walked casually with his hands in his pockets and Est to his right side. By the time Kamito was standing in front of Velsaria, she was positively fuming. Kamito inwardly smirked at her disposition.
Not wasting and time, Velsaria called forth her waffe, Dreadnought. Rising into the air in a golden sphere of energy, Velsaria was soon encased in her flying armor. Strange black markings spread across the armor. "Call forth you waffe!" Velsaria demanded. Kamito just ignored her and turned his back to her. "You coward! Fight me!" Still Kamito showed no inclination to fight. "AAAHHH! Fine, if you won't fight, then I will just crush you!" Velsaria launched a barrage from her many cannons. When the smoke cleared, kamito was nowhere to be seen. "Haha, I did it! Hahaha! I got him!" Velsaria started laughing madly as the dark markings spread out covering the entirety of her armor.
"Got who?" A voice asked behind her.
"Gyah! B-but how?" Velsaria turned her head to see Kamito sitting calmly on her shoulder holding Est in her sword form.
Kamito leapt from his perch and took up a stance that he had not used in three years. "Est, you can take the form of any sword, right?" Kamito asked through their mental link.
"Yes, that is correct." Est responded.
Kamito grinned deviously. "Good, here is what I would like you to do." Kamito shifted Est to his left hand as she seemed to flicker between her normal form and the appearance of Restia's waffe, the Vorpal Sword.
"That stance….those eyes...no, it can't be!" Velsaria's eyes glowed red and a black fog like miazma spread out from her body resembling dark tentacles as the curse seal activated. Throwing her head back, the now possessed Velsaria screamed. "Aaahhh! Ren Ashbell!"
Kamito's eyes narrowed when he saw the seal activate. 'Of course she just had to get it on her heart.' Kamito resisted the urge to groan. "Est, we need to end this quickly, but also carefully."
"Yes Kamito, I understand.'. Est replied.
A barrage of blasts came from Velsaria's cannons, following Kamito as he nimbly avoided the multitude of wild shots. 'Look at me, Ren Ashbell! Notice me, notice how much stronger I've become! I want you to recognize me!' Thought Velsaria maniacally.
Kamito thought he finally had her attack pattern figured out. Kamito ran for an outcropping of roas. Even in her crazed state of mind, Velsaria knew what he was about to do. It was the same move as three years ago. Anticipating his trajectory, she elevated all her cannons to a point in the air where he should hit the apex of his jump. To her shock, Kamito did not leap high into the air as she expected, but instead launched himself straight at her, well below her guns.
Est's blade shone brightly as it slipped easily through Dreadnought's thick armor. Kamito's face ended up just inches from Velsaria's. She looked into his dark eyes, but didn't see anger, or condemnation, or even pity. All she could see reflected in his eyes was concern. Why would he be concerned about her? Pain suddenly shot through her body as the darkness in the cursed seal resisted the light from Kamito's waffe.
Kamito also felt a stinging sensation in his right hand, from Est's seal. Closing his eyes, he could see Est in her human form attempting to absorb a mass of darkness. He could tell she was struggling, so he approached her and placed his hands on her bare shoulders. Her hair looked as though it had turned to crystal and there were splotches of crystal forming on her skin.
"Est! What's happening?". Kamito asked deeply concerned.
"I'm sorry Kamito, I wasn't strong enough. I'm at my absorption limit." Est said, a tear running down her cheek.
"But why is this happening?" He asked insistently.
"My ability is not to destroy curses, but to transfer them; either to myself or to my contractor. That is how my previous master died, I did not know that I was slowing killing her with every battle, but she knew. She knew but she never held it against me. I can't allow that to happen again, not to you." Est was close to breaking down.
"Est, remember who I am. I am the Demon King, my very existence is a curse. Your previous master was the Sacred Queen, a holy being. Please Est, trust in me and allow me to share in your burden.". Kamito stated turning Est to face him. He lifted her chin and looked into her large eyes and placed his lips to hers and kissed her passionately. He allowed his divine power to flow into her and could feel a burning sensation within himself as she passed the darkness of the curses she had absorbed pass onto him. They both started flowing brightly and suddenly the darkness from Velsaria's cursed seal vanished.
Back in the spirit world of Astral Zero, anyone watching would have been temporarily blinded by the flash of divine power given of by Est as she removed the cursed seal. When the light dimmed, both Velsaria and Kamito were laying on the ground seemingly unconscious. Kamito was the first to stir, rubbing his head and groaning from the mother of all headaches. He could still feel a burning sensation within himself, but it was slowly fading. Est was in her base sword form that she normally used for resting.
"Est, are you alright?" Kamito asked concerned. She did not respond, but he could feel through their connection that she was just exhausted. Her presence actually felt stronger than it had before, more pure.
Velsaria slowly sat up from her position on the ground. She jerked upright when she remembered what happened. Focusing inward, she could no longer feel the cursed seal on her heart. "Why?"
"Because you have someone important that is worried about you. She really wants her sister back." Kamito said standing up. He offered her a hand up.
"I cannot go back. I have committed too many wrongs, now I must atone for my actions." Velsaria said wistfully. "Please take care of my sister for me."
"So, you are just going to run away? That doesn't sound like the Velsaria that I met three years ago." Kamito stated.
"But you acted like I was beneath your notice back then. The way you finished me off so easily." Velsaria said looking away.
"It was because I acknowledged your strength back then that I did not hold back. I recognized that you had a strong sense of honor and strength of character. Unfortunately I had more pressing matters on my mind to tend to." Kamito admitted.
"All this time…...So, what is going to happen to me now?" She asked.
"We'll go talk with the Headmistress, and as long as you are willing to join my team, I am sure we can work through this." Kamito explained.
Velsaria chuckled lightly. "Well, that was the agreement, wasn't it? Fine, I pledge my sword to your cause."
"You also owe your sister an apology if I'm not mistaken." Kamito added.
"True, I have said some regrettable things. I can only hope that she will forgive me." Velsaria looked up at the Astral Zero sky.
"She loves you too much not to." Kamito smirked.
"I guess you're right." Velsaria accepted his outstretched hand and stood up.
"Let get back. We'll meet tomorrow morning at Greyworth's office to make this official." With that they returned to the physical world and went their separate ways.
Kamito saw Iseria had returned when he arrived back at the dorms. She was waiting for him at the dining room table sipping on a cup of tea when he walked through the door. "Welcome back, Kamito."
"I'm back." Kamito smiled. "So, were you able to take care of your duties?"
"Yes, I had to make a few brief appearances for appearance sake, but I was also able to learn a few things of interest. The otherworldly Darkness seems to gathering forces in several locations." Iseria informed him.
"We can inform Greyworth in the morning, for now, let's get some sleep." Kamito said stretching and stifling a yawn. They entered the bedroom where Kamito gently placed Est on the soft settee at the end of the bed. Looking up, he saw Iseria unzipping her dress.
Giving Kamito a sultry smile, Iseria allowed her dress to drop to the floor. "Kamito, I still haven't given you your Valentia chocolate."
You should know how much I enjoy cliffhangers by now. The reason I had Kamito act like he did during his fight with Velsaria was he was using a tactic used by Mushashi Miyamoto in a duel against Seijūrō Yoshioka. He wanted her off balance and to overreact so the cursed seal would be more likely to activate so he could see where it was located. Next chapter is going to be quite steamy. I will have my first ever published lemon next chapter. See y'all next time.