This is a bit shorter than normal so I could post this with the other chapter. Next chapter will be back to the normal length.
The ballroom looked exactly as it did three years ago as Kamito entered with Est on his arm. He shuddered slightly at the memories of having to dance with all the eligible and married men during his time as Ren Ashbell. He knew that this time would be different, but that didn't help matters.
"Announcing Kazehaya Kamito, representative of Areishia Spirit Academy!" The attendant at the door announced. Kamito was irritated that he did not announce Est, but refrained from making a scene. He led Est into the ballroom and located an empty table for them to use. Looking around, he did not see any of the other members of his team yet. Leaving Est at the table he made his way to the buffet table and collected a couple of drinks. While at the table, Kamito felt a familiar energy approach from behind.
"Hello, Kazehaya Kamito. You are looking well." A young female voice greeted him. Turning around, Kamito saw a young woman with white hair and bright blue eyes in a cheongsam style dress. It was red with a white tiger outline on each side.
"It's been a while, Shao Fu. It's been four years now, hasn't it?" Kamito returned the greeting.
"Yes, about that I'd say. That suit fits you well, although you were cute in that maid's dress as well." Shao teased.
"Well that dress suits you much better than that delivery boy's dirty clothes." Kamito replied. He had met Shao Fu while working for Greyworth as a bodyguard. Shao had posed as a delivery boy to make an attempt on Greyworth's life, but was battled to a stalemate by Kamito. She is one of the few who knew of his identity as Ren Ashbell. She was so impressed by his abilities that she agreed to withdraw, as long as he agreed to fight her again in the future. They had maintained occasional contact over the years and would share information that they thought could be of use to the other.
Shao laughed. "I am looking forward to battling with you again. I hope you do not disappoint me."
"Don't worry, I'll give you a fight you will never forget." Kamito promised with a smile.
"Until then may your days be fruitful and your nights restful." Shao bowed before turning to leave.
"And your's as well." Kamito returned the bow.
Taking the drinks, Kamito returned to the table. Est was sitting there Ellis and Velsaria. Evidently he had missed their introductions while he was talking with Shao. Ellis was wearing a light pink dress with frills around her arms. Her hair was in a braid that fell over her right shoulder. Velsaria was dressed in a dark blue backless gown, her bangs braided around the sides of her head leading to a braid down her back.
"Ellis, you look very good this evening. And Velsaria, that dress suits you perfectly." Kamito complimented the girls who blushed slightly at the attention. Est huffed and turned away from Kamito. Kamito shook his head at the jealous display. "Here's your drink, Est." Kamito set her drink on the table. Being a gentleman, Kamito took the Fahrengart sisters' drink requests and returned with them shortly thereafter.
The orchestra started to play a new song and Ellis tugged lightly on Kamito's sleeve. "Umm...Kamito?" She asked blushing. "Wo-would you share a dance with me?"
Kamito considered it for a moment, then nodded. "I don't see why not, but I only know basic steps." Kamito stood and held his hand out for Ellis who took it shyly. Reaching the dance floor, kamito placed one hand on her hip and held her other hand as they began to dance to the music. Kamito heard the doorman announce several other blade dance participants and other notable guests when he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was a woman wearing a sparkling emerald green gown and a red mask framed by lustrous black hair that fell down past the small of her back.
"May I cut in?" The masked woman asked. The song had just ended, but Ellis didn't want to leave Kamito alone with this woman.
"Good evening, Ren Ashbell." Kamito said. "It's alright, Ellis. Nothing will happen here with so many people around." "Est, please be patient with me. I promise I will save a dance for you, but I need to talk to someone right now." Kamito communicated with Est mentally. He could feel her dissatisfaction through their link and shuddered at what it will likely cost him.
After Ellis reluctantly left, Kamito started to dance with the Ren Ashbell imposter. "Nice to see you again, Calamity Queen." Kamito smirked.
"Likewise, Demon King." Rubia countered with her own smirk. Her smirk quickly faded. "I heard about your spirit. This is why you need to fully awaken your powers, to defeat the Otherworldly Darkness." Rubia said in a low tone.
"How did you hear about that?" Kamito asked somewhat suspicious. He knew that the Darkness's representative was a part of Team Inferno, but he was unsure who it was. He was certain it was not Muir or Lily, but that still left Rubia, Sjora, and their unnamed teammate as possibilities.
"Restia told me. She may not be by your side currently, but she is still linked to you." Rubia explained.
Just then came the announcement for the arrival of Claire Rouge. She walked in wearing a red gown that hugged her curves with her hair up in her traditional twin tail style. Rubia clenched her fist when she started to hear the whispers about her being the sister of the Calamity Queen, and how she should not be allowed to compete. How it was shameful for her to be allowed to roam free and she should be locked away with the rest of the Elsteins.
One young man approached Claire while looking back and smirking at his entourage, who was just behind him. "Good evening, my beauty. Would you please give me the honor of this dance?" He said in a haughty tone. The way he kept looking back to his peers made it clear he was more interested in her because her relation to the Calamity Queen and an actual interest in who she was as an individual.
Claire gave him a distasteful look and declined. He chuckled and looked back to his group of followers again before reaching for her hand. "Please don't be so hasty. Please allow me to apologise by kissing your hand." Claire looked mortified, she struggled to get away, but the young man's grip was too strong.
Rubia was just about to rush to her sister's side when a hand gripped her shoulder. "Not here. All you will do is expose yourself and possibly endanger your sister. She is my teammate, I'll handle this." Kamito stated with a frown. Rubia nodded and seemed to calm down, but Kamito could still see flames of rage in her eyes. Kamito was just about to intervene when another beat him to it.
A slender hand in a white glove slapped the young man hard on the cheek. "As a noble from a country being represented in the blade dance, you should be well aware of the symbolism involved in a spirit pact. Such an action is most disgraceful." Fianna fumed, taking a place between Claire and the young noble. All attention in the ballroom was focused in their direction. It took a moment, but the man realized who was in front of him.
"You wench. My family paid your family handsomely for you. You were supposed to be delivered to me two years ago, but you vanished. Well, I guess late is better than never." He sneered, roughly grabbing her wrist.
"Let go of me. I don't belong to you or anyone." Fianna struggled to break free.
"I'll teach you to respect me." The prince raised his hand to strike her and Fianna closed her eyes, but the strike never came. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the man's fist was caught in Kamito's grip.
"You will not lay a finger on her or any other woman." Kamito growled deeply. The young man wrenched his hand free and turned furiously towards Kamito. "Do you know who I am? I am the crowned Prince of Balstan. Grabbing me in such a manner is a capital offence. I challenge you to a duel." The Prince spat, drawing a sword from his side.
Est rushed up to Kamito's side and looked up at him, ready to serve as his sword. Kamito looked at her determined face and nodded. Placing his hand on the top of her head, Kamito called out. "Dispassionate Queen of Steel, the sacred sword that destroys evil, now form my sword!"
The Prince looked on flabbergasted as Est vanished in spirit particles only to reform into a longsword. "Y-you're an elementalist?" He asked in disbelief. The Prince quickly recollected himself. "No matter, I will defeat you and then claim what is my right."
Kamito stared at the arrogant prince. "You will not lay a finger on any member of my team. First you disrespected Claire, then you attempted to strike Fianna. The only reason you are not dead yet is my team would be disqualified from the blade dance. But now you have challenged me to a duel, and I have to admit, I am going to enjoy this more than I should."
"You think I'm scared of you? Hah! You are probably just as pampered as those maidens you surround yourself with. You probably can't even fight without your spirit. Even now you are too scared to fight me as a man, without your precious spirit giving you strength." The Prince sneered.
"Est, please sit this one out. I promise to make it up to you later, but this prick needs to learn just how big of a mistake he just made."
"Yes Kamito." Est reverted back to her human form and stepped just behind Kamito. Kamito smiled menacingly as he drew the ceremonial sabre that Greyworth had included with his suit.
"So then, where were we?"
The prince charged at Kamito and swung in a downward arc. Kamito sidestepped and allowed the blade to pass harmlessly through the space he had just occupied. The prince pivoted and brought his sword around in a horizontal slash which kamito ducked under. Growling in anger, the prince grasped his sword with both hands, swinging straight down. Kamito pivoted out of the way of the blade, a smirk firmly engraved on his face.
"Quit dodging and fight me!" The frustrated prince demanded as he thrust his sword at Kamito. Kamito struck the flat of the blade with his palm sending the prince off balance and struck the prince in the back of the legs with the flat of his blade. The prince yelped and started to swing his blade wildly hoping to get a lucky strike in. The blade was almost moving in slow motion to Kamito, who had no trouble avoiding the wild swings. Kamito stepped into the prince's guard and struck him with an open palmed slap.
The prince was seeing red. How dare this man who was so much beneath him slap him? His opponent had been making a mockery of their duel from the beginning, and now this? He would have his head mounted on a pike as a warning to all others of the consequences of making a fool of the Crown Prince of Balstan. He drew a dagger he had hidden in his coat and charged Kamito once again.
In an almost inhuman display of agility, Kamito dodged both blades and slammed the pummel of his sword into the prince's solar plexus, knocking all the air out of the prince's lungs. Before the prince could react to the first blow, Kamito followed up with a slash that severed the prince's belt, and ended with a spinning heel kick to the prince's jaw. The prince was sent flying at the same time his pants fell to his ankles, revealing his underpants to the assembled crowd.
The prince's entourage quickly rushed to his side to check on their leader, who was currently unconscious. Kamito sheathed his sword and spun on his heel, quickly leaving the ballroom. Still fuming, Kamito soon found himself in an old unkempt courtyard. Finally able to calm himself, he took notice of his surroundings. Even though the weeds were overgrown, he could see that this was once a special area. Wandering around he found a stone laden circle with several statues around the perimeter. Looking closely he could recognize the features of the figures in his earlier vision in the statues. These were the statues depicting the Elemental Lords. Holy Lord Alexandros, Water Lord Iseria Seaward, Earth Lord Lode Gear, Fire Lord Volcanus, Air Lord Belphal, and….The last statue was smashed beyond recognition and the name on the plaque was obliterated. Seeing this sent a pain through Kamito's being.
"It's a sad sight, isn't it?" A familiar voice whispered in Kamito's ear.
"Restia." Kamito sighed.
"I've missed you, Kamito." Restia slipped her arms around Kamito's shoulders and nibbled on his earlobe.
"What are you doing, Restia?" Kamito closed his eyes to try and ignore the sensations she was sending through him.
"You've been a bad boy. I was supposed to be your first." Restia teased.
"I'm sorry, Restia. You can feel my feelings for Iseria, and they will never change. Restia, I love you, but I also love Iseria, and also Est." Kamito admitted.
Restia left a trail of kisses along Kamito's shoulder and down his arm as she moved to his front. Restia could feel more than one set of eyes on her and Kamito. One set she knew belonged to his newest contract spirit, Est. The other set she was not certain about. 'As long as they know their place and keep their distance, I have no problem with them watching.' Restia thought mischievously.
Est had followed Kamito out of the ballroom and had watched as he wandered the courtyard. She was just about to approach him when she felt Restia's presence. She felt her heart flutter a bit when she heard Kamito tell Restia that he loved her. She would prefer to have him all to herself, but knew that would never happen, so she was content to share his love with whomever he wanted to allow near him.
The other set of eyes watching Kamito with Restia were edged with a smoky red hue. "Show me the true measure of a man." Leonora Lancaster muttered. She had witnessed the fight in the ballroom and applauded his standing up for his team member, but still kept all the rumors she had heard about him in the back of her mind.
Kamito groaned lightly in pleasure with what Restia was doing to him. She had eased him to a sitting position on the edge of a fountain in the center of the courtyard and had straddled his waist. She was nibbling on his earlobe while her hands roamed over his chest, slipping inside his coat, sliding it off his shoulders. "Kamito…" She whispered seductively. "I think I should punish you for not taking me first." Restia teased, grinding her hips on Kamito's crotch, eliciting a low moan from him. From her hiding spot up on a nearby terrace, Leonora's dragon blood enhanced sense of smell could pick up the scent of Reastia's arousal, and suddenly the young dragon princess was very thankful for her lack of undergarments.
With a sly smirk, Restia quickly got off Kamito's lap and smoothed her dress. "See you soon, lover boy." She turned and walked away, swaying her hips in an exaggerated manner as she left. Kamito let out a very frustrated growl as he picked up his jacket and brushed it off. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he finally noticed the other presences in the courtyard. He recognized Est, but was not familiar with the other energy signature, although he did seem to recall feeling it before while on the airship.
"I'm heading back to the room, Est." Kamito said aloud. Est was by his side by the time he reached the doorway. Kamito could tell she had overheard the conversation by the look in her eyes, her face was still unexpressive. He held his hand out and Est took it and together they walked back to their room.
Here is the Ballroom scene. Sorry if I didn't make the fight with the prince longer. Thought I would get this out quickly to make up for taking so long to get the other chapter out. Next chapter will be the Library and around town leading up to the start of the Blade Dance.