Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume10 Prologue

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Prologue

Part 1

—That was the worst fated encounter.

Under the pale moonlight, a scarlet mask had fallen and made a solid sound.

Her glamorous black hair blazed up like flames, turning burning-rouge.

“Rubia-sama…”

Fianna gulped and muttered her name.

That was the name of the 2-year-senior princess maiden, who she had most respected and admired before.

«Fire Queen»—Rubia Elstein.

Her real face beneath the mask appeared to be mostly unchanged from what she remembered in the past.

It was the same as that day when she parted with Fianna at the «Divine Ritual Institute’s» grand shrine that was blazing up in flames.

Her ruby eyes were not looking at Fianna.

Her line of sight was directly pointing at Claire, who was sitting down behind Fianna.

“U….g…”

Fianna turned around in surprise at that delicate groan.

With her back leaning on the stone wall, Claire had opened her ruby-coloured eyes.

“Claire, no—!“

“Nee…sama…?”

Claire muttered with a dazed expression.

“—Now, let’s end everything.”

Rubia Elstein gently opened her mouth.

“—It's time for the awakening of the demon king.”

Part 2

“T-This can’t be true, right…?”

Claire muttered with a quivering voice.

“…After all, Nee-sama... wouldn’t do such….”

“The last time we met was the «Spirit Festival» day held in the capital.”

“…N-No way… This can’t be it…. This can’t be it!”

As if Claire was denying the reality before her eyes, she violently shook her head.

“You’re not Nee-sama. You’re just mimicking her appearance and trying to confuse me—“

Her clear ruby pupils glared at Rubia before her eyes.

“Stop the worthless farce, just reveal your true self, Witch of Theocracy!”

In that instant, a crimson flame was produced on Claire’s right hand.

Placing her hand on the wall, she stood up and released her elemental waffe.

While she wasn’t left with sufficient divine power or stamina, just the strength of her will had moved her.

(She thinks that Rubia-sama is the appearance that Sjora Kahn has transformed into.)

Fianna muttered in her heart.

Before, Sjora Kahn had shown herself using the power of demon spirit «Baldanders» and freely changing her appearance. She came to bring unrest to Claire’s heart by taking Rubia’s appearance. –That was the impression Claire had, and it wasn’t unreasonable.

(Preferably, it’ll good if she continues this misunderstanding but…)

While she bit her thumbnail, she ended up unintentionally wanting to rely on such convenient thinking.

(…If Claire knew the truth, her heart will surely be unable to bear it.)

On the other side of her strong heart and unyielding spirit, she was very delicate girl. It wasn’t like she had socialized with her for a long time like her childhood friend Rinselt, but she at least understood that.

The moment when the cruel truth was thrust before her and her heart was broken, she might end up losing the power of her spirit contract.

—Like herself, who was once called the «Lost Queen».

(I won’t let you, never…!)

Fianna scolded her shaky legs.

She had to lead Claire and escape from here.

(…But how?)

Fianna had no ways of stopping Rubia. Even her Knight Spirit «Georgios» had already been annihilated by her flames—

“Turn into cinders!”

Claire released her Flametongue, aiming at Rubia.

It was a crimson flash that cut opened the night darkness. However, Rubia didn’t even display any behavior of dodging. She directly held up her fingertip,

“Just confirm it with your eyes whether this is an imitation flame.”

Freezing even time, the absolute-zero conflagration—«Frost Blaze».

“…Those flames!?”

Claire widened her eyes.

Immediately following her words, clear sound like glassing shattering was heard—

The blazing Flametongue was erased by the blue flames Rubia released.

—Correction, it wasn’t erased.

“…The flames froze!?”

Fianna shouted in a manner like she couldn’t believe it.

That was a phenomenon that was remote from the common knowledge she learned from the «Divine Ritual Institute».

Spirit magic—which borrowed and used the power of a spirit—should be a physical phenomenon that followed the laws of nature to the upmost, no matter how bizarre that power was.

In other words, flames freezing flames—was a phenomenon that was impossible naturally.

(…That isn’t spirit magic? Then, what on earth is that pow…)

“…A-Ah…Ah…”

“…Claire?”

Upon turning behind, she saw Claire had fallen on her knees on the ground with a shocked expression.

“…Are you really… Nee-sama?”

Seeing Claire’s pale expression, Fianna understood.

That freezing flame was something that not even Sjora Kahn could imitate. Claire grasped that in an instant and was convinced.

—That she was her real sister.

“…W…hy-Why, Nee-sama…?”

Rubia Elstein didn’t not reply.

Passing by at Fianna’s side, she was approaching Claire.

Fianna couldn’t move. Her body instinctively recalled the fear from four years ago.

Her legs cramped. Her throat cramped, and she couldn’t even let out any sound.

Rubia continued walking in front of absent-minded Claire.

“Claire—“

She called her sister’s name in a surprisingly peaceful voice.

“Nee-sama…”

“Come with me. To overthrow this world ruled by mad lords.”

“What…What are you saying, Nee-sama…!”

Claire looked up at her sister and shouted.

“I’ll have you be the «Darkness Queen» that serves the demon king.”

“Serve the demon king…?”

“That’s right. It’s the reincarnated body of the «Darkness Elemental Lord» that was once sealed by the «Five Great Elemental Lords». I need a princess maiden to control it.”

“…I don’t understand… I completely don’t understand what you are saying, Nee-sama!”

“That’s all right for now. The time when you’re able to understand will come eventually.”

Rubia gently reached out her hand before Claire, who was plugging her ears.

“Claire, take my hand.”

“…N-No…No, Nee-sama…”

“Take my hand. ”

“…Ug…!”

The moment she repeated herself once more time with a strong tone.

Claire had taken her sister’s hand as she was told.

She looked at her face with somewhat unfocused pupils, and staggeringly stood up.

“Claire.”

Fianna shouted but Claire couldn’t hear her.

(…I see, she put «word of power» in her words.)

It was one type of mind manipulation that was the forte of the Elmphin species and high-ranking princess maidens.

Loading and releasing magical powers into their words, they could control the thoughts of their target.

Elementalist of the academy should have received training to resist mind manipulation but when the «word of power» of the «Queen» a top-ranking princess maiden was concerned, it wasn’t something one could resist for long.

All the more when one was in an unstable mental state.

(…So, this was what she was aiming for from the start.)

Fianna grinded her teeth in her mind.

The reason she removed her mask and revealed her identity was to bring unrest to Claire’s heart. Wavering under the violent shock, her heart was more fragile than delicate glassworks. No matter how strong willed the person was, it was possible to easily steal her will with «word of power».

“Nee…sa…ma…”

Light slowly parted from Claire’s ruby pupils.

(…I won’t let you!)

Encouraging her heart, she suppressed her fearful heart.

Fianna turned towards the direction the two of them were at and stepped forward.

Whether her movements were not noticed or that she was not significant to be concerned about, Rubia didn’t even turn around. —It was probably the latter.

(…I can’t call «Georgios» anymore.)

It barely avoided being completely annihilated, but it would take at least a day for it to recover. She was hiding a distraction «spirit crystal» in her breasts, but with that Rubia as her opponent, she didn’t think that it would have much effect.

(Something I could use as a weapon…)

She quickly moved her eyes to the top of the rubble illuminated by the blazing flames.

“…!”

—Then, that was there like it was melted into the darkness of the night.

Darkness shining in the darkness—A jet-black blade, reflecting no moonlight.

It was the darkness demon sword that Claire had been in possession for some reason.

«Vorpal Sword»—The shape of its hilt and blade was certainly but subtly different but that was without a doubt the elemental waffe that was name was the synonym to the «Strongest Blade Dancer» Ren Ashbell.

Fianna continued walking like she was drawn in, and grabbed the demon sword that was laid on the ground.

Contrary to its appearance, it was surprisingly light. On that subject, she recalled Ren Ashbell—Kamito—swinging this sword with one hand three years ago.

“You do plan on fight me with that demon sword.”

“…”

Like Fianna thought, her movements had been noticed.

With her hand kept held onto blank-looking Claire’s, she turned towards her.

“I wouldn’t know if I don’t try it, right?”

She planned on acting tough with all her might, but her voice might have turned messed up.

While she prayed that her hand holding the sword at least didn’t quiver, she took a stance with both hands on the demon sword of darkness.

Due to the fact that she had her knight spirit give her training before, only her stance looked somewhat right. At least it wasn’t like the time she remembered when she cut her finger.

(At any rate, why is there such a difference…?)

While she gripped the sword with her shaky hands, she casually thought in doubt.

When Rubia was in the «Divine Ritual Institute», she should have been an amateur like Fianna in relation to swords.

(Despite that, she had overwhelmed Kamito once with a sword…)

Was it possible to acquire such sword techniques in merely four years?

No, now wasn’t the time to be thinking about such things.

“Let go of Claire.”

Fianna discreetly opened her mouth.

“In exchange, I’ll be the «Darkness Queen». Sjora Kahn had said that I also have the disposition of the «Darkness Queen».”

“You certainly have the disposition of the «Darkness Queen».”

Rubia coldly nodded.

“The disposition required for the «Darkness Queen» is having a strong bond with the «Demon King». Although, with that meaning, it also means that there’s the possibility for the Fahrengart girl and the Laurenfrost girl and so on to be the «Darkness Queen».”

“…What do you mean by that?”

Since, it concerned the bonds with the «Demon King»—Kamito— she had no intention of losing to any of her teammates.

And then, if the «Darkness Queen» existence held the same meaning as the «Queens» serving the Five Great Elemental Lords, there should be no reason to disqualify Fianna, who was the former Queen candidate.

…She didn’t understand the reason that Rubia was particular over her sister.

“It’s simple. Claire’s latent quick-wittedness as a «Queen» surpasses mine.”

“…!?”

Fianna widened her dim-colored eyes.

(…A disposition greater that Rubia-sama, who’s famed as once in hundreds of year outstanding talent?)

It wasn’t a story she could believe out of a sudden. However, Rubia calmly continued.

“The truth is that Elstein’s contracted spirit didn’t choose me but my sister. If her original talent had matured, the one chosen to be the «Fire Queen» would be her.”

“That’s…”

Certainly, the fact that Elstein’s contracted spirit «Scarlet» chose Claire and not her sister Rubia did not agree with the theory. It wasn’t like there weren’t also personality affinity problems but spirits normally contracted princess maidens with great ability as an elementalist.

“There isn’t anyone more suitable as the «Darkness Queen».”

Rubia pulled blank-looking Claire to her chest.

Claire practically didn’t put up any resistance and had given her body to her.

“Rubia-sama!”

Fianna frantically shouted.

“Claire had always lived for the sake of meeting with you. Even participating in this «Blade Dance» was just to meet you—“

“I know that.”

“…You!”

Succumbing to her fury, Fianna stepped forth with the demon sword in her hands.

Immediately following a sword slash cutting air, her light feet were swept and she fell to the ground.

“Guu…!”

“You'll have to work on your basics before even picking a up sword.”

Rubia coldly looked down at Fianna, who had fallen.

Then, that gaze of hers turned towards the demon sword of darkness she was holding.

And—

“—Darkness spirit «Restia Ashdoll».”

She muttered, and produced that absolute-zero flame on her palm.

“…What are you planning to do?”

Fianna was in chaos.

This darkness spirit should have had an alliance relation with Rubia. Whether they had a relation like as comrades do was questionable but at least the fact that they joined forces with the goal of awaking Kamito as the «Demon King» was certain.

“Now that the awakening of the «Demon King» is drawing near, this darkness spirit is a hindrance to my plans. Therefore, I shall annihilate it here and now—“