Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume9 Prologue

===Part 1===
—The night before the decisive battle.

Immediately following the moment when the style of match finals was announced at the grand shrine of «Ragna Ys».

Under the cover of the night, one small flying boat landed in the middle of a forest.

The ship’s nationality was cleverly disguised, but it was actually Alphas Empire’s high speed smuggling boat, loaded with a military spirit.

“…You’re finally here.”

There was a small sanctuary built within the forest.

At the front of the door, Lily Flame had been waiting for the boat.

From the entrance of the boat that landed without a sound, a group of priest, wearing jet-black robes alighted.

There were twenty of them. All of them had covered their faces with black cloths, but it could be easily inferred that they were trained battle technician from their quick movements.

They were from the Demon King religious organization’s secret organization—«Snake».

“—You sure took your time. I got tired of waiting.”

The one, who turned towards them and voiced out, was—a small girl, with dark gray hair.

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Muir Alenstarl. She was the same as Lily Flame, an orphan of the «Instructional School».

Opposite to that lovely appearance of hers, she was a spirit contractor, who possessed dreadful unusual power.

“It’s because you wastefully used the military spirits without even thinking. By right, «Colossus» and «Garuda» should be used in the finals, and yet—“

While Muir glared sideways, Lily sighed lightly.

Truthfully, the negotiation with the Empire that was involved in the supplying of military spirit was on the verge of a breakdown until yesterday.

If «Team Inferno» didn’t have an overwhelming victory in the «Tempest» recently, they probably wouldn’t be able to receive the support of a new military spirit.

—At this moment, an elderly monk stepped forward out from the group of black robed people, and handed over a crafted box with delicate ornament added onto it to Muir.

“Be pleased. Our founder has bestowed the strongest military spirit to the likes of you.”

“Is it alright if we check the inside?”

“It’s fine.”

The elder nodded to Lily’s affirmation.

“The strongest military spirit—Huh? I wonder if this one would be useable?”

Muir casually opened the crafted box.

Stored in the box was—a dully shining silver bracelet.

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From an outsider’s perspective, it looked like some mediocre bracelet. However, the truth was that almost of all of the many legend-class magic tools are of simple shape without exquisite ornaments.

(It’s made of materials of highly pure mithril?—)

The words engraved on its surface were High Ancient which was lost nowadays.

Lily squinted her red eyes characteristic of the Elfim race and read out the name carved over there.

“…«Valaraukar»!? Don’t tell me, that demon ruling over flames of ruins—“

A shiver ran down her spine. That was true name of the devil that destroyed countless number of cities and countries in the far ancient times—the period of the «Spirit War».

(—The «Snake» of the Empire actually prepared such a spirit.)

It had the highest ranking battle strength for a military spirit possessed by the state.

Even she, who was usually composed, couldn’t conceal her surprise as expected.

However, like she wasn’t concerned about Lily’s trembling,

“It’s pretty boorish and isn’t something of Onii-sama’s liking.”

Muir put the bracelet onto her slender arm and spoke out her dissatisfaction.

It was the highest ranking tactic-class military spirit that could destroy a city singlehandedly.

However, to her, it was only one of her mere tools.

Driving spirits mad and exhausting their very existence, it was a weird power—«Jester’s Vice».

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That was what it meant to a «monster» born with such a curse-like superpower.

Then.

“—You girls don’t have to right to have an opinion. Assassination dolls of «Instructional School».”

A ghastly voice could be heard from somewhere.

“«Team Inferno» is no more than the founder’s pawn. Pawns should just play their assigned roles.”

From the darkness of the night, appearing like a mist was—

With blue hair that gave the impression of a snake’s scale, it was a girl wearing a lascivious clothing of a foreign nation’s custom.

The moment she showed up, the «Snakes» prostrated themselves all at once.

“Sjora Kahn! Where have you been—“

Lily swallowed her words of complain just before saying them out.

She had already grasped that this witch had kidnapped Fianna Rey Ordesia by her own judgement in the midst of «Tempest».

That was a clear act of disloyalty to «Cardinal», Lily’s master.

However—

(I knew that that girl wasn’t someone that could be trusted from the beginning.)

The «Snake» of the Empire was, after all, only related to an alliance formed out of their interest.

It was easy to reproach her of an act of treachery at this place, but it wasn’t a good plan to aggravate the relations with the Empire.

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(…I’ll definitely make you atone for that.)

Lily stopped glaring at the witch silently, but in the next moment.

“Hey, are you ordering Muir? Despite that you’re a small fry beaten by Onii-sama.”

“Muir!?”

She subconsciously gulped that those provoking words coming from Muir’s mouth.

Then, the smiling composure disappeared from Sjora Kan’s face.

“…What… was that?”

Her snake-like red pupils was filled with never-ending hatred, and turned towards Muir.

“Oh, do you want to do it here? I’m quite alright for it, you know?”

Muir expressed a fearless smile.

“Onee-chan, if you fought with me, you’ll die, you know?”

“Ug…”

Sjora’s cheeks slightly twitched.

Muir Alenstarl’s power as a spirit contractor was out of the norm. Even the witch of the Empire had considerable power, but concerning genuine battle skills, she wouldn’t even rival the graduates of «Instructional School».

Muir had already put on the bracelet of «Valaraukar». If she released the military spirit here, the forest vicinity would vanish in an instant. 

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“Muir, stop it!”

Lily desperately shouted.

“What, Lily, are you ordering Muir?”

“If you cause an uproar here, you might lose the right to participant the finals.”

“…”

Then, Muir puffed her cheeks sullenly.

“…I can’t help it then. I would hate it to be unable to play with Onii-sama at the finals.”

Reluctantly, she put her arms down.

Lily breathed a sigh of relief.

Muir turned around as if she lost interest in Sjora.

“Now that we’ve taken the toy, we have no use for such a boring place. Let’s go, Lily. We’re going to miss the screening of the final of «The Three Cat Knights».

“W-Wait up, Muir…”

Lily hurriedly chased after Muir who ran into the darkness.

===Part 2===
While she glared at the darkness the two ran into—

“—Those lowly assassins…”

The Empire’s witch Sjora Kan intensely bit down on her molars.

Originally, «Team Inferno» was nothing more than a mercenary that the Empire hired. In spite of that, that girl claiming to be Ren Ashbell was taking action on her own accord.

Even that was annoying but—

(… That girl interfered with my plan.)

She was filled with rage that she could feel her insides boiling.

The one, who released the «Darkness Spirit Princess» candidate—Fianna Ray Ordesia—Sjora captured, was without a doubt her.

If she didn’t release the Ordesia princess at that time, she wouldn’t have suffered such an unsightly defeat.

“…I’ll definitely not let this pass. That girl, those conceited brats from «Instructional School», the girls in «Team Scarlet», and Kazehaya Kamito—Everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone will be killed by my very hands.”

Her charming red lips quivered in hatred. Her defeat at Pandemoium was etched as a humiliation that couldn’t be erased into Sjora’s memories.

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“Princess—“

The elder of «Snake» opened his mouth as he stayed prostrated on the ground.

“What is it?”

“It’s regarding your request, but we are certainly in possession of it.”

“Ah, is that it?”

At that moment, Sjora made a satisfied-looking smile on her face.

That’s right, that was her goal for appearing here.

“Is now here, right? Show it to me.”

“Ye—“

The elder nodded, and respectfully held up a small ring taken from the sleeves of his robe.

“Fufu, this is…”

Putting the ring on her right ring finger, the witch smiled in satisfaction.

Sealed in the ring was a spirit that would form a pair with the Demon « Baldanders».

“One that snatch away everything—« Bandersnatch». With this, I’ll…”

Sjora Kan was gazing at the ring with an expression in ecstasy,

“—And, one more thing. There’s a message for you.”

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The «Snake» elder continued with a flat tone.

“A message?”

“Yes—from our founder.”

“The founder!?”

Sjora’s cheek shone in rose-color.

The founder of «Snake» to grant her with words was something that didn’t happen these few years.

“R-Really—no, so, what did the founder say?”

“Yes—“

The elder shortly nodded at the witch, who was hurriedly pressing on,

“'''Useless doll, I’ll be doing it from now onwards'''—he said.”

“…Eh?”

Without the time to understand the meaning of those words—

All twenty members of «Snake» there unsheathed their blades at the same time.

In an instant, the group of black robes rushed in. Silver flashes occurred in the darkness of the night, and twenty blades pierced the whole body of the witch.

“…Ha… You guys, what—!”

“All is within your plans. Princess as one who has inherited royal blood, you shall now be the new vessel to incarnate the founder.”

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“…Ha, I got deceived… ug…”

“All is as the founder guides us.”

The group that pierced the witch’s whole body sung the incantation in spirit language.

From the edges of the blades, violent flashes of lightning gushed out and mowed down the surrounding trees.

That sight seemed to be a ritual to summon an even stronger spirit.

“…Ah… Founder-sa…ma…”

The witch gaspingly reached her hand out to the sky—

Her body suddenly made a pulsing motion.

Then—

“Ku, ha…haha…kuhahahahaha!”

Tearing up the silent, the loud laughter resounded in the stillness of the night.

“—As expected of the descendant of the royalty, I’ve nothing to criticize about its disposition as a vessel!”

“Founder-sama, that body is a temporary vessel. Don’t forget that.”

“I don’t need you to tell me that. It’s a little narrow, but I’ll endure till I obtain the proper body.”

He glanced at the group prostrating with a bored-look,

“The one to have the last laugh is me.—Hey, '''the other devil king'''.”

'''That''' that had Sjora’s appearance wickedly distorted her lips.