Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance

Volume 2, 1 - Team Battle

Volume 2, Chapter 1 - Team Battle

Part 1

"U...h..."

Areishia Spirit Academy, Raven Class dormitory.

In a room, illuminated by the morning sun, Kazehaya Kamito woke up.

(Hn, If I remember correctly, there will be a team battle in the morning.)

Usually, he would enjoy a bit more time dozing off, however, today he could not do so.

He had enough of being late and getting lectured by the teacher, Freya.

Planning to fold the sheets and get up, he reached out both hands, only to—

*Funyuu*.

Feel them touch something soft.

(What is this? It's small, tender... a little cold, but feels good.)

*Funyuu*. *Funyuu*.

Half awake, he played with the mysterious soft thing within the palms of his hands, when-

"You finally woke up, Kamito."

"..."

A voice made him freeze.

A beautiful, nude girl was sitting on his chest.

Her silver hair glittered in the morning sun. Her tight bare skin was white like milk.

She was small, but had all the necessary curves. The girl's figure was ideal.

She looked at Kamito with her mysterious violet eyes, her face expressionless.

"What's the matter? You're not going to play with my breasts anymore?"

"... Owaaaaa!"

Kamito straightened flustered and pointed at the beautiful girl before him,

"Wh...Wh...What are you doing!? Or rather why are you nude?!"

"I'm not nude, I'm properly wearing knee socks."

Straddling Kamito's abdomen she raised her knees to show him.

Startled by that, mysteriously erotic, action, Kamito looked away flustered.

"No, that's worse! Because compared to nude, knee socks nude is even, err,...that!"

"Do you want me to take off my knee socks? Kamito... pervert."

While staying expressionless the beautiful silver haired girl bashfully rubbed her knees.

He did not understand why she reacted like that but, somehow, for this spirit, showing her bare feet seemed more embarrassing.

Yes. This snow fairy like beautiful girl was not human.

She was the sword spirit Est.

'She was an extremely powerful sealed spirit that made a spirit contract with Kamito a few days ago.

But in her current condition, she could not exhibit even around a tenth of her original strength.

Within his sub consciousness, Kamito was rejecting the spirit contract with her and as a result, she became unable to return to Astral Zero where her real form was.

"A...Anyway, move aside Est!"

"Roger, Kamito."

Although Est seemed a little dissatisfied, she obediently moved.

She was squirming on the sheet....The sensation of her soft thighs was bad for his heart.

While scratching his bed hair in relief, Kamito finally got up and at that moment...

*Chuu*.

"...!?"

It was a perfect surprise attack.

Despite that noticing that he was kissed, it lasted several seconds.

The sensation of her soft lips gently separating turned his cheeks red hot.

"You... Wh...What are you doing all of a sudden?!"

"A wake up kiss, Kamito."

Est answered expressionlessly.

"Why do such—"

"Because it's unfair you only kissed Claire. Is it that you don't want to do it with me?"

Hearing Est's blaming tone, Kamito softened his voice.

"You s...saw, didn't you?...That."

"Yes. Because, at that moment, I was also there."

"...Ah, come to think of it, that is right."

Kamito immediately recalled that moment and sighed heavily.

A week ago, that time when he fought the frenzied militarized spirit in Academy Town.

Est was certainly there— in the form of a sword of his elemental waffe.

It seemed that the moment, when Claire kissed the exhausted, due to the loss of energy, boy to wake him up, was being observed.

It was certain that it awakened him in one shot, however... now that he thought about it, it was also extremely embarrassing.

"I heard that a kiss is an official ritual of a spirit contract. In that case, Est too."

Est gently brushed her silver hair hanging by her cheeks.

She closed her eyes, pouted slightly pitifully her cherry-colored lips and slowly brought her face near him.

"So, why did it turn out like this?"

"It's only natural and it’s within my rights. After all, I'm Kamito's contracted spirit."

"...!"

Although she was an extremely strong sealed spirit, whose power, was at the moment concealed, Est's current appearance was that of an ordinary cute girl.

After being approached like this, Kamito thought that it couldn't be helped that his heart was beating faster.

"He...Hey, Est..."

"Please close your eyes, master."

Est brought her face closer in one motion. Their noses were almost touching now and he could smell her sweat scent and feel the tickle of her breath.

Just before her rose bud like lips were about to touch his...

"Kamito, there's a team battle this morning, so be sure to make breakfast more luxurious than—"

"...!"

*Bam!* The bathroom door was slammed opened and there—

"Wh...Wh...Wh...Wh..."

A beautiful red-haired girl stood. Her ruby-colored eyes were wide open as she took in the scene before her.

The girl’s body was wrapped in a bath towel which hugged her gentle curves tightly.

There was white steam rising from her, slightly cherry blossom colored after being washed, skin.

Her breasts were definitely of a child's size, but these small mounds were also plenty charming.

From the tips of her soaking wet red hair, drops of water were falling onto the floor.

On the bed, before her was nude... no, knee sock nude Est.

That is when time froze.

"Claire... Y...You're mistaken, this is...!"

It was that moment when the flustered boy stood up and tried to explain.

*Gogogogogogo...!*

"Wh...What are you doing, you perverted sex maniac——!"

"Guoo!"

A leather whip, used for training animals, came flying all of a sudden and landed a clean hit on his chin.

Kamito wrapped the bed sheets around his body as he fell to the floor.

"I...I've misjudged you, you licentious brute, beast!"

While holding onto the bath towel with one hand, the girl approached briskly the boy, squirming on the floor, and forcefully trampled on his head with the heel of her bare foot.

Claire Rouge.

She was his classmate and, by some twist of fate, Kamito was tied to her by a master-servant contract.

At least she had a ridiculously cute face and was a beautiful girl. She had however... an extremely brutal personality.

"Wh...What-What were you doing? Hey, just now, what were you doing with that sword spirit?"

*Pishii, pishii, pishiii!*

"Hey, wait, stop... guoo!"

It was a tempest of whips that relentlessly swung downwards. Her bristled red hair was just like blazing flames.

And during this constant onslaught of devastating whip blows...

Kamito noticed something. He had wound up noticing something.

"Wa...Wait...Claire, isn't that bad?"

And then, as he had wound up noticing it, he had to voice it out. For her own sake.

By the way, when it was about things like this, Kamito turned into a strangely honest and blunt person.

"...? What?"

Her clear ruby colored pupils sternly looked down on Kamito.

"Erm, this angle... is err, very revealing."

"Eh?"

Claire blinked as she had her foot on Kamito's head.

That is when she finally realized it.

Kamito lay on the floor, with her foot on his head, and through the opening of her towel he could see her exposed tight.

"...!"

Claire's whole body felt hot from embarrassment.

She fixed her bath towel in a fluster and her shoulders slightly trembled.

"Y...Y...You, you!"

*Gogogogogogogogogo...!*

"Wa...Wait, this is a misunderstanding, relax! Err...I didn’t see all the way inside!"

It seemed like Kamito's frantic excuse—

"..."

Backfired.

"...Oh, I understand."

Claire informed him with a shuddering voice.

"After this, I'll give you two choices. You better answer honestly."

Kamito swallowed nervously and nodded continuously.

Here, he should choose his answer carefully. Depending on his reply, it was not unlikely that he would become cinders.

"About your cooking preferences, would you prefer medium? Or well-done?"

...Things like choices did not exist from the beginning.

"I...If possible, rare is good but..."

Just as Kamito gave his answer.

"Scarlet!"

From an empty space, a hell cat, clad in crimson flames, appeared.

"Roast huh, it's decided then."

It was after those words, said with a smile that promised nothing but painful death and a fascinated expression on her face that—

Spontaneously, a flashy explosion resounded in Raven Class dormitory.

Part 2

Areishia Spirit Academy.

Princess maidens from all over the empire gathered at this training school and learned how to become proper elementalists.

Its vast territory included the Spirit Forest and the Academy Town. The academy also had residential teachers who possessed strength equal to that of the imperial capital's spirit knights. It was just like an independent small country.

At the same time the morning mist cleared up and the bell of lectures commencing sounded, there was a particular one-horse carriage visiting the academy.

Its coachman, an old butler in a suit, got down from the horse in front of the gate and opened the door of the carriage in a respectful manner.

"We have arrived, Fianna-sama."

"Thank you for your efforts, old man."

Coming out of the carriage was a beautiful girl about fifteen, sixteen years old.

Her glossy black hair fluttered in the gentle breeze. Her cold looking eyes emitted a strong will. Her clear white skin could be compared to the virgin snow of the area of Laurenfrost and her uniform designed as a black dress was gorgeous.

The girl, called Fianna, alighted from the carriage and looked up at the building of the Academy. The sight of the school dazzled her.

"This is Areishia Spirit Academy. The place where elementalists from all over the empire gather."

"Please be very careful, Fianna-sama. It’s impossible to fool the eyes of that Dusk Witch with poor tricks."

"I understand."

With a nod, the girl gently grasped a spirit crystal, concealed by the sleeve of her uniform.

In the empire's currency, it was a good-for-nothing article of 20 million rood.

"Rubia Elstein's sister seems to be in this academy."

"Princess, that name is a taboo. You better not say it here."

"That’s right."

The Calamity Queen, who once brought about an unprecedented great disaster to the empire.

As a taboo, that person's true name was even prohibited from being spoken.

It was said that just by muttering that name a pure girl's sacred nature would be tainted.

She considered it to be a ridiculous superstition. Nevertheless, the people, who saw her up close in the past, felt that there was a slice of accuracy in those words. They believed in the jinx.

(...That's right. The truth is, the fear of her has yet to affect me.)

The girl cleared her throat, then she lowered her voice and whispered.

"Besides, I am also concerned about the elementalist called Kazehaya Kamito."

"Hmm, is it that male elementalist? There was a talk, that a few days ago he defeated a frenzied militarized spirit in Academy Town."

"Yes, based on all the eye-witnesses' words, it seemed to be a splendid blade dance of close resemblance to that of the strongest blade dancer — Ren Ashbell."

Fianna's voice became lively as she got a little excited.

The old butler gave her a stern look for that.

"Princess, don't tell me, you fell in love with that boy"

"Fe...fell in love...!?"

Fianna's voice trembled from embarrassment. Her cheeks turned red.

"Th...that can't be it, right? After all, I have never met him before... it's just that I have an interest in what kind of person this male elementalist is."

It was a lie.

The male elementalist, who defeated the frenzied militarized spirit in Academy Town.

The moment Fianna heard that boy's name, she immediately realized.

It was him.

Three years ago, that boy, who had saved her in the forest of Astral Zero.

Despite promising to meet again, it was unknown why he disappeared after the Blade Dance.

(—However, I finally found him.)

When she heard the report on that day, Fianna decided to enter the Areishia Spirit Academy.

If that boy announced his candidacy to the Blade Dance again—

For her that was a once in lifetime opportunity.

"Kamito, I'll forgive you for breaking our promise."

Fianna glared at the school building of the academy and an impish smile surfaced.

"However, I'm not letting you escape again?"

Part 3

About eight minutes have passed since the start of the match.

In a deep forest, which was enshrouded in a light purple mist, two shadows were moving fast.

"Claire, watch the thicket on the left. There's an ambush."

"How do you know?"

"Intuition, if it was me, I would ambush from over there—"

At that moment, just as Kamito suspected, bluish-white lightning bullets were fired from the left thicket.

"Tch—"

Kamito kicked the ground and accelerated. He jumped in front of Claire and deflected the lightning bullets shot at the speed of sound with his sword.

It was not a feat that could be achieved with just an ordinary blade. Endowed with spirit magic resistance ability, the elemental waffe of sword spirit Est— Terminus Est, made all the magic attacks ineffective.

"Claire!"

Before Kamito shouted, Claire was already on her target. The wind played with her red hair and below her fluttering skirt, a leather whip holder could be seen.

While she placed her foot on a tree branch and dodged the rain of fired lightning bullets, she released her elemental waffe— Flametounge.

There was a sharp swinging, cutting sound. The Flametounge, which could cut up everything, easily sliced through rows of standing trees.

From the middle of the grove of trees that became almost bare in a moment, a thunder elementalist girl appeared.

She had her eyes hidden under her forelocks which made her look a little gloomy.

There was a cluster of bluish-white lightning bullets floating beside her.

It was not a high ranking spirit like Est or Scarlet. It was a low ranking spirit that could only keep an indeterminate form, however, it was plenty helpful as a battery to use spirit magic.

It seemed that that girl's role was a disturbance by means of support fire.

"Humph, a sniper who shows herself is the same as a turtle coming up on land."

Claire thrust her whip in a declaration of victory. With the thunder spirit right behind her, the girl sniper ran towards the middle of the forest in a worried manner—

"You're not getting away! Scarlet, chase her!"

At the same time Claire shouted, the elemental waffe Flametounge transformed into the form of a hell cat, clad in flames.

Because of being possessed by the frenzy spirit, Scarlet was once the size of a kitten, however, now it had recovered fully. Its form was of a lovely cat, but its strength was certainly of a roaring fierce lion.

The surging crimson flames attacked the thunder elementalist girl.

However, that scorching heat, which by right should melt even rocks, did not even burn a single place of the girl's body.

That was because the battle field was situated in Astral Zero, which the academy used for practice matches.

It was another world and spirits lived there.

In the real world, spirits had to change into an embodiment of physical strength, but here they could be used as an embodiment of pure divine power.

In other words, it almost completely reduced the physical damage to the body.

Nonetheless, it did not mean that shocks, pain and so forth disappeared, a consequence was that an equal damage would be delivered to the mind instead; for example, if one was torn up by Scarlet's claws, he would certainly faint and become unable to battle.

While carbonizing many trees of the forest, Scarlet was chasing closely behind the girl. However, the elementalist seemed to be considerably more accustomed to the terrain and prepared for battle and while distracting it with spirit magic, she was quickly making her escape deep into the forest.

"Erghh, stay still!"

Losing her temper, Claire jumped down to the ground from the gap between the trees.

"Since it came to this, I'll blow everything together with my strongest spirit magic."

"Wait, Claire, the ground looks weird—"

Kamito shouted, and at that moment, a large quantity of earth and sand exploded from under Claire's feet.

"Wh...!?"

Appearing from underground were gigantic crustacean pincers.

"Negligence is one's greatest enemy, Claire Rouge of Raven Class!"

From inside the sand that was raising up and the large hole that opened in the ground, the carapace armor of countless protuberances flew out.

It was a type of elemental waffe that covered the whole body in armor.

Claire was blown off by that blast and has fallen to the ground. The spirit attacked using earth and sand and the impact left the body substantially damaged.

"Claire!"

Before Kamito came running to her, the carapace elementalist was already in pursuit. This was not a coincidental attack. They were scrupulously aiming for the moment when Claire went down onto the ground.

"Eat this, the elemental waffe of the carapace spirit Kuraste— Breaker Arm."

"—Guu! Flames, dance in my hand, dance!"

The fallen Claire released countless fireballs from her hand.

However, the armor type elemental waffe plunged right through the barrage of flames.

"Ha, the flame attribute isn't effective against the carapace spirit. Didn't you learn that during the lecture?"

*Gaa*— A shoulder-tackle by the carapace armor blew Claire away.

Kamito kicked the ground and quickly turned around. Holding Est in a reverse grip, he stopped Claire's body that came flying at him, embracing the girl tightly.

"U...gh..."

Claire let out in a languid voice from his arms.

It seemed that the recent attack had greatly drained her divine power; however, she still looked to be conscious.

(Just before the crash, she released the fireballs at the ground and destroyed her opponent's stance. As expected of her.)

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Y...yea... Eh... y...you, what are you doing!"

Suddenly, Claire's face turned red.

Claire's petite body was being held in such a manner that her back and knees were supported by both his hands.

It was what was called being carried like a princess.

"Fua... Id...idiot... qu...quickly put me down!"

"He..hey, don't struggle! You'll fall!"

"Shut up! Shut up! Quickly put me down——!"

Boka. Boka. Boka. Boka.

Claire started striking Kamito's chest while being carried like a princess. This somehow made her look like a small, cute animal.

"Are you worried about me? You don't have to, you know. You're pretty light."

"Is th...that... because my chest is flat?"

"No, I didn’t say such a thing. I just thought that you're cute like a small animal."

"...! Cu...cute..."

She looked downwards with a red face and Kamito let her down with a relieved sigh.

The carapace elementalist had already disappeared. It seemed that, because Claire was defeated in the recent attack, she was waiting for another chance for a surprise assault. As opposed to her outward appearance, she was the cautious type.

From deep within the forest, Scarlet, who was supposed to be chasing the thunder elementalist, returned.

They did not seem to have suffered any injuries, but it looked like they let their prey escape.

"That thunder elementalist purposely showed herself to us."

"Yea, when I got down onto the ground while chasing her, that carapace armor stopped me with a surprise attack. We have suffered thoroughly from their good teamwork."

Annoyed, Claire lashed at the ground with her whip.

"As expected of a team of the cunning Wolverine Class."

"It's not that they're particularly cunning or anything, considering their fellow spirits' compatibility, it was an obvious strategy."

Kamito said with a shrug and Claire sullenly shut her mouth.

"However, it's strange that they aren't coming to chase us. I know that they're being cautious but— still."

"That's right. From the beginning, that thunder elementalist's movement could only be seen as stalling for time."

Astral Zero's forest was quieting down.

He couldn't feel their presence at all, not from the surrounding thickets, nor from the underground.

(With this time stalling, do they have some sort of plan?)

"I want to send out a scout to search for the enemy, but..."

"If that was possible, I'd have already done it."

At any rate, there were three people remaining in the opposing team. They on the other hand had just two. Depending on the situation, it could be that one person had to fight either two or three people. In a one-on-one battle, both Kamito and Claire would not be defeated. However, if they were caught and taken on by more than two coordinated fighters, winning would be substantially more difficult.

Also, even in the case of a one-on-one battle, the fellow spirits' strength and weakness had to be considered. In an actual battle one should also remember the matter of compatibility when the attributes of a spirit were more effective than an elementalist's ability.

"—Seems like you're having a tough battle, Kazehaya Kamito."

Suddenly, from behind, a voice sounded.

Kamito turned around and saw how a black figure quickly appeared from inside of the shadow on the ground.

The black figure very quickly took on the form of an adult woman.

She had glossy long black hair and the glasses she was wearing gave her a very intellectual appearance.

She had on cuff-long white robe on top of her suit, that beautiful lady was—

"Ms. Freya?"

Raven Class's homeroom teacher and this match's inspector, Freya Grandol.

Thanks to her contracted spirit's ability, she was able to travel through shadows—

"Is that alright? To appear in the middle of the match."

"What, there's no problem with giving poor-scoring students advice."

Freya suddenly smiled and pushed up her glasses.

"Although, the team you're currently facing is of a superior ranking, so you’ll obviously have a tough battle. Based on individual strength, you two are nigh on unreachable, but your team strength is lacking....By the way, why were you injured before the match?"

"This morning, I was roasted."

He glared at Claire beside him with scorn; in response she quickly averted her eyes.

"In the first place, though, I think it is strange to have a five-to-two match."

Despite the fact they only had two people; the team they were facing had five people. They had already defeated two, but the sniper thunder elementalist, the hand-to-hand-fighting type carapace elementalist and then the last person, who had yet to show herself, were remaining.

"Did you know? The fact that your team only has two people is bad. You can't qualify for entry in this round's Blade Dance without a five-member team. What do you plan to do?"

"We'll find people before the deadline. We don't really need to have all five members to be high level elementalists. After all, my plan is for I, alone, and— this slave spirit to win through this."

Claire muttered unintelligibly and Freya glared at her with a serious face.

"You had better not take group battles lightly, Claire Rouge. You are certainly a strong elementalist, but even so you absolutely can't beat a coordinated team."

After that, she turned towards Kamito,

"Do you know chess?"

"Greyworth forcefully made me her playing partner. However, I had never won."

"The queen is certainly a strong piece. In a one-on-one battle, there are hardly times when it will lose. However, depending on the situation, it is also possible for it to be taken down by a pawn, which is the weakest piece on the desk."

"I know about that."

"But you do not understand it. Your fighting method feels...awfully isolated."

Without responding, Kamito shut his mouth.

The boy, who was once called— the strongest blade dancer. He, who was raised as an assassin at that mad Instructional School had never experienced fighting alongside his comrades.

Creeping to the target's back and cutting its throat— that was his original fighting method.

On a whim of the Elemental Lords, the Blade Dance's regulation was changed every time it was held.

The Blade Dance, fifteen years ago, was a battle royale.

The one three years ago, was an individual elimination match.

This time however it was a team competition.

Honestly, he didn't think that his teamwork with Claire was turning out well.

And the three-year long blank period was for him, as an elementalist, a fatal flaw.

He also had a contracted spirit, who could not exhibit even a tenth of her strength yet.

There were many factors that had to be overcome.

"Claire Rouge, you too. You do not understand what it means to fight in a team."

"I'm always alone. T...this guy is just a slave spirit..."

"Oh dear, you two have many difficulties in store for you."

Freya sighed and disappeared into the shadow again.

"...Hmm, because of that just now, two minutes have been used up. There are about five minutes remaining."

As it was, if they did not reach a conclusion soon, both team's inter-school rank would drop.

It will affect this two, who were still of low rank, greatly.

—Then, the hell cat, snuggling at the side of Claire's feet, let out a roar.

"Hey, Scarlet is saying something."

"Yeah, the forest looks strange. The wild animals are stirring up."

Claire was frowning with a serious face for some reason—

"There—"

She suddenly faced the forest and fired a fire attribute spirit magic.

It was a fireball— a high ranking spirit magic that would reduce a target to ashes with ultra-hot flames.

The red hot flames licked the ground and the forest near it was reduced to ashes.

With the rising black smoke, a boorish figure appeared standing in a relaxed manner.

"Well, what a frightening young lady."

The girl wore the carapace armor of her elemental waffe over her body.

Despite receiving a direct hit of the fireball, she did not have a single burn mark.

"This is unexpected... you came out for a fairly fight. Have you already given up on a surprise attack?"

"Our roles have ended. The leader's preparations have been completed."

"Preparations?"

Claire and Kamito frowned simultaneously.

From the direction the black smoke was rising up—

"Huh....?" "What... is that!?"

A gigantic timber-scaffolding was put together.

While its structure was simple, it was without a doubt a splendid shrine.

And top of it a small girl, wearing the academy uniform, was dancing. It looked like she was carrying some kind of a ritual.

The girl had beautiful platinum-blonde hair held by a wooden cane.

"Our brethren, now is the time, hand down the iron hammer to the forest devastators!"

From the top of the gigantic scaffolding, she faced their side and thrust the cane with a snap.

"Wh...what's going on, that girl... when did she manage to make a shrine that big!?"

"We were preparing it from the last night to have it ready for today's match."

The carapace elementalist girl proudly held up her pincers.

...Indeed, if it was with that spirit's power, it should be possible to make the shrine in a night.

"I...it's unfair, that thing! A ritual kagura!"

"Uh-huh, it isn't unfair! Without a large-scale ritual, I can't call out my contracted spirit!"

The girl, who was on top of the scaffolding and holding a cane, shouted.

"Shut up, children should stay silent!"

"Unh, what do you mean by children, isn't your chest small too?"

"What... did you say?"

Pakii! The sound of a twig being stepped on and broken resounded. Claire's red hair was bristling up like a blazing flame.

"The family of Druid..."

Kamito muttered wiping the sweat from his forehead.

They were nobles from the Ordesia Empire. It was a family of ancient honorable elementalists, which had lived in the spirit forest since before the foundation of the empire and succeeded the blood relationship of the princess maidens with their original methods.

"That girl's spirit is a little special, summoning takes time."

"I see, so that was the reason you were stalling..."

The ground was violently shaking. The flames of the torches, lighting the area surrounding the shrine, were thunderously burning up.

...He felt tremendous pressure. What that girl was trying to use was an outrageously powerful spirit. It was likely that it roughly matched the giant military spirit they fought the other day.

"—I won't let you. Scarlet!"

Claire released Scarlet as its elemental waffe, Flametounge, and hit the ground very hard.

"Kamito, I'll hold her back. You go destroy that shrine."

"Got it!"

Kamito nodded and ran with the silver-glittering Terminus Est in his hand.

As an elementalist, Claire was a genius.

Although the compatibility of hers and carapace spirit worked against her, in a one-on-one battle, she would not lose.

There was a considerable distance till the shrine, but with Kamito's speed, he should make it in time.

"...!?"

Suddenly the ground in front of him burst open.

From within the thicket, spirit magic lightning bullets were fired.

It was the thunder spirit girl. Naturally, Kamito had also predicted that an ambush was hidden in the forest.

However—

"Toryaaaaaa!"

"Wha...!?"

This was unexpected. —The elementalist herself came interfering.

It was impossible to ignore. Kamito stopped and turned around.

(I'll stun her in one strike—)

He nimbly evaded her attack and aimed the handle of the sword at her stomach—

At that moment, an intense flash blinded him.

The thunder spirit, the girl was using, blew itself up in front of him.

The rain of the intense lightning attack assaulted Kamito. Sharp pain and then numbness ran throughout his whole body.

It wasn’t strong enough to incapacitate him. However, he was, for a while, stunned.

Before his eyes recovered, the girl, also caught in the explosion, fainted and had therefore been defeated.

(That girl aimed for a tie from the start...)

It was a strategy unsuited for individual battles, but when working in a team, it was a good way to achieve victory.

Her duty was to stop him for a while. And in that she had succeeded.

"We're done for..."

"Come, tyrant governor! Thou, beast king of the destruction army that grinds and smashes everything!"

On top of the shrine, the forest girl aimed the cane to the sky and recited the majestic summoning.

The ritual has been completed.

"...Its name is beast swarm spirit Cernunnos!"

From everywhere in the forest, a countless number of roars could be heard.

That Druid girl was calling the beasts that were living in Astral Zero.

"The beast swarm spirit... a spirit of vast possession range type!"

It was the same as the frenzy spirit that drove Claire's Scarlet, the militarized spirit and many others mad, a type that could possess targets from a longer distance.

*Dodododododododododoo!*

The group of beasts, which were controlled by the swarm spirit, made the earth tremble when they came charging.

"Be...Because they aren't spirits, if they were trampled, they would die. Normally."

"I...If it's the handling of animals, I too will not lose!"

*Pishi!* *Pishi!* Claire, who defeated the carapace elementalist, swung her whip.

"Give it up, Claire, it's our loss."

"—The match is over."

The teacher Freya, who appeared quickly like a shadow, blew into the whistle announcing the end of the match.