<h4>Volume 1, Chapter 8 - The Strongest de Dancer</h4>


    Part 1


    Academy Town was a small-scale town within the premises of the Areishia Spirit Academy.


    The townscape, lined with stone buildings, was filled with the tumult of people.


    While bumping many times over into theing-and-going crowds of people, Kamito was running towards the arena.


    —If that was him thinking about it too much, it was alright. However, he was feeling strangely uneasy.


    (...Absurd. With the loss of her contracted spirit, a de dance is just...)


    While he was out of breath, he ran at full speed, pulling Est''s hand.


    He did not understand why he was so frantic for her sake.


    ire Rouge was a—tyrant, who was prideful, willful and quick tosh her whip.


    However, he somehow could not leave her alone.


    (After all, her true self is—)


    Kamito stopped at that moment.


    "—Here, right?"


    Before the arena built at the center of the town, there was a crowd of spectators gathered.


    The de dance was originally a holy ritual to let spirits enjoy themselves—a kind of kagura.


    However, there was no change to the fact that it was also the highest form of entertainment to humans.


    Also, the same as other festivals, the spirits preferred a great number of enthusiastic people.


    He showed his academy student badge to the guard and entered inside, and pushed aside moring spectators to get to the front.


    There were ear-splitting cheers. The sound of shrills of weapons. The intense de dance had already started at the arena.


    There were about 20 participants. Various types of spirits were jumbled together and fighting.


    It was a battle royale system where thest one remaining would earn the right to contract with a powerful militarized spirit.


    Kamito searched for ire—


    "...!?"


    For that unbelievable sight, he doubted his eyes.


    That ire Rouge was—


    Covered all over with wounds and crawling.


    Against the contracted spirits boasting tremendous power, ire was fighting with just a whip and spirit magic.


    While her whole body was hit and mmed into a wall, she stood up and fought again and again.


    "ire—"


    He could not go help her. If Kamito got in and helped her, she would be naturally disqualified.


    If he did that, she would probably never forgive him.


    Kamito bit his teeth and in front of him, ire was blown away.


    Part 2


    (—Weak. Why am I so weak?)


    While being thrown to the ground, ire strongly bit her lips. The taste of blood spread across her tongue. It seemed that she was cut somewhere inside her mouth. She nned to stand up, but her hands went numb and did not move. It seemed to have caused a cerebral concussion. Even several bones of her ribs might be suffering damage.


    "Guu...!"


    Even so, she still did not raise the surrender card.


    She slowly stood up on shaky legs.


    She sternly looked up. At the center of the altar was a worshiped stone pir. Within that, there was a rank-A battle-ss militarized spirit—sya-Labs sealed inside, brought in from the imperial capital.


    Having brought down many spirit knights in the past wars, it was a famous giant-man spirit.


    (...If I obtain that, I can be strong.)


    —Nee-sama surely can be saved!


    "me—dance in my hand, dance!"


    She turned the divine power dwelling within herself into mes and produced a fireball of spirit magic in her palm.


    In her situation where there was no supply of divine power from Scarlet (her contracted spirit), even for ire, who was superior, to produce such a small me took all her might. Naturally, such a thing could not bring down spirits.


    However, if she aimed for the elementalists, possibly—there might be a tiny chance of winning.


    "Huh? Do you still n on doing this? You don''t learn, do you"


    —She heard a scorning voice from her front.


    "...!"


    She bit her teeth and lifted her head. The two elementalists were standing with ridiculing expressions.


    They were the Academy''s upper ssmen. They were respectively using Adamantine Spirit and Demon Mirror Spirit.


    "Hey, are you truly an idiot? You don''t even have a contracted spirit."


    "That very part of you is irritating, you know."


    "...You!"


    Aiming at the two upper ssmen ridiculing her, ire released the fireball.


    However, the fireball was stopped by the bore-looking Adamantine Spirit and easily repelled.


    "Ahahaa, what''s that, spirit magic? —Do it, Adamantine!"


    The girl on the other side cruelly curved her lips and gave an order to her contracted spirit.


    The Adamantine Spirit emitted a blue radiance and rushed and struck ire''s abdomen.


    "Agg...!"


    A mumbling scream escaped from ire''s mouth.


    She did not dare aim for her vital points. She was slowly tormenting her and enjoying herself.


    This was not a splendorous de dance for spirits to enjoy. It was merely unsightly violence.


    "...How cheeky, you. Despite being that Cmity Queen''s younger sister."


    The upper ssman''s face was really distorted in hatred. While being hit many times over her whole body—finally, ire recalled. These two were colleagues, who were one-sidedly knocked down by ire at a practice match a month ago. They were still resentful about that time.


    "What''s with that look? If you don''t give up quickly, you''ll really die!"


    "It''s alright if you quickly kneel down and lick our shoes. Truly, that foolishness is the same as your sister."


    "...Shut...up, be silent."


    ire tightly grasped the sand scattered on the ground.


    "Hn, did you say something?"


    "I said... be silent."


    It was no good. She could not restrain it.


    (Only abuses at Nee-sama, no matter what, my boiling point for that is low!)


    She put divine power into her left hand, which was grasping sand. A ck spirit seal that was re-engraved ominously glowed.


    And then the moment the path was connected, a horrifying sensation ran all over her body.


    She would not be defeated at such a ce. There was no value in her weak self.


    (To grasp a more powerful power in my hand—!)


    "What... a contracted spirit!?"


    The upperssmen''s eyes opened in surprise.


    "If you wish for it, I''ll show you. This is—my true power!"


    *Gou!*


    The ck me, released from ire''s hand, gulped down the Adamantine Spirit in an instant.


    Appearing from within the zing me was—


    A flickering jet ck magic beast.


    It was not a noble me like Scarlet. It was a me of darkness, showing signs of madness.


    *Guo...ruuuuuu...*


    The beast''s hair-raising roar shook the entire atmosphere in the arena.


    Part 3


    "...What''s that!?"


    Kamito got up from the audience seating and shouted.


    The ck me spirit that ire brought forth engulfed the Adamantine Spirit in front of it in an instant.


    —It was not Scarlet.


    Its appearance was simr to that hell cat, but the presence of that divine power was overly ominous.


    The jet-ck me spirit bit and crushed the demon mirror spirit at the other side and was devouring those remains like a starving beast. That was not all. The spirits around the ck spirit suddenly writhed as if going mad and began eating each-others existence.


    "The frenzy is spreading...!"


    Kamito recalled the demon spirit that appeared in Astral Zerost night.


    And about the water spirit that went out of control in the bathroom.


    The spirits, in a frenzy, lost their reasoning and were unable to restrain their powers. Until their own existence were extinguished, they would conduct themselves with their impulses for destruction.


    However, that ck Magic Beast—


    (It''s forcefully snatching away ire''s divine power!?)


    ire stood rock still at the center of the arena with an exhausted expression.


    From the ck spirit seal engraved on her left hand, blood was trickling down.


    Her face was pale and her whole body was quivering bit by bit. It looked like she was also barely standing.


    If the situation was left as it was, she might lose her life.


    The spectators, who realized that something was strange with the appearance of the spirits, suddenly began making amotion.


    The elementalist girls, in the arena, were also perplexed at their contracted spirits that suddenly did not listen to theirmands.


    "Damn, what are the guys in Knights doing?"


    Kamito looked around the inside of the arena. Despite being an obviously strange situation, the Spirit Knights that should have been prepared for unexpected situations were not moving. What was going on?


    However, the Spirit Knights standing at the arena gate were all rooted at the same spot, staring into empty space. Their eyes were not focused. It was as if they had been entranced—


    "...What? What the heck is happening?"


    "That''s a frenzy spirit, Kamito."


    Est, who was beside him, muttered expressionlessly.


    "A frenzy spirit?"


    "It is a possession-type spirit that causes spirits to go berserk. It isn''t such a high status spirit, but the spirit possessed loses its reasoning and, until its own existence vanishes, it will continue to fight."


    "Possess—? Don''t tell me, that ck Magic Beast is Scarlet!?"


    "Affirmative. That hell cat is a very powerful spirit, it should not vanish from the extent of being beaten by the demon spirit. It seems that it temporary lost the ability to manifest but—"


    "Is that so..."


    The fire of the me spirit remained. However, ire continuously thought that Scarlet vanished, so she was not able to connect the path.


    "—But, in that frenzied condition, vanishingpletely is also just a matter of time."


    "Ah, I understand."


    Kamito nodded.


    Scarlet—a me spirit with the appearance of a hell cat dded in noble mes.


    That was the very me of a girl named ire.


    That me turned into a crazy disgusting Magic Beast that was indulging and eating the spirits.


    Something like that could not be her—ire''s desired me.


    "—Est. I ask of you, lend me your strength."


    "I am Kamito''s sword. I''ll do as you desire."


    Est gently grasped Kamito''s hand. There was a feeling of a hand, cold but surprisingly soft.


    "Dispassionate Queen of Steel, the sacred sword that destroys evil—now form my sword!"


    Kamito spun the releasing of the elemental waffe; at the same time, Est''s body turned into particles of light and vanished.


    In the next moment, a silver glowing single edged sword appeared in Kamito''s hand.


    The spiritnguage inscription, carved on the edge, was—Terminus Est.


    Just by lightly holding it, he understood that it was a tremendously famous sword.


    "I''m sorry. The path to my true form is closed, so this is the limit for me currently."


    Est, who turned into the form of a sword, said apologetically.


    "No, this is plenty. —Let''s go, Est!"


    Kamito prepared Terminus Est and jumped into the arena where the raging ck me was.


    The moment hended onto the ground, the magic beast of darkness bared its fangs and pounced to attack him.


    He brandished the sword with a flourish, knocked away the ck me, and rushed over to ire''s side.


    "ire!"


    "...Kamito"


    ire opened her ruby-colored eyes.


    Her knees were on the ground and she was breathing heavily. Her delicate body was going to copse at any time.


    The blood, trickling from the spirit seal on her left hand, was dyeing the sand scattered on the ground red.


    At that moment, the ck me Magic Beast mowed onto the ground with its ws, like it was making fun of it.


    There was the scent of burning in the air. The hot wind with pebbles mixed in gently brushed Kamito''s cheeks.


    "...!?"


    In a hair''s breadth, Kamito dodged the ck me''s ws. He drove in a sh at the ck me spirit that was just knocked down.


    The silver sword sh drew an arc. The elemental waffe of the sword spirit cut up even the intangible mes—


    The ck me Magic Beast let out an ear-splitting scream and broke up in the air. It didn''t mean that it vanished. The mes that were scattered were burning at their respective positions and formed a ming wall surrounding Kamito in it. Kamito clicked his tongue and stopped at that spot.


    "ire, get yourself together,e to your senses!"


    "Wh...What... Why are you here—"


    A confused expression surfaced on ire''s face—


    "...!?"


    Then, as if she just began to realize it, she opened her eyes in terror.


    The scene that flew into her eyes was a cruel disastrous scene.


    There was a zing, disgusting ck me.


    A group of spirits was in a frenzy and were devouring each other.


    The students of the academy were losing their consciousness from having their divine power eaten and were falling down to the ground one by one—


    "ire, is this the power you wanted? Something like this? These are your mes!"


    Kamito shouted as if he was throwing up.


    While he cleared away the attacking me with the sword, he reached out his hand towards ire.


    "I...I...—"


    ire moved her lips with her pale facial expression—


    She instantly shook her head as if she had changed her mind.


    "Sh...Shut up! I... I need the power!"


    The red twintail hair violently sprung up.


    The ck me zed even more as if responding to ire''s fury.


    "...You don''t understand. My feelings of being always alone—"


    irey face down and said that while gasping.


    That day, four years ago, was when the still childish ire Elstein''s life ended.


    The girl, who was betrayed by her most loved sister, had both her parents imprisoned and lost everything, was—


    To live taking persecutions as Cmity Queen''s sister.


    If she didn''t be strong alone, she would not be able to live on.


    "...You''re not alone, idiot."


    "Eh?"


    At Kamito''s words—


    ire raised her head with a nk expression.


    "I am here. I''ll be by your side. After all, I''m—"


    Kamito approached ire with a step.


    The me wall in their surroundings burned with intimidation.


    "D...Don''te here..."


    "ire—"


    "Do note here!"


    *Pashin!*— She closed her eyes and strongly struck her leather whip at Kamito''s cheek.


    Red blood flowed from his cheek. Kamito did not even wipe that and took another step—


    "...!? Why didn''t you avoid it?"


    ire''s cherry-colored lips were quivering.


    "I didn''t n on hitting... and yet."


    Kamito stood before ire and slowly raised his hand over his head.


    "...!"


    ire thought it was a strike, and reflexively closed her eyes tightly.


    Then—


    ....*Poff*.


    "Eh?"


    ire widely opened her ruby-colored eyes.


    She looked up at Kamito with a nk expression.


    "—ire, I like your mes."


    Kamito stirred up and crumpled ire''s red hair.


    "...Wh!? Ah,...Li...Like...? Eh?"


    ire''s cheeks were dyed bright red inside.


    "They burn prettily, dazzlingly and nobly. I like your mes."


    "Ah, sh...sh..."


    —That was why he wanted to protect those mes.


    "If you want power—"


    Kamito looked straight into ire''s eyes and said.


    "I''ll be your contracted spirit."


    "Kamito..."


    In ire''s red eyes, a drop of tear surfaced—


    Confused, she wiped it with her uniform sleeve.


    "Wh...What are you saying? You are originally my ve spirit!"


    "Ah, that is right..."


    Kamito bitterly smiled and gently removed his hand from ire''s head.


    At that moment, he sliced and drove away the ck me Magic Beast that roared and advanced while attacking with the sword.


    With his back facing ire, he blocked its way like a knight protecting a princess.


    "—Hey, Scarlet. Did you forget your precious master?"


    With Kamito''s words thrown at it, the ck me that d the Magic Beast trembled for a moment.


    Scarlet—it seemed to respond to that name.


    "...Scarlet?"


    ire asked.


    "Ah, it wasn''t that your partner vanished. It just temporarily lost its power. Although, it''s now possessed by a frenzy spirit and it has changed into such an appearance."


    "...Scarlet is alive!?"


    ire was taken aback and raised her head. Kamito nodded.


    "Ah, this sword—Est informed me."


    "...That''s, by no means, that sword spirit?"


    "That''s right. But she probably can''t even use a tenth of her original power."


    Taking a stance with Terminus Est in both his hands, Kamito turned towards the ck me magic beast.


    "..."


    ire stared at the thunderously raging ck me.


    She saw something within that me and swiftly raised her head—


    "...Yes, that is Scarlet."


    She wiped her tears to shake it off.


    "If that''s the case—"


    "ire, stand back. A frenzied spirit will attack even its contractor."


    Kamito restrained ire, who nned to go to the front, with his hand—


    ire stopped that hand and shook her head.


    "Scarlet is in a frenzy because of me. Therefore, only I can take her back."


    —mes, dance in my hand, dance!


    Spun from her cherry-colored lips was the spiritnguage aria.


    At that moment, a small fireball was born at the palm of her hand.


    "Spirit magic? What can such a small fireball—"


    "—Like this."


    At that instant, ire pushed the burning fireball into her left hand.


    There was the sound of flesh burning.


    "O...Oi, ire!?"


    "...A...gu...uuuu—!"


    While barely clenching her teeth, ire moaned in anguish.


    On her pale face, perspiration like waterfalls flowed along her chin.


    "You...!"


    Kamito finally understood.


    The ck spirit seal, re-engraved on ire''s left hand—that was the symbol of contract with that frenzy spirit.


    The spirit seal was an exclusive Gate to connect the path between Astral Zero and this world.


    If that was destroyed, naturally, the contract with the spirit would be annulled.


    ire was physically burning the spirit seal and was breaking the contract with the frenzy spirit!


    *Guorooooouuu...*


    The Magic Beast, d in ck mes, raged like a thunderous wind.


    With the path being burned off, it shared the same pain as ire, its contractor.


    "Sorry, Scarlet, I too... will endure—"


    ire was putting up with the pain and that moment when ire''s knees hit the ground—


    The frenzied magic beast roared and sprung at ire.


    "—!"


    Kamito quickly stepped in and got into the magic beast''s bosom in one bound.


    The ws, d in mes, burned the ends of his hair and at that instant—he shed down with the sword when they passed each other.


    There was a shing sword swing. At the same time, the red hot mes that could melt even iron attacked Kamito''s whole body—


    "Kamito!"


    ire''s scream resounded.


    However, Kamito''s body had already disappeared.


    The moment the sword and the ws crossed, he dodged like a shadow and had turned to the me spirit''s back.


    (—A frenzied spirit certainly has its power greatly increased.)


    The ck me spirit turned around—but it was toote.


    (However, no matter what, its movements became dull. In that case, it can''t win against me—)


    Kamito kicked the ground and sharply turned, and swung the silver shining Terminus Est—


    With that stroke of the sword, the ck me, possessing the me spirit, was severed and killed.


    "—ire, are you alright?!"


    Kamito rushed over, ire was lying on the floor with a pale face.


    From her red forelock clinging onto her forehead, drops of perspiration were dripping down.


    "A...guu...!"


    A gasping, like it was hoarse from her inner throat, leaked out. Her left hand sustained a severe burn.


    Just the texture of her thin pretty skin was hideously burned, that scar was too painful to look at.


    However, the ck spirit seal that was engraved disappeared without leaving any trace.


    With this, the path with that frenzy spirit should bepletely severed.


    "That was so reckless. Look, I''ll treat it for you, so show it to me."


    "I...I''m fine, it''s just this much..."


    ire''s cheeks turned slightly red and she quickly turned away.


    At that moment, intense pain was suddenly running all over, causing her to softly scream "Hyauu" and making her eyes turn teary.


    "What, you''re not being honest."


    "Sh...Shut up, I''ll turn you into cinders!"


    Kamito bitterly smiled at ire''s usual behavior.


    —However, this is the usual ire Rouge.


    She was not suited to have just a sorrowful face.


    "By the way, where—"


    Suddenly, Kamito turned serious and asked.


    "What..."


    "Where did you contract something like a frenzy spirit?"


    "That''s—"


    ire stammered with her words and at that time.


    "Ah, did you receive my present with pleasure?"


    From behind, they heard such an inappropriate voice.


    It was a gentle voice, like downy hair tickling one''s earlobe.


    "...!?"


    It sounded familiar—but that was out of the question.


    For three years, he always—yearned to hear it, that voice.


    Kamito slowly turned around.


    And there—


    A beautiful girl, wearing a dark ck dress, was giggling.


    Part 4


    Kamito stood still at that ce with a frozen expression.


    "Don''t tell me, tha..t''s..."


    What was there was—


    A girl, who was the very light to Kamito.


    She gave the boy, who had closed his heart into a cold cage, a warm light—


    "...Res...tia?"


    Kamito muttered in a blurry voice.


    "—It has been quite a long time, Kamito."


    The girl, wearing a darkness-color dress, impishly smiled.


    ...It was unbelievable.


    However, that appearance was the same as it was from that time, three years ago.


    That beautiful face, without doubt, belonged to the girl, who Kamito knew.


    The darkness spirit, Restia.


    The contracted spirit of the strongest de dancer—Ren Ashbell.


    "Restia, I—"


    Kamito reached out his hand and he nned to approach the girl.


    However, his legs, as if they were sewed on to that ce, could not move.


    Despite that, the girl who he was continuously searching for thest three years, was right in front of him—


    —Something was strange. His elementalist intuition was telling him that.


    She was smiling like that.


    Moveover, in the girl''s hand, what was that ominous ck lump?


    "I wanted to meet you, Kamito. However—"


    The girl faced that ck lump at the altar in the center and threw it there.


    "...?"


    "Let''s leave the hug to the next opportunity. Look, as that child wakes up."


    When the ck lump turned into a fog in midair, it surrounded the holy stone pir at the altar.


    The stone pir that was brought in from the imperial capital and in which was the sealed militarized spirit.


    "Restia... What in the world are—?"


    Kamito muttered and at that time.


    Suddenly, the ground violently shook.


    "What...!?"


    "Ah, looks like it has already woken up."


    "Restia...?"


    "Kamito, be careful! She is the one who gave me that frenzy spirit!"


    ire shouted to the absentminded boy.


    "Wh...at...!?"


    At that moment, a ground-shaking roar resounded.


    *Pishii*— the stone pir enveloped in the ck fog cracked.


    *Zu...zuzu...zuzuzuzu...!*


    From the tear in the stone pir, a giant human hand appeared.


    That was—


    (sya-Labs is—going into a frenzy!?)


    Taken aback, he turned around. Restia was giggling.


    That somewhat devilish smile was something Kamito had never seen.


    "—Good bye, Kamito. Let''s meet again."


    "Restia... What is going on!? What are you—"


    "Because that is your wish."


    "...!?"


    Kamito''s face froze.


    "Wait—Please wait, Restia!"


    "I had waited, it has already been three years."


    "Resti..."


    Restia smiled once again and disappeared into the empty space that became a ck fog.


    Kamito dropped both his hands like he was exhausted and stood still and dumbfounded.


    —He did not understand what had happened.


    (Restia gave ire that frenzy spirit...?)


    He could not believe it. No, he did not want to believe it.


    However, the girl''s appearance belonged to the darkness spirit that he had certainly been continuously searching for.


    His former contracted spirit.


    The girl showed Kamito, who lost his human heart, his first warm light.


    If that girl changed, that—


    (It''s my fault... I had changed her into something different.)


    The de Dance three years ago.


    Kamito, who came out victorious as Ren Ashbell,—


    Attempted to have a Wish that humans can never wish for to be granted.


    For that reason, he decided to lose her.


    He believed that she would be alive somewhere.


    The aching of the spirit seal engraved on his left hand whispered.


    —She would be alive again. He could still make up for his crimes.


    By no means, it became that they met up again in such a manner—it was something he never thought of.


    "Restia... Is this my punishment?"


    If that was the case, it was too cruel.


    Like his whole body''s strength was drawn out and he was going to copse, his knees hit the ground.


    He was plunged into darkness.


    "Kamito!? Hey, are you listening, Kamito!"


    Even ire''s voice calling for Kamito was only absentmindedly heard.


    Once again, the ground violently shook.


    Passing through the Gate opened in the empty space, sya-Labs was attempting to emerge.


    The wall of the arena copsed due to the tremor and arge amount of rubble poured down over Kamito''s head.


    Just before his body was going to be crushed—that moment.


    *Pashii*— Kamito''s head was twined around by a whip.


    "...Guoo!"


    Kamito was violently dragged along the ground and he made an anguished voice.


    Immediately after, arge amount of rubble fell at the ce where Kamito had been at.


    There was a thunderous sound. Clouds of dust fluttered up in the air.


    ...If he was crushed, he would have, without a doubt, died.


    "Idiot! Wh...What are you doing!"


    Over his head, ire took up a daunting pose and shouted.


    "Hey, do you want to die? Or do you want to turn to cinders?"


    "No, not those two choices—Guoo!"


    "Hmm, if you can retort, you are alright, aren''t you!"


    ire constricted Kamito''s head with her whip and with a jerk, drew her face closer.


    "..."


    It was at a point-nk distance as if the tips of their noses were touching.


    Her ruby-colored pupils, filled with a strong will, were before his eyes.


    Nevertheless in such a moment, Kamito was reflexively startled.


    "...Come on, what? What is it?"


    Seemingly noticing that her face was too close, ire''s cheeks turned red and she slightly loosened her whip.


    "It...It''s not like I''m particrly interested but... for once, listen up."


    "Wh...What..."


    "That girl just now, h...how is she rted to you?"


    "She—"


    Kamito averted his eyes from ire''s clear eyes


    "Was my contracted spirit."


    "Spirit?"


    Kamito silently nodded and clenched his left hand.


    "...It''s my fault. It''s my fault that she—"


    Thoughts of her made Kamito sink into the dark abyss once again,—


    "So what!"


    ire''s voice, which was cold, drew him back.


    "Eh?"


    "I am saying so what!"


    ire was standing straight up, with both hands on her waist and her twintail hair over her shoulder.


    Until a while ago, she was extremely depressed.


    Now, there was above all else her noble, beautiful crimson me.


    "No, it is because I..."


    Kamito was taken aback and became dumbfounded—


    "Didn''t you promise me just now that ''I''ll be your contracted spirit''?! Please hold on to the responsibility of your own words!"


    *Pishipashi!* ire struck Kamito''s back with her whip.


    "Ouch! Wh...What are you doing! Whipping a dead person!"


    Without thought, Kamito stood up and shouted.


    ire suddenly smiled.


    "A dead person? Then how about dying once? Look, look at that."


    "Aah?"


    Kamito turned his face—


    From the Gate in the empty space, bluish-white light emitted and sya-Labs came crawling out.


    The battle-ss militarized spirit, whose seal was undone; its over-all length was more than ten-odd meters.


    sya-Labs roared. With just that roar, half of the audience seats were blown away.


    It seemed that the audience had already escaped, but there should still be many citizens outside the arena.


    From the giant empty hole in the wall, the state of the za could be observed.


    Everyone was screaming and jostling, while running away. In response to the sudden appearance of sya-Labs, the za and the main street were filled with chaos and agonizing cries.


    cing its hand on the crumbled arena wall, sya-Labs slowly walked out.


    With his every step, the ground shook as if an earthquake urred.


    How things would turn out, if such a thing got into the town was quite obvious.


    "Waiting for help from the academy would be pointless. They will arrive toote. Just the two of us will have to do this."


    "...Ah, that''s right."


    However—Kamito still had not recovered from the shock.


    Even Terminus Est, which he was tightly grasping, was losing that cool and clear radiance.


    An elemental waffe would demonstrate its true value ording to the elementalist''s divine power.


    With Kamito''s current condition, he was unable to even maintain the sword''s strength.


    For example, even if he fought, it was certain that it would be instantly broken.


    "..."


    ire stared at Kamito in such a state with a rigid expression.


    "It seems like you''re still half asleep. If that''s the case, I''ll wake you up."


    After that, for some reason, her face turned red and she quickly looked away.


    And, in the next moment.


    "...!?"


    Suddenly, his lips were closed.


    It was hot. It was a tender sensation that was gently getting wet.


    His nose was tickled by the faint scent of her hair.


    "Hn..."


    Several secondster, their lips slowly separated.


    "Are you awake?"


    "...A...Ah."


    Kamito nodded like he was befuddled.


    "Th...This is something... only once."


    Biting her lips, ire turned bright red and looked downwards.


    The numbing kiss had blown away all the anguish from Kamito''s mind.


    "...Shock therapy? However, this is a little too effective."


    "Hm...hmm, that''s fine! —Well then, let''s go, Kamito!"


    While her face was bright red, ire spun the spiritnguage summoning.


    "—Guardian of the crimson ze, keeper of the undying hearth!"


    "—Now''s the time to abide by the blood contract,e forth and do my bidding!"


    Immediately, a zing me whip was born in ire''s hand.


    It was not the ck me, invaded by the frenzy spirit.


    That was the me of the noble ire Rouge—Scarlet''s elemental waffe.


    "Thank you, Scarlet. Lend me your power for just a bit longer."


    Responding to ire''s feelings, the me whip thunderously growled.


    "I won''t make Scarlet, who is weakened, do something unreasonable. I''ll go around it to support, so you strike that giant human spirit."


    "Ah, I got it!"


    Kamito firmly nodded and tightly grasped Terminus Est.


    (—That''s right.) It is alright to not think about Restia now.


    (Now, just—)


    (To protect this tomboy princess because that''s what I promised!)


    Taking a stance with the sword, Kamito kicked the ground and jumped.


    "I''ll show you, ire Rouge"


    The Strongest de Dancer—Ren Ashbell''s de dance!


    sya-Labs smashed the stone wall and stepped his foot out to the za outside the arena.


    Kamito took a roundabout path to its behind and with a one-step jump, he pierced its ankle with the sword.


    *Vuoooooon!*


    sya-Labs let out a destructive roar. While the shock seemed to be blowing him away, Kamito clung onto the sword that pierced it.


    (...What power! As expected of a militarized spirit!)


    The eyes of the giant, that were burning in anger, caught sight of Kamito''s figure at its feet.


    It roared again and swung down its boulder-like fist.


    Kamito pulled out the sword and jumped back, then using the giant''s arm as a stepping stone, he jumped again.


    In order to crush Kamito, who appeared on top of his head, sya-Labs reached out with its hand—


    At that moment, when it seemed like it caught his ankle.


    "Kamito!"


    ire swung her me whip and bound that arm. As Scarlet was exhausted, cutting up the spirit could not be done. However, roughly sealing its movement was possible.


    There was the thunderous sound of the wind blowing violently. sya-Labs shifted its anger to Kamito on its head. In the state of passing by, Kamito brandished the sword. He cut the ck crystal-like eyeball.


    At that moment, from the eyeball that cracked, something like a ck fog was blown out.


    (That''s the frenzy spirit...!?)


    The ck fog coiled about the sword. Just at that moment, the tip of its edge was corroding to ck.


    Kamito was taken aback. —The frenzy spirit was a spirit that granted crazy attribute to spirits.


    (Est is being encroached—!)


    Kamito twisted his body and swung and cleared away the ck fog.


    He broke his stance in the air and was about to strike the ground as he was.


    Then, sya-Labs'' fist swung downwards.


    Kamito took a stance with the sword in front of him—but he did not make it!


    "...!"


    sya-Labs'' fist was—precisely stopped above his head.


    Its arm, which was about to swing down at any time, was twisted with a burning me whip.


    "Kamito! Now''s the chance, quickly do it!"


    "Ah—"


    Kamitoughed fearlessly, stood up and concentrated his consciousness on the sword.


    The elemental waffe of the sword spirit, Est, increased in radiance as it responded to Kamito''s feelings


    He kicked the ground and jumped. Kamito''s sword once again danced in the midair.


    And then—


    "Oooooooooooo!"


    The shining shing sword cut sya-Labs'' body right in half.


    Part 5


    That moment when Kamito cut and turned over sya-Labs, ire was motionlessly staring at it.


    With the shining sword in his hand, Kazehaya Kamito danced a splendorous de dance—


    That was almost—


    Like the de dance of Ren Ashbell, who she saw at the stage of the de Dance three years ago.


    (...Don''t tell me.)


    The moment sya-Labs turned into particles of light, the me whip returned to the form of a small hell cat. ire tenderly embraced the me spirit, which became small like a kitten.


    "—Thank you, Scarlet."