Seventh Reincarnation
The Severian Sacred Sword

"By the way, I'm really happy to meet someone. It's not fun being a victim of the jungle. Where should I go to get to the academy?" Kamisuke asked.

"In which direction... I'll tell you that it takes two hours to get to the academy from here on foot" Claire replied.

"What, that far!?" Kamito yells.

The previous conflict had been resolved with little dispute, for the time being, the two of them were at peace.

(Hmm? Why is this girl bathing in a place like this?) Kamito wondered.

Today was indeed a bit hot, but rather than coming all the way to the lake in the forest, there should be a bathing facility inside the academy.

Kamito asked Claire this question.

Claire put her hand into her wet twintail hair and tried to comb it.

"I'm here for the purification ritual of the Spirit Contract. Because of the spring next to the temple, the water here had the highest quality of purification. Did you know that the Spirit loves a woman who has a pure mind and body?"

“Spirit Contract?” Kamito.

"Again deep into the forest from here, there was an ancient Holy Sword in the temple. Rumor has it that a powerful Sealed Spirit was locked up there. Since the establishment of the academy, not a single Girl Princess had managed to make a contract with him. It must sound like a very proud and noble Spirit,” Claire said with great anticipation.

"Don't tell me you plan to make a contract with the Sealed Spirit?” Kamito.

"Really! Do you have a problem with that?" Claire replied.

“Stop, this is too dangerous!”

“Hmph, it seems you know a little about Sealed Spirits even though you are not an Elementalist. I'm quite aware of the danger, but I need a strong Spirit no matter what,” muttered Claire.

Even after a millennium passed, women still looked down on men for not being able to establish a Contract with the Spirit.

Kamito continued to persuade Claire to drop her intentions. However, the girl insisted and did not listen to her advice.

In the end, Claire walked deep into the forest.

With her hands on her hips, Claire looked back at Kamito with a sharp look.

"Why are you following me, you perverted peep maniac?"

"Without your guidance, I don't know the path to the academy. As I've said a few times, I'm not a perverted peeping maniac. My name is Kamito, Kazehaya Kamito."

“A strange name. Are you from the Kingdom of Quina?” Ask Claire.

"No, I'm not from Quina Kingdom. I was born on a remote and remote island in a very small village.”

Kamito intentionally obscured his own statement.

"Your name also has a pretty unique flavor, Claire Rouge." Kamito gave a signal.

"Don't call my name in a friendly manner." Claire snaps.

The two continued walking through the forest, and after walking for several hours, they reached their intended location.

The temple that kept the holy sword stood quietly in the open in the forest.

Claire easily removed the protective guard that forbade entry and stopped walking, then turned to look towards Kamito.

“Starting from here onwards will be very dangerous, so, as a commoner, you should stay away.”

“If you know it is dangerous, why not stop?” Kamisuke asked.

“As I said, I need to make a contract with a strong Spirit.” Claire shook her head and stepped inside the temple.

Ignoring his warning, Kamito followed him.

"Why are you following me? I can't guarantee what will happen to you.” Claire warned.

“Do you not have absolute confidence to tame it?” Kamito replied cynically.

“Of course!”

“Then, it doesn't matter if I join.” Kamito shrugged his shoulders, though,

"Whatever you are."

The inside of the temple is foggy and dark and has a heavy atmosphere. Claire frowned slightly due to the smell of mushrooms mixed in the air.

A small fireball immediately formed from Claire's fingertips, a basic Spirit spell that harnessed the power of the Spirit of Fire.

The flickering light of the fireball illuminated the temple walls dimly. The temple looked like a cave filled with stalactites.

The sword was in the deepest area of the temple.

"That's the sword inhabited by that sealed spirit?" Kamito muttered.

Claire nodded slowly as confirmation.

A unsheathed sword stood upright on a huge rock. Undoubtedly it is an antique that is most likely hundreds of years old but is not rusty in length or dented on the edges. Fine ancient runes were etched on the flat part of its blade, emitting a dim blue light.

The two of them were so focused on the sword that they did not notice a young man sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. However, this is not entirely their fault. After all, the young man's body was covered in bushes.

That young man was none other than Ars.

The arrival of the two teenagers did not bother Ars in the slightest. There was only a little more left before he fully recovered the strength of his Abyssinian Emperor. He was at a critical moment, he didn't care about the two 'ant' coming.

The place was previously a natural cave, but several hundred years ago it was discovered by the headmaster of the first generation Areishia Spirit Academy. Then the girl renovated the cave into a temple.

Over the course of this millennium, Ars had witnessed dozens of Girl Princesses trying to subdue the Holy Sword, and ended up failing.

“The swords that already existed even before the academy was established, the Severian Sacred Sword." Claire muttered respectfully.

“Serverian Holy Sword? The sword that killed Demon King Solomon?” Kamito asked, surprised.

"Stupid, there's no way that's the real thing." Claire stated in admiration.

“The Severian Holy Sword thrust into the stone can be found everywhere in the Empire. Some remote villages even have it for village revitalization. After all, even though it was not a real sword, since it was a Runic Sword, there might be a powerful Spirit sealed within it."

"Indeed right. Of course, the real thing wouldn't exist in such a place..." Kamito agrees.

If ever in front of him was the Severian Sword, why would no one take it?

Claire walked towards the sword with determination.

"You stay behind." Snapped Claire while pointing towards the approaching Kamito. Claire clenched the handle of the Sacred Sword.

"Don't force yourself."

"understand."

Kamito decides to watch Claire from the edge.

The end result was as one might expect. The Sacred Sword refused to acknowledge Claire as its owner and counterattacked.

At a critical moment, Kamito comes to rescue Claire from danger.

Heroes save beauty. This method may be outdated, but it is still very effective.

The protagonist fulfills his duty making the heroine fall in love in less than a day since their first meeting.

Later, Kamito performs a contract ritual in tongues in place of Claire.

"Oh Noble Spirit Sealed in the Ancient Holy Sword! "

"You will accept me as your Master and I will be—"

"You're not worthy."

The ritual is interrupted by a third party voice. The next moment, Kamito felt a terrifying pressure befall him, which made him release the Sacred Sword and fly backwards while vomiting blood.

*Whoosh*

Hearing that familiar voice, the Sacred Sword flew towards the source of the sound.

"Kamura!"

Claire came to Kamito who hit the stone wall hard. Seeing him hurt, he didn't know what to do.

"Who is that?!"

Helping Kamito stand up, Claire threw the fireball towards the darkness. The two of them saw a young man standing beside the Sacred Sword.