Altair's sudden harem antics brought a vibrant energy to the team, especially for Rinslet. Once a confident, proud noble, she transformed into a lovesick maiden after Altair's bold confession, clinging to him constantly.
On the journey to the tournament venue, Altair reveled in the attention, with Rinslet on his left and Est on his right.
Three days later, they arrived at the venue: Ragna Ys, a sacred floating isle in the Elemental Spirit World's sky. One of the five great sanctuaries and the domain of the Wind Spirit King, Ragna Ys hosted the first Blade Dance seventy-four years ago.
All teams competing in the Blade Dance would pass through a teleportation array here to reach the tournament grounds.
The battleground was the ruined city of Megidoa, once known as the Ivory Capital. Built by spirits in ancient times, it became the final battlefield of the Spirit War.
Per tradition, Blade Dance teams would be teleported to the battleground for a seven-day preliminary round, fighting to claim magic stones that represented points. The top four teams would advance to the finals.
In the finals, compressed to three days, the four teams would clash. The team with the most magic stones would win, earning an audience with the Spirit Kings and the chance to make a wish.
Didn't that feel eerily familiar?
Multiple teams battling, eliminating each other, with the victor earning a wish, yet no one knew the wish-granting Spirit Kings were tainted by darkness.
Well, damn. Was this the elementalists' version of a Holy Grail War?
The seven-day preliminaries offered room for strategy, teamwork, scouting, and planned strikes. The finals, however, were far more intense. With only three days, there was little time for planning. Battles erupted on contact, leaving no room for hesitation.
Moreover, the finals used random teleportation, scattering all participants at the start. No one landed with teammates, though luck could place allies together, a slim chance at best.
This twist turned the team-based Holy Grail War into a battle royale. Well, damn. The fighting would be chaotic from the outset.
Rinslet's team, representing the Areishia Empire and Areishia Spirit Academy, was one of three academy teams in the Blade Dance, all top-ranked from the school's qualifiers. The other two, however, were noticeably weaker than Rinslet's team and lacked familiar faces, essentially there to fill slots.
Altair couldn't shake the sense of déjà vu.
Three teams per region, with multiple regions competing in preliminaries to weed out the weak, leaving only the strongest for the finals. Was this Incheon, Paris, or Iceland?
After learning the rules from the Divine Ritual Institute's elemental maidens at the sanctuary, Rinslet's team huddled for discussion.
"This Blade Dance is much fiercer than three years ago." Kamito remarked. Competing again as Ren Ashbell in feminine attire, he reflected on the shift. "Solo matches versus team battles are completely different experiences."
Altair nodded.
"Three years ago, it was a solo tournament, one-on-one duels where individual skill dominated. This time, it's a team game. Personal strength matters, but teamwork is key."
"Even you think it'll be intense, Lord Altair?" Rinslet asked curiously. Given the power Altair had shown, it shouldn't be too challenging. In the academy qualifiers, their team was unstoppable, and Altair hadn't even fought.
"It's intense, sure. Dozens of elementalists and their spirits clashing, far more chaotic than the academy. So many girls fighting, spirits unleashed. It's bound to be thrilling." Altair said with a grin, imagining the spectacle, explosive battles, dramatic moments.
"But for me, it's all the same. The intensity is their problem, not mine."
"Hmph, that's my Lord Altair!" Rinslet beamed, clinging to his arm with pride.
"Hey, Rinslet, why are you so smug? It's Lord Altair who's strong, not you." Claire snapped, annoyed.
Rinslet, one arm around Altair's, placed a hand on her chest and tilted her chin up. "Claire, Lord Altair is my contracted spirit, and my husband. His strength is my strength!"
"Tch, you..." Claire muttered, flustered.
After Altair's confession, Rinslet had been shy at first but soon embraced their bond openly, flaunting her closeness with Altair and Est. Claire couldn't help feeling a bit jealous.
Fuming, Claire turned to Kamito. "Kamito, you'd better shine this time! Don't let Rinslet steal the spotlight, or I'll turn you to ash!"
"Why me?" Kamito whined, his cross-dressed appearance making him look like a pouting girl.
His pitiful expression made Claire feel a twinge of guilt, but seeing Rinslet's smugness, she gritted her teeth. "No excuses! You're my contracted spirit. Fight seriously. We're taking first in the preliminaries!"
Altair chuckled at Claire's competitive fire. "So, kid, got any plans for this tournament?"
Kamito, twirling his wig like a nervous girl, hesitated. "Honestly, no. I haven't done many team battles. The academy qualifiers were too easy. With Rinslet's support, Claire, Ellis, and I took down opponents effortlessly. It wasn't challenging."
"But the Blade Dance is on a whole different level. It won't be that easy, right?"
"So, no plan, huh?" Altair said.
Kamito nodded with a wry smile, then perked up confidently. "But with our strength, and you, Lord Altair, I doubt we need much planning. Just crush anyone we meet."
"Exactly." Altair agreed.
"But I'm not wasting seven days playing around."
The Blade Dance spanned seven days of preliminaries, a rest day, and three days of finals, ten days total. To Altair, that was too long.
He had no intention of dragging it out to the end.
Everyone knew a Holy Grail War, despite its seven-day rule, could end in a single night.
"I'll give you all the first day to shine. Show your full power to every enemy. Don't hold back, don't hesitate, just unleash everything you've got."
Altair stood, raising his right hand and clenching it into a fist.
"After you've shown your strength, I'll step in. On the first night, I'll end this Blade Dance!"
I, Altair the Great, will conquer the Blade Dance in one night!
***
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