Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance-Volume 17, Epilogue

Part 1

An astounding explosion rocked the Demon King's Tomb.

One could imagine the destructive power from how the noise could be heard even from this burial chamber that was protected by the most secure barrier.

Inside a shining iridescent crystal, the spirit Iris sighed with despair.

"...! I never thought they would destroy the entire Tomb—"

Crack—A large fracture appeared on the surface of the spirit crystal.

With the collapse of the pyramid—the magic device for maintaining the barrier—this also implied the impending doom of the administrator, her.

In other words, the seal of the Demon King's Coffin, which she had guarded for so many years, was about to be lifted.

What Demon King Solomon had spent the last of his power to seal away, that which must not be freed—

Indeed, what she had guarded was not the Demon King's remains.

His corporeal body had already returned to nothingness. Right now, only remnants of his soul remained in this city.

The Demon King's Coffin. Lying dormant inside the object bearing this name was—

Creak, crack—Countless fissures covered the crystal's surface.

Next, the brilliant iridescent light leaked out in all directions from the cracks—

Thus the crystal shattered in fragments.

Part 2[edit]

"Master."

"What's the matter, Est?"

On that day, facing the sword spirit who had actively started a conversation with her in a rare moment, the young maiden tilted her head in puzzlement.

"Master, do you not have parents? Like other humans—"

"...Yes."

The girl showed sadness on her face and nodded.

"I was picked up by this village's chief as a child and raised. I don't know what my parents look like."

This was nothing rare. On the other hand, to be picked up by someone benevolent and raised with love, that would be considered almost a miracle—

Why had her parents abandoned her? The girl did not know. She had asked the chief and the other villagers, but no one was willing to tell her.

There is no need to know, said the chief.

It was the first time the gentle chief had spoken to the girl in a strict voice.

After that, she was forbidden from bringing up her parents again in the village.

"However, I don't feel lonely—"

Saying that, the girl smiled at her partner sword spirit.

The chief and the villagers had treated her with kindness.

More importantly—

"Now, I have you, Est—"

The girl placed her hand on the sword spirit's head, gently caressing the shining silver-white hair.

Expressionless until now, the sword spirit showed wavering in her eyes.

"—Me too, Master."

"...Hmm?"

The girl asked.

"Me too. I do not know where I came from or where I was born." 𝑓𝑟eℯ𝒘𝗲𝑏n𝑜𝚟𝙚𝒍.𝒄o𝐦

"I see—"

She had heard stories of how spirits came from somewhere out of this world. Legends told of human prayers and wishes crystallizing into elements, to be born in another world—

...Was Est different from the other spirits?

"Then you are the same as me, Est."

"—Yes, Master."

—This was a dream about the Sacred Maiden and the Sacred Sword in the past.