"Because people don't have wings, we look for ways to fly."— Ikkei Ukai, Haikyuu

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  However, Strategic-Css Spirits weren't easy to trol.

  When the girl who had won the sele tried to form a tract with the Strategic-Css Spirit, she lost trol, and the spirit went berserk.

  A giant, steel golem rampaged through the arena, wreaking havoc.

  This was the Strategic-Css Spirit.

  Many other spirits had already beeed by it.

  The army's hasty terattacks were iive against the rampaging golem.

  "Roy, shouldn't we stop that thing?" Mitsuri asked, ed.

  If they didn't intervehe golem might harm the civilians who had e to watch the sele process.

  "Don't worry, let the Sylphid Knights ha," Roy replied, stopping Mitsuri and Makomo from rushing into the fray.

  He had already spotted the Sylphid Knights approag. There was no need for him to get involved.

  "It's Ellis!" Roy was surprised to see that it was Ellis leading the Sylphid Knights.

  Beside her were Rakka and Reishia.

  The Sylphid Knights were responsible for the safety of the academy and its surroundings.

  They would definitely send someoo deal with this otion.

  But he hadn't expected only those three to e.

  They couldn't possibly stop a Strategic-Css Spirit with just the three of them.

  Then, Roy remembered what Rias had told him that m.

  Velsaria had defeated all the Sylphid Knights and only took those who could still stand with her.

  That's why the Sylphid Knights were uaffed.

  "Those soldiers are so reckless!"

  "This is bad. Rakka, Reishia, let's go! If we hold it off for a while, the instructors will arrive," Ellis said, frowning at the rampaging golem.

  Although the Sylphid Knights were rehis was beyond their capabilities.

  Only the instructors, whose strength rivaled the Empire's Spirit Knights, could hahis.

  The three girls charged towards the steel golem.

  However, the differen power was too great. They couldn't even hold it back.

  Rakka and Reishia were quickly defeated.

  The golem then turs attention to Ellis, its massive fist smming down on her.

  BOOM!

  The ground shook violently.

  Although Ellis dodged the attack, the shockwave sent her flying.

  Just as she braced herself for a painful nding, someone caught her.

  "Are you alright?" a gentle voice asked.

  Ellis opened her eyes and saw Roy's handsome face.

  She blushed.

  "P-Please put me down," she mumbled, embarrassed.

  "Okay." Roy chuckled aly set her down.

  Holding Ellis in her armor hadn't been very fortable.

  "Th-Thank you, Roy-san," Ellis stammered, her face still flushed.

  "It's no problem. We're cssmates, after all," Roy replied with a smile.

  "But what are we going to do now?" Ellis asked, looking at the rampaging golem with worry.

  "If you don't mind, I take care of it," Roy offered.

  "Really?"

  "Yes."

  "Then please, Roy-san!" Ellis said gratefully.

  This was supposed to be the Sylphid Knights' responsibility, but now, she had no choice but to rely on Roy.

  She didn't doubt his ability to stop the golem.

  She still remembered the duel the ht, where Roy had effortlessly sin the cyclopean giant with a sirike.

  Roy turowards the rampaging Strategic-Css Spirit, a smirk pying on his lips.

  He summoned his ice rose sword.

  Ellis stared at the beautiful bde, her eyes filled with admiration.

  It was a sword, with a hilt and handguard shaped like an ice-blue rose.

  The bde itself was adorned with intricate rose carvings.

  'What a beautiful sword!' she thought.

  Roy, wielding the ice rose sword, didn't even bother using Breathing Styles against this weakling. He simply swung his sword.

  An arc of sword pressure shot out.

  Slice!

  In the blink of ahe Strategic-Css Spirit was cut down.

  "H-He's s!" Ellis gasped, staring at the fallen golem in disbelief.

  To think he could defeat such a powerful spirit so easily...

  She looked at Roy with admiration.

  "That takes care of that," Roy said, turning to Ellis. "Are those twht?" he asked, pointing at the unscious Rakka and Reishia.

  "Yes, they're just unscious," Ellis firmed after cheg on them. She was relieved.

  But then, her expression turned gloomy.

  "What's wrong, Ellis-san?" Roy asked, notig her ge in mood.

  "Oh, it's nothing..." Ellis tried to brush it off.

  But Roy could easily see through her facade.

  She was worried about her teammates and the uping Bde Dance.

  ...

  She had beeed by her adopted sister, Velsaria, that m.

  Fortunately, she and Rakka and Reishia hadn't been injured.

  But her other two teammates had been severely injured and wouldn't recover for at least ten days.

  And now, with Rakka and Reishia also injured, she was the only o oeam.

  How could she participate in the Bde Dance like this?

  "You're worried about your teammates, aren't you?" Roy asked gently.

  "Mmm..." Ellis looked at him in surprise. He had seen through her worries.

  She no loried to hide her s. "Rakka and Reishia are injured. Now, I'm the only o oeam. What am I supposed to do about the tour?" she mented with a sigh.

  "Since you're the only o on your team, how about joining mine?" Roy offered without hesitation.

  Ellis was surprised, theated.

  As a Knight, she couldn't abandoeammates.

  "Captain, accept his offer!" Rakka, who had regained sciousness, suddenly spoke up.

  "Rakka..."

  "Captain, isn't participating in the Bde Dance your dream? We 't help you anymore. Please join Roy-sama's team!"

  "Yes, with Roy-sama, you definitely win the Bde Dance!" Reishia added, also awake now.

  They both urged Ellis to accept Roy's offer.

  After much hesitation, Ellis finally agreed.

  "Alright, I'll join your team."

  "Wele to Team Scarlet!" Roy said with a grin.

  ...

  Early the m, Roy met up with Ellis, Cire, and Ri.

  Today, they were going to uake the S-Rank mission to Gedonelune.

  "Ellis, why are you here?" Cire asked in surprise.

  Ellis had been tending to Rakka and Reishia yesterday, so Roy hadn't had a ce to inform Cire and Ri about her joining their team.

  "I've invited Ellis to join Team Scarlet. She'll be apanying us on this mission," Roy expined with a smile.

  "Eh?" The three girls were surprised.

  "But... but..." Cire started to protest.

  "We're still missing a member, and Ellis's teammates are injured," Roy interrupted.

  "Fine, I agree," Cire said relutly.

  Ellis was the captain of the Sylphid Knights. Her strength was undeniable.

  She was more than qualified to joieam, but Cire was still a bit unhappy about it.

  "Pleased to meet you all. Cire, I apologize for the Sylphid Knights' earlier behavior," Ellis said sincerely, bowing respectfully.

  "I-It's okay," Cire stammered, flustered by Ellis's formal apology.

  "Actually, we, the Sylphid Knights, also received a mission," Ellis announced, her expression turning serious.

  "What mission?" Cire asked curiously.

  "Last night, someoole fidential dots from the library," Ellis expined.

  "These dots tained information about the Strategic-Css Elemental sealed in Gedonelune, Jandr."

  "Whoever stole them is clearly after the Strategic-Css Elemental."

  "So your mission is to retrieve the dots?" Ri asked.

  "Yes." Ellis nodded.

  "Since we're both going to Gedonelune, and our missions don't flict, why don't we plete them together?" Roy suggested.

  Cire, Ri, and Ellis agreed.

  They khat whoever was after the Strategic-Css Elemental would likely cross paths with them.

  Accepting the Sylphid Knights' mission was a simple task.

  And it would earn them extra points for the school ranking.

  "Alright, since everyone agrees, let's depart!" Roy decred.

  They set off fedonelune.

  ...

  The mining city wasn't far from the academy.

  It would take about a day on horseback to reach it.

  The horses were already prepared outside the academy.

  "Oh my, my dy is going to such a dangerous pce! I'm so worried!" Carol excimed, g her hands together and praying for Ri's safety.

  She wasn't aal Spirit tractor and couldn't participate in the mission.

  "Don't worry, Carol. I'm more worried about you," Ri replied, hugging her adorable maid and ung into a series of instrus.

  "Will you be able to wake up on time without me?"

  "Make sure you eat properly every day."

  "And don't make a mess with bubbles when you're doing undry!"

  ...

  The others exged amused gnces, watg Ri fuss over Carol.

  It seemed like their roles were reversed.

  "Waaah... my dy... I'll do my best even when you're not here!" Carol cried, touched by Ri's .

  "This is so weird," Cire ented, uo hold back her amusement.

  "What are you talking about? A maid's only purpose is to be cute, right?" Ri retorted.

  "Fine, fine, you're right." Cire decided not tue.

  Just then, Fian out a yelp.

  "Aah! Stop it! Stop it, I said!"

  She had tried to climb onto a horse but was thrown off.

  Roy caught her before she could hit the ground.

  "Are you alright?" he asked.

  "I'm fine," Fianna replied, her cheeks flushing as she met Roy's gaze.

  Having grown up in the Diviual Institute, Fianna was quite i.

  "If you 't ride a horse, you ride with me," Roy offered.

  "Really? Yay!" Fianna nodded excitedly.

  Cire gred at her.

  "Holy, a princess who 't ride a horse? Isn't that a basic skill for nobles?"

  "They didn't teach us how to ride horses at the Diviual Institute," Fianed.

  "Horse riding is a pulsory subject here. You better get used to it. With your... assets, it might be difficult to maintain bance," Cire taunted.

  "Well, I'm not as ft as you. You probably don't experieny air resistance. I, oher hand, am clearly disadvantaged," Fianna replied calmly, flipping her hair.

  Cire fumed.

  "You..."

  Just as they were about to start anument, Roy sighed.

  "That's enough, you two. Let's just go."

  Cire and Fianna immediately stopped arguing.

  They mouheir horses.

  Seeing Fianna ging to Roy's back, Cire and Ri couldn't help but sneer and exge sarcastic remarks.

  Amidst their bickering, they set off fedonelune.

  ...

  After a full day of riding, they finally arrived at the gates of the mining city. It was already te at night.

  They were all exhausted from the journey.

  "Let's rest and have something to eat," Roy suggested.

  He jured a table den with food.

  "Amazing!"

  "Where did you get all this?"

  Fianna and Ellis stared at the feast in surprise.

  "Damn it! Now I have no use for my preparations!" Ri grumbled.

  Her spirit, Fenrir, was carrying a rge amount of food, and she had been pnning to cook for everyone.

  But Roy had already taken care of it.

  She regretted not preparing the food beforehand.

  Cire, however, was simply drooling at the sight of the delicious spread.

  "e on, everyone, let's eat!" Roy said.

  He then looked at the spirit seals on his arms. "Est, Ren, do you want to eat too?"

  He didn't o ask. Est and Ren emerged from their seals, drawn by the delicious aroma.

  Even Scarlet joihem.

  ...

  After a satisfying meal, Roy and the girls entered Gedonelune.

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