Bladedance of Elementalers (精霊使いの), also written as Blade Dance of Elementalers, is a Japanese light novel series written by Yū Shimizu with illustrations by Hanpen Sakura (volumes 1–13), Yuuji Nimura (volumes 14–16) and Kohada Shimesaba (volumes 17–20). A manga adaptation illustrated by Hyōju Issei was serialized from June 27, 2012, to January 27, 2017, in Media Factory's Monthly Comic Alive and compiled in six volumes. The first volume was released on February 23, 2013. An anime television series adaptation by TNK aired from July 14 to September 29, 2014. The last volume of the novel was released on March 25, 2019.
Plot
The story takes place in a world where spirits exist and only pure maidens have the privilege of contracting with the spirits. These maidens hail from noble families and gather at the Areishia Spirit Academy, a specialized school where they are trained to become elementalists.
However, a male teenager named Kamito Kazehaya changes everything. After receiving an invitation from the Academy's director, Greyworth Ciel Mais to come to Areisha Spirit Academy, he loses his way in the spirit forest and stumbles upon a girl named Claire Rouge purifying herself in a lake. She is, understandably, upset and embarrassed and attacks him. He is able to avoid the worst of her wrath and finds out that she intends to contract with a sealed sword spirit. He accompanies her so that she can guide him out of the forest once she has accomplished her goal. Claire attempts to contract with the sealed sword spirit but fails causing it to go berserk. In order to save her life and much to Claire's chagrin, Kamito forms a contract with the sword spirit himself, turning him into the only male elementalist in the world (he also becomes the second male elementalist in 1000 years). Disregarding the fact that he saved her life, she accuses him of stealing her spirit and insists that he atone for it by becoming her contracted spirit.