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But what Ryuu had been waiting for still hadn't arrived. As they explored the thirteenth floor, the atmosphere felt quiet and strange—unlike usual. The roars and shouts of monsters that usually echoed through the stone corridors were now almost inaudible; only the rustle of their own footsteps reverberated between the moss-covered walls.
Ryuu lowered her sword slightly, her brow furrowed. "Strange... this place is usually full of Hellhounds and Almiraj. Now it's just quiet like this."
Shirou, walking behind her, merely shrugged, gazing at their footprints wet with the Dungeon's dew. "Maybe another group of adventurers cleared the path."
"Hmm." Ryuu stared ahead, her sharp eyes alert, but inwardly she was starting to grow annoyed. He said he was going to show me something. I was all ready to evaluate his strength, and... it's just quiet like this.
They continued walking down the stairs to the fourteenth floor. As soon as they reached the next level, Ryuu shot Shirou a sharp look while crossing her arms. "So? You said you wanted to show me a 'little' of what you can do. Where is it?"
Shirou scratched his cheek, his eyes glancing around. "Ehh... it doesn't feel quite right if there's no target," he said softly, with a slightly apologetic tone.
Ryuu stared at him for a long time, then let out a heavy sigh. "'Doesn't feel quite right,' you say..." She rolled her eyes, her expression a mix of irritation and weariness. "Just say you wanted to show off in a dramatic situation, Shirou."
"Eheh... you caught me," Shirou replied, in a tone that sounded like surrender.
The elf just snorted, then walked ahead with light yet quick steps. "What a weird guy."
Fortunately, not long after they stepped into the crystal-lit corridor of the fourteenth floor, Ryuu's steps suddenly halted. Ahead of them, at a wide three-way intersection, dozens of pairs of glowing red eyes peered from within the darkness.
Hellhounds.
Their hot breaths echoed like the hiss of burning iron, and in an instant, the scent of sulfur filled the air.
Ryuu turned to Shirou with a faint smile on her face. "Well, it seems your stage has arrived," she said in a half-mocking tone, then took half a step back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Go ahead, show-off hero."
"Alright then...," Shirou replied flatly, slinging his bow onto his back.
"GRRRHHH!!!" In unison, the Hellhounds roared, then, without warning, spewed tongues of flame towards them.
A searing blast of heat exploded, filling the intersection. The stone walls partially melted, the air vibrated, and the blinding red flames obscured Ryuu's vision.
"Tch—!" She shielded her eyes with her arm, not wanting to get burned even though the fire wasn't strong enough to penetrate her defenses.
From behind the dazzling light came the distinctive, calm voice of Shirou—flat, full of confidence.
"Trace... on."
Ziiiing!
The air vibrated, and in an instant, three pale blue magic swords formed above Shirou's body. Their blades quivered softly, emitting ripples of cold energy that contrasted with the hellish aura of the Hellhounds.
Ryuu's eyes widened. "Wait—that's... a magic sword?!"
Shirou stared straight at the pack of roaring monsters. "Freeze."
The three swords shot forward simultaneously, leaving twisting blue trails of light in the air.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions of freezing energy echoed one after another. The flames that had just ignited were instantly extinguished, turning into shards of ice flying about like sharp snow.
As the ice mist began to settle, the scene before them was perfectly frozen: the Hellhounds were stopped mid-stride, transformed into blue crystal statues standing still with frozen stares.
Ryuu stood transfixed for a few seconds, her lips parted, then she slowly let out a long breath. "You... can even replicate Magic Swords? That's... not what I expected."
Shirou just shrugged, watching the swords slowly fade into light. "I told you, didn't I... but this is only a little of what I can show."
Ryuu stared at him for a long time, her cheeks tense—a mix of amazement, confusion, and a little... annoyance. "You're really annoying, Shirou Emiya."
Shirou just gave a small smile, while the frosty dew around him glittered under the Dungeon's soft light, like fallen stars underground.
The ice that had engulfed the pack of Hellhounds finally began to crack—crack... craaack!—The sound of shattering crystal echoed along the stone corridor. Pieces of ice fell to the floor like broken glass, and behind them, the Hellhounds' bodies slowly crumbled into ash, leaving only scattered purple magic stones on the ground.
Ryuu stepped forward, her green cloak fluttering slowly, and began picking up the stones while glancing at Shirou, who still stood calmly amidst the cold mist. "So," she said, picking up another one, "it's not just ice-element magic swords you can make, right? You can replicate other elemental magic swords, too?"
Shirou lowered his head slightly, picked up a magic stone, and looked at it in his palm. He gave a small smile, grinning like a child caught stealing cookies. "More or less. I learned most of them from... uh, the weapon shop run by the Hephaestus Familia."
Ryuu blinked, then let out a breath of disbelief. "You little thief," she said, her tone half-amused, half-annoyed.
"Hey, it's not stealing," Shirou retorted quickly, raising his hands as if in self-defense. "The originals are still there. I just... borrowed their form and structure in my head."
Ryuu snorted, but still handed a few magic stones to Shirou. "You really have a strange way of thinking." She pondered something, then added in a curious tone, "But why don't you just mass-produce your magic swords? Your projections could really help adventurers, especially those who can't afford weapons from the Hephaestus Familia."
Shirou accepted the stones while shaking his head slowly. "Unfortunately, the results of my projections don't last long. Just three days, then they vanish like mist."
Ryuu fell silent for a moment, then her face showed understanding. "Ah... that's right." She looked at the floor, as if remembering something. "Like that handkerchief you gave me once, right? The one that suddenly faded after a few days."
Shirou scratched his cheek, somewhat awkwardly. "Yup, that was a projection too. Besides..." he glanced towards the wall covered in glowing moss, his voice lowering slightly, "if it got out that I'm copying weapons made by the Hephaestus Familia, those blacksmiths might boycott the Loki Familia. I don't want to cause trouble for everyone."
Ryuu stopped in front of the stairs leading to the next floor, looking at Shirou over her shoulder. "And if you mass-produced magic swords, weapon prices in Orario could plummet..." she murmured, then turned with a faint smile. "Ah, so that's the reason you hide your level, too, isn't it?"
Shirou was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I just don't want to be a burden to my familia," he said calmly, but his eyes held something deep—a hard-to-explain feeling, a kind of guilt wrapped in responsibility.
Ryuu stared at him for a few seconds, then sighed. "You and that 'not wanting to trouble others' habit of yours is like a bad habit," she said flatly, but there was a soft note at the end of her voice.
Shirou brushed the dust off his black pants. "Heh... maybe so."
The two of them then stepped down to the next floor, the sound of their footsteps echoing between the stone walls, while the remaining chill slowly disappeared along with the remnants of the ice mist Shirou had left behind.
Ryuu walked faster, her pointed ears moving slowly beneath the hood of her green cloak. Her eyes softly reflected the blue glow from the crystal walls. But in that gaze, there was clearly something—an unresolved curiosity.
"I'm not satisfied yet," she finally said, her tone flat but carrying a challenging note.
Shirou, walking behind her while fastening a small bag full of magic stones, just let out a long sigh. "So greedy," he said with a slight smile. "I already showed you a little of my power." He raised his index finger and thumb, making a small gap. "See, that was a little. And that's still not enough?"
Ryuu half-turned, looking at him with a sharp, meaningful gaze. "A little for you might be enough to freeze a pack of Hellhounds all at once. But for me?" She raised an eyebrow, challenging. "I want more."
Shirou just chuckled softly. "You want me to keep using magic swords every time we meet a monster, huh? All the way to the safe zone on the 18th floor, maybe?"
"Why not?" Ryuu replied quickly, her voice calm but clearly provocative. "A show like the one earlier isn't something I get to see every day."
Shirou looked at her with a face caught between amusement and resignation. "That's overkill, Ryuu. Normal parties usually only use magic swords in emergencies, not at every dungeon corner."
Ryuu raised an eyebrow, her tone challenging, though with a faint hint of concern. "Does that mean you're afraid of getting tired? Or maybe you're worried about running out of magical energy and fainting?"
Shirou looked at her, then chuckled softly. "Not really. Believe me, working at the Hostess is more exhausting than this." He waved his hand as if depicting the busy kitchen and endless piles of plates. "If I can handle Syr and Chloe every day, the Dungeon feels like a picnic."
Ryuu was silent for a moment, then a small smile appeared on her face—small, but sincere. "Alright," she said finally, her voice soft but with a teasing note. "In that case, let's make a deal. If one or two monsters appear, I'll handle them. But if a large pack comes..."
She turned with a small, inscrutable smile. "...they're all yours, Shirou Emiya."
Shirou chuckled, his shoulders rising slightly. "Deal. But if I cause an earthquake later, don't blame me, okay?"
Ryuu only answered with a low hum, but her pointed ears seemed to twitch slightly. "Hmph, so arrogant... We'll see."
Their steps continued side by side through the wet stone corridor, the humid air mixed with flashes of light from the Dungeon crystals.
Ryuu stopped in front of a wide passageway surrounded by stone walls. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the vibrations of footsteps in the ground. "They're coming," she murmured, then glanced back at Shirou, who was walking leisurely behind. A mischievous grin was painted on her face. "You ready? I'll lure them towards you."
Before Shirou could answer, Ryuu had already shot forward like a shadow. The sound of whistling wind and the stampede of monster feet soon echoed. From the darkness of the passage emerged a horde of Almiraj and Hellhounds, roaring savagely, chasing the elf who nimbly changed direction and led them straight to Shirou's position.
As Ryuu jumped to the side of the wall, Shirou stood firm, watching the approaching horde.
"Trace on."
Three magic swords appeared, spinning in the air—blades glowing blue like lightning.
An electric explosion shook the corridor, a cold aura enveloping everything, striking the running monsters. A thunderclap struck—Boom!—before the Hellhounds' bodies turned to dust.
Ryuu was stunned for a moment, but soon smiled. "Good. But I'm not satisfied yet." She ran again, luring a new group from another side. This time, Minotaurs and Ligerfangs. Their steps shook the ground—thoom, thoom!—while Ryuu spun around and shouted, "Your turn again!"
Shirou took a calm breath, both his hands glowing red.
"Trace on."
A glowing red blade exploded in the air—BOOM!—a wave of fire swept through the entire corridor, incinerating the monster horde without a trace. Hot smoke enveloped them, and from within it, Shirou still stood firm and unshaken.
Ryuu blinked. "You... aren't even sweating."
Shirou just gave a slight nod. "There's still time. Want to try again?"
The elf tsked, then ran again. Monsters appeared one after another—Almiraj, Ligerfangs, even a small troop of Minotaurs—and every time Ryuu directed them towards Shirou, the young man answered with a new projection: thunder swords, wind blades, even ones emitting green poison. One by one, the monsters fell as if they were nothing more than light practice.
Finally, after what felt like a long time, they arrived at the edge of a wide chasm at the end of the seventeenth floor. The sound of dripping underground water echoed from below, crystal light reflecting off the wet walls.
Ryuu looked at Shirou with a mix of admiration and confusion. "You're really... incredible."
Shirou gazed into the depths of the chasm, his face calm. "The eighteenth floor awaits."
Before they could descend the path to the eighteenth floor, a heavy sound echoed from the ceiling—gruuuuuuum!! The stones shook, dust fell, and sparks of crystal light fell like a light rain. Both Shirou and Ryuu looked up, their gazes sharpening as the vibrations grew stronger.
"The Dungeon is shaking...?" Shirou murmured. But Ryuu was already readying her sword, her expression tense. "No. That's not a normal vibration," she said quickly. "That's—Goliath! The Monster Rex has spawned again!"
The rumbling sound grew closer, followed by a thunderous roar from above the stone dome. GROOOOOAAARRR!!! The ceiling cracked, chunks of stone as large as carts fell, hitting the floor and raising thick dust. From within the gray mist, a giant head slowly emerged. Its skin was gray, pulsing red veins on its surface, and long, tangled hair covered part of its face. Its breath alone was enough to shake the air around them.
Shirou narrowed his eyes at the figure. Each of Goliath's steps shattered stone, and each of its exhales felt like the fury of the earth itself. "It's huge..." he whispered, half in awe, half on guard.
Ryuu glanced at Shirou, her voice calm but full of wariness. "Are you sure you can handle it alone? If not, I can—"
"Goliath, huh?" Shirou cut in slowly while stretching. He looked up, his brown eyes glinting under the blue crystal light. "There's something I want to try."
Ryuu stared at him for a few seconds, then gave a small nod. "Fine. But if you start getting pushed back..." she thought while gripping her sword hilt tightly, "I'll step in."
Goliath's roar echoed again, making the entire wall resonate like war drums. Shirou took a step forward, the air around him vibrating slowly, then he whispered low—almost like a war chant only he could hear.
"Trace... on."
Ryuu watched Shirou standing a few steps ahead of her, the wind blowing fiercely from the vibrations Goliath was causing above. She was sure the young man would soon prepare a line of magic swords like before—glowing weapons that would shoot forth to freeze, burn, and destroy their enemy from afar. But when Shirou began to raise his hand, what appeared wasn't a row of gleaming blades, but something that left Ryuu stunned.
"...A slingshot?" she whispered in disbelief. In his hands, Shirou held a simple rope slingshot, made of a silver-colored rope that looked... ordinary. No magical light, no aura of great power.
Meanwhile, from the cracked ceiling, the giant body of Goliath began to descend with a terrifying rumble. KRAAAASH!! Giant chunks of stone scattered, and the creature, as tall as a two-story building, hit the ground, creating a shockwave that nearly made Ryuu lose her balance.
"Shirou! You're joking, right?!" she shouted, her blue eyes wide. "Your opponent is a Monster Rex, not a Goblin!"
Shirou only glanced back for a moment, his expression calm like still water. "Relax," he said lightly, then bent down to pick up five small stones from the floor. He weighed them one by one in his palm, testing their weight like an archer selecting arrows.
Ryuu snorted in panic. "Stones? You're going to defeat Goliath with pebbles?!"
But Shirou didn't answer. He stood straight, looking ahead as the newly fallen Goliath began to rise. Its gray skin was cracked with pulsing vein lines, and from its throat came a deep roar that shook the air. GUOOOOOOHH!!! Its hot breath blew towards them, carrying the scent of iron and scorched earth.
Ryuu drew her sword. She stepped forward on guard, thinking Shirou would at least target the monster's eyes to create an opening. But the red-haired youth only began to swing his slingshot slowly, the rope spinning, forming a circle in the air. A faint whirring sound was heard along with a faint magical aura starting to pulse from his hand.
"Is he... concentrating magical energy into the stones?" Ryuu thought, sensing a slight magical vibration from Shirou's direction. But the language coming from the young man's mouth was unfamiliar to her—a strange, rhythmic sound, like an ancient chant foreign to an elf's ears.
"He..."
"Dalet..."
"Gimel..."
"Bet..."
"Alef..."
Ryuu was transfixed. The language felt heavy, vibrating in the air, as if each word carried a different power.
Goliath raised its body in full fury, then leaped forward, its steps shaking the entire corridor. BOOM! BOOM! Stones flew, and its large shadow covered both of them.
Shirou tightened his grip, his eyes shining sharply. "Hamesh Avanim!" he called out loudly.
The slingshot exploded in a burst of silvery light. The first four stones shot forth like lightning—whizz!—streaking to hit Goliath at various points: shoulder, knee, chest, and the side of its neck. Each seemingly ordinary stone now emitted different lights, leaving smoldering, seared wounds on the giant's thick skin.
Goliath roared in anger, shaking the ground. "GAAAAARGH!!" Its body trembled, its veins heated up, and it charged forward like a living wall. Ryuu reflexively moved forward to help, but her steps halted when Shirou prepared the final stone.
A red light glowed around the slingshot, the air around them vibrating heavily like a giant bow drawn to its fullest. The final stone was no longer just a stone—but a swirling mass of energy like a small meteor.
KLANG!
A sonic boom accompanied the release. The fifth stone shot through the air, striking Goliath's chest right at the center of the bluish light where its magic stone was. The sound of a loud impact echoed—BAAANG!!—followed by a burst of red-orange light.
Goliath's body froze for a moment, then a sharp cracking sound came from its chest. Crack! Crack! CRAAASH! The giant magic stone shattered into pieces, emitting a light that immediately dimmed. In one final exhale, the creature froze in place—then slowly turned to ash, blown away by the Dungeon's gentle wind.
Ryuu stood frozen, her mouth wide open. "Y... you just..." she stammered. "Killed Goliath... with... a slingshot?"