Lying on the soft, green grass, Shirou let the gentle breeze wash over him.
If he hadn't experienced it himself, he would never have believed that such a scene could exist inside the Dungeon.
Beautiful.
Peaceful.
And completely out of place in a location known for terror and death.
Half an hour passed in silence.
Shirou finally pushed himself up from the ground, rolled his shoulders, and stretched his limbs as he checked his condition.
"Looks like I've mostly recovered."
He exhaled slowly.
"As expected, you can't explore the Dungeon without elixirs."
The elixirs had restored his stamina and mental energy to a usable level. His wounds had stopped bleeding as well.
But fully healed?
Of course not.
Half an hour was nowhere near enough for that.
Still, Shirou didn't particularly care.
No matter how bad his current condition was, it couldn't possibly be worse than the state he'd been in when he fought Angelica.
That comparison alone made most concerns feel trivial.
Subconsciously, his hand moved to his hair.
The single white strand at the front of his forehead was still there.
Unchanged.
Even though his body had steadily recovered since arriving in Orario, that strand showed no sign of returning to normal.
"Forget it."
Shirou shook his head.
"Now's not the time to think about that."
He slung his backpack over his shoulders, projected twin swords into his hands, and turned toward the passage leading deeper.
Toward the Seventeenth Floor.
This was his adventure.
And he intended to complete it properly.
With that thought, he moved forward.
-
Dungeon, Thirteenth Floor.
With a single punch, Tiona obliterated the monster in front of her.
It burst apart, turning into dust before it could even let out a sound.
She didn't bother drawing a weapon.
One monster after another fell as she surged ahead, clearing the path with raw physical power.
Compared to Shirou-who was sprinting through the Dungeon, racing against time-the main force of the Loki Familia advanced at a relaxed pace.
Almost leisurely.
Part of that was because they weren't in any particular hurry.
The other part was because a few very specific individuals had been stimulated by a certain someone's earlier performance.
And now, they were going all out.
At the front, the vanguard group was completely engrossed in fighting monsters instead of pushing forward efficiently.
That was why their progress had slowed to a crawl.
"Can't those idiots calm down for once?"
Riveria pressed a hand to her forehead, her expression filled with exhaustion as she watched the usual quartet.
Ais.
Bete.
Tiona.
Tione.
The four problem children were charging headlong into battle again and again, clearly enjoying themselves.
"Don't be so upset, Riveria."
Finn chuckled lightly as he spoke.
"This kind of reaction is perfectly normal."
"After seeing a battle like that, even I feel a bit restless."
Riveria shot him a sharp look.
"No, not you."
"If even the Captain can't resist, they'll just get worse."
"As the leader, you need to set an example."
Finn laughed.
"Hahaha, don't worry."
"Look at me. I haven't moved an inch."
He had long since passed the age where he'd be easily provoked.
As the Captain of the Loki Familia, his demeanor was calm and composed.
Then his expression shifted.
"But still..."
"What do you think about that adventurer we saw earlier?"
Riveria immediately understood the change in tone.
Finn wasn't asking casually.
As Captain, he had to think about everything.
"Judging by his movements," Riveria replied after a brief pause, "he should have just reached LV.2."
"But to fight his way down to the Sixteenth Floor with stats like that..."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Beyond his skills and magic, it's mainly his techniques carrying him."
Finn nodded slowly.
He, Riveria, and Gareth had all survived the Dark Ages.
They were among the top-tier adventurers in terms of combat technique.
And yet, from that young man, they had sensed something unsettling.
Techniques that were not inferior to their own.
More importantly, those techniques weren't designed for monsters.
They were anti-personnel techniques.
Different in nature from the methods Ais and the others used.
Even though the other party concealed it carefully, Finn had still noticed traces of it.
That was what made him cautious.
A genius who appeared out of nowhere.
Combat techniques refined to that degree.
Could he have been secretly trained by a Dark Faction?
Riveria understood his concern.
She had thought the same at first.
But now, she had doubts.
"If he really were a genius cultivated by a Dark Faction," she said, "then today's actions were far too conspicuous."
On their way back from the Sixteenth Floor, they had encountered adventurers from other Familias.
From those conversations, Riveria learned that the young man hadn't just appeared in front of them once.
From the Thirteenth Floor all the way to the Fifteenth, many adventurers had been talking about him.
Especially about his attacks.
Explosions comparable to magic swords.
That alone had left more than a few people astonished.
There were simply too many witnesses.
Too much exposure.
It didn't fit the pattern of covert Dark Faction activity.
Finn considered it, then nodded.
"You're right."
He didn't dwell on the issue further.
No matter how talented the other party was, he was still only LV.2.
Their Loki Familia's future pillar-
The Sword Princess, Ais Wallenstein-
Was already LV.5.
It would take a very long time for someone like that to catch up to her.
"Still..."
Finn sighed softly.
"Even if it's greedy of me to think this way..."
"How great would it be if that kid belonged to our Familia?"
Riveria laughed.
"That really is greedy."
The two exchanged glances.
Then laughed together.
"What are you two laughing about?"
Tiona's voice rang out.
She had just finished another fight and looked over with curiosity.
Beside her, Ais tilted her head slightly, her expression blank but clearly puzzled.
"Cough. Nothing."
Riveria immediately suppressed her smile and returned to a serious expression.
Finn quickly changed the subject.
"Well then, have you all had enough?"
"If you're done venting, we should keep moving."
"Yeah, yeah, we're going back properly now."
Knowing they were in the wrong, the quartet didn't press the matter further.
They returned to the front and resumed clearing the path.
Before long, the group crossed the Thirteenth Floor and reached the passage leading to the Twelfth.
Just as Finn and the others were about to proceed-
Boom.
A sudden explosion echoed through the Dungeon.
Everyone froze.
That sound.
It was unmistakable.
In an instant, a single image surfaced in all of their minds.
Ais, who had been at the very front, changed direction without hesitation.
She ran back.
Seeing this, the rest of the group followed.
Moments later, that familiar red figure came into view once more.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Facing a surge of monsters, Shirou no longer restrained his magical output now that he was nearing the upper floors.
Three consecutive Broken Phantasms detonated in rapid succession, instantly clearing the surrounding area.
Using the explosions and the resulting chaos, he closed the distance in an instant.
He arrived near the Loki Familia.
"Yo, kid!"
Finn took the initiative.
Meeting the same young man again by coincidence, and fueled by curiosity about his background, he called out.
Hearing the greeting, Shirou finally turned his head.
Earlier, with monsters still chasing him, he had deliberately avoided approaching groups of adventurers.
After all, the Dungeon had unwritten rules.
Approaching others during combat without permission was a bad idea.
It often led to misunderstandings.
Especially since there was a long-standing tactic known as "monster gifting."
Using others to draw the monsters chasing you.
As the saying went-
"I don't need to outrun the monsters. I just need to outrun you."
Because of that, Shirou had avoided crowds entirely.
It was only when Finn called out that he noticed them.
Then he saw the flag.
Planted firmly at the center of the group.
His Familia's flag.
"...Wait."
"Isn't that..."
"Did our big shots come back?"
Realization hit instantly.
Shirou walked over without hesitation, stopping in front of Finn under the watchful gazes of the entire group.
"Are you Finn?"
"The Captain of the Loki Familia?"
"That's right."
Finn nodded.
"And you are?"
He was genuinely surprised.
He hadn't expected this suspected genius-possibly connected to a Dark Faction-to approach him so directly.
Shirou smiled.
There was a hint of excitement in it.
"Hello, Captain."
"I'm a new member who recently joined the Familia."
"My name is Shirou Emiya."
"...What?"
Finn froze.
Riveria froze as well.
They looked at each other, shock clear in both of their eyes.
They had thought about this possibility before.
But it had been nothing more than a passing thought.
And now it was reality.
A miracle.
The surrounding members of the Loki Familia were speechless.
Even Riveria, who was usually composed, couldn't hide her reaction.
"You're really a newcomer?"
"Then how did you reach the Sixteenth Floor?"
Shirou scratched the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed.
"I officially joined the Loki Familia while you were all on expedition."
"I went down to the Sixteenth Floor for an adventure."
He paused.
"That was the feat I needed to become LV.2."
"To reach the Seventeenth Floor and then return."
"I call it a small expedition."
"...Eh?"
The Loki Familia members collectively cried out.
Shock rippled through the group.
--------More Bonus Chapters!!!!
Every 300 power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter