Early morning.
The sky was only just beginning to brighten.
At the entrance of the Loki Familia's residence, Lefiya stood quietly, seeing her comrades off one group at a time.
"We're heading out."
"Mm. Go ahead."
She waved gently, watching their figures gradually disappear down the street.
Even after they were gone, Lefiya remained where she was.
Her brows knit together as she muttered under her breath.
"Why isn't Emiya-san here yet...?"
Several groups had already departed.
Yet the person she was waiting for still hadn't appeared.
Just as her complaint lingered in the air-
"Sorry, Lefiya. I'm late."
Almost on cue, a slightly hurried voice reached her ears.
Lefiya turned around.
Shirou stood there, breathing a little heavier than usual.
"It's fine," Lefiya replied quickly. "I haven't been waiting long anyway."
It was a small lie.
But she didn't want him to feel guilty.
Still, as she looked him over, a faint sense of confusion surfaced.
Fully armed.
Equipment secured.
And... coming from outside the Familia residence?
Why did it look like Emiya-san had just returned from somewhere else?
"My apologies, really," Shirou said as he stepped closer. "It took longer than expected to get the weapons ready."
Then he smiled, his tone light.
"Shall we go?"
With that, the two of them headed toward the Dungeon.
-
The streets were quiet.
Only the sound of their footsteps accompanied them.
"Did Emiya-san wake up early to prepare weapons?" Lefiya asked from behind him.
"Yes," Shirou replied. "I didn't manage to prepare everything beforehand."
"But it's done now. At least, it should be."
His hand brushed lightly against the newly forged weapon secured to his back.
As he did, his thoughts drifted to the conversation from the night before.
-
"You want me to help Lefiya change?"
Shirou asked, looking at Riveria with clear confusion.
He had just finished bathing and was preparing to rest.
"That's right," Riveria replied calmly.
"Although Lefiya is already LV.3, she has almost no real combat experience against monsters."
"She reached LV.3 before coming to Orario."
"Because of that, both her mindset and experience lag far behind adventurers of the same level."
Riveria paused briefly.
"However, her talent is extraordinary."
"In terms of pure attack power, she can already rival a LV.5."
"That's why I've been focusing on her."
Shirou listened without interrupting.
"Even so," Riveria continued, "due to the difference in levels, we can't bring her along to gain experience directly."
"And among the members close to her level, there isn't a suitable candidate."
Her gaze sharpened.
"But you're different."
"I believe you can help her."
Shirou fell silent for a moment.
Then he nodded.
Knowing the future, Shirou understood better than anyone how powerful a reliable Lefiya could become.
If she could be guided properly now, it would benefit both the Familia and himself.
More importantly-
She was a comrade.
-
After entering the Dungeon, Shirou led Lefiya steadily forward.
They stopped once they reached the Tenth Floor.
Mist drifted through the wide passages, obscuring distant shapes and sounds.
Lefiya looked around, clearly puzzled.
"Emiya-san... are we starting from the Tenth Floor?"
With one of them at LV.2 and the other at LV.3, wasn't this excessive?
"Yes," Shirou replied. "We're starting here."
"But today, you won't be acting as a sorceress."
"You'll be acting as a warrior."
"A... warrior?"
Lefiya froze.
She stared at Shirou, unable to hide her confusion.
Then her eyes shifted to the long weapon on his back.
The one she had noticed earlier.
Shirou reached behind him and drew it out.
As he unwrapped the cloth, the weapon was revealed in full.
A spear.
"Lefiya," Shirou said calmly, "Riveria already explained your problem to me."
"Your biggest issue is trust."
"As the sorceress in a party, everyone protects you."
"All you have to do is chant and wipe out enemies with magic."
As he spoke, Shirou tossed the spear toward her.
Startled, Lefiya hurriedly reached out to catch it.
In the process, her staff slipped from her grasp and clattered to the ground.
After she secured the spear, Shirou continued.
"Problems rooted in trust can't be solved overnight."
"They have to be worked through."
"For your case, I have a different approach."
"What... should I do?"
Lefiya looked straight at him.
Her eyes trembled, but her desire to change was unmistakable.
"Start as a warrior."
"A warrior...?"
She glanced down at the spear in her hands, repeating the word quietly.
"Your fear of chanting in front of monsters," Shirou said evenly, "isn't just fear."
"It's a lack of confidence."
"When monsters approach, you don't believe you can hold them off."
"You don't believe you can dodge."
"You don't believe you can survive long enough for your teammates to help you."
He looked at her directly.
"That's because you fundamentally lack close-quarters combat ability."
"Many elves are excellent at melee combat."
"They fight while chanting."
"For them, magic and close combat aren't separate."
"That's why I think training you in close combat is necessary."
"It will build your confidence."
As a magus from another world, Shirou understood this deeply.
In his world, close combat was standard for modern magi.
He himself had fought Heroic Spirits head-on.
Even Rin Tohsaka, a pure magus, was a master of Bajiquan.
There was a reason she was called 'Devil Muscle Rin.'
In the UBW route, she had even used martial arts to beat Medea-an Age of Gods magus-into submission.
Self-defense wasn't optional.
It was fundamental.
Setting his backpack down, Shirou took out a set of light armor.
"This is a modified version of an earlier experimental piece."
"It's better if you wear it, since you don't have combat experience."
He helped Lefiya put it on carefully.
When everything was in place, Lefiya looked down at herself.
Light armor.
A spear.
Only then did she understand.
The reason Emiya-san was late.
He hadn't overslept.
He had gone out to prepare equipment.
For her.
Her chest tightened.
For a brief moment, she couldn't say anything.
"Thank you... Emiya-san."
"Since you're thanking me," Shirou replied with a smile, "don't be so formal."
"Just call me Shirou."
He stepped back slightly, looking her over.
The armor suited her surprisingly well.
He had to admit it.
Beautiful people really did look good in anything.
An elf renowned for both beauty and magic.
"Th-thank you... Shi... Shi... Shirou-san!"
She stumbled over the name, her face flushing red.
"Still adding '-san,' huh?"
Shirou teased lightly.
Lefiya froze.
Her face turned even redder.
She's really cute.
"Alright," Shirou said, turning serious. "Enemies incoming."
He pointed ahead.
Orcs.
Imps.
Shapes emerging through the mist.
"Eh?"
Lefiya stiffened.
Her hands began to tremble.
So did her legs.
Before, on the upper and middle floors, she had never had this problem.
But back then, she was always in the backline.
Protected.
Safe.
Now-
She was standing at the front.
As a warrior.
Monsters were close.
Too close.
Her body refused to listen to her.
"What... what should I do...?"
Just as panic threatened to overwhelm her-
A silver flash cut through the air.
The Orc in front of her split cleanly in two.
"Shirou-san!"
She cried out, both shocked and relieved.
Her eyes followed his movements.
Left.
Right.
Precise.
Efficient.
In an instant, the monsters were reduced to a single one.
"Raise your weapon, Lefiya!"
Shirou's voice rang out clearly.
"The enemy is only LV.1."
"You're a LV.3 of the Loki Familia."
"Believe in your own strength."
"Even without experience, the difference in attributes is absolute."
"Victory is inevitable."
His words struck home.
Lefiya took a shaky breath.
Her grip tightened.
Resolve slowly replaced fear.
She lifted the spear.
And charged.
"Ahhh-!"
She shouted, using her voice to force herself forward.
When she reached the monster, her eyes squeezed shut.
She felt resistance.
Then-
A piercing sensation.
A wail echoed beside her.
Heart pounding, Lefiya finally opened her eyes.
The Orc she had stabbed was dissolving into dust.
"I... I did it."
Her voice trembled.
"I did it, Shirou-san!"
Overcome with excitement, she dropped the spear and jumped in place.
Again.
And again.
"Mm."
"Well done."
Shirou stepped closer and gently placed a hand on her head.
Lefiya froze.
Her face turned bright red.
But she didn't pull away.
Looking at her like this, Shirou felt an odd warmth.
It reminded him of someone.
Like looking at a younger sister.
How nice.
--------More Bonus Chapters!!!!
Every 300 power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter