"The Floor Boss of the Seventeenth Floor-Goliath-has been defeated by me!"
Standing in the cavern, Shirou raised his right hand high and shouted toward the Familia members who had rushed over to him.
His voice carried excitement he didn't bother to suppress.
The battle from moments ago still echoed vividly in his body. His blood was boiling, his heartbeat refusing to calm down.
Facing Goliath, whose attributes surpassed his in every category, even a single direct hit would have meant severe injury-or death.
Every dodge had been made on the brink.
Every step had hovered between life and death.
If not for the support of Mind's Eye (True), he would have already crossed that line long ago.
Yet now, he was standing here.
Alive.
Victorious.
What an unforgettable battle.
What an overwhelming, passionate fight.
...
The members of the Loki Familia stared at Shirou in stunned silence.
He stood there in the cavern, arm raised, breathing steadily.
And that was it.
It was over.
No one spoke for a moment.
He hadn't been hit even once.
From beginning to end, it had been a one-sided assault.
Whether it was his precise swordsmanship.
Or his near-invincible evasion.
Whether it was the endless stream of projected weapons.
Or the sword no ordinary human could possibly wield.
Or that final, decisive sword technique.
Every single moment had shattered their understanding of what Shirou was capable of.
So this was his full power.
After the brief shock passed, the cavern erupted.
Cheers surged forward like a tidal wave.
This wasn't just Shirou's personal victory.
It was the Loki Familia's honor.
Defeating the Floor Boss Goliath alone-
That was the achievement of a true hero.
"Shirou!"
"Emiya!"
"Brother!"
Amid the shouts, Shirou was swallowed by the crowd as Familia members rushed toward him, surrounding him completely.
Hands grabbed him from all sides.
Voices overlapped.
"Ah-wait! Don't touch me everywhere!"
"Hey-get your hands off my ass!!"
Crushed back and forth in the chaos, Shirou felt dizzy almost instantly. He couldn't even tell who was deliberately taking advantage of the situation.
In the constant jostling, he was hugged again and again by overly enthusiastic girls, assaulted by an overwhelming variety of soft textures.
At this moment, he had only one thought.
Escape.
Women were terrifying.
...
"Was that really the Magic Sword Archer? I didn't imagine it, did I?"
"Probably not. You weren't the only one who saw it."
On the Eighteenth Floor, adventurers who had stayed overnight and were preparing to return to Orario stared at Shirou from afar, still in disbelief.
They replayed the scene over and over in their minds.
A greatsword over ten meters long, summoned in an instant, piercing straight through Goliath.
A single sword swing that carved nine slashes at once, tearing through both Goliath and the surrounding walls.
It felt unreal.
Like something out of myth.
"I remember he only became LV.2 a month ago, right?"
"Yeah... then how did he defeat Goliath alone?"
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"
...
Amid cheers and laughter, Shirou returned to Orario together with his Familia.
A celebration feast was already being planned.
And with his mood soaring, Shirou decided to personally take charge of the cooking this time.
He would let these people experience what true cuisine really was.
Just watch.
This is my full power.
Grand Chef Shirou.
While the Loki Familia immersed themselves in celebration, the rest of Orario fell into chaos.
Stories brought back by adventurers from the Eighteenth Floor spread like wildfire.
The Magic Sword Archer.
Recently advanced to LV.2.
Single-handedly defeated the Floor Boss Goliath.
The rumors intensified with every retelling.
And this time, it wasn't groundless speculation.
The Loki Familia's deep expedition that day.
The massive magic stone they returned with.
Everything pointed to the same truth.
Arguments broke out all over Orario.
Believers.
Skeptics.
Endless debates.
Those who believed were especially desperate to know the secret.
How had Shirou done it?
Unfortunately, no one could answer them.
The Loki Familia was currently locked inside their headquarters, holding a private celebration.
And more importantly-
Who would dare question the Loki Familia?
One of the strongest forces in Orario.
As a result, Shirou's good mood remained untouched.
...
"So tired..."
Late at night, Shirou finally returned to his room.
The moment he closed the door, he collapsed onto his bed, gasping.
Even with years of experience in the kitchen, this had been his first time cooking for so many people at once.
Before, he cooked for a handful.
This time, nearly a hundred.
And these beasts ate multiple portions each.
By the end of the night, he had prepared several hundred servings of food.
It nearly killed him.
"I knew it," he muttered weakly. "Not becoming a chef was the right choice. Feeding so many beasts is going to exhaust me to death..."
His complaints gradually faded.
The irritation on his face softened.
A faint smile appeared.
Cooking had been exhausting.
But celebrating together like that-
It felt good.
Really good.
"This... is the happiness of having family."
As he lay there, memories surfaced.
The days he had lived together with Miyu.
"I wonder if my wish came true," he murmured. "Is Miyu happy now?"
...
"Eh? What does this mean?! What do you mean 'Independent Action'? Is he trying to steal my job?!"
Loki's furious voice suddenly rang out.
She stared at the divine text behind Shirou like it had personally offended her.
This was bullying.
Bullying an honest god.
"Independent Action?"
"A new skill?"
Shirou snapped out of his thoughts and immediately asked.
He knew what Independent Action was.
An Archer-class skill.
A divine ability that allowed a Heroic Spirit to remain in the present world for up to three days without a Master.
In the Unlimited Blade Works route, Archer had relied on this very skill to deliver the final blow to Gilgamesh.
Otherwise, Shirou from that world would have ended up as a one-armed swordsman.
Loki shot him an irritated look and shoved a translated sheet of paper into his hands.
Name: Shirou Emiya
Level: LV.3
Stats:
Strength: I0
Durability: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility: I0
Magic: I0
Development Abilities:
Blacksmithing: G
Magic: I
Magic:
Unlimited Blade Works
・Projection Magic
・Reality Marble
・Structural Grasp
Chant:
I am the bone of my sword.
Steel is my body, and fire is my blood.
I have created over a thousand blades.
Unknown to Death,
Nor known to Life.
Have withstood pain to create many weapons.
Yet, those hands will never hold anything.
So as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works.
Skills:
Sharpening
・Weapon stats increase when wielding self-forged weapons.
・Self-Forging, Accelerated Growth.
・Greatly enhanced due to Blacksmithing characteristics.
Clairvoyance
・Line of sight distance and accuracy greatly increased.
・Immune to environmental effects on vision.
・Greatly enhances archery abilities and precision.
Mind's Eye (True)
・Insight greatly increased.
・Predicts opponent actions based on acquired information.
・Able to seize and execute any possibility of reversal.
Magic Resistance
・Reduces damage from magic and magical attacks.
・Effect greatly increases with level.
・Effect greatly enhanced due to Magic characteristic.
Independent Action
・Magic recovery speed greatly increased.
・Stamina and injury recovery speed greatly increased.
・Divine Blessing can be automatically updated.
Staring at the divine script on the paper, Shirou's lips slowly curled upward.
A quiet smile formed.
He had inherited it after all.
An Archer-class skill.
A skill belonging to a Heroic Spirit.
--------More Bonus Chapters!!!!
Every 300 power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter