Time passed like the turning of the sun and moon.
Four days vanished in the blink of an eye, and before Shirou realized it, the day of the expedition had arrived.
Standing before the mirror, dressed in his newly crafted equipment, Shirou looked at his reflection and couldn't help but mutter,
"...So cool."
Light armor of red and white wrapped around his body, fitting snugly without hindering movement. A short sword was slung across his back, its presence understated but sharp, accentuating his figure rather than weighing it down.
This was his latest work.
A complete first-class equipment set.
He had named it Crimson Glory.
The name carried intent. In this expedition, he would carve out his glory with the blood of his enemies.
"...Even though I'm just rear guard."
Shouldering his prepared backpack, Shirou grumbled softly.
To be honest, he wanted to be on the vanguard.
Very much so.
But reality was reality. His overall strength still didn't qualify him for the front line of a deep-floor expedition. Being assigned as rear guard was reasonable.
Still, it left him dissatisfied.
After all, he was originally an Archer.
And what kind of self-respecting Archer used a bow?
He certainly didn't want to.
Unfortunately, circumstances were stronger than personal preference.
Since that was the case, he might as well accept the rear guard role properly.
After confirming that he hadn't forgotten anything, Shirou opened the door to his room.
Outside, Ais and Lefiya were already waiting.
"Good morning, Brother."
"Good morning."
After exchanging greetings, the three of them headed together toward the courtyard of Twilight Manor.
More and more members of the Loki Familia were gathering there.
At the center of the courtyard, Loki stood with her arms crossed, watching over everyone.
She looked different from usual.
Her usual carefree air was gone.
Her presence was fully released.
Heavy. Majestic.
That was the pressure of a god.
"Everyone," Loki declared loudly, "fight to your heart's content!"
"The time has come to show the spirit of the Loki Familia!"
"Ooh!"
The response was immediate.
Morale surged.
"Then we're departing, Loki."
Finn stepped forward.
"Mm. I'm leaving everything to you."
"Yes."
Finn turned around.
In an instant, his presence sharpened.
This was the captain of the Loki Familia.
Finn Deimne.
"Prepare to depart," he ordered. "Assemble at the central plaza beneath Babel."
"Yes!"
With heavy packs on their backs, the members of the expedition began to move.
Shirou blended into the flow.
Beside him, Ais and Lefiya were walking together, talking quietly.
Or rather-
Lefiya was talking, and Ais was responding.
Ever since Ais began studying Nine Lives Blade Works under Shirou, she had also started calling him "Brother."
That alone gave Lefiya endless topics.
The fact that the person she admired most had become her brother's junior sister made her impossibly happy.
In her mind, she now had both Shirou and Ais as siblings.
That was double happiness.
"Lefiya," Shirou asked, interrupting her thoughts, "how's your Parallel Chanting coming along?"
"Huh?"
Lefiya snapped out of her daze and immediately answered seriously.
"I've more or less grasped it, but I'm not very proficient yet."
That was an honest assessment.
As a mage with outstanding talent, Lefiya's aptitude was unquestionable. Under Shirou's guidance, her biggest hurdle-self-confidence-had already been overcome.
Because of that, she encountered almost no conceptual difficulty when learning Parallel Chanting.
What remained was practice.
Pure repetition.
Shirou nodded.
From his perspective, her progress was already good.
It wasn't as explosive as in the original trajectory, but there was a clear reason for that.
She hadn't met Bell Cranel yet.
Without that rival presence, she wasn't practicing Parallel Chanting through constant high-pressure combat simulations. Instead, she was following a more orthodox learning route.
Naturally, that meant slower progress.
"...I've neglected her a bit lately."
That realization struck Shirou unexpectedly.
He'd been busy forging equipment, preparing for the expedition, and teaching Ais. Without noticing, Lefiya had been placed slightly to the side.
Feeling a twinge of guilt, Shirou reached out and gently patted her head.
"When we get back from this expedition," he said calmly, "I'll train with you properly."
"Mm!"
Lefiya responded immediately, her mood lifting at once.
Walking beside them, Ais watched the interaction.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
She liked this atmosphere.
Warm. Calm. Comfortable.
Without saying anything, she also reached out and gently placed her hand on Lefiya's head.
"You can do it, Lefiya."
"..."
For a moment, Lefiya froze.
Being patted on the head by both of them at the same time-
Happiness had come too suddenly.
It was a double hit.
"Yes!"
Her face flushed bright red.
Her steps even became a little unsteady as she answered shyly.
-
The long procession advanced down North Boulevard.
Along the way, countless gazes followed them.
Pedestrians and adventurers alike stopped to watch, expressions filled with awe.
"That's Brave Finn Deimne... Nine-Tails Riveria Ljos Alf... and Heavy Blow Gareth Landrock."
"Those are the three pillars of the Loki Familia!"
"Look over there! Great Cutter Tiona Hiryute and Raging Snake Tione Hiryute! The Amazon twins!"
"They're both LV.5! And way too cute!"
"And that's Mad Dog Bete Loga. A LV.5 too... damn, he looks sharp."
"And there-Sword Princess Ais Wallenstein. The strongest swordswoman in the city."
"She really lives up to the name."
As the executives passed by, the discussions only grew louder.
"Wait... aren't those two walking beside the Sword Princess the Thousand Elf and the Magic Sword Archer?"
"Where? Where's the Magic Sword Archer?"
"...That one?"
"So handsome."
"That's the Magic Sword Archer? The legendary hero?"
"..."
Hearing the comments echoing from both sides of the street, both Shirou and Lefiya felt their faces heat up.
Titles were like that.
Written down, they sounded impressive.
Spoken out loud in public?
Pure embarrassment.
If this were the modern world, Shirou was certain he'd already dug out a three-bedroom apartment with his toes.
Thankfully, this wasn't.
Soon, the Loki Familia arrived at the central plaza beneath Babel.
The massive flag was already raised.
A clown emblazoned upon it fluttered proudly in the air.
The symbol of the Loki Familia.
Seeing it, Shirou's lingering embarrassment disappeared.
His blood began to stir.
"So Ais is in the first team," he muttered, checking the assignment, "and Lefiya and I are in the second."
After receiving Finn's notice, the team structure was clear.
"In that case," Shirou said, turning to Ais, "we'll meet again on the eighteenth floor."
After exchanging a brief farewell, Shirou led Lefiya toward the second team's position.
Standing there was Gareth.
One of the three titans.
"Lad," Gareth said with a grin, "you'll be sticking with this old man."
"Please guide me, Senior."
"Hahaha! Don't worry about it."
Gareth laughed heartily and gave Shirou a heavy pat on the shoulder.
"All personnel," Finn's voice rang out, cutting through the plaza, "the expedition begins now!"
Everyone turned toward him.
"This expedition will follow the same procedure as before."
"When advancing floors, we will split into two groups."
"The first group will depart first, commanded by Riveria and myself."
"The second group will be under Gareth's command."
"After regrouping on the eighteenth floor, we will proceed directly to the fiftieth floor."
"Our objective is singular."
"The unexplored region on the fifty-ninth floor."
Finn's gaze swept across the assembled adventurers.
"Let us witness an unknown that even the gods have never seen."
"Ooh!"
Cheers erupted.
Yes.
A sight unseen even by the gods.
The ultimate unknown.
"Loki Familia," Finn declared, raising his hand, "move out!"
--------More Bonus Chapters!!!!
Every 300 power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter