"See? Lefiya is reliable now."
"Unlike someone who becomes useless at critical moments."
Tiona didn't even bother hiding who she was talking about.
Shirou sighed helplessly. "So now it's my fault for being too strong?"
"Hahaha!"
Laughter broke out immediately.
The monsters pressing in had been swept away. The danger was gone, at least for now. Tension drained from everyone's shoulders, replaced by relief.
And praise.
A lot of praise.
All of it landed squarely on Lefiya.
Faced with so many compliments, Lefiya predictably shrank back into herself, her face flushing as she tried to avoid everyone's eyes.
Seeing the relaxed smiles around him, Shirou couldn't help but smile as well.
But then-
He noticed Finn.
Still frowning.
Still thinking.
"What's wrong?" Shirou asked.
Finn didn't look up immediately.
"Before we retreated into this room," he said slowly, "we were nearly caught in a pincer."
"The monsters came from the front."
"That path is the normal route to the Fiftieth Floor."
The moment Finn finished speaking, scenes flashed through Shirou's mind.
The Loki Familia.
Their camp.
The defenses left behind.
"...We need to go back," Shirou said immediately. "The camp's in trouble."
Finn licked his thumb, already making his decision.
"Gather everyone."
"We move. Now."
-
The Dungeon.
The Fiftieth Floor and the Fifty-First Floor were connected by a steep, slanted rock wall.
On the western side of the Fiftieth Floor was a massive opening. The slope inside was closer to a cliff than a path. Going down was easy.
Coming back up took effort.
As they rushed through the passage, yellow-green liquid coated the walls.
The sight alone sent chills through the group.
No one said it out loud.
But everyone understood.
The camp had been attacked.
New species.
With the elites absent, the remaining members-many without indestructible weapons-were in real danger.
Anxiety hung heavy in the air.
They ran at full speed.
When they reached the end of the Fifty-First Floor and burst out of the cavern, the sounds hit them first.
Shouts.
Explosions.
Screams.
Many of those defending the camp were only LV.3.
They couldn't handle monsters like these.
Black smoke rose into the air.
The moment Shirou saw it, something inside him snapped.
He hadn't been with the Loki Familia for long.
But here-
He had found warmth.
Something he hadn't felt in a long time.
A sense of home.
And anyone who dared to raise a hand against his family-
He would not forgive.
Seeing monsters climbing the rock wall, preparing to overrun the camp, Shirou sprinted forward.
"I'm coming!"
His voice rang out clearly.
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.
As Shirou began his chant, those running beside him felt it instantly.
This was different.
Shirou often used Projection Magic.
But the true nature of his magic-
No one had ever fully understood it.
Only Loki.
Watching closely, she smiled with unmistakable pride.
"That," she had once said, "is a miracle of magic."
Now-
That miracle was finally about to reveal itself.
Have withstood pain to create many weapons.
Yet, those hands will never hold anything.
So as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works.
Even though I am a pseudo-body,
I am the bone of my sword.
By now, Shirou had reached the edge of the camp.
He leapt.
His body rose into the air.
"That's Shirou!"
Defenders cried out the moment they saw him.
Because that meant-
The elites had returned.
"That magic-!"
Riveria, issuing commands below, froze.
Her eyes widened.
Was this... the miracle Loki spoke of?
In midair, magic flooded Shirou's body.
He looked down at the monsters below and roared.
"Unlimited Blade Works!"
The world shattered.
Magic exploded outward, swallowing everything within sight.
"This-!"
Even Riveria couldn't hide her shock.
This was no longer the Dungeon.
"No way!"
"How is this possible?!"
"Where are we?!"
Confusion erupted among the Loki Familia.
One moment, they had been defending the camp on the Fiftieth Floor.
The next-
They stood in a completely different world.
"Individual and world."
"Imagination and reality."
"Exchanging inside and outside."
"Rewriting the real world according to my will."
"The most powerful sorcery."
"Reality Marble."
Shirou's voice echoed calmly.
"What do you think?"
"A world of infinite swords."
"To me, these are all tombstones."
The land was barren.
Countless swords were embedded in the ground.
Snowflakes drifted endlessly from a gray sky.
Standing on a slope, sword in hand, Shirou looked down at both allies and enemies alike.
"Hiss-!"
Some monsters didn't understand fear.
Roaring, they charged forward.
Shirou ignored them.
His gaze was locked on the monster behind them.
It was enormous.
A lower body belonging to a new species.
An upper body resembling a humanoid.
Four fan-like arms.
Tubular organs extended from the back of its head.
No facial features.
Yet slender lines hinted at a female form-any trace of femininity erased by its grotesque shape.
Six meters tall.
The female-type new species drew everyone's attention.
"That thing is huge..."
Raul swallowed hard.
"If it self-destructs..."
"I don't even want to imagine how much corrosive liquid it'll spray."
"With a body like that," Gareth muttered, "aiming for the magic stone is nearly impossible."
"We don't even know where it is."
Shirou raised his hand slightly.
"Don't worry."
"I'll handle it."
His killing intent peaked.
"One against a hundred," he said calmly. "Human wave tactics."
"A safe choice."
Behind him-
Darkness spread.
Countless shadows rose, blotting out the sky.
"What... is that...?"
Tiona stared, her throat dry.
Around her, every member of the Loki Familia wore the same expression.
So this was it.
The full power of Shirou.
In this world-
Infinite swords awakened.
The armaments surged like a black night, commanding absolute attention.
No one could look away.
Swords fell.
Like divine punishment.
Endless blades rained from the sky, pinning the new species to the ground.
Escape.
Screams.
Pleading.
Meaningless.
Every sword pierced true.
Magic stones shattered cleanly.
As for the female-type monster-
Its form vanished beneath the storm.
Hundreds of swords impaled it at random.
From a distance, it looked like a mound of blades.
A grave.
One against a hundred.
Nothing more.
--------More Bonus Chapters!!!!
Every 300 power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter