DanMachi: The Epic of the Heroic Spirits of Emiya Shirou

Physical distance can sometimes bring people closer socially. The vanguard warriors and the midfield spearmen chatted happily, and the relationship between the rearguard mages and protectors also improved slightly.

At that moment, Emiya suddenly had a thought.

"careful!"

Without hesitation, he grabbed Lefia's shoulder with his left hand and pulled her into his arms. At the same time, he suddenly stood up and projected a straight-bladed dagger in the shape of a knife with his right hand, which he then threw.

At the same time, another longsword was projected into his right hand, just like the original dagger had turned into a longsword.

The knife pierced the body of one monster, pinning it to the wall, and the sword blade slashed down, severing a second one.

The next movement after the slash is an upward thrust, with the entire body driving the arm to exert force, and the blade dancing in the air with a cold, moon-like light.

The third brown, four-legged lizard monster was slain in mid-air. Emiya used his legs to propel himself backward, taking Lefia with him.

A lizard monster landed on the ground, where Lefia had been standing.

With a flick of the wrist, switching from a forehand to a backhand grip, the sword fell straight down, pinning the four-legged lizard to the floor.

"Phew—" Emiya let out a soft breath.

"Wow, that's amazing," Nilan exclaimed softly.

Raul said, "Those are dungeon lizards. Don't think you're safe just because you've destroyed the walls. These monsters can climb walls and ceilings, and they're good at hiding in the dark to ambush you."

He had actually discovered the lizard monster hiding in the shadows long ago, but as agreed at the beginning, Raul would not easily take action unless the new adventurers were in mortal danger.

Emiya's keen insight surprised him, but Lefia, who was of a higher rank, performed somewhat unsatisfactorily.

"Lefia, are you alright?" Shirou asked instinctively, looking at the panicked girl in his arms.

"...I'm sorry, I was frightened, and I can't move my body." The elven girl's voice trembled with fear.

Chapter Sixteen: I'm Better at Using a Sword

This was not the first time Lefia had entered the dungeon.

Previously, the girl had teamed up with her classmates from the [School District] for a "Dungeon Exploration Internship." They were the best team in the [School District] at the time, with more than one Lv.2 member who had been elevated. During their travels around the world, they had completed many amazing adventures together.

When they first entered the dungeon, thanks to their extraordinary abilities, especially Lefia's exceptional magical firepower, they were able to navigate the upper district of the dungeon with ease.

The overly easy battle made them underestimate the dungeon, and they made a rash decision to violate the school district's rules and enter a deeper floor.

Then, the unreasonable dungeons made the young people understand the difference between dungeon adventures and outside adventures, and the price of being arrogant.

A sudden abnormal state, the overwhelmingly powerful Labyrinth King (Boss), plunges the arrogant young men and women into the abyss with his crushing force.

His companions were killed with a single, simple blow; the vanguard, as reliable as an older brother, lost an arm; and Lefia, with her superior firepower, was the only one who could have threatened the Lv.4 Labyrinth King in that situation.

But there was nothing she could do.

She was so frightened that she couldn't move, let alone cast a spell.

One theory is that the mage position requires the most willpower and composure. Even if a warrior panics and wildly swings his sword or spear, he can at least cause some damage. Even if a heavily armored shield guard turns and runs away, he can still withstand the monster with the strength of his body.

But this doesn't apply to mages. Once they panic to the point of being unable to cast spells, their existence becomes completely meaningless.

Even worse, attempting to cast a spell in a state of panic can only result in a "magic self-destruction" that harms oneself or even one's companions.

At this very moment, with the monster within arm's reach, the shadows of the past once again caught up with Lefia.

Even though it was just a weak dungeon lizard, a useless monster that could only hide and ambush, and even though the monster was swiftly killed by a reliable archer before it could even touch the elven girl, Lefia still froze, entering a state of panic where she could not cast spells.

The image of his dead companion, his severed arm, and the terrifying Lone King of the Labyrinth repeatedly flashed through his mind.

“Lefia…” Raul reached out his hand, but then let it fall limply.

Lefia is the most precious gem discovered by the Loki Familia in recent years. She possesses the talent to create miracles. Her [Fairy Ring], which allows her to use all the magic of the fairies, is considered the most powerful magic. In addition, she has the unique skill [Fairy Pursuit], which greatly increases the power of her attack magic, and the development ability [Magic], which increases the power of her magic.

In addition, Riveria, a Lv.6 mage of the Loki Familia, also possesses a skill called [Fairy King's Seal] that enhances the magical power of her fellow elves.

In the words of gamers, Lefia is not only a versatile "magic kaleidoscope" with ever-changing moves, capable of attacking, defending, healing, and supporting, but also a "buff goddess" whose magical attacks can be stacked to provide multiple amplifications.

This also explains the expectations that Loki's Familia had for her.

However, the extent of one's talent, the power of one's magic, and the strength of one's heart are two different things.

The elven girl is still haunted by her previous failure. She can cast spells from a distance without any problem, but she panics when a monster gets too close. This is the biggest headache for the higher-ups in the clan lately.

If you finally acquire a treasure, and then ruin it because of psychological problems, you'd probably be heartbroken to the point of vomiting blood.

Raul was also helpless about this. At Lv.4, he had the ability to wipe out all the monsters in the entire lower area, but he was completely helpless against the girl's heart.

If he understood this, he wouldn't have ended up in the pleasure quarters as a high-level adventurer in the Loki Familia, where there are more women than men.

"I'm sorry." Lefia's clenched hands trembled slightly. "I think I can't take any more risks. This time, let's stop here..."

"Lefia, are you afraid of monsters?" Shirou Emiya suddenly asked.

"Um, I'm very sorry, I..."

“In that case, let’s switch places,” said Shirou Emiya. “From now on, I will not use a bow, but a sword.”

"Huh? What does that mean?"

“Next, Lefia and I will lead the way, while you will serve as the rearguard.” Emiya looked at the warriors and spearmen in the formation.

"Wait a minute, this is too strange..."

Archers and mages in front, warriors and spearmen behind – this formation is utterly chaotic!

“Lefia, you’re not weak, you just haven’t gotten used to ‘fighting’ yet,” Shirou said calmly. “And I will prove one thing to you—monsters are not scary. With me by your side, no monster can hurt you. At least in this lower area, I have that confidence.”

"If I can make you believe this, then you won't be afraid anymore."

Lefia: "But I..."

“I said from the beginning that I’m better at swordsmanship.” Shirou Emiya looked at the silent supporter. “Besides, isn’t Raul-senpai here?”

Raul: What should I do? I don't think I should have agreed, but this really talented and handsome newcomer called me "senpai"...

·

"Emiya Shirou is more skilled with a sword, and also knows a little about bows."

That's how he introduced himself at the beginning, but after witnessing his incredible archery skills, everyone subconsciously forgot about it.

For Shirou Emiya, he is a genius in archery, but only a "genius." His archery skills are the result of talent, years of training, and learning from the Heroic Spirit [Archer]. The sword, however, is his "origin" and "essence."

Emiya Shirou, in the realm of swords, is an existence beyond compare, one could even say that his body is made of the sword.

Starting from the sixth and seventh floors, high-threat enemies begin to appear frequently in the dungeon.

Known as the "Rookie Killer," Zhan Ying possesses long arms and three claws, with claws as sharp as knives.

Also a "newcomer killer," it has four legs and two arms. Its shell is hard, and its attack power is extremely high. In critical moments, it uses pheromones to attract its own killer ants.

The purple moth, capable of spreading poisonous powder, will cause great trouble for adventurers.

While possessing attack power only slightly inferior to that of the killer ant, the Needle Rabbit boasts incredible speed.

From the sixth to the tenth floor, in this "wall of novices" that many adventurers cannot cross, the young man, wielding two swords, stepped into it, showing his prowess to the world for the first time.

The Shadow Warrior was severed from its body by the sword light, the Killer Ant had its head smashed by a heavy blow, the Purple Moth was pinned to death by a flying knife that flashed by, and the Needle Rabbit was pierced through by an even faster piercing.

Emiya stood at the very front of the group, the arc of his twin swords swinging creating a domain that no monster could break through.

For Shirou Emiya, this was to be expected. The monsters at this level were too weak, incomparable to the Lv.4 top-tier adventurers he usually sparred with, and worlds apart from the [Heroic Spirits] he had faced in his previous life.

Of course, he wouldn't underestimate the monsters in the dungeon or recklessly embark on adventures because of this. There are differences between monsters, just like there are cursed arm spirits and Gilgamesh among the Heroic Spirits.

"Just who is this newcomer from Hephaestus...?" The image of Emiya wielding his longsword and cutting down the monsters was imprinted in Raul's mind, reminding him of another person—the first-level adventurer of Loki's Familia, [Sword Maiden], who possessed the strength of Lv.5.

The "Sword Princess" seemed to be the same; as long as she swung her sword, it was as if no monster could withstand her.

No, they are different. The Sword Maiden relies not only on swordsmanship, but also on powerful attribute values ​​and additional magic, while the boy in front of her is demonstrating pure swordsmanship.

"How are you feeling? Are you less scared now?" Shirou turned his head slightly and asked the elf girl behind him.

Lefia was stunned. She watched as the terrifying monsters rushed to her feet one by one, only to be killed by the boy.

Just as he said, as long as he was by her side, no monster could hurt her.

It seems I'm not so scared anymore...

Shirou Emiya was also somewhat surprised. He felt that he was in an unusually good state. He seemed to be much stronger than before when he was protecting Lefia.

Without his awareness—

Skill [Oath Under the Snow] activated

When protecting others, attack power and durability are increased, as are the effects of magic and skills.

Chapter Seventeen: Challenges and Great Achievements

"That's it for now."

Emiya Shirou swiftly slayed a Needle Rabbit, and at that moment, Raul, the supporter, made his judgment.

There are two reasons. The secondary reason is that this is already the ninth floor. If we go down to the tenth floor, it will be a new area. More dangerous monsters will appear here, and there may even be a baby dragon classified as Lv.2 and regarded as the floor boss of this area.

In addition, there are powerful monsters like orcs, whose overall abilities are classified as Lv.1, but whose strength reaches the level of Lv.2. These monsters can render some Lv.2 adventurers unable to continue fighting after being directly attacked by them.

Although it's possible for the team to conquer floors 10-12 based on their configuration and capabilities, they've already gained a lot from this operation, so there's no need to take unnecessary risks.

Another major reason is that Raul's luggage was already full.

Emiya's efficiency in killing low-level monsters is simply too high. Moreover, monsters like the Shadow Warriors and Killer Ants are not like goblins, which are just trash monsters. Their magic stones are valuable, and with the dropped items, his inventory is already full. If he were to go on another adventure, he would have to abandon some of his previous gains.

They were also lucky enough to hunt some blue swallowtail butterflies. These butterfly monsters, with four blue, transparent wings, have no fighting ability, but the powder secreted from their wings has the ability to heal others and can be used to make potions, which are quite valuable.

Raul already regretted it. As a supporter of the adventurers, he was nominally employed by the mage Lefia in the team. He had signed a fixed-salary contract with Lefia, not a profit-sharing contract.

In other words, no matter how valuable the dropped items are, it has nothing to do with him. Of course, even if he gains nothing or even loses everything during the adventure, he can still receive a sum of money regardless of the circumstances.

"I never expected these newcomers to be so strong, especially that swordsman newcomer from the Hephaestus Familia, he's like a monster!"

Of course, Raul was too embarrassed to ask the newcomers for a share of the profits. Although he was short of money, he still cared about his reputation.

"No problem, it's almost done." Everyone agreed, and Emiya also felt that Lefia's condition was much better than before.

Moreover, he was already feeling exhausted.

Habit is a terrifying force. After witnessing countless monsters rushing at you, only to be intercepted and killed, you realize that it's not so scary after all.

"Wait, there's a monster, three orcs?"

A gigantic pig-headed monster that can reach a height of three meters. It wears old animal skins around its waist like a skirt and wields a huge wooden club as a weapon.

"Why are there orcs on the ninth floor? Did they break through the passage? Hmm, sometimes things like that happen." Raul said, "Never mind, I'll handle it, then let's hurry back."

Dungeons are not static; monsters from deeper levels may roam to shallower levels, which is a dangerous "abnormal situation" for newcomers.

Raul casually drew his sword; what was a dangerous orc to a Lv.1 adventurer was no problem at all to a Lv.4.

"Wait a moment, Senior Raul." Just then, the Minotaur warrior Nilan spoke up.

"I want to deal with them all by myself."

"What?" Raul frowned. "Three orcs are not something a level 1 adventurer like you can handle."

Orcs are indeed classified as level 1 monsters, but due to their high endurance, high defense, and extremely high attack, they generally require a level 1 team to hunt them.

Therefore, it is also referred to as a level 1.5 monster.

“It is precisely because it is so difficult to achieve that it can be called a ‘great undertaking’,” Nilan said earnestly.

"Before graduating from the [school district], my ability level had already reached the requirements for upgrading, but I was never able to accumulate enough great achievements."

“Actually, I’m a bit of a coward. Although I’m big, I’m afraid of dying. I always use my shield to block monsters and wait for my teammates to finish them off,” Nilan said. “But today, Mr. Emiya’s figure inspired me.”

"That was so cool! The way he stood in front of his comrades and slew all the enemies... I want to do that too!"

"So, I want a challenge."

"Although I gain enhanced abilities after being injured, my judgment will decline. Connie, I hope you can keep an eye on the other party's actions and remember to try to remind me, well, it may not be effective."

"Mr. Emiya, I hope you can support me with your bow and arrow, but please leave the main attack to me."

"Lefia, I'm very sorry, your magic is too powerful. This time, I want to kill the monster myself."

"Senior Raul, if I'm about to be killed by the orcs, remember to save me!"

“...Ah, really, you newbies.” Raul sighed, but then straightened his gaze: “Alright, go for it, do the impossible, that’s what adventurers are all about!”