DanMachi: The Epic of the Heroic Spirits of Emiya Shirou

“There’s no need to rush.” Shirou flipped through the wand encyclopedia. “Lefia didn’t set a time limit, and we don’t necessarily have to make a wand.”

Emiya's initial plan was to wait until he reached Lv.2 and gained the development ability [Forging] before officially accepting equipment manufacturing orders. At Lv.1, his forged works were not yet qualified to bear the symbol of the Hephaestus Familia.

However, since Miss Lefia is likely to be his first customer, Emiya wanted to learn about the wand in advance.

"Once my level and forging skills are higher, I can forge her a piece of equipment like 'gauntlets' and 'boots'," he thought.

However, from his personal perspective, Emiya still preferred to forge "weapons," preferably "swords."

"Why don't we just make a melee weapon for her?" Tsubaki suggested. "Let's forge the sword that Shirou is best at."

Shirou asked in confusion, "But Lefia is a mage, isn't she?"

“That child is Lv.2, right? After leveling up, even a mage will be stronger than a regular Lv.1 adventurer,” Tsubaki explained. “Besides, high-level mages all have some melee combat ability, that’s common knowledge.”

“Loki’s Familia’s Riveria is skilled in staff fighting and hand-to-hand combat, while Freya’s Familia’s Hedin is a master swordsman. Even without using magic, they can overwhelm warriors below the first-class adventurer level with their physical skills.”

Shirou nodded, then said in realization, "I see."

The enhancements that adventurers receive from leveling up are comprehensive. For example, even if Riveria only accumulates G (200-299) of power with each level up, she will become quite terrifying with the support of a super high level.

Furthermore, in order to deal with situations where magic is not suitable, mages will deliberately hone their close combat skills, at least to the point where they can protect themselves.

The reason why Lefia was at a loss when a monster suddenly appeared in front of her was mainly because she was too naive.

"I understand. In that case, I know what to do." Shirou finalized a plan in his mind: "Speaking of which, how is the creation of Tsubaki's magic sword going?"

"It's basically finished. I had a feeling that this time we would achieve unprecedented results, all thanks to your help, Shirou-kun." Tsubaki's lips and eyes shone with a bright smile of joy: "To be able to come up with such a structure is truly remarkable."

"Ah, well..." Shirou scratched his head.

Actually, it was copied from a weapon I'd seen before, but I can't just say that directly.

I didn't pay attention when I was working on the weapon blueprints with Commander Tsubaki, and I never imagined that I would design the Demon Sword in that way.

The Caladbolg, also known as the Rainbow Sword, is a magical sword wielded by Fergus Mac Roich, an Irish hero from Celtic mythology.

Legend has it that this sword was forged by the spirits of the land of gods and possesses the powerful force of divine thunder.

As a Noble Phantasm known for its high power and wide range, capable of destroying even the terrain, its sword light in mythology displays a terrifying power that can "cut off three hills".

Emiya the Heroic Spirit once projected the [Spiral Sword] and modified it for use as an arrow, so he had analyzed its structure in depth.

The final design he and Tsubaki finalized for the demon sword was based on Archer's modified spiral sword, which could be used as an arrow, and then further modified it into a demon sword.

If we call Emiya's projected creation the "Pseudo-Spiral Sword," then the demonic sword Tsubaki forged should be... a "Pseudo-Pseudo-Spiral Sword"?

"By the way, the forging of the Demon Sword has now reached its final stage, and I hope Shirou can also participate." Tsubaki placed her hands on Shirou's shoulders and said earnestly.

"Why? I don't have the ability to develop [Forging]." Shirou asked.

The Demon Sword is a weapon that can only be created by those with the ability to forge. Tsubaki, the highest-level blacksmith in the entire city, is one of the few Demon Sword forgers. Shirou Emiya, who is only at Lv.1, naturally cannot possess the ability to forge.

"Shirou's involvement will elevate the quality of this demonic sword to an even higher level; this is my premonition as a blacksmith," Tsubaki said firmly. "It is also the prophecy of the goddess."

Both Chun and Hephaestus believed that this child, who had an inextricable connection with the sword, would surely create another miracle.

“In that case, Tsubaki-nee, I will do my best to help you,” Shirou replied.

"Long live Shirou!" Tsubaki hugged Shirou and cheered happily.

Chapter Twenty-One: Chun's Breakthrough

"finished!"

Chun raised her right hand high, cheering, and held a uniquely shaped longsword in her hand, which gleamed with a cold light as it faced the still-burning furnace.

"Oh!!!!!!!!!!" The blacksmiths around cheered, their deafening shouts seeming to lift the whole house off.

Shirou was also infected by the enthusiastic atmosphere. The hot workshop was filled with everyone's passion, and the air seemed to be on fire. The boy's heart couldn't help but feel a surge of heat.

Although he has tried to forge swords several times, so far, the most he has forged are mass-produced swords for practice purposes, and he has not yet tried to forge a famous sword that is directly engraved with his own mark.

Emiya Shirou's motivation for becoming an adventurer stems from his desire to no longer experience the helplessness of losing loved ones and being unable to do anything. Therefore, he hopes to gain the power to protect those around him, and seeing Tsubaki truly complete the forging of the [Demon Sword - Spiral Sword], he is genuinely thrilled.

Even though it is a replica of a replica, as long as it can reproduce even a fraction of the power of the original Noble Phantasm, its significance is epoch-making.

Moreover, there is no reason why a counterfeit can be inferior to the original!

"Without a doubt, this is a demonic sword that surpasses all demonic swords of the past," Chun asserted. "More importantly, this is a feat forged purely by our human hands, without relying on the bloodline and power of immortals. So let us celebrate!"

"Oh!!!!!!!!!!" The craftsmen cheered enthusiastically once again.

The creation of the Demon Sword Spiral Sword relied on the special magic of Emiya's Unlimited Blade Works. Of course, Tsubaki was the true swordsmith who completed the forging. This Demon Sword is engraved with her hard work and life experience.

Shirou, who participated in the final forging and only swung the hammer once, also had a profound feeling at this moment. He seemed to have a deeper understanding of the Noble Phantasm, the Spiral Sword.

At the same time, gazing at the demonic sword in Tsubaki's hand, which contained terrifying power, Shirou couldn't help but feel curious: "Just how powerful is this demonic sword?"

The original Noble Phantasm, the Caladbolg, in the hands of the great hero Fergus Mark Roy, could unleash its full power to pierce through mountains and tear apart the earth.

The [Pseudo-Spiral Sword (Caladbolg II)] created by the projection of the Heroic Spirit Emiya also possesses the power to pierce through space and destroy buildings.

What level of capability can the [Demon Sword - Spiral Sword] forged by Chun, or the [Pseudo-Pseudo-Spiral Sword (Caladbolg Ⅲ)], achieve?

However, while Emiya was merely curious, Tsubaki's statement was rather embarrassing.

"I really want to test the power of this magic sword."

The moment they heard those words, the previously lively atmosphere instantly cooled down, and a chill of winter crept into the otherwise sweltering forging workshop.

"Calm down! Calm down, Commander!"

"That's no ordinary magic sword! At least, at least let us run fifty meters first..."

Everyone panicked and tried to stop Chun, who was eager to try.

"Just kidding." Tsubaki laughed. "Although I'd love to see its power, how could I possibly use a magic sword in the workshop? You guys have no sense of humor at all."

No, you should be the one reflecting on the fact that everyone subconsciously assumed you weren't joking!

"Besides, I'm counting on this magic sword to heal me up. It's a shame I can't test it myself, but I should try to save these precious uses." Chun's expression was conflicted; she really wanted to activate the magic sword and give it a shot.

However, a magic sword can usually only be used a handful of times. Although this [Magic Sword - Spiral Sword] is very large, Tsubaki estimates that it can only be used a maximum of twice. If it is used at full power, it may even be destroyed after just one use.

To forge this demonic sword, Chun not only exhausted her savings but also borrowed some money from her clan. Of course, the majority of the expenses were for the various experiments conducted during the forging process, which were the so-called research expenses. Although the cost of the sword itself was also considerable, it was not as exaggerated as some others.

However, the fact that Chun, as the city's top blacksmith, is often penniless can only be attributed to her expensive hobbies—collecting all kinds of rare equipment and materials, as well as designing and researching new equipment.

As we all know, scientific research is the most expensive.

But what goes fast comes fast. With this [Demon Sword - Spiral Sword], Tsubaki can really fleece the other clans of suckers.

"Shirou, thanks to your help, I was able to complete this demonic sword!" Tsubaki came to Emiya's side and hugged the boy. Her well-trained and voluptuous body was incredibly strong, making it impossible for anyone to resist.

"Sister Chun, I can't breathe..."

·

"Goddess Hephaestus, I'm here to update your stats."

"Oh, Shirou, you've come." Hephaestus sucked on her left index finger, her plump lips looking luscious and tempting.

"Perfect timing, Chun just finished updating." The goddess said, "It wasn't easy, that child's ability value has finally broken through!"

Chun is a veteran Level 1 adventurer. Her breakthrough to Lv.5 dates back to the dark period several years ago. After the breakthrough, thanks to her strong talent and love for forging, her stats improved rapidly, especially her dexterity, which is the most important attribute for forging.

However, hard work and passion may not necessarily provide the power to break through bottlenecks. Tsubaki's highest dexterity value has been stuck at the A899 level for a long time.

She even began to think that the A899's dexterity was her limit, which made her somewhat discouraged.

After the forging of the [Demon Sword - Spiral Sword] was completed, and after being updated by the goddess Hephaestus, it was confirmed that Chun's dexterity value had finally increased again, reaching S900.

This means that Chun has broken through her own limits, which also reflects the quality of the [Demon Sword] and the power it contains.

"It's a pity that Chun's [Great Achievements] accumulation is still too far behind, otherwise, our family would also have a Level 6 adventurer."

Shirou had also heard Tsubaki mention that, unlike many lower-level adventurers who only have D-rank basic stats and level up, most adventurers at the Lv.5 level have already reached their bottleneck in basic stats, and even their most outstanding stats have reached S-rank, but they are stuck by their achievements.

"However, since you can break through the bottleneck in ability value, you will definitely be able to achieve great things in the end." Goddess Hephaestus had great confidence in Chun.

"Tsubaki has high standards for herself. Besides her dexterity, her strength and endurance are also some distance from A-rank... but I believe it won't be long before she does," the goddess said.

Just when I thought my abilities had reached their limit, they improved again. This was an opportunity, a beginning, and my destiny was changing without me even realizing it.

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Magic Sword Worth Hundred Million

"As expected, not long has passed since the last stat update, so the improvements in strength and agility are quite limited." After the stat update was complete, Hephaestus looked at the scrap of paper that recorded the young god's blessings and analyzed it.

"However, your dexterity and magic power have both increased significantly. It seems that participating in the creation of the magic sword has given you a lot of high-quality experience points."

The successful forging of the [Demon Sword - Spiral Sword] allowed Tsubaki, a Lv.5 adventurer, to break through the bottleneck of her Dexterity stat. Even though Emiya only participated briefly and received a small portion of the experience points, the high quality of those experience points directly boosted his stats significantly.

Magic power increased by 30 points, reaching F311, and dexterity increased by a whopping 80 points, reaching E447.

How come my stamina suddenly increased by dozens of points? Did I take a high-level adventurer's magic head-on?

"So, Shirou-kun, what are your plans for the future?" Hephaestus inquired. "Are you aiming to further develop your [Forging] skills and continue practicing in the workshop? Or will you prioritize dungeon adventures?"

As she spoke, Hephaestus handed the boy a piece of paper containing his ability stats.

Shirou thought for a moment: "I'll prioritize dungeon adventures. If possible, I want to level up as soon as possible."

As Shirou gradually gets used to this world, his understanding of the "God's Grace" system is also deepening. He now realizes how important "level" is to adventurers.

Leveling up not only means a comprehensive improvement in abilities, but also represents the opportunity to gain development capabilities, and even new magic and skills. More importantly, leveling up is essentially an improvement in the adventurer's "capacity" and "life level".

The guild's classification standard for adventurers is as follows: Lv.1 is a lower-level adventurer, Lv.2 and above are collectively referred to as upper-level adventurers, with Lv.2 also known as third-level adventurers, Lv.3 and Lv.4 are second-level adventurers, and Lv.5 and above are first-level adventurers.

Numerous facts demonstrate that the suppression of lower-level individuals by higher-level individuals is almost absolute, with only a few geniuses barely managing to overcome this insurmountable barrier. Moreover, the higher the level, the greater the difficulty of leapfrogging. This is because most high-level powerhouses were themselves geniuses within their own level.

Shirou had already thought it through: "Whether it's to develop the ability [Forging] or to obtain the power I desire to protect those around me, leveling up is the top priority."

Moreover, his goal is not just to reach Lv.2; he wants to become a strong person like Ryu, Anya, or even Tsubaki and Sword Princess.

"Even though Ryu is very strong, she still gets seriously injured in battles against enemies; Anya always seems optimistic and cheerful, but everyone can see that she has a heavy past that no one knows about; Tsubaki, as the only high-level adventurer, has long shouldered the heavy responsibility of supporting her familia..."

Shirou isn't arrogant enough to think he can protect or save them; on the contrary, they've always been the ones supporting and helping him. In fact, from the very beginning, he was only able to survive because Ryu saved him.

He simply hoped that one day in the future, when Ryu and the others needed him, he would at least have the right to stand up and help them.

“Very good, Shirou-kun, that’s what I admire most about you.” Hephaestus walked up to Emiya, placed her hand on his shoulder, and gently pinched the boy’s firm muscles with her fingers.

“I love your eyes, Shirou. I can see the flames of ambition in them,” Hephaestus said. “Our children are good in every way, except they lack ambition. Apart from Tsubaki, the other children are too easily satisfied with the status quo.”

By steadily forging iron in the workshop, spending several years or even decades raising the dexterity and strength stats to D-rank or C-rank, and then participating in mid-level expeditions of other clans to gain access to upgradeable achievements, one can advance to Lv.2 and gain the development ability [Forging].

For the vast majority of the Hephaestus Familia, this was their life's ambition. Many of the Familia's blacksmiths reached Level 2 at a young age, and then never achieved further level advancement. Moreover, their blacksmithing skills often remained permanently frozen at the moment they achieved their goal.

Chun is the only exception, because she is keen to personally go to the dungeon to test the weapons she makes, and because she has an obsession with "forging equipment that surpasses the realm of gods", she craves higher stats and levels.

For other blacksmiths, "transcending the divine realm" is nothing but an unrealistic delusion. They already have the conditions to forge a first-level weapon as long as they reach Lv.2 and obtain the development ability [Forging]. Why bother to risk and torment themselves?

Chun's work is only at the first level of weaponry. The quality is slightly better than others, but so what?

“It’s not that I think their complacency is bad. Everyone has their own ambitions. I’d be gratified to see those children achieve a stable and happy life. And to be honest, reaching Lv.2 is already quite impressive.” Hephaestus looked into Shirou’s eyes.

“But we gods, after all, still yearn for ‘heroes’ even more.” The god’s voice was long and ethereal as she said:

"So Shirou, go on an adventure! This time, there won't be any high-level adventurers to assist or protect you. Use your own strength to conquer the dungeon!"

An adventurer is someone who takes risks, overcomes hardships, and accomplishes the impossible in order to achieve a feat that even the gods would admire.

Emiya Shirou replied earnestly, "I understand, Lady Hephaestus."

“However, I still want to remind you that although Shirou will probably want to level up as soon as possible, I hope that even if you meet the requirements for leveling up, you will try to train your basic ability values ​​to the limit before leveling up.” Hephaestus: “At least, the highest one should reach A-rank, and the others should reach C-rank.”

Shirou nodded: "Yes, that's what I was planning to do too."

"Well, it's good that you understand." Hephaestus smiled, pleased with the boy's awareness.

"By the way, God, I'd like to ask if our clan has any companions who can act as supporters? Or would it be better to hire them from the guild?" Shirou asked.

Hephaestus tilted her head slightly, pondered for a moment, and then spoke calmly, "No support is needed."

Emiya Shirou was somewhat confused: "What?"

"The primary role of supporters is to collect the magic stones and loot dropped by monsters." Hephaestus spoke calmly yet powerfully, uttering words that resonated deeply with the young man.

"Just don't take any of it. We don't need to pick up the monsters on the lower levels, whether it's magic stones or drops. We don't need that little bit of money."

Seeing the boy's adorable, shocked, and bewildered expression, Hephaestus couldn't help but laugh.

"Speaking of Shirou, do you know how much money Tsubaki just forged the magic sword can sell for, and how much of it you'll get?" Hephaestus held up two fingers.