A whole week had vanished since the tense encounter with the Xenos in the depths of the Dungeon. For Hikigaya Hachiman, this time was not one of rest, but of a brutal and calculated routine. Every dawn saw him disappear into the portal of the Tower of Babel, a daily dive into the abyss to sharpen his blades, his senses, and his stats. He mapped his progress up to the twenty-first floor, a dangerous territory he was content to patrol, but not to cross. For now.
The reason for his caution was simple and overwhelming: numbers. From the eighteenth floor onwards, the Dungeon seemed to abandon any pretense of a fair challenge, transforming into a logistical nightmare. Hordes of monsters emerged from walls and ceilings, an incessant tide of claws and fangs that demanded superhuman vigilance. Even with his strength bordering on the absurd, the almost impenetrable protection of the Aspháleia armor, and the tactical advantage of his storage rings—true portable arsenals filled with potions and supplies—the attrition was relentless. Facing that deluge of creatures alone was a battle of attrition, an exhausting exercise that drained not only his stamina but his very concentration.
Each successful expedition was a stark reminder of his solitude. The truth became clearer with every monster slain: solo expeditions had a ceiling. If he wanted to unravel the deepest secrets of the Dungeon, he would need allies. Not just adventurers, but Familia members. Loyal, competent, and, above all, trustworthy. On the days when exhaustion weighed heaviest, he found a different kind of refuge in Hephaestus's forge, where the sound of the hammer and the heat of the fire were a balm, strengthening not only his knowledge as a blacksmith but also his bonds with the pragmatic goddess and her captain, Tsubaki.
At the present moment, the routine of exertion gave way to a rare instant of stillness. Hachiman was lying face down on his bed, the surprisingly comfortable mattress yielding under his weight. On his back, he felt the light and restless presence of Aqua. She was humming a cheerful and completely off-key tune, a sound that had somehow become part of the soundscape of his new life. With a careful movement, she dripped a drop of her divine blood between his shoulder blades, the cold liquid activating the Falna and initiating the status update. Her contagious energy was almost palpable; for some reason unknown to him, she was in an absolutely radiant mood.
"All done! Let's see how strong my Hachiman has become!" she announced, her voice bubbling with expectation.
As Aqua's divine power interacted with his, the arcane hieroglyphs on his back began to glow. The numbers and symbols danced, changing and leaping across his skin like a hologram of ethereal blue light before finally settling, engraved in his soul.
Hachiman sat up, picking up a small mirror to analyze the result of a week of relentless hunting at the limits of his endurance. The reflection showed the scroll of his own power.
Hikigaya HachimanLevel: 2Strength: SS-1068 → SSS-1305Endurance: SS-1095 → SSS-1311Dexterity: SS-1051 → SSS-1301Agility: SS-1082 → SSS-1308Magic: SSS-1400 → SSS-1499
Magic:[Unlimited Blade Works] (Concealed)[Single Strike] (Concealed)
Skill:[A Loner's Protection] (Concealed)[Wild Determination] (Concealed)[Beloved by the Forge] (Concealed)
Development Ability:[Blacksmith: F][Mystery: H][Rune: I]
A silence settled in the room as Hachiman processed the data. 'SSS rank… in all basic attributes.' The realization was shocking. He knew he was pushing himself, but he hadn't realized to what extent. The brutality of the solo invasion, the sheer volume of monsters he faced with each descent, had forced his body and soul to evolve at a dizzying speed, pushing his stats into the realm of the absurd. His development abilities, on the other hand, were stagnant, a direct reflection of his total focus on combat over craftsmanship.
'And the magic… 1499.' His gaze fixed on that number. 'I remember clearly from yesterday. My physical attributes were in the 1290s and the magic had already stopped growing. It didn't go up a single point. This means…' The conclusion was inevitable. 'This is the limit. The absolute maximum I can reach at Level 2.'
Aqua's voice shattered the silence, filled with a pride that was almost palpable. "Wow, Hachiman! You're a monster! Look at those numbers! No one would believe this! It's time, isn't it? Can we?! Can we update your level again?! Let's go! Let's go! Level 3! Just imagine how cool that will be!" She fidgeted on his back like a child on the eve of a holiday.
Hachiman pondered for a long moment, the buzz of Aqua's excitement contrasting with his own calm and analytical mind. Leveling up now was tempting. It would be an immense jump in power. But something in his gut, the same intuition that kept him alive in the Dungeon, called for a pause.
"Tomorrow, Aqua," he said, his voice firm and decided. "I'll take the rest of the day to rest and think about my next moves. The update can wait until tomorrow morning."
"Aaaah…" Aqua grumbled, the sound of a deflating balloon. Her weight seemed to sink into his back in a gesture of pure disappointment. The tantrum, however, lasted less than three seconds. Her energy returned with full force, like a spring that couldn't be contained. "So! If we're resting today, that's perfect!" She began to rock him with an enthusiasm that made the bed creak. "You can take me to the Lunar Festival! Please, pleeeease, pretty please!"
"Lunar Festival?" Hachiman turned his head to look at her over his shoulder, an eyebrow arched in genuine confusion. "What festival is that? I don't remember reading about anything like it in the original story."
"It's because I found out yesterday! And it was super funny!" Aqua began to narrate, her voice full of mischief and delight.
[Flashback – Previous Day, Streets of Orario]
The Orario sun bathed the bustling streets, and Aqua strolled through the heart of the city like a queen in her domain. Her hands were full of packages of crunchy snacks and imported sweets, a treasure acquired with the generous allowance Hachiman had granted her. After the Goliath incident and a period of "good behavior" (read: not causing disasters of epic proportions), her punishment had been lifted. Free and with her pockets full, she had already made a strategic tour of clothing and jewelry stores, storing her new acquisitions in her space ring before dedicating herself to her true passion: street food.
As she passed in front of an elegant boutique, her hawk-like gaze spotted a familiar figure. Hestia was standing outside, her large eyes fixed on a set of dresses displayed in the window, an expression of desire and indecision on her face. To Aqua, this was like an invitation.
Seizing the golden opportunity to torment her "rival," Aqua slid close to her, adopting an air of pompous superiority. "Well, well, if it isn't Hestia-chan! Window shopping? It's sad, isn't it? Wanting something and not being able to afford it." She paused dramatically. "You know, if you need to, you can beg me a little. The child of my Familia is incredibly rich now. I wouldn't mind giving you some charity, just for the sake of it."
Hestia's teeth audibly gnashed. "I don't need your dirty money, you useless goddess!" she retorted, her cheeks puffed out. "Bell-kun also makes a lot of money in the Dungeon!"
Aqua brought a hand to her mouth in a gesture of false surprise, her eyes shining with malice. "Oh! That little brat of yours? What's his name again? Ah, yes! The one who was knocked down like a sack of potatoes by that Goliath and only managed to become Level 2 after my Hachiman? How cute of him to try to keep up."
A vein popped on Hestia's forehead. The taunt had struck the most exposed nerve. Bell was her pride, her treasure. His humiliation, even if overcome, was still an open wound. Crossing her arms tightly under her breasts, Hestia huffed. "I'm not wasting any more time with you!" she spat, before turning and stomping away with a fury that made her blue ribbons swing wildly.
Aqua watched her go, scratching her cheek for a moment. 'Hmm, maybe I was a little too harsh?' she pondered for a fraction of a second. The thought was immediately swept aside when she noticed the paper lanterns and colorful decorations being set up all over the square. Her curiosity overcame any remnant of guilt.
"Excuse me, miss," she asked a shop assistant who was sweeping the sidewalk. "What's this party you're preparing for?"
"It's the Lunar Festival, ma'am," the young woman replied, smiling. "It's a very old celebration, from before the gods came to our world. In the old days, people observed and revered the moon as a deity, praying for protection against the monsters that came out at night. Nowadays it's more of a formality, you know? A big party to celebrate."
Aqua's eyes widened and shone with the intensity of a thousand suns. 'A festival!' The idea formed instantly in her mind. 'Food! Games! And a perfect excuse to drag Hachiman out for a walk later!'
[End of Flashback]
Hachiman massaged his temple, listening to the end of the story. 'So her excellent mood is due to tormenting Hestia… Predictable.' He let out a long sigh, a mixture of resignation and weariness. "Alright, Aqua. Stop rocking. I'll go with you to this festival."
As they left the house, night had already fallen on Orario, but the streets were brighter than midday. Lanterns of all shapes and colors hung above their heads, bathing the crowd in a warm and festive light. The air was thick with the smell of fried food, caramelized sugar, and the contagious joy of the people.
True to her nature, Aqua dragged him first to the food stalls, where she tasted a little (or a lot) of everything. Then came the games. Hachiman, who would normally avoid such things, found himself strangely involved. At a fishing stall, where fragile paper nets were given to customers, the owner smiled with the certainty of profit. Hachiman, however, treated the challenge with the seriousness of a Dungeon raid. His superhuman dexterity and agility allowed him to calculate the perfect angle, pulling the fish out of the water with a quick and precise movement before the moisture could tear the paper.
"Another one!" Aqua shouted, grabbing the small bag with the goldfish as the stall owner began to sweat.
At another, the goal was to knock down prizes stacked on a shelf with cloth balls. Hachiman picked one up. It was too light, too soft. An obvious fake. 'The mass is too low to transfer the necessary impact momentum. Fraud.' An almost imperceptible smile touched his lips. On the next throw, he imbued the ball with a tiny, invisible amount of mana, just enough to give it the density of lead upon impact. The result was a satisfying crash as the ball hit the target, and all the prizes, which seemed glued to the shelf, fell at once.
Aqua ran to collect the stuffed animals and trinkets, laughing cheerfully, while the second stall owner of the day looked up at the sky, silent tears streaming down his face, questioning his life choices.
It was then that a larger crowd caught his attention. In a small square, a crowd gathered around an improvised stage. In the center of it, the charismatic figure of Hermes gestured, his voice amplified by the acoustics of the place, encouraging people to try an impossible feat: to pull out a sleek, silver spear that was embedded halfway into an immense, translucent blue crystal. Famous adventurers circulated, including the Sword Princess, Aiz Wallenstein, and her follower, Lefiya Viridis. Mord Latro, the muscular veteran, was on stage, his face red with effort as he pulled the spear with all his might, without it moving a single millimeter.
The moment Hachiman laid eyes on the spear, something inside him hummed. It wasn't a sound, but a feeling, a deep vibration that resonated directly with his magic. 'Unlimited Blade Works' was reacting, a sudden hunger for knowledge, urging him to analyze, to understand that artifact.
And then, the pieces fell into place. A fragmented memory, irrelevant until that moment, floated to the surface of his mind. 'Oh, that's right… the movie. Danmachi had a movie before I came here.' He had never been interested in seeing it; reviews said it wasn't canon, that the story was disappointing. But he remembered fragments of the synopsis he had read on some forum: the Artemis Familia, decimated. An ancient monster called Antares. Artemis, the Virgin Goddess of the Hunt, being absorbed by it… 'That… is not just any spear. It's the Arrow of Artemis.'
One adventurer after another tried, each failing more spectacularly than the last. Even Aiz, with her grace and power, placed her hands on the hilt and pulled, but the spear remained motionless, as if it were part of the very foundation of the world. When the Hestia Familia, with Bell Cranel at the forefront, also tried and failed, Hachiman felt the hum of his magic intensify. It wasn't for glory or recognition, but for pure and simple curiosity. A puzzle was before him, and his own soul demanded that he solve it.
He moved, emerging from the shadows of the crowd and climbing the steps of the stage.
"Oho! And what do we have here?!" Hermes's voice boomed, full of calculated drama. "If it isn't the Dragon Slayer himself! The hero of Orario, Hikigaya Hachiman! What an exciting turn of events! Come closer, young hero! Try your luck!"
Hachiman ignored the god as if he were a noisy fly. His eyes were fixed on the arrow. He gripped the smooth, cold hilt. He pulled.
Nothing.
The spear seemed welded to the crystal. A murmur ran through the crowd. 'Just as I thought. Brute force isn't the answer.' His hand didn't let go of the hilt. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a second. The answer was not in his muscles. It was in his essence.
"Trace On."
The word was a whisper in his mind, but the effect was cataclysmic. The moment he activated his projection magic, not to create, but to analyze, a torrential flow of information flooded his consciousness. He didn't just see metal and energy; he saw the arrow's history. He saw the light of a distant star being forged into its tip, felt the divine will of a virgin goddess imbued in its shaft, understood its conceptual composition as "a weapon that never misses its target."
His mana, the energy of endless creation, flowed from his hand into the arrow. The divine weapon, dormant for so long, recognized a power similar in concept. It resonated. A low, harmonious hum filled the air, and the arrow began to glow with a blinding silver light. The crystal that imprisoned it responded to that vibration, its molecular structure shaken not by force, but by resonance.
With a sharp sound, like a crystal bell shattering, luminous cracks ran through the blue gem. In an instant, the crystal exploded, not into shards, but into thousands of particles of light that danced in the night air before disappearing.
The crowd gasped in a single, collective intake of breath. The noise of the festival died, replaced by an astonished silence. The spear, now free, rested in Hachiman's hand, light as a feather, vibrating gently as if it were… content.
Hachiman looked at the weapon in his hand, as surprised as anyone in the square.
But the biggest surprise of all did not come from the outside world. It came from the silence of his own mind. A voice, clear as crystal, feminine, ancient, and filled with a relief that seemed to have crossed ages, sounded directly in his thoughts.
'...I found you.'