[You have entered the 31st floor]
Shirou was kneeling on the ground with one leg.
He didn't even lift his head at the notification. His body was already bruised and slashed in multiple places. His clothes were torn, his sleeves and sides were blood-stained, and his breathing was heavy.
But none of that mattered.
The floor looked peaceful. A forest filled with tall green trees, their trunks wide and ancient, sunlight piercing through the leaves above like soft beams of gold.
But Shirou wasn't looking at any of it.
His hand gripped Ashbringer tighter.
[Defeat the Viridian Elves]
[10 remaining]
"Ten."
"Ten enemies. Ten targets."
Shirou stood up slowly, dragging one foot behind the other. He hadn't even recovered from his last battle. His ribs still ached from the blow that threw him through the mansion, and his left shoulder had lost a good amount of strength.
But none of that mattered.
"Because Elliot was dead."
"Because Amelia was…"
"No."
He didn't want to think about that now.
Leaves rustled behind him.
Shirou turned without hesitation, flames sparking around his sword. A green-skinned elf stood crouched on a tree branch, its longbow already drawn. But Shirou didn't wait for it to fire.
"Ashbringer—Inferno Surge!"
A vortex of flame burst from his sword, rushing forward in a blazing wave. The elf jumped off the branch but wasn't fast enough. The flames caught its legs, searing through its armour as it screamed.
Shirou was already moving, ignoring the burning pain in his side. In a flash, he appeared before the elf, slashing straight through its chest.
[You have defeated the Viridian Elf ]
Another one appeared from the bushes to his left, firing an arrow. Shirou didn't dodge. The arrow struck his shoulder, but he didn't even flinch.
He turned toward the attacker. "That's all you've got?"
His voice was cold. Empty.
"Ashbringer—Crimson Arc!"
A red arc of flame shot out, slicing through the air and cutting the elf in half before it could knock another arrow.
[You have defeated the Viridian Elf ]
A group of three charged in from ahead, weapons drawn—two with twin blades and one with a long spear. They moved fast, weaving between trees and closing the distance.
Shirou didn't step back.
He charged forward.
The first one swung down with both blades, but Shirou ducked under and slammed his sword through its chest.
The second lunged with the spear.
Shirou turned, letting the spear scrape across his ribs, and countered with a fiery slash that ignited the elf's body on contact.
The third hesitated for just a second—just long enough.
"Ashbringer - flame edge."
Shirou's voice cracked, barely holding together as the storm inside him swelled. The weight of everything hit him at once—Elliot was gone, and now Amelia too.
The silence they left behind was deafening. He could still hear their voices in his head, still picture the way they stood beside him, the way they fought, the way they believed in him. And then came the memory of that promise—"We'll walk out of this together." It echoed painfully in his mind, cruel and hollow now. He could still feel her grip on his hand, warm and trembling, as if she was still there—still holding on.
[You have defeated the Viridian Elf ]
But that warmth was gone, slipping through his fingers like sand, and all that remained was the unbearable emptiness pressing down on his chest. They were really gone.
[You have levelled up]
Shirou didn't even look at the notification. His body felt a little lighter, but his heart—his mind—was still heavy.
Still angry.
Another pair of elves leapt down from the trees. One tried to attack from behind while the other threw knives from a distance.
Shirou twisted his body and raised Ashbringer behind him, blocking the blade from the rear attacker. He then flipped forward, stabbing the sword into the elf's stomach and turning in one motion to catch the second set of throwing knives on his shoulder and chest.
He winced slightly.
Still didn't stop.
He ran at the throwing elf, each step leaving behind a scorch mark as flames burned under his feet.
"Ashbringer—Phoenix Burst!"
A fiery wave blasted through the forest clearing, tearing the ground and swallowing the elf.
[You have defeated the Viridian Elf]
[You have defeated the Viridian Elf]
Five more.
Shirou didn't even take a breath.
Three archers appeared on the trees. They fired together, arrows glowing faintly with green energy.
Shirou raised his sword.
"Earth Release—Earth Wall!"
The ground rose up, forming a barrier of stone. The arrows struck, chipping it away. But before the next volley came, Shirou leapt over it.
Lightning surged at his feet. His body blurred.
In three rapid slashes, three corpses dropped from the trees.
[You have defeated the Viridian Elf]
[You have defeated the Viridian Elf]
[You have defeated the Viridian Elf]
Shirou landed hard, his legs nearly buckling.
His chest rose and fell with every breath. His vision was starting to blur. He had been losing blood slowly… but even now, he didn't stop.
Because Amelia was gone.
And it was his fault.
Because he wasn't strong enough.
The last two elves rushed him together—one with a curved blade, the other with a long wooden staff, channelling green energy into it.
The staff struck the ground—roots burst out and tangled around Shirou's leg, trying to hold him in place.
"Let… go…!"
Shirou forced mana into his arm.
"Ashbringer—Flame Edge!"
The sword ignited in a crimson blaze and cut through the roots as he rushed toward the staff wielder. The curved-blade elf tried to intercept, but Shirou twisted and struck with his elbow, then stabbed the sword straight into its chest.
The staff elf swung its weapon, sending a wave of green energy. Shirou took it full force, crashing into a tree and spitting out blood.
But he didn't stay down.
He stood.
He dragged himself forward, flames gathering once again.
"Ashbringer—flame edge!"
He slashed, and a fanged wave of fire tore through the air, catching the last elf.
It screamed.
It fell.
[You have defeated the Viridian Elf]
[You have levelled up]
[You have reached level 65]
[HP and MP fully restored]
[All injuries partially healed]
Shirou stood still, panting.
The forest was silent.
[You have completed floor 31]
Then… he looked down at the last elf—the one he had just killed.
And he snapped.
Without a word, Shirou raised his sword and stabbed the corpse again.
And again.
And again.
"Why… why couldn't I protect them…"
Again.
Blood splattered onto his arms and face.
"Elliot…"
Again.
"Amelia…"
His shoulders trembled. His sword clanged as it hit the elf's now-lifeless body again and again.
And again.
Until finally, he dropped the sword.
His knees buckled.
And he collapsed forward, landing on the dead elf's body, eyes closing, the world around him fading into black.