Shirou lay on the emerald-green grass, feeling the gentle breeze. Who would've imagined such beauty existed inside the Dungeon?
Half an hour passed quickly. Shirou stood up from the grass, stretched his muscles, and assessed his condition.
"Alright, my wounds are healed. Time to head back."
His physical and mental strength had been restored thanks to the potions. Although he still had a few injuries, he didn't mind. No matter how bad his current condition was—it couldn't be worse than the final battle against Angelica.
Thinking about that, Shirou couldn't help but touch his hair. The white strand on his forehead showed no signs of returning to normal.
His body had fully recovered during his time in Orario, but that white strand remained unchanged.
"Forget it. Now's not the time to dwell on that."
Putting his backpack on again and projecting his twin swords, Shirou set off toward the path that led to the seventeenth floor.
This was his adventure, and he needed to complete it perfectly.
With that, he moved forward.
---
Thirteenth Floor of the Dungeon.
With a single punch, the monster before her was reduced to ashes. Unarmed, Tiona continued dispatching enemies with incredible ease.
Unlike Shirou, who was desperately racing against time, the Loki Familia advanced through the middle floors with the languid grace of a leisurely stroll.
This wasn't just due to their lack of urgency but also because several of the group's more troublesome members, spurred on by Shirou's fight, had entered a frenzied slaughter mode.
The vanguard was more concerned with killing monsters than with advancing. That was the reason for their slow progress.
"How much longer do they plan to waste time here?"
Watching the relentless assault of Ais, Bete, Tiona, and Tione, a concerned Riveria sighed, her hand resting on her forehead.
"Don't get so worked up, Riveria. This is perfectly normal. After watching that fight, it's not just those four—even I feel like stretching my legs!"
Finn remained composed. He tried to reassure Riveria, chuckling softly as he watched the four in action.
"If even you, as the captain, can't resist, these problem children are going to lose all restraint."
She quickly dismissed Finn's thoughts. After all, as their captain, he needed to set an example.
"Hahaha! Don't worry, I know how to keep myself in check."
Finn, who had long outgrown the exuberance of youth, didn't lose his composure so easily. As the captain of the Loki Familia, he was known for his cool-headedness.
"But what do you think of that adventurer now?"
Finn's expression darkened slightly. As the leader of the Familia, he couldn't help but reflect.
"Judging by his movements, he's probably just reached Level 2. But with those attributes, he managed to reach the sixteenth floor on his own. And beyond his magic, his fighting technique was even more impressive."
As adventurers who had lived through the Dark Age, Finn, Riveria, and Gareth were all highly seasoned fighters.
But judging by Shirou's performance, they could see his skills rivaled their own.
Moreover, his fighting style was unlike the usual monster-combat techniques used by Ais and the others. Though he hid it well, Finn could still sense a trace of something... suspicious.
And so, he remained cautious.
Riveria understood Finn's concerns; she shared them. But now, she had a new suspicion.
"If he were some sort of genius secretly trained by Evilus, his actions today were far too conspicuous."
On their way back from the sixteenth floor, they had also run into adventurers from other Familias.
From them, Riveria learned that the adventurer's appearances weren't random. From the thirteenth to the fifteenth floor, many were already talking about him.
His ability to strike with the force of a magic sword and his remarkable combat skills stood out in particular.
Leaving so many witnesses behind didn't align with Evilus's usual practices.
Finn gave a slight nod, not wanting to dwell on the topic.
As talented as he was, the boy was still only Level 2. The Sword Princess, Ais Wallenstein—future pillar of the Loki Familia—was already Level 5.
It would take a long time for him to catch up.
"This might sound greedy, but it'd be amazing if that boy were a member of the Loki Familia."
Hearing Finn's words, Riveria couldn't help but smile.
"That's truly a greedy thought!"
The two exchanged a look and burst into laughter.
"What are you and Riveria laughing about?"
Tiona, having finished her fight, asked in confusion as she looked at Finn and Riveria. Ais, standing next to her, tilted her head curiously.
"Oh, it's nothing!"
Riveria quickly composed herself and returned to her usual serious demeanor as she noticed the problem children returning.
Finn, meanwhile, shifted the subject firmly:
"So, are you all done venting? If so, let's keep moving!"
"Alright, alright. We're officially heading back now."
Knowing they had gone overboard, the quartet didn't dare ask further and resumed clearing the path.
Before long, they passed through the thirteenth floor and reached the path leading to the twelfth.
Just as Finn and the others were about to enter the next floor, a sudden sound caught their attention.
The familiar noise instantly triggered memories of that figure.
Ais, walking at the front, instantly changed direction and headed back.
Seeing this, the others followed suit, one after another.
Moments later, the red figure reappeared before their eyes.
Shirou, wielding Kanshou and Bakuya, was effortlessly cutting down the monsters in his path.
As he advanced, he unknowingly drew closer to the Loki Familia.
"Hey, kid!"
They'd encountered the boy again—unexpectedly. Finn, deeply curious about his origin, took the initiative to call out.
Hearing Finn's voice, Shirou finally turned in that direction.
Earlier, because of the monsters chasing him, Shirou had avoided crowded areas. After all, according to the Dungeon's unspoken rules, one shouldn't approach others during combat without permission—it could easily cause misunderstandings.
As the saying goes: "If I can't run from the monsters, then I'll have to run from you!"
That's why Shirou had already avoided several groups. Only when Finn called out did he finally notice them.
Looking at the banner planted at the center of the group, Shirou froze.
That looked like the banner of the Loki Familia. Were these the executive members?
Shirou quickly approached, stopping in front of Finn under the cautious gazes of the group.
"Excuse me... Are you Captain Finn of the Loki Familia?"
"Yes, that's me. May I ask who you are?"
Finn was surprised by the sudden approach from the young man—someone suspected of being connected to Evilus.
Upon confirming that this was indeed Finn, Shirou smiled brightly and said:
"Hello, Captain. I'm a new member of the Loki Familia. My name is Shirou Emiya!"
"What?! You're a member of the Loki Familia?"
Finn and Riveria exchanged glances, both stunned.
Although they'd briefly considered the possibility before, it was just a fleeting thought. Who would've guessed it was actually true?
Dumbfounded by the revelation, everyone fell silent. Even the usually composed Riveria asked, somewhat excited:
"You're really a newcomer? How did you reach the sixteenth floor on your own?"
Hearing her question, Shirou scratched the back of his head and replied a little sheepishly:
"I officially became an adventurer of the Loki Familia while you were on expedition. I went to the sixteenth floor in search of adventure."
"That was the feat I needed to reach Level 2."
"Huh?!"
The Loki Familia cried out in collective shock.
---
(End of Chapter)
The automatic translator literally translated almost the entire chapter into Portuguese and I didn't even notice hehe