Thanks to the efforts of the magic squad and Shirou's attacks, Udaeus was quickly defeated.
Unfortunately, Shirou ended up being harshly scolded by Finn.
He had gotten too carried away during the battle and almost hit his allies with a Múspellsflamme.
Of course, Shirou regretted it himself.
He had been far too reckless.
Perhaps it was because of his surroundings; after all, a person's personality is deeply influenced by what surrounds them.
But no matter what, he would never become someone who didn't care about his companions.
In the battles that followed, Shirou focused only on support and occasional close combat.
Facing powerful monsters head-on greatly increased his excelia gains.
Naturally, the main pressure came from the sheer number of monsters—they were simply too many.
But Shirou relished this kind of battle; life-or-death struggles filled him with a burning passion.
Under immense pressure, Shirou's stats improved rapidly.
This was the power of his skill Anima Ignis.
The harder the battle, the greater the improvement.
It was as if all the external pressure was a blacksmith's hammer, and Shirou was a blade being tempered.
Although the obstacles ahead became increasingly fierce, that did not stop the Loki Familia's advance.
It was only on the forty-ninth floor that they truly encountered problems.
All monsters there now possessed Level 4 strength and above.
Against endless hordes, the vanguard—once invincible—was pushed back. Their overwhelming stats made the battle extremely treacherous, even with Finn's excellent command skills.
However, thanks to the support of the mages and Shirou's relentless magic arrows, they finally managed to stabilize.
The fiftieth floor of the Dungeon was a safe floor.
At last reaching it, the Loki Familia quickly set up camp and began to rest. After all, their goal was the fifty-ninth floor!
Meanwhile, Shirou, tasked with foraging for food, indulged in a truly remarkable act of laziness.
"So this is the fiftieth floor? A safe floor like this is always amazing, no matter how many times I see it."
Lying on the edge of a cliff, Shirou propped his head on his arm, enjoying the gentle breeze.
"So next, we'll be diving even deeper."
Though reaching the fiftieth floor was worth celebrating, something else weighed on Shirou's mind.
On the forty-ninth floor, while they were fighting a horde of Fomoires that had broken through the vanguard, Ais—after slaughtering them all—disregarded Finn's orders and charged alone into an army of goat-headed monsters.
Of course, what worried Shirou wasn't Ais's disobedience; as a battle junkie, she often behaved this way when she got carried away.
What concerned him was that this event likely marked the beginning of the main storyline of Danmachi.
They were about to face the attack of a new species, and their equipment would be destroyed, forcing their expedition to a halt.
This was the opening act of Sword Oratoria.
"Damn it… there's no way to avoid something like this. After all, I'm just a rookie—how could I possibly know more detailed information?"
"Forget it. All I can do is make sure no one dies…"
Thinking about his gains, Emiya Shirou felt deeply satisfied.
He already had enough advanced experience to reach Level 4.
He could rank up at any time.
But his goal was to achieve SSS in all attributes!
How could he possibly level up now?
"Brother, where are you? Time to head back!"
Hearing Lefiya's voice, who had accompanied him to gather ingredients, Shirou quickly stood up and answered:
"I'm here. I already gathered some. Let's go back!"
"Yes!"
-xXx-
"Cheers!"
"Even if it's just soup, we still have to keep the mood lively."
The relief of finally reaching the fiftieth floor lifted the spirits of the Loki Familia.
Given their strength, the fortieth floor and beyond was already very challenging.
However, thanks to Finn's precise command, they had managed to overcome the obstacles and push through. That was exactly Finn's value.
But after reaching the forty-ninth floor, even under Finn's leadership, they still faced constant danger. This wasn't because Finn's commands were lacking, but because the Loki Familia's overall strength was still too low.
Unlike other Familias who, upon reaching deeper floors, adopted an elite-only strategy—relying solely on Level 4 adventurers and above—the Loki Familia, thanks to Finn's presence and leadership, even had Level 2 adventurers among those who made it this far.
It was only upon reaching the fiftieth floor that the Loki Familia began consolidating their elite forces for the descent.
It could be said that the Loki Familia's rise was largely thanks to Finn. With him, many members experienced rapid growth during the expedition.
The Freya Familia's strength came from Goddess Freya's special ability to constantly find talented individuals.
That's why they prided themselves on having one Level 7 warrior, four Level 6s, and four Level 5s.
But what about the Loki Familia?
Though they only had three Level 6s and four Level 5s, after their next battle, the Loki Familia would have seven Level 6s.
While level-ups depend on individual talent and effort, the environment is even more crucial.
Under Finn's leadership, these individuals had the best environment for growth, enabling their rapid advancement.
This was Finn—the captain of the Loki Familia, and an irreplaceable member of the family.
Within the Familia, Finn was a reliable and flawless leader.
As a result, the weaker members celebrated not because they no longer needed to take risks, but because they would finally stop holding Finn and his team back.
They knew their own strength had reached its limit, and from now on, it would be up to Finn and the elites to continue exploring.
They might not be able to see the unexplored territories themselves, but as long as the Loki Familia reached them, it was still a source of glory.
This was the greatest strength of Orario: the Loki Familia's unity.
"Everyone, getting this far is the result of all our hard work and struggle. Let's take pride in that!"
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."