After their training, Shirou, Ais, and Lefiya returned to the Loki Familia.
Once back at Twilight Manor, they soon went their separate ways. After all, each of them had their own goals. For example, Shirou headed back to the forge to continue his research.
But this time, he was interrupted again—not by someone else, but by himself.
Ding!
At the sound of a clock hand ticking, a sudden realization struck Shirou: the energy required to travel to another world had already been completely restored.
He could travel once more.
With a snap of his fingers, an exquisite golden pocket watch appeared in his hand.
Chronoscálion. That was Shirou's greatest treasure.
Inside the pocket watch, twelve time markers were displayed, numbered from one to twelve.
Every time Shirou traveled to another world, its hand would begin ticking, starting from twelve, gradually accumulating power.
When the hand returned to twelve, it meant the power had been fully restored, allowing him to travel again.
Now, the hands of the pocket watch rested firmly at twelve.
Looking at it, Shirou knew it was time to make a choice.
Should he remain in this world and level up, or should he travel to another world to learn new skills?
For Shirou, this was a true dilemma.
His time with the Loki Familia had been incredibly comfortable and happy. Their harmony made them feel like a real family—something Shirou deeply cherished.
However, his period of rapid growth in this world was nearing its end.
It wasn't that he couldn't continue improving quickly, but rather that it was becoming increasingly difficult to find the right path to achieve greater feats.
Shirou's accelerated growth, coupled with a higher attribute ceiling than others, meant he had to push each of his abilities to the limit before every level-up.
This made him nearly invincible among his peers.
Yet it also brought unique challenges, such as the increasingly demanding requirements for leveling up.
Shirou had reached Level 2 after a solo expedition to the 18th floor and returning safely.
He reached Level 3 after single-handedly defeating the floor boss, Goliath.
Reaching Level 4 had required him to help bring down both floor masters, Amphisbaena and Udaeus.
At this rate, if Shirou wanted to reach Level 5, he would likely have to defeat Udaeus on his own.
And to reach Level 6, he would probably need to face Balor alone.
Keep in mind—that was the very trial Ais would eventually need to overcome to reach Level 7!
Judging from the situation, Shirou could, at best, reach Level 6 in Orario. Level 7 was practically impossible.
That single step forward would require countless hours of adventures and endless training—something Shirou could not afford.
He knew it wouldn't be long before Julian and the others traveled to Illya's world to capture Miyu. That would mark the final battle.
Before that moment arrived, he needed the power to change everything.
Though he knew time in his own world moved more slowly compared to the differing flow of other worlds, that was no excuse to waste any of it.
Even if he reached Level 9 in this world, he would only be able to save Miyu.
The original Shirou would have been satisfied with that.
But now, with countless worlds in view, he wondered: if one of them held a way to save his own world, wouldn't that be the best ending of all?
Though he had once resolved to destroy the world for the sake of his sister, if he could save every world… wouldn't that be the true salvation?
And so, he could not stop.
He had to keep moving forward.
As long as he advanced, the road would continue to open.
Gazing at the pocket watch in his hand, Shirou made his decision.
---
"You already want to go to the dungeon again? But you just got back not long ago." Shirou asked.
"I want to polish my skills," Ais replied.
After leveling up, an adventurer's strength undergoes a dramatic transformation—a massive boost.
But this could also create a slight mismatch between their body and their refined abilities.
Such mismatches could prove fatal at crucial moments.
That was why Ais insisted on honing her skills.
"Alright, I was planning to go to the dungeon too," Shirou said.
He had already decided to temporarily leave the world of Orario after his next expedition.
Before that, he needed to reach Level 5.
So, he set aside his forging and resolved to focus entirely on the dungeon.
"Let's go!" Ais said, immediately turning on her heel.
Shirou chuckled. "Really? You get all fired up the moment you talk about dungeon diving."
She was truly addicted to the dungeon.
"Hey, where is everyone?" Shirou asked in confusion once they reached Babel Tower and found the meeting spot deserted.
"Hello, Mr. Emiya?"
Hearing someone call out, Shirou turned and found a familiar presence.
"You're Eina Tulle, right?" he asked gently, looking at the half-elf before him.
He wasn't unfamiliar with her.
In the original story, she had been Bell's guild advisor, and Shirou had met her before when he registered with the guild.
However, as a member of the Loki Familia, he already had plenty of experienced mentors and didn't need a guild advisor overseeing him.
Thus, Shirou had no advisor of his own.
But the moment he saw Eina, a certain memory clicked.
Ais must have gone into the dungeon to rescue Bell.
At this very moment, Bell was struggling to save Liliruca.
"Yes, that's me. Ais asked me to wait for you here," Eina said.
She explained what Ais had asked, and since Shirou already knew the situation, he naturally had no doubts.
"Ais said you could wait here, and she'll be back soon."
"Don't worry, I'll go after her," Shirou said.
Wait for her to come back? How could she possibly return?
As far as Shirou remembered, once the story progressed, Ais would meet the guild sage and accept his mission to journey to the 24th floor.
After all, that matter involved the red-haired girl. If Ais heard that message, she definitely wouldn't return.
With that in mind, Shirou bid farewell to Eina and entered the dungeon alone.
---
The 10th floor
Upon reaching it, Shirou leapt to a high vantage point and scanned the surroundings with his clairvoyance.
This floor was shrouded in a thick fog.
Sometimes, unless two adventurers were very close, it was impossible to recognize one another.
In the original story, this was also the reason Ais and Bell lost track of each other again.
But here, the fog was utterly useless against Emiya Shirou's clairvoyance.
Soon, he spotted two figures standing in the mist.
---
(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."