"Revis, we're under attack!"
In the eerie, hollow depths of the dungeon, a white-haired man wearing a bone-white skull mask reported the situation outside to the red-haired woman before him.
Upon hearing his words, the woman—Revis—slowly opened her eyes.
"Monsters?" she asked.
"No. Adventurers," he replied.
"They're coming here?" Revis questioned.
Hearing their exchange, the group of black-robed men surrounding them immediately panicked.
"They're a medium-sized party, but every one of them is powerful," the masked man continued.
"Really?" Revis said, intrigued. Her crimson eyes turned toward a translucent membrane on the wall. Within its surface, it reflected the images of a group of adventurers fighting against the Plants.
Among them, one figure stood out—a golden-haired girl, cutting down monsters with overwhelming might.
"It's Aria," Revis muttered suddenly.
"What?" The masked man seemed doubtful of her words.
"You're saying the Sword Princess is Aria? That's impossible!" he protested.
"I'm not mistaken," Revis said firmly, her voice unwavering.
"I'll go myself. Separate Aria from the others. Especially him," she ordered sharply, pointing toward a red-haired boy in the image.
Revis had a vivid impression of that boy.
In their previous battle, she had nearly died because of him.
If not for her monstrous endurance, she would have been slain by that single strike.
Even having survived, it had taken her a long time to recover.
She still remembered the pain Shirou had inflicted upon her.
But now was not the time for revenge. Her mission came first—bringing Aria back.
As for her grudge against that red-haired boy, there would be plenty of chances to settle it later.
---xXx---
"Your opponent is right here!"
As the monsters suddenly descended from above, Shirou drew his katana—Bloedige Glorie—and charged into combat.
Against such massive foes, his blade proved highly effective.
However, there were simply too many of them, and their strength was considerable. Even Shirou couldn't slay them instantly without resorting to Kanshou and Bakuya.
At least, not unless he aimed directly for their magic stones.
"Now's not the time for training... protecting my team comes first," Shirou decided, stepping back from the front line. He projected a bow and arrow, beginning his own massacre.
In the cramped corridor, Shirou moved fluidly, firing arrow after arrow.
Having fought these monsters multiple times before, he knew their weaknesses inside and out.
The monsters' magic stones were located inside their mouths.
He projected arrow after arrow without pause.
Sometimes, he fired a Muspelflamme straight into a creature's open jaws.
Arrow after arrow pierced through their bodies with thunderous cracks.
As Shirou continued firing, the monsters fell one after another.
This allowed him to stop moving so frantically and focus purely on precision attacks.
For a while, the only sounds filling the narrow passage were the whistle of arrows, the slicing of air, and the dying roars of monsters.
When his final arrow pinned the last monster to the wall, Shirou lowered his bow and exhaled softly.
It had been a long time since he'd felt this satisfied with his archery.
As Shirou's strength continued to grow, the power of his arrows grew alongside it. Amplified by his magical energy, each shot was comparable to a full-powered attack from at least a Level 3 or 4 adventurer.
In an all-out fight, even Tiona, Tione, or Bete would struggle to defeat him now.
If he used Caladbolg, they wouldn't even stand a chance.
"Amazing! Your archery skills are truly outstanding!"
Amazed by Shirou's feats, the adventurers from the Hermes Familia showered him with praise.
After all, he had just taken down half a horde of monsters on his own and rescued them all.
With a teammate like that, he deserved every bit of admiration.
"No need to praise me so much," Shirou laughed.
Once the battle was over and confirming no one was seriously injured, the group quickly cleaned up and set off again.
On the way, Asfi glanced at Shirou walking at the center of the group and asked,
"Can you tell us more about these new monsters?"
She knew that since they had encountered a new species, it was only a matter of time before they met them again.
Understanding as much as possible beforehand was crucial.
"New species?" Shirou repeated thoughtfully. After a brief moment, he began explaining.
"First off, these new types can grow stronger. They can enhance themselves by consuming the magic stones of other monsters."
"Unlike other species that only absorb stones from their own kind, these devour stones from entirely different species. That's why their individual power levels vary so wildly. I'm sure you noticed that," he added.
Asfi nodded lightly.
She had indeed noticed—but hadn't expected that to be the cause.
"I was also talking about their unique traits. Their outer skin is extremely tough. I doubt even a standard Level 4 monster could inflict much damage on them. Furthermore, they react strongly to magic, meaning they tend to attack enemies using magic first," Shirou continued.
"Also, they seem to attack other monsters before humans. Maybe it's because humans don't have magic stones. That's all I've figured out so far," he concluded.
"I see... that complicated?" Asfi frowned, deep in thought.
"So if we want to kill them effectively, we need to aim for their magic stone?" she asked.
"Their stone's inside their mouths, Asfi," Lulune quickly answered before Shirou could.
While Asfi pondered strategies against these new foes, the group suddenly came across another fork in the path.
"Another fork?" Asfi muttered.
"Asfi, which way do we go now?" Lulune asked.
Before Asfi could respond, a swarm of Violas burst forth from both branching paths.
"A pincer attack from both sides?" Shirou exclaimed.
"Careful! They're coming from behind too!" one of the Hermes adventurers in the rear shouted.
Instantly, the entire group went tense.
"Sword Princess, can you take one side?" Asfi ordered calmly as she observed the approaching monsters.
"I can," Ais replied.
"In that case, I'll take the other!" Shirou declared.
"I'm counting on you, Archer!" Asfi called out.
Shirou projected Kanshou and Bakuya, giving a firm nod.
Unlike the earlier ambush, where chaos reigned the moment the monsters appeared, this time was different.
Though surrounded, the Hermes Familia was fully armed and ready. The monsters had no real advantage here.
In this situation, Shirou could finally fight as he wished.
Even if he was an Archer, it didn't change one fact—
He preferred close combat.
---
(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."