Magic, the symbol of miracles.
In the world of DanMachi, magic is the supreme power available to adventurers.
For adventurers in DanMachi, magic is equivalent to the Noble Phantasms of Heroic Spirits in the Type-Moon world.
In this world, aside from innate magic, an adventurer can acquire up to three spells through a god's Grace.
This is determined at the moment one awakens to the god's Grace.
The number of slots in the magic column represents the maximum number of spells a person can learn.
Shirou has three magic slots, which means he can acquire up to three spells.
In previous updates, aside from his initial spell Unlimited Blade Works, Shirou had not acquired any new magic—despite even preparing a grimoire for that purpose.
In Orario, a grimoire allows an adventurer to gain a new spell.
Of course, the prerequisite is having an available slot to learn one.
Therefore, every grimoire is extremely expensive.
Then, suddenly and without any warning, Shirou acquired a new spell.
Moreover, this magic has absolutely no connection to the power of the Heroic Spirit within him.
It is a completely original spell.
"Huh? Big brother got new magic?"
Hearing Lefiya's exclamation, everyone nearby who was organizing their gear cast envious looks at Shirou.
A brand-new spell!
I want one too! everyone thought to themselves.
"A new spell? What kind is it, Shirou?"
As a magic specialist, Riveria was extremely curious about Shirou's newly acquired spell.
"It's an area-annihilation spell that requires a very long chant."
"An area-annihilation spell… with a long chant?"
If before everyone had only been envious and politely congratulating him, now they were downright jealous.
Among the many types of magic—excluding those with special effects—pure destructive spells can be divided into levels based on their chanting duration:
Very short chants, short chants, long chants, and extremely long chants.
The length of a spell's enchantment clearly indicates its power.
And area-wide annihilation spells have the largest attack radius among all types of magic.
Therefore, a long-chant area-annihilation spell can definitely be considered among the strongest forms of magic.
Of course, these are merely classifications—the true power still depends on the caster's strength.
Even so, a long-chant area-annihilation spell is the kind of spell everyone dreams of having.
Staring at the ceiling as if gazing at the moon, Shirou silently recalled the magic's chant, sinking into deep thought.
Had he been acknowledged?
A villain's identity.
After a brief rest, the group regrouped and headed toward the fifty-ninth floor.
In the dark corridor, the Loki Familia members, holding magic stone lamps, quickly noticed something strange.
"It's more like suffocating heat than cold," Lefiya murmured, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
The increasingly obvious anomaly heightened everyone's vigilance. No one knew what awaited them on the edge of the darkness.
The echo of their footsteps descending the staircase rang in their ears.
Deeper still, within the darkness, there was light.
"Finn, over here!"
"Yes… what we're about to witness is…"
"The unknown—something no one has ever seen before!"
Eager for adventure, the Loki Familia walked toward the light.
Crossing the entire staircase, they finally reached the fifty-ninth floor.
"…"
The scene before them left them speechless. There were no glaciers, no towering icebergs, no icy waters.
Instead, what lay before them was a grotesque, overgrown landscape—something utterly unrecognizable as the fifty-ninth floor.
"It's a nursery!"
Hearing Shirou's confirmation, Lefiya—standing beside him—shuddered violently.
Nearby, Ais and Bete both wore dark expressions.
"A nursery?"
Upon hearing Shirou's words, Tiona asked in surprise, clearly confused.
"It's a place where the Violas absorb energy from the ground and then spread across the Dungeon, altering the environment. Those lizard monsters can be born continuously here."
"The nursery that Ais and I found on the 24th floor only covered a storage chamber, but this one covers the entire floor!"
"This is the 59th floor!"
"A method capable of transforming an entire floor?"
Everyone understood Shirou's astonishment. In terms of size, the 24th and 59th floors weren't even comparable.
The 24th floor was only about half the size of Orario.
But the 59th floor was much larger than Orario itself.
Not to mention that the 24th floor nursery was only within a storage chamber—this one covered the entire floor!
What kind of modification could accomplish something like that?
"I heard something!"
Directly ahead, near the center of the floor, a series of chaotic sounds echoed from the passageway.
There were sharp, screeching noises, and also the sound of something being chewed.
Other noises overlapped and blended together, reaching everyone's ears.
"Move out!"
Under Finn's command, the group advanced in formation.
As they proceeded, everyone remained on high alert, wary of potential monster attacks.
After all, they hadn't encountered a single monster since entering the fifty-ninth floor.
This reminded Finn of the ambush they suffered on the fifty-third floor.
As they continued, the dense forest surrounding them gradually faded away, replaced by a vast gray plain.
At the desolate center of the floor, countless monsters roamed.
A nauseating horde of monsters surrounded a female-shaped creature whose lower body resembled that of a giant plant.
"Is that… one of those Demi-spirits?"
At the rear of the group, Riveria frowned as she identified the creature before them.
It was a massive plant-type monster that lived in the deep floors, also known as a Titan Alm.
A huge plant monster that devours both allies and enemies indiscriminately.
The Virgas surrounding the female creature spat magic stones from their mouths, feeding it continuously.
The female creature devoured the magic stones of the Virgas and Violas, growing stronger as clouds of dust drifted around—the dust of the numerous monsters it had reduced to ash.
Noticing the dust around the female monster, Tsubaki exclaimed in shock:
"She's been feeding on these monsters the whole time?"
"An enhanced species?"
Witnessing such a horrifying scene, everyone felt chills run down their spines.
Even Finn, the leader, wore a twisted expression.
Only Ais was different.
She could hear her own heartbeat. Feel her blood boil.
Then, before everyone's eyes, the female creature seemed to emerge from a pupa, shedding its outer shell and revealing its true form.
The upper body of the female monster transformed completely into a humanoid shape, appearing before them with a beauty comparable to that of the gods.
Green hair, green skin, and a green upper body.
Except for her eyes—lacking pupils and irises—she was no different from a goddess in beauty.
(End of chapter)