"Ah!!!"
Shirou raised his greatsword, using it like a shield to block the falling meteors.
It wasn't armor, nor did it offer any real protection against the spell itself; the greatsword simply endured the crushing weight.
The relentless rain of meteors hammered against Shirou, shaking his internal organs with every impact.
Seeing Shirou shielding them from the brunt of the attack, everyone's eyes filled with emotion—and guilt. They were moved by Shirou's selfless act of protection.
And they felt remorse for their own powerlessness, for lacking the strength to help him.
Unlike when they resisted the fire spell together—when they could press against Shirou's back and lend him their support—this time, the weapon Shirou projected wasn't stabilized by his body, but by his magic.
After all, this was a divine weapon; ordinary humans simply couldn't wield it.
Thus, they had no way to help Shirou, who was resisting the meteor barrage alone.
And that only deepened their guilt.
"Shirou!"
Watching him hold up a small world for their sake, Ais saw a reflection of her father—the one who had shielded her when she was young.
Slowly, her expression softened with emotion.
And at that critical moment, Riveria's spell finally reached completion.
"—[Veil Breath]!"
As the magic circle beneath Riveria expanded, everyone was wrapped in layers of green light.
Seeing the spell take effect, Finn immediately commanded:
"We can't let Shirou endure any longer! All first-class adventurers—use whatever strength you have left to avoid the meteor shower!"
"Ais, get Shirou out of there!"
"Understood!"
The moment Finn finished speaking, all the first-class adventurers led their supporters away, weaving between the falling stars. It was impossible to dodge everything, but with Riveria's Veil Breath, the damage to each person was minimized.
Once the others cleared the area, Ais ran to Shirou.
"Let's go too, brother!"
"I'll leave it to you!"
Ais pulled Shirou's arm over her shoulder and immediately dragged him out from beneath the sword's protection, dodging the deadly rain as best as she could.
But the density of the meteors was simply too great; complete evasion was impossible.
At last, after enduring countless impacts, the group survived the final wave of the meteor barrage.
"That was so reckless!"
Lying on the cratered ground, Shirou Emiya looked at his comrades—wounded, but alive—and couldn't help but smile.
After all, he had protected them.
"I'd say you are the reckless one!" Riveria snapped as she helped him stand. "If we had retreated even a second later, who knows what would've happened to you!"
Feeling the pain spread across his entire body, Shirou gave a strained laugh.
"Who said that? I can definitely push through something like this!"
"Drink the elixir, quickly!"
Taking the Elixir from Lefiya's hands, Shirou drank it immediately.
As his body and magical energy rapidly recovered, he let out a small laugh.
"See? I'm fine, aren't I?"
Looking at Shirou's smile, Riveria paused, then spoke seriously:
"No matter what happens… I want to thank you again, Shirou."
"You saved me, and you saved everyone. I—"
"Isn't that normal?"
Shirou cut her off, speaking with earnest conviction:
"We're comrades. We're family. Saving family—how could that be anything but the right thing to do?"
Riveria, interrupted mid-sentence, fell silent for a moment… then suddenly smiled beautifully.
"You're right. Saving family is the right thing to do."
"That's right—exactly!"
Walking up from behind, Finn spoke with solemn authority as he looked at the members who were slowly standing.
"The bonds within a familia are what unite us."
"These bonds tie not only us together, but also those comrades we brought here—those who trust us, who wait for us to return."
"They're waiting for us to come back victorious from the fiftieth floor! So we absolutely cannot die here! Not just for ourselves… but for everyone!"
"Which means—"
"I will defeat her. I will defeat that corrupted spirit!"
Following Finn's spear, everyone turned their gaze toward the corrupted spirit.
At that moment, it was absorbing the magic scattered throughout the fifty-ninth floor. Once the energy fully condensed, it would unleash another spell.
To be honest, in the earlier battle, everyone's morale had been completely shattered.
Defense and firepower beyond their level—and the ability to use magic.
And all three could be used simultaneously, flawlessly.
This was the strongest enemy Loki Familia had ever faced.
They simply couldn't imagine how to defeat her.
But after Shirou's heroic stand and Finn's declaration of war, a blazing fire ignited in everyone's eyes.
They wanted to fight. They wanted to defeat her.
To protect themselves—and to protect everyone else.
They would never accept losing their comrades here!
Every adventurer stared at the corrupted spirit with murderous resolve, gripping their weapons tightly, ready to unleash their strongest attacks at any moment.
"Shirou and Riveria's protection gave us this chance to win. Can you seize this tiny opportunity? Our enemy is stronger than anything we've ever faced! But I feel no fear—only excitement!"
"Isn't this the unknown we've always sought? Or have you all accepted that you'll never reach Shirou—and given up, content to be surpassed by him?"
Shirou, whose fighting spirit had flared up after Finn's speech, suddenly froze.
Wait—wasn't Bell Cranel supposed to be the example used to provoke everyone?
Why him?
Shirou still had no idea what his current standing was in everyone's eyes.
In a world without Shirou, maybe Bell would've been the perfect target.
But now? Shirou fit far better.
As an exceptional leader, Finn naturally possessed the talent to provoke perfectly.
Shirou had improved rapidly. He was strong. He was reliable.
And no one wanted to be left behind by him.
Ever since he reached Level 4, everyone had seen him as a rival they needed to beat.
How could they admit inferiority now?
A fierce fire ignited in their eyes.
"We're not losing to him!"
"I refuse to admit that!"
"I won't lose!"
Recalling the sight of Shirou's heroic stand, everyone's hearts burned with determination.
Watching their rising fighting spirit, Shirou unconsciously wet his lips.
"I will definitely defeat you, corrupted spirit!"
Clenching his fists, Shirou remembered the thought that had crossed his mind earlier.
"I once heard a saying: 'Use magic to counter magic!' We suffered a heavy loss because of it—how could we not strike back?"
"So Finn—let me end this!"
Seeing Shirou's resolute expression, Finn asked seriously:
"Are you confident?"
"Of course!"
"Then… I'll trust you!"
(End of Chapter)