"I'm sorry." Lefiya's clenched hands trembled slightly,"I think... I can't continue adventuring. Let's stop here..."
"Lefiya, are you afraid of monsters?" Emiya Shirou suddenly spoke up.
"Yes, I'm really sorry, I..."
"In that case, let's switch positions." Emiya Shirou said,"From now on, I won't use a bow, but a sword."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Lefiya was confused.
"From now on, Lefiya and I will take the front, while you two will take the rear." Shirou said, looking at the warrior and spearman in the team.
"Wait, that's too strange..."
An archer and a mage at the front, with warriors and spearmen at the rear? Such a formation was completely nonsensical.
"Lefiya, you're not weak. You're just not used to 'battle' yet." Shirou said calmly, "And I'll prove something to you—monsters aren't scary. As long as I'm by your side, no monster can harm you. At least in this lower level, I have that confidence."
"If I can make you believe that, then you won't be afraid anymore, right?"
Lefiya: "But, I..."
"I said from the beginning that I'm more skilled with a sword." Shirou said, glancing at the silent supporter "Besides, isn't Senior Raul here too?"
Raul: 'What should I do? I feel like I shouldn't agree, but... this incredibly strong and cool newbie just called me 'senior'...'
In the end Raul who was dismissed often by others, smitten by Shirou's 'Senior' honorifics.
———
"Emiya Shirou, more skilled with a sword, and knows a bit about archery."
That's how he had introduced himself at the beginning. However, after witnessing his god-like archery skills, everyone had subconsciously forgotten about it.
For Emiya Shirou, he was a genius in archery, but only a "genius." His archery skills were the result of talent, years of training, and learning from the heroic spirit [Archer]. But the sword was his true "origin" and "essence."
Emiya Shirou, in the realm of the sword, was a transcendent being, to the point where it could be said— his body was made of swords.
Starting from the sixth and seventh levels, high-threat enemies began to appear frequently in the dungeon.
The [Novice Killer], with long arms and three claws, its sharp claws like blades—War Shadows.
Another [Novice Killer], with four legs and two arms, a hard shell, extremely high attack power, and the ability to summon companions using pheromones in critical moments—Killer Ants.
Monsters that could cause great trouble for adventurers, capable of spreading poisonous powder—Purple Moths.
Monsters with attack power only slightly inferior to Killer Ants but possessing incredible speed—Needle Rabbits.
From the sixth to the tenth level, in this "Wall of Novices" that many adventurers couldn't overcome, the young man wielding twin swords stepped forward, showcasing his brilliance to the world for the first time.
"[Sun Breathing- First Form: Dancing Flash]" Shirou started to breath rapidly consuming a lot of oxygen from the air and send a glowing red flash through the air with his sword.
War Shadows were cut in half by sword light, Killer Ants had their heads smashed by heavy blows.
Emiya stood at the forefront of the team, the arcs of his twin swords forming a domain that no monster could breach.
"[Sun Breathing- Ninth Form: Sun halo dragon head dance]"
Shirou assumes a high stance, before unleashing a number of consecutive slashes in a fluid motion in the form of a eastern dragon made of solar flames. This technique is capable of decapitating multiple targets at once, which it did.
Purple Moths were cut down by consecutive sword slashes, and Needle Rabbits were burned by the heat of the slashes.
For Emiya Shirou, this was only natural. The monsters at this level were too weak, incomparable to the top Lv.4 adventurers he usually sparred with, let alone the [Heroic Spirits] he had faced in his previous life.
He could also deal with the enemies without using sun breathing, but to ensure Lefiya that "She is safe no matter what!" Shirou decided to use it.
Thus the might of 'Sun Breathing' was unveiled in the land of Orario in front of other adventurers for the first time.
Of course, he wouldn't let this lead him to underestimate the dungeon's monsters and recklessly take risks. There were differences among monsters, just as there were differences among [Heroic Spirits], like Hassan and Gilgamesh.
"Just what is the deal with this falna-less newbie..." The image of Shirou swinging his sword and sending heat slashes which cut through hordes of monsters was etched in Raul's mind, reminding him of someone else—the Loki Familia's Lv.4 top first-class adventurer candidate, the [Sword Princess].
That "Princess of Swords" also seemed to be able to cut down any monster with a swing of her sword.
No, it was different. The Sword Princess relied not only on her swordsmanship but also on her formidable stats and additional magic, while the young man before him displayed pure sword skills.
"How about it? Not so scary anymore, right?" Shirou slightly turned his head to ask the elf girl behind him.
Lefiya was momentarily stunned. She watched as those terrifying monsters charged to within arm's reach, only to be cut down by the young man.
Just as he had said, as long as he was by her side, no monster could harm her.
'It seems... not so scary anymore...'
Emiya Shirou was also somewhat surprised. He felt that his condition was unusually good. Even though he was still protecting Lefiya, he seemed much stronger than before.
Without him realizing it his continuous fight with monsters lead him to some bodily improvements. His swings become more smooth, and unnecessary movements started to minimize, which lead him to perfecting his Sun Breathing movement proficiency.
...
"Let's stop here."
Emiya Shirou swiftly killed a Needle Rabbit, and at this moment, supporter Raul made a judgment.
There were two reasons. The secondary reason was that they were already on the ninth level. Going further down to the tenth level would bring them into a new area, where more dangerous monsters would appear, even possibly juvenile dragons classified as Lv.2 and considered the floor bosses of that region.
Additionally, there were monsters like orcs, which, although classified as Lv.1 in overall ability, had strength equivalent to Lv.2, capable of rendering some Lv.2 adventurers unable to continue fighting after a direct hit.
Although, based on the team's configuration and abilities, conquering levels 10-12 was possible, they had already gained a lot from this expedition, and there was no need to take unnecessary risks.
The main reason was—Raul's backpack was full.
Emiya's efficiency in killing low-level monsters was simply too high, and monsters like War Shadows and Killer Ants weren't pushovers like goblins. Their magic stones were valuable, and with the dropped items, the backpack was already full. Continuing the adventure would mean having to leave behind some of their previous gains.
They had also been lucky enough to hunt some Blue Papilio, butterfly-like monsters with four blue, translucent wings. These monsters had no combat abilities, but the powder secreted by their wings had healing properties and could be used to make potions, making them quite valuable.
Raul was already regretting his decision. As the supporter for this adventure, he was nominally hired by the team's mage, Lefiya, under a fixed-payment contract rather than a profit-sharing one.
This meant that no matter how valuable the dropped items were, he wouldn't get a share. Of course, even if the adventure yielded nothing or resulted in a loss, he would still get his payment.
'I never expected these newbies to be so strong, especially that swordsman from the Hostess of Fertility. He's as strong as a monster!'
Of course, Raul didn't have the face to ask the newbies for a share of the profits. Although he was short on money, he still cared about his dignity.
"No problem, that's about it." everyone agreed, and Shirou also nodded. He could sense that Lefiya's condition had improved significantly compared to before.
Moreover, he was also feeling tired.
Habit is a terrifying force. After seeing monsters charge at her countless times, only to be intercepted and killed, she began to realize that it wasn't so scary after all.
"Wait, there are monsters—three orcs?"
Huge pig-headed monsters reaching up to three meters tall. They wore old animal hides like skirts around their waists and wielded large wooden clubs as weapons.
"Why are there orcs on the ninth level? Did they break through from a passage? Well, these things happen sometimes." Raul said, "Forget it, I'll handle them, and then we'll head back."
The dungeon wasn't static. Monsters from deeper levels could sometimes wander into shallower areas, creating dangerous "abnormal situations" for new adventurers.
Raul casually drew his sword. Orcs, which were dangerous for Lv.1 adventurers, were no match for a high Lv.3 like him.
"Wait, Senior Raul." At this moment, the cowkin warrior Niran spoke up.
"I want to take them on... by myself."
"What?" Raul frowned, "Three orcs are not something a Lv.1 adventurer can handle alone."
Orcs were classified as Lv.1 monsters, but due to their high endurance, defense, and overwhelming attack power, they usually required a team of Lv.1 adventurers to hunt.
Thus, they were sometimes referred to as Lv.1.5 monsters.
"Exactly because it's difficult, it can be called a 'feat'." Niran said seriously.
"Before graduating from the [School District], my stats had already reached the requirements for leveling up, but I never accumulated enough feats."
"I'm actually a bit of a coward. Even though I'm big, I'm scared of dying. I've always used my shield to block monsters and waited for my teammates to finish them off." Niran said. "But today, Mr. Emiya's actions inspired me."
"He looked so cool, standing in front of his companions, cutting down all the enemies... I want to be like that too."
"So, I want to take on this challenge."
"Although my abilities increase after I'm injured, my judgment deteriorates. Yuri, I hope you can keep an eye on their movements and try to remind me, though it might not be useful."
"Mr. Emiya, I hope you can support me with your bow, but please leave the main attack to me."
"Lefiya, I'm really sorry, but your magic is too powerful. This time, I want to kill the monsters with my own hands."
"Senior Raul, if I'm about to be killed by the orcs, please save me."
"...Ah, you newbies." Raul sighed, but then straightened his gaze, "Alright, go for it. Doing the impossible is what being an adventurer is all about!"
Hearing that Niran blushed. Though still mostly unreliable, but Raul also has times when he showed his manliness.