Chapter 42. Arrow of Orion? I, the Great Hero Emiya, am not [Superhuman Bear]!
Early morning in Orario. Long-awaited sunlight pierced through the thin mist, spilling onto the sky-high Tower of Babel.
"Phew... finally out."
Shirou Emiya took a deep breath of air that carried the scent of earth and... the oily smoke of breakfast stalls. He felt like he had truly come back to life. Although the safe floors on the 39th floor of the Dungeon had air circulation, that gas—mixed with the stench of monsters and the musty smell of glowing moss—was a genuine torture for the sense of smell.
"The air on the surface is still the best." Lili gave a massive stretch. The giant backpack she had been carrying (filled to the brim with high-grade materials dropped in the deep floors, worth a fortune) seemed to become light as a feather.
"We're back!" Tiona rushed out of the Babel gates and shouted toward the sky.
Behind them, the main expedition force of the Loki Familia marched out grandly. Though everyone was wounded, their armor broken and expressions weary, the powerful aura of those who had experienced a baptism of life and death instantly silenced the entire plaza.
"Is that... the Loki Familia?"
"They're back? How long was it this time? Half a month?"
"Look at that presence... could they have actually reached the legendary 50th floor?"
The surrounding adventurers and citizens stopped in their tracks, their eyes filled with awe.
Walking at the very front was Finn. Though his face bore signs of fatigue, his thumb was as steady as a mountain. He raised his spear and flashed a confident smile to everyone.
"Mission accomplished." Finn's voice wasn't loud, yet through some magical amplification, it spread across the plaza. "The 59th floor... while we couldn't fully conquer it, we have cleared the path leading there."
Whoosh—!!!
The crowd erupted. Cheers, applause, and whistles reached the clouds. This was a hero's triumph. It was a great victory for humanity over the Dungeon.
"Tch, Finn, that guy. He's as good at acting cool as ever." Walking in the middle of the pack, Bete curled his lip. Though he sounded dismissive, he held his chest higher than anyone.
"Emiya, what's wrong?" Ais noticed Shirou beside her was looking down, seemingly lost in thought.
"Ah, nothing." Shirou looked up and gave a helpless smile. "I was just thinking... once we get back, I'll probably be 'pestered' by certain people into holding a banquet."
He pointed not far away. The Goddess Hestia was waving her iconic blue ribbon, bouncing through the crowd like a spring.
"Shirou-kun—!!! You're finally back!!! I missed you so much (and your cooking)!!!"
"See?" Shirou sighed, but his eyes were soft.
This was Orario. Though filled with danger and conspiracy, it was also a place full of the breath of life and... the taste of "home."
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Three days later.
The fatigue of the expedition gradually dissipated under the nourishment of Soma and fine food. The Loki Familia welcomed a rare holiday.
And this day happened to coincide with Orario's grand annual festival—[Elegia] (The Feast of the Holy Moon).
This was a festival to thank the Goddess of the Moon and pray for a bountiful harvest and peace. The entire city was decorated in tones of silver-white and golden-yellow. Stalls lined both sides of the streets, bards sang in the plazas, and Gods and mortals mingled together, enjoying this revelry that ignored race.
"Waaaah! So much delicious food!"
Shirou Emiya held a skewer of grilled squid, but before he could take a bite, he was pulled away by Haruhime. Today, Haruhime wasn't wearing her stiff shrine maiden outfit; instead, she had changed into a pink yukata (though the style looked like a modified kimono). Holding a round fan, her fox ears twitching, her cuteness level was off the charts.
"Shirou-sama! There are fried potato puffs over there! It's the festival-limited 'Moon-Viewing Potato Puffs'!" Haruhime pointed ahead, stars twinkling in her eyes.
"Um... Haruhime, didn't we just eat lunch?" Shirou was stuck between laughing and crying. Since this fox had resolved her inner conflicts, she seemed to have awakened a formidable foodie attribute, showing a strong tendency to keep pace with Ais.
"But... but they're limited edition!" Haruhime twiddled her fingers piteously. "And Lady Ais is already in line over there..."
Shirou looked where she was pointing. Sure enough, in the long queue, that blonde figure was exceptionally prominent. Ais wasn't just lining up herself; she was also dragging along Bete the werewolf, who looked like he had lost all will to live (likely serving as the wallet).
"I really can't do anything with you all." Shirou shook his head and took out his wallet. "Let's go, it's my treat today. Consider it a celebration for coming back alive."
"Yay! Shirou-sama is the best!"
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"Here, Ais." Shirou handed the freshly bought, piping hot potato puffs to Ais.
"Thank you." Ais took the paper bag, a soft smile appearing on her face—the kind she only showed toward food (and Shirou). Today, she wore a white dress, appearing less like the sharp Sword Princess and more like a tranquil girl-next-door.
"Emiya, this... is delicious." Ais took a bite and squinted her eyes in happiness. "There's egg yolk inside."
"That's what 'Moon-Viewing' means." Shirou took a bite himself. "Yeah, the taste is indeed good. But the batter is slightly thick; if the heat was a bit higher, it would be crispier..."
Shirou, his professional habits kicking in, began to subconsciously analyze the food's structure.
"By the way, Mr. Emiya." Lili (wearing a squirrel mascot suit, reportedly to earn money part-time) suddenly leaned in, holding a flyer. "Have you heard? About the main attraction of this Elegia."
"The main attraction?"
"That's right! Right in the Central Plaza!" Lili pointed toward the Tower of Babel. "I heard the Hermes Familia is hosting a massive event there! It's called 'Search for the Chosen Hero'!"
"As long as you can pull out the 'spear' stuck in the crystal, you can win super luxury prizes!" Lili's eyes turned into money symbols. "The prizes are—'Round-the-World Travel Vouchers' and a 'Special Date fully sponsored by the Hermes Familia'!"
"Pulling a spear?" Shirou froze for a moment. This plot... why did it sound so familiar? The sense of déjà vu was too strong! Isn't this just a remake of the famous "King Arthur pulling the Sword in the Stone"? Though it was a spear this time.
"Sounds interesting." Ais swallowed the last bit of her potato puff and wiped the corner of her mouth. "Shall we go look?"
"If even Ais says so..." Shirou shrugged. "Then let's go join the fun. We're free anyway."
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Central Plaza.
The area was packed so tightly that not a drop of water could leak through. In the center of the plaza, a massive stage had been erected. On the stage sat a giant crystal emitting a faint blue light. And inside the crystal was embedded a long spear of simple design that nonetheless exuded a holy aura.
That was—[The Arrow of Orion].
"Come one, come all! Don't miss out!"
A God wearing a feathered hat and traveler's clothes was shouting into an amplification magic stone on stage. Hermes. That wandering God who was always elusive and loved stirring up trouble.
"Whether you are human, dwarf, or beastman! Whether you are Level 1 or Level 6! As long as you can pull out this spear, you are the Hero chosen by the Goddess!" Hermes shouted loudly. "Not only will you gain the Goddess's favor, but you'll also obtain this artifact! How about it? Tempting, isn't it?"
The adventurers below were itching to try.
"I'll go!" A two-meter-tall hulking man rushed up. He was a Level 4 adventurer from the Ganesha Familia. "Heave-ho!" The man gripped the shaft, his muscles bulging as he used every ounce of strength. However, the spear remained motionless, as if it had grown inside the crystal.
"Next!" Hermes waved with a smile.
Following that, several more confident adventurers went up to try, including a few elites from the Freya Familia. Without exception, all failed.
"Is it even possible to pull it out?"
"Is it stuck with super glue?"
"This is definitely a scam!"
Boos erupted from the crowd.
"Oh dear, it seems the men of Orario aren't up to the task." Hermes shook his head with a look of regret, but his eyes were searching the crowd as if looking for a specific target.
Suddenly, his gaze locked onto the red-haired youth at the edge of the crowd.
"Oh? Isn't this our big celebrity?" Hermes's eyes lit up. He jumped off the stage and threw an arm around Shirou's shoulder like an old friend.
"Yo! 'Senji Muramasa'! Little brother Shirou Emiya!"
"Lord Hermes?" Shirou pushed him away with a look of slight disgust. "What do you want?"
"Don't be so cold." Hermes pointed to the spear on stage. "How about it? Don't want to go up and try? This is a rare opportunity."
"Not interested." Shirou refused flatly. "I use swords; I'm not into spears (though I can actually project them, since Luck E is part of being Emiya after all)."
"Don't say that!" Hermes lowered his voice and leaned into Shirou's ear. "I heard you used an earth-shattering 'light cannon' on the 37th floor. That spear... might have quite a connection with you."
"Besides..." Hermes looked at Ais and Haruhime beside Shirou and smirked. "If you pull it out, you can take these lovely girls on a trip around the world. Isn't that a man's romance?"
"..." Shirou went silent. He didn't care about traveling the world, but that spear... since getting close to it, the [Magic Circuits] in his body had been vibrating slightly. Though [Structural Analysis] hadn't triggered, his intuition told him—that spear contained a sad and pure will.
"Emiya." Ais pulled on Shirou's sleeve. "Try it?"
Looking at Ais's curious eyes, Shirou sighed.
"Fine, I'll treat it as post-meal exercise."
He walked onto the stage. The eyes of the entire audience focused on him instantly.
"It's that 'Infinity' guy!"
"I heard he can one-shot Floor Bosses; if it's him..."
Shirou walked up to the crystal. He looked at the long spear. It didn't have the heavy pressure typical of artifacts; instead, it had a... faint coolness. Just like moonlight.
"Trace—On."
Shirou didn't use reinforcement magecraft. He simply reached out his right hand and gently gripped the handle.
Not to conquer with strength, but to "understand."
'Are you... waiting for someone'? Shirou thought silently.
The next second.
Hum—!!!
A blinding blue pillar of light erupted from the spear without warning, shooting straight into the clouds! The previously immovable crystal let out a crisp cracking sound.
Snap!
Under everyone's shocked gaze, the spear that countless experts had judged "absolutely impossible to pull out" was... easily pulled out by Shirou Emiya.
"What..." Shirou himself was stunned. He hadn't used any force at all! The spear had jumped out on its own!
"Success!!!" Hermes shouted excitedly. "The Hero is born!"
As the light faded, an ethereal and beautiful figure slowly manifested before Shirou. She had silver-white hair like moonlight, wore a pure white dress, and carried a longbow on her back.
That was—the Goddess of the Moon, Artemis.
"Finally... I've met you."
The Goddess floated in mid-air, her clear eyes gazing at the bewildered Shirou, her lips curling into a heartbreaking smile.
"My... Orion."
"Huh?" Shirou held the spear, looking at the suddenly appearing Goddess, three giant question marks popping up in his head.
Orion? Who's that? Am I not Shirou Emiya? And... why did this spear suddenly turn into a girl?!
This script is wrong, isn't it?!
Below the stage, Ais looked at the Goddess floating in front of Shirou, and her potato puff hit the ground with a splat. A nameless, intense sense of crisis instantly flooded her heart.
"That Goddess..." Ais's hand instinctively gripped her sword hilt.
"Is a love rival."
The Elegia revelry continued. But for Shirou Emiya, a sad journey across myth and stars, known as "Deicide," had quietly begun at this very moment...
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