[Loki Familia residence, Twilight Manor]
Riveria looked at the "Emiya House" key in Loki's hand, and for a moment was at a loss for words.
"You mean this is the key to that gate on the 71st floor?", Riveria asked, her tone particularly subtle.
"Yes," Loki nodded.
Riveria was silent for a moment, then reached into her pocket and took out a key identical to the one Loki held.
On the last expedition they had nearly turned over every corner of the 71st floor searching for the "key" to that gate. And meanwhile, that Emiya House key had just quietly lain in her pocket.
There were many copies of such keys in the city.
Riveria, Ryuu, Haruhime, Shieru… they all had the same key in their hands.
"Is the one Tiamat gave you special?", Riveria asked.
"No, she said it was newly copied," Loki shook the key in her hand, "Had the Hephaestus Familia smith make it, cost 200 Valis."
Riveria: "..."
The elf princess was silent for a long while.
Finally, Riveria's mouth twitched slightly, "The price is pretty reasonable."
She put her own key away, then reached out and took that brand-new key from the goddess Loki's hand.
"In any case, with this, we can go to the 72nd floor," Riveria said softly.
As for why the 71st floor's gate could be opened with the Emiya House key… the elf queen decided not to think about that question.
Riveria: "From now on, prepare for the expedition."
———
This expedition involved many city factions, forming a united expeditionary force.
First was the city's strongest, the Loki Familia, all first-class adventurers joined: [Hero] Finn, [Queen of the End] Riveria, [Great Vanguard] Gareth, [Sword Princess] Ais, [Ice Rose] Alicia, [Flame Rose] Lefiya, [Queen Cat] Anya, [Great Cutter] Tiona, [Angry Serpent] Tione, [Fierce Wolf] Borth, [Super Ordinary Man] Raul...
The Freya Familia also sent its strongest fighters: [Mighty One] Ottar, the [Black and White Knight] Hedin, Hegni, [Golden Saintess] Heith and others joined the expedition.
Plus the Ishtar Familia's [Phantom Triple Stars], [Angry Princess], [Star Tower] first-class adventurers, and the Amazon warriors who joined Kali Familia after Orario's reconstruction.
Also, the girls from the tavern "Hostess of Fertility", [Chariot of Gold] Anya, [Tyrant Iron Fist] Lunoire, [Phantom Black Cat] Chloe, would take part.
There were Hephaestus Familia's [One-Eyed Master Smith] Tsubaki and [Nine-Tailed Fox] Sanjouno Haruhime.
And the leader of the Astraea Familia, the city's strongest adventurer, [Star(Astrea)] Ryuu Lion.
Some other Familia adventurers also joined: Takemikazuchi Familia's [Shadowless] Yamato Inochi, Dian Cecht Familia's [Battlefield Saintess] Airmid, and Ganesha Familia's [Elephant God's Staff] Shakti, and so on.
Heretical supporters led by Wiene and Felis would also provide support.
Besides these veteran adventurers, the expedition team included one adventurer from an emerging Familia who was among the few non-first-class members in the force.
[Heroic Glimmer] Bell Cranel, Lv.4, head of the Hestia Familia.
The Hestia Familia was a newly formed faction just before the Black Dragon War, only a year old.
Currently the Familia had only five members, all above Lv.2, besides leader Bell Cranel, there was blacksmith Welf Crozzo, and three young adventurers recruited from the school district.
In just one year, Bell Cranel advanced rapidly from Lv.1 to Lv.4, a rising star second only to "a certain someone" in growth speed.
However, besides her formal title [Heroic Glimmer], this girl had gained another less pleasant nickname in the labyrinth city, [Unlucky Rabbit].
Even though the Dungeon had largely stabilized, Bell still encountered "abnormal incidents" several times in one year, repeatedly falling into crises and near-death situations.
She had even once been targeted by the dangerous "Beloved Sorrow" god Apollo, who wanted to take Bell for himself and ordered his followers to cause trouble for the Hestia Familia, provoking conflict and pushing for war games.
Fortunately, at the time the Moon Goddess Artemis was also in the labyrinth city. Without a word, she beat Apollo badly, physically changing his mind.
"I was wrong."
Those were Apollo's strained words of repentance, spoken while nursing a bruised and battered face, with Artemis having stamped on him barefoot.
Now the girl's level was Lv.4, but her combat power already surpassed that tier; in Orario she was regarded as possessing "first-class" strength.
Bell's magic [Heroic Echo] granted her the ability to borrow the spells and skills of members of the Hera Familia, this move was considered, next to [Uchide no Kozuchi] and [Astraea Summon], a "cheat-level" ability.
This expedition's target was the Dungeon's 72nd floor, a truly "unknown land" neither Hera nor Zeus Familias had ever set foot in.
More importantly, they hoped to find clues to "that person" there.
———
"No one knows what the 72nd floor holds. Be careful above all else and return safely," After receiving such farewells from the goddesses, the expedition set out.
Now in the labyrinth city, even the Black Dragon had been successfully defeated. Compared to that, the Dungeon up to the 71st floor seemed less daunting.
The strongest current Dungeon monster was the "Labyrinth Lone King" on the 70th floor, whose potential level was only about Lv.9, while the Black Dragon, the "Dark Termination," was an Lv.10 apex existence, the threat gap was huge.
In the past, the Hera and Zeus Familias, who couldn't defeat the Black Dragon, had nonetheless succeeded in conquering to the 71st floor.
But as the goddesses said, the 72nd floor is completely unknown; no one knows what lies within.
There might be beings stronger than the Black Dragon, the possibility is not zero.
Yet the adventurers hesitated not at all; they resolutely chose to challenge the unknown.
When the labyrinth city had once been destroyed, the fast passages that ran through the Dungeon had collapsed.
Originally, the Guild had built a passage straight to the 39th floor for rapid access to the deep Dungeon. But that passage was crushed into rubble during the disaster.
Because of a shortage of mountain copper, the passage hadn't been rebuilt.
However, for this expedition team, even advancing all the way from the surface, their pace remained astonishingly fast.
Up until the 50th floor, hardly any monster could delay their progress.
At the 52nd floor's [Dragon's Vase], the cannon-drakes below used a roar that pierced through floors, and then a slender figure became a golden flash, leaping down through the collapsed opening.
[Sword Princess] Ais Wallenstein fell alone into the dragon's nest and in just half a minute executed all the 58th floor cannon-drakes.
After traversing the [Dragon's Vase], the expedition continued. Before stepping onto the 59th floor, the adventurers quickly changed into cold-resistant gear and activated protective magic to handle the upcoming ice field region.
The Labyrinth Lone Kings of the 60th and 70th floors had been felled during the Loki Familia's last expedition and had not yet revived.
Apart from the Labyrinth Lone King, monsters born on the ice field had average potential levels around Lv.6, utterly no match for these full-strength adventurers.
Their march never paused.
In the end, from departure to now, it took only seven days for the adventurers to reach the deepest record yet in Dungeon expeditions, the 71st floor.
Like the 18th and 50th floors, the 71st floor is a safe zone where monsters do not spawn.
Moreover, shockingly, this area's environment was completely different from the 70th floor.
Separated by only a passage, the previous layer had been a howling, snow-covered endless icefield with temperatures at extremes and storms raging like divine punishment.
Yet stepping into the 71st floor, the scene abruptly changed.
The sky was clear, a light breeze stirred, warm sun spread across the land, and the air carried the scent of flowers and grass.
This scene resembled the 18th floor's amusement-park-like maze: broad plains dotted with lush shrubs, crisscrossing clear streams, forests and lakes dispersed here and there, and in the distance stretches of flower seas.
The 70th floor's icefield monsters couldn't adapt to this warm environment, and the 72nd floor remained sealed beyond the gate. So this area didn't even have monsters streaming in from other floors. It was one of the Dungeon's truly absolute "safe floors."
Before opening the gate, the adventurers decided to rest on the 71st floor.
After seven days of forced marching, even first-class adventurers would be somewhat tired and needed adjustment before facing the unknown.
At a corner of the expedition camp, Ais sat on a rock, gnawing at a fried potato ball brought up from the surface.
Originally delicious and fragrant, the fried potato balls had been frozen solid in the icefield; even if she thawed and heated them in a magic stone pot, their texture was far from freshly fried.
"I want... my master's cooking," Ais murmured.
Sitting beside her, Riveria sighed lightly and reached up to gently stroke the girl's golden hair.
Ais looked up at Riveria, opened her mouth as if to say something, and in the end simply took Riveria's hand of her own accord.
At the edge of the camp, Ryuu stood silently, gazing into the distance.
Her view passed over this paradise-like scenery toward a deeper point, the location of that gate.
After resting here for half a day, the adventurers set off again toward the silent, towering gate.
The 71st floor looked like a terrestrial paradise. The adventurers walked across sun-drenched grasslands; flowers swayed under their feet, streams snaked through the plains, and forests in the distance were peaceful and serene.
At the forest's end, on the stone wall at the far edge of the 71st floor, that gate stood like a lonely stele left by the river of time, silent and solemn.
Before the gate, the expedition halted.
There were no marks on the door, only a profound and ancient pressure quietly shrouding the area.
Standing at the front of the team, Riveria took a deep breath, reached into her chest, and drew out a "key" from inside her clothing.
This key, unlike her staff or crown, had no magical fluctuations, no sacred aura; the metal's shine on its surface was even somewhat dull.
The gate had no keyhole. Riveria stepped forward and gently touched the door with the "key."
———
[Inscription of Stars · Emiya House]
The once-quiet residence was now noisier than it had been in a long time.
"Ah, is it today? Why didn't you tell me sooner, Chloe!", Illya hurried down the stairs.
Standing below was another girl, with bronze skin and a face bearing a high resemblance to Illya, Chloe.
Seeing the other scrambling, Chloe said, "I told you already, ten years ago... I think?"
Chloe tilted her head, trying to remember, "I can't recall the exact time, but I definitely told you."
"Ten years ago? I don't remember that clearly, at least five years... no, remind me again two years ago!", Illya complained.
"By the way, should we wake Miyu now?", The girl suddenly thought and looked toward the room upstairs.
Chloe: "Don't rush. Miyu is still 'human', her sense of time is different from ours."
A gentle voice came from the other end of the corridor, "Illya, Chloe, are the guests here?"
Following the voice, a well-built woman stood at the corridor's end; her long purple hair flowed smoothly behind her. She wore a white apron and held a steaming spatula.
"Me and senpai haven't prepared the food yet," Sakura said.
"Ah ah, can't help it, welcome the guests first," Illya ran toward the mansion's gate.
The front door opened. Illya and Chloe stood at the threshold with bright smiles, happily welcoming the visitors.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
"Welcome to the Emiya House!"
The adventurers standing at the gate fell silent as one.
They looked at each other, their eyes full of confusion.
'Is this really the 72nd floor of the Dungeon?'
'What is the Emiya House? Who are these two girls?'
"Welcome, everyone."
"I'm so happy to see you all, Mommy is glad."
A neat blonde girl and a small girl who claimed to be "Mommy" also came to the front door.
Adventurers: 'Who are you two again?'
"The seal has been opened; Mommy will fetch the goddesses here," The girl called "Tiamat" said as she raised a slender finger and traced the air. Star-like light particles scattered, and a gate of light slowly opened before everyone.
The girl stepped into the light gate; shortly after, Goddess Tiamat, Goddess Hephaestus, Goddess Freya, Goddess Artemis... the goddesses were drawn out of the gate by "Tiamat" and appeared.
Seeing this, the adventurers were utterly speechless.
Silence lingered for a long time, until—
"LONG TIME NO SEE."
A familiar voice sounded, and that figure stood at the doorway.
Emiya's gaze was calm and gentle as he looked steadily at everyone.
Behind him, a cute black-haired girl rubbed her sleepy eyes and quietly observed the line of people.
Emiya Miyu was counting the women among them... counting while occasionally giving her brother a slightly cold look.
At the same time, Ryuu stared stunned at Emiya; that familiar figure reflected in her sky-blue eyes.
Tears quietly slid down her face as she softly called out his name, "Shirou..."
"Sorry to have kept you waiting... I'm back."
———
The end of the Dungeon did not stop at the 72nd floor.
This place was almost the deepest part of the planet, where the inside and outside of the world met; the boundary of reality blurred, and the "hole" connecting the material world and the Inscription of Stars lay at the 72nd floor.
If Goddess Tiamat had not descended, that "hole" should not have opened so easily; nor would the "beast Tiamat", the creation's foundation, have been awakened and returned to the world.
Originally, the region beyond the 72nd floor should have been absolute chaos, a sea of disorder woven from the true "sorrow of gods."
In that place, all rules and logic would break down. Cataclysmic beasts like Behemoth, Leviathan, and the Black Dragon would appear as frequently as Bosses or even ordinary monsters.
It would be a true wasteland rejecting all life.
However, now things were different.
After the 72nd floor, Emiya had remodeled the Dungeon.
Its nature as a Dungeon didn't change; it remained a proving ground to forge myths, a stage for adventurers to challenge themselves and surpass limits.
Compared to earlier floors, the challenge level beyond the 72nd floor would leap dramatically. But it would no longer be sheer chaos or a world woven entirely of hatred.
The adventurers' stories could keep being written.
Only Shirou Emiya's journey as an "adventurer" had come to a close.
In the future, Ais Wallenstein, Bell Cranel, and Emiya Miyu... these girls would follow as his successors and carry on.
———
Many adventurers felt a sense of familiarity when they entered the Emiya House's great dining Manor.
However, only a few, including Ryuu, soon realized the truth.
The dining Manor's layout, the placement of tables and chairs, even the decorations on the walls brought back memories—
This was the original appearance of the "Hostess of Fertility" tavern.
After the labyrinth city was rebuilt, the "Hostess of Fertility" tavern had changed its location and layout; now it ought to be called the "Hostess of Fertility" hotel.
As for the original small tavern full of memories, of course it had been renovated.
And here, the Emiya House dining Manor resembled that original "Hostess of Fertility" tavern.
Emiya stood behind the counter, looking at the scene before him as if time had rolled back and everything had returned to that rainy night.
That night, the boy had been saved by the girl, and in that warm little tavern the boy served a dish he'd cooked himself, using it as an excuse to keep the girl there.
It was the beginning of everything, the promise throughout, and his truest wish.
"Everyone, the meal is ready."
Shirou Emiya looked up and smiled gently:
"Everyone together, let's start the feast."
—THE END—
[T/N: Thanks for Reading. There are a few moe afterstory chapters after this.]