24th Floor of the Dungeon.
Shirou was relentlessly slaying every Viola that appeared before him.
Having abandoned any hope of a quick solution, he devoted himself entirely to archery, continuously cutting down the Violas' numbers with his arrows.
Honestly, in terms of skill, Shirou's talent with the bow far surpassed that of anyone else.
Despite his young age, and having grown up in the modern world—where bows and arrows were hardly tools for daily life—his proficiency had already reached an impressive level.
Of course, Shirou was also exceptionally gifted in swordsmanship, but that was largely due to his origin as a swordsman.
However, in terms of pure natural ability, archery was where Shirou shined the brightest.
Amid the relentless monster attacks, Shirou constantly shifted positions, killing each creature that appeared before him.
Naturally, he could have used Kanshou and Bakuya to finish off the monsters faster, but doing so would have drained his energy far too quickly.
Unlike Shirou, who handled the situation with composed efficiency, Asfi and the Hermes Familia were struggling against a double onslaught—both from the monsters and from the Evilus suicide squad.
"It's all because of that man!"
Asfi gritted her teeth, glaring at the masked man in the distance.
Her Familia was in dire straits. Under the monsters' relentless assault, anyone could be killed at any moment—something she absolutely could not tolerate.
"Falgar, take command! Gather everyone and hold the line!"
Asfi barked the order, then whispered softly:
"Talaria."
A pair of wings instantly sprouted from each of her sandals.
With their aid, Asfi took flight in an instant, soaring toward the masked man.
She knew that if she didn't defeat him quickly, her Familia would soon suffer casualties.
"Perseus?"
A mocking smile formed beneath the man's mask as he watched Asfi approach, dagger in hand.
"Don't be reckless, Asfi!" Shirou shouted when he saw her charging at the white-haired man.
But by then, Asfi had already reached the masked enemy, her bow drawn and her arrow ready to fire.
"Go to hell!"
With her dagger raised, Asfi lunged straight for the man's chest—but what happened next was completely unexpected.
Her blade, which had swung at incredible speed, had been caught.
Though the enemy's left hand bled, her dagger couldn't advance any further. His grip on her weapon was ironclad—unshakable.
At that moment, Asfi could feel the shadow of death hanging over her.
Sensing the danger, she immediately released the dagger and tried to retreat—
—but it was already too late.
A powerful punch slammed into her abdomen, sending her flying.
She spat out a mouthful of blood midair and, upon landing, struggled to endure the agonizing pain coursing through her organs.
After several seconds, she finally managed to regain control of her body—only to be pinned to the ground, her own dagger now driven into her abdomen.
Blood poured freely from the wound.
"Argh!"
Hearing Asfi's scream, the Hermes Familia members fighting the Violas roared in fury.
"Asfi!"
"Captain, get up! Captain!"
"Don't die, Asfi!"
Unfortunately, their desperate cries did nothing to halt the masked man's movements.
Standing over her, he said coldly:
"Don't worry. I know how durable adventurers are. I'll make your death quick."
Clenching his fist, the masked man prepared to crush Asfi's skull.
But at that moment, several sharp whizzing sounds cut through the air as multiple arrows shot toward him, aimed at his vital points.
"Tch!"
Sensing danger, the masked man quickly dodged aside—yet one arrow still pierced his shoulder.
And that wasn't all.
"Muspelflamme!"
With a fierce shout, Shirou unleashed a flaming arrow that tore through the air, blazing toward the masked man.
"Danger!"
Relying on his battle-honed instincts, the man instantly realized the threat—but it was far too late to evade.
The arrow was simply too fast.
Crossing his arms in front of him, he braced himself and took the full force of Shirou's magical arrow.
"Arrrgh!!!"
BOOM!
Ignoring the blast's heat, Shirou rushed forward, grabbed Asfi, and retreated to safety.
As fiery air surged around them, he carefully laid her down and poured an elixir over her wound.
"How are you? Can you hear me?" Shirou asked.
"Barely..." Asfi gasped weakly.
"Thank you, Shirou..." she whispered, her eyes shimmering with a new light as she gazed at him.
"Don't worry. We're teammates now," Shirou replied, unconsciously patting her head before turning back toward the masked man.
When the smoke finally cleared, the masked man stood before them again—much of his body charred black.
Though his arms had been burned to ash, his vital organs remained untouched.
"That was really dangerous... I almost died!"
With heavy steps, he began walking forward again, and Shirou and Asfi watched in shock as his wounds rapidly regenerated.
"Super Regeneration?" Shirou muttered, frowning.
Immediately, he projected Kanshou and Bakuya into his hands and charged forward.
"Come forth, Violas!"
The masked man roared, and a new swarm of Violas suddenly burst from the ground, cutting between them.
"Did you really think I'd just let you come at me? No one's going to kill me! Hahahaha!"
As his laughter echoed through the cavern, a massive surge of magical energy erupted from the distance.
[Proud warrior, archers of the forest.]
[Bow before the marauders who march forward.]
[Answer your brothers' call and ready your arrows.]
[Dye them in flame, the light of the forest. Release them—arrows of the fairy fire.]
[Fall like rain, and burn the wild ones!]
Hearing that familiar chant, Shirou smiled faintly.
"Right on time, Lefiya."
[Fusillade Fallarica!]
Hundreds of blazing arrows rained down upon the battlefield.
Every monster within the vast cavern was struck at once.
Dozens of creatures that had been assaulting Shirou and his allies were instantly annihilated.
This was Lefiya's magic.
When the fiery barrage ended, three figures appeared before Shirou's eyes—Lefiya, Bete, and an unfamiliar elf.
"Big brother! We're here to support you!" Lefiya shouted, waving toward him.
"Perfect timing, Lefiya!" Shirou called back with a smile, waving in return.
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."