Chapter 12. Ais Is Quite "Protective" of Her Food?
The morning sun filtered through the white curtains, spilling onto the pristine hospital bed.
"Mm..."
Shirou Emiya let out a low groan and slowly opened his eyes. What greeted him was an unfamiliar ceiling, and the air was filled with the faint scent of disinfectant and... a delicious aroma of clear soup?
"Emiya-sama! You're awake?!"
A cry of surprise and joy rang out by his ear. Shirou turned his head to see Lili sitting by the bed, a wet towel in her hand; she had clearly been looking after him this entire time.
Lili had already changed out of her tattered Supporter's hoodie and was now wearing a trainee uniform provided by the Loki Familia. Although it was a bit oversized, it was washed clean, and her thin little face finally had some healthy color in it.
"Lili...?"
Shirou tried to prop himself up to sit, only to find his left arm still encased in a thick plaster cast.
"How long was I out?"
"Two whole days!"
Lili quickly supported him, her eyes turning red again.
"Riveria-sama said your mana depletion was too severe, and with the comminuted fracture in your left arm... if it hadn't been for that 'Steel Magic', you might have lost the use of this arm permanently..."
At this point, Lili's voice carried a sob. "I'm sorry... it's all because of Lili..."
"Silky girl."
Shirou reached out with his intact right hand and habitually rubbed her head. "Didn't we agree? We're partners. When a partner is injured, you're just responsible for taking care of me; there's no need to apologize."
"Uu..." Lili sniffed and nodded vigorously. "Mhm! Lili will take care of you! For a lifetime!"
Right at this heartwarming (and actually somewhat domestic) moment—
Click.
The ward door was pushed open.
"Excuse me."
A cool, slender figure walked in. Ais Wallenstein carried a thermos in her hand, her long golden hair draped casually over her shoulders. When she saw that Shirou had awakened, those golden eyes that were usually devoid of ripples visibly brightened.
"Ais?" Shirou was somewhat surprised.
"Soup Riveria boiled."
Ais walked to the bedside and set the thermos down. Though her movements were slightly stiff, her gaze was earnest.
"She said it's good for bones."
"Thank you."
Shirou started to reach for it but realized that doing things one-handed was a bit inconvenient.
"I'll do it."
Ais did not hesitate. She opened the lid, scooped a spoonful of soup, blew on it, and then... held it to Shirou's lips.
"..." "..."
The air in the ward suddenly froze. Lili's eyes went wide, and like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her fur stood on end.
'This is the legendary "Feeding Play"?! And from the "Sword Princess" Ais herself?!'
"Um... Ais, I can do it myself..." Shirou felt a bit awkward; this was far too embarrassing.
"Open up."
Ais was unexpectedly stubborn, her eyes staring straight at him.
"You are the injured one."
In her simple worldview, Taking care of the injured = Feeding, and that was only natural.
Facing those clear eyes, Shirou surrendered. "...Ah."
He opened his mouth and drank the spoonful of soup. The flavor was fresh and delicious, and the temperature was just right.
"It's good," Shirou praised sincerely.
"Mhm." The corner of Ais's mouth curled into an imperceptible arc; she seemed satisfied and scooped another spoonful.
"W-wait a minute!"
Lili, standing by, finally couldn't take it anymore. She snatched the bowl from Ais's hands. "How could we let Ais-sama do such menial work! I am Emiya-sama's Supporter, it is my duty to care for him!"
"I can do it too." Ais did not let go, looking calmly at Lili.
"I am his swordsmanship teacher."
"The Supporter is closer!"
"The teacher is more important."
Watching the two girls lock eyes over the conflict of "who gets to feed him," the Shirou Emiya on the bed sighed helplessly, yet couldn't help but let a small smile slip.
While it was noisy, this feeling... was truly wonderful.
.
.
.
Just as the "Feeding War" was about to escalate, a savior (or rather, trouble) arrived.
"Yo! I heard our big hero is awake?"
Loki waltzed in through the door, breaking the "shura field" atmosphere. She held a few sheets of parchment in her hand, her face wearing that usual cunning smile.
"Loki-sama!"
Lili and Ais quickly stopped their squabble to bow to their patron deity.
"At ease, at ease~"
Loki waved her hand and walked to the bedside, sizing Shirou up. "Tsk tsk, not only did you take down a Silverback, but you also managed to pick up two girls in the process? Emiya, your 'Great Feats' are certainly colorful."
"Stop joking, Loki," Shirou said with a wry smile. "I can hardly move right now."
"It was worth it."
Loki's expression suddenly turned serious as she handed the parchment to Shirou. "Take a look. These are your 'spoils' from this battle."
Shirou took the parchment. It was his status update sheet.
[Name]: Shirou Emiya [Level]: 1
[Status]:
Strength: SSS (1100)
Endurance: SSS (1200) Dexterity: SSS (1050) Agility: SS (990) Magic: SSS (1250)
[Magic]:
『Unlimited Blade Works (Partial Manifestation)』 『Structural Reinforcement』
[Skills]:
NEW: 『Clairvoyance · Eagle (C)』— Significantly increases dynamic vision and long-range sight. NEW: 『Indomitable Smith』— Significantly increases defense and mana recovery speed when in a near-death state.
"This..."
Shirou stared at the exaggerated values, especially that row of striking "SSS" marks, completely stunned.
"I'm still Level 1?"
"That's right, you're still Level 1."
Loki clicked her tongue, her gaze full of the look one gives a monster.
"Even though you soloed an enhanced-species Silverback with Level 2 potential—which definitely counts as a 'Great Feat'—and by the rules, you've met all the conditions to rank up to Level 2..."
Loki's tone shifted.
"However, I didn't rank you up."
"Why?" Ais asked, somewhat confused.
"Because it would be such a waste!"
Loki pointed at the numbers, speaking excitedly. "Usually, S-rank (900-999) is the limit for an adventurer. Even Ais or Ottar didn't reach all-SSS stats when they were Level 1. But you... you actually broke through the limit!
This means your 'vessel' still has potential to be tapped. If you rank up now, you'll get stronger immediately, but you'll waste the chance to continue accumulating 'peak values' at Level 1."
"Emiya, what you need to do isn't just rank up." Loki stared into Shirou's eyes.
"What you need to do is become the strongest Level 1 in the history of Orario. Train all your attributes to the absolute peak of SSS, and then rank up. When that time comes, your starting point will be higher than anyone else's."
Shirou clenched his fist. He felt the power within him; although his level hadn't changed, the power was far more abundant due to the soaring stats. Strength 1100, Endurance 1200... with this kind of foundation, even without activating [Structural Reinforcement], he could likely tank attacks from ordinary monsters.
"I understand." Shirou nodded. "Then I'll follow your lead, Loki."
"Heh heh, that's the spirit."
Loki nodded satisfactorily, then turned to look at the nervous Lili standing to the side.
"Alright, next is the matter concerning this little one."
Lili's body went rigid. The Soma Familia. That was a sword hanging over her head. Even if she was hiding with the Loki Familia now, her Falna still belonged to the God Soma. With one word from him, she would have to go back.
"Don't worry."
Loki grinned, showing a reassuring expression.
"The Soma Familia side has already been taken care of."
"Eh?" Lili was stunned.
"Last night, someone went to pay a 'visit' to the Soma Familia," Loki said meaningfully. "That captain named Zanis had every bone in his body broken and was tossed like trash at the entrance of Soma's wine cellar. Apparently, the God Soma was scared out of his wits and immediately announced the dissolution of that so-called 'Divine Wine Management Group'."
"I took the opportunity to head over there, spent a tiny bit of money (actually, I didn't give him a single Valis), and had Soma release your Familia contract."
Loki pulled a new sheet of parchment from her vest and waved it at Lili. "You are a free person now. Of course, if you're willing, the doors of the Loki Familia are always open to you."
"..."
Lili stared blankly at the contract. Free? That hell that had plagued her for so many years, that had driven her to despair... it just... ended?
"Someone went to visit?"
Shirou keenly caught the key point. With the Soma Familia's strength, an ordinary person couldn't have pulled that off.
"Who was it?"
"Who knows?" Loki shrugged, her gaze drifting toward the top floor of Babel outside the window.
"Perhaps a 'passing powerhouse' who couldn't stand underhanded tactics. For example... a certain Boaz who only listens to a Goddess's orders?"
Shirou understood instantly. Ottar. The Freya Familia.
It seemed that the Goddess of Beauty had been watching them all along. To ensure that an "interesting soul" like him wouldn't be distracted by trivial matters, she had taken the initiative to clear out the trash.
"Lili."
Shirou looked at the still-dazed girl and asked gently, "Would you like to join us? As Shirou Emiya's exclusive Supporter."
Lili snapped back to reality. She looked into Shirou's amber eyes, at Ais who was expressionless but offered no objection, and at the smirking Loki.
Tears stubbornly began to flow again. But this time, they were tears of happiness.
"...Yes!"
Lili nodded forcefully, her face blooming into the most brilliant smile of her life. "Lili is willing! Lili wants to follow Emiya-sama for a lifetime!"
"Welcome to the family, Lili."
Ais spoke up rare as ever. Though her tone was still flat, she reached out her hand.
"Mhm!" Lili grasped that hand.
At this moment, the ward was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
.
.
.
Late at night, Twilight Manor.
After the banquet celebrating Lili's joining concluded, Shirou lay in bed alone.
"The strongest Level 1..."
Shirou looked at his hands. Although he hadn't ranked up, the boost from having all stats at SSS was very real. If he faced a Silverback again now, he should be able to win without putting his life on the line.
"But it's not enough."
He closed his eyes, and what surfaced in his mind was the Black Goliath he had seen on the 18th floor, and the unknown terrors of the deeper levels. If he wanted to fully carry out justice in this world, if he wanted to protect the new family members around him, he had to become stronger.
"Not just the body, but the 'sword' as well."
Shirou's gaze turned to [Otherworld · Kanshou] resting by the bedside. A single sword had its limits. But what if it were infinite swords?
"Unlimited Blade Works..."
He whispered the name of that magic. Currently, he could only manifest dozens of swords outside his body. He was still a long way from unfolding that true mental landscape—the crimson wasteland filled with countless divine armaments.
"Since my starting point is higher than anyone else's, I'll go further than anyone else."
Shirou clenched his fist, the flame of "Ideals" burning in his amber eyes.
"Whether it's the end of the Dungeon or the summit of the Gods.
I will go and see it all."
The red-haired hero closed his eyes, greeting Orario's brand-new tomorrow within a peaceful dream.