Chapter 19. The Denatus and the Name "Senji Muramasa"
Time flowed by, and two days had passed since the farce of Shirou Emiya "feeding" the Goddess Hestia on the street.
During these two days, Shirou did not frequent the Dungeon as usual. Instead, he stayed in the backyard of the Twilight Manor, adapting to his brand-new body.
"Phew..."
Shirou, bare-chested, swung an ordinary iron sword that was not a product of Projection Magecraft. Every swing brought a dull whistle as it cut through the air.
Level 2. This was not just a change in numbers, but an ascension of his life force.
After the deathmatch in Rivira and the extreme accumulation of SSS in all attributes, Loki had performed his "Falna" update. Now, even without using [Structural Reinforcement], he could easily crush his former self through sheer physical strength alone.
"Is this the realm of an upper-class adventurer...?"
Shirou clenched his fist, feeling the mana surging within him. That sense of fullness gave him an urge to let out a long howl toward the sky.
"Emiya!"
Finn's voice came from the corridor. The Pallum captain was dressed exceptionally formally today, even sporting a bowtie.
"Stop practicing and go take a shower and change. Loki just sent word back—tonight's 'main event' is about to begin."
"Main event?" Shirou paused.
"Do you really not know, or are you just pretending?" Finn pointed out the window toward the top of the Tower of Babel, which pierced the clouds and was currently shimmering with a divine glow.
"Tonight is the Denatus. According to Guild rules, all adventurers who have been promoted to Level 2 will be bestowed an Alias by the gods tonight."
Finn looked at Shirou with a teasing smile.
"For an adventurer, this is a moment even more nerve-wracking than leveling up. After all... the taste of some gods is truly hard to describe."
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Tower of Babel, 30th Floor. The Chamber of the Round Table.
This was a realm where only gods could tread—the banquet of the gods held every three months. Around a massive stone round table sat gods of all descriptions. The aroma of fine wine intertwined with the laughter and chatter of the deities, creating a heated and noisy atmosphere.
"Have you heard? A lot of good sprouts leveled up this time."
"The rookie from Ganesha's place is decent."
"Hmph, no matter how good they are, can they be better than that 'monster' from Loki's house?"
Nearly every god's gaze drifted, intentionally or otherwise, toward one corner of the table.
There, Loki sat with her legs crossed, gulping down divine wine with zero goddess-like decorum, wearing that same smug smile that made everyone want to punch her. On the other end of the table, Hestia was slumped over, glaring at Loki while biting her handkerchief, wearing an expression of "I'm so angry but I must keep smiling."
"Ahem! Silence!"
Ganesha (wearing his signature elephant-head mask) stood up as the host, striking an exaggerated JoJo pose.
"I am Ganesha! Now, the XXXX-th Denatus officially begins! First... the Information Exchange session!"
The so-called information exchange was essentially gossip time for the gods. Whose child got into trouble, who started a romance, who owed Hephaestus money...
But today, everyone was a bit distracted. Every god knew there was only one true protagonist tonight.
"Alright, alright! Enough with the boring talk!" Loki pounded the table impatiently.
"Get to the point! My boy can't wait to make his name known to the world!"
"Since Loki is in such a hurry..." Ganesha cleared his throat, pulled out a parchment, and his voice jumped up an octave.
"Then let us discuss the most high-profile rookie of this assembly! Belonging to the Loki Familia! A Human! Promoted from Level 1 to Level 2 in under half a month! Wiped out an Evilus capture squad! And he possesses the dual side-careers of 'Magic Sword Smithing' and 'Peerless Cooking'!"
"Shirou—Emiya!!!"
Whoosh—!!!
Though they had heard the rumors, a stir broke out among the gods when these achievements were officially laid on the table. This growth rate was practically cheating.
"Now then, fellow gods, are there any proposals for this rising star's Alias?"
The moment he finished, countless hands shot up.
"Since he has red hair and is very hot-blooded, how about [Crimson Lotus Flame]?" Apollo proposed first, wearing a lecherous smile.
"Too cliché! Rejected!" Loki vetoed immediately.
"Then... I heard his cooking is so good the Loki Familia has gained a collective pound." Hermes rubbed his chin with a mischievous grin. "How about [House Husband]? Or [God of Cooking of Orario]?"
"Do you have a death wish, Hermes?!" The veins on Loki's forehead bulged as she snatched a wine cup and hurled it at him.
"He's my ace! A warrior! Pick a cool name, you bastard! If you mention cooking again, I'll throw you off the tower!"
"[The Faker]." Hephaestus suddenly spoke. As the Goddess of Smithing, she saw through the essence of Shirou's "Projection Magecraft."
"Although he can forge magic swords comparable to the originals, the essence is 'copying' and 'faking.' This title is fitting."
"Hmm..." Loki frowned. "It's fitting, but it feels a bit derogatory. My Ais-tan says his swords are fast and very real, and the kid can actually hand-forge god-tier gear."
"How about [Thousand Blades]?"
"[Unlimited Blade Works]?"
"[The Red Nanny]?" (This last one was clearly shouted by a certain blue-ribbon goddess who wished to remain anonymous.)
As the gods argued incessantly and the names became increasingly ridiculous, the Goddess of Beauty—Freya—who had been sitting silently by the window swirling her wine glass, suddenly set it down.
Clink.
The crisp sound of glass hitting the table rang out clearly in the noisy hall. The room went silent instantly. Every god looked toward the peerless goddess with silver hair and eyes.
"[Senji Muramasa]."
Freya's red lips parted slightly, uttering a term with an exotic flair.
"Huh? Senji... what?" Loki blinked. "What does that mean? A dialect from the Far East?"
"In the legends of that child's homeland, there was a legendary craftsman who forged demonic blades, named Senji Muramasa," Freya smiled, her silver eyes—which seemed to see through souls—reflecting a vista incomprehensible to mortals.
"I saw it. That child's soul is essentially a 'Forge.' His blood is of iron, and his heart of glass. He is not a mere swordsman, but a madman who spends his life forging the 'Ultimate One'."
Freya stood up, her purple gown flowing like water. She scanned the room and spoke in an unquestionable tone:
"An artisan who forges ten thousand blades, and a demonic sword that severs karma and fate. Let him be called—"
"[Senji Muramasa]."
The hall was dead silent for a second.
Senji Muramasa. The name carried a sharp, all-severing killing intent. At the same time, it perfectly matched Shirou Emiya's trait of "hand-forging ten thousand swords."
"Muramasa..." Loki chewed on the word. The light in her eyes grew brighter and brighter, finally turning into wild joy.
"Hahahaha! Good! This is great!" Loki slammed the table. Even though it was proposed by her rival—which annoyed her slightly—the name was undeniably domineering! It was ten thousand times better than "God of Cooking" or "Nanny"!
"The Demonic Blade Muramasa! Sounds like he could slice those monsters into sashimi! It suits my boy!"
"I have no objection either," Hephaestus added with a nod, a trace of admiration in her eyes. "Bestowing the name of a craftsman upon a warrior is quite romantic."
"Since even Freya-sama has said so..." The other gods naturally didn't dare to oppose.
"Then!" Ganesha raised his hands and announced loudly:
"It is decided! Loki Familia, Shirou Emiya! Alias—[Senji Muramasa]!!!"
The next morning, the Twilight Manor.
"Senji... Muramasa?!"
Shirou Emiya looked at the Guild notification just delivered to him. His mouth twitched, and a strange expression crossed his face.
"Why this name..."
While it was better than "Red-Haired Cook," the name reminded him of a certain grumpy old man who liked to strike iron by a furnace.
Was that another possibility of "himself" he had seen in the Throne of Heroes? Or a vessel for possession?
"What's wrong with it!" Tiona leaned in with envy, nudging Shirou with her elbow.
"It sounds super cool! 'Muramasa'! It feels even stronger than my 'Amazon'! Ah~ I want an Alias that sounds like a powerhouse too!"
"I also think... it's good." Ais was sitting at the dining table, taking small sips of the miso soup Shirou had made. She looked up and evaluated earnestly, "It suits you. Because Emiya's swords... sometimes really are as sharp as a demonic blade."
"If even Ais says so..." Shirou sighed and tucked the notice away. Well, compared to the "House Husband" he had feared, [Senji Muramasa] was indeed a top-tier title. At least it sounded like someone who could fight.
"Emiya-sama! Emiya-sama!"
At that moment, Lili ran in out of breath, waving a newspaper. "This is bad! Something huge happened!"
"What is it? Is the Soma Familia causing trouble again?" Shirou's eyes sharpened, his hand instinctively moving toward his waist.
"No, it's not that!" Lili spread the paper on the table, pointing at the front-page headline, her fingers trembling.
It was Orario's largest newspaper, The Age of Gods Weekly. Several massive bold characters occupied half the page:
[The Legend of Speed is Born! Rank Up to Level 2 in Half a Month!] [The Rising Star of the Loki Familia—'Senji Muramasa' Shirou Emiya!]
And below the title, there was a line of extremely eye-catching small text: [Exclusive: Just after the Denatus ended last night, the Goddess Hestia publicly declared at the gates of Babel that 'Senji Muramasa' is the 'only man she recognizes' (meal ticket) and stated he is welcome to transfer at any time!]
Pfft—! Shirou, who was drinking water, sprayed it out instantly.
"That brat-god... what on earth is she talking about?!"
"Aaaaagh! I'm so mad!" Loki saw the newspaper and began rolling on the floor in a fit of rage. "That Hestia pipsqueak! How dare she piggyback on my child's fame in public! I'm going to tear down her ruined church! Don't stop me! Finn! Bring me my staff!"
"Calm down, Loki," Riveria said, helplessly pulling back her primary deity, though a smile played in her eyes. "This just means Emiya's fame has truly taken off. For the Familia, this is the best publicity."
"Exactly." Finn smiled at Shirou, his eyes filled with anticipation for the future. "From today on, your every move will be watched by all of Orario. Your strength and your Alias will become your calling card. Emiya, are you ready? For life as a 'celebrity'."
Shirou looked around at the eyes filled with expectation, teasing, or adoration. He gave a helpless smile, and then his gaze became firm.
"Yeah. Bring it on."
He touched the shortsword at his waist. Level 2, SSS in all attributes, Alias [Senji Muramasa]. On the starting line of this world, he was already standing at the very front.
"But before that..." Shirou tied on his apron and turned toward the kitchen. "Let's have breakfast first. Today's celebratory menu is—Red Bean Rice with Shrimp Tempura."
"Hooray!!" The cheers of the group echoed through the Twilight Manor.
Meanwhile, in various corners of Orario, countless eyes began to watch this "Demonic Blade" that had appeared out of nowhere.