DanMachi: Heroic Epic of Emiya the Great Hero

In the dungeon, due to environmental and conditional limitations, ingredients were scarce. Most of the time, adventurers could only gnaw on dry rations or simple food supplies, and meals were usually hastily dealt with.

And now, with these carefully prepared dishes, it was practically like a festive celebration, instantly uplifting their spirits.

Emiya took the meat fruit, which had been smashed into minced meat by the Lv.5 Amazon girl with the development ability [Fist Strike], Tiona, and squeezed them into meatballs, putting them into a large pot to simmer. The rich aroma gradually filled the air as the soup in the pot began to boil.

While stirring the meatballs in the pot, he added dried chili peppers brought from the surface, along with sour fruits collected in the dungeon, similar to lemons.

These fruits carried a hint of sourness, and when combined with the spiciness of the dried chili peppers, the resulting soup base emitted a sour and spicy aroma, stimulating everyone's taste buds and noses.

"It's done," Emiya slightly lifted the lid of the pot. As the fragrance wafted out with the steam, he smiled and said softly, "Everyone, you can start eating now."

"""BANZAI!!"""

The surrounding adventurers instantly erupted into cheers, as if they had just won a fierce battle. The loud cheers even scared off the monsters in the distance.

Everyone gathered around the large pot, eagerly picking up bowls and plates, anxious to taste this hearty feast. On the expedition, they had to face countless monsters and layers of danger, and rarely had such relaxing and joyful moments.

"Stupid Amazon, don't grab my meat!", Bete frowned, his tail bristling in anger.

Tiona shot back without backing down, "Hah? Bete, you already had two bowls, haven't you? Don't be so selfish!"

As she spoke, she guarded the ham in her bowl, afraid Bete would snatch it away.

"You're no better! You've eaten more than I have!", Bete reached out, unwilling to give in, trying to snatch it, but Tiona nimbly dodged, easily avoiding him, her face full of a triumphant smile.

"Tasty nya, this is really tasty nya," Chloe, sitting beside Aki, praised while munching on bread, "Even the usually not-tasty bread has become delicious nya."

Aki looked at Chloe and sighed helplessly, though inside she was struggling, 'So annoying... Because of her influence, I want to revert to that verbal tic again. No, I must hold it in… This matter, aside from Shirou who already knows, must never be discovered by anyone else.'

Meanwhile, Finn, Riveria, and Gareth stepped out of the tent. Seeing their companions sitting together with smiles on their faces, Finn remarked, "Everyone's morale has instantly risen to the max."

Riveria looked at the boy serving meatball soup and unconsciously raised the corners of her mouth.

"Let's go. We should join them too," said Finn.

"Mm," Riveria gently nodded.

———

"For the upcoming battle, we'll divide into teams," Finn stood before everyone, explaining the upcoming plans and arrangements.

"Raul, I'll need you to lead the second squad to establish a defensive line on the fiftieth floor and wait for our return," His gaze shifted to Raul.

Raul immediately stood upright and responded firmly, "Yes, captain! I will definitely complete the mission."

Finn nodded, then turned his gaze to the other members.

For the battle on the fifty-first floor, he didn't intend to let members below Lv.4 participate, except for Emiya and Lefiya.

Therefore, the Lv.2 supporters and the Lv.3 members of the second squad were all assigned to stay on the fiftieth floor to ensure safety.

Besides them, Lv.4 Raul and Lv.5 Tione were also temporarily stationed on the fiftieth floor to protect the rear of the team.

"Tione, the safety here is in your hands now. Please take care of everyone," Finn addressed the girl.

Tione quickly nodded, excited, "Yes, captain! I'll definitely complete the mission!"

Finn continued, "After we finish the mission on the fifty-first floor, we'll regroup. At that time, we'll need your support on the front lines."

"Mm-hmm, no problem!"

Finn smiled, then began assigning the members entering the fifty-first floor and decided on the grouping.

"The team entering the fifty-first floor will be split into two groups," Finn said. "Group one consists of me, Gareth, Bete, Lefiya, and Tiona."

"Group two will be Riveria, Emiya, Ais, and Alicia. A few other Lv.4 members will also move with Riveria's group."

Group one included four first-class adventurers and one Lv.3, Lefiya. Group two consisted of three first-class adventurers, one Lv.3, and several Lv.4 adventurers.

The reason for splitting the team into two was because their next targets were two powerful dragon-type monsters.

[Strong Dragon: Cadmus]

From the name alone, one could tell how powerful this monster was.

In terms of potential, [Cadmus] was currently the strongest monster Loki Familia had encountered in the dungeon, second only to the Balorm

Its strength even surpassed that of the Udaeus on the thirty-seventh floor.

Unlike ordinary monsters, [Cadmus] did not spawn randomly. They were born in a specific location known as the "Cadmus Spring."

And on the fifty-first floor, two such springs had already been found.

Standing in front of the team, Finn pointed at the marked spots on the map, "The spring water from Cadmus Spring is an extremely precious resource. It can be used to make top-grade healing potions. Besides that, the magic stones and drop items from the strong dragon are also highly valuable."

Defeating two strong dragons could yield profits exceeding fifty million valis in one go.

Thus, after deciding on the two teams, and after half a day of light rest and recovery, the adventurers of Loki Familia entrusted the task of guarding the stronghold to Gareth and the others, then set off for the fifty-first floor.

With a soft shout, Ais suddenly dashed forward, her speed so fast that her movements were almost invisible.

Her sword, [Storm King], was wrapped in agile magic, its blade hidden in the air by the magical aura, leaving only a blurry trace visible.

Ais seemed to be gliding across the rocky ground, her steps light and swift as she charged straight at the wide-eyed monster ahead.

"Third one," Ais whispered.

Her figure brushed past the monster, and time seemed to freeze. A few seconds later, the monster's head was severed by a line of blood, thudding to the ground and rolling several meters away.

Ais didn't even glance at the fallen monster's corpse. Driven by the instinct of a predator, she quickly locked onto the next target and continued moving forward.

On the other side, Chloe leisurely walked up, skillfully sliced open the monster's body with her dagger, and extracted the magic stone.

But soon, she shook her head in disappointment, "No drop item, what a shame."

Riveria stood at the rear, watching Ais run off, her brows slightly furrowed.

She immediately issued instructions to Emiya and Alicia, "Shirou, please support Ais. Don't let her go too far. Alicia, follow her."

"Understood."

Emiya nodded quickly, drew his bow, and in a flash, an arrow was nocked and aimed in Ais's direction.

Alicia chased after her without hesitation, her orange-golden hair fluttering in the wind as she ran. The ice-blue longsword in her hand reflected a cold light, shimmering with icy brilliance.

Silver light flashed as arrows, like the glow of the moon, pierced the air and flew precisely toward their targets.

They were now on the fifty-first floor of the dungeon.

Emiya and the others' mission was to defeat the strong dragons, but on the way to the springs, they continuously encountered swarms of monsters that had to be cleared to proceed.

Unlike the usual dungeon levels, the fifty-first floor featured a rare true labyrinth structure.

Smooth walls, floors, ceilings, and countless neatly aligned underground passages crisscrossed, forming forks, turns, and intersections.

The walls were neither stone nor earth but made of some kind of leaden-black hard material, exuding a sense of coldness and pressure.

The domed ceiling above glowed faintly with phosphorescence, illuminating the surroundings.

In the straight corridor on this floor, they faced a group of massive monsters with jet-black skin that gleamed with a metallic sheen.

[Black Rhions]

They were bipedal rhino beasts, about two meters tall, with two horns in front of their faces that were as hard as steel.

Known for their durability, the [Black Rhions] had beast hides as thick as high-grade armor, making them exceptionally tough against attacks.

Their heavy defense allowed them to withstand most ordinary attacks, creating significant trouble for the adventurers.

However, even rhino monsters with durability that troubled first-class adventurers couldn't withstand the slashes of [Sword Princess] Ais.

The sharpness of [Storm King], combined with Ais's exceptional swordsmanship and technique, and further enhanced by the [Avenger], elevated Ais's attack power to a transcendent level.

Ais ran lightly, keenly searching for the weak points in the armor of these monsters.

Though the [Black Rhions]'s armor was nearly indestructible, it wasn't without flaws. The joints between the armor were their weak points, such as the narrow connection under the neck or their eyes.

A flash of white light, and an arrow pierced the left eye of a Black Rhion. Though not instantly fatal, the pain sent it into a berserk frenzy, rampaging wildly with its eyes shut.

Its loss of control caused chaos in the formation of the other monsters, giving Ais more room to act.

Ais didn't waste the opportunity. She launched an attack, swinging her [Storm King]. The blade sliced through the air with a sharp whistling wind.

Alicia followed close behind, her ice-blue sword bringing forth a wave of freezing sword wind. She swiftly drove back the approaching monsters, clearing the area around Ais.

"Ais, dodge," Emiya calmly reminded her. Hearing his voice, Ais reacted instantly and nimbly leapt to the side, quickly moving out of her original position.

[—O omen of the end, oh pure white snow. At the twilight hour, stir the raging wind, seal the light, freeze the earth. Blizzards blow, triple winter descends—My name is Alf!]

Riveria's voice was like a heavenly melody. She chanted softly, as if heralding the coming of a cold winter.

With her chant completed, the magic [Wynn Fimbulvetr] activated, and three gusts of icy wind surged outward from her center.

The corridor's structure amplified the ice magic, and the storm swiftly swept across the battlefield. Wherever the frost reached, it spread ice, freezing the black monsters one by one.

Their movements froze instantly, painful roars caught in their throats, and their bodies were gradually covered in ice, becoming lifelike ice sculptures.

Only Alicia, standing at the storm's center, was protected by three ribs of ice and remained unharmed.

"This is…the power of a first-class adventurer…", Aki and the other Lv.4 girls subconsciously clenched their fists.

———

If there were only a few monsters, Ais, Alicia, and Emiya would handle them; when large numbers gathered, they would suppress them first, and then Riveria would unleash her wide-range ice magic [Wynn Fimbulvetr] to clear them.

In the terrain of the fifty-first floor, this magic became terrifyingly powerful.

The Lv.4 adventurers were assigned to protect the rearguard, including archer Emiya and the chanting Riveria.

Because of the overwhelming offensive of the front lines, monsters rarely broke through their formation, and few posed a threat to the rear.

However, accidents often occurred when least expected.

BOOM!

Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted at their flank.

A wall was instantly blown apart, dirt and stones flying. From behind the broken wall appeared a monster with two heads, [Mutant Lizard].

Yet, faced with the suddenly emerging monster, Riveria's expression didn't waver in the slightest, as if the monster's existence wasn't even worth her attention.

She continued chanting steadily, unmoved, like an ancient tree in the heart of a storm, as solid as rock.

"Uppercut!"

Lunoire, with her pseudo-Noble Phantasms [Naegling Kai] and [Hrunting Kai] equipped on her hands, struck simultaneously, both fists smashing precisely at the two jaws of the double-headed monster.

BOOM!

The massive force struck the target directly, the monster's heads flung backward by the heavy blow, silencing its roar mid-scream. The violent impact caused the creature's twin heads to jerk up, rendering it temporarily immobile.

Immediately after, Aki displayed the agility and nimbleness of a catgirl. She stepped across the shattered wall as if walking on flat ground, her body flipping through the air, her longsword glinting coldly in her hand.

She slashed down, aiming precisely between the twin heads of the mutant lizard.

The sharp blade precisely cut in. Although the girl's strength was still not enough to slice the monster entirely in two, her target was extremely clear. What she aimed at was the location of the magic stone in the center of the monster's body.

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