DanMachi: Heroic Epic of Emiya the Great Hero

Those nightmare-like scenes seemed to gradually crack under the impact of the punches, like a mirror struck heavily, beginning to shatter into pieces.

Immediately after, punch after punch, continuously, one after another, landed heavily on her body.

Every punch that landed on her made the scenes in the nightmare blur and become more illusory, while at the same time, that person's figure became clearer and more solid.

"Don't… do this!", Tione shouted hoarsely, her body involuntarily struggling in the chaos, using all her strength to throw a counter-punch.

That man, that male, did he really know what he was doing?

Did he not even realize that his fists were violently shattering everything about her (as an Amazon)?

The pain that composed her life, the scars etched into her bones, the unforgettable past, her despair, her sorrowful wish, her obsessions.

Every punch shattered a part of her, tore it apart, dyed it in his own color, and then pieced it back together bit by bit, forcibly reshaping it into the form he desired.

"No… no!", Tione desperately resisted.

However, her punches grew lighter and weaker, as if all her strength was gradually being drained.

Those scenes that brought her pain became more and more blurred under the continuous blows.

"You're already awake?", Emiya's voice sounded in her ear.

Tione slightly lifted her head, the corner of her mouth tugging reluctantly into a bitter smile, the red light in her eyes gone, replaced by helplessness and submission, "I've been… awake for a long time."

She muttered, her voice nearly drowned out by her ragged breathing, "Your… desire is heavy male…"

Tione wanted to say something more. Her lips opened and had just spoken a syllable when, in the next moment, Emiya's fist had already slammed down hard, beating back her unfinished words.

"I… surrender…"

———

"I'm truly very sorry!"

Tione bowed deeply, "It's all my fault. I underestimated the enemy and was caught by their magic. If not for that, a mere opponent like that would definitely have been defeated by Lord Emiya."

At that time, the black-clad figure took advantage of the moment when Emiya had to focus on handling the frenzied Tione, and escaped amidst the chaos.

Emiya shook his head, "No, that Level 5 adventurer was quite strong. Even if I wanted to take him down, it wouldn't have been easy."

Tione ignored his comfort and insisted, "I know this kind of apology is far from enough..."

Saying this, she began removing her clothes, seemingly intending to take responsibility in the traditional Amazoness way.

Riveria coldly interrupted her, "Tione, stop."

The Level 7 elven mage had a hint of warning in her gaze, and her staff was slightly raised.

"…Y-Yes, ma'am," Under Riveria's reprimand, Tione obediently stopped undressing.

"Tione, this isn't your fault," Emiya said, "No one could have anticipated that the enemy would have such magic."

The berserk curse used by the enemy had a wide range and a very short chant time. Any adventurer encountering such a skill for the first time would be caught off guard.

Though Tione's loss of control did affect the situation, in reality, forcing the enemy to reveal their magic and confirming that intel was already an important gain.

Finn, seeing the situation, spoke, "Ahem, let's first summarize the intel on that black-clad person."

"Level 5 adventurer, tall build, most likely male, uses a spear as a weapon, involved in monster smuggling, and can use a berserk curse..."

Emiya asked, "Anyone that matches that description?"

Finn shook his head helplessly, "The intel is still too broad. Aside from the berserk curse, nothing else really stands out. Also, I've never heard of a Level 5 adventurer possessing such magic abilities."

"Could be from some familia, or perhaps simply a hidden force from a dark faction."

Emiya' "Aside from that, there's one more point to note. After that black-clad man cast the curse magic, when I attacked him again, I could clearly feel his stats had dropped significantly. Or rather, it felt like his level temporarily dropped by one."

"A level down…"

Riveria: "I see. That might be the cost of using the curse magic. No wonder it had such a powerful effect."

Finn nodded slightly, "If that's the case, then we've found a weakness."

Emiya added, "Also, the black-clad outfit he wore was likely a special magic item that concealed his identity. His face was covered with a mask as well, so we couldn't identify who he really was."

"It's fine," Riveria said, "We've already gathered a considerable amount of intel on this mB. This operation wasn't without gains."

She lifted her head and continued, "Besides, there's one particularly important piece of confirmed intel, he must know of another 'exit from the dungeon.' With that many monsters, some of which are huge, it's impossible they were transported through the main gate."

Finn took over, "Yes, that shows there really are other exits in the dungeon. But so far, our searches in Daedalus Street haven't uncovered any hidden passageways into the dungeon."

Finn's voice turned low, and a trace of seriousness flashed in his eyes, "But there's an even more important piece of intel, our operation was leaked."

His words caused the room's atmosphere to tense.

Finn continued, "When Emiya found the black-clad person, half of the monsters hidden underground had already been moved. If not for Emiya's team acting quickly, combined with Mikoto's monster detection skill, we might never have caught up with them."

"In other words," Riveria sighed softly, "The enemy knew about our plan in advance."

"Of course, it doesn't necessarily mean someone leaked it," Finn said quietly, "Our prior investigation in Daedalus Street may have already alerted them and made them more cautious."

Riveria: "But we can't rule out the possibility of intel being leaked from someone in the know."

"Emiya is naturally beyond suspicion, and everyone in the Loki Familia is a trusted comrade."

Finn paused, "But if we start suspecting the Apollo Familia just like that, it feels… off. My gut tells me, the intel wasn't leaked by them."

Riveria: "Your gut, huh… So what do we do next?"

Finn: "For now, we can only continue searching in-depth. If something exists, it leaves traces. Since we've confirmed there are entrances and exits to the dungeon, then in the end, we will find them."

———

"What's wrong, Filvis? You look troubled," Dionysus looked at her with a gentle tone and a faint smile.

"Thanks to you, we managed to extract intel from the few words of the Thousand Elves. Otherwise, Dix might have died there."

Filvis stood still, her gaze downcast in silence.

Dionysus didn't seem to mind her expression and continued, "Still, at Level 3, to easily cripple the arm of a Level 5... Even though Dix's abilities dropped to Level 4 after using the curse magic, even so, to accomplish that… it's truly shocking. No wonder he's called the 'Demon King.'"

Filvis opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, said nothing.

"Relax, Filvis," Dionysus consoled her lightly, as if none of this really mattered.

"With that child's personality, she would never realize she already leaked information. Besides, all she really said was something like 'the Saber and others are busy tonight.'"

Filvis's voice was very soft, "I understand."

Dionysus continued, "Still, Dix acted a bit slow this time and exposed too much… Things haven't been going smoothly lately."

"Next," Dionysus suddenly changed the subject, "Filvis, could you go to the fifty-ninth floor and check on the spirit? I suspect that fallen spirit has already been killed by the Loki Familia, but maybe we can still find some useful clues."

Filvis silently nodded.

However, precisely because she had spent a few relaxing days with Lefiya, Filvis missed tracking the most crucial piece of intel.

That powerful magic released by Riveria was strong enough to pierce through the fortified floors of the dungeon's deepest levels.

And now, those floors had already returned to their original state.

Filvis would never learn the true power of that magic.

———

Faint breathing echoed in the silence.

The ceiling, walls, and floor of the floor's area were made of thick tree bark. Moss grew densely along the dim corridors, glowing with blue and green luminescence, creating a mystical landscape.

Occasionally, the roars and howls of monsters rumbled, causing various leaf-shaped structures to tremble. Silver droplets dripped from mysterious flowers, emitting an ominous yet beautiful aura.

In this great tree labyrinth, completely different from the upper layers, a figure moved slowly.

The figure was slender and graceful, with the curves and frailty of a young girl. Her long cyan-silver hair shimmered in the glow of the moss.

Not only that flowing hair, her pale, jade-like skin also had a bluish tint, as if not of this world.

Her shoulders and waist were covered in fine scales. Her ears were somewhat similar to an elf's, but longer and sharper.

The most noticeable feature was the red gem embedded in the center of her forehead. That glowing red stone marked her as non-human.

She was a monster, a strange and unique monster.

The girl's arms were thin like tree branches. At this moment, she hugged her chest tightly, wandering aimlessly.

She was bleeding. Several gashes across her body looked like claw and fang marks, as if they had been carved into her like branding.

Crimson blood dripped to the ground, staining her pale skin. The scales on her shoulder had already been torn, and glowing bones could faintly be seen deep in the wound.

Her expression was complex. Anger, sadness, and confusion intertwined. As blood fell, clear tears also slid from her amber eyes. Her slender throat trembled, letting out weak sobs.

"Who… am I…?"

The soft murmur wasn't a monster's hoarse cry, but a weak, hoarse whisper, like a child's tearful question.

As if rejecting that sorrowful sound, several deafening roars echoed through the maze. The silver-haired girl trembled and shrank back in fear, her shoulders quivering.

She was stunningly beautiful, yet her monster identity clashed with her appearance. The girl looked up at the stone ceiling, seemingly in thought, as flickering visions and sensations flashed before her eyes.

She saw herself entangled in vines, her body pierced by countless thorns. The pain felt deep within her bones, almost tearing her apart. She sensed a terrifying impulse, a madness to destroy herself and the whole world.

Then, a blurry figure appeared, a man with a heavy sword. He swung his blade like it cleaved dawn and dusk, bringing both death and salvation.

"Who… am I really…"

She was alone.

Having just been born from the dungeon, she felt rejected by everything around her. From the moment she broke through the dungeon wall, she knew nothing and could only wander aimlessly through this dark maze.

When she felt completely lost, she suddenly caught a scent similar to her own. Following her instincts, she walked toward it.

In a corner deep in the maze, she encountered a massive bear-like monster.

"Where is this?", She asked.

But the answer was a fierce roar. The bear monster raised its sharp claws high and swung them at her.

All she felt was intense pain in her shoulder. Blood gushed from the torn flesh, and she fled in panic, running blindly through the maze.

"What… should I do…", The echoes of the maze seemed to cruelly mock her helplessness. Fear and confusion overwhelmed her.

She ran and ran, until she heard more roars behind her, the bear monster was chasing her.

She stumbled forward in panic. Every monster she encountered was hostile. Like a headless fly, she frantically ran through the labyrinth.

Just as despair set in, she saw a corner, a fallen adventurer's corpse, bloodstained and lifeless.

Next to the corpse lay an abandoned longsword.

Her body trembled, not from fear, but from a strange, unknown feeling.

The girl stepped forward and grasped the sword's hilt.

═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═

patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator

🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.

https://discord.gg/bYAfGyp98y