DanMachi: Heroic Epic of Emiya the Great Hero

Every time the wooden sword swung, her light green-dyed hair would flutter along with it.

The clothing on her body, which moved with the wind in coordination with her actions, was a short-sleeved top paired with shorts, making it easy to move around.

Her porcelain-like skin stood out even more under the dim sky.

Ryuu always woke up early in the morning.

Although the bar started preparing for opening early in the morning, Ryuu had developed a habit of practicing with her wooden sword during the time far earlier than the preparation for opening, before dawn. As a former adventurer, even though she had left her old profession, she still did not neglect her training.

A few days ago, she had invited her bar companion, the cat-girl Anya, who was of the same adventurer rank as Ryuu, to practice together, but after that, Anya was no longer willing to accept Ryuu's sparring invitations.

"Ryuu, this useless elf, completely doesn't know how to control her strength, she hits too hard."

After being scolded by Anya like this, Ryuu could only practice alone.

As for words like "Ryuu must be venting her anger, jealous that Anya can help Shirou train," Ryuu simply chose to ignore them.

Although she didn't know what meaning her current daily, half-hearted training had now that she was no longer an adventurer, she still persisted in her exercises, at least ensuring that her body wouldn't rust and that she wouldn't forget the feeling of combat.

'Maybe one day in the future, the little strength I have will come in handy.' ,deep in the heart of the elf girl, there was a faint thought like this.

She wasn't as beautiful as Syr, nor as cute as Anya, and she didn't have the incredibly firm heart that Shirou had. Now that she had even abandoned her will for justice, the only value she had left was a bit of martial prowess.

Thinking this in her heart, Ryuu swung out a sharp slash, and unknowingly, her movements gradually became more ethereal.

The elf girl wasn't wearing shoes or socks, her fair feet stepping on the soft soil in the courtyard. The forest elf race wasn't accustomed to touching humans, but they could find peace in contact with natural things like soil and plants.

With the sword's slashes and upward swings, the girl's steps gradually began to show a different rhythm.

Ryuu herself didn't notice that she was unconsciously imitating the boy's movements.

Although there was a huge gap in their ability values, the beneficiaries of the daily sparring were not just the lower-ranked Emiya; both Ryuu, who watched every day, and Anya, the main participant, were subtly influenced by the boy.

Movements, footwork, timing of attacks, breathing rhythm... Their excellent bodies were subconsciously absorbing the essence from Emiya. It seemed somewhat incredible, but the upper-ranked adventurers were indeed growing due to the influence of the lower-ranked adventurer, although neither Ryuu nor Anya had realized this yet.

'I also want to spar with Shirou.',Every time she thought about how Anya could help the boy grow, while she could only watch from the side, Ryuu felt a strong sense of unwillingness and the heart-wrenching pain of having something important taken away.

But because she was too clumsy, several attempts had ended with Shirou being seriously injured.

"Sigh!",Ryuu suppressed the feeling similar to regret in her heart and walked towards the detached bedroom assigned to her.

Now she had to tidy up, wash, and change into her uniform.

Today, she would also be working as a waitress at the bar, and a new day was about to begin.

The sunrise that brought light to the city crossed the city walls and gradually illuminated the entire city.

The bright sunlight and fresh air of dawn gradually improved Ryuu's mood. No matter what, she had at least found a sense of existence here.

"Shirou, Syr, for them, I will do my best!"

———

"Shirou, aren't you going to the familia or the dungeon today?",The silver-haired human girl came to the boy practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard and handed him a towel.

"Yeah, the goddess said that there should be a balance between work and rest, work hard when it's time to work, and rest well when it's time to rest.",Emiya took the towel from the girl and wiped the sweat from his forehead,"Thank you, Syr."

It was the weekend, and he had originally planned to practice forging in the workshop, but the goddess strictly forbade it.

"Rest well on the weekend, pushing yourself too hard won't do any good for the future.",The goddess said so, and then turned to scold Tsubaki, who wanted to take Shirou out for drinks, and the blacksmiths who tried to share discount coupons for the pleasure quarter with the boy.

He had originally planned to go to the upper levels of the dungeon, but thinking about what the goddess said, it was also right to take a good rest occasionally.

"But, Shirou, you're still practicing swordsmanship.",Syr put her hands on her hips,"Shouldn't you listen to the goddess and rest well?"

"For me, this level of exercise is rest.",Shirou was telling the truth, this simple sword-swinging practice not only didn't bore him, but instead gave him a sense of peace and tranquility.

"Is that so?",Syr tilted her head. Today happened to be her day off, so Syr wasn't wearing her waitress uniform, but a cute everyday outfit.

A pure white long dress, without any decorations, made the girl's charming temperament even more natural. A light breeze blew, slightly lifting the hem of the dress, revealing Syr's slightly tense, smooth calves, and her feet in white sandals.

The girl's silver hair was tied into a ponytail, the ends of her hair slightly fluctuating with the girl's emotions. Emiya subconsciously took a few more glances at the girl's fair collarbone.

The last few times Syr had days off, Shirou happened to be forging swords in the Hephaestus familia's workshop, so this was the first time he had seen Syr in this casual outfit.

For some reason, today in front of Syr, Emiya couldn't control his gaze, as if he was being lured by some irresistible force.

Seemingly aware of the boy's actions, Syr smiled softly. Although as the head of the "Shiryu faction," she always held the idea of bringing the human boy and the elf girl together, seeing such cute behavior from the other party also made her feel happy.

The frustration caused by the useless elf's lack of progress and the boy constantly attracting bees and butterflies outside was thus alleviated.

'What a pity, Ryuu has to work today...',Syr thought.

Ryuu and Anya's days off were two days ago, just missing Shirou's rest day.

And Mama Mia would never allow Ryuu to take a day off, because Ryuu accidentally broke Mia's favorite vase a few days ago.

After working at the bar for almost a month, the debt not only didn't decrease but increased, truly living up to the name of the useless elf.

However, even if she couldn't take a day off, skipping work was no problem.

After all, the salary had already been deducted to a negative number, so deducting a bit more didn't matter.

'There's no other way, the useless elf is too incompetent, for Ryuu's happiness, I can only be more proactive.',Syr thought, looking at the boy.

"Shirou, let's go on a date with Ryuu, the three of us~"

.

.

.

This was the first time Emiya Shirou had gone on a date since coming to this world.

It was called a "date," but it wasn't the kind between lovers, just an activity for friends to pass the time together.

Ryuu, who was accompanying them, thought so, although she also felt a faint sense of excitement in her heart for reasons she herself didn't understand.

Shirou still remembered the kindness of Ryuu and Syr saving him, and of course, he wouldn't refuse the request of such an important friend and benefactor.

He was also willing to be the girl's companion. Syr had a unique temperament that made people feel relaxed when they were with her, as if time stood still and the peaceful daily life could continue endlessly.

Ryuu would never refuse any of Syr's requests. She held a deep sense of gratitude towards the girl, even becoming the only person in the entire "Hostess of Fertility" bar who could bravely eat the dishes Syr made.

Because Syr's cooking skills, how to put it, were probably the opposite of Emiya's, and then a few levels below Mama Mia, that's the level.

The human boy and the elf girl walked side by side on the street, with Syr walking in front. She deliberately walked along the edge of the sidewalk's bricks, as if playing a game where stepping elsewhere would mean losing. The narrow foothold made her walk like a cat, and to maintain balance, the girl opened her arms and made "eh, eh" sounds.

'So cute.',Ryuu couldn't help but think so, and the surrounding passersby thought the same, many couldn't help but cast jealous glances at Emiya.

Since coming to this world, possibly influenced by the blessing of the gods, Emiya's body developed extremely quickly, his height increasing visibly. At first, he was slightly shorter than the girls, but now he was rapidly catching up.

In addition, his shoulders were becoming broader, his arms longer, and the muscles all over his body were becoming more pronounced, gradually revealing a solid shape.

Unknowingly, Syr fell a step behind Shirou and Ryuu. She quietly observed Emiya's figure, then smiled softly and suddenly accelerated, jumping ahead of Shirou.

So Emiya and Ryuu saw a silver ponytail jumping in front of them, and through the soft strands of hair, the girl's fair nape was faintly visible.

With a few strands of hair blocking the middle, it seemed as if the girl's skin was becoming more fair and transparent.

Feeling Emiya and Ryuu's gazes fall on her for a moment and then move away, Syr couldn't help but smirk,'Ryuu seems to have stared longer~'

'More interesting than I imagined...',Syr thought, just then.

"Ah, Mr. Emiya.",A cute female voice interrupted Syr's mood.

The cute elf girl greeted Emiya,"Mr. Emiya, it's been a while."

Her thick golden hair was as bright as blooming yamabukis, and even brighter than her hair was the girl's smile, showing a warmth and cheerfulness completely unlike an elf. The girl waved, walking over with surprise.

"Miss Lefiya, long time no see.",Shirou responded.

"Just call me Lefiya.",The yamabuki-haired elf girl naturally shook hands with Emiya, then laughed foolishly.

"Lefiya, you can call me Shirou too.",Emiya said politely,"May I ask, who is this?"

"Hello, my name is Alicia, Alicia Forestlight.",The other elf woman introduced herself.

This was a female elf with orange-gold hair similar to Lefiya's. Unlike Lefiya, Alicia's demeanor was impeccable, perfectly matching people's imagination of the elf race—dignified and beautiful, with every movement exuding unparalleled elegance, as if every action was meticulously crafted, making one can't help but feel awe. At the same time, her faintly visible cool temperament also gave people a sense of distance that was hard to approach.

Alicia's mouth carried a gentle curve, and her slightly curly hair ends added a touch of mature charm, the strands of hair falling on her shoulders swaying gently with her breathing.

When standing with Lefiya, Alicia was like a steady older sister, exuding a calm temperament, forming a sharp contrast with the lively younger sister, complementing each other.

In addition, what was impossible to ignore was Alicia's extremely rare voluptuous figure among the elf race, with curves in all the right places, and a well-proportioned and tight body shape. At least one Lefiya stronger than Ryuu, making her older sister temperament even stronger.

She extended her hand to Shirou, unlike Lefiya, her hand was covered with a black sleeve, covering the entire forearm.

"I've heard your name before, Shirou-kun, thank you for taking care of Lefiya.",Alicia said.

"No, at that time we were partners in action, it was what I should do.",Shirou said, considering the other party's elf identity, he only lightly touched Alicia's fingers and then immediately let go.

"Shirou-kun, this is a very powerful adventurer~",Syr quietly pulled Shirou's sleeve from behind, whispering,"[Pristine Garden] Alicia Forestlight, is a second-tier adventurer of Lv.4 in the Loki Familia."

Emiya indeed didn't know the other party's identity, and didn't expect this elf woman to be such a remarkable person, but perhaps because he was used to being around Ryuu and Anya, he didn't feel any emotional fluctuation.

"Syr, long time no see.",Alicia said to the girl, compared to the serious expression when facing Emiya, her smile to Syr was much more affectionate.

However, Alicia's image in Syr's heart was actually quite subtle.

Alicia was a very serious and pure elf, with an unofficial title among the gods as the "Loki Familia's discipline committee member."

However, a certain goddess who wished to remain anonymous had seen that the soul color of this serious elf "discipline committee member" was unexpectedly not pure.

Not a scary black or gray, just simply not pure, or rather, not very "disciplined"...

However, up to now, Alicia had always maintained this serious and stern posture, so this matter had become an interesting little secret in the heart of the goddess who could see through souls.

To this, the goddess could only sigh,"The children of the lower world are really interesting."

After greeting Syr, Alicia quietly observed Ryuu, who was following behind Emiya and Syr.

When she noticed the approach of a fellow elf, Ryuu immediately frowned and shielded Emiya and Syr in front of her.

Only she was much taller than Syr, and an elf with such outstanding looks would be very conspicuous even if hidden in a crowd.

"[Gale] Ryuu Lion, just dyeing her hair green and boldly walking on the street...",Alicia immediately recognized this famous fellow elf, and couldn't help but feel embarrassed by the other party's boldness.

As one of the most powerful factions in the labyrinth city, the Loki Familia had naturally received information about [Gale], after all, she had no intention of hiding at all, the bar's waitresses called her "Ryuu" every day, and her hair was only dyed a few days ago.

It could be described as arrogant, lawless, blatant, and unscrupulous.

Of course, Alicia wouldn't do anything unnecessary, just pretending she saw nothing.

Although the elf girl in front of her had the same appearance, race, similar temperament, carried a signature longsword, and even had the same name "Ryuu" as a certain first-class wanted criminal, couldn't all this just be a coincidence?

At least their hair colors were different.

The Ryuu in front of her had newly dyed emerald green hair.

"Well, long time no see, Lady Alicia.",To the elf beauty's greeting, Syr responded with a sweet smile. The Loki Familia was a regular at the Hostress of Fertility, and most of the adventurers knew Syr.

Because [Nine Hell's] Riveria had a special skill [Fairy King's Seal] that could amplify the magic of all elves, the Loki Familia was very willing to recruit elf mages, and the elf girls often harbored admiration for the princess.

This mutual attraction resulted in the Loki Familia having a unique group of elf mages, all of whom were elf beauties, making it very eye-catching, practically a paradise for elf enthusiasts.

Alicia was a cadre of the Loki Familia's mage unit. With her Lv.4 strength, she could not only control magic but was also very skilled in archery and proficient in Western swordsmanship, making her an all-around versatile person.

"Ah, Shirou, are you on a date? Did we accidentally disturb you?",Lefiya, who was slow on the uptake, said somewhat embarrassedly, while showing a gossipy look,"Is this your girlfriend?"

On the other side, Alicia, while still maintaining a proper posture, noticeably raised the angle of her long ears when she heard this topic.

Hearing about love topics, she couldn't help but care, obviously even the etiquette of the elf race couldn't suppress a woman's curiosity.

"We're just ordinary friends.",Syr affectionately held onto Shirou, while her other hand hugged Ryuu's arm, saying in a cute tone.

What exactly was the relationship between these three? The two elf women felt very confused.

"Ah, right, Alicia, I forgot to mention earlier, Shirou's archery is also very impressive.",Lefiya somewhat awkwardly changed the topic, as if suddenly remembering something, she said excitedly.

"Well, I believe, to be praised so highly by Lefiya, Mr. Emiya must have very impressive archery skills.",Alicia smiled lightly, responding very gracefully.

'However, after all, he's just a human.'

Syr immediately noticed Alicia's slight disdain, she frowned somewhat displeased, but just then—

"Shirou's archery is really, really impressive, more so than any elf I've seen, I think even Lady Riveria's archery wouldn't surpass Shirou.",Lefiya said seriously.

Alicia's expression froze, she still maintained her smile, but her eyes completely narrowed,"Lefiya Viridis."

"Yes!",The elf girl, suddenly called by her full name by her senior, felt a thud in her heart and instinctively stood at attention.

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