The narrow passageway was filled with countless monsters.
Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of monsters born on the 17th floor gathered here, following the call of the Floor Boss.
Such overwhelming numbers created a terrifying force; even a Level 4 adventurer would not dare to tank the combined fiery breath of a dozen Hellhounds.
Even weaker First Class Lv5 Adventurers could be overwhelmed by this endless wave of monsters.
Unlike humans, where a single powerful warrior could tear through armies of tens of thousands, even the most elite squad can't maintain their morale in front of absolute power. In this world, a single person destroying the courage, spirit, and confidence of an entire army and even Kingdom were not just fairytale, it has happened many times in the past.
But monsters were different, a lone monster might feel fear, hesitate, and might even flee, but when gathered in the hundreds or thousands, all that was left in their collective mind was primordial frenzy.
However, at this moment, the monsters stopped in front of a single human. From the unwavering figure standing before them, from his axe-sword and greatsword in hands, to the wall of spears behind him, they felt something deeper than instinct.
"Awooo—!"
But soon, their primordial frenzy took over again. A hellhound let out a furious howl, and with it, an uncountable number of monsters began to roar and charge forward.
"AHHHHHHH!!!"
Shirou responded with an even more ferocious battle cry.
[Hrunting] sliced through the air with such speed that it was like a bolt of black lightning. The heavy sword cleaved through a hellhound leaping at him, precisely cutting through its waist in an instant. The beast let out a wretched scream, its body severed into two halves, its blood raining down.
The greatsword seemed to have a life of its own, greedily absorbing the monster's blood. Its black blade gleamed with a faint eerie red light after being drenched in the monster's blood, like a hellish fire ignited in the dark.
Simultaneously, the menacing axe-sword was lifted high and swung down with a force that could shatter mountains, crashing onto a charging Minotaur.
The monster's bulky stone axe shattered on impact, along with its thick skull. Blood and bone fragments sprayed out, and the axe-sword carried with it a sense of death.
The once-powerful defense and endurance of the Minotaur became paper thin in the face of the heavy axe-sword, powerless to resist.
Each swing of the axe-sword unleashed a deathly whirlwind, the air filled with the howling wind of destruction and the dying screams of monsters. In the face of that immense axe-sword, all resistance seemed futile.
Wielding two massive swords, a fighting style that should have normally been slow and clunky became a display of unmatched power in his hands. The heavy greatsword and axe-sword moved rapidly, as if they were weightless, cutting through the air with a barrage of lightning-fast attacks.
Black streaks of sword light poured down like a torrential rain, wave after wave, crashing onto the oncoming horde of monsters. The sharp edges of the blade ripped through the air, accompanied by the heart-wrenching screams of the monsters, though even their dying wails were drowned in the storm of sword strikes.
The black sword was gradually enveloped in a deep red glow, blood streaming down its length as if awakening the sleeping beast within. The blade seemed to gain a life of its own, devouring the life force of all living things, and the bloodthirsty aura it emitted grew stronger. The overwhelming bloodlust and demonic mana diffused into the air, making it heavy and oppressive.
Many monsters tried to force their way past the warrior's defense, hoping to break through the guarded entrance. However, the moment they tried to charged through the wall of spear, the spears pierced their bodies, killing them on the spot. Those lucky enough to survive were swiftly finish off by Shirou.
Even the frenzied monsters soon realized, that without killing the man in front of them, they could never break through the wall of spears.
A Ligerfang, fast as a gust of wind, pounced toward Shirou. Its strength rivaled that of the Minotaur, its razor-sharp claws gleamed as it slashed through the air with murderous intent.
"ROAR!" The Ligerfang let out a furious roared, even as its body was pierced by a great sword, with blood gushing out, it showed no sign of retreat, pressing forward relentlessly. In the instant before its sharp claws were severed, they lashed out toward the boy's shoulder with unyielding ferocity.
The beast's claws raked across Shirou's shoulder, carving a deep gash from which blood flowed freely, staining his clothes red. However, Shirou's gaze remained cold and unwavering. The searing pain in his shoulder did nothing to weaken his resolve; instead, it ignited a fire within him.
[Skill [Indomitable] activate: Strength increased, endurance recovery increased.]
[Skill [Rear Guard's Pride] activate: In defense battle or when holding a position, strength, endurance, and defense increase. The more disadvantageous the situation is, the larger the increase.]
Shirou raised the massive axe-sword high above his head and brought it crashing down upon that Ligerfang. Its claws and life were obliterated, turning into a mist of blood, scattering into the air. He stood at the center of the blood-covered battlefield, drenched in his enemies' blood, wounded and scarred, yet like a hero out of mythology, unyielding.
"AAAAAHHHHH!!!"
His sword, now entirely crimson and glowing, cut through the air. The sword light surged like a violent storm, instantly slicing through the monsters surrounding him.
Almiraj, a rabbit monster with white fur and a single horn, contrary to its cute appearance, they were actually incredibly fierce and battle-hungry. Individually, they were weak middle floor monsters that even a Level 1 adventurer could handle, with high agility but low endurance. But when grouped together, their threat level spiked, classified as a Level 2 monster when together as a group.
A pack of Almiraj hop at Shirou with lightning speed.
Yet, Shirou's sword moved even faster, slicing through them with precision. Before they could even approach, they were cut in half by his sword.
A few Almirajs managed to breach Shirou's defense, and pierce his flesh with their sharp horns, leaving deep, bloody wounds. But their lives ended swiftly. With a crunching sound, their necks were snapped under Shirou's feet, and they fell into the growing pool of blood with their final cries.
Even rare and valuable monsters like the Crystal Mantis appeared. They had a unique body made of crystal, having incredibly high magic resistance, making them one of the hardest monsters to damage with magic attacks in the middle floors.
However, their shiny and sturdy crystal exoskeletons shattered like brittle glass under the immense force of [Nine Lives'] blows.
With a resounding crack, Shirou's axe-sword smashed into the mantis's crystal body, breaking it into countless glittering fragments that scattered like a rain of light across the blood-soaked ground.
However, even more monsters surged forward like a relentless tsunami of blood and flesh.
The Black Goliath's roar drove them into a frenzy, fueling their madness and rage as they charged at Shirou, fearless of death.
What welcomed them was the grim reaper-like swing of Shirou's sword. Every slash of his blade, delivered death and salvation for these monsters consumed by madness.
Blood sprayed in fine arcs from his blade, forming what seemed like a burning red ring around his feet-like a fiery "circle of divine judgment."
The Hellhounds in the distance, no longer mindlessly charged forward, they gathered in a large group. Their bloodthirsty eyes gleamed with savage brutality as they opened their massive jaws in unison and unleashed a wall of scorching flame.
The flames burned and spread through the air, forming an overwhelming wave of scorching heat, aiming to consume the lone warrior entirely.
This was one of the deadliest attacks from any monster in the middle floors-the flame breath of the Hellhounds, which had turned many adventurers to ashes.
Wherever the flames touched, the ground was left scorched and barren.
Yet, even in the face of such an unstoppable flame, Shirou did not back down. He neither dodged nor ran but gripped his axe-sword even tighter and swung with all his might. The axe-sword carved a perfect arc through the air, splitting the oncoming wall of flames, like Moses parting the Red Sea.
The black axe-sword created a brilliant golden ring, the embers of the Hellhound's fire danced around the axe-sword's blade like the corona of the sun-radiant and searing.
The axe-sword seemed to merge with the flame, becoming an unstoppable weapon of destruction in Shirou's hands. Emitting a searing and oppressing aura.
Wyvern, a five meters long dragon-like monster measuring from head to tail, was the only monster capable of tanking the searing flames and heavy axe-sword.
The red dragon charged toward Shirou, smashing through the golden flame ring with its massive body, even as its neck was decapitated by his axe-sword, headless, the dragon's colossal body continued forward, slamming into him with bone crushing force.
Blood poured from Shirou's mouth as the impact reverberated throughout his entire body, yet he stood his ground.
[Skill [Indomitable] activate: Strength increased, endurance recovery greatly increased.]
[[Skill Rear Guard's Pride] activate: Strength, endurance, and defense massively increase.]
[Temporarily acquired Development Ability: [Mad Enhancement] G.]
[Temporarily acquired Development Ability: [Mad Enhancement] F.]
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!"
Using the wyvern's lifeless body to block yet another wave of Hellhound flame, Shirou, feeling his strength increased, with a bit of madness in his eye's, pushed aside the wyvern's charred corpse, and charged forward with renewed determination.
The monsters hadn't advanced an inch, and he had pushed them even farther back.
However merely holding them back wasn't enough. Though he could fend off their relentless attacks, their sheer numbers were overwhelming. He needed a way to eliminate them all before his stamina and mana were completely exhausted.
Not enough… I need more power, I need even more power!
"—Grow."
A voice rang out from behind him.
"That power and that vessel. Breadth of wealth and breadth of wishes. Until the bell tolls, bring forth glory and illusion."
The woman's voive was melancholic and ethereal.
"—Grow."
But soon, the voice became determined.
"Confine divine offerings within this body. This golden light bestowed from above. Into the hammer and into the ground, may it bestow good fortune upon you"
The voice was like a prayer, from a distant land.
"—Grow."
Golden particles of light flooded into the Shirou's body, seeping into every inch of his flesh.
His body felt impossibly light, as though freed from the constraints of gravity. The world around him slowed to a crawl. The movements of the monsters became clear, their every step sluggish. The weapon in his hand felt as though it was an extension of his own body, moving with unprecedented fluidity and ease.
It felt like a drought stricken land suddenly receiving life-giving rain. His once-heavy wounds became insignificant, as if they had never existed. His exhausted muscles filled with strength, his drained stamina quickly restored, and he felt stronger than ever before.
If one had to describe it, it was like an ascension of life itself. Every breath was brimming with power, as if he had momentarily transcended the boundaries of mortals and brushed against the domains of god.
[Uchide no Kozuchi (Magical Mallet)]
This was Sanjouno Haruhime's only magic. Its effect was incredibly simple, and can be describe in just two words: Level Up.
Its target was limited to one person, and the effect lasted fifteen minutes, increasing the target's level by one.
Yet, despite its simplicity, this effect made [Uchide no Kozuchi] the most powerful support magic in all of Orario—no, perhaps the entire world.
Shirou hurled [Hrunting] with all his might, the demonic sword—already drenched in the blood of countless monsters—transformed into a crimson bolt of light, streaking through the air like a bloodthirsty hound, the sword pounced into the horde of monsters.
The sword's crimson glow darted between the monsters, leaping from one to another, each flash like the bite of a savage hound tearing through its prey. Blood splattered, and cries of agony filled the battlefield.
Shirou then transformed [Nine Lives] into its bow form, and he began his chant.
Both [Hrunting] and [Nine Lives] were "anti-unit" weapons.
While they were "super effective"against monsters, their area of effect was limited.
As a Level 1 adventurer, even with the enhancement of [Oath Under The Snow], Shirou lacked the ability to project [Anti-Army Noble Phantasm].
That was, until this moment—until the radiant light of [Uchide no Kozuchi] descended upon him.
"Trace, on."
A spiral sword appeared in Shirou's hand which he then nocked onto his bow.
"Feast your eyes on a true rainbow! [Caladbolg]!"
[Limit Off.]
At that moment, for some unknown reason, Shirou felt a surge of unlimited power, as if some sort of limiter has been temporarily removed, the madness within his eyes disappeared, and with a soft whisper, he released the True Name of the Noble Phantasm in his hand.
The bow's center emitted a brilliant white light, within that blinding white light, seven colors of the rainbow intertwined, casting a dreamlike brilliance.
The sword of light shot forward, tearing through the air, twisting and distorting the surrounding space, the pure white beam, like a divine judgment from the heavens, tore through everything in its path, leaving only a moment of absolute silence in its wake.
For a brief second, time seemed to stop. The only thing left in the world was the blinding light, shining quietly. Then, with a roar that shattered the heaven, the world trembled. A shockwave of sound and light surged through the space, destroying the battlefield and shaking the ground. It was as if the world itself was proclaiming the strength of that ultimate strike, and its unrivaled power.
Shirou turned around, ignoring the monsters consumed by his Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, he walked slowly toward the Black Goliath in the distance.
[Skill, Mind's Eye, activate.]
[Nine Lives] faded into thin air, and Shirou drank the last half-bottle of potion Alicia had gifted him, using his remaining mana for one final projection—
A simple, ordinary stone, devoid of any magic or mystery appeared in his hand.
With all the strength he could muster, Shirou hurled the stone toward the giant's head. It flew through the air, hurtling toward Goliath's skull as Shirou's body finally gave out.
His body collapsed heavily onto the ground, his vision growing blurry as the world around him began to fade. His consciousness sank, and finally, he fell into a deep slumber.