Fate x Danmachi: The Sword Prince (eng)

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Shirou continued his mission to destroy the surveillance flowers of Evilus along the corridors of Knossos. The black knives he projected flew with precision, severing the stalks of the flowers and reducing them to fragments. "Almost done in this area," he muttered, moving quickly and using Structural Analysis to ensure there were no hidden traps.

This time, however, the journey was different. Along the way, Shirou began encountering members of Evilus stationed at strategic points. They stood still, like statues placed as sentinels, but Shirou knew they were far from being mere dummies.

"I can't take any chances," Shirou thought. With swift movements, he projected several throwing knives and hurled them one by one at the Evilus members. Each knife pierced its target's heart with unerring accuracy, causing them to collapse before they could react.

But Shirou was more cautious this time. He leapt back immediately after each target fell. Sure enough, seconds after they hit the ground, their bodies exploded, shattering the surrounding floor. "They truly don't care about lives," Shirou muttered in frustration. "Like pawns on a chessboard, ready to be sacrificed without hesitation."

After some time, Shirou reached a dead-end corridor that appeared deserted. However, he quickly noticed a group of Evilus members gathered there, standing in a loose formation and seemingly engaged in conversation. "A perfect opportunity," Shirou thought.

Without delay, he projected five throwing knives simultaneously, locking onto his targets. With a single motion, he launched them, and the knives struck their marks perfectly. A chain of explosions followed, filling the area with red light and thick smoke.

"Too easy," Shirou murmured, but his moment of satisfaction was short-lived.

Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from behind him. Turning around, Shirou saw a massive Orichalcum door slowly descending, sealing off the path he had just taken. "Damn it!" he cursed, sprinting toward the door, but it was too late—the door locked shut with a heavy thud. Shirou pressed against its surface, but his strength wasn't enough to force open an Orichalcum door without tools or a key.

He scanned the room, now a perfect trap to imprison him. The explosions had obliterated the Evilus members nearby, leaving only debris and walls that seemed to close in around him.

"They planned this," Shirou muttered, finally realizing the enemy's strategy. "They used their own comrades as bait to lure me here."

Clenching his fists, Shirou felt a surge of frustration. "They don't even care about the lives of their own members," he thought angrily. "This isn't just hatred or ideology... it's madness."

"I need to stay calm," he whispered to himself. "There's a way out of this, and I'll find it." With renewed resolve, Shirou focused his mind.

A woman's laughter echoed from behind the Orichalcum door, reverberating through the narrow space where Shirou was trapped. The laughter was mocking, as though she relished her advantageous position.

"So, you've finally been caught, Masked One!" the voice taunted, dripping with satisfaction. "How dare you destroy our surveillance flowers! Old man Barca even told me to handle your little tantrum myself."

Shirou closed his eyes for a moment, committing the name Barca to memory. It likely belonged to one of the key figures in Evilus. This woman, clearly a high-ranking member, had orchestrated the door's closure to trap him.

Through his altered voice, Shirou's tone remained flat, though anger simmered beneath it. "Why sacrifice your subordinates just to trap one person like me? Are their lives so meaningless to you?"

The woman's laughter burst forth again, louder and more derisive. "Hah! Feeling sorry for the enemy's lives? Who are you, some kind of moral hero? Ha! They wanted to die. You think I forced them?"

Shirou paused, trying to comprehend. "What do you mean?" he asked coldly.

The woman's voice grew cruel and proud. "Our god, Thanatos, promised them. When they die, they'll reunite with their loved ones in the afterlife. You don't need to pity them. This was their own desire—they served willingly."

Shirou's eyes widened as he processed the information. So, Thanatos manipulated his followers with a false promise? Driving them to obey orders without hesitation, even at the cost of their lives?

The woman added with a sarcastic tone, twisting the knife further. "But do you know the funniest part? After reincarnation, they'll forget everything. So, in the end, it all means nothing. They fight, they die... only to be erased by time."

Her cold laughter echoed once more, each note a lash against Shirou's growing fury. His jaw tightened, and his hand gripped the handle of a projected knife with iron resolve.

Shirou murmured to himself, "So this is how they control their followers... weaving lies to shroud them in despair."

The woman's laughter began to fade. "Well then, enjoy your time in there, Masked One. We'll decide what to do with you later. Maybe we'll let you meet Thanatos directly. Sweet dreams, eh?"

Shirou's grip on his knife tightened, the metallic projection emitting a faint screech. He resisted the urge to unleash his rage on the Orichalcum door. Deep in his heart, he vowed not only to stop this woman but also to dismantle the lies that had ensnared Evilus's followers.

Once the sound of her footsteps faded beyond the Orichalcum door, Shirou stood silently in the dead-end room, lost in thought. Her words still echoed in his mind, stoking the fire of his determination. "Thanatos... he's no different from the gods in my own world," Shirou thought bitterly. "Viewing mortal souls as mere playthings, treating lives as tools for amusement."

But Shirou's thoughts didn't stop there. He calmed himself, reflecting on the other side of this world. Not all gods were like Thanatos. Loki came to mind—a goddess who led the Familia Shirou now belonged to. Though Loki often seemed carefree, clumsy, or too fond of alcohol, Shirou knew how deeply she cared for her Familia members. Every decision Loki made was rooted in a desire to protect and strengthen them. Shirou felt grateful to have joined Loki Familia, confident he was in the right hands.

His thoughts then turned to Hestia. Shirou recalled the time he helped Hestia sell Jagamaru-kun on a street corner. Hestia, despite her limited resources as a goddess, gave her all for Bell. "She might be the most genuine goddess I've ever met," Shirou thought with a small smile. Hestia didn't see her members as tools for power but as family to be loved and protected.

Then, Syr's shadow came to mind. Shirou knew Syr was hiding her true identity, that she wasn't an ordinary human. Even though Shirou didn't know which goddess was behind the guise of the humble waitress, he could sense the sincerity in her actions. Syr enjoyed her work at the Hostess of Fertility, serving customers with a smile and warmth. Shirou recalled the distinctive fragrance that always accompanied her—a soft, wintry floral scent that seemed to bloom whenever she worked or chatted with her friends at the restaurant. To Shirou, that scent was undeniable proof of Syr's genuine happiness and kind heart.

Shirou clenched his fist slightly. "Not all gods are evil. It wouldn't be fair to label them all as selfish beings who only care about their own pleasure," he murmured to himself. He realized that, on the other hand, there were gods like Loki, Hestia, and even Syr, who loved this mortal world in their own unique ways.

However, the true enemy became clear to Shirou. "It's not all gods I must fight, but those like Thanatos—gods who manipulate and destroy under the guise of destiny or divine will." With newfound resolve coursing through him, Shirou took a deep breath and lifted his head. "Alright," he said while looking at the massive door blocking his way, "I have to get out of here. There's no time to dwell on their cruelty. There's still so much to do."

Shirou activated Structural Analysis, placing his palm against the cold surface of the towering Orichalcum door. He closed his eyes, feeling the composition of the metal. "This is Orichalcum, one of the strongest materials in this world," he thought. The door's thickness, combined with the metal's near-impervious properties, made Shirou realize that opening it with brute force would be impossible.

He muttered to himself, "I could use a Broken Phantasm to destroy it, but in such a confined space? The explosion would take everything out, including me." He clenched his fists in frustration. Recalling how the masked figure had effortlessly locked the door from afar using a key orb, Shirou regretted not analyzing the object when he had the chance. "If only I had projected the key the moment I saw it…"

Thinking of alternative options, Shirou began to focus harder. "This door is too strong to break outright. Maybe… if I could drill through it?" But he quickly dismissed the idea, knowing Orichalcum wasn't a material that could simply be pierced with mechanical tools. He sighed, feeling the futility of the idea.

Still, as the word "drill" resurfaced in his mind, an idea began to take shape. His eyes widened as he recalled a weapon he had once traced—Caladbolg, a blade designed for extraordinary penetration power. However, unlike Archer's adaptation of it as an arrow, Shirou decided to project its original form: a sword with a spiral blade resembling a massive drill.

"Maybe this will work," Shirou muttered, channeling his prana into his body and preparing to trace. "Trace... On."

A large sword materialized in his hands, its spiral blade exuding an air of strength and precision. Shirou infused prana into Caladbolg, and in an instant, the spiral blade began to rotate, emitting a faint vibration in his grip. Shirou smiled faintly. "This should be enough to bore through the door. Let's see just how strong Orichalcum really is."

Gripping the hilt tightly, Shirou channeled his prana into the weapon, causing the spiral blade to spin rapidly. When the tip of the blade met the Orichalcum surface, a deafening grinding sound echoed through the room. Sparks flew in every direction, illuminating the dark chamber. Each push he made against the door sent shrill metallic screeches reverberating throughout the space, as if the metal itself was protesting.

But Shirou's efforts weren't in vain. After several minutes, he saw the first scratch on the door's surface. With unwavering determination, Shirou pressed on, pouring all his strength into one point. Though it took a long time and caused his hands to tremble from the vibrations, the scratch deepened and widened, eventually forming a small hole.

His prana reserves began to feel drained, and his body was drenched in sweat streaming down his face and neck. Hours passed, but Shirou refused to give up. He knew the only way to escape this trap was to destroy the door itself. After relentless effort, he finally created a hole large enough for him to crawl through.

Pausing for a moment, Shirou took a long breath to steady his racing heart. "Finally," he murmured, wiping the sweat from his brow. He deactivated Caladbolg, allowing the weapon to dissolve into prana and vanish. Carefully, he approached the hole he had made.

Peering through, Shirou scanned the corridor beyond. There were no signs of enemy movement or visible traps. It puzzled him. "Strange," he thought. "After all that noise, why hasn't anyone come to attack me?" Though he sensed something was amiss, he decided to move forward.

Shirou carefully crawled through the narrow opening, wincing as the jagged edges grazed his body. Once on the other side, he stood up straight and dusted off his black cloak. He dismissed all the projected weapons he had been holding, ensuring he was ready for whatever came next.

As he took a deep breath to regain his energy, Shirou's mind raced. "I've destroyed all the scout flowers in this area. There's no way they're unaware of my position after all that noise. Why haven't they attacked?" His expression darkened as a realization struck him. The most likely reason for their absence was that they had shifted their focus to attacking the other members of the Loki Familia.

That realization made Shirou clench his fists. "I have to move quickly." Despite his exhausted body, his sharp mind propelled him forward as he resolved to reunite with his allies before it was too late.

Stopping for a moment in the narrow corridor, Shirou activated Reinforcement on his ears. Prana flowed softly, amplifying his hearing to catch even the faintest sounds. The distant echoes of footsteps, the metallic clinking of weapons, and—most importantly—the sounds of battle reached his heightened senses.

"From below," Shirou muttered, focusing on the direction of the sounds. The clashing of weapons and the rumble of magic were unmistakable. There was no doubt—combat was underway on the lower floors of the Dungeon.

Shirou quickly decided to continue his journey, sticking to his strategy of always choosing the right-hand path. Each turn brought new tension, but he maintained his vigilance, periodically activating Structural Analysis. This technique allowed him to detect hidden traps along the way and avoid them effortlessly.

At several corners, Shirou found intact surveillance flowers. He projected small knives, throwing them with precision to destroy the flowers one by one. "At least they won't gather any more information," he thought, pressing on.

Corridor after corridor passed without any signs of Evilus members. This reinforced Shirou's suspicion that they had descended to the lower floors to attack the Loki Familia. The thought spurred him to quicken his pace, though he remained cautious.

Finally, at the end of one corridor, Shirou found a staircase descending to the deeper levels. He stopped at the top of the stairs, gazing downward. "This labyrinth really connects to the Dungeon," he thought. A feeling of unease welled up as he prepared to go deeper, knowing the dangers that awaited. But the increasingly audible sounds of battle left him no choice.

Clenching his fists, Shirou steeled his resolve. "I won't let them face this alone," he murmured. Carefully, he began his descent, each step deliberate, prepared for anything that might lie below.

This time, the stairs stretched down not to a single floor but to multiple lower levels. Shirou's steps were steady yet cautious. Each time he reached the bottom of a staircase, he paused to enhance his hearing with Reinforcement, attuning his senses to even the faintest sounds of battle.

After descending several levels, the clashing of weapons, monster roars, and shouted orders became unmistakably clear. Shirou was certain he had reached his destination. The proximity of the conflict sparked urgency within him, and he surged forward toward the source of the commotion.

Along the way, Shirou stayed true to his strategy. Surveillance flowers scattered across the walls and ceilings were swiftly destroyed with precision-thrown knives. However, the path ahead was no longer empty. Several Evilus members in white robes appeared, blocking his way with fanatical determination visible behind their masks.

"Move," Shirou said coldly, projecting a glowing, lethal knife. One of the Evilus members cackled madly and activated the bomb strapped to their body, intending to blow themselves up.

Shirou sighed. With incredible speed, he hurled the knife directly at the bomb, disabling it before they could advance further. The ensuing explosion shook the corridor, but Shirou had already stepped back calmly, avoiding the blast.

Ahead of him, Violas—giant carnivorous flower monsters with sharp, leaf-like jaws—emerged from the floors and walls. Shirou paused briefly, studying their movements. "It seems they don't want me getting any closer," he muttered.

He projected Inferno Arrow, a blazing red arrow radiating intense heat. Drawing a bow he also projected, Shirou aimed at the advancing Violas, their movements swift and menacing.

"Break," he intoned softly, channeling extra prana into the Inferno Arrow to trigger its destructive mode. He released the arrow, which streaked through the air like a fiery comet. Upon striking one of the Violas, it erupted in a massive explosion, generating a wave of heat that incinerated the carnivorous flowers.

The blast forced the remaining monsters to retreat momentarily, giving Shirou the opportunity to push forward. Despite his exhaustion, he pressed on, leaving behind a trail of charred monsters and incapacitated Evilus members.

"I have to reach the source of that sound quickly," Shirou thought, gripping his projected bow tightly as he advanced with unwavering determination.

Finally, Shirou spotted a group of adventurers huddled against a wall in the distance. He slowed his pace, cautiously observing to identify them before approaching. Activating Presence Concealment, he ensured he remained unseen.

As he got closer, he recognized Raul sitting despondently, his shoulder being patted reassuringly by Aki. Meanwhile, Lisa and Lloyd tended to Finn, who lay unconscious with his body wrapped in bandages, his head resting on Lisa's lap. Shirou was stunned to see the usually formidable captain in such a fragile state. Finn, a seasoned Level 6 adventurer, appeared utterly broken. Only one name came to Shirou's mind as a possible culprit: Revis.

Aki shook Raul's shoulder, her voice urgent. "Raul, you can't give up! Remember those heroic stories you've always admired? Finn is one of those heroes. Do you want his story to end here?"

Raul, his face still clouded with doubt, took a deep breath. His eyes filled with newfound determination as he stood and began encouraging the others, though his voice trembled slightly. "We… we might just be side characters," he said shakily, growing more resolute, "But even side characters have important roles! We can be the ones who help the main characters!"

Hearing this, Shirou was moved. Deciding it was time to reveal himself, he deactivated Presence Concealment and walked toward the group. However, his entrance did not have the intended effect.

Raul, the first to spot him, immediately leaped back, pointing in panic. "A ghost! A skull-masked ghost!" he cried.

Aki, initially tense, took a closer look and burst out laughing. "Raul, that's not a ghost. That's Shirou," she said, chuckling. She then turned to Shirou, who was still wearing his skull mask and added with relief, "Finally, we're saved. The main character has arrived."

Shirou removed his mask, offering a faint smile, though his expression remained serious. "I'm not the main character," he said calmly, "But I will make sure we all get out of here alive."

The group visibly relaxed, hope rekindling in their eyes. Shirou's presence brought renewed strength to them, especially Raul, who now stood taller and steadier than before.