In the vast cavern of the Food Storage, Shirou, wielding a longbow, continuously picked off the monsters before him, one by one. After abandoning the idea of quickly resolving the situation, Shirou, fully immersed in the art of archery, relentlessly reaped the lives of the man-eating plants. Honestly, in terms of skill talent, Shirou's archery talent far surpassed his other abilities. Despite being young and living in modern times, without making a living from archery, Shirou's skills had already reached a master level.
Of course, Shirou's talent in swordsmanship was also remarkable, but much of this stemmed from his Origin being "Sword." And his Origin, "Sword," was influenced by Avalon. So, in terms of pure physical talent, Shirou's archery skills were his strongest asset. Amidst the chaos of monster attacks, Shirou shifted his position continuously, picking off monsters one by one with precision. In that moment, he was commanding and formidable.
But unlike Shirou's steady focus, Asfi's situation was dire, facing a dual assault from monsters and the dark faction's suicide bombers.
"It's all because of that man!" Asfi gritted her teeth, her gaze fixed on the masked figure in the distance. The Hermes Familia was now in a precarious situation. Under the continuous onslaught of monsters, death seemed inevitable at any moment. This was something Asfi could not accept.
"Farga, you take command! Gather everyone and hold the line!" Asfi suddenly barked orders, seeing no more traces of the dark faction suicide bombers around. With urgency, she swiped her sandal and muttered softly, "Taralialia!" Immediately, wings appeared on the sandals.
With the assistance of these magical flying sandals, Asfi launched herself into the air, charging directly toward the masked man. Asfi knew that if they couldn't quickly neutralize him, their Familia would soon suffer casualties.
The Masked Man's Challenge
"The Universalist?" The masked man sneered, watching Asfi fly toward him with her blade drawn.
"Don't be reckless, Asfi!" Shirou shouted in warning, but Asfi had already closed the distance. The arrow on her string had no choice but to be loosed.
"Die!" Asfi shouted, thrusting her blade directly at the enemy's chest, but what happened next completely caught her off guard. Her rapidly thrusting blade was caught by the masked man's hand. Though the man's left hand bled, the blade couldn't pierce through the tough muscle beneath. Despite Asfi's LV.4 strength, no matter how much she struggled, it was futile. The blade was gripped tightly, and the man's monstrous strength overwhelmed her.
Asfi could feel death creeping closer. In desperation, she released the dagger, trying to retreat. But it was too late.
A swift gust of air accompanied by immense force slammed into her abdomen, sending her flying. Asfi coughed up blood in mid-air, the violent pain from her internal injuries overwhelming her. She struggled to regain control but, before she could react, the masked man pinned her to the ground. His dagger pierced her abdomen, blood pooling from the wound.
"Ah!" Asfi screamed in agony. The members of the Hermes Familia, engaged with the man-eating plants, roared in unison at the sight.
"Captain, get up! Captain!"
"Don't die, please don't die, Asfi!"
But their desperate cries had no impact on the masked man. Stepping on Asfi, he grinned. "Don't worry, adventurers are tough. I'll give you a quick end." His fist clenched, preparing to crush her skull.
Shirou's Intervention
But just then, several arrows whistled through the air, heading straight for the masked man's vital points.
"Damn it!" The masked man, sensing the danger, dodged to one side. However, one arrow still pierced his shoulder.
"Broken Phantasm!" Shirou roared in fury. A red magic-imbued arrow shot through the air at the masked man.
"Danger!" The masked man, recognizing the danger, tried to dodge. But it was too late—too fast. He crossed his arms in front of him, attempting to block the attack with his body.
The explosion from the Broken Phantasm sent a shockwave through the cavern, but the masked man still stood. He was covered in charred marks, and his arms had been reduced to carbonized dust. However, his vital points remained unharmed.
Ignoring the masked man's recovery, Shirou swiftly scooped Asfi into his arms and retreated. The hot blast of the explosion swept over them.
After placing Asfi safely on the ground, Shirou quickly pulled out a healing potion and poured it onto her wound.
"How are you? Are you okay?" Shirou asked, his tone full of concern.
"Barely, I'm still halfway dead!" Asfi replied breathlessly, her voice strained. "Thank you, Magic Sword Archer!" Her eyes sparkled with admiration as she looked up at her savior.
"Don't mention it, we're teammates now!" Shirou responded, patting her shoulder before refocusing on the masked man.
The Masked Man's Regeneration
As the smoke from the explosion cleared, the masked man, still severely burned, slowly walked forward. Despite the burns, the man's body was recovering at an astonishing rate.
"Super regeneration?" Shirou's heart sank. He quickly projected twin swords and charged toward the masked man.
"Everyone out, man-eating plants!" The masked man shouted, and numerous man-eating plants suddenly burrowed from the ground, spreading between the two combatants.
Reinforcements Arrive
"How can I let you just come over here!" the masked man roared.
"No one is going to kill me!" he laughed maniacally.
Just as he spoke, a surge of magic energy rose from a distance. The chant echoed through the air:
Proud warriors, archers of the forest,
Advancing plunderers before you, pick up your bows.
Answer the call of your kin, nock an arrow.
Ignite the flames, lamps of the forest.
I command you to loose, Elven Fire Arrow.
Fall like rain, burn the barbarians.
Hearing this familiar chant, Shirou's face lit up. "You've arrived just in time, Lefiya!"
With the final words of the chant, countless fiery arrows soared through the air, bombarding the monsters in the cavern. Dozens of the troublesome monsters were wiped out in an instant, showcasing the power of Orario's magic.
As the smoke settled, three figures appeared before Shirou: Lefiya, Bete, and an unfamiliar elf girl.
"Brother! We've come to support you!" Lefiya exclaimed, waving enthusiastically.
"You're just in time, Lefiya!" Shirou replied with a grin, his relief palpable as he looked at her.
--------More Bonus Chapters!!!!
Every 300 power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter