DanMachi: Unlimited Blade Works

"This won't be easy to deal with!" Shirou muttered, watching the giant Piranha Plant slithering toward him. A surge of fighting spirit filled his heart. Honestly, this type of large monster wasn't suited to his usual combat style.

If they were outside, using Super-Broken Phantasm, Shirou could easily eliminate it. But here, his usual methods were difficult to employ. That didn't mean there was no way to handle it.

"The current me isn't the same as the me who single-handedly fought Goliath!" Shirou declared, facing the giant Piranha Plant charging at him. Instead of retreating, he advanced, directly confronting the massive monster.

He ran forward, staring at the rapidly approaching beast, his magic flowing through his hands. What materialized was a giant axe-sword. This divine weapon, a gift from the great hero Heracles, contained unparalleled combat power.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh!" Amidst the monster's roars, Shirou leaped, landing on top of its head. The giant Piranha Plant sensed danger and began twisting its body violently, attempting to shake Shirou off. However, Shirou, having anticipated this, used the plant's head as a springboard and leapt into the air. As the Piranha Plant writhed below, Shirou brandished the axe-sword mid-air and shouted, "Take this, Nine Lives Blade Works!"

The descending slash hit the giant Piranha Plant's body, leaving nine deep, bone-revealing wounds. At the same time, the ground below was marked with nine slashes, proof of Shirou's precise strike.

"Didn't cut through? Well, it's not a Noble Phantasm after all!" Shirou muttered, seeing the monster roar in pain. Still descending, he didn't hesitate. Magic flowed through his hands again, and he projected a different weapon. His greatest strength lay in projecting Noble Phantasms to face various enemies. Unfortunately, the monsters in this world were thick-skinned and durable, rendering many of his special abilities ineffective.

Destructive Noble Phantasms like Anti-Fortress or Anti-Army types were most effective here, but Shirou couldn't always use them freely due to magic limitations. However, with his magic power greatly enhanced at LV.4, Shirou could now access these powerful weapons more often.

"Lend me your strength, Cú Chulainn!" Shirou shouted, summoning a red spear. He rushed toward the giant Piranha Plant with lightning speed, easily jumping onto its tail. With a swift motion, he plunged the spear into its body and continued running forward.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh!" The monster howled, but Shirou's steady control of his movements carved a deep wound along its length. As he neared the plant's head, its struggles intensified. Seeing he couldn't continue cutting steadily, Shirou leaped into the air once again, the red spear in his hand glowing with magic.

"Gáe Bolg!" Shirou shouted, releasing the spear. With immense magic power, the Anti-Army Noble Phantasm transformed into a meteoric projectile, shooting directly at the giant Piranha Plant's head. A loud bang echoed as the spear pierced through its body, its magic destroying every obstacle in its path.

The red spear plunged deep into the ground, creating a massive crater upon impact. The released magic caused a wind pressure that sent a shockwave throughout the cavern, knocking several people off balance and slamming them against the walls.

As Shirou fell from mid-air, he landed in the crater, feeling the drain on his magic. "Noble Phantasm releases are really magic hogs!" he grumbled, surveying the remains of the Piranha Plant. Only remnants remained of the monster now.

"But the power is truly strong!" Shirou smiled, stepping out of the crater. The onlookers couldn't help but gaze at him with admiration. His grin made the girls watching him blush, and for a moment, he truly looked dazzling.

---

Bete's Counterattack

"How is that possible?!" The masked man, still in shock from the destruction of the giant Piranha Plant, couldn't believe his eyes. His moment of disbelief allowed Bete to seize the opportunity, kicking him square in the face and sending him flying across the cavern.

"Fire Arrow!" Just as the masked man regained his balance, a fiery arrow shot from behind. Bete quickly blocked it with his boot, absorbing the magic with a flourish. Flames erupted from his boot as he forced the masked man back.

"Die!" Bete shouted, his magic-absorbing boot powered up with full force. He kicked the masked man again, sending him flying into the wall.

"Nice job, you bastard!" Bete called out, turning back to Shirou, who had supported him with a magic sword. He felt a surge of reliability knowing that Shirou was there to back him up. After fighting and winning against such a formidable opponent, it was comforting to know that Shirou could be counted on at any moment.

"Compliment me, just compliment me! Don't add 'you bastard!' You bastard!" Shirou muttered, withdrawing his magic sword. As an expert in forging magic swords, Shirou carried several with him, though he rarely used them. When he saw Bete seize the opportunity, he quickly drew a magic sword to assist. After all, Bete's boots could absorb magic and enhance their output; without a magic sword, Shirou couldn't very well shoot arrows in battle.

---

The Final Battle

"Is it done?" Shirou asked, turning to Bete.

"I was planning to kill him with that kick!" Bete replied.

"Is that so? Still, be careful. His recovery ability is strong. Let's finish him off!" Shirou said, readying himself for the next move. But just then, a voice came from the smoke.

"Stop them, giant Piranha Plant!" The masked man shouted.

At his command, another massive Piranha Plant fell from the quartz pillar, and Shirou and Bete quickly retreated.

"Still not completely dead, huh?" Shirou muttered, covering his face with his arm to block the intense wind pressure. The shockwave from the fallen plant blew away the smoke around the masked man, revealing him standing before everyone again. Although severely injured, covered in blood, he showed no panic. His wounds were healing at a visible speed, and, shockingly, he no longer wore his mask.

Filvis's pupils constricted as she recognized the face before them. Her body trembled.

"Olivas Act!" She whispered.

"Olivas Act? You mean he's the White-Haired Ogre?" Asfi gasped, unable to believe her ears. "How is that possible? Didn't he die on the 27th floor?"

The White-Haired Ogre, Olivas Act, was once a powerful executive of the Dark Faction. After the faction was purged, he led many adventurers to the 27th floor, where a great catastrophe occurred. Many adventurers were slaughtered by rampaging monsters. Filvis was one of the few survivors of that disaster, and she had seen Olivas die there.

"I did die, but under 'her' mighty power, I lived again!" Olivas Act revealed, as a colorful magic stone in his chest glowed with strange radiance.

Shirou and the others stared in horror.

"He's a monster!" they thought, as the real battle began anew.

--------More Bonus Chapters!!!!

Every 300 power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter