Rayish
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Chapter 145
🕑 Added 2025-06-18 14:32:08 +0000 UTCThey now sat side by side at the edge of the pond, each holding a fishing rod projected by Shirou. A small magic stone bait was hooked and c
They now sat side by side at the edge of the pond, each holding a fishing rod projected by Shirou. A small magic stone bait was hooked and cast into the calm water, creating tiny ripples that slowly expanded.
Silence enveloped them—until—
TUKK!
"E-Eh?!" Lefiya quickly turned to her rod, which was jerking wildly.
"Something's pulling!" she exclaimed, reflexively gripping the rod tightly and starting to reel it in slowly but steadily.
With a bit of effort, a familiar shape emerged from the water—a sharp-toothed Dungeon piranha, half the length of an arm, thrashing violently as it was lifted into the air, its small red eyes glowing.
Shirou immediately stood up, raising his left hand. "Trace on."
A sleek knife gleamed in his grasp. He walked toward Lefiya, ready to stab the monster, but—
"Wait!" Lefiya cut in sharply, her eyes blazing. "Let me do it!"
Shirou blinked in surprise but calmly handed her the knife.
Lefiya took it, gripping the handle tightly. She glared at the piranha still dangling from the hook and let out a small huff.
"This is for all those disgusting bites earlier!"
STAB!
The knife plunged deep, right into the monster's head. The piranha let out a faint groan before turning to dust.
"And this... is for tearing my clothes!"
"And for embarrassing me in front of Shirou and Aiz!"
STAB! STAB!—Even after the piranha had turned to ash, Lefiya kept stabbing the air, theatrically venting all her pent-up emotions.
Aiz turned her head, one eyebrow raised. "...She's... kind of scary."
Shirou's lips twitched. "Yeah... her enthusiasm is something else."
Aiz then looked at Shirou and said, "In that case... I want a knife too. If my rod catches a monster, I want to kill it myself."
"Sure." Shirou raised his hand again. "Trace on."
Two new knives materialized—one handed to Aiz, the other kept for himself.
They quietly returned to their seats by the pond, rods in hand, the tips occasionally twitching as the water below stirred. Each of them had grown accustomed to the rhythm: cast the bait, wait, reel in, kill, collect the magic stone, repeat.
And indeed, the Dungeon piranhas seemed endless. Every time they pulled up their rods, one or two would latch on. The small current beneath the pond concealed a surprisingly lively swarm of monsters.
"Reel it in," Shirou murmured as he lifted his rod.
A piranha leaped out, writhing wildly in the air.
SHIK!
With a swift motion, Shirou drove the knife into its head. Dust floated briefly before vanishing. He picked up the tiny magic stone left behind and saved it for the next bait.
On the other side, Aiz pulled in another one, her expression calm but sharp. She stabbed efficiently and silently stored the magic stone.
Lefiya, after reeling in a piranha nearly the size of her forearm, plunged her knife into it without hesitation, then let out a small laugh as she admired the shining magic stone in her hand.
"Hehe... If this keeps up, it's like we have unlimited bait, huh?"
Aiz stared at the stone in her hand for a moment before turning to Shirou. "Too bad... we can't eat these fish."
She said it softly, but her gaze was clear. It was as if she could already imagine a plate of crispy grilled fish seasoned with Shirou's special spices.
Shirou chuckled lightly. "If we catch a normal fish, I can cook it right here. Just a simple grill with salt and spices from my bag..."
Aiz's eyes sparkled instantly. Even Lefiya let out a longing sigh, clutching her stomach.
"Why did those monsters have to be disgusting fish..." Lefiya muttered sadly.
And so, as they cast their lines again, they weren't just waiting for piranhas... but also hoping for a 'normal' fish to appear, one they could enjoy fresh by the pond.
However, Aiz's simple hope of tasting a normal fish cooked by Shirou slowly faded.
Time passed—one hour... two hours... until the artificial crystal light on the ceiling dimmed slightly, signaling the Dungeon's dusk. And in all that time, not a single normal fish was caught. Only monsters came: hard-scaled piranhas, deep-sea fish with three eyes, even eel-like creatures with needle-like teeth.
Aiz, usually so patient, now sat with her arms crossed, her chin resting on her knees, staring blankly at the empty pond, unable to hide her disappointment.
"...Boring," she muttered.
Shirou, on the other hand, stared at the water with a more serious expression. He replayed everything they had experienced so far.
This pond is small. But the number of monsters seems endless... Why? Is there some kind of nest? Or... a hidden passage connecting to another part of the Dungeon?
But Shirou's thoughts were interrupted when Lefiya suddenly cried out beside him.
"Hyahhh—! Shirou! Aiz! Help! This... this is really heavy!!"
The rod in Lefiya's hands bent drastically, almost snapping. The fishing line was taut, and the water where the bait had sunk was churning violently.
Shirou and Aiz immediately jumped up from their seats. They each grabbed part of the rod alongside Lefiya and pulled together with combined strength.
"Pull at the same time!" Shirou said.
"...One... two... three!"
ZRRRRRRT—!
With the final tug, the water's surface split, and out emerged an Aqua Serpent—a bright green, scaled water snake nearly five meters long. Its body twisted in the air, its tail thrashing, and its eyes glowed with hatred.
But the monster didn't get a chance to act.
ZASH!
SHLICK!
Two knife flashes crossed simultaneously. Aiz slashed from the left, Shirou from the right, and the Aqua Serpent froze mid-air before slowly turning to ash, crumbling to the ground.
Only a large purple magic stone remained, clinking as it fell.
Shirou picked it up quietly, staring at it in silence.
"Seems like..." he finally said, "...we need another way to clear this pond. If we keep fishing like this, their numbers won't dwindle."
Lefiya gazed at the pond's calm surface, hiding unseen threats, then turned to Shirou and Aiz with a confused expression.
"Then... how do we clear them all out?" she asked nervously. "Do we have to dive in, Shirou? But I'm not sure I can cast spells underwater..."
Aiz, who had been silent, now lowered her head slightly, her face gloomy. "...Sorry. This is all because of me... We're wasting time looking for a pond just so I can learn to swim." Her voice was soft, filled with regret.
But Shirou shook his head firmly. "No, that's not it. You're not wrong, Aiz. And about magic..." He turned to Lefiya. "You're right, don't cast from underwater. But you can use your magic from outside the pond."
"Huh?" Lefiya frowned, confused. "But Shirou... whether it's the spells I copy with the Elf Ring or my own, like Arcs Ray and others... none of them are suitable for attacking monsters underwater."
Shirou narrowed his eyes in thought. "Do you have any lightning-type spells?"
Lefiya immediately shook her head. But then, she seemed to remember something. "No... but... my friend Filvis has lightning magic. Though... what I learned from her was her barrier spell."
Shirou sighed softly. "That's a shame. When I saw Filvis's lightning magic that time... I thought it was strong enough."
Lefiya nodded slowly, then added, "I don't think so... even if I could copy it, her lightning spell is short-chant. Not enough to clear this entire pond..."
Aiz, who had been listening intently, murmured, "If it were Hedin's lightning magic, maybe..."
Instantly, the image of a golden-haired adventurer in black Freya Familia uniform flashed in their minds—Hedin, with his sharp gaze and earth-shaking lightning spells.
Lefiya let out a small snort. "No way I'm asking him to teach me his spells. Our Familia is already in a cold war with theirs every week. Not to mention he's... annoying!"
"Alright," Shirou said, clapping his hands, his voice calm but decisive. "Then leave it to me."
Aiz quickly turned to Shirou, her eyes slightly widening, her tone unusually eager. "Are you... going to use Raikiri?" she asked, like a child hoping for a gift.
But Shirou just raised an eyebrow and shook his head slightly. "No. Using a Noble Phantasm for a pond like this... is overkill. I'll just use regular magic arrows."
A shadow of disappointment flickered across Aiz's face. She lowered her head slightly, her usual blank expression now clearly lacking enthusiasm.
Lefiya, noticing the change, hid a smile behind her hand. She had seen Raikiri firsthand that night when Shirou split Hedin's spell with a single lightning slash.
"Then," Lefiya said, nudging Shirou lightly, "why don't you just show Aiz, Raikiri? She's clearly curious."
Aiz quickly turned, her eyes sparkling again.
"...Can I?" she asked softly, almost pleading.
Shirou found the two of them amusing. He raised his hand casually. "Alright, if you want to see..."
"Trace... on."
The air vibrated. A faint blue light gathered in Shirou's hand, forming strands of energy that twisted together before solidifying into a slender katana. As the materialization completed, small lightning streaks flowed gently along the blade—Raikiri, the legendary katana capable of splitting lightning.
He handed it to Aiz with one hand.
Aiz accepted it with both hands, her body tensing slightly as the blue lightning touched her skin.
The katana was long and slender, its hilt wrapped in black leather with silver ornaments, and from its hamon emanated a thin aura of lightning that flowed constantly, like a river of light. The tip of the blade reflected a faint blue pulse.
Aiz lifted it slowly, then swung it once in the air.
ZRAAAK!
A soft crackle of lightning broke the silence.
Meanwhile, Shirou stood with his hands behind his head, watching the scene with mixed feelings.
Before him stood Aiz Wallenstein—Loki Familia's deadliest fighter—in a white halter-neck swimsuit, swinging a mystical lightning-powered weapon nearly on par with a divine construct, her face full of curiosity like she was testing a new toy.
...This is absurd... and a little... cute? Shirou thought, struggling to suppress a growing smile.
Lefiya watched Aiz, who was still holding Raikiri, the faint lightning aura flowing along the blade as she practiced swinging it with concentration.
"You're so cool, Aiz..." Lefiya murmured in awe, then turned to Shirou, who was standing silently, watching the scene. "Eh? Aren't you going to continue, Shirou?"
Shirou snapped out of his thoughts, realizing he'd been distracted by Aiz swinging Raikiri in her white swimsuit. He blinked.
"Oh, right. Almost forgot."
With a calm motion, Shirou extended his hand forward.
"Trace... on."
From the flow of prana in the air, a large black bow formed in his hand—the one he usually used for long-range combat. Then, he focused his concentration, and slowly, an energy arrow began to take shape. This time, it wasn't an ordinary arrow—it was a Thunderstrike Arrow, infused with dense lightning magic.
Once the arrow was formed, Shirou reinforced his body and the arrow itself, increasing its destructive power to a reasonable limit. He pushed the enhancement until the arrow showed faint cracks of light—a sign it was in Broken Arrow state, ready to explode upon release.
ZRAAAK—
When released, the arrow shot forward and struck the pond's surface with a blast strong enough to shake the ground.
BOOOMM!
A surge of water mixed with lightning shot upward, illuminating the ceiling of the 25th floor. Ripples of electric energy spread in all directions, and the remaining water became a temporary electric field.
Amid the chaos, Aiz, still excitedly holding Raikiri, innocently tried to slash at the residual lightning sparks jumping in the air.
ZRAK!
Her swing missed. The lightning zapped her own hand, making Aiz stagger slightly, her blonde hair standing on end from the static.
"Ah... got zapped," she stated flatly, staring at the sword in her hand as if blaming it.
"Ah! Aiz!" Lefiya stepped forward, but—ZAP!—She too was hit by a stray spark from the puddles and reflexively jumped back, biting her lip to suppress the shock.
Watching this, Shirou nearly choked back a laugh but managed to hold it in. He cleared his throat and said, "Heh... step back a bit, you two. I'll do it two more times to make sure all the water monsters are cleared."
Aiz nodded while tilting her head, still eyeing Raikiri like a malfunctioning toy.
Lefiya retreated cautiously, keeping a wary eye on the water to avoid more sparks.
Shirou drew his bow again, forming a second Thunderstrike Arrow with a vibrating prana flow. Once more, he reinforced it to the breaking point—Broken Arrow—and released it into the center of the pond.
ZRAAAKK!!
BOOOOM!!
Water splashed high, lightning bolts splitting the air and spreading like a web across the pond's surface. A few seconds later, he did it once more. The third explosion lightly shook the ground, and the blue light radiating from the pond made the ceiling crystals above them glow like party lights.
Aiz and Lefiya, who had retreated near the tent, could only watch wide-eyed from a distance, hands ready to cover their ears.
Once it was over, the two slowly approached, stepping carefully among the rocks still warm from the residual energy.
"Is it done?" Lefiya asked, gazing at the now much calmer pond, though it still steamed slightly and carried a faint burnt smell.
"Mostly, yeah," Shirou answered with a sigh, then dispersed the black bow into prana particles. "But we can't be sure... Some monsters at the bottom might have survived, but most should be dead."
He stepped aside, glancing at the knives they had used to execute the piranhas, and dispersed them into light as well, along with the now-unneeded rods.
Aiz peered into the water, then—out of curiosity—dipped the tip of her foot in.
BZZZT!
"Uh." She quickly pulled her foot back. Her blonde hair stood on end again. "The water's still electrified. Can't practice swimming yet."
"There's still some leftover lightning..." Lefiya muttered.
She then turned to Shirou. "So what do we do now? Wait for the water to neutralize?"
Shirou crossed his arms, tilting his head as he thought for a moment. "Hmm..."
But before he could answer, the pond had another surprise in store—dozens of normal fish, of various sizes and colors, floated to the surface. Belly-up, most were already dead from the electric shock. No sharp teeth, no monster aura—just real fish, likely drawn by the magic stone's energy or living alongside the monsters at the bottom.
The three of them fell silent for a moment.
Then Shirou slowly turned to Lefiya, the corner of his mouth curling into a grin.
"Seems like... It's cooking time."
Lefiya immediately stood up, excitement reigniting in her eyes. "Roger!" she said quickly, her face bright at the prospect of being Shirou's kitchen assistant again.
