Shier smiled as she watched the lively tavern, and beside her, Shirou unconsciously gazed at her profile.
Her skin was fair, delicate, and seemed to glow with a soft light. Upon closer inspection, one could notice a layer of almost imperceptible fine hair on her cheeks, giving her a soft and gentle appearance.
Today, the girl was no different from usual in terms of her appearance, personality, way of speaking, or behavior.
Shirou's gaze lowered slightly, landing on the glass of sweet wine in Shier's hand.
Such a drink was only favored by Shier; Shirou himself couldn't quite accept it—but he remembered very clearly seeing Shier concocting this sweet wine herself in the kitchen, and at that time, the girl's expression revealed her genuine love for the beverage.
However, this didn't seem to be anything worth dwelling on; physical condition, mood, or even changes in the weather could all influence one's taste preferences.
Shier responded softly, seeming to sense Shirou's equanimity, and subsequently breathed a sigh of relief.
In the girl's silver-gray eyes, a hint of deep purple seemed to flash, gone in an instant.
"Hurry up and eat."
The dwarven landlady, with her arms crossed, said unceremoniously.
The plates were piled high with an oversized portion of pork stew with rice, mixed with potatoes, green peppers, and topped with a thick layer of cheese.
Everyone else in the tavern was enjoying the food to the fullest, but the two of them had no choice but to silently eat Mama Miya's stew with rice—they weren't willing to formally participate in the feast.
Hedin silently picked up his spoon, while Hogni dared not object in the slightest.
"Your skills have improved."
Miya sneered: "This was made by the goddess Demeter."
Miya clenched her fist: "You four-eyed brat, just like before, you still say such annoying things."
"You two are heroes today too, don't keep such long faces."
Miya looked at them, her tone softening slightly: "How is it, the atmosphere here, not bad, right?"
Hedin gently pushed up his glasses, replying nonchalantly, "Boring. The goddess's praise is enough for me."
"What an unlovable little brat."
Miya waved her hand and turned to leave: "You guys eat slowly, I'll go take a look over there."
Hedin silently continued to eat the stew with rice in front of him.
"The taste… is not bad."
He said, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, with a hint of an almost imperceptible curve.
Accompanied by Shirou's soft chanting, a dazzling magical light gathered in his hands.
This pair of black and white swords were his most familiar weapons, and they had been his constant companions in countless battles.
Moreover, with the addition of the Agility stat, Shirou's swordsmanship had reached a new level. Each swing was faster and more precise, as if the twin swords had become one with his body, with no superfluous movements between offense and defense.
This sparring match was initiated by Lunoire, and Shirou had gladly accepted.
After Ryuu leveled up to , the stimulated girl had been working hard to train. Now, both her stats and combat skills had improved significantly since then.
The two stood facing each other in the courtyard of the [Hostess of Fertility] tavern, the surroundings were quiet, and the air was faintly filled with a solemn atmosphere.
However, it was this voice that, like an invisible starting gun, announced the start of the battle.
Lunoire struck first, without the slightest hesitation, her figure rushing towards Shirou like a thunderbolt.
Her fist, carrying the force of thunder, swung towards Shirou's face. Although Lunoire was slender, her fist contained amazing power. The steel-plated gauntlet gleamed coldly in the light, drawing a fierce straight line along the trajectory of her punch.
The powerful impact made Shirou's arm tingle slightly, but he steadied himself, forcibly receiving this fierce blow.
Shirou quickly raised the other short sword, [Moye], using the blade to block her attack.
Fists and swords clashed, sparks flew, Lunoire's strength caused the ground beneath Shirou's feet to sink slightly, but he still maintained his balance, firmly guarding his defense line.
Shirou quickly realized her intention, jumping back to avoid it, but Lunoire's fist wind had already struck again. He crossed his arms, the twin swords flashing alternately, precisely blocking each attack like a dance.
Lunoire completely took the initiative, her fists like raging waves, impacting Shirou's defense line wave after wave, relentlessly compressing his defensive space.
Her average potential ability in these two dimensions was only D, and when facing Shirou, her reaction speed and the coherence of her movements seemed slightly inferior.
Therefore, Lunoire quickly adjusted her strategy. Her advantage had never been in subtle techniques, but in that powerful force.
So, Lunoire decisively abandoned complex attack methods, no longer thinking about fancy combos and gorgeous tactics, but focused on pure power output.
Every punch was condensed with her full strength, like a steel hammer, without any frills, but the most deadly.
Faced with Lunoire's direct and effective attack, Shirou's combat skills were suppressed to the greatest extent. The girl's every punch was full of power and explosiveness, giving him no room to breathe.
Under such pressure, Shirou had to retreat step by step. Lunoire's fists came like iron hammers, punch after punch, each attack forcing him back a step.
Although the defense line had not completely collapsed, he was gradually being forced to the edge of the courtyard.
This courtyard was not small to begin with, but in such a battle, the space seemed particularly cramped.
Even Lunoire and Shirou's close combat gradually felt the constraints of the courtyard's small space—if the battle continued as it was, Shirou, who was forced into a corner, would probably be unable to escape defeat.
However, even though she held an absolute advantage in level and strength, she still found it difficult to break through the boy's sword perimeter.
This battle was a standard "ring battle", which should have been the most suitable combat environment for a fist fighter like her—open, unobstructed, an ideal place for close combat!
However, the reality was far from it. Even in such a simple environment, she could not force Shirou into an absolute disadvantage.
She couldn't help but feel a chill in her heart. In that kind of environment, the boy, relying on his combat skills, nimble movements, and flexible and varied tactical means, might have already suppressed her, or even directly achieved "defeating the superior with inferior strength."
Just as she longed to suppress her opponent with strength, Shirou intended to compete with her in another way—endurance.
At this moment, under the night sky, the bright moon hung high, and faint moonlight sprinkled into the courtyard.
[Knight Of Goddess]
Dominates the weapon in hand and grants it reinforcement.
Can additionally consume mental strength to make the weapon more durable and sharper.
With an endurance as high as B-rank, Lunoire's physical strength was far from reaching its limit, her offensive was still fierce, and her movements were still swift and powerful.
Lunoire did not notice that Shirou's attacks were not entirely aimed at her, but were accurately striking the weak points of her gauntlets time and time again.
Finally, with a crisp cracking sound, Lunoire's [Fighting Gauntlets] broke down.
In battle, weapon damage is almost an adventurer's nightmare. Once a weapon is lost, combat power will decline sharply.
The girl's silver-gray eyes appeared exceptionally soft in the tavern's light, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly with each blink.
"Is something the matter? Shirou?"
Heer noticed Emiya's gaze. She turned her head and asked with a lovely voice.
"No, it's nothing."
Emiya responded with a smile, his tone natural, but a subtle sense of incongruity welled up within him.
What exactly was wrong? He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the feeling grew stronger.
It was the sweetest wine brewed by Mia, the owner, further enhanced with generous amounts of honey and sugar, making it extremely rich and cloying.
Emiya had always remembered this, so he specially prepared this sweet wine, her favorite in the past, for the girl.
However, today, Heer didn't seem to have much enthusiasm for the drink, barely taking a few sips before placing it on the table.
Emiya smiled at Heer, seemingly suppressing the subtle sense of incongruity in his heart.
"I see."
She picked up the overly sweet drink, took a small sip, frowned slightly, and then put the cup down again.
In a corner of the tavern, Mia, the proprietress, "slammed" two huge plates onto the table, creating a dull thud.
Hedin and Hogni, the two elves, exchanged glances for a moment.
For ordinary adventurers, this pilaf was undoubtedly a hearty, filling, and nutritious dish. But for the elves, such cuisine was a bit too rough and greasy.
Moreover, with the aura of the [Black and White Knights], if they were to reveal themselves, the entire tavern's atmosphere would instantly become tense, and the banquet would be impossible to continue.
Hedin said expressionlessly, "It's much more refined than before."
Hedin paused and nodded, "I see, that makes sense."
Although, in terms of age, the elf Hedin was older than Mia, Mia, who had joined the Freya Familia earlier, still habitually called him 'Little Brat,' and Hedin didn't object.
In the Freya Familia, where the members' relationships were strained, there were no such things as 'victory celebrations.'
In contrast, Hogni's expression was indifferent, but his heart was even more uneasy. This noisy atmosphere was simply a nightmare for him.
Anya and Chloe were clearly a bit drunk and began to make a fuss excitedly. Seeing this, Mia walked over and easily picked up the two cats.
180
Chapter 180: Emiya VS Black Fist.
"Trace, On."
In an instant, two short swords, one black and one white, appeared in his hands—[Kanshou and Bakuya].
Now, with his level up to , Emiya, relying on his extremely high magic power stat, consumed almost negligible magic power when projecting these short swords. He only needed to think about it, and the blades would materialize in his palm.
Opposite Emiya was the former bounty hunter wearing the weapon [Fighting Gauntlets]—[Black Fist] Runo Faste.
Runo wanted to see with her own eyes how much this young man had grown in recent adventures. At the same time, she also wanted to take this opportunity to test her own strength as a martial artist.
As for Emiya, after leveling up, his body hadn't fully adapted, and he needed to find a new balance point through actual combat.
"Runo, good luck! Shirou, you too, good luck! ~"
The gentle and sweet voice of the goddess Demeter echoed in the courtyard, breaking the tense atmosphere. Both of them couldn't help but reveal helpless smiles, their taut nerves relaxing for a moment.
The young martial artist's footsteps were not as swift as [Gale]'s, but they were exceptionally steady. Each step was heavy and forceful, stomping hard on the floor, using this fierce burst of power to propel her body forward.
Runo's fist wind howled as it came. Emiya quickly raised the short sword in his hand, [Kanshou] meeting her straight punch. The blade and gauntlet connected, creating a dull collision sound.
Immediately after, Runo didn't relax, a horizontal punch following closely, the fist wind carrying a fierce force towards Emiya's cheek.
However, Runo's attack didn't end there. Her footwork suddenly changed, her body suddenly lowered, and a sweeping leg swept towards Emiya's lower body.
Although Emiya successfully defended against Runo's combo, he was still forced back by the opponent's aggressive offensive.
Each strike was full of explosive power, leaving Emiya with almost no chance to breathe.
Emiya stared intently at Runo's movements. Although he was at a disadvantage, he didn't panic in the slightest.
At the moment the fist and blade intersected, Runo immediately realized a fact: although her level was higher than the young man opposite her, she didn't have an advantage in terms of agility and dexterity.
Moreover, Emiya's combat skills were clearly beyond her expectations. Every strike, every defensive move was impeccably precise.
She possessed A-grade potential strength, and with the accumulation at , her strength stat had reached A870, which was almost overwhelmingly powerful among second-tier adventurers.
Straight punches, jabs, thrust punches—these simple and direct attacks became her most powerful weapons at this moment.
Even more troublesome was that Runo deliberately closed the distance, clinging tightly, obviously to prevent Emiya's adept long-range attacks and other means.
She didn't allow him to create distance. In this close-quarters, high-tempo offense and defense, Emiya could only concentrate almost all of his attention on the immediate confrontation, making it difficult to use more complex tactics.
Although Emiya's dual blades could block most attacks, the heavy force constantly impacted his body, and each block consumed his stamina.
For [Chariot's Half-Wheel]-type warriors who were good at charging tactics, or assassins like [Black Cat], such a narrow environment was no longer sufficient to fully display their abilities.
At this moment, the one who was even more shocked than Emiya was Runo herself. She had poured all her strength into every attack, almost without reservation.
Every punch was accurately blocked and neutralized by Emiya. Her offensive was like waves crashing against a reef, fierce but ultimately unable to shake the opponent's defense.
Logically speaking, an opponent like Emiya, who was good at flexible tactics and long-range attacks, should have been suppressed by her strength and close-quarters combat advantage, leaving him unable to fight back.
Runo couldn't help but imagine what the situation would be like if the battle scene were changed to a complex environment—ruins with various obstacles, a dark forest, or even a battlefield where traps could be set and magic swords could be used.
"Be careful."
At this moment, Emiya suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.
But what Emiya was testing wasn't his and Runo's own durability, but the durability of the weapons.
Only careful observation could reveal that the surface of the swords in Emiya's hands was covered with a faint layer of white light. This light was like the clear moonlight, flowing gently through the swords' patterns.
Under the moonlight, the strengthening effect no longer consumed mental power and the effect was enhanced.
However, she had overlooked a fatal blind spot—her own weapon. Under Emiya's deliberate guidance and attacks, her weapon, [Fighting Gauntlets], had already developed cracks and was gradually unable to hold on.
Having never experienced such a strange attack method, she subconsciously ignored Emiya's purpose, always focusing all her efforts on the contest of strength and speed.
The metal baffle fell off, landing on the ground with a crisp sound, and the leather material connecting the palm and wrist also cracked, becoming dilapidated.
