Syr smiled as she looked at the lively tavern, and beside her, Emiya unconsciously gazed at her profile.
The girl's silver-gray eyes appeared especially gentle under the tavern's lighting. Her eyelashes were long and slightly trembled with each blink.
Her skin was fair and delicate, seemingly with a sheen. If one observed carefully, one could find a layer of almost unnoticeable fine fuzz on her cheeks, giving a soft impression.
"Is something wrong, Shirou?", Syr noticed Emiya's gaze. She turned her head and asked in a cute voice.
"No, it's nothing," Emiya responded with a smile, his tone natural, but inside, a faint, indescribable sense of dissonance arose.
Today's girl, whether in appearance, personality, way of speaking, or behavior, was no different than usual.
Exactly what was off? He couldn't say clearly, but the feeling became more apparent.
Emiya's gaze slightly lowered, falling upon the cup of sweet wine held in Syr's hands.
That was the sweetest type of wine brewed by Boss Mia, and on top of that, large amounts of honey and sugar were added, making it extremely rich and sweet.
Such a drink, only Syr liked. Emiya himself couldn't quite accept it. But he remembered very clearly, he had once seen Syr mixing this sweet wine herself in the kitchen. At that time, the girl's expression showed her sincere fondness for this drink.
Emiya had always remembered this, so he specially mixed this sweet wine for the girl that she once liked most.
However, today's Syr didn't seem too enthusiastic about this drink, even setting it on the table after only a few sips.
But, this didn't seem to be something worth caring too much about. Physical condition, mood, even weather changes could affect one's taste preference.
Emiya smiled at Syr, seemingly suppressing the faint sense of dissonance in his heart.
"I see," Syr softly responded, as if she sensed Emiya's calm heart, and likewise let out a breath of relief.
She lifted the cup of overly sweet beverage, sipped a bit, lightly furrowed her brows, and then put the cup back down.
In the girl's silver-gray pupils, as if a trace of deep purple flashed by, vanishing in an instant.
In the corner of the tavern, Boss Mia slammed two huge plates onto the table with a dull thud.
"Come on, eat up."
The short dwarf lady boss crossed her arms and spoke bluntly.
Hedin and Hogni, the two elves, looked at each other in dismay.
On the plates were extra-large servings of pork stew rice, with potatoes, green peppers, and other vegetables added, and thick cheese poured over.
For ordinary adventurers, this stew rice was undoubtedly a filling, nutritious delicacy. But for elves, this kind of dish was a bit too rough and greasy.
Everyone else in the tavern was enjoying the food, except for the two of them, who had to quietly eat Mama Mia's stew rice. No choice, they didn't want to formally join the banquet.
Moreover, with the aura of the [Black and White Knights], if they truly appeared, the entire tavern's atmosphere would probably turn tense in an instant, and the banquet wouldn't go on.
Hedin silently picked up a spoon, and Hogni didn't dare to object either.
"Your cooking has improved," Hedin expressionlessly said, "Compared to before, it's much more refined."
Mia sneered, "This was made by the goddess Demeter."
Hedin paused, then nodded, "I see, that makes sense then."
Mia clenched her fist, "You four-eyed brat, just like before, still so annoying when you talk."
Although age-wise, the elf Hedin was older than Mia, since Mia joined the Freya Familia first, she habitually called him "brat," and Hedin didn't object.
"You two are also today's heroes, don't just keep that cold face," Mia looked at them, her tone softening a bit, "So? The atmosphere here, not bad, right?"
In the Freya Familia, where relationships between members were tense, there was no such thing as a "celebration banquet."
Hedin lightly pushed up his glasses and responded nonchalantly, "Boring. The goddess's praise is enough for me."
By comparison, Hogni's expression was cold, but internally he was even more uneasy. This kind of noisy atmosphere was a nightmare to him.
"Really an unlovable brat," Mia waved her hand and turned to leave, "You two eat slowly, I'll go take a look over there."
Anya and Chloe had clearly drunk a bit too much, starting to act excitedly. Seeing this, Mia walked over and easily picked up the two cats.
Hedin silently continued eating the stew rice in front of him.
"The taste… isn't bad," He said, the corner of his lips slightly curved up, showing a barely noticeable arc.
———
"Trace, on."
Accompanied by Emiya's low chant, a dazzling magical light condensed in his hand.
In an instant, a black and a white short sword appeared in his palms, [Kanshou and Bakuya]. [T/N: I previously used Gan Jiang & Mo Ye instead of kanshou & Bakuya.]
This pair of black and white twin swords were the weapons he was most familiar with. Throughout countless battles, they were always by his side like shadows.
And now, having ascended in level to Lv.3, with extremely high magic stats, the magic cost to project this pair of short swords was almost negligible. Just a thought, and the blades were solidified in his palms.
Not only that, with the bonus from his high dexterity stat, Emiya's sword techniques had reached a whole new level. Every swing was faster and more precise, as if the twin swords and his body were one, with no extra movement between offense and defense.
Standing opposite Emiya was the former bounty hunter wearing the armament [Combat Gauntlets], [Black Fist] Launoire Faust.
This sparring session was initiated by Launoire, and Emiya readily accepted.
Launoire wanted to see for herself just how much this young man had grown during recent adventures. At the same time, she wanted to test her own strength as a pugilist.
After Ryuu advanced to Lv.5, the motivated girl had been training hard. Now, whether in stats or combat technique, she had shown significant improvement.
As for Emiya, after leveling up, his body hadn't fully adapted yet, and he needed real battle to find a new balance.
The two stood facing each other in the courtyard of the [Hostess of Fertility] tavern. All around was quiet, and a faint solemn air lingered in the atmosphere.
"Launoire, do your best! Shirou, you too~", The gentle and sweet voice of the goddess Demeter echoed in the courtyard, breaking the originally tense atmosphere. Both of them couldn't help but show helpless smiles, and the tight nerves loosened slightly.
However, it was precisely this voice that, like an invisible starting gun, signaled the beginning of the battle.
Launoire was the first to act. Without any hesitation, her figure charged toward Emiya like thunder.
Though the girl pugilist's steps weren't as fast as [Gale]'s, they were exceptionally solid. Each step landed with weight and force, using that explosive strength to drive her body forward.
Her fist, carrying thunderous momentum, swung at Emiya's face. Despite her slim figure, her punch held astonishing power. The steel-plated combat gauntlet gleamed under the light, drawing a fierce straight line as she punched.
Launoire's fist wind howled toward him. Emiya quickly raised the short blade in his hand—[Kanshou] met her straight punch. Blade and gauntlet collided, producing a dull clashing sound.
The powerful impact made Emiya's arm go slightly numb, but he steadied his stance and forcefully took the heavy strike.
Next, Launoire didn't pause. Her horizontal fist followed close behind, with sharp strength aiming at the side of Emiya's face.
Emiya quickly raised his other short blade—[Bakuya], using the blade's body to block her attack.
Fist and blade collided, sparks flying. Launoire's strength made the ground under Emiya's feet slightly sink, but he still held his ground, firmly maintaining his defense.
Yet, Launoire's assault was far from over. Her footwork suddenly changed, and she lowered her body sharply, sweeping a leg toward Emiya's lower body.
Emiya quickly realized her intent and leapt to dodge. But Launoire's punch wind had already come again. Crossing his arms, dual blades flashing alternately, he blocked every attack with precision, like dancing.
Although Emiya successfully defended against Launoire's combo, her oppressive offensive forced him to retreat repeatedly.
Each strike was full of explosive power, giving Emiya almost no breathing room.
Launoire had complete initiative. Her fists were like violent waves, crashing against Emiya's defense one after another, relentlessly compressing his space.
Emiya's eyes fixed on Launoire's movements. Despite being at a disadvantage, he remained calm.
At the moment their fists and blades clashed, Launoire immediately realized a fact: despite her higher level than the boy opposite her, in dexterity and agility, she held no advantage.
Her average potential in those two dimensions was merely D. Against Emiya, her reaction speed and fluidity of movement were slightly inferior.
Moreover, Emiya's combat skills far exceeded her expectations. Every attack, every defense was executed flawlessly.
So, Launoire quickly adjusted her strategy. Her strength had never been in delicate technique, but overwhelming power.
She had an A-grade potential in strength. With the accumulation from Lv.4, her strength stat had reached A870. Overwhelming among second-tier adventurers.
Thus, Launoire decisively gave up complicated combos and flashy tactics, focusing purely on raw power output.
Straight punches, jabs, rush punches, these simple and direct attacks became her strongest weapons at the moment.
Every punch carried her full power, like an iron hammer. No flourish, only lethality.
Confronted with such a direct yet effective attack, Emiya's combat skills were maximally suppressed. The girl's every punch was filled with strength and explosion, giving him no chance to breathe.
More troubling was that Launoire deliberately closed the distance, clinging tightly. Obviously to prevent Emiya from using long-range attacks or other techniques he was good at.
She didn't allow him to pull away. In this high-tempo, close-range duel, Emiya had to focus entirely on the immediate clash, unable to employ more complex tactics.
Under this pressure, Emiya was forced to retreat step by step. Launoire's fists came down like iron hammers, each one forcing him back a pace.
Though Emiya's dual blades could block most attacks, the heavy power kept battering his body. Every block consumed stamina.
Though his defense hadn't collapsed, he was being pushed toward the edge of the courtyard.
This courtyard wasn't small, but in such a battle, space felt especially tight.
For warriors specializing in charge tactics like the [Chariot's Fragment] or assassins like the [Black Cat], such a cramped space no longer allowed full performance.
Even for Launoire and Emiya's melee combat, the small courtyard's limits were being felt. If this went on, cornered against the wall, Emiya might soon lose.
At this moment, more shocked than Emiya himself was Launoire. She had poured all her strength into every attack, holding nothing back.
Yet even with absolute advantage in level and strength, she still couldn't break through the boy's sword defense.
Each punch was precisely blocked and neutralized. Her offense was like waves crashing against a reef. Fierce, yet unable to shake the defense.
This was a standard "arena duel", supposedly the most favorable environment for a pugilist like her. Open, unobstructed, ideal for close combat.
By all logic, an opponent like Emiya, who excelled in flexible tactics and ranged attacks, should've been suppressed by her strength and close-range superiority.
Yet reality was far from it. Even in this pure environment, she couldn't push Emiya into absolute disadvantage.
Launoire couldn't help but imagine, 'If the battlefield changed to a complex environment. With obstacles, dark forests, or places allowing traps and magic swords, what then?'
She felt a chill. In such environments, relying on his combat skills, agile movement, and varied tactics, the boy might have already suppressed her, or even reversed the ranks.
"Watch out," At that moment, Emiya suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.
Just as she sought to overpower him with strength, Emiya intended to compete in another way. Durability.
But what Emiya tested was not his own or Launoire's stamina, but weapon durability.
———
Beneath the night sky, the full moon hung high, faint moonlight casting into the courtyard.
Only with close observation could one see, a faint white glow covering Emiya's blades. This glow, like soft moonlight, flowed gently along the sword patterns.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
[Knight Of Goddess (The Moon Knight Whose Radiance Never Falls))]
—Dominate the weapons in hand and grant enhancements.
—May consume additional mental energy to make weapons tougher and sharper.
—Under moonlight, enhancement no longer costs energy, and effect is enhanced.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Launoire, with endurance reaching B-rank, was far from her physical limit. Her offense remained fierce, movements swift and powerful.
But she had overlooked one fatal blind spot, her own weapon. Under Emiya's deliberate guidance and attacks, her [Combat Gauntlets] had begun to crack, gradually failing.
Launoire hadn't noticed. Emiya's attacks hadn't solely targeted her, but had precisely struck the weak points of her gauntlets again and again.
Never having faced this strange tactic before, she subconsciously ignored Emiya's intent, fully focusing on strength and speed.
Finally, with a crisp shattering sound, Launoire's [Combat Gauntlets] broke.
The metal baffle fell off, landing on the ground with a crisp sound, and the leather material connecting the palm and the wrist also split in response, becoming tattered and ruined.
In battle, weapon damage is almost an adventurer's nightmare. Once a weapon is lost, combat power will plummet.
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