The Journey Begins in DanMachi

Strength: I-0

Endurance: I-0

Dexterity: I-0

Agility: I-0

Magic: I-0

Development Abilities:

Magic:

[Thunder Decree]

[Elegy of Light]

Skills:

[Fall of the Morning Star]

[Ode to Spring]

[Movement of Truth]

[Fallen Moon Crimson Beauty]

Melody of Bliss, Visage of Female Calamity

global amplification and remove negative status effects by resonating with women who acknowledge your charm.

amplification under the moonlight.

charm against Elves.

'Resonance'?

It should mean intimate interaction, right?

But how intimate does it have to be to count as resonance?

Does kissing count? Biting? Negative distance?

Staring at the new skill on the paper, Noah fell into silence.

Isn't this skill a bit too indecent?

"Hehe, Noah, oh Noah, I didn't expect a guy with such thick eyebrows and big eyes to be so repressed in private. But you'd better be careful; if you accidentally charm Riveria, watch out for being hunted down by the entire Elf race!"

Loki was open-minded; since Ais's loss was inevitable, she might as well sit back and watch the show.

What kind of show?

Three women make a play, so if there are more, wouldn't there be an endless show to watch?

Hearing the schadenfreude in Loki's laughter, Noah narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"Loki, you're right. So, to prevent myself from failing to control this skill, I've decided to test it out first, alright?"

"What? Test? Wait, don't tell me you want to!"

Like a rooster with its neck pinched, Loki's laughter came to an abrupt halt.

However, by the time she wanted to stop him, it was already too late.

Because Noah had already flashed a smile at Loki, a magnificent purple light blooming within his azure eyes—

In just an instant, Loki's consciousness was dazzled and mesmerized by that incredibly charming smile.

"Loki, I'm a bit short on cash lately. Could you give me some Valis to spend?"

"Huh? Oh, sure."

With hazy eyes, as if she had been drugged, Loki casually picked up a box from under her blanket and handed it to Noah.

Noah opened it and discovered two magnificent, colorful Gnome Gem inside.

These gems were extremely valuable, possessing definite worth and credit; many people would exchange large amounts of Valis for Gnome Gem to store away.

Good grief, she always cries poor and embezzles Familia funds to buy Soma, yet she actually had a secret stash like this?!

Confiscated!

It must be confiscated!

Without the slightest hesitation, Noah took the box and left the Divine Chamber.

He certainly wouldn't keep it all for himself; handing it directly to Riveria would settle it.

Mama-san has nine ways to sanction this goddess!

Nine ways!

"Noah!! Bring back my private savings!! Eh? Ri, Riveria?! No, listen to my explanation! I really didn't deceive your sympathy last time, don't do this!!"

Amidst Loki's wailing and howling, Noah sighed and returned to his room.

To keep my own deity from wallowing in wine and lust, I really have sacrificed far too much.

Raul seemed to have been called away by Finn to handle some chores, leaving Noah alone in the room, so he couldn't be bothered to turn on the lights.

Lying on the bed, Noah closed his eyes, preparing to get a good night's sleep and relieve the physical fatigue from his expedition—

[Beep! Host, good evening!]

Seeing the cyan light screen appear before him, Noah was so startled he almost drew his sword to attack.

After a while, he finally realized what it was.

"Yo, you're still alive? I thought you'd died somewhere."

[Beep, please show basic respect to this system. I am the noble Savior System 10086, assisting heroes and saving the world.]

"Assisting?"

Lying back on the bed, Noah narrowed one eye and lazily looked at the system.

"What have you ever helped me with? It seems like you've been in a state of disappearance since I got here. If you're supposed to be assisting heroes, then show me a couple of divine artifacts first? Otherwise, I'll apply to get a more useful system."

Silence, silence was the Orario tonight.

[Beep, sob, sob! My precious! I'm just a weak system that's just starting out. Resources are monopolized by my seniors, and I'm assigned to all sorts of obscure dimensional worlds. I have to assist all sorts of lunatics in saving the world every day. You're the super epic legendary card I painstakingly drew. Please don't abandon me! Otherwise, I'll self-destruct right here for you to see!]

The system's demeanor changed so abruptly that Noah almost popped his eyeballs out.

What the heck, why does it sound like a nagging wife?

"Alright, alright, stop crying."

"Sob, sob."

"I won't change it, I won't change it, don't worry."

"Shut up! If you keep wailing, then self-destruct. At worst, I'll commit suicide, and we'll all go our separate ways!!"

"...Beep, system has returned to normal."

Well, it seems like everything likes to act up and needs a good slap to come to its senses.

"Alright, you suddenly appeared, is there something you need me for?"

"Beep, temporary salvation mission. Does the host have any interest?"

"Oh?"

*

In a dark basement in Fuyuki City.

A black-haired little girl with a face full of terror suddenly felt a burning sensation on the back of her hand and couldn't help but let out a scream.

Why is it a little girl again?

What did I do wrong?

Why don't my parents want me?

Why was I thrown here?

In the cold and damp basement, the girl looked at the pool filled with countless wriggling insects before her, despair and tears welling up in her eyes.

Sakura Tohsaka, now known as Sakura Matou, wanted to escape, but her legs didn't even have the strength to stand.

Not only because she knew that in front of the "grandfather" who was the head of the Matou Family, she, a mere ordinary girl, could not escape.

Even more so because Sakura Matou didn't know where to escape to.

Because the ones who sent her here, into this devil's den, were her own father and mother.

Her parents chose her more outstanding, sunny, and cheerful older sister, and abandoned her—for the little girl, this was her entire understanding of this day.

Just as "Grandfather" said, the moment she was sent to the Matou Family, there was no other place for her to go; she could only survive as a member of the Matou Family.

Even if she escaped this devil's den, where could she go?

If she ran back to the Tohsaka Family, would she be sent back again?

The sound of the disgusting insects wriggling surged like a tsunami, plunging Sakura Matou into boundless despair.

"Well then, it's time to receive the baptism of these insects, isn't it?"

Behind Sakura Matou stood a short, bald old man leaning on a cane.

His emaciated body was wrapped in a bluish-gray kimono, and his limbs were as withered as dead wood.

His sunken eye sockets obscured his pupils, but they revealed a malicious playfulness that repelled people from the depths of their hearts.

Although he was humanoid, he exuded the decaying aura of a rotten corpse.

He reached out and placed his hand on Sakura Matou's small, thin back, then forcefully pushed her towards the sea of insects below—

No matter how strong she was, the tender little girl, looking at the surging insect pool, finally let out a helpless cry.

Dad, Mom, Sister, anyone...

Please, save me...

As if responding to Sakura Matou's inner cry and plea, a searing heat like a branding iron suddenly appeared on the back of the girl's hand, causing her to let out a low scream.

"It hurts!"

Feeling the ripples of magical energy, Zouken Matou instinctively froze, then caught sight of the crimson pattern on the girl's hand, looking as if it were made of congealed blood.

It was a design composed of three cherry blossom petals, flickering like the flame of a candle.

Zouken Matou knew the symbolic meaning of this mark all too well, for he was the very one who had developed the Command Spell system years ago.

Yet, it was precisely for that reason that his eyes widened in shock.

"How, how is this possible? There is still over a year left until the sixty-year cycle!"

Zouken Matou hoped it was merely a hallucination, but reality seemed determined to spite him, unfolding in the opposite direction.

Beneath the churning mass of insects, brilliant rays of light suddenly erupted.

The light, as dazzling as the sun, effortlessly incinerated the insects into ash, then shot straight toward the ceiling, painting the dark, damp basement in a stark, ghastly white.

The gale stirred up by the surging magical energy expanded, emitting a deafening roar throughout the basement.

Sakura Matou could clearly feel the stairs beneath her feet turning as soft as cotton amidst the violent tremors, while the gale before her felt like a moving wall of giants threatening to blow her away, and the blinding light made it impossible for her to keep her eyes open.