Is It Wrong to be in the Dungeon, Heroic Spirit Epic of the Great Hero Shirou Chapter 1
When the great hero Shirou Emiya arrived in the world of the Dungeon, a sword in one hand and a forging hammer in the other, the glory of Heroic Spirits would shine once more.
Ais: "I want to fight side by side with Shirou—[Mythic Greatsword: Fall of the Demon God]!"
Ryuu: "Shirou showed me what true justice is—[Army of Justice]! Come forth, War God of Endless Justice!"
Riveria: "The blessing of the Elven Queen shall always be with you—[Spirit Homeland from the End of the World]!"
Tsubaki: "This sword, beyond even the domain of the gods, was forged for you—[Heavenly Cloud Blade: Supreme Sword Art]!"
Haruhime: "Shirou, I pray for your eternal victory and glory—[Water Sunlight: Amaterasu's Sacred Stone]!"
Shirou Emiya: "I never wished to be a Hero of Justice. I only want to protect those I love... Let's do this, Black Dragon. Do you still have life to spare?"
Chapter 1: Stories Always Begin on a Rainy Night"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on, the crown of righteousness is laid up for me."
A shattered soul dragged its weary steps across endless snowy plains, finally arriving at its journey's end.
"I've reached the end... Is this really my final destination?"
He had walked too long, far too long.
Abandoning his former ideal of being a "Hero of Justice," choosing instead the "happiness of those beside him," he burned away his body and soul for that choice—and now stood at the rightful conclusion.
"Ah... truly, it was a journey like chasing an unseen moon through a never-ending night..."
He closed his eyes. His fading soul began to sink, like a plunge into an infinite void.
The journey of the man known as Shirou Emiya... seemed to have reached its final stop.
The sky poured down relentless rain.
Cold as ice, this rain washed everything away.
Shirou Emiya's eyes snapped open.
A wooden ceiling came into view. The warmth of a blanket and bedding wrapped around his body. The itchy sensation from his wounds suggested an abnormal rate of healing.
This was nowhere he remembered. It was a wooden cabin he had never seen before.
Silver moonlight shone through a window, illuminating the boy's handsome features and fiery red hair.
"Where... is this?"
He remembered everything.
He had clearly died—yet had awakened again in this strange world, and even his body had reverted to that of a child.
From the moment he awoke, he had been imprisoned in a dungeon.
Those people called themselves the [Dark Faction], involved in human trafficking across the land.
He seized an opportunity, stole a weapon from his guard, and killed him without hesitation.
Though his body was that of a child, and both his magical power and forged strength were gone, he still retained the techniques and combat instincts—and most importantly, the resolve—deeply etched into his soul.
He tried to escape but was caught again—this time by someone far beyond human limits.
"I'm a Level 3 elite adventurer, you reckless brat!" the man roared, pummeling Shirou until he was a bloody mess.
Yet due to internal disagreements, they didn't kill him immediately.
"This little bastard killed one of ours. I'll turn him into mincemeat for the monsters!"
"Wait—this kid has no divine blessing, yet managed to kill a Level 1 adventurer. That kind of talent would be wasted if we just killed him..."
Their arguments over the boy's fate wouldn't last long.
A sharp wind tore through the hideout.
A masked and hooded woman wielding a katana descended like a storm. Against her, the Dark Faction were weaker than children. The proud Level 3 adventurer didn't even react before she lopped off his head.
The female swordsman fought fiercely through the enemy base. Even wounded by traps, she cut down all opposition until, at last, she stood before the unconscious boy. After a long moment of hesitation, she picked up the gravely injured child.
"She saved me, didn't she?" Back in the present, Shirou looked at his slender arms. His child's body was still too frail. More critically, he had no magic power and couldn't even sense his circuits—his projection magic was unusable.
He tried to sit up, only to fall back down immediately.
Agonizing pain surged through his body. He lifted the blanket to inspect his wounds. Bandages wrapped his abdomen—clearly he'd been treated properly.
His left arm was likely broken. A few ribs too. Some other injuries were probably surface-level.
"I should've been in worse shape than this... and... ngh—"
A sharp, itchy pain in his left arm made him suck in a breath. His instincts told him his bones were healing at an unnatural speed.
"Ah, you're awake. That's wonderful."
The door opened, and a girl entered.
"You are...?"
"Ah, try to move slowly. Your legs weren't seriously injured, but even with an elixir, wounds like yours won't heal instantly."
She carried a wooden bucket full of warm water. Her soft silver hair and eyes gave her an ethereal quality that didn't match her gentle voice.
Dressed like a maid or store clerk, she smiled warmly at the boy. "My name is Ciel—Ciel Frowa."
So she was the one who saved me... no, wait—
Shirou rethought it. That female swordsman should have been someone else.
But the girl in front of him must have been the one who treated his wounds.
"My name is Emiya. Emiya Shirou."
"Emiya? Sounds like an Eastern name. Can I call you Shirou-kun?"
"Ah, uh, sure."
Shirou now looked no older than twelve or thirteen. The affectionate way Ciel addressed him wasn't unusual—but to the soul of a grown man, it felt a little embarrassing.
"You slept all day."
"All day...?"
Shirou wasn't surprised. All he thought was: I'm alive.
And... what happened to the swordswoman who saved him?
Ciel soaked a towel in warm water and gently wiped Shirou's face. Her pale silver eyes met his as she began to explain the situation.
Shirou didn't look away. The sweet, gentle smile of this lovable girl reminded him of someone—his junior, "Sakura."
"Small-town girl" or "girl next door" would suit her—she exuded a comforting, everyday warmth.
"This is the tavern I work at. I found you and another elven girl collapsed in an alley, so I brought you here—"
"She's okay?" Shirou asked immediately.
"Ah, about her—her injuries were even worse," Ciel replied. "She's still unconscious... Shirou, do you know her name?"
"I don't. She just... saved me..." he answered.
Ciel nodded. "I see... Then Shirou, do you remember where your home is?"
Shirou fell silent for a moment.
"Probably very far away... No—there may not be a home for me here at all."
Ciel had no words for that.
The protagonist is the Emiya Shirou from the "Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya" alternate universe—specifically, Miyu's world, a ruined future headed for extinction. In this world, Shirou received superior magical education early on and traveled the world with Kiritsugu, performing salvation missions. He's not only skilled in archery, swords, and martial arts, but is also proficient with firearms.
In Miyu's timeline, the Emiya family found the "Universal Wish Machine"—Miyu, the divine child. She became Shirou's adopted sister. In the end, Shirou gave up becoming a "Hero of Justice," refusing to sacrifice his sister for the world. One night, he carved his way through the Holy Grail War, making a wish to send Miyu to a timeline where she could find happiness.
Chapter 2: Ryuu Lion"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up something painful..." Ciel said gently.
"No, it's just..." Realizing she misunderstood him, Shirou didn't know how to explain. For a moment, he was speechless.
A deep voice broke the awkward silence.
"That kid—he awake yet?"
The newcomer was a tall, broad-shouldered woman—not just tall, but powerfully built. Every bit of her appearance exuded strength.
Her earth-brown hair was tied back, and her features and figure gave a bold, hearty impression.
"Yes, Mom. His name is Emiya Shirou. Shirou, this is Mama Mia—the owner of the tavern where I work."
So she's the tavern's boss.
For some reason, Shirou felt a strong pressure in her presence—like facing a Heroic Spirit renowned for brute force. Just his imagination, perhaps.
"Really now... You always do this when we're short-staffed. Bringing home all sorts of strays like they're lost kittens..."
Mia sighed as she grumbled. Ciel quickly walked over and tugged lightly on her apron.
"What?" Mia looked puzzled. Ciel leaned close and whispered something in her ear.
"...Hah." Mia let out a long sigh, then walked over to Shirou and placed a large hand on his head.
Wow, she's strong... Shirou was a bit dazed.
"Well, fine. You can stay here for now, kid. We're short-handed anyway. You'll work off the cost of food, lodging, and the elixir you used—until your debt's cleared."
"O-okay," Shirou replied.
"Honestly... the kid I can tolerate. But that elf you dragged in—that one's clearly a handful." Mia continued grumbling while roughly ruffling Shirou's hair.
"But Mama Mia, you did agree to take her in too."
Mia just sighed again, while Ciel smiled warmly.
"She's strict with her words, but she's really a good person," Shirou thought to himself.
"Oh right—since you and that elf came together, you'll be taking care of her starting tomorrow."
"But Mama Mia, Shirou's still injured..."
"Just send him to a healing familia and get a cure spell. Ciel, you've already wasted a day nursing this kid and that elf. Get back to work tomorrow!"
"Yes~!"
And just like that, Shirou Emiya was tasked with taking care of the elven girl.
It was through Mama Mia that he finally learned her name—
Ryuu Lion.
"So that's how it is…"
Over the past two days, while tending to Miss Ryuu at her bedside, Shirou had been subtly gathering information about this world in various ways.
It seemed to be a fantasy-style parallel world. In addition to humans, there were elves, beastmen, dwarves, Amazons, and prums (the smallfolk). For instance, the sleeping beauty before him—Miss Ryuu—was an elf, with delicate features and long, pointed ears.
One particularly interesting point: Mama Mia turned out to be a dwarf. Yet her height exceeded that of many humans and elves. She must be a unique individual among her kind.
Beyond the many races, this world also had monsters that posed a threat to human life. These creatures came from the Dungeon—an underground labyrinth beneath the city of Orario, known as the center of the world. This was also where Shirou now found himself. It was the place where gods descended from the heavens to gather.
Those who entered the Dungeon to battle monsters were called "adventurers." Orario was home to many gods who had sealed away their divine powers to seek "entertainment" in the lower world. Adventurers could form contracts with these gods using their divine blood, becoming part of their [Familia]. Through this, they could unlock their potential, gain supernatural powers, and even ascend to a higher level of existence.
That Dark Faction man had proudly proclaimed, "I'm a Level 3 elite adventurer." And in this world, Level 3 truly was impressive. More than half of Orario's adventurers were at the lowest tier—Level 1. That proportion was even higher when viewed on a global scale.
In an ordinary nation within the world of Orario, someone at Level 3 could easily serve as a "Royal Knight Captain" or "Lord of a Territory."
So then… what kind of powerhouse was Miss Ryuu, who beheaded a Level 3 in one clean strike?
"Speaking of ways to wake a sleeping beauty, Shirou-kun, don't you think of that? You know, that—a prince's kiss, meow~."
Appearing silently like a cat—because she actually was a cat person—an orange-haired girl suddenly appeared.
"No, that's just a fairy tale, Miss Anya…"
"You've got to call me Senior Anya! Anya's super awesome, you know? Shirou should show more respect, meow~."
The catgirl puffed up her chest dramatically.
Wearing the same tavern staff uniform as Miss Ciel, this whirlwind of a feline girl popped up all over the place. The one Mia called the "dumb cat," Miss Anya, was full of energy as always.
"Shirou, you're way too young to be dismissing fairy tales. Where's your sense of wonder~?"