In the end, Shirou was persuaded by Amiya.
This land was after all not the world he was familiar with. Perhaps he should not impose his own way of thinking onto them.
However, Shirou's condition was that if the situation became truly critical, he would be the one to stay behind and cover the retreat. That point was non-negotiable.
In terms of stubbornness, Amiya and Shirou were practically evenly matched.
But right now, Shirou was working for the Lungmen Guard Department, and this was Lungmen territory, so there was no room for debate. He had the final say here unless Chen issued a direct order.
Unfortunately, communication between both sides was compromised, so Shirou had to rely on his own judgment. Naturally, he chose to act according to his own thinking.
The optimal solution would have been to keep everyone from following him, or even for him not to enter at all, instead engaging from a distance with sniping.
But without sufficient information and visibility, that approach would place great pressure on Chen's side.
Moreover, it conflicted with his role in this operation.
Throughout this mission, what he had been doing was drawing most of the attention to himself and acting as the brightest beacon in the operation, attracting the enemy's focus while allowing the Guard Department to act more smoothly.
"Then we will leave the front to you, Shirou."
After confirming the plan, Blaze, Rosmontis, Ace, and Scout had no objections. After all, the conditions Shirou proposed were entirely in their favor.
There was no reason to refuse such advantageous terms.
Having accepted such favorable conditions, it was only natural to follow his instructions and perform well.
"Mm. Remember what I said, if I think something is wrong, you all retreat immediately. I will hold the rear."
After giving his final reminder, Shirou stepped to the front of the group.
Lowering his stance slightly, he lightly clenched both hands. Kanshou and Bakuya appeared in his grasp. After briefly adjusting his condition, he waited for Chen's signal.
Next… it was time to cause some real chaos.
"Assault!"
The moment Chen gave the signal, Shirou burst forward at incredible speed.
"Is he rushing in that fast!?"
Blaze had expected him to give some kind of signal, so she froze for a moment before chasing after him.
Unfortunately, even though they focused solely on running, they still could not catch up to Shirou ahead.
It should be noted that Shirou was charging at the very front, fully exposed to enemy fire, yet he showed no hesitation and was sprinting forward.
If they had not witnessed his earlier performance, Blaze might have thought he was someone unfamiliar with this kind of battle.
Who would charge ahead like that while knowing they were the primary target? Could he not at least wait for his teammates?
…
Of course, Shirou did not hear Blaze's inner complaints. He dared to act this way because he had confidence.
First, he was extremely sensitive to attacks that would hit him during combat. Second… his reinforcement magecraft and the holy shroud wrapped around his right hand gave him ample assurance.
To put it bluntly, with all his buffs stacked, even Originium Arts might not be able to injure him.
Since that was the case, he had nothing to fear.
That said, having high defense did not mean he could act recklessly. No matter how strong something was, continuous attacks on the same point would eventually break through especially considering his limited magical energy.
This fighting style would become highly disadvantageous if the battle dragged on.
Completing the mission as quickly as possible was the correct way to use this tactic.
That was also why Shirou had not equipped the suit in advance, nor activated reinforcement magecraft yet.
Saving even a bit of energy would allow him to last longer.
Rat-tat-tat-tat—boom—
The sound of drone gunfire rang out. Shirou dodged the attack through agile movement, and the drone was immediately shot down by Scout.
At the moment, the only one who could provide timely support to Shirou was Scout with his sniper rifle.
"They really think highly of me, do they not?"
Looking at the large number and variety of drones flying out from inside the building, along with several crossbow-wielding enemies, Shirou chuckled and muttered.
Leaving aside the drones, they had already fought through at least fifty of them and Shirou had more or less figured out their types and functions.
As for those crossbow users… they were clearly not as simple as the earlier ones who merely aimed and shot.
At the very least, the fact that their crossbows were as large as their own bodies made it obvious they were not ordinary.
Whoosh—
A bolt tore through the air with a loud sound, flying straight toward Shirou.
Glancing back briefly, Shirou assessed the situation and chose to deflect it with Kanshou and Bakuya.
Clang—
The moment the blades met the bolt, a loud impact rang out, followed by a sharp screech, and the bolt was split cleanly in two.
Using the momentum, Shirou spun his body. When the enemy regained sight of him, the twin blades in his hands had vanished, replaced by a black longbow and three streaks of red light rushing toward them.
As fellow marksmen, they knew how to evade Scout's sniping. But faced with Shirou's direct attack, they had no way to avoid it.
Even if they did, it would not matter much. Guided by magical energy, Shirou could adjust the trajectory of his arrows. While they could not relentlessly pursue targets like Hrunting they were more than enough to harass the enemy.
The three arrows destroyed three crossbows, while also placing immense pressure on the remaining enemies.
There were people capable of knocking arrows aside like Shirou, but someone who could switch from dual blades to a longbow and immediately perform precise sniping like this…
That was something they had never seen before.
At most, they had only panicked the first time because they were unprepared. Once they understood the opponent's attack pattern, it would only be a matter of time before they grasped the rhythm… right?
Wait..why was there a signboard for a funeral service suddenly appearing in midair? And why was it flying toward them?
Before anyone could react, the signboard had already smashed straight into their faces.
Thud—
As the signboard came crashing down, the figures of several crossbowmen vanished from where they stood.
"… "
Watching such a brutal method, Shirou felt that if he ever had the chance, he would need to have a proper talk with Rosmontis.
But that was something for later. With the strong cover provided by Scout and Rosmontis, Shirou successfully charged into the building.
The Kanshou and Bakuya in his hands enlarged, resembling a pair of black-and-white wings. In an X-shaped swing, he smashed the entrance wide open.
Only after entering did Shirou clearly see the situation inside.
"Not waiting for them was the right call."
Seeing the interior packed with explosives, Shirou's expression turned grim.
This was not a transaction site, it was nothing but a trap.
"Fall back! Everyone fall back! It is a trap!"
Shirou shouted at the top of his lungs to the people behind him, while simultaneously circulating his magical energy.
Immediately after, a massive explosion erupted, and flames swallowed Shirou's figure.
Boom—
The deafening blast tore through everyone's ears. Shockwaves and flames surged outward, engulfing the unconscious crossbowmen struck by the signboard, then spreading in all directions.
"Blaze!"
Holding up his shield to protect Amiya and Rosmontis behind him, Ace shouted toward Blaze, who had been running at the front.
"!!!"
Seeing the flames rushing toward her, Blaze immediately turned and sprinted back toward Ace and the others.
There was no cover around, she was in serious danger.
She might be resistant to heat, but not to this extent. Being burned still hurt.
"Good thing I ran fast. If you were any farther, I would not have been able to grab you."
Just as Blaze was sprinting with all her might, a voice suddenly sounded beside her.
The next moment she felt her footing disappear, someone had lifted her up.
"Shirou!? You are alright?"
Seeing who was holding her, Blaze was startled.
It was Shirou…the very person who had been swallowed first by the explosion.
Though he looked a bit dusty, he had no significant injuries. His clothes also seemed to have changed.
Compared to the Lungmen Guard Department coat, his current outfit looked far more striking.
If she had to complain about something, it would be that he was carrying her by the waist with one hand. She knew it was an emergency, but it still felt a bit uncomfortable.
"Of course I am fine. I would not do something like that without confidence."
Shirou replied irritably, quickening his pace.
After reaching Ace, Shirou extended his left hand and swung it downward. Several massive greatswords plunged into the ground, their enormous blades forming excellent cover.
"Ugh… that felt awful."
After being set down, Blaze held her stomach and complained.
"That discomfort is far better than being caught in the explosion. Endure it."
Watching the greatswords firmly block the blast's impact, Ace finally let out a sigh of relief.
He could have withstood the explosion himself, but at such close range, it would have been difficult.
"I know that, but it still feels awful!"
As the flames from the explosion gradually subsided, Blaze sat down on the ground.
"As you said, Shirou, this was indeed a trap. If we had rushed in carelessly, we would have suffered greatly…"
Looking at the surroundings that were now chaotic and scorched from the explosion Amiya pressed her lips together as she spoke.
She said this because originally, the five of them had planned to come here directly.
Even though they would have carefully confirmed things before proceeding further, judging from the scale of that explosion… if they had accidentally triggered it, someone would likely have been injured or even killed.
Shirou's presence had helped them avoid that worst-case scenario.
"This is what I should be doing. Do not think too much about it."
Seeing Amiya like this, Shirou responded.
She looked like a child who had made a mistake and was waiting to be scolded. She had just confidently assured him earlier that everything would be fine, yet in the end, it was Shirou's intervention that ensured everyone's safety.
In that situation, she, Rosmontis, and Ace would likely have been fine but Blaze might not have been.
But to Shirou, this was nothing.
Along the way, he had also received plenty of help from them. That was how cooperation worked.
Besides, regardless of whether the Rhodes Island members were here or not, he would have entered that building anyway. The final outcome would not have differed much.
After Shirou's reassurance, Amiya's mood visibly improved.
However, Shirou was now more concerned about Chen's situation.
He had deliberately sped up earlier and gone in ahead to scout. He did not know whether Chen and Hoshiguma were safe.
"...We were hit by the shockwave of the explosion. Hoshiguma and I are fine. If you are alright, Shirou, connect your communicator and make some noise so I know your condition."
Just as Shirou was worrying, Chen's voice came through the communicator.
That made him let out a sigh of relief. Following her instructions, he connected the microphone and made some sound to indicate that he was fine.
"So… what should we do next? Go inside to gather intelligence? Though with that level of explosion, anything inside is probably reduced to ashes."
After Shirou finished the call, Ace asked.
For both them and the Lungmen Guard Department, if this "transaction" never really existed and was merely a trap to lure someone in, then after enduring all these traps, there did not seem to be much left for them to do.
Going back to interrogate the Infected who assisted them might yield useful information.
But Ace knew that was unlikely. Those people were already so hostile toward the Infected that they even tampered with inhibitor drugs. There was no way they would entrust their actual plans to them.
At best, those Infected were just hired hands, doing tasks in exchange for something.
As for searching inside for intelligence, that was even less feasible. All they would likely find was piles of ash.
"Those crossbowmen should know something, right? Maybe we can try asking them?"
In response to Ace's question, Shirou immediately thought of the crossbowmen from earlier.
They had been guarding the final defensive line and had authority over numerous drones. They likely had contact with whoever was behind this.
Even if not directly, they should at least have some useful clues.
"Were they not caught in the explosion just now…?"
Hearing Shirou's suggestion, Blaze spoke up.
She had been at the front and had personally seen them swallowed by the flames. Under those circumstances, it was hard to imagine any survivors.
But halfway through speaking, Blaze realized a possibility.
"Do not tell me you saved them too, Shirou?"
Thinking of that, she started to feel that Shirou was a bit absurd.
From the moment of the explosion to him grabbing her and running, only a few seconds had passed. When exactly had he changed clothes, saved those people, and then come back to rescue her?
Was it actually true that magical girl transformation time granted invincibility or even stopped time?
"I just happened to pass by and tossed some cover over them. They should be fine."
Shirou replied to Blaze's question.
At the same time, he noticed that Rosmontis seemed to relax slightly upon hearing that.
Just before being engulfed by the explosion, he had already switched into his Mystic Code and activated reinforcement magecraft. Then, riding the force of the blast, he was propelled outward. Along the way, he saw those people and casually threw down several swords to shield them.
Given the durability of Noble Phantasms, they should have survived.
Though they were probably still unconscious from being hit by Rosmontis's signboard earlier.