Lungmen, external transit zone.
A large number of vehicles were parked here, most of them land-based transport like cars.
Only Rhodes Island's vehicle stood out conspicuously.
"A helicopter… I did not expect to see one here as well."
Looking at the aircraft in front of him, Shirou's first instinct was to call it a helicopter.
Terra seemed to have such things too, but this was the first one he had personally seen here.
Moreover, compared to the helicopters he knew, this one was clearly more advanced and far more stylish.
It looked like something straight out of television or films.
It could also carry more people and cargo and transporting everyone present would not be a problem.
"This is the Bad Guy! It is a very convenient means of transport. Jumping down from it feels amazing!"
Blaze fulfilled her role as host and gave a brief introduction.
Everyone else was busy preparing for departure, so she was the only one who had slipped away.
"Jumping down…? By the way, what are those in your hands?"
Exhausted both physically and mentally, Shirou did not have the energy to question the strange parts of her statement and instead changed the subject.
After all, everyone else from Rhodes Island was busy so why did Blaze seem so relaxed?
She even had time to come chat with him.
The members of Penguin Logistics were currently listening to instructions from their boss, being told what to watch out for and what information to gather once they arrived at Rhodes Island.
As for Shirou, since he was going as a patient, he was excluded entirely, he did not even get the chance to listen.
The only ones with him were Rope and Lappland, both arranged by the office to go to the main ship for higher-level examinations.
Rope came along because she heard Shirou would also be undergoing a checkup.
Lappland, on the other hand, had initially refused. She only agreed after Shirou mentioned that the rest of Penguin Logistics would also be going.
Until just moments ago, she had been bothering Texas, until the others forcibly separated them.
Shirou had even taken the opportunity to ask her for a chocolate bar to replenish his energy.
He had not noticed before, but now that he looked, her coat was stuffed with snacks and most of them were things Texas liked.
The more he thought about it, the more unsettling it became.
Since both of them were no longer paying much attention to him, Shirou did not try to strike up a conversation.
He needed some peace and quiet.
Unfortunately, Blaze came looking for him.
"Hehe, how could I come to Lungmen without bringing some good stuff?"
Hearing Shirou's question, Blaze carefully hugged the items in her arms and glanced around cautiously.
There was a reason she had slipped out alone, she had some "special goods" that needed to be personally transported.
If Amiya found out, it would be trouble. They had agreed on certain rules before coming here.
This time she had only brought a little. Next time, when she returned with Shirou and the others, she would stock up properly.
She had it all planned out.
Just a little this time.
"If I remember correctly… those are quite expensive."
Although he had never bought any, Shirou had heard of the brand of alcohol she was carrying.
It was quite famous in Lungmen. If he remembered correctly, Croissant even had a few bottles stored away, saving them for special occasions.
"Hehe, that is exactly why I am bringing some back! Do not tell anyone. I need to find a way to sneak these into the supplies being shipped back to Rhodes Island."
Blaze chuckled and gestured for Shirou to keep quiet before sneaking off carefully.
"… "
Shirou could only feel that the people of Rhodes Island really knew how to have fun. Doctor Kal'tsit had probably already noticed, but simply chose not to say anything.
Ever since the earlier incident when he went out of control, Kal'tsit had been watching him cautiously.
It made Shirou somewhat uncomfortable.
Still, he could understand. She seemed to possess a considerable amount of related information some of which even he himself did not know. Her caution was justified.
After all… the way that black Executor operated was indeed somewhat extreme.
So extreme that even Shirou himself found it difficult to accept.
Fortunately, the holy shroud was suppressing it. Otherwise, he might have just performed a live demonstration of swords piercing through his body.
If he remembered correctly, that phenomenon belonged to… his Reality Marble running out of control.
Using one's inner world as a weapon, what would happen if there was a conflict within one's own "heart"?
Shirou had already seen the answer in one of those memories.
When the inner world went berserk, countless blades would pierce out from the body.
Hands, feet, eyes, face, torso… until the entire body became encased in crystallized swords.
Thinking about it that way… it was somewhat similar to the Infected.
"…Right. Think about something more positive."
At that thought, Shirou hurriedly pulled his mind back.
He could not afford to dwell on so many negative emotions. It would easily affect others.
However, he could not think of anything particularly optimistic either, so he decided to find something to do.
After forcing himself to regain a bit of energy, Shirou planned to go help Rhodes Island move cargo just to keep himself busy.
The result was predictable. Under strong objections from Amiya and the others and with Rope tipping off Penguin Logistics, Shirou was promptly carried onto the "Bad Guy" and made to sit down by Exusiai and the others.
They had originally intended to let him get some fresh air, but clearly they had been too lenient.
"You are quite popular, aren't you? Want one?"
Lappland, who had been quietly watching the whole scene, smiled and handed him a pack of Pocky.
"I think they are just overreacting… and I will take one, thanks."
With a troubled expression, Shirou accepted the Pocky, this one had nuts on it.
Being cared for by so many people should have been something to feel happy about, but this was a bit excessive.
Mimicking Texas, he held the Pocky in his mouth and used the moment to check the state of his magic circuits.
As for his phone—
It was not that he had forgotten about it. The signal here was poor, and after briefly informing the people in his contacts before arriving, he had put it away. At this point, its only use was as a flashlight.
"Heh, having people care about you is a good thing. At least it is better than being completely shut out like me."
Hearing Shirou's words, Lappland responded.
She had originally wanted to make a joke about people abandoned on the streets, but considering Shirou's current state, she toned it down.
It was quite considerate of her, really.
"…I think that is more like excessive harassment."
Recalling how Lappland had been interacting with Texas earlier, Shirou gave his honest opinion.
Still, he did not want to comment too much. He did not know what kind of relationship the two had in the past.
Relationships between people were complicated… but one thing he was certain of was that Lappland truly cared about Texas. She always hovered right at Texas's boundaries without crossing them.
It seemed she treated others similarly—except for enemies.
When she fought, she truly held nothing back, like a complete berserker.
"Tch, do you even know how to make conversation? You will not have any friends at this rate. And what are you doing?"
Being lightly "stabbed" by Shirou's words, Lappland gave a mild retort. Still not particularly aggressive.
After all, she often spoke the same way herself and she liked it that way.
Right now, she was simply chatting casually with him.
At the same time, she noticed that most of Shirou's attention was focused on his hands, and she watched curiously to see what he was doing.
"Testing something… give me another Pocky."
Ignoring her previous remark, Shirou reached out for another stick.
He did not really know how to respond to her earlier comment anyway, and since her attention had shifted to what he was doing, he decided to follow that topic.
"Here."
Lappland handed him another Pocky and began observing closely.
Then she saw a faint glow emanating from it.
What was this? A homemade glow stick?
"Hmm… feels a bit stiff. I still need some time to get used to it."
He flicked it lightly with his finger, producing a metallic sound. Shirou quickly assessed the condition of his magic circuits.
If before it was like riding a regular bicycle, now it felt like suddenly switching to a much more advanced one.
Everything felt smoother more comfortable and faster.
Still, he needed some time to adapt to the sudden change.
Just as Shirou was about to further test its limits, Lappland suddenly leaned in and bit down on the Pocky.
"Hm… it really did get harder?"
Feeling the resistance through her teeth, Lappland's first thought was that it had genuinely hardened.
She had already been curious when she heard that metallic sound earlier. Shirou's Arts were quite interesting.
If she gave something like this to Texas, it would probably be fun.
"Careful, you might break your teeth."
Realizing what she was doing, Shirou quickly let go, and the reinforcement magic dissipated.
Without the reinforcement, the Pocky snapped easily in Lappland's bite.
Putting aside whether her sudden action was a bit improper, was she not worried about her teeth?
Fortunately, he had withdrawn in time. Otherwise, Lappland might have needed an extra treatment upon arriving at Rhodes Island.
"My teeth are strong, do not worry."
After biting it cleanly, Lappland only felt a bit disappointed.
She had already been thinking about making a large custom Pocky, having Shirou reinforce it, and using it as a weapon.
But it seemed that the effect only worked while it was in his hands.
"Do not mess around."
After Lappland's interruption, Shirou no longer dared to continue testing his reinforcement magic. If she suddenly got curious again and took another bite, that would not end well.
He truly did not understand how Lappland's mind worked. It was even more unpredictable than Exusiai and Croissant.
Next, he planned to test projection magic. Surely she would not just bite into a blade, right?
Still, just to be safe, he gave her a reminder.
"Alright, alright. Next time, before I bite, I will say something first."
Lappland did not care at all, even deliberately making a chewing motion.
"… "
Seeing her like this, Shirou began to feel that maybe just zoning out and waiting until they reached Rhodes Island would not be such a bad idea.
However, after Lappland repeatedly assured him, he resumed his testing.
He then projected his usual weapons, Kanshou and Bakuya. Overall, there were not many changes, but he unconsciously projected a connecting section at the base of the hilts.
In other words, Kanshou and Bakuya now had a new attack mode.
As for gunblades… although tempting, he was not in the mood to test them.
He was afraid that if he held one, he might lose himself.
Whether the holy shroud could suppress it again was uncertain. He did not want to take that risk.
"Oh, this ability is really convenient."
Watching Shirou repeatedly create and dismiss weapons in his hands, Lappland's first thought was how practical it was.
Walk in empty-handed, stab someone, and walk out empty-handed again, no suspicion at all.
After all, without a weapon, there would be no evidence.
That said, considering Shirou's tendency to help others, she did not think it was a bad ability for him to have.
Still… it made her a little itchy to try it herself.
…Wait. The way those weapons disappeared seemed familiar.
"Did you not tell me that it was not you last time! The way they disappear is exactly the same!"
Watching the black and white twin blades dissolve into blue particles in his hands, Lappland suddenly stood up and pointed at him.
The last time she clashed with a gang, someone had supported her with arrows. She had planned to pursue, but was stopped instead.
Those arrows had vanished in exactly the same way as Shirou's weapons just now.
Before, she was ninety percent sure it was him.
Now, she was one hundred percent certain.
The evidence was undeniable.
"… "
In response, Shirou simply averted his gaze.
If Lappland had not brought it up, he would have completely forgotten about it.
He really had been careless with testing his abilities right in front of her.
Now, he had been caught red-handed.