Within the forest, a black figure carrying a hammer and shield raced forward at tremendous speed.
Branches snapped beneath his feet.
Rocks shattered under every step.
Each movement kicked up clouds of dust.
The person responsible for all this destruction paid it no mind whatsoever. He even swung the twin blades in his hands to cut apart the dense undergrowth blocking his path.
That person was Shirou.
After dealing with Black Snake and spending some time confirming that neither his body nor mind had suffered any abnormalities, Shirou had not immediately returned to camp.
Instead, he first detoured to the location where the Rhodes Island operators had left the prisoners and dealt with them.
It was not because he enjoyed killing.
Rather, he feared that if those people were left alone, they might wake up and detonate the explosives in the area or activate drones to launch an attack on the camp.
With Black Snake's schemes on one side and armies and mercenaries threatening the camp on the other, Shirou could not guarantee that these people would not deliver a fatal blow at the worst possible moment.
In the end, he chose to eliminate them.
It was unfortunate that he had been unable to extract any additional information, but given the urgency of the situation, this was the only choice he could make.
He had not considered taking any of them prisoner, either.
He was already carrying Croissant's hammer and shield while traveling. He simply did not have any free hands left.
Bzzzt...
"Shirou? Are you all right over there?"
After traveling some distance, the communicator on Shirou finally regained its functionality.
"I am fine. Have the Penguin Logistics team made it back to camp yet?"
Hearing Doctor's voice come through the communicator, Shirou slowed down slightly as he replied.
After all, if he kept moving at full speed, the person on the other end would probably hear nothing but rushing wind.
"They are already back. We know what happened as well. We are currently arranging personnel to support you, although it looks like that will not be necessary anymore."
After learning from Doctor that both Penguin Logistics and the Rhodes Island operators had returned safely, Shirou finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Many of the operators were injured.
If they had encountered enemies along the way, they would have been forced to protect the seriously wounded while fighting.
The fact that they had arrived safely was the best possible outcome.
"I am on my way back now. There is no need to send support. Also, I obtained some information over here. There is a possibility that someone may attack the camp. Make preparations on your end."
Refusing the offer of assistance, Shirou passed along the important intelligence he had gathered.
"Understood. Preparations are already underway."
"Then we will talk again later. I am heading back to camp."
"No problem. Be careful on the way."
After ending the call, Shirou resumed moving at full speed.
With reinforcement magecraft pushed to its limits and no effort spared, a journey that had taken a considerable amount of time on the way was compressed into just ten minutes on the return trip.
Once the camp finally came into view, Shirou slowed down.
From what he could see, everyone inside the camp was rushing about, but there were no signs of combat.
After confirming this, Shirou contacted Doctor once more through the communicator.
Mainly to avoid being mistaken for an intruder and attacked by the camp's defenders.
He was at least that self-aware.
Not long after Doctor received the message, Shirou spotted the Penguin Logistics team emerging from the camp.
He could clearly see Croissant and Exusiai enthusiastically waving toward the distance.
The sight was heartwarming.
Of course, it would have been even more touching if they had not been waving in the completely wrong direction.
Putting away his weapons, Shirou quickly headed over.
As the distance closed, he clearly watched the joy on their faces transform into embarrassment before both of them immediately pretended that nothing had happened and started waving toward the correct direction instead.
Even Texas shook her head and sighed.
Her expression practically screamed, I do not know these people.
Meanwhile, Sora covered her mouth and laughed before waving toward Shirou.
"Wah! Shirou, you even brought back my hammer and shield! Thank you so much!"
The moment Shirou arrived, Croissant completely forgot about greeting him and immediately rushed forward to take back her weapons.
Earlier, she had been forced to abandon them so she could carry Sora while escaping.
She had already resigned herself to borrowing equipment from Rhodes Island for the upcoming battle.
Now that was no longer necessary.
When it came to weapons, using the ones you were accustomed to was always best.
After all, not everyone could casually create weapons from scratch like Shirou and somehow learn how to use them in the process.
"I happened to pass by them, so I brought them along. Are all of you okay?"
After returning the hammer and shield, Shirou quickly looked over the four of them.
From appearances alone, they seemed perfectly fine.
There were no visible injuries.
Still worried, he decided to ask anyway.
"We are fine. What about you?"
In response to Shirou's concern, Texas shook her head.
Then she immediately asked about his situation.
As far as they knew, Black Snake, Kashchey, was an extremely cunning individual whose strength was nothing to scoff at.
They were worried that Shirou might have suffered at his hands.
After all, the man was an ancient monster who had lived for who knew how long.
Meanwhile, despite Shirou's overwhelming combat ability, there were still times when his personality could be a little too straightforward and trusting.
That assessment had even been certified by both the Emperor and Yith.
"As for Black Snake, I already dealt with him... I am not sure whether he used any Originium Arts on me, though. I should have Amiya check me later."
At the mention of Black Snake, Shirou frowned slightly and shook his head.
He had not noticed anything while he was busy, but now that he had relaxed, his whole body felt vaguely off. He could not tell whether it was because Black Snake had entered his body or if it was simply a psychological effect.
Coincidentally, when it came to mental-type Originium Arts, Shirou knew someone who specialized in them.
Amiya.
If Amiya, Kal'tsit, and Talulah all examined him and found nothing wrong, then it would mean Black Snake's scheme had truly failed.
Although he had stacked numerous safeguards on himself, Shirou was still worried that Black Snake might have found some other way to succeed.
What Shirou did not know was that despite all the precautions he had prepared, Black Snake had never even gotten close to him.
Instead, he had fallen directly into Emiya Kuro's hands.
"Then let us go check right away. If I remember correctly, Amiya is still with Doctor."
Hearing Shirou's explanation, Exusiai skillfully pulled the communicator from Texas's belt and contacted Amiya.
"Would it not be better to do it later? Everyone is busy right now."
Shirou awkwardly spoke up after failing to stop Exusiai in time.
The matter was not urgent.
Furthermore, Amiya was one of Rhodes Island's leaders and undoubtedly had plenty of responsibilities to deal with. Shirou felt bad troubling her at a time like this.
The same logic applied to Talulah.
His original plan had been to wait until things settled down before asking for help.
Unfortunately, he had forgotten that Penguin Logistics employed at least one person who acted first and thought later.
The communicator had already been used before he could say anything.
"It is fine, it is fine. Amiya already agreed. Let us go now! Mental problems are not something you should delay!"
Exusiai immediately grabbed the hand Shirou had raised and started pulling him toward the camp.
"Exusiai is right! It would be terrible if something happened!"
Seeing Exusiai take action, Croissant instantly joined in.
After securing her hammer and shield behind her back, she freed both hands and began pushing Shirou from behind.
With Exusiai pulling from the front, Croissant pushing from the rear, and Sora and Texas escorting both sides, they formed a perfect cross-shaped encirclement around him.
There was absolutely no chance of escape.
"I can walk on my own..."
Shirou did not actually intend to resist.
After returning, he had planned to visit Doctor anyway. There was information he needed to discuss in person.
In a way, this saved him the trouble of walking there himself.
It was yet another demonstration of Penguin Logistics' direct-delivery service.
The only issue was that it was not particularly dignified.
Quite a few people stared at him along the way.
And so Shirou was successfully escorted all the way into Doctor's tent.
"Amiya is over there. She also prepared water and rations for you, so eat something and recover a little. I will ask about your report afterward."
Inside the tent, the hooded Doctor sat at a large table in the center, writing something with their head lowered.
Even after Shirou and the others entered, they never looked up.
She seemed extremely busy.
Naturally, none of them intended to disturb her, so they headed directly toward Amiya instead.
"Shirou, you would like me to use Originium Arts to examine your condition?"
Even though Exusiai had already explained everything over the communicator, Amiya still asked for confirmation.
After all, Shirou was requesting a thorough examination of his mental state.
That was not something she could do casually.
Normally, she only used her Arts for a superficial scan.
Even that made her feel somewhat uncomfortable, which was why she rarely used it unless necessary.
"If it is convenient now, then I would appreciate it. Do I need to lie down and clear my mind?"
Seeing Amiya's serious expression, Shirou decided not to decline any further and accepted the examination.
Based on his understanding, mental inspections usually required the subject to relax completely, clear their thoughts, and make things easier for the person performing the procedure.
"You only need to avoid resisting. I will examine things gradually, from the surface to deeper levels. If I notice anything wrong, I will immediately stop using my Arts."
After confirming Shirou's consent, Amiya raised both hands toward him as he sat on the sofa and briefly explained what she intended to do.
A person's mind and memories were fragile.
Yet at the same time, they were among the most important and complex aspects of a person.
Although she had previously traveled deeply into Shirou's memories, that had not been accomplished through her own Originium Arts.
She had been guided there.
Being led along a path and walking it yourself were completely different experiences.
If she took a wrong turn, both she and Shirou could be harmed.
Furthermore, Amiya was not even certain whether her Arts would be capable of detecting Black Snake.
What if he was hiding extremely deeply?
Still, she had to try.
At the moment, she was the only person in Rhodes Island capable of performing such an examination.
As for Talulah, she had already been contacted and would be arriving shortly.
They also planned to hold a strategy meeting regarding the upcoming operation.
"I am ready."
Relaxing completely and leaning back into the chair, Shirou closed his eyes.
"Just relax. Do not resist..."
Seeing that he was prepared, Amiya took a deep breath and began activating her Originium Arts.
The four members of Penguin Logistics stood behind Shirou.
Every one of them looked extremely nervous.
Amiya ignored the information from the other four and focused her attention on Shirou.
Although he appeared relaxed on the surface, Shirou was actually still somewhat tense mentally. Amiya could clearly sense that.
However, it would not affect the use of her Originium Arts. Furthermore, Shirou was suppressing that tension at an astonishing speed, so Amiya did not stop.
Deeper, deeper, and deeper still.
To concentrate, Amiya closed her eyes and carefully felt the flow of her Originium Arts.
More emotions came rushing toward her.
The helplessness of being forced to kill others in order to protect even more people.
The guilt of learning that Black Snake's target was himself, while everyone else had merely been dragged into the situation.
The sorrow of witnessing the catastrophe that had struck Chernobog, as well as the suffering of the Infected who had been used to power that catastrophe.
Countless negative emotions were buried deep within Shirou's heart.
What suppressed those emotions was his anger toward Ursus, Black Snake's schemes, and the injustice suffered by the Infected.
Helplessness, guilt, sorrow, and anger.
All of these emotions were hidden deep within Shirou's heart. If she had not used her Originium Arts to such a depth, Amiya doubted she would have discovered them at all.
The emotions and feelings closer to the surface could still be concealed to some extent through training or natural talent.
But once one reached this depth, it was enough to truly see who a person was.
Suppressing oneself like this for a long time could easily lead to problems...
Yet Shirou seemed to have long since grown accustomed to it.
That was not a good thing, but it was not the issue at hand. Amiya simply made a mental note of it before continuing deeper.
Confusion.
The confusion of feeling out of place in this land.
The confusion of not knowing why he had survived in the first place.
Although it was only a small amount, and most of it had already found answers during the past year, a trace of confusion still lingered in Shirou's heart.
People become confused when they encounter the unknown. It often gives rise to anxiety, inferiority, and other negative emotions.
But Shirou possessed only confusion.
For a long time, he had simply gone with the flow of life.
Then, midway through, he began trying to do what he genuinely wanted rather than continuing to live aimlessly.
He had succeeded.
Yet as his memories returned, confusion once again began to surface in the depths of his heart.
He knew that this was a second life granted to him by someone important.
He knew that he had been pulled out of that hell and given an entirely new life.
His conversation with the other Emiya Shirou had resolved many of his doubts and provided many answers.
But at the deepest part of his heart, questions still remained.
Why him?
Why had he crossed into another world?
Even now, Shirou had not figured out the answers to those two questions.
As the memories returned alongside the Holy Grail, those questions, which he had nearly forgotten, resurfaced once more.
The current crisis, however, left him no choice but to set aside those doubts and focus on the dangers ahead.
"..."
Sensing Shirou's confusion, Amiya gently pressed her lips together before continuing deeper.
At this point, she had already reached a considerable depth.
Yet she still had not discovered anything abnormal.
If she went further and still found nothing, then in her view, there was probably no problem.
The only thing left would be to return to Rhodes Island and have Doctor Kal'tsit conduct a more thorough examination.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The sound of falling water entered Amiya's ears.
Opening her eyes, she clearly saw the scene before her.
A crimson moon hung high in the sky, endlessly releasing black mud.
Below it lay countless corpses, all submerged within that black mire.
Standing there, staring at everything, was Shirou, dressed in red-and-black sleeves.
This place was just like that night after the Holy Grail War had ended, the night he had wandered through again and again.
Although Amiya could not directly sense the emotions that existed here, she could feel something from the figure's back.
"Regret...?"
Regret for the wrong choice he had made back then.
Resentment toward his own lack of strength at the time.
Although these memories had only been recovered recently, the year he had spent processing and accepting them had prevented them from directly affecting him.
Even so, these memories would probably follow Shirou for the rest of his life.
A wound does not disappear simply because it has healed.
It leaves behind a scar.
Time may cause that scar to fade, but if one reaches out and touches it, it can still be felt.
Amiya understood that.
After all, her upbringing was similar to Shirou's.
Shirou was fortunate.
He had been rescued from the fire by his adoptive father.
She was fortunate as well.
She had been rescued from the wreckage of a vehicle by Doctor.
Shirou inherited his adoptive father's ideals and had continued striving toward them ever since.
Standing to the side, Shirou could clearly see the concern written all over Amiya's face, so he continued:
"Besides, even if those things do end up affecting me, don't I still have you and everyone else? So there is no need to worry too much."
After saying that, Shirou gently patted Amiya on the head and stepped in front of her, blocking the scene on the other side from her view.
"I understand."
Hearing Shirou say that, Amiya knew he was trying to comfort her, and the expression on her face relaxed somewhat.
As for saying things like how she and everyone else would do their best if something really happened to Shirou, it felt somewhat inauspicious, so Amiya chose not to voice those thoughts.
Besides, Shirou's mindset was already moving in a better direction.
Even if those words were meant as comfort, Shirou had begun trying to rely on them.
"Anyway, let us leave first! Since we did not find any trace of Black Snake, that is good news. We can deal with the rest later!"
Seeing that Amiya no longer seemed quite so troubled, Shirou decided it was best to leave this place.
If they stayed any longer, not only would Amiya's mood worsen, but even his own would start to deteriorate.
"I will cancel the Originium Arts now. Get ready, Shirou."
With that, Amiya closed her eyes and began activating her Originium Arts. Black lines emerged from both of her hands.
"Ah! Right! Do not tell anyone else about what happened here after we get out, okay? Having other people know what I am thinking... it just feels strange."
Looking at those black lines, Shirou suddenly remembered something and hurriedly reminded Amiya.
"Would that really be a problem? A lot of people already know quite a bit about you, do they not?"
Upon hearing Shirou's words, Amiya naturally understood what he meant.
After thinking for a moment, however, she decided to tease him a little.
She had also inherited Theresa's power and ideals.
Shirou had once questioned himself, wondering why he alone had been saved.
And she, too, had heard a voice telling her that she was merely one of the fortunate few.
Amiya did not know whether that was the influence of the King's power or simply her own self-doubt.
Without Doctor, without Theresa, and without Doctor Kal'tsit, there would be no present-day Amiya.
Similar, yet not entirely the same.
Still, Amiya did not believe she could be as remarkable as Shirou, someone who could seize a tiny glimmer of hope in the face of absolute despair and turn the situation around.
Thinking of that, Amiya lowered her head.
"It is time to go. There are still people waiting for us outside."
Just as Amiya was sinking into self-doubt, Shirou's voice came from behind her.
"...Shirou? Why are you here?"
Turning around, Amiya saw Shirou.
Not the Shirou she had seen moments ago, but the one dressed in a Rhodes Island jacket with white hair.
Moreover, under normal circumstances, other people should not appear while she was using her Originium Arts...
So who exactly was the Shirou standing before her?
"I have no idea either. I just closed my eyes and felt like something was trying to force its way into my head. Then I heard your voice, and when I opened my eyes, I was here."
Shirou only glanced once at the distant scene before focusing all of his attention on Amiya.
Those images were still a little too much for Amiya to process, even after everything she had experienced.
"Perhaps it is because you are special, Shirou. This is already the deepest point. I did not find any trace of Black Snake. As for your condition, though... it might not be very good. Do you want my help?"
After thinking for a moment, Amiya attributed the phenomenon to magecraft. After briefly explaining the matter regarding Black Snake, she shifted the conversation back to Shirou.
"Personally, I think I am fine. I just need to get used to it."
Shirou shook his head.
These memories were buried deeper within him than almost anything else, hidden away just like the great fire from years ago.
Perhaps he would dream about them on some future night.
Perhaps they would affect him to some degree.
But he did not want to forget them.
"I see... I understand. You really are strong, Shirou."
Hearing his answer, Amiya did not try to force the issue.
"Strong? I do not see it that way. I have simply seen more things, so I am able to accept them more easily. Honestly, I think you and the others who carry Rhodes Island on your shoulders are far more impressive."
Shirou did not agree with Amiya's assessment of him.
Instead, he felt that Amiya and the others who had brought together an organization like Rhodes Island, united by a purpose were far more remarkable.
"Besides, these memories were not easy to recover. Would it not be a waste to simply let them go? They are also part of what makes me who I am, are they not?"
The Holy Grail War had certainly brought him a great deal of pain.
But it had also helped him grow.
Rather than risk making the same mistakes again, Shirou would rather keep those memories as a warning.
The pain would leave scars.
Yet those scars would drive him forward while reminding him not to repeat the same mistakes.
The earlier conversation had become somewhat heavy, so changing the subject seemed like a good way to lighten the mood.
"No, no, no. Knowing about those experiences is one thing. But if everyone learns about what happened here, I have a feeling my life afterward is going to be miserable."
Shirou completely failed to realize that Amiya was teasing him.
He earnestly began explaining his predicament.
The possibility of his future becoming miserable was one issue.
The feeling of having his innermost thoughts laid bare for everyone to see was another thing entirely, and it made him feel uncomfortable all over.
What happened a few days ago had been an accident, so he had no choice but to accept it.
But since this situation could still be avoided, he intended to avoid that trouble no matter what.
"Haha... I know. I will not tell anyone. In general, I would never casually tell other people about the emotions or memories I see. Doing something like that would be extremely rude."
Seeing Shirou's serious expression, and noticing that he was already thinking about how to further persuade her, Amiya could not help but laugh.
She understood that much, at least.
Just as a psychologist would not casually disclose a patient's private issues to others, she would not do such a thing either.
Of course, if the person involved wished to share those things themselves, that would be a different matter.
But Shirou clearly did not.
So naturally, she would not say anything.
Unless...
No, there was no "unless."
She would never allow such a day to come.
"That is a relief."
Hearing Amiya laugh, Shirou naturally realized that it had only been a small joke, and he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Part of that relief came from avoiding social embarrassment.
The other part came from realizing that Amiya had not been disturbed by everything she had seen.
There was a saying that people's memories become idealized over time.
But in this case, it seemed to be the exact opposite.
That was why he had been so worried about whether Amiya might be affected.
If she ended up carrying psychological scars because of this, he would have a very difficult time explaining himself to Doctor Kal'tsit and everyone else at Rhodes Island after they returned.
"Then let us head back. Doctor and the others are still waiting for us."
As she spoke, Amiya reached out and placed a hand on Shirou's right arm. Black lines spread out from both of her hands.
Immediately, Shirou felt the world spinning around him. When he opened his eyes again, he had returned to the tent.
Amiya, standing before him, opened her eyes at the same time.
She looked somewhat exhausted, and the pair of ears atop her head drooped downward.
"Amiya, have some water and get a little rest... We were not gone for very long, were we?"
Adding some hot water to the cup in front of her, Shirou pushed it toward Amiya before turning to Texas and asking:
"It has only been a few minutes. Doctor is still busy, and Exusiai and Croissant were sent off to deliver documents and find people."
Texas pointed toward Doctor, who was hard at work behind them.
After Amiya finished using her Originium Arts and both she and Shirou fell asleep, Exusiai and Croissant had originally planned to play a prank on Shirou.
Unfortunately for them, Texas caught them by the backs of their collars and promptly packaged them off to Doctor for use however they saw fit.
Doctor happened to be short-handed, so they gratefully handed the two of them a mountain of tasks to deal with.
Texas and Sora received Doctor's gratitude.
Doctor received much-needed manpower.
And Shirou avoided yet another crisis.
It was a three-way win.
As for who lost, that was harder to say.
Naturally, Texas did not mention any of this to Shirou. She did not want to affect his mood.
"Only a few minutes?"
Shirou had expected much more time to have passed.
He had not imagined it was only a matter of minutes.
"So, how did it go? Shirou, are you okay?"
Sora moved closer and stared directly at Shirou's face, trying to determine his condition through observation alone.
"We did not find anything unusual. For now, finding nothing is good news. At least we do not need to worry about Black Snake for the time being."
Feeling somewhat uncomfortable under her scrutiny, Shirou shifted slightly to one side as he answered.
Unfortunately, neither Sora nor Texas seemed inclined to trust his assessment.
Both of them turned simultaneously toward Amiya, who was drinking water.
"There really was no sign of Black Snake. I can guarantee that."
Sensing their gazes, Amiya set down her cup and gave her assurance.
There had indeed been no sign of Black Snake.
There had merely been other issues.
Only after receiving Amiya's confirmation did the two nod in satisfaction before sitting down on Shirou's left and right sides.
"Eat something first. Once Exusiai and Croissant get back, we are probably going to be busy again."
Sitting on Shirou's right, Texas looked over the supplies on the table, selected several rations that suited Penguin Logistics' tastes, and distributed them.
"There really is a lot going on. I wonder how many people Black Snake actually arranged..."
As for Shirou, he paid little attention to such details. He casually grabbed one ration pack and tore it open.
At the same time, he could not help sighing.
The operation to rescue Doctor from Chernobog felt unusually hectic.
There had barely been any time to rest.
Although the workload was not as intense as the busiest periods back at the Lungmen Guard Department, the combat intensity was on an entirely different level.
After several consecutive battles, even Shirou was beginning to feel mentally exhausted.
And once the fighting ended, there would still be the issue of dealing with the refugees.
If the Infected were to board Rhodes Island, additional personnel would certainly be needed.
There was bound to be plenty more work ahead.
"Based on current information, more than five hundred mercenaries are heading this way. We still do not know the exact number of Ursus soldiers, but according to our intelligence sources, there are a great many of them, and they are all extremely well-equipped."
Doctor's voice came from behind them.
Their words caused Shirou, Texas, and Sora to stop what they were doing and turn toward them with puzzled expressions.
More than five hundred mercenaries?
And a well-equipped military force?
At first glance, that might not sound particularly alarming.
But over the past few days, even the total number of enemies Shirou had personally dealt with did not come close to that figure.
And most of those enemies had been poorly equipped, relying primarily on their Originium Arts in combat.
Now Doctor was saying there could be even more enemies ahead.
Not only more enemies, but highly trained and heavily equipped veterans.
"Do not look at me like that. Amiya already knows all of this. We are currently trying to determine the enemy's route. At the very least, we need to make sure we do not get caught in a pincer attack."
Being stared at by the three of them made Doctor shiver involuntarily.
The main reason was that the looks in Shirou's and Texas's eyes were a little too sharp.
Of course, Doctor understood that the news was alarming.
But this was reality.
There was no time to sit around worrying about it.
Doctor understood Rhodes Island's current situation all too well.
That was why they kept forcing themself to work at such an intense pace.
Fortunately, Doctor had not lost all of their professional knowledge or memories related to command and strategy, so they were still able to handle these matters fairly smoothly.
Though Doctor still could not understand why the Sarkaz with two tentacle-like horns from Reunion kept looking at her with such hostility.
"A pincer attack would definitely be dangerous. What are you planning to do about the Emperor's Blades, Doctor?"
After quickly processing the situation, Shirou accepted reality and immediately reminded Doctor not to forget about the Emperor's Blades.
"I do not have any ideas yet. The good news is that Reunion can spare some personnel to support us. That should free up your hands and perhaps even allow us to deal with those people more effectively."
At the mention of the Emperor's Blades, Doctor felt another headache coming on.
In terms of raw combat strength, they were not afraid at all.
If everything went well, Shirou alone might even be capable of dealing with the entire group.
But the Emperor's Blades themselves were the real problem.
Not only were they extraordinarily powerful on an individual level, but they were reportedly highly skilled in infiltration and reconnaissance as well.
That meant there was a very real possibility they could breach the camp's defensive perimeter and infiltrate it from within.
"Of course, that is not the main issue. Anyone can be overwhelmed and killed if enough people and firepower are thrown at them.
The real problem is what is inside their bodies.
Once they are injured or killed, whatever is sealed within them will erupt, causing destruction over a vast area.
That means human-wave tactics are completely out of the question. In fact, it is the worst possible option.
Fortunately, Reunion has people capable of holding back several Emperor's Blades. As for that Patriot's strength, I have no intention of doubting it."
"Then it sounds like the situation is not quite as bad as I thought."
After learning this, Shirou felt that things were beginning to improve.
"Compared to before, it is definitely not as bad. But from an ordinary person's perspective, it is still the kind of situation that inspires despair. At least, after some people in the camp learned about these developments, their morale became noticeably lower."
Hearing Shirou's response, Doctor could not decide whether his attitude was a good thing or a bad thing.
Optimism was certainly beneficial.
But excessive optimism could easily cause someone to overlook danger and be swallowed by it completely.
"At the very least, the situation is moving in a positive direction. I believe that with your wisdom, Doctor, you can solve these problems."
Shirou naturally understood that as well.
But rather than worrying himself sick over things he could not control, he preferred to look at the situation from a more optimistic perspective.
"...That is very Penguin Logistics."
After hearing Shirou's words, Doctor understood that he simply did not want to put too much pressure on her.
After all, according to the original plan, Shirou had taken responsibility for the most important part of the operation.
If even he adopted a pessimistic outlook, it would deal a severe blow to morale.
Still, the way he said it...
How should she put it?
As expected of someone from Penguin Logistics.
The manner of speaking and even the tone carried an unmistakably strong Penguin Logistics flavor.
It was...
Difficult to describe.
Yet somehow, it naturally made people want to believe him.
And when that attitude was paired with Shirou's strength, it gave an overwhelming sense of security.