The group did not spend much time chatting. The hot water in their cups had not even cooled when Exusiai and Croissant entered the tent with a number of elite operators.
Following closely behind them were the leaders of Reunion, making the already spacious tent feel somewhat crowded.
On Rhodes Island's side were Ace, Scout, Blaze, Rosmontis, and Nearl. On Reunion's side, there were only Talulah and FrostNova.
However, Shirou could vaguely see a towering figure standing outside the tent. The man was probably unable to fit inside, so he remained outside.
"Looks like everyone is here. Shirou, explain what happened earlier first."
Doctor gestured for Shirou to begin, then immediately picked up a freshly boiled cup of water and drank it down in several large gulps.
Among those present, everyone except Ace, Scout, and Amiya wore somewhat strange expressions after seeing that.
"We encountered the Black Snake earlier. It seems that he had taken on yet another identity and infiltrated Reunion. Judging by his position, he was not exactly low-ranking either..."
Shirou quickly adjusted himself and briefly explained what had happened.
At the same time, so that Patriot outside the tent could hear clearly, he deliberately raised his voice.
"My apologies. That was my oversight. When I return, I will investigate everyone connected to the Black Snake."
After hearing the full story, Talulah spoke.
She had no intention of distancing herself from the matter and instead promised that she would deal with the problems the Black Snake had left behind.
"What about the Black Snake? Did you get rid of him?"
FrostNova asked from the side. Earlier, Shirou had only explained how the Black Snake had threatened him by using a planned attack on the camp. Just when he had reached the most important part, Talulah had interrupted him. FrostNova had nearly wanted to throw a few ice shards at Talulah to make her calm down.
"I did."
As he spoke, Shirou patted the Chixiao hanging at his waist.
"Nicely done! But are you all right?"
Seeing that gesture, Talulah immediately understood what Shirou had used to eliminate the Black Snake.
All she could say was that he had done well.
However, after her initial excitement faded, she remembered that she herself had only become possessed by the Black Snake after killing Black Snake.
"Amiya has already checked me. So far there is nothing wrong. The rest can wait until everything is over."
With a few simple sentences, Shirou finished explaining what had happened.
"All right then. That is roughly what happened. The reason I gathered everyone here is to discuss our next course of action."
With that topic concluded, Doctor stepped forward and took over the discussion.
"I can now confirm that the city of Chernobog was one of the focus of Black Snake's scheme. He and his allies in Ursus seemed to be planning to have 'Reunion' seize control of Chernobog."
"As for what they intended to achieve through all of this, I have not found the answer yet. But one thing is certain: it cannot be anything good. Otherwise, there would have been no need to deliberately make it look like the infected were responsible."
During her spare time over the past few days, Doctor had organized all the intelligence they had gathered and arrived at a rough conclusion.
Most of that information came from the survivors inside Chernobog.
More specifically, the nobles who had failed to escape the city.
The signs were obvious. Some nobles had managed to flee with their entire families before the infected rioters even broke in.
If it had been to avoid a Catastrophe, that explanation made even less sense.
After all, Chernobog was a mobile city. Mobile cities were designed specifically to evade Catastrophes. Why would those who fled need to leave in advance?
Combined with testimonies from others, the truth had gradually taken shape in Doctor's mind.
The only thing they still could not understand was the primary motive.
Surely the Black Snake was not trying to give the infected a home.
Although they had not figured it out completely, Doctor had vaguely sensed the truth.
Still, it was only speculation, so they had no intention of sharing it.
"A pawn, huh? That really was a massive game of chess."
As he listened to Doctor's analysis, Shirou narrowed his eyes.
"It is okay. It is okay..."
Apparently sensing the change in Shirou's mood, Rosmontis slipped free from Blaze's hand and walked over to him.
She wrapped her arms around his neck from behind the chair in a gentle hug, hoping to comfort him.
She was not good with words and did not know what she should do in situations like this.
But whenever she felt upset, Blaze would always comfort her in this way.
"I am fine. Do not hold on so tightly."
The moment Rosmontis did that, the hostility in Shirou's eyes vanished completely.
Somewhat helplessly, he patted her hand and signaled for her to loosen her grip.
She was not using much force, but having his neck held still made him uncomfortable.
In the end, he could not persuade her to let go.
So he stood up from his chair, picked Rosmontis up, and placed her in the chair instead, finally saving himself from the fate of being accidentally strangled.
"Well, well, Rosmontis has learned how to comfort people now!"
The Rhodes Island operators present were already accustomed to scenes like this.
Usually, it was Blaze comforting Rosmontis or Amiya, but this time Rosmontis had taken the initiative first.
Ace and Scout in particular looked especially pleased, like proud fathers watching their daughter grow up.
Talulah and FrostNova did not have many thoughts about it. After all, no one could resist a scene like this.
FrostNova was certain that the old stubborn man standing outside could not resist it either.
As for Penguin Logistics, there was even less to say since they already knew each other well.
Rosmontis, who had been carried over and seated by Shirou, was promptly subjected to a few affectionate head pats and rubs from Sora, who was sitting nearby.
At that moment, Talulah suddenly seemed to think of something and spoke up.
"A mobile city... Do you think the Black Snake intended to use the infected to seize this mobile city because he wanted to take advantage of the fact that it can move?"
After all, she had spent years learning under the Black Snake and had even been possessed by him.
Talulah understood very well what kind of person Black Snake really was.
If it meant restoring Ursus to its former glory, selling his soul to a devil would probably not bother him in the slightest.
Which raised a question.
How could someone like that casually abandon a mobile city that belonged to Ursus and treat it as a disposable pawn?
"..."
After hearing Talulah's words, everyone fell silent.
Using an entire mobile city as part of a plan sounded unbelievable.
"Let us set that aside for now. The Black Snake is already dead. Even if he had some grand scheme, he cannot personally direct it anymore. Right now, we only need to deal with the problems in front of us."
In the end, it was Doctor who broke the silence and redirected everyone's attention to the present.
That was no longer a matter organizations like Rhodes Island or Reunion could realistically involve themselves in.
The more they thought about it, the deeper they would become entangled.
Besides, if things were truly as Doctor suspected, they would still have time to deal with it after resolving the current crisis.
That was assuming they even possessed the ability to intervene in disputes between nations.
"You are right. Let us solve the immediate crisis first."
Hearing Doctor's words, Talulah understood that Doctor had already guessed something, but had chosen not to bring it up because of the current situation.
It was not just her. Ace and Scout had also figured it out.
The two simply shared the unspoken understanding not to mention it.
"Strictly speaking, our greatest threat right now is neither the mercenaries nor the well-equipped Ursus troops. It is the Emperor Blades still hiding in the shadows."
Doctor snapped her fingers, drawing everyone's attention before taking out her PRTS terminal and giving a brief explanation of the situation.
The traps for both the mercenaries and the army had already been prepared.
The forest area Shirou had investigated earlier had also been assigned search teams.
As long as they defended the camp according to plan, Doctor was confident they could repel the enemy and evacuate everyone safely.
Of course, Shirou's assistance would be indispensable.
Against large-scale military forces, his combat ability was nothing short of a superweapon.
A single large-scale Noble Phantasm at the right moment could completely reverse the tide of battle.
The only real issue were the Emperor Blades lurking in the shadows.
As long as they remained unresolved, Shirou would have difficulty fighting without restraint.
Even if every combat-capable person in the camp were deployed, defending the camp would still be extremely difficult.
"I have an idea."
At the mention of the Emperor Blades, Shirou raised his hand.
"You can speak."
Doctor's mind was beginning to feel overloaded.
They wanted to hear other people's opinions, which was one of the main reasons they had gathered everyone here.
"The Emperor Blades' target is me. So if I use myself as bait..."
Before Shirou could finish, several people interrupted him.
"I object!"
Exusiai struck first, shooting her hand into the air to show her complete opposition to Shirou's proposal.
It was not just Exusiai.
Most of the people present shared the same opinion, frowning as they looked at Shirou.
Only a handful had already figured out what he was trying to suggest.
"Let me finish."
Standing up, Shirou pushed Exusiai back down into her chair and continued before she could struggle.
"If their target is indeed me, then taking the initiative gives me a chance to lure them out. In that sense, it lets us seize a different kind of initiative."
"They are not idiots. How exactly do you plan to lure them out?"
After hearing Shirou's explanation, FrostNova had already understood what he was thinking.
The problem with his strategy, however, was obvious.
How was he going to make the Emperor Blades take the bait?
After all, those who became Emperor Blades were not reckless fools.
They were among the strongest combat forces within Ursus.
"I will first assist the operators in repelling the mercenary assault. Then, at the appropriate moments, I will unleash several large-scale Noble Phantasms."
Once he was sure Exusiai and the others would not interrupt again, Shirou finally explained his plan.
"That will both reduce the pressure on the camp and give us an opportunity to draw the Emperor Blades out into the open."
"This method is indeed feasible, but repeatedly using large-scale Noble Phantasms places a heavy burden on you, does it not?"
Having read Shirou's file, Doctor naturally understood what the so-called Noble Phantasms were.
Whether it was the stone axe that had instantly cleaved apart the giant statue or the golden sword that had shattered a Catastrophe, both were Noble Phantasms. It had taken her quite a while to fully process the implications of such things.
In fact, she had considered a similar plan herself.
However, the idea had been discarded almost as soon as it appeared.
Doing whatever it took to achieve victory was not yet necessary.
The reason was precisely the question she was asking Shirou now.
"In the past, forget using several large-scale Noble Phantasms. After four or five uses, I would probably be completely out of commission. But things are different now!"
The moment the topic came up, Shirou seemed to become noticeably more energetic.
He continued:
"If I fight in roughly the same way as before, I can now keep going for more than twice as long. There is no need to worry about mana consumption anymore."
Shirou deliberately emphasized "roughly the same way as before."
In other words, a combat style consisting mainly of regular attacks, occasionally mixed with highly offensive Noble Phantasms used unexpectedly to break through enemy defenses.
Aside from Kanshou and Bakuya in their dual-sword and dual-gun forms, as well as arrows, Shirou generally treated his other Noble Phantasms as measures to be used only when necessary.
The large-scale Noble Phantasms he was referring to here, however, were at least on the level of a Broken Phantasm.
Moreover, they needed to be the kind that looked spectacular and obviously expensive in terms of mana consumption.
Only then would they serve as effective bait.
"Huh? Shirou, when did you secretly get buffed like that? Take me with you!"
Croissant was stunned by Shirou's explanation.
From her perspective, this was an absurd power-up.
He had already been an overwhelmingly powerful stat monster, and his only real weakness had been running out of mana.
Now that weakness had suddenly disappeared.
She wanted a power-up too.
"Stop embarrassing yourself."
Hearing Croissant's outburst, Texas covered her face in exasperation.
Sora felt equally embarrassed.
As for Exusiai?
She had already joined Croissant in enthusiastically shouting for Shirou to power her up as well.
Fortunately, Texas and Sora quickly recovered from their shock and suppressed the two troublemakers, allowing Shirou to continue speaking.
The embarrassing spectacle lasted less than ten seconds.
Not only did it fail to disrupt the meeting, but it actually helped ease some of the tension hanging over the room.
Wherever Penguin Logistics went, laughter followed.
Amiya had not fully understood that saying before.
Now, however, she could clearly sense that the emotions of most people present had become far calmer and more orderly than before.
Especially Shirou and Doctor.
Most of the work and pressure had fallen onto their shoulders.
Although both appeared calm on the surface, that calmness was merely an outward appearance.
After thinking for a moment, Amiya asked,
"Is it because of the mana crystals?"
The answer was not difficult to guess.
After all, the changes Shirou had undergone since coming into contact with the mana crystals had been substantial.
"More or less. Come to think of it, it is related to you as well."
As he spoke, Shirou spent a small amount of mana and projected a sword into existence.
Holy Sword Durandal.
Under normal circumstances, Shirou rarely projected this weapon.
The only recent exception had been during an operation in the slums, where he had used it to conceal his identity.
After all, it was less convenient than Kanshou and Bakuya and consumed more mana.
The reason he projected it now was to allow Amiya to personally experience something.
At the same time, he wanted to determine whether drawing upon the mana he had obtained through their connection would affect her in any way.
If it did, Amiya might no longer be able to remain on the front lines.
Even the slightest impairment during battle could create tremendous danger.
And if the effect proved severe...
Then Shirou would simply have to grit his teeth and endure the burden himself.
Convenience in battle was one thing.
But if it came at the cost of harming someone else, Shirou would rather push himself harder instead.
"This feeling... Shirou, did you become a Servant!?"
When Shirou began using mana, everyone else looked confused.
Amiya, however, quickly realized what was happening.
She had once formed a Servant contract with Nameless.
The sensation of having her mana drawn upon was almost identical to what she had experienced back then.
She had actually felt something similar before.
However, at the time she had been exhausted from working for so long that she had simply assumed it was fatigue and paid it little attention.
Which raised an important question.
Was Shirou currently a human, or a Servant?
"Huh?"
The people present who had at least some understanding of what a Servant was all froze.
"What?"
That was Doctor, who had absolutely no understanding of the concept of Servants.
"...I did not become a Servant. I simply established a mana connection with you and Alina."
Seeing everyone's expressions and hearing Amiya mention the word "Servant," Shirou immediately realized they had misunderstood.
He was not dead.
If he really had to compare himself to something, he was closer to that Emiya Shirou who had used the Archer Card to fight his war.
However, that was not something he could easily explain.
A brief explanation would suffice for now, and they could investigate the details later after returning.
"Using mana this way is not affecting you, is it?"
Dispelling Durandal from his hand, Shirou asked.
While projecting the weapon, Shirou had been paying some attention to Amiya's condition.
She did not seem to have much of a reaction, but he still needed to hear her own assessment.
"Do not worry! This level is completely fine!"
After reacquainting herself with the sensation, Amiya clenched her fists and revealed a bright smile.
She no longer had to worry about being someone who could only rely on Shirou's strength.
That feeling of helplessness had truly been painful.
But now she could support him as well.
The feeling that both sides were contributing made her feel reassured.
"This method... is feasible. But the timing? And the personnel needed to deal with the Emperor Blades?"
Patriot pulled open the tent flap and crouched slightly as he spoke.
He had heard every word of the discussion from outside.
The only reason he had remained there was because the entrance to Rhodes Island's tent was a bit too small for him.
In his view, the strategy was workable.
However, he needed more detailed information before he could properly plan their operations.
"That?"
Faced with Patriot's question, Shirou raised a hand and guided everyone's gaze in the direction he was pointing before continuing:
"That is obviously Doctor's responsibility. Large-scale tactical planning is not something I am good at. Besides, it would be bad if I accidentally hit our own people."
"...Thank you so much. Are you trying to put me back in a hospital bed?"
Doctor let out a sigh and reluctantly accepted reality.
What Shirou said was not wrong.
This kind of tactical planning really was their responsibility.
At least with the current strategy, the mercenaries and Ursus forces were not much of a problem.
There was also a large margin for error.
As long as they could hold out until Rhodes Island's reinforcements arrived to evacuate the refugees, victory would be theirs.
"..."
Patriot glanced at Doctor then straightened back up and lowered the tent flap again.
His actions left Doctor completely unable to tell whether he approved of her taking command or not.
"Ahem. That means he has no objections. We will leave the arrangements to you, Doctor."
Seeing Doctor's confused expression, FrostNova coughed lightly and explained.
It could not be helped, understanding her father's behavior was difficult enough for outsiders.
Ordinarily she would not have bothered explaining, but Rhodes Island was about to become Reunion's ally.
It was best not to make the atmosphere unnecessarily awkward.
"That is good to hear..."
After confirming Patriot's stance, Doctor finally relaxed.
Once the majority had agreed with and approved the plan, the meeting quickly moved toward its conclusion and was adjourned.
The main purpose had been to discuss how to deal with the mercenaries and the Emperor Blades.
Now that they had a general direction, everyone could return to their duties.
The camp was still severely understaffed.
The reason it was only a majority, however, was because the members of Penguin Logistics still opposed Shirou using himself as bait.
As they put it, they understood the reasoning behind the plan.
They simply still objected to it.
Otherwise, Shirou might end up doing something even more outrageous next time.
To prevent that from happening, this was one issue on which they absolutely refused to compromise.
"Shirou, are you not coming?"
After the meeting ended, everyone else left the tent to return to their tasks.
Only Shirou and the members of Penguin Logistics remained.
They had just finished their previous assignment and had not yet been given a new one, so they had a bit of free time.
Originally, they planned to organize ammunition and equipment.
However, seeing that Shirou did not appear to be leaving with them, they decided to ask.
Whether he came or not did not really matter.
After all, Shirou had no need to maintain equipment or prepare etched ammunition.
Still, having the entire team together somehow felt more satisfying.
A curse known as obsessive neatness.
"I have something I need to discuss with Doctor. You all go ahead."
In response to Texas's question, Shirou waved a hand to indicate that he would be staying behind.
"I see. Then get to it."
When Exusiai saw that Shirou wanted to have a private conversation with Doctor, she did not think much of it.
Discussing tactics was perfectly normal.
Entirely understandable.
Exusiai thought so.
And so did everyone else.
After promising to come back and find Shirou once they finished their work, the members of Penguin Logistics departed.
"You really are popular. So, what is it that you want to discuss with me?"
At this point, only Doctor and Shirou remained inside the tent.
Amiya had already left with Blaze, Rosmontis, and the others to help with camp duties.
Most operators in the camp still knew very little about Doctor, so certain matters could only be handled by Amiya.
At the same time, Doctor could not help but marvel at how well-liked Shirou was.
Most people genuinely cared about him.
That was probably related to the fact that Shirou always treated others with kindness.
After casually teasing him, she immediately got to the point.
"Uh... I wanted to tell you which Noble Phantasms I can use. Besides that, there is another question I wanted to ask."
Shirou had originally been trying to maintain a serious atmosphere, but after Doctor's teasing, all traces of that mood vanished instantly.
In the end, he could only briefly explain why he had stayed behind.
"Let us start with the second question. I have a feeling the first one is going to take a while."
Sitting back down in her chair, Doctor spoke.
"What exactly was their motive for seizing the mobile city?"
Shirou had not been sure about that out earlier.
But Doctor definitely knew the answer.
He could have asked Ace or Scout as well, but neither of them would have had as complete an understanding as Doctor.
After all, they had been handling nearly every major and minor matter in the camp over the past few days.
"..."
Doctor fell silent.
The index finger of her left hand repeatedly tapped against the table as though she were deep in thought.
Shirou had no intention of rushing her.
Instead, he picked up a blank sheet of paper and a pen from thier desk and began writing down the Noble Phantasms he could project.
Explaining all of them verbally would be troublesome.
Since he had the time now, he might as well write everything down so that they could refer to it later whenever necessary.
"Why do you want to know?"