Five enemies. At first glance, that number did not seem particularly significant. The number of people gathered below already far exceeded that.
But if those five enemies were among Ursus's strongest combat forces, then the meaning was entirely different.
It was said that every additional Emperor Blade increased the difficulty exponentially. Reportedly, just four Emperor Blades were enough to sweep through an entire settlement.
And now they were facing five of them.
Possibly even more.
After all, five was merely the number observed by Scout and his squad.
"Looks like the big fish took the bait. Though there are more of them than we expected. What do you think, are you confident?"
Doctor's calm voice came through the communicator, completely unlike everyone else's attitude.
"I should be able to handle it. Though I suggest you prepare for the impact of the Nation on your side."
Standing atop the hilt of the Ig-Alima, Shirou pressed a hand against the communicator on his ear as he replied.
To him, the number of Emperor Blades did not matter much. Ammunition reinforced with magical energy was more than enough to pierce their armor.
The real problem was whatever existed inside those suits.
Talulah had called it...
Nation.
Every Emperor Blade was a Nation unto themselves. The land beneath their feet was Ursus territory.
The description sounded absurdly arrogant, but they had the power to back it up. Otherwise, they would never have inspired such fear in so many people.
"We are already prepared. FrostNova's squad and Mr. Patriot are guarding the camp. Just focus on your side."
After hearing Shirou's response, Doctor listed the people remaining in camp, hoping to reassure him so he could focus on what he needed to do.
The Black Snake had exploited this weakness before and caused Shirou trouble.
This time, she had completely closed off that possibility.
As for sending reinforcements...
Amiya, Blaze, and Rhodes Island's elite operators were already standing by.
They were more than capable.
"Then wait for good news from my side."
With that, blue light began radiating from the black bow in Shirou's hand.
Moments later, it transformed into a double-ended blade formed from Kanshou and Bakuya.
Holding the weapon, Shirou surveyed the surroundings.
Dark figures could be seen approaching from several different directions.
Besides the Emperor Blades, there were also a few individuals dressed as civilians or Reunion members. However, some of them had already been eliminated by Scout and his squad.
In other words, Shirou, Amiya, Blaze, Rosmontis, Nearl, and their accompanying teams only needed to focus on the enemies in front of them.
More accurately, Shirou would handle the Emperor Blades while everyone else provided support.
This included, but was not limited to, restricting the Emperor Blades' movements and preventing enemy casters or infected creatures from interfering with him.
In short, their primary mission was to create the best possible combat environment for Shirou.
"It feels far heavier than I imagined."
Standing atop the Ig-Alima, Shirou quietly muttered to himself.
The pressure of carrying so many people's trust and expectations while standing on the front line was immense.
Especially when those people had entrusted their lives to him.
Back when he worked with Ch'en or Swire in the Lungmen Guard Department, he simply followed orders and struck where directed.
Now, he had to assess the battlefield himself and make his own decisions.
To be honest, facing five Emperor Blades still placed considerable pressure on him.
While he had fought them before, that encounter had taken place while both sides were holding back.
At the time, Shirou had been constrained by the city environment and could not fight with full force.
The Emperor Blades had been similarly restrained.
After a brief clash, both sides had disengaged.
Even so, that encounter had taught Shirou that their reputation was well deserved.
Wei Yenwu and Yith's warnings had been entirely correct.
Unless absolutely necessary, Shirou never wanted to fight enemies this troublesome again.
Unfortunately, reality did not care about his preferences.
And now he had to face at least five of them at once.
Using his left thumb and index finger, he lightly rubbed the junction where the twin blades of Kanshou and Bakuya connected.
Then he closed his eyes and slowly exhaled.
When he opened them again, a massive surge of magical energy burst from his body.
His eyes shone with a faint golden light as he fixed his gaze on one of the Emperor Blades.
The Emperor Blade seemed to sense the stare.
He stopped and turned toward Shirou.
After only a brief pause, the Emperor Blade looked away again, abandoned any attempt at concealment, and charged directly toward him.
"Whoa! Shirou is giving off some serious pressure right now... Yikes, that is terrifying. See no evil, see no evil."
Below, Blaze suddenly shuddered.
Feeling the overwhelming pressure descending from above, she instinctively looked up.
It would have been better if she had not.
The moment she saw the dark silhouette overhead, glowing golden eyes staring down while holding a double-ended blade, she immediately felt miserable.
As everyone knew, there had once been a certain someone who had blasted her chainsaw apart with a single shot.
To this day, the incident remained one of her psychological scars.
And now, Shirou's weapon, combined with those glowing golden eyes shining in the darkness, happened to strike directly at that trauma.
Faced with this situation, Blaze the big cat chose to lower her head, tighten her grip on her chainsaw, and focus entirely on the task before her.
As long as she did not look at him, he would not notice her.
"They are here."
Shirou did not notice any of Blaze's little reactions above. His gaze rapidly swept across the surroundings, locking onto several Emperor Blades.
Among them, the one who had exchanged looks with Shirou earlier was the fastest.
After all, once he had been discovered, he simply stopped hiding, allowing him to move much faster than the others.
Shirou lowered his body and leaned forward.
The next moment, he launched himself forward like a projectile.
Creating a new battlefield some distance away from the original location was an excellent choice. It would prevent the aftermath of the battle from interfering with the other operators while still leaving enough distance for them to provide support.
And if any other Emperor Blades chose to target the people back there...
Doctor had already prepared for that as well.
Rhodes Island elites such as Ace and Scout could not guarantee victory, but they were certainly capable of delaying the enemy for a time.
That would also allow Shirou to fight without restraint, giving him access to a wider variety of Noble Phantasms and tactics.
Most people would become irritated if they were repeatedly targeted and forced to deal with endless trouble.
Shirou was no exception.
His tolerance was simply higher than most people's.
But even for him, things had reached a point where a considerable amount of frustration had built up.
Simply put, he needed an outlet.
And these enemies were a very suitable choice.
"Hmph."
The Emperor Blade naturally saw Shirou flying toward him.
He stopped, raised his right hand, and condensed a red-black sphere of energy.
Once it reached a certain size, the sphere shot from his hand at tremendous speed.
Its target was naturally Shirou, who had just landed nearby.
Faced with the incoming energy sphere, Shirou did not dodge.
Instead, he projected a weak E-rank Noble Phantasm and hurled it forward to collide with the attack.
The moment they met, a thunderous explosion rang out.
The energy sphere vanished instantly, while the projected Noble Phantasm was knocked aside and embedded itself into a tree trunk.
It appeared as though the Noble Phantasm had gained the upper hand.
But Shirou knew perfectly well that the weapon was now so damaged it would shatter at the slightest touch.
After a brief evaluation, he gained a rough understanding of the attack's power.
If he had used Kanshou and Bakuya instead, he might have been able to knock it aside.
Or even split it apart.
An attack of this level was nothing to fear.
After exchanging several rounds, Shirou had already gained a decent understanding of the Emperor Blade's capabilities.
But he did not let his guard down, because he was not fighting a single Emperor Blade.
In combat, teamwork often made one plus one far greater than two.
Using his blades to deflect the black energy spheres and incoming weapon strikes, Shirou focused on attacking the joints of the armor through blunt force.
Whether it was smashing directly with the flat of a blade, delivering vicious kicks, or even abandoning his weapon at the right moment to throw a punch, he employed every method available.
Naturally, that included some familiarity with the "self-defense techniques" that Rin and Kotomine excelled at.
Of course, he was merely imitating what he remembered.
Still, mixed into his swordsmanship, it was more than sufficient.
"Hmph... attempting to drive us back with such petty tricks? How naive."
After several exchanges, the Emperor Blade had naturally noticed Shirou's intentions.
In his eyes, however, it was nothing more than a futile struggle.
The moment he finished speaking, black snow began to fall from the sky.
"—Broken Phantasm!"
The instant he saw the black snow appear, Shirou did not hesitate.
He threw Kanshou and Bakuya from his hands and detonated them.
The explosion was not particularly powerful, but the resulting shockwave immediately created distance between him and his opponent.
The blast sent Shirou sliding backward across the ground.
However, he did not simply wait to come to a stop.
With a sweep of his left hand, a silver wire shot outward and wrapped around a nearby tree, altering his trajectory.
The next moment, the location he had occupied was pierced by several black spears and long blades.
"Your reactions are fast. In terms of battlefield judgment, you surpass many battle-hardened warriors."
Using the wire, Shirou repositioned himself to a relatively safe location.
Then he heard the deep voice.
The Emperor Blade almost seemed to be praising him.
Looking up, Shirou clearly saw three Emperor Blades standing before him.
Aside from the one he had just fought—whose armor was now covered in dust and sword marks, the other two were impossible to distinguish from one another.
"It is indeed as Duke Black Snake described. A strange and powerful ability..."
The Emperor Blade who had spoken continued.
"But unfortunately, the Duke's plan failed. This power cannot be put to use for Ursus."
Although their voices sounded similar, the manner of speech and tone allowed Shirou to identify him as the one who had been speaking all along.
Compared to the Emperor Blades he had encountered in Chernobog and the one he had just fought, this one felt...
Older.
"Black Snake's plan did not just fail. He is gone too, you know?"
Hearing the mention of the Black Snake and some mysterious plan, Shirou helpfully informed them of the Black Snake's current situation, hoping to buy a little time while assessing the situation.
He could clearly feel that this Emperor Blade posed a greater threat than the others.
Whether it was his arrogant manner of speaking or the piercing gaze hidden behind the helmet, everything about him made Shirou uncomfortable.
Releasing the wire, Kanshou and Bakuya reappeared in Shirou's hands.
While focusing most of his attention on the three Emperor Blades before him, he did not neglect his surroundings.
He could hear the sounds of battle in the distance.
Most notably, the roaring sound of Blaze's chainsaw was loud enough to stand out even amidst the chaos.
Although Shirou was worried about the situation over there, he understood very clearly that if something went wrong on his side, they could all start waiting for total annihilation.
What concerned him was whether there were more Emperor Blades hiding nearby, as well as the black snowflakes that continued to drift down from the sky.
When black snow began to fall, it meant death had already wrapped itself around your neck.
Shirou had forgotten whether he had read that in intelligence provided by Wei Yenwu or by Yith, but this was indeed the first time he had personally witnessed black snow falling from the sky.
Perhaps it meant that his opponents were finally beginning to fight seriously.
"Hiss... You know nothing about the Black Snake. The destruction of his body means very little to him."
Just as Shirou was trying to buy time, the Emperor Blades were doing the same, waiting for reinforcements to arrive.
However, it was obvious that the others had been intercepted.
For the time being, only the three of them would be dealing with Shirou.
As for the camp...
Knowing full well that both Patriot and Hellagur were stationed there, they had only sent a few soldiers to launch a feint attack.
Before the people over there realized what was happening and dispatched reinforcements, they had to accomplish their objective, to allow another Black Snake to possess him, or completely destroy him.
Originally, their role had simply been to monitor the Black Snake and the others.
However, the pillar of light that had appeared over Chernobog a few days ago had forced them to seriously reconsider the Black Snake's alternative proposal.
That was why they now stood before Shirou.
If his power could not be used by Ursus, then only one option remained.
Death.
After confirming the situation, the three Emperor Blades drew their blades and charged toward him.
"Trace, on!"
Gripping the double-ended blade in his right hand, Shirou raised a projected gunblade in his left and fired several shots in rapid succession.
The barrage disrupted their formation and forced one of the Emperor Blades to retreat.
When the remaining two closed the distance, Shirou immediately abandoned the gunblade and switched to close combat.
Generally speaking, firearms were fastest at long range and both fast and accurate at close range.
But that was by ordinary standards.
Based on his experience fighting Emperor Blades in Chernobog, most of them had methods for dealing with firearms.
Using guns for harassment at medium range was fine.
Once the distance became too short, however, a gunblade's advantages diminished greatly unless it was a one-on-one fight.
Perhaps it was because he could not use the weapon as skillfully as its original owner...
But that did not matter.
Others would make up for what he lacked.
As if responding to that very thought, an enormous shadow suddenly appeared on the ground.
The two Emperor Blades fighting Shirou were too occupied with the battle to pay attention.
The one who had been forced back, however, raised his head to investigate.
"Hiss... Dodge!"
After seeing what was above them, he immediately shouted a warning to his comrades.
The two Emperor Blades fighting Shirou reacted without the slightest hesitation and instantly dashed away.
"Hah!"
Separating the double-ended blade back into Kanshou and Bakuya, Shirou hurled one of them toward an Emperor Blade.
The thrown blade flew with incredible speed and struck the more seasoned Emperor Blade directly in the arm.
A small amount of black substance seeped from the wound.
But in the next instant, the Emperor Blade vanished from Shirou's sight.
Not because he had hidden himself.
Rather, because the object falling from the sky had split the battlefield apart.
"Rosmontis, was that you? That was pretty reckless."
Only then did Shirou finally realize what had fallen, and he spoke into the communicator with a somewhat helpless tone.
The object was none other than the Ig-Alima he had been using as a firing platform moments earlier.
"Ahahaha, I really did not expect anyone could actually swing that thing. But if it is a kitty, I guess it makes sense? As expected, Shirou, you really do go well with kitties!"
The first person to arrive at Shirou's side was Blaze, chainsaw in hand.
Her body was covered with wounds both large and small. She looked exhausted, as though she could collapse at any moment.
Yet despite her battered appearance, her voice and attitude were exactly the same as always.
"...Why are all of you here?"
Ignoring the final part of Blaze's comment which sounded suspiciously like something that could get him arrested, Shirou drew another gunblade and swept the area with suppressive fire while glancing at the reinforcements.
Blaze.
Amiya.
Rosmontis.
Three people in total.
"Originally, we could not spare anyone. But your Penguin Logistics friends drove an armored vehicle straight onto the battlefield and started cleaning up enemies. They also brought reinforcements, so we finally managed to break away."
Blaze did not seem bothered at all that Shirou had ignored her joke. Instead, she simply answered his question.
"I can already picture it..."
The moment he heard that, an image immediately formed in Shirou's mind.
Texas driving a vehicle straight through enemy lines while Exusiai fired through the roof hatch.
Ordinary land vehicles would have had a difficult time supporting that kind of combat style.
But Blaze had specifically said armored vehicle.
In other words, something closer to a light armored personnel carrier.
It could only be said that Doctor had perfectly understood Penguin Logistics' way of fighting.
What surprised Shirou even more, however, was Rosmontis being able to lift the Ig-Alima.
Through the little "pranks" Rosmontis occasionally played on him, he had already formed a rough idea of what her Originium Arts were capable of.
Watching her manipulate Rhodes Island's tactical equipment in combat had only further confirmed his suspicions.
Even so, seeing her swing the Ig-Alima was still...
Absurd.