Naturally, they hitched a ride on the way back.
The land vehicle that Doctor had previously assigned to Penguin Logistics had only suffered some damage that did not affect its ability to drive, despite going through several battles under Texas's superb driving skills.
It did not look pretty, but as long as it could move, that was enough.
In any case, they were not in Lungmen. Driving a heavily damaged vehicle here would neither get them recognized nor attract the concern of the officers from the Guard Department.
Everyone tacitly avoided mentioning what they had just witnessed, and before long they arrived at the area where the Rhodes Island squad was stationed.
"Shirou? You are already out of bed? I thought you would be staying here for at least a day."
Blaze was somewhat surprised to see Shirou stepping out of the vehicle in protective gear.
Based on her own experience, after fighting to the point of exhaustion, it would take at least half a day before someone could recover enough to walk normally.
Considering how many high-intensity battles Shirou had gone through in a short period of time, Blaze had expected him to need at least a full day to recover.
Yet he was fine in less than half a day?
That was absurd. Once they returned, she would have to talk to the medical department and find out exactly what kind of body structure this guy had.
"I can handle normal activities, but fighting is out of the question."
Watching Blaze come over and poke at his arms and legs, Shirou replied helplessly.
Was this recovery speed really that unbelievable? He felt as though he had explained it many times already.
"I personally suggest resting for at least three days before resuming some low-intensity exercise."
Ace pulled Blaze back and offered his own advice.
In other words, he wanted Shirou to rest another day or two and stop pushing himself so hard.
"It is fine. The sooner we settle things here, the sooner you can go help Doctor. I am worried that Amiya alone will not be able to keep them under control."
Taking a recording terminal from Rosmontis, Shirou spoke while pulling up the hood of the protective suit.
It felt stuffy after putting it on, but that also proved the effectiveness of the suit.
"Keep them under control? What happened?"
Ace and Blaze became curious after hearing his words. Even Scout, who had just returned, was drawn over.
"Well..."
Under the curious gazes of the three of them, Shirou briefly explained what had happened earlier.
"Wow. How long has Doctor gone without rest?"
After hearing the story, Blaze did not think much of it. She simply assumed that Doctor had not slept properly for the past few days and that thier brain had temporarily stopped functioning properly.
"..."
For some reason, however, Ace and Scout exchanged glances, both wearing serious expressions.
"Then we will leave things here to you. I am going back to help Amiya."
The serious look lasted only a few seconds before Ace returned to his usual big-brother demeanor and patted Shirou on the shoulder.
He then nodded toward Scout and left with his squad.
"...Then I will go check things out."
Their reactions naturally did not escape Shirou's notice. Although both men wore sunglasses, that restless anxiety could not be concealed behind dark lenses.
Still, Shirou merely took note of it. He was not curious enough to pursue the matter.
Judging from Ace's appearance, he seemed to be going to deal with whatever it was, so there was no need to rush and ask. It was more important to finish his own task first.
After tightening his protective suit, Scout and his team inspected him carefully. Only after confirming that there were no oversights did Shirou slowly approach the enormous Originium crystal.
At the moment, Shirou was fairly relaxed and had few thoughts on his mind.
Originium itself did not affect him easily, and now he was wearing protective gear on top of that.
The main reason for wearing the suit was so that after completing this mission, he could take it off and dispose of it immediately, preventing large amounts of Originium dust and crystal fragments from contaminating him and spreading to others.
"Hmm... Looks like the person is still inside."
Approaching the crystal, Shirou carefully observed the Liberi trapped within.
It looked exactly the same as when he had left. There had not been the slightest change.
After confirming this, he took several pictures with the terminal and chipped off several pieces of Originium crystal, sealing them inside an airtight container.
These crystals had been created from an Originium weapon projected through Originium dust and then formed through Broken Phantasm.
Doctor in the normal state believed they had great research value and had specifically instructed Shirou to collect some. As for what to do with the rest afterward, that was left to Shirou's discretion.
"!"
Just as Shirou was slowly collecting samples with the tools provided by Doctor, he suddenly sensed that something was wrong.
Looking up, he met the gaze of the Liberi inside the crystal.
The other's eyes had transformed into vertical pupils like those of a snake.
"Are you still not dead? Your vitality is truly impressive."
After staring at each other for several seconds, Shirou could not help but comment on the other's tenacity.
The Deathless Black Snake really lived up to its name. Even with the entire body sealed inside an Originium crystal, it was still alive.
After placing the Originium samples into an airtight container and locking it shut, Shirou reached out and gently touched the crystal.
"Analysis, begin."
From the feedback of his structural analysis magecraft, Shirou was completely certain that the Liberi's "body" inside was dead beyond any doubt. He simply did not understand why the Black Snake could still manipulate it.
Perhaps it had something to do with consciousness or the spirit?
However, aside from controlling its eyes and glaring at the person standing before it, it seemed incapable of doing anything else.
If things continued like this, its destruction was inevitable.
The only question was how long it would take.
But Shirou had no intention of simply allowing it to fade away naturally. As long as someone shattered the Originium crystal and provided another body, the thing could recover without much trouble.
"Trace on."
As the chant ended, a pitch-black gunblade appeared in Shirou's hand.
"Let your ambitions be buried here with you!"
With those words, Shirou raised the weapon, aimed at the Black Snake's head inside the crystal, and pulled the trigger.
The gunshot rang out as the bullet pierced both the Originium crystal and the Black Snake's head within.
Apparently deciding that was still not enough, Shirou fired several more shots into vital areas, especially the head.
Afterward, he projected a longsword and drove it into the Originium crystal before leaving with the sealed container and the recording terminal.
"Shirou? What happened just now?"
Seeing Shirou returning, Scout stepped forward first to ask.
After all, Shirou had not removed his protective suit yet. Letting others approach carelessly would not be ideal. Scout, however, often fought in areas with high Originium concentrations, so his protective measures had been enhanced in that regard.
As long as he did not enter an area with extremely high concentrations, there would not be any problems.
The reason he came over was simply to understand what had happened.
Although they had been some distance away, the gunshots had been quite noticeable, especially after Shirou fired several rounds.
If Scout had not confirmed through his scope that Shirou was not engaged in combat with another person, everyone else would have rushed over regardless of the Originium concentration.
As for why they had not used communicators?
Because in areas with high Originium concentrations, ordinary communication signals became unstable. Carelessness could even damage the communicator used by the person inside the contaminated area.
"He was not completely dead, so I gave him a few more shots."
Seeing Scout approach, Shirou stopped first and answered his question.
"He still was not dead after all that? That is one stubborn life. Good thing you went over to confirm otherwise, by the time Ursus figured things out, he might really have escaped."
Learning that the Black Snake had survived even under such circumstances, Scout also found it somewhat ridiculous.
"Let us go. I still have something big prepared for him."
Shaking the object in his hand, Shirou spoke.
"That is taking your finishing blow a little too far, is it not?"
Scout's earlier astonishment disappeared completely, replaced by helplessness at Shirou's excessive caution.
Who in their right mind stuffed a grenade in afterward just to finish someone off?
"Better safe than sorry. If we fail to finish him this time, he might come after us again in the future."
Shirou did not pay much attention to Scout's thoughts.
He had faced enemies with twelve lives before. If his physical condition allowed it, he would have projected several imitation Caladbolgs and planted them around the area.
"True enough. Put the items in here, and take off the protective suit as well."
After hearing Shirou's explanation and recalling the Black Snake's abilities, Scout suddenly found himself convinced.
Since Shirou had already prepared to blow up the Originium crystals, they naturally needed to evacuate quickly. Otherwise, they would definitely be caught in the blast.
"Then I will be relying on you all."
Pulling down the hood, Shirou let out a long breath of fresh air.
He had wanted to remove the protective suit for quite some time. Not only did it hinder his movements, but the mask interfered with both his vision and breathing, making him extremely uncomfortable.
After carefully packing away the suit, he placed the sealed container and recording terminal into the backpack Scout had prepared. Once the zipper was closed, the two of them left together.
"Scout! Everything is packed up! We are just waiting for you two to get in the vehicle!"
Spotting Shirou and Scout from afar, Blaze stood directly on top of the vehicle and waved enthusiastically while shouting at them.
"Honestly... shouting in a place like this and even climbing onto the roof."
Seeing Blaze's antics, Scout could not help covering his face, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
No matter how one looked at it, this place had still been a battlefield only half a day ago. Acting like that was practically exposing oneself to enemy eyes.
Was she not relaxing a little too much?
"It is fine. There is nobody around here."
Hearing Scout's concern, Shirou tried to reassure him.
Before approaching the Black Snake earlier, he had already surveyed the surroundings. Now, after hearing Scout's complaint, he looked around once more.
There was still nobody there, so the danger Scout worried about would not happen.
"Sigh, Shirou, you are too kind. Situations like this should not be happening in the first place. We have to find a way to correct this."
Instead of being reassured, Scout's worries only deepened.
Perhaps it was precisely because Shirou was always cleaning up problems behind the scenes that Blaze's attitude had become so lax?
No, once they got back, he needed to gather his trusted teammates and discuss how to solve this problem.
After all, among the elite operators, Blaze's injury rate was notoriously high. She frequently went into shock, to the point where a defibrillator had been specially assigned to her.
If she carried these bad habits onto the battlefield, they might as well throw away the defibrillator and bring a coffin instead.
Thinking this far, Scout made up his mind. He absolutely could not allow Blaze to continue degenerating like this.
"Hm? Ah... you do have a point. That really is dangerous. If you need help, I can assist too."
Realizing that his reassurance had not worked, Shirou reflected for a moment and concluded that Scout's concerns made more sense.
He had been judging Blaze's behavior from the perspective of his everyday life in Lungmen, or even before that, but considering her identity and occupation, such conduct really was inappropriate.
Still, Scout seemed to already have plans, so Shirou did not intend to interfere too much.
As for joining in... that was not impossible. If nothing else, he could give Blaze a little pressure by simulating sniper attacks.
Suction-cup arrows were not particularly lethal but they were tremendously humiliating.
And if that did not work, he could always use an bigger version.
"Then it is settled. I will treat you to a meal later."
Seeing that Shirou did not object and was even willing to help, Scout readily agreed.
During those few short steps, the two of them had unknowingly decided the high-pressure environment that would dominate Blaze's life for the next several weeks, perhaps even months.
"Huh? Why do I suddenly feel a chill... Is it just my imagination?"
Far away atop the vehicle, Blaze suddenly felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She hurriedly climbed back inside the vehicle, and only after sitting down properly did that unsettling feeling mostly disappear.
Shortly after Blaze settled in, Shirou stored the backpack in Scout's vehicle for safekeeping and walked over to the vehicle they had arrived in.
Before even opening the door, he spotted an unexpected guest inside.
"Why are you here?"
The Penguin Logistics crew and Rosmontis were already waiting inside, but for some reason Blaze had not stayed with Scout and had instead squeezed herself into this vehicle.
"Because the kitty is here, of course!"
As she spoke, Blaze wrapped her arms around Rosmontis, who sat in the front passenger seat.
That seat had originally been Shirou's, but the big cat had forced him out of it.
"Honestly... I will go see whether there is room in another vehicle."
Seeing the situation, Shirou could only smile helplessly. It was not a major issue. He could simply hitch a ride with someone else.
The vehicle was already full.
Texas sat in the driver's seat, Rosmontis occupied the front passenger seat, and in the back sat Exusiai, Croissant, Sora, and Blaze.
Six people in total.
If Shirou insisted on riding in this vehicle, he would probably have to lie in the cargo compartment or sit on the roof and enjoy the wind.
"Mmm, that is not necessary."
Rosmontis broke free from Blaze's embrace, as though she had made up her mind.
Taking a deep breath, she jumped down from the passenger seat, opened the rear door, and sat directly on Blaze's lap.
"Now the front passenger seat is available."
In the back seat, Rosmontis wore an expression that had already accepted everything, while Blaze hugged her with a look as though she had received nature's greatest blessing.
Seeing Rosmontis's actions, the members of Penguin Logistics and even Shirou could not help finding it amusing.
"Fine, fine. I will not go to another vehicle."
With a helpless smile, Shirou finally reclaimed his rightful seat in the front passenger position.
As Texas stepped on the accelerator and the convoy had put some distance behind them, Shirou detonated the Noble Phantasm he had left embedded in the Originium crystal.
The explosion was not particularly loud. At least, nobody inside the vehicle noticed anything unusual.
But according to Shirou's estimates, that sword should have been enough to flatten that entire area.
Thus, the operation in Ursus had finally come to an end.
All that remained was disaster relief and cleanup following the Catastrophe. Rhodes Island would send additional personnel later, so there was no need for them to worry about it.
From rescuing Doctor, to being caught up in a Catastrophe, to being targeted by the Black Snake and dragged into its schemes, so many things had happened within the span of just a few days.
It had been an exceptionally eventful time.
If possible, though, Shirou hoped life would not be quite so eventful in the future.
It was exhausting.
Thinking that, he could not help stretching lazily before saying:
"Ah... I really hope we can get home and rest soon."
At this point, it was not just Penguin Logistics who wanted a vacation. Even he wanted to take a few days off and properly recover.
"Exactly, exactly! Shirou, you finally understand the importance of rest. You rest so that you can go farther in the future!"
Hearing the word "rest" come out of Shirou's mouth for once, Exusiai immediately agreed and even turned around to lecture him in return.
"Pfft... Exusiai is right. Once we get home, we really should take it easy. We should have the Boss prepare a party."
Unlike Exusiai, Sora caught another important word in Shirou's sentence, but she did not point it out. Instead, she continued along with Exusiai's topic.
"A party, a party~ I wonder what we will eat?"
Croissant completely missed the significance and had already begun fantasizing about the food they would have at the party.
"Yes, we really should hold a proper celebration."
In the driver's seat, Texas's ears twitched slightly. The anxiety she had been feeling over the lack of Pocky suddenly eased considerably.
Because before this, Shirou had never used the words "go home."
And now, he had said them naturally.
Maybe it had just been a slip of the tongue, but... perhaps it was still a pretty good start.
To them, Penguin Logistics had always been their home.
And after all this time, Shirou had finally begun to truly become part of it.
It meant that he had let go of much of his past and had begun trying to embrace the present.
Everything was difficult at the beginning.
As long as he had taken the first step, then whatever problems came afterward could be solved.