Chapter 219
Shirou didn't know why, but he always felt particularly comfortable talking to Amiya. She always seemed to know his emotions and said what he wanted to hear most at that moment.
To be so articulate at such a young age suggests that the leader of Rhodes Island is not just a figurehead, but someone who is actually referring to Amiya.
Shirou did not intend to comment on this.
But... is it really okay to place such heavy responsibilities and ideals on one person, especially when that person is just a child?
Especially this one, where it's impossible to see the ideal future clearly.
"..."
During the battle, Shirou thought about many things: Amiya's situation, Rhodes Island's situation, and the Infected's situation.
Humans are prone to overthinking whenever they have a spare moment, especially after Amiya explicitly told Shirou not to deliberately cover for the others, making it even easier for Shirou to carry out his plan.
However, it doesn't mean that Shirou completely gave up on the idea of protecting the others; he just didn't take on all the responsibility as he had before.
Look how bright and cheerful Huang's smile is now! It's this smile that brings warmth to everyone on this cold night.
The kind of warmth that is physical.
As the group wreaked havoc in the Slums, attracting considerable firepower from the enemy, they arrived near their designated location.
It wasn't a specific location to begin with; anything roughly right would do.
The current position is a relatively good one for Scout, offering excellent visibility for them, but making it difficult for anyone wanting to attack them to spot their location.
"Let's reorganize and take a break! Mr. Scout, could you please keep an eye on your surroundings?"
Looking at everyone's expressions, Amiya said.
"This is Shirou, we have arrived at our destination."
Meanwhile, Shirou was trying to talk to Chen using the broken communicator. Although the microphone was almost completely broken, he spoke slowly, and the fragmented sounds still managed to convey the message.
It's quite a test for Chen's ears, though.
"Received. You've arrived, right? You've made quite a commotion over there; I can feel it here. We expect to start operations within five minutes. Use this time to get yourself in the right mindset."
"That's what Chen said after receiving the message."
"We expect to move within five minutes, so please be on your guard."
Turning his head, Shirou relayed the message to the others.
After confirming that everyone had heard, Shirou crouched down and touched his right hand.
The Holy Shroud remained wrapped around him, and Shirou infused it with magical energy.
This way, it can be activated immediately when needed, much like loading a bullet and then simply pulling the trigger when required.
It starts up a little faster, but that comes with the risk of accidental discharge.
"..."
At this moment, everyone was organizing their equipment and adjusting their state. No one spoke, and Shirou could only hear a few shallow breaths.
Besides that, there were the sounds of several drones flying around, and the explosions caused by Scout sniping at the drones from a distance.
At this moment, Shirou had no other thoughts on his mind.
Quietly reflecting on the abrupt events that occurred during this operation.
He always felt that this matter was extremely important, so important that it would affect subsequent actions.
First, let's rule out the possibility that Rhodes Island was being targeted. The only thing Shirou could think of was that his methods of gathering intelligence were too crude, which led to his exposure.
Otherwise, it would be hard to explain why he was being constantly chased and attacked by drones, and even interrogating those who were surrounding him yielded no answers.
It wasn't that those people were being stubborn and refusing to reveal any information; rather, their orders were to stay here and attack any red-haired people who happened to be passing by.
The testimonies were very consistent, and Amiya also said that these people were not lying; they really only knew this information.
That's why Shirou was able to confirm that his side was being targeted.
The reason for needing to consider these things is mainly to confirm the purpose of the other party's actions.
Since the other party knows that he and the Knights of the Round Table personnel will come looking for them, could it be that this isn't a transaction at all, but rather a trap set up for them?
Of course, this is just Shirou's conjecture.
Whether it's true or not doesn't matter; they'll definitely have to get through it.
If all of this is just a smokescreen, designed to arouse their suspicion and prevent them from taking the offensive, then their abandonment of the operation would be exactly what the enemy wanted.
If there are indeed many traps hidden inside...
That's going to be a tough battle.
Shirou had encountered similar situations before, but back then, manpower wasn't as scarce as it is now, and with Chen's excellent command, it was a close call.
Shirou believes that Chen must have noticed this situation a long time ago, but he has not yet given a signal to retreat, which means that the other party's idea has not changed.
"What a hassle... this kind of scheming and calculating about the past."
After thinking for a long time, Shirou felt a slight headache and a bit dizzy from all the confusion.
He really isn't suited for this kind of scheming. No wonder Archer switched sides and joined the enemy's camp. Besides being able to stab someone in the back at the right time, he could also receive more accurate intelligence from the enemy.
Looking at the whole process, he seems less like Hero of Justice and more like a supervillain?
"Mr. Shirou, what are you thinking about? What are you plotting?"
In this quiet environment, everyone naturally heard Shirou's mutterings, so Amiya, who was in charge, went over to check on him.
"Don't call me Mr. Shirou, just call me Shirou. I'm thinking that since the other side knows we're going to raid in, there might already be a lot of ambushes or traps inside. Is it Tai He to just bring you in like this?"
Shirou expressed his thoughts and concerns.
His concern wasn't whether he himself would be ambushed, but rather whether the Rhodes Island members would be injured as a result.
Although the people from Rhodes Island told him not to worry too much about them, Shirou wasn't the type to change his mind easily.
We received some basic assistance on the way here, but it wasn't as noticeable as before.
"I'm glad you're thinking of us so much, Shirou, but as I said before, we, or rather Rhodes Island Shirou, are acting for the Infected."
"Moreover, this level of combat is not difficult for us. We have experienced even more arduous and painful battles before. We have our own standards of judgment. If we are really no match for them, we will not force ourselves."
Upon hearing Shirou's words, Amiya decided to lay everything out in the open.
Shirou was acting out of goodwill towards them; he simply didn't want them to get hurt.
Amiya could clearly sense this through her Originium Arts.
But as she has always said, they, or rather everyone on Rhodes Island, will not back down because of this difficulty.
They have been fighting against it, against this land that discriminates against those infected.
205 Trap
In the Shirou was persuaded by Amiya.
This land was not the world he knew by common sense, and perhaps he shouldn't apply his own way of thinking to these people.
However, Shirou's bottom line is that if the situation becomes extremely critical, he will be responsible for covering the rear, and that is non-negotiable.
In terms of stubbornness, Amiya and Shirou are almost on par.
However, Shirou is currently working for the Knights of the Round Table, and this place is Lungmen, so there's no room for negotiation. He's the highest-ranking person here now, unless Chen gives the order.
Unfortunately, there was a communication problem between the two sides, so Shirou had to make his own judgment, and naturally he did it according to his own ideas.
The optimal solution is naturally to prevent others from following, and even for himself to stay away; the best approach is to snipe from a distance.
However, without sufficient information and perspective, this action would put a lot of pressure on Chen.
Moreover, it is very different from his philosophy in this operation.
What he has been doing throughout this operation is attracting the most attention, acting as the brightest light bulb in the entire operation, drawing the enemy's attention while allowing the Knights of the Round Table to operate more smoothly.
"Then I'll trouble you to go ahead, Shirou."
After the course of action was determined, Blaze, Rosemary, Ace, and Scout naturally had no objections, since the conditions offered by Shirou were entirely in their favor.
There's no reason to refuse such favorable conditions for combat.
Having received such favorable terms, one should naturally follow the other party's instructions and do one's job well.
"Yes, remember what I said. If I feel something is wrong, you all leave immediately, and I will cover your retreat."
After giving a final word of advice, Shirou stood at the front of the group and spoke.
Crouching low, Shirou gently clenched his hands, and Gan Jiang Mo Ye fell into his grasp. He quickly adjusted his posture and waited for Chen to give the order.
Next... it's time to cause a ruckus!
"Charge!"
The moment Chen gave the signal, Shirou immediately took a step and rushed out at an extremely fast speed.
"That's going way too fast!?"
Hoshiguma, who thought Shirou would give a signal, was stunned for a moment before following him.
Unfortunately, even if they just keep running, they still can't catch up with Shirou ahead.
Keep in mind that Shirou is charging ahead at the risk of being attacked, but his opponent doesn't seem to hesitate at all and just keeps charging forward.
If Huang hadn't just witnessed the opponent's brilliant performance, he would have suspected that Shirou was someone unfamiliar with this type of battle.
How can someone knowingly become a target and still rush so fast?! Can't they wait for their teammates?!
"..."
Shirou, of course, didn't hear Huang's inner complaints. He dared to act this way because he was confident in his abilities.
Firstly, he is extremely sensitive to attacks that could hit him during battle; secondly, his Reinforcement Magic and the Holy Shroud on his right hand give him a great deal of confidence.
To put it bluntly, with all the buffs stacked, even Originium Arts might not do any damage to him.
Since that's the case, he naturally has nothing to be afraid of.
However, it doesn't mean that having high defense means you can do whatever you want. No matter how hard something is, it will eventually be penetrated if it is attacked from the same point repeatedly, let alone his already meager magical power.
This fighting style, if the battle drags on, will put him at a significant disadvantage.
The correct way to use this tactic is to complete the task as quickly as possible.
This is also why Shirou wasn't Mystic Code beforehand, and he didn't even use any Reinforcement Magic.
Every little bit of energy consumed helps him last longer.
Da da da da da - Boom -
The sound of drone fire filled the air. Shirou dodged the attack by maneuvering, and then Scout sniped the drone.
Currently, the only one who can provide timely support to Shirou is Scout, who is armed with a sniper rifle.
"Isn't that giving me too much credit?"
Looking at the numerous and varied drones flying out of the building, along with several people carrying crossbows, Shirou chuckled and muttered to himself.
Putting aside the drones, at least fifty have been attacked along the way, and Shirou has already figured out most of their models and functions.
Those people with crossbows... no matter how you look at it, they're not as simple as those who just held crossbows and aimed them earlier!
The fact that there were crossbows as big as the people themselves already showed that these people were not simple.
Whoosh—
A crossbow bolt ripped through the air with a loud bang as it flew toward Shirou.
After glancing behind him and assessing the situation, Shirou used his Gan Jiang Mo Ye Xie swords to deflect the crossbow bolts.
Clang! A loud sound rang out as the sword and crossbow bolt made contact, followed by a piercing screech, and then the bolt was split in two by Shirou.
Following the movement of his strength, Shirou spun around. By the time the enemies could see Shirou's face again, his twin swords had completely disappeared, replaced by a black longbow and three red streaks rushing towards them.
The other side was also a sniper, so they naturally knew how to avoid Scout's sniper attacks, but they had no way to avoid Shirou's frontal attacks.
To be honest, avoiding it wouldn't have made much difference, since Shirou could control the direction of the arrows to some extent under the influence of magic. Although he couldn't chase and kill the enemy like the Blood-red Hound, he could still annoy them.
The three arrows destroyed the crossbows of the three platforms, and also put a lot of pressure on the remaining people.
While there are people who can shoot down arrows like Shirou, they've never seen a fighter like Shirou who can switch from wielding dual swords a few seconds ago to suddenly using a longbow to snipe at targets.