"What is happening?"
Having never experienced anything like this before, Shirou was completely bewildered. To him, the alarm sounded unbearably harsh.
The entire purpose of the alarm was to warn people about urgent situations, so it naturally used frequencies that ordinary people found difficult to tolerate.
Even Kroos, who had been sleeping nearby, was startled awake so violently that she nearly jumped out of her seat. She had not even wiped the drool from her mouth before Fang and Beagle grabbed her and rushed out while practically carrying her.
Shirou truly had never seen a scene like this before.
"This means they have encountered either a Catastrophe or a large group of Infected creatures. Rhodes Island operators are being ordered to prepare for combat at any moment."
Franka no longer wore her usual playful smile. Instead, she frowned lightly as she explained.
Normally, only a small number of available operators would be notified, so why had so many people been alerted this time?
Nearly every terminal in the classroom had gone off. Even the terminals belonging to them, members of Blacksteel Worldwide who were merely cooperating partners, had sounded the alarm.
"If they need this many people, then they have probably encountered a very large infected creature swarm. Worse still, it could mean the operators currently outside on missions are being pursued right now."
Seeing Franka's grim expression, Liskarm added her own explanation before moving to call for Jessica and Vanilla.
The classroom, which had been packed moments ago, instantly emptied out, leaving behind only a few children. The moment everyone received the notification, they sprang into action.
"I will go too."
Seeing that the four members of Blacksteel also seemed ready to head out, Shirou spoke up.
Since he had run into the situation already, he could not simply stand by and ignore it.
If it were an assault mission or an infiltration operation, Shirou probably would not volunteer himself. But if it was truly as the other two had described, either a Catastrophe or an infected creature swarm, then he could definitely help somehow.
After all, Exusiai had once said that when in doubt, just solve the problem with one really big shot.
"...Just stay with us. And when we get there, do not interrupt. The instructors are very strict."
After hearing that Shirou wanted to come along, Liskarm thought for a moment before deciding not to refuse.
In terms of firepower, this man was stronger than some conventional casters. Bringing him along definitely would not be a disadvantage. Rhodes Island had notified this many operators, so the situation was certainly serious.
The four people ahead jogged quickly through the corridors, while Shirou obediently followed behind them.
If he got separated, things would become troublesome. Rhodes Island was fairly large, and this was an area Shirou had never visited before, so he was unfamiliar with it.
"We need to pick up weapons and equipment first. Shirou, you... just wear Vanilla's jacket for now. Out of the four of us, you can probably only fit into Vanilla's clothes."
After arriving at the entrance to a room, Liskarm told the other three to head inside first and collect their weapons and equipment. As for herself, due to her usual habits, she already had her combat uniform and gear on her body.
Even her gun was properly holstered at her waist. The only thing she was not carrying was her shield.
So as long as she grabbed her shield, she would be ready to deploy, though she still had to wait for her other three teammates to finish changing into their equipment.
During that time, she and Vanilla took out a Rhodes Island jacket for Shirou to wear.
It was something every operator received after joining, though whether they wore it regularly depended entirely on personal preference.
Since the four members of Blacksteel had their own equipment and uniforms, they rarely acted while wearing Rhodes Island jackets.
As for Shirou, sending him into battle dressed in those unbelievably plain clothes of his...
That was honestly a little inappropriate. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Liskarm borrowed a jacket from Vanilla for him.
Among the four members of Blacksteel, Vanilla was the tallest. Her height was roughly similar to Shirou's, both of them being over one meter seventy.
"Alright."
Without refusing Liskarm's arrangement, Shirou directly took Vanilla's jacket and put it on.
It was a little small, but Shirou did not really mind. It was still wearable.
"Take these too. Be careful later."
After seeing Shirou put on the Rhodes Island jacket, Liskarm pulled several items out from the small pouch at her waist and handed them to him.
"Originium inhibitors? I do not need these."
Shirou was very familiar with what she was holding. Back in Lungmen, he dealt with these things all the time. It was only after partnering with Rhodes Island that the frequency of use had decreased.
These could broadly be used to treat Oripathy, or taken before and after operations in high-risk areas to reduce the chances of becoming infected.
Texas and Croissant, who frequently had to engage infected creatures in close combat, often used them this way and remained perfectly healthy without becoming infected.
But Shirou genuinely had no use for them. Doctor Kal'tsit had already said that as long as he did not recklessly court death, his chance of infection was essentially zero.
And the so-called "courting death" referred to using massive amounts of Originium to replenish magical energy or directly swallowing Originium raw.
The former was something Shirou might actually end up doing.
But the latter...
Who in their right mind would swallow Originium raw?
Did they not care about their throat hurting?
"Quiet. Just take them. They are for saving lives. Even if you do not need them yourself, you can still give them to others in an emergency. Nothing is more important than ensuring survival."
Hearing Shirou's response, Liskarm glared at him as she spoke.
Faced with that glare, Shirou could only obediently accept them.
"We are moving."
Franka emerged from the room already dressed in the outfit she normally wore for combat, with a slender sword sheath hanging at her waist.
In her hand was Liskarm's shield. The moment she stepped out, she handed it over to Liskarm and also passed a communication device to Shirou.
The other two quietly followed behind Franka as well.
Nobody was in the mood for jokes at a time like this. Rhodes Island's alarm was still blaring.
That sound alone was enough to make people feel oppressed.
The five of them quickly arrived at a spacious open area where many people were already waiting.
From Shirou's estimate, there were more than ten separate groups gathered there. Each one was probably a small squad.
He could see the six members of Reserve Operation Team A1 discussing something with another group. Among that group, only the pink-haired Cautus caught Shirou's attention for an extra moment.
He knew that person.
After all, she belonged to the medical department.
The reason he remembered her was similar to why he remembered Ptilopsis. Both were exceptionally unique existences within the medical department.
Embarrassingly enough, when Shirou first saw her, he had also mistaken her gender...
Fortunately, someone corrected him in time, so he did not end up making a fool of himself.
"There are quite a lot of people here. Shirou, pay attention later, and remember to put on your communication equipment properly."
Franka stood on her tiptoes and looked around the area before turning her attention back toward Shirou.
Originally, she had thought today would be uneventful. After finishing training, she had planned to head back to her room and sleep, yet now another incident had happened.
Recalling Shirou's earlier questions, Franka seriously suspected that his mouth had some kind of cursed prophetic power.
And every single time she ran into him, something always seemed to happen...
Thinking of that, the look in Franka's eyes as she stared at Shirou gradually became less friendly.
Earlier, she truly had been nervous since Rhodes Island had sounded the alarm. But after arriving at the assembly point and seeing so many people gathered, as well as the fact that nobody had stepped forward to command them yet, she guessed the situation had not reached the absolute worst stage. That was why she finally relaxed a little.
She needed to adjust her mindset now. There might be a difficult battle waiting for them later.
With this many people mobilized, they had probably encountered an enormous infected creature swarm, though it was still some distance away.
As for why Rhodes Island had not chosen to turn around...
Perhaps it was because of mobility issues.
Or maybe, just as Liskarm had said earlier, operators who had gone out on missions were currently being chased back by infected creatures.
"You really do not need to worry about me. Should you not pay more attention to Jessica and the others?"
Having already put on the communication equipment, Shirou asked quietly.
Along the way, Liskarm and Franka had shown him more concern than they had shown the other two. Was that really alright?
"Though they are still a bit immature, at the end of the day they are Blacksteel mercenaries. Compared to them, Shirou, you are just a little brother. You should worry more about yourself instead."
Hearing Shirou's question, Franka narrowed her eyes and laughed softly.
Since his mouth seemed so cursed, teasing him a little to relieve stress should not be a problem, right?
Shirou: "..."
Thinking about it that way, she was probably right. He really had interrupted them.
Before Shirou could continue feeling awkward, he heard a very familiar voice ring out.
"I apologize for issuing an emergency notice at a time like this. One of Rhodes Island's operator teams accidentally disturbed a large group of infected creatures during an outside mission, and they are currently being pursued. They are still quite some distance away from Rhodes Island."
"The objective of this operation is for everyone to help repel those infected creatures and buy enough time for the operators to safely return aboard Rhodes Island!"
The owner of the voice wasted no time and directly explained the purpose behind gathering everyone here.
It was Amiya.
Shirou could see that she looked extremely nervous, but she still managed to suppress those emotions and keep herself as calm as possible.
No one would refuse this mission.
After all, they were all Rhodes Island operators. Someday, they themselves might encounter a similar situation while out on a mission.
Having a support organization like Rhodes Island willing to lend a helping hand at times like this would undoubtedly make people feel far more reassured.
Besides, the operators involved this time were all familiar faces, elite operators of Rhodes Island. There was no reason to refuse.
Still, the fact that even numerous elite operators considered this infected creature swarm troublesome...
Just imagining it was terrifying enough.
But terrifying or not, they still had to step forward. Just as Amiya had said, they only needed to buy enough time for the elite operators to return aboard Rhodes Island.
Once everyone was back on board, Rhodes Island itself could simply start moving away.
"Is it Blaze and Rosmontis?"
After hearing the outline of the operation, Shirou frowned.
The people they were trying to rescue this time were all acquaintances.
Blaze, Rosmontis, Ace, Scout...
If he remembered correctly, Blaze and Rosmontis had led teams out on a mission and run into trouble. Ace and Scout had then brought their own squads to support them.
He had not expected things to escalate into this.
No wonder they had not used aircraft to rescue them. With that many squads involved, there were simply too many people.
"..."
At this moment, even Franka had no mood left for teasing.
After all, hearing that people you knew were in danger was never something easy to take.
"Shirou!"
Having finished explaining the mission details, Amiya also noticed Shirou standing together with the Blacksteel group and immediately jogged over while holding her terminal.
She paused to catch her breath slightly before asking him, "Could I trouble you to board Bad Guy and go provide support for Blaze and the others first?"
It was honestly quite an unreasonable request.
After all, this would place Shirou directly into danger.
With Penguin Logistics' conditions still weighing on his mind, Shirou did not immediately agree.
Still, he only hesitated for a few seconds.
Between the safety of familiar faces and having to endure Penguin Logistics glaring at him afterward, Shirou quickly made his choice.
At worst, he would just cook several good meals afterward to calm everyone down.
"That is fine. What do you need me to do?" Shirou asked.
After receiving his affirmative answer, Amiya quickly explained her plan.
The operation was for Shirou to board Bad Guy and head out ahead of everyone else to provide support, buying Rhodes Island time to organize their formation.
It was certainly dangerous, but this plan was based on Amiya's understanding of Shirou's combat capabilities.
To a large extent, it could reduce the amount of time Rhodes Island's operators needed to directly engage the infected creatures.
"Is that not way too dangerous?"
Even Liskarm, listening from the side, thought Amiya's proposal sounded extremely risky.
One mistake could easily cost Shirou his life.
Had they not already seen entire squads of elite operators being chased down? How could they think Shirou alone could handle it?
"Shirou specializes in long-range attacks. As long as he stays aboard Bad Guy and provides sniper support, it will be fine!"
Amiya hurriedly explained.
Of course, Shirou's abnormal style of sniping was difficult to explain in a short amount of time. Though Amiya's words left the others somewhat confused, Liskarm still understood the basic idea.
After all, Shirou could casually pull out absurd heavy firepower whenever he wanted...
"Do not worry. It will be fine."
There was no longer time to hesitate. Shirou patted Liskarm on the shoulder as he spoke, then followed Amiya away.
"Tch... be careful. I am still expecting to take your commission later and escort you back to Lungmen."
Watching Shirou leave together with Amiya, Liskarm did not say anything more.
Some people simply could not have their minds changed with just a few words. Sometimes, not even a lifetime would be enough to change them.
Rather than standing here worrying endlessly, it was better to focus on doing what she herself needed to do.
Turning around, Liskarm immediately began directing the rest of Blacksteel into action.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Amiya brought Shirou over to Bad Guy, repeatedly reminding him along the way what he needed to do.
"Do not push yourself too hard. The reason we arranged this for you is only to reduce the chances of the operators getting injured."
As if suddenly remembering something, Amiya deliberately emphasized this point.
"I understand."
Shirou nodded to show he understood.
As for how exactly he would choose to fight once the battle started...
That would depend on the situation.
Even though he had gained many abilities, he was not at the level where he could know exactly what would happen before the battle even began.
That would practically be precognition.
"Thank you. Remember to stay in contact."
After receiving Shirou's answer, Amiya finally let him board Bad Guy.
"Yeah. See you later."
After climbing aboard Bad Guy, Shirou smiled lightly at Amiya as he spoke.