Although the scene before him made him blurt out several of the Lungmen profanities he heard so often, Shirou's mind was already racing through countless possible solutions.
Meteorites... meteorites...
How was he supposed to deal with those?!
Was he supposed to shoot every single one of them out of the sky?
As unrealistic as that idea sounded, the moment it occurred to him, Shirou immediately sprinted upstairs.
"Hey!... Tch, bring any supplies that include rations up to the higher floors! And keep those students and civilians under control! Keep them calm and do not let them cause trouble!"
Watching Shirou charge upstairs without even looking back, Frostnova felt a headache coming on.
I should have frozen that guy earlier.
After issuing orders to her subordinates, she immediately followed after him.
The remaining members exchanged glances after receiving Frostnova's instructions and decided to follow their leader's orders.
As for Shirou's side of things, Frostnova was clearly handling that herself.
There was no need for them to join the commotion.
"Haah... haah..."
Reaching the school's rooftop as quickly as possible, Shirou stood against the wind and rain and looked at the sight before him.
Countless meteorites were breaking through the clouds, trailing long tails of fire as they plunged toward the earth.
These meteorites were products formed from condensed Originium dust.
Each one was essentially a massive Originium crystal.
Leaving aside the fact that their impact would create enormous sources of infection, the sheer number of meteorites alone was enough to place those who had already found shelter back in mortal danger.
A safe hiding place?
Probably only underground.
Even then, if the underground structure was not sturdy enough, it would not withstand a meteorite strike.
In other words, there was no absolutely safe refuge.
Those people could only rely on luck.
All they could do was pray that the meteorites would not fall on top of them.
As for the meteorites creating new infection zones elsewhere...
There was nothing anyone could do about that.
Within a Catastrophe of this magnitude, simply surviving was already a blessing.
No one could afford to ask for more.
Thinking of this, and watching the endless rain of meteorites descending from the sky, Shirou shouted across the empty rooftop:
"What kind of joke is this?!"
People who had been manipulated by others, who had struggled desperately just to find a place to survive—
Now they had to face this as well?
It felt as though the world itself was mocking human effort, telling them that all their struggles amounted to nothing.
"Trace, on—"
A black longbow and a Caladbolg appeared in Shirou's hands.
Taking aim at the largest meteorite in the sky, he released the string.
The spiral sword shot forward.
It plunged into the meteorite.
Then it exploded.
The enormous meteorite shattered into countless smaller fragments that rained down upon the ground.
The flash and thunderous roar produced by the explosion echoed throughout all of Chernobog, drawing the attention of those struggling through the violent storm in search of shelter.
Outside the Catastrophe's range, the members of Rhodes Island and some Reunion personnel also clearly saw what had happened above Chernobog.
"That was... Shirou, was it not? Is he attacking meteorites? That is completely insane."
Although they were some distance away, the visual spectacle produced by the Broken Phantasm explosion was impossible to miss.
Even Blaze found herself swallowing nervously.
Earlier, Shirou had used the same technique to eliminate those enemies.
However, a giant sword had obstructed her view, leaving her able to sense only the intense shockwave and heat.
Now that she could actually see the attack, Blaze felt that this move alone could instantly make him Rhodes Island's number-one sniper.
And then there was the melee ability he had displayed when he shattered Mudrock's colossus in a single strike...
The novels had not lied.
The truly powerful people were always either chefs or janitors.
"That was definitely Shirou's attack and this is not the first time he has attacked a Catastrophe directly... he is still just as reckless as ever."
The members of Penguin Logistics nearby, who had previously witnessed Shirou sniping a Catastrophe head-on, confirmed everyone else's suspicions.
They spoke casually, but they knew perfectly well how terrible the situation inside Chernobog had become.
And Shirou had handed his communicator to someone else...
No.
Even if he still had it, it would have been useless.
The moment the rain started falling, communications equipment had already become ineffective.
If anything, Shirou's attack on the meteorites was what reassured them that he was still alive.
He even seemed to have some energy left to spare.
At least he had a moment ago.
Whether that was still true now was another question.
After all, there was already precedent for him exhausting himself completely while trying to stop a Catastrophe's advance.
At a glance from Texas, the others immediately began organizing their equipment, preparing to enter the city the moment the Catastrophe ended.
"Miss Exusiai, we have protective suits and respirators here. You will probably need them."
Amiya had also noticed the activity among the Penguin Logistics members.
She could feel their worry and anxiety.
Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do.
In the face of a Catastrophe, not only she, but all of Rhodes Island seemed incredibly small.
Perhaps she should have been more forceful and made Shirou leave earlier.
Instead, she had respected his wishes.
After all, neither she nor Shirou could have anticipated a Catastrophe of this scale.
A storm combined with a meteor shower—
Even with perfect preparation, casualties would be severe.
And Chernobog had already suffered an attack before all of this began.
After placing the protective suits and respirators on the table, Amiya addressed the operators who had chosen to remain behind with a serious expression.
"Ace, Scout, Blaze, Nearl, and everyone else prepare yourselves. As soon as the Catastrophe ends, we will begin rescue operations inside Chernobog. Also, notify Rhodes Island and have them bring additional supplies."
"Understood."
After hearing Amiya's orders, the Rhodes Island operators pulled their attention away from the spectacle unfolding above Chernobog and began preparing their equipment.
"And Doctor... although you have only just awakened, I am still going to need your help organizing personnel assignments."
Because the Doctor had lost her memories and knew virtually nothing about Catastrophes, Amiya had taken over command responsibilities herself.
"All right, leave it to me. I will figure out how to assign everyone."
After finishing her nutrient meal and getting a little rest, the Doctor was feeling somewhat more energetic.
Mostly because she was still in shock.
This was the first Catastrophe she had ever witnessed since waking up with no memories.
In the face of nature, humanity seemed small and powerless.
Yet Shirou's existence gave her a faint sense of hope.
She did not know where that confidence came from, but everything Shirou had displayed so far was far beyond her understanding.
To say nothing else, if Shirou had stayed with the team earlier, she was confident she could have led every Rhodes Island operator safely out of Chernobog without a single casualty.
And if the attack they had just witnessed was one of Shirou's combat methods, the Doctor even felt she could devise a battle plan capable of suppressing all of the rioters.
Unfortunately, Shirou had not remained with the group.
And it was only now that she was beginning to grasp the extent of his abilities.
"Everyone from Penguin Logistics... please give Rhodes Island another chance. This was a failure on our part as commanders. We will find a way to bring Shirou back."
After hearing the Doctor's words, Amiya nodded before turning toward the four members of Penguin Logistics.
Even though remaining in Chernobog had been Shirou's own decision.
Amiya knew very well that, to everyone else, Shirou's presence in Chernobog conducting rescue operations had been an assignment she gave him.
So she intended to take responsibility for it.
"...This really is not your fault. Even if you had not assigned him the task, Shirou would have made the exact same choice. You knew that, which is why you specifically entrusted the mission to him in the first place, right?"
Looking at Amiya's serious expression, Texas let out a sigh.
"Exactly! Do not overthink it! Shirou can survive jumping from six hundred meters in the air without a scratch! There is no way a mere Catastrophe could hurt him!"
Exusiai forced a smile onto her face and draped an arm around Amiya's shoulders.
The heavy atmosphere immediately lightened.
Amiya also felt some of the burden on her shoulders ease.
Though she wished Miss Exusiai would pat a little more gently.
"Let us discuss the details after we find Shirou. Right now, our top priority should be gathering enough manpower. What is happening inside Chernobog is far more dangerous than any of us imagined."
Blaze clapped her hands together forcefully.
Enhanced by her Arts, the sound rang loudly throughout the tent, drawing everyone's attention.
The situation earlier had been grim.
Fortunately, Penguin Logistics had managed to ease the tension somewhat.
But a Catastrophe would not disappear just because people felt better.
This outcome was already the best they could hope for.
If this incident had caused friction between Rhodes Island and Penguin Logistics, things would have become truly troublesome.
"Wow... Serious Big Cat is completely different from her usual self."
Watching Blaze now and comparing it to her normal behavior, Croissant suddenly understood why Blaze was considered one of Rhodes Island's elite operators.
"Blaze is right. In that case, I will need you and Rosmontis to go find Alina and gather additional personnel."
Hearing Blaze's words, Amiya finally remembered what she should be focusing on.
Seeing that Blaze had already prepared her equipment, she immediately assigned her to accompany Rosmontis to recruit manpower from Alina's side.
"Ehh... all right."
No sooner had Amiya finished speaking than Blaze shot her a somewhat resentful look.
She had thought she could finally rest after handling everything.
Instead, she had immediately been assigned more work.
Still, if she got to spend time with the little kitty, she did not really mind.
"We are short on manpower. I am sorry to burden you all. Once we return to Rhodes Island, I will ask Doctor Kal'tsit to approve some vacation time."
In response, Amiya clasped her hands together apologetically and addressed Blaze.
"...Hm?"
Suddenly, Amiya felt a faint warmth spreading through her chest.
The people around her also noticed the change in her expression.
Reaching inside her Rhodes Island jacket, Amiya searched for the source of the heat and pulled it out.
It was a small black-and-gold pouch.
Inside was the black magical crystal.
After Shirou's contact with it had triggered a series of incidents, she had originally planned to seal it away.
However, after Shirou persuaded her otherwise, she had continued carrying it.
He had even sewn the pouch himself, recreating the golden pattern from a handful of rare photographs.
According to Shirou, there would be no problem as long as the crystal remained inside the pouch and he did not directly touch it.
Between Shirou's assurances and the fact that she had already grown accustomed to carrying the crystal, Amiya eventually kept it with her.
Whenever Shirou was nearby, it seemed to exert a strange attraction.
Amiya had experienced the same sensation once when she was near Alina.
She had tested it repeatedly afterward, but the phenomenon only occurred in relation to Shirou.
That was why she had been so surprised when she first discovered it.
Now, however, even through the black-and-gold pouch Shirou had sewn, she could feel the temperature steadily rising.
What had once been merely warm was now becoming hot enough to sting her hands.
Clearing some space on the table, Amiya opened the pouch and poured out the magical crystal.
"The stone is glowing?"
As soon as the crystal landed on the table, everyone in the tent could see it.
The pitch-black magical crystal was emitting pulses of light at regular intervals.
Like a beating heart.
Each pulse released a faint glow, as though the crystal itself possessed a heartbeat.
Although it was difficult to see clearly through the crystal's black surface, the golden cracks running across it emitted an exceptionally bright glow.
"This is the first time something like this has happened... Did something happen to Shirou?"
Looking at the magical crystal's current state, Amiya was initially puzzled.
Then, as if realizing something, she lifted her head and looked outside the tent toward Chernobog.
She could see nothing unusual.
The storm still raged across the city, and countless meteorites continued to fall from the sky above.
Yet Amiya was certain that the crystal's abnormal behavior was connected to something happening to Shirou.
The connection between Shirou and the magical crystal seemed even stronger than she had originally imagined.
Doctor Kal'tsit appeared to know a great deal about the relationship between Nameless and Shirou, but she had never explained it to Amiya.
"Hey! Is the flashing getting faster? At this rate, is this thing going to explode or something?"
Everyone in the tent except Amiya was staring intently at the magical crystal.
Its flashing frequency was clearly increasing little by little.
It looked almost like a bomb nearing detonation.
After hearing Blaze's comment, Amiya suddenly seemed to hear something.
Thump-thump, thump-thump—
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump—
The sound was familiar.
She had heard it countless times in the medical department before.
But she had never heard a heartbeat this rapid.
Then Amiya noticed something.
The rhythm of the heartbeat...
And the rhythm of the crystal's pulsing light...
They seemed to match.
Before she could think any further about it, a dazzling light suddenly flooded into the tent.