"Someone's calling for help!"
In the otherwise silent forest, Shirou immediately heard faint cries for help coming from afar and quickly shifted his course.
He didn't need any special reason—someone needed help, and so he went. That was all there was to it.
Shirou sprinted through the dense woods, making no attempt to conceal his presence as he dashed toward the sound at top speed.
Yet, ahead of Shirou, the air abruptly grew tense.
Thump…
A heavy footstep resonated through the dark forest.
Through the gloom, Shirou glimpsed several towering silhouettes emerging among the trees ahead.
They were giant golems constructed entirely of rock and soil. Every raised muscle bulged like sculpted stone statues of ancient gladiators, emanating overwhelming pressure.
Crimson eyes glowed ominously, staring directly toward Shirou's position.
They had clearly noticed his approach. Accompanying them were several young men and women dressed in formal suits, wielding various weapons.
These youths looked remarkably alike, almost as if carved from the same mold—identical silver hair, nearly indistinguishable builds, and an androgynous appearance. Without careful observation, it was impossible to determine their gender.
Their expressions were equally dull and emotionless, like lifeless dolls mechanically lifting their weapons—some held spears, others swords, and a few aimed bows.
Ranged and close-combat weapons alike formed their arsenal, all eyes fixed blankly upon Shirou as he rushed toward them.
An eerie killing intent flooded the area, peculiar in its formation, as if these figures were not acting out of their own emotions but simply executing predetermined commands.
Who are they?
Shirou couldn't recall ever encountering enemies like this in the Empire, nor had he seen such bizarre troops.
But one thing was clear: if he wanted to move forward, he would have to fight.
Maybe during his absence, the Empire had developed something new and strange.
Considering a girl's arm could hide enough firepower to rival a fortress, Shirou supposed nothing was impossible for Dr. Stylish.
"Haaah!"
The artificial humans shouted as they released their arrows and conjured bursts of magical energy, launching volleys of attacks toward Shirou's position.
The stone golems charged forward with thunderous steps.
Boom—!
Whoosh—!
Exploding spells and arrows whizzed past Shirou's body, yet he moved effortlessly, flowing through the air like a fish darting through water, evading each attack with graceful precision.
Even though his wounds hadn't healed fully, these opponents posed no real threat.
Within moments, Shirou reached the charging stone golems.
One massive stone fist rose into the air, poised to crush the insignificant human beneath it.
A terrifying gust accompanied the blow. An ordinary mage would be powerless, crushed instantly, without even a chance to chant defensive magic. Even if they did, their spells wouldn't pierce the golem's thick hide.
For an average person, the speed and power of that fist would have been far beyond human reaction.
BOOM—!
Yet the giant stone fist froze abruptly in midair above Shirou's head, trembling violently but unable to descend further—blocked by some invisible force.
"[Trace—On]!"
Following the halted stone fist downward, the artificial mages stared in shock.
The seemingly fragile human before them had blocked a strike from a mountain-sized golem with only one arm.
With the activation of his Demon Slayer Mark, Shirou's physical strength had risen exponentially.
"[Incursio]!"
A chained shortsword materialized at Shirou's feet.
Clang—!
In an instant, Shirou became fully armored, his aura surging dramatically.
Crash—!
Shirou swung his arm, effortlessly lifting the massive stone golem and throwing it directly at another charging golem, sending both crashing through numerous trees before finally coming to rest.
Ever since acquiring the defensive capabilities of Incursio, Shirou habitually projected it at the start of any major battle.
If only Incursio's default weapon were a sword instead of a spear...
Though Shirou could utilize Bulat's spear techniques inherited from Incursio, swordsmanship came far more naturally. With a sword in hand, he could easily transition between techniques or improvise as necessary.
But wielding a spear always felt awkward. Shirou struggled to incorporate his sword techniques into spear combat effectively.
Holding a spear meant relying solely on Bulat's combat style, severely limiting his versatility compared to fighting with a blade.
As if responding directly to Shirou's inner wish, the spear in his hand suddenly reshaped itself, becoming a reverse-blade katana.
Evolution naturally favored its wielder's preferences; after all, this projection had no sentience of its own.
Shirou stared blankly at the transformed weapon for a moment, but his opponents didn't wait patiently.
The suited youths wielding spears and swords quickly surrounded him, unleashing a coordinated storm of swift thrusts and slashes.
Spearpoints flashed like shadows, blades gleamed sharply in the darkness, perfectly sealing off all possible escape routes in mere seconds.
Such flawless coordination could only result from years of intense, mechanical training.
Unless Shirou spontaneously sprouted wings to fly or tunneled underground, escaping this meticulous encirclement seemed impossible.
Of course, Incursio technically allowed flight.
Yet, right now, he had no need.
Clang—!
Clang—!
Clang—!
Their well-coordinated strikes landed directly on Shirou, but none could penetrate the armor encasing his body. Thus, Shirou didn't even bother dodging into the sky.