Anomaly Ch. 59 (Patreon)

Despite what Hazama said, it would still take quite a bit of time before any reinforcements could be sent. Not because of any logistical issues, Shirou knew. Rather, it was the bureaucratic red tape involved in everything.

For one, there was still the matter that, for all the JSDF was beyond the Gate, deploying them to defend a city that Japan didn’t officially have any relations to would involve a significant amount of pushback from the civilian side of things. Yes, this could be classified as a search and rescue operation when one takes into account the possibility of Japanese citizens being held as slaves, except the JSDF didn’t exactly have a way to verify his claims.

Already, he had revealed his name to the Countess, if only to not have reason to hold back any of his usual tricks. The mixed look of awe and fear on the young woman had left him more than a little disturbed. Thankfully, Tuka had taken it upon herself to step in between them, which cleared the look from the Countess at the very least.

Though, he now had to deal with the elf calling him ‘Lord Emiya’ again at every turn. It almost seemed like she was making up for lost time.

Still, Shirou was confident that exceptions could be made. Especially in extenuating circumstances such as this.

That brought him a slew of problems, ones that he, Itami and Countess Myui were frantically working together to try and patch. The most glaring problem being that there were just not enough people to man the walls.

"North gate's the weakest point." Itami traced a finger along the map spread across the formal dining table that had been hastily converted into a war room, "The earthquake damaged the foundations more than we initially thought. A concentrated push there, and they'd be through in minutes."

"The south gate isn't much better." Countess Myui added, her voice carrying a weariness that seemed far too heavy for someone her age, "The earthshake compromised the structural integrity of the entire southern wall. It's standing, but one good ram, and it will fall."

Shirou studied the map, his mind running through scenario after scenario. His fingers drummed against the worn wood of the table, "What if we don't defend the walls?"

Both Itami and Myui looked up sharply.

"What are you suggesting?" Itami's voice carried a note of caution.

"I'm suggesting we force Zorzal's army into a fight they can't win." Shirou tapped the map at the northern approach, where the Imperial forces would likely concentrate their advance, "Open terrain, no cover, and a single narrow approach. We funnel them into a kill box."

"The chokepoint near the river." Myui breathed, her eyes widening as she followed his logic, "They'd have to cross the bridge to reach us."

"Which makes them easy targets." Shirou nodded, "Itami's team has the firepower to make that bridge a killing field. The Warrior Bunnies and Yaga can hold the flanks, prevent any attempts to ford the river elsewhere. And I can anchor the center."

True, Shirou could do a repeat of what he had done against the Imperial deserters and do a charge through the lines, except that would just expose every other wall. All the enemy needed to do was force him to be in one spot, and three other spots would be vulnerable.

So, the best idea would be to do the opposite: make the enemy think that the spot he was defending was the weakest link.

Itami rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "It's risky. If they break through our lines, the city's wide open."

"If they break through our lines, the city will already be lost." Shirou's voice was flat, matter-of-fact, "At least this way, we control the engagement."

Myui straightened in her seat, a spark of determination flickering to life in her tired eyes, "What do you need from me?"

"Your people." Shirou met her gaze evenly, "Every able-bodied adult who can hold a spear. They don't need to be soldiers, they just need to stand behind the walls and look like they're ready to fight. The Empire doesn't know how weak we truly are. We need to maintain that illusion."

The Countess nodded slowly, then rose from her chair with as much dignity as she could muster, "I'll see to it personally. If we're going to gamble everything on this, we might as well make sure the dice are loaded in our favor."

She swept out of the room, her small frame somehow managing to project an air of command that belied her age. Shirou watched her go, a grudging respect and sadness blooming in his chest. She was young, thrust into a position she'd never expected to hold, and yet she faced impossible odds with a resolve that would have impressed even the most seasoned commanders.

She reminded him of Illya. Too young, at least in terms of how she looked, and yet his would-be sister was awash with too much responsibility. Though, where Myui was thrust with the responsibility of a city, Illya was thrust with the responsibility of dying as a sacrifice. Both still marched with their heads held up high.

“Tyuule, any thoughts on this?” Tyuule had been silent throughout the planning, observing from the shadows near the door with her arms crossed. Now she stepped forward, her red eyes gleaming in the flickering light. 

"You're assuming Zorzal will take the bait."

"I'm assuming he's arrogant enough to think he's smarter than us." Shirou replied, tracing the bridge on the map once more. "He - or whoever he assigned as the commander - will see the trap. They’ll assume it's too obvious, and then he'll walk right into it because he thinks he's outmaneuvered us."

Tyuule's lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile, "Hn. I’ll have to agree with your assessment, especially with the sycophants Zorzal surrounds himself with. You know him well for someone who's only met him once."

Before Shirou could respond, before he could even really recall a certain other blonde bastard that was even more of an arrogant asshole, Kuribayashi poked her head into the room, “Uh, Emiya, someone on the radio’s asking for you.”

…

"Emiya." The voice that came through was cool, measured, and held more than a bit of frosty rage, "I trust you have a good reason for the silence."

The moment - the moment - Shirou heard the voice on the radio, his spine had snapped into place. He couldn’t help it as a bead of sweat dripped down the side of brow, and his Circuits had practically lit up unconsciously. He couldn't help it, couldn't stop the instinctive response that had been drilled into him through years of service.

Not when the Queen herself was speaking.

It had been quite a while since he had heard from Lorelei Barthomeloi. So much so that he had almost forgotten the sheer power that the woman held. Almost.

“Lady Barthomeloi, I-”

“Spare me the excuses. I will hear from you in-person soon enough.” That got his eyebrows raised in alarm, “I only require confirmation of your current location. El-Melloi II assured me that you are currently in this city state of Italica.” She didn't even phrase it as a question. The assumption was absolute, as if the very idea of Shirou being elsewhere was inconceivable.

“Yes, ma’am.” The Enforcer answered anyway.

“Good. I will be arriving there shortly.” He could practically hear the narrowing of her eyes, “Do not test me further, Emiya.”

The radio cut off.

Shirou continued to hold the receiver in his hand, frozen in place.

“Lord Emiya?” Tuka frowned as she approached the Enforcer, “May I ask who that was?” She had a bit of a guarded tone, as if she was scared he was going to lash out despite him never doing so. Not that he could blame her. Nearby, both Itami and Kuribayashi hadn’t made any attempt to hide the fact they were listening in. They sported twin curious gazes towards him, waiting for an answer.

“That,” Shirou started, “Was my boss.”

"Eh?" Itami scratched his head, the casual gesture at odds with the tension in the room, "I thought Zelretch was your boss?"

“Technically, he’s one of the founders of the Clock Tower.” He noted how Itami still remembered that tidbit of Zelretch, “That just means whatever he says goes, even if he doesn’t actually do much for the day to day operations. Lady Barthomeloi is the one I report to directly.”

"And she's...?" Kuribayashi prompted, her eyebrow arched.

"Vice Director of the Clock Tower. Also known as the Queen of the Clock Tower. Head of the Barthomeloi family." Shirou set the receiver down, “Arguably the most influential family in the Mage’s Association. Definitely the strongest human magus on the planet.”

"Wait." Kuribayashi held up a hand, a disbelieving laugh escaping her lips, "You're telling me there's someone out there stronger than you? The guy who took down a dragon and made an army run for the hills?"

Shirou met her incredulous stare with a grim smile that didn't reach his eyes, "Definitely stronger than me."

Itami let out a low whistle, leaning back in his chair. The wood creaked beneath his weight, "Well, that's not terrifying at all. What does she want with you?"

"She wants to talk to me." Shirou's voice was carefully neutral, but Tuka caught the faint tremor beneath the surface, "In person."

"In person?" Kuribayashi's eyes widened, a hint of genuine concern bleeding through her usual bravado, "She's coming all the way here? To Italica?"

"Apparently, Lord El-Melloi II told her where I was." Shirou pinched the bridge of his nose, a familiar ache settling behind his eyes, "Which means she's already on her way. Tell me, this radio is still incapable of transmitting beyond the Gate, right?”

“Yeah?”

“Then we have anywhere from ten to thirty before she arrives.”

“Ten to thirty hours? Yeah, that sounds about right. We took most of the day on the humvee to get here anyway.”

“Ten to thirty minutes.”

Kuribayashi's jaw worked soundlessly. Itami's casual slouch had vanished entirely. Even Tuka, who didn't fully grasp the implications, seemed to sense the shift in atmosphere, as if the mere mention of the Vice Director's imminent arrival had summoned a weight that pressed down on them all.

"Minutes?" Itami finally managed, his voice uncharacteristically flat, "She's coming in minutes."

"Lorelei Barthomeloi does not wait." Shirou's hand fell from his face, and when he looked up, his eyes held a resignation that bordered on the fatalistic, "She also does not travel like normal people. If she says she'll be here shortly, then the only question is how shortly."

Kuribayashi swallowed, "And she's your boss? I thought you said you were an independent contractor or something."

"Enforcers are independent in the field." Shirou was already moving toward the door, his strides quick and purposeful, "That changes the moment the Vice Director decides to involve herself. She's not a superior I can ignore or avoid. She's the kind of person you don't say no to."

"That's saying something, coming from you." Itami fell into step beside him and continued with an almost relaxed tone, "You stared down a dragon and gave it a haircut. What's one human, even if she is the Queen of a magic school?" 

Shirou stopped walking.

Itami certainly meant it as a joke for something that Shirou didn’t understand. The Enforcer couldn’t take it that way, not when they were talking about the Queen.

"Itami-san, let me put it this way," Shirou closed his eyes, letting magical energy fill his Circuits until they were visible. Spartacus' sword once more materialized in his outstretched hand, this time, the madness in it completely silenced. It was as if it knew what was going on, strangely enough, "I am strong because I am a combat specialist. My entire brand of magecraft is very much tied to the concept of 'Sword', and by extension 'Weapons'."

Tuka and Kuribayashi joined them, remaining silent as he continued. More copies of various nameless weapons appeared around him. All of them masterpieces in their own right, “You can consider me a ‘Master’ of Projection, Gradation Air, and Structural Analysis, to the point where I have fundamentally created a new branch of Projection itself: Tracing. However, due to the nature of my affinities, this is the only path I can ever gain mastery in.

“Lady Barthomeloi is different. She has mastered several fields of what most would consider ‘basic’ magecraft, to the point where a single one of her spells can level entire buildings. Elemental magecraft, Formalcraft, hell, I’m almost certain that she’s dabbled in Jewelcraft as well. Dammit, she hunts vampires as a hobby!” The frustration and panic in his voice bled through.

“...And she’s pissed at you.” The shorter woman gulped as she spoke, only to be startled by Shirou’s hollow laugh.

“Yeah. Thankfully, Zelretch has marked me as someone under his protection, so at least I won’t be dying today. But I can see one target that she will likely release her rage on.” He looked towards the far end of the city, where they all knew the direction of the capital was.

“I hope that those Imperials pray that their gods have mercy, because Lady Barthomeloi surely won’t.”