Chapter 2: The Morning of Dawn and the Unwaking Dream
'Tsubaki Kuruoka is not in this city's hospital?'
The gears of Shirou's mind began to turn violently upon hearing those words. All the personnel from the hospital had been brought to the city where Shirou and the others now stood. Tsubaki Kuruoka should have been no exception, yet she was absent.
There were two possibilities:
Perhaps the girl named Tsubaki was being treated specially and had not been brought to this singular city at all, and thus naturally wouldn't be in the hospital ward on this side. She would still be quietly slumbering in the world where Saber was. That was the most likely scenario.
However, there was a second possibility. Even if the probability was described as one in ten thousand, he had to assume that Tsubaki's figure might have also vanished from the world where Saber remained. In other words, the Tsubaki of the "Outside" had disappeared, and there was no Tsubaki in the hospital of the "Inside" either.
The second possibility was the worst-case scenario. If it were the latter... things would be troublesome. The trouble lay in the fact that Shirou felt he could vaguely perceive the truth. A certain truth hidden beneath the surface.
Furthermore, although he referred to the other side as "the world where Saber is," in reality, Shirou couldn't be certain that Saber hadn't been pulled in here as well. But unlike Shirou, the distance between the black mist and Saber was likely enough for her to activate her Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm—and the light of that Noble Phantasm would likely be effective against the mist.
After all, that black mist was almost identical to the one he had encountered long ago in a certain courtyard.
With another Saber (Richard) by her side, the two of them likely alternated the use of their Noble Phantasms; there was a high probability they hadn't been engulfed. She should have protected herself.
If that were the case, it would be wonderful. Like sunlight breaking through, Shirou felt a sense of salvation. Even if she remained outside and could no longer help with the "worst-case" state of affairs here, he still hoped she wouldn't be too hard on herself. It wasn't her fault. It was entirely Shirou's problem.
Shirou didn't believe in blaming others. Since it was Shirou who had taken action, he had to bear the consequences of those actions; it was just a hardship for them to have to wait a while with no news of him.
Shirou had not given up on seeing them again.
"Mr. Shirou?"
Hearing the voice from outside his thoughts, Shirou snapped back to reality.
"I'm fine. John, did you find anything after organizing the information?"
John spoke with concern: "No. That's why the problem is so serious. As you said, Mr. Shirou, we need to figure out where we are, the purpose of the person who sent us here, where the other personnel are, and how to return to the normal world. But currently, not a single one of those has been clarified."
Shirou paused, tapped his forehead, and looked John up and down.
Shirou: "..."
John: "?"
If something was off, he had finally noticed it, though he only realized it just now.
"Wait, are you the one leading now?" Shirou muttered in a low voice.
"!? Why did the topic suddenly take such a sharp turn for such a small thing! I thought we were communicating about a very serious topic just now?"
John complained in disbelief, his eyes darting away awkwardly. "Because Bella went to explore with the other split-off members, a temporary commander had to be decided for this squad. In the end, I was the one who stepped forward, strictly until she returns. ...But it seems they won't be back anytime soon."
Having someone who was relatively familiar with Shirou as the commander was indeed convenient for Shirou. Although it certainly wasn't for his sake—it was likely just a coincidence—Shirou would still make sure to thank that female secretary named Bella later.
"It's not a small thing. It's something meaningful for communication," Shirou said with a smile. "For example—where do you plan to go next?"
'Where?'
John himself had no lead. He didn't understand at all why they had come to a hollow city identical to Snowfield, nor did he know the conditions for leaving. The only thing clear was that they couldn't contact the outside world or the Chief. Although Clan Calatin carried several types of communication devices, none of them had a signal. The same went for the mobile phones found in the city; calls to acquaintances went unanswered.
If there were no other collaborators, they could have made a decision cleanly. But precisely because many people claiming to save Tsubaki had been swept in together and could come looking for the hospital at any time, Clan Calatin had too many options.
As time ticked away, Clan Calatin began to hesitate between exploring and holding their ground to wait for their combat strength to increase; that was why they chose to split into two squads, with only one squad leaving the hospital to scout.
"Why ask that specifically?"
Though he thought this, John didn't answer directly, sensing there was an implication behind the words.
"Because I might have a vague idea and want to confirm a specific location. I hope I'm wrong, but if I'm right, the current situation might be even more urgent than imagined. So I can't stay in one place for long. If you decide to wait, I'll head out alone; if you want to investigate as well, you can move with me," Shirou replied clearly.
This was the problem for John, as temporary commander, and Clan Calatin to consider. Should they rush forward with Shirou, or stay in place to wait for everyone to regroup and wait until their combat strength was sufficient? The temporary commander needed to take that responsibility.
"Do you have plans to go out and explore?"
Shirou stood at a distance that was neither too close to nor too far from Clan Calatin.
It was a distance from which he could leave at any time, yet also a position where they could merge at any moment.
As if a heavy burden had been placed on his back, John's expression became grim.
"It's true we might have similar plans. Bella said we could make independent decisions if we encountered a significant situation without worrying about their squad. So, if the location you mentioned has a clue, it can indeed be considered. ...On the premise that there really is a clue."
Other officers added: "We've thought about related things too."
"But if we do that, we won't be able to contact Bella and the others with the abnormal signals in this city. How do we handle regrouping with them?"
"And what you said is too vague. It's hard to trust when we don't even know where the target is. After all, is there a place we absolutely must rush to see?"
The officers looked over one by one. Shirou shook his head helplessly.
"It's necessary. Or rather, it's necessary if we were brought in here by Tsubaki's contractor. Because the place I want to go to is Tsubaki's home."
After Shirou spoke that word, the members of Clan Calatin looked at one another, and the atmosphere grew sober.
I see. Indeed, if that were the case, it was a target that had to be prioritized for exploration.
Yet currently, only Shirou knew its specific location. While the Chief of the police station should also know, Clan Calatin could not contact him.
"Is there even a choice...?" John was the first to mutter in distress.
Actually, that wasn't entirely true; Shirou could have left the address for Clan Calatin to pass on to the station after they regrouped. But the key was that the police station couldn't judge the severity of the situation. Waiting like this would waste a massive amount of time.
Was the priority to resolve the situation as quickly as possible, or to gather? John and the others confirmed with each other, each seeing a look of burgeoning resolve on the others' faces.
"How sure are you?"
"Less than twenty percent. I can't rule out the possibility that going there will be a wasted trip. So moving alone is also fine," Shirou said frankly.
John: "..."
'Is this "playing hard to get"? This makes it even harder to let it go, doesn't it?'
As the time spent talking passed, the sun in the sky grew increasingly piercing, its radiance making the courtyard temperature rise with an intense heat. However, that feeling now felt more like an ethereal phantom.
In the unwaking dream, Shirou's voice reached Clan Calatin:
"Then, let's head northwest. No matter what percentage is guesswork, once we see it, it will become a fact—one of two choices, true or false. To be honest, I personally hope it's false."
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