"Alert! Target has breached directly from basement level five into level four! All units, intercept immediately! The target possesses the ability to pass through floors—I repeat, the target can pass directly through floors!"
Inside a dimly lit room, a woman with bright emerald hair urgently shouted commands into a nearby device. More astonishing than the information she relayed, however, were her remarkably oversized ears, reminiscent of Dumbo—extraordinarily sensitive and seemingly capable of catching every sound within the entire facility. It was as if nothing could escape her hearing or her commands.
Cough—!
Shirou hadn't refrained from forcing his way up in one continuous strike by choice. Rather, his severely weakened state prevented him from such aggressive advancement. The walls of this prison were constructed from special materials; ordinary attacks couldn't penetrate them easily.
"So, you're the one who clashed with General Esdeath?"
Before Shirou could regain his strength to prepare another ascent, a refined, scholarly voice came from beside him.
A man dressed like a scribe stood calmly, his circular glasses perched neatly on his nose, radiating a literary aura. He clasped his hands behind his back, addressing Shirou with unusual composure despite the tense situation.
"Yes."
Shirou cautiously stepped back. He didn't know the scholar's intentions, but since he'd appeared here and blocked his path, he must be one of the facility's guards.
But could a librarian also serve as a prison guard?
Setting aside his internal doubt for now, Shirou answered briefly.
"My name is Toby. It is an honor to challenge you, Lord Shirou."
Toby spoke courteously, bowing deeply to express his respect.
Then—
BANG—!
Two blades sprang forth instantly from beneath his sleeves. In a blur, Toby vanished, leaving behind only a shadowy afterimage. Like a bat darting swiftly through a confined space, he charged toward Shirou at lightning speed.
Clang—!
The screeching sound of weapons colliding echoed sharply through the air as Shirou barely managed to deflect Toby's strike with the spear he currently wielded.
It wasn't that Shirou couldn't follow Toby's movements, but rather that he was completely unfamiliar with wielding a spear.
If not for the formidable defensive power of his armor, the spear would have greatly impeded his fighting capabilities.
But Toby's fierce assault was far from over.
Shriek—!
A shower of sparks flashed by Shirou as Toby transformed his entire side into blades, scraping fiercely against Shirou's armor.
In that instant, Toby's body sprouted countless razor-sharp blades, slicing towards Shirou from every direction like a human meat grinder, engulfing him completely in a relentless storm of slashes.
Unused to the spear, Shirou retreated step by step, cornered by Toby's overwhelming assault.
"If not for that armor of yours, you would have long been shredded to pieces beneath my blades!"
Toby, his entire form converted into a weapon, sneered disdainfully at Shirou, who barely managed to hold his ground. Without his Teigu armor, Shirou would indeed have become nothing more than minced flesh.
Clang!
Another violent collision rang through the corridor, accompanied by sparks exploding like fireworks.
Facing Toby's blade-filled body and rapid attacks, Shirou suddenly swung his spear outward like a baton.
He had regained a bit of strength now.
A surge of irresistible force erupted from the spear, smashing into Toby's bladed limbs. Like a ball hit by a bat, Toby slammed violently into the wall, embedding himself deep within it.
"Truly, one cannot underestimate you Teigu users!"
Toby casually dropped from the wall, brushing the debris off his clothes, utterly indifferent to the damage.
Aside from his heart and brain, every part of him had been mechanized—built solely for offense!
Toby's expression darkened dangerously, his murderous intent saturating the air.
Crack!
In an instant, the wall behind Toby shattered as he lunged forth once again, a shadowy blur akin to a beast pouncing upon its prey—swift and savage.
All over his body, countless weapons resembling fierce fangs gleamed with chilling menace.
Attack! Attack! Attack!
Toby thought only of offense. He cared neither about his own body nor his life.
Clang!
Another clash, as Shirou sharply lifted the spear to block the incoming blades.
Yet Toby skillfully rode the momentum, pivoting gracefully in midair as if surfing on wind currents, aiming a lethal strike straight at Shirou's neck.
Clang!
The sound of steel meeting steel reverberated loudly again, sparks erupting dangerously from Shirou's throat armor.
Even Incursio had its defensive limits.
If the same spot were attacked repeatedly within a short span, even Incursio might fail!
Immediately afterward, Toby crouched low, planting all fours firmly on the ground, flipping forward sharply. His legs transformed into blades, slicing fiercely once more toward Shirou's neck.
Continuous strikes overwhelmed Shirou, whose exhaustion prevented him from fully unleashing his true strength.
Clang—!
Suddenly, Shirou tossed his spear to the ground with a metallic clang.
"Oh? Giving up already? And here I thought someone who faced General Esdeath would be impressive. Turns out you're just this pathetic."
Throughout their brief melee, Shirou hadn't managed even a scratch on Toby. Instead, his armor was beginning to show signs of fracture.
Having seen Esdeath fight, Toby knew clearly that even without her ice abilities, she could defeat him in a single blow.
He couldn't understand how such a frail-looking man had stood against Esdeath in combat.
"[Trace—On]."
A reverse-blade katana appeared in Shirou's hand—a simple weapon without any special powers. Projecting such an ordinary weapon consumed very little mana.
Yet, armed with his familiar blade, Shirou's form transformed into a phantom, appearing beside Toby at lightning speed.
Countless flashes of steel illuminated the air brilliantly.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang—!
Toby had no chance to react, hurled back violently. His feet scraped the ground, carving two deep trenches as he tried desperately to halt his retreat.
"I'm a cyborg! How could a sword without a cutting edge possibly kill me?!"
Seeing himself unharmed, Toby sneered loudly at Shirou.
Crack! Crack!
With a series of internal noises, Toby's body abruptly lost strength, collapsing limply to the floor.
Though the sword hadn't sliced through his armor, the sheer force of Shirou's blows had utterly crushed the delicate internal components in his limbs.
Despite the countless backup mechanisms hidden inside him, none could activate now.
The more intricate the machine, the easier it was to break!