Lungmen Guard Department, office.
Shirou sat at his desk, reviewing the precautions for maintaining order at the upcoming concert in a few days. Beside him were a steaming cup of coffee and some chocolate for quick energy.
Both were things he had brought from the dormitory.
Work at the Guard Department was just this relaxed and comfortable.
That was if one ignored the towering piles of documents on everyone else's desks and the officers buried in their work.
Watching them made Shirou feel a bit embarrassed. He wanted to find something to do, but there was nothing he could help with.
Most of those documents were reports filed by Lungmen citizens. As a newbie he was not allowed to handle them.
The shooting range did not require him to be there all the time either. After teaching others, they needed time to digest what they learned, so staying there did not give him anything to do either.
He had already gone over the document in his hands three times. His copy was somewhat special, since his role in the operation was also rather unique.
For this MSR concert's security, the Guard Department had deployed quite a lot of manpower. After all, it was the largest event in Lungmen recently. If it was as Wei Yenwu had said and that there were people with ill intentions targeting Lungmen then this concert would be a perfect opportunity.
Combined with what he had heard about the Infected in the slums and the Guard Department's stance on the matter, Shirou could not help but worry whether something might really happen at the concert.
He had even mentioned it briefly to the people at Penguin Logistics. Their response was simply that if anyone dared to cause trouble, they would face retaliation from all of Penguin Logistics.
That answer made Shirou feel his worries were a bit unnecessary.
After all, with the Guard Department, Penguin Logistics, and the security personnel hired by MSR, anyone trying to stir up trouble would have to get past all three layers first.
And he himself was not idle either. He played a rather important role in all this.
Of course, Shirou was not foolish enough to reveal the Guard Department's plans to them. That had been clearly stated when he signed on, and it was something the Boss and Wei Yenwu had already agreed upon.
The others had not asked much about his work either. Most of what they knew came from chatting with Guard Department personnel.
Here, the members of Penguin Logistics would like to give special thanks to Miss Swire for being their biggest source of information.
She had even helped them notify their boss in time to confront Wei Yenwu, she was truly the MVP.
Although it was said that afterward, she got scolded quite badly by Chen, since she not only leaked internal communications but had also been secretly listening in on their channel.
At present, they only knew that Shirou would be stationed at the concert for security. As for the rest, they knew nothing.
The Penguin Logistics crew had already decided to look for Shirou at the venue.
After all, that would be Shirou on duty!
The only time they had seen him working before was when he was teaching the Guard Department how to shoot. They had never seen him in any other work setting.
Especially Sora, she had never seen it even once and the only glimpses she had were through photos in their group chat.
Sora was currently busy rehearsing for the concert and she only occasionally got a day off to return to the dorm and completely relax. Most of the time, she video-called everyone once every two days.
As the concert date approached, even those breaks disappeared. She was rehearsing every day.
To maintain her figure, she had endured quite a bit, even going many days without proper meals and living mostly on healthy food.
She could not even accept bento from Shirou.
And honestly, wanting to see what someone you know looks like while working was perfectly normal, right? That kind of curiosity was natural.
Seeing a different side of someone you usually interact with in their professional setting, that was something fresh and interesting.
And Penguin Logistics loved nothing more than that sense of novelty and surprise.
So on the day of the concert, they were definitely going to find where Shirou was.
Of course, Shirou knew none of this.
He had even borrowed a pair of sunglasses from them, planning to wear them at the concert.
After all, someone inside a concert who was not watching the stage and kept scanning the surroundings would look very suspicious.
"Shirou… are you busy right now?"
Just as Shirou was wondering whether he should find something to do so he would not look so idle, Chen suddenly called out to him.
"I do not have anything at hand. Do you need help with something?"
Putting down the document, Shirou stood up and walked over to Chen's desk.
"Mm. We just received a report that there is a serious conflict in the slums. You and I will go take a look at the situation so pack up, we are heading out."
After confirming Shirou was free, Chen stood up, grabbed her coat and sword, and signaled for him to follow.
Her reason for bringing Shirou was simple. They had worked together in the slums before. Even though neither of them had said it outright, Chen knew he had figured things out.
If the conflicts in the slums were handled by ordinary personnel they might be resolved carelessly and that was something she would not accept.
This time, the report came from her informant in the slums. The situation seemed serious and quite a few civilians had been attacked by Infected.
Someone without combat ability could not go. She did not bring Hoshiguma because someone had to remain in the office in case others needed guidance.
There also had to be someone available in case of emergencies, so operations would not be hindered by a lack of command.
That made Shirou the best choice, he was someone she had worked with, he was capable in combat, without prejudice toward the slums, and currently free.
If he had been busy, she would have gone alone.
At least with Shirou there, they could ensure the safety of civilians.
Anyone who dared say they could not would first have to answer to her sword and the one in Shirou's hand.
"…Is this related to the Infected?"
After quickly gathering his things, Shirou caught up and asked.
When it came to the slums, about ten percent of incidents were disputes among residents, thirty percent were gang fights, and the remaining sixty percent involved the Infected.
Just as Chen had said before, those who had been oppressed for too long were prone to erupting.
And combined with their status as Infected, if Originium Arts were used even accidentally, things could quickly turn dangerous.
"Mm. This time it was reported by an informant. The situation is relatively urgent."
Walking ahead, Chen relayed what the informant had just told her so that Shirou could understand the situation over there.
"The suspects are six Infected individuals and they are taking advantage of their numbers and causing trouble on North Street in the slums. Two of them seem to have a rudimentary grasp of Originium Arts. There have been no casualties but many are already injured but if they are allowed to continue then things will get worse."
As she spoke, the two of them got into a Guard Department vehicle. With the siren blaring, they sped straight out.
This was Shirou's first time experiencing high-speed driving through Lungmen's streets and from the passenger seat no less.
Chen drove fast. With the siren on, the cars on the road all made way for them.
"…So I should do sniper support as usual?" Shirou asked after getting used to the speed.
During deployments, he was usually assigned to a sniper position, mainly because he could support multiple squads alone.
If he joined a direct assault, he could only handle one area. But from a good vantage point, he could support several areas at once.
"Stay with me this time. There are only six suspects, and it is not easy to find a good sniping position in the slums."
Chen shook her head as she spoke.
"Understood."
After confirming his role, Shirou began adjusting his condition.
His mental state and magical energy were both in excellent shape.
His physical condition was also good.
Thanks to the many combat situations he had encountered in the Guard Department, Shirou felt his projection accuracy improving, and he was getting better at choosing the right method of attack for each situation.
With each battle, he drew closer to that figure.
The figure of the red knight.
"Stop zoning out. Get out of the car."
Along the way, Chen had noticed Shirou staring at his hands, as well as the patterns that occasionally appeared on them. She knew he was adjusting his state, so she had not disturbed him.
But now that they had arrived, ready or not, it was time to move.
"Sorry, I am coming."
Snapped back by Chen's voice, Shirou quickly got out.
Life in the Guard Department had indeed given him more insight into combat, but it also made him occasionally drift off while thinking.
It was not enough to leave him open to attacks, but it could come off as impolite.
"Maintain communication. Stay behind me. Prioritize civilian safety above all else. If necessary, you are authorized to injure or eliminate the suspects. This involves Infected, so be especially careful particularly about secondary infection. Understood?"
Walking ahead, Chen quickly laid out the instructions. She should have said this in the car, but Shirou's earlier state was not suitable for it, so she delayed it until now.
Fortunately, the mission itself was straightforward, though it was highly dangerous.
Aside from Originium Arts, the Infected also carried the risk of infecting others.
If they overused their Arts or died in a severe state and became a new source of infection, that would be the worst-case scenario.
If it came to that, nothing else would matter and they would have to rely on Shirou to wipe them out in one strike.
…No, that was not right.
Hoshiguma had mentioned that they had been relying too much on Shirou's overwhelming combat ability lately, always thinking about how to maximize his effectiveness.
That was not a good habit.
"Understood."
Shirou responded briefly while channeling magical energy to enhance his vision, scanning the surroundings.
As for projection, he was not worried. The Guard Department's field uniform included a cap and a mask. Though a bit stuffy in this weather, it was still manageable.
Turning on the communicator, he heard static at first, which quickly settled.
That meant the channel was connected.
"…Stay alert. Follow me."
After confirming their equipment and communication, Chen quickened her pace.
Even though they had rushed over with sirens blaring, the trouble had already started before the report came in. There was no telling how bad things had become.
"There is activity ahead."
With his enhanced vision, Shirou clearly saw what was happening in the distance.
Several people were smashing up a shop with weapons.
Shattered glass, broken tables and chairs, goods scattered across the ground and stained with dirt—there were even traces of blood nearby.
Seeing this, Shirou narrowed his eyes and memorized their appearances.
"Cover me."
After Shirou's warning, Chen also noticed something was wrong despite the distance.
Lowering her stance slightly, she drew her sword, said those words and dashed forward.
Behind her, Shirou immediately projected Kanshou and Bakuya and followed.
Sniper support was an option, but the streets were too narrow, and signboards and stalls would obstruct his shots. So he chose to move with Chen.
At the same time, Shirou felt slightly out of practice wielding Kanshou and Bakuya, it had been a while since he used them in a battle.
But his projection magecraft quickly helped him regain his rhythm.
"Lungmen Guard Department! Everyone, stand down!"
As she got closer and saw the scene clearly, Chen gripped her sword tightly and shouted.
"The Guard Department is here! Switch targets!"
The people who had been vandalizing the shop all turned their heads upon hearing Chen's voice and stopped what they were doing.
Of course, they did not stop because of her warning, they stopped because they wanted to change targets.
From their words and actions, it was clear they had already included the Guard Department as targets from the very beginning.
Their targets were Chen in front of them and Shirou behind her.
One of them raised a crossbow, aimed straight at Shirou, and fired without hesitation.
"Hmph."
Shirou showed no panic at all. With a single swing, he split the bolt in midair.
Deflecting or dodging it might have been easier, but if he wanted to make sure no one else got hurt, destroying it outright was the best option.
"Suppress them."
With a swing of her sword, Chen split her opponent's weapon clean in two, leaving a slash across his abdomen.
The weapon had been crudely made. As long as she struck its weak point, cutting it apart was effortless.
Unlike Chen, who overwhelmed her opponents with force in a single blow, Shirou moved with agility, moving between them and leaving wounds on their limbs in quick succession.
In just a single exchange, the two of them had already subdued the group in front of them.