"Lungmen profanity! That guy changed direction—he's charging toward the civilians! Where is the sniper team?!"
A blonde officer from the Lungmen Guard Department stood outside the Mall, questioning the personnel beside her.
"The sniper team is not in position yet. Firing from here might endanger civilians. Should we shoot, Officer Swire?"
One officer held their earpiece, awaiting instructions.
"Tch. Hold position. Tell the snipers to hurry up and prioritize civilian safety. And call Officer Chen back, tell her to stop searching and get over here!"
Swire's expression darkened.
All this trouble over a simple arsonist and he just had to run into her family's property, even attempting to take hostages!
That bastard was so dead. She said so herself.
"Understood."
The officer immediately relayed the orders.
Swire tossed the loudspeaker back into the car. Now was not the time to agitate the suspect further, he might do something reckless.
The suspect had fire-related Originium Arts. Yesterday, he randomly detonated a restaurant's gas line, causing a fire. Thankfully, there were no casualties.
Only after investigation did they discover traces of Originium Arts, and through surveillance, they identified this suspicious individual.
The restaurant owner did not even know him, and the suspect had long stayed in the slums, unlikely to have much contact with others.
A random act… or something premeditated?
Those were Swire's current deductions. Further conclusions would require more evidence.
But none of that mattered right now.
What mattered was that he was about to take someone hostage.
She needed to stop him while ensuring civilian safety.
"Officer! Someone's charging at the suspect!"
A nearby officer noticed the situation inside and reported urgently.
"What did you say?!"
Swire's roar made everyone's ears ring.
"…Tch, that was impulsive."
Shirou landed after jumping from the second floor, his posture somewhat awkward as his feet hit the ground.
A sharp wave of pain surged up from his legs but quickly faded, replaced by a surge of strength coursing through his entire body.
He did not understand why but for the current situation, it was a good thing.
Pushing off the ground, Shirou sprinted forward, weaving smoothly through the fleeing crowd with precise footwork.
"Do not get in my way!"
The criminal spotted Shirou rushing toward him and roared, hurling a blast of fire.
Shirou assessed the situation instantly—
Dodge? The flames would continue forward, injuring others or setting the mall on fire.
Block head-on? He'd probably lose another shirt—and suffer severe burns.
Project? No time. His circuits were still not in good condition and he could not sustain a defensive projection.
—He chose to take the hit.
Even if it meant getting injured.
For some reason, he instinctively raised his right arm, the one still in pain instead of his more mobile left.
Boom—
The flames struck his arm.
Aside from the impact, Shirou felt no pain at all.
"…A bluff?"
He frowned in confusion.
But the criminal saw something entirely different.
To him, this was some self-righteous hero charging in and casually swatting away his attack.
That attack could pierce steel!
And this guy just brushed it off?!
"Do not mess with me!"
The criminal stopped chasing the hostages. At this rate, he would get kicked away before reaching them.
But stopping did not mean surrender.
He raised both hands, gathering an even larger flame.
The fire grew massive far beyond something Shirou could block with his arm.
But Shirou did not panic.
Because in his vision—
a crossbow bolt was already flying toward the man's hand.
"Gah—AAARGH!"
The bolt pierced through his hand. The pain disrupted his control, causing the fire to explode in front of him.
"Damn it! Damn it! It's all your fault—ALL YOUR FAULT!"
Even as flames burned on his hair and clothes, the man focused entirely on Shirou.
His body erupted in fire as he lunged forward in a near-suicidal attack.
Shirou jumped and kicked him straight in the head.
The only place not covered in flames.
And the most vulnerable part of the human body.
Whether Terra's people or normal humans, this weakness remained the same.
Bang!
The man's head slammed into the ground, cracking the floor.
Shirou landed steadily, watching in case the man tried to move again.
"…He's still alive?"
Looking at the shattered ground, Shirou was surprised by the power of his kick.
—When your body can move, you will look more like a proper magus.
He recalled Archer's words.
"…So that's what he meant."
He clenched his right hand lightly. As his magic circuits activated, his physical abilities seemed to be enhanced as well.
He had thought reinforcement alone strengthened his body.
"You there—you're under arrest! Do not resist!"
A woman's voice rang out.
Shirou looked up and saw Swire, along with several Guard Department officers.
They moved past him, cuffing the unconscious criminal and performing a quick check.
For some reason, Shirou felt like he was being surrounded too.
"Thank you for your brave assistance—did you really think I would say that? You're under arrest too!"
Swire smiled at him.
But Shirou felt like he had seen that kind of smile before.
Ah—right. That same not-quite-a-smile expression from the Penguin Logistics girls earlier. The kind that felt… terrifying.
"Um… can I ask why?"
Shirou raised his hand cautiously.
He had not done anything arrest-worthy… right?
"Why do you think?! A civilian charging at an infected criminal—what, you think this is some kind of hero game?! One mistake and you would be dead! Look at your arm! If we had not intervened, that attack would have left you with severe burns!"
Swire's forehead practically popped with veins as she stepped closer, pointing at his face and forcing him back with each sentence.
"Uh… I understand. I'll be more careful next time."
Shirou raised both hands in surrender.
"Anyway, come with us to the station to give a statement. And get a doctor to check you."
Seeing his "I'll totally do it again" attitude, Swire sighed and withdrew her hand.