Near the Mall in downtown Lungmen.
"I cannot be the only one who saw that incorrectly, right?"
The figure dressed in crimson robes stared at the place that had been completely empty just moments ago.
Then, with a simple wave of both hands from a young man whose white hair was streaked with red...
Two gigantic swords appeared out of nowhere.
Under normal circumstances, they would have simply thought his Arts were unusual and interesting.
However, they already knew that he was somehow connected to one of Sui's fragments. His abilities were similar, and even his hair color bore a striking resemblance...
This was bad.
They needed to report back to the Department of Heavenly Years immediately and have them come deal with this.
"..."
At this point, Wei Yenwu no longer dared say a single word.
All he could do was silently pray that Shirou would stop showing off his abilities for everyone to see.
If this continued, there was no way he would be able to clean up the mess afterward.
Did anyone know how hopeless it felt when your workload suddenly exploded right before the New Year?
"In any case, let us speak with him first. It is not good to jump to conclusions. I have heard about this man's exploits before. His abilities are still somewhat different from those of Sui's fragments."
The other crimson-robed official remained much calmer.
Before coming to Lungmen, she had already investigated the situation, and the young man before them had naturally been included in her report.
In fact, one of the reasons for this visit was precisely because his actions in Ursus had been far too extraordinary, attracting the attention of many influential figures in Yan.
After all, someone capable of defeating several Emperor's Blades was among the strongest combatants anywhere.
No one would feel comfortable allowing someone like that to remain within their territory without supervision.
Having finished speaking, she entered Nian's filming set ahead of everyone else.
With Wei Yenwu accompanying them, there was naturally no need to worry about being stopped at the entrance like ordinary visitors.
"...Good thing I came along. Otherwise, this would have become troublesome."
Out of habit, Wei Yenwu reached for his pipe.
Then he remembered who was traveling with him, along with his wife's warning from two days earlier.
In the end, he quietly put the pipe away again.
Normally, Wei Yenwu should not have accompanied them.
But the thought of Nian, Shirou, and the officials from the Grand Judicial Office gathering in one place made him too uneasy to stay behind.
At that moment, he was genuinely grateful he had followed them.
If Shirou had been left to deal with this situation alone, then after today, both the Grand Judicial Office and the Department of Heavenly Years would probably station personnel permanently in Lungmen.
"The two giant swords in the background look amazing! Even computer-generated effects would have trouble recreating something this convincing!"
Inside the filming set, Nian directed her crew while admiring the scene before her.
If she handled everything herself, she could probably create a similar set.
However, the cost, labor, and cleanup afterward would all be major problems.
Using computer graphics was far more economical.
The downside, of course, was that computer graphics rarely looked completely real.
But with Shirou around, none of those previous problems existed anymore.
The only unfortunate part was that Shirou constantly worried about causing trouble for the businesses nearby, so he never dared go all out.
Another issue was that the swords were rather inflexible.
His other projected weapons could float freely through the air...
Well, she could not really blame him.
These two swords were simply too enormous.
Besides, according to Shirou, the ones standing before them had already been reduced in size and weight.
Still, none of that mattered.
Their appearance alone was more than enough.
"I suggest you hurry and finish filming. I do not think those supports can hold for very long, and the mana consumption is becoming a problem."
Seeing that Nian still had time to admire the scenery instead of filming with her crew, Shirou quickly reminded her.
Ig-Alima and Sul-sagana were standing steadily, not because they had been stabbed into the ground like before.
Instead, Shirou had projected specially designed foundations along with steel cables to secure them in place.
Everything had been projected by Shirou, so the quality was excellent.
The problem was that too many support cables would interfere with filming.
As a result, he had only used the absolute minimum needed to keep the swords upright.
They would remain stable for a short while.
However, as time passed, both swords would gradually begin to lean.
They needed to finish filming this scene as quickly as possible.
Otherwise, Shirou would have to set everything up all over again.
And by then...
His mana reserves would likely be running dangerously low.
Besides maintaining the two giant swords, he also had to project and control numerous other Noble Phantasms.
Although those Noble Phantasms were individually low-ranked, there were simply too many of them, and they had to remain active for an extended period.
"Oh, right! You are correct... Everyone, stick to the original plan! We are finishing this scene as quickly as possible!"
Only after hearing Shirou's reminder did Nian remember that she needed to hurry.
Shirou's stamina was not limitless.
He had already been working nonstop all morning.
That was perfectly understandable.
At the same time, Nian found herself wondering whether she should ask her eldest brother if he knew any martial arts or cultivation techniques that could strengthen the body.
If Shirou became stronger...
He could probably keep going much longer.
He already exercised regularly.
Changing his training method a little should not be a problem... probably.
There was no rush.
Sending a message all the way to Yumen and waiting for a reply would take time.
Finishing today's filming came first.
"You just have to circle around from the side, right? I know already! Go on."
Shirou waved his hand, practically shooing Nian away.
He had heard reminders like that so many times today that even he was becoming annoyed.
Fortunately, he had a good temperament.
At most, he would simply send people away like he was doing now.
If she stayed any longer, he was afraid she would start asking him to project even more Noble Phantasms.
He had no desire to collapse from mana exhaustion just because of a film set.
After watching Nian leave, Shirou finally turned around to check on everyone else.
Thanks to his earlier "persuasion," Exusiai and Croissant had become much more well-behaved.
They had already seen most of what the film set had to offer, and there was nothing left for them to do.
If they were not waiting to watch Nian finish filming this scene, they probably would have gone somewhere else to find entertainment already.
Staying inside a fast-food restaurant would have been much warmer than standing outdoors. At least there would have been food and drinks.
As things were now...
They could only pass the time by scrolling through their phones.
Fortunately, they had listened to Shirou and worn several extra layers. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to stay outside for this long.
"By the way, Sora, are you really fine being out here at this time?"
Seeing the four of them with their heads lowered, staring at their phones, Shirou originally wanted to comment on it.
After thinking about it, however, he decided against it.
After all, he would probably end up pulling out his own phone before long. Rather than having his own words come back to bite him, he simply chose not to mention it.
If phones were off-limits as a topic, then checking in on everyone else was still fine.
"It is fine. My manager said to treat today as a day off. Rehearsals have been pretty intense these past few days. On the other hand... I probably will not be able to celebrate the New Year with everyone."
After hearing Shirou's question, Sora put away her phone before answering.
"That really does sound exhausting... Then how about joining us for hot pot later?"
After hearing about Sora's schedule, Shirou could not help feeling sympathetic.
The life of an idol really was busy.
She hardly ever got any real vacations.
Thinking about it, perhaps her time spent with Penguin Logistics was practically her vacation.
With that in mind, Shirou decided he should at least treat her to a good meal.
"Huh? You are actually serious about going? I thought you were just trying to scare Exusiai and Croissant."
Sora looked genuinely surprised.
A little while ago, Exusiai and Croissant had been desperately resisting the idea of going out for hot pot.
The discussion had only ended because Nian returned and dragged Shirou away.
The two of them had breathed a sigh of relief afterward.
Apparently...
Shirou had never abandoned the idea.
"No! Let us eat somewhere else! I think the restaurant across the entrance looks great!"
"Yes! It looks pretty good! Let us go there instead!"
The relaxed expressions on Exusiai's and Croissant's faces vanished instantly.
They immediately began pleading with Shirou once again.
Pride was nowhere near as important as staying alive.
Besides, this was not the first time they had begged Shirou for mercy.
Neither of them felt the slightest embarrassment.
The entire sequence of pleading flowed so naturally that even Sora and Texas, who had been about to help them, no longer knew what to say.
"That restaurant? Are you serious? If I remember correctly, that is the place where all of you swore you would never eat a second time."
Shirou looked toward the restaurant they were pointing at in confusion.
He remembered it very clearly.
Everyone at Penguin Logistics had agreed that the food there was both expensive and terrible.
It had immediately been placed on their permanent blacklist.
It was extremely rare for the entire group to unanimously dislike the same restaurant, which was why Shirou remembered it so well.
Exusiai and Croissant: "..."
The two of them fell silent.
There was nothing they could say.
Any restaurant capable of making them swear they would rather die than eat there again had to be truly awful.
Now they faced only two choices.
Die from eating unbearably spicy hot pot...
Or die from eating unbearably terrible food.
A choice between two kinds of death.
Neither option was appealing.
"Do not overthink it. I will decide based on how the two of you behave from now on. Then I will choose whether you are eating spicy hot pot or the soup base you actually want."
Seeing the two of them struggling with the decision, Shirou could not help laughing.
The matter of forcing them to eat spicy hot pot had actually passed already.
He had only brought up hot pot because, in weather like this, he could not think of anything more suitable to eat.
Besides, after today's break, Sora would be returning to another hectic work schedule.
"Really?"
The two of them spoke in perfect unison.
For a moment, both wore stunned expressions before finally processing what Shirou had said.
"...Really. Just stay here with Texas and Sora for now. I see Officer Chen and Hoshiguma coming this way. It looks like they have business here."
Shirou had originally intended to tease them a little longer.
However, after spotting Officer Chen and Hoshiguma approaching from the mall entrance with unmistakably serious expressions, he immediately abandoned the idea.
"Wow... It has been a long time since Officer Chen looked this angry. Good luck, Shirou. We will be cheering for you from behind."
The two of them turned around.
Sure enough, Officer Chen looked distinctly displeased.
Without hesitation, they retreated behind Shirou while offering him nothing more than verbal support.
Shirou: "..."
He suddenly felt that taking these two to eat hot pot with Nian was still being too generous.
Perhaps he should simply invite Texas and Sora instead.
Giving the pair behind him a somewhat disdainful shove farther back, Shirou walked toward Ch'en and Hoshiguma.
"Well, well. Shirou, you happen to be here too?"
Hoshiguma first calmed Officer Chen before walking over to greet Shirou herself.
"I am just helping a friend with something... Did something happen around here?"
Shirou briefly explained why he was there before asking Hoshiguma about the situation.
"Yes. Traffic outside is completely backed up. On top of that, several civilians reported that something enormous suddenly appeared here, disappeared, and then appeared again. So Old Ch'en and I came to investigate... But now that I see you here, I think I already know what caused it."
Hoshiguma looked toward the pair of gigantic swords standing in the distance and explained with a helpless smile.
Who could have imagined it?
Shirou's projection had attracted so many spectators that it caused traffic congestion outside. On top of that, several people, worried that something dangerous had happened, called the Lungmen Guard Department to report it.
That was why Hoshiguma and Officer Chen had been forced to come personally and verify the situation.
Fortunately, they had not brought anyone else with them.
Otherwise, this misunderstanding would have become much more serious.
"...Ah, sorry about that. The film needed it as a prop, so I projected it."
After hearing Hoshiguma's explanation, Shirou also felt a little embarrassed.
He knew there were plenty of people gathered outside.
He simply had not expected it to become so crowded that traffic would come to a standstill.
As for someone reporting it to the Guard Department...
That was actually within his expectations.
Although most people in Lungmen loved watching excitement unfold, even to the point of ignoring their own safety...
There were still some normal people.
...Or perhaps they counted as normal?
Actually, in Lungmen, people like that almost felt like the unusual ones, while the crowds happily gathering to watch the spectacle seemed to be the norm.
Before Shirou could continue pondering that philosophical question, Hoshiguma had already finished explaining the situation to Officer Chen.
"Nian... she is here too, is she not? I actually have something I need to ask her. I simply have not been able to get in touch with her."
After standing in the cold wind for a while and listening to both Shirou's and Hoshiguma's explanations, Officer Chen finally calmed down somewhat.
Although everything happening here had created additional work for the Guard Department, the filming itself had been properly approved.
Even if she wanted to stop it, she had no legal grounds to do so.
The only thing she could do was assign officers outside to direct traffic.
Still, her trip had not been completely without results.
At least she had finally found Nian.
Nian was genuinely difficult to track down.
Because of her unique status, Ch'en could not simply use the Guard Department's authority to locate her by force.
The only option had been repeatedly calling the phone number Nian had left behind.
The problem was...
Nian never answered.
The contact information might as well not have existed.
This dispatch had simply happened to bring Ch'en directly to her.
"You are looking for Nian? Is it urgent? She is busy right now. If she is interrupted for too long, it could become a bit troublesome."
After hearing that Ch'en had come specifically for Nian, Shirou thought for a moment before asking.
The main reason he asked was because Ch'en did not appear especially anxious.
Based on Shirou's observations of her while she handled cases, he had come to understand her behavior fairly well.
If the matter was not urgent, she still looked stern, but she was willing to communicate.
If it became somewhat urgent, she would stop talking to anyone except those directly involved and her fellow officers, becoming much more forceful.
When things became truly urgent, her hand would move to the hilt of her sword.
And when the situation was extremely urgent...
Her hand would move to Chi Xiao.
Those were, more or less, the different stages.
"Let her finish her work first. It is not urgent enough to matter. I will arrange for more officers to come direct traffic."
After glancing toward Nian's filming location, Ch'en considered the matter for a moment before deciding to wait until filming was finished before approaching her.
The most troublesome part had already been resolved.
Everything else could be handled at a slower pace.
This place genuinely did need officers stationed nearby.
Besides, the "Barbecue Cat" was still back at the Guard Department.
Overall, the situation remained well under control.