"Red Devil of the Ursus…?"
Late at night, atop a tall building in the slums, Shirou stood on the rooftop overlooking most of the district.
After taking a nap on the lounge chair Phal brought that afternoon, his sleep quality had improved quite a bit, and he felt somewhat more energized now.
While keeping an eye on any suspicious people or activity around him, Shirou chatted idly with Yith.
Their conversation ranged widely, they talked about things from trivial everyday matters to life ideals.
The reason for this kind of small talk was simply to stay alert, though more importantly it was something Yith needed.
Shirou was already quite accustomed to this kind of work that felt almost mechanical.
Accustomed as he was, he still did not mind Yith finding things to talk about or tasks to pass the time.
Even gears that are constantly in motion need some lubrication to prevent wear and damage.
Just now, Yith had brought up the identity of the suspect.
Apparently, he was an Ursus native who fled to Lungmen after becoming an Infected.
No one knew why he would assist in kidnapping other Infected but after being captured he kept muttering about some "Red Devil."
"Yes, the Red Devil of the Ursus. Over in Ursus, he is somewhat well-known, probably on par with the Ursus Guerrillas?. Actually, you probably do not know anything about that. After all, you cannot even use electronic devices."
From the other end of the earpiece, Yith continued explaining things to Shirou.
It was casual conversation but also a way to give Shirou a deeper understanding of this land.
Even if it was not useful now, perhaps someday it would be.
Every sentence, even every word spoken now was an experience and knowledge accumulating for Shirou.
What is experience?
Experience is the accumulation of knowledge. It allows a person to understand clearly what they should do, helping them avoid unnecessary detours.
Of course, pure exposition could be dull so Yith occasionally threw in a few teasing remarks.
The electronic devices joke alone was something he could keep using for quite a while.
He had to make the most of it. After all, he knew Shirou had recently been cramming knowledge about such things.
"If we stop talking about that, we can continue this conversation pleasantly. Go on about that Red Devil."
Hearing Yith mock him again, Shirou responded irritably.
Still, what he was more curious about now was the Red Devil Yith had just mentioned.
According to Yith, after the suspect had been pinned down by his arrows he started repeatedly chanting that phrase.
"You really are no fun. As for the Red Devil, he disappeared two or three years ago and to this day, there is still no information about him."
"But compared to the guerrillas, the title 'Red Devil' leaves a stronger impression. After all, the former is a group while the latter is a single individual."
"They say that if, on the snow-covered Ursus you see a flicker of red light or a red figure flashing all you can do is pray you are not his target. Otherwise, the next thing you see will be your own blood."
After first poking fun at Shirou's reaction, Yith began recounting the story of the Red Devil of the Ursus.
It sounded somewhat exaggerated, but that is how rumors tend to grow more and more outlandish as they spread.
However, that was only up until more than two years ago. After that, the Red Devil stopped appearing, and the rumors gradually died down.
The information Yith had now was gathered long ago. He only remembered it after pulling up the old records just now.
The true identity of the Red Devil of the Ursus is unknown. His Originium Arts are also unknown.
The only confirmed point is that he stood on the side of the Infected. Most of his targets were mines that oppressed the Infected or patrol units that executed them.
The Infected are regarded with hostility by most Ursus citizens and this person stood with them.
A red light, a red figure and he was opposing Ursus on behalf of the Infected. That is how the title "Red Devil" came to be.
"Why does that sound a bit familiar?"
On the rooftop, Shirou frowned in confusion.
For some reason, this so-called Red Devil felt oddly familiar.
"It is pretty much like you right now. Red coat, red arrows. The Red Devil of Lungmen is you."
Yith joked.
"Coat… arrows… could it be that guy?"
With Yith's added description, Shirou thought of that red-clad knight…Archer.
But he quickly dismissed the idea. If it were that man, there was no way he would have stood by while Ursus oppressed the Infected.
Although he disliked him, Shirou had to admit the man's strength.
Disappeared for two to three years… To put it nicely, he had gone into hiding. Put bluntly, he is either dead or crippled.
If it really were that man, Shirou did not believe he would bow out so easily.
It was probably just a coincidence.
"You know him?"
Yith naturally heard Shirou's muttering and did not find it strange.
They had similar methods, similar attire and Shirou's lost memories.
It was only natural to suspect a connection.
"No… it is probably not the person I am thinking of. That guy is far too tenacious."
Shirou shook his head, denying Yith's question.
He had been overthinking it. Perhaps it was just because he had been hoping it would be nice to meet someone from the same place.
"Is that so? What a pity. I thought I might get a chance to learn the true identity of that Red Devil."
Yith did not intend to press further.
There was no need for that. The Red Devil of the Ursus was already a thing of the past. No matter how much information they obtained, it would not be of any use.
Unless one day that person returned and caused a major impact, such intelligence was neither here nor there.
"Sorry to disappoint you."
Hearing the disappointed tone from the other end of the earpiece, Shirou felt a little apologetic.
"There is no need to apologize. Expectation and disappointment are both parts of life."
Yith did not think much of it. To him, this was all just casual conversation.
"Is that so? You are quite open-minded."
Shirou chuckled softly.
Even while chatting, Shirou's eyes never stopped moving.
The slums tonight were unusually quiet. He had not even seen a single hooded figure.
So quiet that it made Shirou feel… something was off.
It was not that the streets were empty. If one did not pay close attention, it would seem no different from usual.
It was just that Shirou felt something was missing. After mentioning this to Yith, Yith replied:
"That is normal. Even a swarm of Originium slugs develops a sense of danger after seeing one of their own caught in a trap. Originally, I planned to let you rest for a day or two before coming back, but I did not expect you to insist on showing up every day."
"So this is my fault?"
Hearing that, Shirou's face darkened.
Although he had been warned beforehand, he was the one who insisted on coming…
Forget it. He would just treat it as enjoying the scenery and the night breeze.
Looking out toward Lungmen's city center from here was not a bad view.
"If you want to think of it that way, that is fine. But it is also possible they might take advantage of 'hiding in plain sight.'"
Seeing Shirou starting to doubt his life choices amused Yith greatly but he still added that the other side might act today.
"Hiding in plain sight?"
Shirou felt like he had heard that phrase somewhere before.
It usually meant people fail to notice things happening right under their noses, but in this context, Yith probably meant that the more dangerous a place is, the safer it can be.
"The suspect's sudden death caused quite a stir. They might think the Guard Department would slow down for a few days. What they did not expect is that the ones hunting them… are not just from the Guard Department."
There was something Yith did not say: the other person pursuing this case was just as stubborn as Shirou.
The enemy probably never expected two stubborn people to be chasing them day and night.
"But judging from the current situation maybe they are truly scared?"
Shirou stepped forward to the edge of the building and looked down.
Without equipment, a normal person would not be able to see clearly from this height.
But Shirou saw everything distinctly, he could see not just people, even the patterns and serial numbers on a nearby manhole cover were perfectly clear.
He could faintly make out a suspicious figure hiding in a corner, wearing a bamboo hat.
Yith had said not to worry about it. It would not interfere with their work.
"Perhaps. So, how about it? Do you want to call it a day early?"
For Shirou's question, Yith could only answer based on past experience.
Personally, he hoped Shirou would get some proper rest.
To him, those Infected were merely strangers. Knowing they were being persecuted might make him feel uneasy but he would not step in. Most people on this land were the same.
But Shirou was the type who would step forward to stop it.
Such people easily earn respect but also just as easily earn hostility.
Simply put, people like that do not live long.
Either they collapse under the pressure they put on themselves, or they get stabbed in the back by those they try to protect… he had seen such things far too often.
"Let us continue. When you do something, you should see it through to the—"
As he spoke, Shirou sensed something wrong.
He heard extremely faint footsteps, breathing and the sound of steel scraping.
"Trace on—"
Without hesitation, black and white twin swords appeared in Shirou's hands.
He shifted his body, crossing Kanshou and Bakuya in front of him, placing them along the opponent's likely attack path.
The blades firmly intercepted the incoming strike and the force behind it was weaker than Shirou had expected.
But he did not dwell on it. He immediately stepped back, widening the distance.
"You are quite sharp"
After creating some distance, Shirou finally saw who it was, it was the hooded figure.
The other party withdrew the sword in hand and turned to face him.
"May I ask what this is about? I am just here enjoying the view. There is no need to attack right away, is there?"
Taking a deep breath, Shirou felt the situation was getting troublesome.
He had not pulled up his hood just now. Although he was still wearing a face covering, it was not enough to hide his identity.
This was not some strange drama where covering part of your face makes you unrecognizable.
"I am not stupid. You did not even bother changing your coat. Do you really think I would not recognize you?"
The hooded figure or rather Chen had returned her sword to its sheath.
From the start, she had only intended to startle him. She had not expected him to react in time.
That part had caught her off guard. Although she had heard a bit about Shirou's abilities from Hoshiguma and Swire, it seemed what he had shown before was only a small portion.
Of course, she had already pulled back that strike early.
But those two blades he held just now… were those the Originium Arts Hoshiguma had mentioned?
"…Tch."
Seeing that he could not bluff his way out, Shirou clicked his tongue and pulled up his hood.
Even if he had already been seen clearly, it did not hurt to keep up appearances.
What if she had not seen him properly just now?
Though the chances were low. He also had no idea how she managed to track him down.
"Looks like the situation is pretty bad."
Hearing something was off, Yith maneuvered a drone to observe the two confronting each other on the rooftop.
This was his miscalculation. Shirou had used a bow for sniping earlier, so naturally the other side would assume he would be on a high vantage point.
He had just been thinking Miss Chen was stubborn and here she was.
What a headache. After this, he would have to request some time off from the boss. At this rate, he would go bald sooner or later.
"It is very bad, alright"
At Yith's remark, Shirou could only roll his eyes, expressing his current mood.
Even though the other side could not see it.
His mind rapidly analyzed the situation.
He was on a high building, about seven stories up.
Jumping down directly would not be a problem, but running would not solve anything.
She had already seen his appearance.
He would leave escaping as a last resort. The other party had sheathed her sword and her hostility was no longer as obvious.
She probably wanted to talk?
Heavens, this was actually moving.
After being chased across most of the slums these past days, changing disguises countless times and finally resorting to enhancing his vision with reinforcement magecraft to search from rooftops, Shirou felt a trace of emotion.
Finally. The other side was willing to sit down and talk.
With that thought, Shirou dismissed Kanshou and Bakuya from his hands.
"Do you want to talk?"
Seeing the black-and-white twin blades disappear, Chen asked.
When the arrow that fell from the sky subdued the suspect, she had already guessed that the one in the red coat or rather Shirou was positioned somewhere high up.
But she had not expected him to be standing alone on a rooftop.
Where were the binoculars? The auxiliary equipment?
Was he really just using his eyes?
Although she was not an expert in this area, based on her understanding, even races with excellent eyesight could only see blurry figures beyond a certain distance and that distance definitely would not exceed one kilometer.
So what exactly was this Penguin Logistics guy doing…?
Or was it just as he said, was he simply enjoying the view?
At this moment, although Chen had successfully startled him with a sudden draw of her blade, she had also gained even more questions.