With the help of magecraft, Shirou quickly arrived at the site of the explosion.
He had not been mistaken. It was indeed an apartment building and it was one without even an elevator.
There were even security bars on many of the windows.
"S-save me…"
Flames, smoke, cries for help and rubble scattered across the ground.
Shirou felt as if he had returned to that day.
That day… that fire.
The scenes from back then flashed continuously through his mind.
Broken bodies… people crushed under debris… people choking on thick smoke…
"Shirou? Are you alright? You do not look good. Do not push yourself."
Through the drone feed, Yith could clearly see Shirou's current state.
His eyes were fixed on the burning building and his breathing was gradually becoming rapid.
Cold sweat was streaming down his face.
If one looked closely, his body was even trembling slightly.
All signs pointed to one thing, Shirou seemed to have some kind of past related to large-scale fires.
One might call it trauma, but Yith had never seen someone face their trauma with such a composed expression.
Right now, Shirou was… eerily calm.
"…Hah… I am fine. Can you check which floors still have people?"
Shirou took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
Just like before, when he rushed into the flames to carry Snowsant out…he could do it again.
"…The building has five floors. There are people on the rooftop and at the right-side window on the fourth floor. The rest needs confirmation."
Raising the drone higher, using the aerial perspective and specialized software, Yith quickly identified two locations with survivors.
"There are also people on the right side of the third floor, near the wall by the window. The left side of the fifth floor might also have someone."
Due to the thick smoke, Shirou could not see clearly. He could only point out suspected locations and let Yith confirm them.
Yith was responsible for locating survivors.
And he… would be the one to rescue them.
The building had five floors, plus a rooftop.
Though not very tall, each floor seemed to have six units.
From Shirou's side, he could see at least six windows, most of them fitted with security bars.
Normally, these bars could be opened but some could not.
Poor maintenance, heavy objects blocking them or designs that did not open at all.
"Reinforcement—begin!"
To locate the victims, enhanced vision was necessary.
To ensure their rescue, reinforcing his legs was necessary.
To climb the building, reinforcing both arms was necessary.
A surge of blue magical energy burst from Shirou's body, his red coat fluttering violently in the air.
"This is…"
Yith felt his horizons expanding. It was the first time he had seen someone generate a shockwave with their own energy strong enough to make their clothes crackle like that.
He did not fully understand the purpose but it looked undeniably cool.
He remembered the Boss once complaining that their entrances lacked flair. Maybe this could be worth considering.
"So just as the Boss predicted… someone besides the Guard Department has intervened."
Below, a man wearing a round gentleman's hat stood hidden among the onlookers, watching the red figure in the distance.
It was not that Shirou had made a huge commotion, it was that the man had been carefully observing for suspicious individuals.
The involvement of Officer Chen from the Guard Department had been expected.
But the appearance of those arrows made them realize that someone else had entered the scene.
"This explosion… was it really necessary?"
Shifting his gaze, the man looked toward the apartment building engulfed in flames.
This location had been carefully chosen and it was right in the middle of the slums. Anyone who was not blind or deaf would notice it. Even the city center of Lungmen would likely hear the commotion.
The purpose was simple: to lure out the other party investigating them.
Although it meant disregarding lives… those people were merely Infected.
What he could not understand was why the Boss had chosen to create such a large disturbance.
Still, the results were good. At least that red-clad figure above did not seem ordinary.
Not just him, everyone present had witnessed it:
A man in a red coat leaping straight into the burning building.
Watching the red figure rush into the flames, then glancing at the detonator in his hand, the man hesitated for a moment before crushing it.
Although they were just a group of Infected and some self-righteous people, he did not do meaningless things. As long as the objective was achieved, it counted as success.
As for how much was achieved, that was not his concern.
"…Sigh. What exactly is the BOSS thinking? I just cannot figure it out."
The man sighed inwardly, lowered his hat and walked out of the crowd.
His job was done. Whatever came next had nothing to do with him. He only hoped that lunatic would handle things properly and not stir up too much trouble.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Shirou, with his body reinforced dashed through the burning building.
Whenever he found someone, he projected a grappling hook and a harness, then threw them out.
Given the urgency, Shirou did not care whether the rescued people had a fear of heights.
All safety measures were in place. Compared to being turned into barbecue, experiencing a high-altitude drop once was the better option.
The temperature inside the fire was extremely high and the smoke was suffocating.
Flames devoured the structure, constantly producing harsh, grating sounds.
Shirou was already used to this.
For someone using magecraft, the heat and choking smoke were not enough to frighten him.
He had seen, in his dreams, fires even more intense than this countless times.
So there was nothing to fear.
While using magecraft to scan for survivors on the current floor, Shirou also planned his next route.
Compared to gathering clues and piecing together the truth, he was clearly better suited for this kind of direct work.
"Shirou, there seems to be something going on at the rooftop."
Through the earpiece, Yith calmly reported the situation.
At a time like this, he had no mood for teasing. Shirou was too serious right now and ruining the atmosphere would not be appropriate.
"Understood. There is no one left below the third floor. I am on the fourth now."
Shirou replied while scanning the fourth floor with magecraft.
Although he could scan the entire building at once, it would consume a large amount of magical energy and concentration and there was a risk of missing something.
So while this method was more troublesome, it was still efficient.
"Take it easy. The fire department and the Guard Department have arrived."
"I will find a way to leave soon. Do not worry."
"Is that what I meant? I am telling you not to carry everything on your own. Professionals are here now!"
"Got it. Tell them to set up air cushions."
"…What exactly did you understand? You clearly understood nothing! Sigh… talking to you about this is pointless. I would rather try convincing the Boss to sing a ballad."
"Hah, that is something I cannot even imagine."
"If it were easy to imagine, where would the fun be?"
Yith had just told himself not to ruin the atmosphere, only to be thrown off balance by Shirou moments later.
After using the drone to relay the situation to the arriving firefighters, Yith quickly pulled the drone away.
There were no visible markings linking it to Penguin Logistics, but if it got shot down and recovered, that would be another matter.
Even though Inspector Chen would likely cover for them, it was still better to avoid leaving evidence behind.
"…The rooftop, huh?"
With air cushions now set up below, Shirou felt far less pressure when throwing people down and his pace increased significantly.
Fortunately, there were not many people trapped inside. Otherwise, with this level of "practice," he feared that the next time Exusiai and Croissant caused trouble, he might just project grappling hooks and send them on a high-altitude drop as well.
After throwing out everyone below the fifth floor, Shirou remembered Yith's earlier warning that something was happening on the rooftop.
Someone seemed to have taken control of the scene?
At a time like this, the only ones who would do that…
Was it the ones responsible for the explosion?
But why?
Without time to think further, Shirou kicked open the metal door leading to the rooftop and stepped onto the rooftop.
Since the explosion had occurred in the lower levels, there was little fire above the fifth floor, only thick smoke was present.
The rooftop was open-air, with good ventilation, so even the smoke was minimal.
Aside from the slightly elevated temperature, it was relatively safe.
That is, if not for the man in black standing ahead holding a staff.
"You are quite fast, are you not? I thought you would take a bit longer!"
The man held a staff in one hand and in the other, a rope.
At the other end of the rope were two children tied up and hanging over the edge.
Numerous Guard Department drones surrounded the area.
From the way he stood, it was clear that he had been waiting for Shirou.
"This is a warning. If you continue to interfere, I cannot guarantee where the next fire will break out."
The man issued his warning in a somewhat unhinged tone.
This was a matter between them, the Guard Department and Lungmen.
No one else should and no one else would be allowed to interfere.
"… "
Looking at the man, Shirou had no intention of talking.
The situation was easy enough to understand. The man in front of him was the one responsible for the explosion. The Guard Department drones had him locked on and the two children hanging from the rope were his hostages.
If either Shirou or the drones made a move, the children would be dropped immediately.
Although there were air cushions set up below, no one could guarantee the children would not hit something on the way down or worse.
They were too close to the building.
He could try rushing forward to grab the rope while the drones attacked, but the man still had a weapon. Charging in recklessly would just be throwing his life away.
"You are not in the mood to talk? Well, whatever."
Seeing that Shirou did not respond, the man did not care. With a wave of the staff in his right hand, a surge of flames burst forth, destroying a large number of drones in an instant.
The exploding drones produced thick smoke, immediately obscuring his figure.
"Remember my warning. Capture me or save the children—choose one."
With that, the man let go of the rope.
The next moment, he leapt in the opposite direction. A jetpack hidden on his back activated, carrying him away as he glided through the air.
This was his escape route. He had other, safer and more thorough plans but he chose not to use them.
That would be too boring.
Forcing someone to choose between capturing him and saving hostages was far more entertaining.
"Trace on"
Without hesitation, Shirou dashed toward the falling hostages.
But letting the man escape so easily was frustrating. He projected a longbow and arrow, took a quick aim and fired.
"Where did that bow come from?"
Just as the man was about to enjoy watching Shirou struggle with the choice, the sudden red arrow made him pause.
A moment ago, Shirou's hands had been empty.
But the man quickly adjusted his jetpack, attempting to change his flight path.
An arrow? As long as he could see it and had space to maneuver, he could dodge it right?
But things did not go as expected.
After he altered his trajectory, the arrow trailed a streak of red light, curved through the air and pierced straight through his abdomen.
The man stared in disbelief…first at Shirou who was now pulling on the rope to save the children, then at the arrow embedded in his own body.
"A red arrow… that can curve?"
Suppressing the pain, he forced the jetpack to accelerate and fled rapidly.
The arrogance on his face had completely vanished.
If it really was that person he had heard of then he needed to escape into a blind spot as soon as possible.
He was an Ursus native and he understood what those arrows meant.
The Red Devil… he thought he was dead. Yet he was still alive?
And now he had come to Lungmen?
The situation was bad. Guard Department drones were already pursuing him and he no longer had the strength to use Arts to destroy them.
"Sigh… I told you to follow the plan. Why would you not listen?"
A sigh came through the communicator.
In the next instant, under the man's horrified gaze, the communicator exploded, taking him with it.
Compared to the blazing inferno of the building, the explosion was small, barely noticed by anyone.
Shirou did not notice it either. His entire focus was on the two hostages in his hands.
Both children were injured. He could not just throw them down like before.
After a moment's thought, Shirou projected a large piece of cloth and wrapped the two of them securely.
"Jumping from this height while carrying people… this is a first."
The fire the man had ignited was now spreading across the rooftop. The children needed treatment and Shirou had little choice.
He had jumped from even higher places before but never while carrying others.
And this time, it was two people.
After a brief mental preparation, Shirou leapt off in the opposite direction.
There were too many people at the front and there were no safe landing spots. Jumping that way would also put him directly into the Guard Department's hands.
So he chose a less crowded side.
There were no flashy effects, no stylish landing.
Even with reinforced legs, the jarring shock that shot up from his feet to his head made him feel, for a split second, like his body was not his own.
But only for a moment.
Seeing people rushing toward him, Shirou gently set the two children down, then ran toward a nearby low building.
"…Is this guy even human?"
Chen, who had watched him busily moving back and forth the entire time, now stood there in a daze as she saw him still have the energy to escape.
Even though he had already disappeared from sight.
After briefly going over what Shirou had done in that short span of time, Chen realized that by the time she arrived at the scene, he was already rescuing residents.
When she deployed drones to assess the situation, she had also seen the man dressed in black, holding hostages tied with a rope.
That man was undoubtedly connected to the explosion. But with hostages in his hands, they could not act freely.
The Guard Department and the fire department had about a seventy percent chance of rescuing the hostages. Just as they were formulating a rescue plan, Shirou had already reached the rooftop.
Through the drones that had not been destroyed, they saw him use Originium Arts through the smoke to attack the fleeing suspect with the jetpack.
A forced "choose one" dilemma had been turned into a "take both" outcome.
And on top of that, he had jumped off a high building carrying two hostages.
All of this had happened within just twenty minutes.
That did not even include the time it took him to get there.
"…What exactly is he?"
After doing the mental calculation, even Chen found it hard to process.
"Hey, what are you spacing out for, you lousy dragon?"
After confirming there was no one left in the burning building, Swire organized personnel to deal with the suspect who had exploded mid-air.
Although it was likely they would not find anything, it was still worth trying.
After handling the aftermath, Swire finally relaxed.
Spotting a familiar figure in the crowd, she walked over.
Seeing Chen standing there in a daze, she greeted her.
"It is nothing. Just thinking about something else."
Rubbing her temples, Chen felt like she had seen too many strange things today.
"You mean that guy who rushed into the fire? It feels like there have been a lot of good Samaritans in Lungmen lately. That Shirou guy is always doing dangerous things like this too."
Based on where Chen had been looking, Swire quickly figured out what she had been thinking.
"…"
Chen fell silent at Swire's words.
After all, the person Swire was talking about and the one Chen had in mind were the same.
She considered whether to reveal it but then remembered that Shirou seemed to be investigating while hiding his identity.
It was better to not say anything.
Besides, it was just that "Char siu cat" anyway.
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
Seeing Chen remain silent, Swire asked in confusion.
"No. You are right. There have been quite a lot of people stepping up in Lungmen lately."
Chen nodded.
"Did you hit your head or something?"
Swire felt something was off. Normally, by now, they would already be arguing.
Why was she being so agreeable today?
And why did it feel like something she had her eye on was being targeted by someone else?
What exactly was going on?
"Tsk tsk, looks like I need to raise my evaluation of you again."
After turning into an alley, Shirou removed the dust-covered coat, took off his mask and walked out like an ordinary person. Only then did he finally let out a breath of relief.
As he relaxed, he heard Yith's voice on the other end raising his evaluation once again.
"Please do not… I feel like I am about to fall apart. Call me a ride."
Right now, Shirou felt like his whole body was coming apart.
Overexertion had left him in a dazed state.
Even his voice sounded weak, like an office worker who had just finished nonstop overtime.
"I told you not to push yourself. See? This is what you get."
Even without seeing him, Yith could guess Shirou's condition just from his voice.
Refuse to listen and you suffer the consequences.
"I was not thinking that much at the time…"
Finding a place to sit, Shirou rubbed his legs.
Even a light press sent a sharp wave of soreness through them.
"Not thinking that much? More like you did not think about it at all, right?"
Yith had not forgotten how Shirou completely ignored his advice earlier.
"…I did think about it a little."
After a pause, Shirou tried to defend himself.
"Heh."
Yith responded with a dismissive scoff.
He did not believe that at all.
Shirou had essentially shouldered the lives of everyone inside the fire, showing no intention of letting go even when the firefighters arrived.
He did not dislike rescuing people, but he seemed accustomed to pushing himself to the limit.
He pushed himself to the limit in ordinary times and he pushed himself to the limit in times of crisis.
Until he was completely exhausted, he was gone.
"If there is a next time, I will tell Texas and the others everything about you."
After thinking for a moment, Yith decided that using Texas and the others to blackmail Shirou was the most effective method.
For someone like Shirou, the only way to pressure him was probably by using people he cared about.
"...I will be more careful next time."
Faced with Yith's verbal threats, Shirou yielded.
He would feel a little embarrassed if those who knew him knew what had happened.
It was probably like how he always talked about becoming a champion of justice when he was a child and how Fujii would tell others about it when he grew up.
"I hope so. Do you need me to call a car to pick you up?"
Judging from Shirou's more sincere tone this time, Yith took it for granted that Shirou had truly listened.
"No, I can go back by myself."
After resting for a moment, Shirou stood up.
Although his legs still felt a little weak, he could still walk.
At this moment, Shirou only wanted to lie down and rest in bed as soon as he got home.