After saying that, Chen took a portion of the team and left.
The people nearby did not understand why she specifically mentioned that point, but they still prepared their crossbows.
After all, Shirou only had a standard-issue sword on him, and it was the most basic model. It was not like he could be expected to throw his sword at the enemy.
Well… maybe he actually could. Still, having a crossbow ready as a backup was not a bad idea. Even if Shirou did not use it, it could serve as spare equipment for them.
The building they were in was diagonally across from the suspects' building with some distance between them, though their building was slightly shorter.
Combined with the weather conditions, it was honestly difficult for them to directly attack the people inside.
At best, they could only provide suppressive interference.
This position was mainly useful for observing the interior of the opposite building. They did not have much choice anyway, since other locations were even lower.
Boom—
A drone that had just risen outside the building was immediately shot down.
"Besides the two keeping watch, there is also a caster destroying the drones."
Even though it was only for an instant, Shirou still caught the fleeting flash of fire.
The suspects were attacking through a smaller ventilation window nearby. Although it was subtle, Shirou noticed movement in that area.
The flash had also come from there.
"Understood. Continue observation."
Chen's voice came through the earpiece.
One of the officers beside him, holding binoculars, glanced at Shirou and then at his own equipment, silently marveling at how many absurdly capable people existed in this world.
Binoculars could see far, but they had significant limitations. At the very least, their flexibility was quite low.
To zoom in and observe carefully, one had to sacrifice visibility in other areas.
Yet the person next to him was achieving the same effect with the naked eye, even seeing through the obstruction created by the enemy's Originium Arts.
That was… incredible.
He looked like a newbie. They needed to find a way to befriend him. The sniper team needed talents like this.
If they were not in the middle of a mission, he might have already gone over to strike up a conversation.
As members under Chen, they understood the importance of the situation. Unless they wanted to be subjected to intensified training.
He was still young. He did not want to die that early.
Although intensified training would make him stronger, the trade-off would likely be losing all his hair.
Officer Chen would not go easy on them.
Meanwhile, Shirou had completely focused his attention on the building across from them not noticing at all the strange looks the Guard Department members behind him were giving him.
As long as there was no hostility or intent to attack him, Shirou would generally not notice.
That was also why he could afford to concentrate all his attention elsewhere.
Besides, the people behind him were all members of the Guard Department. It was not like they would suddenly stab him in the back.
Even if someone did try that, Shirou would still be able to react.
That was the advantage of being under full body magical reinforcement.
Of course, there were downsides. The mana consumption was quite high.
It would not drain him dry in a matter of minutes, but maintaining this level of intensity continuously did cause Shirou to clearly feel his magical energy decreasing.
Still, it was within an acceptable range. Maintaining this state for several hours was possible.
"All units, prepare!"
Chen's voice came through the communication channel as she directed the personnel on site.
In command, Chen displayed a completely different demeanor from when she was in the office.
If the usual Chen was like a diligent student, then Chen during a mission was a commander who inspired awe.
Her command was extremely efficient. After receiving the information provided by Shirou, she ordered several drones to rise at the front as a distraction, while leading her team to infiltrate the building from the side.
There were seven suspects; the rest were hostages.
That was why Chen was being so cautious.
Leaving Shirou positioned above was also a form of insurance.
If their operation did not go smoothly, Shirou would take action.
Chen knew that Shirou definitely had a way to handle it, but it would likely result in severe injury or death.
If the people inside were truly heinous criminals, it would not matter… but for now, suppression was the priority.
If they crossed the line, then she would not hesitate to deploy Shirou.
One strike from him would likely cripple them. Without timely treatment, they might not even survive.
Setting aside that massive "fireworks" incident, even earlier, when he surrounded people with arrows in an instant, many of those arrows had sunk deep into the ground.
That level of attack power, without specialized equipment or Originium Arts to withstand it, an ordinary person simply could not endure it.
Still, procedures had to be followed.
Even though Chen would have preferred to simply cut them down herself, reality and regulations did not allow it.
This was also to prevent members of the Guard Department from abusing their authority.
"Shirou, are they making any other moves?"
Holding the communicator, Chen spoke to Shirou.
"No. Their attention is mostly still focused on the drones. The figures inside are not making many movements either."
From Chen's earlier commands, Shirou already knew that personnel from the Guard Department had infiltrated the building.
That was good, although Chen's voice over the comms and Swire shouting through a loudspeaker below were making his ears hurt a bit.
"Then prepare to cover us. If the suspects attempt to harm the hostages… you may engage directly. Lethal force is permitted. The safety of the hostages is the top priority."
After confirming that their actions had not been detected, Chen let out a small sigh of relief and continued assigning tasks to Shirou.
Capable people should take on more responsibility. Aside from being a newbie, Shirou's combat strength already placed him among the Guard Department's high-level forces.
He just was not familiar with their regulations yet. Otherwise, Chen would have preferred to bring him directly into the assault team.
However, Shirou's willingness to learn was extremely high. The materials she had expected him to study over three days had all been finished in a single night.
If his tenure had been longer, training him as a squad leader would not have been an issue.
Chen gave Shirou instructions in advance, mainly hoping he could provide cover for their breach, while also telling him what to do in the worst-case scenario.
"Understood."
Shirou responded, indicating he understood.
"Stay on the line."
Chen reminded him. In the upcoming operation, Shirou would play a very important role.
With long-range support like this… aside from pre-arranged magical setups or large mechanical equipment, this was the first time Chen had felt such reassurance during a rapid assault like this.
"Are you not putting too much pressure on him?"
Seeing Chen assign so many responsibilities to Shirou, Hoshiguma gave a quiet reminder.
At the same time, she began to wonder whether Chen was being particularly demanding because Shirou had been assigned by Chief Wei.
The building Shirou was in was quite a distance from here, yet he was expected to provide cover and even attack targets.
If there were no hostages, having the sniper and caster teams attack freely would be feasible. But with hostages inside, that kind of approach was not possible.
"He can handle it. Do not underestimate him."
Chen did not elaborate on Hoshiguma's concern. There was no time to explain.
Once she saw it with her own eyes, she would understand.
"…Is that so? You really trust him."
From Chen's attitude, Hoshiguma could tell that she had already placed a certain level of trust in Shirou.
That was quite rare.
As far as she knew, Chen did not trust people easily.
Yet Shirou had earned this level of trust so quickly?
Of course, she meant within a limited scope. With Chen's personality, fully trusting someone was extremely difficult.
Even for Chief Wei, who had taught her swordsmanship or for Hoshiguma herself, her longtime partner, it was the same.
Right now, Shirou's standing in Chen's mind was probably on the same level as Swire when she was being serious.
When Swire messed up, she could be quite unreliable, but when she was serious, she was very dependable.
"…"
Chen did not respond to Hoshiguma's comment.
Partly because they were in the middle of a mission, and partly because… she herself did not quite understand where this inexplicable trust in Shirou came from.
If Hoshiguma had not mentioned it, she might not have even noticed.
But that could wait. The mission came first.
After approaching the floor where the suspects were located, Chen raised her hand, signaling everyone to stop.
"Follow my lead. Suppress the suspects as quickly as possible. Remember, the safety of the hostages is the top priority."
Chen spoke in a low voice.
The people behind her, including Hoshiguma, did not reply. Instead, they readied their weapons and shields, nodding to indicate understanding.
Seeing this, Chen said nothing further and began issuing commands through hand signals.
The snipers and casters she had brought would remain in the rear on standby, with two vanguards assigned to protect them.
She herself would lead Hoshiguma and the rest to breach.
"Shirou, in fifteen seconds, shatter the rightmost window. Then begin covering us."
After recalling the layout, Chen remembered that there were no visible figures near the rightmost floor-to-ceiling window. Attacking there would not endanger the hostages.
Under normal circumstances, others would draw attention inside while she carried out the breach.
At this moment, Swire outside was still using a loudspeaker, attempting "friendly negotiations" with those inside.
If timed correctly, there was about a seventy percent chance of ensuring the hostages' safety during the breach.
However, a more aggressive approach—shattering the window—would attract attention more effectively, increasing both the safety of the assault team and the hostages.
Of course, this was only possible because Shirou was there as a contingency. Otherwise, she would not take such a bold approach.
"Understood. Trace, on—"
Keeping in mind the principle of following orders and not causing trouble, Shirou did not hesitate. With a casual motion, he projected a black longbow and arrows into his hands.
"???"
A nearby Guard Department member, who had also heard Chen's orders, had originally intended to hand a crossbow to this "newbie prodigy" favored by Officer Chen.
But before he could do so, Shirou casually waved his hand and a large bow appeared.
So he quietly adjusted his grip on the crossbow and prepared to use it himself.
At the same time, his gaze kept sweeping over Shirou, trying to figure out where exactly that bow had come from.
He was not the only one thinking about it. The others nearby had also shifted their attention to Shirou.
Mainly because of the suddenly appearing black longbow and arrows…and secondarily because of that… slightly chuunibyou-sounding Victorian phrase.
The latter was understandable. Some people liked to shout a line before acting to boost their momentum.
As for the former… Originium Arts, probably.
When in doubt, blame Originium Arts. There was nothing you could not imagine, and nothing Originium Arts could not accomplish.
"Ten… eleven…"
From the moment he received the order, Shirou had been silently counting in his head.
At the same time, he nocked an arrow onto the bowstring, drew the bow and aimed at the position Chen had indicated.
As he reached fifteen, he released the string.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the arrow that had been on the bow vanished instantly.
A split second later, a loud crash rang out.
They turned toward the source of the sound which was the suspects' floor. The rightmost window had been completely shattered, and even the adjacent windows showed clear cracks.
It was astonishing. No one had even seen the arrow's trajectory.
If one had to describe it…it was like: whoosh, target hit.
But there was no time to be shocked. Their professional instincts kicked in, and the members of the sniper team immediately got to work.
As the glass shattered, the hazy gas that had filled that floor quickly began to dissipate.
They could already roughly see inside before, but now, with the gas clearing, Shirou's view became even clearer.
"Approximately twelve people. Six of them are armed."
Shirou quickly relayed what he saw through the communicator to Chen.
Although there was no reply, he knew the message had gone through.
After all, he had not tampered with the communicator. The lack of response likely meant they had to remain silent under the circumstances.
Quickly raising his bow again, Shirou this time infused the arrow with magical energy.
The previous shot had been a completely ordinary arrow, it was nothing more than a projected shell without any magical energy.
Now, with mana infused, Shirou could guide the arrow's trajectory to a certain extent, allowing for far more precise strikes.
It was not like Hrunting, which could relentlessly pursue a target, but its low cost and high rate of fire made it one of Shirou's most frequently used techniques.
Especially against targets that could not even withstand a normal arrow, this method was extremely effective.
Crimson magical energy wrapped around the arrow as Shirou waited for the right moment to strike.
From receiving Chen's order until now, less than twenty seconds had passed.
As Shirou shattered the window and drew the attention of those inside, Chen immediately cleaved the door open with a single strike and charged in.
Hoshiguma followed closely behind, raising her shield to block the first wave of Originium Arts attacks from the suspects.
Several Guard Department members quickly located the hostages and moved them behind their protection.
This prevented the suspects, whose attacks had just failed, from turning back to take the hostages.