"Tch… I still cannot quite get used to this."
Amid the sea of people at the concert, Shirou wearing a floral shirt moved through the crowd.
He even had a large pair of sunglasses on his face.
Today was the day of the concert. With help from the Guard Department, Shirou had obtained a ticket and entered the venue.
Considering the hot weather, the concert was held indoors with air conditioning.
The interior was quite simple, with just a large stage at the front.
There were no seats and anyone who wanted to watch had to stand.
There was no second floor either. Otherwise, Shirou could have just stood somewhere high and avoided all trouble.
It was simply a very open space.
Because of this, the Guard Department's security work was more difficult. Aside from a few people stationed inside to monitor the situation, most personnel were guarding the outside.
They really had it tough. When Shirou was lining up earlier, he could already feel how intense the sun was.
As for him, he admitted he was not very used to places with so many people, it was crowded, noisy, and overwhelming.
The constantly changing lights on stage were also making his eyes ache.
Still, he could feel the excitement in the air. Everyone here was eagerly anticipating the concert.
That meant he had to be even more vigilant and prevent any incidents from happening.
Ever since someone had orchestrated an attack on the Guard Department using the Infected, the higher-ups had been paying close attention to this event.
After all, it was one of Lungmen's largest events in recent times.
If someone wanted to cause trouble, this would be the perfect opportunity.
That person's goal was not profit, but simply to make Lungmen more chaotic.
The previous incidents of the Infected kidnapping case, the building explosion, the drone incident, and the attack on Guard Department members, all seemed to point toward a single mastermind.
The very person Wei Yenwu had been worried about.
Of course, this was still just Lungmen's speculation. As for Shirou, his job was simply to keep an eye out for suspicious individuals inside the concert.
It was just that he still was not used to this outfit. Even though he had intentionally layered another piece of clothing underneath, it still felt a bit strange.
After wearing it for a while, he gradually got used to it.
At least with the sunglasses on, he did not have to worry about people recognizing him.
Incidentally, on top of his head were a pair of fake small horns resembling those of a Vouivre, lent to him by Swire.
Having this extra layer of disguise did make him feel somewhat reassured.
Though he had no idea why Swire had something like this. Considering her fondness for small accessories, it was probably just something she had bought.
In any case, that was not important. What mattered now was making sure no one bumped into his head, or it would be embarrassing if they fell off.
For some reason perhaps the outfit, the sunglasses or both, Shirou noticed that people around him were deliberately keeping some distance.
"While it does make moving easier, it still feels a bit hurtful."
Watching others subtly avoid him, Shirou let out a small sigh.
Still, it was convenient. At least he did not have to worry about being shoved and dropping anything. His Guard Department ID and work permit were stored in his upper and lower pockets respectively.
That was all he carried aside from the holy shroud wrapped around his right arm and the communicator hidden under his clothes.
He had not worn the holy shroud for quite some time, so its presence felt a bit unfamiliar at first.
Fortunately, compared to that slight discomfort, there were other things bothering him more, so he quickly forgot about it.
Through his sunglasses, Shirou carefully observed everything around him.
He kept Hoshiguma's advice in mind: pay attention to people dressed heavily, those carrying large bags, and anyone with suspicious behavior or expressions.
In such hot weather, even with air conditioning, most people wore light clothing and many were wearing shirts featuring their idol group's name.
However, those people had already squeezed toward the front, where there were plenty of Guard Department officers and bodyguards from Blacksteel Worldwide hired by MSR. They were not Shirou's concern.
"Hmm… following Hoshiguma's advice does narrow things down quite a bit."
After filtering, Shirou locked onto a few individuals.
They matched the first two criteria: dressed heavily or carrying suspiciously large bags.
The former might be Infected, while the latter could be hiding dangerous items.
Although bags had been checked thoroughly at the entrance, it was still possible that someone had found a way to smuggle something in.
As for identifying suspicious expressions or behavior… so far, Shirou had not noticed any.
Mostly because he was not very good at judging that. Unless someone looked blatantly villainous, he tended to see everyone as a good person.
To put it bluntly, when he first met Jaye, he had thought he seemed like a nice guy.
After learning about Jaye's outrageous reputation in the slums, Shirou had spent quite some time wondering whether his judgment differed greatly from that of ordinary people.
He had gone off track a bit, but by now, he had already marked those individuals and was slowly moving closer to them.
Suddenly, the flashing lights dimmed, and the music at the front stopped.
"Hi everyone~ Thank you all for coming to MSR's concert…"
On stage, Sora appeared in a gorgeous idol outfit, holding a microphone as she began the opening. Nearly all the lights in the venue converged on her.
This was Shirou's first time seeing Sora perform as an idol in person. He had to admit, it was impressive that she showed no signs of stage fright despite facing such a massive crowd.
If it were him, he felt he would probably stammer for a long time without being able to say a single proper sentence.
His attention quickly returned to the people he had marked earlier.
"Two are missing…?"
After scanning the area again, Shirou noticed that two of them had disappeared.
Focusing, he recalled their appearances and soon spotted them further ahead, now gathered together.
Both were dressed relatively heavily and wore hats, so they were not hard to identify.
"This is E5. Two suspicious individuals in Sector C3. Targets are wearing long sleeves and hats. Please pay attention."
Gently pressing the communicator on his chest and pulling it closer to his mouth, Shirou reported the situation.
There was no verbal reply. Instead, the device vibrated twice before stopping.
That meant the message had been received and others would handle it.
One vibration meant received, two meant personnel would be dispatched, three meant no one was available and he should remain vigilant.
Continuous vibration meant a request for direct communication.
After confirming that Guard Department personnel had arrived at the location, Shirou stopped paying attention to that area.
He trusted them to handle it properly.
Shirou quietly retreated toward the back, moving to the outermost edge.
From this position, ordinary people would not be able to see the stage clearly, so the area was less crowded. Most people here relied on devices to assist their viewing.
But for Shirou, that was not a problem. From here, he could clearly see not only movements, but even the expressions on everyone's faces on stage.
"I wonder if Sora has taken proper precautions."
Looking at the MSR idol members on stage, all dressed in short skirts, Shirou found himself wondering whether Sora was wearing shorts underneath to avoid any wardrobe mishaps.
While watching Sora's performance, he continued to monitor suspicious individuals nearby.
Whenever possible, he would approach them and lightly brush against them, using structural analysis.
As soon as he confirmed someone was Infected or carrying a weapon, he would notify the Guard Department.
They would then surround the individual and escort them out.
There were, however, a few minor incidents. For example, some registered Infected had been escorted out, causing them to miss part of the concert, and their prime spots were taken.
In response, the Guard Department compensated them for their tickets and asked them to remain outside.
Even though they were registered, this was a special situation, so the officers had no choice but to keep them outside to avoid further complications.
After the concert had gone on for some time, Shirou had checked all the suspicious individuals in the rear half of the venue.
People had been caught and taken away, but in the process of having to squeeze through crowds and get close enough to use analysis, his clothes had become disheveled.
He now looked rather miserable, with wrinkled clothes and messy hair.
After moving through the crowd repeatedly and using his magecraft several times, his condition was not great either.
Still, he had managed to check every suspiciously dressed person. Around twenty to thirty percent of them had issues.
Most of them, especially those wearing heavier clothing, were Infected trying to conceal their Originium crystals.
As for those carrying bags… that was a bit awkward. Many of them were simply carrying professional cameras and recording equipment.
Fortunately, Shirou relied on feedback from his analysis magecraft to identify targets. Otherwise, the chances of wrongful detention would have been much higher.
Ch'en, who was directing operations from outside, naturally noticed Shirou's flawless reports.
Aside from the registered individuals, every single person Shirou identified turned out to be either armed or Infected.
This made Ch'en start to wonder whether Shirou possessed some kind of x-ray vision.
Otherwise, how could he so accurately identify Infected who were hiding their Originium crystals?
If he had made even a single mistake, she would not have thought so much about it.
The same went for those carrying dangerous items in their backpacks. At an event like this, many people brought professional cameras, and they all carried bags as well yet Shirou still managed to identify the suspicious ones with precision.
It was unsettling to think about.
"…Ch'en, you are overthinking it. Rather than saying Shirou has x-ray vision, it is more likely he gathers information through physical contact."
Hearing Ch'en's muttering, Hoshiguma found it rather amusing.
Being taller and with the help of binoculars, she could clearly see that before confirming anything, Shirou would always get close and make brief contact with the person.
Honestly, Shirou had far too many methods at his disposal. Offense, defense, reconnaissance…he could handle all of them, making him extremely versatile.
And in close combat, even Ch'en herself had admitted that without her sword Chi Xiao, she would not be able to last more than a few exchanges against a full-power Shirou.
Facing more than a dozen flying swords, she truly could not win.
With Chi Xiao, she might still have a chance to fight it out.
That was already an extremely high evaluation. After all, in the entire Guard Department, only a handful of people could match Ch'en for a few exchanges, and even fewer could make her admit she would lose.
Moreover, most of what Shirou had demonstrated so far were long-range attacks, yet Ch'en was saying she could not beat him even in close combat.
So he was effective both at range and up close? Would it turn out that his defense was strong too?
That actually seemed quite possible. According to Ch'en's report, Shirou had once directly tanked a spell attack without suffering any injuries.
It was rather outrageous.
"If that is the case, then that is for the best."
After hearing Hoshiguma's explanation, Ch'en found it quite plausible.
If Shirou really could see through objects, there would be no need for him to push through the crowd inside, he could simply report from a distance.
It was not that she was worried about being seen through, but there were things on her back that were not meant for others to know.
If Shirou could determine a person's condition through contact… then she might need to be more mindful of physical contact in the future.
"Stop overthinking it, are those people from Blacksteel Worldwide still guarding the stage?"
After their brief chat, it was time to return to work matters.
This concert security was in a sense, a joint operation between the Guard Department and Blacksteel Worldwide.
Blacksteel Worldwide was a well-known private security consulting company from Columbia, one of the more famous security contractors. This time, they were responsible for the venue and entry inspections.
Strictly speaking, the venue was not ideal, but for Blacksteel's purpose of protecting their client, it was actually an optimal choice.
As for the audience below the stage, they were not within Blacksteel's protection scope.
If they had the capacity, they would help, but their priority remained their client which were the idols currently shining on stage.
"Yeah, they sent quite a few people. But letting them bring guns into Lungmen is really…"
At the mention of Blacksteel, Ch'en could not help but complain.
Sankta carrying their guardian guns was one thing, that was practically part of their identity.
But the sidearms carried by Blacksteel personnel were going too far. While not as powerful as Sankta guns, they were compact, easy to carry, and still quite lethal.
She had not expected Wei Yenwu to approve it so easily.
"There is no helping it. That is part of Blacksteel's trademark. Chief Wei is counting on them to help Lungmen get through this crisis."
Seeing Ch'en's frustration, Hoshiguma shrugged.
"Hmph. Lungmen is protected by our Guard Department alone. We do not need help from suspicious outsiders."
Ch'en snorted.
"Sure, sure."
Hoshiguma responded casually. Ch'en was excellent at her job in every aspect, except that she did not trust others easily.
Which made it all the more curious why she seemed to trust Shirou so much.
Could it be that the two of them had crossed paths before this?