27: Random Attack Incident

"So, what now?"

Having finished eating, I asked Vilijaniira.

"Well... we just had a snack, and we've already visited the famous harbor area..."

Her response trailed off abruptly.

"!?!"

"Hmm?"

"..."

Vilijaniira suddenly moved.

Drawing her pistol-shaped blaster from her waist, she aimed the barrel behind me.

I instinctively dodged to the side from Vilijaniira's blaster's line of fire, then glanced at what lay beyond the beam.

Mekoxi moved at the same time as Vilijaniira and me, assuming a combat stance.

"Dead..."

What lay beyond the beam was a narrow alley between buildings.

There, a scene unfolded where a man was raising a blade above his head, preparing to swing it down at a woman walking with her back turned toward him.

The woman hadn't noticed the man.

Moreover, for some reason, her shield mod wasn't working.

If left unchecked, a tragedy was inevitable.

"Stop it!"

"!?!"

That was when Vilijaniira moved.

She fired the blaster three times: the first shot shattered the man's shield, the second sent the blade he held flying, and the third, a non-lethal beam, struck him directly, knocking him unconscious.

"AAAAGH!?!"

A scream pierced the air, triggered by the sudden burst of gunfire and explosion.

"Satā!"

"I didn't need to be told!"

Amidst it all, I dashed forward, maneuvering the unconscious man onto his stomach, stretching his limbs out, and conducting a body search.

Verifying he wasn’t carrying any dangerous items besides knives.

At the same time, I touched the sweat on his face, performing a quick inspection using my ability.

Hmm, there are some points worth reporting.

Keep the woman who appeared to have been victimized at a distance from the man, and check the surrounding area to make sure there are no further dangers, at least within sight for now.

It's somewhat different from my area of expertise, so I don't have perfect knowledge... but yeah, for now, it seems okay.

And dealt with the matter of weapons as well.

I'll send him flying to a spot just out of reach, far enough that he can't possibly reach it by jumping up.

After sending him flying, I'll also check the mod briefly upon contact.

This... is something I should report too.

"We are Imperial forces. Due to the emergency situation, we've taken immediate action without warning. The suspect is already in custody. Please remain calm."

Mid-action, Meikoshi raised his voice and revealed their affiliation via a hologram pulled from somewhere.

Yeah, he's telling the truth.

We are a reconnaissance unit, but we remain part of the Imperial Army.

And Viridianiara is approaching us with Meikoshi.

"Are you alright? I've called the police, so please stay calm."

"Y-yes..."

Viridianiara speaks to the victim woman.

"Um, do you recognize this man?"

"Eh, um... I don't think so... I don't remember him..."

She doesn't recognize him.

Then it must be a random attacker?

Or perhaps this man is the one behind the scenes, hired by someone to assassinate a woman.

Anyway, figuring out the finer details like that is the job of the security and law enforcement personnel.

"Police!"

As if on cue, the devil appears.

In any case, I took over from the arriving officer, and the man was firmly restrained.

Since he was caught in the act, there's no way he'll be let go easily.

Meanwhile, Vilijaniura briefly outlines the situation within her current understanding, and Memokushi hands over a copy of her visual data.

"Sat. Was there anything unusual during the time you were restraining him?"

"Two things."

I'll also report what I've observed.

"One: that man likely used drugs. His sweat contained substances unique to drugs. I can't determine the source, though."

"Drugs? How unfortunate."

"One more thing—the knife that guy used had an illegal mod installed. It wasn't a high-output mod, but rather one that disabled shield mods. You can't just pick something like this up easily, even if you're working with someone behind the scenes."

That's also brought out some rather dangerous things, hasn't it?

The first one... I can't tell whether they committed a crime because they were using drugs, or used drugs to commit a crime, but one thing's for sure—they were definitely using a substance with powerful stimulant effects or the ability to suppress self-control.

The second one... honestly, that's seriously dangerous.

The Shield mod is something nearly every person in the Empire possesses and uses on a daily basis—it's essential for maintaining safety.

Mods that can bypass such protections are extremely dangerous, depending on how they're used.

That said, based on my brief examination, they appear to be disposable, with a limited-grade shield that can be disabled, and likely come with various other flaws... Still, they remain dangerous regardless.

They absolutely must be investigated and addressed.

"... Urgent investigation will be conducted immediately. Also, for thoroughness, I'd like to conduct a preliminary inquiry. Would you kindly accompany me, sir?"

"Understood. I'll accompany you."

Afterward, we underwent a brief interrogation, and by the time it concluded, it was already time to return to the hotel.

"Yet, Vee noticed that quickly."

"Thanks to the mod's abilities, my eyesight is exceptionally sharp. Especially when it comes to detecting hazardous materials."

"I see."

Vilijani's expression was a radiant blend of relief at having avoided casualties and pride in her accomplishment.

Furthermore, it was later revealed that the perpetrator was a resident of the Guide Colony who lacked adult certification—what was commonly known as a "fallen one."

The drugs were purchased by him… more precisely, using his parents' money.

As for the origin of the knife, he remained silent, but it was likely connected to the same dealer who sold the drugs.

He claimed he attacked the victim woman because she seemed to be mocking him, though he had no prior acquaintance with her.

Although the man will ultimately be punished according to Imperial law... this incident remains a troubling one, particularly regarding the origin of the knife.