Conan: I'm Really Not Tokyo Ghost Story

Within a one-kilometer radius, almost everything was engulfed by flames.

A fire of this magnitude is already a disaster.

...That guy actually set up so many ignition devices in advance?

Koren frowned.

Given Rye's style, shouldn't it be planting a bomb?

Forget it, this kind of continuous disaster is more beneficial to me anyway.

The bigger the commotion, the more attention it will attract.

Unfortunately, fires are not something that can be dealt with in a short time.

Koren and Asai Narumi could have easily seized this opportunity and made a quick getaway.

"Let's go quickly."

Koren urged Asai Narumi not to linger, but the two had only slipped away a few kilometers and were planning to change their escape route and find a means of transportation when a figure suddenly blocked their path.

"...What, you've been saved, and you're planning to leave without giving anything in return?"

"You are……"

Koren and Asai Narumi exchanged a glance, their understanding unspoken.

……

At the same time.

In the antique café beneath the Mouri Detective Agency, Conan and Ai Haibara, two real children, looked so pale they were almost dripping with tears.

"...Breaking news, Sano is Rye."

After making countless phone calls and finally getting some vague information, Conan said, "I don't know exactly what will happen next. Damn it, is this a frame-up? I need to find evidence quickly..."

Ai Haibara squinted at Conan and muttered to herself.

"Didn't you ever consider that he might actually be rye?"

Conan paused, scratching his head, and chuckled dryly, "How could that be, haha..."

After chuckling twice, Conan fell silent.

...Leaving aside the fact that since the authorities have taken action, there is likely some evidence. The key point is that Sano also pulled out a gun and killed someone, which is irreparable.

Furthermore, the image of Rye as a brutal, ruthless, and cold-blooded terrorist has changed somewhat after a series of interactions or developments... At least Conan understands that he is alive because the other party has shown mercy, and perhaps he can be considered a...

nice guy?

Otherwise, there must be a special reason, such as feelings or relationships.

In short, the overlap between the two sides has increased significantly.

Conan can no longer confidently assert that Sano could not be Rye.

"...But no matter what, we have to save him."

"You fart!"

Ai Haibara slammed her hand on the table, her eyes wide with rage.

"Are you out of your mind?! You actually want to save a serial killer?!"

"...Calling him a serial killer is going too far."

Conan said helplessly, "He's Sano, you know. Others might not know, but we certainly do. He can't really be a bad guy; there must be a reason..."

"Shut up!"

Ai Haibara retorted indignantly, "What do you mean by 'there's a reason'? Killing someone is killing someone. Do you think you can just cover it up with a simple 'there's a reason'? Kudo, stop pretending and admit it, you were just acting out of selfishness!"

Conan fell silent.

Ai Haibara continued to vent her anger: "You've changed so much compared to before. Yes, I know people always change, especially since you've been dealing with the darkness of this world all the time. You've become a little more worldly-wise and better at handling things. To put it nicely, that's called prioritizing the big picture and becoming more mature. But you just make me feel disgusted and want to vomit!"

...Isn't that going too far?

Conan frowned. The problem with this matter was simply the difference in perspectives between the two sides, and he was well aware that he himself had changed quite a bit.

Conan wasn't sure if this change was good or bad, but he knew very well that Ai Haibara had lost her mind and wanted to calm her down so they could talk things over.

I'm afraid we'll have to resort to drastic measures.

Holding this thought... there might also be a bit of personal dissatisfaction, and a competitive desire to completely overwhelm Ai Haibara in the argument.

Conan suddenly asked, "And what about you?"

"……what?"

Ai Haibara was taken aback, not understanding what Conan meant.

"I said that according to your logic, Sano deserves to die no matter what the reason is. Then what about you? How many people have your drugs killed?"

Conan looked coldly into Ai Haibara's eyes.

The sharpness of her words almost made Ai Haibara catch her breath.

...This question was actually raised by Conan to Ai Haibara from the very beginning.

Even now, no conclusion has been reached.

However, as they spent more time together, their level of trust gradually increased.

This problem was naturally overshadowed.

Unexpectedly, Conan brought it out again at this time.

This undoubtedly stunned Ai Haibara.

"I was forced to..."

"Then how do you know Sano wasn't forced into it?"

Conan sighed: "Don't assume that just because Sano is Rye, no one can force him. He's human too, not to mention he's a member of the Black Organization outside of the Black Organization. Don't forget, you watched the live stream to see how terrifying that thing is, right? Haibara, I know you're angry, but you have to consider things comprehensively. What if he was forced? What if he's an undercover agent..."

“But he killed my sister.”

Just as Ai Haibara's voice weakened to the point of silence, and Conan thought he had succeeded, the other party suddenly uttered a sentence.

In turn, it silenced Conan.

...Conan had almost forgotten that he had such a fatal weakness.

If Sano really is rye, then even if all his past actions were not of God's will, Miyano Akemi is a nail that can never be skipped... This has nothing to do with right or wrong.

The hatred for killing his sister is a fundamental conflict that cannot be ignored or changed, no matter how much Conan changes or how eloquent he becomes.

It's impossible to persuade Ai Haibara.

Looking ahead, Ai Haibara was no longer shouting or spitting fire in her eyes; instead, her large eyes were already filled with tears.

...If Sano really is rye, then putting everything else aside, just the fact that he concealed this fact from me is enough for Conan to doubt his motives and feel angry. As for Ai Haibara, perhaps their relationship is not as good as she thinks it is.

But it's not bad after all.

There was already animosity, and then this deception added to the conflict.

Conan could probably understand how Ai Haibara felt at that moment.

"...That bastard Sano killed my sister, and he can still stand next to me pretending he did nothing. He's a demon."

Hatred resurfaced on Ai Haibara's face.

"If I could, I would kill him with my own hands."

Seeing Ai Haibara covering her eyes, Conan opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

...I wanted to comfort her, or even just offer some words of comfort, but I didn't know how to begin.

But before the air could even catch its breath for a second, a voice suddenly rang out from behind Ai Haibara: "...Who do you think you want to kill?"

"..."

A sudden third voice entered the scene, yet it sounded strangely familiar.

Conan sat up straight immediately, and Ai Haibara turned around abruptly.

Sure enough, Sano had already silently appeared behind Ai Haibara, his cold eyes lowered as he stared directly into her gaze.

That instant.

Ai Haibara felt as if her heart had stopped, and the chilling sensation was unbearable, making her scalp feel as if it were about to explode.

...It smells like an organization.

Finally, Ai Haibara's radar kicked in and began frantically warning her.

He was just saying he wanted to kill Sano with his own hands.

But when Sano actually appeared in front of her, Ai Haibara wished she were a corpse... But there was no mistake, now she was 100% sure.

Sano is definitely rye!

Conan, on the other hand, was much calmer. Seeing Sano, he didn't feel nervous at all, but even seemed a little surprised: "Sano, are you... alright?"

"What's the matter?"

Sano asked a question in return, then casually pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Hey?"

Conan scratched his head: "You mean rye...that thing?"

"Oh, that's what I came here for."

Sano lit a cigarette: "I was just about to go out to buy a pack of cigarettes when I found you all gone. I thought it was strange, but then I got a call saying that they heard I killed someone and was taken away by the police."

"……What?"

Conan was immediately dumbfounded: "Wait, what do you mean?"

Sano raised an eyebrow: "What, was I speaking Martian language?"

"No... wait a minute."

Conan, oblivious to the trembling Ai Haibara, sorted out his thoughts and said, "So, you mean that the Sano who shot and killed someone back then, and was then handcuffed by Mr. Amuro, wasn't you?"