give it all to miss machima

"……No."

Conan hugged the soccer ball: "Had that nightmare again?"

"No."

But as she said this, Shiho subconsciously recalled the figure covered in blood, yet smiling gently at her.

Conan looked at her, who was slightly taken aback, but ultimately said nothing.

All he knew was that there was an extremely complicated emotional relationship between the two of them—Ai Haibara had almost never talked to him about Makima, and even when he asked to know more, she was unwilling to say more.

The streets were already covered with a layer of snow. The three Detectives waved goodbye to the two of them because it wasn't on their way, and the two of them continued walking along the street.

In the sky, a crow landed on a telephone pole, its black eyes fixed on the two small creatures below, as if staring at death itself.

With her head down and feeling dejected, Shiho felt a strange chill rising up behind her for some reason. She subconsciously looked up and seemed to see countless crows taking flight in the blood-red sky.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

Conan looked at Haibara, who had suddenly frozen, with a strange expression, and then followed her gaze—a black Porsche was parked on the side of the road ahead.

Conan curiously peered out the car window:

"Oh~ Porsche 356A, a 50-year-old antique car. The owner doesn't seem to be around anymore. I've only ever seen it on TV and in books. I never imagined that people would still be driving this kind of car now."

Despite her fear of running away immediately, Haibara said to Conan:

"Gin... Gin's car is also like this."

"...!?"

After a while

The pillar of the Black Organization, the right-hand man of that man, the only one who gets things done, Conan's lifelong enemy, the most tragic villain and tool in the plot, surrounded by traitors and useless people, the one who risked his life to lead Organization C—Gin!

Accompanied by his driver and henchman Vodka, after completing a revenue-generating task assigned to him by the organization, he arrogantly ignored the traffic and traffic rules on the road, crossed the road directly, and arrived in front of his beloved car.

He held a cigarette in his mouth, looking at the messy footprints on the ground beside the car, and frowned slightly.

Vodka, who was standing nearby, took a look and immediately offered his insightful opinion:

"It's probably just passersby who came to admire the man's car; after all, cars like his are quite rare these days."

Gin's expression relaxed slightly upon hearing this, seemingly quite pleased with the words, but he still gave a haughty snort:

"Hmph, this German tree frog is quite famous."

After saying that, Gin opened the car door, bent down and got in, and drove away. Neither of them noticed the two children who had been hiding behind the car.

Fortunately, Gin didn't have the habit of walking around the car to check the surroundings for safety reasons.

Of course, it's also fortunate that he didn't start in reverse, otherwise the entire Conan storyline might have ended there.

As Conan watched the departing Porsche, his eyes gleamed behind his glasses—a directional icon and a highlight representing a tracker appeared on the lens.

"This time, you can't escape!"

With Haibara in tow, the two immediately ran onto the nearby Dr. Agasa's Volkswagen Beetle and began their pursuit.

Ai Haibara, standing calmly to the side, watched him and warned again:

"Even if you know their lair now, it won't help. Your body is an obstacle. Do you know that, Kudo? Your current actions are courting death!"

Unfortunately, her attempts to dissuade him were clearly ineffective—Conan, who longed to reinvent Shinichi Kudo and bring the criminal organization to justice, was determined not to give up this opportunity, which he had finally seized.

Gin's voice could be heard coming from the bugging device.

Yes, I will go to the area around the scene, Vermouth.

Vermouth?

Conan looked at Shiho beside him: "This code name... is it the one you mentioned before, the one who killed Makima, the Thousand-Faced Witch in the organization?"

Shiho gritted her teeth secretly and nodded: "It's her."

[The location... has it been changed to the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo? Hmph, as always, that guy's extravagant style.]

That guy?

Conan and Ai Haibara both frowned slightly.

However, if she chooses a place like that as her reappearance location, she probably won't be able to cause any big commotion on the spot again, and of course... neither will we.

Reappearing? Who?

Conan looked at Ai Haibara, who shook her head, looking equally confused.

"...Hmph, I know without you saying it. I'm not like a big star like you. My identity is definitely not suitable for infiltrating. However... this time, besides you, the organization has already arranged for Pisco to attend the party as well."

“Pisco? Do you know him?” Conan asked.

Haibara nodded: "I've only heard of this code name, but as far as I know, it seems to belong to a long-time member of the organization."

Gin's voice could still be heard as the two were talking:

"...Yes, Pisco wants to see that wretched woman in person. It's not just his plan, but also the will of that lord. As for me...I don't really believe your unbelievable nonsense either."

【…】

"Yes, this is a rare opportunity for us to confirm her current situation. You should be grateful. If that person hadn't valued you so much, many of your previous actions would have already been considered those of a traitor... So, listen carefully, Vermouth."

Gin's voice, as always, carried a chilling edge.

I don't know what that woman did to you, or what promises she made, or even if, as Pisco said, you were terrified of her. All I know is that you've been behaving strangely ever since that unprecedented failure, but... whatever happened to you... you'd better not let me find out you've betrayed the organization, Vermouth.

Haibara's heart pounded—what exactly was Gin saying?

Who could make Gin believe that Vermouth would betray the organization?

And...that woman? An unprecedented failure?

What exactly is he saying?

"...Hmph, go tell her that yourself. Whether she's as you say or not, at this point, she still has to sit down and talk to us, doesn't she? Um...Aphrodite, or...should we call her Machima?"

"...!?"

Conan stared wide-eyed at Ai Haibara, then realized that she seemed even more surprised than he was, her eyes fixed on the car window.

"This...how is this possible!?"

Chapter 166: Is it a mistake to establish Academy City in the Detective Conan world?

Conan looked at Ai Haibara in confusion: "Didn't you say..."

"I know! But...it's impossible! I saw her being..."

"Then why is Gin still..."

"How could I possibly know?! Or do you think I—"

Just as the two were arguing, something strange came from the other end of the listening device—it sounded like…

[Big brother, what's wrong?]

【…】

A sound like a bugging device being found was heard.

【This is……!?】

[Hmph, it's a transmitter and a bugging device.]

Then came a series of noises, and immediately afterward, Conan's glasses lost signal from the transmitter.

"Oh no! We've been discovered!"

While Conan was realizing something was wrong, Gin let out a laugh—the reason he sensed something amiss was because he had just found a hair in his car, and the hair color was…

"Hmph... I didn't expect what Vermouth said to be true, and I certainly didn't expect her to come looking for me on her own initiative..."

Vodka, standing to the side, looked confused: "What's going on, bro!? Who are you talking about?"

Gin picked up a strand of hair that had fallen onto the car seat:

"Of course it's that traitor—Sherry."

"But she isn't..."

"Ah, she escaped in that chaos—escaping both the organization's pursuit and Aphrodite's control. Now both sides are trying to find her..."

Gin smiled slightly.

"At first, I didn't really believe what Vermouth said, thinking it was just another trick by that Aphrodite, but... now it seems that this information is true, and Lady Luck is on our side this time."

"...?"

Vodka felt an intense itch on his head, as if his brain was about to grow.

"But... wouldn't our words just now be......"

“It’s alright. Sherry has no idea about Aphrodite’s current situation, and Aphrodite doesn’t know she’s here either, but… Sherry will definitely go to find her.”

Gin's eyes, hidden beneath the black brim of his hat, held a dangerous, excited glint.

“We have the advantage in information this time. All that’s left is to wait and see. Isn’t that woman very fond of Sherry? If we can capture Sherry, the organization will likely have the upper hand in both negotiations and coercion.”

"But... Sherry knows our people are there, will she really go?"

Gin grinned and said coldly:

“She will definitely go. Even if she has no feelings for Aphrodite, her sister is still in their hands, and…”

Gin took a drag of his cigarette.

"Even if she doesn't come this time, we already know she's been hanging around Mika. Hmph, once we have a range, it'll be much easier to catch her. Traitors always leave a scent."

"Should we inform Vermouth?"

"Do not."

Gin's expression changed.

"That woman...she has changed."

Vodka took a slight breath:

"Big brother! You mean she's... betrayed the organization!?"

“No, it’s more complicated than that… but I can clearly sense that she’s afraid of Aphrodite, a fear that has even clouded her judgment…”

Gin frowned slightly as he said this.

He didn't simply believe that Vermouth was, as Pisco claimed, terrified and confused by the other party's petty tricks.

But Gin believed in the danger posed by Aphrodite... that woman.

What exactly did Belmod go through to become so afraid of the other party? This question left him somewhat... uncertain.

This is one of the reasons why the organization still remains wary of Machima.

After a moment's thought, Gin dialed Pisco's number.

“It’s me, Pisco… Yes, things have changed…”

In the afternoon, a Volkswagen Beetle arrived at the parking lot near the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.

Two little heads popped out of the car window, looking at the hotel in front of them. Haibara, who was originally dissatisfied with Conan's reckless actions, changed her previous resistant attitude after hearing Makima's name and actively joined in.

"This is it. Holding a banquet in a place like this is no ordinary luxury..."

Conan looked at the restaurant in front of him and frowned slightly.

This hotel is arguably one of the most luxurious and historic hotels in Tokyo, favored by royalty, celebrities, and heads of state—a true gathering place for high society.

This also means that the security measures here will be quite stringent, and I probably won't be able to wander around looking for clues like I usually do at crime scenes.

For this investigation, Professor Agasa went to great lengths, taking the two of them to check into the hotel. In the lobby, they saw a group of maids with top-notch looks and figures, solemnly carrying large and small bags as they walked through the lobby and into the elevator, looking very well-trained.

Not only were passersby curious, but Conan couldn't help but comment:

"The Imperial Hotel Tokyo actually likes this kind of style?"

Meanwhile, Haibara, who was standing to the side, was slightly taken aback. He immediately suppressed a hint of excitement and whispered to Conan:

"These aren't hotel maids, they're Machima's people!"

"...Huh?" Conan looked completely bewildered.