Isn't it very scientific to use the Death Note to kill people?

She had always been proud of Lin Jiashu, this outstanding young man. His intelligence, composure, and gentle heart had always brought her great comfort. Now that he was imprisoned, her anxiety was no less than anyone else's, but she had to transform that emotion into the most effective action.

Looking into her mother's eyes, Xiaolan felt an unwavering determination and strength, as if she had found a pillar of support. She nodded vigorously, but her tears flowed even more fiercely. This time, however, they were no longer pure helplessness, but rather a mixture of grievance and dependence: "Yes... Mom... you must save him..."

Eri sighed softly, took out a handkerchief, and gently wiped away Ran's tears.

She leaned close to Xiaolan and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Don't be afraid, he'll be alright. He'll hold on for you."

These words instantly struck the softest spot in Xiaolan's heart.

Her cheeks were noticeably redder, but nothing was wrong... She had always kept her relationship with Hayashi Yoshiki a secret, with only Eri Kisaki... and Kazuha Toyama from last time knowing something about it.

Eri simply reassured her with her eyes, patted her back gently, and said nothing more.

She straightened up and steered the conversation back on track: "The most urgent task is to clarify the police's so-called 'evidence' chain and find its loopholes. Kogoro, do you have any leads? For example, has Koju offended anyone recently? Or has he taken on any special cases?"

Kogoro Mouri scratched his head: "Of course it's only Amuro! Besides that guy, who else could Itsuki have offended? He always has that smiling face, so shrewd and worldly..."

Conan, who had been silently observing, kept a keen eye on everyone present.

He was still struggling with the role Amuro Tooru played in this incident.

Besides that, he also noticed Eri's whispered words of comfort in Ran's ear, and Ran's intense reaction and instantly flushed cheeks when she heard those words...

"..."

care.

unusually concerned.

Looking back, Xiaolan showed a level of panic and sadness far beyond that of ordinary relatives and friends from the moment she learned of Lin Jiashu's arrest.

That look in her eyes, that worry that seemed to burn her own soul to ashes... it was not just concern for ordinary relatives and friends. In her heart, Lin Jiashu was clearly a more important person.

A vague yet startling guess, like a key piece of a puzzle, suddenly surfaced in Conan's mind, making him hold his breath instantly.

Could it be that Xiaolan has feelings for Jiashu-ge...?

The thought was too terrifying for him, causing Conan's heart to sink suddenly. A complex and indescribable emotion surged into his heart—shock, confusion, and a hint of inexplicable loss. But in the current situation, even if he had many questions he wanted to ask, he couldn't bring himself to ask them.

After a long silence,

Conan's gaze fell once more on Ran, who was still sobbing softly and leaning on her mother, and his expression became incredibly complex.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The night in Tokyo was completely torn apart by a series of explosions.

It didn't happen in the densely populated center, but in carefully selected peripheral areas with symbolic or infrastructure attributes—a backup transformer area of ​​a regional power supply station, a bridge pier maintenance station of a cross-sea bridge, a dispatch center of a large logistics warehouse...

The explosion was similar in manner to the one on the ocean shore.

Through network infiltration, specific valves or circuits can be remotely opened, and ubiquitous IoT devices can be used as the most primitive detonator—perhaps an overload spark in a hacked smart electrical box, or a faulty arc welding operation in an industrial machine whose program has been tampered with...

"boom--!"

Bright fireballs rose into the air in different locations, tearing through the night and illuminating terrified and astonished faces.

Thick black smoke, like an ominous python, twisted and rose into the sky. The piercing sirens and the roar of fire trucks instantly resounded throughout Tokyo, pushing the already tense nerves on the eve of the summit to the brink of collapse.

Chaos spread wildly through news bulletins and social media.

"This is all we can do, brother."

In the black Porsche 356A, Vodka, sitting in the passenger seat, said to his older brother beside him, "The explosion at the summit venue was caused by someone deliberately opening the gas valve in the underground kitchen. A large amount of natural gas leaked, which caused such a serious explosion. This is probably all we can do for now."

Hacking into IoT devices using hacking techniques is not difficult for Vodka; the difficulty lies in choosing the right target.

"enough."

Gin's figure was shrouded in shadow on the driver's seat.

His long silver hair obscured his expression, with only the cigarette between his lips burning steadily, leaving a long trail of ash. His cold, dark green pupils reflected the flickering flames around the transformer station in the distance, revealing no emotion whatsoever: "Notify Tequila and Chianti that there's something else to do."

"Ok."

Although Vodka was puzzled, he immediately took out his phone to make the call.

After finishing the tasks Gin had given him, he looked at his older brother and asked, "What's next, brother?"

"Go and take care of that suicidal guy."

A sinister smile appeared on Gin's face, and then he stepped on the gas.

Chapter 36: I'll give you a chance to explain, Bourbon

Late night

Outside the entrance of an alley in Tokyo, in a brightly lit telephone booth, Tooru Amuro is leaning against the glass door talking to Yuya Kazami.

"Have the causes of those explosions been determined?"

"Yes, by retrieving data from the explosion site's backend, we discovered that the perpetrators remotely opened specific valves and circuits using network infiltration."

"Just like the one on the ocean shore, no bombs were used?"

"That's right. We're currently investigating domestic extremist organizations and international terrorist organizations registered with the police. Mr. Furuya, what are your results?"

"...No, the investigation has only revealed that the perpetrator seems to have used a special system, but there has been no further progress so far."

Amuro Tooru's brows were furrowed.

The perpetrator detonated underground natural gas on the coast before the summit, and tonight he used the same method to cause explosions in various parts of Tokyo... What exactly is he trying to do?

Amuro Tooru could foresee that the accountability and pressure facing the Public Security Bureau would become increasingly heavy after tonight, but the problem was that there were still no leads—

Should we go and meet with Hayashi Yoshiki?

Others can't see Hayashi Yoshiki who's in custody right now, but Amuro Tooru could easily see him if he wanted to... But the problem is that the two of them had a falling out not long ago, and Amuro Tooru would feel a little embarrassed to go see him now.

But now doesn't seem like the time to worry about saving face.

Amuro Tooru pushed open the glass door of the phone booth, and the cold night air rushed in, clearing his head, which had been feverish from the long call.

He rubbed his temples and strode quickly toward the white Mazda RX-7 parked in the shadows at the alley entrance.

The moment his fingers touched the cold car door handle, his eyes caught something unusual reflected in the car window—

A fierce and violent gust of wind suddenly attacked Amuro Tooru from his side and rear, moving at an astonishing speed and carrying an undisguised killing intent!

Amuro Tooru's pupils contracted sharply. At the critical moment, he suddenly turned to the side and ducked, and a huge fist wearing a black leather glove slammed hard against the car window, grazing his temple!

Bang-!

The glass cracked instantly into a spiderweb pattern, and the whole car shook a few times.

The attacker missed his first strike, and his other hand grabbed Amuro Tooru's neck like an iron clamp. The force was so great that even the sound of the wind it generated was muffled!

Amuro Tooru reacted extremely quickly, parrying while simultaneously sweeping his foot forward to force his opponent back half a step. He then used the momentum to leap backward, instantly creating some distance and assuming a defensive stance.

In the dim light at the alley entrance, he quickly made out the attacker's appearance—a tall, burly man dressed in black, as imposing as a wall, with a face full of taut, furious rage!

"Agave!?"

Amuro Tooru cried out in astonishment, his voice filled with disbelief: "Are you crazy?! What do you want to do?!"

As a member of the intelligence team, he certainly couldn't not recognize tequila.

At least with that towering figure and the distinctive Kansai accent, he was one of a kind in the organization... This guy, as a member of the action team, was known for his strength and not-so-bright mind, but he was usually quite well-behaved. Why would he suddenly attack me? And right after I finished talking to Kazami Yuya on the phone.

"Are we crazy?" Tequila let out a rough, angry laugh, its voice like sandpaper scraping. "Bourbon! We think you've got some nerve! How dare you touch him! Who do you think you are!"

Before he finished speaking, his massive body charged forward again like a bull, his fists swung, creating a whooshing sound. His attack was fierce but lacked any strategy; it was entirely driven by brute force and rage.

Amuro Tooru's eyes sharpened as he nimbly dodged the heavy punch, his brain racing at the same time.

Should we touch him? Or whom?

Cointreau?

Tequila thought it had framed Cointreau?

"Idiot! You've got it wrong!" Amuro Tooru tried to explain while parrying attacks, his tone urgent and angry. "I didn't do it!"

But Tequila wouldn't listen, or rather, he simply didn't want to listen.

"Still trying to argue!" Tequila roared, slamming a heavy punch into Amuro Tooru's stomach. "Besides you scheming rats in the intelligence group, who else would resort to such despicable methods! Today we'll cripple you, and then go rescue Cointreau!"

asshole!

Amuro cursed under his breath, knowing he couldn't reason with this stubborn brute. His eyes turned cold, and he stopped holding back.

Faced with Tequila's wide-ranging attacks, he no longer simply dodged, but instead approached like a ghost, using skillful force and precise joint techniques to neutralize the opponent's immense power while continuously attacking his joints and vulnerable points!

Bang! Smash!

The dull thuds of flesh colliding echoed through the quiet alley.

Although they cannot compare in terms of strength, Amuro Tooru's fighting skills far surpass those of Tequila, and he also possesses agility and reflexes.

After several rounds, Tequila suffered a few hidden losses. Amuro Tooru seized an opening, grabbed Tequila's wrist as he threw a punch, spun around, and was about to smash the guy hard to the ground with a beautiful over-the-shoulder throw!

At that very moment—

call out--!

A very faint yet extremely sharp whistling sound suddenly rang out!

Immediately afterwards—

Snapped!

A bullet struck the ground less than five centimeters in front of Amuro Tooru's right foot, which was about to exert force, with perfect accuracy. The concrete floor was instantly dented, and gravel flew everywhere.

Instantly, Amuro Tooru froze in mid-air, a chilling shiver running down his spine and into his brain.

There's a sniper!

That moment of shock and stiffness was fatal.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Agave roared and unleashed its power, breaking free from Amuro Tooru's restraints. It then swung back and delivered a heavy elbow strike to Amuro Tooru's side!

"Ugh!"

Caught off guard, Amuro Tooru groaned in pain as his body staggered backward, feeling as if his internal organs had shifted, and the excruciating pain was unbearable.

Tequila pressed its advantage relentlessly, pouncing on Amuro Tooru like a hungry tiger. Taking advantage of the moment when Amuro Tooru was slow to react due to pain and shock, it used brute force to pin him firmly against the cold car body, pinning his hands behind his back and pressing its knee against his lower back, rendering him completely immobile!

"Pah! You treacherous rat!"

Agave, panting heavily, cursed viciously, spitting saliva onto Amuro Tooru's neck.

Amuro Tooru was breathing heavily, his side throbbing with pain, but what terrified him even more was the sudden bullet and the sniper hidden in the shadows.

who is it?

Cohen? Chianti? Or...someone else?

If it were those two, they wouldn't have acted on their own, meaning they were authorized by Gin.

In an instant, Amuro Tooru thought of many things.

The fact that the bullet landed at his feet instead of on his head was just a warning, meaning that Gin hadn't yet given the order to kill him.

Amuro Tooru's thoughts raced.

Just then, a deep and imposing roar of an engine came from the direction of the alley entrance.

A completely black Porsche 356A smoothly glided into the alleyway, its round headlights casting a blinding white light that precisely locked onto the two people pinned against the car.

The car came to a smooth stop.

The car door opened, and Gin stepped out.

His black trench coat swept the ground almost silently, and his face under the black brim of his hat carried a tangible, icy pressure as he walked step by step toward Amuro Tooru, who was being held firmly against the car by Tequila.

Vodka got out of the car right after Gin and followed behind.

Gin stopped in front of Amuro Tooru, looking down at him and scrutinizing him.

In the dim light, those dark green pupils slowly swept across Amuro Tooru's face, which was slightly disheveled from struggling and pain.

"Bourbon."

Gin spoke calmly, his voice seemingly freezing the air around him, "Is there anything else you'd like to say?"