As night fell once again, the "Fixer" finally reached his destination.
Throughout the past day and night, no matter how much chaos Tsuneo had caused, the legendary Administrator had remained a ghost, never once showing his face. At this point, if someone were to claim this wasn't the work of Noah's Ark, no one would believe them.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time."
Pushing open the final set of heavy doors, Tsuneo stepped into a vast, echoing banquet hall. Before he could even get a word out, a figure seated at the head of the grand table spoke up, greeting him without looking up from his meal.
"Well, this is… certainly something."
Tsuneo wasn't quite sure how to react. The person sitting there, casually dining, was none other than himself.
"How is it? Are you satisfied?" The voice of Noah's Ark resonated out of thin air once more.
The Administrator seemed not to hear it, continuing to eat one bite at a time.
"Isn't this a bit unfair?" Tsuneo muttered, glancing down at the various wounds scattered across his own body.
"Fairness is a fundamental requirement."
The moment Noah's Ark finished speaking, the Administrator was suddenly struck by invisible blades. Wounds tore across his flesh in an instant, and his health bar plummeted until it perfectly matched Tsuneo's current level.
"And here I thought you were going to be generous and heal me instead…"
Tsuneo tilted his head, eyeing the Administrator. As expected of an AI—its logic is light-years ahead of mine!
"I have collected a vast amount of combat data," the AI continued. "The individual before you is your equal in every way—strength, technique, and even the split-second judgment required in a crisis."
"Now then, I hope you enjoy yourself."
As the voice of Noah's Ark faded, something seemed to click within the Administrator. He looked up, his eyes suddenly burning with an intense will to fight as he locked gazes with Tsuneo.
"Man, I really am handsome," Tsuneo remarked with a nod.
"Heh."
The Administrator let out a cold snort and flicked his wrist, sending a steak knife whistling through the air toward Tsuneo's head.
Tsuneo leaned aside, narrowly dodging the blade, and lunged forward with his elbow leading the charge. However, his counterpart was ready. A series of dull thuds echoed through the hall as they traded blows—fist against fist, elbow against elbow—each strike perfectly parried by the other.
The feeling out process was over. It was time for the real show.
Tsuneo rubbed his elbow, a grin spreading across his face. As he stared at the Administrator, his thirst for battle reached a fever pitch.
He had to admit, he quite liked this little "surprise" Noah's Ark had prepared...
The London World
Conan and the others had successfully located the research materials Sherlock Holmes had compiled regarding Jack the Ripper.
"The last incident occurred on September 8th."
"The second victim was named Honey Charleston. Forty-one years old, lived alone. Her body was discovered in an empty lot next to St. Mary's Church in the Whitechapel district."
"Two rings of different sizes were left at the crime scene," the Great Detective noted, his brow furrowed in confusion.
It was suspicious enough for a woman living alone to be carrying two rings with identical patterns, but it was even stranger that one of them was clearly sized for a child.
"Jack the Ripper has plunged London into a state of extreme terror. Given the unprecedented social unrest he has caused, I am certain he is connected to Professor Moriarty."
Conan's heart skipped a beat as he read that line. Even though Holmes wasn't physically in London, he had already deduced Moriarty's involvement.
"Who's that?"
"You might know him, but we've never heard of the guy," the other boys asked, looking puzzled.
"He is Holmes's arch-nemesis," Conan explained. "He controls the criminal underworld of London, and his influence stretches across all of Europe. He is the Napoleon of Crime."
"If Professor Moriarty is the one pulling the strings from the shadows, he's likely someone who rarely shows his face," Ran said, recalling the character's description from the novels. "How are we supposed to find him?"
"Colonel Sebastian Moran."
A smile touched Conan's lips as he spoke the name. Moriarty's right-hand man. The man Sherlock Holmes once described as the second most dangerous man in London.
"Fortunately, this notebook lists the places Moran frequently visits," Haibara added, flipping through the pages in her hand.
From the looks of these clues, finding Professor Moriarty was indeed a crucial step in clearing the game.
Conan tore out the photo of the rings from the research file and stood up. Along with the rest of the group, he headed out the door, set on tracking down Colonel Moran.
Hideki Moroboshi glanced back toward the bookshelf. He walked over, opened a small cabinet, and pulled out a heavy revolver.
"Moroboshi, when did you find that?" Takizawa, who was bringing up the rear, asked in surprise.
"You have to look out for your own life, right?"
Moroboshi tucked the revolver into his waistband and patted it with a smirk.
"Well… I guess you're not wrong…"
The group left 221B Baker Street and made their way to a card club in the center of the city. This was Colonel Moran's favorite haunt.
"I'll slip in through the back door first to scout things out. You guys wait here," Conan told the group before running off toward the rear of the building.
The club was noisy and crowded, with the main hall packed with patrons. In a corner—a section that could be considered the VIP area—four men sat behind massive piles of chips, deep in a game of cards. This scene immediately caught the eye of Conan, who was hiding behind a wall.
"How's it looking, Four-Eyes?"
Suddenly, a hand dropped onto the detective's shoulder. It was Hideki Moroboshi, the boy who had scavenged the revolver. He had slipped away while Ran and the others weren't looking, refusing to wait for word back.
"What are you doing here?" Conan whispered, startled.
"You didn't think you were going to hog all the credit for yourself, did you? Not a chance," Moroboshi said with a grin.
The detective gave him a look of pure exasperation. That sounds like something Genta would say… He always complains after I try to trick them into staying behind.
"That guy's pretty good at cards," Moroboshi noted, peeking around the corner just as Colonel Moran raked in another massive pot.
"No, he's cheating," Conan said, shaking his head.
He pointed toward a monkey perched on a nearby cabinet. The animal was signaling the opponents' hands to Moran. In front of the monkey was a tray of red and black berries.
If the opponent had Hearts or Diamonds, the monkey used its right hand; for Spades or Clubs, it used its left. It would then eat a specific number of berries to indicate the rank of the card.
For instance, if it were a Three of Spades, the monkey would pick up three black berries with its left hand and eat them. If it were a Three of Hearts, it would use its right hand for three red berries. Because of this, Moran's opponents were essentially playing with their hands face-up.
"How pathetic," Moroboshi muttered, his voice full of disdain upon hearing the trick.
The detective's gaze shifted to an empty seat at the head of the table. A bottle of red wine was chilling there, and a glass had already been set out. It looked as though that spot was being reserved for someone very important.
But while Conan was lost in thought, the "righteous youth" Moroboshi had already stormed out into the open.
"He's a cheater!"
Conan: ???
Why are you being so damn brave?!
-------------------------------
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