Chapter 12: Kyubey, Giver of Hope
The Abandoned Matsumoto Electronics Factory.
The last rays of the setting sun slanted through shattered windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the stale, metallic air. Kogoro Mouri's brow was furrowed in concentration, the beam of his flashlight cutting through the gloom. The case of five consecutively missing children had led them here.
"Conan, stay close," Kogoro ordered. "This place is dangerous."
Conan nodded, his own eyes scanning the grimy floor for tracks. "Uncle Kogoro, footprints over here."
Several sets of small, panicked footprints were clearly visible, leading deeper into the factory's decaying heart. They followed the tracks cautiously, wary of potential traps.
"All these kids were winners of a local science fair," Kogoro mused. "Why would they be brought to a dump like this?" Inspector Megure had told him the prime suspect was Ichiro Yoda, a disgraced academic with a grudge, and the evidence was piling up.
Conan suddenly stopped. "Uncle Kogoro, look."
He pointed to an almost invisible seam in the floor—the outline of a hidden door. Conan traced the edge with his finger and quickly found a concealed control panel. "A keypad lock..." he murmured, his mind already working on the possible combinations.
Outside the factory, a man with a camera slung around his neck was scouting the perimeter. Kenichi Nishimura, a freelance journalist whose career was in a nosedive. He'd heard about the missing children case and was hoping to snag an exclusive story to get back in the game. "Maybe I'll find something..." he muttered, heading toward the factory entrance.
By the time he got there, Conan had already cracked the code. With a soft hiss, the heavy door slid open, revealing a hidden basement.
Inside, the five missing children were tied to chairs, their eyes wide with fear and exhaustion.
"It's Detective Mouri! I've seen him on TV!" one of them cried out.
"Help us!" another pleaded.
Just as Kogoro was about to rush in, a mechanical whirring filled the air. The heavy door slammed shut behind them, and metal plates slid over the ventilation shafts, sealing them in.
"Welcome to my game, Great Detective," a distorted voice crackled from a hidden speaker. "You and these so-called 'geniuses' will now experience the sensation of oxygen deprivation."
The twisted, smiling face of Ichiro Yoda appeared on a monitor, along with a thirty-minute countdown. "The building's self-destruct sequence has been activated. Thank you for participating in my experiment."
Kogoro quickly assessed the situation. The basement was now an airtight tomb. The oxygen was already thinning, and some of the children were looking dizzy.
"Conan," he said, his voice low and urgent. "This is bad. I have to use that ability. Can you...?"
Conan understood immediately and nodded. "I'll keep the kids distracted."
At that moment, Nishimura, the journalist, found a small vent window outside. From his odd angle, he could just barely see a corner of the basement.
Kogoro retreated to the darkest part of the room, waiting until Conan had the children's attention. He touched the amber-brown Soul Gem under his shirt and took a deep breath.
Transform!
In a flash of light, Magical Girl Kogoro was born.
"I really want to die every time this happens," he grumbled, but quickly focused on the task at hand.
Through the vent window, Nishimura caught a flash of red light. His eyes widened. In his limited and distorted view, he could just make out the blurry figure of a... large man in a red and black dress. Scratches and grime on the window obscured the image, but the angle of the light caught the unmistakable outline of a mustache and a strong jawline.
"What the hell?" Nishimura whispered, instinctively raising his high-zoom camera and firing off a burst of shots. Even in the poor lighting, his professional gear managed to capture a few blurry details.
Inside, Magical Girl Kogoro activated his "Eye of Truth." In his vision, every seam, every wire, every hidden mechanism in the walls glowed.
"There!" He strode to a section of the wall and pressed a hidden panel. With a groan, the wall slid open, revealing a secret passage. Fresh air rushed in.
"Quick, kids! Follow Uncle Kogoro!" Conan directed calmly, giving Kogoro a quick "nice job" look.
With his enhanced vision, Kogoro could see multiple explosive devices planted throughout the building, their timers ticking down. "We have to move fast. This whole place could come down on our heads." He guided them through the safest route, looking for a chance to change back. As they rounded a dark corner, he quickly deactivated the transformation, the Soul Gem dimming as he returned to his normal suit. In the darkness, the children only registered that the detective's clothes had seemed to change color for a moment.
Nishimura, having heard the self-destruct warning, had already retreated to a safe distance, the blurry photos now stored on his camera's memory card.
The police arrived soon after. Using the information he'd gained, Kogoro was able to pinpoint Yoda's hiding spot with stunning accuracy.
"That was amazing, Mouri, my friend!" Inspector Megure exclaimed. "How did you know about all those hidden passages?"
"AHAHAHA! Because I'm the Great Detective Kogoro! It was elementary! AHAHAHAHAHA!"
That evening, the police held a press conference. The missing children case was officially closed. Kogoro Mouri was once again hailed as a hero. Officers Takagi and Sato, however, were a little disappointed they hadn't gotten the chance to bust down a bathroom door.
Later that night, Kenichi Nishimura sat at his computer, staring at the blurry photos of the mustached man in the frilly dress. What is this? Some kind of pervert? Or... a superhero?
After much hesitation, he decided to post the photos online.
[MYSTERIOUS HERO SPOTTED! The Secret Rescuer Behind the Missing Children Case?]
The photos were blurry, but the caption was catchy. Nishimura added a new, trending hashtag:
#MagicalGirlUncle
The post went viral.
The next morning, at the Beika Police Department, Officer Sato showed her phone to her partner. "Have you seen this?"
Takagi's eyes widened. "No way... is that...?"
Inspector Megure happened to walk by, and his eyes caught the photo on the screen. He froze. The red and black outfit... the faint outline of a mustache... The memory of the restroom incident, combined with Kogoro's involvement in this case, gave him his answer. He wisely chose to say nothing.
Meanwhile, at the Mouri Detective Agency:
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Kogoro let out a blood-curdling scream, nearly dropping his phone.
"What's wrong, Uncle Kogoro?" Conan asked, running over.
Kogoro showed him the phone, his face pale. "I'm ruined..."
The screen showed the viral post, already with tens of thousands of shares. "The photos are too blurry," Conan said, trying to be reassuring. "No one could... probably... tell it's you."
"But what if someone connects it to the rumors about me always going to the bathroom before solving a case?!" Kogoro wailed, burying his face in his hands. "My life is over!"
"The best strategy is total denial," Conan advised. "No one can prove it's you from these pictures."
Kogoro nodded, latching onto the idea. "Right. If anyone asks, I'll just say it's a cosplayer, or a doctored photo."
Conan looked out the window, a worried expression on his face. With more and more contractors appearing, the risk of magic being exposed to the public was growing. What is Kyubey's real goal?
That night, Kyubey stood on a high perch, overlooking the glittering lights of Beika Town. A notification pinged in its consciousness.
[Chat Group System Update: In recognition of member 'Kyubey' for repeatedly granting hope and the ability to change their circumstances to others, the title 'Giver of Hope' has been bestowed. Group Titles are automatically granted based on member contributions and will provide specific bonuses.]
SpongeBob SquarePants: WHOA! Kyubey got a title?! What does it do?!
Tom Cat: [Cat_is_Curious.jpeg]
Kyubey, Giver of Hope: [Giver of Hope: Energy earned from livestreams is increased by 5%.]
SpongeBob SquarePants: I want one! I want one!
Tom Cat: [Cat_Wants_One.jpeg], [Cat_is_Jealous.jpeg]
Kyubey, Giver of Hope: Perhaps you should try doing something that gives hope to others in your own worlds.
Kyubey then turned its gaze to the other side of the city, where a lone figure sat on a balcony. The silver Soul Gem in her hands was nearly full... of a dark, murky corruption.