Chapter 28: Battle!
"Gentleman?" Gin's lips curled into a cold smirk, as if he'd just heard the most ridiculous word in the world. The killing intent in his eyes only intensified. "Hmph... another annoying white rat."
He raised his hand, and deep blue magic instantly coalesced into his bizarre pistol. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger. A beam of destructive energy screamed toward Kid, moving faster than the human eye could track.
But Kaito Kid was Kaito Kid. The instant the beam was fired, he tossed a smoke bomb.
BANG!
Thick white smoke filled the narrow corridor. Kid's body seemed to float backward, leaving a white-suited mannequin in his place, which was promptly vaporized by the energy beam. But even before the smoke cleared, Gin, as if gifted with X-ray vision, fired three more shots in a triangular pattern, boxing in Kid's escape route.
"Tch!" Kid cursed, twisting in mid-air, his white cape billowing as he narrowly dodged the beams, the heat scorching its edge. Before he could recover, he felt his ankle tighten. Tough, spider-silk-like threads of black magic had ensnared him, yanking him downward.
"The parlor tricks end now," Gin's voice was a low growl.
Kid's eyes hardened. He flicked his wrist, sending a volley of razor-sharp playing cards at Gin's face while simultaneously activating a blinding flash from his top hat. But the cards were effortlessly deflected by an invisible magic barrier, and the flash seemed to have no effect. The black threads tightened, dragging the thief uncontrollably toward theOrganization's top enforcer.
This is bad, Kid thought, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. His power, his speed, his reflexes... they're inhuman!
Conan, taking advantage of the distraction, ducked behind a pillar, his mind racing for a way to help.
Meanwhile, Kogoro Mouri, who had been feigning sleep, felt a massive surge of magical energy from the front of the train. It was the same sinister aura from the night Ran was attacked. Conan is up there!
He shot to his feet. "Protect the kids," he told Ran. "I'll be right back." He bolted for the nearest restroom. A flash of red-and-black light, and he had transformed. But as he prepared to rush forward, the train car was torn apart. Several of the Organization's other contractors, clad in their own bizarre magical girl outfits, burst in and began attacking the passengers indiscriminately. One man was instantly carbonized by a heat ray. Another was torn to shreds by magical black thorns that erupted from the floor.
"Damn you!" Kogoro roared, charging into the fray.
But a pink blur shot past him. It was Ran. She had transformed, her face a mask of cold fury. "Dad! Take care of Mitsuhiko and Haibara!" she yelled, her voice tight with urgency. She wasn't going to let Conan face that danger alone. She broke through the enemy line like a cannonball and sprinted toward the front of the train.
She found them in a wrecked corridor—Conan, bleeding from a gash on his arm; Kaito Kid, struggling against Gin's magical restraints; and Gin himself, radiating an aura of pure death. The sight of Conan's blood sent a wave of pure rage through her.
"DON'T... YOU... DARE... HURT... CONAN!" she screamed, her pink magic exploding outward as she charged.
"Another one?" Gin raised an eyebrow and fired several energy beams at her. But Ran, fueled by a protective fury, dodged and parried the attacks with her incredible fighting skill, closing the distance and slamming a powerful, magic-infused fist into him.
BAM!
The force of the blow actually staggered Gin. He was surprised. This girl's power was considerable. The two of them engaged in a brutal, close-quarters battle, their magic clashing, the train car shaking around them.
Kid, freed from the restraints, pulled Conan to safety. "Hey, little detective, what the hell is going on here? Is this some kind of turf war between magical families?"
"No time to explain! We have to stop him!"
As Ran and Gin fought, Gin saw an opening. He fired a single, hidden tendril of black magic—not at Ran, but at Conan. He would eliminate the distraction.
But just as the thread was about to pierce Conan's throat, a seemingly ordinary female passenger stumbled and fell in front of him. She threw up her hands, and an invisible barrier shimmered into existence for a split second, deflecting the fatal attack.
Gin's eyes narrowed. That passenger... she's one of them!
The "passenger" turned her head, her voice a low, disguised whisper meant only for Conan's ears. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you... my Silver Bullet." And then, she melted back into the panicked crowd and was gone.
The near-miss sent Ran into a frenzy. Her power surged, and she completely overwhelmed Gin, forcing him back with a relentless barrage of attacks. At the same time, the other Organization contractors arrived, but they couldn't find any sign of "Sherry," completely overlooking the small, tea-haired girl who was secretly using her healing magic on the injured passengers.
Gin, seeing the tide of the battle turn and receiving word that their primary target was a no-show, made a decision. "Withdraw!" he commanded. The Organization's magical girls disengaged and vanished.
Nagoya Station.
The bustling transport hub was subtly different. Announcements about "track maintenance" were calmly directing passengers away from a specific platform. The crowd was slowly being replaced by plainclothes police and public security agents, who were quietly forming a perimeter. Farther back, a team of FBI agents, disguised as tourists, were setting up their own surveillance. The entire station had become a hunting ground.
They were all waiting for Vodka. They thought they were the hunters. They had no idea what kind of prey they were dealing with.