In the room filled with monitoring screens, Lacus, Nia Honjo and Kotoko Iwanaga sat on a row of round stools.
To be more precise, Nia Honjo was speaking while the other two listened.
"Theoretically, the Calamity Jade Seal's state will change along with Conan's physical transformation."
Nia Honjo smiled, her expression both playful and shrewd:
"After all, it's Conan's body that merged with the Calamity Jade Seal. When that body becomes an adult, the fusion naturally requires corresponding changes."
"Thus, when Conan maintains his adult form, the Calamity Jade Seal will release more power to fuse with that adult state."
"In this condition, the Calamity Jade Seal will naturally enter an unstable state."
"And this unstable state is precisely what we want."
"As we all know, Demigod Rank items possess a certain degree of vitality."
"Therefore, we can consider that Demigod Rank Abyss items possess a certain level of intelligence."
"Now, here's the question!"
Nia raised an index finger and wagged it meaningfully:
"Suppose there were two Conans in this world. Which one would the Calamity Jade Seal attach itself to?"
"The answer is obvious."
"The Conan who better meets the Calamity Jade Seal's requirements."
Hearing this, Luo Shu, standing before the three of them, fell silent.
Meanwhile, Nia continued explaining with a smile:
"Miss Enigma has a very interesting ability called Steal."
"Before reaching Hero Rank, this ability could only plunder physical objects. After Hero Rank, it could steal special techniques. And after reaching Demigod Rank, it could even temporarily seize identities—"
"I commissioned Miss Kotoko Iwanaga to utilise the Sage's technique analysis ability, with Miss Enigma's cooperation, to analyse this seizure technique and modify it into a version usable on two individuals."
"Thus, all conditions were met."
"First, have Conan take the antidote to revert to his adult form, then have Miss Kotoko Iwanaga act to seize Conan's identity and apply it to you, Luo Shu."
"This accomplished two things: making Conan Edogawa effectively two people~"
"And the Calamity Jade Seal would attach itself to Conan Edogawa, who had reverted to Shinichi Kudo."
"Under normal circumstances, Shinichi Kudo would revert back to Conan after the drug's effects wore off."
"And the Calamity Jade Seal would enter a state of choosing between the two."
"But what if Shinichi Kudo couldn't revert to Conan?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu raised an eyebrow before hesitantly saying:
"Calamity Absorption?"
"Exactly! Your ability, Calamity Absorption."
Nia Honjo's eyes sparkled as if they could speak:
"As long as Shinichi Kudo turning into a child is judged as a calamity, then you, Luo Shu, can absorb this calamity, thereby fixing Shinichi Kudo in his Shinichi Kudo state."
"And now, reality has produced one outcome."
"That is, the two Conans have become one Conan and one Shinichi Kudo."
"Conan possesses the Class of Calamity Priest, inherently compatible with the Calamity Jade Seal, yet lacks its power and needs to re-fuse with it."
"Similarly, Shinichi Kudo possesses a partially fused Calamity Jade Seal but, having reverted to his adult form, needs to re-fuse with it again."
"The progress of both has simultaneously reset to zero, achieving balance."
"But the former possesses a Hero Rank Class and calamity-related concepts, while the latter is merely an ordinary person who has fused with the Calamity Jade Seal and gained some calamity power."
"So, in this situation, what choice would the somewhat intelligent Calamity Jade Seal make?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu understood Nia Honjo's meaning:
"Its choice would likely be to fuse with the stronger Conan, who possesses the Calamity Concept, abandoning the partially fused Shinichi Kudo..."
"Is this your scheme?"
"Yes." Nia Honjo admitted with a smile.
"After pulling Kotoko and Miss Aya into lengthy research, we found it impossible to extract the Calamity Jade Seal without damaging it."
"Then, Miss Aya proposed an idea."
"Since we couldn't extract it without loss, could we make the Calamity Jade Seal voluntarily undo the fusion?"
"And through Raziel's search function and our trio's research, we confirmed this was indeed feasible."
Hearing this, Luo Shu fell silent.
He hadn't expected Nia Honjo, after recruiting Kotoko Iwanaga and Aya Tokoyogi, to devise such a solution.
However, after personally experiencing it, Luo Shu sensed a power containing the Calamity Concept that was steadily approaching him and attempting to merge with his body.
From this perspective, Nia and the others' plan seemed to have succeeded.
The Calamity Jade Seal had abandoned the real Conan and chosen to merge with him, the fake Conan.
Yet even so, Luo Shu still harboured a question in his heart.
At this moment, he raised his head and looked at Nia Honjo sitting opposite him, their gazes level. His face twitched slightly before he took a deep breath and asked:
"I can understand what you mean, Nia, but there's one question I want to ask."
"You planned to impose Conan's stolen identity onto me, mislead the Calamity Jade Seal into merging with me, then remove the identity, forcing the already partially merged and deceived Jade Seal to continue the fusion, correct?"
"~Yes" Nia Honjo nodded and said, "After all, maintaining Kotoko's identity-stealing technique without harming anyone consumes considerable Spiritual Power, so the technique being lifted after one hour is unavoidable."
"The technique being lifted isn't the issue, but here's the problem..."
Luo Shu pointed at himself with an utterly speechless expression:
"If the technique is lifted, why am I still in this child form?"
"It's a necessary sacrifice!!"
Nia Honjo struggled to maintain her composure as she gazed at the rosy-lipped, delicate-featured, somewhat adorable young boy before her. She barely restrained the urge to hug and lick him wildly:
"According to Raziel's investigation, the optimal vessel state for the Calamity Jade Seal is that of a child aged 8-13. So as its host, there's a certain probability of being forcibly transformed into a child..."
Luo Shu glared at Nia Honjo with a grim expression: "Why didn't you mention this side effect beforehand?"
"This side effect isn't so bad, is it..." Nia forced an explanation: "I think it's adorable! Don't you agree, Luo Shu?"
"Just getting younger without any other changes, maintaining this for a while before obtaining the Calamity Jade Seal - isn't that fine?"
Lacus and Kotoko Iwanaga, sitting nearby, exchanged glances before looking up at the sky as if completely oblivious.
Yet the sharp-eyed Luo Shu still noticed them stealing occasional glances at him before quickly looking away.
Thinking of this, Luo Shu lowered his head to examine his shrunken hands, then silently raised his gaze to meet Nia Honjo's feigned innocence. He then sneered coldly:
"Fetch my blade!"
"Today I'll either split you in half, Nia, or I'll take your surname!"
To this, Nia Honjo actually pondered seriously for a moment before lightly pounding her small fist:
"Honjo Shu? That name doesn't sound too bad, actually!"
Luo Shu chuckled darkly: "Then let me show you just how 'not bad' it can be!!"
As he spoke, a fist wrapped in the Calamity Concept struck Nia Honjo's chest!
With her last ounce of strength before losing consciousness, Nia Honjo delivered her final words:
"Actually... I could change my surname instead..."