A thick blanket of black clouds hung over the ancient forest, rain pouring down in relentless sheets. Beneath the roaring storm, a small squad of people sprinted desperately through the mud.
"Captain! The enemy's catching up! What do we do?"
The rain was so heavy that faces were barely visible; only voices gave away their owners.
"Kairi, take the others and go ahead. I'll give our pursuers a little surprise," Yoru said firmly.
"No, Captain, you can't! With rain this heavy, you won't even be able to set up explosives properly. Let's escape together!" Kairi knew exactly what he intended and rushed forward, trying to pull him along.
"It's useless," Yoru replied, his expression calm and resolute. "At their speed, they'll overtake us in no time. I have to stay behind. Only I can break through their encirclement. Besides—" a sly grin tugged at the corner of his mouth— "you've forgotten, haven't you? My bombs are like my beloved wife. I can set them up in any environment."
"No… no, you're lying again. Just like last time. If you're staying, then so am I!" Kairi's voice shook, but her tone was unwavering.
Yoru sighed. "...Fine. Kairi, there's something I need to tell you. The rain's too loud—lean closer."
Kairi's cheeks flushed slightly. For a fleeting moment, she thought— Could it be… now, of all times? But she quickly shook away the thought. Impossible. Not in a situation like this.
Still, she slowly tilted her head closer.
Yoru leaned in until his lips brushed her ear. "...I'm sorry."
Her eyes widened. "No!"
But it was too late.
As the words left his mouth, Yoru's hand slipped behind her head, and with a swift chop to the back of her neck, she collapsed unconscious in his arms.
"Take Kairi and go. That's an order," Yoru commanded another teammate, Kazé.
Kazé was the most disciplined of them all, a soldier who never questioned orders.
"Yes, sir. Mission accepted." He hoisted Kairi onto his back without hesitation.
After a few steps, he glanced back solemnly. "Captain, please… be careful. We'll be waiting for your return." Then, without another word, he vanished into the rain.
Once the others had completely withdrawn, Yoru set to work. He swiftly placed his custom-made charges in the mud, moving with practiced precision. Within two minutes, he had created an entire explosive perimeter spanning a hundred meters.
He smirked to himself. Two minutes. Less time than it takes me to sprint that distance. That's how good I am.
Shhhhk. Shhhhk.
"They're finally here. Slower than I expected."
The enemy's movements were crystal clear to him, even through the roar of the storm. His heartbeat remained steady, his nerves like steel.
Bang!
A single gunshot rang out.
"One down."
"There! He's close by! Don't let him escape!"
"Come on then," Yoru muttered, his grin widening as the enemy surged forward. "Step into my lovely circle. All of you."
That single shot was nothing but bait. As soon as the enemy charged into the heart of his trap, death would claim them.
Yoru stood in the very center of the circle, the only spot untouched by the blast radius. He knew exactly what his bombs could do—within fifty meters, death was certain. Beyond that, safety was guaranteed.
"Kid! Come out! You can't hide forever. We know you're nearby. You're not escaping us!" the enemy leader bellowed, advancing cautiously.
Yoru's eyes glinted coldly. The moment all of them crossed the boundary, he detonated the bombs.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The earth shook as flames erupted, swallowing everything in an inferno. Screams pierced the downpour, faces frozen in terror as they were consumed by fire and steel.
"Should've known better," Yoru muttered, watching the carnage. "But then again, some people can't escape fate. The underworld has its chains too."
He counted roughly forty-nine corpses—or what was left of them. Limbs scattered, bodies charred. The stench of roasted flesh filled the air.
"Hm. This one's medium rare. That one's well-done." He chuckled darkly. "Chasing me? You thought I was prey? Fools."
The explosions had been calculated perfectly: the surrounding hundred meters obliterated, save for the exact spot where Yoru stood.
Crack… crack…
"What's that sound?" He froze, looking down. The ground beneath him was caving in.
No…!
He turned to run, but it was too late. With a thunderous rumble, the entire battlefield collapsed, the soil falling away to reveal a gaping abyss.
"A… sinkhole?!" His bombs had destabilized the earth, revealing an ancient maw in the ground.
Before he could react, the earth swallowed him whole.
"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Yoru plunged into darkness, the black void devouring him like the jaws of some ancient beast.
A minute passed.
"...Still falling? How deep is this thing? Don't tell me it's bottomless…" Despite the situation, his mind rambled. "Am I going to be in freefall forever? Damn it, Kairi's still waiting for me… And I'm still a virgin. Dying like this is just too pathetic."
He sighed bitterly. "Never thought I'd die to my own bombs, not the enemy's bullets. What kind of cursed hands are these…" He stared at his calloused palms, scarred from countless battles and explosions, until the world faded into unconsciousness.
When Yoru awoke, the first thing he saw was an unfamiliar ceiling.
He blinked, slowly sitting up, his head throbbing with pain. His surroundings were strange: a grey-toned room, a soft bed, warmth in the air that felt… comforting, though he couldn't explain why.
He staggered to the window, pulled back the pale curtains—
"Ah!" The sunlight stabbed into his eyes, forcing him to shield them with his arm.
When he looked down, his heart froze.
His hands. Small. Childlike.
"I… I'm a kid?"
The outside scenery deepened his confusion. Neon signs, tall buildings—foreign, yet oddly familiar.
"Wait… this isn't China. This is… Japan? But why am I speaking Chinese then?" His head throbbed again.
Click. The door opened. A nurse entered.
"Oh! You're awake, little one. But you really shouldn't get out of bed yet."
Little one? The phrase made him uncomfortable. But… I am a child now… So why does it feel so wrong?
"Come now, back to bed. Let big sis help you." She lifted him gently, settling him back under the covers, then checked him over before leaving.
"Has his amnesia not improved?" another nurse asked in the hallway.
"Not yet. When I went in, he was just staring out the window. Such a cute child… and yet, to suffer something like this. We can only wait for his family to come find him."
"Can I go see him? Just once more? He's too adorable. I can't resist."
"Fine, but only for a moment. Don't disrupt his recovery."
The second nurse slipped inside eagerly—only to freeze.
The bed was empty. Curtains fluttered in the breeze.
"He's… gone!"
"What? Impossible! He was just— No, wait. Did he… climb out the window? But this is the sixth floor!"
"Quick! Inform the head nurse!"
Meanwhile, Yoru descended the hospital wall with startling agility, bare hands gripping ledges as if it were second nature. Even he was shocked. Six floors… and I made it down alive?
He landed softly, standing in the street, his white patient's gown and strikingly cute face immediately drawing attention.
"Look! That kid is so adorable! His outfit is precious!" a young woman gushed.
"So cute!" another chimed in.
Yoru ignored them. He walked on quietly, the city around him both alien and faintly familiar.
Just then, four children came running from the opposite direction. The chubby one in front, unable to stop in time, crashed into Yoru, knocking him flat on the ground.
"Oww! My nose!" the boy groaned.
"Genta! It's your fault, you were running too fast! Hurry up and apologize!" said a freckled boy.
"Yeah, Genta, you hurt him!" added a sweet-faced girl.
"Uh… sorry…" Genta muttered, rubbing his nose.
Unknowingly, Yoru had just encountered the Detective Boys. But with his memories gone, he had no idea how fateful this meeting was.
"Hey, are you even listening?" Genta snapped, annoyed at Yoru's vacant stare.
"Oh. You were talking to me?" Yoru finally noticed.
Conan had been observing silently all along, suspicion flickering in his sharp eyes. Something's off about this kid. When Genta knocked him down, his body almost reacted instinctively—like he was about to counterattack. But then he stopped, realizing it was just a child. And that hospital gown… he's definitely not ordinary.
"What?! You've lost your memory? And your parents haven't come for you? That's so sad… Come play with us then!" Ayumi said warmly, her kindness overflowing as always.
While Conan frowned, Ayumi was already chatting happily with Yoru, prying out details about his amnesia. Innocent and vulnerable in his current state, Yoru answered her without hesitation.
"Wait! We can't just bring along a stranger," Conan cut in sharply. "Besides, weren't we supposed to be treasure hunting?"
"Aww, what does it matter? Let's let Yoru join us. He's all alone—it's so pitiful." Ayumi clasped her hands together, pleading.