This phone call from little devil Conan was destined to go unanswered.
Yukiko had already begun to slip.
Today's Yukiko was behaving like a dutiful and diligent teacher.
But even so, the ringing phone still had an effect.
The sound jolted Yukiko out of her hypnosis.
Her consciousness snapped back into her body, and her expression turned puzzled.
Moments later, her cheeks flushed red, and a flicker of panic filled her eyes.
There was a tremble in her voice—on the verge of tears.
"Akashi… was it you? Did you… do something to me?"
"I don't remember what just happened!"
But the mischievous young shota laughed sweetly.
"Oh? You forgot? Then let me help jog your memory."
As she spoke, Akashi took action.
To Yukiko's utter disbelief, he lifted her.
A child, no older than seven or eight, had picked up a full-grown woman using nothing but his own strength.
It was a sight that could frighten anyone.
Not only could he lift her, he could do it repeatedly—up and down, again and again.
Yukiko was left speechless.
Naturally, this was all thanks to Akashi's hypnotic suggestion from earlier, which had prompted Yukiko to help trigger his skill—『Horse Riding』that double his strength.
Feeling his Strength attribute surge to 11.4, Akashi was full of energy. Overflowing with power.
No longer a weakling, he grinned triumphantly.
And when it came to Yukiko, he held no psychological burden whatsoever.
After all, this woman had teased him countless times.
It was only fair to give her something unforgettable in return.
In an instant, he activated 『Rapid Fire Shot』—doubling not just his strength, but his speed as well.
White bandages materialized out of thin air, wrapping themselves around Yukiko like sentient vines.
She was rendered completely immobile.
Seeing this all-too-familiar scene, Yukiko immediately knew she was in trouble.
But strangely enough… she didn't resist.
But she had no idea what would happen next.
Even someone like Vermouth, the master of disguise within the organization, wouldn't be able to withstand what was coming.
Outside, on the beach, Conan was growing more and more anxious as his call failed to connect.
His frustration bubbled like fine sand under the blazing sun.
Just then, Ran peeked out from the shed.
"Conan, who are you calling out here? Your food's getting cold!"
The little troublemaker hurriedly put away his phone and rushed back to the dining area.
He didn't dare let anyone find out about his connection to Yukiko.
Especially not now.
But no sooner had Conan sat down than Kiwako Toda stood up.
Wearing a pink swimsuit, she removed her gauzy cover-up and revealed her bikini underneath.
Kogoro's eyes went wide with excitement.
His fiance, Masahiko, asked, "Kiwako, where are you going?"
With a playful chuckle, she replied, "It's too hot. I can't stand it anymore. I'm going for another swim."
She handed her scarf to Harumi, patted her on the shoulder, and ran toward the sea.
Kawazu watched her with a smile.
"She's still the same as she was as a kid. Once she decides something, no one can talk her out of it."
Seeing the look on Matsuki's face, Kawazu quickly shook his head and turned toward Kogoro.
"Come on, drink up!"
Kogoro happily obliged.
But not long after, a dark-skinned, muscular man walked over.
"Took me long enough to find you guys. Didn't expect you all to end up here."
Masahiko quickly introduced him.
"Detective Mōri, this is Hiroshi Itou, another member of our diving club."
"This guy's love for the sea borders on obsession. The rest of us came ashore ages ago, and he was still soaking out there."
"Hiroshi, this is Detective Mōri from Tokyo—the famous one!"
Hiroshi Itou didn't seem too impressed with Kogoro.
After a brief greeting, he looked around.
"Hey, where's Kiwako?"
Harumi scoffed.
"Kiwako, Kiwako—everyone only ever asks about Kiwako!"
"She's out in the sea again. Look, she's waving at us from over there."
She pointed out to the water, and sure enough, Kiwako could be seen rising and falling with the waves.
Eri narrowed her eyes and frowned.
"No… she's not waving. She's signaling for help—she's drowning!"
"!!!"
The realization struck everyone like lightning.
In an instant, the diving club members leapt over the railing and sprinted toward the water.
Kogoro, Conan, and Ran followed close behind.
Haibara merely raised her eyes and observed.
She was fully aware of her own limitations. With a child's body, rushing in to save someone would only hinder the rescue effort.
She wasn't like a certain hot-blooded little devil.
Meanwhile, Masahiko, in his panic, had completely forgotten that he couldn't swim.
After just a few steps into the surf, a wave crashed into him and knocked him off his feet.
Hiroshi, coming up behind him, pulled him back immediately.
"Are you crazy?! If you can't swim, what were you thinking!?"
Masahiko stumbled back from the impact, but the words grounded him. He didn't try to rush in again.
Among them all, Hiroshi had the best water skills.
He plunged into the sea and swam swiftly toward Kiwako.
With one hand supporting her neck, he began pulling her back.
Kawazu and Harumi joined in to help.
Despite being half-conscious and nearly drowned, Kiwako mumbled weakly:
"Where's Masahiko…? Is he here…?"
Harumi quickly answered, "He ran in, but he can't swim—Hiroshi had to pull him out."
"...I see. That's good."
With those final words, Kiwako fainted.
Conan was bewildered by what he heard.
At the same time, Ran felt something brush against her leg underwater.
Holding her breath, she dived down.
A sleek, black-and-white sea snake slithered past her.
She surfaced instantly and shouted, "Everyone, out of the water! There are sea snakes!"
Panic swept over the group. No one dared linger.
One by one, they scrambled back to shore.
But back on land, Kiwako remained unconscious.
Her face was turning darker by the second.
Hiroshi immediately administered first aid, but barely any water came out.
Ran spoke up quickly. "Could she have been bitten by a sea snake? They're venomous!"
The group's expressions changed instantly.
They examined her hands.
Sure enough—on the back of her right hand—there were bite marks.
The skin around them had already turned black.