Harumi Matsuzaki immediately called his brother, informing him of the species of sea snake they'd encountered.
Meanwhile, Ran couldn't help but question the hotel manager.
"Excuse me," she asked, "does this sea snake have wings? When I saw it underwater, it seemed to have a pair of transparent wings."
The manager shook his head firmly.
"No, that's impossible. All sea snakes look the same. If it had wings, it must've been a flying fish."
Ran shook her head in disagreement. "It wasn't a flying fish—it was definitely a sea snake. But if there are sea snakes around your waters, why do you still let people swim here?"
The manager quickly responded, as if anticipating the question.
"Our resort has been here for over thirty years, and there has never been a single incident of a sea snake injuring anyone."
"The species you're referring to does exist nearby, but it has a very docile temperament. As long as tourists don't provoke it, it won't bite."
His tone grew increasingly defensive, and the discussion bordered on an argument.
At that moment, Harumi Matsuzaki, having finished her call, interrupted.
"Alright, enough talking. Let's go upstairs and find the medical insurance card!"
The entire diving club hurried upstairs to their rooms in search of Kiwako's insurance information. Kogoro and Conan followed closely behind.
Conan, knowing full well that this was a premeditated murder, wouldn't let the matter go so easily. Determined to crack the case, he tailed the others carefully, watching for any slip-ups.
But Ran didn't go with them. After helping to identify the sea snake species, she turned and walked toward the beach instead.
Her mother and Haibara were still there, but Akashi—his whereabouts were unknown.
She hadn't even spoken to him today!
What Ran didn't know was that the person she was looking for—Akashi—was still in the hotel at that very moment.
Inside the hotel, the young shota stood on tiptoe, pressing his palms against towering soft peaks as he slowly climbed upward. The path was slippery and treacherous.
From the bathroom to the bedside, it was only a distance of five or six meters…
But each small step took more than ten minutes.
It was a journey of perseverance—small strides of determination, effort, and relentless pursuit!
Though his pace seemed slow, it was actually unstoppable and filled with unyielding resolve.
All the while, passing skills continued to activate—
Yin energy flowed smoothly through his body.
The sensation was almost euphoric.
The air was sweet, Yukiko's moans filled his ears, and Akashi's heartbeat quickened as his body temperature rose.
He lifted his right hand, brushing away a trickle of sweat.
With a soft flick, the droplet landed on suet skin and merged with it.
As his techniques flowed continuously, a bold idea struck him.
Extending his right index finger, he pressed gently at a vital pass—
The pinellia flower bloomed once more.
And with it came the last struggle of Yukiko as she collapsed again.
Back at the seaside restaurant, Ran returned to Eri's side. Eri turned to her, concerned.
"Ran, did you figure out what kind of sea snake it was?"
Ran nodded. "It's called the half-ringed sea snake—highly venomous. I just hope Miss Kiwako will be okay."
"That's frightening," Eri said. "I didn't expect sea snakes to be here. I was even thinking of going for a swim, but now… I'm too scared."
Little Loli Haibara chimed in calmly.
"You can still swim if you want to. The chances of a sea snake bite happening again are slim."
Ran looked at her, puzzled. "Why?"
Haibara explained patiently:
"People are scared of sea snakes, but sea snakes are even more afraid of humans."
"In crowded areas, sea snakes won't approach unless provoked. Besides, humans aren't part of their natural diet."
"Seeing one in shallow waters where people swim is already strange."
"Normally, sea snakes only appear in deeper snorkeling zones—among coral reefs or near seagrass beds."
"And coincidentally, those college students were all members of the diving club."
"This whole thing is... odd."
"..."
Eri and Ran looked at Haibara, stunned by her clarity.
Ran couldn't help but hug the little girl, pressing her cheek against Haibara's.
"Wow, Ai-chan, you're amazing!"
"As expected from someone who grew up with Akashi—you're both so smart!"
"How do you know all this?"
Haibara's face turned red. She struggled in embarrassment, her small hands pushing against Ran.
"Put me down, put me down!"
Ran laughed. "Hahaha, you're just like Akashi when I tease him—so cute!"
Seeing that Haibara was genuinely resisting, Ran gently let her go, then casually asked where Akashi was.
Eri sighed.
"Who knows? I don't even know where Yukiko dragged him off to!"
"I can't find either of them, so I guess we'll just have to wait."
Hearing this, Ran frowned.
"Aunt Yukiko...? She seemed really close to Akashi yesterday—on the cruise ship, she was practically clinging to him!"
Eri's expression shifted.
"Are you sure? That's impossible. Yukiko was with me all night. She never went to the Suzuki celebration."
Ran froze.
"Mom... Aunt Yukiko was with you last night? Then... who was with us?"
"Are there two Aunt Yukikos? Does she know... the clone technique?"
"..."
The bright beach suddenly felt a little colder.
Both mother and daughter felt a chill creeping in.
Haibara lowered her head, her face darkening.
She knew this technique all too well.
The ever-changing witch within the organization...
Vermouth.
Disguise was her specialty.
Could she already be here?
Haibara's heart sank.
Just days after escaping the organization, its shadow had already caught up to her.
Memories, like invisible chains, began to tighten around her chest.
She felt short of breath.
Her limbs went cold.
Eri didn't hesitate—she pulled out her phone and called Yukiko.
This situation was too strange to ignore.
But just like Conan's attempts earlier, the call went unanswered.
The phone rang and rang.
No one picked up.
On the other end of the line, Yukiko sat slumped, her long brown hair clinging to her damp forehead and shoulders.
She muttered weakly:
"Uuu... liar... Akashi..."
"You promised to let me go... then broke your word...you…liar..."