Seeing the familiar yet unfamiliar attire, and looking into the cold, emotionless eyes of the man in black, Conan felt a chill run down his spine.
Those eyes were like a venomous snake ready to strike, capable of delivering a fatal bite and injecting poison enough to kill hundreds.
Conan had never seen such eyes before. They were the kind only possessed by someone who had taken countless lives and viewed human life as worthless.
"W-who are you?"
Without thinking, Conan blurted out the most foolish question.
Toru, disguised as a member of the Black Organization, chuckled softly. "Who am I? Kudo Shinichi, weren't you always trying to find us?"
The moment Conan heard that name, his pupils shrank. "Y-you actually know?"
"Yes. Even we didn't expect that your body would shrink and turn into a child."
Toru clicked his tongue.
"At that amusement park, the Organization didn't find your body, so they suspected you might not be dead. You're not the first person to take APTX4869 and then disappear without a trace."
Those words triggered a storm in Conan's mind.
APTX4869? Is that the name of that drug?
As Conan was deep in thought, he heard Toru continue, "In the experiments with APTX4869, there were records of lab mice shrinking after ingestion."
"But that information was intercepted by us. Not everyone knows about it. When your body wasn't found, the Organization sent people to check your residence and noticed your childhood clothes were missing."
"Combine that with the experimental data on shrinking mice, and although it seems ridiculous, the conclusion is likely true. After taking APTX4869, Kudo Shinichi shrank."
"The Sherlock Holmes you admire said it best: when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
"With that, finding you wasn't hard."
Toru sounded as if he had everything about Conan figured out, exposing secrets he wasn't supposed to know.
But among all that accurate information, Conan reached the most misguided conclusion.
The Black Organization isn't a monolith. There are internal factions. This guy's group discovered the drug's effects and hid the information.
If I exploit this, maybe I can sow discord within the Organization... maybe even locate the research data and develop an antidote.
Conan remained calm. As Kudo Shinichi, he had always faced danger rationally. He probed, "The one impersonating my mother... they aren't with you?"
Toru pretended to be caught off guard, then laughed. "You mean that plump lady? Kudo Shinichi, did your IQ drop after shrinking? That was your mother."
"My mother isn't that Fumiyo Edogawa, but… wait a second!"
Conan suddenly realized something. Thinking back, that 'Fumiyo Edogawa' had a lot of flaws.
Could she really have been—?!
Just as Conan's expression shifted, Toru spoke slowly. "As you guessed, that was your mother, Kudo Yukiko."
"You should know how skilled she is in disguise. She only wanted to play a trick on you. Unfortunately for her, we had already uncovered your identity and planted a bug on her."
"Your parents have been under our surveillance for a while. Oh, and also Kogoro Mouri, Ran Mouri, and Dr. Agasa."
"All of them are being watched by the Organization. If I give the order, a single sniper shot could end any of their lives."
Those words finally shattered Conan's defenses. Tied to the operating table, he struggled violently, his face twisted with rage. "Bastard! Don't you dare touch Ran! If you want something, take it out on me!"
Toru smirked. "When your loved ones are in danger, the first person you cry out for is your childhood friend? I wonder how your parents would feel hearing that."
"The ones who raised you with love, and yet you value your childhood friend more than them."
Conan completely lost control and shouted, "Stop provoking me! Whatever you people want, do it to me! My parents, Ran, and Uncle Mouri—they're all innocent!"
"You think people like us care whether someone's innocent?"
Toru's cold voice left Conan speechless.
Right. The Organization clearly had blood on their hands. Why would they care about innocence?
"Kudo Shinichi, your detective game ends here. Blame yourself for being too curious and too obsessed with justice."
"There are eight billion people in this world. Crime never stops. Do you really think you can stop it all?"
"And more importantly, do you really solve cases because of justice?"
"Ask yourself honestly. Isn't it because you enjoy the thrill, the recognition, the admiration? You solve bizarre cases not out of morality, but out of vanity."
"You should be thankful that criminals exist. Without crime, what use is a detective like you?"
Toru's words pierced Conan like a knife.
Though he knew it was manipulation, one line tore through his heart.
Why did I want to be a detective in the first place?
As that thought emerged, Conan felt real fear.
Because Toru was right. Deep down, he wasn't driven purely by justice. He was addicted to the thrill, the glory, the feeling of being the smartest in the room.
"You're a perfect lab rat, Kudo Shinichi. I've drawn your blood and taken a bit of your bone marrow. Don't worry, a small sample won't kill you."
"Your parents are looking for you. With their ability, they should find this place soon. They won't call the police, and they won't go to the authorities."
"Because if you, in this shrunken state, fall into official hands, your fate will be far worse. To save you, they'll put themselves in danger."
"I'm looking forward to your reunion."
To Conan, this man from the Black Organization was terrifying. Every move, every word, was part of a perfect plan. Not just Conan's actions, but even his parents' behavior had been anticipated.
And knowing his parents, they really would follow that exact pattern.
Fear, true fear, seized Conan's heart.
He turned pale, screaming, "Kill me! Leave my parents out of this!"
Toru chuckled. "Too late, Kudo Shinichi. Your recklessness will get you and everyone you care about killed."
"But I won't kill you. A subject like you is far too valuable to waste."
"Ahhhhhh——!!"
Imagining his parents stepping into a trap and possibly dying because of him, Conan's bloodshot eyes filled with tears as he screamed in rage.
"Shut up, brat. You're too loud."
Toru shoved a gag into Conan's mouth, silencing him.
He clapped his hands and said, "There. Peaceful. You'll see your parents soon. Are you excited, Kudo Shinichi?"
Toru stepped out of the operating room, leaving Conan struggling and thrashing behind the door.
Outside, Haibara stood with her arms crossed, watching him with a mocking gaze.
"So, Haibara. How did I do? Did I pull off the Black Organization act?"
Haibara pouted. "Not even close."
"Not close? Come on, I thought I was perfectly evil."
"People from the Organization don't talk that much. They'd just treat him like a test subject and dissect him. Or shoot him."
"Now that you mention it, I guess I make a terrible villain."
Haibara's lips curved up slightly. "But you looked kind of cool. Seeing Kudo Shinichi's face like that... it was pretty satisfying."
"You're quite the devil yourself, Haibara Ai."
Toru reached out and ruffled her soft brown hair.
Haibara slapped his hand away. "Don't mess with my hair. I won't grow if you do that."
"You won't grow anyway."
"You…"
Haibara looked like she was about to explode.
She took a deep breath and asked, "...What are you going to do next? You're not seriously going to kill Kudo Shinichi and his parents, right?"
Although Haibara had once worked on poisons for the Organization, she was at heart a kind person. She couldn't bear to see innocents die.
"Don't worry. I was only scaring him. I had no intention of killing anyone. But what I said wasn't entirely false."
"With how recklessly he acts, it's only a matter of time before the Organization finds and eliminates him."
"Haibara, take the blood and bone marrow samples back. This place is a bit far from home. You'll be okay getting back on your own?"
Haibara laughed in disbelief. "I'm not actually a child. I won't get lost in Tokyo. What are you planning while I'm gone?"
"Kudo Shinichi's parents will arrive soon. If they see you here, they'll probably figure out who you are."
That was the excuse Toru gave.
In truth, he just didn't want her to see what he was about to do next. Otherwise, her opinion of him would plummet.
But the excuse made sense. Haibara thought it over and nodded. "Alright. I'll head back now."
Toru walked closer and said softly, "Looks like you've stepped out of the shadows. You're not so scared of the Organization anymore, right?"
"It's not good to always stay holed up. You'll fall into depression. Haibara, you should get out more. If you're scared, disguise yourself. Or let me come with you."
Haibara's slender body trembled. A warm feeling rose in her chest.
So that's why he did all this. Just so I could take a step forward...
She pursed her lips and whispered, "I'll listen to you. I'll come out more often from now on. But... why are you being so nice to me?"
"Because I like you."
Haibara glanced at her child-sized body. She folded her arms and looked at Toru warily. "Pervert."
Toru said innocently, "I'm sapiosexual. I like your mind, your talent. What are you thinking?"
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)