After an accident during her escape, Rena Mizunashi—better known as Kir—was rushed to the hospital. She remained unconscious under the heavy guard of the FBI. Conan relayed the news to me immediately.
When we reached the hospital, however, James Black, Jodie Starling, and the rest of the FBI team immediately trained their weapons on us. A dozen muzzles pointed our way, safeties off, filling the hallway with a suffocating tension. Conan stepped forward without a hint of fear, throwing his arms out to shield me.
"Wait! It's fine! Bourbon is with me!"
"Step back, Conan," James Black interrupted. As the FBI's primary coordinator in Japan, his voice was deceptively light, yet it carried a non-negotiable weight—the kind of authority that signaled the end of any discussion. "This man is a prime suspect in a mass murder investigation."
Conan fell silent, though he glared at James with a fierce, mounting frustration. I couldn't help but offer a wry smile at this irritating turn of events. I gently nudged the boy aside and stepped in front of the agents, feeling his worried gaze on my back. I tilted my head, my smile turning thin and predatory.
"Twelve handguns. No other weapons. Facing me with those is like bringing water pistols to a war zone. Aren't you worried about your own lives?"
"You aren't carrying your weapon of choice right now," one noted.
"A minor oversight," I replied. "I hardly need a real gun to deal with a pack of puppies."
In truth, I had the specialized baton Conan gave me, but I didn't want to say anything that might ruin his reputation. I might have used it if a firefight actually broke out, though I doubted they'd be that reckless. I took a step forward, flicking my tongue out in a quick, mocking gesture.
"Go ahead, all of you. Try to take me. I'll try not to hurt you too badly, so feel free to challenge me as many times as you like. You'll likely understand the situation once I've pinned you to the floor for the fifth time."
The air crackled with killing intent. I heard the heavy, metallic clicks of agents adjusting their grips. I had provoked them on purpose, but I found myself worried about the FBI's future if they were this easily rattled.
Shuichi Akai, who had been observing from the back, finally intervened. He took in my calm posture and offered a cold, detached assessment.
"This man is the real deal. If you try to take him by force, even a Tier 1 special forces unit wouldn't be enough. The only surefire ways to stop him are poison or weapons of mass destruction."
(Internally) He's already completed a fairly accurate analysis of me. Still, I can sense poison by instinct; if I had to choose, I'd find a pure-strength opponent like Ishikawa Goemon much harder to handle.
James studied me, choosing his words with care. "So, what exactly is your goal? You didn't come to a hostile site just for a stroll."
"It's simple. I just wanted to help Conan."
James raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback. "Help him?"
Unlike James, Conan just hid behind me, looking annoyed.
"And what exactly is your relationship with the boy?" James asked.
"He's got some leverage over me," I answered, smirking. "I'm essentially his obedient subordinate."
(Internally) My "leverage" is the fact that I've kept Akemi Miyano alive and hidden in secret. Let's call that "creative phrasing."
The next second, a fuming Conan grabbed my collar and yanked me down.
"Damn it, you idiot! There's a better way to say that! Subordinate?!"
"Do you disagree? I thought it was the most appropriate term—honestly, you're far too easy to tease."
"What do you mean "tease"?! You're making my situation even more complicated! Stop messing around!"
Our hero, boiling with rage as he faced both Furuya's internal smirk and my feigned ignorance, was incredibly satisfying to provoke. Deep down, we both wore a villainous grin. This is what you call "wicked adults."
James Black blinked, cleared his throat, and raised his right hand.
"Everyone, lower your weapons."
"Sir, but—!"
"It truly seems the boy has a leash on "The Wolf." The benefit this provides us is beyond measure. Don't you agree?"
James, looking every bit the "polite old man with a secret," was quite effective. He had clearly decided to turn a blind eye for now. Since the disgruntled agents didn't object, he obviously commanded immense respect.
"However," James added, warning me just as I began to relax. "We cannot give you any information. Furthermore, the room at the end of this hall is strictly off-limits. Is that understood?"
"Of course. I am merely Conan's tool. As long as I'm allowed to stay, I'm satisfied."
"And you, boy? Is that acceptable?"
Conan gave a childish, hesitant nod. "Y-Yeah..." He stepped out from behind me, looking up with an expression that would make anyone believe he was just an ordinary kid.
I smiled gently and gave him a light pat on the back. "I'll wait here. Go on. See you in a bit, Conan."
The area was guarded, but the agents posed no threat, and everything seemed stable. Once Conan was out of sight, I sat on a hospital bench and began consulting with Furuya in my mind.
—What's our next move?
—They'll likely move Kir to another hospital. As for Shuichi Akai's survival... that's down to luck. I couldn't care less about him.
—Conan might come up with a genius plan, don't you think?
Furuya shook his head at my assessment. —He has unparalleled deductive skills, sure, but in the end, he's still just an elementary student, isn't he?
My internal self then took some food from a bag and scattered it for the koi in our mental pond. (Incidentally, the pond is covered with high-transparency glass to keep the fish in). We once faced a tragic catastrophe when a koi accidentally "leaked" into the waking world while we slept. Tooru Amuro (29) ended up flopping expressionlessly and rigidly on the floor of the safe house. We had laughed until our insides ached, even holding a "Koi Imitation Contest" to mimic the movements.
After we finished laughing, we had a grim realization: "It's a good thing that didn't happen while we were unconscious in hostile territory..." We almost lost our dignity in a very permanent way.
—He is an elementary student. Young and inexperienced.
—...And yet, something about him hits a nerve. Your intuition is terrifying. It doesn't rely on evidence, but it has a reliability that can't be ignored.
—Well, people call me a "monster" for a reason. My wild instincts are fairly sharp.
—Must be nice. I want that too. It's cheating for you to have that while we're sharing the same body.
Even if he said that, there wasn't much I could do about it. And so, we spent the rest of that turbulent day playing like brothers in the depths of our subconscious.
°
•
°
👑 Get early access to 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.patreon.com/Raven737
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!Your support really helps the series grow—thank you!