Looking at Ai Haibara who had completely closed herself off, Kanjuro did not grow angry. Instead, he leaned down and gently lifted her lowered chin with his fingertips, forcing her to look at him. His movements carried an irresistible tenderness, yet his tone was chillingly flat:
"Don't worry, Shiho. Daddy is going to take you 'home' for a look." The 'home' he referred to was naturally the Black Organization that had once imprisoned and coerced her, haunting her with fear to this day.
Having finished, he ignored Ai Haibara's hollow eyes. He took the hand of Akemi Miyano, who also had a complex expression but possessed blind trust in Kanjuro, and with his other hand, he indisputably draped an arm over Ai Haibara's thin shoulders, leading them toward the door. His pace was calm and unhurried, as if he were not heading into a dragon's den or tiger's lair, but rather inspecting his own back garden.
As they walked, Kanjuro even leisurely took out his phone, dialed a number, and pressed the speakerphone button.
The call was answered almost instantly. From the other side came Gin's voice, deliberately lowered and laced with awe: "Boss, what are your orders?"
Kanjuro's voice carried a hint of a nonchalant smile, yet it struck the listener's heart like a heavy hammer: "Notify the main members of the organization in Tokyo, especially those old fogies interested in 'Sherry' and Akemi Miyano. I, Kanjuro, am bringing my two daughters back for a 'visit' immediately."
"Wha... What?!" On the other end of the phone, even the always-calm Gin couldn't help but let out a gasp of shock, followed by Vodka's unmistakable sound of drawing in a sharp breath.
The phone seemed to be hurriedly covered, but with Kanjuro's superhuman hearing, he could still clearly capture the hushed, panic-stricken conversation over there.
Vodka's voice trembled: "Bi... Big brother! Is he really bringing those two traitors back to the organization?! If... if the higher-ups find out, we..."
Gin's voice cut him off, sounding even more raspy and low than usual, even carrying a hint of... fear?
"Shut up, Vodka!"
After a brief silence, Gin's voice came through, practically squeezed out from between his teeth:
"Do you think I want to? But this monster Kanjuro... we can't afford to provoke him!"
His voice carried a sort of resigned, cruel logic:
"If we disobey his orders, we'll die right now, and we'll die very miserably. Do as he says, and maybe... we can live a little longer. As for the organization... we'll deal with that when the time comes!"
The line became clear again as Gin's voice regained a surface-level respect, though if one listened closely, a certain tension could be heard: "Yes, Boss! We will arrange it immediately! When do you expect to arrive?"
"Soon." Kanjuro replied flatly with two words and hung up. The playful smile on his face deepened; clearly, the struggle and fear from Gin and Vodka's side amused him.
Listening to the conversation just now, Akemi Miyano looked at Kanjuro with even more adoration. She felt that Brother (Daddy) Kanjuro was truly powerful enough to be fearless.
And Ai Haibara, held by Kanjuro, trembled imperceptibly. Her originally dead heart was stirred by a storm of terror at the news of "returning to the organization." Yet at the same time, the extreme dread Gin and Vodka showed toward Kanjuro, and the hint of "betraying the organization" revealed in their dialogue, was like a cold needle piercing through her wall of despair, bringing a very faint, yet unignorable... twisted hope?
Could it be... that this demon truly possessed power that even the organization had to fear, power that could even make its members harbor thoughts of betrayal?
Kanjuro looked down at the complex changes in Ai Haibara's eyes and chuckled:
"Did you hear that, my little princess? In the face of absolute power, so-called loyalty and rules are all fragile."
"From now on, remember your identity. You are no longer the hunted Sherry, but my daughter, Kanjuro's daughter."
"That place will no longer be your nightmare, but... an amusement park where you can walk with your head held high. Of course, if you still want to play the game of 'revenge,' Daddy is more than happy to accompany you."
His words were like a dark incantation, carrying the power to destroy all old orders.
Ai Haibara looked up into Kanjuro's eyes, which were as deep as an abyss, and for the first time, she did not immediately look away. Fear still existed, but a darker, more crazed possibility was quietly planted like a seed in the frozen field of her heart.
Kanjuro said no more. Holding them, he stepped forward with elegant and firm strides toward an important stronghold of the Black Organization in Tokyo. The setting sun stretched their shadows long, as if foretelling that a storm sweeping through the entire organization and the entire dark world was about to be personally unleashed by this "father" returning with his daughters. Meanwhile, Gin and Vodka would have to make the most difficult choice of their lives between loyalty to the organization and fear of Kanjuro.
At the intersection, the afterglow of the setting sun dyed the streets a dim yellow. Kanjuro stood there with Akemi Miyano and Ai Haibara, as if waiting for an ordinary taxi rather than a vehicle from the dark organization that used to make them tremble with fear.
When that classic black Porsche 356A slid silently before them like a ghost, Ai Haibara's body suddenly stiffened. Almost instinctively, she shrank back, hiding behind Kanjuro and unconsciously clutching the hem of his trench coat. That car, that license plate—it was a scene from her countless nightmares.
The car door opened, and Vodka stepped out first. He still wore his sunglasses, but his expression was awkward; he didn't even dare look directly at Kanjuro, let alone at the two "former traitors" behind him.
Then, Gin stepped out of the car with his long legs. His long silver hair moved slightly in the evening breeze, and his dark green pupils first looked at Kanjuro with complexity—there was suppressed fear and a hint of unwillingness deep in that gaze, but more so a resignation to reality. Then, his gaze swept over the calm, even somewhat indifferent Akemi Miyano, finally landing on Ai Haibara behind Kanjuro, who only showed half of her pale little face, her eyes full of vigilance and residual fear.
Gin let out a nearly inaudible sigh, one that carried a meaning he couldn't even explain to himself. He turned to Kanjuro and spoke in a low voice, with a sincerity that was almost like burning his bridges:
"Boss Kanjuro," he omitted the usual hypocritical pleasantries, "Vodka and I... are really putting everything on the line this time." His gaze swept over the Miyano sisters again, the meaning self-evident—sheltering and escorting the organization's former high-priority targets was an act of blatant betrayal. "I hope in the future... you can look out for us a bit more."
These words coming from the cold and ruthless Gin carried a nearly absurd sense of incongruity, yet they also truly reflected the immense pressure Kanjuro brought upon them.
Upon hearing this, Kanjuro let out a laugh, one that was relaxed and lazy, as if he had heard an amusing joke. He reached out and, as if soothing a frightened small animal, gently patted Ai Haibara's tense back. He then said to Gin:
"It's fine." His tone carried absolute control and a hint of nonchalance. "Just be obedient."
The words "be obedient" were spoken lightly, yet they carried the weight of a thousand pounds, defining the roles of Gin and Vodka from then on—no longer the terrifying top-tier assassins, but two dogs under Kanjuro's command who needed to wag their tails and beg for mercy.
Gin's mouth twitched slightly, but in the end, he said nothing. He silently pulled open the back door of the car and made a gesture of "please."
Akemi Miyano gave Gin and Vodka a faint glance. Her eyes were calm and waveless, showing neither hatred nor the triumph of a victor, as if they were merely two inconsequential drivers. She was the first to bend down to get into the car, while simultaneously reaching out to take the hand of the still-resistant Ai Haibara.
"Let's go, Shiho." Akemi's voice was soft, yet it carried an unquestionable strength—the reassurance of an older sister, and guidance based on her absolute trust in Kanjuro.
Ai Haibara felt the warmth of her sister's palm and glanced at Kanjuro's seemingly casual back, which felt as if it could support the entire sky. She bit her lower lip. Finally, under Kanjuro's invisible push and Akemi's lead, she moved her legs, which felt like they were made of lead. Keeping her head down, she quickly ducked into the car, sitting tightly next to her sister and staying as far away from Gin and Vodka in the front as possible.
Kanjuro was the last to enter, sitting elegantly on the other side of Ai Haibara before pulling the door shut.
With a soft "thud," the car door shut out the outside world.
The space inside the car suddenly became cramped. A bizarre atmosphere filled the air—the former hunters and their prey were now in the same room, and the one dominating it all was the even more terrifying existence to whom both sides were forced to submit.
Vodka started the car, and the black Porsche merged smoothly into traffic. Gin sat in the passenger seat, staring straight ahead with his back ramrod straight, though his clenched fists betrayed his inner turmoil.
Ai Haibara huddled in her seat, feeling the slight vibration of the moving vehicle and watching the street scenery flash past the window. Her heart was a whirlwind of emotions. Fear still lingered, but a more complex and darker premonition shrouded her. She didn't know what awaited her and her sister, but one thing was certain—the rules of the Organization had been completely rewritten. And the person who rewrote them was sitting right next to her, using his unfathomable power to hold up a distorted and dangerous "sky" for her.
Kanjuro leaned back comfortably against the seat, closing his eyes to rest as if he were just on an ordinary drive. But his presence itself was the heaviest and most suffocating weight in the car.
Inside the cabin, the air seemed to freeze. Only the low hum of the engine and the blurred city noise outside served as a backdrop. Ai Haibara curled up next to Akemi Miyano, her eyelids lowered, trying to isolate herself from this suffocating environment, but her ears involuntarily caught every sound.
After resting with his eyes closed for a moment, Kanjuro slowly opened them. His gaze fell upon Gin's slightly stiff back in the front row. His voice rang out in the narrow space, flat but carrying an unquestionable curiosity:
"Gin, about Miyano Elena... specifically that laboratory fire where their mother 'died,' how much do you know?" He used the word "died" directly, but his tone clearly carried the weight of suspicion.
This question was like a stone thrown into a still pond, instantly creating ripples.
Ai Haibara's body jerked violently. She subconsciously looked up, her ice-blue eyes staring fixedly at the back of Gin's head, her breath held. This was a pain and a mystery that would always remain in her heart; she hadn't expected Kanjuro to ask it directly in front of Gin.
Akemi Miyano also squeezed her sister's hand, her expression becoming focused and tense.
Gin was silent for a few seconds, as if organizing his words or weighing the pros and cons. Finally, still looking straight ahead, he answered in a low voice:
"Boss Kanjuro, Miyano Elena... she was older than both Vodka and me. When she and her nominal husband, Koji Miyano, had their accident, we were still at the bottom. The affairs of researchers of that level were not under our jurisdiction, and we couldn't access core information."
He paused and added, "The ones who handled that matter back then were older, higher-ranking members of the Organization. As for the truth behind that fire, I'm afraid only they would know."
"Oh?" Kanjuro raised an eyebrow, seemingly interested. "For example? Which 'old-timers' in the Organization might know?"
Gin caught a quick glimpse of Kanjuro in the rearview mirror. After meeting those deep, unfathomable eyes, he immediately looked away and said solemnly:
"Rum."
He spat out the code name with a hint of undetectable dread in his tone.
"He is the Organization's second-in-command, a very senior figure who has been in the Organization far longer than Vodka or me. He participated in or even led many early secret plans and high-level decisions. If anyone is most likely to know the inside story of the Miyano Elena incident, Rum is definitely one of them."
"Rum..." Kanjuro softly repeated the code name, his lips curling into a playful arc. "Sounds like an old guy who likes to hide his head and show his tail."
Gin did not respond, which was a silent agreement. Vodka gripped the steering wheel even tighter, not even daring to breathe loudly. Rum was known within the Organization for his mystery and ruthless methods; only Kanjuro would dare to directly call him an "old guy."
Ai Haibara's heart skipped a beat when she heard the name "Rum." She knew the code name; he was the core of the Organization's core, an existence that even Gin had to respect. If her mother's death really was related to him... Having obtained the clue he wanted, Kanjuro stopped asking. He leaned back against the seat again as if he had just casually asked about a trivial matter. But the flash of light in his eyes indicated that this matter would definitely not end here.
He turned his head to look at Ai Haibara, whose face had grown even paler after hearing her mother's name and Rum's code name. He reached out and gently stroked her cold hair, his tone carrying a nearly cruel tenderness:
"Did you hear that, Shiho? It seems that if we want to find out what really happened to your 'mother,' we'll have to go meet this... 'old senior'."
His words pointed to a more dangerous direction for their next move, but also one that might be the key to uncovering all the mysteries.
The black Porsche continued to weave through the city at dusk, carrying people with different thoughts toward an Organization stronghold—and toward the center of a vortex that might lead to a direct collision with the Organization's most core secrets. Looking at the street scenes passing by outside the window, Ai Haibara felt a heavy premonition of the unknown truth on top of her fear of the Organization. Meanwhile, Kanjuro was like a collector who had found a new toy, beginning to take an interest in dismantling and studying the oldest components of the Organization's massive machine.
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