The Public Security officers escorted Yoshiaki into the elevator and left the building.
After getting into the back seat of the car, Kazami, who was driving, glanced at the rearview mirror at Hiro, who had remained silent the entire time, and asked,
"Morofushi-san, are we heading straight back to the National Police Agency?"
"Yes. Take him to an interrogation room. Even a low-ranking member of the Organization is bound to know something useful."
Deep in thought, Hiro looked back at the Twin Tower Skyscraper as it gradually disappeared into the distance.
The image of Onizawa standing expressionlessly in the corner while making a phone call surfaced in his mind.
It was completely different from the warm, friendly smile he usually wore. For a brief moment, he had even sensed the aura of the Organization.
"Kazami."
"Yes, sir?"
"Have the team investigate Onizawa's background again. I have a feeling he's hiding some kind of secret."
Kazami nodded.
"Understood. Do you suspect he's an undercover agent planted by the Organization?"
After a long silence, Hiro answered with a grave expression,
"The feeling he gives me is... strange. It's like he's both an ally and an enemy at the same time. I just can't put my mind at ease."
Yet logic told him that Onizawa couldn't possibly be working for the Organization.
After all, Onizawa had personally participated in the investigation of Kuriyama's bombing case. There was no way he could be one of the Organization's loyal attack dogs.
Given Onizawa's intelligence and observational skills, if he had been able to identify Ritsu as a police academy student, then he should also have been able to deduce Rei's identity.
If Onizawa truly stood on the opposing side, neither Ritsu nor Zero would still be free. The Organization would have captured and interrogated them long ago.
Resting his chin on one hand, Hiro pondered the matter. Could Onizawa actually belong to a foreign intelligence agency?
The first possibility that came to mind was the detestable FBI. Or perhaps the CIA. Either would fit his previous activities in North America.
And the moment Hiro remembered that the man responsible for driving Ritsu into his current situation had also come from the FBI.
His resistance toward Onizawa only deepened. He knew he couldn't truly blame Akai for what had happened.
But he couldn't stop himself from directing his resentment toward him. There simply wasn't anywhere else to vent it.
For the past two years, he had lived consumed by guilt, believing that as Ritsu's liaison, it had been his failure that had pushed his friend into the abyss.
As they drove beyond the boundaries of Nishitama City, a tremendous explosion erupted from the Twin Tower Skyscraper behind them.
Unfortunately, Hiro had yet to receive any orders from headquarters.
His only focus was returning to the National Police Agency and extracting whatever useful information Yoshiaki might reveal.
...
A considerable distance away from the Twin Tower Skyscraper stood another high-rise.
It had once been Nishitama City's most iconic building. But after the Twin Towers were completed, it had lost its significance.
The white-haired young man, dressed in a black tactical outfit, pulled up his hood as he rode the elevator to the top floor.
With both hands tucked into his pockets, he leisurely made his way toward the rooftop without the slightest concern about surveillance cameras capturing his face.
After all, long before Gin and the others had arrived, every security camera had already been rendered useless by signal jammers.
Pushing open the rooftop door, Ritsu found Gin in unusually good spirits, calmly exhaling cigarette smoke.
For some reason, Ritsu suddenly felt an itch in his throat. His nicotine cravings were acting up.
Out of habit, he reached into his pocket for a cigarette, only to remember that Akemi, who had prepared his disguise equipment, had confiscated his cigarette pack.
She was always the one looking after her older brother.
Always worrying about his health.
At that moment, Ritsu couldn't help feeling like a rather incompetent big brother.
"You're here?"
"Yeah."
His gaze fell upon the helicopter parked on the rooftop. Slightly surprised, he remarked,
"Oh? Looks like ThatPerson's funding is pretty generous. You even brought out this big boy?"
Vodka handed him a cup of hot coffee and grinned.
"It's not that the budget's generous. Aniki's car broke down and couldn't be repaired, so we borrowed a helicopter from a nearby training base."
"If I didn't still have to put on a show for those idiotic police officers, I'd love to take it for a spin."
Ritsu shrugged regretfully.
"It's been over a year since I last flew a helicopter."
Gin looked toward the brightly illuminated skyscraper in the distance. The corners of his lips curled upward as he ordered,
"Vodka, detonate the bombs in the electrical room and generator room first. We'll take our time..."
He smiled coldly.
"House pets love being teased, after all."
"You really do have a twisted sense of humor."
Ritsu walked to the edge of the rooftop and picked up the metal case resting there. Opening it, he found the familiar AWP sniper rifle.
With practiced efficiency, he assembled every attachment before setting the rifle on its bipod and aiming at the Twin Tower Skyscraper, which had already gone completely dark after several deafening explosions.
The hint of amusement in his eyes quickly disappeared. It was replaced by concern.
With Shinichi inside, he would definitely do everything possible to save as many people as he could.
As for Pisco, he would undoubtedly try to take Shiho away amidst the chaos. But Ritsu had already warned Shinichi.
No matter what happened, he had to protect Shiho.
...
At that very moment, the banquet hall on the 75th floor of the Twin Tower Skyscraper plunged into darkness following the explosions and violent tremors.
The guests, who had only moments earlier witnessed a murder, immediately descended into panic.
"What's happening?! Why is the building shaking?!"
"What on earth is going on?!"
Inspector Megure and the others hurried toward the floor-to-ceiling windows that still reflected a faint glow, hoping to determine whether it was merely a power outage or something more serious.
Kazama Hidehiko, who had also rushed over, received a report from a security guard and cried out in alarm,
"What did you say?! There was an explosion?! Where?"
"The electrical room and generator room on Basement Level Four... and also the computer room on the 40th floor!"
"The computer room exploded?!"
Sawaguchi's face instantly turned pale.
"Kazama-san! The computer room contains all of the Tokiwa Group's important data! If something happens there, all of it will be lost!"
The moment Kazama heard that a fire had also broken out on the 40th floor, he immediately turned to Inspector Megure.
"Inspector, we need to evacuate immediately! If the fire spreads up here, we'll be trapped!"
Listening to their conversation, Conan looked around anxiously. But he couldn't find Haibara anywhere.
'Could she still be hiding under the banquet table?'
Following his memory, he hurried over to the table, lifted the tablecloth, and switched on the flashlight built into his wristwatch.
The space underneath was empty.
He was about to let the tablecloth fall when a rectangular object blinking with a tiny red light caught his eye.
'This is... a bomb?!'
Conan immediately sprinted from table to table. Every single banquet table had an identical bomb attached beneath it.
'Damn it! We have to get everyone out of here! If these bombs go off, everyone will die!'
"What are you doing?"
Conan quickly turned around to see Haibara standing behind him, staring at him with half-lidded eyes. In a helpless tone, she said,
"Don't tell me you actually thought I'd stay obediently hidden under the table the whole time."
"Uh... never mind that."
He beckoned her over.
"Haibara, come take a look."
When Haibara heard that bombs had been planted beneath the tables, her expression changed dramatically.
'That shouldn't be possible...'
When she had hidden underneath earlier, there hadn't been any bombs.
'Did someone plant them after I came out?'
Standing beside the observation elevator, Kogoro looked around until he finally spotted the two children in the dim light. Planting his hands on his hips, he bellowed,
"You two brats! What are you still standing around talking for?! Get into the elevator and evacuate already! Stop wasting precious time!"
Both Conan and Haibara jumped in surprise.
However, when they obediently stepped into the elevator, they discovered it could only support the weight of one more child.
Conan immediately stepped back and smiled.
"Haibara, you go first. I'll leave with Ran later on the next trip."
Kogoro's eyes settled on Conan.
Hearing those words somehow put his mind at ease. With that little detective accompanying his daughter during the evacuation, she would probably be much safer.
---
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