Chapter 134: Game Cleared
Conan Edogawa's gaze was fixed on the countdown timer, its crimson digits now showing less than a minute remaining. He drew in a slow, deliberate breath, his mind racing. "This is just a theory," he began, his voice steady despite the pressure. "I can't be certain it's the right answer. However, based on Noah's Ark's previous declaration and its actions, it seems to dislike people who arbitrarily decide the lives of others. But whether or not to press the button... that's still up to you to decide."
He paused, then added a final, crucial point. "While I can't guarantee my theory is the correct path, I am certain about one thing: the blue button is definitely the wrong one. Choosing it would mean sacrificing everyone else for a single person, and it would completely betray the will of the Hydro Archon herself..." As he finished, Conan subtly shifted his gaze, trying to gauge Moroboshi's reaction from the corner of his eye.
Upon hearing Conan's analysis, Emori and Kikukawa exchanged a loaded glance. Their unspoken question hung in the air between them: What do we do? Do we press it, or not?
Unable to reach a decision, they both tacitly turned their attention to Moroboshi, implicitly letting him take the lead.
Moroboshi felt their stares and turned, his expression souring. "Why are you looking at me?" he snapped. "There isn't a button on my face. Didn't you hear him? It's either the red button or no button at all. Make your own choice. Don't ask me."
Kikukawa flinched, looking a little embarrassed. "Moroboshi, we just... we wanted to know what you were choosing so we could stick together. We've always done it that way, haven't we?"
The final question made Moroboshi's shoulders tense almost imperceptibly, but he relaxed just as quickly. "Just because it was like that before doesn't mean it has to be the same this time. You're on your own for this one."
Though Kikukawa found Moroboshi's reaction unusually sharp, he didn't dwell on it. Since Moroboshi wanted them to choose for themselves, he mulled it over for a moment before declaring, "Then I choose not to press the button. I think what Conan said makes sense. Besides, Noah's Ark only said pressing the blue button would cause us to fail. It never said what would happen if we didn't press anything. So let's give that a try."
Hearing Kikukawa's words, Emori considered it and also lowered the hand he had poised over the red button. "That's true. Conan helped us get this far. And... the Hydro Archon and Focalors are truly admirable. I don't want to be the one to personally sacrifice them. Let's just go with this..."
As the final seconds of the countdown ticked away, the others, one by one, also lowered their hands. Ran, Natsume, and the Detective Boys were already well-acquainted with Conan's deductive prowess and naturally trusted his judgment. Moroboshi remained silent, but his inaction spoke volumes; he, too, had clearly decided to follow Conan's advice.
With only five seconds left on the clock, every eye in the chamber was glued to the bright red numbers suspended overhead, each person holding their breath in nervous anticipation of the final result.
Five...
Four...
Three...
Two...
One.
The countdown vanished. The timer that had loomed over them was gone, and the scene of the Hydro Archon and Focalors dancing resumed its motion.
Except this time, the guillotine poised above the Hydro Archon was no longer still. It dropped.
Before anyone could even process what was happening, the images of the Hydro Archon and Focalors vanished from the screen.
"What's going on?!" Genta couldn't help but shout. "Didn't we choose not to press the red button?"
"That's right. You didn't choose, so the plot is now proceeding along its original course."
They hadn't expected a reply, but the voice of Noah's Ark echoed through the space the moment Genta finished speaking, startling everyone.
Seeing that the AI was willing to answer questions, Conan quickly followed up, "Then what was the point of giving us that choice?"
"In fact... there really was no point," the voice replied. "I just wanted to see if, when faced with a situation that seemingly had only two options, someone could find a third path. Consider it... a prank."
At that, the voice of Noah's Ark shed the cold, mechanical tone it had used since the beginning. For the first time, it sounded genuinely childlike, a hint of playful mischief coloring its words.
"Don't worry. Once you reached this stage, you had basically cleared the game. Whether you chose to press the red button or chose not to press any button, you passed. By the way, if any of you had chosen the blue button just now, that would have definitely counted as a failure. None of you would be waking up." As it spoke that last sentence, the AI's tone turned frigid once more, a clear threat that left everyone speechless.
Conan, in particular, felt a wave of exasperation. So all his detailed analysis was for nothing? And seriously, who in their right mind would have chosen the blue button anyway?
Seeing that Noah's Ark was no longer going to respond, the group redirected their attention to the massive screen above them.
Focalors reappeared, sitting alone upon the Divine Throne in the Opera Epiclese, weeping silently. The scattered droplets of water from the Hydro Archon's sacrifice fell before her, carrying the final blessing of her other self.
The scene then shifted to the world outside the opera house. A heavy rain poured from the heavens, a downpour that seemed to mirror the sorrow in Neuvillette's heart after witnessing the Hydro Archon's end. Everyone watched in silence as he stood amidst the deluge and proclaimed the absolution of all sins for the people of Fontaine.
Next, Neuvillette, his full authority as the Hydro Dragon Sovereign restored, prepared to confront the root cause of all of Fontaine's calamities: the All-Devouring Narwhal, the very culprit behind the prophecy's manifestation.
The group had just been steeped in the sorrow of watching the Hydro Archon sacrifice herself to save her nation. Yet, the very next moment, they saw Neuvillette arrive at the Narwhal's lair—the Far Side of the Lightless Realm.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Even with the lingering sadness in their hearts, they had to admit the scene was like a dreamscape of a starry sea. They watched, mesmerized, as the gigantic All-Devouring Narwhal swam through this cosmic ocean, occasionally diving into its shimmering depths. The impending confrontation between this colossal beast and Neuvillette, the Dragon Sovereign now wielding his complete power, was a truly shocking spectacle.
Just as everyone was watching with rapt attention, unable to resist cheering for Neuvillette and eagerly anticipating the epic battle where he would vanquish the beast, the screen suddenly went blank.
"Alright, the rest is Paid Content. You can't watch it now."
Before anyone could even begin to protest, Noah's Ark delivered its final, infuriating line.
Genta was the first to complain. "What do you mean, 'Paid Content'?! You're just doing this on purpose!"
His outburst voiced what everyone was thinking. Even Conan and Ai Haibara felt a flicker of annoyance. No one, not even them, was immune to the frustration of a story being cut off at its most crucial moment.
At the same time, Conan was struck by a surprising realization. He had never expected Noah's Ark to have this kind of personality. When he first heard the AI's grand declaration, he had imagined an entity with a composed, solemn disposition. He never would have guessed it was capable of playing pranks; right now, it seemed less like a god-like program and more like any other mischievous little boy.
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