Chapter 260: See You at the Finals
It was a perfectly normal outcome; after all, Toyama Kazuha had never undergone any professional training. Her decision to enter the competition had been little more than an impulsive reaction to Heiji's taunts.
Though a flicker of disappointment remained from her elimination, she wasn't truly saddened by it. By the time she rejoined the group after the event concluded, a bright smile had already returned to her face. All in all, she had enjoyed the experience immensely.
When the others found Kazuha, two more people were standing beside her—Natsume's friends, Barbara and Nilou. Knowing they were acquainted with Natsume, Kazuha had specifically invited them over for an introduction.
For this casual meeting, Nilou had already changed out of her complex competition attire. As she turned slightly, the sharp eyes of Conan and Okiya Subaru caught a flash of color at her waist. They exchanged a subtle, knowing glance—it was a blue Vision, yet another style they hadn't seen before.
"Then it's a promise," Barbara chirped, her voice full of energy. "You absolutely have to come watch Miss Nilou's and my performances in the Finals!"
While Conan and Okiya were silently cataloging the new information, the girls had already finalized their plans for the weekend after next.
"Wait," Heiji Hattori interjected, scratching his head in confusion. "Shouldn't it be the Semi-finals? How did it jump straight to the Finals?"
Kazuha jabbed him with her elbow, shooting him a dissatisfied glare. "Heiji, you really don't pay any attention to this competition at all, do you? The top three from the Preliminaries advance directly to the Finals."
"Yes," Nilou confirmed with a graceful nod. "Barbara and I placed first and second, respectively, so we only need to prepare for the Finals from here on."
"Giving the winners a greater advantage," Ai Haibara commented calmly, her tone analytical. "This competition's structure is quite interesting."
Everyone turned to look at Haibara with slightly odd expressions, unused to hearing such a detached viewpoint on a dance contest. Conan quickly stepped in to change the subject.
"So, does that mean the Finals are in two weeks? That seems awfully fast. Didn't Brother Thoma say the venue was destroyed by some bad guys?"
"Exactly!" Mitsuhiko added, his voice piping up. "Weren't Brother Kaveh and Brother Zhongli just invited by the Kamisato Clan yesterday to redesign and rebuild the Finals building?"
"Can they really complete the design and construction of such a large venue in just two short weeks?" Okiya Subaru murmured, his expression unreadable. He rubbed his chin, his gaze drifting into the distance as if calculating complex variables.
Conan frowned, his mind racing with doubts. The Finals venue was destroyed, yet the Kamisato Clan would rather hire specialists than postpone the event. Could this have something to do with the promotional angle Miss Ningguang had mentioned—the same one those two from the Black Organization had been discussing?
, he knew Kaveh and Zhongli were members of the Teyvat Organization and were undoubtedly highly capable, but could anyone truly complete a project of that scale in such a short time?
"I can vouch for them; they definitely won't have a problem," Natsume suddenly spoke up, her calm voice drawing everyone's confused gazes. She raised a hand as if taking an oath. "They've built even larger structures in less time before. This will be no trouble at all."
Since Natsume had said so with such unwavering confidence, the others had no choice but to take her at her word.
Having accomplished their goal of cheering for their friend in Osaka, and with nothing else on the agenda, the group prepared to return to Tokyo. Before leaving, Conan, still curious about the destroyed venue, made a pact with Heiji. The Osakan detective would gather what clues he could, and they would analyze the situation together later.
They had intended to bid farewell to the Kamisato siblings, but a call to Thoma revealed that Ayaka and Ayato had just left the estate for the local shrine. With a sigh, they gave up on the idea, deciding they would just have to meet again on their next trip to Osaka.
Everyone returned to Tokyo, slipping back into the familiar rhythms of their respective lives.
Some time had now passed since the incident on Raiha Pass involving Shuichi Akai. Jodie Starling was slowly beginning to accept the reality of his death. She was preparing to buy some wine with her colleagues to celebrate Andre Camel's birthday, hoping a night of shared company might ease the persistent ache in her heart.
Meanwhile, in a bank not far away, Dr. Agasa and Baizhu had accompanied the Detective Boys and Qiqi on an errand to deposit money. Unbeknownst to Conan, both Baizhu and Qiqi had carefully tucked their Visions out of sight before entering the public space.
Mitsuhiko planned to deposit all the red envelope money he had received during the New Year. Genta, on the other hand, had already surrendered his earnings to his mother, who had promised to give it back whenever he wanted to buy something expensive.
"So, Qiqi, what about your New Year's money?" Genta asked, looking at Baizhu with a mischievous grin. "Don't tell me you gave it to an adult, too?"
"That..." Baizhu began, hesitating for a moment. "Qiqi's New Year's money is indeed in my care."
Enduring the children's mock-contemptuous gazes, he quickly explained himself. "Qiqi has a poor memory, so I'm just keeping it safe for her. Besides," he added gently, "she records everything in her notebook anyway."
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