Chapter 140: A Collaboration Across Worlds

Before long, Heiji Hattori and the other two had completed their examinations in turn. Vernon took the reports and exchanged a few hushed words with Fina.

“Heiji Hattori, there’s nothing wrong with you. Please wait over there for a moment.”

As Heiji walked away, worry filled his heart. If nothing was wrong with him, that meant something was wrong with Conan. Otherwise, there would have been no need to separate them when giving the results.

“Shinichi Kudo, we detected traces of magical energy on your body. Do you know where they came from?”

Fina studied Conan. This child’s body was practically perfect material for becoming a knight, with his resistance to magic maxed out from the start.

“Huh?” Conan was utterly bewildered. To be honest, if someone had mentioned magic to him before today, he would have been one hundred percent certain that person was a fraud. But now, the other side’s technology had appeared right before his eyes, unmistakably real.

“I…” Conan thought for a long while before shaking his head. “I don’t know.”

“You only need to think back. During the past month, have you encountered anything that seemed particularly like magic? Whether your guess is right or wrong doesn’t matter. We’ll investigate it ourselves,” Fina continued.

Magic? Ma… magic tricks?

Conan suddenly understood. “Kaito Kid! I confronted him some time ago. Many of his tricks were utterly impossible. Perhaps he was merely using magic tricks to conceal actual magic!”

The more Conan thought about it, the more certain he became that he had grasped the key to the matter. No wonder he had failed to catch Kaito Kid. It wasn’t a matter of intelligence—the other man had simply been secretly breaking the rules by using magic!

“Think about it carefully. Many of his gadgets are abnormal. Completely abnormal.”

Heiji silently pulled his hat down over his face.

How could Conan criticize other people’s gadgets when he still couldn’t understand their functions himself?

He still had no idea how that skateboard of yours could be fully charged whenever there was sunlight.

Fina wrote “Kaito Kid” in her notebook. If he truly was a mage, they would need to consider whether he was native to this world or had come from elsewhere. If he was an outsider, this planet was becoming far too lively.

“Little Ai, your condition is somewhat serious.” Fina turned toward Ai Haibara.

Haibara clenched the hem of her clothes. She was terrified. Her sister’s situation had finally shown a glimmer of hope—what if something went wrong with her instead?

“We detected fluctuations resembling brainwashing in your body,” Fina continued.

“Brainwashing!” Conan cried out in shock. If the Black Organization possessed such technology, the level of danger they represented would rise by more than a single tier.

For all they knew, the higher-ups in several different worlds might already have fallen victim to it.

“That’s right.” Fina nodded. “But there’s no need to be overly nervous. After examining it, we found that their technique has serious flaws. The brainwashing failed, and instead caused Little Ai to develop a specialized sensory ability.”

“This ability activates automatically whenever a member of the Black Organization or someone with an extremely murderous aura appears nearby, giving Little Ai a warning. However, it also places a tremendous burden on your mind, making negative conditions such as excessive fear or unconsciousness likely.”

“To put it simply, it’s a detection radar with rather obvious side effects.”

The heart that had leapt into Haibara’s throat settled back into her chest. If that was all it amounted to, then there was no particularly serious problem.

She had already grown accustomed to this kind of thing after so many years.

Seeing that Haibara did not seem especially concerned, Fina continued to warn her. “Don’t be too nervous, but don’t ignore it either.”

“If this condition continues to develop, it could eventually achieve the effects of brainwashing by another route. So for the time being, you must not stray too far from us.”

Haibara nodded vigorously to show that she understood. She could not imagine what she might become if the brainwashing truly succeeded.

“All right, everyone. Take one case each. I’m going to send you back.”

As Vernon spoke, he took three small cases from a concealed storage compartment nearby. Inside were portable communication devices and a self-activating force-field shield.

A few minutes later, after learning how to use the items inside, Heiji and Conan were teleported back to Osaka.

The two stood on the ground, still somewhat dazed. What they had just experienced felt too much like a dream—except that the small cases in their hands proved it had not been one.

“Kudo…” Heiji was momentarily at a loss for words.

“Let’s go back. Tomorrow, remember to find some of the unresolved cases. We can’t place all our hopes in other people.” Conan pushed up his glasses, and moonlight reflected from the lenses onto the ground. “Our world should be protected by us.”

Outside Heiji’s house, Ran Mouri was leaning against the wall beside the entrance. She had already been standing there for quite some time.

When Heiji and Conan walked back side by side, they happened to see Ran standing beneath the streetlamp.

Heiji, whose emotional intelligence had never once come online, seemed to have suddenly awakened this time. His sixth sense was also sounding the alarm furiously, urging him not to remain there.

“Oh, Conan, I just remembered something. I need to deal with it first.”

Leaving behind that one sentence, Heiji turned and sprinted away.

Conan reached out and grabbed at empty air, then gave Ran an awkward smile. “Sister Ran, it’s so late. Aren’t you going to bed?”

Ran walked over to Conan and crouched down. She reached out and removed his glasses, meeting his eyes directly.

Conan had intended to continue arguing, but looking at Ran’s expression, he found himself unable to say a word.

“Conan, Shinichi is coming back soon, isn’t he?” Ran stared at him and spoke each word distinctly.

Conan opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Ran put his glasses back on, then rose to her feet and turned her back to him. “I’m going home to rest.”

As Ran took one step after another toward the entrance, emotions surged within Conan.

“Ran.”

Conan slowly removed his glasses. His voice no longer sounded artificially childish.

Ran turned around.

What she saw was Shinichi Kudo, finally facing everything head-on.

“I’m sorry. Could you wait for me a few more days? Shinichi Kudo will be back very soon.”

Conan spoke with unparalleled seriousness, even more earnestly than when he recommended Sherlock Holmes to someone.

There was only one thought in his heart:

Black Organization, I, Shinichi Kudo, the great detective of the new era, hereby announce that you’re finished!

Ran suddenly began to laugh, her smile lighting up the darkness around them.

“Mm.” She nodded lightly, then walked briskly through the entrance and slammed the door shut.

Huh?

Conan tilted his head. Was something wrong with this situation?

“Ran! No, Sister Ran! I haven’t gone inside yet!”

Conan threw himself against the door, pounding on it with both fists.

Inside, Ran’s face was bright red.

Conan was Shinichi Kudo.

Bathing together… sleeping together…

Boom!

In her embarrassment, Ran threw a punch that nearly knocked down the courtyard wall.

Outside, Conan shuddered violently. Then he heard Ran shout, “Find somewhere else to sleep! You’re not allowed in!”

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