Upon arriving at Toto Tower, Furuya's rapid deduction proved right; we reached the site before the first bomb could detonate.
According to Detective Takagi, who was updating Conan over the radio, suspicious objects were surfacing one after another across various train stations and rail networks. As the situation spiraled into a widespread, indiscriminate terror threat, Furuya's fury mounted. In our shared subconscious, the clear water turned pitch black, and a metallic, bloody stench filled the depths. The scent of rust and gore was spreading—Furuya-san, please, calm down!!
We alerted security and scoured the area, eventually locating the bomb inside Toto Tower's control panel. Though it lacked a timer display, we estimated the detonation time based on the previous threat and the patterns of the past incident. Furuya calmly suggested calling the bomb squad, and Conan agreed.
However, as we stepped out of the distribution room, a sense of dread washed over me—a terrifying pressure accompanied by unknown radio signals. Sensing the threat, I swapped places with Furuya instantly. I tucked Conan under my arm and lunged forward with everything I had.
An explosion roared behind us, followed by a searing wave of heat. The blast nearly slammed us into the wall, but I pivoted mid-air, landing on both feet to absorb the shock. That was close. Conan, still in my arms, merely muttered, "Unbelievable... are you some kind of wild cat?"
Give me a break, kid—you do this kind of thing in movies all the time!
Pale-faced security guards rushed toward us from every direction, asking if we were unharmed. "What happened to the elevator?" Conan asked.
"A child is trapped inside," they replied. They informed us that officers were already on-site assessing the situation.
Despite the slight change in the sequence of events, the situation followed the original script. Detective Takagi, hearing the explosion, had ignored Sato's protests and rushed into the tower. We reached the elevator lobby to find a panicked crowd gathered before Takagi.
"Amuro-san! Conan-kun! There was an explosion in the distribution room just now—are you two alright!?"
"Yes, I'm unhurt. But a child is trapped in the elevator, isn't that right?"
"I'm fine too, because Amuro-san saved me!"
"That's good. But... yes. A girl is terrified inside the car, which nearly plummeted. It's difficult for us to reach her because the floors don't align."
A young girl sat frozen in the back of the elevator, paralyzed by fear. The adults were all calling out to her, but their voices only seemed to deepen her shock. Conan's face lit up as he smiled at Takagi. "I'll go. She won't be as scared if another child comes to help her, right?"
This also followed the original story. I knew what would happen next, but Furuya did not. Acting as his guardian, he shook his head. "That's far too dangerous! I won't let a child take that risk!"
"It's fine," Conan insisted. "I'm just going to get her. There's no proof the bomb will go off now."
(Internally: This is a classic "plot flag," but I kept that to myself.)
Furuya's concern battled with Conan's overwhelming, heroic aura—the "Demon of Light" acting the part of an ordinary child to save another. But, just as the rescue finished, a second explosion trapped Conan and Takagi inside the elevator. Panic erupted. Security shouted for immediate evacuation. It happened in a heartbeat; I was eight meters away and powerless to stop it.
Furuya stood frozen, his hand outstretched to grasp nothing. Cold sweat broke out. He began to tremble.
"Ha... ha..."
He struggled to follow the evacuation orders, his body stiff and his breath ragged.
── Calm down, Zero.
── I know! I know, but... damn it!!!
He exhaled sharply and threw a punch at the floor of our subconscious, as if to vent his stifled anxiety. His expert form, honed through boxing, produced a dull thud against the glass-like floor.
── That monster will only reveal the next location three seconds before the blast! Conan and Takagi will choose to save the public over their own lives!
── ...Yes, they will.
── It's happening again. I failed... again.
As Furuya crumbled under the weight of his helplessness, I reached out gently, wrapping his consciousness in warmth—a simple trick of a possessor's soul. It was enough to offer some comfort. He looked up slowly.
── Don't worry. He is loved by God.
── You believe in religion? I thought you were an atheist.
── Don't underestimate me! No one is more devout than I am.
He is the "Demon of Light," the protagonist, the center of the world.
Toto Tower, looming above us, was slowly swallowed by the twilight. Around us, television crews broadcasted live, spectators gathered, and the air hummed with chaos and low whispers. Ten minutes passed, then twenty. Tension peaked. An hour and forty minutes went by. The expected time came and went, yet no explosion occurred.
I pushed through the crowd, staring at the tower, when our phone vibrated.
『Hey! I thought I should let you know, too.』
"Conan-kun! You're alright..."
『The next bomb is at Teitan High School. There's a national mock exam happening right now. The culprit targeted it for that reason.』
"What about the bomb? The code wasn't supposed to appear until seconds before the blast..."
『I didn't need to wait. I solved it halfway through. With four letters and the previous data, I cracked it instantly. Besides, I had a hunch.』
His cheerful, lighthearted tone only deepened Furuya Rei's frustration.
(Internally: Why couldn't Matsuda do something so simple? Why wasn't I there with him? Why was I sleeping? I'm glad Conan is safe, but why only him? Why did Matsuda and Hagiwara have to die?)
Furuya's mind was a storm of incoherent, surging rage that beat against the subconscious like a violent tide. Conan's voice cut through the silence, sharp and firm.
『Don't kill him. That's a promise between us.』
"...Fine. I won't betray your trust."
Conan knew that Furuya, with his intellect, would pinpoint the culprit's location once he knew the target. He offered a stern warning: do not kill him. Furuya answered with a steady, powerful tone, perhaps speaking to himself as much as to the boy.
I sped the RX-7 toward the culprit's location—the perfect vantage point to watch Teitan High burn. I found him gripping his binoculars, a hideous grin on his face as he waited for the explosion. I approached from behind and gently knocked him unconscious, as if merely patting his shoulder.
Furuya Rei didn't even look back at the slumped man. He leaned against the nearby iron railing and stared out at the city skyline.
"I wish I'd bought some coffee. A hot one."
"Yeah," I replied softly, "me too."
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