We finally reached the closing stage in the city of Yokosuka—the trap-laden castle built by the "Wizard of the Century." For the uninitiated, that title belonged to the master craftsman who created the Memories Egg and designed this architectural marvel. A literal genius of mechanics, he had crafted the egg as a gift for the Tsar and seemingly built this palace to honor his wife, Maria, who had passed away young.
While the Mouri group occupied themselves with deciphering the egg's riddles, I spent my time exploring the castle as if I were on a casual sightseeing tour. Guided by my intuition and the subtle traces left by the builder, I began scouting the rooms, triggering one mechanism after another.
Ah, a revolving door. And these stairs? Nothing but a ruse to mislead intruders.
It was a veritable "House of Secrets." Furuya and I shared a synchronized moment of wonder. "Ooooh...!" "Is this some Western-style ninja house?" Even though the lethal traps made the place practically unlivable, I couldn't help but think that turning it into a tourist attraction would yield massive profits.
As we immersed ourselves in the exploration, Conan-kun tugged at my shirt again. I leaned down, expecting something important, only to be met with a sharp scolding. "If you understand the mechanism, say it out loud!!" he hissed. Both Furuya and I felt a pang of disappointment. But kid, isn't it more fun watching everyone figure it out on their own?
"So, what have you deduced so far?"
"Just that the Memories Egg is actually a photo album utilizing a 'magic mirror' concept... that's all I have."
In truth, I simply didn't remember the subsequent mechanics, but that was a separate matter. As we spoke, I noticed two people had vanished from our group in the hidden corridors: Inui, the antique dealer, and Scorpion. Inui possessed the same predatory instincts as Scorpion; he had likely committed many sordid acts in his life.
Moments later, I sensed three or four people approaching from deep within the castle. I leaned in and whispered to Conan.
"It seems the children managed to sneak in."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"There must be an entrance from the outside they stumbled upon. I can feel them approaching."
"Impossible. No one could tell that in this pitch blackness."
Just as Conan expressed his disbelief, a noise echoed from a side corridor. Thinking it might be the hidden Scorpion, he dashed toward the sound. Minutes later, however, he returned, trailing a heavy air of defeat. It was a pathetic sight—Conan trudging back with the enthusiastic Junior Detective League right on his heels.
"I told you they were kids. I sensed four small presences."
"This makes no sense! How did you know? You're seriously not human!!"
How rude. I had told him before: I can distinguish people simply by their presence. Without that skill, I would have walked into many lethal ambushes during my days of raiding enemy hideouts.
From that point on, everything followed the expected path. We marveled at the massive mechanisms and admired the ethereal light radiating from the egg. I remained a silent spectator in the crowd. Given that I had warned Scorpion about Conan-kun, I assumed she wouldn't dare touch him. I thought the final shootout amidst the flames had been avoided.
Or so I believed.
Inside the burning castle, I struggled to maintain a stoic, expressionless mask while hiding a mounting, white-hot fury. My hands trembled as I gripped the iron claws I had brought along as a precaution. Scorpion hadn't just stolen the egg; she had actually shot Kogoro Mouri. Conan had intervened with lightning speed to save him, which only enraged Scorpion further, shifting her target to him.
She leveled her suppressed pistol at Conan's right eye. I jerked him out of the way just as the bullet whizzed past. Scorpion fled instantly, sealing her retreat with grenades and setting the castle ablaze. She tried to bury us alive, thinking such a simple act could kill me.
Consumed by rage, I drove my iron claws into a nearby pillar with everything I had. The wood split like butter, leaving behind jagged gouges that looked like the work of a Great Beast. I took sharp, rapid breaths, trying to regain my composure.
─── Steady, Bourbon. This isn't like you.
─── My apologies. I didn't think Scorpion was arrogant enough to forget her place... Heh. She dared to do something so foolish.
After Furuya scolded me for the outburst, a flush of embarrassment hit me. Still, a debt had to be settled. I followed the swift Conan through the shifting mechanisms down to the first floor.
I found her there. Conan was provoking her, trying to bait her into wasting her ammunition. While he drew her fire, I shadowed them from the ceiling, calculating my entry. The fire was spreading rapidly. Thanks to the gasoline she had poured, the first floor was a tinderbox. If I didn't end this now, Conan's escape would be cut off.
When she was down to her final round, Conan intentionally stepped into her line of sight. He likely planned to use his reinforced glasses to block a shot to his eye. But what if the glare of the flames caused her to miss?
I moved like a ghost, dropping silently from the rafters. I steadied my breath, readied my claws, and in one fluid, predatory motion, I pounced on her back.
"...W-What!?"
I drove my iron claws into her back, shredding the fabric and flesh as I pinned her to the floor.
"GYAAAAAAAAGH!!!"
"What an ugly scream. It's grating on my ears."
Scorpion shrieked in agony as blood pooled beneath her. I had intentionally carved into her in a way that maximized pain without being lethal. This was true justice. I smiled with cold cruelty, intentionally leaving serrated claw marks on her neck. Furuya remained silent, merely watching.
"I warned you, didn't I? Never target him."
"...A-Ah...!"
When I spoke with the full weight of my murderous intent, the woman began to convulse with sheer terror. If she was this easily frightened, she should never have crossed that line. Conan, the very boy I was protecting, shouted:
"Don't kill her!!!"
"...Of course. I won't kill her. Killing her... would be a waste."
The moment I released her, I delivered a sharp kick to her head. Her body tumbled like a ragdoll, crashing into a display shelf. A vase shattered into pieces.
...Damn it. I broke what looked like a valuable vase. I cleared my throat, trying to regain my dignity and hide my embarrassment. I could pay for it, but since the whole place was about to burn down, we'll just consider it "off the books." Scorpion seemed to have a severe concussion and heavy bleeding; she was no longer moving. It was a serious injury, but I knew from experience she wouldn't die.
Suddenly, a firearm was leveled at me.
"Hands up. Slowly."
It was Inspector Shiratori—no, it was Kaito Kid. He likely thought I was attacking Conan. He threatened me with Shiratori's service pistol. Please, drop the misunderstanding; we're on the same side here. I began rehearsing an excuse.
"Hands up, now. Step away from Conan-kun."
"A pity. What I did was merely self-defense. You know full well she is Scorpion, don't you?"
"That doesn't make you a safe person."
True enough. I had no rebuttal for such sound logic, so I fell silent. It's only natural to lose an argument against a genius-level intellect. As a final solution, I scooped up the unconscious Scorpion and tossed her toward Kid. Being the gentleman he is, he instinctively caught her slumped form.
"Kaito Kid. Take this woman to the police. Isn't that why you're here?"
"...How long have you known who I am?"
"Since the beginning. Your presence is quite distinct. I knew instantly."
I replied with a soft chuckle. His aura carried the vibrant energy of a high school student; even in a disguise, he stood out. Personally, I quite liked Kid. He was a protagonist in his own right, one favored by the author. I felt a slight twinge of guilt for saddling him with the burden of Scorpion.
I ran my tongue over my lips. The sight of Scorpion nearly ignited my rage again.
"If I stay here any longer, I might actually tear her apart this time. So, get out of my sight, Kaito Kid."
"!"
Kid finally seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation. He looked between me and Conan, then departed with a look of visible distress. The furniture began to collapse under the heat. I quickly scooped Conan into my arms and sprinted for the exit.
"Oh, Conan-kun! Thank goodness you're safe! You were under a hail of bullets!"
"What is wrong with your mood swings... Mr. Zero, say something to him."
[─── Bourbon has a bit of a psychopathic streak. Forgive him.]
Seriously, Zero?! You think that of me too?! The first skill I mastered when I began playing "Bourbon" was the ability to keep separate matters separate. It was truly disappointing to hear my necessary compartmentalization described that way. As I ran, I revealed a secret with a perfectly cold, flat expression:
"You hurt my feelings. Now I'll leak the fact that 'Zero' used to intentionally injure himself as a child just to get attention from his first love."
"Bwooh—cough cough!! Wait, stop! Isn't that mutually assured destruction?!"
"No. Since my persona was only born five years ago, that history has nothing to do with me. Oh, it seems Zero has gone quiet. Can you hear me?"
"Don't make it worse... and what kind of situation is this, where you're bickering with yourself?"
[─── I'm going to kill everyone in this room and then myself.]
"Wait, wait, wait! I'm just a victim here! If you two want to fight, do it away from me!!!"
In the depths of the subconscious, Furuya was approaching me with a large axe and a piercing glare. I scrambled to hide inside the "Ninja House" of my mind. A terrifying voice echoed in my soul: "Come on... come out from your hiding spot..."
It had turned into a horror movie. Amidst this absurdity, Conan looked at me with a worried gaze.
"Listen, Bourbon."
"Yes?"
"...You... you have a kind heart that can feel rage for the sake of others. So why...?"
I had no words to comfort his pensive heart. I was "Bourbon." I was the entity submerged within Rei Furuya, the executive tasked with playing a leading role in the Black Organization.
"Well. I wonder why?"
My words dissolved into the air, unheard. Neither Conan nor Furuya replied. Only the heat of the burning palace stained the night sky a deep, bloody crimson.
It had been a loud, turbulent summer.
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