Once Furuya-san safely recovered his memories, I stayed in the hospital for one extra day for final check-ups before finally regaining my freedom.
During my stay, I faced three assassination attempts and five failed bombings. I skillfully evaded them all and handed the culprits over to Kazami-san. Even with some lingering numbness in my limbs, I wasn't so careless as to let such scum get the better of me. They were a hundred years too early to try and take my life.
On the morning of my discharge, while I was packing my belongings, Lupin III and his merry band appeared. They teased me, claiming I had been far too lax, and even threatened to revoke my martial arts license. Their nagging nearly brought me to tears. Please, don't tell me I've fallen below amateur level... and Furuya-san, stop turning beet-red with rage like a madman.
Master Goemon stood with his arms crossed, nodding solemnly.
"I see traces of negligence and arrogance in you. You will run fifty laps through a minefield; clear your schedule for next weekend."
"... Y-you're joking, right? ── Won't I definitely die if I do that?"
"I am not joking. If you continue like this, your ego will lead you to an early grave. Drastic training is required immediately."
"You mean you're going to finish me off here before I meet a shameful end? ── Doesn't that mean I die either way!!!"
"If you focus your mind and cast aside distractions, a path to survival exists. However, most usually die."
So I'm definitely going to die!!! How heartless can you be, Goemon!!! Our shouting matched Lupin's hysterical laughter, and the noisy commotion filled the hospital room until a nurse burst in. "Quiet!" she screamed. The scene ended with Jigen shrinking into himself after she scolded him for trying to smoke in the room.
On another front, Conan-kun got himself caught up in a horrific incident the moment I looked away for a single day. Apparently, he participated in a demonstration for a next-generation gaming device called "Cocoon," a system that connects directly to the brain and immerses the senses in a virtual space. It was a massive event marking the dawn of multiplayer VR. Although the AI "Noah's Ark" hijacked the system and turned it into a death game, it sounded exciting in its own way.
In reality, these were the events of the famous movie The Phantom of Baker Street. After his return, I kept complaining to Conan-kun about how I wanted to try those games. He gave me a mocking smile and said, "That game is only for children... Oh, I forgot, you're five years old, aren't you?" Even if you're the protagonist, I won't forgive that! I instantly played the villain, pinching Conan-kun's soft cheeks with all my might. I ignored his cries of "Stop, stop, that hurts, let go!" as I delivered my own brand of justice.
Furthermore, Furuya-san, who had been fixated on the phrase "five years," suddenly started planning to build a game room within the depths of his consciousness. I politely but firmly declined. While it is true I inhabited his body five years ago, I am not a five-year-old child, and I hope he understands that. But wait—was the Lupin gang's insistence on gifting me several giant stuffed animals a subtle hint that they view me as a child? I've become suspicious of everything now, spending my days training out of sheer spite within the world of consciousness.
Some time after my discharge, a client of the Mouri Detective Agency summoned us to a specific theme park. The place was "Miracle Land," a relatively modern park featured in the film The Private Eye's Requiem. The trip took about an hour in a rental car driven by Furuya-san, accompanied by the Junior Detective League.
Upon arriving at an elegant, castle-like hotel, a waiting secretary greeted us and led us to a grand hall, instructing us to take our seats. I sensed a hidden trace of malice emanating from her. She likely didn't know the specifics of the case, but she clearly understood what the client—the criminal—was doing and remained silent about it. Conan-kun noticed my wariness and looked puzzled, so I whispered into his ear.
"I feel malice and ill intent. Most likely, we are the targets."
"Malice? But why... this person is the client, and there's no reason for him to hurt us."
I sat down, ignoring Conan-kun's confusion. Through the vibrations I felt, I realized that radio waves for communication were emitting from inside the chairs. I recalled that the chair's armrest contained a section designed to read fingerprints. Since I couldn't provide a secret agent's fingerprints to a criminal, I took great care not to touch that part.
When they distributed the free-pass IDs for Miracle Land, I could practically see the hatred dripping from the person who made them. Who would think to create entry passes in the form of wristwatches containing C-4 explosives? What a despicable act. Due to the seating arrangement, only Kogoro Mouri sat next to me. Mouri—who suffers from a fear of heights—seemed annoyed by the watches, so I snatched his away from him and gave a pointed smile.
"We'll put these on later."
"Eh, oh..."
The secretary tried to push us to wear them. "Oh, aren't both of you going to Miracle Land? If you lose them, they cannot be reissued." I replied in a firm tone that brook no argument.
"They are bulky and annoying. We will put them on after the job is done. Isn't that right, Master Mouri?"
"Y-yes... that's right...?"
The secretary fell silent as if realizing my stubbornness. She likely had instructions from the client to make us wear them at all costs. She said, "One moment please, I have a phone call... excuse me," then feigned a call and hurried out. She probably went to consult the client about this unexpected development. Conan-kun ran toward me and whispered.
"Hey, what does this mean? Don't tell me something is wrong with these watches!?"
"My intuition tells me they'll explode."
"H-h-ey!!!!? What do you mean by that!?"
I lacked the logical evidence Conan-kun demanded beyond my gut feeling, but I was certain they would explode, and that they contained enough explosives to end a human life. I sighed deeply, while Furuya-san began to show signs of silent rage within me.
The secretary returned and said, "Apologies for the delay, let us return to our conversation," then closed the curtains as if nothing had happened. It seemed she had received the green light from the client to proceed. Most likely, the criminal considered rigging Ran Mouri and the children with explosives sufficient to use them as hostages.
A large screen in the center of the hall lit up, showing only the silhouette of the criminal. In short, he wanted us to solve a specific case; if we failed to find the truth, he would kill us. That was the gist of it. When the criminal explained that the IDs around everyone's wrists were bombs, a hint of annoyance crept into his voice.
He added mockingly, "Except for those two who were clever enough not to wear the watches. As for the other five, their watches will detonate in exactly twenty-four hours."
"Y-you! Amuro, did you realize this and take the watch from me on purpose!!"
"No, I just felt an ill omen. I trust my intuition implicitly. I apologize; I couldn't stop Miss Ran."
"...Damn it, I can't blame you for that. Intuition isn't something you can explain or justify..."
Kogoro Mouri turned his face away, looking distraught. Either way, he had no choice as long as his daughter was a hostage. Of course, Conan-kun's wrist was also encircled by that explosive watch. I could slice through the strap with my claws if I didn't mind a few minor cuts... but the problem would be if the watch featured an anti-tamper trigger.
Furuya-san's bitter voice echoed in my soul: Honestly, it seems my fate is forever linked to terrorists who use explosives.
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