Chapter 139: The Magical Girl Squad Gradually Assembles
Ran Mouri was still hesitating, but Mo Yu merely gave a light smile and leaped onto the windowsill.
"Think it over. When you've decided and want to claim your 'Six-Yuan First-Top-Up Gift Pack,' just call for me. However, young lady, a word of friendly advice: if you don't possess a certain level of resolve, you will surely feel how cruel fate can be—just as Shinichi Kudo once did..."
Hearing Shinichi's name, Ran instinctively wanted to ask more, but Mo Yu had already dissolved into a puddle of black pus and flowed out the window. Using his tentacles as a three-dimensional maneuvering device, he transformed into a "flying cat" and vanished into the distance.
There were some things Mo Yu had no interest in explaining further. Words were hollow; only personal experience could lead to true enlightenment.
In the Bleach world-bubble, the concept of "Fate" was relatively weak. The only real fated node was Ichigo Kurosaki's status as a natural Transcender and his role as a Messiah destined to sever ancient causality. Aside from that, Ichigo's destiny was largely unconstrained, full of infinite possibilities.
But in the Conan world-bubble, it was a different story. On this eternal stage where "Law-Settings" were the core, the presence of Fate was overwhelmingly intense.
However, that didn't matter. Mo Yu had already discerned some very interesting information from Ran Mouri.
Deep within Ran's body lay a "Killing Intent" so powerful it could shake the heavens. According to the analysis of the Omniscience Authority, the origin of this intent was bizarre. it seemed to come from Ran herself, yet also felt external—like an infection from without, yet also like a self-nurtured seed. When the Authority tried to dig deeper, it hit an invisible barrier, as if something were isolating his probe.
But as they say, no answer is also an answer. Mo Yu had encountered this before: when Yhwach expanded his Reishi domain, he constructed a symbolic "World" that resisted Mo Yu's Divine Authority. By extension, the barrier on Ran was likely a shield imposed by the World itself.
Clues were emerging, but the mystery was growing. Mo Yu didn't mind. Walking through a detective-themed world, peeling back layers of guesswork and evidence to find the hidden truth, was its own reward. After all, the "Heavenly Soul Reaper Super Ark" hadn't arrived yet.
After leaving the Mouri Agency, Mo Yu headed straight for Professor Agasa's house. He wouldn't limit his screening to Ran. While the probability of finding leads at Agasa's was low, he intended to check anyway. Plus, he had other things he wanted to verify with the Professor.
Again, in the form of black pus, he seeped into Agasa's house. The moment he entered, he heard a chilling, weird laugh coming from the basement. Curious, Mo Yu scrambled down to look and found Agasa in the middle of an "experiment."
"Hahahaha! I see now! I understand! Splendid! It's so simple...!"
Agasa was currently wearing a twisted smile that absolutely should not appear in a work for children. Like a mad scientist, he was brandishing a scalpel. The subject on his dissection table was his own Stand.
"Impressive. Truly worthy of being Atsushi Miyano's best friend!"
Atsushi Miyano was the father of Shiho and Akemi, a "mad scientist" driven out of the scientific community and Agasa's long-time friend. Agasa had always told the world that Atsushi wasn't actually that crazy, but it seemed Agasa himself possessed that same "mad scientist" potential.
Mo Yu watched for a moment, unable to help himself from admiring the scene. He even whipped out a camera—snatched from a shelf in Agasa's living room—and started snapping photos of the Professor's "exquisite" expression.
Hearing a sound behind him, Agasa jumped and spun around. Seeing no human, but only a black cat with crimson eyes manically snapping photos, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh, just a black cat that takes pictures... I thought it was a thief. Wait... cats can't take pictures! Who are you!?"
Mo Yu stuffed the camera into his "stomach" and grinned at Agasa.
"Hello, Professor Agasa. My name is Q-Coin. I'm a salesman from the 'Xin-Yue Fairy Tale World,' a place of dreams and happiness. Lately, I've been looking for gullible folks to sign magical contracts so I can harvest their souls for my quota. Professor, your twisted smile during dissection is great—full of fairy tale dreams. Interested in signing a contract to become a Magical Girl—or rather, a Magical Old Man? In exchange for your soul, I can grant you one wish."
Mo Yu's villainous aesthetic was consistent: he rarely lied, and even his playful words carried weight. Even if he was speaking through a Shoggoth-cat, he was still the holder of the Old Testament Godhood.
A promise from God is never light. Once spoken, it carries the weight of oceans and hells, and the price matches. Trading a soul for one wish from God was actually a bargain.
Of course, Agasa wasn't enlightened enough to grasp the weight of the offer. His reaction was similar to Ran's.
"Are you some reporter's Stand? I'm telling you, I have no info on Shinichi Kudo, and I don't know anything about a 'Great Secret Treasure.' This is trespassing! I'll call the police...!"
Mo Yu sighed. Was his cat form not cute enough? Why was everyone so defensive?
"Fine. I'm too lazy to explain. Let's just use the Fairy Tale World's negotiation style. Kekeke... Professor, you wouldn't want photos of you with a perverted, twisted smile dissecting your own Stand to appear in every alleyway in Beika, would you?"
"You... you...!" Agasa was speechless. In the past, he might have ignored it as a reputation issue, but after being hounded by shameless reporters lately, he knew how far they would go for a scoop. He didn't dare let those photos leak. He quickly pivoted: "If I catch you and take the camera back, the problem is solved! Feel the power of an inventor! Go, my Stand...!"
Agasa's Stand lunged from the table, but it was wobbling like it had downed several crates of cheap booze. Agasa winced; he had anesthetized his Stand for the experiment, and the drug hadn't worn off.
"Heh. Professor, you're very cooperative. You've given me a reason to strike. Come, feel the 'happiness' of the Fairy Tale World."
Under Agasa's horrified gaze, the black cat's head split down the middle, tentacles swarming out as shadows swallowed the basement once more.
The battle wasn't worth describing. A drugged Stand and a "three-highs" (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol) fat old man who hated exercise? Spending more words on the fight would just make Mo Yu look cruel.
"Wait! Stop! My lower back can't take it anymore...!"
The shadows receded. Agasa and his Stand were face-down on the floor, covered in dust. The black cat sat on the Professor's back, elegantly licking its whiskers.
"Alright. We've 'bonded' through our fists. According to the traditions of fairy tales and fighting manga, we're friends now. And since we're friends, I have a small favor to ask. I'm sure you won't refuse."
Agasa shouted, "Friend? I'm just an old inventor with brittle bones! I can't be a Magical Girl! Find someone else!"
Mo Yu curled his lip. "Relax. I only take willing victims. I won't force you into a career change. I just want one of your inventions. Actually, I want you to mod one for me."
All of Conan's gadgets were Agasa's work. While they seemed like toys, they were pure "Conan-Science." The Voice-Changing Bowtie, the Soccer Ball Belt... but the most "broken" were the Power-Enhancing Kick Shoes.
To Mo Yu, those shoes were the "Hogyoku" of the Conan world—a core treasure with the value to change reality. He had once even brainstormed a fanfiction outline about a protagonist using those shoes to build a global syndicate and crush world governments. He decided to test that theory now.
Agasa, relieved it was just an invention, agreed immediately.
"I want the Power-Enhancing Kick Shoes," Mo Yu said.
The shoes worked by using electrical and magnetic currents to stimulate acupoints, unleashing incredible physical strength. At the highest setting, Conan could kick a falling satellite. While the "Protagonist Status" helped, the gear was the catalyst.
Mo Yu continued: "But I don't just want shoes. Professor, use the same tech to make a pair of strength-enhancing gloves and a waist-power-boosting belt. Then, create a simple, skin-tight exoskeleton frame to link them all together. Cover the whole thing in a cool latex or rubber suit. Oh, and make it a women's model. Use Ran Mouri's measurements..."
A full-body muscle-stimulating armor under a bodysuit? That was basically a Kamen Rider suit—or in this case, a Magical Girl Transformation Trial Card. Even if Ran hadn't agreed yet, the "Gift Pack" was ready.
Agasa looked troubled. "I have prototype shoes I can give you, and I can make the others. But I've never tried packaging them into one suit. The main issue is... research takes money. I'm a bit short on funds lately..."
Agasa's finances were always a mystery. He had enough to make toys and take kids on trips, but as a top-tier scientist who befriended the Miyanos, he lacked the "business brain" or the "thick skin" to get major investment.
Mo Yu didn't care about money. "Ten million upfront. After I verify the results, I'll add an initial investment of one billion yen. How does that sound?"
Agasa froze. "What... ten million and one billion?"
"If the product passes my test, I buy it for ten million. If the tech path is sound, I'll invest a billion to support your research. You can have more later. Don't worry, the 'Xin-Yue Fairy Tale World' is generous with investors. As long as our strategic direction is aligned, I won't micromanage. You get full autonomy."
Agasa felt his back stop aching and his legs stop hurting. Strength flooded his body. He suddenly felt that being a "Magical Old Man" wasn't out of the question.
He jumped up and beat his chest. "Leave it to me! With my Stand, [Mechanical Dexterity], I can finish this in no time!"
Mo Yu watched him for a second. "Good. I'm going to the 'Jungle' to farm some mobs for cash. I'll be back."
Mo Yu left, looking thoughtful. He had noticed something off about Agasa. This Professor was slightly different from the original: he had a sharper "Mad Scientist" edge. His moral compass had dropped a few notches—not only could he dissect his own Stand, but he felt no hesitation in serving a suspicious entity like Mo Yu as long as the money was right.
During their brief clash, Mo Yu sensed a trace of "Madness" in Agasa, similar to the "Killing Intent" in Ran. He had a theory, but he needed a third clue to confirm it.
A few hours later, Mo Yu returned to Agasa's basement and dropped a heavy burlap sack on the floor.
"Professor, I'm back from farming. Come get your money."
Agasa rubbed his hands. "Is that the ten million? It's a huge bag... and it's moving quite a bit. Ten million in cash is quite 'lively,' isn't it? Wait... why is the money moving!?"
"I figured I'd go for a 'Live Check' instead," Mo Yu said.
He unzipped the bag, revealing a bound and gagged Sonoko Suzuki, squirming like a caterpillar!
Mo Yu looked at the heiress of the Suzuki Zaibatsu and gave a "kind" smile.
"Eldest Miss Suzuki, my apologies for not greeting you properly when I 'invited' you. Let me introduce myself: I am Q-Coin, a mascot familiar from the 'Xin-Yue Fairy Tale World.' I was out for a stroll and noticed your purity, kindness, and most importantly, your massive wealth. I think you have the potential to be 'Magical Girl No. 2.' So, are you interested in paying a ten-billion-one-hundred-million-yen 'Training Fee' to become a Magical Girl? We guarantee education, certification, and job placement..."
Author's Note: The current plot point regarding Ran Mouri is controversial to some, but the author has no interest in "shipping." Ran's character in the original is a product of its era—a "Yamato Nadeshiko" childhood friend. The rivalry between her and Ai Haibara is a result of thirty years of serialization with no main plot progression.
The core of this Conan arc is the battle of conviction between Crime and Heroism under the jumping world-lines. To give the plot impact, these setups are necessary. Please be patient; the author aims to tell a memorable story. The "Reality Arc" will also come.
End of Chapter
Like this story Leave a review ; it would really help me out a lot.
Want to Read Ahead in Advance?
Join my Patreon!
+75 Chapters
Support me in
Patreon.com/BestElysium