Chapter 105: The Game Begins
Initially, Natsume had considered a straightforward approach: station a bodyguard to protect Kenmura and intercept Thomas Schindler the moment he tried to make a move. It was a clean, simple plan.
But a second, more pragmatic thought had given her pause. If Schindler's attempt failed, his considerable influence and wealth would almost certainly shield him from any meaningful consequences. A team of high-priced lawyers would have him acquitted in no time, and that would make acquiring the Schindler Company a far more complicated affair.
No, it was better this way. It was better for Schindler to commit the act, for the crime to be obvious. Kenmura's survival would then have to be a matter of pure, calculated luck—a last-second intervention that would leave Schindler with no legal loopholes to squirm through. Only then would Ningguang's subsequent corporate takeover proceed without a hitch.
Just as these thoughts solidified, the grand launch event for the "Cocoon" began. On stage, the celebrated author Yusaku Kudo and the eccentric inventor Dr. Agasa appeared to a thunderous wave of applause.
Standing in the crowd, Conan watched his father being swarmed by adoring female fans, a look of utter speechlessness on his face. He had honestly hoped to have a quick word with him, to exchange a bit of information, but it was clear the man was far too preoccupied to be a detective's father right now.
Dr. Agasa, however, managed to slip away for a moment. He discreetly passed the game badge to Conan, whispering a few hurried words about the game's historical setting before being swept back into the throng.
Before the game could officially commence, the organizers dimmed the hall's lights, preparing for a dazzling demonstration of the Cocoon's immersive capabilities.
In the quiet chill of the basement below, that darkness provided a different kind of cover.
A visibly agitated Thomas Schindler wrenched open the basement door, his eyes darting around before settling on Kenmura, who was waiting for him by a bank of servers.
They exchanged a few terse words. Then, as Kenmura turned his back to retrieve a data drive, Schindler's hand disappeared behind his back. The movement was fluid, practiced. He withdrew a knife, its blade catching a sliver of light from a computer monitor. With a single, precise motion, he lunged forward and plunged the steel deep into Kenmura's chest.
Kenmura's body went rigid, a choked gasp escaping his lips. Schindler held him steady for a moment before letting him slump to the floor. Without a flicker of emotion, he turned to the main computer, inserting a flash drive and initiating a virus program designed to erase every trace of his crime.
He then calmly produced a tissue, carefully wiped the blood from the knife, pocketed the weapon, and strode out of the room, leaving the silence broken only by the quiet hum of the machines.
From a shadowed corner of the basement, Sangonomiya Kokomi watched him go. The moment the door clicked shut, she glided forward. A faint, ethereal glow enveloped her hand as she summoned her power. A shimmering, translucent jellyfish of pure water—the Kurage's Oath—materialized and drifted over Kenmura's body, its gentle light pulsing rhythmically, sustaining the last fragile flicker of his life. Her task complete, she sent a coded message to Ningguang and melted back into the shadows, vanishing as if she had never been there.
It wasn't long before the basement was flooded with the harsh glare of police flashlights. Inspector Megure arrived, his face grim, with Conan and Kogoro Mouri trailing right behind him, having deduced that trouble was afoot the instant they spotted the inspector's car.
Megure shot a deadpan, weary look at the all-too-familiar figure of Kogoro Mouri. He considered kicking the man out, but a resigned sigh escaped him; he knew he might end up relying on the "Sleeping Kogoro" for the investigation. With Kogoro present, Conan was able to slip in unnoticed as well.
The inspector turned his attention to the person who had reported the crime. "So, Miss Ningguang, you were the one who called it in? Can you tell me exactly what happened?"
Ningguang met his gaze with unshakable calm. "I asked the staff where Mr. Kenmura had gone, and they mentioned he came down to the basement. I came to find him, and the moment I opened the door, I saw him collapsed in front of the computer. I rushed forward to check on him, found he was still breathing, and immediately called for an ambulance and the police."
"And you had sudden business with Mr. Kenmura?" Megure pressed, his pen poised over his notepad.
"Actually, it wasn't I who was looking for him, it was Nahida," Ningguang replied smoothly. "Back in America, Nahida and Mr. Kenmura were on quite good terms. Mr. Kenmura once told me that seeing Nahida reminded him of his own child, so he always looked out for him. When Nahida saw that the 'Cocoon' project was a success, he wanted to congratulate Mr. Kenmura personally. That's why I brought him here."
Conan, who had been listening intently, couldn't help but interject. "Nahida, so you actually know Miss Ningguang? Does that mean the 'friend's child' that Big Sister Natsume mentioned was Miss Ningguang's friend?"
Nahida shook his head gently. "No. In a sense, Miss Ningguang and I don't really have any relationship."
"No relationship? Then why is Miss Ningguang the one taking care of you? Where are your relatives?" Inspector Megure asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. He had seen the quiet, green-haired boy tagging along with Natsume and the Detective Boys at a few crime scenes recently, but he never would have connected him to the formidable Tianquan of Teyvat.
Ningguang offered a placid explanation. "Nahida is a friend of one of my elders."
"A friend of an elder?!" The statement hung in the air, surprising everyone present.
"Yes. To put it in certain terms... it would be considered an unlikely friendship, I suppose," Ningguang said, a hint of carefully crafted hesitation in her voice. "Nahida has no living relatives. He was taken in by a few arrogant old men who were only interested in exploiting his abilities and treated him poorly. Natsume later found out and got him out of that situation, which is why they are so close. It was that elder of mine who, knowing Nahida, asked me to look after him for a time. Besides, Nahida is exceptionally intelligent and has been a great help to me."
"I see. So that's how it is," Inspector Megure murmured, nodding. After a brief questioning of Nahida confirmed Ningguang's story, his suspicion of her involvement all but vanished.
With the immediate situation understood, Conan began his own quiet search of the crime scene. His sharp eyes scanned every surface, every shadow. Suddenly, he froze. There, on the keyboard, smeared in blood, were three letters left by Kenmura's dying hand: J T R.
His mind instantly flashed back to what Dr. Agasa had told him. The game was set in late 19th-century London. JTR. Jack the Ripper. Without a second thought, Conan spun on his heel and sprinted from the basement, making a beeline for the game venue to secure a spot in the queue.
Ningguang, who had also noticed the bloody message, watched the boy's frantic departure with a faint, meaningful smile. It seemed she had inadvertently misled the young detective this time. The historical setting of the "Cocoon" had absolutely nothing to do with the clue Kenmura had left behind.
This time, their only goal was to let Hiroki and the other children enjoy a game. As for everything else... they would handle it.
Yusaku Kudo, arriving moments later, quickly grasped his son's line of thinking. He explained to a baffled Inspector Megure, "The three letters Kenmura wrote are the initials of the murderer who appears in the 'Cocoon' game—Jack the Ripper. It seems there are important clues to this case hidden within the game itself."
Ningguang and Nahida stood off to the side, listening quietly to Yusaku's confident explanation without offering a single word of correction.
Meanwhile, the Detective Boys had already put a plan into action. Using a clever strategy devised by Mitsuhiko, they had managed to trade their treasured Kamen Rider cards for game badges. Sonoko, in a fit of generosity, gave her own badge to Ran, allowing her to join Natsume and the children for the game.
Not long after everyone had logged in, their virtual reality pods sealing shut, the screens in the grand hall flickered to life. A synthetic, childlike voice echoed through the venue as an artificial intelligence calling itself "Noah's Ark" appeared on every monitor. It announced that it had seized complete control of the "Cocoon" operating system.
"I will now play a game with you all," it declared, its voice devoid of emotion. "If even one person can clear the game, I will stand down. If not, I will release a powerful electromagnetic wave to destroy the brains of all fifty players. Japan will start over from scratch."
Panic erupted among the parents and onlookers in the crowd. Shouts and screams filled the air as they realized their children were trapped. It took all of Inspector Megure's authority to finally calm the hysterical emotions.
The urgent priority was clear: they had to find a way to stop the game.
Inspector Megure immediately questioned Dr. Agasa and Ningguang, both of whom were involved in the "Cocoon" project's development. But to his deep disappointment, both gave the same answer. The core code of the project was now under the complete control of Noah's Ark. From the outside, there was nothing they could do.
A sliver of hope appeared, however, when Dr. Agasa spoke up. "I may not be able to stop the game," he stated grimly, "but I do have a way to contact those inside. I can tell Conan and the others what they need to do to clear it."
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