...Yes, yes, Inspector Megure, please come quickly!"
Conan hung up the phone in the booth, feeling slightly relieved.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police would arrive in at most thirty minutes. During this time, he just needed to keep the Junior Detective League from entering the Renhe Building and watch to see if anyone came out!
This operation should be the safest among the Junior Detective League's reckless adventures!
However, when the death-bringing elementary school student turned around to look at the open space in front of the Renhe Building where the Junior Detective League had been standing...
He fell silent, because there was no one there.
"I take back what I said earlier. This operation might be the most dangerous one yet!"
——————
At this moment, the members of the Junior Detective League were nervously making their way up the stairs.
Haibara Ai, trailing at the back, kept glancing subtly at the black-clad man behind them.
When she was still a member of the Black Organization, she had seen plenty of operatives from the organization's action unit.
Each of them wore black and carried a dangerous aura, just like this man.
But why would a Black Organization operative accompany the Junior Detective League? What was his goal? Could he be one of the members of this kidnapping ring? Was that why he followed them in?
Haibara Ai's heart grew heavier.
She glanced back again, only to find that the black-clad man in sunglasses had disappeared!
"What? Where did he go?"
The former Black Organization member immediately turned to scan the stairwell.
But the black-clad man had vanished without a trace.
Hearing Haibara Ai's soft exclamation, Ayumi turned around and whispered even more quietly, "Keep it down, Haibara. We're here!"
...We're here?
Haibara Ai looked up at Genta, who was leading the way.
She saw the Junior Detective League's number one reckless pioneer push open the door to the third-floor room, exclaiming, "It's unlocked!" as he boldly stepped into the kidnappers' hideout.
Seeing this, Haibara Ai felt her heart skip a beat, but she gritted her teeth and followed the others inside.
Just one look at the setup inside the hideout told Haibara Ai that this wasn't a kidnapping ring at all. On the contrary, it was a counterfeit money printing operation. The nearby printing machine was still warm...
This meant the counterfeiters hadn't been gone for long!
Her heart sank as she watched Genta uncover the unfinished printing plates for the Soseki Natsume 1,000-yen bills, listened to Mitsuhiko's excited shouts, and heard Ayumi's puzzled questions————
With a creak, the hidden room on the third floor opened.
Silver Fox, who had seen the Junior Detective League members on the surveillance feed, appeared at the door.
She pushed the bound artist out, flanked by two armed accomplices.
The scene instantly stunned the members of the Junior Detective League.
"Let's end this little detective game of yours, kids."
Silver Fox raised her gun, aiming it at the Junior Detective League members.
She didn't know how these kids had found this place, but now that they had seen the printing machine and the bill plates, she couldn't let them leave alive.
"You have nowhere to run. Let me think about how to deal with you to speed things up..."
Creak————
The door to the third floor swung open.
The two members sent to keep watch and deal with any followers collapsed stiffly on either side.
Silver Fox's pupils contracted sharply.
A figure clad in black stood at the doorway, calmly stepping over the unconscious criminals and walking toward Silver Fox and her two remaining accomplices, appearing completely at ease.
The fact that he still had the leisure to shield the flame of his lighter with his hand to light a cigarette spoke volumes.
"Y-you... who are you?!"
The accomplice who had bought the color-changing ink for Silver Fox couldn't help but turn his gun toward the black-clad man.
His voice trembled with fear, and his hand holding the gun shook.
Because he thought of the urban legend that had recently emerged in Beika Town.
A black-clad specter that roamed the night, taking the lives of every criminal...
"Who I am doesn't matter. It's not important."
Nara Hikaru placed the cigarette between his lips and spoke calmly.
"What matters is that you won't be able to continue your criminal activities for much longer."
"Because I'm here."
In the next instant, the lighter flew out like a dart, striking the accomplice's hand.
Instantly, the gun fell from his grip.
Nara Hikaru surged forward, and in less than a second, he was standing in front of Silver Fox. The other armed accomplice, bandaged and standing beside her, was already enjoying a peaceful slumber.
The once five-strong armed criminal group was now reduced to just Silver Fox!
The black-clad, hat-wearing woman pointed her gun at Nara Hikaru's head, her hand trembling.
"I-I'll kill you... Don't you believe I'll shoot?"
"Of course I believe you will. But there's one more thing I want to ask if you believe."
Nara Hikaru tossed the cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his foot.
Then he looked up, meeting Silver Fox's gaze, and spoke calmly.
"Madam, do you believe that even with your gun pointed at my head, I can make you see your own brains before you pull the trigger? I can assure you, that kind of death is truly gruesome."
Silver Fox instinctively took a step back.
Even though she was the one holding the gun and had the upper hand, all she felt was fear and unease!
She watched as Nara Hikaru reached into his pocket and pulled out a 100-yen coin.
...What is he doing?
Silver Fox didn't know. She just stared nervously at Nara Hikaru's movements.
"Of course, you can also play a game with me. Let's bet on whether your gun has bullets."
"I'll wager this 100-yen coin that your gun has no bullets. If you want to play, you can pull the trigger now."
"If there are bullets, you can kill me and take the coin."
"If there are no bullets, I'll kill you."
Nara Hikaru, clad in his black coat, spoke with calm composure.
"So, do you want to play? It's simple, dangerous, but the stakes are high."
"All you have to do is pull the trigger, like you've done countless times before..."
"What's wrong? Don't you dare play?"
...This guy is insane, a complete madman!
The death-bringing elementary school student, peeking into the room from outside the third-floor door, felt a chill run down his spine.
Who in their right mind would bet that a gun meant to kill them had no bullets?
Conan raised his watch and opened the aiming lens.
He had to act, to save this skilled but reckless good Samaritan in black!