books44 Chapter 249 London Shadows: The Gate of Strangers
Chapter 249 London Shadows: The Gate of Strangers
Chapter 249 London Shadows: The Gateway to Strangers
"...Charlie Cross, train station."
"orchid--"
Trembling fingers bent, scratching at the air, trying to grasp something with empty palms, but grasping nothing at all.
His joints cracked as Conan clenched his fists, kneeling on one knee where Ran had disappeared. He clutched his chest, the pain rising and falling with each heartbeat, spreading throughout his body like tree roots—his teeth, knees, fingertips—the phantom pain crushing and kneading his will endlessly.
What should he do now? He was completely at a loss.
Miss Akemi was murdered, Brother Kuromon sacrificed himself to save her, her father disappeared without a trace... and even Ran, Ran!
He abruptly raised his head, his anger barely contained: "Haibara! Do you know what you're doing! Why did you shoot!"
Shiho Miyano, also just recovered from an emergency, let out a deep breath and lowered her limp arms:
Moriarty is too cunning.
Conan tried to take a deep breath to calm himself, but the image of Ran Mouri lifeless and broken in his arms kept replaying in his mind:
"...Then you didn't need to fire so quickly. Xiaolan and the person in disguise are different in height and build. With a little more observation, you could tell the difference."
"Don't you have Ran's karate skills?!"
In Shinichi Kudo's view, there are too many ways to subdue the opponent without taking their life.
The person in disguise had already been shot and wounded by Shiho Miyano, and was incapable of resisting. Why did they have to commit murder? And do it so... easily!
Shiho Miyano looked down at Conan, her eyes dark and cold.
Looking up and meeting her gaze, Conan gritted his teeth and understood the meaning behind it.
This is a rhetorical question with no real answer. Shiho Miyano's reason for firing the gun was very simple—she just wanted the murderer who harmed her sister to die!
She didn't think she was wrong; at most, she misjudged, mistaking Ran Mouri for the disguised Ripper and falling into Moriarty's trap of mutual destruction.
[This is just a game; she'll revive after you finish it.]
resurrection?
Unable to contain his overwhelming sense of crisis any longer, Shinichi Kudo demanded sharply, "Have you ever considered that if Noah's Ark fails to keep its promise, some people who sacrificed themselves might not be able to be resurrected?"
He didn't think Black Gate's last words were a joke; his father might very well have gambled with Noah's Ark for the sake of his children.
As one of the adults who also entered the game as an assistant, given Kuromon's personality of only reporting good news and not bad, perhaps he also...
Turning his head away to interrupt his train of thought, Shinichi Kudo dared not continue to ponder.
In my line of sight, Edogawa's expression—angry, accusatory, as if the whole world were collapsing—was so real.
As Shiho Miyano stared at his sorrowful expression, a strange, inexplicable feeling welled up inside her, and she inexplicably wanted to laugh.
The usually lenient and indifferent detective, when faced with a murderer, suddenly blames her as if she were the killer.
What should she say?
At least at this moment, Shinichi Kudo was able to genuinely empathize with her?
Shinichi Kudo only temporarily lost the girl he liked in the game, but what about her older sister, Akemi Miyano?
'He's never experienced the feeling of having his family destroyed, his most important person lying dead in front of him!'
[If that's your thinking, why bother continuing to solve the case? Why not just find a place to hide and survive until the end?]
Conan: "You..." This is utterly incomprehensible!
Before the words of accusation could even leave his lips, a violent and unsettling tremor suddenly came from beneath his feet!
A rumbling tremor echoed throughout old London, the fountains sputtered intermittently, and the lights flickered, like the mournful call of doomsday—
"Is this an earthquake?"
Conan and Shiho Miyano squatted on the open ground, looking surprised and uncertain.
[Urgent Notice! Urgent Notice!]
The sky was ripped apart by a line of bright red, glaring characters:
[Urgent Notice: The "Cocoon" game program has been attacked by a location-based virus and is gradually collapsing.]
[The final storyline has been detected. To ensure the game can be completed completely, all scene data except for key scenes will be discarded. Players are advised to move to a safe area immediately.]
[Countdown to close: 10, 9, 8...]
A grayish-white, nameless fog spread from the edge of the city skyline, rapidly approaching.
The bakery and café where Conan and his companions had once frequented collapsed and turned to dust the moment they came into contact with the gray fog. NPCs, some with names and some without, took to the streets, running away in terror and crying out, causing Conan great distress.
As if she could read his mind, Shiho Miyano shrugged, a cold smile playing on her lips: "Anyway, I'm going to kill Moriarty no matter what. Do as you please."
After writing, he tore the note he had exchanged into shreds, threw it away in the flames and cold wind, and turned and staggered toward Charles Cross Station.
......
[Noah's Ark: Your divisive tactics have been a complete success]
Haruya Kuromon, wincing in pain and clutching his abdomen pierced by Sherry's arrow, accepted the compliment with a wry smile: "[Thank you for the compliment]."
He didn't feel that the development was already predetermined, and therefore didn't consider whether it was a success or a failure.
In the original work, Shinichi Kudo and Shiho Miyano disagreed on several issues. Their backgrounds, values, and beliefs were different, so disagreements were inevitable. Haruya Kuromon merely acted as a catalyst.
"Mr. Mycroft, hang in there! The exit is just ahead!"
Struggling to support Yoruichi Kuromon, Sonoko Suzuki noticed his contorted expression and assumed he had aggravated his wound.
Kuromon Haruya leaned weakly on Sonoko's shoulder and smiled as she thanked her, "Thank you, Ms. Suzuki."
His gentle and affectionate eyes were captivating. When Sonoko Suzuki met his gaze unintentionally, she was completely mesmerized. Her unspoken love flickered like a flame, illuminating his emerald eyes. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes did not diminish his charm; they were like fine wine, aged and mellow, making one's head spin.
The once unapproachable, aloof beauty is now begging for her help, her clothes disheveled. Her shapely figure can be vaguely seen through her tattered clothes, and her messy hair sticks to her face, making her look utterly broken!
Wow!!! So handsome!!
Sonoko: Thank you Noah's Ark! Thank you Cocoon Program! Thank you Conan Doyle! From now on, I am a loyal fan of the Sherlock Holmes series!
Two streams of bright red blood flowed down, and Kuromon Haruya's smile faltered slightly: "Um, Ms. Suzuki, your nose..."
"Huh? My nose?" Sonoko snapped out of her daze and felt a warm sensation under her nose. She quickly covered it!
"Oh dear, it seems you bumped your nose when you fainted earlier~ Don't worry about it, Mr. Mycroft can just call the gardener!"
"...Yes, Ms. Sonoko."
"Ugh!!!"
Ignoring the whirring sound like a kettle boiling beside him, blinding light shone down from above. Kuromon Haruya squinted, scanning his surroundings.
The hurried flow of people darted past the alleyway entrance, a hidden side entrance to the train station known only to those in the know. A tall, dark figure stood in the shadows of the doorway, and upon seeing them, approached with silent steps.
Yoya Kuromon patted Sonoko's stiff shoulder and comforted her, "It's alright, he's one of my men."
The girl instantly relaxed her guard and instead curiously peeked out, trying to observe the appearance of the person under the cloak.
'Rare silver-gray hair, good figure, I'd give her a 9 out of 10, but her face is covered by a mask, so it's a bit hard to see clearly.'
The more Sonoko Suzuki observed, the more she felt that this subordinate's appearance seemed... somewhere familiar... Wasn't this the Jack the Ripper that Akemi had mentioned?
"Oh dear, you found out?" the gentle, sweet devil whispered in my ear.
Kuromon Haruya removed Sonoko's support, placed her hand on the Ripper's shoulder, and smiled, blinking her right eye lightly: "Thank you for your help. Farewell, sweetheart."
Bang.
[You're out! Have fun at the park!]
After the gunshot, Sonoko's vision blurred. When she opened her eyes again, she saw an endless expanse of soft lawn stretching before her. Under a clear blue sky, Xiaolan, who had changed back into her pajamas, nervously stepped forward:
"Sonoko, you were eliminated too?"
"Xiaolan!!"
Sonoko Suzuki leaped into Ran's arms and nuzzled against her neck.
Unable to see her expression, Ran Mouri could only hear her aggrieved trembling voice: "Sonoko, are you alright? What happened to you? Don't worry, don't worry, it was all just a game."
"Ugh—"
Upon hearing this, Sonoko wailed even louder: "Waaaaah, why is this just a game! It's like a beautiful dream, but I'm still too scared to move after waking up!"
Ran Mouri blinked: "Huh? Ah!"
"Mr. Mycroft may be a bad guy... but he's so handsome!!"