Conan: The Man Behind the Romance

Chapter 416: The Firefly Sword dances in all directions, Xiaolan realizes
Under the cover of night, the lights gradually light up.

The old wooden structure reflected a warm yellow light. The cool breeze brushed across the girl's rosy cheeks, spreading across the mountains and fields, evoking the chirping of insects among the swaying shadows of the trees.

On the Qingshui stage, there was a sudden dance of long sleeves.

The candlelight flickered all around, the swords flashed, and the clothes of the gods fluttered, like flowing clouds across the sky.

Zheng——!
The long sword whistled, and its light was as cold as water.

On the high platform of this thousand-year-old ancient temple, the sword light and human shadow blend together, like willow catkins in the wind, like a wonderful painting, the green shirt dances in the wind, as graceful as a startled swan, as elegant as a swimming dragon.

The night breeze from the mountains was chilly, and the audience, who were concentrating and holding their breath, felt their cheeks burning.

The moon, stars, and clouds in the night sky.

Bang-!
Against the backdrop of the dark blue mountains that connect to the sky, fireworks suddenly bloom, illuminating the red leaves on the earth.

The Kyoto Tower in the distance is looming, the neon lights of the city suddenly rise up, the moon in the sky falls, the fireworks are brilliant, and infinite brilliance blends like water, with only this unparalleled sword!
It swirls across the sky, reflecting all aspects of human life.

My mind is pure and peaceful, so I can transform others at ease!
The sword in Yingsheng's hand blended with the breeze and the bright moon, and in the sometimes passionate and sometimes soft sound of the zither, it gave rise to a kind of pure and even otherworldly beauty.

All viewers are mesmerized and feel that they are not an objective existence that is "not me", but that they are enjoying the blessings of nature together with the world and themselves.

Countless thoughts suddenly began to dance, turning into fireflies all over the sky, flying onto the stage under the night sky.

Those are certain thoughts and emotions of the viewer.

Only fireflies can see it.

Thanks to what he learned from Elena, Yingsheng's development of [Alienation] has reached a new level, and he truly understands the usefulness of "the pleasure of using others".

The sword dance tonight is an experiment.

The song has come to an end, and the music is played slowly and gently. The bright light in the sky suddenly condenses into one and blooms like fireworks.

A moment of beauty.

Extremely brilliant!
Suddenly the clouds disappeared and the rain stopped, leaving only the tip of the sword, slowly passing through the eyes as clear as a mirror.

This heart.

This sword.

All are spotless.

Time was quietly frozen at this moment, and everyone was immersed in an indescribable tranquility.

clang--

When the song ends, the sound of feathers floats in the air, and the sounds of swords being put away merge into one, as clear and melodious as the gentle swaying of wind chimes on the eaves.

"In the past there was a beautiful lady named Gongsun, whose sword dance moved all four directions."

"The spectators are like the depressed mountains, and the heaven and earth are long low and high."

On one side of the stage, behind the guzheng.

Someone was chanting softly.

"Like Yi shooting down the nine suns, and as swift as the emperors riding dragons."

"It comes like thunder and ends like the clear light of the sea."

Everyone who gradually came back to their senses looked over and saw Qingliu Qiansu standing up with her zither in her arms. She was wearing a dark green brocade horse-faced skirt that shone brightly in the candlelight, and her black hair in a high ponytail made her look very heroic.

The corners of her lips were slightly raised, and although her appearance was only pretty, she revealed an indescribable free and easy temperament.

"Hina, you are truly a rare beauty in the world."

The breeze blows.

Everyone was stunned.

Although this description is very apt, Liuying is a male after all, so is there something wrong with saying this?

"Haha, thank you for the compliment."

Yingsheng smiled brightly and clasped his sword towards everyone.

"It's embarrassing."

"Please welcome the next guest, Kenta Nakamichi, to bring you a show, Breaking Rocks with Your Heart."

After he finished speaking, a green shadow flashed on the stage, and the firefly disappeared in an instant.

The audience was stunned for two seconds before they shouted excitedly, "One more!" "Shuiyue-kun, I love you!" "Liuying! I want to give birth to a baby for you!"

"..."

The shouts were one after another, extremely enthusiastic, and many people even rushed directly onto the stage and ran towards the backstage.

The lighting event at Kiyomizu Temple was open to the public. Not only students from Teitan High School but also many people from the society came here. The place was crowded because of Hotaru's sword dance.

Japan's fanatics are so crazy that stalking, kidnapping and rape are not a problem for them. Please see "The Kid I Push" for details, not to mention chasing after a gigolo whose identity is open.

Liuying's charm is even greater than what they have seen on the screen in the past. She is no better than any idol.

And he was right in front of me.

And he also said that nominations are welcome!

"Liuying!"

"My firefly!"

For some reason, most of the people who ran after others were men.

Below the stage, Sonoko looked at the place where Hotaru disappeared, and watched it gradually filled with the backs of many fanatical men and women. She was stunned for a long while, and then suddenly looked at Xiaolan with shining eyes.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about! This is how everyone's passion for Firefly should be!"

"........."

Xiaolan's mood was complicated to begin with, and she was still speechless after hearing this. Looking at the commotion around her, she also began to wonder why Yingsheng had this condition tonight.

Could it be that the magic cast by Koizumi-san has failed?
Seeing Qing Liu Qian Su walking towards them with the zither in her arms, Xiao Lan asked, "Is Ying okay?"

"Don't worry, no one can catch up with him." Qing Liu Qian Su handed the guzheng to Xiao Lan, "Do you want to learn? It's very simple."

Xiaolan hesitated for two seconds and shook her head gently, "No, I'm not too interested in music."

"Okay." Aoyagi Chiso hooked her finger at Kenta Nakamichi who was looking bewildered not far away, and when Kenta hurried over, she handed the zither to him, "Help me transport it back to Tokyo, and it's your turn to go on stage and perform the stone-breaking chest trick."

"Ah this..."

Kenta Nakamichi looked down and saw that he did have some pectoral muscles, but compared to the stone...

He smiled awkwardly and said, "Big sister, please forgive me."

"Anyway, I have the elixir and I won't die, so what's there to be afraid of?" Qing Liu Qian Su said casually, not taking it seriously. She looked at Elena beside Xiao Lan, "Xiao Ai and the others are also in Kyoto. They should be here soon. Do you want to pick them up?"

Elena pinched the hem of her skirt, hesitated for two seconds, and nodded.

"please."

Elena said goodbye to Xiaolan, thanked her for her protection for more than half an hour, and left with Aoyagi Chiso.

"Big sister is so handsome."

Looking at their backs, Kenta Nakamichi couldn't help but sigh. He looked down at the guzheng he was holding, his fingers itching to pluck the strings.

But he felt that he was too vulgar and unworthy of such an instrument, so he held back.

"Why do you call her Big Sister?" asked Sonoko.

"Uh... yeah, why did I call her that?" Nakamichi Kenta stole a glance at Xiaolan, and saw that her eyes were a bit obscure under the night sky. He scratched his head and walked away, "It's really inexplicable. I probably watched too many movies."

"I understand."

Xiaolan suddenly spoke.

Kenta Nakamichi paused slightly, then immediately quickened his pace and walked away, not wanting to know at all what Xiaolan understood.

Sonoko looked at Xiaolan with concern.

But she just smiled and said, "I guess at least part of you, Ying, want to train me to be one of the North Stars, but I really don't have the talent, so this is the end of it."

"How could that be? Lan is very capable, okay?" Yuanzi hurriedly encouraged him, but in her heart...

I feel a little lacking in confidence.

Xiaolan shook her head slightly, "Hina is too amazing. Her strength, intelligence, charm, character, and will are all top-notch. She is so perfect that it is almost unreal."

"The more I get along with him, the more I find him to be unfathomable and as vast as the ocean."

“Xuantian…”

"To be honest, I now somewhat believe that He really exists. Ying did receive divine revelation."

"How could such a man who can be called the Son of God fall in love with an ordinary human like me?"

Xiaolan paused and smiled bitterly.

"I used to often say to Ying, 'As a human being' and 'How humans are', but it always felt a bit strange, because isn't he a human being himself?"

"But now it seems..."

"Lan, you think too much."

Sonoko interrupted, "I think it's just a Chuunibyou habit, just like Rikka Takanashi, who always likes to talk about mortal gods. I admit that he is indeed very powerful, but compared to Mr. Kidd, he is still far behind."

"Oh, yes, and there's Kaito Kidd." Xiaolan looked at Kuroba Kaito not far away with a dim gaze.

"Uh..." Kuroba Kaito scratched his head after hearing the general idea, "Kid is just a thief. Of course he can't be a match for Suigetsu. He is too powerful."

"Hey, hey, they haven't competed before, how do you know?" Yuanzi glared at him unconvinced.

"It's about the spirit and pattern. I always feel that he is not in the same style as us. We are in a youth campus, and his is a more real world." Kuroba Kaito came over, "Did Vermouth say anything when he died?"

"It's nothing, he passed away peacefully." Xiaolan said.

"Is that so... That's fine." Kuroba Kaito looked at Xiaolan and asked with a smile, "Can I hug you?"

"Eh?!!!"

Yuanzi was shocked, not knowing why this guy suddenly came again, and hurriedly held Xiaolan tighter.

"Are you going to study abroad?" Xiaolan asked.

"Well, we'll leave tomorrow." said Kuroba Kaito.

Xiaolan slowly pulled away Sonoko's hand, and in this ancient temple that carries the past, in the breeze that blows through the red leaves all over the mountains in the forest, she gently embraces Kuroba Kaito.

All the sounds around became so distant. The world was completely silent, with only the rustling sound of the treetops remaining.

A few moments.

"Thank you." said Kuroba Kaito.

"Is this my farewell to you?" Xiaolan asked.

"Ninety percent, and the other ten percent is out of my personal selfishness. You are excellent."

"You too, Mr. Detective." "Am I being called a nice guy?" Kuroba Kaito said with a smile as he let go of the hug. "Do you have any message for me?"

"Well... study hard, you are a very good detective. In the future you will definitely find the most suitable girl and live a happy life." Xiaolan said.

"...I always feel that this is a bit too formal." Kuroba Kaito shrugged, "In fact, I still want to take a group photo with everyone. It depends on when Suigetsu will come back."

Although they all knew that the person who was actually saying goodbye to Xiaolan was Conan.

"Hina just came back."

Xiaolan looked towards the stage.

Yingsheng was leaning against the pillar beside the stage, wearing a white baseball cap and a black windbreaker. He looked up at them and smiled.

"Sorry, everyone was a little over enthusiastic."

Because of the previous events, many of the social personnel here have dispersed, and most of those who remain are from Teitan High School.

Moreover, Yingsheng has weakened the concept of his "firefly" existence through the art of reducing his presence, so people who see him now will not find him as charming as before.

"You guys are really a big star now."

Sonoko crossed her arms and snorted.

"How could that be? Just wait until everyone calms down." Hotaru jumped off the stage and looked at Kuroba Kaito, "I'm sorry about Kiyoko. I couldn't save her."

"Um... you don't need to apologize to me for this." Kuroba Kaito sighed, "But it's a pity for Kiyoko."

"Because you said at the time that we would take a group photo under the maple leaves of Kiyomizu Temple, so I'm sorry for letting you slip of your words." Hotaru looked around and locked onto a target, "Akiyama-san, please help me take the photo."

Kuroba Kaito was stunned, "Don't you feel sorry for Kiyoko's death?"

"Of course I feel sorry, but this cannot change the reality." Yingsheng walked towards Akiyama Ena, "And with Xuantian's blessing, death is not the end of life."

Kuroba Kaito couldn't understand and was about to say something, but when he saw Hotaru turned around and gave him a look that only he could see, he suddenly froze in place.

The clear and innocent eyes seemed to be ignorant of the world, and the natural tenderness was accompanied by the faint light of the lavender crystal reflecting the moonlight...

That is the look in Xuesong Kiyoko's eyes!

Kuroba Kaito suddenly thought of a possibility.

Yingsheng is likely to be able to disguise himself, and there have been rumors that he can dress up as a woman, so...

Could it be that he is actually Xuesong Qingzi? !
Of course, the dead Qingzi was also someone else, but maybe they shared an identity to some extent?!
If Yingsheng knew that he had kindly asked Qingzi's personality to come out and say hello to him, but was misunderstood like this, he would be so speechless that he would want to punch himself.

To keep you free.

Fortunately, he couldn't really read people's minds, so he just told Ena Akiyama his request and then took everyone to a great photo spot he had discovered in the afternoon.

It didn't take long before they walked along the stone path to a red maple forest. The dim lights on the eaves of the Achievement Courtyard penetrated the shadows of the trees and reflected the mottled stone walls.

"The Moon Garden has a beautiful view during the day, but the light is not enough at night."

Akiyama Ena adjusted the exposure of her mobile phone camera to the maximum, looked around and looked at Hotaru.

"Wait a mininute."

Yingsheng said as he dialed the number, "First place three in the north, I'll check the light."

Ten seconds later, a sharp whistle resounded throughout the courtyard, and three points of light leaped up from the ground, suddenly cutting through the night sky like morning stars. The light faded after reaching its peak, and the brief silence made countless people who were attracted hold their breath.

In an instant, colorful and gorgeous flowers bloomed in the night sky, and the light surged like a tide, casting its brilliant fragrance on the faces of all those who looked up.

The "bang" sound came a little later, like some kind of drum signal, which aroused many exclamations and laughter in the darkness.

“Is there enough light?”

Hotaru looked at Ena Akiyama.

Akiyama Ena was stunned for two seconds before she realized what the purpose of Hotaru's order to set off the fireworks was. She glanced at her phone, which she had just pointed at somewhere, and said cautiously:
"Can you do it again?"

"……certainly."

Just as Yingsheng was about to ask people to set off fireworks again, a girl with braids and wearing black-framed glasses came running over from the side of Chengjiuyuan. She stopped in front of everyone, held her knee with her left hand to catch her breath, raised a silver-white digital camera in her right hand, and looked up with a happy look in her eyes.

"Yuanzi, you brought your camera."

"Thank you, Kaoru-chan." Sonoko took the camera and handed it to Ena Akiyama. "The light just now is enough. Ena, please take a good picture of us. I will take pictures of you later."

Of course, Sonoko had made preparations for the school trip.

"This is the latest model from Sony. Is today my lucky day?" Ena Akiyama familiarized herself with the camera, took a few steps back, and placed the three people, Hotaru, in the viewfinder.

"You can take a closer look, the background will be pretty good later." Yingsheng said.

Naturally, he also prepared a camera, but since he had noticed that Sonoko had asked Harano Kaoru for help, he certainly wouldn't do it again.

"Will there be fireworks behind us? That would create a great atmosphere." Ena Akiyama tapped the camera a few times and continued to back away. "It has a smooth zoom assist. How about I give you a Hitchcock zoom?"

"That's all thanks to you, but please watch your feet first and be careful not to fall," Yingsheng said.

"In order to protect the camera that I can't afford to replace even if I sell it, I will definitely turn into a tumbler." Ena Akiyama used the flashlight on her mobile phone to illuminate the ground, and gently swept away the gravel and branches on both sides with her feet to clear a path.

"Aren't you going to wait for Chisou to come back?" asked Sonoko.

"After all, we were the ones being talked about at the time. If she wanted to take photos later, it would be an independent event," Yingsheng said.

"Eh? Let's put things in perspective..." Sonoko hesitated, "Although this is respectful to her, won't it be a bit strange?"

"I don't think intimacy and respect conflict with each other. Even if the standards change, they should be determined by us together, rather than following some kind of 'offensive' convention."

"...I can't argue with you at all, Mr. Gentleman."

Looking back, Sonoko discovered that Hotaru had indeed always been very polite and restrained.

But isn't this a sign that he has no heart?

Is this how he treats Qian Su?
"Respect each other like guests?" Xiaolan suddenly asked.

"...No, it's just pure friendship." Yingsheng said.

Few people believed what he said. Akiyama Ena and Harano Kaoru looked at each other, their eyes full of excitement of being a spectator.

Unfortunately, nothing happened there, and Ena Akiyama could only say that she was ready.

Yingsheng notified the person on the other end of the phone to light the fire, then put away his phone and threw away his baseball cap, and stood on Xiaolan's left.

Xiaolan's right hand is clasped with Sonoko's and hangs at her waist. On Sonoko's right is Kuroba Kaito.

A gentle breeze blew by, and the courtyard was filled with silence.

Suddenly, countless fireworks rose into the sky like a ring, surrounding the entire Moon Garden, and exploded in the air one after another. Under the dark blue sky, colorful brilliant lights continued, reflecting the outline of this thousand-year-old temple, which was magnificent.

Click——!
The picture was frozen in an instant. No matter what their mood was at the moment, they all had smiles on their faces, which were illuminated by the glow of the fireworks and looked as vivid as a painting.

There was not just one round of fireworks, but they continued to rise into the sky, turning the night into day.

Following the instructions on the camera screen, Ena Akiyama slowly walked forward and began taking pictures.

The edge of the thousand-stone Buddha group not far away.

Haibara Ai looked up at the brilliant sea of ​​fireworks in the night sky for a long time. Her heart, which had been inexplicably nervous, calmed down and her gaze slightly turned away.

Under the bright light, Elena also looked down at her.

After someone around them uttered an out-of-tune "Amazing", the two smiled at each other.

Ai Huihara raised her hand and held it with Elena.

The blood connection made the warmth in the palm of her hand even clearer, and Haibara Ai finally relaxed completely.

"Sorry, Mom, I'm just not used to it."

"I should be the one who is sorry. I have been away from you for so long, and I do look a little too young now."

Of course, Elena would not blame her life, but when she finally reunited with her two daughters after a long separation and saw the shock on their faces...

It's still a bit embarrassing after all.

"I'm a child now, it's okay for you to be like this, mom." Huihara Ai looked up to the other side again, with a strange tone, "But for my sister, it's a little... um..."

She didn't know what to say.

Miyano Akemi was wearing a light green long dress, with her long black hair naturally draped behind her head, and she had a beautiful and gentle appearance.

But she looked at Elena with a strange look in her eyes, "Mom, if the two of us go shopping together, people will definitely think I'm the ugly sister."

Haibara Ai:"……"

Elena: “…”

The two were speechless but had to admit that this possibility was very high.

"How about... Mingmei also do some drug modification on Silver Bullet?" Elena suggested.

Miyano Akemi's heart trembled and her body subconsciously tensed up. After catching a glimpse of Aoyagi Chisou's calm gaze not far away, she quickly relaxed, smiled and shook her head gently.

"Forget it. I know you have improved the Silver Bullet, but I don't have that idea at the moment."

"All right……"

Elena hesitated for a few seconds, "Actually, Suigetsu-kun proposed an idea for my new identity. He hopes that I will change my last name to Huiyuan and be Ai's mother in public."

"Huh?!!!" ×2
Haibara Ai and Miyano Akemi were both stunned. A mother changed her surname to follow her daughter. How could this be so anti-heroic!
Elena was also a little awkward, but she felt that what Yingsheng said made sense, so she continued: "Because of what happened before, many people know the surname Miyano. Although my change of surname makes no difference in the eyes of those who know it, it can always avoid some unnecessary trouble in daily life."

"A lot of people know about this..." Huiyuan Ai muttered softly, her tone becoming somewhat resentful again, "It's all because of that guy Vermouth, who spread the news everywhere on the Internet."

"Vermouth..." Elena sighed softly, "She's already dead. She spread the news to cause trouble for Suigetsu-kun, but her goal was not achieved."

News about Firefly and the winery has been flying all over the dark web for a long time, most of which came from Vermouth.

Even if she later established a cooperative relationship with Yingsheng, she would not be able to take back the information that had been spread.

Even Noah's Ark couldn't do it.

"So..." Miyano Akemi said in a strange tone, "Do I need to change my last name to Haibara as well?"

“…Don’t do that.”

Haibara Ai shook her head vigorously, held her hands on both sides, and looked up at the fireworks that were still going on.

"We'll talk about that later. Let's just watch the fireworks first. That guy is really extravagant."

"I have a camera here too. Would you like to take a few pictures?" Qingliu Qiansu waved the silver-white camera in her hand towards them.

"please."

The three of them said in unison.

Not far away, beside the town hall, Judy retreated into the shadows and pressed the microphone.

"The target did not behave in any unusual manner," she said.

"There's no one in Tokyo either." Akai Shuichi's voice came through the headset, "The Hakuba detective knows that Mizutsuki Hotaru has an ambiguous relationship with the upper echelons, and he plans to use the media to make a big deal out of it, and use public opinion to force the upper echelons to put Mizutsuki Hotaru on trial."

"Based on his past performance, Mizuki Hotaru should care about his social evaluation." Judy frowned slightly.

"Isn't he aware of this yet?"

(End of this chapter)