The establishment of the Time Travelers Alliance began in the first year of Conan

Chapter 219 Firefight! Firefight! Firefight! (Seeking monthly votes)
The starting point of the Star Tower Crisis War was GSSRA's swift and decisive response.

After the GSSRA soldiers who stormed the top floor via the elevator shaft were "sacrificed" without hesitation in the [real timeline], the communication system is now completely silent, almost painful to the eardrums.

The desperate cries that finally reached the communication system still echoed in my ears, and the broken signal connections made the atmosphere in the command center suddenly tense.

The gloomy sky brought slightly damp air into the command post, but Olsen, as the commander, smelled a metallic scent mixed with the familiar smell of gunpowder.

On the tactical screen in front of me, red alarm signals were flashing everywhere.

"Drip-drip-"

Seven teams in total, seven teams carrying cutting and breaking equipment—

They've all lost contact.

They turned into the cold white "NO SIGNAL" icon on the screen, into the white light like tombstones and the signal noise on the screen, silently reflected on Olsen's face.

The air in the command center froze for a few seconds at this sudden death.

No one expected that the situation would deteriorate to this extent in such a short period of time.

"Seven assault teams and seven breaching teams have all lost contact."

The operations staff officer's voice trembled noticeably, "Almost simultaneously... it was a systemic counterattack."

[Story Timeline] Successfully exploited the mutual distrust between reality and the Alliance.

No one would consider this a coincidence or a signal of a ceasefire.

As Olsen had always emphasized to Hattori Heiji, the entire Star Viewing Tower could be sacrificed if necessary.

"The use of lethal force is permitted!"

"Repeat: Use of lethal force is permitted! Immediately disarm and disable any non-personnel!"

The most critical issue now is no longer civilian casualties, or even any number of "accidental injuries".

He paused, then said, "Open the traffic node map."

The deputy chief of staff next to him responded by zooming in on the tactical screen. Olsen paused, then tapped the screen heavily with his finger.

"Immediately seal off all roads leading to the Star Viewing Tower! Rapid reaction forces, equipped with heavy support gear, shall advance simultaneously from the east, west, and north!"

"Air Force units, take off immediately!"

He was practically roaring, "Get all available helicopter squadrons airdropped from the top floor and take control of the observatory!"

The communications officer responsible for liaising with the air force base received a response immediately, his voice urgent:

"The air force base says that weather data shows the strong airflow has already started moving!"

"I said, deploy immediately!"

Olsen snatched the communicator from his hand in a swift movement.

"Even if all your helicopter units crash due to the strong airflow, you must still get them moving! Even if only one is still airworthy, it must land at the top of the tower!"

Now, the sky over Beika Town is once again shrouded in dark clouds.

With pressure from the command center, the roar of helicopter rotors soon filled the air bases nearby.

Even some air force bases further away received the relevant dispatch orders.

……

Standing in the center of the [Loop], Lin Sheng surveyed the entire battle. Through the beams of light that tried to obstruct his view, his gaze took in every action and reaction of GSSRA and the [Real Timeline].

Today, any attempt to “add context”—that is, to interfere with or reshape the established flow of events—will come at a heavy price.

Just like now, even if they don't allow the Alliance to act, the [story timeline] won't allow GSSRA's air force operation to succeed.

[Real-world timeline] I just wanted to gamble on my luck.

But the problem is-

The current problem is that the [real-world timeline] is also starting to drag the alliance members down with it.

Lin Sheng turned his gaze to the heavily armed reaction forces that had begun to storm into the first floor of the Star Tower after receiving a signal from the command post.

Although Masahiko Takeda's plan temporarily gained Shinichi Kudo's "trust" for the Alliance task force members, allowing them to stay on a legitimate basis.

But it also ignited the fury of the [real-world timeline].

The present reality and the story timeline have temporarily joined forces in this regard, with the intention of depleting the task force personnel who might be able to break through to the observatory.

Their direct confrontation with GSSRA will cause their disguises to crumble rapidly, like faded fabric losing its cover.

Shinichi Kudo didn't subconsciously believe that all the staff and even tourists in the building had been replaced by the Alliance.

This means that conflict will inevitably deplete the CYZ effects that maintain their identity, as well as the APTX-4869 redundancy.

"The key is still time," Lin Sheng murmured, as if speaking to himself. "As long as we succeed in the end, all of this can be salvaged."

Lin Sheng's murmur was like the prelude to issuing an order; he would not let the determination of those special task force members to sacrifice themselves be disgraced.

"Let [Panoramic Monitoring] cut off GSSRA's monitoring system over the Star Viewing Tower."

"Evacuate one-third of the special task force members from each floor and transfer the excess CYZ effect to the task force leaders."

"Allow the use of the TDD acceleration module to immediately construct temporary obstacles in the safety passages on each floor using various types of debris to hinder GSSRA's advance speed."

After issuing the order, Lin Sheng paused. His face was expressionless, and even his voice was calm, but a suppressed sorrow flashed in his eyes.

"If necessary, lethal force may be used, but be sure to pay attention to CYZ effect redundancy; you have no more effect support."

Using lethal force means that the team is beyond saving.

Meanwhile, the lunar base also became busy.

Inside the command hall of the lunar base, Shigenobu Hitomi stood on the central platform, her dark blue uniform gleaming coldly in the cold light.

"After bringing back one-third of the evacuees, how much of the CYZ effect margin is left at the base?"

One of the executive council members glanced at the data and quickly concluded: "If we want to make a breakthrough—"

"So, that's not enough for the deterrence plan?" she immediately interrupted the congressman's explanation. "Then send another batch of personnel to 'cold storage'!"

"Especially everyone born in the [cycle]! All of them—'frozen'!"

In this base, which occupies almost a third of the moon's volume, emergency orders from the executive level immediately rang out everywhere.

The first to be put into hibernation were those born after the second pointer incident.

"Emergency situation. All Alliance members who registered after the [unclear] cycle year are requested to immediately proceed to area H-33 for hibernation."

"To reiterate, this is an emergency. All Alliance members who registered after the [unclear] cycle are requested to immediately proceed to area H-33 for hibernation."

In the executive lobby, after completing a further cost-saving plan, the CYZ effect curve on the projection screen finally climbed back to the standard line with difficulty.

Shigenobu Hitomi stared at the fragile curve, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes—an emotion of anger and resentment.

But very quickly, she immediately issued the order:

"Operations-level weapons division activated immediately! CYZ effect and surplus APTX-4869 to be transferred immediately!"

"Set up the timeline strike weapon immediately! At the same time, order our infiltrators inside GSSRA to move in and buy them time!"

Shigenobu Hitomi's eyes were filled with a resolute determination to fight to the death.

"Now that Ai Haibara has appeared and left the Black Organization, the formula for APTX-4869 has been finalized. The worst-case scenario for the Alliance now is that they will retreat to the moon."

"If the [real-world timeline] really dares to send out a large number of troops to open fire..."

Shigenobu Hitomi adopted a posture of mutual destruction right in front of the [real timeline].

[Real-world timeline] We would never risk the brewery immediately becoming an interstellar criminal organization by sending out the entire GSSRA force.

……

"Boom blah blah..."

A yellow Volkswagen Beetle shook a few times in front of Professor Agasa's house before finally returning to calm.

"Sigh...still can't hit it?"

Professor Agasa opened the car door, carefully got out, opened the hood to take a look, and then carefully lowered the hood.

He knew he couldn't fix the car.

Professor Agasa looked up, his gaze passing over the vehicles and landing on the swaying telephone poles at the dimly lit street corner, or perhaps further away—

The streetlights flickered with an unstable light, and the clouds on the horizon were churning and gathering at a visible speed, as if some greater force was about to penetrate the cracks in "time" or "timeline" and break into all of this from outside "reality".

After discovering that the vehicle wouldn't start, he turned around and quickly ran into the house to try to contact the driver by phone.

But clearly, no matter whether you call Shinichi, Ran, or Yusaku Kudo, all you get on the other end of the line is a dial tone.

Even now, my phone is starting to receive "weather storm warning" text messages again.

"Meteorological experts predict that strong winds near the Star Viewing Tower could reach level 12 or higher. Currently, relevant departments have closed nearby roads to prevent any potential dangers..."

"In other words, up to this point... I am still under the surveillance of the [dual timelines]," he murmured.

Quickly adjusting his breathing, Professor Agasa pressed his temples, trying to filter out the noisy thoughts that kept flashing through his mind.

A few seconds later, a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes as he recalled the information he had read in the past about Ai Haibara and Conan acting together.

"It's time to bring out my 'genius inventor' persona, Professor Agasa!"

Encouraging himself in this way, Professor Agasa hurriedly ran towards the basement, where only the framework of the "Loop Gate" remained.

The spatial device that once connected to the "Gate of Cycles" is now just an empty frame, and a base that has been converted into the Doctor's house, providing a meager stability that is better than any real-world equipment with no protection.

The main body of the door has already been transferred to the moon by Lin Sheng.

This broken but still alive iron beast now lies quietly in the darkness.

"It's time to bring out my 'genius inventor' persona, Professor Agasa!"

Dr. Agasa encouraged himself softly, and soon he laboriously dragged out a bunch of instrument wires, then skillfully embedded the cables into the Beetle's body.

The instrument instantly seemed to come alive, trembling slightly, and even heating up slightly at the seams. It deformed, fused, and merged, and the equipment melted into part of the car components.

Immediately afterwards, a faint blue light emanated from inside the car, and rows of familiar projection panels appeared in front of the doctor.

"First, activate the time display system on the door, then calibrate the spatial system, and finally edit the car's materials. I need to match the non-realistic matter spectrum to prevent the real world from discovering this situation..."

"Oh, and bio-activation, so the vehicle will be seen as part of me..."

As the setup was perfected step by step, Professor Agasa's gaze began to turn serious.

"Next is the energy system."

This is also the most crucial step.

He slowly took out the familiar timeline disguise mask from inside his coat—a device designed and made by Lin Sheng himself, capable of completely bypassing the dual timeline monitoring mechanism.

It absolutely possesses a sufficient amount of CYZ effect for use.

After all, what energy source can compare to the driving force of one's own mask?

As the energy slot popped out from the dashboard and mechanically closed with a "click," Dr. Agasa pursed his lips slightly and stared nervously at the projected light screen.

"APTX-4869 and the CYZ effect have begun to transfer... The transfer progress is currently 1%, please do not perform any additional operations."

Outside the car, the sky had darkened to almost pitch black, and in the distance, one could even faintly see flashes of lightning.

The tower's spire cast a shadow across the sky like the silhouette of a colossal beast, and that flickering red light was the eye of this ominous monster.

……

The distant thunder grew even louder, and the entire world held its breath in anticipation of the impending cataclysmic change. (Detective Conan universe, [story timeline], [reality timeline], Lin Sheng and the Alliance...)

Each side was convinced that the final victory would belong to them.

For those trapped inside the tower, the outside world seen through the glass curtain wall was nothing more than a gloomy gray-blue sky, with no sign of a storm.

But it is precisely this "tranquility" that makes the hall on the forty-ninth floor appear even darker and deeper, like a deep well that swallows up all light.

The story timeline is urgently pushing something forward—

Putting pressure on Ran Mouri, or imposing an invisible burden on Shinichi Kudo.

The dull rumble of the elevator hitting the ground came from deep underground.

The tremor was like that of an enraged beast.

It roared in the darkness, climbing up the elevator shaft like a wild beast, shaking the shaft walls.

Finally, with a slight sway, I rushed into the banquet hall through the elevator.

The roaring breaths, like those of a wild beast pouncing, seemed to startle even the inanimate objects.

Those unconscious things, those dozens of chandeliers hanging under the high dome, fell with the tremors, crystal fragments shattered and scattered, like a rain of broken stars, shooting towards GSSRA and the Alliance's disguised personnel.

Heiji Hattori and the others happened to be under the crystal chandelier that had fallen earlier, as if they were "deliberately" favored by fate and "luckily" avoided this disaster.

Strangely, in this hellish darkness, not a single green light sign marking "Escape Route" went out.

They are even more glaring and conspicuous—

Even Ran Mouri could see them from every direction, see those “exits,” but now she deliberately ignored those green symbols of safety.

She hugged Ai Haibara tightly, "Don't be afraid, Haibara, I will protect you."

Ai Haibara leaned against her chest, and she could hear Ran Mouri's voice trembling, and even clearly hear the frequency of Ran Mouri's heartbeat.

After all, the banquet hall on the 49th floor now resembled a hell composed of pure darkness and the wails of the actual guests.

Ai Haibara originally wanted to say something.

She wanted Ran Mouri to let her go, but the words caught in her throat.

She knew that Ran Mouri wasn't comforting her, but rather comforting herself.

—And Ai Haibara is also somewhat afraid now.

Or rather, even Hattori Heiji and those seasoned veterans felt a chill run down their spines.

What exactly are they fighting against, or what kind of force are they battling?!

Hattori Heiji turned and yelled at the GSSRA soldiers who had surrounded him, "Activate the elevator immediately!"

He still remembered Kudo's instructions to him.

More importantly, he remembered that the observatory had its own independent power and life support system.

Moreover, with only Kudo knowing the password and everyone busy trying to survive, no one will go up.

"Command! This is Heiji Hattori. I'm leading a GSSRA team to the top-floor observatory. We need backup!"

"I repeat, we need backup!"

Hattori Heiji's words immediately came from that old, quiet communication system.

Olsen, who was standing in front of the communicator, immediately grabbed it, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Reinforcements are on their way!"

"Heiji, you guys absolutely have to get to the observatory and open the dome! The situation...zzzz...it can't be delayed any longer!"

Meanwhile, Heiji Hattori and the others were trying to escape through the observatory.

Kenzo Masuyama, or rather Pisco, was clutching his cell phone, which had almost no signal, and was secretly trying to maintain communication.

"Vermouth? Vermouth!"

He dialed that familiar number again and again, but all he ever heard was a cold, silent dial tone.

This 71-year-old chairman of a car company, a prominent figure in the business world, and also known as "Pisco" (a type of liquor) of the Black Organization—

Now, however, his face was filled with anger and fear, and he could no longer suppress his inner terror, his fear of death.

"Damn it! She said she'd send Gin and Vodka to pick me up!"

His voice trembled with anger, but it could not hide the unease and despair in his tone.

At this moment, Vermouth had already descended to the fifth floor.

She is now escaping from the tower by walking through a somewhat dilapidated corridor, or rather, following the original "historical inertia" to the Porsche 356A.

That black phone had just been "accidentally" lost in the dark while she was trying to avoid a falling chandelier.

The [real-world timeline] uses the same tactics as the [story timeline], forcing Vermouth to withdraw from this "melee"—

Vermouth disappeared, but Chris Vineyard did not.

Then, for Pisk, after sending a message to the man with a sense of despair.

The boss's text message arrived.

[Story Timeline] Determined to squeeze out every last bit of value from this [historical inertia].

And so, the sparks falling from the broken chandeliers landed precisely on the overturned cart, which was full of highly concentrated alcohol.

Blue-orange flames began to flow, spreading along the highly concentrated liquor and the silk tablecloth.

By the light of that fleeting moment, by the embers of fate.

Standing in the shadows not far from the elevator platform, Piscoe saw that familiar brown hair.

His pupils contracted sharply, his eyes turned red, and he almost instinctively raised his pistol.

"boom!"

The moment the gunshot rang out, Ran Mouri felt an indescribable sense of danger.

She dodged to the side almost without thinking!
The bullet grazed her shoulder, creating a whirlwind-like gust of air. At that moment, Ai Haibara's pupils trembled violently.

She practically watched the bullet whiz past her ear!

She could even clearly feel the slight stinging sensation caused by the sound of a bullet whistling through the air as it pierced the right side of her hair!

"Sister Xiaolan!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Even before Hattori Heiji could give the order, the GSSRA soldiers around him instinctively returned fire, their guns all turning towards Pisk's direction.

Then a small team immediately rushed forward, covering Ran Mouri and Ai Haibara.

"Switch off the flashlights! Pile the tables and chairs over here, quick, use them as cover!!"

A medic turned down the brightness of her flashlight and immediately went to check on Ai Haibara or Ran Mouri.

"Were any of you shot? That was so close!"

In such an emergency, the effects of adrenaline could very well have made someone shot without them even realizing it.

Heiji Hattori, who was trying to open the door that was blocking the elevator, immediately ran over. "Ran, how are you feeling?"

"It's just some scratches." The medical staff immediately and skillfully took out bandages from the medical kit in front of them and bandaged Ran Mouri's wounds.

"I'm fine." Ran Mouri's voice was low and hoarse, but her tone was calm. She moved Ai to her left arm and hugged her tightly, while the abrasion on her right shoulder throbbed slightly.

She asked Hattori Heiji, who was running over, "How's the elevator?"

After the medic confirmed once again that Ran Mouri had not been shot, Heiji Hattori breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, his tone turned somber.

“We didn’t bring any explosives up here. The safety lock on the lifting platform is stuck, and bullets can’t penetrate the lock. Without hydraulic clamps, we can’t open the safety valve.”

Hattori Heiji paused, his tone becoming firm, and he demanded that Mouri Ran and Sato Shoji evacuate together.

"Ran, I've already told Sato. You should go downstairs with them. What if there's another explosion..."

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Ran Mouri carrying Ai Haibara as they ran toward the soldiers who were busy around the safety lock.

Ran Mouri now felt calmer than ever before.

She knew that only one step remained between her and Shinichi, and she would never allow herself to fall before this dawn of victory.

She gently put Ai down, then assumed a karate stance and took a deep breath.

Ran Mouri forced herself to recall those images in her mind—

I recall the grievances, sadness, and anger I felt when I knew the truth all by myself but couldn't confide in anyone.

"Drink——!!"

With a roar, a gust of wind suddenly spread out from the point where she swung her arm.

The next second, several cracks quietly appeared on the metal safety lock latch, which was almost as thick as a wrist, and the cracks spread rapidly.

Finally, with a slight clicking sound, the entire latch broke off and fell heavily to the ground with a dull thud.

"Gudong-"

The scene even fell into a "comical" silence for a moment, and everyone swallowed in unison.

Even Ai Haibara took the initiative to hold Ran's hand again—

She now firmly believed that Sister Xiaolan wasn't just comforting her; she truly could protect herself in this perilous situation.

Ran Mouri shook her slightly numb wrist and gripped Ai Haibara's hand tightly again.

As the safety lock snapped, the soldier in charge of technical support immediately began to lower the elevator.

Soon, everyone boarded the lift, but just as it was halfway up, a blinding red light suddenly flashed on the dashboard.

"Warning! Insufficient power!"

"Warning! Insufficient power!"

"We have too many people!" The technician said, frantically controlling the descent of the elevator while rapidly calculating on the instruments. "The power from the fiftieth floor alone can't support so many people!"

A few seconds later, he looked up, his voice urgent.

"The load must not exceed 150 kilograms!"

That is, two adults, or two high school students and one child.

"Chief Heiji! You and Ms. Ran Mouri should evacuate first!"

Sato Shōji ordered the GSSRA soldiers to provide cover, and decisively pushed Hattori Heiji, who was still hesitating, forward.

"We'll cover you! We'll be there shortly!"

Meanwhile, the special task force members who rushed from the 48th floor finally broke through the numerous obstacles set up for them by the dual timelines.

Under the cover of his teammates, Welshman [Destiny's Manifesto] ran to the locked golden door, followed by a laser beam from his wrist.

The lock was broken, but the door remained firmly in place.

"F**K!" he couldn't help but curse at the damn dual timelines. "All the doors are blocked! We'll go in through the emergency exit!"

(End of this chapter)