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

Chapter 254 If you were an ordinary resident of Beika Town… would you choose to save the world or run away?

Some people may think that what is happening in Beika Town now is terrible.

For example, those strange rules.

Or, those who, like puppets, are expressionless, yet die for all sorts of emotional and ridiculous reasons.

But at least Beika Town still has order.

The unknown things that have already been introduced, the forces related to "3", are still at work.

A single moment for a deity could very well be the entire lifetime of the universe.

And that pale sun, with its tiny "slits" that it overlooks, may be enough to accommodate those small and humble lives, allowing them to survive.

More importantly, both GSSRA and the Alliance are on the side of humanity.

It's not just them, but humanity as a whole.

After all, just as Shinichi Kudo firmly believes in the past, present, and future, and as he has done and said in the past:
"A person may need a motive to kill another, but theoretically, a person does not need any reason to help another."

……

In the past, Dr. Agasa had always tirelessly promoted one point to the others in the alliance:
Shinichi Kudo is definitely a kind-hearted detective who upholds justice.

this is correct.

Even if you set aside those emotional factors and look at a "detective story" from a purely rational perspective, very few people would see a story ending where "evil" wins.

"Human beings" and "human beings" are different.

After all, even something as fundamental as the timeline wants to acquire a personality in the Detective Conan universe.

In this universe, "humanity" is made great by [Shinichi Kudo].

What Shinichi Kudo admires, loves, and fights for is "justice."

Justice, in a sense, constitutes the "foundation" of humanity in this Conan universe.

Just like those soldiers in the Mika branch bombing case who would disobey orders from their superiors for the sake of the lives of ordinary people;

In the recent harbor case, Imogen was willing to sacrifice himself to help other soldiers escape danger in order to obtain crucial intelligence;

Even those "bad people" or even "criminals".

Their "badness" seems more like a "play" staged to highlight the "detective's" justice and their wisdom.

For example, Vermouth—she easily changes her mind because of the kindness of others.

For example, the hardline pro-war faction in GSSRA, those commanders who were eager for quick results and sent soldiers to Tsukikage Island, or those who opposed Hattori Heiji—

It seems that every time they "commit evil," it's as if they're deliberately "going against" detectives like Yusaku Kudo or Heiji Hattori.

However, once the "detective" is no longer on the "set," this underlying nature re-emerges:
The soldiers maintaining order on the outskirts of Beika Town;
Those pilots who risk their lives every day to fly their planes into the "restricted area" and airdrop various essential supplies;

Those members who attempted to enter Beika Town as "police officers" on temporary applications to provide support—this even surprised Hattori Heiji.

He originally thought that those people would see it more as a means of self-defense.

But those newly recruited police officers, as soon as they pinned on their badges, immediately applied to the GSSRA or the Metropolitan Police Department to go to that most dangerous place.

In fact, it's not just GSSRA or the alliance that are standing alone.

Now, everyone in Beika Town—every single life—is doing their utmost to save another life.

Those who now live in Beika Town also demonstrate the indomitable fighting spirit of "human beings".

Perhaps Beika Town would have become a living hell, just like the one described in "Mr. Fan Ze".

But it was the strange tranquility that Sato Shoji and Maria had witnessed.

In short, they really did turn things around.

As the old saying goes, those who have fallen into hell try to build a "paradise" in the cracks of purgatory.

……

Take Nakano Yu, for example. He's looking up at that plaque now, and a certain light is gleaming in his eyes.

This was his second time stepping through the gates of the Beika Town City Hall.

Now, he is also one of those who want to transform this "hell" into paradise.

Nakano Yu arrived here "one day" after Beika Town was sealed off.

He couldn't remember the exact time very clearly.

Even his memory of why he insisted on coming here in the first place is very vague.

Perhaps it was some strange rumor about Beika Town that I saw on a website?

Or perhaps, those ubiquitous advertisements that promote Beika Town's idyllic and beautiful environment and carefree lifestyle?
Although he later learned that GSSRA had never issued those advertisements, and that they were even considering banning television communication networks in certain “high-disappearance areas.”

And that train ticket, theoretically, shouldn't be available for purchase either.

But in any case, he set off without knowing anything about it at the time.

Alone and without any ties or worries.

Nakano Yu, carrying the suitcase with the "Dark Baron" sticker, walked out of the station that could never be closed after the train conductor checked the ticket for the train that had long been discontinued by GSSRA.

Then, under the "intimidation" of those soldiers holding guns, he was forced onto that strange bus that seemed to be welded shut with iron cages.

—However, he later learned that they were all tranquilizer guns.

But for him at that time, and for everyone who stepped off that train number 3333.

Amidst the impatient roars of the soldiers, they trembled like quails, like a flock of sheep, and were herded to the bus at the end of the long corridor.

In front of the walkway, which was blocked by a fence about two meters high and sealed off with a welded roof (a lesson learned the hard way), was a sign written in many languages.

At the entrance to the corridor was a box of oddly shaped hats, with labels indicating which hats they should choose to wear.

Nakano Yu remembers clearly that right in front of him, the woman with an impatient expression and that suspiciously large bag slung across her chest shouted excitedly at everyone around her:

"Why are you treating us like this?! We're not criminals! This is illegal! I can't allow this—"

"Oh!"

There was a gunshot.

Nakano Yu watched blankly and in a daze as the emotionally agitated woman collapsed.

Then, a squad of fully armed soldiers, wielding riot shields, roughly shoved him aside—almost knocking him to the ground.

I could even see the sweaty, tense faces beneath those masks.

Two soldiers stepped out from the group, and Nakano noticed that they were both wearing police badges. They carefully handcuffed the woman and then took her away.

The incident caused a slight commotion in the crowd, but it was quickly calmed down by the explosives that were pulled from the bags and displayed.

"Only suspects will refuse to wear hats; anyone who shows resistance will be dealt with immediately..."

Although at the time, neither he nor anyone else knew how a hat could be associated with a "criminal suspect".

But everyone obediently put on the hat and then filed out of the corridor and onto the steps of the bus.

The driver was a police officer, who was isolated in the driver's seat by thick bulletproof glass.

Yu Nakano could see the mottled dark red where the glass met the ground, and what was even more unsettling were the seat belts that looked like rubber zip ties and the chairs with locks.

At that moment, the driver picked up a microphone and broadcast to everyone.

"To prevent crime, please find a place and lock yourself in."

"This trip will take you to the Beika Town City Hall, where we will assist you with obtaining a resident registration certificate and explain all related matters."

"Please trust the Global Strategic Security Response Alliance and the police system. All our actions are aimed at ensuring your safety as much as possible."

On that very day, everyone on that bus felt as if they had stepped into a dangerous and bizarre illusion they had never heard of before.

The bus didn't take them to the city hall; instead, they became part of that long line.

Now, when Yuichi Nakano recalls that past scene, a sense of satisfaction and security wells up inside him—he never knew he enjoyed queuing so much.

If he could, he felt he could stay in line from a young man to a white-haired old man.

Ideally, four wheels should be placed under his tombstone after he dies, so that he can be considered to have been placed in line after his death.

But at the time, he only felt that the line was too long, and after queuing, he felt exhausted and had no motivation to do anything.

But now he knows—this is GSSRA's effort to minimize the impact of anomalous effects on areas that are still relatively normal.

The number of each team is precisely controlled to a prime number, and this is especially true when adding new residents.

"However, there are far fewer new residents now."

Looking at the now much smaller queue, Nakano Yu felt a sense of pride – this was all thanks to the efforts of every citizen of Beika Town.

This time, he only waited in line for about four hours before arriving.

After a slightly tiring wait in line, the lovely girl who entered the city hall bowed deeply to Nakano Yu.

"Thank you for your contributions to the world."

To be honest, he was completely baffled when he heard that sentence, and then he was handed a sign.

Immediately afterwards, he heard the staff member say to him, "After your number is called, please go to the service area to collect your daily necessities, including three days' worth of water and food, the 'Beihana Town Living Guide,' as well as your resident information and room key."

The girl gave him a gentle smile.

"I wish you a pleasant life," she said at the time.

To be honest, Nakano Yu thought GSSRA's "closing remarks" were absolutely terrible.

Living in a city like this, even if everything is free, who could be happy?
However, GSSRA insisted that this would give everyone something to look forward to.

"Thank you for your contributions to the world."

—Now Nakano Yu heard that familiar phrase again, but this time it was a steady male voice.

"I really hope... she's left this city..."

he thinks.

“I’m here to apply to become a ‘helper’.”

The staff member's expression instantly turned solemn because of those words.

He bowed to him a second time, this time a deep bow.

"Thank you very much for your contributions to the world."

……

Yes, I believe everyone has already figured it out.

GSSRA did not hide those "truths" from everyone in the city.

Whether it's the ever-increasing amount of information each week, or the ever-thickening "Beihana Town Life Guide"...

Even the increasingly safer Beika Town.

This is all thanks to the efforts of everyone in this city.

"Two is the best number, and you should especially avoid three and four..."

"Except for essential professions such as doctors and nurses, everyone must stay home as much as possible and avoid going out..."

"Learn to conduct self-assessments and fill out a psychological questionnaire at least once a week..."

"Learn emotional management, pay attention to facial expression management, and learn to repair some furniture or bathroom pipes independently..." "Carry first aid pills with you, memorize the map of Beika Town, know the location of the safety queue window, and know every patrol point of the police station..."

"Everything is free. You can pay or not pay money as you wish. If the other party asks for something, do not refuse. Please go to the nearest bank to withdraw the money yourself afterward."

Almost every sentence in the guide was written in blood, summarized by GSSRA from the behavioral patterns of those prisoners.

For example, regarding money.

Everything in Beika Town, except for Conan's notice, is free; all entertainment, supplies, and equipment are provided free of charge.

This can help to avoid all disputes over supplies and the resulting tragic consequences.

Another example is the queuing window.

The first person to discover this pattern was undoubtedly a genius—he gained his experience from the long lines at the crematorium.

Why are the lines at the crematorium entrance so peaceful?
Why do disputes while queuing in places like shopping malls sometimes escalate into bloodshed?

This pattern was discovered very early on by those brave people who were willing to risk their lives to try it.

The mall's rules quickly changed to "no three people together," and "safe queuing locations" such as city halls and police stations were immediately marked by GSSRA.

Then there are the "citizens" who are new to Beika Town.

They will be immediately taken by GSSRA to the city hall to register for resident status in order to prevent the emergence of "temporary residents".

This is something that many people may find hard to believe.

Because towns with a population exceeding 50,000 can be upgraded to cities, Beika Town's population has never exceeded 50,000.

In other words, the excess population was "digested" by this hell.

GSSRA had already counted that the number of citizens in Beika Town was 33,333, no more and no less.

Or, to put it another way, the city's population cannot be less than this number.

Otherwise, someone will eventually arrive at this place that has been erased from many maps and documents.

If the amount exceeds 50,000, something "bad" will immediately happen, such as a disaster or a murder.

At the same time, because these cannibalistic cases do not distinguish between individuals, this leads to a situation known as "temporary population"—

Those who have just arrived in Beika Town, but haven't yet made up their minds to change their address to Beika Town and become "real members" of it.

This is also why people like Nakano Yu were forcibly registered as members as soon as they arrived in Beika Town.

Because before those "temporary residents" actually decide to become "permanent residents," the city will continuously attract people due to the population shortage.

In addition, there is the population loss caused by the "case", and the fact that "temporary people" are more likely to become murderers or victims.

It can be said that the more "temporary residents" there are, the more "temporary residents" there will be, and the more "cases" there will be.

This is a terrible positive feedback loop.

It could lead to a situation where, in a case where only one person dies, a dozen or more people appear on a train at the same time.

However, out of a dozen or so people, there might be four or five murderers!
Regardless of the possibility of preventing this terrible effect from spreading to the outside world.

This is also to prevent more people from boarding the train to Beika Town during this period.

Regardless of what the new residents think, they find it hard to leave.

Of course, "difficult to leave" means "having the opportunity to leave".

Just like the opportunity that Nakano Yu got, thinking of this, he touched the healed wound on his abdomen.

GSSRA informed everyone in its daily broadcast.

"When you prevent a murder, the population of Beika Town will temporarily exceed 33333, which means you will be granted a permit to leave town to prevent a possible train from arriving."

This is the narrowing channel of GSSRA.

The broadcast continued in my mind.

"Alternatively, you can choose to stay and become a temporary support staff member. This dedication will increase the city's valuable 'margin for error,' and we should all know that this concerns the survival of humanity..."

Everyone knows this is true.

Those predictions are already clearly stated: once this effect spreads, perhaps only one-third of humanity will remain, or even one-third of that.

Even the worst-case scenario prediction—only a third left each day.

If you were an ordinary resident of Beika Town...

Would you choose to save the world or run away?

For Nakano Yu...

Like those who chose to "stay," he chose to make the dam holding back the floodwaters a little higher.

He, or rather many people who have watched the city get better and better, do not want to see the chaos and misery of the past happen again.

Even now, some restaurants have appeared on the streets, even if they have no chefs and only offer fast food.

But those illuminated neon lights tell the story of how this city has changed from the past—

It has the ability to get better.

"Maybe one day we can restore it to normal."

That's what his senior, the girl who saved his life in the murder case, told him.

Unfortunately, she saved her own life, but unlike me, she wasn't lucky enough to have those numbers increase by one.

Because it was a bombing.

It was the desperate actions of those "escapee organization" members, and the crimes committed by criminals who obtained guns and ammunition from the "black market" that they could not find.

There are always some people who want to leave directly from Beika Town.

"If it were now, you could probably save me easily, senpai," Nakano Yu thought with a touch of emotion.

More than 30,000 people is not a very large number.

The citizens of Beika Town worked together as one to destroy the strongholds of those criminal organizations.

To be precise, it was after those who voluntarily sacrificed themselves gradually chose to stay—

That brief period of peace and tranquility finally arrived in Beika Town.

Now, most of the people in Beika Town are prepared to stay in this town for the rest of their lives.

Even if it weren't for the passing of those elderly people, those who "criminalized their emotions" for various reasons, and those who were deemed unqualified on the assessment scale and forced to leave...

Beikacho Station may have already ceased operations.

But that will always only ever be "maybe".

The current population of Beika Town is a little over 34,000.

Those more than a thousand people, those "redundant" individuals, were the survivors who had barely survived the "great struggle" between people and this city in the past.

But in such an atmosphere, no one in the city dared to have children.

And every month, someone will "leave" for various reasons.

Perhaps one day, as the number of citizens falls below the warning line, the city's train stations will become busy again.

"But even delaying it by a few hours is better."

Therefore, with this in mind, Nakano Yu also chose to stay.

……

Of course, in GSSRA's view, and especially in Dr. Agasa's view, these are all delaying tactics.

Without a doubt, he had seen the efforts the people of Beika Town had made during this "long Saturday".

Even on that night when Shiho Miyano and Shinichi Kudo were busy searching for information in the basement.

He also commanded some of the remaining members of [Eternal First Strike], providing them with some assistance.

For example, the story of queuing, or the movements of the "culprits" who tried to "escape" Beika Town.

But these are just the end of some inertia.

The city's temporary calm was merely due to the reintroduction of the "choose one of three" mentality following the harbor case.

It was only because of Ran Mouri's comfort and support that Conan's "positive attitude" rekindled his motivation.

and most importantly -

Conan's usual route to school is lined with "actors" from the League and GSSRA.

Also, he was busy searching for information related to "Moonshadow Island" and did not go out for the time being.

As has been mentioned before, these "ordinary people" are merely making attempts in the "cracks" of purgatory.

This is because [Conan Edogawa] temporarily neglected Beika Town.

The tens of thousands of soldiers who disappeared on Moonshadow Island have already explained everything—

All those efforts will be nothing more than a drop in the ocean, as long as the crazed pale sun turns its attention back to the sun.

……

"...So you must deliver that letter to Kogoro Mouri before Monday!"

This is a "telegram" received by Masahiko Takeda from Professor Agasa.

"The latest it can be is Monday morning!"

In that underground laboratory, Dr. Agasa, who was connected to the [Cycle Computer], even issued a death order.

He knew very well what would happen if Conan went to school again—this time, Ran Mouri wouldn't be there to comfort him as before.

He might even secretly run away from school with Ai Haibara to go to places like the library or any other location to look for clues.

One day on Moonshadow Island.

The mirror of TDD reflected the fractal, twisted flames that surrounded it like living beings.

Then, under the terrifying gaze of those "people" holding burning torches, Hattori Heiji fired at the "winged" "beasts" while glancing at his teammates.

"What's your captain's name? We can't let them suspect anything!"

"Masahiko Takeda!"

Abel Waters shouted in broken Japanese, "And he's actually the vice-captain!"

Heiji Hattori quickly finished editing the text message.

"The letter will be delivered Sunday afternoon—Masahiko Takeda."

Then, he skillfully activated the TDD communication module on his wrist.

"Keep firing! Don't worry about the bullets, we have to push back this wave first!"

The previously sparse gunfire immediately became more frequent.

Even soon, as some retreated to the edge of the forest, amidst their urgent cries and shouts...

In the night sky, a cannonball with a trailing tail struck the forest.

A new war has begun.

(End of this chapter)