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

Chapter 262 Quick Rhythm (Part Two)
For Vodka, he was now lying in wait in the jungle on the side of the road leading to the castle.

"Damn mosquitoes."

Although he couldn't help but complain a few times, Vodka's eyes never left the lens.

Beneath the cold sights was a thick cannon barrel.

Vodka placed his finger on the trigger, patiently waiting for the yellow Volkswagen Beetle that Vermouth had mentioned.

He now has an indescribable emotion, whether it's the long wait or the "truth" that everyone now knows.

"Hmph, the truth..."

Vodka hated, loathed, yet thanked the damn truth.

"At least it showed me what those 'misfortunes' I encountered were like."

As for the final outcome, he no longer cares much about it.

Despite saying this, he still put the unlit cigarette in his mouth, bit the cigarette holder hard, and forced himself to concentrate more.

—It would be bad if I missed.

"This damn world! I shouldn't have listened to that damn Vermouth's advice to get off the ship early!"

"Alright, Vodka, shut up!"

Gin sighed helplessly and told Vodka to shut up through the communication system.

"Vermouth has already sent the message. Same as usual, three cars, one for each person."

However, a relaxed smile quickly appeared on his lips.

“This time there’s ‘Vermouth,’ I’ll take care of that car, we agreed on that before.”

"God..."

"Yes, yes, it's you again, GIN..."

Chianti and Cohen's complaints came through the earpiece again, and Gin's grin widened even further—

He never tired of hearing these complaints.

If there's any benefit to knowing the "truth," it's that Gin is currently in good luck.

"Who told me to pull you all out of the water?"

His tone even carried a hint of smugness and pleasure—

A sense of pride and joy that had never been seen in the character of "Gin" before.

He didn't know how he had managed to build a "deep friendship" with those guys he had always disliked.

But to be honest, Gin didn't think it felt bad.

Even though Vodka complained every day at the camp, Vermouth shouldn't have dragged them into this mess.

Gin was certain that if Vodka had to choose again, he would still jump off the ship without hesitation.

In fact, Karasuma Renya's biggest mistake was letting Vermouth board the ship.

Of course, this was because he was unaware that Vermouth had completely "betrayed" him.

After all, didn't Vermouth ultimately carry out the mission he was given to "kill Yusaku Kudo"?
Moreover, as part of the story's timeline, Karasuma Renya only needs them to arrive at Tsukikage Island as "deliverymen."

[Story Timeline] They will be dealt with.

All you need to do is "reset" them.

Unfortunately, just as Vodka kept complaining—

They disembarked early.

……

"Boss, I think..."

Standing on the deck at the bow of the ship, Vodka held up a telescope and peered ahead.

In the distance, the horizon was beginning to show a grayish-white outline as it rose.

A small island is about to stretch towards the horizon, allowing the land to gradually emerge from the mist and dampness.

Vodka put down his binoculars and hesitated before speaking.

"We'd better listen to that woman, Vermouth."

"After all, it's the organization now... they might abandon us too."

Gin didn't turn his head; he simply turned slightly to the side, leaning against the railing of the small boat.

The sea breeze blew across the cigarette butt he was holding between his fingers, making the burning cigarette butt look even more scarlet.

Gin let the ashes be blown away and fall onto the white foam rising on both sides of the small boat.

"Shut up, Vodka."

Gin's tone remained cold, but this time, there was no anger in his voice; instead, it displayed an unassailable demeanor.

Vodka instinctively shut his mouth.

This time, however, he knew that the boss was already considering his proposal, and that unusual, even anxious, emotion was quite evident.

Gin was indeed uneasy.

Cold-blooded, ruthless, and obedient to orders are indeed part of Gin's character traits, but that doesn't mean he's a fool.

Just like now, standing on this empty deck, he felt exactly as Vermouth had described—

He was waiting for the dealer to reveal the dice cup, or for him to pull the trigger on the Russian roulette wheel.

Fate has already pressed its inescapable gun barrel against its forehead.

--absurd.

Gin chuckled to himself.

When did he, the Black Organization's top assassin, become so melancholic?

This was incredibly strange for someone as hard-hearted as him.

It's as if once he makes such a decision, his life will undergo a complete transformation.

"It's up to you."

This was Vermouth's last conversation with Gin ten minutes ago.

"However, we don't intend to stand on a sinking ship. Who knows where the Boss has set this ship for?"

Finally, under Vermouth's somewhat mocking gaze, Gin and Vodka appeared at the stern, both dressed in life jackets.

Everyone had compressed food packs, water bottles, and some emergency medications wrapped around their waists.

At the stern, a makeshift raft made of inflatable bags, empty fuel tanks, and plastic bottles has been temporarily secured.

This was their "escape tool," and their last resort.

Cohen and Chianti are trying to use cable ties and ropes to tighten the loose parts.

Vermouth unfolded a yellowed nautical chart and drew several diagonal lines on it with a marker.

“I’ve already calculated that if we disembark thirteen nautical miles from the shore, we can follow the current and just avoid the dock, and go ashore through the woods on the beach.”

As she spoke, she crossed out all the safe houses and rendezvous points in the last message Karasuma Renya had sent them.

"If the sea conditions are not favorable, we will have to go from the west, go around to the north side of the island from the sea cliffs, and land in the reef area."

"Otherwise, we might very well run into a submarine sent by Karasuma Renya."

"And it's best to disembark and go ashore at night to avoid running into patrols—"

"Hey, wait a minute... Hey Vermouth, is it really that serious?"

Vodka couldn't help but interrupt Vermouth.

The more he listened, the more he felt they were heading towards not a simple search mission, but a den of iniquity.

"We haven't done anything yet! If the Boss didn't even know we were going to abandon ship beforehand, isn't it a bit much that you think he would treat us like this..."

Yes, Vodka admitted that Vermouth's previous statements, which sounded even more mystical than those of a charlatan, did indeed give him the creeps.

But that sounds absolutely ridiculous.

Vermouth shut vodka up with just one sentence.

She looked directly at Gin: "Gin, if someone betrayed the organization in the past, what would you do?"

Gin didn't answer.

He simply lit a new cigarette, took a slow drag, and exhaled a puff of smoke.

No one spoke anymore.

Thus, the small boat that Karasuma Renya had sent to "twelve years ago" quietly veered off course.

Time began to ebb and flow with the waves. In the increasingly turbulent winds and waves, the raft tossed and turned on the dark sea, as if it were made of paper.

The cold, salty waves crashed relentlessly against the five "traitors."

Gin could no longer maintain his poker face, and he spat out the seawater he had poured into his mouth.

The terrible weather reminded him of his damned luck.

He was now gripping the paddle, pieced together from salvaged railings, tightly in his hand, his eyes fixed on the faintly visible reef in the darkness ahead.

Even though Vermouth was sitting right across from Gin, she had to scream in the midst of such a raging storm so that others could hear her.

"Watch your direction! We're heading south now!"

A large wave caused the side of the raft to shake violently.

Vodka was the biggest, and because he was unbalanced, he crashed hard into a plastic bucket that was being used as a guardrail.

Fortunately, Chianti grabbed him.

"Watch out! Vodka, if you fall in now, no one will be there to pull you out!"

"Damn it, this isn't a raft, it's a coffin!" he cursed.

"Don't say such unlucky words!"

Cohen rowed with all his might, roaring at Vermouth, "How far are you, Vermouth!"

"This wrecked ship is about to fall apart!"

"We have to get into the water ahead of time. There are only three nautical miles left before the reef area."

Gin was the first to throw the oar backward and leap into the sea, letting the icy water instantly envelop his entire body.

The others followed suit and jumped into the dark, icy sea.

Finally, after exhausting almost all their strength, they struggled to climb onto a deserted rocky plateau.

"Ha—Vermouth, you'd better be telling the truth."

This was the first time Gin had ever been so embarrassed.

He let himself lie down on the rock, and with his last bit of strength, he brushed aside the few strands of hair that were stuck to his eyes because they were soaked.

"I saved your life."

To be honest, this even surprised Vermouth. She had thought Gin would abandon him because of this perilous "journey".

Vermouth let herself collapse onto a rock, waving to Gin to indicate that she appreciated his gesture.

Vermouth's weak voice carried on the wind to everyone's ears.

"To be honest, I didn't expect GIN to be so skilled at climbing these kinds of rocks."

"After all, my older brother and I—"

Vodka was about to mention that he and his older brother had swum more than ten kilometers along the coast and landed on the reef to avoid GSSRA's detection.

"Shut up, vodka!"

Vodka completely ignored Gin's reprimand this time, displaying a nonchalant attitude that seemed out of place for his imposing physique.

He insisted on recounting all the heroic deeds he and his brother Gin had accomplished.

"Hahaha..." Chianti was the first to burst out laughing.

The laughter seemed to have a contagious quality, and soon everyone was chuckling softly.

Even Gin himself.

After resting for a while, Gin stood up from the rocks, the wind so strong that his soaked trench coat fluttered wildly.

He glanced at the turbulent sea, then turned to look at the woodland along the beach behind him.

now--

There's no turning back.

The wind was still howling, but the sky above was gradually turning gray with the morning light.

"Phew, it's actually quite beautiful."

As he watched that ray of sunlight pierce through the clouds, he couldn't help but think that.

……

Alliance: Lunar Ark.

The strategic command center at the [Action Level].

They soon received intelligence from the Bureau of Time Investigation.

"Reporting to command!"

A hurried voice came from the frontline intelligence command level of the Third War Zone.

"We spotted the small boat that Vermouth was in, but it disappeared just as it was about to approach the west coast of Moonshadow Island!"

"How is that possible... [Story Timeline] If they can't go back 12 years, where can they go?"

Someone questioned in a low voice, "If they weren't within the timeframes included in the [cycle], their actions would be more likely to be corrected by their original trajectory."

Data tracking their specific time points quickly overflowed from the [Time Display]—until that data was borrowed into the [Circulating Computer].

"They came ashore the next day during the day; the night of the full moon had already ended."

A commander with Level 4 intelligence clearance retrieved their timeline.

"They haven't made contact with Karasuma Renya, so they've slipped into the second timeline!"

"This is a strategic blunder in the [story timeline]!" Hasegawa Kei's voice became agitated. "We must seize this opportunity!"

“After Hattori Heiji went to the ‘Red Fire Festival’, the Alliance alone has no chance of maintaining the Time Reversal Device into the future!”

"But now, this is our chance to hide it within the 'case'!"

He immediately drafted a plan report for the [executive level].

The Strategic Simulation Center at the Action Level was quickly perfected.

Then, the finalized plan report was quickly delivered to Shigenobu Hitomi's office terminal.

"We need to find a way to make the [story timeline] fire another shot at Moonshadow Island!"

"All we need to do is leave a trace at the end of the full moon night that can last for a day or even less, to give a hint to Vermouth and the others who have landed on the island..."

In fact, the league is indeed capable of doing this.

Just like the constantly intertwined and distorted time view that is now presented to Shigenobu Hitomi.

Those rays of light, representing "pointer possibilities," are like the horizontal and vertical threads flying on a giant loom.

A red path is gradually fading—that is one of the main axes represented by Hattori Heiji.

This is an opportunity to influence past processes with future outcomes.

Therefore, Shigenobu Hitomi rejected the plan that had been passed by the [Execution Level] and was finally presented to her, which was about trying to intensify the confrontation in the Third War Zone and guide the second "case".

The CYZ Alliance Management Manual automatically provided her with a better and more comprehensive solution.

Did that guy really include everything in the calculations?
Was even the mistake in the [story timeline] already written into his manuscript beforehand?
"He really foresaw everything—"

Her muttering to herself earned the approval of the hamster.

"Heh heh heh, that's the CYZ effect! Kid! Pretty impressive, huh!"

The hamster jumped from her sleeve onto the unremarkable desk, proudly stretching out its front paw—

His face wore a smug look, as if to say, "I heard you humans call this a miracle."

Shigenobu Hitomi did not respond.

She simply opened the "CYZ Alliance Management Manual" and turned to the last page.

I wonder if anyone still remembers—

The redemption list on the last page of the original "CYZ Alliance Management Manual".

【Case Generator - 333 strings/string (one-time use only)】

At that moment, Shigenobu Hitomi in the [Core Layer] finally understood why Lord ZC-01 had taken away the Alliance's [Circular Headquarters] in the "Star Tower Case".

after all--

Since the "Moon Shadow Island Case" can be started simply by [Conan Edogawa] deciding to begin searching for the pointer.

So why insist on that unique "cycle" that belongs exclusively to the alliance?

She looked at the conclusions in the management manual.

The Narrative Studies Department, the CYZ Alliance Conceptual Armament Manufacturing Plant, and the Causal Engineering Bureau all reached the same conclusion almost "simultaneously":
"According to the analysis of the [Loop Computer], if we are to truly participate in the process of shaping the 'pointer,' we must gain a certain degree of control in the 'Moonlight Murder Case'..."

"Based on an analysis of the 'current' situation on Moonshadow Island."

“We all agree that we can start with Keiji Aso’s son, Aso (Asai) Shigemi.”

"As the cause of the 'Moonlight Murder Case,' from the perspective of the original [historical inertia], that is, the plot—"

"His narration is the core element that determines Conan Edogawa's final view of the whole case."

"Currently, the only time points in the [Third Pointer Case] ​​are 12 years ago and 'now'. The Möbius strip does not have a definite central point."

"The best time to intervene was the incident that prompted Asai Narumi to make up his mind to take revenge—the death of Kameyama Isamu."

“We must find the right elements in the original ‘Moonlight Murder Case’ and induce a case that could have occurred precisely two years ago, or ten years later.”

Those words of "historical inertia" that Lin Sheng had once handwritten floated around her.

Professor Agasa, Ai Haibara, and the children;

Getting lost while camping, treasure hunts, and solving mysteries alone without Conan's involvement;

There was no communication or understanding of time with the outside world; the timeline was unclear; and it was related to a fire…

With so many conditions considered, I think the answer is obvious.

—The Blue Castle Exploration Event.

This is the true origin of the Second War Zone.

……

Case generator.

The symbol of Shinichi Kudo's authority.

Even if it can only be used once.

At this very moment, the most core power of the Conan universe—

It floated in the [core layer], right in front of Shigenobu Hitomi.

"It's just like a page of a book, or a page of a comic book."

Shigenobu Hitomi didn't know why it appeared in this form.

But when that piece of paper fluttered lightly onto the desk, she knew—

This is something that can shake the very strings of the universe.

Hamster-kun disappeared, and Lin Sheng's fountain pen appeared in Shigenobu Hitomi's hands at some point.

"I must remind you, one string per word!"

It eagerly removed its own pen cap, saying, "We only have enough left to write a few sentences!"

"Without revealing the ending, and the more exciting the better!"

"Um--"

Shigenobu Hitomi nodded.

She wrote down a sentence, mentioning the Blue Castle case, Professor Agasa and others, Vermouth and others, and Asai Narumi from two years ago...

If we intertwine all cause and effect in the second movement...

"That year, the doctor and the children strayed onto the path leading to the Blue Castle, but encountered..."

It's like the beginning of a story, yet it also has the cause and effect to end it all.

As the Alliance's highest-level causal interference device, the activation of the incident generator does not produce any vibration or explosion in the traditional sense.

"—But He came."

"—But His glory has come."

At the top of the Star Viewing Tower, the small figure revealed a joyful smile.

The dazzling golden light, symbolizing the CYZ benefits, resonated with the joyful sound emitted by the pale sun.

The sun's rays, like a child finding a lost seashell, gently yet firmly embed the "fragment" into its orbit.

Even the story timeline cheered for this scene.

Its mission is to celebrate this brilliant "case".

Shigenobu Hitomi gazed at the incredibly dazzling pale sun outside the office.

She whispered the last sentence she had written.

"...And in that scorched ruin, a blue castle within a Möbius strip, a pointer awaits its owner to take it away."

(End of this chapter)