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

Chapter 274 The Detective's Respite, The Promise of Waiting, The Name of the Fourth Pointer (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Flowing water has no shape, drifting wind leaves no trace, and the reasoning behind any event depends on the heart. —Detective Conan
-
In a sense, Karasuma Renya did indeed become a "savior".

The third central research platform at the research level.

The research director of the Narrative Studies Department and the Narrative Structure Analysis Division explained the most crucial part of this operation to other departments in the video.

"The individual named Karasuma Renya may be the last trace left in the present from the past of the universe."

"He will temporarily take over the role of [the story timeline], even if it's just a part of [historical inertia]."

"What we need to do is guide it to where it's needed."

But then a voice interrupted his explanation; it was Bai Zichen.

He frowned as he looked at the "necessary parts" derived from the narratology analysis in front of him.

Based on the historical inertia of the original title "The Darkest Nightmare," there should be at least nine time points that cannot be skipped.

These are respectively the night of Qixi Festival two years ago, a certain day before Qixi Festival, a certain day, the day after a certain day, and the second to the sixth day.

The locations include Beika Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, Mitaka City, Tokyo, and a range of other related areas...

"According to your proposed plan, only two of the locations will remain in the final plan, and we will try to solve the fourth pointer case within one day..."

He paused, then questioned the somewhat "bold" "Fourth Pointer Shaping Plan".

"The current structure of the new timeline may not allow for the continued deaths of key figures. If this continues, it could very well lead to—"

The research director nodded and continued, following up on Bai Zichen's question.

"Yes, it is very likely that the structure of the universe will collapse."

"But the reality is that this is already happening."

He retrieved the CYZ Effect Institute's analysis of the current cosmic RSI background, and then extracted the relevant analysis of [Karasuma Renya] from the model.

The model immediately showed large areas of red.

"In fact, if it weren't for the individual named 'Conan Edogawa' whose anomalous effects had expanded again, the universe might have already collapsed."

"It seems that the universe can continue to exist precisely because it is almost entirely dominated by 'detective logic'."

"But please note."

He raised his voice slightly to draw the attention of the other attendees.

"We cannot view the abnormal effects of [Conan Edogawa] in isolation; otherwise, according to the data decrypted by the [Execution Layer], the first collapse of the cosmic structure would have been impossible."

"This is a complex system. Like the mechanism of the cycle, it is a compromise product of the universe forcibly maintaining a contradictory spacetime structure."

“Karasuma Renya has now decided to give up on the Black Organization. We can’t afford to find another Black Organization boss to play along with that detective.”

"To put it simply, the Black Organization clearly belongs to the narrative of those who cannot die."

Some people understood what he meant.

"However, the current situation is that in order to ensure that the history of the fourth pointer cannot be changed, we need the destruction of the [Black Organization] as a result, right?"

"To be precise, it forces the Conan universe to have only one choice."

The Narrative Department's idea is very simple: to force the universe itself and the Alliance to stand on the same side.

"The cycle is a mechanism that also affects the universe itself."

"This plan can use this controlled structural defect to force the universe to actively send the fifth and sixth pointers to Conan Edogawa after the fourth pointer."

"Because at that time the universe will need [Conan Edogawa] himself to take on more functions, and that should be the true purpose of the 'ritual'."

The Narrative Studies Department as a whole believes that they have analyzed the purpose of the "Six Pointer Case Ritual".

"【Conan Edogawa】is the core of this universe."

"Currently, based on the changes in RSI values, it appears that after obtaining the six pointers, its disturbance to the cosmic RSI background value is 64 times greater than initially."

"This should be sufficient to support, and even repair, the entire anomalous structure of the universe."

"In this way, as long as Conan Edogawa himself changes his mind after learning the 'truth' in the end..."

Such a hypothesis and conclusion is simply too wonderful—and of course, too reasonable.

It aligns with Conan's "core theory of the universe," his "changes" to the universe, and also addresses the question of the "origin of the ritual."

It also satisfies the ideas of these "upgraded" members.

"Most importantly, we have confirmed with the [implementation level] that the success rate of this plan is 33.31%."

The research director glanced at the heads of the other departments.

"I believe there is no plan with a success rate that is closer to the number '3' than this."

Meanwhile, in the [Execution Level] meeting hall.

"Speaker of the Council, are we really going to approve the Narrative Department's plan?"

Ota Akikawa connected his consciousness to the [Loop Computer], trying to figure out why Shigenobu Hitomi would go through that seemingly risky plan.

"The report from the Conan Psychological Research Institute has already pointed out the biggest problem with this plan. [Edogawa Conan] will definitely realize this after obtaining the fourth pointer..."

"Realized what?" Shigenobu Hitomi's voice was calm.

"Realize that the universe itself is problematic!"

"Ha—realizing that the universe itself is flawed..."

Shigenobu Hitomi repeated Ota Akikawa's words, her eyes flashing with an unbearable golden flame.

"Dae-tae, have you ever thought about this?"

She looked at the "Management Manual" in her hand, which was gradually revealing more and more words, more and more information, and more and more about the future.

Then, Shigenobu Hitomi asked Ota Akikawa an absolutely important and crucial question.

A question she is now trying to answer after she has come to her senses.

Why is it that once the third pointer is obtained, nothing can be changed, and the final outcome is inevitable?

"The sacred three, right? Just like how the success rate of that plan is also due to having more threes."

It's as if Shigenobu Hitomi can directly see what Ota Akikawa is thinking about in the future.

She then expressed his inner thoughts and pointed out a problem with those thoughts.

You can't answer a question with a question.

The sacredness of the number three lies in the "choose one of three" and in [Conan Edogawa]. It is the result, not the cause.

"Look, isn't that detective still hesitating?"

"This doesn't seem like an unchangeable situation, nor does it seem like it will inevitably lead to the final outcome."

Shigenobu Hitomi's tone became somewhat complicated as she recalled Hamster-kun's words, "Do nothing."

Da Tianxiaochuan's expression became incredibly interesting at that moment: "You...you mean, that detective is actually—!"

"Good to know. Before you leave the computer, remember to run a Level A memory fuzz test."

Shigenobu Hitomi waved his hand, indicating that he could leave.

A few seconds later, looking at the figure that had disappeared in front of her, she sighed—Da Tian Xiaochuan's expression just now was almost exactly the same as when she herself realized the "truth".

He wasn't even the first person to try to contact him.

Many hot-tempered lawmakers were even willing to give up their seats in order to dissuade the extremely risky plan.

Clearly, they all ultimately voted in favor of the plan under the "memory ambiguity measure".

Shigenobu Hitomi waved her hand and brought up the current list of councilors in the [Executive Level].

Then he crossed out the annual performance targets of those members of parliament who did not question the plan or even support it.

— Members who collect "Lucky" three times will have their privilege level adjusted to level 0.

After doing all this, she pulled up Professor Agasa's evaluation of Conan Edogawa and glanced at it.

The Narrative Studies Department's plan and analysis of "Conan Edogawa" are not entirely wrong.

However, they overlooked a crucial and frequently overlooked element.

"Shinichi...he must be a child full of a sense of justice!"

These are Professor Agasa's original words.

Perhaps Conan's hesitation and indecision have the clearest explanation.

We are trapped in the questions, sorrows, and hesitations of a wise man, a detective, regarding himself, time, and the world.

Perhaps, in His subconscious, He simply wanted to eat a few more of the dinners made by Ran Mouri at the end.

Or perhaps, he simply wanted to see her one more time as Shinichi Kudo...

Of course, aside from the detective himself, who can really say for sure what's going on?

……

Beika Town, Teitan Elementary School, Class 1-B.

It must be said that, given that this is part of the story's timeline, Karasuma Renya is indeed quite capable.

Today is clay sculpting class.

"So, you're late today."

Ai Haibara didn't look up. She shaped the grayish-white lump of clay in her hand into an arc and then stuck it into the rear end of the tailless Shiba Inu in front of her.

"Ah."

Conan responded casually.

His hands were also busy; on the wooden board in front of him was a gray-white dolphin.

Subconsciously, Conan shaped the lump of clay in his hand into the shape of a dolphin's dorsal fin. In his mind, Conan was still pondering the connection between the "pointer" and the "Moon Shadow Island case".

"What about the few days off you took?" Ai Haibara asked. "It seems like turning back to normal didn't bring any benefits."

She paused, then finally turned her head and glanced at Conan, who looked exhausted.

"Do I need to remind you again that this kind of short-acting medication cannot be taken multiple times?"

"Still no clues. Maybe I should find a chance to go back to that island—"

"Cough cough!" Ai Haibara coughed suddenly, as if she had choked.

"Haibara, are you alright?"

"My throat just suddenly feels a little dry."

Ai Haibara took a water bottle out of the drawer and took a sip of water.

Then, under Conan's somewhat bewildered gaze, she glared at him fiercely.

"You're not still thinking about becoming Shinichi Kudo and then finding a chance to sneak back to the island, are you?"

Ai Haibara reminds Conan of what else he has been doing lately.

"Do I need to remind you of the news you caused at Teitan High School recently?"

The "god" sitting to the side now, in Ai Haibara's eyes, has been reduced to the lowest possible level in terms of status and identity.

She really found it hard to connect the "detective" in front of her who had begged her to give him the antidote "a few days ago" with "Kami," whose every move and even thought could change the world.

Speaking of this, Ai Haibara even felt a little amused.

The detective was really anxious at the time; you could even say he was begging me to give him the antidote.

And this is the first step in the plan—the name of the fourth pointer.

……

"Haiyuan! Haiyuan!"

That was one of the rare times Conan didn't rush to the police station after school to continue solving that unsolved mystery.

It's no wonder it's called "Story Timeline"—they really know how to handle our little detective.

Karasuma Renya found an extremely tricky angle to try and make Conan Edogawa "break his spell".

His calmness, rationality, and unwillingness to give up crumbled so quickly in that phone call from Ran Mouri.

"Shinichi, are you busy right now? I hope I haven't disturbed your case?"

Ran Mouri's tone on the phone became exceptionally... exceptionally cautious.

She was afraid of disturbing Shinichi's investigation and causing any potential trouble. "Ran, is something the matter?"

In response to Ran's call, Conan seized the opportunity to slip out of the agency and was on his way to Professor Agasa's house.

Then Ran Mouri's voice stunned him.

"Shinichi, do you remember the school festival? I mean, this Sunday, the last day of the festival."

"If I were to perform, would you come to see it—no, you want to perform with me..."

Ran Mouri hit a straight shot.

As for Conan, he had absolutely no idea what was wrong with him.

Logically speaking, he should have rejected her—for the same old, boring reason: for her safety.

Even though Heiji Hattori repeatedly emphasized that with GSSRA's current strength, protecting Kogoro Mouri's family would be a piece of cake.

"But what if? Heiji, what if something happens to Ran?"

The submarine that exploded in the harbor case, the bodies piled up on the dock...

"Conan, do you really want Ran to keep waiting for you forever?"

What truly made Conan decide to take action was Ran Mouri's "casual" mention of the stage play script during a phone call.

"Princess and prince?! You mean I have to play the roles..."

One of the "detectives" got jealous, and his tone instantly became a little sour.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Ran Mouri's slightly embarrassed and annoyed voice.

"Idiot! So why do you think I called you on purpose?!"

But for some reason, a sadness welled up inside her, as if...

It was as if if she hadn't made a decision at that moment, she would never have seen Shinichi again.

Before Shinichi could even answer, she finally mustered the courage to say what had been hidden in her heart:
"So...Shinichi—"

Xiaolan's voice trembled slightly, carrying an undisguised nervousness.

Will you come this weekend?

The pale white sun in the void flickered.

So, when Conan Edogawa came back to his senses from his previous conversation with Heiji Hattori...

Shinichi Kudo had already agreed on his behalf.

"Yeah, I'll go."

In an instant, an overwhelming sense of joy came from the other end of the phone.

"Really?!"

Ran Mouri didn't know why she was suddenly filled with boundless joy.

She didn't even realize that her eyes were already red.

To be honest, the moment Shinichi agreed, Ran Mouri felt a sudden pang of sadness, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Great! Shinichi, I'll be waiting for you then..."

The first hand of the black watch lying on the table lit up.

That pale sun wanted to make one last attempt—it didn't believe that anyone had truly fixed everything.

Although that could very well be true.

……

In short, Conan, who agreed to Ran Mouri's request due to "a moment of carelessness," had no choice but to ask the all-knowing Ai Haibara for help.

After Conan brought Professor Agasa to the same side, Ai Haibara finally "gave in".

"Okay, we'll trade you the third pointer."

Ai Haibara's voice sounded somewhat cold.

"Kudo, you haven't forgotten the bet we made before we came to the island, have you?"

Conan's expression turned serious.

"Haibara, we made a promise. If I get the third pointer—"

"I'll give up on my attempt to kill Gin and Vodka, and let the law handle it, right?"

Ai Haibara's voice sounded very calm, which puzzled Conan.

But he immediately realized the meaning behind Haibara's attitude and became somewhat excited: "So you agreed?!"

"If that really is the third pointer..."

The heart inside her chest had never beaten so fast, and Ai Haibara tried to calm her voice.

She wasn't sure if Conan would "discover" and then "reject" the matter after it had been covered up with three purposes.

"Since you insist on going to the school festival as Shinichi Kudo, leave the hands and watch behind for the next two days before you leave."

Ai Haibara gave a cold snort, just as the plan had been written, and tried her best to appear skeptical.

"After all, only by obtaining the name of the fourth pointer can we confirm that the pointer you received is genuine."

"That pointer is definitely real!"

“Then hand it over,” Ai Haibara said, extending her hand. “I just happened to upgrade the decoding box’s system with Professor Agasa these past few days.”

"While you're on a date with that guy, I can conveniently—"

"Let's go on a date!"

Ai Haibara watched as Conan's face turned red, and then white steam rose from his forehead.

She took out the three antidotes and waved them in front of him.

And then--

Then, as if under a spell, Conan pulled the watch from his pocket and placed it on that familiar lab table...

After Conan was so confused by the scam that he ran to the neighbor's house, which was originally his home, to get what he needed.

The two people remaining in the villa exchanged a glance.

“Haibara, you’re in charge of ‘decoding’ the pointers, and I’ll be in charge of finding the corresponding pointers.”

Standing in the basement, Professor Agasa connected his thoughts with the "moon" above his head.

"This is Professor Agasa. The Pointer Shaping Project -01-A has been successful. Next, we can proceed with the Pointer-B series project."

"Operations Command Center received!"

The command center on the moon was clearly excited as well.

"Immediately dispatch the Reality Intervention Department's action team! The shape of the fourth pointer's inlay has been obtained, and [Edogawa Conan] has preliminarily acknowledged the 'decoding program'!"

The league's next task is simple.

All the recorded pointer-shaped gems on Earth that are associated with any of the words "fearless courage" and whose shape and size are suitable for that empty groove...

—The alliance must get it "today".

……

Of course, Conan also had other purposes for attending the school festival.

It's not just because of the historical inertia of the title "The Desperate Resurrection," which in a sense is a precursor to the "Iron Tower Case."

The alliance needs to determine whether Conan Edogawa is currently truly "resisting the case".

This concerns how the "Iron Tower case" should end.

That was the "big commotion" that Ai Haibara just mentioned, which Conan caused.

Perhaps many people are hoping for a "miracle," for the "case" to be solved, and for Shinichi Kudo to finally meet someone.

But unfortunately—

Conan lowered his head in response to Ai Haibara's accusation.

"Haibara, there have been several cases in between. You know I can't just ignore murder cases."

Yes, "The Return of the Famous Detective!", "The Black Knight Returns!", "The Savior of the Japanese Police Solves Cases Once Again!"...

The newspaper reports, and the photo of Shinichi Kudo with his helmet off, undoubtedly spread everywhere.

The murder still happened.

This shocking fact completely calmed down the Narrative Department, which had just been excited about the good news of the third pointer.

"This just doesn't make sense—"

Even the head of the Narrative Studies Department was puzzled by this, saying, "Our previous attempts to divert attention from the case have clearly failed."

"Plus, through the hints given to Ran Mouri and Shinichi Kudo by Sonoko Suzuki, Heiji Hattori, and others, and their current mindset..."

“There is no reason for a murder to occur around Shinichi Kudo.”

“Could it be from Karasuma Renya's side…” one researcher tried to suggest.

"That's even more impossible! If Karasuma Renya can still do that, what's the difference between him and the [story timeline] at his peak?"

"Don't forget, based on the narrative structure we've analyzed, the current level of [historical inertia] is far less than the influence of [Shinichi Kudo] himself."

"There must be a deeper mechanism at work here..."

A few general ideas popped into his mind, and he immediately gave instructions to his assistant robot.

"Contact the research department and have them send over the relevant details and data!"

……

The "big news" that Ai Haibara mentioned made Conan unable to stop recalling it.

Ran Mouri saw her own excitement and the somewhat joyful words she uttered while performing with him—thanks to the fact that Hawaii taught acting.

At that moment, Xiaolan, dressed in a princess dress, stood in front of her, softly reciting her lines from the script:
"Nameless knight, shrouded entirely in black, if you are willing to grant my wish... could you... remove your..."

—Then it was interrupted by a sharp scream.

A murder occurred, and the performance was cancelled.

A strange sense of unease suddenly welled up inside Conan.

Because that wasn't the only time.

On the night he solved that case, while on a date with Ran at the Mihana Central Building's observation deck restaurant, another case occurred...

Cases always happen at the worst possible time.

"You don't need to force yourself..."

Xiao Lan's words still seemed to echo in his mind. At that moment, she seemed to see through his struggle and spoke softly:
"Actually, you're quite concerned about the murders that happened here, aren't you?"

Ran Mouri smiled gently at him, her voice soft yet firm.

"You can go without worry... I won't hide or run away like some people do... Detective?"

And he broke his promise once again.

"Fortunately, I still made that promise."

"Agreement? What agreement?" Ai Haibara asked curiously.

"Ah! Nothing!"

Realizing he had accidentally let something slip, Conan quickly changed the subject, looking up as if nothing had happened.

"So, Haibara, have you figured out the name of the fourth pointer yet?"

"Yes, I've solved it."

Ai Haibara nodded, staring directly into Conan's eyes.

"The fourth pointer is called 'Fearless Courage'."

Hearing Conan mention this name will trigger the second step of the "Fourth Pointer Project".

(End of this chapter)