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

Chapter 278: Courage That Is Not Lacking

After Kogoro Mouri left, Akako Koizumi sighed—she now hated any kind of finishing work.

Unfortunately, she's the only one left here who can do this "dirty work."

Koizumi Akako glanced at Ireland, who had stopped breathing, in the driver's seat.

That heart, on the verge of stopping, was still trying to keep working; after all, Ireland shouldn't have been killed by Kogoro Mouri.

But all the heart can do is pump out as much blood as possible in its final moments.

Thus, a pool of crimson color, along with the smell of gunpowder residue in the air, slowly spread out.

A crimson magic rose from Hongzi's fingertips, then transformed into a wisp of silent white smoke that seeped into the car.

Nothing happened.

Obviously, it's impossible to use magic at this close distance to Shinichi Kudo.

"That annoying Shinichi Kudo, that annoying Demon of Light."

Koizumi Akako muttered to herself, feeling that what she was doing had nothing to do with witches or high school students.

"As expected, that's the only way to end it..."

She sighed again and rummaged through her small bag to find explosives and detonators.

After planting the explosives and setting the detonation time, Koizumi Akako quickly ran towards the crossroads that Ireland was heading to.

That car was actually meant for her.

Just as the vehicle started moving, Koizumi Akako took one last look at the East Tower before her—it towered above the night, its spire flashing red aviation lights, like a warning, or a bugle call.

Now I only have one last task left to complete.

Koizumi Akako thought to herself that what she needed to do next was to find Kuroba Kaito, the thief who stole the "truth".

Three minutes after the car drove away, a loud explosion was heard from a distance.

……

An explosion was detected near the East Tower!

"Repeated! We detected an explosion near the East Tower!"

GSSRA troops have entered the city.

Now, on every television program, you can see the prime minister being pushed out to take the blame, nervously announcing that terrorists are about to attack the East Tuol Tower.

"Please don't panic, stay indoors. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has responded very quickly; we have immediately deployed all our resources. I believe..."

On the deserted streets, military vehicles painted in dark gray camouflage moved silently through the city's intersections, advancing slowly like an iron torrent.

The entire traffic system is now under the control of GSSRA's command center. All roads leading to Dongduta have been turned red, and several lines of defense are blocking every vehicle attempting to enter the restricted area on the main thoroughfares.

The explosion of the police car in Ireland is undoubtedly a very significant signal.

In the Metropolitan Police Department's liaison room, Takagi Wataru waited nervously by the communications station. After hearing the gunshot over the indistinct radio, he immediately rushed out of the room—Mouri Kogoro had instructed him to try to contact Hattori Heiji immediately in any situation.

The subsequent violent explosion undoubtedly gave GSSRA an even stronger reason to act.

"What?! The police car Mr. Mori was in was attacked by an explosive device?!"

Hattori Heiji's first reaction was to refuse to believe it; he quickly scanned the message from the Metropolitan Police Department.

"The first sound was a gunshot, and according to Takagi's description, Mr. Mori had already suspected Inspector Matsumoto before getting into the car."

"The sound of the explosive device was detected approximately seven minutes after the gunshot."

I checked with the Metropolitan Police Department again to confirm that Inspector Matsumoto did not take his gun with him when he left.

Hattori Heiji felt a little relieved.

Then, realizing that the first thing he needed to do was to send out rescue and support forces, he dialed the air force base.

"Immediately deploy the nearest airlift units! Order all rescue forces to the explosion site immediately!"

……

At the air force base, there was an Apache helicopter that had already been "certified" with its identification code.

Cohen finally heard the alarm that was supposed to go on. Hearing the piercing emergency intelligence call coming from the tower in the distance, he exchanged a glance with Vodka, who was already sitting in the driver's seat, and grabbed the communicator.

"Tower, Eagle 33 can take off immediately. We are just about to begin training."

"Eagle 33, radar identification, emergency takeoff clearance. The mission is to proceed immediately to Kyoto Tower and..."

None of the three people present listened any further. Cohen put the communicator in his hand aside and a smile appeared on his lips.

"Vodka, we got the identification code. We're the first ones."

“And the last one.”

Chianti's smile was much warmer than Cohen's, even a little crazy—which was certainly true given what she had just done.

"I drained half the fuel from the other helicopters, so they had to turn back halfway through their flight."

As for Koizumi Akako, she was now driving her camouflaged vehicle with the GSSRA logo, swaggering away from the makeshift checkpoint at the intersection.

After the soldier outside the window gestured for her to proceed, Koizumi Akako started the vehicle, a complex look flashing in her eyes.

"Fearless courage..."

Everyone involved in this case now has that courage.

But Koizumi Akako knew that only a detective's courage truly mattered.

……

Kogoro Mouri has now arrived at the street at the entrance gate of the East Tower.

He also heard the explosion that had just come from afar.

He looked up and gazed up at the Kyoto Tower from the side of the street.

This wasn't the first time he'd seen this tower; in fact, he'd gotten drunk at a nearby tavern a few times.

But now it "burns" in the sky above the city like a lighthouse.

Against the backdrop of a sky where neon lights and twilight intertwine, the tower appears both clear and blurry. The red lights of the aviation lights high above flicker and, together with the lights of the surrounding buildings, cast a shadow downwards.

Kogoro Mouri thinks—

The shadow of the East Tower stretched across the night like a giant beast.

Moreover, the beast's eyes were now flashing with a greedy and evil red light, as if it wanted to open its mouth and swallow him and his daughter whole.

He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

“Relax, Maori, you can do it—just catch her, you can do it.”

"This is the final step, and you can definitely do it."

As that sense of calm returned, the Kyoto Tower transformed once again in Kogoro Mouri's eyes into a sword pointing straight to the sky—the red light flashing at the top of the tower beat in sync with his heartbeat.

Now this confused old man is going to use the "power of alcohol" to pull out that "sharp sword".

Kogoro Mouri is about to go and slay the "evil dragon".

"I didn't come here to solve a case..."

"I'm here to help that brat do what he should have done but couldn't, and to help Xiaolan realize that that brat has always..."

He spoke in a low voice, as if emphasizing something to himself.

"Xiao Lan—!"

Finally, he let out a rough and unrestrained shout, as if to confirm something, or as if to make a promise to someone who could no longer hear his voice.

"Daddy's here to save you!"

……

Everyone was evacuated in advance.

Kogoro Mouri felt as if he were running in the opposite direction of the gate of Noah's Ark in the apocalypse, and he ran alone towards the passage under the red steel frame.

Now, the entrance to the East Tower is right in front of us.

Above the glass door, the electronic screen still displayed the words "Tokyo Tower" as Kogoro Mori approached it. The moment the door opened, a blast of icy air rushed towards him.

The hall was also empty, and as silent as the marble floor. Kogoro Mouri's gaze swept over the huge three-dimensional model of the East Tower in the center of the hall.

On the support frame at the top of the model, a row of silver-white lights seemed to immerse the tower in moonlight, illuminating the details of each floor.

Kogoro walked over, perhaps because of a floor number mentioned by Shinichi Kudo "one day," or perhaps it was guided by his intuition.

His gaze was fixed on the viewing terrace shown in the model.

Kogoro Mouri didn't hesitate at all—he was quite certain that Ran was there.

He ran quickly to the elevator, but his heart sank the next second.

"The elevator is closed."

Damn it! The place he needs to go is on the 33rd floor.

Looking up at the steel structure inside the tower that stretched all the way to the upper floors, Kogoro Mouri took off his coat and tossed it onto the sofa next to the model.

He immediately ran towards the escape route—the one next to the terrace.

"Xiao Lan, and that brat... you two must hold on."

Kogoro Mouri then began climbing the tower.

First order, first order, first order...

This bumbling detective climbed upwards between the massive steel supports, and to Kogoro Mouri, the lights from the sky and the ground made him feel as if he were in an upside-down world.

An hourglass made of light and shadow, and he is like a grain of sand, eternally turning within it.

But will this hourglass one day be shattered by the sand within?

Kogoro Mouri thought of Sisyphus from ancient Greece—the man cursed by fate, who kept pushing a boulder up a mountain, only to fail time and time again.

He would never allow himself to become like him.

He knew that if he didn't succeed the first time, he would never succeed.

He began to silently recite his daughter's name in his heart.

"For Xiaolan..."

He silently recited the detective's name.

"The debt owed to that annoying detective brat..."

……

Now, the East Tower appears even more solitary and majestic in the night.

It seems not to belong to this city, like a cage piercing through some kind of "night," or an ancient beacon—watching over this trial of human destiny, obsession, and courage.

Level 13.

Kogoro Mori leaned against the wall of the narrow passageway of the East Tower, catching his breath for a few seconds.

He almost fell down the stairs.

"Xiaolan..."

He looked up and gave a wry smile.

"That guy you like is such a pain."

Kogoro Mouri's crucial shot came at a price.

The universe itself knows exactly how Ireland ultimately died.

Kogoro Mouri's character is never defined by "shooting and killing." He should always be a detective who appears confused on the surface but is righteous at heart.

Even though he had shot and wounded a prisoner in the past to save Eri Kisaki, it was a non-lethal shot.

Besides, he should have been defeated by Ireland on the first floor of the East Tower.

Kogoro Mouri's "breakthrough" not only brought him this precious moment of clarity, but also drew the attention of the universe to him.

Fortunately, the Conan universe no longer has any "handy tools"—

The East Tower has been reinforced many times, and the Alliance has even reinforced the foundation and tectonic plates beneath it.
【Shinichi Kudo】and “Ireland” are on this tower. The fourth pointer case has begun, and the universe has also “reinforced” the “case” before Karasuma Renya betrayed it.
Under the influence of the alliance, GSSRA also prevented anyone who might approach Kyoto Tower.

So the universe could only try again and again to make Kogoro Mouri fall to the ground due to exhaustion, fatigue, or accident.

This way, it can make Kogoro Mouri unconscious.

The stairs suddenly looked "very steep";
The rusted metal creaked and groaned, as if it might break at any moment;

Even the stair railings had become cold and hard, as if they were about to cut his wrists.

Unfortunately, that's all the universe can do.

Kogoro Mouri ignored these "illusions"—he gripped the escalator tightly.

He even had the energy to complain about one thing: "So could you please stop hitting my head all the time?"

—The universe has been trying to refresh the image of the "Kogoro Mouri" who should have fallen on him.

But every time Kogoro was about to fall into a coma, he would remind himself:

“Maurice, you just shot Ireland dead, he can’t knock you out anymore.”

However, sometimes "breaking the rules" is not necessarily a good thing.

As Kogoro Mouri repeatedly emphasized this in his mind, the deeper his "falsification" became, and the other "Kogoro Mouri" drifted further and further away from him.

When he climbed to the twenty-third floor, he was already very close to being an "ordinary person".

Ran Mouri is on the 33rd floor of the observation deck, which is 250 meters high.

Kogoro Mouri could probably climb ten 33-story floors in a row without getting tired.

But not Kogoro Mouri.

A simple, muddle-headed detective who spends his days drinking and ruining his health won't do.

Therefore, when Kogoro Mouri reached the 33rd floor, his physical strength was already close to its limit.

He felt as if his knees were about to split open, his lungs were burning as if they were about to explode, and even breathing became painful.

"Fortunately, I'll be able to 'faint' soon."

Kogoro Mori used his willpower to drag himself to that corridor.

Now, all that remains in his heart is the one persona that the universe cannot take away—the unwavering belief in protecting Ran Mouri.

His gaze fell on the half-open door of the corridor.

A jet-powered skateboard, capable of operating on land, sea, and air, lay there quietly.

Kogoro Mouri crouched down and silently approached it from the back of the corridor, then pressed the green button on the skateboard.

—Don't forget, this skateboard was his idea, a gift he "gave" to that detective brat.

You could even say that this skateboard was created just for this moment.

This is arguably the calmest and most decisive moment in Kogoro Mouri's life.

Any negligence could end everything, including his and his daughter's lives.

As I said before:

Everyone involved in this case now possesses that fearless courage.

……

While Kogoro Mouri briefly caught his breath and began preparing to rescue Ran Mouri.

Conan, or rather Shinichi Kudo, has been at odds with Gin for some time now.

However, unlike Kogoro Mouri, Conan naturally took the elevator up.

—Now there's nothing that dares to stop this "black knight" who's in such a hurry to save the "princess".

(End of this chapter)