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

Chapter 284 Black Tea, the Detective Meeting, and the Puppet Show

Nestled among the mountains where magpies constantly circle and cry hoarsely, and within the forests that stretch like cracks on charcoal, stands an ancient and magnificent mansion.

This is the private residence of the legendary "Mr." of the Black Organization—Karasuma Renya.

A luxurious mansion entirely made of gold. (See below)

But now, this building, cast in gold and so ornate it's almost absurd, is welcoming a group of unusual visitors.

The red carpet stretched from the high steps all the way into the main hall, illuminated by the dim candlelight and metal chandelier.

Five famous detectives—

Harufumi Mogi, Yoshiki Ogami, Ikumi Yata, Kazuyo Senma, and Saguru Hakuba.

Guided by Ishihara Aki, a maid at the mansion, the group, who had been "invited" by Kaito Kid, entered the restaurant.

Shortly after everyone was seated, the maid pushed a small cart and arranged the exquisite ceramic tea sets on the dining table.

Once the last teacup was in place, she stood up straight and bowed to everyone.

"As instructed by the host, black tea has been prepared for everyone. The tea party will officially begin after the last guest arrives."

Oosuki, the famous food detective, habitually bit his finger.

He glanced at his somewhat deflated belly with a worried look—

After discovering the clues left behind by Phantom Thief Kid, he didn't even eat dinner before following those clues all the way here.

And now, they have been waiting all day on empty stomachs.

He looked impatiently at Ishihara Aki, who was pushing the food cart away, and said, "Hey, didn't that guy Kid tell you what ingredients to buy?"

"Who can get full just by drinking tea! Besides, black tea should be served with some snacks!"

Ishihara Aki turned around and bowed deeply again, but her tone remained unchanged.

"I'm very sorry. This was what the master instructed me during the interview—to prepare only black tea."

"An interview?" Hakuba Saguru raised an eyebrow and repeated the question in a low voice with a meaningful tone.

Was Kidd already prepared all along?

Looking at the sign on the table, Senma Kazuyo, the gray-haired detective, turned her head to look at Ishihara Aki, who was pushing a cart to leave, and asked softly:

"Were these nameplates on the dining table placed at your host's request?"

"Yes, the host instructed me to pour the tea clockwise."

She apologized to everyone again, then pushed the cart away.

"This is really difficult..."

Senma Kōdai muttered something.

"The detective game has only just begun, and they're already preparing a tea party for us."

As she spoke, she glanced at the three empty seats to the left of the main seat.

The nameplate above reads in order: Kogoro Mouri, Ran Mouri, and Conan Edogawa.

Senma Kazuyo had heard of Kogoro Mouri's reputation.

Or rather, after they were also "recruited" by GSSRA, the name they heard most often was "the sleeping detective".

Advisor Mori is definitely a trump card for BIDUT, which is led by Heiji Hattori, in its external relations.

The surname in Ran Mouri's name clearly indicates her relationship with Kogoro Mouri.

That's obviously Kogoro Mouri's daughter or a relative.

Sitting in the chair, Chima Kazuyo chuckled somewhat hoarsely.

She seemed to be talking to herself, yet also to everyone present.

"But I'm very curious—"

Her gaze slowly swept over the other four people.

"Among all of you here, who is the real 'Sherlock Holmes,' and who is simply sitting around the coffee table listening to Holmes solve his riddles?"

……

Senma Furuyo knew her current location all too well.

This is a past she cannot avoid in her life—

Forty years ago, her father was invited by Karasuma Renya, a famous wealthy man, to the Twilight Villa in an attempt to find a valuable treasure left to him by Karasuma's mother.

The 63-year-old detective still remembers that era, those yellowed letter papers, and those letters written with a brush.

In her childhood memories, it was a bright but short-lived time.

For the entire six months that my father was away, the family received a letter from "Twilight Villa" almost every day. In addition to the illegible handwriting and everyday words, the envelope usually contained a huge check.

She clearly remembers how happy she and her mother were at that time.

And it was after that six months that my father and those correspondences seemed to have never existed in this world.

Then came twenty years of silence.

For a full twenty years, it wasn't until she inadvertently placed the last envelope under the light that she unexpectedly discovered the message her father had left behind through the hole poked with a needle.

A terrible and hidden truth was revealed belatedly.

The many scholars who were invited were all killed by Karasuma Renya because they failed to decipher the secrets of the treasure.

Besides that, there was the secret code about the treasure left by his father.

The coded message was exactly the content of the notice sent to them by Phantom Thief Kid; everything was unchanged except for the order of the sentences.

Two travelers, hurrying along, looked up at the celestial phenomena that night.
The soldier, breathless, drew his sword and committed suicide; the earth changed color.

The king abducted the treasure and fled.

The princess wept as she poured out the Holy Grail, praying for divine mercy.
The devil descended upon the castle.

This is precisely why Senma Kōdai and Ōgami Shūzen recognized Kid at a glance after receiving his "invitation".

Upon seeing the postcard falling from the top of the clock tower, they immediately realized that the "treasure trove" Kidd was referring to was this eerie twilight villa.

However, she and Oosugi tacitly refrained from mentioning this to the other detectives present.

Because—they had already tried to find the treasure in this annex two years ago.

Senma Kazuyo subtly turned her head and glanced at Oogami Shuzen, who was impatiently biting his fingers not far away.

He and this once-famous "food detective" have come up with absolutely nothing in the past two years.

Da Shang Zhushan, who borrowed a large sum of money to buy the mansion, even fell into huge debts.

So, after being disappointed to the point of near despair, he finally made that proposal to her—a proposal that was almost tantamount to a crime:
"Let's invite the other famous detectives over in the name of Phantom Thief Kid."

"Use Phantom Thief Kid to lure these detectives into a trap, then set up a deadly, thrilling game, and kill them all after they find the final treasure..."

Of course, that loan was eventually "wiped out" by a much larger entity.

GSSRA.

One day, a global organization that was larger, more secretive, and more powerful than the United Nations suddenly contacted them and recruited them like agents.

Furthermore, GSSRA also recruited those whom Senma Kazuyoshi and Ogami Shuzen wanted to invite.

Or rather, because of Yusaku Kudo's past achievements, GSSRA "recruited" every detective who was somewhat famous or had a name.

After learning just how large and terrifying GSSRA was, the previously proposed "murder game" was naturally put on hold.

After all, the reason why Da Shang Zhu Shan came up with that murder plan was to find that treasure and thus get rid of the debt he had incurred due to his arrogance.

—That gourmet detective was only after money, not deliberately courting death.

But now, those past desires, fears, pursuits, and betrayals, like an old file that has been opened, are once again laid out under the candlelight.

They returned here.

……

Senma Kōdai, an old man with enough experience, could see the fear hidden beneath Ōgami Shūzen's impatience.

"But now we're back here!"

Even the list of those who invited them, even the name of the maid who served them…

Everything was exactly as Da Shang Zhu Shan had planned.

This is precisely what Ōgami Shūzō fears.

Chima Kazuyo even felt that if she weren't so old, she might have felt the same fear as Oogami Shuzen.

She couldn't say whether it was a coincidence or something else.

Chima Kazuyo slowly narrowed her eyes.

The old man had this feeling in his heart:
This coincidence is as if someone knew their past trajectory and their thoughts in advance.

Then--

Let them "play" themselves.

However, these plans differ in some subtle ways.

Chima Kazuyo's gaze swept to the nameplate on the first table from the left, a name that had not appeared in their original script.

There is indeed a name that is not on the list.

She looked at the other detectives who were already seated: "Has any of you heard of the name Conan Edogawa?"

The first response came from Harufumi Mogi.

"It's probably an alias used by some famous detective."

The Chicago-renowned detective chuckled softly, a hint of mockery in his voice.

"Edogawa Ranpo, Conan Doyle... a pseudonym made up of these two names."

Even Hakuba Saguru glanced at the empty seat in first place with great interest.

"And in the first one, it's obvious, a guy who compares himself to Sherlock Holmes, even Kaito Kid thinks so."

Hakuba Saguru glanced at the expressions of everyone present.

He was quite certain that no one had ever heard of this name, or the famous detective who used it as an alias.

Meanwhile, Ikumi Gunda glanced at the five detectives who had taken their seats and the environment of the restaurant.

She interrupted the casual conversation that the others were about to begin and took the initiative to take control of the situation.

"We can't do nothing while waiting for these three detectives to arrive."

Having previously served as a coroner, she was clearly given more authority and higher expectations by GSSRA because of her past official position.

Before the operation, Hattori Heiji instructed them that if anyone was unsure of what to do, they must follow her orders.

"If that maid hadn't said that if I acted without permission, that Phantom Thief Kid would have run away, I would have already started my operation."

Harufumi Mogi shrugged, feeling like he was being manipulated into sitting in his seat like a puppet.

"We were led here by the nose by that phantom thief. If he really gets away because of our unauthorized actions..."

After all, the detectives now bear orders and responsibilities from GSSRA.

Moreover, he gestured with his lip and looked at the person standing in the main seat, as if he were to preside over this so-called "tea meeting".

"Moreover, it's clear that the real owner here hasn't spoken yet."

The atmosphere was still for a moment, and then everyone turned their attention to the head seat of the restaurant.

A person stood there quietly.

……

This is a tall, sculpted man.

He wore a black, high-necked cloak with edges that spread out like bat wings.

Beneath the shadow of that top hat, the face that should have been facing the crowd was instead covered by a pale, eerie smiling mask.

The smile on his face was eerily torn from the corner of his mouth to the base of his ears, as if mocking everyone who tried to uncover the truth.

Everyone recognized the role the host was meant to play.

After all, he is exactly the same as the protagonist in the famous detective novel written by Yusaku Kudo.

—The Dark Baron.

"Phantom Thief Kid didn't show up, but this 'Baron' made his appearance first."

Hakuba Saguru leaned back in his chair, a hint of surprise and amusement flashing in his eyes.

He didn't think Kidd would appear as the "Baron of the Night." It was too out of character for Kidd.

Moreover, he keenly noticed that a new screenwriter was taking over the play.

"This is getting more and more interesting."

“Yes.” Harufumi Mogi nodded.

His gaze shifted between the Baron and the few empty seats.

"After all, that maid just said that the tea party is only one guest away from starting."

He paused, glancing at the others.

"If this baron isn't Phantom Thief Kid, and neither are the maid and the arriving guest Phantom Thief Kid..."

"He might be somewhere right now, watching us with hidden surveillance cameras."

Harufumi Mogi's teasing made everyone's feigned relaxed expressions vanish.

Especially the Great Blessing.

His eye twitched, then it was as if he suddenly couldn't contain the fear and anger that had been building up inside him.

"Bang!" He slammed his hand on the table. "Are we really just going to do nothing and let this inexplicable game lead us by the nose?"

This statement acts as a kind of signal.

With a creak, Aki Ishihara pushed the door open and entered once again.

Holding a stack of neatly bound documents, she maintained her docile yet somewhat vacant expression as she placed the bound letters one by one in front of everyone.

Then, place a deck of playing cards with the crow's crest on Conan Edogawa's spot.

The detectives looked at each other in bewilderment.

They looked down at the letter in front of them, their pupils gradually contracting as they were filled with doubt and surprise at what was written on it.

The Dark Baron, who was standing at the very front, raised his head.

"What you all need to do is actually very simple." "Just finish performing one play after the last guest arrives, and then you can rest."

……

The fifth pointer case is perhaps the simplest of all the pointer cases.

Because, before [Conan Edogawa] arrived at the Twilight Annex—

This case is now "over".

"Yes, after Kogoro Mouri revealed the truth about the 'Twilight Villa Case,' the Dark Star has been successfully embedded in the fifth slot."

Standing in the dressing room of the annex.

Kaito Kuroba, no, I should say Kogoro Mouri.

He then tidied up the stack of papers he was holding.

He had hidden the five-hand watch behind the restaurant's only clock.

Kaito Kuroba sighed softly, his gaze falling on "Ran Mouri" beside him through the mirror.

"Akako, I'm getting more and more confused. Kogoro Mouri and Ran Mouri...aren't they still in the hospital?"

"That way, Conan will be able to tell at a glance that we're fake."

“He might even come at us in a rage, expose us, and then beat us up, right?”

Koizumi Akako, standing to the side, was using a wooden comb to style her long, black-dyed hair into a pointed hairstyle exactly like Ran Mouri's.

She didn't show any surprise when she heard Kaito's question.

She asked Kaito Kuroba a question in return:
"Kidd, what do you think is the Alliance's purpose in insisting on maintaining the 'Twilight Villa Case'?"

Kaito paused, his gaze shifting from the script in his hand to Akako.

"Tell Him it's all a pre-arranged script?"

But there was a more obvious sense of confusion in his voice.

He had already read the letters that Aki Ishihara would send to the five detectives.

He even has a script for "Kogoro Mouri" or "Kaito Kid" in his hand right now.

What was written there was exactly the same as what he knew about "historical inertia".

But given the current situation, it's clear that we can't allow things to unfold as originally planned.

"But now we've essentially sent the script directly to that detective."

"If...if Shinichi Kudo discovers the truth...he will...he will..."

"What will they do to us?"

Kaito Kuroba was stunned for a moment.

If Conan Edogawa discovers that Kaito Kuroba is behind all of this, and uses the "Fifth Pole" and the "watch" to threaten the detectives present into doing as written on the letter—

It seems the outcome won't be much different.

What can Conan Edogawa perceive from such a strange situation and atmosphere?

—Everyone stiffly accompanied him as he performed a play.

and then?
Conan might astutely realize that all of this is related to hands, to watches, and even to time.

So, what happens next?
There is no more.

The information that Conan Edogawa has is only enough for him to deduce these information and clues, but not enough to deduce the "truth".

What Conan can discover are merely clues sufficient to support the existence of this mystery—not the key to the outside world.

This only confirms the doubts he has already formed in his mind.

The so-called "truth" is no longer in this villa.

……

This is also why the fifth case seems equally strange.

"【Kogoro Mouri】has already used his temporary identity as 【Conan Edogawa】 to announce the final result and the final truth of this case through the mouth of the 'Sleeping Detective'."

Hongzi put a hair clip on herself and then tried to show a gentle smile like Ran Mouri.

Kaito suddenly felt a chill.

"It doesn't matter at all whether these five detectives are here or not. Even if they left now, it wouldn't affect the case in any way."

Of course, perhaps these detectives cannot leave.

Because they are now as if they are firmly nailed to the spot by the things written on the letter paper.

As the league has always emphasized, no one will refuse an opportunity to undo all the regrets.

Who can be without regrets?

Koizumi Akako took out a lighter and lit her own "script".

She could remember the few lines of text without having to memorize them.

To be honest, playing Ran Mouri in this case couldn't be easier—she doesn't have much screen time.

Koizumi Akako lit the script, watching the few lines of text she already knew by heart gradually burn in the flames.

A strange analogy came to her mind; it seemed like a fate that had already been spoiled.

"You can actually fly directly to that detective now and hand him the watch with the hands."

"I don't know if you can do it or not, but that won't affect the outcome at all."

Kaito Kuroba now fully understands what Akako Koizumi means.

"So, Akako, the fifth case was a hint to him, right?"

"To be precise, this will be an explicit statement."

At this stage, when the ritual is already nearing its end, the most crucial task is no longer shaping the event, but guiding consciousness.

The most crucial point is to avoid directly linking Conan Edogawa with that pale sun right now.

To avoid [Conan Edogawa] directly realizing that he is "the core of everything".

We must not allow him to steer the reasoning toward the "Alliance," toward "Lin Sheng," or toward the deepest "CYZ Effect."

“But he can’t do that anymore.”

Conan Edogawa's own deduction about the limitations of the "watch's" functions made him realize his own problem.

He personally constructed a functional explanation for that prop, giving it a closed and self-consistent "interpretive container".

The detective sought a vehicle to realize this problem of "himself".

That black watch, in a sense, is a lock that binds the soul.

Every question, every unease, and every doubt about "time" in Conan Edogawa is automatically deduced to the conclusion that "it may be related to this watch."

Everything surrounding him—

Hattori Heiji's phone call, the so-called "separate operation" arrangement, Professor Agasa's absence... all led him into a perfect misconception.

Even the recording robot used to simply broadcast clues in the original case has been replaced with one that resembles [Yusaku Kudo].

now--

Without direct intervention from the alliance;
Unlike Lin Sheng on the Star Tower, they did not take the initiative to make a move;
There is no mechanism within the Conan universe itself that actively activates and enhances [Conan Edogawa] through a power called the "CYZ Effect"...

The "truth" that had happened and the "truth" that had been deduced were also taken away with Karasuma Renya's "escape".

Just like Lin Sheng's assessment of Conan.

"He is a responsible, respectful of life, and principled high school detective—that's all."

This is also why Shigenobu Hitomi had previously firmly ordered that no conditions sent by the universe be agreed to, and that no device or equipment with the CYZ effect be allowed to approach [Edogawa Conan] at this time.

The universe is now too weak to do anything.

"Therefore, the top executives of the [Execution Level] unanimously agreed that it is now necessary to appropriately hint at a certain 'truth' to [Edogawa Conan]."

Moreover, there is one point that needs to be emphasized again—

Kogoro Mouri, posing as the "Sleeping Detective," has announced the outcome of the case in the tone of Conan Edogawa, deducing the truth.

Koizumi Akako then recited the only part of the prophecy that had not come true: "The devil descended upon the castle."

All that's left for Conan Edogawa now is the title of "devil".

"So, it's really that simple?"

A hint of surprise crept into Kaito Kuroba's voice.

"I mean, this seems a bit... a bit too easy."

"That's just your opinion."

Koizumi Akako experienced more than Kaito.

In her view, all of this was simply the culmination of all the efforts the alliance had made in the past.

The traces he left behind before the Big Bang that guided Kogoro Mouri;

The construction of the "Holy Grail" system;

The acquisition of the last three cyanide pills and the destruction of the Black Organization;

And the "Seven Secret Scriptures of Conan the True Lord" given to Karasuma Renya;
Mr. Yusaku's meticulous design of the Twilight Villa Case and his careful understanding of his son, Shinichi Kudo's, psychological activities;

Dr. Agasa and all the Alliance personnel are currently busy with the final case;
And many other details and foreshadowing...

Surely no one really thinks the league is very weak?
All the difficulties the alliance has encountered in the past can be attributed to only one reason—

That means the other side is cheating.

You can't fight against an enemy who is both a player and a referee.

In the past, dual timelines could directly manipulate [Conan Edogawa], or allow him to cheat by using a series of elements such as "resetting", "disappearing", "changing timelines", and "exploiting cases".

The two timelines cannot interfere with the new timeline now.

With the death of Yusaku Kudo and the destruction of the Black Organization, the Conan universe is now extremely weak.

"What you are seeing now is the strength that the league should be able to demonstrate without too much interference."

Ultimately—

This is just a "detective story".

……

Perhaps it was the fear brought by those messages, or the promises written at the end, or the influence of fate.

When Conan parked the Volkswagen Beetle in front of the annex, following the radar on his detective watch, he walked through the corridor, arrived at the restaurant entrance, and pushed open the heavy black door—

Conan witnessed an unbelievable scene.

He couldn't even believe his eyes.

"Sister Ran! Uncle Mori!"

He screamed almost out of his mouth, but the next second, he raised his wrist, and the tranquilizer watch, which had turned into a small turret, was pointed at everyone present.

But everyone present.

Ran Mouri, Kogoro Mouri, Harufumi Mogi, Yoshiki Ogami, Ikumi Yata, Kazuyo Senma, Saguru Hakuba.

They acted as if they were ignoring the attack that Conan Edogawa was about to make.

Ran Mouri even gave a familiar yet somewhat eerie smile.

"Seriously, Conan, where have you been?"

Her voice was gentle as she patted the chair next to her, inviting Conan to sit down next to her in the first seat from the left.

Conan hesitated for a second.

He looked at Harufumi Mogi, who was closest to him, and carefully uttered the code given by Heiji Hattori: "Boundless Boundaries".

"What do you mean by 'boundless boundaries'?" Mogi Harufumi looked at the troublesome child with some impatience.

"Hurry up and get back to your seat. Don't you know that Phantom Thief Kid said the tea party won't start until everyone is here?"

Conan stood motionless in place.

He felt that something was completely wrong, utterly wrong—

In fact, this seemingly normal atmosphere made him wonder if he had... perhaps traveled to the wrong time and space.

"Hey, did you hear me? You brat, I told you not to run around here!"

Even Kogoro Mouri's voice, movements, and posture look remarkably similar.

But how is this possible? !

Conan wanted to say something, but he found himself speechless for a moment.

Clearly... Uncle Mori was lying in the emergency room just a few hours ago, and Ran...

"Conan? What happened?"

Ran tilted her head, and a look of worry that Conan was very familiar with flashed in her eyes.

"Ah, it's nothing," Conan replied instinctively.

He subconsciously took a step and walked towards his seat.

Just as he was about to sit down, he suddenly stopped.

"Wait... how could I...?"

Then those sounds immediately rang out.

"Hey, I said don't keep us waiting."

"Kids these days really don't know any manners."

"Conan, are you hungry? Come and sit down, the tea party is about to begin."

Seven pairs of eyes were fixed on him, their gazes devoid of hostility or emotion—only a gentle urging, prompting Conan to "take a seat."

Conan felt that all of this was absolutely terrifying.

It was as if everyone present was putting on a show for him.

What on earth happened?!

(End of this chapter)