The boy soldier next to the famous detective

Before Shuichi Akai could reply, the day arrived for Sera Masumi to invite Ran Mouri and the others to play in the forest.

Since this trip was arranged by Sera Masumi, Ran Mouri and the others simply packed their luggage and went to the agreed-upon station to meet.

It was still a gift from Cohen, Jonah's beloved quick-response backpack, the AK-74U that's convenient for forest combat, and some other items.

The only difference is that this time Jonah got a large drum magazine from Dave that can fire 90 bullets at once.

The full load of bullets weighed 2kg, which was heavy, but this heavy feeling made Jonah feel very safe.

With the trigger locked and 90 rounds fired, Jonah felt confident he could handle whatever kind of monsters he might encounter on this forest bathing trip.

"Wow, after being stuck in the city for so long, coming to the forest feels so relaxing!"

Wearing beautiful and practical clothes, Ran Mouri enjoyed the fresh air and faint fragrance of flowers in the surrounding forest, and relaxed by stretching out her arms.

"Yes, the air is so fresh. It's really nice to take a walk in the forest once in a while."

Sonoko Suzuki, walking beside her, was also beaming with joy, excitedly looking at the surrounding scenery.

"But it's shocking that Sera-nee-san actually likes activities like forest bathing."

Conan Edogawa followed in the group and asked the same question. Although he was enjoying the atmosphere, which was different from city life, he always seemed a little absent-minded, as if he was worried about something and would always be observing his surroundings from time to time.

Jonah, on the other hand, remained calm. He was most familiar with the scenery and atmosphere of the mountains and forests. Although the conditions were tough when he was a boy soldier, the natural scenery was truly breathtaking.

Jonah was aware of his surroundings, but not to an excessive degree.

According to Jonah's experience, going out with Conan Edogawa usually means encountering some trouble, but before those troubles happen, there is always a clear sign before danger approaches, giving them enough time to react.

So, without any warning signs, Jonah was able to relax and enjoy his trip.

"It's alright. Actually, I only came here because I was asked to."

As they walked, Sera Masumi explained to Ran Mouri and the others why she had been invited to come and play.

The person who asked her to investigate the problem was Sera Masumi's older brother, Haneda Hideyoshi's classmate. Originally, she wanted Haneda Hideyoshi to come and investigate, but Haneda Hideyoshi was preparing for a competition, so she had to ask Sera Masumi to come and help.

"Don't be afraid, I think it's just a prank, there shouldn't be any danger, and the environment is nice, so I just invited you to come along."

"It's not that I'm afraid of danger, it's just that I originally came here with the intention of having fun, but when I suddenly heard about the case, I became a little concerned."

Shaking her head, Sonoko Suzuki smiled easily, her eyes glancing at Jonah in front of her, lingering on his backpack for two seconds before moving away.

Sonoko Suzuki knew exactly what was in Jonah's backpack, so she figured she could only accept her bad luck for encountering something so dangerous under these circumstances.

As the group walked and chatted, Conan Edogawa's attention was drawn to the information revealed in Sera Masumi's words. Just as he was about to ask Sera Masumi what her surname was before she changed it, the group suddenly stopped because of Suzuki Sonoko and Mouri Ran.

"Red... Wasn't there a red figure behind that tree over there?"

Unsure of her own judgment, Sonoko Suzuki turned to Ran Mouri for confirmation.

"Yes, there was a long-haired woman wearing a red raincoat and red boots. I just saw her a little ahead..."

Nodding, Ran Mouri hesitated for a moment, but still described what she had seen.

Upon hearing what Sonoko Suzuki and Ran Mouri were saying, Jonah blinked and quickly looked at the spot they were pointing to. He then realized that the reason he hadn't seen the woman in the red raincoat was simply because of his height.

The forest in this mountain area is relatively well-preserved and natural. The bushes on both sides of the mountain road are also quite tall, and their layers of cover blocked most of Jonah's view. In addition, Jonah was not fully alert, so he missed the discovery of the suspicious person.

Jonah wanted to climb over and take a look, but after glancing at Sonoko Suzuki and Ran Mouri behind him, he gave up on the idea of ​​chasing after them.

Jonah was confident that he could find the hidden woman in red in these mountains, but it would be a loss if Sonoko Suzuki and Ran Mouri were to encounter any danger while he was separated from the group.

only.

Jonah watched as Conan Edogawa, lost in thought, slipped and slid down the earthen slope beside the road, nearly falling into the nearby swamp. Jonah knew that the omen he had been waiting for had arrived.

The sudden appearance of the woman in red, Conan's accidental fall, and Sera Masumi's rumor about a bottomless swamp all foreshadow one thing.

Trouble is brewing.

Jonah adjusted the backpack strap on his shoulder, feeling the heavy weight behind him, and squinted his eyes before steadily taking another step.

Come on, let me see if the person I'm meeting this time is like Makoto Kyogoku, able to dodge bullets at close range.

If not, then the other party is going to suffer a lot!

......

The group quickly arrived at the villa in the forest. Jonah and the others found it a bit strange to see the villa's unique red-painted gate.

Almost immediately, the people who had invited Sera Masumi to help arrived. There were four of them in total, two men and two women, all of whom were classmates from high school.

Although Sera Masumi was asked to help investigate the prank, it was also a day for everyone to get together, have fun, and relax. So, instead of starting the investigation right away, they chatted and laughed as they prepared lunch.

Lunch consisted of very delicious hamburger patties. Jonathan ate three by himself, and Ran Mouri, who loves to cook, couldn't help but praise them and even asked to know how to make them.

As the four of them happily recounted how they met and how they spent time together, Ran Mouri, realizing something, suddenly asked.

"If there are five people, does that mean the lady in the red dress we met on the street earlier was also your friend?"

Snap -

The glass fell to the ground, and the four people who had just been chatting and laughing suddenly changed their expressions upon hearing Ran Mouri's words, staring at her in disbelief.

One of the fat men even stared wide-eyed at Ran Mouri and shouted, "Impossible!" which startled Ran Mouri, causing her to instinctively tremble.

"Absolutely impossible! You must have been watching..."

咚-

His terrified scream was interrupted by a dinner knife that grazed his face. He turned his head shakily, looked at the knife embedded in the wall behind him, and then turned to look at Jonah, who was sitting in a chair, squinting and in a throwing stance. The fat man opened his mouth silently, then slumped back into the chair.

Seeing that the fat man had shut up, Jonah nodded in satisfaction, noticing that the atmosphere in the living room had become somewhat quiet because of him.

After thinking for a moment, Jonah remembered that Ai Haibara and Ran Mouri had both told him to be polite when visiting someone's home, and that if children spoke in a cute way, it would be easy to ease the atmosphere. So he turned to Masaya Usutani and said.

"Please don't shout, you're scaring Sister Xiaolan."

"If you do that again, I might accidentally stab you in the neck with a fork."