I'm in Detective Conan, and the system has appointed Batman.

The robbers standing by the phone were completely oblivious to Conan's ever-changing expressions.

Even if he did notice, he didn't care what Conan was thinking.

Now, the robber simply picked up the phone and, repeating what he had said four or five times before, asked the Junior Detective League to take the train again—which was obviously pointless.

Their plan was to annoy the Junior Detectives and then deliberately slip away from the police's sight to meet them.

When Miyahara Satoshi was at the restaurant earlier, he could tell that these children were very active.

boom!boom!boom!boom!

A series of gunshots suddenly rang out outside the abandoned room.

Immediately, everyone—the robbers, Conan, Minami Takayama, and Shiina Nagano—was taken aback.

What happened?

Does this mean the police have already arrived?

Chapter Fifty-Seven: An Encounter Like a Horror Movie

Satoshi Miyahara felt somewhat depressed.

He killed his accomplice at Shoenji Temple on December 31st of last year, disguising it as excessive self-defense and manslaughter, and used this to deceive the prosecutor at the time, thus being acquitted.

However, he never expected that someone would have nothing better to do than write about what happened back then in a song!

With no other option, Miyahara Satoshi had to solve the problem himself.

First, they kidnapped Shiina Nagano, then they tricked Minami Takayama out and kidnapped her too, and also took an elementary school student with them.

But even after things had progressed to this point, there was still an unexpected turn of events.

How could Takayama Minami be so careless as to casually toss a soundtrack worth at least tens of millions of yen to a bunch of elementary school kids? He even forgot to put the soundtrack back in his bag, forcing him to go back and threaten the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department to send the soundtrack over!

"Damn it, what a bunch of idiots!"

Miyahara Satoshi cursed under his breath as he walked down the external staircase towards the ground.

Perhaps because he was feeling down, he pulled down his mask, took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it with a lighter, and took a satisfying drag.

Then, he exhaled smoke.

Nourished by nicotine, Satoshi Miyahara's mood improved significantly.

Just as he reached the ground and began to exhale smoke, he suddenly felt something was amiss.

Yes, it's true that he smokes.

But isn't the smoke nearby a bit too thick?

He had only ever seen such thick fog in designated smoking rooms!

Miyahara Satoshi immediately became alert.

He released the cigarette, letting the butt fall to the ground, and turned to scan the surrounding corners.

However, I don't know when it started, but I can't see anything around me anymore.

All he could see was smoke, which was invisible!

"What is that... Hey, who is it?"

Miyahara Satoshi felt increasingly uneasy.

He instinctively took the pistol out of his pocket and aimed it at the indistinct fog.

I aimed left, I aimed right, but all of it came to nothing!

With no other option, Miyahara Satoshi tried to back away, attempting to find some sense of security by leaning against a wall or stairs.

But at that very moment, footsteps sounded all around.

The sudden sound of footsteps instantly heightened Miyahara Satoshi's tension to the extreme.

He instinctively drew his pistol and fired in the direction from which the footsteps were coming.

boom!

The footsteps disappeared.

However, Miyahara Satoshi was far from at ease.

Because the shot missed.

He was a habitual robber and murderer, and was extremely sensitive to the smell of blood.

However, he didn't smell any blood, which meant he didn't hit anyone. Moreover, since nothing hit the ground, it was impossible for the person wearing a bulletproof vest to be hit by a bullet.

But how is that possible?

How could someone dodge bullets in smoke where visibility was zero?!

Tap tap, tap tap, tap tap.

Footsteps came from another direction.

Miyahara Satoshi reflexively turned around and fired another shot.

The footsteps disappeared again, but, as before, nothing changed.

A sense of panic finally crept into his heart.

Miyahara Satoshi stood still, not daring to make any rash moves.

At that very moment, footsteps sounded again.

The footsteps are much closer this time than before!

However, Miyahara Satoshi did not see anyone. He only felt that an invisible person was constantly approaching him, and each step felt like it was stepping on his heart.

He now looks like a foolish extra in a horror movie, trying to fight a losing battle.

Satoshi Miyahara fired again and retreated once more.

However, the footsteps disappeared briefly before reappearing.

This time it's even closer than last time, practically within reach!

"What exactly is that thing you're talking about?!"

Satoshi Miyahara used his voice to mask his fear.

He fired repeatedly, using up his last bullet, and his body kept retreating until he finally felt the reality of the situation.

He leaned against the wall.

The footsteps disappeared.

The smoke gradually dissipated.

Satoshi Miyahara breathed a sigh of relief.

It is said that spirits fear evil people, and now it seems that this is indeed true.

However, just as Miyahara Satoshi breathed a sigh of relief, footsteps sounded again.

His eyes widened, his ears perked up, and disbelief filled his gaze.

Because this time, the direction of the footsteps...

They're still behind us.

But the wall behind us is solid, so how could the footsteps still be coming from behind?!

The moment of terror caused Miyahara Satoshi to lose his mind.

He turned around frantically and pulled the trigger against the wall behind him.

One, one, another.

However, the empty pistol gave him no sound feedback.

The smoke finally dissipated.

Satoshi Miyahara looked down at the wall.

There was a small ball there, and heavy footsteps were still playing inside the ball.

This is just a recording.

A feeling that he couldn't quite put his finger on—whether it was relief or something else—made Miyahara Satoshi unconsciously relax.

There are no vengeful evil spirits in this world.

There is no cause and effect, no retribution; it's all just self-inflicted fear.

However, just as Miyahara Satoshi relaxed...

His body tensed up instinctively.

If there were no evil spirits, then who placed the recording ball?

He didn't know when it started, but a dark shadow covered his body.

So much so that even his shadow became bloated.

Satoshi Miyahara could sense something standing behind him.

He was about to turn around.

But he didn't have time to turn around.

A strong electric current spreads instantaneously from a point on the back.

Miyahara Satoshi's body trembled violently. He screamed and fell forward onto the steps of the iron external staircase, his heart filled with fear.

His body, which had been electrocuted, was unable to move like a normal person.

However, his will to survive compelled him to instinctively reach out and grab the upward steps, as if trying to escape a ghost, and call for his companions to rescue him.

It's too late.