Detective Conan: The System Takes Me to Zero's World

Vermouth murmured softly, "Fine wine, we're not far from the finish line."

She stubbed out her cigarette, stood up, walked to the mirror, tidied her curly hair, her makeup was flawless, but there was no smile in her eyes.

The organization's collapse was imminent; she had waited far too long for this day. All she needed to do was quietly stand in the shadows, fueling the flames until the final reckoning arrived.

The sunlight outside the window remained bright. The undercurrents in the research area, the layout of the Kudo family mansion, the lurking in the streets and alleys, and the watchful eyes from the high-rise buildings—all the clues were intertwined, tightening their grip on Rum and the Karasuma Group.

The bedroom on the second floor of the Kudo family house.

Kudo Yuki gently pinched Conan's scrunched-up face, smiling faintly: "Little adult underage, be careful you don't get wrinkles if you keep frowning!"

Conan's ears burned slightly at her teasing. He slapped her hand away in annoyance, his cheeks puffing out slightly as he reverted to his childlike form, but his eyes still held a lingering seriousness: "Sis, this isn't the time for jokes. Rum, he..."

"No rush."

Kudo Yuki interrupted him, reached out and ruffled her younger brother's hair, her gaze drifting indifferently towards the living room downstairs.

“Everything is under control. Rum won’t be going to the Haneda family anytime soon. His left eye is in excruciating pain, making it impossible for him to think calmly, let alone take action. Even if he were to take action, he would have to wait until the pain subsides before he dares to plan again.”

The mouse, perched on the windowsill, twitched its ears and hopped onto Kudo Yuki's shoulder, its short legs rubbing against her collar as it muttered, "Yuki's right! Rum's in so much pain he's smashing things in the car, and Hiroki's security camera caught it all!"

Amuro Tooru stood at the top of the stairs, taking in the conversation, his gentle smile deepening. He looked up at the figure on the second floor, his eyes filled with unwavering tenderness and trust.

Downstairs in the living room, Hiroki Sawada zoomed in on the chaotic scene inside Rum's car—Rum was clearly seen clutching his left eye and screaming in pain, showing none of the calm and ruthlessness expected of the organization's higher-ups.

Subaru Okiya crossed his arms, his eyes slightly narrowed with cold light. He looked at the disheveled Rum on the screen, then glanced at the live feed of Gin steadily guarding the surveillance point, and his mind was clear.

This game of chess, orchestrated by Kudo Yuki, is already beyond any doubt.

Karasuma Renya's suspicion, Rum's arrogance, Gin's forbearance, and Vermouth's defection—all the clues have become a knot, firmly binding the organization's lifeline.

Yusaku Kudo put down his teacup, his gaze gentle yet profound. Watching the unfolding situation on the screen, he slowly spoke to Tooru Amuro beside him: "Rum's mind has been completely destroyed by the effects of the drug and his ambition. Even if we remain inactive for now, he will only do something more outrageous. We just need to wait and see, until he reveals his true colors."

Amuro Tooru nodded slightly: "Chief Administrator Kuroda has completed the deployment of all police forces, and the FBI and MI6 are also on standby around the Haneda residence. As soon as Rum makes any move, we can immediately close in. In addition, Kagemitsu reported that everything is stable after the drug's administration, and Vodka is not in danger for the time being."

In the bedroom on the second floor, Conan overheard the conversation downstairs. His tense face relaxed slightly, but he still clutched the blueprints for the ES Dark Amber Project in his hand and whispered, "Sis, what about the Dark Amber Project's laboratory..."

Kudo Yuki straightened up and lightly tapped her younger brother's forehead with her index finger: "You should keep an eye on Aunt Sharon's movements in secret."

Conan was taken aback, then realized—Vermouth.

He pursed his lips, ultimately not asking any further questions. He simply folded the drawing and carefully tucked it into his inner pocket. The circuitry and symbols on it were devices capable of distorting will, and the organization's ultimate trump card.

The mouse nestled in Kudo Yuki's neck, its tail brushing against her collarbone. The system panel lit up with a pale blue light in the void, as it listened to the commotion while quickly searching for information.

"Xiaoxue, after Cohen was taken away by Kuroda Heibei, he wouldn't say a word no matter how we interrogated him. His mouth was even tighter than Gin's."

Amuro Tooru leaned against the stair railing, taking in the entire telepathic connection, his eyes filled with a mixture of tenderness and coldness.

He knew Cohen's nature all too well. He was a staunch supporter of the organization and would never back down until the very last moment. But now Rum was preoccupied with his own problems, and Karasuma Renya harbored suspicions about Rum's faction. No matter how hard Cohen resisted, it would only be a futile struggle.

Kudo Yuki lowered her eyes and played with the mouse's ears, her gaze sweeping across the clear sunlight outside the window: "Even if Cohen doesn't tell, it doesn't matter, what he already knows is no longer the key point."

She succinctly revealed the secret: "Cohen was taken away by the Metropolitan Police Department because Gin deliberately let him go. Firstly, to use the police to protect him and prevent Rum from killing him, and secondly, to completely eliminate Rum's informants."

“Gin has already eliminated Rum’s men as agreed. Now, all those outside are pawns we can see.”

The little mouse excitedly kicked its short legs: "Xiaoxue is absolutely right! Gin has already cleaned up all the people Rum had planted in various bases, and even cut off the secret communications. That old man Karasuma Renya is still stupid enough to think that Gin is carrying out surveillance orders~"

Amuro Tooru walked slowly to the middle of the second-floor staircase, his voice low but reaching into the room: "Gin's choice was exactly what we expected. Karasuma Renya even has to monitor his loyal subordinates; anyone in his position would no longer be willing to submit."

Kudo Yuki looked up at him, smiled faintly, and flicked the little mouse's head: "He knows very well that following Rum will only lead to death, and following Karasuma Renya will ultimately make him a pawn. Only by making a deal with us can he protect the people he wants to protect."

Conan's brows relaxed slightly, but he still couldn't help but ask, "Sis, can Vodka... Gin really rescue them successfully?"

Kudo Yuki walked to the window and looked at the shadows of the trees in the courtyard.

"Based on the current situation analysis, Vermouth and I have already transmitted the real-time status of Vodka in the laboratory to Gin, so he is aware of the situation."

"Moreover, Karasuma Renya's order to spare Rum's life was a calculated move based on suspicion. He wouldn't really let Gin be completely isolated and helpless. He just didn't expect that Gin had already stood on our side."

Conan's tense shoulders finally relaxed completely, his small body leaned against the bedside, and his fingers, which were gripping the blueprints tightly, slowly loosened.

He looked up at Kudo Yuki, all the doubts in his eyes vanished, leaving only complete trust, just as he had relied on his sister countless times before, still certain that every step of her plan was flawless.

Kudo Yuki chuckled and tidied his slightly messy bangs: "This is only a temporary solution."

"Temporarily?" Conan's brows furrowed slightly again, but no longer with the previous anxiety; instead, they were filled with the unique curiosity and seriousness of a child.

Kudo Yuki leaned down, her fingertips lightly touching the inside pocket of his chest, her gaze calm and serene. "I will only pave the way for Gin, not protect him. Whether Vodka lives or dies, is intact or damaged... it all depends on how the old man decides to deal with him."

Conan nodded as if he understood, his fingertips lightly touching the blueprint in his pocket. The lines on it were the organization's last resort in its attempt to control people's hearts, and also the blade hanging over everyone's heads at this moment.

He knew that Kudo Yuki never made empty promises. Since he dared to bet on Gin, he must have calculated all of Gin's escape routes and weaknesses.

With a light flick of its tail, the mouse's round eyes sparkled as it laughed, and it said crisply, "Xiaoxue is openly setting a trap for Gin! She's just paving the way and not caring about the outcome, just sitting on the sidelines and watching the show!"

Amuro Tooru slowly walked up the last few steps, leaning against the bedroom door frame. His light golden hair was edged with warmth by the sunlight streaming in from the window, and the gentleness in his eyes was tinged with a hint of cold sharpness.

His gaze toward Kudo Yuki was tender yet resolute. Every word he had just heard confirmed that they had already finalized their plan—the fine wine and the bourbon, from beginning to end, were in sync.

"The deal between Gin and us was based on mutual benefit," Amuro Tooru said, his voice so low that only the three people in the room could hear him.

"He wants to protect vodka, and we want to dismantle the organization. Karasuma Renya's suspicious heart is the best breakthrough point. He thinks Gin is the sharpest knife in his hand, but he doesn't know that this knife is already pointed at his throat."

Kudo Yuki straightened up, her fingertips gently stroking the mouse's soft fur, her gaze passing over Amuro Tooru and landing in the direction of the living room downstairs.

Hiroki Sawada's fingers flew across the keyboard. The image of Rum writhing in pain inside the car was still clear. In one corner of the screen, there was also a live feed from the surveillance point where Gin was located. The man, dressed in black, stood in the shadows, his menacing aura almost piercing through the screen.

Subaru Okiya stood with his arms crossed in the corner of the living room, his eyes, hidden behind a human skin mask, slightly narrowed their cold light as he looked at the clearly divided situation on the screen, his fingertips lightly tapping his elbow.

Kudo Yusaku's gaze was deep. He looked at Amuro Tooru beside him and slowly said, "The core instrument blueprints of Project Dark Amber, Wakasa Rumi has already given them to Yuki, right? That's Rum's last trump card in his attempt to seize power, and it's a usurpation that Karasuma Renya will never tolerate."

“Yes.” Amuro Tooru nodded. “Miss Asaka has completely resolved her inner conflict. What she wanted was never protection, but the opportunity to avenge Koji Haneda herself. Yuki has already agreed to it.”

The conversation downstairs carried clearly to the second floor. Conan's ears twitched, and he looked up at Kudo Yuki: "Sis, Wakasa-sensei... is it really okay?"

Kudo Yuki's eyes softened slightly as she recalled Wakasa Rumi's reddened eyes when she learned the truth. She said softly, "She waited for this day for seventeen years. What Rum owed her, what he owed Haneda Koji, she should have taken back herself."

Suddenly, the little mouse kicked its short legs, its voice filled with excitement: "Little Snow! Black Feather Thief has sent word! He's been keeping an eye on Rum's every move, just as you instructed. That crow leading the way has saved us a lot of trouble!"

Amuro Tooru's lips curled into a faint smile. Kuroba Toichi's intervention was undoubtedly another hidden move in the game. Kudo Yuki's plans were always watertight.

He stepped forward and stood beside Kudo Yuki, his fingertips lightly touching the back of her hand; a silent understanding flowed between them.

Conan looked at the two people in front of him, his ears burning slightly. He remembered Ran Mouri's gentle way of calling him "Shinichi" when no one was around, and the last bit of tension in his heart completely dissipated.

He stood up from the bedside, pressed the Dark Amber Project blueprints in his pocket again, and his small body contained a composure that did not match his age.

This battle, which has lasted for countless days and nights, is finally coming to an end.

The sunlight outside the window grew brighter, streaming into the room through the glass and falling on Kudo Yuki's curly hair, on Amuro Tooru's gentle eyes, on Conan's serious little face, and on the quiet figures of the people downstairs.

The undercurrents in the research area had long since subsided, the spies in the streets and alleys were all in place, and the eyes on the high-rise buildings never wavered. The moment Vermouth stubbed out her cigarette in front of the mirror, the organization's death knell had already quietly tolled.

Kudo Yuki looked up at Amuro Tooru, and in the instant their eyes met, they understood each other's final declaration without needing to say a word.

We're really not far from the finish line.

The lights in the interrogation room of the Metropolitan Police Department's Public Security Bureau were blindingly bright, and the soundproof door completely shut out all outside noise, leaving only the breathing of the three people and the tense silence of the man opposite them.

Cohen was handcuffed to the back of a chair, his black hat pulled low, obscuring most of his face, revealing only his hard jawline and thin lips pressed into a straight line, exuding an aura of hostility that kept people at a distance.

He kept his eyes down, ignoring the scrutiny of the three police officers in front of him. Even in dire straits, he maintained the stubbornness and silence of the organization's die-hard loyalists, just as Kuroda Hyoue had said before, his mouth was even tighter than Gin's.

Date Wataru braced his arms on the edge of the table, his gaze fixed intently on Cohen: "Cohen, you know the situation in the organization better than anyone. Rum is in dire straits, his left eye is in so much pain that he has lost the ability to move. Karasuma Renya has long been suspicious of him, and Gin has even purged all of Rum's men. There is no point in you holding on."

He paused briefly, his tone softening but still sharp: "We know you were ordered to monitor Rumi Wakasa. The original order was assassination, but Gin changed it at the last minute. You don't need to hide this from anyone anymore."

Cohen's fingertips twitched almost imperceptibly, but he still didn't look up. He let out a very faint groan in his throat as a response, but he wouldn't say another word.

Matsuda Jinpei leaned against the wall, twirling a pen between his fingers, his eyes and brows carrying his usual nonchalant air.

"Don't play dumb. We have far more evidence than you think. We know everything about the ES Dark Amber Project's labs, the human trafficking dens, Rum's ambition to use APTX4869 to repair his left eye, and even Karasuma Renya's order to send vodka to the lab as a test subject."

He looked up, his gaze piercing Cohen: "What you're guarding isn't loyalty, it's pushing yourself to the brink of ruin. The organization has never treated you like a human being; from beginning to end, you've just been a pawn to be used and discarded."

Kenji Hagiwara sat at the table, his tone gentle yet every word piercing: "We're not trying to force you, we're just giving you a way out. You've witnessed Rum's madness and Karasuma Renya's cold-bloodedness for so many years, do you really want to continue being so stubborn?"

“Wakasa Rumi already knows the whole truth about the Haneda Koji case seventeen years ago. Rum’s debt will soon be paid off. If you speak up now, you can still try to get a lighter sentence. If you continue to resist, you won’t even have a chance to turn back when the organization completely collapses.”

To be continued...