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Something was very wrong with this picture.
Looking at Mouri Ran's resentful, haunted eyes, Steven was completely stunned.
What a mess.
He saved someone, and somehow ended up creating an enemy. Who was he supposed to complain to?
"I remember now. You're not the Steven I know. You're the fugitive who's been on TV and in the newspapers."
"You must have killed the real Steven and then… did that to me…"
Ran bit her lip, her eyes reddening. She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.
That was something she had saved, something precious meant only for Kudo Shinichi. And now it had been taken by a criminal.
What the hell.
This was like that classic line: I killed myself.
Steven finally pieced together why Ran's attitude toward him had suddenly turned into pure hatred.
All because of that so-called "first time."
"I didn't get to enjoy anything, and I still ended up covered in crap," he cursed inwardly, his expression growing colder.
Back when he'd just crossed over, Conan had wrongly accused him of being a rapist and murderer. Now Ran was accusing him of sexual assault out of thin air.
This couple really was perfectly in sync. Always jumping to conclusions and blaming the wrong person.
"I'll never forgive you!"
Ran pointed at him, screaming, as if she wanted to tear him apart with her eyes.
"You got it right. I'm not just a fugitive. I even blew up the Metropolitan Police Department."
"And you know what I hate the most?"
"Being framed."
Being forced to take the blame for something you didn't do was pure misery.
The moment he finished speaking, Steven lunged forward.
In his eyes, Ran was nothing more than a tool to get back at Conan.
If that was the case, he'd give her exactly what she wanted.
"Ah—!"
Ran's scream echoed through the room.
An hour later.
"Blood… why is there blood?"
Ran stared blankly at the bedsheets, murmuring as thoughts of death crept in.
With her purity gone, she had no idea how she could ever face Kudo Shinichi again.
"No… if I die, I'm taking that bastard with me."
In the next instant, her resolve changed.
She would live. She would survive. And one day, she'd repay this debt in blood.
"What are you thinking about? I just made your wish come true. Shouldn't you be happy?"
Seeing the storm of emotions on Ran's face, Steven could more or less guess what she was planning.
Revenge?
Apparently, this still wasn't enough.
In the next second, Steven flipped forward like a hawk, grabbed Ran by the hair, and followed up with a brutal combo.
…
Okinawa, Metropolitan Police Department
Inside the conference room, the atmosphere was grim. Japanese police and the American FBI were gathered together, locked in a heated discussion over yesterday's incident.
"The one who helped the Silver-Haired Devil escape was Steven? The same guy who bombed the Tokyo Metropolitan Police building?"
Officer Hyoue Kuroda stared in disbelief.
Two demons joining forces. From here on out, Okinawa was probably doomed to chaos. His career prospects suddenly looked bleak.
Even the FBI couldn't handle that monster. For Japanese police to catch him would be nothing but a pipe dream.
Unless they got absurdly lucky.
"It's absolutely true. I saw it with my own eyes. To prevent public panic, this case must be closed as an accidental explosion."
Akai Shuichi's gaze was sharp, his tone firm. This wasn't a suggestion. It sounded more like an order.
According to the FBI's final casualty report, twelve agents had died at Steven's hands yesterday, with twenty-one more injured to varying degrees.
The FBI agents secretly operating in Japan had been almost completely wiped out by him alone.
If that got out, it would be a slap in America's face. A loud one.
"I'll carefully consider your suggestion," Kuroda replied coolly. "But the Japanese police don't need outsiders telling us how to do our job."
"Since you mentioned public panic, I have a question for the FBI agents present."
"In yesterday's Abe shooting, the forensic team recovered a bullet from the victim's skull. Ballistics confirmed it was fired from an FBI-issued sidearm."
"Mr. James, I'm requesting that all FBI agents who were in Okinawa at the time cooperate with our investigation. Do you have any objections?"
Kuroda tilted his head slightly, looking toward James Black, Akai Shuichi's superior.
With evidence pointing to an FBI agent as the shooter, it was his duty to investigate.
Sitting in the corner, Jodie instantly knew who the real culprit was.
Steven.
Stealing an FBI agent's gun and killing someone in broad daylight. Only he would dare be that brazen.
She thought for a moment and was about to stand up when James Black stopped her with a look.
"Officer Kuroda, since this involves a homicide, it's only right that the FBI cooperate," James began. "However, FBI agents undergo rigorous training and maintain an exceptionally high level of professional—"
Privately, Akai Shuichi had already discussed the matter of Jodie's stolen gun with James Black.
They'd agreed to keep it quiet and search for it in secret.
Besides, the FBI's operational strength in Japan was already severely depleted. James had no intention of handing Jodie over.
He rattled off excuse after excuse, clearly shielding his own people.
One dead Japanese citizen meant nothing to him.
"Mr. James, you should understand that this is Japanese territory," Kuroda said coldly. "The Japanese police have the right to investigate any suspect. If you refuse to cooperate—"
Kuroda cared about appearances too.
Even when dealing with America, he couldn't afford to lose face in public.
Worst case, he could always apologize later in private. Bow deeply, say a few nice words, and smooth things over.
Just as the two sides were arguing themselves red in the face, a commotion broke out outside.
"Let go of me, you bastards. I want to see Officer Kuroda right now."
"Mr. Mouri, please calm down. Officer Kuroda is currently in an analysis meeting with FBI agents."
"My daughter Ran has been missing all night. Instead of looking for her, what good does arresting me do?"
Bang!
The office door was slammed open. A uniformed police officer lay sprawled on the floor, looking utterly miserable.
Mouri Kogoro's shoulder throw was no joke. In the Conan universe, once he made a move, he had never lost. One strike, one takedown.
"So it's the famous detective Mouri Kogoro. I was wondering who had the guts to storm the Metropolitan Police Department…"
"Officer Kuroda, spare me the nonsense," Mouri interrupted coldly, sweeping his gaze across everyone in the conference room. "I used to be a cop. I know assaulting an officer is a serious crime. Arresting me is perfectly justified. But before that, I want to know one thing. Where is the Silver-Haired Devil? And is my daughter, Mouri Ran, still alive?"
Akai Shuichi felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity when he saw Mouri's face. A vague figure surfaced in his mind.
"How old is your daughter? Describe her appearance. A photo would be best."
"She's seventeen, a second-year at Teitan High. The most obvious feature is her bangs. They stick up at the top of her forehead, like a little horn."
As he spoke, Mouri took out his phone and pulled up a photo of Ran.
"I'm sorry," Akai said after a single glance. "Your daughter was taken by Steven."
He recognized her immediately. She was the girl he had run into yesterday.
Mouri let out a long breath. "So that's it. Ran was with Steven. Then I can relax."
He figured the calls hadn't gone through because of bad signal or a dead battery.
The moment he finished speaking, everyone stared at him with strange expressions.
"....."