Fifteen minutes had passed since the hostage crisis began at Beika Department Store.
Vermouth frowned in irritation. Ignoring the panicked staff rushing past, she calmly drew her Beretta Nano. She was clearly incensed. I almost pitied the criminals; they had earned the enmity of a high-ranking member of the Black Organization for a trivial stunt.
I unsheathed my baton and stretched to loosen my muscles.
"Stay put, Vermouth. I'll handle them."
"No, stay here. Moving now will only cause trouble later... Oh, is that the gift from "Cool Guy"?"
"Yes. It's an excellent piece—steady as a rock, even when I put my full weight behind it."
"Good. That claw was charming, but this baton suits your suit far better."
Looking down, I saw the criminals herding customers into a single area, binding them one by one. There were about ten of them—a significant number. This was Beika, after all; the scale and frequency of crime here were unparalleled. (Yet, remarkably, no one dared call it a dystopia!)
I quickly memorized their count and turned back to Vermouth.
"This looks like it will take a while,"
I noted.
"Should we slip out?"
"Can you manage that?"
"Yes. I've already mapped the route. We'll have to climb through the ventilation shafts, so our clothes might get a bit dusty, but we'll get out safely."
"Fine. Since "Kitty" is making such an effort out of concern for me, I won't complain."
"Understood. Let's move."
The moment she looked away, I moved into the shadows. I hoisted Vermouth into my arms and scaled the high ceiling of the department store. Removing the vent cover, I slipped into the duct.
"Dusty, but surprisingly clean,"
I remarked.
"Cough... Let's just get out of here, Kitty. This isn't somewhere I care to linger."
We glided through the shafts toward the stairwell. A guard stood watch there. I dropped from the ceiling, twisted his arm, and slammed him against the wall. Forgive my lack of restraint. They were part of a gang that occupied a mall in broad daylight; if they ended up dead, they had no right to complain. Still, I hoped I hadn't shattered too many of his bones—that would be excessive force.
Reaching the tenth floor, we prepared to leap to the adjacent parking structure. Vermouth, clinging to my back, let out a soft groan—whether from fear or gravity, I couldn't tell. Suddenly, I caught a glimpse through a skylight and froze. Conan and Ran were among the hostages in the first-floor lobby!
Vermouth scowled deeply as she brushed the dust from her clothes.
"How wretched. They've ruined my precious day off."
"Indeed, Vermouth. It's a shame."
"I wonder if their backgrounds are worth investigating. I'll have my subordinates look into them later."
"Right. Also... I just spotted Conan and Miss Ran on the first floor."
Vermouth's eyes widened. She seemed ready to charge back in, but her Beretta Nano wasn't quite enough for a full-scale assault. I gently restrained her with one hand.
"I'll go back and neutralize them. Since I don't use firearms, there won't be any messy questions if I'm interrogated later."
"...I'm counting on you then, Kitty."
She planted a kiss on my forehead. She really does treat me like a pet. I mentally restrained a hysterical, fuming Furuya with a "steady now," bowed to Vermouth, and hurried back inside.
Moving fluidly through the vents, I planned to pick them off one by one. I had learned these maneuvers from Lupin; in theory, Furuya could execute them just as well. I spotted a stray member wandering alone below. I dropped silently behind him and delivered a crushing kick to his torso. The plan was simple: strike the stragglers, starting from the top floors. The man retched from the impact, his eyes rolled back, and he began to convulse. Perhaps I was being a bit too violent. At least he was still breathing.
These amateurs didn't even know the basics of moving in pairs. They didn't deserve my fear. Even well-trained special forces wouldn't faze me in my current state.
Twenty minutes later, my predatory efficiency had reduced the gang to three. The survivors were visibly rattled as their comrades went silent one by one. They shouted and waved their guns nervously at the hostages. I dropped quietly behind Conan, who was hiding in the children's clothing section.
"Conan."
"Whoa!? Bourbon? What are you doing here? Stop scaring me!"
"Sorry, sorry. I got caught up in this while shopping."
"So... was that chaos earlier your doing?"
"Mine? Well, yes."
He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. I answered honestly.
"I've neutralized eight out of eleven. Only the three in the lobby are left."
"Wait, you didn't kill them, did you?"
"Of course not. I just shattered their legs with the baton you gave me. With injuries like those, they won't be moving even if they wake up."
"..."
Conan's face fell into a look of sheer exasperation. After a moment of visible inner turmoil, his expression sharpened into that of the brilliant detective. He had a remarkable ability to compartmentalize.
"I'll take down the ringleader with my tranquilizer dart. You handle the other two."
"You already identified the leader?"
"Yes. I pieced it together from their conversations. I have a fair idea of the motive, too."
"Then I have nothing to worry about. I'll follow your lead."
Furuya and I shared a wicked internal grin. I gave him a mocking bow. Sir, who should I aim for? Just kidding. We watched him like a tiger watching its prey. Whether we caught them or broke them was entirely up to him. He was dripping with cold sweat, clearly tense. Yet, that was why he would always pursue the truth, even with the power he now held.
I dealt with the remaining thugs swiftly. It was an easy win, and Vermouth showered me with praise. Call it a job bonus. When the SIT stormed in and yelled at me for doing something so "dangerous," I ignored them. I wasn't about to let another civilian get shot. I don't fail.
The lecture from Inspector Megure lasted twice as long because I'd been "reckless." Conan stood by, smirking. Doesn't he realize my silence about his tranquilizer watch is an act of mercy? Ha! What a brat. I tapped my watch at him; he caught the message, paled, and hid behind Ran, feigning innocence and complaining that he was hungry.
Furuya, exhausted by Megure's boring lecture, mentally set up a hammock and took a nap. Wait! You can't just leave me here! Furuya, you're part of this too! Hey!!!
And so, the afternoon drew to a close.