BWDC:SDDK Chapter 45: Conan's Underlying Code
Osamu Honda confessed.
He recounted the entire sequence of events regarding the case—
During the last meeting of the Tokusatsu Fan Club, he had intentionally approached Katsuji Mifune. He proposed a performance where they would act out a scene of turning against each other, leading to a murder-suicide by gunshot. Honda even volunteered to prepare the prop guns himself.
Following the plan, Mifune pretended to fall out with him in front of everyone, severing contact with the rest of the group.
It wasn't until this current meeting that Honda notified Mifune to come and perform. While at the Beika Shrine, he swapped prop guns with Mifune.
He replaced Mifune's prop gun—which was loaded with blanks and had a plugged barrel—with a real, lethal firearm.
Then, the scene in the basement unfolded exactly as planned.
Mifune appeared with exaggerated acting, reciting his lines to himself, fired at Honda, and then turned the gun on himself to "commit suicide."
"Perhaps I really didn't have the qualifications to become Kamen Yaiba," Honda sighed.
The police officer beside him handcuffed him and began leading him out of the basement.
However, just as Honda was about to exit, he suddenly stopped, turned his head, and looked at Ren Ichimonji.
Honda asked, "So, what about you?"
"What do you think someone like you, who claims to be Batman, would do if you encountered a situation like this?"
This question instantly captured the attention of the other officers from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
Ren's hand brushed against his belt, and from somewhere, he produced a white coffee cup.
He approached Honda step by step, took a sip of the coffee, and then spoke in a low voice.
"I will only tell you one thing."
Batman whispered, "I wouldn't let a situation like this happen around me in the first place."
If it did happen, I would beat that person until they had comminuted fractures and stayed in an ICU for the rest of their life.
Sometimes, living is far more terrifying and painful than death.
The world of Conan doesn't have supernatural healing methods like the Lazarus Pit.
Of course, Ren wouldn't say that in front of the Tokyo police.
He simply took another sip of his coffee and turned around, preparing to return to his previous spot.
However, Honda spoke up abruptly again.
"Do you think you have the qualifications to be Batman?"
Honda stared at Ren's back.
He felt that compared to the distance between himself and Kamen Yaiba, the distance between Ren and Batman might actually be shorter.
Yet, he felt somewhat unreconciled to this conclusion, and in his final moments of freedom, he couldn't resist asking.
"Are you closer to your goal than I am?"
—Well, about that.
If it weren't for the system selecting me, I'd probably still be at home playing video games.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with gaming, but being Batman gives me a much broader horizon.
At least I don't have to work a 9-to-6 grind like that Batman Who Laughs or other variants back in the main family.
Ren paused his steps, turned his head, and said:
"Naturally."
"Furthermore, I want to state one thing."
"Having deceased parents is not a mandatory qualification for becoming Batman."
"Batman-lad, your behavior just now was far too reckless!"
"Getting so close to the culprit—what if he had lost his temper and attacked you? You would have been in grave danger!"
Inspector Megure patted Ren on the shoulder, speaking with deep concern.
He didn't want his highly proactive "new lad" to meet an untimely end in some random incident.
I hope he doesn't end up like Kudo-lad, who vanished without a trace after investigating a case and hasn't been seen since.
If it weren't for hearing occasionally that Kudo-lad sent messages to Ran and Mouri-lad...
Inspector Megure would have started thinking that Shinichi Kudo had been struck from behind by some criminal during an investigation, forced to drink poison, and died on the side of the road.
Conan, who had just emerged from behind the chair, twitched his lips and thought to himself:
Give me a break. It's hard to say who would have been in real danger.
Based on the combat power Ren displayed back at the Nagamoto Corporation villa, one punch from him might have left Ren kneeling on the floor praying that Honda didn't actually die.
After a long-winded lecture, Inspector Megure finally led his men and the body away.
Taking advantage of the fact that Kogoro Mouri was still unconscious in his chair, Conan trotted over to Ren's side and asked suspiciously:
"Where exactly did you put that coffee cup just now?"
"I have to admit, your magic tricks don't seem any worse than Kaito Kid's..."
He had been staring for a long time but couldn't figure out where Ren had pulled that cup from.
Mainly because the cup clearly contained liquid coffee that was nearly full; it shouldn't have been possible to hide it on his person through conventional means.
"Hey, want to know how I did it?"
Ren crouched down and whispered.
He put on a look of total mystery.
Immediately, Conan felt a surge of professional respect.
Conan leaned in and whispered back, "Don't worry. If you tell me this magic secret, I definitely won't tell a second person."
He was always tight-lipped about secrets.
"The secret is—"
Ren answered solemnly:
"I'm Batman!"
Conan: "?"
Is this what I came here to hear? Is that even a secret?
His fists clenched.
If it weren't for the fact that a primary schooler's body had limited lethality and punching him would just look like acting spoiled, he would have launched a "Train Punch" attack!
Just as Conan was about to enter "hissing Dilophosaurus mode," Ren chose to—
Ignore him!
Ren took his phone out of his pocket and sent a message to Professor Agasa.
This move immediately caught Conan's attention.
The "God of Death" schoolboy stopped his impending hiss; his underlying code took over, and he curiously leaned in to steal a glance.
[Are you there? You wouldn't want to go your whole life without ever seeing your first love again, would you?]
[Sender: Batman]
Conan: "?"
Professor Agasa has a first love?
Wait, that's not the point. Why do you sound like you've kidnapped the Professor's first love!
Are you even a local? Why do you sound like a typical internet troll?
Ren stood up and continued messaging Professor Agasa.
Conan looked up and stood on his tiptoes, but he still couldn't see the screen.
In an instant, his blood pressure spiked.
The two underlying codes—"Hissing" and "Thirst for Knowledge"—clashed so violently that he nearly crashed. Ultimately, he stood there motionless until he was picked up by the collar by a newly awakened Kogoro Mouri.
Watching Ren, who was still messaging the Professor about God-knows-what, Conan's curiosity reached a fever pitch.
In that moment, the brain won over the temper.
Conan made a silent vow:
No way. I'm running back to stay at Professor Agasa's house tonight!
If I don't get to the bottom of this, I won't be able to sleep!
Agasa Research Institute
Professor Agasa scratched his head, glanced at the batch of Batman gadgets he had partially completed, and then replied to the message:
[Tell me the details. I'll be waiting for you at home.]
[Sender: Professor Agasa]
If Batman really could find information about his first love...
Then it wouldn't matter if this entire batch of gadgets was made for free!
So many years had passed; how could he miss a chance to see her?
End of Chapter
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