BWDC:SDDK Chapter 58: Why is the Completion Rate at 99%???
"No, no, no—!"
Inside the abandoned room, a blood-curdling scream echoed from just outside the door.
Bound and forced to sit on the floor, Minami Takayama and Shiina Nagano exchanged looks, the sheer terror evident in each other's eyes. They had no idea what was happening outside to provoke such a horrifying sound.
Sitting between them, Conan's eyes shook with even greater intensity. Having perfect pitch, he could distinguish exactly whose voice that was with a single listen.
—It was the voice of the kidnapper who had just been on the phone with Inspector Megure!
That was the kidnapper's scream!
But how was that possible? How could that kidnapper have ended up in such a state? Who had arrived? The police? Would the police ever resort to such brutal tactics?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
Conan had collaborated with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department more than a few times. He understood the temperaments of the Tokyo officers quite well. If it were the Osaka PD from the Kansai region out there, he might have believed it—but the Tokyo MPD? He wouldn't believe they were capable of such violence in a million years!
"Who on earth is out there? How can they be so fierce?" Shiina Nagano cried out.
As if in response to his exclamation, the heavy iron door that had been shut tight began to creak open slowly.
Sunlight and shadows poured through the widening gap, flooding into the room. It added a chilling, macabre atmosphere to the abandoned warehouse, causing the tension in the hearts of Shiina, Minami, and Conan to spike once more. It felt as though a predatory beast was about to step into their line of sight at any moment.
However, for some reason, Conan suddenly recalled a scene he had witnessed back at the Nagamitsu estate. Nagamitsu Mitsuaki had let out a very similar scream back then.
—Batman is a master of manufacturing fear.
And since Ren Ichimonji claimed to be Batman, did that mean... what just happened outside was his doing?!
Creeeeeak.
The iron door of the abandoned room was pushed fully open. Conan, Shiina, and Minami all widened their eyes simultaneously.
The person outside... was him!
It was the kidnapper who had been standing by the phone earlier?!
Before the three of them could react, the kidnapper's body collapsed forward, hitting the floor with a heavy, muffled thud. Just by the sound of the impact, one could tell that this plump kidnapper's head was of quite sturdy quality. As the saying goes: a good sound means a good head.
"What exactly are you guys doing?"
A voice familiar to Conan drifted into the room. The figure stepped over the unconscious body of the kidnapper and entered.
—Was it a kidnapper? No, it was him!
Ren Ichimonji stood inside the room, looking at Conan with a gaze of clear disapproval. He spoke in a low voice:
"I remember telling you that Minami Takayama and the others were in mortal danger. How could you let them run out like that?"
As a member of the Bat-family, shouldn't he know how to adapt to the situation? For instance, knowing that Minami going out would inevitably lead to trouble, he should have given her an anesthetic needle ahead of time to let her sleep peacefully. Once he arrived on the scene, wouldn't everything have been resolved? Why take such a convoluted path?
Ren's words caused Minami and Shiina to instinctively look toward Conan. Conan, in turn, lowered his head awkwardly, appearing somewhat guilty. However, the moment he lowered his head, he snapped it back up.
Conan: ? Why are you talking like I've actually become your Robin?
Regardless of what Conan was thinking, Ren walked up to the three of them. Expressionless, he reached behind him into a hidden compartment of his utility belt.
In the next instant, a classically styled Batarang appeared in his hand. With a swift flick, he slashed at the ropes binding the trio. The razor-sharp edge of the Batarang severed all the ropes instantly.
Feeling the constraints fall away, Minami and Shiina scrambled to their feet. To be honest, they were terrified. Ren's performance just now had been too frightening. A fierce, gun-wielding criminal had fired several shots outside, followed by repeated screams, and then ended up unconscious on the floor.
If they hadn't seen the kidnapper's chest still rising and falling, they would have thought Ren had killed him outright! But even if he wasn't dead, Ren's display was enough to instill dread. If it weren't for the fact that Ren seemed to know Conan, they might have already bolted for the exit!
"There isn't much time."
"I've already notified Inspector Megure to bring his men here."
"By my count, they'll be on-site in five minutes at the latest."
Ren's voice was calm and certain, as if the time he provided was an absolute physical constant. Hearing this, Conan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
—It seemed everything was within Ren's plan.
Should he expect anything less from the man who called himself Batman? No matter what kind of emergency arose, he was always one step ahead with a contingency.
Still, Conan felt something was a bit off. However, he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was yet.
While Conan was deep in thought, Minami Takayama asked rather timidly from the side, "Ex... excuse me, sir, but may I ask who you are?"
"Are you an officer from the Tokyo MPD who came to rescue us because you knew we were in danger? And, what is your relationship with this child? You two seem to have a... unique bond."
Ren turned his head to look at Minami. He stared for a moment before answering:
"I am Batman."
"And this child is my Robin."
Minami Takayama, Shiina Nagano: ?
Batman? Is he joking? Where would a Batman exist in the real world?
Though his performance just now was indeed very "Batman-like"... and what was with this Robin thing? This kid is still in elementary school, right? Is Batman allowed to hire child labor?
Minami and Shiina exchanged a glance. Having been partners for many years, they could see the shared sense of bewilderment in each other's eyes. This man calling himself Batman didn't follow any established script; they were completely at a loss on how to handle him.
Ren, however, paid no attention to Minami or Shiina. He simply frowned, his gaze fixed intently on the system light screen floating before him.
[Mission Progress: 99%]
What did this mean? Where exactly was the high-level hazard?
If rescuing Minami Takayama and Shiina Nagano wasn't the core of the mission, why was the completion rate at 99%? If rescuing them was the main objective, why was it stuck at 99%?
Where was that final 1%?
Was it back at the Tokyo Budokan? Were there explosives there? Or some other environmental hazard? Ren couldn't figure it out.
He turned back to Minami and Shiina, saying solemnly:
"I need to go and see the stage where you'll be performing."
Minami Takayama, Shiina Nagano: "Huh?"
End of Chapter
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