Chapter 33: Since You Seek Thrills, You Might As Well See Them Through to the End

Escaping the car, Conan’s mind raced, desperately searching for a place to hide. He couldn’t return to the Mouri Detective Agency; it was fortunate that Ran and Uncle Mouri hadn't questioned his identity, and perhaps the organization wouldn't notice them. With his identity exposed, he needed to return to his own home to find Professor Agasa and figure out the organization's goals. Anyone who had contact with him was now in danger, and he had to warn them all to be careful.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, a hand reached out from the alley beside him, grabbed the small elementary schooler by the waist, and pulled him into the shadows. Conan trembled in terror, only to find himself face-to-face with Karasawa’s piercing blue eyes.

"Shh," Karasawa covered his mouth and pulled him against the wall. Not long after, Fumiyo Edogawa hurried past, clearly having chased Conan all the way here.

Only when she had disappeared into the distance did Karasawa release him. He whispered, "Are you an idiot? Do you really think an eight-year-old’s legs can outrun an adult? Honestly, why didn’t you contact me?"

Conan watched the plump woman’s retreating figure, his heart pounding in his chest. If Karasawa hadn't intervened, she would have caught him further down the street. Worse, he might have inadvertently led his pursuer straight to Professor Agasa’s house, and then even the Professor would have been in danger.

"I couldn't drag you into this, Karasawa," Conan said, his throat dry. He still didn't understand the scale, purpose, or methods of this underground organization. To rashly involve Karasawa, who was isolated in Tokyo, would have been selfish. That was why, even knowing Karasawa was following them, Conan hadn't chosen to link up with him immediately.

"What kind of tragic hero act are you playing at, Great Detective?" Karasawa tapped his own forehead. "I don’t know what these people intend to do with you, but they are your enemies, right? Do you really plan to play cat and mouse with them in your current body?"

Conan shook his head, gritting his teeth. "My enemies are likely a massive, powerful underground organization. They turned me into a child with a drug they created. I know nothing about them; it’s too dangerous to involve you."

"The moment I discovered your identity, I was already involved, Kudo-kun." Karasawa crouched down to look Conan in the eye. A bright luster shone within them, like twin blue flames in the dark alley. "Instead of trembling in fear here, why not go on the offensive? You were exposed to them, but they are now equally exposed to you. This is a golden opportunity... What kind of organization is this? How many people know your identity? Is there still time to intercept their communications? It’s not time to despair yet. Pull yourself together."

In the narrow alley, the few shafts of sunlight filtering through the windows of the apartment building were enough for Conan to see the fearlessness on Karasawa’s face. His heart, which had been racing with panic, slowly began to steady.

Yes, it was not yet time to despair.

Conan’s train of thought shifted as he began to consider how to strike back. He spoke slowly, "Karasawa, I have a plan..."

***

Although he spoke lines worthy of a shonen manga, the burning fire in Karasawa’s eyes was not one of fighting spirit or determination, but rather an eager desire to stir up trouble. Even if he helped Conan successfully put a sack over Yusaku and Yukiko Kudo, it would be out of a sense of justice as an ally—totally in character and incredibly fun!

What bad intentions could Karasawa possibly have? He was simply helping a righteous detective persecuted by an organization.

Since the Kudo couple wanted to teach their son a lesson by letting him experience the danger of the organization and deflate his hot-headedness, then so be it. Let the storm rage even harder.

Fumiyo Edogawa—or rather, Yukiko Kudo—had no idea her son had vanished from sight. She was heading straight for their home. She knew her bratty, arrogant son well; in a crisis, he would only seek help from someone who knew his true identity, and he would instinctively want to return to the safety of familiar surroundings. Therefore, the little Shinichi could only be running home to ask for help from the neighbor, Professor Agasa.

Once she reached the vicinity, it would be easy to ambush the little brat, subdue him with an anesthetic, and take him away for the next step. Not knowing that the variable of Karasawa had entered the equation within just a few days, Yukiko Kudo proceeded with her plan with total confidence.

"She’s here," Karasawa said, lowering his binoculars from the second floor of the Kudo residence. He had led Conan through a different block, climbed over the back wall, and entered the backyard without being spotted.

"They really did investigate my situation," Conan said, his heart heavy. He realized he really would have gone home to seek help from the Professor; they had predicted his movements perfectly.

"Isn't that expected? Kudo Shinichi is no small fry," Karasawa said, flexing his fists, fully prepared for a fight. "Now that their prediction has failed, the initiative is back in our hands. Can you hear anything through your bugs?"

Conan pulled out his phone and opened the monitoring program. Through the bugs Karasawa had helped him place near the entrance, the sound of high heels echoed. The woman seemed impatient, pacing back and forth in front of the Kudo house. After waiting another ten minutes, she did exactly as Conan had predicted: she took out her phone to contact someone.

"She has an accomplice."

"You already guessed that. If it were just her, why would she say she was 'taking you to a place'?"

The two boys crouched together, exchanging opinions while listening to the program. The bug placed near the utility pole outside clearly captured the sound of a dial tone. The woman seemed to be leaning against the pole as she made the call.

"‘Hello, it’s me,’" the woman said as the call connected. "‘Something went wrong. The kid ran off.’"

"‘He’s just an elementary schooler now, where could he possibly run to?’" On the other end of the line was a magnetic male voice. Conan found it strangely familiar, but before he could figure out why, the content of the conversation grabbed his attention. "‘He can't go back to the Mouri house. He has nowhere else to hide but his own home. You lost him?’"

"‘I didn’t find him here. There might be some complications.’" The woman’s voice was filled with anxiety, and the sound of her high heels clicking returned as she paced in circles. "‘Where else could he have gone?’"

"‘Let me think.’"

Conan looked at Karasawa, whose face was serious and composed. Realizing that the people on the phone weren't criminals planning a scheme, but a pair of worried parents who had accidentally lost their son, Karasawa bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud as he watched both sides battle wits against thin air.

The Kudos were truly amusing.

Conan nudged the suspiciously still Karasawa with his elbow, whispering, "Time for the next step."