Chapter 108: The Moriarty-Brand Bento
Gin's expression was icy, but his heart was seething.
In Japan, someone actually dared to provoke the dignity of the Organization—and even dared to lay a hand on his beloved car. Gin promised that once he found them, they would die a very ugly death.
At that moment, Gin seemed to feel a premonition. He raised his head and gazed into the distance.
"Heh, what terrifying pressure."
On a distant skyscraper, Mo Yu could already see it: a violent crimson killing intent sweeping in like dark clouds. Within that cloud of malice, a black dragon with a silver mane and a void-like body poked its head out, roaring at him.
Blood clouds overhead, the dragon's stare—in this instant, Mo Yu actually felt a sensation of "Death is at the door, there is no escape"!
This was a supernatural phenomenon only Mo Yu could see, but it was a reflection of reality. As an executive of the "Gin Distillery" (The Black Organization) and the antagonist with the highest screen time and importance, Gin was so heavily shaded and protected by the "Heavenly Killing Intent" that his fortune was absurdly fierce.
Mo Yu had originally intended to simply blow up Gin's car as a "greeting" to the Organization. But the timed bomb had malfunctioned, delaying the blast just enough to give Gin the chance to defuse it. That was the protection of Fortune. Even when the bomb was tossed aside, not a single piece of shrapnel or gravel touched Gin.
Furthermore, driven by this Fortune, Gin had managed to catch a faint, intuitive lock on Mo Yu's location.
If Mo Yu were truly locked onto by this murderous Fortune, he'd likely find himself in a script where Gin tracks him down in an attack helicopter and sprays him with a Vulcan cannon within a few chapters. Mo Yu had no intention of handing the directorial rights over to "Fate." He could see it, so he could avoid it. He stepped back into the shadows and vanished, leaving the Black Dragon of Fortune to roar in frustration at his empty trail.
Emerging in a different district, Mo Yu hummed a tune leisurely. The melody was cheerful and lilting, yet it carried an undertone of wild abandon.
"La, la-la-la-la, la-la... My name is Moriarty, the future Emperor of Crime. I love nothing more than lighting fires and fanning flames. Burn, let the world burn because of it!!!"
The "Xiao Hei" body was constantly transmitting violent killing intent to Mo Yu. He could suppress it, but currently, he had no interest in doing so. Just like when he became the Soul King, he threw himself into the burning Purity of the moment, becoming one with the intent to experience the essence of "Potency."
Mo Yu chose to "do as the Romans do," indulging in the savage killing intent to make himself "potent" once more. However, he also subconsciously guided this intent, making it more chaotic.
Everything he had told Shinichi Kudo wasn't just dialogue; it was a reflection of Mo Yu's own personality.
He once played a game called Dungeon & Fighter, where he loved "reinforcing" equipment. But what he truly loved was accumulating enough resources, racking his brains to use "trash gear" to manipulate the success probability, and finally putting his real gear on the reinforcement table.
Mo Yu loved the process. Once he clicked the confirm button, whether the reinforcement succeeded or failed, the result only left him feeling insipid. Eventually, he quit the game.
Are results and goals important? To the current Mo Yu, they were completely irrelevant.
Infected by violent intent and becoming "potent-brained," Mo Yu only wanted everything to become interesting. He even felt that his own decision to "seriously execute a plan" was a bit too boring!
To be interesting, he had to start with himself. Driven by this desire, he picked up an empty soda can and squeezed it. When he opened his hand, an irregular six-sided die had appeared.
"Magical die... if you roll an odd number, I'll go execute the plan and do something big. If it's even, I'll go to the docks and get some fries. What do you think?"
The low, gloomy voice was gradually being stained by chaotic madness. He tossed the die. The magical die answered him.
A moment later, Mo Yu appeared at the port, gazing at the blue sea and the soaring seagulls. He stood with his hands behind his back, seriously pondering how to get French fries at a port with no KFC or McDonald's.
As the future Emperor of Crime, if he couldn't even manage to get fries at a dock, wouldn't that be too embarrassing?
After a moment of thought, he had a spark of inspiration.
Shortly after, Shinichi Kudo received a phone call. On the other end, the low, gloomy voice he would remember until the day he died said:
"I am the mysterious shadow. Oh, right, I remember your ambition is to be the Sherlock Holmes of the Heisei era. I think that dream is quite evocative. To match you, I've changed my name to Moriarty. But that's not important. I'm at the Beika docks. I need some fries. Bring a lot."
A murderous Shinichi Kudo arrived with the fries in record time!
Perhaps guided by the power of "Conan-Science," or perhaps because the "Yellow Springs Firework Show" was too etched into his soul, Shinichi had memorized Mo Yu's aura. The moment he arrived, he sensed the shadow behind a specific shipping container.
"Did you call me here because you felt the weather was nice again? That the port scenery is good for eating fries? But because you couldn't find a place that sells them and you have no friends, you had to ask me to deliver them? Honestly, I don't hate Holmes fans, but I think you could find a better way to pay tribute to the series than lazily changing your name to Moriarty and doing such low-class things."
Shinichi meant it as a taunt, but Mo Yu felt the boy's intuition was impressively sharp. Not that it mattered.
The voice drifted from behind the container: "Getting fries at the docks... this is the guidance of the magical die. I follow its lead because it makes the world more interesting..."
Shinichi didn't approach. He knew the shadow was a master of escape. Without a perfect trap, he couldn't catch him. He asked coldly:
"What is this 'magical die'? An imaginary friend?"
The voice replied: "The magical die is a magnificent secret treasure, the key to opening the Steins;Gate. Every roll changes the world line. Just like now—I've just thrown the die, and the world has changed because of it..."
Shinichi sneered. "Oh, more made-up fantasy settings? It seems you don't just need a jail cell; you need a psychiatric ward."
"ZA WARUDO!" (The World!)
Before Shinichi could finish, the gloomy voice muttered a strange incantation. Shinichi suddenly felt something was wrong! But he couldn't say what.
The voice chuckled: "Thank you for the fries. Very fragrant..."
Shinichi finally realized what was wrong. The bag of fries he had been holding in his hand had mysteriously vanished!
He took pride in his memory and observation skills, which made this feel like a lightning strike. He couldn't believe his eyes. "When did I drop them? Is this a trick? A magic trick? How did you do it!?"
"Shinichi Kudo... try using that deduction you're so proud of. Try to understand this incredible mystery of chaos. Of course, to help you understand better, I think another roll of the die is necessary..."
"O magical die... should I tell Shinichi everything? Or do something more interesting? Tell me with a number, and lead me through the Steins;Gate to the newly shifted world line!"
Under Shinichi's watchful eye, a spinning die was tossed from behind the container. It spun on the ground for a while before stopping. Shinichi froze. There were no numbers on the irregular six-sided die.
But the gloomy voice seemed to understand: "Oh! So it is! Magical die, I understand your tyrannical will and ambition! For something so interesting, let's put our backs into it and go get some money! Let us offer a glorious hymn to the newly born world line!"
Shinichi nervously checked himself, especially his wallet, fearing his money had vanished like the fries. He found it intact, but when he looked up, the aura of the shadow behind the container had disappeared.
Shinichi rushed over. Behind the container, there was nothing but a bag of fries with only a few eaten, tossed on the ground. He was utterly bewildered. He had no idea what the shadow was playing at. Then, he saw the blank die on the ground. He picked it up.
Before he could examine it, he noticed two groups of suspicious people gathering in the shadows of the dock.
Driven by detective intuition, he felt they were involved with the shadow. He sneaked closer to observe. His intuition was correct; a quick look told him they were conducting an illegal transaction.
Shinichi licked his lips in excitement and reached into his pocket to call Inspector Megure to bust the criminals.
But then, his eyes glazed over.
"Bentos for sale! Moriarty-brand bentos! The top choice of gourmet food for criminals! To welcome the birth of the new world line, bentos are half-price! You can't lose! Oh, by the way, you goons from the Organization over there negotiating protection fees with the Moonlight Island drug gang... don't you want a bento? Use that suitcase of cash you're trading as payment."
A mobile ramen cart, modified into a bento stall, rolled grandly past the two groups of criminals accompanied by a low, melodic sales pitch.
Don't ask Shinichi how he knew it was a ramen cart; the wind-curtain still had the word "Ramen" printed on it.
Setting aside how the shadow had vanished and reappeared with a cart, the two groups of criminals immediately pulled their guns!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Shots rang out, but the mobile bento cart moved like it was possessed by a racing god. It zipped through the hail of bullets with abnormal speed. The curtains barely fluttered, hiding the figure inside.
But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that the cart was charging straight toward him, bringing two groups of murderous criminals with it!
"You bastard! Don't come this way!"
Shinichi realized the shadow—who completely ignored the standard rules of criminal conduct in Beika Town—was reaching out for him again. Shinichi turned to run, but his legs were no match for the speed of the cart.
The cart sped past him, and the gloomy voice echoed: "Guided by the magical die to get some cash! The world line is shifting! No time to explain—get on!"
In the next instant, that "wrong" feeling hit him again! But this time, the change was far more obvious.
Shinichi's vision blurred. Suddenly, he found himself sitting inside the bento cart, his hands gripping the steering handles.
Being a master of logic, Shinichi instinctively observed his situation. The interior of the cart was built around a high-displacement motorcycle, and the attached trailer had extra wheels. No wonder it was so fast!
However, he couldn't fathom how he had switched from running to sitting inside while the shadow vanished.
The gunfire behind him left him no time for philosophy. He instinctively applied the motorcycle driving skills he'd learned from his father in Hawaii, twisting the throttle to the max. He roared:
"DAMN YOU, MORIARTY! I DON'T CARE WHAT TRICKS YOU USE! IN THE NAME OF MY IDOL SHERLOCK HOLMES, I WILL NEVER LET YOU GO!!!"
The gloomy voice echoed around him: "Dear future Mr. Holmes, I must remind you: if you want revenge, you first need to deal with the criminals behind you..."
Shinichi spun his head around but saw no sign of the shadow. He didn't know where the voice was coming from, and he had no time to worry if this was a ghost story or sci-fi. The criminals had hopped into their cars and were in hot pursuit.
"Just as criminals always leave hints for detectives, I shall grant you some inspiration: Moriarty-brand bentos are quite delicious when cooked with care!"
The voice lingered in his ear. A gust of wind lifted the cloth covering the "bentos" in the trailer. Shinichi looked back. Rows of things that were labeled "Bento" but were clearly BOMBS sat on the racks!
Shinichi screamed: "YOU BOMB MANIAC! APOLOGIZE TO MR. MORIARTY RIGHT NOW! AS HOLMES'S ARCH-NEMESIS, HE WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING SO TACKY!!!"
"Heh, in that case, let you and I—the new era versions—re-enact the story of Moriarty and Holmes!"
The coupling between the bike and the trailer suddenly detached. The trailer, full of "bentos," wobbled as it lost momentum, drifting directly into the path of the pursuing cars!
Shinichi saw it coming but was powerless to stop it.
A roar of fire erupted!
"DAMN IT!"
Though the pursuit was over, Shinichi gnashed his teeth. As a detective, he felt he had utterly failed by being unable to prevent this. Even criminals should be judged by the law, not vaporized by explosive bentos.
"A tiny flame has been lit. Eventually, the world shall burn. Everything rotten shall be purified and sublimated. Such a beautiful and magnificent sight... do you not feel joy for it?"
The voice echoed in his ear, fueling Shinichi's rage: "You bastard... are you still using these petty tricks to disgust me? I will drag you out and see if your face is as evil as your heart!"
"Heh. Is that all you care about? Fine. I've always preferred skipping the boring deduction process. As you wish, Shinichi Kudo... look in the mirror."
Shinichi instinctively looked at the rearview mirror on the handle. His pupils shrank.
In the reflection, his own face was being slowly overtaken by darkness, transforming into the featureless silhouette of "Xiao Hei"—with only eyes flashing with madness and chaos.
"Congratulations, Shinichi. You finally see me. Let the boring deduction end here, for I have something interesting to tell you. Whether it's a split personality or the emergence of your dark side, it doesn't matter. Only one thing matters: I am you, and you... are also me!"
End of Chapter
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