Chapter 149: Reflection of Madness from the First Loop
As the pitch-black sin spread across Ran Mouri, it brought a searing sensation of pain.
The 30-yen small monthly card package naturally did not include the metamorphosis and reconstruction of a "Xiao Hei" body; that would require at least a 128-battle-pass tier. The monthly card was merely the blessing and infiltration of Moriarty's sinful power. For anyone else, it might significantly boost their physical functions and Stand strength—which is respectable—but it wouldn't make them a top-tier powerhouse. It turns one into an "Elite Mob," but not a "Boss."
But for Ran Mouri, it was different. As Moriarty's sinful power spread, her spirit and will began to drift into a trance.
Moriarty's power acted like a lens. Infinite deaths flashed across her vision as fragmented colors. She couldn't fully comprehend what lay behind those hues, but she didn't resist. She didn't panic. Like breathing, she accepted it all naturally.
Then, killing intent was birthed from that death—blazing high and fluttering wildly.
"Shinichi..."
When Ran whispered the name, her smile held a trace of murderous insanity. In that instant, another will seemed to awaken within her. It murmured...
Fate—searching forever but never finding Shinichi Kudo?
No, no. That was never a problem.
Fate cannot be defied, but it can be defeated by a different fate. If she couldn't find Shinichi Kudo, she would simply make him find her.
Death and "Cases" summon detectives. That, too, is a fate impossible to resist. Natural death, manufactured death, the death of others, or her own death—all forms of demise were sweet and joyous. They were the steps to liberation and the horn of reunion. Everyone anticipated it.
So, carrying everyone's expectations, she would kill.
She would walk the path paved by infinite corpses until the blood stained her pure crystal shoes red. She would don a grand performance dress woven from blood and fire. Like a "Princess," she would elegantly ascend the stairs of a stage built from a mountain of bodies. With a flawless smile, she would thank her maddened, despairing fate, heart fluttering as she waited for the "Prince" to debut at the other end.
The "Prince" would come. Because the "Princess" and the "Dragon"—the case born of death—were already on stage. Even if the Prince didn't want to come, he could not refuse the call of destiny.
Their outstretched hands would pierce through the thorns of fate and finally clasp together. Amidst the melodious music composed of endless wails and cries of despair, the Princess and Prince would dance.
With frenzied steps, they would narrate the joy of their reunion, until finally...
She would kill Shinichi Kudo, or be killed by him.
The first reunion would also be the last. The stage is not eternal; a story should have an ending. Even fate should have a day of termination. Death is the finish line for all things.
Now, fate was repeating itself. So, she would stain the stage red once more and begin the ball of reunion that lasts until death.
The "She" within Ran Mouri whispered manically, narrating the past and the outcome of a future yet to occur. Through the call of the Moriarty fragment, the residual killing intent from the First Loop manifested and surged, mixing with Moriarty's power to trigger a deeper evolution.
Her skin gradually darkened, but not with the absolute void of a Xiao Hei. A vibrant crimson blood-color surfaced as a base and as patterns across her body. Her hair turned white bit by bit, and her eyes were dyed with the hue of fresh blood. In that moment, her shadow beneath the sun swelled and writhed, resembling an open gate to the underworld from which billions of dead sought to return.
It looked very much like a Magical Girl transformation.
The only thing Mo Yu found regrettable was that the armor was still on the way, so the "Changing Sequence" was missing. But he had already captured the First Loop information deep within her soul.
Tsk tsk. Who would have thought that in the First Loop, the first to go mad was Ran Mouri? She shattered her own character archetype, turned into a Mad Slaughter Princess, and set out to hunt her Reaper Prince. Compared to a boring teen romance, this development is actually quite good...
When Mo Yu said "good," he wasn't just talking about the twisted plot. He was impressed by the fact that in that despairing loop, there was actual resistance against the eternal stage. And the method was ingenious.
Ran can never find Shinichi. That is a Law. Shinichi is summoned by cases. That is also a Law.
In the First Loop, Ran used a "Dance of Death" to solve the contradiction. Only Fate can defeat Fate. She finally found him in the finale she built with her own hands.
"How does it feel?" The sacred whisper echoed before the transformed Ran.
Ran didn't answer. Only her increasingly twisted, murderous smile revealed her mood. She had never felt better.
"Excellent. Starting today, you are the first Magical Girl of the 'Xin-Yue Fairy Tale World' Beika Branch Security Department. I grant you the codename: KILLING INTENT RED UNICORN. I hope you embrace the 'Red, Horned, Triple-Speed' overtime spirit. Also, per the tradition that the Red member is the leader, you are in charge of the squad. Once you finish your first quarterly performance review, you'll be a full-time employee..."
Mo Yu had already built "Heavenly Media" in the Bleach world. Now he was setting up the corporate structure here. He didn't care if it was called "Heavenly Media" or "Xin-Yue Fairy Tale World."
"Your armor is still in transit. Until then, do as you wish. Use your old grudges to announce that the fate of the stage is not invincible. I have only one requirement: make this riot a bit more interesting."
Ran's blood-red eyes stared at the sky. After a long silence, she whispered with infinite killing intent: "What counts as 'interesting'?"
"By Fairy Tale standards? Probably 'Good and evil will have their recompense.'"
Ran lowered her eyes, masking the malice within. "Sounds boring."
"Fairy tales are like that," Mo Yu laughed. "You can't tell kids a story where the wicked prosper and the righteous leave no remains. That's called 'Non-Fiction,' not a fairy tale. Have a little heart; as a Magical Girl, you're a fairy tale character now."
Ran said nothing and turned away, walking toward the center of the riot.
"Accidents" and "Coincidences" arrived as expected. A building brushed by the Kaiju's tentacles began to crumble, dropping massive debris to block her path. The old Ran would have fled in panic. The new Ran merely looked up, fell into a stance, and threw a straight punch.
Majestic killing intent roared, manifesting as a physical tide of blood. The debris was pulverized instantly.
A fine 'Killing Intent Wave Fist.' If Ichigo saw this, he'd want to spar, Mo Yu noted. The punch didn't have world-shaking "stats," but it had a perfect "mechanism." Killing was its singular purpose; few things in the mortal world could survive a direct hit.
But Fate was stubborn. As she "killed" one coincidence, others brewed. World laws are absolute. The original Ran couldn't break through, but the "Princess of Slaughter" was different.
Criminal Mist seeped from her. Her shadow expanded manically, resonating with the riot's mist. The "Fate" of the stage hit a snag because a competing Fate had appeared.
The new fate argued: Ran is a killer now. As a killer, she has the freedom to be at the crime scene. What? You say she can't find Shinichi? Listen here, you little bitch, 'Criminal' settings are the boss of this world!
The original fate was equally stubborn: I don't care about anything else. Ran cannot find Shinichi. That is an absolute. One more word and I'll cut you!
The personification was a metaphor, but the collision of Fates was real. Ran walked forward. Accidents either didn't happen, or they happened "coincidentally" one step too late.
Ran Mouri, wearing a smile of terrifying killing intent, walked toward Conan.
In Beika, does a criminal's plan ever fail because they "can't find the victim"? Usually, no. So, as long as she planned to kill him, Fate would guide her to him. The "Never Find Shinichi" fate was still fighting back, desperately trying to distract her, but she was breaking through.
Mo Yu switched his perspective back to the Rampaging Armor.
In the time it took for Ran to walk a few blocks, the armor had already broken into Eri Kisaki's law office. Using the "Try-then-Sign" tactic, Eri was absorbed, becoming a reserve Magical Girl. The armor was evolving, seeking more candidates, becoming a Five-Headed, Ten-Armed monster.
Mo Yu used the Moriarty power to dig through the First Loop data of everyone absorbed. Individually, the data was fragmented and out of order. But by gathering samples, he could piece together the truth. Using Ran's soul as a "key," he mobilized his "Hand of God"—the omnipotent side of his authority.
He "kneaded" the data into a hallucination, an informational world-bubble that reflected the history of the First Loop. He projected his consciousness inside.
He saw the Mouri Detective Agency. The model was more refined than the rest of the world. Ran came home from school, greeted Kogoro—who was gambling and drinking beer—cooked dinner, and did chores. She looked normal.
But Mo Yu saw the cryptic blood-red aura around her. Ran finished her work and left. Kogoro didn't look up. The mountains of beer cans on the floor and the TV announcing the "3,305th Horse Race of the Day" showed just how long they had been trapped in this loop.
Ran arrived at Agasa's house. She pushed the door open. Agasa hadn't left his basement in years, claiming he was working on a "Great Invention."
On the sofa, Ai Haibara lay like a salted fish, surrounded by instant noodle cups, staring blankly at a TV show on an endless loop.
"Ai-chan, are you okay? Noodle again? You won't grow if you only eat that," Ran said with a mechanical concern.
Ai took a long time to react. She turned her head slowly. "Ran-neechan... that is the 658,325th time you have said that to me."
Ran went silent. "Ai-chan, I don't understand what you mean..."
"Do you really not understand, or do you refuse to? Whatever. I'm tired."
Ai returned to her staring. Ran stood there, watching the once sharp and cool child who had turned into a hollow shell. Ran couldn't remember when it started. Usually, Ran would clean up, cook a meal, and leave—only to repeat the same routine tomorrow, and the day after, forever.
Suddenly, Ran had an impulse. "Ai-chan, it's not good to stay inside. Let's go out and do something... healthy."
"Like what?" Ai's voice was void. "More high-intensity autopsy training? I'm tired. No interest."
"Then... let's go kill someone together. How about it?"
Ai whipped her head around. Ran was still wearing that gentle, caring smile. Identical to always. But her eyes were no longer clear.
Ai burst into a wild, hysterical laugh, tears streaming down her face. "Ran-neechan... you've gone mad! Hahaha! You finally snapped! Why did it take you so long!?"
After a long while, Ai stopped. "Who do you want to kill?"
Ran tilted her head, thinking. Then, with her usual sweetness, she said: "I don't know. Maybe let's start with Shinichi Kudo!"
Ai's smile faded. "I don't know if you're mad or the most sane person left. But it won't work. We've tried. Agasa is in the basement right now building the 'Shinichi Kudo Assassination Device #10086.' Who knows when he'll come out. Just stay and watch TV with me..."
"No, Ai-chan," Ran smiled. "I have school tomorrow. I can't watch TV all day. And you shouldn't be so lethargic. Come with me. Let's find Shinichi and have a healthy little murder activity..."
Ai scrutinized her. She couldn't tell Ran's mental state, but for the first time in an age, she felt a spark of motivation.
"Fine. Let's try. I'll teach you what we've learned—though it's mostly useless. Because until now, [REDACTED] hasn't even noticed we want to kill him. Huh? Why was my voice censored? I'll try again: Shinichi Kudo is [REDACTED]. Tsk. Whatever. It makes no difference. Everything is fate..."
End of Chapter
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