"Hey, hey, two chances is very few, okay?" Conan grumbled inwardly.
Leaving the crime scene, the group stood on a large bridge. Conan was still busy analyzing the information about Jack, while the rich heirs nearby continued to whine about the "damned Noah."
Ren Kurogane took off his coat and draped it over Sonoko's shoulders to keep her from catching a cold. Ran, suddenly finding herself fed a mouth-load of "dog food" (PDA), looked somewhat helpless.
"I say, don't you two have any sense of crisis? If we don't catch the killer, we're going to die!"
Ren said calmly, "Relax. The core of this AI is still that kid Hiroki; he won't actually kill us."
He spoke with such certainty that even Conan was taken aback. "Do you know something?" Conan asked, looking at Ren with expectation. Beside them, the leader of the rich kids, Hideki, also cast a secretive glance at Ren, wanting to know why he had reached such a conclusion.
Ren shook his head and explained, "Think about it. If this AI were truly that insane, it wouldn't have waited until now to act. It could have just hijacked the world's missile systems and turned the globe into a nuclear wasteland long ago."
A nuclear wasteland...
Everyone's mouths twitched. Outside, the crowd watching the broadcast was also stunned. Hearing Ren put it that way, they realized the true horror of this AI for the first time.
"Damn it! Regardless of the outcome, this AI must be destroyed!" "It must be wiped out!"
In the control room, Yusaku Kudo rubbed his chin, pondering Ren's words. If Ren is right, then what is the purpose of everything this AI is doing now?
Inside the game, just as the group was shivering in the cold, Dr. Agasa's voice suddenly boomed from the sky.
"Can you hear me? Can you hear me?"
"Doctor?!" Conan and the others were thrilled. They hadn't expected the Doctor to actually crack the AI's defenses.
"Ahem! Conan, time is short, so I'll be brief. Your current location is—"
Dr. Agasa managed to finish describing their location, but just as he was about to provide the game walkthrough, the connection was forcibly severed by Noah.
"Breaking the rules is not allowed!" Noah's voice rang out.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to tear apart. Panicking, the group fled in different directions to avoid the earthquake. However, one unlucky soul was too slow and fell into the bottomless abyss.
After their brush with death, the survivors panted for breath. Conan suddenly remembered the police mentioning Inspector Lestrade. Combined with Noah's earlier hint that every story had a person meant to help the players, Conan was struck with an epiphany.
"I see! If it's that person, catching Jack will be easy!"
Just as Conan joyfully shared this with the group, Ren Kurogane threw cold water on him without hesitation.
"Don't be silly. This game is a blend of Sherlock Holmes and the historical Jack the Ripper events. But in reality, Holmes and Jack never crossed paths. Noah won't allow a plotline that gives players such a massive 'cheat code,'" Ren said.
"That..." The group's faces fell in disappointment.
At this moment, Ayumi stepped forward. "Come on! Everyone, don't be so gloomy! Whether Holmes is there or not, won't we know once we go check? It's not like we have anything else to do right now, anyway."
Conan immediately agreed. "Right. Baker Street isn't far from here. Let's head over. Even if Holmes isn't there, maybe he left some clues!" Because he was about to see his idol, Conan was actually getting a bit excited.
Under their encouragement, the group navigated the streets toward Baker Street. Soon, they arrived before a large clock tower. Noticing that Conan and the others hadn't spotted the anomaly, Hideki took the lead to point it out. "Look, isn't that clock a bit strange?"
"Huh? What's strange about a clock?" Conan looked up and saw the minute hand jump back one minute.
"It went backward?" "What's going on?"
While the group was filled with suspicion, Ren stepped out and declared, "This is just typical of the French. They can't even be bothered to fix a broken clock!"
Conan, who was about to reveal the truth, felt his vision go dark. He said faintly, "That's likely the number of participants. Starting from fifty, every tick backward represents someone being eliminated..."
"Wait! Is that true?!"
Sonoko teased Ren by nudging his chest with her elbow. "Honestly, how are you even worse at this than a kid?"
"Hmph! Of course I knew! It's just that this info doesn't help us solve the case at all. Seeing the clock go back only adds invisible pressure. It's better off not knowing!" Ren replied proudly.
"Oh! Now that you mention it, when the clock moved, I did feel really nervous!" Ran said, clutching her chest. Mitsuhiko and the other two kids nodded. "Yeah, I wish I didn't know that!"
Conan realized he had accidentally added a burden to his comrades. He gave an apologetic smile and continued to lead the way. Ren watched the clock jump back another minute and hummed, "A clock that traverses time... moving... in reverse..."
Sonoko heard him clearly and her eyes lit up. "Is that a new Chinese song?"
Ren nodded with a smile. "Yeah. It's a new song released a few days ago by a newcomer from Taiwan. It's called 'Clock in Reverse'."
"Wow~ I'll have to listen to it when I get back!"
Conan and the others had long grown accustomed to their leisurely pace.
After crossing a street, a scruffy-looking vagrant appeared before them. The man held an accordion and sang slowly.
"Beware of Jack the Ripper, waiting for you on the night road. If you don't want to die, what should you do? You must be covered in blood too~"
As they passed the vagrant, Ren suddenly stopped. "Covered in blood?"
Conan turned back, curious. "What is it? Did you find a new clue?"
Ren nodded. "If I'm not mistaken, that NPC's song is a major clue for us!"
"Eh? That hobo?" The rich heirs looked shocked; they had been too busy looking at the man with disgust to listen to what he was saying.
"If you don't want to die, you must be covered in blood too..." Ren repeated the line.
In the original story, this line was a hint for Conan to use red wine to survive. But Ren was here to play a game; he had no intention of following Noah's script. He clapped his hands and laughed. "I've got it!"
This drew everyone's gaze, waiting for his answer. Even Conan looked at him seriously.
"Who are the people covered in blood? The victims! This line is a hint that to catch Jack the Ripper, we need to become the victims. We use this chance to take the killer down in one fell swoop!"
"Sss~ When you put it like that, it actually makes sense!" Haibara rubbed her chin. "So, who do you intend to play the victim?" Her gaze drifted to Sonoko and Ran. Obviously, they were the only ones who fit the criteria.
"Ahem!" Sonoko coughed twice. "Well, Ran and I aren't doing it! We're refined young ladies. How are we supposed to play 'damsels of the night'?"
Conan also looked troubled. He definitely didn't want Ran playing the victim...
Then, Ren spoke up. "Who said it has to be a woman? Can't a man dress as a woman?"
Everyone stared at him in shock! Even Hideki was frightened by Ren's suggestion. Looking at Ren's explosive muscles, the group stammered, "Let's... let's just think of something else..."
"Wow! You guys don't believe in me?!"
Sonoko patted his shoulder helplessly. "Let's just forget it, dear. Let's go find Holmes first~"
Pushed and pulled by the group, Ren followed them to Holmes' residence, 221B Baker Street.
Knock, knock, knock~
The door was opened by a woman—Mrs. Hudson, Holmes' landlady. "You're looking for Mr. Holmes? How unfortunate; he's not in right now."
"NOT IN?!"
Both the people inside and outside the game were stunned. Especially Yusaku, the game's planner; in his script, the players were meant to cooperate with Holmes to arrest Jack.
At that moment, Noah explained, "The original story was too boring, so I made some changes. Trust me, this ending will be much more interesting!"
Everyone was both angry and helpless.
Inside the game, the landlady assumed Conan and the others were members of the Baker Street Irregulars and happily invited them in. Entering the idol's domain, Conan and the others looked around. The first thing they saw was a photo of Holmes and Watson. However, the faces were very familiar. Holmes looked like Yusaku, and Watson looked like Dr. Agasa.
"Heh typical of you guys" Conan could only laugh. He then addressed the group: "Since this is Holmes' apartment, there must be information regarding Jack the Ripper here!"
"Right! Since the landlady let us in, searching for info must be part of the game!" Everyone's eyes lit up, and they began scouring the apartment.
During the search, Hideki accidentally found a century-old soccer ball. To a soccer fan, this was a rare treasure. Hideki tossed the ball aside as if it were junk. Genta found a revolver in a drawer, but Ren snatched it away the moment he pulled it out.
"This is good stuff. I'll take care of it!"
"Hey! I found that!" Genta complained.
Conan asked curiously, "Do you even know how to use a handgun?"
"Aim and fire; it's not that hard. Or do you think the recoil of this tiny pea-shooter will bother me?" Ren toyed with the revolver before tucking it into the back of his waistband.
Finally, Ran found a clue regarding Jack the Ripper. After looking it over, they set their sights on Holmes' arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty.
"He won't be easy to find. However, his right-hand man, Colonel Moran, frequently visits the card clubs downtown. We can start there," Conan said.
Having determined their target, the group arrived at a card club.
BANG!
Ren kicked the front door into splinters. He scanned the room but couldn't identify Colonel Moran. Fortunately, he had a mouth. He shouted into the room, "Which one of you is Moran? If you're still breathing, make some noise!"
This arrogant attitude instantly enraged the people in the club. Moran, sitting in the VIP section, stood up and pointed at Ren. "Kill him!"
"Charge!" The patrons surged forward to attack. Most of the people gambling here were Moran's subordinates, and even those who weren't felt they had to save face for the boss. Most importantly, Ren was blocking the door; they had nowhere to run.
Faced with the mob, Ren remained unfazed. He threw a punch, sending the foremost attacker flying. The force was enough to cave in the man's chest.
"Hide outside for a bit. I'll handle this quickly," Ren smiled at the others. With that, he closed the door, his smile vanishing. "Come on. This will be over soon."
Clang! Smash! Thud!
A series of fighting sounds echoed from inside the room. Outside, Ran said worriedly, "Is Ren going to be okay? Should I go help him?"
Sonoko waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry. My husband is a man who can dismantle a building with his bare hands. These goons are nothing to him. Besides, he has a gun!"
Seeing the skeptical looks on everyone's faces, Sonoko's lip twitched. Of course no one believes he can dismantle a building with his bare hands. Honestly, if she hadn't seen it herself, she wouldn't believe it either...
CRASH!
Suddenly, a window shattered as a bloodied head was shoved through it. Then, the front door opened, and Ren walked out looking bored. "These guys are too weak. They fell before I could even pull my gun."
In his hand, Ren was dragging a "spiritually broken" Moran. Conan immediately asked, "Hey, where is Moriarty?"
Looking at the child, Moran ignored him and even spat blood onto Conan's face.
"Hey, hey, hey! That's very unhygienic!" Ren's fist dropped onto Moran's head, making his already dizzy mind even more chaotic. Ran, looking pained, took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from Conan's face.