Evening. The sky wasn't yet dark, but a full moon already hung high in the west.
"What a huge moon, just like in the movies!" the kids cheered excitedly.
Mouri Kogorō was driving a borrowed car packed with people, heading straight for the docks. If he weren't a detective, he could've been a professional driver. He'd rented cars and driven all over Japan—tour-guide level.
"It's true, so big and round."
Conan saw it too, but his heart filled with unease.
A full moon was never a good sign. In movies, many tragedies happened under the full moon, because only the moon bore witness to beauty fading away. That was tragedy.
This moon seemed to be hinting at something. Unlike the others who were carefree, Conan was tense, thinking about what the organizers' true motive might be this time.
Under the moonlight, the cruise ship decorated like a ghost ship sat silently at the dock. If not for the long line of people waiting to board, they really might've thought they'd stumbled into a horror movie.
The moment she saw the ship, Ran froze. "Sonoko, this is too scary…"
"Ran, don't be afraid, it's just decoration. Just decoration," Sonoko said, though even she felt a chill. The set-up was too realistic.
Mouri Kogorō, however, was amused. Looking at the detailed decorations, he could tell the organizer had money. What he didn't know was what kind of incident would unfold. The crime notice only said something terrible would happen, but not what exactly.
"Professor, hurry, the line's over here."
There really were a lot of people. Ahead of them stretched a line over 30 meters long. The costumes were all over the place—werewolves, mummies, zombies, even kappas.
"This is great, we're the only Kamen Yaiba!" Genta said happily.
"See? I knew Kamen Yaiba was the right choice." Mitsuhiko looked smug, since the idea had been his.
Ran clung to Sonoko's arm. After night fell, the atmosphere shifted. The air was heavy, sinister, and chilling. "Sonoko, let's go home."
"What are you saying? We're already here, we can't leave now." Sonoko held Ran tight. "Besides, think about it—if you were home alone, wouldn't you be even more scared after seeing all this?"
That hit the mark. Ran really didn't dare be alone right now. "Sonoko, don't leave me."
"Alright, alright!"
What was this feeling? Conan couldn't shake it. Something was going to happen. But what? He kept sensing eyes everywhere, watching them.
Behind Conan, more bizarrely dressed people kept arriving. Though it was only 6 p.m. in winter, the sun was long gone.
Darkness covered the sky, but the dock was well-lit. The people in line were buzzing with excitement. This party looked like it would be high-quality.
Suddenly Conan stiffened. He'd caught a sound apart from the crowd's chatter.
"What is it, Conan?"
"I hear something strange."
Everyone listened. It was there—something being dragged along the ground. The scrape of metal against pavement.
And then it appeared.
At the edge of the lights, flickering in and out like an illusion, just like a horror movie scene. A figure stepped slowly from darkness into light. Pale skin. Tattered old clothes. A thin, skeletal body. Half a face with torn, bloody flesh. In his hand, he dragged a fire axe. Step by step, he staggered closer.
What was that thing?
Everyone jumped, but since so many people were in strange costumes, most assumed it was just part of the show.
"Don't come any closer!" Suddenly someone stepped out from the crowd, shouting loudly. "One more step and I'll shoot!"
But the figure kept coming closer.
Bang! A gunshot rang out, but it only made the figure stagger. It still didn't stop.
Too real. The shot made everyone jump in fright.
Conan and the others were stunned, but the real shock came after. Gunshots rang out in quick succession. The newcomer's chest burst open, but he didn't fall.
"A zombie, it's a zombie!" the shooter shouted.
Zombie? Most people had no idea, never having watched Resident Evil.
"They're corpses that came back to life! Run! All they know is how to eat. If they grab you and take a bite, you'll turn into one of them! Run!" After yelling that, the so-called shooter threw down the gun and bolted.
It was so realistic that no one could tell if it was a performance or real. The timid ones bolted immediately. The braver ones stayed put, thinking it was just part of the show.
"Ahhhh—!"
A scream. Conan knew that sound all too well. Another incident?
But no, this time it wasn't. The ones who ran had realized they were surrounded. From every direction, more zombies shuffled out, their makeup eerily real. Guts and bones spilling out, grotesque enough to chill the heart.
"Ahhhhhh—!" Ran finally couldn't hold it in and screamed too. That broke the last of the crowd's nerves. Panic rippled everywhere.
Conan's eyes widened. Could it be… walking corpses for real? But then he smirked. Impossible. The makeup looked good, but there was no stench of rot. The "rotting flesh" was fake. "Ran-neechan, don't be scared. They're all fake. And think about it—the woman who fired earlier, if she was really running for her life, why would she stop to explain to us what zombies are? She was obviously narrating for the effect. Totally staged."
Fake? Maybe so, but Ran still couldn't bring herself to look. The blood, the intestines—it was too much. She was terrified.
"Surprise!!"
A familiar voice called out. Ada stepped out from among the "zombies."
And the shooter revealed herself too—it was Jodie. Ada had roped her into planning this "zombie ambush," and they had pulled it off perfectly, scaring the entire crowd. The zombies were all Class 2-B students from Teitan High.
"Ada-sensei, Jodie-sensei?" Ran was nearly in tears. For her, things like this were unbearable.
"Haha, scared you, huh?" Jodie was thrilled. Especially with the zombie setup—it hit harder than any ordinary monster. "Sorry, Mōri-kun, you're even more timid than I thought."
Haibara noticed her foster mother's outfit—a crimson slit evening dress down to the ankles, a gun holster strapped to her thigh, and a flowing black ribbon tied around her neck. It was straight out of Resident Evil 4—Ada Wong's agent look.
"Wow, wow, it's Ada-sensei! Long time no see!" Mōri Kogorō was beside himself with excitement.
Ada's outfit was bold, though nobody realized she was just cosplaying herself. Of course, nobody would believe a real agent would wear something like that on a mission. This look screamed party, not combat.
Jodie, meanwhile, wore American spec-ops combat gear—also in the Resident Evil style. One light, one dark—two different vibes that completely stole the spotlight. Sonoko's and Ran's costumes were instantly overshadowed.
The zombie horde filed back into line. Everyone was buzzing, thrilled at how convincingly they'd scared the crowd. Helping Ada-sensei had been totally worth it.