Chapter 21: Magical Girl Ran
Beika Town. A Week After the Contract.
Life was like the surface of a still pond after a stone has been tossed in; the ripples were spreading in unseen ways.
At Teitan High School's karate dojo, Ran unleashed a sharp roundhouse kick, the air whistling around her leg. Her sparring partner didn't even have time to react before he was sent flying. He crashed into the protective mats on the far wall and didn't get up for a long moment.
Silence. Everyone, including Ran, stared in shock. She looked at her own leg, then at her dazed teammate. She had just been trying to execute a standard kick. But the immense, gentle power coiling within her had unintentionally leaked out.
[Non-Human Beings Chat Group]
SpongeBob SquarePants: Wowee! Ran is so strong! She's like a superhero! But I hope that guy she kicked is okay! You gotta be careful with super strength!
Tom Cat: [Cat_Covering_Mouth_in_Shock.jpeg]
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" Ran rushed over and helped him up.
"I-I'm fine..." the boy mumbled, rubbing his shoulder. "Senpai... I think your kicks got even stronger..."
"R-Really? Haha... I guess I'm just in good shape lately..." Ran laughed nervously, but inside, alarm bells were ringing. I have to be more careful. I can't let my magical girl powers show in my normal life.
Mouri Detective Agency.
The phone was ringing off the hook. Faxes for new cases kept spitting out of the machine. Kogoro Mouri sat at his desk, a cigarette dangling from his lips, taking a call with newfound swagger.
"What's that? A locked-room murder? Hahaha, a simple trick like that? Leave it to the great Kogoro Mouri!"
He hung up and immediately picked up the file for a theft case. His brow furrowed for a second, then smoothed out. "Hmph. Just a bit of misdirection." He slammed his hand on the desk. "Kid! Get the car! We're heading to the scene!"
Conan lowered the newspaper he was reading, a complicated look in his eyes. Since the incident at the mall, Kogoro's deductive reasoning seemed sharper. He was catching details he would have missed before. It was nowhere near the level of his transformed "Eye of Truth," but his efficiency had definitely improved. Business at the agency was booming. Difficult cases poured in, and one by one, he'd solve them after a quick trip away from the scene.
The media coverage was relentless. "Sleeping Kogoro" was gradually being replaced by new titles.
"The Sherlock Holmes of Beika Town."
"Great Detective Mouri Cracks Another Impossible Case!"
"Savior of the Police! The Detective with the Amber Eye of Truth!"
[Non-Human Beings Chat Group]
SpongeBob SquarePants: Wow! Mr. Mouri is a big celebrity now! "The Sherlock Holmes of Beika"! That sounds so cool! Although he still looks pretty funny in a skirt! Hehe!
Tom Cat: [Cat_in_Detective_Hat_with_Pipe.jpeg]
Kyubey, Giver of Hope: Speaking of which, doesn't Conan call himself a disciple of Sherlock Holmes?
SpongeBob SquarePants: Then I'm a disciple of Sherlock Holmes, too! Yay!
Tom Cat: [Cat_in_Detective_Hat_Investigating.jpeg]
Kogoro was basking in the adoration. But sometimes, late at night, he would stare at his empty palms and fall into a brief, heavy silence. That power... that inhuman perspective... He had a vague, unsettling idea of the price, but it was a thought he refused to entertain. For now, at least, this power was helping him protect his family... right?
Dr. Agasa's House.
The delicious scent of curry wafted from the kitchen. Haibara was expertly chopping vegetables, her movements precise and efficient. Akemi Miyano (now Akemi Hirota) stood beside her, watching her younger sister with a gentle, worried expression.
"Shiho, haven't you been pushing yourself too hard lately?" Akemi asked, drying her hands on a towel. "You looked like you were hurt a few days ago. Are you feeling better?"
"I'm fine, Sis. A little magic fixed it right up." Haibara kept her head down, avoiding her sister's gaze. "I've just been busy with my research." She couldn't let her sister worry. The price of her resurrection, the dangers of the battles, the secret of the Soul Gems... Akemi couldn't know.
Akemi sighed and gently hugged her from behind. "I know you're doing something incredible... Conan-kun told me a little... But please, promise me you'll take care of yourself. This world... it's more complicated and dangerous than we can imagine."
Haibara's body tensed for a moment, then relaxed into the embrace. "I know, Sis. I will."
Teitan Elementary. The walk home.
Ayumi and Genta walked ahead, chattering excitedly about the latest Kamen Hero episode. Mitsuhiko and Haibara lagged behind, their steps heavy.
"Mitsuhiko-kun, you've been spacing out a lot lately," Ayumi called back, pouting. "And Haibara-san is being super quiet again."
"Yeah," Genta agreed. "You two look really tired."
Mitsuhiko forced a smile. "It's nothing. Just studying for the upcoming exams."
Haibara just grunted in agreement. They were exhausted. By day, they were normal elementary school students. By night, they were magical girls, fighting twisted Witches in the city's shadows. The physical toll was manageable, but the mental whiplash was becoming unbearable. They had seen horrors no one could imagine and carried secrets they could never share.
The Evening News.
"Our top story tonight," the anchorwoman said, her face grim. "The city has been plagued by a series of bizarre deaths..." The screen cut to several crime scenes, the gruesome details blurred out. "In each case, the victim was found in their locked home with no signs of external trauma, but their faces were frozen in expressions of extreme, contorted terror... Police have preliminarily determined the cause of death may be related to some form of unknown psychological shock..."
[Non-Human Beings Chat Group]
SpongeBob SquarePants: Aaaah! Is this the work of another Witch?! That's so awful! Those poor people!
Tom Cat: [Cat_Hiding_behind_Curtain_Trembling.jpeg]
Kyubey, Giver of Hope: Where there are magical girls, there will naturally be Witches.
As for where the Witches came from? That was none of this particular Kyubey's concern. Its sole mission was to observe the main characters and livestream their activities. The contracting of other magical girls and the observation and energy harvesting from Witches were tasks for other Kyubeys. Of course, they were all Kyubey. There was no real distinction.
Ran sat on the sofa, her hand tightening on the remote. Not another one. The frequency of the attacks was increasing. She glanced at Conan, whose expression was just as serious. "This doesn't look good," he said.
Ran nodded. Since becoming a magical girl, she could feel it—a disturbing energy spreading throughout the city like ink in water, silent and pervasive.
Midnight. A secluded corner of Beika Central Park.
Four figures gathered in the darkness. Ran in pink, Mitsuhiko in blue, Haibara in silver, and Kogoro in his red-and-black dress, looking utterly miserable. Conan stood in the middle of them.
"The frequency and power of the Witches are increasing," Conan stated. "And they're becoming more varied. Last night, I tracked one that seemed to be born from... exam stress?"
"A few of the suicide cases I've been consulted on looked suspicious, too," Kogoro added. "The victims' conditions match the news reports."
"I can feel it," Ran said. "The... negative energy in the city. It's getting thicker."
"Kyubey!" Conan called out into the darkness. "I know you're here! We need to talk!"
A calm voice echoed in their minds. "Is there a problem?" Kyubey materialized in the center of their circle.
Conan stepped forward. "You have us fight these Witches. And after every battle, you collect that black thing they leave behind." He stared into Kyubey's blank eyes. "What is it? What is your true purpose?"
[Non-Human Beings Chat Group]
SpongeBob SquarePants: Yeah, Kyubey! Spill the beans! What is that black thingy? Is it tasty?
Tom Cat: [Cat_Tilting_Head_Curiously.jpeg]
"My purpose?" Kyubey replied, its telepathic voice betraying no emotion. "I simply granted the wishes you made."
"Then why do our Soul Gems get corrupted when we use magic?" Conan pressed. "And what are the Witches? Where do they come from?"
Kyubey's long ears twitched almost imperceptibly. "Your wishes brought you power. The use of power naturally brings about change. As for the Witches," it paused. "Are they not the very threat you yourselves chose to fight in order to protect this city?"
Conan felt a surge of frustration. Kyubey's answers were like a smooth, impenetrable wall. They were factually true, yet revealed nothing. Before he could ask another question, Kyubey had leaped into the shadows and vanished.
Meanwhile, in a quiet park across town.
A man in a black trench coat and fedora sat on a park bench, his long, silver hair glinting in the twilight.
And sitting on the ground in front of him, its red eyes glowing, was a familiar, long-eared white creature.
Kyubey.