Detective Conan: The Teyvat Syndicate — Chapter 336

Chapter 336: A Coincidental Encounter

A deafening crash shattered the tension of the chase. Kenzuka had absolutely no time to slam on the brakes before the two vehicles collided with bone-rattling force. The massive kinetic impact sent a violent shudder through the entire chassis of the getaway car, warping metal and shattering glass. Thrown off balance by the sudden deceleration, Tegawa’s vision blurred. Her left hand, previously locked in a death grip around her young hostage, went slack.

It took her a few precious seconds to shake off the dizzying ringing in her ears. Panic setting in, she lunged sideways to snatch Conan back. Before her fingers could even brush the boy’s collar, the passenger side door was violently wrenched open, the hinges groaning in protest. A shadow fell over her. Her right wrist—the one clutching the loaded pistol—was instantly caught in a vice-like grip by a tall, imposing man with striking crimson hair.

Despite having just weaponized his own vehicle to force the stop, Diluc appeared entirely unfazed. He had stepped out of the driver’s seat the moment the tires screeched to a halt, closing the distance to the rear car with predatory efficiency.

His gloved fingers dug into Tegawa’s wrist, applying a precise, agonizing pressure. With a sharp gasp, her fingers uncurled, forcing her to release the weapon.

Diluc didn’t even blink. As the pistol slipped from her grasp, his free hand shot out, catching the falling firearm mid-air with flawless precision. In one fluid, merciless motion, he flipped the weapon and brought the heavy steel butt crashing down against the side of the kidnapper’s skull.

A dull, sickening thud echoed in the tight cabin. Tegawa’s eyes rolled back, and she slumped heavily against the leather upholstery, completely unconscious.

From the moment the door was ripped open to the instant the threat was neutralized, barely three seconds had passed. It was a masterclass in brutal, clinical efficiency.

Conan sat frozen in the back seat. His brain was still struggling to process the whiplash of the crash, yet the life-threatening crisis had already been dismantled before him.

“Are you alright, little guy?” A cheerful, melodic voice broke through the ringing in his ears. Venti, having hopped out of the passenger side of Diluc’s car, leaned down with a bright, concerned smile. Diluc had already reached in, effortlessly lifting Conan by the collar and setting him safely on the asphalt away from the wreckage.

“Ah… yeah, I’m fine.” Conan let out a dry, slightly breathless laugh, scratching the back of his head. His sharp, analytical gaze immediately drifted downward, locking onto the glowing, glass-like ornament hanging from the young man’s waist. A Vision. He quickly masked his scrutiny with childish curiosity. “Big brother, are you a friend of Diluc?”

“Mm-hmm!” Venti nodded enthusiastically, the twin braids framing his face bouncing with the motion. “I’m Venti! You could say Master Diluc is my generous benefactor right now. He provides for all my food and… well, mostly my drinks!”

A distinct, sweet aroma wafted through the crisp evening air. Conan’s nose twitched. He looked up at the bard with a heavy dose of skepticism. “Venti… have you been drinking?”

Before the bard could offer an excuse, the screeching of tires announced the arrival of the cavalry. Subaru, Amuro, and Sera, who had been tailing the chase from a distance, swerved onto the scene, effectively cutting off the conversation.

“Thank goodness you’re in one piece!” Sera kicked down the stand of her motorcycle and sprinted over, pulling the boy into a tight, relieved hug.

“Conan!” Ran was right behind her, her voice trembling with leftover panic. She dropped to her knees on the rough asphalt, her hands anxiously ghosting over his arms and face to check for any hidden injuries.

“Mr. Diluc. What an unexpected coincidence to run into you here.” Subaru adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses, the lenses catching the glare of the streetlights. Beneath the mild-mannered disguise of a graduate student, Akai’s sharp mind was already whirring. He had crossed paths with Kaeya’s adoptive brother a handful of times since assuming this identity.

The Detective Boys had formed a fast, chaotic friendship with little Klee, frequently dragging her out on their neighborhood adventures. As one of the primary guardians tasked with keeping the explosive child out of trouble, Diluc was a semi-regular presence. Subaru had shared a few brief, carefully measured conversations with the man during those playdates.

From those limited interactions, Akai had formed a solid profile. Diluc projected a frigid, unapproachable exterior, but his actions consistently betrayed a deeply ingrained protective streak. He operated with a rigid moral compass—a stark contrast to Kaeya’s slippery, silver-tongued methods. The redhead truly carried himself with the disciplined, upright bearing of high nobility.

Yet, the internal politics of the Teyvat Organization remained a tangled web. Ever since Kaeya vanished from Japan for parts unknown, the delicate, high-stakes negotiations with the Black Organization had been entirely absorbed by Ningguang’s faction at the Jade Chamber. If pharmaceutical or alchemical matters arose, the enigmatic Albedo stepped in. Diluc, however, kept his hands entirely clean of the syndicate dealings. He had never once made an appearance at those shadowy meetings.

Akai recalled the tense confrontation at the hotel, where Kaeya and Tartaglia had cornered him with a sharp warning. Their thinly veiled hostility toward one another had spoken volumes. The various departments within the Teyvat Organization were far from a unified front; they were a collection of fractured, heavily armed factions operating under a fragile truce.

Kaeya and Ningguang clearly operated in entirely different spheres of influence. Did Kaeya harbor such bitter animosity toward his own adoptive brother that he would rather surrender his territorial control to the Jade Chamber than let Diluc take the reins? Or was it the other way around? Perhaps Diluc simply refused to dirty his hands with the Black Organization’s filth.

“It is a coincidence,” Diluc replied, his tone perfectly flat, betraying zero emotion. “I happened to witness the kidnapping in progress while driving past. I simply gave chase.”

Having finally squirmed out of Ran and Sera’s suffocating grip, Conan trotted right back over to the bard. His detective instincts were itching. “Venti, were you just out drinking with Diluc?”

“There is a rather well-known tavern just a few blocks from here. You two must have just left the premises.” Amuro stepped forward, his dark eyes sweeping over the gathered crowd before locking onto the bard. He had been quietly observing the newcomers since stepping out of his Mazda. If this boy was traveling with Diluc, it was highly probable he was another hidden piece of the Teyvat Organization.

The lingering scent of high-proof liquor practically radiated from the boy’s green cape. Factoring in their current trajectory and the scent profile, Amuro’s mind easily mapped out the exact establishment they had just vacated.

What bothered the undercover agent was the location itself. Was it truly just a random choice of venue? The Black Organization frequently used that specific bar as a quiet spot to unwind. Even Gin was known to occupy a dark corner booth there from time to time.

, there was a glaring legal issue standing right in front of him. “As far as I am aware, that particular establishment is incredibly strict about checking IDs,” Amuro noted, his brow furrowing in clear disapproval. “Did Mr. Diluc purchase that alcohol for you?”

Even factoring in their ties to a dangerous underground syndicate, for a man of Diluc’s public standing to so blatantly supply a minor with hard liquor showed a brazen disregard for basic societal laws.

“Ehe.” Venti tilted his head, flashing both the shrinking detective and the undercover agent a brilliantly innocent, entirely unrepentant smile. He waved his hands dismissively, rushing to his patron’s defense. “Master Diluc didn’t buy the wine! He just came to drag me out of there. A very kind-hearted stranger offered to treat me to a few glasses earlier. And besides…” The bard winked playfully. “Even though I might not look the part, I assure you, I’ve been a legal adult for a very, very long time.”