Detective Conan: The Teyvat Syndicate — Chapter 366

Chapter 366: The Pitch-Black Mysterious Train 8

Listening to Heizou’s detailed explanation, a rare surge of pure, unadulterated hope flooded through Haibara. Her small hands clenched into tight fists at her sides, trembling slightly as the realization washed over her: Akemi was very likely still alive. The crushing weight of grief that had anchored her for so long momentarily lifted. However, the moment Heizou’s voice trailed off after his final sentence, the harsh chill of reality snapped her back to the present. The cold metal of the train car beneath her feet grounded her racing thoughts. Now was absolutely not the time to celebrate. Her sister remained firmly in the grasp of dangerous individuals, far from safe.

“That is enough.” She forced her breathing to steady, locking away her vulnerable emotions behind a mask of icy resolve. Raising her chin, she leveled a sharp, calculating gaze at the two men looming before her. “So, what exactly do you want from me? State your terms. As long as it does not involve harming innocent people, I will agree.”

“Very good. That is a good girl.” Cointreau let out a low, smooth chuckle. He leaned down, closing the distance between them. In her previous desperate scramble to see the photograph of Akemi, Haibara had unconsciously stepped right into his personal space. Taking advantage of the proximity, Cointreau reached out and rested his large hand gently atop her strawberry-blonde hair. He completely ignored the way her entire frame instantly locked up, rigid with instinctual terror at his touch. His voice remained deceptively warm and conversational. “Speaking of which, I actually held you when you were just a baby. Did I not mention that before? I am not some mindless, bloodthirsty monster. There is really no need for you to look at me with such absolute dread.”

“Besides, my request is incredibly simple,” Cointreau continued, his fingers brushing lightly against her hair before he finally pulled back. “You will provide me with samples of your blood whenever I require them., when I call upon you for assistance, you will not refuse. You can relax your guard. I have zero interest in forcing you to turn against your little friends.”

Behind his calm exterior, Cointreau’s mind worked rapidly, analyzing the biological anomalies standing before him. He had long suspected a genetic variable at play. The original Silver Bullet project had been led by Elena Miyano. The derivative compound, APTX4869, carried a fatality rate so close to one hundred percent that the Black Organization routinely deployed it as an untraceable assassination tool. It was designed to kill, leaving no evidence behind.

Yet, an impossible anomaly existed. The only two known survivors of the lethal toxin just happened to share a direct bloodline with Elena herself. Instead of their organs shutting down, their cellular structures had regressed, de-aging their bodies entirely. While a sample size of two was statistically minuscule, the sheer probability of both survivors belonging to the exact same genetic lineage was far too significant to ignore.

It formed the basis of his current working theory: individuals sharing Elena’s DNA possessed a unique, physiological resistance or an entirely different metabolic reaction to the Silver Bullet compounds. ‘Hmm,’Cointreau mused silently, his eyes narrowing slightly in calculation.’If the right opportunity presents itself down the line, I should extract a blood sample from Mary Akai. Cross-referencing her genetics with this little one’s would yield fascinating data.’

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he remembered the passenger manifest. Mary’s two children were currently aboard this very train. Cornering Shuichi Akai would be a monumental hassle, requiring far more effort than it was worth right now. Masumi Sera, on the other hand, presented a much more accessible target.

“Hey, hey, Cointreau, you didn’t suddenly forget about my presence, did you?” Heizou’s bright, slightly mocking voice sliced through the heavy atmosphere. The young detective leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. He narrowed his olive-green eyes, projecting an exaggerated aura of dissatisfaction. “That data chip was strictly provided by the Teyvat Organization. It is rather poor form for you to monopolize the negotiation and only list your personal demands!”

Cointreau merely shrugged his shoulders, spreading his hands palms upward in a placating gesture. He took a step back, silently yielding the floor for Heizou to lay out the Teyvat Organization’s terms. Haibara immediately shifted her attention, her bright blue eyes locking onto the young detective. Her pulse hammered against her ribs. Akemi’s life rested entirely in the hands of this enigmatic faction.

“Hmm, speaking of demands…” Heizou tapped a finger against his chin, tilting his head as if deep in thought. After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly let out a lighthearted laugh and scratched the back of his head. “Actually, it seems there is absolutely nothing I need you to do. After all, our organization lacks for nothing. We certainly do not waste our time chasing after absurd fairy tales like cellular de-aging or bringing the dead back to life.” As he spoke, he cast a highly dismissive, sidelong glance directly at Cointreau.

Haibara stepped forward, her voice tight with desperation. “If your organization truly does not require anything from me, then can you just release my sister? She is completely innocent in all of this!”

She knew the chances of them simply letting Akemi walk free were astronomically slim. However, Heizou’s casual, mocking tone heavily implied that the Teyvat Organization held zero interest in her pharmaceutical research. If they did not care about the drug, then Akemi possessed very little strategic value to them., observing the thinly veiled friction and lack of camaraderie between Heizou and Cointreau, a fragile, desperate thought took root in her mind. Was there a slight possibility she could exploit their division?

Catching the shift in her expression, Cointreau arched a single brow. He made no move to interrupt the ongoing negotiation between the girl and the detective, merely offering a dry, quiet observation to the air. “What a naive child.”

Haibara completely ignored the dark-clad man’s taunt. She kept her gaze fixed squarely on Heizou, her entire body rigid with nervous anticipation.

“Of course…” Heizou dragged the word out, letting the silence stretch just long enough to let a spark of hope ignite in the young girl’s eyes. Then, with a bright, utterly ruthless smile, he shattered it. “That is completely impossible! She holds immense value to us. And let us be perfectly clear, she is far from innocent.”

“Why…” The word slipped past her lips, choked and confused.

Before she could formulate a proper argument, Heizou clapped his hands together, his expression shifting into one of bright realization. “Ah! I just thought of the perfect job for you. How about playing the role of a spy? Your task will be simple. You will monitor that little detective constantly hovering around you, along with his FBI associates. Anytime they uncover a lead or launch an investigation regarding the Teyvat Organization, you will report it directly to us.”

“What FBI?!” Haibara’s eyes snapped wide open, the color draining from her face. Every survival instinct she possessed flared to life at the mere mention of that acronym.

“Oh?” Heizou leaned forward, a thoroughly entertained smirk playing across his lips as he watched her shock. “It seems little sister Miyano is still completely in the dark. No wonder you were trembling like a leaf just a moment ago. Let me enlighten you. That mild-mannered graduate student living next door, Subaru Okiya? That is actually Shuichi Akai in disguise. He faked his own death to escape the Black Organization’s crosshairs. Oh, and just as a fun little side note, the man is also your biological cousin.”

Heizou pulled out his mobile terminal, tapping the screen until the photograph of Akemi appeared. He turned the display toward Haibara, tapping his index finger against the glass. “I suggest you remain extremely vigilant whenever you are in his presence from now on. Do not even think about leaking a single shred of our information to him, or else…” He let the threat hang heavily in the air, the implication crystal clear.

Haibara staggered back a half-step, her breath hitching in her throat. ‘!!!’

A violent storm of information crashed through her mind, threatening to overwhelm her entirely. Subaru was Akai. Akai was her cousin. Fragments of past conversations suddenly clicked into place. She recalled Conan’s unwavering trust in the mysterious graduate student, the subtle, probing questions the boy detective had directed at her over the past few months. The realization hit her like a physical blow. Conan had known. He had known the truth about Subaru’s identity this entire time, and he had deliberately kept her completely in the dark.

A bitter wave of resentment bubbled up in her chest. Learning the truth about Rye’s actual blood relation to her only deepened her intense disdain for the FBI agent. Shuichi Akai was nothing but a manipulative scumbag who had callously used and deceived her older sister’s genuine feelings to infiltrate the syndicate.

Meanwhile, several train cars away, Conan was entirely absorbed in piecing together the current murder case. He was carefully analyzing the alibis of the passengers when his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out, he read a brief, urgent text message from Subaru: Haibara had just been intercepted and led away by Heizou. Conan’s head snapped up, his sharp eyes scanning the immediate vicinity. Only then did he realize that the eccentric young detective was nowhere to be seen.

Panic flared in his chest. He spun around, rushing over to where Natsume was standing near the corridor window. “Sister Natsume!” he called out, injecting a layer of childish innocence over his frantic tone. “Where did Brother Shikanoin go? I cannot find him anywhere. He is a detective too, right? Shouldn’t he be right here investigating the clues with us?”

Natsume blinked, turning away from the passing scenery to look down at the bespectacled boy. Her expression remained perfectly placid, giving nothing away. “Oh, Heizou? He mentioned that he had a few specific questions he wanted to ask Ayumi and the rest of the kids. He told me he was heading over to Car Number 6 to track them down.” She tilted her head, offering a helpful, gentle smile. “What is wrong, Conan? If it is urgent and you need to speak with him, I can easily send him a message for you.”

“Ah, no, that is okay! There is no need for that.” Conan forced a bright, strained smile onto his face, waving his hands dismissively. His mind was already racing, calculating the distance to the other end of the train. “I just realized I really need to use the restroom!” Throwing out the universal, foolproof excuse, he quickly spun on his heel, extricating himself from the conversation before Natsume could offer to escort him. Pushing his small legs to their absolute limit, he sprinted desperately down the narrow corridor, making a beeline straight for Car Number 6.