Chapter 74: The Vanishing Superpower
Anya remembered everything with crystal clarity. She'd felt unwell yesterday after eating Aunt Yor's cooking. The sensation had come and gone extremely quickly—because she'd fainted almost instantly.
Her body's self-preservation instincts had recognized that only unconsciousness could protect Anya from the pain, triggering an immediate blackout.
She'd only taken one bite, and the taste was utterly unforgettable.
The smell and the actual taste were completely different things.
And the effect was even more powerful than sleeping pills.
No—she couldn't let herself remember. Just thinking about it made her entire body tremble.
Anya didn't dislike Yor at all, but her physical body was responding with honest terror at this very moment.
The two adults noticed the little girl's expression, and Natsukawa curiously touched Anya's forehead again.
Strange. What's going on here?
Anya clearly liked Yor, so why was she suddenly showing such a frightened reaction?
Could the problem really be with yesterday's cooking?
It seemed that Conan would definitely have to test it tomorrow. No—there was no time to waste. They'd test it tonight.
"Anya, this is Miss Yor. Don't you like Aunt Yor the most? You can't make that face—it's very rude." Natsukawa gently patted Anya's rosy cheeks and pulled the blankets she'd just kicked off back up over her.
"I... I didn't..." Anya's voice completely lacked confidence.
She truly did like Yor, but she was also genuinely terrified.
Yor looked devastated, feeling her bond with the child slipping away. She was so distressed she was nearly in tears, but thankfully Anya's next words helped calm her anxiety.
"Aunt Yor is... Anya loves her the most." Anya paused for a long moment before widening her eyes and continuing carefully, "But... can we order takeout next time?"
"..." ×2
"I'm so sorry, Miss Yor! Anya was incredibly rude just now!" Natsukawa said quickly, trying to smooth things over. "There must have been something wrong with the ingredients in yesterday's meal. Just because the hospital didn't detect anything doesn't mean there wasn't a problem."
Natsukawa thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "How about this—you prepare the same dish again tonight, and I'll have Conan try it. They're the same age, so their constitutions should be similar. If Conan eats it without any problems, then it absolutely must be that unscrupulous vendor who sold you contaminated ingredients."
Meanwhile, far away at the Kudo residence, Conan remained blissfully unaware that he'd been volunteered for a mysterious dinner appointment. However, he suddenly felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine.
He silently pulled his blankets tighter, attributing the sensation to his current physical condition—or perhaps a subconscious dread of the upcoming shopping trip with his mother.
He'd been exposed to freezing wind for half an hour in the middle of last night, and now he definitely had caught a slight cold. The trash can beside his bed was already overflowing with used tissues.
"Is that so?"
Yor considered Natsukawa's words carefully and felt they made perfect sense. Practice is the only way to discover the truth. She remembered Conan—he was that clever little boy she'd attended the World's First Night Festival with just a few days ago.
Speaking of which, that boy was indeed approximately the same age as Anya, and they were even classmates. If he ate her cooking without any adverse reactions, then the ingredients must have been the problem.
Instantly, her hands moved with practiced efficiency, already warming up for tonight's cooking session.
If Conan eats it without any problems, then... I'm sorry, unscrupulous merchant. Forgive my impudence, but please allow me to take your life tonight!
Is that really okay?
Anya swallowed back the words she'd been about to say to stop this plan.
She couldn't bear this pain alone anymore. She'd let Conan experience it too. That guy could be quite annoying sometimes anyway, and he never gave her—the future supreme leader of the Detective Boys—any proper respect.
Evil Conan! Let you experience the same suffering as this beautiful girl!
Thinking about Conan's impending doom, Anya suddenly felt incredibly energized. Her previously uncomfortable stomach instantly returned to normal, and she even wanted to leap out of bed and spin around a couple of times while striking a dramatic pose.
Wait—Anya suddenly realized something critical.
Just now, she hadn't heard either her father's or aunt's thoughts at all.
Even though they'd both seemed deep in contemplation, her telepathy hadn't activated whatsoever.
"Papa, is today a full moon?"
"Huh?" Natsukawa scratched his head in confusion, not understanding what his little darling meant.
"Anya means... is tonight the night of the full moon?" The little girl craned her neck, her curious gaze extremely earnest and focused.
Her mind-reading ability only lost its effectiveness on nights of the full moon—hence the urgent question.
Anya's rapidly pounding heartbeat indicated her current anxiety. Losing her superpowers was something she absolutely couldn't accept.
"I don't know." Natsukawa honestly had no idea. He couldn't even remember what day of the week it was without Frank reminding him. He certainly couldn't answer astronomical questions.
Both father and daughter simultaneously turned to look at Yor, their thirst for knowledge painfully evident.
"Today?" Yor thought for a few seconds before answering uncertainly, "Probably not? I remember the full moon is still several days away."
Anya's energy seemed to drain away in an instant, achieving the remarkable feat of going from complete recovery to total devastation in mere seconds.
Her wildly fluctuating condition made Natsukawa frown with concern. Was this a side effect of the food poisoning?
Had Anya somehow lost her superpowers?
The little girl closed her eyes tightly, hiding under the covers, straining with intense concentration... but only managed to pass gas.
It's really, really gone.
My superpower. Such an amazing, wonderful superpower.
Gone~~~~
○(╥﹏╥)○
The Detective Boys Visit
In the afternoon, Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko from the Detective Boys came to visit Anya at the hospital.
However, the little girl who called herself the leader of the Detective Boys was in absolutely no mood to receive her three subordinates, still completely immersed in the distress of losing her telepathic abilities.
"Ayumi, Genta, Mitsuhiko—why are only you three here? Where's Conan?" Natsukawa asked, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Yusaku Kudo's elaborate prank plan had been prematurely terminated due to last night's epic gunfight upgrade. Conan should have been sent back to the Mouri Detective Agency by now.
It was strange that he hadn't accompanied the three Detective Boys members to visit.
Did I overdo it yesterday? Has he become traumatized and withdrawn, fleeing Japan for America with his parents?
"Conan said his mom dragged him out shopping for clothes, so he can't escape right now," Ayumi explained with obvious disappointment.
She'd claimed she was coming to see Anya, but the little girl had her own ulterior motives—her real purpose was spending more time with Conan.
"I see."
Natsukawa's lips twitched slightly. Could it be because I dressed Conan in those hilariously mismatched pink clothes yesterday?
"Anya, if you're not feeling well, please tell us! I can call a doctor for you immediately," Ayumi said, leaning over Anya's bedside with a genuinely worried expression.
It was the first time she'd seen Anya like this. Her face was frighteningly pale, her eyes utterly lifeless, as if she'd lost all meaning and purpose in life.
This feeling was identical to when Ayumi had failed to obtain the limited edition Kamen Yaiba Gold Card.
"No... I just feel like life has lost all its joy," Anya said dramatically, her voice hollow. "God, without my noticing, quietly closed the window of my soul that once allowed me to listen to all things."
"Wow! Anya, how did you suddenly become so poetic!" Mitsuhiko exclaimed in shock.
Having grown accustomed to Anya regularly mangling idioms and simple phrases, it was absolutely astounding that she could suddenly produce such an eloquent and philosophical sentence.
He genuinely hadn't expected this. Food poisoning had never had such side effects before.
Instantly, his eyes gleamed with fascination as he looked at Yor with newfound interest.
He, Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko, wanted this incredible side effect too!
The next moment, words burst from his throat before he could stop them: "Miss Yor, could you please make me a serving of that stew too?"
Yes, it must be the stew's miraculous effects! Mitsuhiko thought with absolute conviction.
Genta stood completely bewildered nearby.
What did he just hear? Mitsuhiko had actually stolen his signature line! The foodie persona was clearly his defining characteristic!
Instantly displeased and ignoring the question of why Mitsuhiko would even want to steal his schtick, Genta took a determined step forward. Standing boldly beside Yor, his eyes filled with resolve, he raised his right hand with two fingers extended.
"I want two servings!"
Huh? What's wrong with these two idiots?!
Unable to hear their thoughts, Anya felt extremely distressed. However, she did understand her two subordinates' noble intention to share in her joys and sorrows.
As expected, the peanuts hadn't been wasted! Her father's teachings were indeed correct. Winning hearts and minds had successfully made her the unspoken leader of the Detective Boys, and Mitsuhiko and Genta had just acknowledged her supreme position through their loyal actions!
Natsukawa promptly used grapes to shut down the two brats' attempt at showing off their courage.
Trying to act brave in front of my daughter? Hah!
Those ugly ducklings aren't remotely qualified to be my future son-in-law.
Besides, Conan alone was more than sufficient for the experiment.
(End of Chapter 74)
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