Chapter 275: Déjà Vu
Standing before Hades, Lynette offered little reaction to his taunting words.
"Oh, my apologies." She merely glanced at him, her voice devoid of inflection, and offered an expressionless apology. Her eyes, calm and cold, held no trace of fear.
Then, she took a deliberate step to the side, silently clearing the path for him.
Faced with Lynette's flat response, Hades felt a crease form between his brows. He had expected this young woman to be provoked, perhaps even frightened by his presence. Her unnerving composure, however, left him feeling both confused and vaguely dissatisfied. He instinctively raised his guard, though he still couldn't imagine a girl like her posing any real threat.
Lynette watched him quietly as he began to walk past. The very instant his back was turned, a blade materialized in her hand, arcing in a silent, vicious stab toward his spine.
Fortunately, that sliver of vigilance saved him. Hades threw himself sideways in a desperate scramble, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. Even so, the razor-sharp edge of Lynette's sword grazed his arm, tearing through fabric and flesh. Blood welled from the gash, dripping in dark spots onto the grimy cobblestones.
Without a moment's hesitation, Lynette pressed her advantage, giving him no room to breathe. She lunged again, her sword a blur of silver in the dim alley light. Hades was forced into a clumsy, continuous retreat, doing his best to parry and dodge her relentless assault, but more cuts inevitably appeared on his arms and torso.
With a final, decisive thrust, Lynette aimed for his heart.
Realizing his opponent's attacks were utterly ruthless, clearly intended to end him here and now, Hades abandoned any hope of a clean escape. Just before Lynette's blade could find its mark, he fumbled in his pocket and brandished a small remote control.
"Move again and I'll press this!" he snarled, his eyes wild. "If I'm going down, I'm taking everyone else with me! It'll be worth it!"
At his threat, Lynette's fluid motions froze for a fraction of a second.
Seizing the opportunity her pause provided, Hades scrambled out of the alley. He weaved through the narrow streets, his figure quickly swallowed by the urban maze, disappearing from Lynette's sight.
Watching his frantic retreat, Lynette calmly sheathed her sword, making no move to pursue. She didn't know if he had hidden accomplices or other tricks up his sleeve; now was clearly not the time for a reckless chase.
Still, her actions had not been without purpose. For one, putting a deranged criminal in his place had brought her a quiet sense of satisfaction. More, during the flurry of attacks, she had deftly planted a miniature transmitter on his person, allowing her to track his movements.
Just then, after bidding Apollo farewell, Ran and the others noticed Lynette was missing and came searching for her.
Hearing their approaching footsteps, Lynette subtly channeled a wisp of Anemo, stirring up a small cloud of dust that settled over the bloodstains on the ground, obscuring them from view.
"Lynette, what are you doing here?" Ran asked, her voice laced with confusion.
"Someone was watching you from here just now," Lynette stated, her tone as placid as ever. "I came over to investigate. I believe it was the culprit Conan mentioned—Hades."
Her words made the color drain from Ran's face.
"What?! Are you alright?" she asked, her voice trembling with worry.
"I'm fine," Lynette replied with a slight shake of her head. "Unfortunately, I couldn't apprehend him. But I did manage to place a tracker on him."
Setting aside the question of how Lynette just happened to have a tracking device, Kogoro Mouri's spirits soared at the news. He immediately pulled out his phone and called Scotland Yard.
Of course, when reporting to the police, Kogoro concocted a convenient excuse, claiming he had purchased the transmitter as a precaution when he first suspected a major incident was unfolding. He made no mention of Lynette; as public figures, it was best for the children not to be associated with such dangerous matters.
Although the excuse was flimsy, the police chose to believe him—partly out of respect for Lady Diana, who had personally invited Kogoro to England, and partly because Yusaku Kudo was also known to be following the case.
This only deepened Kogoro's curiosity about the identity of the wealthy Lady Diana. And that Mr. Neuvillette he'd met at the banquet last night… his bearing was certainly not that of an ordinary man.
Speaking of Neuvillette, back at the hotel, Conan had just heard that Lynette had encountered Hades and managed to track him. Unable to sit still, he and Dr. Agasa rushed out of the hotel, intending to meet up with Ran's group and confirm the killer's location.
The moment they burst through the hotel's revolving doors, they brushed past a man and a woman.
A powerful sense of déjà vu washed over Conan, making him whip his head around for a second look.
The backs of the two people who had just walked by… they were strikingly, uncannily similar to the Neuvillette and Focalors he had seen in the "Cocoon" game.
To suddenly see characters from a video game in the real world—could it be a coincidence?
"Mr. Neuvillette? Miss Focalors?"
After a brief, conflicted hesitation, Conan called out to them. The resemblance was simply too strong to ignore. He could always apologize if he was mistaken.
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