Chapter 359: The Jet-Black Mystery Train (Part 1)
Thick plumes of white steam hissed from the underbelly of the massive, vintage locomotive, curling into the crisp Tokyo air. The Suzuki Mystery Train stood proudly at the platform, a towering beast of polished black iron and gleaming brass that looked as though it had been pulled straight out of the nineteenth century.
Natsume and Shikanoin Heizou stood near the boarding gates, flanked by Klee, the Detective Boys, Sonoko, Ran, and the rest of their lively entourage. The group stared up at the magnificent steam train in absolute awe.
"Wow! Look at it!" Ayumi gasped, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "This is amazing! It's my first time seeing a real steam engine train!"
"Me too! It's huge!" Genta cheered, practically bouncing on his heels.
Klee nodded vigorously in agreement, her little elf ears twitching beneath her red hat. "Mm-hmm, it really is super interesting! This is Klee's first time on a train, too." She tilted her head, her bright eyes scanning the reinforced metal plating. "I wonder if it's sturdy enough to withstand the power of a bomb?"
Huh?!
Conan snapped his head sideways, his mouth twitching violently. He stared at the little girl in disbelief. "Klee... why is a bomb the very first thing you think about when looking at a train?"
Klee blinked, looking genuinely puzzled by his reaction. "But Sister Natsume said she runs into bombs all the time! Especially on trains. Plus, there are so many detectives here today, and Big Brother Heizou is a detective too." She counted on her small fingers. "According to Big Brother Kaeya, the more detectives there are gathered in one place, the higher the probability of something blowing up. Doesn't that mean this train might not even make it to its destination?"
Sonoko burst into laughter, reaching out to vigorously rub the top of Klee's head. "You little girl, you sure have a lot of twisted logic rattling around in there! Don't worry, with Master Kid making an appearance, nothing bad will happen to this train. You can put your heart entirely at ease."
Just as she finished speaking, a familiar, confident voice rang out from nearby. "Compared to that phantom thief, I'm much more attracted to the deduction mystery game being held on board."
Ran and Sonoko turned their heads in surprise, spotting the short-haired tomboy approaching them with a grin.
"Sera?" Ran blinked. "How did you..."
"What are you doing here?" Sonoko asked, hands on her hips.
Natsume clapped her hands together, a look of realization dawning on her face. "Ah, right! Sera, you're a detective too, so you'd definitely be interested in an event like this. I really should have thought to invite you earlier."
"Another detective, huh..." Heizou crossed his arms and shot a playful wink down at Klee. "Well, Klee, according to your math, it's getting more and more dangerous by the second!"
Haibara immediately stepped forward, placing herself squarely between Heizou and the little girl in red. Her icy blue eyes narrowed into a fierce glare. "She is just a child, which is exactly why she takes everything adults say so seriously. You call yourself a detective, so why are you joking around with a little girl like that?"
Beneath her cold exterior, Haibara was silently fuming. Kaeya really isn't a good person at all, being so reckless with his words around a kid. How could he feed her such completely groundless nonsense?
Always talking about bombs and explosions... Kaeya had undeniably been a terrible influence on Klee. It perfectly explained why the little girl had casually used those 'Jumpy Dumpties' to blast fish straight out of the water back in Osaka.
Heizou was momentarily stunned by Haibara's sharp reprimand, but the surprise quickly melted into a lazy, easygoing smile. He didn't take an ounce of offense at the girl's bluntness. Instead, he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and apologized with genuine good nature.
"Alright, alright, I was wrong. I shouldn't have joked with a kid like that or said such groundless things." He leaned down slightly, flashing a charming grin. "So, little ladies, can you find it in your hearts to forgive this loose-lipped but kind-hearted detective?"
Conan, meanwhile, was silently observing the exchange, mildly startled by Haibara's reaction. His sharp gaze swept over the Vision hanging securely at Heizou's waist. The metallic casing was identical in style to the ones worn by the Kamisato siblings—a clear marker of Inazuma. He then shifted his attention back to Haibara, noting something incredibly curious.
She wasn't trembling.
Unlike her usual terrified, hyper-vigilant state whenever the Black Organization was even remotely involved, Haibara didn't seem wary or afraid of this particular member of the Teyvat Organization.
Then again, Conan mused, it made sense. Heizou didn't exude an ounce of killing intent or oppressive pressure. At a glance, the young man gave off a completely free-spirited, cheerful, and lively aura. To be completely honest, if Conan hadn't spotted the Vision, his first impression of Heizou would have been even better than his initial impression of Sera. He just looked like a confident, sunny detective with a solid sense of propriety.
Only after the brief scolding did Sera shift her attention away from Conan, her sharp eyes locking onto Heizou—a stranger she had never crossed paths with before.
"I didn't expect Mr. Shikanoin to be a detective as well," Sera said, a competitive spark lighting up her gaze. "I look forward to seeing your performance in the mystery event on board."
"Oh my, don't be so polite," Heizou chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. "Just call me Heizou. As a detective, I don't have a massive arsenal of special skills, but my intuition is exceptionally good. So, when I solve cases, what I rely on most isn't hard experience, but pure gut feeling. My intuition is incredibly accurate; I might just blow your minds when the time comes."
"Intuition?"
Conan and Sera echoed the word simultaneously, both exchanging a highly skeptical look. What kind of self-respecting detective relied on intuition to solve complex cases?
No, wait, Conan corrected himself internally, a bead of sweat forming on the back of his neck. There actually is someone who relies on pure gut feeling to solve cases. He immediately thought of Kogoro Mouri. The sleeping detective's case-solving methods were nothing if not entirely spontaneous.
"Mm-hmm," Heizou nodded, his smile widening a fraction as he looked toward the towering black train. "And right now, my intuition is telling me that something incredibly troublesome is about to happen."
The rest of the group didn't react much to the casual remark, assuming it was just more playful banter. But Natsume's brow furrowed, a thoughtful and slightly concerned look crossing her features. "Oh no... could it be that Klee was right? Is this train not going to reach its destination, just like that Shinkansen incident last time?"
Conan's glasses flashed in the platform lights. Sister Natsume really is the perfect friend for a guy like Heizou. She actually believes this completely groundless talk.
But...
Conan narrowed his eyes, studying Heizou's relaxed profile searchingly. He couldn't tell if what the Anemo user just said was truly a playful coincidence, or if this Teyvat Organization member actually knew something hidden beneath the surface.
Because, in a very real and dangerous way, something terrible was going to happen on this train.
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