Chapter 384: Frozen
As soon as the words echoed through the simulated snowy field, Spider and Toru Amuro instinctively snapped their heads upward. High above them, the air warped and crackled. Dozens of jagged ice shards condensed out of thin air, catching the artificial light before plummeting downward, accelerating fiercely under the pull of gravity.
The barrage was overwhelmingly dense. For a split second, both men realized that completely evading the attack was a physical impossibility.
The moment the first icy projectile struck their bodies, the sensation was horrifyingly realistic. It didn't feel like a trick of the light; it felt like jagged steel needles driving deep into their flesh. A wave of bone-deep, paralyzing cold accompanied the sharp agony, forcing violent gasps from their lungs. While the crystalline shards didn't shred through their heavy winter clothing, they left stinging, bright red trails of blood wherever they grazed unprotected skin.
Toru Amuro ducked, narrowly avoiding a larger chunk of ice. He raised a thumb, casually wiping away a fresh streak of crimson from a shallow cut on his cheek. His grayish-blue eyes darkened, his expression turning dangerously grave.
If he wasn't absolutely certain that the Jade Chamber wouldn't assassinate him in front of civilian witnesses—and that he currently had no active hostilities with the Teyvat Organization—he would have genuinely suspected this was an elaborate trap orchestrated by Ningguang to eliminate him.
Spider, on the other hand, was reeling in absolute disbelief. As a master of illusions, he had walked into this room supremely confident that no visual trickery could ever deceive his trained eyes.
Yet, the relentless hailstorm tearing at his skin was shattering his reality. The crisp, crystalline crack of each shard shattering against the floor, the biting agony that felt as though it was freezing the blood in his veins—every single sensory detail screamed that this was real. Panic clawed at his chest. Abandoning his usual composed demeanor, Spider scrambled wildly, darting in every direction to escape the torrential downpour of razor-sharp ice.
As he frantically dodged and weaved, his erratic movements pushed him toward the perimeter of the snowy expanse. To his immense relief, he stumbled out of the strike zone. He quickly realized that the devastating barrage was strictly concentrated within a massive circular radius in the center of the room. The moment he crossed that invisible boundary, the icy assault ceased entirely.
Chest heaving, Spider finally took stock of the stinging lacerations scattered across his face and the backs of his hands.
He stared at the fresh crimson welling up from the cuts, his pupils trembling slightly. Pressing an index finger to a gash on his cheek, he winced at the sharp, localized flare of pain. He brought the bloodied fingertip to his lips and tasted it. The metallic, unmistakable tang of iron coated his tongue.
This wasn't hypnosis. This wasn't a trick of the mind. But how on earth were they achieving this? It defied all logic—it was practically genuine magic.
Safely positioned on the other side of the reinforced glass, Kogoro Mouri, Ran, Suzuki Sonoko, and Conan Edogawa stood frozen in shock, watching the harrowing survival game unfold.
Kogoro swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing as he turned a pale, shaken face toward Ganyu. "Is... is this really just a holographic projection?" he stammered, pointing a trembling finger at the glass. "There's no way ice is actually materializing out of thin air, right? Look at them! Their reactions are way too real—are they actually bleeding in there? Can projection technology seriously reach this level?!"
A heavy wave of relief washed over the veteran detective. Thank god he had listened to his instincts and stayed behind. Experiencing that firsthand looked like absolute torture, even if his unfortunate apprentice was currently bearing the brunt of it.
"Is Mr. Amuro going to be alright?!" Sonoko pressed her hands against the glass, her voice laced with genuine anxiety, completely ignoring the masked illusionist who was in equal peril.
However, as she watched the blonde man move, her worry rapidly morphed into starry-eyed admiration. "Wow... Mr. Amuro's reflexes are incredible. Look at how agile he is! Even when he's dodging for his life, he looks so cool!"
Ran, whose hands were clasped tightly together in nervous tension, let out a long, helpless sigh. "Sonoko, really..."
Beside them, Conan adjusted his glasses, the lenses flashing under the overhead lights. His mind was racing, a heavy knot of uncertainty forming in his stomach. He had always felt that certain members of the Teyvat Organization defied common sense. Watching this impossible display of localized weather manipulation, a chilling sense of déjà vu washed over him, dragging his memories back to the bizarre, inexplicable events he had witnessed back in Osaka.
Facing the group's mounting alarm, Ganyu offered a gentle, reassuring smile. "Please rest assured, everyone. What you are witnessing is entirely composed of images rendered by our advanced holographic projection system. Our technology is rigorously tested, highly safe, and completely reliable. The participants inside will not suffer any lasting harm." She placed a hand over her heart, her tone soothing. "I can personally guarantee that the moment they step through those glass doors, every single mark on their bodies will vanish without a trace."
Right on cue, the relentless downpour of ice shards ceased, dissolving into the artificial air. Keqing's crisp, authoritative voice crackled through the intercom system, informing them that the simulation had concluded and they were clear to exit.
The heavy glass doors slid open. The very second Spider and Toru Amuro crossed the threshold back into the observation room, the bleeding gashes and red marks scattered across their skin completely vanished, leaving behind smooth, unblemished flesh.
Amuro paused mid-step. He wasn't sure if his mind was playing tricks on him, but the exact moment his injuries disappeared, a phantom gust of freezing wind seemed to pierce straight through his chest, making his broad shoulders shiver uncontrollably.
Hidden away in the monitoring room, Barbara offered a helpless, apologetic smile to the screens. There was simply nothing she could do about that side effect. After all, the two men had just endured the full brunt of Ganyu's Celestial Shower, leaving their bodies heavily saturated with residual Cryo energy. By immediately applying her Hydro element to rapidly heal their lacerations the moment they stepped out, she had inadvertently triggered a localized elemental reaction. Honestly, it was a minor miracle the combination of water and ice hadn't completely Frozen them solid on the spot.
Fortunately, after being entrusted by Ningguang to treat the injured employees earlier, Barbara had lingered behind, worried that further accidents might occur. Her presence allowed her to smoothly patch the logical loophole in this elaborate setup. The entire spectacle had been specifically orchestrated to teach the arrogant Spider a harsh lesson. It was just a slight miscalculation that a certain Bourbon had willingly delivered himself into the crossfire.
Still, Barbara couldn't help but marvel at the situation. She truly hadn't expected the usually diligent and gentle Ganyu to actively play along with Keqing's vindictive little whim.
Seeing the two men standing before them completely unharmed, the lingering doubts in the observers' minds evaporated. They finally, truly believed that the harrowing ordeal had been nothing more than a hyper-realistic projection.
"Wow!" Sonoko clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling. "No matter how many times I see it, it's just so amazing!"
Ran nodded vigorously in agreement. "Mhm, it really is just like magic!"
Toru Amuro casually brushed a few imaginary specks of dust from his jacket, adjusting his collar as he offered a flawless, charming smile. "Indeed. I have to admit, even I was genuinely frightened while standing in the middle of it. Your technology is truly impressive..."
His smile remained perfectly in place, but beneath the charming facade, his thoughts were heavy. 'It's just a damn tragedy that such revolutionary technology is in the hands of a dangerous underground organization.'
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