Outlaws in Conan's World, Tokisaki Kurumi

The man saw the girl move her lips, as though she were whispering something.

But having suffered a fatal wound, he could no longer hear anything.

As King Crimson withdrew her right fist, the man's powerless body collapsed painfully onto the cold ground.

Blood gushed out like a spring, gradually dyeing the filthy pavement red.

His vision grew increasingly blurred. The man lying on the ground could not even wail, and like a stray dog, he gradually lost his life there.

Looking at the man whose eyes had lost their light, Kurumi recalled King Crimson.

"Trash should die like trash."

Sisters' Leisure Time

Having removed an unstable element from society, Kurumi returned home with a milk tea in hand, in exceptionally high spirits.

After entering the living room, Kurumi turned on the air conditioner. She lay down on the sofa, switched on the television with the remote, and once again slumped limply across the couch.

Meanwhile, Narumi, having received Kurumi's call, took a taxi to the Mouri residence and began signing the lease transfer contract for the shop downstairs.

And so, after another peaceful stretch of leisurely daily life, Kurumi received an application from Miyano Shiho, who was at the organization's research facility, to go out one weekend.

At a coffee shop, Miyano Shiho, who had rarely changed into casual clothes, finally met privately with her older sister, Miyano Akemi, after a long time apart.

In the quiet coffee shop, two cups of richly fragrant coffee and two slices of cake sat on the table before the sisters seated across from each other.

"Shiho, can Bloody Mary really be trusted?"

With the deadline she had agreed upon with the organization drawing near, Miyano Akemi shifted the topic to business after briefly catching up with her younger sister.

After a brief silence, Miyano Shiho finally said, "I'm not sure..."

As she recalled every moment she had spent with Kurumi, no matter how Miyano Shiho guessed or analyzed, she could not find the slightest flaw in Kurumi's words or actions.

It was as though she genuinely wanted to help the two sisters.

"But at this point, do we have any other choice?" Miyano Shiho, who understood the organization's methods all too well, gave a bitter smile. "The organization wants to kill you, Sister. And even if you tried to run, they could find you with ease."

What Miyano Shiho did not say was that if Akai Shuichi, who had approached her sister back then, had taken her away when he was exposed, her sister would not be living in such constant peril now.

At that thought, anger welled up inside Miyano Shiho.

Not noticing what was on her younger sister's mind, Miyano Akemi's expression did not change, but her worried eyes revealed that she was far from calm.

Even though she had already prepared herself to sacrifice everything for her younger sister's future.

"Perhaps we can only trust her." Miyano Akemi sighed and took a sip of the coffee before her.

At that moment, Miyano Shiho suddenly remembered something important.

"By the way, Sister, has Tokisaki come to discuss anything with you recently? Such as a plan?"

"A plan?" Miyano Akemi froze for a moment. "Not yet. She did ask me to meet at another coffee shop last time, but a murder case suddenly happened there." Miyano Akemi said, "Bloody Mary... no, Tokisaki was dragged into that case, so she told me to leave first. She said she would come find me later."

Hearing her sister's words, Miyano Shiho frowned.

During her private meeting with Kurumi some time ago, Miyano Shiho had learned that Kurumi already had a plan to fake her sister's death. However, Kurumi had not revealed a single detail about the plan's specific steps or contents.

That worried Miyano Shiho.

After telling Miyano Akemi about her conversation with Kurumi, Miyano Shiho guessed, "Perhaps she's worried that other people from the organization are watching you too, Sister, so she hasn't told you."

The organization had not trusted her sister for a long time. If Kurumi still had not told her sister about this, she had likely noticed someone watching Akemi, or perhaps even listening in on her.

Sensing that both the topic and atmosphere had grown increasingly heavy, Miyano Akemi shook her head and temporarily pushed aside the worries and fears filling her mind.

After all, today was a rare chance for her to meet her younger sister, Miyano Shiho. If they continued discussing this, Miyano Akemi feared that the fragile thread holding her together might snap first.

Forcing a smile, Miyano Akemi looked at Miyano Shiho curiously and asked, "Shiho, while you were studying in America and after you came back, did you ever take a liking to any boys?"

"Sister? Why are you suddenly asking that?" Miyano Shiho was clearly surprised that Miyano Akemi had suddenly begun asking about her love life.

But clever as she was, she immediately realized that Akemi had deliberately asked because she did not want to continue the heavy conversation.

"No. I don't care about that right now." Miyano Shiho spoke her true feelings. "I'll never have even the slightest interest in anyone from the organization!"

"That's true. They're far too dangerous..."

After that, silence fell between them once more.

Just as Miyano Akemi was about to find a lighter topic, her phone suddenly rang.

"Who is it? Could it be Tokisaki?"

At the sound of the ringtone, Miyano Shiho immediately perked up and looked at her sister expectantly.

After checking the caller ID, Miyano Akemi nodded and answered.

"Hello?"

"Miyano Akemi, are you with your sister?"

Kurumi's lazy voice came through the phone.

Elsewhere, Kurumi lay on the sofa, swinging her slender legs as she watched a news report about Mouri Kogoro solving another case. Her face was full of boredom.

"Yes, Shiho is with me right now."

"Oh, perfect." Glad that she would not have to make another trip to the research facility, Kurumi said, "I'm mostly prepared now. Send me your home address. Tomorrow, I'll explain the plan's specific steps and preparations to you in person."

Kurumi had not had much work these past few days, but in order to keep Miyano Akemi alive, she had still worked herself to the bone running around to prepare Akemi's fake death plan.

For instance, she had stolen quite a few explosives and firearms from some armory. They were now all piled in the basement of the renovated art museum.

As for whether Kurumi's actions would affect some obsessive-compulsive patient's plan later on, that was not something Kurumi cared about.

I'm talking about you, Moriyama Teiji!

"Yes, I understand."

As soon as Miyano Akemi finished speaking, Kurumi unilaterally ended the call.

"Sister, what did Tokisaki say?" Miyano Shiho looked a little excited, with a hint of anticipation in her heart.

"She said she wants to come to my house to talk. I suppose it's not safe over the phone."

Although she had never handed this phone over to anyone in the organization since buying it, Miyano Akemi could not be sure that those scheming people had no other way to listen in on her calls.

"That makes sense..." Miyano Akemi's words reminded Miyano Shiho that her own room was also under the organization's surveillance.

Miyano Akemi Was Being Monitored

Since Miyano Shiho only had today off, she would not be able to take part in Kurumi's secret conversation with her sister, Miyano Akemi, tomorrow.

Miyano Shiho looked deeply regretful.

"Don't worry, Shiho. Since Tokisaki said she already has a plan, all we can do now is trust her, right?"

Her sister's comfort lifted Miyano Shiho's spirits somewhat.

"And didn't you say Tokisaki needs you to pretend you know nothing? If you knew the plan's specific steps and something went wrong, then it wouldn't just be me in danger. It would be all three of us."

Although Miyano Akemi did not know much about the organization, she knew very well that its tolerance for traitors was absolutely zero.

If they found out that one of their most capable members wanted to help her, then given the organization's nature, they would certainly treat Kurumi as a traitor as well and eliminate her.

Kind-hearted Miyano Akemi felt that since Kurumi was willing to take such a huge risk to help her, she had to assist Kurumi wherever she could.

Hearing Miyano Akemi's words, Miyano Shiho could only nod silently.

Not wanting to waste this rare opportunity, after finishing their coffee, the two sisters decided to make the most of the rest of the afternoon and evening.

By the time night fell, they had spent the entire afternoon at the amusement park, then used what little time remained that evening to go shopping.

In the end, the time for the sisters to part still arrived mercilessly amid an afternoon filled with laughter and joy.

"Sister, you have to take care of yourself!"

Seeing that the organization's car had already come to pick her up, Miyano Shiho solemnly urged Miyano Akemi.

"I will. You too, Shiho." Smiling as she waved, Miyano Akemi quietly watched Miyano Shiho turn and get into the black car, which slowly disappeared from her sight.

"You take care too... Shiho..."

The next morning, knowing that Kurumi would be coming to her home to discuss matters, Miyano Akemi got out of bed early. After washing up and eating breakfast, she began cleaning the house.

At around nine o'clock, Miyano Akemi had just finished her task and had not even sat down to rest when she heard her doorbell ring.

"Coming!"

She hurriedly opened the door, and sure enough, Kurumi stood outside, smiling at her.

"Rapid breathing, slightly sweaty skin... and there are still damp marks on the tiles in the entryway." Her right eye fixed on Miyano Akemi in her loungewear, Kurumi asked with interest, "Did Miss Akemi know I was coming, so you specially cleaned the house?"

Miyano Akemi froze at Kurumi's analysis the moment she opened the door. "Um... you could tell all that?"

"Of course!"

As she spoke, Kurumi walked inside as though she owned the place.

After taking off her sneakers in the entryway, Kurumi glanced around the apartment Miyano Akemi rented.

The apartment's furnishings were ordinary and sparse, with nothing particularly eye-catching.

But was it really that simple?

As though she had thought of something, Kurumi put away her smile.

"Um, the slippers are here." Seeing Kurumi merely staring into her living room, Miyano Akemi did not know how to begin.

Still, she handed the prepared slippers to Kurumi.

"Thank..."

The moment she took the slippers, Kurumi's instincts told her that the entire room had been tampered with.

However, considering Miyano Akemi's awkward position, Kurumi did not use the signal jammer she had brought to remove the listening devices placed in every corner of the room one by one.

"Tokisaki, about the plan..."

Just as Miyano Akemi began to ask Kurumi, Kurumi shook her head at her with a serious expression. She then pointed to her ear, indicating that the place was being monitored.

Noticing Kurumi's gesture, Miyano Akemi's eyes widened instantly.

She knew the organization was definitely monitoring her, but she had already deliberately marked every bug she could find.

It was not that Miyano Akemi had never considered removing them, but fearing that the organization would use it against her, she had continued to endure being monitored around the clock.

What surprised her even more was that Kurumi, who had never been to her home before, had noticed something wrong the instant she entered.

"It's nothing. Those have been there for a long time." In order to explain things to Kurumi, Miyano Akemi deliberately said so.

"I see." Kurumi nodded at that.

"Then I won't ask any more."

"I came today mainly to find out how your mission preparations are going." Kurumi winked playfully at Miyano Akemi and deliberately asked in a completely emotionless tone.

As she spoke, Kurumi very naturally sat down on the sofa, then turned to look at Miyano Akemi, signaling for her to show off her acting skills.

"Everything is going smoothly. You don't need to worry about that." Understanding Kurumi's gaze, Miyano Akemi smiled, then pretended to answer impatiently, "What I want to ask is whether you really can let Shiho and me leave if I complete the mission."

"Hmph!" Kurumi snorted at the question.

In a mocking tone, Kurumi replied calmly, "Of course. Our organization always keeps its word. As long as you get those one billion yen for the organization, you and your sister can naturally leave the organization."

"But the premise is that you have to succeed." As she spoke, Kurumi beckoned Miyano Akemi over, signaling for her to sit down.

Sitting on the sofa to Kurumi's right, Miyano Akemi refused to be outdone. "Of course I'll succeed!"

"Then do you need me to wish you good luck?" In order to convey her true intentions to Miyano Akemi, Kurumi thought for a moment, made a gesture for paper and writing, then pointed at the television.

After turning on the television and raising the volume, Miyano Akemi took advantage of the moment to bring a notebook and pen from the bedroom and hand them to Kurumi.

"Fine. Now tell me the plan from beginning to end. I need to make sure there aren't any mistakes." As she spoke, Kurumi began writing out her entire plan in the notebook.

Honestly, Kurumi was truly unhappy about having to act like a thief now.

She even somewhat regretted insisting on coming to Miyano Akemi's house instead of arranging to meet somewhere outside.