"In the original story, it was only Ran who broke her shoelaces. But here, even Sonoko's shoelaces snapped. It seems the Death God has indeed arrived, and his scythe has severed a bond that's lasted over a decade," Ren mused quietly to himself.
He couldn't help but chuckle.
The serialization of Detective Conan seemed to have dragged on longer than even Naruto and Bleach. With over 1,000 episodes and still no end in sight, the scythe of fate had certainly delayed the story long enough.
Shaking his head, Ren stopped paying attention to the two heroines and shifted his focus to the protagonist.
Having been recording earlier, Ren already knew where Shinichi was heading.
But there was no need to rush. He intended to take his time, ensuring he didn't cross paths with the two "model employees" of the Black Organization.
Slowing his pace, Ren eventually arrived at the remote location where the trade had occurred. Finding a bench along the roadside, he sat down leisurely, waiting for the next act to unfold.
Not long after, a middle-aged, overweight man emerged from an alley in a hurry. He was panting heavily, and despite it being nighttime, he wore a pair of sunglasses.
The sight made Ren raise an eyebrow in admiration.
"You're still wearing sunglasses at night? Can you even see where you're going?" he muttered, shaking his head.
After a moment, Ren continued to wait patiently. The transaction inside was likely complete, but he wasn't in a hurry to get involved.
Ten minutes later, Ren stood up and entered the dark alley opposite the bench. He moved quietly, his footsteps barely making a sound.
Turning a corner, he found only one figure lying on the ground, a high school boy.
The boy's head seemed to have been struck, with traces of red blood matting his hair.
No one else was in sight.
The boy whimpered weakly as Ren approached, his voice barely audible.
Ren's eyes lit up. The famous scene was about to begin.
Standing silently, he started recording.
The high school student, writhing helplessly on the ground, clawed at the grass with trembling hands as if trying to alleviate the pain.
His body began to shrink. Slowly but surely, the high schooler's frame diminished, his limbs growing shorter, and even his clothes becoming comically oversized.
When the transformation stopped, the boy was no longer a teenager but a child of seven or eight.
"From today on, Kudo Shinichi no longer exists," Ren murmured. "Only Edogawa Conan remains."
A smirk tugged at his lips.
"Pray, Shinichi. Pray that Ran doesn't have a diary of her own, or everything about you will be exposed."
Satisfied with the recording, Ren turned and left. He had no intention of staying longer than necessary.
Having worked all day, Ren needed to rest. Tomorrow was Sunday, a perfect day to relax and check the reward he'd receive for today's diary entry.
As for Shinichi, now lying unconscious on the ground...
"Well, he's still breathing, isn't he? It's just a head injury. Nothing too serious," Ren muttered to himself, dismissing the matter entirely.
There was no point in getting further involved. The less he meddled, the fewer unnecessary complications he'd face.
After Ren's departure, two groups of people arrived at the alley.
The first group frowned at the sight of the child lying on the ground. After a moment of hesitation, they pulled out cameras and snapped a few photos before leaving.
The second group was similarly puzzled but didn't focus on the child. They took a few photos and quickly departed.
Meanwhile, Nagi and Kaguya received the photos from their respective bodyguards.
Nagi frowned as she examined the images.
"That man went into the alley, and now there's a kid lying there?"
"The murder at the amusement park happened on the roller coaster, didn't it? So why is there a child in the alley?"
Isumi chimed in, her tone cautious.
"Nagi, we should consider the safety of the child."
Maria, standing nearby, reassured her.
"Don't worry, Miss Isumi. The bodyguards have already notified the police after taking the photos. The child will be fine."
"That's a relief," Isumi said, exhaling softly.
Maria scrutinized the photos more closely and immediately noticed something strange.
"Why are the child's clothes so oversized?"
Nagi and Isumi both turned their attention back to the images.
"You're right. These clothes aren't suitable for a child at all," Nagi remarked.
The child appeared to be seven or eight years old, yet the clothing was clearly meant for an adult.
"What do you think, Isumi?" Nagi asked.
"Well, Nagi, perhaps we should wait for that gentleman to update the diary," Isumi suggested.
"That makes sense," Nagi agreed. "Since he went to the alley, he must have known something would happen there. If he left without taking action, it's likely he knew the child was safe."
The situation was undeniably strange. A child wearing adult clothes in such a context was highly suspicious. But without further clues, it was impossible to deduce what had happened.
Waiting for the diary update seemed like the best course of action.
As Nagi made her decision, Maria offered a practical suggestion.
"Nagi, Miss Isumi, since we're waiting for the diary update, why don't we head home?"
"Good idea," Nagi replied.
The day had been eventful, but after noon, Nagi felt restless being out in public. Having recently obtained the Vision, she wanted to experiment more with her newfound powers.
However, the crowded amusement park wasn't an ideal place to test them.
Now that they were heading home, she could finally unleash her powers freely, at least in front of Maria and Isumi.
Meanwhile, Kaguya silently examined the photos sent by her bodyguards.
"Hayasaka, did any Shinomiya family bodyguards accompany us on this operation?"
"No," Hayasaka replied with a shake of her head.
"Since I thought this entire operation was irrational, I used bodyguards from the Hayasaka family instead. I didn't want the Shinomiya family to catch wind of it."
"Are they trustworthy?"
"They're loyal. I selected them personally from my mother's recommendations."
Hayasaka's caution reassured Kaguya.
"There's no need for us to stay at this amusement park any longer. As for the identity of the child in the alley, I trust the diary will provide answers soon enough."
"Understood. I'll also make sure our people remain silent about this operation," Hayasaka assured her.