[TL/N: Read my new work - Detective Conan: I'm a Succubus?!]
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A ray of holy light flashed past.
Suddenly, a blazing phantom of flames erupted, engulfing Conan entirely before rapidly contracting.
In the blink of an eye, a set of fiery red armor materialized around him, wrapping his body so tightly that his identity became unrecognizable.
The same transformation occurred with the other three little ones.
Bartolomeo, now transformed into the Masked Superman, straightened up and nodded in satisfaction at his handiwork.
These combat suits—or rather, transformation belts—were created using the Requip Magic of the Fairy Tail world.
And since Bartolomeo had employed such advanced magic, these suits were far from ordinary.
First and foremost, their defense was formidable, capable of withstanding any attack below level 20.
In other words...
Unless the enemy wielded weapons stronger than an RPG, harming them was virtually impossible.
After all, Bartolomeo wasn't a devil. There was no way he would send seven- or eight-year-old kids into battle unprotected.
Moreover, each combat uniform was imbued with special enchantments…
For instance, every successful hit would produce a mechanical "clang" sound effect, and raising their arms in a defensive stance would summon a light-screen projection.
These abilities didn't contribute to actual combat effectiveness but made the battles appear incredibly smooth, fluid, and stylish!
Within moments, the three little ones—avid fans of Masked Superman—quickly adapted to their new suits.
Only Conan, ever the anime nerd, was still tinkering with his.
Time passed slowly…
Suddenly, a red car pulled up at the warehouse entrance.
A tall woman stepped out.
It was Miyano Akemi—one of the key players in the Black Organization's joint mission.
But her hands were empty.
"Where are you!?"
As soon as she entered the warehouse, Akemi scanned the surroundings and shouted into the empty space.
The only response was the echo of her own voice.
Then—
Heavy footsteps echoed behind her.
Akemi spun around, her eyes widening as two shadowy figures blocked the warehouse entrance, their expressions twisted into mocking smiles under the dim glow of the setting sun.
"Gin…"
Her wary gaze locked onto the man approaching her.
"I have the money." Her voice was firm. "When will you release my sister?"
Gin took a step forward, a smirk curling on his lips.
"Akemi…" he murmured, his tone dripping with contempt. "Your sister is one of the organization's most valuable assets. We still need her services."
Her expression darkened.
"So… you were lying to me from the start!?"
Click!
A black pistol was suddenly raised, its barrel aimed squarely at Gin's face.
"Hah… meaningless resistance."
Gin's voice remained calm as he swiftly pulled out his own pistol, pointing it at her in return.
"Tell me where the money is." His tone was laced with cold amusement.
"Cooperate, and the organization might let you live."
"This is your last chance."
"You think I'd just tell you?" Akemi sneered.
"I've hidden the money somewhere you'll never find. Kill me, and you'll never get it."
"Oh?" Gin chuckled, his smirk widening.
"You really think we don't know about the safe near Beika Station?"
Akemi's breath hitched.
"What!?"
A wave of shock flashed across her face.
But before she could react—
Gin gave her no opportunity.
With a chilling smile, he aimed directly at her heart.
"I told you, didn't I? That was your last chance."
"If you won't cooperate…"
Bang!
The sinister gunshot echoed through the desolate warehouse.
But at that very moment—
A sound that defied all expectations rang out from the depths of the warehouse:
"Creeek!!!"
The bullet—mere inches from Akemi's chest—suddenly froze in midair.
It hovered, spinning slightly, as if an invisible force had stopped it in its tracks.
"Who's there!?"
Gin and Vodka instinctively turned, their guns now aimed at the source of the sound.
A dark container stood in the shadows.
Then—
A gray-white boot stepped out from behind it.
Moments later, a figure clad in bizarre armor emerged, crossing his arms in an almost theatrical pose.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gin and Vodka wasted no time, firing a barrage of bullets at the unexpected intruder.
But—
To their utter shock…
The bullets halted midair, hovering just like before.
Seconds later, they lost momentum and clattered uselessly to the ground.
Bartolomeo, clad in the battle uniform of Masked Superman, let out a triumphant laugh.
"Hahaha! As long as I, Masked Superman, am here, don't even think about committing any evil deeds!"
"Masked Superman?"
Gin's expression darkened as he took in the bizarre scene before him. His brows furrowed in suspicion, and he instinctively took a step back.
As a high-ranking member of the organization, caution was ingrained in him.
Now, faced with an unknown intruder, his first instinct was to retreat.
But just then—
Another figure emerged from behind the container.
This time, it was much smaller.
A child.
But what made Gin's stomach sink wasn't the child's presence—it was what he was holding.
A DV camera.
His and Vodka's faces… had just been recorded.
A chill ran down Gin's spine. Without hesitation, he swiftly reloaded his gun and fired a series of shots directly at the child.
The bullets met the same fate as before—stopping midair, completely ineffective.
"Eh? Justice Partner Blue, didn't I just say 'Cut'? Why are you still recording?"
"Ah?"
Mitsuhiko, dressed in a dark blue combat uniform, was frozen in shock. This was his first time witnessing such a terrifying scene up close.
Panicked, he fumbled to turn off the DV player and hurriedly handed it over to Bartolomeo.
Bartolomeo took the camera, examined the footage Mitsuhiko had captured, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad."
Then, he shifted his gaze toward Gin, Vodka, and Akemi.
With a lighthearted smile, he announced:
"I'm sorry, gentlemen."
"You're guilty of illegal possession of firearms, and this DV player contains the evidence."
"As Masked Superman, I hereby place you under arrest!"
"I suggest you cooperate."
Gin's face twisted in anger. He still couldn't see through Bartolomeo's true identity, and the uncertainty unsettled him.
But he wasn't about to stick around to find out.
With a quick motion, he pulled out a grenade, yanked the pin, and hurled it toward Bartolomeo.
"Go to hell!"
Without waiting for the explosion, he and Vodka bolted toward the warehouse exit.
"Not so fast!"
"Black! Pink! Stop them!"
"No problem!"
"Leave it to me!"
Two voices rang out from the shadows.
In the fiery glow of the explosion, two figures suddenly appeared—one large, one small.
The smaller figure wore a pink combat uniform.
Before Gin could process what was happening, she blurred into motion, appearing directly in front of him in an instant.
"Huh?"
Gin barely had time to react before instinct took over. He lashed out with a powerful kick at Ayumi, the child in the pink uniform.
She didn't even flinch.
With serious eyes, she braced herself and blocked his attack head-on.
"I won't let bad guys like you escape!"
Bang!
Gin's foot connected, but it was like striking solid steel.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
As a trusted member of the organization, Gin prided himself on his combat skills. He wasn't the best in the world, but his marksmanship and close combat abilities were exceptional. Under normal circumstances, no one could simply block his attacks.
And yet, today—
He had already witnessed bullets floating in midair as if by magic.
And now, his full-force kick had been stopped by a single, slender leg.
His mind reeled. How could someone so small possess such overwhelming strength!?
"Damn it!"
Gritting his teeth, Gin made a split-second decision. He used the momentum to leap into the air, attempting to flip over Ayumi's short stature and escape.
But his plan was doomed to fail.
No matter how strong his jump, how could it compare to Moon Step, an ability that allowed movement in midair?
"Didn't I tell you bad guys you're not allowed to leave!?"
The childlike voice rang out once more.
In the blink of an eye, Ayumi appeared above Gin.
A devastating airborne kick came crashing down on his face.
"What—?!"
Gin had no time to react. He instinctively raised his arms to shield himself.
The next second—
A searing pain shot through his arm, as if it had been shattered.
His body was launched backward like a cannonball, crashing into the ground with a deafening impact.
"Boom!"
"Brother!!!"
Vodka, still sprinting toward the warehouse exit, saw what had happened and shouted in alarm.
Without hesitation, he skidded to a stop and rushed back toward Gin.
However—
A black figure dropped from the sky, landing directly in his path.
"You're not going anywhere, bad guy! Surrender now!"
Standing before Vodka, arms crossed confidently, was Genta—clad in a black combat uniform.
"Out of my way!"
Vodka snarled, shifting his stance. In a swift, practiced motion, he pulled off an American Iai draw, seemingly conjuring a mini submachine gun from thin air.
Without hesitation, he aimed it at Genta and pulled the trigger.
"Go to hell, you leather-clad brat!!!"
"If you think you can, then try!"
"Tekkai!!!"(Iron Body!)
Faced with the threat of a fully automatic weapon, Genta didn't flinch. Instead, he activated his signature technique.
A split second later, the gunfire erupted—
A storm of bullets rained down on him.
However…
Ping! Ping! Ping!
The bullets ricocheted harmlessly off his body, bouncing away with loud metallic clangs.
Genta stood firm, completely unscathed.
A grin spread across his face. His eyes sparkled with excitement.
"I knew it!"
"I really am the chosen warrior of justice!"
"A true hero!!!"
His delusions of grandeur flared like a wildfire in his heart.
Protected by his combat suit, Genta had fully mastered Tekkai, making him nearly impervious to attacks. Even the impact of the bullets failed to faze him.
As the final round was fired, Genta glanced down at himself—
Not even a scratch.
Not a dent.
Not even a single speck of dust.
Vodka, gripping his now-empty gun, stood frozen in disbelief.
"Hehe~"
Seeing his opponent lower his weapon, Genta's innocent smile widened.
"Alright then... my turn!"
"Tekkai: Mount Fuji Press!!!"
With a sudden motion, he crossed his arms and launched himself forward.
Granted, his jumping ability wasn't great—he barely managed half a meter off the ground—far from anything resembling an actual Mount Fuji Press.
But—
His body was harder than steel.
Like a human cannonball, he slammed into Vodka's stomach with tremendous force, sending him hurtling backward into a container wall.
CRASH!
Vodka groaned as he slumped to the ground, the wind completely knocked out of him.
"Looks like Ayumi and Genta can handle this just fine~"
Watching the chaos unfold, Bartolomeo clicked his tongue in amusement. Then, turning to Conan and Mitsuhiko—one frozen in shock, the other trembling with excitement—he smirked.
"Alright, you two. Don't just stand there and watch."
"These guys in black are skilled fighters. Go and spar with them."
Then, casually, he added—
"Oh, and be careful."
"Don't kill them by accident."
"Yes, sir!!!"
Mitsuhiko, who had been eagerly waiting for his chance, sprang into action.
Afraid he'd miss out, he dashed straight toward Gin, who was still struggling to get up.
Without hesitation, he thrust a Finger Pistol directly at Gin's thigh.
PFT!
"Gah—!"
Gin's eyes widened in shock. A sharp pain shot through his leg.
He looked down—
A small blue-clad figure was standing right in front of him, casually withdrawing his bloodstained finger.
"Who... are you...?"
Gin's breath was ragged. His mind was a mess.
The relentless string of attacks had completely shattered his composure.
Mitsuhiko, however, stood frozen.
He hadn't expected to actually draw blood.
After all, he was just a first-grade elementary school student.
He always talked about being a "Hero of Justice," but this was the first time he had actually hurt someone.
A strange discomfort churned in his stomach.
Meanwhile, Conan remained silent.
He hadn't moved at all since Bartolomeo's command.
Because he knew.
With the power he possessed now, if he wasn't careful, he could easily kill Gin and Vodka.
There was no need for him to get involved—Genta and Ayumi were already handling things perfectly fine.
Even so…
Even after everything he'd witnessed tonight—
It still felt completely unreal.
These two mysterious men in black, the ones responsible for shrinking his body…
Were being effortlessly defeated by three elementary schoolers.
To be honest—
If Conan suddenly woke up right now and realized this was all just a dream…
He wouldn't be surprised.