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"…oh?"

Vermouth glanced at Sherry in the passenger seat, a hint of disgust flashing in her eyes.

"Don't be nervous, Shirley. I don't intend to hand you over to the organization. On the bright side, you'll soon be reunited with your sister. Isn't that a happy ending for everyone?"

"So...you really intend to hand Haibara over to Aphrodite, and not the organization?"

"when--"

Vermouth, who suddenly realized that Haibara's voice seemed a little off, was slightly taken aback.

The next second, a soccer ball shattered the car window and struck Vermouth's arm as she instinctively tried to block, knocking the pistol out of her hand.

"--you!?"

Vermouth clutched her arm, staring in shock at "Haibara" as she stepped out of the car, and at the iconic pair of electric-sparkling sneakers on her feet.

"Could it be...you!?"

"what."

Conan also tore off his disguise mask and wig, confidently aiming the tranquilizer dart at Vermouth.

"I'm sorry, but it's not Ai Haibara here, it's me—Conan Edogawa, a detective."

Chapter 263 Facing Machima Head-on – A Different Twist

"You—you!"

Upon seeing Conan in front of her, Vermouth felt a genuine sense of despair.

All she went through so much trouble was to get Sherry away from her angel and this brat in front of her, to get her completely away from them, so that Machima, who was watching Sherry, would no longer pay attention to the two of them!

As for what happened to Sherry in the end, Vermouth didn't care at all. She originally thought everything was going smoothly, but... but now!

"Why!? Why are you here? Wait...you...you knew all along that I was listening to you?"

"Of course I know. I also know that you would only make a move if you were sure I was away from Haibara... Just like you cooperated with the FBI, I also cooperated with you with the Doctor. All the conversations you heard on the listening device today were scripts that the Doctor and I had rehearsed."

Conan stared intently at Vermouth, and without turning his head, shouted:

"Ms. Judy, now figure out how to get on the bus! As for you... please come with us to the police station as well."

"Hmph... Hehehe..."

Vermouth forced herself to regain her composure—although this switcheroo had disrupted her plans, but…

Everything is not completely out of control yet!

Since Ai Haibara isn't here, she's probably still resting in Professor Agasa's basement.

As long as we find a way...

"Ughhh—"

Suddenly, she heard Calvados groan in her earpiece, which made her turn her head in surprise.

Wait... could it be...?

"Calvados!?"

A few dozen seconds later, a man slowly emerged from the shadows and aimed a captured shotgun at the shocked Vermouth.

"Sorry, I'm a little late because I was trying to avoid the sniper's line of sight."

"Akai...Shuichi!"

Vermouth glared at the man in front of her through gritted teeth.

They clearly gave Calvados a good high ground position to keep an eye on the surroundings, but the result was still...

No, you can't blame him. After all, the other party is Shuichi Akai, and Calvados came purely because of his orders. A lone sniper without an observer for cover is still too much of a stretch...

Wolves in front, tigers behind...

After a brief moment of thought, Vermouth made her decision.

She couldn't back down. If she were arrested by these two FBI agents, even if Machima spent a certain amount of money to get her out, she would inevitably be severely punished.

Therefore, right now, whether for herself or for her angel and that brat, she has to take a gamble!

Completely ignoring Conan's threat of tranquilizer darts, Vermouth made a desperate turn and fired at Shuichi Akai—his movements were fraught with openings, and if she could…

But the next moment, Shuichi Akai's movements were much faster than Vermouth had anticipated. He took a step to the side, executed an extremely beautiful American-style iaido, pointed his shotgun at Vermouth, and then pulled the trigger even faster than Vermouth.

"--Bang--"

In an instant, Vermouth felt as if she had been hit hard in the stomach by a mad bull, and she was knocked to the ground.

“Shuichi!” Judy called out anxiously.

"Don't worry, she's wearing a bulletproof vest, and the clothes are padded underneath. She won't die; at most, she'll break a couple of ribs."

Shuichi Akai stepped forward, kicked aside the pistol that had fallen beside Vermouth, and pointed his shotgun at her:

“But this time, I won’t let you get away like I did in New York two years ago.”

Two years ago... New York?

Conan, who was standing to the side, was slightly taken aback.

Two years ago, he seemed to be in New York as well, with Ran Mouri. It was there that the two of them first met his mother's actress friend, Sharon Vineyard.

Or rather—Chris Binyard, who is now Vermouth.

Previously, Conan had always believed that Vermouth wanted to distract him before attacking Haibara because she was considering their friendship with his mother.

Although this point seems rather strange and illogical upon closer examination.

—After all, Vermouth is the organization's Thousand-Faced Witch and ruthless killer; countless people have died at her hands.

So, would someone like that really be unable to bring himself to harm his best friend's son?

She even risked her life to protect him on the bus?

But two years ago, aside from a murder case, I didn't have any other interaction with Vermouth at that time. Why would she do this...?

……and many more!

Conan suddenly remembered the "silver-haired serial killer" that he and Ran had saved.

And Vermouth, whose nickname is the Thousand-Faced Witch, since she can perfectly disguise herself as Dr. Araide, then...

A thought flashed through Conan's mind, and he looked at Vermouth lying on the ground in surprise:

"You... are from that time...!?"

Seeing the surprise that flashed in Conan's eyes, followed by a complex mix of emotions, Vermouth was also slightly taken aback.

The instant she and Conan locked eyes, she realized—the child knew…

He remembered and made the connection...

And this... is exactly what she least wants Conan to know.

Chris Binyard...

If she could, Vermouth would prefer that she remain, in the child's eyes, an utterly wicked person forever.

Instead of the current... comical and ironic image.

"Hehe...hehehahaha!"

As if all her last bit of strength had been completely drained, Vermouth clutched her wound and gave a bitter laugh.

"You...you're really smart, Conan. In your opinion, this is...strange, isn't it?"

Vermouth looked up at the dark night sky, where not a single star could be seen due to urban light pollution.

"Perhaps... she's right—sometimes, the deeper someone is trapped in darkness, the more they crave to be illuminated when they see a glimmer of light..."

Hideki Akai frowned deeply—he wasn't entirely clear on the situation, but…

"The 'she' you're referring to, are you referring to... Aphrodite?"

"Hehehe... Who else could it be but her? Aphrodite, or Machima... whatever you want to call her..."

Vermouth looked at the other person with a cold smile.

“Shuichi Akai…you might think that the existence of the organization is dark enough, but I…can tell you that compared to that woman, the organization is nothing at all. She…that woman, that demon, she is…the true…darkness!”

In the distance, the sound of vehicle engines gradually drew the attention of everyone present.

Amidst the puzzled, wary, surprised, or desperate gazes of the crowd, a luxury car slowly pulled up to a stop a few dozen meters away.

Then, a maid with a rustic black braid and a black umbrella opened the car door and slowly walked towards the crowd.

She stopped seven or eight meters away, as if she hadn't seen anyone else, her gaze calmly fixed on Vermouth, whose face was ashen.

"What a pity, Vermouth, it seems that the task your master entrusted to you has failed once again."

Chapter 264 Direct Confrontation with Machima – The Arrival of the Hounds

Lobert... the Hound of Florence...

Shuichi Akai stared nervously at the maid in front of him.

Intelligence obtained from the CIA indicates that this is undoubtedly a formidable enemy; this guy almost single-handedly wiped out a fully armed NSA squad, demonstrating an astonishingly high level of combat capability.

Locke, a Japanese-American agent currently employed by the CIA and with whom he had a fairly good relationship, insisted during an intelligence exchange meeting that the Hound Girl was under some kind of mental or drug control.

But when Akai saw that the other person seemed perfectly lucid, he couldn't help feeling that it wasn't quite right.

He glanced at Vermouth, who was still sprawled on the ground, and noticed that there was not a trace of joy in her eyes at the arrival of reinforcements.

In other words... the appearance of the hound was completely unexpected by Vermouth? Perhaps she didn't even want it there?

"Can you two hand her over to me?"

Robert looked at the extremely wary Shuichi Akai. Although he used a question, his tone was as cold as if he were giving a command.

"I don't want any unnecessary trouble, but if someone tries to stop me, then I'll have no choice but to take action."

"...Shuichi?"

Judy struggled to her feet and looked at Shuichi Akai with concern.

Fight them? I have a feeling I have little chance against such a terrifying enemy...

But how could they possibly be willing to just hand over Vermouth, whom they had finally managed to capture...?

Meanwhile, Conan was also nervously watching Robert.

Not fully aware of the situation, he only remembered that the maid in front of him was Machima's subordinate, who had once easily taken down two desperate criminals who had baffled the police.

Anyone involved with that woman... is not simple.

as well as……

She just told Vermouth that the task her master gave her had failed.

The master was undoubtedly referring to Makima, and Vermouth's mission was likely to bring Haibara back...

Wait, if this guy shows up now, could it be that he's been monitoring Vermouth all along?

So... how much does Makima know about everything that happened here? Does she know Haibara's and her own identities?

Did they already know everything here, or was it just a last resort to save the day after Vermouth failed?

Conan gritted his teeth. There were too many uncertainties, so much so that he couldn't decide what to do.

Fortunately, Shuichi Akai had already made up his mind. He gripped his shotgun tightly, repeatedly scanning Miss Hound's body. After confirming that there seemed to be no noteworthy equipment, he felt somewhat confident and, without turning his head, instructed Jodie:

"Judy! Take Vermouth with you in the car. And that brat over there, can you keep an eye on her?"

Conan paused slightly, realizing that this meant Jodie was driving while he kept a close eye on Vermouth—it was time to leave.

But... can he trust just one person? That maid doesn't look like someone to mess with.

Judy, however, was not comfortable with this arrangement:

"Shuichi, you're all alone..."

Before she could speak, Robette moved—she flung her umbrella, and a rapier flew from the tip of the handle as she charged toward them.

This sudden action would be impossible for an ordinary person to react to, but even within the world of Detective Conan, there are terrifying masters like Makoto Kyogoku. As the leader of the red team in the world of Detective Conan, Shuichi Akai's reaction is naturally not slow either.

He once again executed a perfect American Iaijutsu move—instantly turning his gun around and unleashing a burst of bullets at the oncoming Rollbert.