Chapter 9: The Racing God of Beika Town
Teitan Elementary School - Morning
Watching the two children disappear through the school gates, Natsukawa sighed heavily.
Yesterday was Friday—so why is today Thursday?!
He definitely needed to buy a digital clock for the house. Living like this was impossible. It didn't need to show the date, just what day of the week it was.
With that thought in mind, Natsukawa headed to the Beika Department Store again.
Beika Department Store
Because of the robbery incident, security had been considerably strengthened—a classic case of closing the barn door after the horse had bolted.
"Natsukawa-san, what would you like to purchase today?"
The moment the department store manager spotted Natsukawa, his enthusiasm was palpable. He waved over a security guard to help park the GT-R. They didn't usually offer valet service, but Natsukawa had earned special treatment.
"I need a digital clock—one that displays the day of the week."
"That's all?" The manager looked slightly disappointed, though his professionalism remained intact. Despite his deflated mood, he still personally helped Natsukawa select a full-screen digital clock.
In Detective Conan's world, the concept of years and months seemed deliberately vague. The digital clocks only showed the date and day of the week—Monday through Sunday displayed in Japanese characters.
But that was sufficient. As long as he knew what day it was, he couldn't ask for more.
That damned Gosho Aoyama, Natsukawa thought wryly. The man divided a single year into twenty-plus parts, each one feeling like its own year. Absolutely ridiculous! Who knew if there would be even more parts later? The anime had already exceeded 1,200 episodes before he'd transmigrated here.
After considering for a moment, Natsukawa decided not to leave just yet. He purchased additional autumn and winter clothing. The weather in Detective Conan's world was utterly unpredictable—today might be summer, tomorrow could bring rain, and the day after might dump snow. With a young child at home, advance preparation was essential.
The manager cheerfully followed Natsukawa around, explaining that their best customer naturally deserved the best manager's personal service.
Natsukawa didn't quite understand and asked, "Don't you have female managers here?"
The manager fell silent for an extended moment before responding, "We do, but they're... not particularly attractive."
"...What?"
What's that supposed to mean? Does anyone understand what this manager is talking about?
"I'm buying clothes for my daughter," Natsukawa clarified, moving the conversation along.
This shopping expedition consumed considerable time, though time was never truly an issue in Detective Conan's world. It was nearly noon when they finished, and the manager wanted to treat Natsukawa to lunch, but he politely declined.
Eating at a stranger's establishment was extremely dangerous in this world. You never knew if their enemy might poison the food, and company executives like himself had a particularly high mortality rate in Beika Town.
After grabbing a quick meal at a restaurant on the outskirts of the shopping district, Natsukawa drove toward Pisco Motor Corporation's dealership.
En Route to Pisco Motor Corporation
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Natsukawa noticed something unusual following his car. Upon closer inspection, it was the same traffic officer from yesterday.
The police car wasn't running its sirens—it was tailing him silently. If Natsukawa hadn't possessed excellent observational skills, he would have been completely blindsided.
VROOM!
The GT-R shot forward, a plume of exhaust fumes spraying directly onto the police car's windshield.
Inside the Police Car
"Miwako, that's him! He was speeding through Beika Town yesterday. He's incredibly fast, so don't lose him."
Having said that, Miyamoto Yumi—quite self-aware of her limitations—immediately fastened her seatbelt and gripped the overhead handle tightly.
"Roger that, Yumi."
The moment Sato Miwako finished speaking, a sudden, powerful acceleration nearly made Yumi float out of her seat. Thankfully, she'd grabbed the handle beforehand, managing to brace herself against the momentum.
SCREECH!
The police car executed a perfect ninety-degree drift, its tail whipping around like a striking dragon.
Natsukawa's Perspective
Observing the police car maintaining close pursuit in his rearview mirror, Natsukawa was somewhat impressed. They'd definitely changed drivers—yesterday's traffic cop hadn't been remotely this skilled.
The GT-R quickly accelerated past 200 km/h. Registering the vehicle would have to wait. Natsukawa deliberately chose more secluded roads for safety—not because he feared hitting someone, but because he didn't want other drivers to be startled by his speed and crash into ditches.
"Could it be Sato Miwako?"
The speedometer hit 250 km/h. Although the police car behind him couldn't maintain the same close distance anymore, they hadn't been completely left behind either.
Perhaps only Sato Miwako possessed driving skills of that caliber?
The GT-R was pushed to its absolute limit. On the suburban road, both vehicles were performing at maximum capacity. The standard police vehicle simply couldn't match the GT-R's top speed and was gradually left behind.
Sato Miwako wouldn't have been able to keep up unless she'd been driving her personal red Mazda RX-7, and even then, catching him would be questionable. Natsukawa was confident of that.
Inside the Police Car - Moments Later
Sato Miwako shook her head helplessly. "I can't catch up."
"Miwako's already incredibly fast! It's just that the Metropolitan Police Department's cars aren't designed for this!" Miyamoto Yumi, her face pale as a ghost, pushed open the car door and vomited violently.
Tokyo drift, knife-edge overtaking, Formula One acceleration—all that was missing was a tornado spin.
Suburban Outskirts
The GT-R, now completely outside Tokyo proper, began to slow down.
"Looks like I need to change this car's color scheme. A white GT-R without license plates is far too conspicuous."
Natsukawa leaned back leisurely, driving one-handed, and lit a cigarette.
He hadn't smoked in quite a while. Since Anya had entered his life, aside from coffee, he hadn't touched a cigarette. This pack was from before her arrival, and he still had seven or eight left.
Suddenly, a black car approached from directly ahead. Its sleek, retro design was extremely distinctive. Natsukawa's eyes narrowed—a Porsche 356A.
He hadn't expected to encounter that vehicle in a place like this.
To follow or not to follow?
The question flashed through Natsukawa's mind for only a fraction of a second before he made his decision.
Follow!
The GT-R instantly executed a magnificent drift, turning to pursue.
Inside the Porsche 356A
"Aniki, do you really need to visit Miyano Akemi personally? I could handle this alone."
Gin rolled down the window, letting the wind lash against his face as he lit a cigarette. "She's merely an outsider. I didn't come because of her."
"Could it be because of Sherry?" Vodka ventured.
"Precisely. Sherry's started threatening strikes again." Gin flicked his cigarette ash dismissively. "This time, I'm going to make an example of Miyano Akemi. I'll let Sherry understand that she has no right to negotiate with the Organization."
Vodka's lips curled into a sinister smile. "What does Aniki have planned?"
"Naturally, we'll send Miyano Akemi to her death. But before that, we'll let her contribute to the Organization one final time. Recently, our American operations have entered a quiet period due to federal investigations. For the foreseeable future, our primary funding source will be Japan. Pisco handles internet and software development projects, but we need additional capital."
Vodka immediately understood. "So Aniki wants Miyano Akemi to secure a substantial sum before she dies. Bank robbery or contraband trafficking?"
Murder and theft brought wealth—a hard truth regardless of location. Miyano Akemi was just an ordinary woman. To extract a large sum from her in a short time, the only realistic options were robbery or trafficking. Robbery seemed more likely since it was essentially risk-free for the Organization. Drug operations already had stable supply chains.
"Nothing generates money faster than robbing a bank!" Gin declared, tossing away his cigarette butt and rolling up the window.
The Porsche 356A had already re-entered Tokyo proper.
Natsukawa's Pursuit
Following close behind, Natsukawa breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the police cars seemed to have given up. He'd been genuinely worried they were lying in wait somewhere ahead.
Inside the Porsche - Moments Later
"There's a car following us," Gin stated abruptly.
The sudden declaration startled Vodka so badly he nearly jerked the steering wheel. "Aniki, what should we do?"
"That white GT-R passed us heading the opposite direction in the suburbs, then presumably turned around to tail us. We'll find an opportunity to lose them up ahead and proceed to Temporary Safehouse Number Three."
Vodka grunted acknowledgment, pressed the accelerator, and accelerated sharply, running a red light at the intersection. "Could it be the police?"
"Unknown. But they probably weren't targeting us initially—otherwise they wouldn't have approached from the opposite direction in the suburbs." Gin's mind raced through possibilities, but he had insufficient data.
The Intersection
Natsukawa slammed on the brakes, stopping at the red light. "Were we spotted?"
The Porsche 356A's behavior was clearly suspicious. It had deliberately decelerated before the intersection, waiting until the green light was nearly finished before crossing. The intention was obvious—they were testing whether he would follow.
Natsukawa had no choice but to abandon pursuit. He wasn't about to get caught by traffic police for running a red light in broad daylight. Losing them was acceptable—they would inevitably cross paths again.
The green light illuminated, and the white GT-R turned left at the intersection, heading toward Pisco Motor Corporation.
It needed a color change and license plates, or else the Metropolitan Police Department's traffic division would be chasing this vehicle again tomorrow.
Gin and Vodka - Shortly After
After confirming the GT-R wasn't following them, Gin breathed a measured sigh of relief.
"Looks like it was just a coincidence. Should we still proceed to Temporary Safehouse Number Three?" Vodka asked.
"It wasn't a coincidence," Gin shook his head, lost in thought.
"Could it be the FBI tracking us? Is it Rye? Or... Shuichi Akai?"
Gin didn't respond immediately, but he shared Vodka's suspicion: Shuichi Akai.
Thinking of that particular individual only strengthened his desire to see Miyano Akemi dead.
Her death would certainly cause that FBI agent pain, wouldn't it?
Even if Akai Shuichi's relationship with Miyano Akemi had been merely a cover, executing her would at least disgust him thoroughly.
"Proceed to Miyano Akemi," Gin ordered.
"Understood, Aniki!"
FBI Field Office - United States - Same Time
Far away in America, Shuichi Akai sneezed unexpectedly.
The interrogation room was somewhat cold.
Seated before him was the former director of the FBI, who'd been exposed by rival factions for secretly transmitting information about the Black Organization to the IRS. This revelation had resulted in the deputy director's ascension to power and the former director's imprisonment.
Spread before Akai was a document from the IRS.
That's right—the FBI had also planted operatives within the IRS, though not through the former director's efforts. These were assets of the current director.
America had its own unique circumstances: separation of powers, checks and balances among various government agencies, and espionage was simply routine procedure. A thorough search of the White House might not yield foreign spies, but would certainly uncover numerous domestic intelligence operatives.
A spy's twilight. Neon lights. A brewery.
Akai remained lost in contemplation for an extended period, not even registering when the former director—his face bruised and swollen—was led away from the interrogation room.
Click.
The interrogation room door opened. Blonde-haired, blue-eyed Jodie Starling entered.
She didn't speak immediately, merely watching quietly as Shuichi Akai pondered.
After a prolonged silence, he finally looked up.
"We're going to Japan."
[End of Chapter 9]
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