Chapter 69: Wait, Let Me Finish This Magazine!
Footsteps echoed closer, and both Kudo Yusaku and Conan's expressions hardened with tension.
Kudo Yusaku gripped a decorative vase tightly, while Conan silently raised his wristwatch, the tranquilizer dart mechanism clicking into place.
"Shin-chan, didn't I break your tranquilizer watch earlier?" Kudo Yusaku whispered.
"You did," Conan replied grimly. "But I still have my Power-Enhancing Kicks Shoes."
The dial on Conan's special shoe began to spin, energy charging with a faint whirring sound. Rainbow light effects flickered around the sole as power built to maximum capacity. The plan was simple—the moment that door opened, Conan would launch the vase from his father's hands like a missile straight at the intruder's face.
Following the silent signals from father and son, Kudo Yukiko concealed herself behind the basement door, her heart pounding.
The entire house fell deathly silent, everyone waiting for the uninvited guest to make their move.
Knock knock knock!
"Is anyone home?"
All three occupants froze. This was the first time they'd encountered such polite criminals—who actually knocked before breaking in?
Still, they weren't about to answer.
Conan shifted his right foot back, building momentum until his shoe began to emit a faint trail of smoke. Kudo Yusaku raised the vase to the optimal throwing height, ready to strike.
"I heard noise in there earlier. You're definitely inside, right?"
Frank peered curiously through the bullet-riddled window. The interior appeared empty, the silence almost unnatural.
"I'm here to rescue you," Frank called out cheerfully. "If Ms. Yukiko could give me five autographs, I can take you all away from this dangerous place."
Silence.
Perhaps realizing his demands were excessive, Frank quickly amended, "Actually, three would be fine too. I'm not a greedy person, really."
Inside, Conan and Kudo Yusaku exchanged bewildered glances.
The footsteps grew louder. Danger was approaching.
Then, suddenly—
"Really? You're a fan of mine?"
Kudo Yukiko's excited voice rang out from behind the basement door.
Both father and son lunged simultaneously, Conan grabbing his mother's ankle while Yusaku seized her arm, physically restraining her from rushing to the door.
The intruder knows our identities but claims he's not here to kill us?!
"Is that Yukiko-san's voice? Yes, I'm a member of your official fan club, and I've come to rescue you!" Frank's voice practically trembled with excitement. "Don't worry, Yukiko-san, I promise I won't take anything. I'm only here for an autograph!"
Hearing his idol's voice in person, Frank swayed on his feet like he might faint. His heart raced with pure joy mixed with bitter envy. It's such a tragedy that someone so young and talented is already married... Her oldest son is seventeen, and the younger one looks about five or six.
Single men everywhere weep with jealousy.
"Don't even think about it!" Conan shouted angrily. "We're not opening the door! Come in yourself if you dare!"
Conan remained poised to strike, ready to deliver a devastating blow the instant that door opened.
Click, click, click.
"Huh, the door's locked."
Frank sounded genuinely puzzled. Then, apparently deciding he'd waited long enough, he raised his MK14 assault rifle to chest level.
"Then I won't be polite about this. You'd all better move aside."
Click—
The unmistakable sound of a round being chambered echoed through the silence. Conan's expression transformed to pure horror. That was the sound of death loading into a weapon.
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT—
Rifle bullets shredded through the ancient wooden door. One full magazine later, and the rotted door was nothing but Swiss cheese. Losing all structural integrity, it crashed inward with a thunderous bang, kicking up massive clouds of dust.
The warmth from the fireplace met the frigid night air rushing in from outside, creating billowing white steam that mixed with the dust into a hazy gray fog.
This was the first time any of them had seen someone "open" a door like this.
Conan swung his leg with all his might, finding Frank's silhouette in the thick smoke. His Power-Enhancing Kicks Shoes, which had been charging for what felt like an eternity, created visible ripples in the air from the sheer force.
BANG—
CRASH!
With the power-enhancing shoe as the epicenter, Conan spun completely through the air before slamming hard into the ground.
Where was the vase?
Conan stared blankly at his father's empty hands.
All Kudo Yusaku held was the neck of the vase. Ceramic shards littered the floor around them.
Kudo Yusaku stood frozen, his outstretched hand still in throwing position, looking thoroughly embarrassed.
Professor Agasa's inventions are TOO amazing! The kick he'd just delivered had been so powerful it obliterated the vase on contact—exploding it before it even had a chance to fly toward their target.
"Oh no!" Conan wailed in despair.
He'd charged the kick for too long. The vase simply couldn't withstand the explosive force of the Power-Enhancing Kicks Shoes.
"Are you two alright?"
Frank, completely oblivious to what had just transpired, simply assumed this was the Kudo father-son duo's unique way of greeting guests. No flower bouquet? Smashing a vase worked just as well—like setting off fireworks in celebration.
Scanning the room, Frank immediately locked onto his idol.
"Ms. Yukiko, this way please." Frank extended his hand gallantly, striking what he imagined was an elegant pose. "Your knight in shining armor has arrived to escort you to safety."
If only he were wearing a proper suit and 30cm platform shoes to compensate for his height, he'd look absolutely perfect.
"Wow, that's incredible..." Kudo Yukiko stood stunned for a moment, genuinely impressed.
Her fan is amazing! But how did he find me here? Is he some kind of stalker fan who follows me everywhere?
Both Conan and Kudo Yusaku were completely dumbfounded.
The intruder wasn't pointing his rifle at their heads, which somehow made them feel more uneasy. This polite invitation was entirely unexpected.
"A... A real fan?!"
Conan's entire worldview shattered. His facial features contorted in disbelief. Inspector Megure and the Public Security Bureau hadn't arrived—instead, their rescuer was his mother's fan club member?!
Where was the logic in that? Was this even reasonable?!
I should jump in the river and wake myself up from this fever dream.
"Get in the vehicle quickly," Frank urged, suppressing his fanboy excitement and waving toward the armored van behind him. He knew this wasn't the time for autograph sessions—he needed to extract them immediately before disrupting Natsukawa's carefully laid plans.
However, as he spoke, several bullets rang out, striking the vehicle's armored plating.
Sparks flew from the metal impacts, making Kudo Yukiko flinch instinctively.
"Don't worry, it's definitely an armored vehicle," Kudo Yusaku said, wincing as he stood up despite his leg wound. "Let's go. Now."
If they didn't leave immediately, it would be too late. Who knew if the two warring factions would accidentally hit them in the crossfire?
Based on the current situation, both sides probably assumed the Kudo family was allied with their enemies.
After donning the bulletproof vests Frank distributed, all three quickly sprinted toward the truck.
Simultaneously, Frank fired suppressing bursts in both directions, providing covering fire for the three civilians to reach the vehicle safely.
The Snipers React
"Damn it, their witness is trying to escape," Chianti muttered angrily, tracking the movement through her scope.
"That's strange, Chianti... Did you see that?" Cohen's voice crackled through the comms, his forehead creased with confusion. "Besides firing at us, that guy was also occasionally shooting at Akai Shuichi's position. Why would FBI agents fight each other? Am I seeing things wrong?"
Or am I just too paranoid about Shuichi Akai?
"Ahem, that's irrelevant to our mission," Natsukawa quickly interjected, changing the subject. "Chianti, set up your rifle for me. I'm going to support Vodka."
"Got it."
Chianti glanced angrily at the departing truck and finally squeezed off one shot aimed at the rear tire.
The effect was minimal. The armored vehicle's tires were military-grade—unless they were completely shredded by sustained automatic fire, they wouldn't affect driving performance. The ride might get a bit rougher, that's all.
Vodka's Last Stand
When Natsukawa reached Vodka's position, the wall in front of them was absolutely riddled with bullet holes, and Vodka was pinned down, scrambling desperately for any scrap of cover.
"Do you still have ammunition?" Vodka asked breathlessly, adjusting his signature hat that had nearly been blown off his head.
He only had four magazines remaining, and they were all empty. An empty pistol was no different from a brick, which was why he was too terrified to even peek above cover.
Natsukawa felt utterly helpless.
This idiot Vodka had been wasting bullets firing at an EMPTY WINDOW! Has he completely lost his mind?!
"I've only got one magazine left too," Natsukawa said, pulling out his last magazine and tossing it to Vodka. Speaking into his headset, he ordered, "Chianti, Cohen—cover us. We're almost out of ammunition. We have to withdraw."
"No!"
Vodka felt there was still a chance. Discovering Akai Shuichi's location was an incredibly rare opportunity, and he couldn't let the Silver Bullet escape easily. They still had the tactical advantage—there was still a chance to eliminate Akai Shuichi once and for all.
Natsukawa rolled his eyes in exasperation. He casually shot down an FBI agent who had just appeared from cover, then grabbed Vodka's arm, preparing to forcibly drag the stubborn man away.
"Wait, let me finish this magazine!"
Vodka adamantly refused to retreat, pulling the trigger repeatedly without even properly aiming.
Bang bang bang!
Whether he actually hit anything didn't matter—his fighting spirit couldn't appear weaker than the FBI's.
Natsukawa gave up. Dragging a 200-pound man through an active close-quarters gunfight was clearly impractical. It would only exponentially increase the risk of getting shot.
Reluctantly, he could only continue providing covering fire.
(End of Chapter 69)
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