"It... it actually looks quite good, doesn't it, Genta?" Mitsuhiko said, nudging Genta—whose mouth was still firmly clamped shut by Tsuneo's hand—with his elbow.
"Mmph..." Genta nodded vigorously.
In all honesty, Sonoko's photo wasn't bad at all. One could see a clear resemblance to her mother, Mrs. Suzuki; it was just that her makeup was a touch too mature for someone who was supposed to be in their late twenties.
On the other hand, Ran's photo was the spitting image of Eri Kisaki in her youth. Seeing it caused the "Great Detective" Kogoro to grin so wide his face looked positively ridiculous.
"It really is a bit of a shame for her to end up with Shinichi," Professor Agasa remarked, glancing down at Conan with a teasing smirk.
"..." Ran's face turned a deep shade of crimson.
"Right? Just the thought of her being with that guy in the future makes my blood boil," Sonoko giggled.
"Better to find someone superior while you're still young," Tsuneo added, nodding in solemn agreement.
"And you, you brat! Why are you staring so intently?" Kogoro growled, roughly ruffling Conan's hair. What, are you checking her out on behalf of that detective kid?
"Next up, Conan and Haibara!" Genta shouted, looking at the two of them.
"I pass," Ai said, standing close to Akemi. The idea of her ten-year-future self appearing on a screen was a risk she wasn't willing to take—if the machine actually worked, it could be a disaster.
"Same here..." Conan waved his hand in dismissal. He shared the same concern. Seeing Shiho Miyano would be bad enough, but if a high-school-aged Shinichi Kudo popped up, it would be a total "King Bomb" explosion of a secret.
"I, for one, want to see what you'll look like in ten years, you little rascal!" Kogoro barked. He didn't give Conan a choice, hoisting the pint-sized detective into the air and dropping him unceremoniously into the seat.
As the mechanical helmet lowered over his head, Conan realized it was too late to run. He shot a desperate, pleading look toward Tsuneo.
Something's going to go wrong! Stop enjoying the show and help me!
Tsuneo, however, acted as if he hadn't seen a thing. He remembered this part—the machine wouldn't actually produce a photo.
Click. The sound of the shutter echoed.
Sure enough, the machine that had functioned perfectly several times prior suddenly flashed an error icon.
"That's strange." Yoshiaki Hara, the engineer, scratched his head as he stared at the display. They had only used it a handful of times, yet an error had already occurred.
"Doesn't this machine extrapolate data based on facial features?" Tsuneo asked curiously.
The "Grim Reaper" schoolboy was undoubtedly a BUG in the logic of this world—perhaps the entire chaotic reality of this universe only functioned because of that string of glitches—but could this relatively simple machine actually detect such an anomaly?
"Yes, that's how it works," Hara replied, nodding as he began to inspect the hardware. "I wonder if there's a bug in the program?"
There was no blood testing, no DNA analysis, and no detailed identity input. This proved the machine was simply performing a predictive analysis based on facial structure alone.
Well... maybe it really did just happen to break down at the right moment.
"Everyone, please follow me to the banquet hall on the seventy-fifth floor," Ms. Sawaguchi, the secretary, said as she walked over after finishing a phone call. She turned to lead them toward the elevators but immediately bumped right into Kogoro.
"There she goes again. She was born in the Year of the Boar, so she's always charging into things," Hara joked, standing up and abandoning his repairs for the moment.
Seeing that Ms. Sawaguchi was smiling and didn't seem to mind the tease, the group shared a laugh.
They boarded the VIP sightseeing elevator, which could travel directly to any floor. Kogoro stood with his eyes squeezed shut, teeth clenched, and legs trembling. What VIP? This is pure torture!
"The view is incredible!" Mitsuhiko exclaimed, admiring the sprawling landscape of Nishitama City. To be fair, the city's greenery was exceptional; from this height, it looked like a massive forest park with lush vegetation everywhere.
"It feels like we're getting closer to heaven with every step," Ayumi said happily, watching the ground recede.
"Is this glass bulletproof?" Tsuneo asked, rapping his knuckles against the transparent pane. These glass elevators did indeed feel a little too close to "heaven" for comfort.
"Bullet... bulletproof?" Ms. Sawaguchi blinked, momentarily stunned. It was certainly reinforced for structural integrity, but... bulletproof? Why on earth would it need to be bulletproof?
The elevator glided to a halt on the seventy-fifth floor. The moment the doors opened, Kogoro spun around and stepped out, finally letting out a sigh of relief. That elevator was going to be the death of him.
"We're currently preparing for the banquet, so things are a bit chaotic," Ms. Sawaguchi explained as they entered the bustling hall.
"Mouri-senpai!"
As they stepped off the elevator, a mature, beautiful woman with short hair, dressed in a striking red dress and skirt, approached them.
"Tokiwa! It's been a long time!" The two shook hands warmly.
"I'm so sorry for making you come all this way," Mio Tokiwa said with a gracious smile.
"It's no trouble at all. I was originally supposed to come alone, but..." Kogoro chuckled awkwardly, glancing back at the large entourage he had brought with him. Seriously, this crowd...
"Hello, I'm Ran Mouri. My mother asked me to give you her regards!" Ran stepped forward with a polite bow and began introducing the rest of the group. Since they had bumped into the camping crew downstairs, the introductions took a fair bit of time.
"Nice to meet you all. I am Mio Tokiwa. Let me introduce my guests as well," she said, her smile never wavering. She turned to the individuals standing behind her.
First was her painting instructor, Hosui Kisaragi. The man appeared to be in his sixties, with a shock of white hair and a matching beard. He wore a traditional kimono and a stern, humorless expression.
Tsuneo thought the old man's face looked familiar—the kind of face you'd see on a Tengu mask.
"Hosui Kisaragi?" Kogoro recognized the name. "The famous painter known for his depictions of Mount Fuji?"
"Hehe, I know a little something about you too. Aren't you that 'Sleepyhead Kogoro' detective?" a short, balding, middle-aged man sneered, stumbling over. He was clearly intoxicated, pointing a finger at Kogoro as he spoke.
"It's 'Sleeping' Kogoro..." Even Kogoro, an old drunkard himself, couldn't help but wince and take two steps back at the overwhelming stench of alcohol wafting off the man. This guy must have poured a whole cellar into his stomach.
"This is Mr. Iwamatsu Oki, a member of the Nishitama City Council," Mio Tokiwa introduced him quickly. "He was instrumental in helping us navigate the hurdles to build this skyscraper."
Upon hearing his introduction, Iwamatsu Oki tried to straighten his suit and look dignified, but he was so far gone that he just looked like a low-class drunk. Tsuneo mentally noted that a councilman of this "caliber" probably wouldn't keep his seat for very long.
"And finally, the designer of this building, the architect Hidehiko Kazama," Mio said, gesturing to the last man.
"Actually, I have a bit of a connection to Mr. Mouri as well. I was a student of Teiji Moriya," Hidehiko Kazama said, his expression darkening slightly for effect.
"Heh, but don't worry. I'm not like him. I have no intention of blowing this building up."
Seeing the look of alarm on Kogoro's face, Kazama broke into a smile. This Twin Tower building was neither symmetrical nor equal in height; if Teiji Moriya were still around to see it, he'd probably try to blow up his student just on principle.
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