Disclaimer: Detective Conan is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
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18:15.
Standing five minutes early in front of a convenience store at 1-13 Sekidochō.
Unlike his usual attire at the research facility, Ritsu had adjusted his outfit to match the action unit's style and to better conceal himself in the night. He wore a black hoodie on top, black cargo pants that allowed for easy movement and concealed storage, and lightweight running shoes.
He lowered the brim of his black cap and looked down at his phone, playing a newly downloaded rhythm game. Even without music, his fingers moved with precision, hitting every note perfectly.
Games like this not only trained the brain but also tested reaction speed, a good way to pass the time.
A red Honda NSX slowly pulled up in front of the convenience store. The driver's window rolled down, revealing Calvados in his usual outfit, gesturing for Ritsu to get in.
Ritsu opened the passenger door and got in. After fastening his seatbelt, he asked, "Calvados-san, why the sudden change of car?"
"The engine on the old one had some issues, so I figured I'd just get a new one. What do you think? Not bad, right?"
"This car won't feel outdated even years from now."
Calvados nodded in agreement, started the engine, and drove toward Kamakura Street. "The sniper rifle prepared for you is already in the trunk. You'll be the primary shooter this time, I'll be your backup. If your shot misses, I'll cover for you."
"I think for this mission… you can just treat your scope like binoculars."
"Oh? That confident, huh?" Calvados thought about the records he had checked over the past few days. This guy had been spending hours every day at the training base, pushing himself relentlessly. His effective range had already increased to 350 yards. It really felt like the action unit was about to gain a prodigy sniper.
Talent was important, but what Calvados admired most was Ritsu's perseverance. Maintaining that level of focus for five to six hundred simulated sniper sessions a day was no easy feat, it drained both body and mind.
"Gin-san is only giving me one chance. It's not confidence, it's something I have to do."
"That does sound like him." Thinking of the total number of members in the action unit, Calvados gave a wry smile. "Gin is naturally suspicious, so he has high standards for his team. Right now, the action unit has fewer than ten members, it's the smallest group in the organization."
He paused, then added, "That's not counting the lower-level personnel. I mean those with codenames."
"When did you receive your codename, Calvados-san?"
"After completing your first mission independently, you're given one. If you successfully complete this assassination, your next mission probably won't involve sniping. That way, they can determine whether you're better suited as a sniper or as a professional killer like Gin."
"Do you choose your own codename?"
"It's assigned by that person. In my case, I was named 'Calvados' because I was born in Normandy."
Ritsu couldn't help but mull this over. The file provided by the National Police Agency had only mentioned two members with alcohol-based codenames. Calvados was someone he had only recently encountered.
If there was a common trait, all three were strong spirits. If the names were based on place of origin, then Gin might have been born in the Netherlands, while Vodka was likely Russian.
…Not a definitive conclusion, but certainly a possible connection.
"By the way, what's the mission this time? Gin-san told me to ask you."
"The target location is 1-17 Hagiwara-chō, Mobara City, Chiba Prefecture. There's an elementary school there called Mobara Municipal Hagiwara Elementary School." Calvados recalled the mission details and continued, "The target is a woman named Sekimizu Ayano. She was a lower-level member of the organization who chose to betray it."
Hagiwara…chō.
Ritsu subconsciously rotated the ring on his left index finger with his thumb. Glancing at the road signs, he confirmed they had entered the Shuto Expressway Inner Circular Route, heading toward Chiba.
"A traitor? I remember you mentioning that Gin-san hates traitors the most."
"That's right. This woman, Sekimizu Ayano, is currently working as a music teacher at that elementary school." Calvados freed his right hand briefly and pointed to his exposed neck, gesturing. "Gin said this is your target area."
"The neck? Why choose that spot? Isn't it usually a headshot?"
Calvados, well aware of Gin's twisted preferences, replied, "More precisely, the middle of the throat cavity. Does that make sense?"
Ritsu paused, then quickly understood.
The vocal cords, the most important part of the human voice, were located in the middle of the throat. Combined with the fact that Sekimizu Ayano was now a music teacher, someone whose livelihood depended on her voice…
This wasn't just cruelty. It was deliberate, calculated sadism.
Not only was her life to be taken, but it would be done in the most brutal way possible.
And the one carrying out that act… was him.
"Is this meant as a warning to others? Kill one to scare the rest?"
"Nice use of idioms," Calvados said, "but it's not quite like that. Gin simply despises traitors. Once he finds one, he'll eliminate them at any cost."
At any cost… and in such a high-profile manner. Killing someone outright in a school.
Resting his chin on his hand, Ritsu probed further, "Then Gin-san must hate undercover agents even more, right?"
"Undercover agents, huh… In an organization this big, a few rats are inevitable. Nothing unusual." Calvados seemed to recall something and chuckled. "Their endings are usually miserable, especially if they run into Gin. If it's Vodka, at worst you get blown to pieces, but at least it's quick. Gin prefers… more drawn-out methods."
Calvados went on at length, describing how several "rats" Gin had caught met their grisly ends, some from Russia's FSB, others from Germany's BND…
The undercover agent sitting in the passenger seat had no desire whatsoever to hear how his colleagues had been tortured.
It really drove home one thing.
You could provoke anyone but never Gin, the man who looked like he killed without blinking.
Joining the action unit had its pros and cons. On one hand, it made it easier to gather intelligence about the organization. On the other, it meant frequent contact with Gin, forcing him to carefully filter every action and every word.
It was exhausting.
And it could easily lead to anxiety.
The car gradually slowed, leaving National Route 128 and entering Hagiwara Street. They were now less than 800 meters from the target elementary school.
This was no longer the time to dwell on anything else.
Ritsu knew exactly what he had to do now.
Kill.
To gain the organization's trust and to ensure the success of his undercover mission.