Chapter 315: A Sweet Dream of Death
A faint, chilling smile touched the corners of her lips. "Little Brother, you said you went to the Takahashi Residence with Brother Hattori. So that means... he saw it too."
Meeting Raiden Ei's hollow, violet eyes, Conan froze. The sheer weight of her gaze carried an oppressive, suffocating gravity he had never experienced before. His lungs seized. An invisible, icy grip clamped around his throat, squeezing the air from his chest.
He swallowed dryly, his throat clicking in the heavy silence, desperately trying to steady his racing pulse. He had always known the Teyvat Organization maintained ties with the Black Organization, but he had naively assumed those connections were limited to a rogue few.
Every member he had encountered so far lived seemingly ordinary, vibrant lives beneath their mysterious veneers. They had never radiated this kind of raw, unadulterated danger. Even Kaeya, a man he knew for a fact collaborated with the criminal underworld, doted endlessly on his little sister, Klee, and treated the Detective Boys with boundless patience.
That warmth had lulled him into a false sense of security. His vigilance had slipped, leading him to carelessly interrogate Raiden Ei about the incident at the Takahashi Residence.
Deep down, he never imagined they would actually harm him over a simple question. He expected them to brush him off with a flimsy excuse, a lie he could carefully dissect later to find the hidden truth.
He had miscalculated terribly. Raiden Ei was not treating him like a curious child. Her casual inquiry about who else had witnessed the event carried the unmistakable, metallic edge of a death threat. She was tying up loose ends.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He needed an exit strategy, not just for himself, but to warn Hattori, Ran, and everyone else who might be caught in the crossfire.
Beside her, Zhongli let out a quiet sigh. The normally gentle, refined consultant wore a look of mild resignation, as if only just realizing the boy had stumbled into forbidden territory. A helpless smile graced his elegant features. He shook his head slowly, reaching out to lightly pat Conan on the shoulder.
The gesture was feather-light, yet the moment his gloved hand made contact, a violent shudder ripped down Conan's spine.
Zhongli's amber eyes darkened, losing their usual warmth. "You child, your curiosity is far too heavy," he murmured, his deep voice vibrating with an ancient, immovable weight. "When I heard Natsume mention your habits before, I suspected your inquisitive nature would eventually lead to your demise. I simply did not expect that day to be today."
"Do not be afraid, Conan," Nahida spoke up, her sweet, childlike voice contrasting horrifyingly with her words. "Death is merely a long, sweet dream. You simply cannot wake up from it." She offered him a gentle, comforting smile. "Miss Raiden moves exceptionally fast. You are my friend, so I guarantee she will not let you feel even a fraction of pain."
Conan stared at the little girl in absolute horror. His mind raced, struggling to process the sheer absurdity of the situation. They were going to execute him right here, just for asking a single question?
If she was so terrified of witnesses, she never should have stood on the highest roof in the district to draw her glowing sword!
He bit the inside of his cheek. 'Focus. This is not the time to analyze their motives.'
He had to escape. If they were silencing him, Hattori was undoubtedly next on their list. Ran, the kids, the professor, everyone was in danger. He needed to break free and sound the alarm.
Panic flared in his chest. Because he had been preparing for bed, he had already taken off his Stun-Gun Watch. He was practically unarmed.
His fingers twitched. He still wore his Power-Enhancing Kick Shoes and his soccer belt. There was a slim chance he could create a distraction. He shifted his weight, his hand darting toward his waist.
Instantly, an invisible, crushing force slammed into him. It felt as though a literal mountain had been dropped onto his shoulders.
He gritted his teeth, straining every muscle in his small body to break free, but the pressure locked him in place like a steel vise. He could not even twitch a finger.
Through his peripheral vision, he watched Zhongli and Nahida step back, smoothly clearing the floor to give Raiden Ei an unobstructed path.
Conan kept his eyes locked on her. Her hands were completely empty. No sword, no hidden blades.
Yet, even with his life hanging by a thread, the detective's insatiable curiosity flared to life. He needed to know if his eyes had deceived him that night. Could she truly pull a blade from her own chest?
'Mr. Zhongli was right,'he thought, a bitter, self-deprecating smirk tugging at his mind.'My curiosity really is going to get me killed. But I suppose this is the ultimate fate of a detective.'
He watched her every micro-expression. Raiden Ei simply raised her right hand and swung it downward in a fluid, sweeping arc. A crackle of violet electricity split the air, and a massive polearm materialized directly into her grasp. The weapon was different from the glowing katana he had seen before, its sharp blade gleaming with lethal intent.
But the shape of the weapon hardly mattered.
The terrifying reality was that she had just conjured a physical weapon out of absolutely thin air.
'Is this a magic trick?'His analytical mind scrambled for a logical explanation.'Could what I saw on the roof have been some elaborate sleight of hand?'
Theories collided in his head, desperately trying to rationalize the impossible physics unfolding before his eyes.
Raiden Ei paid no attention to the boy's internal crisis. She lifted the heavy polearm, the tip angled perfectly toward his neck, preparing to deliver the final strike.
"Wait!" Conan shouted, his voice cracking slightly under the crushing pressure. "I am just a child! Even if I told someone what I saw, no one would ever believe me! There is absolutely no reason to do this!"
He spoke rapidly, desperately trying to appeal to whatever shred of logic or mercy they had left.
"And Sister Natsume..." Before he could use Natsume's name as a shield to negotiate his survival, a cold voice cut through the room.
"It is meaningless, Shinichi Kudo."
Conan's pupils dilated to the size of pinpricks. The blood drained entirely from his face.
Raiden Ei looked down at him, her expression completely devoid of mercy. "Enjoy the sweet dream of death."
Without giving him a single fraction of a second to process how she knew his true identity, she swung the polearm down in a clean, decisive, and merciless arc.
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