The air was filled with tension, as Conan was getting near the Rendezvous Location at the top of Hotel New Beika. Rum… that one agent was waiting for him, beyond the final story of the building. Conan was walking by the streets near the block where the hotel was, far away from, getting surprised at how many people where running away in the opposite direction, catching his attention. It seemed as if the plan has just begun, to evacuate the civilians with the excuse of a dangerous gas leak, emptying the inside and sending off people farther away, just in case things get ugly. Surprisingly, this plan was prompted by Rum itself,
Perfect… now the only thing left it's for Akai to reach the top of Tohto Tower; from there he'll be able to cover me in case Rum gets dangerous on me. He was thinking while walking towards the building. Surprisingly, there are no authorities where he was, letting him pass through freely. This, too, must be part of Rum's opening as well; after all, this is personal, Conan and Rum, finally they'll see each other properly. Conan knew this very well. This might as well be the only chance he'll get, it's either he gets info and/or captures Rum, or he gets captured or killed in action. Can't make a mistake now, can I? This is all or nothing…Now inside the hotel, lights still on, but it seems as if the Elevator wasn't available right now, not even the calling button was turning its light on when pressed. It's as if Rum wants me to walk the stairs… are there traps on the way, probably bombs? Conan was thinking while walking up the stairs. Because of the people running away due to the supposed gas leak, volatile of course, so that's a possibility… The seemed-to-be infinite rise towards the top made him think about his strategy, how will he face Rum, and the possibilities of a confrontation, questioning, everything he had to see and know. It even gave him the time to check on the ammo of his Equipment: multiple Stun Darts inside his Watch, Soccer Balls inside his belt, Telescopic and Trackers on his Glasses, and of course, his Power Shoes, currently disabled. Looks like I'm good… It's strange though. Even though nothing has happened yet, why do I have a bad feeling about where I'm walking...? He could see the night sky, the moon over the city, and the lights of the big city of Beika, and over there, Tohto Tower. I'm counting on you, Akai Shuichi… If our guess is right, then that means we made the best course of action. I say that, but still…
This was it, the door to the rooftop of the Hotel. Beyond this door, is Rum. This just feels like reaching a boss room, a very important boss fight was now in sight, except there's no save point around; just life and death to be decided. But he knew he could not fail, he can't afford to do so. For his allies, for Haibara… and for himself. Just as he opens the door, he could feel the strong wind that runs free the higher the heights. A rooftop with no fences, but suspiciously, there were bags of sand and construction materials, as well as other hazards that makes it look obvious that there were people working on an expansion of the Hotel, from pillars to mountains of cement, walls of bricks, and whatnot. And there, a silhouette of a person looking towards the city, a large and strong person, giving its back to Conan. Rum was there…
Even though the wind was noisy, the two of them could hear nothing but each other, focused on their respective foe. Rum knew that he had arrived, raising one hand as if greeting a good friend. Conan knew that it was go time, to unveil the curtains of the stage. "Heh, thanks for the appropriate welcoming; it was nice to not see guns and other stuff for a change" Said to a silent Rum, confident of himself. "What, cat caught your tongue?" Silent, Rum hasn't said a word until now. "Guess I should start then. It definitively took a while, but I finally discovered your secret, Rum." But then he stopped, as if he was building suspense from the silence "Or should I say… one of THE Rums, former Chief of Nagano Police's First Division forces, Hyoue Kuroda." The moment Rum heard what the little detective just said, he turned around to face him; indeed, the person in front of him was no other than Hyoue Kuroda himself. "Hohoho, guess I've been found eh, by none other than you, boy. I must admit, I'm feeling no shame at all." He said while walking some steps forward, looking all menacing. "But I'm actually curious about the other thing you said, that I was one of others with my codename… what do you have to say about that?"
"Glad you ask, I was about to get to that." Smiling so confident, he starts to walk from one place to another, all while looking at the man in front of him. "First, let's start with you, Chief Kuroda. A man who, in a very grave accident, fell into a coma for 10 long years, and even when he woke up, he had no memories of what transpired with his life. White hair instead of black due to the stress of the accident, quite the changer I must say… is it even true that you're the same Kuroda that once led the Nagano Police forces? Or are you a mole from the Organization?""Hmph, can't blame you for thinking that, I wouldn't put it past That Person either, to stage something as grandeur as to switch a Police Chief for one of his agents." The old and strong man said, as if he personally new the boss. "Of course, not just anyone would do it, he's still as meticulous as ever with his plans. Which makes sense that I'd be the man for the job, but sorry, I'm as real as Death itself. Still, that evidence by itself doesn't prove my identity as Rum."
"Yeah, there's more." Said Conan, still grinning by himself. "There's another fact that links you to be one of exactly three Rums. The time when you came by 'chance' to that camping site on that one case, the Burning Tent Murder Case." Memories of that case rushed back to his head, when the culprit of that case took Ayumi as his hostage, but then something peculiar happened between him, and his homeroom teacher, Wakasa Rumi. It was as if the man had seen something that no one else had, and the fact that Haibara would not let him get near the teacher, it was a flag raised for suspicion. "You came there to spy on her, right? The other Rum, as to make sure she doesn't do anything out of question."
"Insinuating that SHE is other of the Rums, huh… and I guess you have your reasons to connect her to the Organization."
"Of course, I have. In all honesty, I was weirded out at first, with how she was such a clumsy woman. Nice disguise, it could've fooled me, if it wasn't for her suspicious behavior."
At that moment, Kuroda just laughed himself, all the way, as if he had heard a very good joke with lots of ironic truths in there. "HAHAHAHA! Man! She would put herself in any dangerous positions just to get what she wants, all to get to know you more" He then gazed completely at the child detective, extremily amused. "Indeed, she did all of that, just to corner you as well; but who would've thought that her actions had led us to become cornered as well? Guess this was bound to happen one way or another."
"All of that, huh. You talk as if you know her very actions, even though you weren't with her all this time."
"Well, there were other things that surprised me as well. There was a time where my memories started to return, briefly, but they did." Kuroda then produced a file and folder from his pocket, a copy of the investigations of a certain Case that happened 17 years ago. "You surely know about this, don't you?"
"17 years ago, yeah, the victims of two murders, Amanda Hughes, and Kohji Haneda. But they couldn't find any leads on the main suspect, named Asaka, the bodyguard of miss Hughes. And the reason of why they couldn't find any traces at all…""Bingo… APTX 4869. Indeed, a very fearsome and lethal drug." Said Kuroda with quite the pride, as if the advances of the Organization were just as he envisioned.
"And let me guess, she did it, didn't she? She was the bodyguard known as Asaka." The moment Conan said it out loud, Rum began to laugh once again. "YES! Indeed! She's reckless, too much for comfort!" The way that man was blurting out his words made Conan stop on his tracks, seeing as if there was a madman in front of him. "And to think she would leak those photos of the room, just to attract your attention…""She did…? She let those dangerous clues out in the open just to meet me?"
"Of course. She killed those two all those years ago, we had to do something about that old hag. She was prying on our business as if she was a detective." Kuroda was then looking at the night sky, as if remembering those days like they were important. "Of course, she was indeed involved with agencies such as the FBI and CIA, something was to be done. But who would've thought she had shared all her research with that shogi player? If she hadn't been involved with him at all, he would've probably lived to become a great man and player…"
"He knew just too much…" That's one mystery down… now for the final piece of the puzzle "Now that leaves the last of the Rums. But I guess you already know that I found out about his meddling, thinking that he would go unsuspected if the acted like a goofy cook."
"Heh, a cook you say?"
"Yeah, the drifter Sushi Chef, currently of Beika Iroha Sushi, Kanenori Wakita." Conan revealed the last of the Rums, following with his deductions. "That man, just as Wakasa was trying to get near me, Wakita had his sights on the secrets of the detective Mouri Kogoro. He probably suspected that there was something more behind it, no, in fact, he probably knew that something was off; again, because of you three communicating with each other about me…"
"Heh… keep talking boy; you're amusing me." Said Kuroda with real honesty, it was since a long time that he had so much fun. "You're saying that the three of us are Rum, but where did you get that idea from?"
"Heard from someone, the conflicting accounts from various Organization members who swear they've seen you. Some say that Rum it's an old man, Wakita. Other says Rum is feminine, Wakasa. And others that Rum it's a man of strong build… yourself, chief Kuroda." It was at that moment that he aimed at the last-mentioned Rum. "And that eye-the last conclusive evidence-is that wounded eye of each of the three! Even though it seems as if Wakita was using a healing patch over his eye, who's to say that it is truly wounded? He could just use that to disguise the façade of Rum, as to keep their secret. The three loyal people to your boss, their right hand, are none other than you three!"
Silence, there was a moment of silence, with the sound of the wind blowing behind that man, and as it calmed down, there was laughter, maniacal levels of laughter; it was the sign of the one truth that prevailed. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! You did it! You actually did it!" He was now clapping desperately, Conan could not help it but to flinch, shocked by the reaction. "You are indeed a true Holmes! The Holmes to our Moriarty! The rumored second Silver Bullet…! Even more the reason to have fun with you…" He said as he was walking straight to the boy, who was stepping back while aiming with his Stun Watch. "It won't be that easy, boy. Well, I should not call you like that, you've graduated on my books… Shinichi Kudo."
"So, you know who I am… no wonder Wakita had a 'delivery' in my neighborhood" Said Conan, remembering the moments of desperation when his secret of being alive was almost out. "But, even if you say it won't be easy for me, you might as well say the same for yourself…" Grinning with victory, he was expecting a bullet to come and hit Kuroda's arm, but alas, it never came. "Huh…?"
"Surprised? You should check over for your friend, shouldn't you?""What the heck…!?" Conan then looked over to Tohto Tower, using his Telescopic Lenses, just to see that the plan failed the moment he saw Akai Shuichi, fighting against a white clothed person, old and surprisingly strong as well, Kanenori Wakita. "N-No way…!"
"Yes way, indeed yes" Smiling even more menacing, getting even closer to Conan.
"But… if he's there, then where is… "At that exact moment, the sound of an explosion was heard right under their feet, making the building tremble slightly. "Don't tell me that she is-!?"
"You should've expected it, Mr. Detective" Even closer to Conan "Don't you worry, the bombs are positioned strategically to not bring this Hotel down, but they were but there in case an intruder would come. Expect one of your friends to die today."
But who… who would've come? Only Akai and I would be entering the frontlines, Jodie and Camel should be at the Professor's guarding- That's when it hit him, the one unexpected guest was "HAIBARA!" Another explosion occurred, and the man in front of him attacked. This would become a tough fight, the toughest so far.