Fictions Mentioned:
Episode 37
OP Insert Song:
Nishiwaki Yui-君がいるから...(Because you...)(FULL)(Kindaichi Case Files OP 3)
Start:
PART 1
Flashback
DCMK Universe-Prime
It was sometime in the past. Sometime in the year 2015.
Somewhere in Chiba Prefecture, there was a building of about a hundred floors above that is owned by the Yukinoshita Financial Group, also known as the Yukinoshita Family, and the Yukinoshita Group, one of the most well-known conglomerate families in Japan. They encompass a broad range of businesses that manage money, including banks, investment companies, insurance companies, and real estate firms that provide financial services to commercial and retail customers.
The tower was known as the Prism Tower, considered to eventually become the newly inaugurated crowning jewel of the Chiba City skyline. It should have become something of a landmark, a magnificent view to all of the residents of Chiba, the tallest building in Chiba.
Right now, it was currently undergoing uh...shall we say a crisis...
A bomb had recently exploded upon the building. Many were killed by the blast. Many were alright, but wounded or injured. Many were alright, miraculously and with good luck and fortune. But one doubts that being alright was a comfort at least when there were multiple armed men that were scouring the entire building and making sure to keep the civilians all tightly locked in the burning building.
This just turned into a hostage situation that was on a time limit due to the state of the building.
These men were wearing orange pumpkin head anti-gas helmets. The jack-o-lantern grin visors covered the men's real expressions and only had red neon colors. They were wearing protective biohazard gear with orange jumpsuits, black vests, and tactical gear. They were carrying advanced rifles and pistols that when the triggers are pressed can vaporize a living person into ashes. Some that tried to play hero had met such a fate, a show of demonstration that these men were completely serious and they will kill anyone that tries to make any suspicious movement. These pumpkin head soldiers were trained to kill, mercenaries by nature, all taking orders from the person who orchestrated this horrendous sight that is now being witnessed too and recorded by many civilians in Chiba, the rest of the nation of Japan, and the world.
Chiba Prefecture Police vehicles were surrounding the area by about one hundred meters away and police helicopters can be seen from the sky, flying a few measured distances. As they surround the building, hidden from the background, there are Special Assault Teams (SATs) armed with Heckler & Koch MP5A5, MP5SD6, and MP5K modified submachine guns that are capable of firing high-density energy blasts, ready to storm the building in order to rescue the hostages. But there was of course the problem of the fires that were spreading within this building. They were all running on a time limit.
There was a police inspector on the ground. It was Inspector Juzo Megure—Police Inspector (Rank 6) in Division 1 of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. He was a man wearing a brown detective trenchcoat and hat, with a white shirt and green tie. His black mustache is one of his recognizable features.
Now, why was he here specifically, coming from all the way from Tokyo to Chiba? Because he believed that he needed to be here as this case involves the entire law enforcement of the country because of the mad bomber that was currently putting the nation in terror.
Meaning that this wasn't the first time there was a bombing like this.
''SATs are now waiting for orders, Inspector,'' one of the officers spoke to the man softly.
''Wait just a moment,'' the Inspector spoke in a grim tone. ''Let him handle it for now. Until then, all SATs are to stand by. I would rather not risk the men getting caught up in the blast radius when this building suddenly comes down.''
''...Yes, sir,'' the officer complied with a grim nod.
...Now, who was Inspector Megure referring to?
''Uff!''
It refers to a Dark Knight that had managed to stealthfully knock out two of the pumpkin heads. Then he would use a circular device to immediately transport them to a highly advanced holding cell. Shinichi Kudo, now known as Night Baron, wearing his trademark and iconic dark blue magician uniform, with a modified gas mask that accompanied his non-reflective eyeglasses, was now making his way further down a few floors.
As of now, he had managed to rescue at least many of the civilians being held hostage from the different levels of the building, from the third floor, eighty-fourth floor, and a few others, managing to teleport them to a safe location via the emergency portals. Having memorized the layout of the building and committing it to memory, he has one upper advantage. He's even managed to take down multiple numbers of these mercenaries by stealth and sent them to the holding cells. Now all that's left is to rescue at least two specific young women that are trapped in the building from the seventy-seventh floor. The two daughters of the Yukinoshita Family.
He took the stairway and made soft footsteps. Then he turned right and made a soft dash. Through the use of his subtle hacking systems that are taking effect, he was able to hear enemy chatter from his comms.
''...Hehe, now I wonder what the boss was thinking when he said we'd take these two by the time the building blows sky high?''
''Probably for a ransom. The Yukinoshita Family is filthy rich after all.''
''I mean, I don't really see the boss as the type to care about money, especially with all of the risks involved. Which reminds me...Sakanohara and Seizumu haven't checked back in a while...''
''Yeah, I noticed that. You think it's him?''
''It has to be. Who else could be here besides us and the hostages?''
''If he's managed to take out those two, then shouldn't we get the hell out of here?''
But then...
''AHH!''
...Their conversation got interrupted not a moment too son as they were both knocked out of commission when Night Baron brought both of their heads together and attacked them from behind, using the element of stealth to his advantage. Then he used his circular gadget type of device to send them to the holding cells. Then he makes his way to a door nearby. There was a couple of chatter from the comms.
''Units 45-3 and 6, do you copy? Units 45-3 and 6, do you copy? Shit, they're not responding.''
''It's Night Baron, he's in the building."
''No shit. You and everyone else, make sure to keep your guns trained on all known exits so that there would be no place for that Night Bastard to hide and seek.''
''I've heard that he has camouflage tech, state-of-the-art. Maybe that's why he's managed to be this quick and efficient. He's probably already saved the other hostages by now and disarmed the bombs strapped onto their backs.''
''Why do you think this entire room is covered with ACMTs? If he even steps within this room, the sensors would trigger and the bomb would detonate. By the time that happens, we'd be out of here with these children.''
''(''Ingenious strategy...That is, if you all never thought that I had my current suit specifically designed to handle that kind of tech or whatever tricks you have as of this moment.'')'' Night Baron deadpanned in thought.
Night Baron would begin to use his Detective Mode and scan the entire room. There were a few orange flames that were present on the left side. At least eight armed men were aiming their rifles from all possible ways where he could potentially get in. There were two young women, strapped with bombs on their backs, probably for insurance. There was a square box-shaped bomb that was counting down from about [01:00] and was now heading quickly to [0:50] all dyed in red neon colors. Upon inspection, they were the women he was looking for. The two daughters of the Yukinoshita Family.
The first daughter was Haruno Yukinoshita, a beautiful young high school woman with long black hair that spills over her shoulders and down to her waist, with angular rose eyes.
The second daughter was Yukino Yukinoshita, a young girl with fair skin, long black hair that spills over her shoulders and down to her waist, and an ahoge that lays flat atop her head, with blue eyes.
He didn't have much time. There was only one minute left before the bomb would go off. His thoughts were precise and fast, already thinking of possible options of how he needed to act. And so he chose. And so he acted. He made a lowered stance, with his right side and foot in front, before executing with a dash that would break open the door in full force, creating a large hole. It was a blur, however, being too fast for the naked eye of the men who were all like they were almost at a standstill. By the time they realized it, Night Baron somehow managed to perform multiple takedowns at once with about a few seconds remaining.
The pumpkin heads never stood much of a chance. With all of them taken out, Night Baron would use his circular device to once again transport all of the knocked-out men to specific holding cells. Then he made his way towards the two young women who were tied up and gagged, carrying surprised expressions as they see the iconic hero face to face while still strapped to a pair of bombs.
He needed to act quickly. Time was running out. He begins to use his gauntlet to hack the systems of the bombs behind the women's backs, managing to release them straight away. Then he would remove their gags as they breathed for fresh air.
[0:30]
"Listen to me, both of you, and do as I say," Night Baron spoke with a serious tone of urgency as he gently carries them up. Both women were now holding on to each of Night Baron's shoulders. "I would need the both of you to grab hold of my neck. No matter what happens, don't let go."
The young women in particular couldn't utter, only comply with a silent nod. At that point, Night Baron would use one particular gadget from his arsenal. It was a silver-shaped gun with multiple functions. Then he would fire a newly formed soccer ball from the center of his belt on mental command, and he would suddenly use his right foot to kick it to the glass window, shattering the glass as the remains fell upon the ground. The flames from the left side were increasing. They were definitely running out of time. Only about ten seconds remaining.
[0:10]
At that point, Night Baron exclaimed "Hang on!" as he begins to make a dash toward the artificially created exit while carrying the two Yukinoshita sisters. The seconds were counting down to 9, 8, 7, etc.. He closes the distance as he fires a retractable cable, first from his gun, and second, from his right back wrist, hitting the side of a nearby building, and flew away in full speed.
[0:00]
By the time Night Baron and the two Yukinoshita sisters exit the building and were now a few meters away, the explosion occurred which rocked the entire building, shocking many of the civilians and police officers who were nearby as they see the blatant destruction.
"...My god," Inspector Megure muttered in shock, widening his eyes as he sees the entire building, the highly prized building, tumbling down. Clouds of smoke on the ground would begin to form as they would slowly reach the blockade and rendering most people blind on the ground. The helicopters that were in the air, whose pilots could only look on as they were showing grimaced expressions of dread.
The three made a landing on a nearby rooftop not too far away and turned back to find something in the skies. The effects of the bomb would trigger a set of low explosive reactive substances into the air, with a pumpkin head etched with a jack-o-lantern grin, and this and the explosion, in general, would echo with a highly pitched scream that made most of everyone shudder in dread.
...And then, there was an echoing silence.
...And he can feel the younger sister Yukino embracing him and closing her eyes. He patted her gently on the back. He can see the older sister Haruno looking on, showing signs of dread. From the trembling of her body, from the increased heartbeat, and other factors.
...And the Night Baron can only stare in silence through the sky, with eyes narrowed from underneath his eyeglasses.
And thus was the first time when Night Baron first encountered the two Yukinoshita siblings, long before the events of the Corpse Party Incident. Unfortunately, this first time coincides with a series of events that shook the entire nation of Japan at this time.
A mad bomber is currently on the loose. A very dangerous one.
One of the most dangerous enemies that Night Baron would eventually remember to ever have faced.
End:
Insert Song: Start
Corpse Party: Book of Shadows ~ Escaping Samsara A (Extended)
Present Time
Heavenly Host
Night Baron and his company of extraordinary women continue to venture through the dark, deteriorated corridor. In their last destination, they have managed to locate the first tongue, with Night Baron keeping it somewhere close to the many pockets on his belt. Magari Mizuki was just having some fun taking the lead and looking for all of the sophisticated traps that were put in place in many of the corridors that had passed by.
"Still no sign of that slasher, but I did manage to pick up more than a few traps. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that this guy is a very predictable hunter," Magari made a remark, accompanied by an interested smirk. She used the tip of her scythe to indicate the damaged bear trap that she had disposed of, destroying it by slicing the various parts, like a rake moving the leaves away.
"And I would say that is one part of the picture behind this slasher," Night Baron spoke softly as he walked forward.
They kept walking and walking. They have yet to reach the other tongues as it is relatively far, based on Night Baron's thought-map. As indicated, there were blue and orange dots. Blue referred to the restless but friendly spirits. Orange referred to the restless spirits, feeling the most pain, and the unpredictable type. There were also yellow dots that show a lot from dead corpses that could be traced or identified, or ones not being able to be identified, or objects relating to candles that light the hallways serving as some kind of checkpoints, and a whole bunch of interesting items. Night Baron would know which pathways would be the most safe and not likely to draw much attention. The candles lighting the hallways would be the obvious safe zones as he noticed that almost no dark entity or vengeful ghost ever sets foot there, at least until the candle blows off its light that is due to the complete melting of the wax.
Night Baron noted that Sachiko (Red) has yet to make an appearance to them. For now, they were free from her influence. But that did not equate to being safe. From one corner, they pass by the south corner where the abandoned classroom of 1-A was located. There was a note on the wall that read:
"Congratulations on your arrival! Our most heartfelt blessings we offer thee. We'll be anxiously awaiting your death. And once everyone's dead, that's when we'll all be able to meet again. And then, the conquest begins!"
Night Baron only shakes his head on the matter. Aiko Niwa made a grimaced and concerned expression. The rest of the girls never seem to have felt bothered by this ominous note.
They kept walking and walking. From turning left...
"...!" Night Baron narrowed his eyes.
There was a red dot on the thought-map and it was coming closer. No, not just closer. Like it was running towards them. It has yet to even reach their location and is located somewhere in the northeast and closing in fast.
"Magari! Riko-chan!"
As Night Baron both uttered the names of the two young women who are with them, both women would ready their respective weapons. Magari Mizuki has her trusty scythe and Riko Mine Lupin IV has her trusty pistols. Both women were anticipating the threat. Both of them made a defiant smirk in the face of this walking terror.
Everyone stood still as they were somewhere in a corridor that lead only to two directions of north and south. There was a classroom nearby but it was one whose floors didn't seem to be stable. That and Night Baron's thought-map indicated that there were a few unfortunate surprises that lay in wait for those who did enter the classroom as indicated by the pit of corpses that sunk into the mud located in the holes of the wooden floor.
The resident slasher now makes his appearance from the northern corner, apparently having grown tired of waiting. Night Baron thought that it was because they had been clearly avoiding all of his bear trap contraptions for the past few minutes. He was a tall intimidating figure now walking slowly, wearing a white mask showing an open teeth grin, overalls, and large dark blue jeans, carrying a large modified bloody cleaver.
"...Who. Let. The. Dogs. Out?~" Magari smirked viciously, speaking in a sing-song tone.
The slasher made his first move as he charges right in front of the group. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Then Magari made her first move as she, with indescribable speed, slashed through the slasher with one single attack using her spear. When looking closely, Magari's spear tip had dripping red blood that was falling on the wooden ground. As the slasher draws closer to Night Baron, his head suddenly came apart and both it and the body would fall down instantly, and Night Baron dodges the falling body with a side step. The body crashes and the head rolls down. The neckline wounds reveal the presence of red blood that poured all over.
The slasher was dead.
Aiko grimaced at the sudden decapitation of the slasher, feeling a bit sick from seeing it. There was a difference between seeing it on a television screen and in actual real life.
Night Baron woud then make use of a permanent white chalk marker that he gets from his pocket, one that would allow him to trace the body and the head of the slasher, marking where his body parts landed. But why? What was the purpose behind this? It was in truth a basic non-verbal magic spell called a Binding Slash, one specifically relating to how a soul of a slasher would be bounded, trapped and unable to do much of anything, body or soul, a living hell to live with. No need for any fancy incantations, just the single focused thought of intent, focusing on the thought of the person being bound.
Imagine being stuck and rooted in one spot forever, the body in this case acting like a prison for the soul. This was it. The slasher's own self-made hell. It's its own prison. Night Baron knew that he couldn't leave the body of the slasher be especially in a place like Heavenly Host where the dead of all shapes and sizes roam free. A slasher's soul running loose in this realm would cause a lot of unnecessary problems. The Binding Slash would be one of the few contingencies that Night Baron and along with his fellow JOATs would agree to use in case Touma Kamijou's Imagine Breaker or the Doctor isn't available to help deal with this type of issue.
"...Well that was rather fucking disappointing," Magari's smirk didn't wear off. "I was honestly expecting a much longer fight."
"...You just had to jinx it, didn't you," Riko raised an annoyed eyebrow.
"...!" Night Baron's eyes slightly widened a bit while his expression was still blank.
"I think that you're going to have your wish granted, Magari, because there is a threat walking south from our position," he said.
"Huh?" Magari raised an eyebrow.
"Aiko," Night Baron grabbed Aiko Niwa's left hand with his right hand, pulling him behind his back. "Get behind me."
And then, they all look to their back. About a couple of meters away, there was what appeared to be a tall figure, even taller than the slasher, revealing himself. He wore a giant steel diamond-shaped helmet, wearing a dark purplish robe to cover the neck and the upper chest, and wearing medieval warrior clothing. And he was carrying a large executioner axe. The sound of chains was heard from every movement he made.
It was a Martuba Executioner, a genetically engineered soldier of Martuba's Tomb. But there was something off with it, like it no longer followed any command but something else.
"...Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me," Magari made an exasperated expression, sensing the dark energy surrounding the Executioner.
"I did warn you," Riko commented, readying her pistols.
"Oh shut up," Magari side commented.
"Everyone run, now!" Night Baron unleashed a wave of green boomerangs that managed to explode upon contact, sending the Executioner into a daze and whose skin was steaming with intensity due to the holy water being condensed into vapor. It made a grunting sound of pain as he was aiming his axe from everywhere he goes, starting with the left where it was stuck to a wall for a few moments, buying time for the group to make a run for it.
They ran from every corridor that they came across. The girls all followed Night Baron's lead as he knew more of the pathways based on his thought-map, meaning that he knew where to go and not get them either separated or trapped.
"RAAAAGGGGH!"
There was the sound of multiple gunshots that came from Riko's pistols. The specialized bullets are all aimed at the head of the Executioner that with enough hits, managed to make him kneel to the floor, allowing the group more time to evade him.
Passing a few corridors, they were now in one specific corridor whose hole in the wall acted as a dimensional hole that would allow for them to be transported from one dimension to the next. They all went through, leaving this dimension behind.
Night Baron's Rogues Gallery File
File# [REDACTED]
Alias: The Trapper
Real Name: Evan MacMillan
Nationality: American
Date of Birth: [REDACTED]
Biography:
Evan MacMillan idolised his father. It wasn't just that he was heir to a great fortune, it was the way he ran the estate. Raised under his firm hand, Evan had taken to running the workforce with an iron hand. Production was always high and the MacMillan Estate prospered under father and son. As Archie MacMillan's mental health slowly disintegrated, Evan protected him from the herd who wanted a piece of the fortune. No matter what his father asked of him, Evan would do. When Archie MacMillan finally snapped, Evan became his enforcer in what would become known as the worst mass murder in modern history. They never proved that Evan lead over a hundred men into those dark tunnels before detonating the explosives and sealing them to their fate. The tale of the MacMillan Estate is a tale of wealth and power gone very wrong. How many victims fell to the hands of father and son is unknown. No record is ever made of what became of Evan MacMillan. His father is another unsolved puzzle, found trapped in the locked basement of his own warehouse - starved and abandoned.
Description:
Armed with a bag of Bear Traps, The Trapper specialises in catching unsuspecting Survivors. By placing traps in high-traffic areas and thick patches of grass, he creates a deadly area that forces Survivors to move with caution. When dealing with The Trapper, a simple misstep can prove fatal.
Lore:
''There is a vast monster of a man with a hideous grin torn across the mask that keeps stalking my every move. Similar to a hunter, he tracks us, priming devastating traps amongst the greenery. Extreme vigilance and a light step is essential in avoiding the blood-curdling clench of a bear trap or the clutches of what I've taken to calling "The Miserable Smiling Killer". I have but many times managed to get caught in one of these traps. I have nothing but a fear for the feeling of blunt trap spikes grinding against my bones or for the heavy and deliberate footsteps which always inevitably reveal a plastered, sadistic grin. With the traps and the Trapper, it has so far been a constant battle between looking up and looking down.''
―Benedict Baker's Journal, Nov. 1896 on The Trapper
Insert Song: End
Insert Song: Start
ENDER LILIES | Mili - Harmonious (Extended, Slowed, Reverb) + Rain ambient
PART 2
When they arrived in another dimension level of Heavenly Host, it was somewhere in an unknown forest. While the clouds were grey, they weren't pouring down rain.
"Oof!"
However, Aiko Niwa manages to bump into someone and they both fell down on the ground. Everyone notices the other person's presence as they stopped moving. It was a young woman with shoulder-length black hair and angular rose eyes. She was wearing a black coat and white shirt, with a blue tied ribbon, black pants, and black shoes.
"...Eh?" both women, Aiko Niwa and the woman she bumped into while running too fast, uttered in surprise as she did not expect this.
"...Aiko?" the woman, Haruno Yukinoshita, raised an eyebrow, surprised at meeting a familiar face who was right on top of her.
"...Haruno?" Aiko made a bewildered expression, looking at the person who was right below her.
"...What?" Night Baron, who had been standing and looking at the woman, whose appearance here was concerning besides unexpected. Then again, he thought quickly, in the long run, the more time passes relatively, the more people end up here in Heavenly Host.
...But there was one interesting and recognizable person here besides Haruno.
"Shinichi!"
...Who was instantly embracing him. He was currently being embraced by another young woman, one that looked worried for him. He recognized her. It was a young woman, somewhere in her third year of high school so one can probably make a guesstimate of about between 17 to 18 for approximating. She was wearing a white dress that appeared a bit dusty. In fact, her appearance looked a bit dusty and there were traces of a little sweat, indicating that she may have been recently running from something.
"...Shoko!" Night Baron muttered, widening his eyes, concerned.
Flashback
DCMK Universe-Prime
Sometime in 2014, the year when Shinichi Kudo was first starting out as Night Baron, he would once again meet up with Shoko Makinohara, a constant in his life since his elementary school years. Whenever she turns up, it would be when times of sadness and moments of deep thought happen, and wanted to be there to cheer and encourage him. Aside from that, she appears during moments when the timeline is not as it should be, or that Earth or the universe itself was very close to danger, in which during those times, he would heed her counsel. There were also times when she would ask him to change the fate of someone whose lot in life who from an undetermined and non-fixed future.
And that would be it.
"Matsuzaka Sato?" Night Baron, wearing his dark blue magician uniform, standing somewhere on a rooftop that allows him to overlook the city of Tokyo and can spot landmarks such as the Tokyo Tower, turn his face towards the young high school student Shoko Makinohara, wearing a long-sleeved white dress shirt that comes with a yellow vest and a red tie, and wear an orangish brown jacket with it. She also wears a dark navyish blue skirt. Finally, it finishes with white knee-length socks and brown standard school shoes.
She smiled like an angel at him. A familiar melancholic smile that would at least cheer him up from time to time. It was a smile of encouragement, one that he finds in his daily struggle. His cape was being lightly blown by the winds of a windy day, when the clouds were grey but it wasn't raining. It was about 1 in the afternoon.
"That's right," Shoko nodded as she gave him a few photos and papers all contained in a light white file folder. "This would be all that you may need without of course accidentally spoiling you about the undetermined futures."
Night Baron would grab the folder gently and open the folder. Some part of him of course had wondered as to where she managed to find the items contained in this folder so he saved it with the rest of his thoughts. The more he saw and read through the files, the more he turned displeased, but it wasn't an obvious one.
"...I'll definitely look into this. Thank you, Shoko," Night Baron nodded with a grateful tone, holding the center tip of his dark blue magician hat.
Shoko only smiled in response as she would see Night Baron tuck the file into his pocket. Then she would see him off as he jumps off the edge of the building and make use of his cape to fly and glide through the air using the currents that blow in his direction.
And this was but one example of how he usually meets up with her from time to time. The more Night Baron investigated this young woman, the more enigmatic she became. She turns up at seemingly random moments that turn out to be decisive when a specific moment happens. He can see the underlying pattern of Shoko's multiple appearances over the years. With these mysterious encounters, Night Baron had begun to reflect for many years. They, despite being random half the time, were important. Because of her, he managed to prevent the tragic fates of multiple people, many of that may have suffered so in the undetermined future(s) that she had come from.
The thing about his universe is that the future wasn't truly set. There was no true future from a sense point of view. There were infinite future timelines, ones that can be travelled and observed by various methods, and the future remains interchangeable depending on the choices that they make along the way.
Present Time
''Well now, I didn't expect for the heiress of the Yukinoshitsa Financial Group to be here with the rest of us peasants,'' Magari Mizuki raised an eyebrow, with one hand to her scythe in a stand-up position and the other to her waist.
''...Hmmm,'' Haruno giggled a bit with humor as she dusted her pants a bit with her hands, standing up alongside Aiko Niwa. Haruno would speak in turn. ''Well, I can't say much the same since I know that all of you had at least some dealings with the supernatural, and yes, I'm more than aware of what's happening at this point since Shoko-chan here had provided me with a bit of summary when we suddenly bumped into each other.''
Haruno was referring to the young woman who is currently embracing Night Baron tightly. It was one born out of worry and concern for Night Baron.
''I'm glad...that I found you, Night Baron,'' Shoko Makinohara touched the side of Night Baron's right cheek. ''I've actually been looking for you throughout this place for a while.''
''Shoko, how long have you been here?'' Night Baron asked, concerned.
''For about a day I think before I eventually managed to bump into Yukinoshita-san,'' Shoko smiled sadly, lowering her hand away from Night Baron's cheek. Her expression was one of hesitation and trepidation. ''But truth be told, even I can't seem to really tell what time it is in this place. The fact that I ended up here at all makes me immediately think that something had happened, and from what I can remember, it doesn't appear to look brighter for the world. Something has gone terribly wrong with the future and it seems to relate to...this place...''
''...Then it just further confirms what I and the others may have discovered by now,'' Night Baron muttered.
''Others?'' Shoko asked, curious.
''The Doctor, myself, and the rest of the JOATs. Well, make that two Doctors really,'' Night Baron explained.
''Eh? The Doctor and the others are with you? Now?'' Shoko's expression became even more worried because she knew that concerning events surrounding Shinichi Kudo, or Conan Edogawa, or Night Baron, when those involved the Doctor or one or more of Night Baron's fellow companions all grouped together as the Jack Of All Trades (JOATs), then those were the situations that usually relate to world or universe-related events.
''The Doctor? The JOATs?'' Haruno tilted her head, curious due to not knowing the full context of what they are talking about. ''Wait a minute, who are we talking about here?''
''Oh wait, let me guess, you were as much in the dark as many of us girls when it comes to Night Baron's personal secrets,'' Magari made a slightly amused smirk.
''Secrets,'' Haruno spoke, curious and concerned about this development.
Now, Haruno Yukinoshita was not stupid. Just because she knew the man's identity behind the mask does not mean that she wasn't aware that even Night Baron keeps some secrets to himself. It could have been anything really. Highly classified files that high-ranking government officials had probably shown him. Dealing with something spooky just crawling up on their dimension's backside. Most especially dealing with an international conspiracy criminal organization that at least two of its agents were responsible for Night Baron's current state, being shrunk to the size of an elementary school child.
So of course, this would probably be one of those secrets that Night Baron had been keeping from her.
''Well, consider me interested then,'' Haruno smiled a bit with interest. ''So what's the usual secret that our dear Dark Knight of Japan had hidden from some of us girls.''
''I can explain on the way as we walked. For now, we need to keep moving, as far away from here as we preferably can in light of remembering that we were being chased earlier,'' Night Baron responded.
''That's right,'' Aiko responded, reminded of what had recently taken place. ''We need to keep moving. There may still be the possibility that we may not be safe just yet.''
Insert Song: End
Insert Song: Start
Corpse Party: Book of Shadows ~ Escaping Samsara A (Extended)
And so, they would begin to walk through the woods. It was one long trek. As much as possible, they would lower their voices as they all commonly knew that everywhere is considered hostile territory. Through Night Baron's thought-map, they manage to avoid the obvious pitfalls and traps.
''...And that is the current situation that we are dealing with. Now our main objectives are simple. One: In spite of being currently separated, which we have anticipated, we still need to find and gather all twenty-four soul fragments. Two: Find the missing people that we need to find.''
''At least three sets of people I see,'' Haruno surmised while her expression remained serious, a far cry from her playful nature. ''To think that the situation was this bad. In fact, that honestly explains the way you look terrible, Shoko-chan.''
''...'' Night Baron noted, his head glancing to the side for a bit. He sees Shoko make a hesitant expression, as if she didn't want to remember something dreadful. ''It had something to do with the future, isn't it?''
''...Yes,'' Shoko nodded, putting one right hand to her left elbow, glancing through the woods in worry. She dare not say much more.
''I see,'' Night Baron simply left it at that. He had a pretty clear idea of what possible future lay in store if they cannot stop Heavenly Host from doing further damage.
And they walked and walked. Finally, they seem to have found themselves in a scattered junkyard on the side of the abandoned roads. There were all of the leftover cars and decomposed corpses. Well...not all corpses were dead. There was one in particular that was crawling with no sense of stopping.
''...!''
Everyone was looking at the decomposed corpse that was slowly crouching on the ground. Night Baron simply grabbed one of his boomerangs for something like this and threw it at the corpse, aiming it at the neckline, decapitating it instantly as the movement of the boomerang went straight back to Night Baron's hand. Most of the girls gasped a bit due to the method the corpse-zombie was dealt with, but it needed to be done since it was dead anyway.
And they walked and walked. Nothing for miles as the fog tends to cover vast distances. There were some casual talks in a hush-hush tone, still careful in this hostile dimension. Among the debris, there was...
''...!''
Something that made Night Baron stop cold. No, more than that. What he felt was that his sense of danger arose altogether. He felt the urge to step back for a few appropriate distances. He was trembling in fact, in a slow manner while unconsciously stepping back before managing to keep it together and holding his ground. The young women all begin to take notice of this oddity in Night Baron's behavior. There were barely a few things that could do this to him and they could count it on one hand. For him to be acting like this was concerning.
''...Hmm? What's wrong, Night Baron?'' Shoko asked gently as she crouched, noticing Night Baron's slowly trembling figure. She puts a hand on his shoulder. He glances back and forth towards her and whatever lies beyond. It was fear. He was afraid of something. As curious as she was, Shoko followed the line where Night Baron stared.
What was Night Baron staring at, especially when there is a fog covering the entirety of the area?
But that same fog would disperse slowly, only to reveal...
''...''
The young women softly gasp in surprise as they see what appeared to be...some kind of gigantic arthropod. It looked a bit damaged as there were what appeared to be holes in it from many of its parts, particularly its head which had what appeared to be ten eyestalks, half of them being broken. There were the remains of weapon systems such as turrets and pulse cannons. All of its battle-scarred wounds were formed by projectiles from an unknown quantified source. It was simply laying on the ground, with not a hint of life left within it.
''...What...What is that?'' Haruno looked curious at the arthropod. But then, she heard Night Baron's voice mutter something that grabbed her and everyone's attention.
''...No...No it can't be...'' Night Baron muttered, feeling fear gripping his heart.
''Oi, what's gotten into you, Baron?'' Magari asked.
''Magari, have you ever heard of something called the Daleks?'' Night Baron simply cut to the chase and asked the penultimate question.
''...!'' Magari Mizuki's eyes widened in shock. Shoko Makinohara and Riko Mine Lupin IV's eyes were also widening in shock. The other women who have no clue what he was talking about could only look at this with concern and trepidation.
''Daleks? What are they so to speak?'' Aiko asked, not familiar with the name.
''A fucking nightmare, that's what,'' Magari spat out, having the urge to feel like running away from the wreckage. Bloodlust was one thing but suicide is another thing.
''A nightmare that you really don't want to encounter if you value any sense of life. Night Baron, since you have your glasses, what era do you think this Dalek is from?'' Riko asked, concerned.
Night Baron was silent for a few moments, hesitating to answer. Afterwards, he did answer, but the answer was a bombshell that would make both Riko and Shoko gasp in shock, shuddering as well with a sense of dread.
''...Time War,'' he answered.
''...Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me right now,'' Magari muttered, grimacing.
How could Magari not of course have heard of the term ''Time War''? Or how can Shoko or Riko not know of the same term?
For Magari, she had a few sources of information to draw from. Many of those happen to be the stuff of legends and myths. While once doing some research on the Doctor, one of her order's most deadliest of enemies, she stumbled upon something of particular note that would make her not wish to meet the man in person, or encounter the conflict that he had fought in.
The Last Great Time War.
An inter-multiverse spacetime conflict that ravaged all of the Multiverse. All of space and time, all dimensions, all alternatives and parallels, all divergences and variances, everything and nothing that could possibly or impossibly can be. The cosmic and temporal powers that fought in it from the higher planes of reality, and the many eldritch horrors that either grew attracted to the conflict, fled the conflict out of fear, or being born from that very conflict. It was a conflict where gods fought to die and rise again like an eternal cyclic Ragnarok.
For Shoko and Riko, it was more or less in the same sense as Magari. They haven't met the Daleks, but they have heard the stories. They knew what the Daleks were, what they were more than capable of doing.
''...We all need to leave,'' Night Baron muttered. ''Quietly.''
''No need to tell fucking us twice,'' Magari grimaced as she was now stepping back.
And so, they would slowly side-glance the remains of the dead Dalek drone that now lay from the grass fields and walked slowly, not planning on disturbing the dead drone. Night Baron didn't want to disturb the deactivated drone for fear of waking something far worst. Ghosts and spirits were one thing. Slashers were another thing. Monsters and other types of madness that existed here were other things.
But the Dalek was on a whole different level of evil and madness.
Especially if it was a Time War Dalek.
Insert Song: End
ED Song:
GAME OVER · Ito Kanako
Main Companion Protagonists:
Shinichi Kudo/Conan Edogawa/Night Baron II - VAs: Kappei Yamaguchi; Minami Takayama
New Characters:
Haruno Yukinoshita - VA: Mai Nakahara
Shoko Makinohara - VA: Inori Minase
Inspector Juzo Megure - VA: Chafurin
Enemy Characters:
Evan MacMillan