Detective Conan: Shadow Legion Office

19: Chapter 19 Rainy Night Slaughter, Saving Shiho MiyanoInside the underground conference room of Lins Office, the light was dim, with only a giant projection screen emitting a ghostly blue light.

Lin Long sat at the head of the table, his fingertips tapping unconsciously on the surface, his eyes fixed intently on the image on the screen, the air pressure around him so low it was suffocating.

The image showed a cold metal room, the walls covered in pipes and gauges, with invisible toxins seeming to float in the air—this was a specialized gas chamber of the Black Organization.

In the corner of the room, Miyano Shiho was curled up, her hands clutching her knees tightly, her face buried deep in her arms.

She was wearing a thin white coat, her originally smooth long hair sticking messily to her cheeks, the exposed line of her neck looking slender and fragile.

Gone was the calmness and sharpness she usually displayed in the laboratory; at this moment, she looked like a young beast drenched in a heavy rainstorm, exuding an aura of despair and sorrow from head to toe.

Every subtle tremor was like a needle pricking the heart of Miss Akemi, who was watching from the side.

”Sir, according to the real-time monitoring by the Shadow Guards, this is the third basement level of the White Dove Pharmaceutical Factory in the suburbs of Tokyo, a secret stronghold used by the organization to detain ’disobedient’ members and conduct live experiments.”

The Shadow Guard standing next to the screen reported in a low voice, his tone devoid of emotion, yet unable to hide the cruelty of the content.

”Miss Miyano Shiho has been locked up here for three days.”

Lin Long’s fingers stopped abruptly, his knuckles turning white.

Three days... In this sunless gas chamber, repeatedly tortured by despair and lies, how did this eighteen-year-old girl manage to hold on?

”Tell me in detail.”

His voice was low and hoarse, as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper.

”Yes.”

The Shadow Guard nodded and called up a clip of surveillance footage, and the cold face of Gin appeared on the screen.

”Ever since Miss Miyano Akemi was rescued by us, Gin has sent people to hunt her down multiple times without success, and added to the fact that Miss Miyano Shiho kept asking about her sister’s whereabouts.”

Gin, in a fit of rage, told her three days ago—that Miss Miyano Akemi had been executed by him personally.

In the recording, Gin’s voice came through the cold metal door, carrying malicious cruelty:

”Your sister? She betrayed the organization, tried to run away with one billion yen, and was taken care of by me on the spot. What, do you want to follow in her footsteps?”

In the image, Miyano Shiho lifted her head abruptly, her face pale as paper, her eyes bloodshot, looking at Gin outside the door in disbelief:

”What did you say? Impossible! My sister wouldn’t...”

”Impossible?”

Gin sneered, the sarcasm in his tone cutting like a knife.

”Do you want me to show you photos of her corpse? Oh, I forgot, the body has already been disposed of, not even ashes are left.”

”No—!”

Miyano Shiho let out a shrill scream and lunged at the metal door, but was blocked by the cold bars, leaving her to watch helplessly as Gin’s figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.

From that day on, she fell into complete silence.

”She started a hunger strike, refused to conduct any experiments, and even destroyed some of the equipment in the laboratory.”

The Shadow Guard continued his report, pulling up another segment of footage where Miyano Shiho smashed an experimental test tube hard onto the ground, glass shards splattering everywhere, but she seemed not to feel any pain, only looking ahead with empty eyes.

”Gin thought she was intentionally provoking him, so he ordered her to be locked in the gas chamber, released a low concentration of neurotoxins, and threatened her, saying that whenever she was willing to work again, he would let her out.”

The Shadow Guard’s voice paused.

”According to our detection, the toxin concentration in the gas chamber is slowly rising. If this continues, even if she doesn’t seek death herself, her body will gradually fail.”

Lin Long’s breathing became heavier and heavier, his chest feeling as if it were blocked by a giant rock, stifling and painful.

He knew what would happen next—in two more days, a completely desperate Miyano Shiho would find the APTX4869 she had secretly hidden, trying to end her life with the poison she had developed herself.

But by a twist of fate, she would turn back into the appearance of a seven-year-old child, escape the organization under the pseudonym ”Ai Haibara,” and eventually be discovered by Conan Edogawa.

But Lin Long would not allow such a thing to happen.

The one he wanted to save was the Miyano Shiho who supported herself alone in the organization, calm and wise; it was the genius scientist who could develop APTX4869 and held the core secrets of the organization, not a little girl who had lost everything and needed to depend on others.

He needed Miyano Shiho’s wisdom, needed her understanding of the organization, and more importantly—Lin Long wanted to save this Miyano Shiho who had become cold due to losing her sister in the original story.

”We must save her before she takes the drug.”

Lin Long stood up abruptly, the chair legs making a harsh screeching sound against the floor.

”Shadow Guards!”

”Here!”

A dozen dark shadows in the conference room knelt on one knee simultaneously, their red eyes lighting up in the darkness like falcons ready to strike.

”Full deployment, target the White Dove Pharmaceutical Factory. At all costs, bring Miyano Shiho back safely!”

Lin Long’s voice carried unquestionable majesty, every word resonating with power.

”Remember, I want her alive, and completely unharmed!”

”Understood!”

The Shadow Guards replied in unison, their voices shaking the air, and then they dissolved into shadows and merged into the darkness.

”Additionally,”

Lin Long added, a flash of cold murderous intent in his eyes.

”Clear out all perimeter members, leave no one behind.”

Be careful that they don’t notify the organization’s executives, especially Gin and Vodka. Our target is only Miyano Shiho.”

He wanted a silent raid, not a head-on confrontation with the organization.

That would have an adverse effect on the operation; what if they were cornered and decided to harm Miyano Shiho?

”Understood!”

The Shadow Guards rose instantly, turning into black shadows that merged into the shadows on the walls and vanished.

Only Lin Long and Miyano Akemi remained in the conference room—she had stood at the doorway at some point, looking at the curled-up figure of her sister on the screen with a pale face, her hands covering her mouth tightly to keep from crying out loud.

”Akemi, sorry, I didn’t tell you.”

Lin Long walked to her side, his voice softening.

Miyano Akemi shook her head vigorously, tears rolling down like broken beads.

”No... Thank you, Mr. Lin Long... Thank you for being willing to save Shiho...”

She had heard the Shadow Guard’s report outside the door, heard Gin’s lies, and heard her sister’s despair; her heart was breaking.

She couldn’t imagine that her sister, who had been smart and independent since childhood, was enduring such pain.

”She is your only relative, I won’t let anything happen to her.”

Lin Long patted her shoulder gently.

”Don’t worry, the Shadow Guards will bring her back soon.”

Miyano Akemi nodded vigorously, clenching her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms.

She prayed over and over in her heart: Shiho, hold on a little longer, sister will definitely save you!

...

Night fell, and a gale accompanied by a heavy rainstorm swept across all of Tokyo.

Bean-sized raindrops pelted the ground, forming muddy streams that washed away the sins and filth of the city.

The White Dove Pharmaceutical Factory was located in an abandoned industrial zone in the suburbs, surrounded by dilapidated factory buildings and overgrown wasteland.

The main building of the factory was pitch black, with only a few windows emitting faint light, like the eyes of a monster, exuding an eerie atmosphere in the rainy night.

Around the factory, a dozen perimeter members of the Black Organization wearing black raincoats were patrolling back and forth, the beams of their flashlights swaying in the darkness, vigilantly observing any movement. They all had pistols holstered at their waists, their fingers constantly on the triggers, the atmosphere as tense as a fully drawn bowstring.

”Damn it, this godforsaken weather.”

A short, fat member cursed and wiped the rainwater from his face.

”What the hell are the higher-ups doing? Making us guard a place like this, we don’t even have a hot meal.”

”Stop talking nonsense, I heard an important person is locked inside. If anything goes wrong, we’ll all die.”

The tall and thin member beside him warned in a low voice, his eyes scanning the dark corners uneasily.

For some reason, in tonight’s rainy night, he always felt like a pair of eyes was watching them.

Just then, the beam of the tall and thin member’s flashlight suddenly shone on his own shadow—the shadow on the wet ground twisted and deformed, and it actually had one more arm than his body, and in that hand, it was holding a blade that glinted with cold light!

”Wh, what is that?!”

He was terrified out of his wits, and just as he was about to scream, his mouth was tightly covered by a cold hand.

”Pfft—”

The sound of a blade entering flesh was masked by the heavy rain, so faint it was almost inaudible.

The tall and thin member’s body went limp and fell, his eyes wide open; he died without even seeing who had killed him.

And his shadow had returned to normal, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.

In the darkness, a black shadow emerged from the tall and thin member’s shadow, moving silently, dragging the corpse into the weeds nearby with a backhand, then merging back into the darkness, targeting the next victim.

This scene was playing out simultaneously all around the factory area.

The patrolling perimeter members disappeared one by one into the rainy night, some had their throats slit by shadow daggers, some were knocked out by the Shadow Guards with special anesthetic needles, and some hadn’t even reacted before their necks were snapped by hands reaching out from the shadows.

”Thump!” ”Thump!”

The sound of heavy objects hitting the ground was swallowed by the torrential rain, with only the occasional splash revealing the dark liquid rapidly spreading across the floor.

In just ten minutes, all the guards on the perimeter of the factory had been completely wiped out by the Shadow Guards without triggering any alarms.

Like the most precise hunters, the Shadow Guards moved through the darkness and quickly infiltrated the factory.

They avoided the blind spots of the surveillance cameras, took out the scattered guards in the corridors, and advanced all the way toward the gas chamber on the third underground level.

The factory’s alarm system never sounded; the entire process was terrifyingly quiet, with only the sound of rain drumming against the windows and the hurried yet light footsteps of the Shadow Guards.

...

Inside the gas chamber, Miyano Shiho remained curled up in a corner.

The low concentration of neurotoxin left her dizzy and weak, but the physical pain was far outweighed by the despair in her heart.

Her sister was dead... killed by Gin...

This thought gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake, making even breathing feel painful.

She regretted it; she regretted not stopping her sister’s plan back then, regretted being too weak and only being able to watch helplessly as her sister headed toward a dead end, and regretted developing those lethal poisons, her hands stained with blood...

Perhaps dying here was the best ending.

She slowly raised her head, her gaze falling on the ventilation duct in the wall—

Hidden there was her last hope, and also her final despair. She had hidden an APTX4869 there, a ”gift” she had prepared for herself.

Just as she struggled to stand up, preparing to end it all, a faint sound suddenly came from the shadows behind her.

”Who is it?!”

Miyano Shiho whipped her head around, looking vigilantly toward the source of the sound. Despite her physical weakness, her gaze instantly became sharp, like a cat backed into a corner,

”Gin? Or Vodka? What do you want now?”

No one answered.

On the floor behind her, the shadow that originally belonged to her suddenly began to twist and stretch, rising like melted ink, and finally coalesced into a humanoid black figure.

The black figure wore a pure black combat uniform with no expression on its face, only a pair of red eyes emitting a cold, eerie light in the dim gas chamber.

He held no weapon, yet he gave off an extreme sense of oppression, as if he were a messenger from the depths of hell.

”Who are you?!”

Miyano Shiho trembled, instinctively shrinking backward, her back pressing tightly against the cold wall,

”What are you?! Don’t come any closer!”

She had never seen such an existence—someone who could emerge from a shadow?

Was this a modified human newly developed by the organization?

Or some kind of high-tech disguise?

Fear, like a cold, venomous snake, coiled around her heart.

The Shadow Guard did not speak, only walking toward her step by step. His footsteps were light, yet Miyano Shiho felt as if every step was trampling on her heartbeat.

”Don’t come any closer! I’m warning you!”

Miyano Shiho struggled to find a weapon, but realized she had nothing, and could only wave her arms futilely,

”If you come any closer, I’ll...”

Before she could finish, the Shadow Guard stopped, pulled something from his chest, and held it out to her.

It was an ordinary smartphone, its screen black, gleaming coldly in the dim light.

Miyano Shiho was stunned, not understanding why this mysterious black figure wanted to give her a phone.

Was it a trap? Was there a bomb in the phone? Or some kind of tracker?

Seeing that she didn’t move, the Shadow Guard gently placed the phone on the ground, then retreated two steps, disappearing back into the shadows of the corner, as if he were just a silent guardian.

Miyano Shiho hesitated for a long time, looking at the phone on the floor, then at the black shadow in the corner, ultimately unable to resist the faint spark of curiosity and desire to survive in her heart.

She struggled to crawl over and picked up the phone.

The moment her fingers touched the screen, the phone suddenly rang.

”Ring—”

The shrill ringing echoed in the enclosed gas chamber, scaring Miyano Shiho so much she almost threw the phone away.

She took a deep breath, tremblingly pressed the answer button, and brought the phone to her ear.

”Hello?”

Her voice was raspy and unrecognizable, filled with intense vigilance.

A calm and steady male voice came from the other end of the line, carrying a strange power that soothed the heart:

”Miyano Shiho?”

Miyano Shiho’s heart skipped a beat. This voice... was very unfamiliar. Who was it?

”Your sister, Miyano Akemi, is not dead.”

The man’s voice cut straight to the point, without any wasted words, yet it exploded like a thunderclap in Miyano Shiho’s mind,

”She is with me now, and she is very safe.”

”What did you say?!”

Miyano Shiho screamed, almost unable to believe her ears,

”Impossible! Gin said he killed my sister! Who are you? You’re lying to me, aren’t you?!”

”Whether I’m lying to you or not, you’ll know if you go with the Shadow Guard.”

The man’s voice remained calm,

”I don’t want to waste words with you. Now, immediately, go with him. If you want to know your sister’s whereabouts, and if you still want to live, don’t hesitate.”

Having said that, the other party hung up directly, leaving only the ”beep-beep” of the busy signal.

Miyano Shiho held the phone, stunned in place.

Her mind was blank, her ears filled only with the sound of her own violent heartbeat.

Her sister wasn’t dead?

This news was too shocking for her to process all at once. Was it true?

Or was it a lie fabricated by this mysterious person, wanting to use her?

She looked at the Shadow Guard in the corner, that strange person who could appear from shadows.

If this were a conspiracy of the organization, they could have just killed her directly; there was no need to go through so much trouble.

But what if it was true... was her sister really still alive?

Once the flame of hope was ignited, it could never be extinguished.

She could not give up on this possibility.

Even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance, she had to go and see.

Miyano Shiho took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement and anxiety in her heart, raised her head, and looked at the Shadow Guard in the corner. Although her voice was still a little shaky, it carried unprecedented firmness:

”Let’s go, I’ll go with you.”

The Shadow Guard did not speak, simply stepping out of the shadows, making a ”please” gesture, and then turning to walk toward the door of the gas chamber.

His fingers pressed quickly on the keypad by the door, and with a soft ”beep,” the heavy metal door slowly opened.

Outside the door was a pitch-black corridor, and the Shadow Guard’s figure quickly blended into it.

Miyano Shiho took one last look at the ventilation duct in the corner, where the APTX4869 she had prepared to end her life was still hidden. She gripped the phone in her hand tightly, as if grasping her last hope, and then resolutely followed.

The corridor was empty, with only the footsteps of the Shadow Guard and her echoing.

Miyano Shiho noticed that occasionally, a few drops of dark liquid could be seen on the floor, and she could smell a faint scent of blood; clearly, a silent slaughter had just taken place here.

What exactly was this mysterious organization? Their power seemed even more eerie and formidable than the Black Organization.

The Shadow Guard led her through the labyrinthine corridor, avoiding all surveillance and traps, with a smooth journey all the way.

Miyano Shiho even suspected that they knew the structure of this place like the back of their hand.

Soon, they arrived at the exit of the third underground level. The Shadow Guard pushed open the door, and the scent of the torrential rain outside rushed toward them.

In the courtyard, piles of corpses were strewn about, and the smell of blood was nauseating.

In the center, an inconspicuous black sedan was parked, and the driver was already waiting there; it was Butler Ochiai.

When he saw Miyano Shiho, he bowed slightly in greeting, with no trace of surprise on his face, as if he had long known he would be picking her up.

”Please get in the car, Miss Miyano.”

Butler Ochiai opened the car door.

Miyano Shiho hesitated for a moment, but ultimately sat into the car.

The Shadow Guard did not get in the car, but nodded to Butler Ochiai, then turned and blended into the darkness again—they still had to stay behind to clean up the scene and erase all traces.

The sedan drove steadily out of White Dove Pharmaceutical Factory and merged into the traffic of the rainy night.

Miyano Shiho sat in the back seat, watching the night scenery fly by outside the window, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

She did not know where she was going, nor what awaited her, but her heart was filled with a long-lost sense of anticipation.

Sister...

She gripped the phone in her hand tightly, as if it were a link to hope.

Meanwhile, at Lins Office, Lin Long was standing in front of the window, watching the torrential rain outside. Butler Ochiai sent a message:

”Have picked up Miss Miyano Shiho, currently on the way back.”

Lin Long’s tense nerves finally relaxed, and the corners of his mouth curled into an imperceptible smile.

Miyano Shiho, welcome to my world.

Next, it’s it’s time to have a good ”chat” about APTX4869, about the Black Organization, and about her future.

The rainy night was still noisy, but the trajectory of Miyano Shiho’s fate had already quietly changed under Lin Long’s intervention.

And this game of chess with the Black Organization would become even more unpredictable with the addition of this genius scientist.