Options system in my brain: Detective Conan

Sera Masumi hung up the phone after saying goodbye to Akikawa Kyousuke.

But what Akikawa Kyousuke had just told her left her deeply worried.

'Something is going to happen at Location B?'

'And Mr. Akikawa also said Kaitou Kid might steal the gem. How is that even possible?!'

Not to mention Conan, who has several gadgets, and Toru Amuro, who is a public safety officer and an undercover agent in the organization.

Even the police from Division 2 couldn't protect a gem placed in a small storage room, right?

Moreover, the gem was stored in a display case with a password.

How could Kaitou Kid steal the gem under such tight security?

Sera Masumi felt that this might simply be a baseless assumption by Akikawa Kyousuke, so she decided to stop worrying about it.

However, just as she followed the police from Division 2 to Arena D, she heard Officer Kurihara's intercom buzz in front of her.

Officer Kurihara answered the call.

Immediately, a loud and urgent voice came through the intercom:

"Officer Kurihara! Officer Nakamori, who came with us earlier, is disguised as Kaitou Kid! He's trying to steal the Scarlet Shadow Heart!"

"Officer Kurihara! There was an explosion in the Scarlet Shadow Heart collection room! It was probably caused by Kaitou Kid!"

"Officer Kurihara! Kaitou Kid has stolen the Scarlet Shadow Heart!"

The words coming through Officer Kurihara's intercom left the officers present in disbelief.

The events being reported were so bizarre that everyone couldn't help but question their authenticity.

Even though the voice on the intercom belonged to a colleague they worked with daily, they couldn't immediately accept this as the truth.

The officers who weren't at the scene began discussing the credibility of the information.

Then, another announcement came over the speakers:

"Emergency notice! A sudden explosion occurred at Location B. Visitors in Location B are asked to evacuate in an orderly manner according to the staff's instructions and to avoid stampedes."

"Visitors currently in other areas, please refrain from heading toward Location B."

"We also request all tourists to evacuate in an orderly fashion and stay away from the collection rooms in various areas."

After hearing the announcement, one of the police officers from Division 2 couldn't help but speak up:

"Isn't this just another fake broadcast sent by Kaitou Kid?"

"The announcement just said Kaitou Kid is at Arena D. How could he have run back to Arena B so quickly?"

"Could it be that, just like Kaitou Kid tricked us earlier in the Yuehua collection room, this time he wants to keep people away from Location B, or even evacuate the entire Tokyo International Exhibition Center?"

"Or maybe he wants to lure us back to Arena B after we've just arrived at Arena D?"

Just as Officer Kurihara turned to ask Sera Masumi about the credibility of the situation, he saw the tomboyish detective who had been following him suddenly look stunned, then immediately turn and sprint toward Arena B.

Her speed was so astonishing that even the formally trained officers were taken aback.

Officer Kurihara reacted instantly.

"Why are you just standing there? Miss Sera's crime-solving skills are far beyond ours. Hurry up and follow her!"

Of course, while ordering his officers to chase after Sera Masumi toward Location B, Officer Kurihara didn't forget to leave two officers behind to check the collection room where the disguises were stored.

---

Meanwhile…

Masumi Sera had already dashed through the gate connecting Arena D and Arena C before it closed.

Afterward, she ran toward Location B, pushing against the growing crowd of people evacuating the area.

If she had been in her usual state of mind, she might have questioned the authenticity of the broadcast she had just heard.

But now, she had no doubts, and the critical reason for her belief lay in what Akikawa Kyousuke had told her just moments ago:

"Something might happen at the Scarlet Heart location."

"Kid, the Phantom Thief, might steal the Scarlet Shadow Heart."

The two statements, which Masumi Sera had doubted not long ago, had come true within ten minutes.

As she sprinted toward Arena B, Sera Masumi began organizing the information in her mind.

'Akikawa only predicted all of this after hearing what I said.'

'In other words, the evidence available is enough to infer what's happening now.'

'What am I missing?!'

'What's so special about this place that made Akikawa foresee these events?'

The more Sera Masumi thought about it, the more confused she became.

'I remember Akikawa just confirmed the identity of the person who returned the Scarlet Shadow Heart to the safe.'

'The person who returned the Scarlet Shadow Heart wasn't Officer Nakamori or Mr. Tsukino but a detective from the First Investigative Division.'

'But what does that have to do with what's happening now at Arena B?!'

Sera Masumi resisted the urge to pull her hair in frustration.

If only Akikawa Kyousuke knew that detective's identity.

But I didn't even mention the detective's name or appearance!

This situation—where it was clear she had overlooked some detail but couldn't draw the correct conclusion—was driving Sera Masumi mad.

At the same time, she couldn't help but admire Akikawa Kyousuke's ability to notice small details and deduce the overall situation from just minor phenomena.

But given the current circumstances, the matters behind this gem theft case likely involved far more than just Kaitou Kid and the Tsukino Consortium.

There was a deeper conspiracy at play.

As for what the officer from Division 2 had just said—that Kaitou Kid caused the explosion—Sera Masumi didn't believe it for a second.

After all, both Conan and Nakamori Ginzo had analyzed Kaitou Kid's operational principles with precision.

Kaitou Kid was unlikely to intentionally do something so reckless that it could easily endanger lives.

The remaining possibility was that someone else had preemptively planted a bomb in the Scarlet Heart collection room.

'Could it be Mr. Tsukino? No, it shouldn't be! This exhibition is led by him!'

'What benefit would he gain from blowing up his own show?!'

'Also, could Kaitou Kid have deciphered the password-protected display case and taken the gem so quickly?'

The case was made of bulletproof glass and polycarbonate! Even if there were an explosion, it probably wouldn't shatter, would it?!

With countless questions swirling in her mind, Sera Masumi raced toward Arena B.

(End of Chapter)