Detective Conan: Death Note

After the robbers let them go and returned to the front of the bus, the atmosphere inside grew heavier.

The passengers had come to a chilling realization.

These two robbers really could kill someone.

Those who had tried to intervene earlier now sat in silence, guilt weighing on their shoulders.

Hayashi Yoshiki glanced at his watch, while Conan remained frozen in guilt.

I was too impulsive.

He hadn't been afraid of the robbers—he'd faced worse before. But when they put the gun to Hayashi Yoshiki's head and pretended to pull the trigger...

He was really scared.

What if Yoshiki had actually died because of me?

He couldn't imagine how Ran, Kogoro, Eri, or even Sonoko would react—and more than that, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

"It's fine if you kill me. Just let the child go."

That moment echoed in his mind.

Ran was right.

Yoshiki always thought of others first. He never hesitated to put himself in danger to protect someone else...

Conan looked at Hayashi Yoshiki apologetically, only to find Yoshiki no longer watching the robbers—but instead glancing toward the three passengers in the back row.

He noticed it too!

There had to be an accomplice back there. Otherwise, how could the robbers have noticed Conan's slight movements behind the seat?

And with Yoshiki's level of insight, he definitely would have realized that the item in the ski bag was a bomb.

What do we do?

There was nothing to do now except wait—wait for the robbers to slip up.

Time crept by. Conan couldn't sit still.

Suddenly, the robber at the front received a phone call.

"Hello? Yeah, Boss Yashima?"

He asked casually, "How's it going on your end?"

"All good. We lost the cops."

"Perfect. Then we'll regroup at the usual place in three days."

He hung up and turned to the driver, pointing the gun at his forehead.

"Alright, listen up. Head to the Capital Expressway. Middle lane. Pick up speed. When we enter the Little Buddha Tunnel, slow down."

"Y-Yes! I understand!"

"Relax. Don't be scared. We'll let the passengers go, just like we said."

The robber's mocking tone made the driver visibly tense.

Once the bus got onto the expressway and began accelerating, the robbers started selecting passengers for their next move.

They were clever.

Right at the start of the hijacking, they promised to release three hostages once the police met their demands. It was a ruse, of course.

The Little Buddha Tunnel was long—about three to four minutes to pass through at a slower speed. In that dim tunnel, outside surveillance would be nearly useless.

Their plan? Swap their clothes for plain clothes, have hostages change into their ski gear, and walk off with their hidden accomplices pretending to be a hostage.

Then, once safely away, detonate the bomb inside the bus—creating the illusion that a struggle had broken out, killing the remaining robbers and sealing their escape under police protection.

It was smart.

But that time would never come.

After a brief exchange, the robbers decided on two "volunteers": Shuichi Akai—who they thought was just an ordinary man—and Hayashi Yoshiki, who had annoyed them earlier.

Yoshiki checked his watch again and smiled faintly.

Haibara Ai gripped the hem of his coat tightly.

She seemed to have snapped out of one kind of panic and into another. Her delicate face was pale, and her red-rimmed eyes were fixed on Yoshiki.

She didn't speak, but her trembling hands said enough.

Thirty seconds left...

The highway was quiet.

Behind a nearby chemical truck, a small truck full of saw blades for cutting stainless steel rattled along. The road was smooth, but the unsecured latches in the back of the truck were beginning to shake loose.

"Hey! Pretty boy, and the guy in the back with a cold! Come up front!"

The robber waved his gun impatiently.

"Move it! No funny business!"

Hayashi Yoshiki stood up slowly. Shuichi Akai followed. Together, they began to walk forward.

Up ahead—less than a kilometer from the Little Buddha Tunnel—a large billboard suddenly leaned forward without warning. Sparks flew as its steel cables snapped. A few seconds later...

Crash!

The driver of the chemical truck slammed the brakes and swerved.

But with a heavy vehicle like that, a sharp turn at high speed was a recipe for disaster. The sudden lane change caught the driver of the overtaking truck completely off guard.

Honk! Honk! HOOOOOOONK!

The chemical truck collided with the smaller one, crushing it beneath its weight and skidding down the road, sparks trailing behind it.

The overturned truck smashed through the guardrail in a devastating crash.

The bus driver—staring ahead in horror—screamed and stomped on the brakes.

Everyone was thrown forward.

Even the robber stumbled—and in the chaos, his finger squeezed the trigger.

BANG!

The bullet shot through the front windshield, creating a spiderweb-like crack.

"Are you TRYING to get us killed!?"

The robber screamed at the driver.

"N-No! There was a car crash! Up ahead!"

The passengers now caught sight of the overturned chemical truck just ahead.

"Shit!"

But before he could urge the driver to restart the vehicle, he saw the chemical truck lying there suddenly let out a loud

" BOOM!!!!!! "

and suddenly burst into flames that shot up into the sky.

BOOM!!!

A massive explosion tore through the scene.

At the moment of strong impact and blast, the windshield that was pierced by the robbers' bullets was shattered by the huge impact and vibration of the explosion.

All the passengers could even feel the burning sensation brought by the flames shooting into the sky.

Along with the explosion—several sharp saw blades also flew into the car under the push of the explosion.

One saw blade slashed the robber's neck clean open. The other pierced the second robber's abdomen, nearly splitting him in half.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

The screams were delayed, but they came.

Passengers stumbled and shrieked, panicked by the explosion and the grotesque deaths unfolding in front of them.

Only Shuichi Akai—still at the front—saw everything clearly.

He stared at the carnage, pupils narrowing in disbelief.

This…

Was this all… an accident?

From the truck skidding to the accidental gunshot breaking the glass, to the blast that sent blades flying with perfect precision—

Was it really a coincidence?

No.

No way.

Not this many perfectly-timed "accidents."

As the explosion's shockwave faded, the bus rocked back to stillness.

The passengers slowly quieted.

Then—

"Wh-What… just happened?"

"Are they… dead?"

"Seriously?"

"Wait—we're safe now?"

"The robbers are dead!"

"We're safe!! Let us out!!"

"Let me out of this damn bus!!"

The panic returned—this time in the form of relief. People rushed forward, pleading with the driver to open the doors.

He hesitated, but finally, with a stunned hand, hit the release.

The doors swung open. Passengers stampeded out.

"We got lucky! No idea what just happened, but come on, Dr.Tomoaki—let's get off this bus!"

Judy stood up, putting on her clueless act, and ushered the children out.

"You kids too—quickly!"

"Y-Yes, Miss Judy!"

Tomoaki Araide—Vermouth in disguise—nodded blankly.

Of all people, she was the most shaken.

Did Cointreau do this?!

He'd been under constant watch. He hadn't moved a muscle.

Or… had he arranged all of this in advance, knowing the robbers would board this bus?

But how?

She had thought he was powerless in this situation. But what just happened shattered that belief.

Hayashi Yoshiki glanced at her.

The smile in those black eyes made Vermouth tremble.

For the first time in her life, she felt a human being was truly terrifying.

"Yoshiki-nii!"

Conan called out.

Yoshiki turned to him, and his expression softened instantly. He gave Conan a gentle nod.

Watching this, Vermouth finally let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

To those around him, Cointreau is a good man.

He had offered his life to save a child. And yet—when it came time to take others' lives—he used orchestrated "accidents" that were far too convenient to be random.

Cointreau was complicated.

But... if he was protecting Ran, that wasn't a bad thing.

At the back of the bus, the middle-aged woman finally stirred.

Miharu Tomino had just realized: that both of her accomplices were dead.

Panic rose in her throat. She bolted forward with the crowd, pretending to be just another frightened passenger.

Thank god I wasn't exposed…

She ran down the aisle, brushing past Hayashi Yoshiki.

Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist.

"Ow! What are you doing?!"

"You'll stay put now, accomplice."

"What nonsense are you spouting!?"

Tomino tried to act innocent, but Yoshiki tightened his grip—his strength from regular training obvious.

She screamed.

"You've been using chewing gum to signal the robbers about suspicious passengers. You really thought no one noticed?"

"I was just chewing gum! You've got no proof!"

"Then let the police inspect your watch. The one that's been stuck at 1:00 this whole time."

"That's right," Conan added. "That's the detonator for the bomb the robbers planted."

Tomino Miharu's face drained of all color.

She had been caught.

And with her role in a bombing plot now exposed, prison awaited her.

She started to struggle violently.

Yoshiki let her go.

But just as she raised her hand to flee—

WHAM!

A solid punch struck her abdomen.

She doubled over, retching in pain.

Then—BAM!

Another blow knocked her flat to the floor.

Ayumi, Genta, and the others could only stare, wide-eyed.

Yoshiki can fight?

He hits really hard…

Conan chuckled.

Of course, Hayashi Yoshiki could fight.

He'd once knocked Kaito Kid to his knees.

And how else could he have tamed all those thugs at Teitan High?