With the gunfire crackling violently around them, both Ran and Eri's hearts leapt into their throats. Ryuji, however, spread his senses wide open, sharpening his awareness to the extre.
Even now, his body couldn't withstand bullets.
Small-caliber rounds, maybe his muscles and blood energy could handle those. They would wound him, yes, but unless they struck sothing vital like his eyes, the injuries would never be fatal.
But heavy machine guns, sniper rifles, even rocket launchers? If he tried to tank those head-on, he'd be torn apart.
That didn't an he was afraid of these so-called terrorists.
The reason was simple: if he weren't protecting others, none of those bullets would ever touch him.
His sword was already faster than the bullets from light firearms, and his reflexes were sharp enough to let him parry bullets like so hero in a movie. A few might slip through, but for him, it was nothing.
And more importantly the gunners were still only human.
They had to pull the trigger, swivel their aim, adjust their sights. For ordinary people, being on the wrong end of a gun ant near-certain death. For him? It was laughable. He could slip past their aim or cut them down before they even realized.
Unless his opponent was soone like Kiri the roaming gunner, or unless they had high-tech weapons of truly devastating power, pistols and rifles posed zero threat.
Missiles, heavy machine gun barrages, mortar shells those were things even he had to respect. But firebombs or white phosphorus? They didn't scare him. At most, he'd brace against the shockwave of an explosive.
He had no problem evading wide-scale bombardnts either; escaping intact wasn't hard for him.
But here was the question who said people like him, transcendent beings, couldn't use modern weapons too?
Especially soone like Ryuji, who could enhance his body with energy, break human limits, and explode into supersonic bursts of speed for short stretches.
If only he had a space-type storage device, he would already be wielding a heavy machine gun in one hand and his greatsword in the other.
The recoil? aningless to him. He could cool the barrels with conjured streams of water, even launch mortar shells by hand without a tube, or bend missiles and rockets midair with his blood energy and ntal power.
All of it was within his reach.
As his senses stretched out and his idle thoughts faded, several n dressed as waiters rushed forward, pistols in hand.
They didn't even hesitate just opened fire imdiately!
"Watch out!"
Ryuji yanked Ran into his arms, then snatched up the cutlery from the table. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the knife and fork at two of the shooters.
The steel skewered their heads cleanly. Their bullets zipped past Ran's ear, shattering a flower vase behind her.
Ryuji frowned. That thod of execution was… odd. If they needed hostages, a warning shot into the ceiling would have sufficed. Why kill indiscriminately?
Narrowing his eyes, he casually nicked his fingertip with a claw-like swipe. Blood welled from the cut deliberately.
If necessary, he could turn his blood into blades or bombs. A single drop might not seem like much, but it was already more than enough to kill. And even outside his body, his blood obeyed his will ready to detonate at his command.
But then—
"Mr. Ryuji! You're hurt?!"
Ran gasped, wide-eyed. She'd already been stunned by his terrifying speed and ruthlessness, but seeing the blood drip from his hand, her worry burst out instinctively. She grabbed his hand, eyes fixed on the cut.
Ryuji wasn't in the mood to explain. He simply pushed the girl's soft body toward her mother.
"Move! We have to be quick!"
He didn't waste words. His thoughts were already racing toward another matter... how was Misato doing right now?
"Y-Yes!"
Hearing the firm conviction in his voice, Ran instinctively obeyed, hurrying after him. Eri shot Ryuji a single glance, then followed as well.
The dining hall had descended into chaos. As soon as Ryuji and the others bolted, the panicked guests followed suit.
But the mont they burst out, a flood of ard n stord into the hall. Gunfire crackled. Several people were knocked down where they stood, and the terrified passengers froze, their escape cut short.
Ryuji had no ti for them. These gunn weren't charging at him.
Dragging Ran Mouri along, he quickly led them into the residential cabins. There, he spotted a squad of terrorists already sweeping through the corridors, kicking doors open and dragging guests into the hallway.
"One, two, three, four in the corridor… and three across the passage. Seven total. Don't make a sound."
He tapped lightly against the bulkhead. Using his observation haki and his wave vibration sense, he mapped out their positions. The vibrations through the ship's body made the feedback surprisingly clear. If it had been on solid ground, the results wouldn't have been a tenth as precise.
Ran nodded obediently, lips sealed.
Once he confird no danger was imdiately around them, Ryuji slipped out into the corridor.
"Who's there?!"
The mont he appeared, one terrorist spotted him and swung his weapon up. But he only caught a blur before Ryuji's fist smashed into his neck with bone-shattering force.
In the sa motion, Ryuji wrenched the submachine gun from the man's hands and vaulted onto the corridor wall. From there, his sharp gaze tracked every enemy target.
Locked onto them with his senses, he pulled the trigger.
Muzzle flash burst. Bullets ripped through the skulls of the still-reacting gunn, spraying crimson against the walls.
Even as the others raised their weapons, Ryuji dashed across the walls like a fired shell. By the ti they tried to shoot, they were aiming at empty air. His own shots cut them down in return, turning their heads into ragged holes.
By the ti he landed, the first man he'd killed only just collapsed to the ground. That was the difference in speed and reflexes.
"That's the thing," Ryuji muttered, surveying the carnage. "When it cos to killing, guns are still the fastest."
Point, aim, pull the trigger- life snuffed out. Brutally efficient.
He stripped ammunition from the fallen and addressed the trembling passengers nearby.
"Find sowhere safe to hide. Wait until this is over."
But as he checked the weapons, his frown deepened. These n were ard far too well for ordinary hijackers. Although there were no helts, but full tactical vests, smokes, fragntation grenades, flashbangs and walkie-talkie. Through one, he could hear their "Colonel MacDonald" laughing and gambling in the casino.
Every man carried a submachine gun, a sidearm, and a multi-tool combat knife. This wasn't robbery. This was a paramilitary op.
"There's sothing more going on here…"
The bystanders stood frozen, still in shock. Ryuji didn't waste more words he'd clear out the rest of these bastards once Misato was awake.
Just as he slung a weapon over his shoulder, Ran rushed to him, worry in her eyes. Eri, on the other hand, calmly moved to one of the corpses, stripping a handgun and several grenades from the body.
Seeing her arm herself, so of the braver passengers glanced toward the fallen weapons, though none dared move while Ryuji was still searching.
"Mr. Ryuji! You're okay?" Ran asked, breathless with relief when she saw him unhurt.
Eri joined them, eyes scanning his body for wounds. She knew too well that adrenaline could mask injuries, leaving a person unaware until it was too late.
Fortunately, aside from the cut on his hand, he was fine.
"I'm good. Miss Eri, do you know how to shoot?"
Eri gave a tight nod. "I trained a little. Never in the field, though."
"That's good enough."
Ryuji grabbed a few more magazines, then strode straight toward his cabin with Misato. The other passengers thought about following, but one look at Ryuji's face told them he had no intention of babysitting anyone else. Their eyes turned instead to the weapons he hadn't claid.
Ryuji didn't care. He unlocked Misato's door and froze.
Gunfire was rattling through the entire ship, yet she was still asleep.
"You've got to be kidding … Wake up! We're under attack!"
He shook her, but Misato only mumbled, "It's not an Angel attack… let Security handle it…" and rolled over.
The blanket slipped, revealing the full curves of her chest, bare and heavy, a pink nipple brushing the air. To make matters worse, she slipped a hand into her shorts and scratched lazily, utterly oblivious.
The sultry sight should have stirred heat but her slovenly movents killed the mood instantly. Ryuji sighed, then leveled the gun at her ear and fired into the mattress.
BANG!
The shot snapped her awake, nearly rupturing her eardrum.
Her eyes flew open, only for Ryuji to slap a palm over her face, channeling the Dragonfire into her mouth and nose. The searing energy jolted her spirit awake, leaving her streaming with tears and snot.
The mont he released her, she exploded.
"Ryuji, you bastard! Were you trying to kill ?!"
She clawed at his wrist in rage, ready to fight him until her eyes landed on the gun in his other hand. Instantly, her anger burned away, replaced by sharp focus.
"A hijack? Got it. Thanks… my mistake. Drinks are on later."
With a smooth roll, Misato grabbed her discarded clothes and slipped them on without sha, not caring that Ran and Eri were standing right there.
Ryuji tossed her extra gear.
"A group of terrorists ca aboard, but not the usual kind. Their division of roles is sharp, their execution flawless, and they don't hesitate to harm hostages. I don't think they're here for money."
Misato frowned. She trusted Ryuji's instincts, and her mind reached the sa conclusion almost imdiately.
"You an… nuclear fusion? Or so other political leverage?"
Ryuji nodded. These people weren't ordinary terrorists. Their movents were too professional, too clean.
It was only because they ran into him that they fell like weeds under a scythe.
"Exactly. So you protect the hostages. My guess is soone important is among them."
"Got it. Be careful out there. You really don't need my help?"
"No. Just take care of these two for ."
"…Huh?"
As Misato loaded the submachine gun Ryuji had handed her, she glanced at Ran and Eri. The instant she took in their beauty and figures, her face twisted into exasperation.
So that's it, Ryuji was chasing won again.
But before she could say anything, Ran spoke up, voice trembling.
"Um… Mr. Ryuji, could I ask you… to save my father, Kogoro Mouri, and Conan?"
Her fingers nervously twisted the fabric of her skirt. Ryuji had already saved her life, yet she was asking more of him. Still, she couldn't help it. This whole trip had been her idea she wanted her parents to reconcile. Instead, everything had gone terribly wrong.
And her father… Kogoro might be a detective, but without rent money, he'd probably starve. He was scatterbrained and clumsy no way could he survive this on his own.
"Hey, girl," Misato cut in sharply. "You'd better be ready to end up pregnant if you keep asking him for favors."
She said it half in jest, half in warning. Shampoo's choice to follow Ryuji had already been questionable in Misato's eyes, and she wasn't about to let him recklessly entangle himself with more won.
Ryuji caught Misato's look and imdiately understood. He grinned and teased,
"Yeah, that's right. Saving a life costs a life. If I rescue soone, I'll need soone else to give a new one in return."
It was clearly a joke. Both Misato and Eri chuckled softly, knowing Ryuji's tone.
But.....
"I… I…"
Ran's face twisted with conflict. Her fists clenched. For a mont, she thought of Shinichi Kudō... the boy who had vanished without a word, who had abandoned her. Her first instinct had been to rely on him. But then she rembered he wasn't here. He hadn't been for a long ti.
The mix of resentnt and fear welled up, and before she could stop herself, the words burst out:
"I agree!"
Eri's face darkened instantly.
"Ran!"
She seized her daughter's arm in alarm. Such promises could not be made lightly.
"…Eh?"
Ryuji blinked, sensing sothing was off about her. Ran bit her lip hard. Sha was already crashing over her, but she knew saying more now would only make things worse.
Why… why did I say that?
She wanted to hide her face, but her pride held her back. Her cheeks burned red-hot like glowing steel.
"Uh… I think you'd better think it through before saying things like that," Ryuji said awkwardly.
Not lingering in the tension, he simply nodded to Misato, grabbed two submachine guns, and headed out.
As for the greatsword? Whoever wanted it could use it.
Why bother with blades when guns existed? Wasn't firing tal bullets at enemies the highest form of swordsmanship? Long-range strikes, remote control wasn't this the very essence of mastery?
Only after Ryuji left did the air in the room finally ease. Eri studied her daughter. Misato, who had shown no reaction even when half-naked before Ryuji, clearly had no interest in him romantically. So Eri decided to cut certain thoughts off at the root.
"Miss Katsuragi, are you and Mr. Ryuji… a couple?"
Misato shook her head, eyes scanning the window, finger ready on the trigger in case of danger.
"No. He's just a comrade-in-arms."
Eri glanced at Ran again. Her daughter's expression looked faintly like soone sulking, clearly still upset with Shinichi for vanishing without a word.
"Then… Mr. Ryuji must already have a girlfriend, right?"
At that, Misato finally caught on. Her expression turned complicated as she looked at the two won.
"Well… yes. A few days ago, in China, he defeated a girl in a martial arts match. She insisted on marrying him, and he agreed."
Eri almost burst out. So basically... no?
But the thought caught in her mind and twisted into sothing else.
If this could separate Ran from Shinichi…
In Eri's eyes, Ran and Shinichi's "relationship" wasn't real romance. It was Ran chasing Shinichi, and Shinichi lacking the heart or reason to refuse. And every ti a case arose, he abandoned her without hesitation.
So, seeing her daughter fumbling for words, Eri smiled faintly.
"Ran, do you really know and understand Mr. Ryuji? The way you think you know and understand Shinichi?"
Know Shinichi…?
Ran froze. For the first ti, she realized—
She didn't truly understand Shinichi Kudō at all.
She knew what foods he liked, yes. But she never understood why he was so obsessed with cases, why he faced terrifying cris with such energy, why they seed to thrill him instead of weighing him down.
It struck her suddenly: she had never really understood Shinichi as a person. All she had ever seen was the handso, capable detective the image he projected.
Just like now with Ryuji. He appeared in her darkest hour, sweeping away the danger and pulling her to safety.
"I…"
Ran opened her mouth, but no words ca.
anwhile, Ryuji had already reached the terrorists' gathering point. The mont he got close, the heavy stench of blood hit him. Extending his senses, he picked up on more than a dozen faint life signatures. His suspicion hardened into certainty.
"They're not here for money…"
Confirming that, he checked his gear one last ti then prepared to charge in.
With his current reflexes and accuracy, he couldn't quite shoot the wings off a fly without harming it, but when it ca to cutting down n like these, his skills were more than enough.
Readying himself, his gaze fell on his pocket watch.
"Looks like it's ti to have so fun."
A grin tugged at his lips as he burst from cover, submachine gun raised. He aid straight at the blond leader sitting at the card table, gambling mid-operation.
A burst of hot bullets tore through the man MacDonald turning him into a ragged sieve. The other gunn barely had ti to react before Ryuji swung the barrel toward them.
Flas roared from the muzzle. In seconds, half the room lay crumpled on the floor. The survivors managed to snap out of their shock and fired back, forcing Ryuji to duck behind cover.
Bullets sparked and whined off the walls, spent rounds clattering at his feet.
"Let's see if this trick really works."
He scooped up a few deford, overheated bullets, smirked, and activated his pocket watch's power.
In the blink of an eye, the bullets shot from his palm, retracing their original trajectories. They pinged wildly off the walls, ricocheting with impossible precision then slamd straight into the n who had fired them.
Muffled cries and collapsing bodies followed. At the sa ti, another barrage of gunfire erupted but instead of pressing him down, it shredded the remaining hostiles.
"Ah… the cop from the movie?"
Ryuji imdiately thought of the policewoman played by Chingmy Yau. Though the undercover officer at her side was attractive too, Ryuji's eyes were more drawn to Yau and the fiery young woman nad Shizuko Imamura.
Especially Yau, she radiated sothing different.
"Here they call her Saeko, right?"
With a chuckle, Ryuji vaulted from cover. Sure enough, in the dance hall ahead, it was Saeko who had been firing to help him suppress the terrorists.
Not that he particularly needed the help.
He sprinted across the floor like a phantom, gunning down anyone who dared raise their weapon toward her. His movents blurred, his slaughter swift and surgical.
"H-how the hell is he that fast?!"
The remaining terrorist cracked, snatching a girl in a white dress and pressing his pistol to her temple.
"Stop! Or she dies!"
Ryuji's eyes flicked over. The girl Shizuko Imamura, the runaway rich daughter from the original film. But he didn't hesitate.
In mid-sprint, he flicked droplets of blood from his fingertips. They solidified into twin crimson blades, lancing toward the man. One pierced his brain, the other sliced off the finger curling around the trigger.
Shizuko froze in shock as blood sprayed. Before her mind could even register what she'd witnessed, another terrorist swung his weapon her way.
This ti, Ryuji was already there.
His boot crashed into the man's chest, hurling him backward. Mid-air, Ryuji riddled him with bullets before calmly turning back to the trembling girl in the sports skirt.
"You okay?"
Shizuko could only nod, wide-eyed. Drawn to the dazzling smile he flashed, she instinctively edged closer, wanting to cling to him.
She was just a runaway rich girl. She had never seen gangsters let alone terrorists.
Ryuji barely rembered her character beyond her tanned skin and beautiful butt and legs. But her presence reminded him soone else should have been cleaning up right about now. Jackie Chan's character was supposed to be tearing through these n.
Sure enough, when he glanced around, there stood a man with a revolver and a deeply exasperated look: Ryō Saeba, the so-called City Hunter.
"Seriously, man? You couldn't leave a little spotlight? You wiped out almost everyone before I could even aim!"
Ryō shook his head. The mont Ryuji had leapt into action, he'd been ready to join in, but the Ryuji's speed was unreal his submachine gun might as well have been a revolver in his hands.
In less than twenty seconds, aside from the first few Saeko helped drop, every terrorist had fallen to Ryuji. Each ti Ryō lined up a shot, another bullet hole appeared in his target before he could pull the trigger.
"Had to make sure everyone stayed safe. Don't worry next ti I'll leave so fun for you."
Ryuji grinned. The truth was, if he'd wanted, he could have ended this with a wave of fire or a surge of water. But it had been a long ti since he'd handled a gun, and he wanted to enjoy it.
Even his water manipulation alone would've been enough to massacre these terrorist.
"You're too damn good. If anything, I should be begging for your help." Ryō laughed, patting him on the shoulder. "Co on. There are still terrorists on board. Let's finish this."
But just then, Ryuji stiffened. A ripple of distorted world-power brushed against his senses.
When he turned to look it was gone.
"Tch. Coward." Ryuji muttered with a slight frown.
At that mont, the woman who had helped him earlier Chingmy Yau's character, or rather Saeko walked over and extended her hand.
"Thank you for your help, sir. May I know your na?"
Her smile was dazzling. Despite the heavy losses, the crisis had been resolved. Many lives were gone, yes, but saving the high-profile guests was the best outco they could hope for. As for the staff… there was nothing she could do. This attack had been too sudden.
"Nakamura Ryuji," he said lightly. "Let's talk later. First, let's get everyone to safety."
Saeko nodded.
"Alright. We'll escort them to the safe room. Ryo, I'll need you and Detective Mouri to protect these guests."
Ryo looked like he'd just been struck by lightning.
"Hah? Even you, Saeko? Don't tell you think I'm useless compared to this guy?!"
"You talk too much. Move it." Saeko snapped.
anwhile, Ryuji glanced at Kogoro. The so-called great detective was shielding a few girls and Conan, crouching low as he scavenged a pistol from a dead terrorist. His expression was unusually serious.
Rembering what Ran had told him earlier, Ryuji chuckled softly.
"Detective Mouri, Ms. Kisaki and your daughter Ran are waiting for you in the cabin. You should go to them quickly."
Kogoro froze, then his face lit up with pure joy.
"Thank you, Mister! I'll thank you properly later. Everyone, follow ! We'll get to the cabin right away!"
Relief surged through him. He had been worried sick about Eri, but without a weapon, there was little he could do. Now that he knew they were safe, he could barely contain his happiness.
Ryo shook his head helplessly and followed along with the group, while Ryuji accompanied Saeko to the captain's room to make a satellite phone call to the authorities.
The two exchanged intel along the way. Both agreed the incident was deeply troubling, though Ryuji himself wasn't particularly concerned. After all, this had nothing to do with him.
But what Ryuji didn't know was that the farther he moved away from Eri and Ran, the more dangerous things quietly beca…
"Hmm?" Misato furrowed her brow. She had sensed a fluctuation of world-power but when she turned, there was nothing out of place.
What she didn't see was Ran, who had been clutching her bedsheet in confusion. Suddenly, her entire aura shifted. An unseen power stirred within her, altering her hormones, whispering in her ear images of Shinichi abandoning her again and again for the sake of cases. mories of standing alone in crowds, watching him celebrate joys she couldn't share.
And then, a single question echoed in her heart:
"Are Shinichi and I really in love?"
Doubt clouded her. Under that twisting power's influence, her eyes beca more moist and her uncertainty solidified into conviction.
She was not in love she simply needed a perfect man she could rely on.
This warped conclusion, born of distorted world-power, beca her truth. At that instant, the world-power twisted again.
Misato turned sharply, only to see Ran silently crying. Her frown deepened. She rushed closer, but didn't sense any distorted aura from Ran . That only puzzled her more.
"What's going on…? Could it be that in the original history, these terrorists actually succeeded?"
She wasn't sure. But seeing Ran's tears, Misato chose to comfort her.
"Don't worry about Ryuji. He may act a little shaless sotis, but he's a good man. He was only joking earlier. He's reliable, responsible, even took the ti to study cooking. He knows a lot he'd never really hurt a sweet girl like you."
Her words were casual, ant only to soothe. But to the confused and vulnerable Ran, they conjured fresh images Ryuji holding her close, shielding her from bullets, his hand bleeding as he fought.
"I…"
Her heart pounded wildly, emotions she couldn't na welling up inside her. She tried to speak but no words ca, leaving her only with silence.
Sothing was wrong with her. She knew it. Yet she couldn't erase the image of Ryuji from her mind the sll of him, his decisiveness, his calm smile as he gunned down terrorists with ease.
Just then, Kogoro appeared with Conan at his side, scratches on his face but otherwise unhard. Ran instinctively threw herself into her father's arms. Eri approached too, crossing her arms and glaring at Kogoro with dissatisfaction.
"Dad! You're safe!" Ran sobbed in relief.
"Yeah. Thanks to a young man nad Ryuji. Honestly, he was incredible reminded of my younger days!" Kogoro scratched his head, feeling proud.
Eri said nothing, only folded her arms tighter. If only this blockhead would just reach for her hand, maybe things would be different.
At this mont, Ryuji returned.
"Yo. I'm back."
He waved casually.
The mont Ran saw his face…
A strange heat surged through her. Sothing warm trickled down her thighs, her body overco with an unfamiliar, almost unbearable sensation. A soft cry escaped her lips.
"Ah…"
~~~~~~~~~~
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