SCIAW: Chapter 510/511

Chapter 510: I think you're right

"It seems it's going to be a bit difficult for us to quietly enjoy this concert."

The concert's main performer and the person most likely to cause trouble were together, so it was clear this concert would likely run into some issues.

When Ren saw the performer and Edogawa Conan bump into each other, he knew that today's concert would definitely not go smoothly.

Shiho's gaze fixed on Ren, and a smile appeared on her face.

"Lord god, whether we can smoothly watch the concert actually depends on your decision."

"...So, you want me to get involved in this matter?"

Ren hesitated, pondering the question.

Considering the benefits, getting more involved in such matters would indeed be advantageous for him. He was currently at Sequence 8 Clown and urgently needed to advance to Sequence 7 Magician.

From this perspective, he needed to be more proactive when facing such situations.

"It's not impossible, but direct involvement is out of the question."

He could participate, but not directly.

Ren still adhered to his consistent approach. If it wasn't his direct business, he wouldn't act himself. Sometimes external forces could achieve more than imagined.

Saying that, Ren glanced in the direction Conan and the other children were pushed.

"Let's go too. We don't need to enter the concert venue for now."

Akemi and Shiho followed him out, heading toward a family restaurant on a nearby street.

The three of them entered later.

Ren glanced at the man monopolizing the public phone at the entrance, then led the two to seats closer to the back.

Ren observed the people around him. Many were young people with bags, seemingly taking shelter from the rain and grabbing a bite before the concert started.

Concerts usually last nearly two hours.

He checked the time. There was still plenty of time before the concert, so they could probably stay here for a while.

Akemi and Shiho's eyes also unconsciously drifted toward the man monopolizing the phone.

"That man is just monopolizing the phone, but he hasn't made any unnecessary sounds. He doesn't seem to be on a call."

"Indeed, he's deliberately listening to others' conversations without saying a word himself. If he's not strange, then he has a purpose."

Both sisters were quite vigilant.

As Beyonders, their senses were greatly enhanced, allowing them to pick up even subtle sounds. Coupled with their prior awareness of potential trouble, it made them instinctively consider more complex scenarios.

Ren nodded slightly, then looked out the window to his left. A completely black car with anti-peeping film on both front and rear windows made it almost impossible to see inside from the outside.

He lightly tapped his thumb against his index finger twice, entering Spirit Vision.

Even through the metal, he could see inside the car. A person was tied up in the back seat, and a man behind him was holding a gun to the tied man's head.

Playing it rough.

"Look outside to the left."

Prompted by Ren, the Miyano sisters shifted their gaze to the left, focusing on the black car.

"Akemi, Spirit Vision."

Akemi nodded slightly, clasped her hands together, gently squeezed her fingers, and a faint blue light flickered in her eyes. Spirit Vision allowed her to see the situation inside the car.

After confirming the situation inside the car, Akemi looked at her sister and shook her head slightly.

"The situation isn't good."

Akemi lowered her voice slightly.

"Inside the car outside, someone is tied up, and the kidnappers have a handgun. Any rash action will provoke the kidnappers."

Shiho glanced in the direction of the car, then withdrew her gaze.

"Are popular singers very rich these days?"

"With popularity and talent, their income naturally won't be particularly low. But is it necessary to specifically kidnap a singer for money?"

"...Indeed, it's a bit much."

Shiho also felt that kidnapping two popular singers for money was excessive, and it wasn't being done discreetly, but openly on the street.

It was almost as if they deliberately wanted to blow things up.

"They have their own objective. Whether it's for money is uncertain, but it's definitely directly related to those two people."

Ren pondered, resting his chin on his hand.

"Akemi, what are the social connections of this popular singer?"

"Their social connections are quite simple. Neither of them has been involved in anything excessive. After all, their group only became popular last year, three years after their debut. They are simply singers, with no other news about them."

Ren nodded slightly.

"Singers who are fully dedicated to their craft, after years of honing their skills, finally get a chance to become popular. Talent, effort, and luck all converge, a very inspiring image for a singer."

The sudden rise to fame of a popular singer is indeed due to their own hard work and talent, but more often, it is luck.

Without enough luck, effort and talent can be buried, and no matter how capable one is, the final outcome remains the same.

This analysis made Akemi nod slightly, but it made Shiho look puzzled.

"So why don't you just divine directly Lord god?"

"A Seer shouldn't fully trust Divination. This is one of the rules of acting. Also, not divining directly is for the Cryptologist's acting."

Since there was such an opportunity, trying out the Cryptologist's ability was also convenient.

Of course, the main reason Ren tried this was that there was no urgency or pressure.

Having the opportunity to try out extraordinary abilities more often was certainly not a bad thing.

"As for the second reason, naturally, someone else is willing to step up."

Ren pointed to a certain detective who had already shown interest in the matter.

Only then did the Miyano sisters notice that Conan had already put on his headphones and was listening to a tape, seemingly having noticed the problem with the singer.

"But I think some things still need to be prepared in advance."

"Since you aren't going to get involved, should we let others get involved?"

Shiho's words made Ren ponder for a while, then he pulled out a set of tarot cards from Sefirah Castle.

"I think you're right."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 511: Still a matter of money

Upright Devil, Reversed Empress, Upright Death.

"Hmm… a simpler reason than I imagined."

"A year ago, three robbers successfully robbed a bank and got 300 million yen. A dispute arose over the split. One less person meant an extra 50 million yen. So the two of them killed the third in a hidden location."

"But during the shooting, the gunshot sound was recorded and even adapted into a song. This is a crucial piece of evidence. Once someone notices the problem in it, their alibi from that year will completely collapse. Forget 150 million yen, they will not see a single penny."

"This is a life-threatening problem."

The main reason for the two kidnappers' actions was confirmed through Divination.

Yes, it was still an economic issue. Although it was not to extort money from the two singers, it was to permanently silence them so that the wealth obtained through illegal means would not be reclaimed by the Police.

The Miyano sisters understood and nodded slightly.

"A matter of money, a matter of human life."

"I think those two kidnappers must have learned about Takayama Minami's exclusive interview through some means, and also about that recording that serves as evidence. That is why they decided to act, kidnapping the two to take the recording."

Shiho immediately understood what was going on.

After all, do popular singers not attract most TV shows? Promoting a new song and explaining its inspiration during a special interview is common on talk shows.

"Participating in some projects to promote their new song, and it just so happened the suspects found out… In a sense, it means Two-Mix is popular enough."

Akemi followed her sister's analysis, thought for a moment, and concluded this was the most likely scenario.

If it were a less popular group, even if they appeared on a show, promoted their new song, and explained where the inspiration came from, it probably would not attract much attention.

At this point, Akemi did not know whether to say Two-Mix was unlucky or something else.

Ren also found it difficult to comment on this.

"So the key to this kidnapping is not Two-Mix, but the sound they recorded."

"However, it should not be a problem now."

Ren rested the back of his hand against his right cheek, looking straight ahead.

At this moment, Conan had already put on his headphones and was listening to the tape, seemingly having noticed some problems.

"The curious detective seems to have already found some clues using his child identity. However, without any reminders, even the most sensitive person would not think the tape contained such a thing."

Shiho nodded in agreement.

"Who would think a gunshot would be accidentally recorded? Without additional clues, no one would be sensitive enough to detect the problem in the tape."

As she was thinking this, Shiho suddenly caught a glimpse of the man who had been using the public phone at the entrance of the family restaurant.

"Huh? He left?"

Turning her face to look out the window, she saw the man wearing a hat and sunglasses walk out of the family restaurant. He did not go far, but stood nearby, as if waiting for something.

"Ding-a-ling!"

The public phone at the entrance of the family restaurant suddenly rang. The staff quickly picked up, then after hearing a voice from inside, nodded slightly, covered the receiver, and asked inside the store:

"Miss Takayama, is there a Miss Takayama among the customers?"

Shiho and Akemi understood that it seemed they were about to make their move.

Indeed, they saw Takayama Minami already walking toward the staff. However, both sisters noticed she did not carry a backpack or anything in her hands. She simply went to answer the phone herself.

The man standing outside would definitely act, taking advantage of this opportunity.

"Huh? You're in the car outside?"

"Don't come over? What is wrong with you?"

They heard Minami hang up with a hint of complaint and walk out of the family restaurant.

She was a little puzzled. In her impression, Nagano Shiina was not someone who would disregard a concert so much. Why would she suddenly disappear like this?

After disappearing, a call came, as if she knew Minami was there.

The voice on the phone was a little strange, even telling her not to come over.

Minami thought it was some kind of special surprise that Shiina and some TV crew had temporarily put together.

With that thought, Minami walked out of the family restaurant and directly pulled open the car door.

"...!?"

But the situation inside the car made her freeze.

She saw her partner, Nagano Shiina, tied up with rope and slumped in the back seat, with some purple bruises on her face and fresh red blood on her forehead.

Even more critical was the man pressing Shiina down in the back seat, pointing a dark gun barrel at her.

It was not a temporary show. Shiina was kidnapped.

Minami had already understood the meaning of "don't come over" from the phone call, but now it was truly too late.

"Bang!"

A force from behind made her lose balance, and her body fell into the car.

She looked up and saw the gun pointed at Shiina's head.

"Get in."

The man's voice from behind left her with no choice, so she obediently followed the instructions.

Despite the pain in her feet, she could only sit obediently in the car. Otherwise, a bullet might pierce Shiina's head.

The man who pushed her into the car sat in the driver's seat, and the vehicle started to move.

"Take care of this big star."

"Do not even think about moving around randomly, big star. My companion is not the only one with a gun."

Minami had no doubt that the driver also had a gun, so she dared not make any drastic moves.

Now, she did not understand why she and Shiina were kidnapped, but she knew that only silence could ensure their survival. Otherwise, both she and Shiina might end up with holes in them.

(To be continued.)