Chapter 47: Chapter 047: Vermouth's Play
Akashi carefully cut out a piece of car leather stained with blood plums and set it aside for his collection room.
After ensuring everything else was in place, he hopped into the red Mazda and drove away from the villa.
For a little Shota like him, handling a big car was quite the challenge. Sitting in the driver's seat, he had to rely on a crutch to manage the accelerator and clutch, ensuring the car started smoothly.
Despite the awkward setup, the red Mazda roared to life, speeding toward a secluded area.
Upon arrival, Akashi abandoned the vehicle, retreating to a safe distance. With calculated precision, he triggered the explosion, obliterating the Mazda in a fiery blaze.
The traces of Hirota Masami disappeared into the ashes, vanishing without a trace.
Watching the flames engulf the car, Akashi turned and walked away without hesitation.
---
His next destination was the coin locker located in Beika East Station, where he planned to withdraw a staggering 1 billion yen. Time was of the essence.
Akemi had mentioned that a key to the station's safe was hidden somewhere in their home. It was crucial to retrieve it before the organization—or worse, Conan—got their hands on it and the money.
Akemi had wanted to return the funds to the bank, arguing that it was the right thing to do.
But Akashi vehemently disagreed. To him, returning "wasted money" to the bank's capitalist coffers was a senseless act.
Ultimately, the gentle-hearted Akemi relented, entrusting the matter to him. Despite her capabilities, even robbing a bank if necessary, she still deferred to Akashi's judgment in the end.
---
Meanwhile, at an black organization base somewhere in Tokyo, Gin and Vodka were recovering from their injuries.
The aftermath of the explosion had left both men with deep wounds across their backs, flesh torn and bloodied. A white-coated doctor worked meticulously behind them, suturing their wounds as they grimaced in silence.
Elsewhere in the base, peripheral members whispered among themselves.
Gin—the organization's legendary assassin, feared and untouchable—had suffered such a humiliating setback.
"How could someone make him bleed like that?"
"Who could possibly outsmart Gin?"
Their curiosity burned, and with it, their perception of Gin's invincibility began to waver.
It turned out that even the unshakable Gin was human after all, capable of injury and defeat.
---
Moments later, Gin emerged from the medical room, his back wrapped in fresh bandages and his coat draped over his shoulders.
He immediately noticed the furtive, questioning glances from the surrounding members. His cold, snake-like eyes scanned the room, making everyone avert their gaze in fear.
The atmosphere grew tense as the members scattered like startled prey.
Irritation bubbled beneath Gin's composed exterior. His mood darkened further when a subordinate approached in haste.
"Master Gin, a call for you—it's from Master Rum."
Without a word, Gin turned and entered the communication room, picking up the receiver of the old rotary phone.
On the other end, a man's voice came through, calm but tinged with curiosity.
"I heard you were injured. What happened?"
"It's nothing serious," Gin replied coldly. "We were ambushed."
The voice on the line chuckled, as though genuinely surprised.
"For someone as cautious as you, Gin, it's rare to hear of such an oversight. Who managed to pull it off?"
Gin's frown deepened, an uneasy sensation creeping into his thoughts.
"It was Bacardi," he said tersely. "He faked his death and slipped through our fingers last time. This time, he ambushed us. But don't worry—I'll take care of him."
Gin's words were laced with venom. Reporting Bacardi's survival to the boss and Rum was his next step. A defector from the organization, still alive, posed a serious threat to their operations.
The voice on the phone grew sharper.
"Oh, Bacardi, you say? Are you certain you can handle him?"
Something in the tone set off alarm bells in Gin's mind. This didn't sound like Rum at all!
Before he could respond, the voice shifted—now distinctly feminine, followed by a burst of mocking laughter.
"Hahaha, Gin, you're no match for him!"
"Besides, are you so sure Bacardi betrayed the organization? Things aren't always what they seem!"
"I'll handle this one myself!"
Gin's eyes narrowed, his expression icy.
"Vermouth!" he hissed, each syllable dripping with venom.
She had tricked him.
Vermouth had mimicked Rum's voice to extract information from him, turning his report into a weapon against him.
Without hesitation, Gin slammed the phone down, his mind already racing to plan his next move.
---
On the other end of the phone, Vermouth reclined languidly, dressed in nothing but a white towel. Her legs crossed gracefully as she laughed—a laugh so full of mirth that tears glistened in her eyes.
"Hahaha, I knew you wouldn't die so easily, you scourge!" she exclaimed, her voice dripping with playful malice.
"Wait for me—I'll come to you soon!"
She picked up a dart between her fingers, flicked it lightly, and watched it sail across the room to land squarely on Tokyo's location on the map.
---
Meanwhile, young Akashi, in his shota form, struggled off the tram and finally arrived at Beika East Station. His expression was a mixture of frustration and resignation.
What a disgrace—the infamous "Tram Wolf" incident had unfolded right there, on his tram ride.
How shameless could people be?
As these thoughts churned in his mind, Akashi couldn't help but lament.
The world was truly deteriorating, and people's hearts were no longer as pure as they once were.
His anger, however, wasn't solely about the incident's broader implications.
No, Akashi's indignation stemmed from one undeniable fact: he had been the victim!
Underestimating the allure of his "succubus charm," he had naively boarded a tram packed with people.
The result? Chaos.
---
The tram happened to be filled with students from Toyosaki Private School, and most of the passengers were bright-eyed high school girls in uniform.
As soon as Akashi stepped inside, he was surrounded.
A group of excitable girls hugged him, held him, and patted him on the head as though he were a treasured mascot.
While it was just about bearable, the experience left him utterly humiliated.
To think he had just returned from battling members of the Black Organization—Gin and Vodka, no less—and emerged victorious.
Yet now, here he was, unable to fend off a gaggle of high school girls.
It was nothing short of absurd.
---
"Little brother, it's getting late. Go home!"
A cheerful girl with golden twin tails waved goodbye as Akashi exited the tram.
He recognized her instantly as the most enthusiastic of his tormentors.
During the ride, she had teased and toyed with him relentlessly, treating him as nothing more than a doll.
Suppressing his annoyance, Akashi forced a smile and waved back, feigning the innocence of a child.
He couldn't risk drawing any more attention—or worse, being taken home by her.
After all, this fragile shota form wouldn't survive another round.
---
"System, Check-in!"
As Akashi arrived at the station, the system chimed in his mind.
A flash of purple light enveloped him, and the interface displayed a picture of him standing alone at Beika East Station.
The light condensed into an ornate treasure chest. When it opened, streams of energy flowed out and merged into Akashi's body.
---
『Ding! Check-in successful! 』
『Congratulations to the host for obtaining the following rewards: 『Preaching and Imparting Liquid』 (lv1), Flexible Tongue (lv1), and Item Grid 1! 』
『Congratulations to the host! The 『Preaching and Imparting Liquid』 has been upgraded to Lv2. The body fluid treatment effect has been enhanced, along with your preaching posture! 』
---
Akashi's mind was suddenly flooded with images of various… questionable postures.
His expression darkened immediately.
He could only console himself.
"Well, at least this skill has its uses. It could save lives… right?"
With that reluctant reassurance, he moved on to review the second skill.
---
『Flexible Tongue』 Lv1: Congratulations to the host! Your tongue has become remarkably flexible, its length extraordinary, and it can move at an astonishing frequency of up to eighteen times per second. It's the ultimate tool! 』
『PS: Your sense of taste has also been greatly enhanced, allowing you to detect the subtlest of flavors with ease. 』
---
Akashi froze.
"What in the world…?"
Reading the skill description left him utterly dumbfounded.
The absurdity of the situation overwhelmed him. His composure shattered completely.
"What kind of ridiculous system is this?"
Frustration mounted as he muttered under his breath, struggling to process the bizarre new abilities bestowed upon him.