After the Curtain Falls
Sera Masumi's mind was racing. Could these "Visions" actually be the emblem of some organization?
Don't tell me they're connected to that organization?
No — surely not. Their styles of operating were completely different. It couldn't be the same group.
Sera let out a small breath of relief. If the organization that had destroyed her mother truly possessed technology and influence like this, they would be more formidable than ever.
She stole a quiet glance at Edogawa Conan, her conviction growing that he really was the person she suspected.
Come to think of it, this kid's powers of observation were remarkable. She hadn't even noticed those oddities at first.
And he certainly hadn't learned about it just recently. With his curiosity, he was bound to know a great deal about whatever organization might be behind this.
He was walking around without a trace of alarm — didn't that suggest the Kamisato siblings and their crowd weren't in any real danger?
With the competition drawing to a flawless close, Ningguang and Ganyu withdrew from the stage, and the audience began filing out in orderly lines under the staff's direction.
Vermouth made her way out with the crowd alongside Bourbon.
"The more I learn about this Teyvat organization, the less simple it looks," Vermouth remarked.
"I never thought they were simple in the first place," Bourbon said. "An organization that made Rum take a loss and forced the Boss to compromise? Where's the simplicity in that?"
He would have to find a chance to contact Kazami Yuuya soon — have Public Security step up its attention on the Teyvat Syndicate and assign people to keep watch on its members. Especially figures like the Kamisato siblings, Diluc, and Ningguang, the ones with the deepest ties behind the scenes.
And it wasn't just Teyvat making big moves lately. Bourbon had sensed considerable turbulence in the Black Organization's overseas operations as well; his quiet digging suggested a possible connection to Country F.
He could only hope that shakeup had nothing to do with the Teyvat Syndicate.
Vermouth flashed him a teasing smile. "Looks like intelligence work really does sharpen the instincts. You know, I'm rather sorry Glenlivet — ah, the Wanderer — didn't come today. I wonder how he'd react to watching a former colleague of his organization perform. Surely he doesn't have some special talent of his own, does he?"
Bourbon pushed aside his brooding and met her needling with a raised eyebrow and a smile. "Why don't you ask Glenlivet that to his face? Isn't he the one starved for a mother's love? Put the question to him and he might just answer."
The smile on Vermouth's face froze instantly, a flicker of anger passing through her eyes. Her voice dropped low. "Are you implying that I'm old?"
"I said no such thing." Bourbon waved his hands quickly, donning a look of perfect innocence, and shrugged.
Then he let his gaze drift elsewhere, glancing idly left and right.
And then, abruptly, his eyes locked onto something in the crowd — as if he had spotted it.
Bourbon's eyes narrowed slightly, and he fixed a thoughtful stare on a figure not far off in the throng: a golden-haired girl. He had seen her only once before, yet she had left a deep impression on him.
At that very moment, Haibara, standing beside Xia Yu, seemed to sense something wrong as well. Her heart lurched, seized as if by an invisible hand. Her pupils contracted sharply, her breathing quickened, and a wave of intense dread surged through her.
She grabbed Conan's hand without warning. He stared at her in surprise — and only then noticed that something was clearly off in her expression.
He understood at once. There had to be a Black Organization member nearby! His eyes sharpened instantly, and he began scanning the surroundings tensely, trying to pick the organization's agent out of the packed crowd.
But it was hopeless. The crowd pressed in thick and dense on every side, and there was no telling which of them belonged to that organization.
Worse, Haibara recovered from her terror before long — which meant the Black Organization member had almost certainly already left.
Conan couldn't help but feel the sting of it. He knew a rare, precious lead had just slipped through his fingers.
Still — for someone from the Black Organization to be present at an event hosted by the Kamisato family... Could Kamisato Ayato, as a member of the Teyvat Syndicate, have ties to the organization, just like Kaeya?
Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, Bourbon — having caught sight of Xia Yu — subtly redirected Vermouth's attention and shifted their route just enough to avoid her group on the way out.
Cointreau's threat to him back at the department store had made one thing clear: Natsume Xiayu's existence was still a secret. At the very least, hardly anyone inside the organization knew about her.
And Bourbon had already set his plan in motion to approach Mouri Kogoro. According to his investigation, Natsume Xiayu — so obviously connected to Cointreau — was on close terms with the Mouri household. Once he was inside, he could approach her freely. Through her, he might just uncover where Cointreau had come from.
Until then, it was best not to stir up unnecessary complications.