Chapter 503

A normal girl, even with hundreds of cycles of karmic cause and effect, could never ascend to infinite multiverses because of a trivial wish from Kyubey.

“Due to Shōnen’s own karmic roots, at most… it’s only planetary level!”

In Sayaka Miki’s eyes, demonic energy spread, slowly tinged with an ominous crimson hue.

The anxiety of not finding Shōnen hardened into latent malice, yet she forcibly suppressed her turbulent emotions, her expression still calm, silently calculating her response.

Don’t panic. Absolutely don’t panic!

Right now, only I can save Shōnen—if even I completely lose my composure, then Shōnen is truly beyond saving!

“To leap from planetary level to multiversal level—that’s clearly abnormal!”

Then where did this karma come from?

Figure out these details, treat the root cause, strip away irrelevant karmic ties… perhaps then, I can recover Shōnen’s consciousness?!

The Law of Cycles is the Law of Cycles; Shōnen is Shōnen—they cannot be equated. Sayaka Miki knows this well.

And this is the margin of maneuver she still has.

Otherwise, even if she had, under Shōnen’s tacit approval and indulgence, transformed into the [Demon] and seized a corner of the Law of Cycles, there would still be no way to break the deadlock.

“I need an external variable… to break the deadlock!”

The [Demon]’s power boiled and roared, yet even as crimson patterns slowly spread across the bottom of her pupils, Sayaka Miki remained coldly observant—her gaze froze upon a world undergoing violent transformation.

Kyubey…

Good. If all else fails, she might forcibly seize the Dao—the Principle of Incubation.

With this power, she might yet hope to [incubate] Shōnen anew—

Kyubey, Itachi’ve been allowed to roam free for so long, grown plump and fat—aren’t Itachi ready to be eaten?

Next, three… aberrant magical girls?

“It seems Kyubey really worked hard. Though these three magical girls’ auras feel strange, their techniques are identical… these are unquestionably magical girls belonging to the Law of Cycles!”

With three present, there must be more. As part of the Law of Cycles, Sayaka Miki could sense the existence—or absence—of other magical girls on this side.

The number isn’t large, but it’s not small either…

Good. That’s enough.

She, as the Demon, cannot balance Shōnen’s divinity—so she’ll find more. For example…

That magical girl named Yue Buqun… the karmic threads entangling her are no weaker than Shōnen’s were at the beginning…

“At a critical moment, she’ll be useful!”

The Demon’s expression was icy. For Shōnen, she had no qualms about becoming the villain.

Besides,

Though they bore great burdens, they also gained sufficient power—in a sense, this was a win-win.

At that moment, Sayaka Miki suddenly felt a stir in her heart and instinctively looked up.

In an instant, her spirit trembled violently: before her, from immeasurable distances away, a pair of pure, luminous eyes gazed calmly back at her.

As the gaze shifted, Sayaka Miki fell silent for a moment.

But in the end,

She slowly closed her eyes and gave the faintest, almost imperceptible nod.

“...No wonder Itachi’re the Demon!”

Hermes withdrew his gaze from Sayaka Miki, inwardly praising her: to forcibly balance Shōnen’s [divinity] with her own [demonic nature]…

It was sheer fantasy!

Yet she had done it anyway…

“Let the Law of Cycles wait for its chance… then, Nya-chan?”

…

Far from the Dorobōga Park, in Minami-cho, Tokyo.

“Senior Mokumo!”

In a hidden blind spot.

Satō Mihoko, not in uniform but dressed in plain everyday clothes, whispered beside Mokumo Jūzō: “Time’s up!”

“Satō, I never thought someone in our police force would ever [awaken] again…”

Mokumo Jūzō looked at Satō Mihoko beside him, his voice dry yet tinged with relief: “We have too few awake officers. I’m glad Itachi’ve come to.”

“But… the situation remains dire. I’ll need your help again.”

“Itachi mean… that strange entity named Edogawa Conan?”

Satō Mihoko’s expression was complex.

Unlike Mokumo, this was her first time maintaining [awareness] during a reboot—and for the first time, she learned this world contained that mysterious entity called [Edogawa Conan]!

Kudō Shinichi… Edogawa Conan…

These two names flickered endlessly in Satō Mihoko’s mind. These… things? She wasn’t unfamiliar with them—in fact, she knew them intimately.

Kudō Shinichi, the genius detective dubbed the Holmes of the Heisei Era, and… that brat in Mōri Detective Agency who always appeared at crime scenes alongside Mōri Kogorō.

Then,

The flashy criminal methods, and detective skills like the power of “I think so!”

The eternal clash between criminal and detective, the never-ending corporate executives who never truly die.

And the ability to switch time, space, and seasons at will—

Today is Saturday, tomorrow is Wednesday; morning sunshine, afternoon snow in June… that’s normal!

“Time’s up!”

Night like ink. Shadows in the alley erupted with lethal intent.

Before the teenage detective Kudō Shinichi could react, Gin raised his hand expressionlessly; a heavy iron rod, wielding brutal force, smashed down upon his skull.

“Big bro, do Itachi know how those guys are describing your one blow?”

As Gin prepared to follow the fixed script, Vodka removed his sunglasses and teased:

“Solely Deciding the Ages—Gin the Emperor!”

“Your blow alone has severed all ages—even cosmic laws have been forcibly rewritten!”

“Many are already watching us. Don’t waste time.”

Gin remained silent, saying nothing in response. He simply pulled out a pre-prepared pill and shoved it unceremoniously into the detective’s mouth.

“Damn it, why can’t I ever escape this black-clad gang’s opening kill?!”

Kudō Shinichi felt a sudden, searing pain flood his entire body—his vision spun, his consciousness sinking into darkness.

As the drug entered his stomach, an invisible, tyrannical force seeped through flesh and bone into his soul, forcibly rewriting the world’s laws bound to him.

The original silhouette of the teenage detective crumbled inch by inch; flesh, form, and aura were reshaped within the torrent of cosmic rules.

Kudō Shinichi died. The entity known as Edogawa Conan finally appeared before them.

On the other side, Kudō Yūkiko, holding her telescope, was already in tears.

Her son…

Does he still exist?