Volume 25

Chronology
‹ Volume 24	List of Chapters • List of Cases	Volume 26 ›

Volume 25
Information
Release date:	October 18, 1999
Chapters:	243-253
ISBN:	ISBN 4-09-125495-0
Publisher:	Shogakukan
English release date:	September 16, 2008
English ISBN:	ISBN 1-4215-1677-2
English Publisher:	Viz Media
Featured Detective & Keyhole
Mikeneko-Holmes Makoto Kyogoku
Aoyama's death & Conan side images

Volume 25 was released on October 18, 1999 in Japan.

Cast

Characters

Conan Edogawa

Ran Mouri

Kogoro Mouri

Ayumi Yoshida

Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya

Genta Kojima

Ai Haibara

Hiroshi Agasa

Sonoko Suzuki

Heiji Hattori

Kazuha Toyama

Makoto Kyogoku

Juzo Megure

Wataru Takagi

Miwako Sato (cameo)

Mrs. Kojima (flashback)

Shinichi Kudo (background)

Tomoaki Araide (background)

Gadgets

Gadgets

Voice-Changing Bowtie

Stun-Gun Wristwatch

Wristwatch Flashlight

Detective Boys Badge

Transmitter

Criminal Tracking Glasses

Chapters

Skating Rink Case

File 243 - Not Like the Rest!?

Conan and Ran enjoy the firework display at Tropical Land.

Sonoko, Ran, and Conan visit the ice skating rink at Tropical Land. Sonoko marvels at the plethora of handsome men, leading Ran to ask about her relationship with Makoto. Sonoko shares that he seldom contacts her while abroad, comparing her "waiting damsel" situation to Ran's relationship with Shinichi, sparking embarrassment. After learning Shinichi had taught Ran how to ice skate, Sonoko suggests Ran should now teach Conan how to skate. Conan refuses but recalls Haibara's words after their encounter with the Black Organization. The Organization's meticulous attention to secrecy and security cannot be understated. Thus, all threats and liabilities, including unconfirmed but probable associations, are promptly eliminated. If Conan were to confess to Ran about his true identity, he would effectively burden her with a danger so extreme that she will inevitably cave, leaving no semblance of her former bubbly character. With this in mind, Conan feigns his inability to skate and accidentally collides with another skater, Chihiro Itami. Itami's friends, Yasuharu Misawa, Izumi Sano, Yoriko Komatsu, arrive to apologize but show a strained social dynamic. They reveal that they are a group of clay target shooters who recently reunited after being separated due to an "incident." Before Itami can share details, a fifth friend, Kunitomo Oda, arrives and shuts her down. As Oda leaves, Itami expresses her grievances with him, one of which being that he is not part of the "in-group." Her friends inquire about what she means by "in-group," but Itami refuses to elaborate and walks off to the bathroom while further demonstrating her immaturity.

Sonoko discovers Itami with the letter "S."

Sonoko notices the influx of skaters and believes people must be gathering to watch the fireworks at 19:00. Itami's group further splits up. Sano goes to get coffee, Misawa goes to get food, and Komatsu goes to the bathroom. At the bathroom, an impatient Itami waits in a stall. She complains about "them" being late. She hears a knock on the stall and opens the door only to find a hooded figure pointing a shotgun at her chest. Meanwhile, Sonoko also goes to use the bathroom but finds it has been temporarily closed for custodial sanitation work. She knocks on the bathroom door but is distracted when she hears the sound of a singular firework. Still, she notices a hooded figure exit the bathroom and quickly run away.
Back at the rink, Conan and Ran enjoy the colorful aerial display with Itami's friends, who each make their separate arrivals. Suddenly, Sonoko's piercing scream reaches everyone's ears. Conan rushes to the bathroom where Sonoko has discovered a deceased Itami, shot through the heart with the letter "S" written on the stall wall with her blood.

File 244 - The Victim Doesn't Talk

Sonoko is reminded of her long-distance relationship with Makoto.

Ran wakes up Kogoro who had been sleeping in his car at the parking lot and informs him of the murder. Inspector Megure and Takagi arrive at the crime scene and begin by identifying the shotgun as the murder weapon. Sano states the used shotgun belongs to her and that it was stored in a secured locker along with her friends' rifles. Megure suggests testing each suspect for gunpowder residue, but Misawa points out that they will all come back positive as the group had been rifling earlier that day. Misawa floats the idea of an external killer, but Oda states that Sano's shotgun was stored in an inconspicuous case and is deconstructed when stored, meaning the crime can only be committed by those in the group with knowledge about the gun. However, before the police can even begin their interrogations, Kogoro accuses Sano of the crime. His deduction is rests upon three pillars: Itami had been waiting to meet someone in the woman's bathroom thus the killer must be a woman, Sano's relationship with Itami was noticeably strained, the "S" written on the stall must stand for "Sano."
Takagi corrects that Itami could not have written a dying message after being shot through the heart, therefore the "S" on the wall must have been written by the killer—likely in an attempt to frame Sano. Conan noticing saliva on the tip of the shotgun. Kogoro suggests the killer had placed the nozzle in Itami's mouth to silence her before synchronizing the firing of the weapon with the bursting of the fireworks, masking the noise. Sano counters that the killer could not be her since she was present at the rink when the fireworks began—leaving Oda as the only member without an alibi. Conan also notices Itami died with her hand in her coat pocket clutching a phone. The police redial her most recent message and find "KIX ########."
The suspects are given permission to take off their skates under supervision. They depart from the crime scene. Hearing the friends mourn Itami's death, Sonoko sorrowfully looks down at her phone, saying "Idiot." Conan notices that Sonoko has the same type of phone as Itami and asks to inspect it. He questions whether Sonoko truly heard the sound of fireworks, while Ran notices that Sonoko has a new phone. Conan deduces the trick but still lacks a culprit. He eavesdrops on the friend group's conversation where they discuss the previous incident regarding a friend named Narita who died via accidental gun discharge. Now confident about why Oda is considered separate from the "in-group," Conan rushes to the bathroom. He discovers vertical streaks of blood running near Itami's feet and cracks the case.

File 245 - The Experimental Words

Makoto calls Sonoko and informs her of his victories.

Takagi enters and reports that the police have found the killer's clothing in a nearby garbage can. Before Conan can expand on his findings, Kogoro reprimands him for "treating the crime scene like a playground." The detective then proudly presents yet another flawed deduction, this time suggesting that Oda is the culprit. However, before he reaches his conclusion, Conan tranquilizes the man mid-sentence with his wristwatch and begins the real deduction.

  Show spoilers »

Failed reverse psychology.

The ¥5 coin's hole was used to create the "ascending firework" sound effect.

Kogoro immediately re-accuses Izumi Sano as being the culprit. She used her own gun and drew "S" on the stall in order to draw the investigation away from her via reverse psychology. She additionally moved the gun from Itami's mouth to her chest in order to give credence to the notion that Itami had written the "S" herself—since someone shot through the head would undoubtedly be unable to write a dying-message. Kogoro then counters Sano's alibi by showing how one can fake the sound of fireworks in order to fool Sonoko into believing the culprit was still in the bathroom at the time of the fireworks.

Conan demonstrates by making a convincing high-pitched "ascending firework" sound using a ¥5 coin (a coin which is designed with a hole in the middle). The gunshot then makes a perfect "firework explosion" noise thus completing the two-part sound effect. By making this sound effect roughly one minute before the real show, Sano effectively convinced a witness that the killer left the bathroom one minute later than they actually did. He further states that Sonoko only heard one firework despite the park typically launching them in groups of three. Sano objects, saying that such a trick could have been performed by anyone. Kogoro points to the message "KIX ########" left on Itami's phone. He explains that the woman likely wrote her intended message, "KIX," before repeatedly hitting the triangle button, resulting in the string of sharps (#). By repeatedly pushing the triangle button, the message is sent and thus cannot be deleted by Sano. Therefore "KIX" is Itami's real dying-message.

Airports are the common denominator.

To decode, Kogoro mentions the "in-group" Itami was referring to were those who shared a name with a prominent Japanese airports.

• Itami = Osaka Itami Airport
• Komatsu = Komatsu Airport
• Misawa = Misawa Airport
• Narita = Narita International Airport
• Izumi Sano = Kansai International Airport (located in the Izumisano city of Osaka).

The IATA code for Kansai International Airport is "KIX." (Note that Oda is not part of the in-group because his name does not coincide with any airport).
And as a final nail in the coffin, Kogoro points to the vertical blood marks on the floor next to Itami's feet. He explains that these are marks left by Sano when she stepped on her victim's blood with her skates while writing her fake dying-message. Thus, Itami's blood is likely left on the blades of Sano's skates. Sano admits defeat and shares her motive.
The Motive:
Narita's gun-related accident was a suicide motivated by Itami's rejection. Sano, who was sick at the time, had received a phone call from Narita who explained that Itami rejected him since she was apparently with Oda, who was cheating on Sano with her at the time. Thus, Sano decided to murder Itami and frame Oda for the crime.
Before Sano is arrested, Oda explains to her that Itami was lying about him cheating with her. When Sano asks why he did not explain that to Narita, he admits his fault and states that it was because he was too concerned with tending to a feverish Sano. The two appear to affirm their enduring affections.

On the walk back to Kogoro's car, Sonoko solemnly reflects on Oda and Sano's conversation and how it relates to her relationship with Makoto. She suddenly receives a phone call from him reporting that he has won the championship match of the Winter Cup. Sonoko sheds tears and asks why he did not call sooner. He replies he felt guilty calling her when he nothing to report. The two share an endearing conversation as Ran realizes that Sonoko had bought a separate phone to call Makoto. The girl delights in the thought of having a phone just for two people. A few days later, she receives a package from Shinichi containing a phone, ostensibly gifted in gratitude for the knitted sweater.

People

Chihiro Itami
	Victim (gunshot) 27 years old Daughter of a Corporate Executive

Yasuharu Misawa
	29 years old Banker

Izumi Sano
	28 years old Office worker

Yoriko Komatsu
	30 years old Housewife

Kunitomo Oda
	29 years old Firefighter

Major Events

• Romantic development between Sonoko and Makoto.
• Romantic development between Shinichi and Ran.
  • Shinichi gifts Ran a phone.

Spider Mansion Case

File 246 - The Spider Mansion

Heiji and Kazuha meet Robert Taylor.

Heiji and Kazuha find themselves lost in the woods of Tottori. With their means of transportation and communication limited, Heiji considers having to spend night in the forest—cuddling for warmth. Before Kazuha can finish imagining about the idea, they are found by an American photographer named Robert Taylor, who says he knows the Takeda family: the same family who has invited Heiji to their residence. Unfortunately, both parties reveal they are equally lost. Suddenly, a car casually drives by the three. Frustrated and desperate for the vehicle's attention, Heiji lobs his bike helmet at the car, hitting it and triggering the driver's ire. However, awkwardness turns to comfort as the car's passengers are revealed to be Kogoro, Ran, and Conan who are also headed to the Takeda residence.

The two groups compare their invitations. Kogoro received a proper formal document from the Takeda family promising remuneration for his efforts, while Heiji received a cryptic arachnid-themed letter insinuating violence will occur at the Takeda residence. The car's driver, Yuzo Takeda, confirms Heiji's letter is referencing his home, adding that due to a recent string of unfortunate events, the fearful local population have begun to call their home the "Spider Mansion." Robert is confused as the household had no such reputation when Misa Takeda had nursed him after his accident three years ago.

Nobukazu Takeda ominously hung in a "spider web."

Upon arriving at the mansion, Robert becomes disconsolate after Yoko Takeda informs him that Misa had committed suicide in the doll storage shed not three days after his departure three years ago. Furthermore, Misa's mother had followed her daughter in committing suicide in the same locations a few days later. The troubling "suicides" do not end there, as a few days ago, a family friend and fellow doll maker named Akio Negishi was found dead in the barn. All three of the deceased were hung by a noose. Ryuji Takeda approaches the conversation and adds that they wish for Kogoro to solve the mystery surrounding Negishi's death. The family head, Nobukazu Takeda finally arrives and pulls Kogoro aside. He quietly shares his suspicions about Negishi's killer being a member of his family, and he expresses his wishes for the detective to report his findings directly to him. Meanwhile, Robert reunites with Misa's twin cousins Emi and Sae, who ominously accuse him of being a killer. The girls flee after being scolded by Yoko while the grandmother, Chie, silently observes the scene from the house.
Conan and Heiji observe the family over dinner. The housekeeper, Miyuki Shioya, leaves to deliver food to Chie; Nobukazu leaves to continue progress on his dolls; Yoko takes her twins to the bath; and Robert, joined by Kazuha and Ran, drives to visit Misa's grave. The two boys regroup in the dinning hall and agree that "two are suspicious." Arriving at the site, Kazuha and Ran stand in awe of the beautiful moon. They turn to Robert but notice him quietly sobbing over a photo of Misa. Back at the house, a distressed Yuzo exclaims he cannot find Nobukazu in his workplace. Concerned, everyone joins in searching for him. Conan notices peculiar open window on the top floor of the storage shed where Misa and her mother died. The group axes their way into the locked upper floor only to find Nobukazu hung by a noose, his body presented like a puppeteered doll tangled in spider webs.

File 247 - Seen Horror

Heiji checks Nobukazu's vitals and finds he has been dead for about an hour. With no life left to save, Heiji elects to preserve the crime scene, leaving the corpse in its dangling state. Conan also inspects the crime scene and discovers a rusty thumbtack on the floor. He looks up at the high window but Ryuji states it is too small for an adult to crawl through, meaning the murder was conducted in a completely inescapable room. Chie then steps forward and asserts the murder is the work of a mythical Spider Mistress, who scaled the building and spun its webs upon Nobukazu as punishment for living there. Ryuji tells the folktale about the Spider Mistress and how the property was expanded to encompass the Spider's supposed place of death—sparking public outrage. He adds that Misa and her mother's bodies were covered in spider webs by the time they were discovered, and that Negishi's body was hung by strings similar to those surrounding Nobukazu. Heiji is reminded of Robert, Kazuha, and Ran, prompting Conan to rush for a means to call Ran on the phone he recently gave her. However, the boy's worries are settled as Ran finds him, saying they have returned due to sudden rainfall.

Chie believes the Spider Mistress from a folktale had punished Nobukazu.

As the rest of the group learn of Nobukazu's murder, a panicking Miyuki enters the room and informs everyone that a landslide, caused by the rain, has obturated the road to the house. Thus, the police are unable to reach them. With no other choice, Heiji asks to borrow Robert's camera and proceeds with a crime scene investigation with Conan and Kogoro.
Ran and Kazuha unpack but the former notices that she has lost her mascot phone accessory. Believing she left it in the car, the two girls disobey Kogoro's orders to remain in their rooms and go to look in the car. A silhouette ominously watches them from afar. After a brief search, the girls come up empty-handed. Kazuha asks Ran about the significance of her accessory and correctly speculates it is from Shinichi. She comments on his apparent coldness towards Ran, but Ran disagrees, adding that she feels like he is always watching over her. The two decide to expand their search to the yard where the car was parked outside, but Kazuha's flashlight begins to dim. Ran rushes back to their room to fetch new batteries, leaving her friend alone. Kazuha notices a small white orb on the ground and crouches to investigate, unaware of the stun-gun wielding assailant closing in behind her.

File 248 - Heiji's Scream

Ran returns with the batteries but Kazuha is nowhere to be found, with only her flashlight strewn on the ground.

Heiji finds a bruise on Nobukazu's head, implying he had been bludgeoned shortly after leaving the dinner table. He also notes the bizarre cleanliness of the storage shed despite reportedly being unused for three years. The three then hear footsteps climbing the stairs and approaching the room. They take cover and ambush the interloper, finding Miyuki with a platter full of food. After thanking her for her generosity, they use the opportunity to ask some questions. Miyuki explains that her and Misa were nurses at the same hospital. She praises Misa as being a wonderful individual, leading Heiji to question why she would commit suicide. Miyuki speculates about an incident she partially witnessed where Nobukazu erupted on his wife, Kinuyo, at the hospital. The conflict resulted in an intervening Misa sustaining a major gash on her forehead, damaging her beauty. Misa would subsequently fall into a depression but was eventually lifted by her encounter with Robert, who had been swept up in a landslide. The injury impaired Robert's speaking ability, so he wrote English in Misa's notepad to communicate with her. Robert was well liked by all but Chie and left their care with a smile. Misa and her mother's deaths followed shortly. At the funeral Nobukazu was emotionless while Ryuji was crestfallen. A few years later, Emi and Sae, whom loved Robert during his stay, would boldly claim he had killed Misa. Finally, Miyuki mentions a conversation the twins had with Negishi, what they discussed is unknown. Kogoro asks if the rope and strings used to hang Negishi are still in the family's possession. Miyuki states the rope is kept in the barn.

Like Nobukazu, Kazuha is strung up in a similar fashion.

The four head for the barn, but upon entering, they find a figure moving in the shadows. Kogoro points his flashlight and finds Ran with tears in her eyes. She tells them about Kazuha's disappearance and the group immediately begins to search for her. Time passes with no signs of her presence. Heiji then notices the storage shed door had been opened and rushes to investigate. To his horror, he finds Kazuha strung up in "webs."

File 249 - Heiji's Anger

Heiji frantically calls Kazuha's name as he lifts her down from the strings. The girl regains consciousness and is met by an apologetic Ran, who regrets enlisting her help in searching for a phone accessory which was stuck in her CD player all along. Kazuha gracefully assures her friend. Meanwhile, Conan and Heiji notice the noose the culprit was preparing for Kazuha and deduce that they were interrupted by the group's entrance, meaning they must still be in the storage shed. The two boys check the entire building but find no one, as they are left wondering if someone really can escape in such a short period of time.

Kogoro and Heiji gather everyone in the main room and inform them of the attack on Kazuha. They find that all suspects are without an alibi. Conan notices Yuzo is not present; Ryuji points to the puppet workshop.

Conan opens the karakuri puppets and finds narcotics.

Heiji, Kogoro, and Conan visit Yuzo who is busy adding finishing touches to the puppets which are due tomorrow. He explains the family sells each of them for ¥1,000,000 (~$10,000) and repairs them for ¥700,000 (~$7,000), and that Nobukazu was able to secure deals with such high prices due to Negishi's involvement. He also says that the simple puppets sell for more money than the intricate ones, and that despite the high prices, customers repeatedly send in their puppets for repairs. Heiji and Conan inquire about two artifacts: the giant karakuri doll and the boxes in the corner. The former is a puppet that was used at a festival related to the Spider Mistress' folktale. The latter is the shipment Negishi was scheduled to pick up before his death. Nobukazu would realize that the package was one doll short and had to produce a replacement. Kogoro escorts Yuzo to the main room while Heiji and Conan take the opportunity to inspect the workshop. Based on Yuzo's description of the puppets and their value, they correctly deduce that the puppets are a front for the transporting of narcotics. Heiji finds a contact list of Nobukazu's associates and decides to ring them for information. They choose to start with the hospital.

As the bigger picture slowly creeps into view, the two detectives encounter Yoko, who is looking for her daughters. Emi and Sae emerge and report a "smell," while pointing to the kamado. Heiji inspects the fire and notices something strange is burning. While he picks a pair of tongs to salvage what is left, Conan asks the twins what they meant by Robert being a killer. The two explain that shortly after Robert left the Takeda's care, Misa asked them to catch up with Robert at the bus station and ask how he feels about her. They say that Robert obliged their request but wrote a message telling her to "die." Heiji interrupts by pulling out a smoldering object which the two boys identify as a stun-gun.

Heiji annoyed by the girls' mercy on Conan.

The detectives burst into Kazuha's room and demand for her to remove her clothing. Predictably startled, the girls kick the boys from the room; Heiji receives a harsh slap for his insolence as he grumbles about Conan's lack of punishment. A few moments later, Ran opens the door and informs them that they found a stun-gun burn on Kazuha's back. She also relays Kazuha's discovery of a small white orb in front of the storage shed. Heiji and Conan think BB gun bullet and rush to the shed to look for evidence. Conan finds the hole left by the thumbtack while Heiji finds a curious fishing wire with loops on both ends. With their evidence in order, they have found the culprit.

File 250 - Can't Put it into Words

Heiji informs everyone that Kogoro has deduced the killer and directs everyone to the storage shed. He also asks Yuzo to bring the giant karakuri puppet from his workshop. The group arrives and finds Kogoro slouched in his signature "Sleeping Kogoro" stance.

  Show spoilers »

The Method:

Method of ensnarement.

Kogoro begins by explaining the trick the killer used to hang Nobukazu without being present in the locked room. First, the killer utilized a long rope with slip knots on both ends. One side was wrapped onto a ceiling beam running perpendicular to the room's high window, while the other was pinned to follow the rectangular perimeter of the window using four thumbtacks. The killer also used a second string. The string was attached to the window-side slip knot, looped around a ceiling beam running parallel to the window, and finally exited the room into the outside. The killer likely instructed Nobukazu to lock the door (justifying it via the meeting's imperative secrecy) to the room before luring him to pear out of the window. The killer then tugged on the second string from the outside which both pulled the window-side knot towards the parallel beam and ensnared the knot around Nobukazu's head—ripping the thumbtack's off of the wall in the process. Lastly, Kogoro states that the killer lured Nobukazu to the window by making a peculiar tapping sound by the window seal. This tapping was the sound of BB bullets hitting the shed's exterior wall.
Kogoro believes the culprit murdered Nobukazu as revenge for inciting Misa's suicide—sparked by her realization that he is not her true father. Yuzo and Yoko react in disbelief, but Ryuji confesses that Misa was his daughter. He explains Nobukazu's wife, Kinuyo, had asked for his discreet help in birthing a child for her husband after he was declared infertile. The secret remained hidden until three years ago where Nobukazu learned the truth at the hospital, leading to the outburst which scarred Misa. Ryuji asks how the detective knew, to which he responds that Misa's name follows a pattern with Emi and Sae's. Chie, who named all three girls, had known their secret from the beginning and thus gave the three girls connecting names which loop ((mi)(sa) (sa)(e) (e)(mi)). Though the narrative appears to paint Ryuji as the obvious culprit, Kogoro absolves him by saying that he lacks the strength and the timing to pull the second string through the window to ensnare Nobukazu. To succeed, the killer would need the help of a machine, a car. Thus, the culprit must be Robert Taylor.

Robert had fired his BB gun at the window seal from the driver's seat and attached the end of the second string to the car. By driving off, the vehicle provided the necessary force to instantly ensnare Nobukazu and hurl him away from the window. Kogoro also states that Robert had arrived at the property a few days prior where he learnt of Nobukazu's narcotics sales and murdered Negishi. He then stole a singular puppet from Negishi's package and later called Nobukazu about a drug sale; the two accordingly formed a plan to meet in the storage shed. Robert asks how Kogoro's trick would result in Nobukazu's entanglement in the web of strings. Conan points to the room's ceiling where they have set up a sea of strings fitted tightly across a plane parallel to the floor. Heiji offers a demonstration.

The twins learn what Robert meant by "Shine."

Robert learns the devastating truth.

He uses his motorcycle and Yuzo's giant puppet to simulate the murder. As the boy speeds off, the rope snares around the puppet and violently hurls it into the parallel beam. The puppet smashes its head against the beam before falling through the sea of strings, causing them to droop. The puppet eventually tangles itself in the web-like design. As a final nail in the coffin, Kogoro points out how Robert would have no way of knowing Nobukazu had been tangled in strings as he was not present during the body's discovery. Robert scoffs at the detective for laying a conversational trap. However, Heiji returns and gives an additional incriminating factor.
Despite the presence of three unexpected guests, the family was only short of three fish during the dinner, meaning Robert's arrival was expected by Nobukazu. Additionally, he abducted Kazuha and strung her in webs in order to sell two effects: the impression that the killer uses a web motif in his murders, and to obfuscate the presence of the second string left by Nobukazu's feet.
The Motive:
Yoko asks why Robert murdered Negishi. The man responds that Negishi had informed him of Misa's suicide, and that he trivialized her death by insinuating her scar made her unmarriable. Enraged, Robert murdered him and strung his body up in the barn. Hearing the killer's blind resentment towards the Takeda family and his callous mentality towards harming Kazuha, Heiji lashes out at him and reveals the true reason for Misa's suicide.
Robert wrote "Shine" as his parting message for Misa, intending for it to mean Misa is a bright and shining individual. However, Misa had read his message as the romanized "shi ne (死ね)," misinterpreting it for its Japanese reading which cruelly tells her to "die." Devastated, Robert collapses in a catatonic state. He remains silent even during his arrest, reflecting on the cultural barrier which tore him and Misa apart.

The next day, Emi and Sae inquire about the police's presence. Chie waves it off and instead blames the murder on the Spider Mistress. The twins ask their grandmother for another folktale as they live on in ignorance.

People

• Robert Taylor
  	26 years old Photographer

• Yuzo Takeda
  	35 years old Third son of the Takeda family

• Yoko Takeda
  	33 years old Ryuji Takeda's wife

• Ryuji Takeda
  	38 years old Second son of the Takeda family

• Sae Takeda
  	9 years old Ryuji and Yoko's daughter Emi's older twin sister

• Emi Takeda
  	9 years old Ryuji and Yoko's daughter Sae's younger twin sister

• Chie Takeda
  	71 years old Mother of the Takeda brothers

• Miyuki Shioya
  	26 years old Housekeeper

• Nobukazu Takeda
  	Victim (hanged) 45 years old Eldest son of the Takeda family Master puppet maker

• Misa Takeda
  	Deceased (hanged) 18 years old (21 if alive) Nobukazu's daughter

• Kinuyo Takeda
  	Deceased (hanged) Nobukazu's wife

• Akio Negishi
  	Deceased (hanged) Nobukazu's colleague

Major Events

• Romantic development between Heiji and Kazuha.
• Romantic development between Shinichi and Ran.

Dangerous Cave Case

File 251 - The Wounded Detective Boys

Ran introduces herself to an aloof Haibara.

Kogoro helps Ran practice her lines for an upcoming play at the Teitan High School Festival. Kogoro criticizes both the overly romantic dialogue and the inclusion of a kissing scene between the princess, played by Ran, and the Black Knight. Ran explains that Sonoko had written the script and that she modeled the Knight's character around Shinichi. Conan scoffs before asking who will play the Black Knight. Ran points to Tomoaki Araide, saying that the group begged him to play the vacant role after learning about his extensive theater experience. Both Conan and Kogoro protest the idea, but Ran assures them she was joking and that Sonoko will instead attempt to play the character. The girl then notices the time and rushes to take a bath. However, Kogoro reminds her of the broken faucet, leading Conan to suggest they instead ask to use Professor Agasa's shower. Kogoro off-handedly tells the two to share their shower to minimize the burden on Agasa, causing Ran to erupt on her father in embarrassment.

At Agasa's house, Conan consults the Professor about Ran while she takes her shower. Although initially believing her unusualness was due to her sweater knitting, the suspicious behavior persisted. Conan feels that her recent actions and attitude towards him were not fitting for an elementary schooler but rather someone her own age. Haibara appears and suggests Ran is aware of his true identity. The boy denies the possibility as Haibara leaves for the basement lab. Suddenly, Ran returns from her shower and asks about Haibara, wishing to finally introduce herself to her. Despite Conan's apprehensiveness, she happily strolls down to the basement and opens the door before giving a warm greeting. However, Haibara coldly ignores her and continues typing on her computer. Her silence carries even after Ran leaves as she introspectively questions if she is running away.

Genta witnesses the corpse disposal of a murdered man.

The next day, the Detective Boys merrily ride with Agasa to a camp site. Haibara gazes at Conan, but she shifts her sight elsewhere after being noticed. Shortly after arrival, Conan, Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta forage for fire wood and discover a large cave entrance. Mitsuhiko finds a faded inscription on a stone beside the entrance which the Detective Boys interpret as a sign of buried treasure. Conan notices a large "と" (to) carved under the inscription and ruminates on its meaning, but when he turns back, his friends have already entered the cave and have begun exploring. Conan pursues them and finds a recently used cigarette discarded on the cave floor, suggesting someone else is in the cave. Genta notices light ahead and rushes to investigate, but to his horror, he stumbles into a group of three men transporting a corpse with bullet through the head. The boy runs in fear as one of the men gives chase. The man pulls a gun on the regrouped Detective Boys and opens fire. The other two men soon arrive and they discuss their predicament. They reveal they are bank robbers who executed their fourth accomplice after his face was seen. Motivated to protect their anonymity, the leader resolves to murder the children and burry them in the cave alongside their accomplice. Conan tries to contact Haibara with his badge but gets no response. The Detective Boys talk over a plan for escape but when they turn to Conan, they find him weakly clutching his stomach. He has been shot.

Conan Edogawa in peril.

File 252 - The Brave Great Detectives

Caught in a perilous situation and needing to warn Agasa and Haibara about the danger, Conan directs his friends to use his transmitters. Meanwhile, the robbers regroup and share their findings, ultimately concluding that the children had moved deeper into the cave. The leader finds Conan's glasses on the cave floor along with a trail of his blood.
The Detective Boys traverse the dank cavern as they become increasingly worried about Conan's state. Feeling the gravity of the moment, each member of the group claims responsibility for their crisis, but Conan alleviates their guilt by saying that because of their cave exploration, they are on the verge of thwarting a major crime. On the surface, Agasa and Haibara search for their missing friends and find their fire wood strewn before the cave entrance.
The robbers arrive at the fork in the road and discover Genta's Wristwatch Flashlight illuminating the tunnel on the right. Despite two robbers believing the watch is a sign their targets fled right, the leader deduces the flashlight is a trick to send their pursuers down the wrong path. He instead directs his group left. The Detective Boys, who utilized reverse psychology, had gone down the right tunnel. They walk along an aquifer where Ayumi finds fish with eyes gracefully swimming through the murky water. Conan explains that cavefish evolved to lose their eyes, thus the fish with eyes must have swam down from a surface river, suggesting their path connects to the outside.
Haibara and Agasa find Conan's glasses and an array of transmitters on the ground. The girl wears the glasses and finds that the transmitter markers display "110" (the emergency police hotline in Japan). Meanwhile, The robbers reach a dead-end and turn back to search the right tunnel. The Detective Boys find the source of the aquifer but deem it too narrow for a human to pass through. Genta finds a peculiar egg-looking rock perched atop a plateaued stalagmite and five narrow ovular passages. Mitsuhiko also finds an inscription at the base of the stalagmite matching the one they found at the entrance. While he reads the words, Ayumi finds a colony of bats which swarm the group, causing the girl to scream and alerting the robbers. As their hunters close in, Conan thinks on the inscription, the engraved "と," and the egg-shaped rock and has an epiphany. However, before he can share his deduction with the group, his consciousness slips away. The robbers reach their location and forcing the four to hide. With no help from Conan, the three must deduce the inscription's meaning on their own.

File 253 - One Conviction

Mitsuhiko links the tunnels to the Shogi board.

Mitsuhiko reviews their information.

• The inscription writes about the dragon's path, implied to reference the path to the cavern's exit.
• Seen as the tunnel they hid in was a dead-end, there are four remaining candidates for the dragon's path.
• One man stayed behind and sits by the egg-like rock.

Ran knows the truth.

Genta adds that Conan murmured about the keywords "と," "dragon," and "egg." Mitsuhiko rebukes Genta for not sharing such hints sooner, catching the attention of the man by the egg-like rock. He approaches their hiding spot but is interrupted by his accomplices who scold him for not properly keeping watch. They state the furthest of the five tunnels is a dead-end and that they will systematically explore each route. The Detective Boys resume their brainstorming, floating possibilities such as the tunnels representing animals from the Chinese Zodiac, but eventually link the clues to Shogi. Mitsuhiko explains that promoted pawn is written "と," promoted rook is written "竜王" (dragon king), and the word for egg, "玉子," likely refers to the challenger's king, written "玉将." Setting the challenger's king to the position of the egg-like rock, the five tunnels represent the five pieces to its right: golden general, silver general, knight, lance, and rook. Since the rook's promoted form references a dragon, Mitsuhiko deduces the tunnel diagonally left of them must be the dragon's path—the exit. However, with their route to the surface still guarded, Ayumi makes a suggestion.
The three emerge from their hiding spot and hurl small rocks at the man. He scoffs at their pitiful attempt at retaliation but is soon swarmed by bats reacting to the movement of small objects. The three use the opportunity to run down the dragon's path, eventually spotting the night sky. A bullet grazes Genta's ankle, causing the boy to tumble with Conan on his back. The leader retrieves Conan and presses a gun to his head, coercing Ayumi and Mitsuhiko to return to the cave. Suddenly, a bright light illuminates the cave entrance and the police, led by Inspector Megure, demand the men's surrender. The leader keeps Conan as a hostage, but is knocked unconscious by the boy's stun-gun wristwatch.
Conan is immediately rushed to Beika General Hospital to treat his wound. Haibara explains to Kogoro that Conan was shot in his left flank and may have sustained severe kidney damage. She then notices Ran and Ayumi run alongside Conan's stretcher as it is ushered into the ER. A nurse warns the doctor that they have depleted their supply of the patient's blood type and cannot perform a transfusion. With no time to request additional supply, Ran steps forward and offers to donate her blood, stating she shares Conan's blood type. Kogoro and Agasa react in shock, confused by how Ran can be certain. Conan realizes that Ran is aware of his true identity. As the surgery proceeds, Ran tensely awaits the results, worrying not about Conan, but about Shinichi.

People

Man #1
	Robber

Man #2
	Robber leader

Man #3
	Robber

Man #4
	Victim (gunshot)

Cover in other countries

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  China
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See also

• Manga
• Volume 21-30
• Detective Conan