The venue remained lively and full of energy.
While celebrities mingled, sipping wine and exchanging pleasantries, a group of unruly children kicked around a football in the center of the hall.
Their noisy behavior irritated some of the guests, but once they recognized who those children were, most bit their tongues.
After all, among the gathered second and third-generation elites, these kids belonged to the most powerful families in the nation.
(If the future of Japan rests on the shoulders of these children… there's really no shame in exploiting them.)
Finishing an autograph for a young girl in a satin dress, Hayashi Yoshiki looked over with a faint smirk.
The children had been mocking the Detective Boys and Mōri Kogorō—the infamous "sleeping detective" whose wife had long since left him.
Yet when Suzuki Sonoko passed by, the boys straightened up and acted with perfect manners. Typical.
Among them was Hideki Moroboshi, the grandson of Toshio Moroboshi, Deputy Commissioner of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.
Deputy Commissioner... Just half a rank below the Commissioner himself—Hakuba's father.
Yoshiki had heard of Toshio Moroboshi. A man whose reputation split opinion.
Scheming, sharp, and results-oriented. A morally ambiguous figure in a world where most "heroes" are pristine.
In short: a rare breed.
Frankly, Yoshiki had once considered writing the name Moroboshi Toshio into his Death Note, using his credentials to secretly access Red Team files…
But the right opportunity hasn't come yet.
Suddenly, a staff member rushed up to him.
"Mr. Hayashi, please come this way."
Without hesitation, Yoshiki nodded and followed.
The staff led him to a crowd of media personnel, where Kudō Yusaku was already in the middle of an interview.
"Tadaki Kashimura, the lead developer of Cocoon, was my best friend back in university," Yusaku was saying with his usual calm confidence. "This project gave us a chance to reconnect."
"Yes, this is my first time collaborating with Yoshiki-kun," he continued. "But it's been a truly delightful partnership. As a fellow mystery writer, I've found him incredibly inspiring. I'm already brimming with ideas for my next novel… Oh, here he is now."
Yusaku turned as the reporters looked over.
Hayashi Yoshiki, immaculately dressed and composed, stepped forward with a flawless smile.
At once, the sound of camera shutters and flashes erupted like a wave.
"What Yusaku-san said is too generous," Yoshiki replied modestly. "In truth, I'm the one who's benefited most. I'm incredibly grateful to him for the opportunity to participate in such a fascinating project."
He paused, then added with a knowing look:
"As Mr. Kudō just mentioned, due to the involvement of Noah's Ark, the AI might have made some unexpected changes to the game script. I'm really looking forward to seeing what it came up with."
"Can you give us a hint?" a reporter asked.
"We've heard rumors the game is set in 19th-century London?"
"Indeed," Yusaku confirmed. "Late 1800s London—over a century ago. And it features some characters the audience will definitely recognize."
"Is this a crossover between the Jintian series and the Dark Night Baron?"
Yoshiki laughed lightly.
"Let's just say… we certainly discussed the idea during development."
The interview went on for nearly ten minutes.
Then, just before 8:00 PM, the venue lights dimmed.
The press conference was finally about to begin.
Yusaku began walking off, heading to reconnect with some of his old university friends.
As for Yoshiki, the moment he left the media's view, a staff member approached him and whispered something.
Surprised, Yoshiki nodded.
He unclipped the access badge from his chest and handed it off to the staffer.
It was time.
Time to experience Cocoon for the first time.
A group of excited children passed through a security checkpoint and dashed toward the futuristic, capsule-shaped game pods lined up onstage.
Among them were Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Ayumi, who had traded some of their beloved Kamen Uzumaki cards for a chance to join.
They cleared the security check and hurried into their assigned pods, giddy with anticipation.
"But… where did Yoshiki go?" Ran asked aloud, glancing at the badge that had just been pinned to her chest by a staffer.
"No idea," Sonoko shrugged. "But hey! Now you can play with me. That's a win, right?"
Ran laughed softly, unsure how she really felt.
Soon, all 50 chosen participants were seated in their cocoon-like devices.
"Brainwave transmission system: initialized."
"Protective hood: sealed."
"Primary hardware: online."
"Neural coordinate synchronization: complete."
"Screen active. System startup."
"The game begins—"
A brilliant white light pierced the darkness.
And then, silence.
The players slowly opened their eyes.
They stood in a world that felt so real, it took their breath away.
"This is amazing... It's like being inside a dream!" Ayumi cried joyfully, twirling on the spot.
"Quite the opposite," Haibara Ai said flatly.
"Huh?" Ayumi blinked.
"What do you mean by freedom?" Ai continued. "Our senses—smell, taste, touch, even time—are all simulated. We're completely under computer control. We can't even wake up unless it lets us."
"Hey, brat!" Sonoko scolded, walking over. "Can't you just enjoy the game for once?"
"…"
Ai ignored her, glancing around instead.
"Where's Brother Yoshiki?"
Oddly, calling him that felt natural now.
"I don't know," Ran replied. "He gave me this badge through a staffer… then vanished."
Ran's expression tightened.
She was starting to worry.
Just then, a figure appeared.
Noah's Ark, the AI behind Cocoon, manifested before the players.
With a mechanical yet oddly human voice, it announced:
"Choose from five scenarios:"
Viking Saga – Become a Viking and journey across the seven seas.
Paris Rally – Compete for glory in the world's greatest race.
Roman Colosseum – Enter brutal, ancient arena combat.
Solomon's Treasure – Adventure and solve puzzles in search of lost treasure.
London, 1888 – Jack the Ripper stalks the streets. Your mission: uncover and stop him.
Hayashi Yoshiki didn't have a choice.
When he entered, the system placed him directly into Scenario 5.
He found himself inside a lavish room—Victorian London.
The fog outside the window drifted past ornate curtains.
The furnishings were exquisite: gold-trimmed furniture, a marble fireplace, and intricate wallpaper.
Yoshiki turned toward a mirror by the window.
In the reflection, he saw his new in-game appearance.
"…Well then."
He let out a short laugh.
"This should be interesting."
He didn't yet know what he'd uncover in this world.
Or how deeply it would pull him in.
But for now—
Let's just call it entertainment.