Ranran's gaze remained steady, unyielding in the face of General Stefan's amusement.

The General's eyes narrowed, and he regarded Ranran with newfound respect. "Indeed, it appears I did. You've proven to be quite the thorn in my side."

"Is that why General Stefan sent those men after Landon in Edgewood Academy?" Suddenly it dawned on Takuma, "I mean I could imagine this would be a huge game-changer for him!"

"Landon is the second-in-line to the throne after all," Shinichi recalled, "Eliminating him since he is the nephew of his younger brother, Thomas Lockwood, would make sense for General Stefan's plans."

The General chuckled darkly. "You children are more astute than I gave you credit for. Yes, Landon was panicking when he realised all of this, and so did his father, which is why I decided I needed to act swiftly. Considering that I am the eldest while Landon's father is the younger, it would put him third-in-line to the throne while his father is second-in-line, which he didn't like one bit."

"But did you all forget?! There was a will left by King Leif!" Everyone turned to Ran, "He specified that Thomas will be King, not General Stefan!"

"But if King Leif learns of the truth about General Stefan's heritage, what would happen, Mouri?" Shinichi challenged her, "Will it not make a difference?"

And that was enough to make Ran froze.

General Stefan's eyes narrowed further, his face contorted in a mix of frustration and contemplation. "You speak the truth," he conceded, his tone begrudging. "When father got word of it, he was midway in changing the will with his lawyers. Unfortunately while doing so...it appears someone poisoned him, making his health deteriorate in such a way...he was never able to complete it and will the throne to me."

The revelation hung heavy in the air. The complexity of the situation was staggering. The fate of the throne, the kingdom, and the lives of those involved were all hanging in the balance.

"I can't believe this..." Junko whispered, her eyes wide with realization.

Michio shook his head in disbelief. "This is beyond anything we could have imagined."

"When I made a call to Mr Moseby, the Lockwood's royal tutor, he gave me an interesting insight," Ranran told them, "Any law governing the Royal Family, especially in Norway, just like your usual typical stereotype royal family, the eldest son always becomes the king. And it only made sense for King Leif to do so legally, but as he was poisoned...."

"....then the last will about Thomas Lockwood becoming King would retain!" Junko suddenly put everything together in her head.

"Here is another interesting law tidbit from Norway: Legally, when the eldest male heir becomes King, their children are prioritised ahead of the male heir's sibling. Before, since Thomas Lockwood was presumed as the eldest, Landon was second while General Stefan was third, but since General Stefan's heritage came about, Landon has a lot to lose, especially the privileges."

Michio snapped his fingers, "In other words-"

"That is right," Shinichi cut Michio off, "So it wouldn't be odd if either Landon or his Tousan poisoned King Leif before the recent will could come to fruition. Cause legally, an incomplete Will can't be used to cement yourself as King."

The weight of the revelation settled heavily on the members of the Tantei Association. They were now entrenched in a royal conspiracy that was far more convoluted and treacherous than they could have ever imagined.

"Damn, is like something out of a thriller novel," Takuma murmured, his eyes wide with realization.

"It's a power struggle of epic proportions," Michio added, still trying to wrap his head around the intricacies of the situation. "No wonder General Stefan sent his secret police over to Edgewood Academy! Because of this!"

General Stefan's eyes bore into Ranran, his expression a mix of frustration and calculation. "You've proven to be quite the formidable opponent, little girl. Your understanding of the situation is impressively accurate."

"Is that why Landon came to us this whole time? Feared of getting killed over this matter?"Ran wanted to know.

"Partially, "Ranran answered. "He knew that The General would kill him, having to put up with this nonsense, especially with his right to the throne robbed and be put back to third-in-line. And of course, he needed a bride to secure his right to the throne, which was Emiko, which is why she was unfortunately targeted for her background we had no idea about. Plus, he needed some puppet's help to get the money from the locker. And as I said earlier, we played right into his hands. Big time. I told you royalties can't be trusted."

Everyone stared at Landon, who was tied up with ropes by General Stefan and his men. He turned away in stony defiance and said nothing.

Then Ran frowned. "But what about that meeting he had with The General in the forest? I mean if he was so afraid of General Stefan, why did he go to see him last night after kidnapping Emiko?"

"About that..." Ranran's eyes lit up. "He didn't meet The General."

"But Emiko saw them," argued Michio.

Shinichi laughed as heads turned to him "No, actually, she didn't," he said," What Emiko saw was, him meeting his Tousan."

A puzzled Junko stared at Ranran for a long moment, then at Shinichi, before she finally made the connection."You mean...Landon's father and The General are literally identical twins? And not fraternal twins?!"

Shinichi nodded with a wry smile. "Exactly. They're identical twins, which is why Emiko who has no idea about this mistaken him as General Stefan. It also explains why when the real General Stefan contacted us over the phone and demanded to verify whether we truly saw him with Landon, we were basically confirming General Stefan's suspicion that Landon was actually seeing his father."

"That is right," Ranran nodded. "And this was a bit ironic, but General Stefan and Thomas Lockwood are born by two separate women on the same time, with Stefan 5 minutes ahead of Thomas, making him the eldest."

"And that is why I am most grateful to you, girl. When she told me that piece of news I realized my brother was here in your country as well as Landon. So when we picked up Landon's trail, we followed him to the warehouse hoping that my brother would turn up. Unfortunately, he didn't, so it seems that he will be unable to say goodbye to his son." General Stefan taunted.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that."

He spun around at the sound of a footstep behind him

"Father!" Landon gasped in English.

Landon's father had stepped out of the jungle and the pistol was level at The General's head. The rest of the association members were amazed at how alike both men were. Their powerful bodies and faces were like mirror images of each other.

"If anything happens to my son, Stefan, you're a dead man," said Thomas as he switched into English.

He then cast a quick look at Ranran while switching to Japanese for a moment, "My son told me that he was going to try an attempt to fool a 6-year-old little girl who had opened a detective agency with the other children, nevertheless, he underestimated the prowess of how cunning you were. Regardless, it was good knowing you."

"What is that supposed to mean!?" Shinichi snapped in anger.

"You all know far too much." His eyes swung back to General Stefan, "Also Stefan, grow up, will you? It was clearly intended that the throne is meant for me and Landon, not you."

"Excuse me!?" General Stefan's face contorted in a mix of surprise and anger as he confronted, "You poisoned our father, and you had the audacity to tell me to step down!?"

Thomas Lockwood's gaze remained steady, his expression unyielding. "You were never meant to take the throne, Stefan. You let your greed blind you to what truly matters. And now, it's come to this."

"Greed? Look who is talking and acting all so high and mighty?!" General Stefan's face contorted further, his grip on his weapon tightening. "Poisoning father when you realize I am older than you, and to top it off: I am your biological twin brother who is way more qualified than someone who is constantly flying on a private jet around the world, indulging in luxuries!"

"Oh snap," Ranran shook her head with Shinichi since they were well-versed in English, but the rest of the children were not, so Shinichi had to summarize it for them.

"You took advantage of the father when he was showing signs of dementia! It's fine, I'll freely admit that I do that, but what royal within our family didn't enjoy their privileges as a royal?" Thomas barked, "And I didn't poison him, he had to be taught a lesson."

"Ah, so like you to downplay everything. Especially whenever your idiotic son kept fooling those unfortunate little girls with sweet lies, and you kept on spoiling him!"

"Hey! Watch your damn mouth in how I raise my son!"

"Even when I was raised by my other mother, she never raised me wrongly the way your idiot son Landon does so! So it only seems fair I stage a coup for doing this to me!"

"Oh ho ho, well done, hypocrite! Since you too are attempting to stage a coup towards me!"

The tense standoff between the two brothers sent shivers through some of the association members. The gravity of the situation was overwhelming. They were witnessing a power struggle of monumental proportions, with the fate of Norway, or the world as anyone would put it, hanging in the balance.

"They are squabbling like children," Junko whispered to the others, her eyes fixed on the confrontation.

"I can't believe what we're witnessing," Michio murmured in disbelief.

"This is normal among families of high status," Ranran gritted her teeth before Shinichi noticed her hands were in her skirt pocket, wondering what is she fumbling with.

With the hostile tension between them, Thomas scoffed, "Let's face it, your plans to stage a coup against us? That is over."

"You!"

"But I need to greet my thanks, for lending your men to me to load the plane for Landon and I, so now we can make our departure without further delay. So drop your gun, Stefan, your game has ended even before it could begin." Thomas spoke in a taunting manner.

General Stefan's face contorted with a mixture of rage and frustration. He tightened his grip on the pistol, his knuckles turning white.

"You underestimate me, Thomas. I won't let you and Landon walk away from this," he hissed through gritted teeth.

As the tension in the clearing reached its peak, Ranran's hand remained hidden in her skirt pocket.

Junko, sensing the escalating danger, whispered urgently to the others. "We need to do something. Ranran, can you..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Ranran subtly nodded, indicating that she was already on it.

"Stefan, don't make yourself any less pathetic. We will talk about this with Father about your nonsense," Thomas implored, his voice steady but tinged with urgency.

"Oh no, I think the one who shouldn't be acting as the pathetic one," Stefan retorted.

"Excuse me!?"

"I already sent in a report to father before coming here, by this time, he had probably seen the report as to who was behind his poisoning. The moment he laid eyes on whose name is on it, we will see who will be the last one sitting on the throne!"

Tension hung thick in the air, suffocating the jungle clearing. The power struggle between General Stefan and Thomas Lockwood had reached a critical point, with the fate of the throne and the welfare of Norway at stake.

"And as for you children, though I appreciate the help you have given my son, I am afraid that our time has come to an end," Thomas sneered at the children with mocking pity, "Such a shame that you all are although young and talented, your parents should've thought all of you not to poke your nose where it didn't belong."

By this point, they could hear Landon chuckle at his father's words as his father's men untied the grand prince.

Ranran's eyes narrowed at Thomas' words as Thomas expected the girl to be angry for being fooled, after all, he was used to seeing that constantly on a daily basis through his mother when she was still alive, gleefully manipulating others to her liking.

Yet, to the Crown Prince's surprise, the little girl before him laughed.

Ranran's laughter echoed through the clearing, ringing with confidence that sent shivers down Thomas Lockwood's spine, so did General Stefan and Landon, and presumably, all of the members as they eyed her. Her eyes sparkled with an intensity that caught everyone off guard.

"What is so funny!? Have you lost your mind!?" Thomas snapped, clearly taken aback by Ranran's reaction.

"Mr Lockwood—or wait, to avoid confusion, let me address you as Mr. Thomas." Ranran decided before revealing, "Mr. Thomas, you and I both studied in Edgewood despite our age gap, right?"

Thomas Lockwood's expression shifted from surprise to guarded wariness. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Sir, you are aware of what sort of students are enrolled there, right?"

"Children of aristocrats, why do you ask?" Thomas wonders where she is heading with this.

"And all of your family members, which includes Landon and General Stefan former student too, right?"

The Crown Prince of Norway's eyes narrowed, sensing a hidden meaning behind Ranran's words. "Yes, they attended Edgewood as well. But what does that have to do with our current situation?"

Ranran's smile only widened. "It has everything to do with it, Mr. Thomas. You see, aside from having elite students in there...though I may have been a student for 2 short years, I ain't that stupid to not be aware of how royals lived their life in general."

Thomas Lockwood's expression grew more guarded, his eyes fixed on Ranran. He could sense that the girl was leading up to something significant.

"Secret police or men in black....there is always a constant presence in the lives of any royal family members in general," Ranran's gaze remained steady, her voice unwavering. "So when I decided to bring the rest of the members to spy on Landon since he pleaded for Emiko to come, I knew at some point General Stefan definitely had some of his men eying on us the moment Landon fled all the way here, even up till the point that as soon as General Stefan realize you were in Japan thanks to Emiko's sighting, he definitely would have ordered some of his men to keep an eye on us to ensure he capture Landon. You see where I am heading with this?"

"No, I honestly don't," Thomas admitted, puzzled at the little girl's brazen attitude.

"I foresee General Stefan bringing his own men to spy on Landon and us in advance because of my time in Edgewood, so I was thinking....if you all can do it, so can we, right?"

Thomas Lockwood's eyes widened in realization. "You...you brought your own people here, didn't you?"

Ranran's smile turned into a sly grin. "Oh, Mr. Thomas, you catch on fast."

"Thomas Lockwood and General Stefan," said another voice, "Drop your guns right this instant!"

To their shock, Sergeant Genzo emerged from the trees with a team of armed men in bulletproof vests. They surrounded The General, Landon and his father. Sergeant Genzo's arrival was met with a mixture of surprise and disbelief. The armed team he led exuded an air of authority and readiness, surrounding the Lockwood brothers and Landon.

Thomas's face tightened, his jaw clenching along with the rest of the Lockwood family members, not expecting to be outsmarted by the 6-year-old cunning detective girl.

Sergeant Genzo's presence had turned the tables once again. The atmosphere in the jungle clearing crackled with tension, and the Lockwood brothers and Landon were now outnumbered and outgunned.

"Drop your weapons now!" Sergeant Genzo commanded, his voice stern and unwavering.

General Stefan, Thomas Lockwood, and Landon exchanged wary glances, realizing they were cornered. Slowly, they lowered their weapons to the ground, their faces a mixture of frustration and defeat.

The members of the Tantei Association watched the scene unfold, their hearts pounding with a mix of exhilaration and relief. Then Ran seized Shinichi's arm. "Why didn't any of us that the police would be here?" she demanded hotly.

"In the first place, this was something Ranran and I swore to secrecy when you all left for the cinema," Shinichi shrugged before pushing her hands coldly, "Everything depended on secrecy. Anyhow," he brushed it off, "If you'd known the sergeant was following the truck, you all would've notice back then."

Then it was Junko's turn to scowl at Shinichi and Ranran, her frustration evident in her narrowed eyes. "You could have at least given us a hint, you know. We could have been better prepared."

Ranran simply shrugged, unapologetic. "We didn't want to risk any leaks, especially with so much at stake."

The two other girls huffed in irritation but knew that Shinichi had a point. The success of their plan had depended on secrecy and precision. Revealing too much could have jeopardized everything.

Sergeant Genzo and his team swiftly took control of the situation, apprehending General Stefan, Thomas Lockwood, and Landon. They were led away, their faces etched with defeat.

While Sergeant Genzo had leapt into action as he was shouted orders. Whistles blew and flares were fired into the sky, while armed police sprinted for the plane. When the soldiers working by the jet realized what was happening, they piled on board. The hatch swung shut. The jet's engine screamed as it began taxiing down the airstrip.

"Ranran, Emiko is still on board!" Michio frantically warned Ranran. "You can't let them get away!"

"I wouldn't be too worried about that," Ranran looked unconcerned.

As the jet gained speed, Ranran swiftly pulled out a small device from her pocket. With practised precision, she pressed a button and a low-frequency signal emitted from the device.

The effect was immediate.

Suddenly, for some odd reason, Junko shivered. And she knew why she was having this feeling.

Considering Junko has a severe fear of birds, the sight that met her eyes was nothing short of terrifying. Birds, hundreds of them, had descended upon the jet. They swooped and swirled in a frenzy, their wings flapping and cawing filling the air.

Junko's eyes widened in horror, her heart pounding. She backed away, stumbling over her own feet in her haste to get away from the feathery onslaught. "What...what is happening?!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling.

"Earlier, I had to have Shinichi travel to Teitan Elementary school to pick up those 150 plus birds that we are still having problems housing those birds elsewhere, since in our previous case, Professor Shibuya is serving jail time," Ranran's lips curled into a sly smile as she watched the chaos unfold. "Also, a little trick I picked up since I was young," she said nonchalantly. "Birds tend to flock to low-frequency signals. It's quite handy when you need a distraction."

"Who brought the birds all the way here then? Shinichi was with us when we were held hostage?" Ran asks.

"Sergeant Genzo's men, I had them bring over, it was very worth it." Ranran grins.

"This is so worth it." Shinichi gleefully witnessed this spectacle before them, and the rest of the children were amused.

The others, too, were stunned by the sudden avian invasion. They watched in a mixture of awe and disbelief as the birds swarmed around the jet, causing it to come to a screeching halt. The soldiers on board were in a frenzy, trying to fend off the birds, but they were clearly overwhelmed. The jet's engines roared, but it was futile. The birds seemed determined to make their presence known. As the jet tried to gather speed, a swarm of police cars, their headlights blazing raced down the runway blocking its path.

The birds of all kinds were there: Flamingos, macaws, owls, toucans, and even a majestic peacock. Their colourful plumage created a dazzling display against the backdrop of the runway.

As all of this was unfolding, the members of the Tantei Association could hardly contain their laughter and amazement. Ranran's ingenuity and resourcefulness had once again proven to be an invaluable asset.

"Ranran, you really think out of the box!" Ran exclaimed.

"This isn't something one should be praising! I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy!" Junko trembled in horror.

"I can't believe she actually pulled this off!" Takuma added, a wide grin on his face.

Michio couldn't help but be impressed. "You really know how to make a grand exit, Ranran."

Ranran, still holding the small device in her hand, grinned triumphantly. "I always like to leave a lasting impression."

Inside the jet, chaos ensued. The men with guns were in a state of panic and disbelief. Emiko's heart raced as she watched the colourful array of birds swarm around the aircraft, her hands still bounded behind her, and so were her legs. Their wings flapped wildly, and their calls filled the air, creating a cacophony of sound.

"What in the world is happening?!" one of the gunmen exclaimed, clutching their seat in fear.

"I've never seen anything like this!" a pilot cried out, trying to maintain composure.

Emiko's gaze darted around the cabin, her eyes wide with astonishment. She couldn't fathom how this sudden avian invasion had occurred. It was like something out of a surreal dream.

"Fly the plane, fly the damn plane!" One of the gunmen yelled at the pilot.

"How can I!? I can barely see with the feathers flying about!"

The chaos inside the jet escalated as the birds continued their frenzied onslaught. Feathers and squawks filled the air, creating a scene of pandemonium. The gunmen were in a state of panic, struggling to maintain control. Soon, thanks to the feathery friends, the jet then came to a standstill as the police cars surrounded it. The first person to step down through the hatch was Emiko after the police managed to cut her ropes. She looked around, her eyes wide with both relief and wonder at the spectacle of birds.

"Where do these birds come from!?" Emiko questioned Sergeant Genzo as he escorted her out of the plane.

"Ask Ranran, she brought the birds over."

Sergeant Genzo smiled down at Emiko, impressed by her composure despite the chaos around them. "Ranran has quite the knack for surprises, doesn't she?"

Emiko couldn't help but chuckle, even in the midst of the surreal situation. "That's an understatement."

As they walked away from the jet, Emiko glanced back at the colourful display of birds that had brought the powerful aircraft to a standstill. It was a sight she knew she would never forget.

However it was short-lived when Sergeant Genzo's walkie-talkie crackled to live, "Sergeant, bad news, we have a hostage situation with one of the children. Apparently, Landon managed to escape!"

"NANI!?" Sergeant Genzo's face tightened at the news.

.................................................................................

"Put the gun down!"

Policemen had their guns aimed towards the 10-year-old grand prince, who was holding 6-year-old Mouri Ran hostage when he managed to steal back his gun, and now he held Ran as hostage.

The members of the Tantei Association watched in horror, their hearts pounding in their chests. This had escalated far beyond anything they could have anticipated.

Shinichi, though fearful, remained surprisingly composed. He knew that one wrong move could mean disaster for all of them. His eyes darted around, looking for any opportunity to diffuse the situation. If only he and the rest of the children had their guns earlier, but it was seized

"Landon, let her go you coward!" Shinichi barked angrily.

Landon's grip on Ran tightened, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and desperation. He was cornered, and he knew it. His escape plan had failed, and now he was in a dire situation. "Here is what is going to happen, you are all going to let me take a flight back to Norway with my father, then we will call it a done deal."

"Over our dead body, you prick!" 10-year-old Junko shouted in anger, "You caused a lot of turmoil coming into our country and manipulating anyone to your liking, so hell no!"

"Yeah! If gaslighting two of your ex-fiances and those other little girls Ranran told us wasn't bad enough, you all attempted to stage a coup of your own homeland just to be King!" Takuma too was outraged by the turn of events.

"Let her go, Landon!" Michio too joined in.

The tense standoff sent shivers through the association members. The gravity of the situation was overwhelming. Their friend, Ran, was in the clutches of a desperate boy who was capable of anything.

Landon's gaze darted between the armed policemen, the determined children, and the crowd that had gathered around the chaotic scene. His breathing was rapid, his knuckles white from clutching Ran tightly.

"I'm not going back to that hellhole! I deserve to be King!" Landon's voice trembled with a mixture of fear and determination.

Ran, though frightened, kept her eyes locked on Landon's, trying to convey a sense of calm assurance. "Landon, this won't end well for you. Let me go, and we can talk about this."

"Talk?! Do you think they'll let me talk?! Oh no! This isn't going to happen!" Landon's voice cracked with desperation, "Hear my demands or no one is going anywhere!"

Sergeant Genzo's heart sank as he listened to the tense situation unfolding on the other end of the walkie-talkie. The news of Landon's escape and the ensuing hostage situation added an even greater layer of complexity to an already fraught scenario.

He knew that every second counted now. The safety of the children was paramount, and he couldn't afford to let this situation escalate further.

Sergeant Genzo swiftly relayed the situation to his team and ordered them to maintain their positions. He needed to strategize a way to resolve this crisis without anyone getting hurt.

Meanwhile, Ran remained remarkably calm despite the intense pressure of the situation. She locked eyes with Landon, her voice steady and reassuring. "Landon, I understand that you're scared and desperate. But we don't want anyone to get hurt. Let's find a way to resolve this peacefully, okay?"

Landon's grip on Ran loosened slightly as he wavered between his desperation and the possibility of a non-violent resolution. He looked around, seeing the determined faces of the children and the armed policemen surrounding them.

"Look, I just want to leave this place with my father. That's all I ask," Landon pleaded.

Sergeant Genzo, recognizing the need for careful negotiation, stepped forward, his voice calm and steady. "Landon, we can work to find a solution that ensures everyone's safety. But you need to release Ran first."

Landon's eyes darted between the faces of the children, the policemen, and Sergeant Genzo. He could sense the weight of the situation bearing down on him. He took a deep breath, making a split-second decision.

With a sudden, desperate burst of energy, Landon shoved Ran towards the policemen and made a run for it. The policemen reacted quickly, lunging to apprehend him, but Landon managed to slip past them.

He sprinted towards the edge of the clearing, desperation fuelling his every step. He knew that time was running out, and he needed to find a way to escape.

The association members watched in shock and alarm as Landon made his desperate bid for freedom. The policemen pursued him, their determination matched only by Landon's desperation to evade capture.

While all of this was going on, Shinichi eyed around his surroundings before wondering, "Guys, where is Ranran?"

Junko quickly scanned the area, her eyes wide with worry. "She was with us just a moment ago... Where could she have gone?"

Suddenly, to their surprise including the policemen and Sergeant Genzo, they heard shots fired.

The sudden shots echoed through the jungle, sending a shockwave of fear and adrenaline through everyone present. "Stay down!" Sergeant Genzo commanded, his voice urgent as he arrived with Emiko.

The children dropped to the ground, their hearts pounding with a mix of fear and anticipation. The tense silence that followed was broken only by the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of birds. Soon, their gaze widened at Landon tumbling down to the ground with obvious bullet holes around his shoulder and thigh from the back.

Sergeant Genzo and his team quickly converged on Landon's fallen form, their guns trained on him even as he writhed in pain. It was clear that someone had intervened, and the situation had taken yet another unexpected turn.

"Huh!? Landon is shot!" Takuma directed the gaze of the rest of the children towards Landon.

The forest fell into a tense stillness as the echoes of gunfire dissipated. The sudden turn of events left everyone in a state of shock and confusion. The children and policemen remained crouched, their eyes wide with surprise.

Sergeant Genzo's trained eyes scanned the area, trying to discern the source of the shots. He couldn't fathom who could have fired on Landon, but he knew that this had just taken an even darker turn.

"Everyone stay down! We need to assess the situation!" Sergeant Genzo barked orders to his team, who immediately fanned out, their weapons still at the ready.

The association members exchanged bewildered glances. None of them had anticipated this level of violence. Their hearts pounded in their chests, and fear gripped them as they waited for some indication of what had just occurred.

"Huh, the police shot Landon I see." Michio guessed.

"I don't think so, they look rather confused!" Junko pointed them at the perplexed expression exchanged by the rest of the policemen, including Sergeant Genzo, while everyone seemed to be inspecting the gun they were holding, wondering did they forgot to put the safety on which led to the misfire.

"Well if they didn't shoot, who did!?" Emiko is asking no one in particular.

"I did since they were doing a horrific job." Just then, from the dense underbrush, a figure emerged. It was Ranran, clutching a small gun in her tiny hands. Her face was a mixture of determination and focus, her eyes fixed on Landon.

"Ranran..." Shinichi breathed, his eyes wide with astonishment.

"Did you...?" Junko began, unable to finish her sentence, her eyes locked on the firearm in Ranran's hands before confronting the 6-year-old, "DID YOU LITERALLY FIRED REAL LIFE BULLETS ONTO HIM!?"

"And why shouldn't I?" Ranran's gaze remained steady on Landon, her voice unwavering. "He was a threat to everyone. I couldn't let him escape and potentially harm others."

"Even so, I don't mean to be rude, but...aren't you a bit too much of a sharpshooter?!" Michio was shell shock as he measured, "Landon was away from us by...what? How many Km away from us!?"

"He was about...what? Fifty meters away from us? Maybe more?" Emiko estimated, still in awe of what she had just witnessed.

Ran couldn't tear her eyes away from the pistol in Ranran's hands. "Ranran, how did you even...?"

"Well, my parents taught me," Ranran cut her off, her gaze never leaving Landon. "They are always working elsewhere, so leaving me with a gun sounds reasonable to me."

Takuma's eyes widened, realization dawning on him. "You've been trained in firearms? How old were you when they taught you!?"

"2."

"2!?" Shinichi and the others's jaws drop.

"Yes, 2. We used to live in the slums, crime rates involving break-ins were so high that it was necessary." Ranran affirmed, her tone matter-of-fact. "Why? Don't your parents teach you such a thing? It is normal for the children there back at the slums to do so before they relocated."

"NORMAL!?" The association members were left speechless, trying to process the fact that a six-year-old girl was not only proficient with a firearm but had been trained in its use from a remarkably young age.

The association members exchanged incredulous glances, grappling with the revelation. "But I am pretty sure your parents didn't teach you how to shoot far, right?" Shinichi pointed out.

"Oh no," Ranran shook her head and admitted, "That one was done by my 7-year-old mentor, and he taught me well when I was around 3."

"7-year-old...mentor?" Michio blinked, unable to process the information. "You mean to tell me that a 7-year-old taught you how to shoot accurately?"

Ranran nodded matter-of-factly. "Yes, he was quite skilled. It's surprising what you can learn when you grow up in certain environments."

Takuma was wide-eyed with astonishment. "But wait a minute, you lived in the U.K. for 5 years! Ain't the gun laws there strict?"

"At the slums before moving into my mentor's neighbourhood, there are plenty of abandoned venues to try it out. In my mentor's neighbourhood, you can find many mansions near and far to test fire, so no one knows about truthfully," Ranran shrugs casually as if it was nothing.

"That's...that's beyond anything I could have imagined," Emiko finally managed to say, her voice tinged with a mix of awe and concern.

"Where did your mentor get the gun anyway? He is 7! He is too young to own one!" Ran confronted.

"At our school in Edgewood Academy," Ranran replied, "We have an Animal Hunting club, and it wasn't difficult for me to picklock the doors to take the gun out, then put it back when my mentor is done with shooting lessons for me."

By this point, the rest of the children concluded her parents were equally as abnormal as her. Although the rest of them had witnessed Ranran fire shots with a real gun before once, this was the first time they witnessed her first-hand shooting at a life-living person without batting an eye.

So was Sergeant Genzo, who pinched his nose bridge in frustration while attempting to muster all of his strength not to scold the 6-year-old detective girl, "Ranran."

"Hmph?"

"You do realize that you fired multiple shots at the grand Prince of Norway, right?!"

Ranran met Sergeant Genzo's gaze, her expression unflinching. "It barely matters, since he had caused nothing but destruction in our backyard."

Sergeant Genzo sighed, rubbing his temples in an attempt to stave off the impending headache. He couldn't deny that Ranran's actions had likely averted a potential crisis, but the fact that a six-year-old had taken it upon herself to use a firearm in such a way was deeply unsettling.

"Where did you get the gun by the way? I thought General Stefan's men seized all of our guns when we came to spy on Landon?" Michio asked.

"After Sergeant Genzo arrested everyone, I went over to the cops and collected the guns back. Too bad that as soon as Landon grabbed Ran as a hostage, I was about to fire the bullet at him till he shoved her to a cop and fled, so I pulled the trigger." Ranran replied.

"Wait, hold on a minute!" It suddenly dawned on Sergeant Genzo as he angrily confronted the founder of the association, "You didn't bother to tell me that you brought real guns to the scene!"

Ranran glanced at Sergeant Genzo with a cool expression. "You never asked, and I didn't think it was relevant at the time."

Sergeant Genzo let out an exasperated sigh. Now that he thought back, he should have asked. The last time Ranran was The Fox, when a similar situation as this one occurred, he heard through a colleague that the little girl once stole the gun from a shocked cop from the holster, then fired shots accurately at the culprit who was held hostage in front of her.

And damn, she did it when the hostage was still being held by the culprit, there was blood everywhere. Although the hostage escaped unharmed, Ranran was....how did his colleague put it?

"She seems unfazed by the blood! As if she was used to seeing this her whole life! Hell, she didn't even hesitate to pull the trigger when he made those threats in front of her!"

Sergeant Genzo couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled over him. He had known through her parents that her medical condition made her what she is now, but this revelation about her past actions with firearms was beyond anything he could have anticipated.

Shaking his head in frustration, Sergeant Genzo gripped Ranran's shoulder, "Ranran, did it not occur to you that if word travels to his grandfather, King Leif, the worst may happen to you!?"

"Don't worry," Ranran met Sergeant Genzo's gaze, her eyes steady and unwavering. "He isn't in a medically fit condition to travel all the way here. And as for those idiots over there," The 6-year-old girl then coldly addressed the two Lockwood brothers, "Enough with the squabbling, neither of you is fit or qualified to be sitting on the damn throne and become King of Norway, if anything, you guys are poorly qualified, including Landon."

"Ooi, Ranran!" Ran was panicking, fearing that she would be killed by General Stefan and Thomas Lockwood, who were both glaring at her with contempt with handcuffs behind their backs.

"3 generations of royalty, and the only thing they did to get to the throne was them resorting to an attempted military coup, kidnapping, extortion, weapon smuggling, even as far as to try to assassinate a child! For what? Power? Privilege? How does any of this make the both of you worthy of the throne, if this even includes attempting to murder us all?! Let alone, wasting the resources of the people of Norway!" Ranran's voice carried through the clearing, her words cutting through the tension.

She wasn't just addressing the Lockwood brothers, but the whole world she wanted to deliver her message to the public.

The atmosphere grew heavy with tension as Ranran's words reverberated through the clearing. Her small figure stood tall, her voice clear and unwavering, a stark contrast to the chaos that had unfolded around them.

The Lockwood brothers exchanged glances, their faces contorted with a mixture of anger and frustration. They were cornered, their plans in ruins, and now this young girl was publicly denouncing them.

"You have no right to speak to us like this!" General Stefan spat out, his voice laced with venom.

Thomas Lockwood, equally defiant, sneered, "You're just a child. What do you know of power and responsibility?"

"Oh?" Ranran taunted, "Then tell me what Landon whom I shot not long ago knows about power and responsibility? Holding hostage a 6-year-old girl, gaslighting girls at Edgewood Academy, even as far as kidnap one of my members to Norway to secure marriage against her will? You had the audacity to tell me your own son who is 4 years older than me knows any of that, while I don't!?"

Ranran's words were a searing indictment of the Lockwood brothers' actions, and the weight of their crimes hung heavy in the air. The association members stood by her side, their faces resolute, united in their condemnation of the would-be usurpers.

General Stefan's face contorted with fury, his eyes narrowing at the young girl who had dared to challenge him. "You're a meddlesome brat, and you'll pay for this naive insolence!"

"I rarely agree, but he is right! After all, royals never go to jail." Thomas Lockwood smirked before them, "It won't be long before Landon too will be set free regardless of what we have done."

"Of course, I know you would say that," Ranran's smile turned sinister, "Which is why I took some earlier precautions, by making deals with King Leif himself."

The revelation sent shockwaves through the clearing. The association members and the police officers exchanged puzzled glances, struggling to process Ranran's statement.