Sacred Items & The Miyuzaki Family

~' I wasn't angry at my father because of keeping the truth from me about his friend who happened to be Rin-chan's father. I wasn't angry at all. I knew he was saving his best friend from the danger that he never thought his friend was dealing with.

'Now I knew how hard it was for him to protect his friend and us at the same time. After he learned that I became involved in his previous predicament, he kept on saying sorry. I just let him, though. This was the first time I saw Oyaji this seriously and I can feel it.

'But right now, I was far more concerned about the Miyuzaki clan's involvement, or so they said. Who were they, anyway? And what did they have to do with Rin-chan's family that I didn't know? I wanted to know about it.

'I wanted to know everything and everyone that surrounded the girl who saved me from near death.

'I don't know why I wanted to do that. Maybe... I wanted to be a part of Rin-chan's life at the very least. And if there was something I want to do, that would be... I didn't want her to be sad anymore...'~

-x-x-

"It seems you're still not with us, Ryoma-kun."

Ryoma was startled by that. He saw everyone looking at him. He just shook his head for them not to worry about anything at all. After that, he faced Shouko.

"Umm... may I ask you a question? If you don't mind, that is..." he inquired, unwaveringly facing Nanako's friend.

"Of course, it's okay. What are you going to ask about, anyway?"

It took him a while to gather his courage and asked her a question. Man, this wasn't like him! This might be the first time that asking a personal question would be hard for him.

"I want to know how exactly are you connected to the Shinomiya family. It seems to me that you and Miyuzaki-sensei, even Yanai-sensei, are not simply acting as Rin-chan's guardians and friends."

He saw Shouko's shocked look while facing him.

"Ryoma-san, isn't that a bit too much to ask to her?" Nanako asked nervously.

But he didn't even twitch from his place one bit. Everyone in that house could see that he was determined to know the answer to his question.

He saw Shouko sigh and faced Yuusaku and Yukiko.

"Yuusaku-sama, Yukiko-sama, forgive me. But I think it's time for me to tell you all about the people surrounding and supposedly protecting the Shinomiya family. And that includes my role to the family, as well."

"What do you mean by that? Aren't you just working as a private investigator to blow the Dark Rose's cover?" Yukiko confusingly asked Shouko.

"Part of it was true. I do want to blow the Dark Rose's cover since that's what I promised to Rin-chan before. In addition to that, the Miyuzaki clan also acts as bodyguards to the Shinomiya family... eliminating all dangers that might befall the family in the process. Among them was the Dark Rose Agency."

"WHAT?!" All of them exclaimed.

"The previous members of the Miyuzaki clan were always assigned to assassinate all the people that could cause danger to the people they were protecting. A noble clan by day, contract bodyguards by night—that's originally the duties of the Miyuzaki family. Our clan had been like that for centuries. We're indeed the ones who choose the people or family that we want to protect. But it's also a part of us that we would do whatever our masters have asked us to do, even if it was against our will. Every member of the clan must make that vow. Oftentimes, members of the clan were usually assigned secret missions before, to kill some mercilessly that was considered eyesores or hindrances to the previous members' masters." After that, she sighed.

The others could only listen to what Shouko was saying since they couldn't speak because of shock. After that, she continued speaking.

"The previous members couldn't oppose to it, no matter how much they wanted to. They had given themselves one year to serve the people they've chosen. If they liked their masters' way of treating them, then they could stay with them for as long as they want. But it so happened that most of their masters who were using the clan merely as a tool didn't want them to leave. That's why they don't have any other choice but to eliminate all dangers that threatened the people they were protecting—" she paused. "—including the masters that they were serving to end everything that could be used as a connection, particularly the contract that binds them. That way, the contract that binds the Miyuzaki to their masters will be rendered null and void in an instant. That's how brutal our clan had become during those times."

'I can't believe it! Are the Miyuzaki clan really that dedicated to the point of obeying every order for a year?' Ryoma could only say in his mind as he kept on listening to Shouko.

While Conan, who remained quiet all this time, could only watch the woman as she kept on revealing everything to them. He couldn't consider the two cases as close since they haven't captured the criminals responsible for the massacre in Florida that has eliminated the entirety of the Shinomiya family members and some members of the Miyuzaki clan: The Dark Rose Agency.

Yet there was still the mystery that he wanted to find out.

'What exactly does the Dark Rose wants with Rin and her family for them to eradicate the whole family in a single night? Every crime committed has a reason, and for sure, the same goes for that massacre. But what?'

"So does that mean you were also asked to kill someone or maybe even follow an order that is against your will, Shouko-san?" Nanako asked.

Shouko could see in her friend's eyes that she was expecting a good answer. That was why she shook her head and then smiled at her. "No, I was not. I'm only allowed to kill if it's necessary—and in a dire situation at that. As for the order given to me that I need to follow against my will, there is no such thing in my years of serving the Shinomiya family. As far as I can remember, I was only assigned to guard the family treasure and to investigate with regards to a few important matters."

"But how? You said that most of the masters that your clan had served were forcing you to do their bidding because of the vow you made as a member of the clan," Ryoma said.

"It's true that the clan were always forced to do everything even against our will. But that was before the daughter of the head of our clan changed everything."

"Huh?" That made not only the freshman but even the others curious and baffled.

She sighed and then continued. "It began 90 years ago, when the daughter of the head of the Miyuzaki clan, Miyuzaki Mina, fell in love with the man she was protecting. That man was no other than the Shinomiya family's successor, Shinomiya Yoshito."

"Ryuuki's grandfather?" Nanjiroh exclaimed when he heard that name. Shouko nodded in response to that. "But I know that Miyuzaki Mina was a gifted scientist at that time that managed the laboratory she founded. How can you say that she was the one assigned to protect him?"

"She chose to do that herself," Shouko flatly said. "Even though their parents opposed their relationship at first, they continued to love each other. It took them four years before Mina-sama's parents finally accepted their relationship. That was the time when the Miyuzaki clan and the Shinomiya family joined forces. The Miyuzakis still do some people-guarding jobs for other people but they carefully chose the people that they wanted to protect with the help of the Shinomiya clan. They chose somebody who would treat them as humans with emotions, not those who would treat them as a tool to do their bidding. Most of us decided to serve the Shinomiya family for as long as we live. Not because it was a part of a vow but because we're thankful. Our clan's loyalty would only remain to the Shinomiya family. It's proof that we're glad we won't have to serve brutal or tyrant masters anymore." Then she smiled after that and faced Ryoma. "In case you're wondering, my sister and Shingo-oniisan are engaged to be married, that's why he's also involved in most of the cases that we're handling, and even in our lives. He has vowed to serve the Shinomiya family as payment for serving him a long time ago. Does that answer your question, Echizen-kun?"

The freshman nodded and faced his parents.

Then Conan asked Shouko a question. "What exactly is the treasured secret that you're deliberately protecting? And why does the Dark Rose kill Rin's family that night, like what my parents had told me?"

"Your parents?" They asked the boy in unison. Conan slapped himself mentally because of what he said by mistake. Then he laughed nervously. 'Great! I can't believe I said that. How am I supposed to explain it to them?' He silently pleaded with his parents for help. His mother smiled.

Yukiko faced the others. "We'll explain everything once this predicament is over. Right now, can you please answer this boy's question, Shouko-san?"

It took her a while to decide on what to say. The others were anticipating her answer to Conan's questions.

"The Dark Rose wanted to exact their vengeance on the family who had banished them more than 50 years ago. They were the ones who attempted to assassinate the fourth son of the head of the Shinomiya family because of their ultimate desire to control the family and at the same time, govern the Miyuzaki clan and order us to the fullest. That act resulted in the banishing of 68 people who supported the assassination plot."

"You mean, all of them served the Shinomiya family?"

"Yes. Most of them were actually—" Shouko paused and sighed. "—members of the Shinomiya clan."

"You got to be joking!" Conan exclaimed in disbelief. His eyes widened. "So the people who attacked the Shinomiya mansion a year ago... were Rin's relatives?"

Shouko nodded. "That is their so-called 'ancient agenda of the organization'—to eradicate every member of the Shinomiya family and the people that supported them. That's why that night, some of the Miyuzaki clan members and a few others were also killed. I think their desire to put an end to the Shinomiya family and their hatred to the very family that banished them became their ultimate source of strength to finish off those that are in their way."

Ryoma could feel his strength slowly draining because of what he learned about the mysteries surrounding the Shinomiya family—Kourin's family. 'I wonder if Rin-chan knew the identity of the enemy being her relatives...'

Conan felt like a useless being—not able to help his cousin when all this time she was bearing the pain and loneliness all alone. He had done nothing to help her, to at least ease up all the bad emotions that Kourin felt that night—the night she lost her parents and her brother.

"Then what about the treasured secret of the Shinomiya family? Is that what they were after when they killed the family besides having their revenge?" Conan asked.

"About that..." Shouko looked at Nanjiroh. The man just gave a small nod, as if giving her permission to tell them the truth... which was a bit ironic because it was the Miyuzaki family who guarded and protected that particular secret and not Ryoma's father. But they knew the truth and they knew the people to whom they going to tell the secret. "Well, they're actually... the fourteen sacred items essentially used for the coming-of-age ceremony of the leader's successor. It is also called The Celestial Succession Ceremonial Items (a), or at least that's how it is formally called. Those items are usually used during the coming-of-age ceremony when the successor turned 14 and also during the succession ceremony three years after when the successor turned 17 to be acknowledged as the new leader of the clan. Among those 14 items, there are only two in the Dark Rose sought for. The first and the most important is the Celestial Sun Scepter which bears the family seal. It enables the successor to give one and only one order to the former leader of the Shinomiya clan and to the Miyuzaki clan that will never be taken back. Even if that order is against our will to follow, we will do it. So far, the only order that we followed upon Ryuuki-sama's command was to protect the life of the Shinomiya princess, Rin-chan, if something happened to the main family, even if we have to risk our lives for it."

"What about the second item?"

"The second item is called the Tulip Seal. That seal was etched with the family's flower emblem, which is the purple tulip, which is also used to give orders but it extends to all of the people tightly connected to the Shinomiya family. And that order, as well, will never be taken back."

Nanjiroh continued Shouko's story. "That seal can be used as a letter stamp, placed on a letter where the order is written. I was one of those people who received that kind of letter from Ryuuki, saying that I should never reveal the 14 items to anyone. It depends on me if I should reveal what I know to my family, he said."

"So that means, those ceremonial items do not only possess a massive amount of fortune when sold, but it also gives the leader of the clan a power and authority similar to the Emperor?"

Shouko nodded in response to Nanako's question. "That's why only chosen and the most trusted people are allowed to touch it, especially when the coming-of-age ceremony and the succession ceremony has come," she added.

"But in this case, no one would be able to touch it for a long time since Rin, the only successor left for the Shinomiya family hasn't reached the right age. If I'm right, it would take five more years before the formal coming-of-age ceremony," Conan stated while looking at Shouko who nodded in return.

That was when Conan's detective badge suddenly beeped, indicating that someone among the Detective Boys was calling him.

"Hello? This is Conan."

"Conan-kun, this is Ayumi. We have an emergency. Can you notify the police for us?"

"What do you mean emergency? Ayumi-chan, what's going on?"

"We followed Rin-san like what you asked us to. We're here at Seishun Gakuen right now. But then, the Dark Rose suddenly appeared and Rin-san is scared because of it. They're taunting her about what happened a year ago. Conan-kun, she needs help."

Conan could feel Ayumi's voice quivering for he knew that the girl was also afraid of what might happen.

"What's the situation over there, Ayumi?" He has to know everything that was going on.

"Well..." The girl stopped talking for a while, as if contemplating, before speaking again. "It seems like the 9 members of the Dark Rose wanted to keep the students here as hostages since they had scattered around the school, bringing them their guns and swords."

'Guns? Swords? Oi, oi... Just what kind of battle do these people want to happen? We're not in the old era to use swords as the main fighting weapon, you know...' But that was when he remembered a certain passage from the file he read last night. To be more precise, it was an old book that tells of the Shinomiya family's principles.

~"The Shinomiya family prefers hand-to-hand combat in battles, mostly aided with bladed weapons. In battles, even before the clan's founding, they believe in close combat with the enemy. Eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth—kill the enemy up close. That was their principle. This principle was adopted up until now. The modern weapons, however, only strengthened their enemy's—the Dark Rose Agency's—fighting power but since most of them belonged to the Shinomiya family, they also adopted this principle in battle. Along with this, they also believed that they could destroy the family from within thru internal family disputes. And so, the Dark Rose was formed with members consisting of mostly the Shinomiyas who hated the main family and others who held the same grudge. But the main family and those who remained faithful and loyal to their leader became even stronger and close to one another. A close-family tie principle—they used this to protect one another from any possible reasons that could destroy the family from within. As long as they stick together and never betray each other, no one can destroy them anymore... not even the Dark Rose..."~

If that passage was true, then the agency preferred to end Kourin's life using the very same principle—the old principle. To kill their enemy as the ancients would do it. It would be the blade they all possessed that they would be used to end the Shinomiya princess's life for good. They already killed the rest of the Shinomiya, and so it was natural for the enemy to think that because only Kourin survived the attack that night, they could kill the princess as easily as that. They thought she was defenseless and vulnerable. Well, the latter was somehow true. But the former? Conan knew it would be impossible. It wasn't only the Miyuzaki clan who vowed to protect the last Shinomiya princess at all cost. Two more families made a vow about the same thing.

But it seemed that the Dark Rose Agency didn't know that, basing it on his observation and information he acquired during the case.

As the boy was about to answer, Shouko's phone suddenly rang. To her surprise, her sister's name appeared on the screen of the phone.

"Hello?"

"Shouko, we got emergency. The Dark Rose. Unfortunately, they've located Rin-chan, too." Doctor Miyuzaki informed on the other line.

This surprised the woman. "That can't be! How did that happen? By the way, where's Rin-chan?"

"The police said that they saw her at Seishun Gakuen along with the other kids who happened to follow her there. According to Shin, they've held the students there as hostages if Rin-chan won't abide by their bidding."

Shouko could only sigh in exasperation and distress because of what she heard.

Nanako couldn't help but ask her a question in a worried tone.

"Shouko-san, what's going on?"

But the said woman didn't answer. It was her sister who was doing all the talking on the other line, even though Ryoma and particularly, Conan wanted to hear the conversation, as well.

"What's the plan, then?" Shouko asked.

She heard her sister sigh heavily. "The clan is already planning to storm the school and fight the Dark Rose with little damage to us as possible. But I don't think the latter will happen. Still, we have to try."

"How many are they?"

"Nine, but as expected, the clan can deal with the situation faster than we thought."

She couldn't say a word for a while. 'I have to do something to save them... to save Rin-chan. Like what Ryuuki-sama had ordered us a long time ago... and like what I have promised to the princess before I set off to finish the mission.' With that, she had come up with a decision.

"Onee-chan, I'll go with you to finish the fight."

"Eh?!" It was a definite surprise to Doctor Miyuzaki when she heard her sister's words. "Shouko, are you serious about that? Nanako-san told me that you're wounded. I don't think you could fight with a weak body like that."

"But this wound is nothing compared to what we're going to feel when we know we had failed Ryuuki-sama. He gave us his only irrevocable order—to protect Rin-chan at all cost. I'll never be able to forgive myself if we had failed to obey Ryuuki-sama's ultimate order because of this," she unwaveringly stated, not minding the eyes that stared at her in curiosity and at the same time, worries.

She heard her sister sigh on the other line. But instead of feeling something negative about it, she smiled.

For she knew that Doctor Miyuzaki would agree with her. Even though it wasn't obvious, her sister—her older sister—was as devoted to serving and protecting the surviving member of the Shinomiya family as she was.

And they both knew that.

"Okay. I'll let you fight. But you have to take the antidote first before going into danger. Your arm might have some of the chemicals that penetrated through your nerves that could cause paralysis to some of your body parts, especially your affected arm, for starters."

She couldn't help smiling at her sister's remarks. "Thanks, Onee-chan." She ended the phone call, followed by facing Ryoma intently. "We need to get to Seishun Gakuen right now. We have to trouble and Rin-chan—"

"Rin's there, along with my friends," Conan finished Shouko's sentence.

The others stared at the boy in shock and disbelief.

"But why would she be there?" Ryoma could only ask, although he probably had an idea what Rin could be doing at his school.

"We'll be able to answer that question when we got there. Right now, we need to know what is the Dark Rose's business to pull this kind of news to the people. They've even held the students as hostages just to let the girl abide by their bidding."

"This has got to be a joke! What could a nine-year-old girl do with them?" Rinko exclaimed, her worries were vividly expressed in her eyes.

"Only one thing," Nanjiroh answered his wife's question gravely. "And that is her death. For sure, that's the only thing they want from her to finish what they had started. Probably, they're going to make a repeat of what had happened a year ago in Florida... just like how Ryuuki and the rest of his family died that night..."

Rinko covered her mouth and started to burst into crying. Nanako and Nanjiroh tried to calm her down. Ryoma could only look down so his bangs covered his eyes and Conan was looking at Shouko. Yuusaku and Yukiko stared worriedly at each other.

What Ryoma had said, though, made the others surprised and couldn't utter a word.

"Then I'll go with you, Miyuzaki-san. I'll go to Seigaku with you."

Silence filled the room. It took them a little while to have Ryoma's words sink into their minds.

"Ryoma, that's dangerous! You would be killed by them and I can't let that happen," his mother calmly said but with intensity and in an extremely serious tone.

"Oyaji had already put our lives in danger a long time ago without us knowing it. And that danger became even closer when I was chased by them a week ago. Right now, I don't care if I put myself in danger. I want to save Rin-chan..." His voice softened after saying that name. "This is the least I can do for her as thanks for saving my life."

"But she didn't save your life for you to waste it in an unpredictable battle that will surely kill a lot of people. And that includes your life, as well, if you're not careful," Conan said matter-of-factly.

Ryoma sighed. "I couldn't leave her like that, facing dangers and all."

"And neither can we," the boy added. "But if you're going to Seigaku, then—" he paused. "—then I'll go with you."

But before the others could give their reactions, somebody said something that made them change their focus.

"It doesn't matter now who will go. But whoever will go with you, better hurry up because the situation at the campus got worse."

"Shingo-oniisan!" Shouko exclaimed upon seeing her sister's fiance.

"What do you mean?" Yuusaku asked the doctor.

"The Dark Rose is trying to hurt every people that protects Rin-chan."

Shouko sighed heavily and after a few moments, she stood up.

"We better hurry up and get going."