Shinichi felt like the surprise had come out of nowhere.
A high fever… actually made his body change back?
Back to normal?
He touched his hands, then his face—everything felt right again.
I've finally recovered!
Did the poison's toxicity wear off?
No matter how it happened… I'm back!
Ran!
Finally, I can face you as my true self!
Just then, a memory flashed through his mind.
Akashi.
The kid who had been staying close to Ran.
The conversation between them in the taxi… the way they spoke so naturally…
It bothered him.
No—he couldn't stand it!
Ran, I'm back!
And I won't let that brat take advantage of you anymore!
Akashi…
Just wait!
I couldn't deal with you when I was Conan, but now that I'm back—
You're going to suffer.
At that thought, Shinichi couldn't help but laugh to himself.
The past few days had been pure torment for him.
But now, with this unexpected turn of events, the chance to get revenge felt…
Absolutely thrilling!
He couldn't wait any longer.
Without hesitation, Shinichi pushed open the study door.
With one hand against the wall, he struck a pose he had envisioned countless times in his head.
He adjusted his voice, lowering it slightly for dramatic effect.
Then, in a calm and confident tone, he declared—
"This case… is nothing but child's play for me!"
"..."
The moment his voice echoed through the study,
The entire room froze.
Everyone turned to look at him—
Their faces pale as if they had just seen a ghost.
A second later—
"G-GHOST!!"
Kazuha let out a blood-curdling scream!
This Kansai girl—terrified of ghosts—instinctively grabbed onto Akashi, holding him tightly in her arms.
She clung to him with all her strength, pressing against him so firmly that her entire body trembled.
Her reaction?
Priceless.
Meanwhile, little Akashi turned red, completely breathless from being squeezed.
Inspector Megure, visibly shaken, latched onto Takagi Wataru.
"B-Brother Kudo! W-What are you doing here?! If you have grievances, don't haunt me!"
Even Kogoro had, at some point, jumped into Butler Koike's arms.
"Are you a human or a ghost?! Water ghosts are supposed to stay in the water—what are you doing here?"
And honestly?
With his drenched, sweat-soaked clothes clinging to his body, and his pale, exhausted face, Shinichi really did look a bit like a water ghost.
"???"
As he stared at their horrified expressions and listened to their ridiculous accusations, Shinichi felt his confidence crumble.
This… was NOT the reaction he had imagined!
He had planned for a cool, dramatic entrance—not a scene straight out of a horror movie!
Then, from the side—
Hattori scoffed.
"Idiots. He's not a ghost—he's real!"
Hattori folded his arms, shaking his head.
"I told you, there's no way Kudo from Kanto would just die like that."
"The body they found floating in the Biwa River? Probably someone else."
Shinichi blinked, still confused.
"Wait… what do you mean?"
"Who said I was dead?! I'm not dead! I'm alive and well!"
His desperate defense finally seemed to break the tension in the room.
Everyone hesitated, then cautiously stepped forward.
They reached out—
Poked him—
Felt the warmth of his skin.
He was real.
He was alive.
A wave of relief washed over the police officers.
After all that commotion, Shinichi finally pieced things together.
It was all his father's doing…
He must have planted the false news of his death.
Damn it.
Here he was, hoping for a legendary comeback, and instead—
He was almost beaten and mistaken for a water ghost!?
The only saving grace?
At least Ran…
Didn't see any of this.
While everyone's attention was focused on Shinichi, the young shota, Akashi, struggled to break free from Kazuha's tight embrace.
The moment he succeeded, he swiftly executed his 'Steal' ability from over ten meters away—stealing an item right off Mrs. Tsujimura.
Sure enough, Kimie Tsujimura's underwear appeared in his hand.
How rude.
However, his gamble paid off.
Among the stolen items was the key evidence—the key to the poisoned needle mechanism.
The keychain was designed to open, revealing a hidden compartment of embedded plastic.
Right in the center of the plastic was a narrow gap—perfectly sized to conceal the deadly poison needle.
With practiced precision, Akashi's small hands deftly removed the tainted plastic piece hidden inside.
Without hesitation, he wiped the key clean with a handkerchief, ensuring no fingerprints remained.
Then, moving swiftly and silently, he slipped behind the desk.
Using the table as cover, he discreetly dropped the key onto the floor.
As for the stolen underwear?
He stuffed it directly into the pocket of a completely clueless Kogoro.
Having completed his task, Akashi dusted off his clothes, turned on his heel, and walked away.
His mission was complete.
Now, it was time to wash his hands—both literally and figuratively.
Meanwhile, Kimie Tsujimura and her daughter, Yukina Katsuragi, remained unaware of what had just transpired.
For once, Akashi had done them a small favor.
After all, being a child had its advantages.
No one ever suspected him.
No one would stop him.
Still, not everyone was oblivious.
As Akashi left, both Kazuha and Yukina noticed his movements.
They watched as he casually walked out, their expressions unreadable.
Back in the study, Inspector Megure, having confirmed Shinichi was indeed alive, was ecstatic.
Without warning, he grabbed Shinichi by the shoulders.
"Brother Kudo! Since you're here, you have to solve this case first!"
Before Kudo could respond, Megure gestured toward Hattori.
"This guy—Hattori—is bad news! He's also the son of Osaka's Police Chief. If we let him solve the case first, we'll lose face in Kanto!"
Classic PUA tactics.
[Note: PUA means Pick-Up Artist.]
And Shinichi, being exactly the kind of guy who falls for them, didn't hesitate.
"Alright, no problem! Leave it all to me!"
However, Hattori had been listening.
Hearing their exchange, he let out a short laugh.
"It's fine. You go ahead and solve it."
Crossing his arms, he leaned back, adopting an expression of amusement.
"But let me tell you something, Kudo…"
His voice dropped, his tone laced with meaning.
"I refuse to help a scumbag worse than a pig or a dog—someone so vile that even the heavens won't punish him."
His words hung in the air, sharp and heavy.
Then, he smirked.
"Kudo, next time we meet, we'll compete properly."
The moment he finished speaking, Mrs. Tsujimura visibly stiffened.
Her face paled ever so slightly.
She understood.
That Osaka detective knew something.
Hattori didn't stop there.
"But regardless of how well you deduce things, Kudo… you won't be the first to solve this case."
His gaze flickered with amusement.
"Someone else has already figured out the entire process."
"This kid from Tokyo—he's really something else."
Shinichi's brow immediately furrowed.
"What do you mean? You're talking about… Akashi?"
His mind raced.
Before he had transformed back, Hattori and Akashi had left together.
What had they talked about?
Why was Hattori so convinced by that little brat?
What kind of trickery did that kid pull?
Why was everyone singing his praises?
Annoyed, Shinichi turned his attention back to the study.
He scanned the room—
But Akashi was nowhere to be found.
That little brat had disappeared.
Still, the case came first.
Kudo shook off his frustration and made his way toward the corpse, resuming his investigation.
Yet, everyone else in the study was still deeply intrigued.
Hattori's words lingered in their minds.
Who was this Akashi?
Could a mere child really have figured out the case before them all?
Their curiosity only grew.