In the dimly lit corridor of the second floor of Tsujimura Villa, Kogoro and Shinichi leaned against the wall, gasping for breath.
Despite their skills as detectives, the two men were no match for the sheer ferocity of Kimie Tsujimura's rage-fueled assault.
Kogoro's face was so covered in scratches that he now resembled a battered tabby cat.
Shinichi fared slightly better—his face was unscathed, but his body was covered in scratches, and his clothes were even torn in places!
Ran stood beside them, handing Kogoro an alcohol wipe.
She let out an exasperated sigh, unable to hold back her frustration:
"I was only gone for a short while, Dad—how could you do something so ridiculous?!"
Her expression darkened.
"Stealing someone's underwear? Really?!"
"I DIDN'T DO IT!"
Kogoro wailed dramatically, eyes brimming with grievance.
"I don't know why those underwear ended up in my pocket!"
"I swear, I didn't steal them!"
For once, the man known as "Sleeping Kogoro" wasn't confused at all.
This time, he was completely innocent!
Ran nodded, but her expression remained highly skeptical.
"Sure, sure... you didn't steal them."
But her tone was dripping with disbelief.
She had long since learned not to trust her father too much.
After all, his track record with flirting and harassing young women wasn't exactly stellar.
But now…
Was he really so far gone that he'd take an interest in a woman in her fifties?
This was getting out of hand.
Seeing the way his own daughter was looking at him, Kogoro's soul nearly left his body.
His face twisted in despair, as if he were mourning his own fate.
At that moment, the door to the study swung open.
Inspector Megure stepped out, his expression dark with frustration.
His eyes immediately fell on the two defeated detectives.
They had failed to solve the case.
They had failed to gather evidence.
And instead, they had embarrassed themselves completely.
Inspector Megure's vein pulsed in irritation as he glared at them.
"Brother Mōri, you are an absolute disgrace."
His tone was filled with undisguised disappointment.
"How could you get involved in such nonsense?"
Then his eyes shifted to Shinichi.
"And you, Brother Kudo—how could you make such an accusation without solid proof?"
His frown deepened.
"You outright declared that Mrs. Tsujimura was the murderer!"
"And now look what's happened—she's planning to sue you both for sexual harassment and slander!"
Kogoro stiffened in shock.
WHAT?!
Not only had he failed to solve the case, but now he might end up getting sued?!
Just as he was about to protest, Inspector Megure raised a hand.
"Fortunately, thanks to my hard work and persuasion," he continued, "Mrs. Tsujimura has agreed to drop the charges."
"However, she has made it very clear that you two are no longer welcome in this investigation."
His voice turned firm.
"To avoid any further conflict, we—the police—must respect the victim's wishes."
"So, pack your things. You're leaving."
Expelled?!
Shinichi refused to accept it.
He clenched his fists and took a step forward.
"Inspector Megure, did you at least continue searching?" he asked, his voice urgent.
"There should be toxin residue on the keychain! What if the device holding the poisoned needle somehow got scattered on the floor?"
Inspector Megure rolled his eyes at the persistent young detective.
"We already searched the floor—twice."
His voice was laced with annoyance.
"Not a single trace of the needle or the poison was found."
He crossed his arms.
"Forensics also ran tests on the keychain itself."
"There was NO toxin residue at all."
His gaze sharpened.
"Face it, Brother Kudo—this time, you were wrong."
"..."
Shinichi froze.
Impossible.
His reasoning was flawless.
The logic was airtight.
So why…
Why wasn't there any proof?!
Seeing the boy's dazed expression, Inspector Megure let out a sigh.
"But don't take it too hard."
His tone softened slightly.
"You're still young. Everyone makes mistakes."
"This isn't the end for you. There will be plenty of chances to prove yourself again."
But even as he said this, the stocky officer turned his attention elsewhere.
His eyes landed on Hattori, the detective from Kansai.
The two supposedly brilliant detectives had utterly failed this time.
Perhaps, just perhaps, their only hope now…
Was Hattori.
Inspector Megure cleared his throat and smiled, about to speak—
"Well, Brother Hattori—"
But before he could finish, Hattori cut him off.
Being the son of the Osaka Prefectural Police Chief, Hattori had spent his entire life surrounded by law enforcement officers.
After years of observation, he had developed an uncanny ability to predict their words and actions.
And right now, just from the way Inspector Megure shifted his stance, Heiji already knew exactly what the man was about to say.
His lips curled into a smirk as he interrupted:
"Save your breath, Inspector Megure."
"I already told you—I have no interest in this case."
He crossed his arms lazily.
"Besides, someone else already figured everything out a long time ago. No need for me to step in."
As he spoke, Hattori tilted his chin toward the kid beside him—
Akashi.
Instantly, Akashi's expression darkened.
This damn Hattori!
All he did was touch Kazuha oppai a few times—was it really worth throwing me under the bus like this?!
Seeing yet another detective refuse to cooperate, Inspector Megure let out an exasperated sigh, his face twisted in frustration.
Seriously—was there not a single one of them who was useful?!
With no other options, his last remaining hope rested on Akashi.
Perhaps, just perhaps, this eccentric young prodigy could pull off a miracle like he had before—
Just like in the Yoko case… or the Bandage Villa case.
With a forced cough, Inspector Megure turned to Akashi and softened his tone:
"Ahem… Brother Akashi—no, wait… Akashi-kun…
Do you have any thoughts about this murder case?"
A police officer—an official investigator of the law—
Was now seriously consulting a child.
A literal child.
This scene was so absurd that even the other officers present were left speechless.
Was Inspector Megure even trying to do his job at this point?!
Meanwhile, Akashi's dramatic instincts instantly kicked in.
His small hands latched onto Ran's soft thighs, and in the next second—
His entire persona shifted.
"Sister Ran! It's horrible—it's terrifying!"
His voice trembled as he clung to her tightly, eyes wide with exaggerated fear.
"Someone died here! And now the scary police officer wants to arrest me!"
"But I didn't do anything! This has nothing to do with me!"
Ran, ever the protective big sister figure, immediately stuffed the alcohol wipes into her father's hands, before scooping up Akashi in her arms.
She turned toward Inspector Megure, her voice laced with accusation:
"Inspector Megure, you scared Akashi!"
Her brows furrowed in disapproval.
"He's just a child! It's not like he can solve cases all the time!"
As she gently patted Akashi's back, Kazuha stepped forward to comfort him as well, her voice soothing.
Even Miwako Sato, who had been standing at a distance, unconsciously walked over in concern.
And just like that—
In the blink of an eye—
Inspector Megure became the enemy of every woman in the room.
Hattori's eyes widened instantly.
This brat?!
Wasn't this the same kid who, just a moment ago, was analyzing the case like a seasoned detective?!
His logic had been flawless, his reasoning sharp, his words eloquent.
And now, he was playing the helpless victim?!
This little devil was definitely acting!
Meanwhile, Shinichi's gaze darkened.
His expression twisted the moment he saw Akashi's tiny hands resting on Ran's chest.
A wave of irritation surged through him.
You little brat—get down!
Just as Shinichi was about to intervene, however—
He suddenly heard a loud pounding.
A heartbeat.
Loud. Uncomfortable.
His own heartbeat.
His stomach dropped.
No way…
His face paled as a terrible realization hit him like a freight train.
Am I… shrinking again?!
Everything had been going perfectly according to plan.
After regaining his true form, he intended to solve the case and finally confess his feelings to Ran.
He wanted to put an end to this ridiculous dynamic—
To stop watching from the sidelines as Akashi clung to Ran like a little brother.
He was her childhood friend—wasn't he supposed to be the one closest to her?!
And yet…
Everything had gone horribly, horribly wrong!
First, he was mistaken for a water ghost.
Then, he botched the case, failing to find key evidence.
And now—
Just when he was about to express his feelings—
He was about to shrink back into Conan?!
No! Not now!
But he couldn't let anyone witness the transformation.
Panicked, Shinichi turned on his heel and hurried toward the staircase.
Ran's sharp eyes caught the movement immediately.
She saw Shinichi trying to slip away—
And instinctively, she hugged Akashi closer before calling out:
"Shinichi—!"
Hearing Ran's voice, Shinichi froze mid-step.
His heart swelled for a moment.
She noticed.
Even when he was trying to escape, she still called out for him.
His chest tightened.
Ran… she really does care about me.
His eyes softened with tenderness.
"So, when are you taking Conan away?"
The world stopped.
The soft expression on Shinichi's face shattered into a million pieces.
He was completely stunned.
His head slowly turned back toward her—
His face now contorted in utter disbelief.
"Besides—" Ran continued, her tone completely casual.
"I have other important cases to investigate, so I can't babysit him forever. He's your responsibility!"
Akashi blinked, then muttered innocently:
"Didn't he just get deported? Why is he pretending to be busy with other cases?"
Shinichi stumbled.
This little devil…!
And before he could recover, Akashi turned toward the others and shouted in a loud, clear voice:
"Hey, Conan! Your distant relative is here! Come out and meet him!"
Shinichi's soul nearly left his body.
I AM CONAN! HOW CAN I MEET MYSELF?!
His brain short-circuited for a second—
And then, without another word, he bolted down the stairs.
Like a fugitive escaping arrest—
Shinichi fled for his life.
And just like that—
Conan's first recovery… ended in complete disaster.