As one of Kyoto's most famous scenic spots, the Kamogawa River is a popular recreational area for pedestrians.
During the day, people often come here to read, jog, picnic, or ride bicycles along the riverbanks.
Especially now, during cherry blossom season, it has a unique charm.
Even in the evening, there are still quite a lot of people. Locals walk their dogs or chat, while many couples stroll hand in hand along the riverbank.
Toru pushed a wheelchair with Momiji sitting in it. A handsome man and a beautiful woman naturally drew the attention of everyone around.
"Legend has it that Yoshitsune, disguised as a woman, defeated and subdued the evil monk Musashibou Benkei here, who used to block passersby and fight to collect a thousand famous swords."
"There are other legends too, but I'm not very good at history, so I can't tell you much more about the Kamogawa River, Toru-kun."
Momiji leaned back slightly in the wheelchair, her beautiful head nearly resting against Toru's chest.
Her bright eyes shimmered with a touch of charm as she looked around, and when she glanced at Toru, her gaze was filled with affection and tenderness.
A girl in love is most attached to the one she loves.
But the thought that Toru would return to Tokyo tomorrow made her feel restless, even making her want to leave Kyoto and transfer schools to Tokyo.
However, transferring schools couldn't be done in such a short time. She could only suppress her longing and wait for the holidays to visit him in Tokyo.
"History and legends are grand and beautiful, but they're things of the past, far less important than the present."
"Compared to all those historical events, you, Momiji, are more important to me."
If a stranger said something like that, it would probably sound cringe and make someone roll their eyes.
But to Momiji, this was the sweetest love confession, enough to make her breathing quicken.
She couldn't help but raise her hand to hold Toru's, and with a soft and charming voice, she turned back and said, "Toru-kun, how about staying at my place again tonight?"
Momiji just wanted to stay up all night, holding onto Toru until he left tomorrow.
Toru was about to agree when a strange feeling stirred in his heart. He looked toward the embankment and happened to spot Kaguya, Hayasaka, and even Haibara, who was almost hidden due to her small size.
Momiji followed his gaze and also saw Kaguya and the others.
She subconsciously let go of Toru's hand, panic rising in her chest, like a mistress caught by the main wife.
But the next second, she lifted her chin. Her expression turned proud, and she firmly held Toru's hand again, shooting a provocative glance at Kaguya.
At this moment, the thrill of a secret relationship rose stronger than her fear.
If it were a regular man, he'd probably panic at being caught on a date by his girlfriend. But Toru remained calm.
Because he wasn't an ordinary man, and his relationship with Kaguya was also quite special.
They were engaged, but in truth, Kaguya was more like a tool for political alliance. As the heir of the Fujiwara, no matter how much he fooled around, Kaguya had no right to say anything. Even the Fujiwara and Shinomiya families would side with him.
More importantly, Toru knew that Kaguya had no feelings for him. In fact, she had a subtle resistance.
Though she appeared like a cold, calculating doll, deep down, she longed for freedom and silently hoped to escape the control of the Shinomiya family.
That was why she was unwilling to fall for him, no matter how capable he was.
"Kaguya, Hayasaka, why are you here? Haibara, you're here too."
Toru waved at them.
Kaguya, dressed in a white long dress with black stockings accentuating her slender legs, walked over with Hayasaka and Haibara.
Hayasaka, wearing a boyish outfit, bowed slightly. "Young Master Fujiwara."
Kaguya didn't say anything. Her cold gaze locked with Momiji's. Sparks flew between them.
Haibara crossed her arms and said with a mocking tone, "Did we interrupt your date with this Ōoka Family lady, Fujiwara?"
At that moment, Hayasaka felt like giving Haibara a thumbs-up.
Kaguya-sama, look at her. She's a kid and yet delivers sarcasm so perfectly.
How can you, a high schooler, be worse than a grade schooler? You're truly hopeless.
Momiji's brows twitched, almost imperceptibly. But after glancing at Haibara, she swallowed the words she was about to say.
It would be disgraceful for a high schooler to argue with an elementary school student, especially one who was Toru-kun's little sister. She couldn't afford to say anything inappropriate.
Still, judging by this sister's tone, she didn't seem to like her.
This might be a problem... I should find a way to bribe this little girl.
They say that if you want to pursue a girl, you should win over her best friend first. So, if I want to win over the man I like, I should start by bribing his sister, right?
Momiji, who had never been in a relationship before, hesitated in her heart.
Just then, Kaguya seemed to catch on to something and said coldly, "Ms. Ōoka, with your leg like this, why are you wandering outside? Shouldn't you be resting at home?"
Momiji replied without backing down, "My leg might be injured, but with Toru by my side, he's my legs."
The two stared each other down, like a needle against an awn.
At that moment, a startled cry rang out from nearby.
Toru and the others looked over and saw two figures actually crossing swords by the riverbank.
One of them was someone they all knew well — Heiji. The other wore a Musashibou Benkei mask.
At this moment, both of them held real swords and were locked in a fierce battle.
"Are they... sparring?"
Momiji, who had never seen anything like it, asked in surprise.
Haibara gave her a side glance and said with narrowed eyes, "Obviously not. Who uses sharpened katanas to spar?"
"Heiji's a high school detective who loves chasing criminals. A serial killer has appeared in Kyoto again. If I had to guess, the guy in the mask is that killer."
Her explanation was calm and logical. In just a few sentences, she deduced the reason behind the fight starting from Heiji's identity.
Both Momiji and Kaguya flushed slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed.
They hadn't thought that far ahead, yet this elementary schooler figured it out instantly.
This little girl is terrifying.
Momiji thought to herself in awe. As expected of Toru-kun's sister. She's amazing.
Aside from Heiji, there was another grade schooler nearby. Toru and Haibara looked over — it was Conan Edogawa.
The people nearby hadn't yet realized the danger and were still snapping photos.
Toru suddenly remembered something. Wait a minute, wasn't this a Conan movie plot?
It was one of the earlier movies, so he still had a vague memory. As for the later ones, he hadn't seen them before reincarnating.
Heiji was completely focused, clashing blades with the killer. The opponent's swordsmanship was strong, and one mistake could cost him his life.
But Heiji lacked real combat experience. He was tricked by a feint, and the katana slashed across his chest.
The sharp pain made Heiji cry out and stagger back. His white shirt was torn open, revealing a deep wound.
"Hattori!"
Conan was alarmed and rushed forward.
Looking at the wound, with even flesh exposed, Conan shouted, "You need to get to a hospital immediately. You'll die at this rate!"
Heiji knew he needed medical attention, but with the killer right in front of him, he couldn't retreat.
The masked man didn't say a word. He raised his katana again, preparing to finish Heiji off.
Conan was panicking. He knew his soccer ball wasn't going to stop someone like this, but he couldn't worry about that now.
Meanwhile, the surrounding pedestrians finally realized this wasn't some show but a real murder attempt. Screams erupted as people scattered.
At the critical moment, a whistling sound cut through the air, and a rock flew like a bullet, slamming into the masked man's head.
If his skull hadn't been hard enough, that rock might have cracked it open.
Even so, the masked man stumbled, disoriented, possibly concussed.
Touching his head, his hand came away stained with blood.
He glared in the direction the stone came from and saw Toru casually flipping him the middle finger.
"You bastard, you're dead!"
The killer roared, abandoning Heiji and charging straight at Toru.
"Be careful!"
Conan and Heiji shouted anxiously. Though they were proud detectives, they were also full of justice and couldn't bear to see others get hurt.
But when they saw who threw the rock, their expressions changed.
"That guy's finished," Heiji muttered.
Conan nodded seriously.
Even though he didn't like Toru for misleading Ran, he still felt grateful at this moment.
If it weren't for Toru's intervention, Heiji might've died.
The killer's face twisted in rage. His katana gleamed coldly as he slashed at Toru's neck. He was aiming to cut off this guy's head.
The girls beside Toru gasped. Even knowing he was highly skilled, seeing someone charge at him with a weapon still made their blood run cold.
Just as the blade was about to reach Toru's neck, he calmly extended two fingers and effortlessly caught the blade between them.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
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