Kael welcomed the two girls inside with a smile. "You came quite early. Have you eaten?"
Both answered in unison that they had.
Marin raised her right hand, her slender fingers holding a plastic bag with two large meat buns inside. "Not only have we eaten, but we also brought breakfast for you, Renjou-kun. You haven't eaten yet, right?"
Kael nodded. "Not yet."
He had just been about to prepare breakfast when the doorbell rang.
Taking the food from Marin, Kael quickly stuffed it into his mouth. While eating, he asked, "After you went home yesterday, did you review the knowledge I taught you?"
Marin and Saki both nodded. Eternal youth and ageless beauty were too important to neglect, so they had spent the entire night reviewing the Blood Puppet Method. Each review brought new insights. Now, in front of Kael, they shared their small discoveries one by one.
Kael listened, smiling broadly. "Good, good. You really understood."
After breakfast, Kael took two cups, filled them with water, then cut his finger and let a drop of blood fall into one cup. Though it was only a single drop, the entire cup turned crimson.
"Drink." He handed the cups to the two girls.
They lifted the cups and sniffed. Though the liquid was red as blood, it had no metallic scent. Marin sipped lightly—no blood taste, but a unique sweetness.
"Huh? It's sweet."
"Sweet?" Saki was surprised, imitating Marin's sip. "It really is sweet. What's going on?"
Kael explained: "The blood I dropped contained special power. That's why the water tastes different. Enough sniffing—drink it quickly."
Urged by Kael, the two girls gulped down the blood-water. Within seconds, they broke into a sweat. Their pale skin flushed red, growing brighter.
"Saki, your face is so red."
"Yours too, Marin."
They looked at each other, realizing their entire bodies—faces, hands, arms, legs—were turning red, as if soaked in blood.
"Renjou-kun…"
"Don't talk. Start cultivating."
Kael knew his blood's mana was taking effect. He quickly urged them to sit cross-legged and practice the Blood Puppet Method. Though they understood the theory, they had never tried it, fumbling awkwardly.
Seeing this, Kael placed his hands on their backs, slowly channeling Blood River Mana to guide them. Soon, both entered deep meditation.
When Kael withdrew his hands, they were already immersed. He cast a silencing spell around them, shielding them from outside noise so they could cultivate in peace.
Time passed quickly, and before long it was noon. The two remained in meditation, still refining the single drop of blood. Though it was only one drop, it contained nearly a tenth of Kael's Blood River Mana. For novices, refining it was no easy task. How long it would take depended on their talent.
Ring ring ring…
Suddenly, Kael's phone rang, breaking his thoughts. He glanced at the screen—it was Mai calling.
He was curious. They had parted only two days ago. Why call now? If they were lovers, it wouldn't be strange. But they weren't.
Answering, Kael asked, "Hello, Mai-san. What's the matter?" Because of their shared ordeal, Mai allowed him to call her by name.
Mai asked, "Are you free right now?"
Kael glanced at the two girls cultivating. "You could say yes, or no."
"Which is it?" Mai pressed.
"If you have something urgent, I can come."
Mai replied directly: "Then come. I'll give you the address."
Kael blinked. "So you really do need me."
Mai explained: "It's not me. A senior of mine has some trouble. I hope you can help. Don't worry, my senior is wealthy."
"Alright. For money, I'll come."
Though Kael had recently gained wealth from the Akiyama group, money was never too much.
After hanging up, he left a note for the two girls and departed.
Half an hour later, Kael arrived at the address Mai gave. It was a luxurious apartment—only the rich lived here, fitting Mai's status.
He went upstairs, knocked on the door. Footsteps approached. The door opened, revealing a beautiful face.
But it wasn't Mai's. It was another heroine.
She had large, water-blue eyes, flowing black hair, and a distinct mark on her forehead. Seeing the mark, Kael immediately recognized her.
The daughter of the political queen, Kudo Shinichi's childhood friend, Vermouth's white moonlight, national high school karate champion, captain of Teitan High's karate club—
One of Detective Conan's true heroines,
Mouri Ran!
Wait… something wasn't right. Recognizing Ran, Kael was stunned. Why was she at the address Mai had given him?