Ch. 291..300

Chapter 291 - 291: A Bus Full of Villains

"The next stop is Mihua Town, 3rd Street."[Echo Corporation Head Office]"The next stop is Mihua Town, 3rd Street."[...]

The bus repeatedly played the arrival announcements.

As the doors opened, a crowd of passengers exited, making the once-crowded bus feel significantly roomier.

"I didn't expect it'd be Brother Yoshiki bringing us today."

"Yeah! When I heard Dr. Agasa caught a cold, I thought our ski trip was cancelled!"

"Can Brother Yoshiki ski?"

The Detective Boys, sitting on the right side of the bus, turned toward Hayashi Yoshiki. Ayumi, seated beside Conan, looked up at him with curiosity.

Hayashi Yoshiki smiled gently.

"I can ski... though I'm not exactly an expert."

"That's already amazing!"Ayumi responded cheerfully.

As more passengers boarded and the space grew tight again, the children naturally quieted down.

"You seem to be in a good mood."Hayashi turned to Haibara Ai beside him.

"It's... nothing."Haibara looked away awkwardly, her tone indifferent.

But the truth was: she was in a good mood.

Since the failed battle over Hiroki Sawada, the Organization had gone strangely quiet—no movement, no retaliation. That eerie calm gave her a rare sense of relief. She was trying hard not to overthink it.

This time, Dr. Agasa had wanted to come despite his cold, but Haibara and Hiroshi convinced him to rest. She herself had suggested inviting Cointreau—Hayashi Yoshiki's code name—hoping that, even if just for today, she could forget the ever-present threat of the Black Organization.

Though she never said it out loud, she did enjoy these outings with him.(Aside from... the incident with the suppository.)

"When you're out having fun, just relax and act like a kid."Hayashi reached over and patted her head gently."Otherwise, I might tickle you."

"Don't you dare…"Haibara turned to him warily.

In response, Hayashi Yoshiki merely tapped his own forehead teasingly.

She wanted to hiss at him like a wet kitten but held back, simply snorting in protest.

"I'm going to see Dr. Narumi when we get back," she muttered.

"That's up to you,"Hayashi replied calmly. He was just waiting for her eventual reunion with Hiroki Sawada.

He had no doubt Hiroki would bombard her with questions—while she, annoyed by Hiroki's early mistrust of Yoshiki, would probably spill everything from her perspective.

Yoshiki turned his gaze to Haibara again.

Suddenly, her expression froze.

Her face turned pale, and her entire body stiffened.

"T-There... Those guys—"

Her teeth began to chatter, and she shrank into her coat.

Radar activated?

Hayashi narrowed his eyes, scanning the bus entrance—and immediately spotted two familiar figures stepping aboard.

"Ah! It's Dr. Tomoaki!"Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko lit up with recognition.

Apparently, Teitan Elementary had recently held a health check-up, where "Dr. Shinichi"—Tomoaki Araide—had been involved as a school doctor. That's how the children had met him.

Haibara Ai had missed that day due to illness.

"A new doctor?"Yoshiki greeted calmly.

Tomoaki Araide—or rather, Vermouth in disguise—looked momentarily surprised to see him. But she quickly recovered, flashing a composed smile.

"Mr. Hayashi."

"Oh! It's that handsome guy I saw at the arcade last time!"A head of golden hair popped out from behind Araide. It was Judy, who waved at Yoshiki with a bright smile.

"Miss Judy."

"Wow! So Mr. Tomoaki is dating this foreign big-sister?!"Ayumi's eyes sparkled.

"No, you misunderstand," Tomoaki replied politely. "She's just a teacher at Teitan High School where I serve as school doctor."

"Hi, boys and girls~!"Judy's playful energy filled the bus."I'm going to the Ueno Museum of Art today with Mr. Tomoaki!"

"We just happened to meet at the station…" Tomoaki added with a wry smile.

"Teacher Tomoaki~ How could you embarrass a girl like that?"Judy pouted teasingly as she took her seat beside him.

They were seated directly in front of Yoshiki and Ai—close enough for Ai's internal alarm bells to be screaming.

Even though she had done nothing wrong, cold sweat poured down her back, and her limbs turned icy. Her body trembled with silent panic.

At that moment, a new figure entered the bus.

A man dressed in a ski hat and heavy winter gear, face obscured by a mask, silently walked to the back of the bus and sat in the last row. He radiated danger.

Akai Shuichi.

Yoshiki didn't stare—he didn't need to. One glance was enough.

Instead, he turned his attention back to Haibara.

Her hand was ice cold and unresponsive.

Even when he poked her lightly in the side, she didn't react—frozen in place by the pressure of being so close to the Organization.

In the end, he simply stroked her head gently, trying to soothe her nerves.

Meanwhile, Conan had been covertly watching Akai. When Akai suddenly glanced back at him, Conan instinctively turned away—only to notice Ai's alarming condition.

"Brother Yoshiki, is something wrong with Haibara?"

"She seems a little off. Maybe she caught Dr. Agasa's cold."Yoshiki responded calmly.

"Should I take a look?"Tomoaki Araide turned in concern.

"It's alright. I touched her forehead—she's not running a fever. I'll keep an eye on her."

"If you're sick, you can't enjoy skiing."

"Yeah! She was so full of energy earlier!"

"Look, those two guys already have their ski suits on!"

"Talk about being eager…"

"But I can kinda understand~"

The kids were chatting about two men near the front of the bus, dressed in full ski gear—goggles, hats, and all.

The two ignored the chatter.

As soon as the bus began moving, they unzipped their ski bags.

And pulled out pistols.

"Everyone stay quiet!"

One man stood at the front, pointing a gun at the driver. The other stood at the rear, aiming at the passengers.

"If anyone makes a sound, you'll regret it!!"

Suddenly—

All eyes turned toward the gunmen. Judy, Vermouth-in-disguise, and Akai at the back row all tensed.

Meanwhile, Hayashi Yoshiki continued to pat Haibara Ai's head, his expression calm gently.

 

 

Chapter 292 - 292: If Gin Were Here

The bus changed its sign to "Return Bus", indicating it was now an empty vehicle heading back. It began to circle the city slowly.

Seeing that everything was proceeding smoothly, the two robbers at the front of the bus quickly moved into the next phase of their plan.

"Listen carefully. When the traffic light turns red, you must contact the bus station immediately."

"O-Okay…"

With a gun pressed against his head, the driver had no choice but to nod obediently.

One of the robbers turned around to scan the group of passengers, eyes sharp behind his ski mask.

There were several women and a group of children—

Perfect hostages.

"Everyone is very quiet. Very good."

"Now... those of you who have mobile phones, hand them over. It's best if I don't catch anyone trying to be clever."

He began moving slowly down the aisle, gun in hand, his gaze scrutinizing everyone around him.

"If I find out someone's trying to outsmart me, they'll never make another phone call again in their life."

The passenger in the front row obediently handed over his phone.

Hayashi Yoshiki lowered his eyes calmly, glancing subtly at the watch on his left wrist.

At that moment, the robber passed by and continued to collect phones, while the driver, following orders, called the bus company during a red light.

Just as he finished reporting the bus details, the robber grabbed the microphone and shouted:

"Listen up! We've hijacked your company's bus. We have only one demand: release Kunio Yashima from prison immediately! If you don't comply, we'll shoot one passenger every hour! Got it? Inform the police. We'll contact you again in twenty minutes—

You'd better be ready!"

The robber didn't try to lower his voice—his words echoed loudly throughout the vehicle. Passengers began to panic.

Conan, sitting on Hayashi Yoshiki's right, glanced over.

Yoshiki gave him a subtle nod—wait.

The robbers had mentioned Kunio Yashima, who was part of a robbery gang that built a bomb and hit a jewelry store last month. There were four members, but only Yajima had been caught.

They weren't trying to rescue him out of loyalty—

Yajima had been a jewelry broker. He alone understood the jewels' value and controlled the resale channels.

He might even be the only one who knew where the stolen jewels were hidden.

The time: 14:36

When the robber reached Hayashi Yoshiki, phone in hand, he offered it without resistance.

"Wait. Let me see your watch."

"It's just a regular mechanical watch. Do you want it?"

"Don't be funny."

The robber sneered and moved on, continuing to the back of the bus.

In the last row were three passengers: Shuichi Akai in the middle, an old man with a hearing aid on one side, and a gum-chewing middle-aged woman on the other.

All the while, Hayashi Yoshiki kept an eye not just on the robbers—but on Haibara Ai.

She was still trembling, her head down like a frightened quail.

To be honest, if it hadn't been for the group of kids going skiing, Hayashi Yoshiki would've liked to let Gin be the one taking this bus instead.

If a robber dared demand his phone, Gin would shoot him on the spot—

And probably start a gunfight with Akai Shuichi right then and there.

The image made Yoshiki quietly stroke Haibara Ai's head.

In the row ahead, Vermouth, disguised as Tomoaki Araide, found the situation amusing.

She was watching the two robbers closely, but her eyes often flicked toward the boy from Yukiko's family.

Hayashi Yoshiki… doing childcare?

It didn't fit her image of him. She knew his file well:

A low-level operative, not formally trained, skilled but lacking real combat experience.

Surely, he was at a loss now.

When the robber reached Shuichi Akai and was told he didn't have a phone, he mocked him as a poor man and moved on.

The old man only had a hearing aid.

Then came the gum-chewing woman.

When she spoke back, the robber fired a warning shot next to her head.

Then they returned to the front.

During the commotion, Judy tried to trip one of them by stretching out her leg.

Meanwhile, Conan attempted to secretly use his earring-shaped phone to call the police—

But he was caught.

Hayashi Yoshiki stayed silent the whole time.

The moment hadn't come yet.

Of the four-member gang, only Kunio Yashima was known by name.

The others had kept their identities well hidden.

The two robbers were fully covered—no names, no clues.

Even the gum-chewing woman in the back… Yoshiki had no idea who she was.

He wouldn't risk himself unnecessarily.

Not yet.

He was still waiting—for the signal.

When it came, only then would he act.

By now, the bus had looped around the city several times.

Police were already on the move.

Plainclothes officers in disguised vehicles followed from a distance.

Snipers and spotters used binoculars from rooftops.

They quickly realized that the guns were real and that the bus route was intentional.

To avoid endangering hostages, they reluctantly agreed to the robbers' demands.

Word spread throughout the bus.

"Really? They're letting him go? Hah... If there hadn't been any news in ten minutes, I'd have killed a hostage. But since you're cooperating... we'll let it slide."

The robber's smug voice echoed again.

"Tell them this: once Yashima's free, he'll contact us in an hour. Once we confirm he's in a safe place, we'll release three passengers as a sign of good faith."

Hayashi Yoshiki glanced at his watch again.

15:19.

They were moving quickly.

Suddenly, he felt a tight grip around his hand.

He looked down.

Haibara Ai still had her head bowed—

But now, she had reached out and clutched his hand.

Tightly. Desperately.

The pressure she was under was almost tangible.

It crushed her spirit, suffocating her with dread.

The Organization… was so close.

Had they found out that Cointreau—Hayashi Yoshiki—saved Hiroki Sawada?

Or that he had saved her?

Were these robbers just a front, planted by them?

Her mind raced.

She couldn't breathe.

 

 

Chapter 293 - 293: Cause of Death Manipulation

Kunio Yashima immediately found a car and entered the city.

He had already heard the details from the police.

His accomplices were much more powerful than he had imagined—

They had actually forced the police to release him using that method.

Although he was excited, Kunio Yashima knew the truth: they were mainly after the jewels he had hidden.

Otherwise, they would never have taken such a huge risk to break him out.

After entering the city by taxi, Kunio Yashima looked around frequently.

He knew the police were definitely tailing him—

And it would be nearly impossible to shake them off in just one hour.

Fortunately, he had already considered this scenario when he first stole the jewels and had long prepared a retreat plan.

But until then...

Kunio Yashima passed by a public telephone booth—

Just as a man was walking out of it.

Without hesitation, he stepped inside.

Inside the booth were a sheet of paper and a pen left behind by the previous man, along with a windproof lighter.

Kunio Yashima stared at the items for a moment.

Then, inexplicably, he began to write down the names of his accomplices in the spaces marked on the paper.

After that, he picked up the lighter and started heating the paper.

The paper, coated with fire-retardant paint, didn't catch fire immediately—

But under the high heat, black lettering slowly emerged on the blank sheet.

Kunio Yashima didn't care. He continued heating it until it burned completely to ash.

After making several phone calls, he stepped out of the booth, and the ash was carried off by the wind.

Just across from the phone booth, atop a tall building...

A slender figure holding a sniper rifle had been watching Kunio Yashima through the scope.

Seeing that he didn't behave suspiciously, she slowly lowered her weapon.

At that same moment, the hijacked bus was heading toward Takaido, traveling at about 50 km/h.

Hayashi Yoshiki glanced down at his watch.

Three seconds left until 16:04.

Three.

Two.

One—

"Oof—!"

One of the robbers, walking down the aisle, suddenly stumbled and fell clumsily to the floor.

The unexpected movement startled his companion, who instantly raised his gun and scanned the passengers, alarmed.

"What happened?!"

"Relax! I just tripped!"

"Tch, be more careful... you scared me."

The robbers exchanged a few annoyed words, then returned to their positions.

It seemed like a trivial incident—

But Hayashi Yoshiki knew otherwise.

It was the signal.

It meant the plan had succeeded.

It was now completely safe.

The Death Note could manipulate the actions of anyone whose name was written in it—

Even down to what they said.

[Kunio Yashima]

[Cause of Death: Suffocation]

On the afternoon of December 17, after being released by police, he took a taxi to the Ueno Bookstore in 8-chome, Kōki-ku, Yūka-chō, and got off. At 15:57:32, he entered the public telephone booth immediately after a man in sunglasses exited the store.

Inside, after noticing the white paper, pen, and lighter left behind, he wrote down the names of the accomplices who had helped him rob the jewelry store and break out of prison.

He filled in the names of the male accomplices in the first two spaces and the female accomplice in the last.

After a 10-second pause, he used the lighter to evenly heat the entire sheet until all the handwriting was visible. He then burned the paper to ash.

After making a few phone calls and confirming the paper was beyond recovery, he left the booth and proceeded with his original plan.

[Time of Death: January 13 — Cause: Suffocation]

[Kazuma Fumimura]

[Cause of Death: Fall]

On December 17 at 15:55, he placed the paper, pen, and lighter inside the phone booth in front of the Ueno Bookstore, then left at 15:57:28.

On December 23 at 01:47 AM, while drunk, he climbed a tall building on a whim and accidentally fell to his death.

Recalling what he had written, Hayashi Yoshiki's face remained calm.

He waited in silence.

At that moment, the mood on the bus was tense.

All the passengers sat in nervous silence.

Then, the robbers made a new move.

They carefully picked up the ski bags they had brought onboard—

One of them carried them to the rear of the bus and laid them out in the aisle.

Vermouth's eyes narrowed instantly.

She recognized it immediately.

Bombs.

The positioning of the bags was too deliberate.

The robbers planned to blow up the bus—passengers and all—once their goal was achieved.

Conan also realized it.

Unable to believe it, he leaped off the seat using his small size and crept closer to investigate.

But—

His action was noticed by the gum-chewing woman in the back row.

With a subtle glance, she silently alerted the robber at the front.

He turned around.

"You again, brat?!"

His fury ignited.

He removed the safety on his gun and stormed toward Conan.

"Since you're so eager to die, I'll send you to hell now!"

After all, they planned to detonate the bomb anyway—

Killing a child meant nothing to him.

The muzzle of the gun pointed directly at Conan.

The air in the bus turned to ice.

Ayumi and the others were about to scream.

Judy's face turned grim.

Even Vermouth tensed up. She was about to act—

But someone got there first.

A hand yanked Conan backward.

"That's enough!"

Hayashi Yoshiki stepped in front of Conan, shielding him with his body.

He glared at the robber.

"We've cooperated with you all this time. He's just a naughty kid! There's no need for this!"

The robber sneered.

"Oh yeah? If you're so brave, I'll shoot you instead."

He pointed the gun at Yoshiki's head.

"Brother Yoshiki!"

"No!"

The children nearly jumped from their seats.

Even Haibara Ai, who had been trembling until now, momentarily forgot her fear.

Her eyes widened in horror.

She instinctively reached out toward him.

But Hayashi Yoshiki didn't flinch.

He looked the robber dead in the eyes.

His voice was firm, unwavering:

"If you want to kill me, fine. But let the kid go."

Conan, protected behind him, was stunned.

He stared at Hayashi Yoshiki's tense but steady back.

His fists clenched.

Vermouth couldn't stay silent.

She stood up.

"That's enough. Your demands have been met. There's no reason to complicate things now. If anything happens to the passengers, it'll ruin your plan."

The robber hesitated.

Just then, his companion stepped forward.

"Let it go. If your gun goes off by mistake, we'll be in trouble."

With a grunt, the gunman backed off.

"You'd better not be up to anything."

He returned to the front.

Hayashi Yoshiki gave Conan a gentle pat on the head and sat back down.

He glanced once more at his watch.

Almost time.

 

 

Chapter 294 - 294: Accidental Murder on the Bus

After the robbers let them go and returned to the front of the bus, the atmosphere inside grew heavier.

The passengers had come to a chilling realization.

These two robbers really could kill someone.

Those who had tried to intervene earlier now sat in silence, guilt weighing on their shoulders.

Hayashi Yoshiki glanced at his watch, while Conan remained frozen in guilt.

I was too impulsive.

He hadn't been afraid of the robbers—he'd faced worse before. But when they put the gun to Hayashi Yoshiki's head and pretended to pull the trigger...

He was really scared.

What if Yoshiki had actually died because of me?

He couldn't imagine how Ran, Kogoro, Eri, or even Sonoko would react—and more than that, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

"It's fine if you kill me. Just let the child go."

That moment echoed in his mind.

Ran was right.

Yoshiki always thought of others first. He never hesitated to put himself in danger to protect someone else...

Conan looked at Hayashi Yoshiki apologetically, only to find Yoshiki no longer watching the robbers—but instead glancing toward the three passengers in the back row.

He noticed it too!

There had to be an accomplice back there. Otherwise, how could the robbers have noticed Conan's slight movements behind the seat?

And with Yoshiki's level of insight, he definitely would have realized that the item in the ski bag was a bomb.

What do we do?

There was nothing to do now except wait—wait for the robbers to slip up.

Time crept by. Conan couldn't sit still.

Suddenly, the robber at the front received a phone call.

"Hello? Yeah, Boss Yashima?"

He asked casually, "How's it going on your end?"

"All good. We lost the cops."

"Perfect. Then we'll regroup at the usual place in three days."

He hung up and turned to the driver, pointing the gun at his forehead.

"Alright, listen up. Head to the Capital Expressway. Middle lane. Pick up speed. When we enter the Little Buddha Tunnel, slow down."

"Y-Yes! I understand!"

"Relax. Don't be scared. We'll let the passengers go, just like we said."

The robber's mocking tone made the driver visibly tense.

Once the bus got onto the expressway and began accelerating, the robbers started selecting passengers for their next move.

They were clever.

Right at the start of the hijacking, they promised to release three hostages once the police met their demands. It was a ruse, of course.

The Little Buddha Tunnel was long—about three to four minutes to pass through at a slower speed. In that dim tunnel, outside surveillance would be nearly useless.

Their plan? Swap their clothes for plain clothes, have hostages change into their ski gear, and walk off with their hidden accomplices pretending to be a hostage.

Then, once safely away, detonate the bomb inside the bus—creating the illusion that a struggle had broken out, killing the remaining robbers and sealing their escape under police protection.

It was smart.

But that time would never come.

After a brief exchange, the robbers decided on two "volunteers": Shuichi Akai—who they thought was just an ordinary man—and Hayashi Yoshiki, who had annoyed them earlier.

Yoshiki checked his watch again and smiled faintly.

Haibara Ai gripped the hem of his coat tightly.

She seemed to have snapped out of one kind of panic and into another. Her delicate face was pale, and her red-rimmed eyes were fixed on Yoshiki.

She didn't speak, but her trembling hands said enough.

Thirty seconds left...

The highway was quiet.

Behind a nearby chemical truck, a small truck full of saw blades for cutting stainless steel rattled along. The road was smooth, but the unsecured latches in the back of the truck were beginning to shake loose.

"Hey! Pretty boy, and the guy in the back with a cold! Come up front!"

The robber waved his gun impatiently.

"Move it! No funny business!"

Hayashi Yoshiki stood up slowly. Shuichi Akai followed. Together, they began to walk forward.

Up ahead—less than a kilometer from the Little Buddha Tunnel—a large billboard suddenly leaned forward without warning. Sparks flew as its steel cables snapped. A few seconds later...

Crash!

The driver of the chemical truck slammed the brakes and swerved.

But with a heavy vehicle like that, a sharp turn at high speed was a recipe for disaster. The sudden lane change caught the driver of the overtaking truck completely off guard.

Honk! Honk! HOOOOOOONK!

The chemical truck collided with the smaller one, crushing it beneath its weight and skidding down the road, sparks trailing behind it.

The overturned truck smashed through the guardrail in a devastating crash.

The bus driver—staring ahead in horror—screamed and stomped on the brakes.

Everyone was thrown forward.

Even the robber stumbled—and in the chaos, his finger squeezed the trigger.

BANG!

The bullet shot through the front windshield, creating a spiderweb-like crack.

"Are you TRYING to get us killed!?"

The robber screamed at the driver.

"N-No! There was a car crash! Up ahead!"

The passengers now caught sight of the overturned chemical truck just ahead.

"Shit!"

But before he could urge the driver to restart the vehicle, he saw the chemical truck lying there suddenly let out a loud

" BOOM!!!!!! "

and suddenly burst into flames that shot up into the sky.

BOOM!!!

A massive explosion tore through the scene.

At the moment of strong impact and blast, the windshield that was pierced by the robbers' bullets was shattered by the huge impact and vibration of the explosion.

All the passengers could even feel the burning sensation brought by the flames shooting into the sky.

Along with the explosion—several sharp saw blades also flew into the car under the push of the explosion.

One saw blade slashed the robber's neck clean open. The other pierced the second robber's abdomen, nearly splitting him in half.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

The screams were delayed, but they came.

Passengers stumbled and shrieked, panicked by the explosion and the grotesque deaths unfolding in front of them.

Only Shuichi Akai—still at the front—saw everything clearly.

He stared at the carnage, pupils narrowing in disbelief.

This…

Was this all… an accident?

From the truck skidding to the accidental gunshot breaking the glass, to the blast that sent blades flying with perfect precision—

Was it really a coincidence?

No.

No way.

Not this many perfectly-timed "accidents."

As the explosion's shockwave faded, the bus rocked back to stillness.

The passengers slowly quieted.

Then—

"Wh-What… just happened?"

"Are they… dead?"

"Seriously?"

"Wait—we're safe now?"

"The robbers are dead!"

"We're safe!! Let us out!!"

"Let me out of this damn bus!!"

The panic returned—this time in the form of relief. People rushed forward, pleading with the driver to open the doors.

He hesitated, but finally, with a stunned hand, hit the release.

The doors swung open. Passengers stampeded out.

"We got lucky! No idea what just happened, but come on, Dr.Tomoaki—let's get off this bus!"

Judy stood up, putting on her clueless act, and ushered the children out.

"You kids too—quickly!"

"Y-Yes, Miss Judy!"

Tomoaki Araide—Vermouth in disguise—nodded blankly.

Of all people, she was the most shaken.

Did Cointreau do this?!

He'd been under constant watch. He hadn't moved a muscle.

Or… had he arranged all of this in advance, knowing the robbers would board this bus?

But how?

She had thought he was powerless in this situation. But what just happened shattered that belief.

Hayashi Yoshiki glanced at her.

The smile in those black eyes made Vermouth tremble.

For the first time in her life, she felt a human being was truly terrifying.

"Yoshiki-nii!"

Conan called out.

Yoshiki turned to him, and his expression softened instantly. He gave Conan a gentle nod.

Watching this, Vermouth finally let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

To those around him, Cointreau is a good man.

He had offered his life to save a child. And yet—when it came time to take others' lives—he used orchestrated "accidents" that were far too convenient to be random.

Cointreau was complicated.

But... if he was protecting Ran, that wasn't a bad thing.

At the back of the bus, the middle-aged woman finally stirred.

Miharu Tomino had just realized: that both of her accomplices were dead.

Panic rose in her throat. She bolted forward with the crowd, pretending to be just another frightened passenger.

Thank god I wasn't exposed…

She ran down the aisle, brushing past Hayashi Yoshiki.

Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist.

"Ow! What are you doing?!"

"You'll stay put now, accomplice."

"What nonsense are you spouting!?"

Tomino tried to act innocent, but Yoshiki tightened his grip—his strength from regular training obvious.

She screamed.

"You've been using chewing gum to signal the robbers about suspicious passengers. You really thought no one noticed?"

"I was just chewing gum! You've got no proof!"

"Then let the police inspect your watch. The one that's been stuck at 1:00 this whole time."

"That's right," Conan added. "That's the detonator for the bomb the robbers planted."

Tomino Miharu's face drained of all color.

She had been caught.

And with her role in a bombing plot now exposed, prison awaited her.

She started to struggle violently.

Yoshiki let her go.

But just as she raised her hand to flee—

WHAM!

A solid punch struck her abdomen.

She doubled over, retching in pain.

Then—BAM!

Another blow knocked her flat to the floor.

Ayumi, Genta, and the others could only stare, wide-eyed.

Yoshiki can fight?

He hits really hard…

Conan chuckled.

Of course, Hayashi Yoshiki could fight.

He'd once knocked Kaito Kid to his knees.

And how else could he have tamed all those thugs at Teitan High?

 

 

Chapter 295 - 295: Recorded Contents

[Iwasawa Kanta]

Cause of death: Explosion

[At 15:57 on December 17, a chemical truck carrying organic solvents entered the Metropolitan Expressway via the Takaido Expressway Exit.]

[At 16:31, less than one kilometer from the Little Buddha Tunnel, I saw a billboard falling onto the road ahead. Panicked, I swerved the steering wheel, causing the truck to roll over.]

[The tank was ruptured during the crash, and the resulting heat ignited the solvent, causing a massive explosion.]

Died in the explosion.

[Ishino Takashi]

Cause of death: Accidental

[At 16:00 on December 17, a small truck equipped with a stainless steel saw blade was driving to the factory via the Metropolitan Expressway.]

[At 16:31, less than one kilometer from the Little Buddha Tunnel, the driver attempted to overtake the chemical truck, changing lanes to the right. The chemical truck swerved in a panic, causing a collision. The small truck was crushed and dragged as it skidded.]

Died from the collision and subsequent explosion.

[Nakamura Ren]

Cause of death: Accidental

[At 16:04 on December 17, he tripped and fell inside the hijacked bus. Upon getting up, he told his companions,

"It's okay, I just tripped."

"Be careful too—you scared me."]

[Later, angered by a passenger's small actions, he attempted to shoot but was persuaded not to. He left the gun untouched.]

[At 16:31, as the bus braked sharply to avoid a skidding chemical truck, he fell forward and accidentally pulled the trigger. The bullet shattered the front windshield.]

[At 16:32:17, the explosion sent debris flying—one of the saw blades cut through his throat.]

Died from a flying blade.

[Ezaki Nobita]

Cause of death: Accidental

[… …]

[… …]

[At 16:32:17, following the explosion, a saw blade tore through the shattered windshield and pierced his abdomen and heart.]

Died instantly.

The two drivers who died were disposable figures Hayashi Yoshiki had long marked for their relevant transportation backgrounds.

Nakamura Ren and Ezaki Nobita had risked their lives to rescue their leader, Kunio Yashima—only to be sent to their deaths by him. Their female companion had been captured by the police. In a few days, she would "find a chance to commit suicide due to unbearable suffering in prison," exactly as written in the Death Note.

Still... the fire was truly terrible...

Gazing at the carnage he had orchestrated, Hayashi Yoshiki sighed—not out of guilt, but out of pragmatism.

In the distance, far from the burning chemical truck, voices from police officers reporting to their superiors could be heard:

"Report! Roadblocks have been set up on the expressway!"

"The fire is under control. Multiple fire trucks are en route!"

"Reporting to Officer Megure! The bomb on the bus has been handed over to the explosives unit!"

"Excellent. Have the identities of the deceased robbers been confirmed?"

"Confirmed, sir!"

Once the bus had come to a stop on the expressway, passengers had evacuated and waited outside the emergency lane.

Workaholic Megure Juzo soon arrived at the scene with his team to maintain order. Due to the explosion and fire, the entire highway section was sealed off.

Hayashi Yoshiki stood at a distance with a group of children, awaiting police instructions.

"Brother Hayashi."

Megure Juzo jogged over while coordinating the scene. He kept his tone vague in front of the children but his eyes were serious.

"This time too...?"

"Mm."

Hayashi Yoshiki nodded solemnly.

Megure's face darkened immediately.

Though not part of the official task force, Megure was the one who had led most death case investigations in Beika. He had submitted all the relevant reports—and knew full well that the task force was tracking a serial killer who disguised murders as accidents.

"What's wrong, Officer Megure? You look really scary," asked Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya.

"...Nothing. I was just thinking how insane the robbers were this time. Even after getting what they wanted, they planted a bomb. So many could've died."

Megure forced a smile.

"Thankfully, everyone ended up safe."

The children burst into cheers at that.

Only Conan remained quiet, his eyes narrowing in thought as he recalled the look Megure had given Hayashi Yoshiki just moments before.

But Hayashi Yoshiki was pleased.

Ever since Thomas Schindler's death, there hadn't been a single "accidental murder." The task force had thinned out. Now that the deaths had resumed, he wondered how they would react.

He was safer than ever.

Another "accidental" murder had occurred right in front of him, and he remained above suspicion.

In fact, it only reinforced the idea that he was just another victim. With multiple passenger testimonies and no opportunity to act, Hayashi Yoshiki had no link to the incident other than survival.

"…"

He glanced toward the man standing nearby, facing away.

Akai Shuichi had removed his mask and was currently reporting to his superiors.

He briefly summarized the hijacking and explosion before ending the call. When he turned back, his eyes fell on the chemical truck—its flames now shrinking under the firefighters' control.

This doesn't feel like an accident... and yet, it couldn't have been anything else...

Akai frowned deeply.

Then he sensed something—a gaze from behind.

Turning, he met the eyes of a young man.

Hayashi Yoshiki looked calm.

Akai didn't think too much of it. Was I acting suspiciously...? he wondered, then looked away.

"Yoshiki..."

Haibara Ai tugged at the hem of Hayashi Yoshiki's coat.

Her face, still pale, had regained a hint of color. She looked up at him, determined.

"You've gotten clingy, Ai," Hayashi Yoshiki smiled, ruffling her hair.

"That's right. Ai has become a little strange."

"Were you scared by the robbers?"

"Compared to that... are we not going skiing anymore?"

 

 

Chapter 296 - 296: Gin — “Cointreau’s sexual fetish is to kill people!”

It was a bar with a resident band and an elegant atmosphere.

On the stage, soothing music was playing.

"Hey, that client who just came back was so happy he didn't even realize his death anniversary is coming up, right, brother?"

In the dim firelight of the bar, Vodka grinned at the name on the business card.

Gin didn't respond.

Vodka looked up at him and saw he was silently watching the performance above, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

"Brother?"

…

"Ah, are you looking at the singer about to perform? Her voice is intoxicating…"

Vodka followed Gin's gaze toward the stage. At the edge of the backstage, a foreign woman with dark skin and thick lips was preparing to go on:

"She looks pretty good. You into that type, brother?"

Gin didn't answer.

Though he had no interest in women, he was speechless about Vodka's aesthetic taste.

At that moment, a bartender approached.

Before he could speak, Gin fixed him with a sharp glare.

"What do you mean you witnessed Cointreau's accidental murder?"

"…What are you talking about, sir?"

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Gin seized the bartender's head, slamming it against the table. With his other hand, he picked up an ice pick from the ice bucket—

—and plunged it into the man's head.

At the last second, Vermouth pulled away with a sly smile, revealing the bartender's human skin mask impaled by the ice pick.

Vodka stood there, mouth agape.

"So irritable! Do you care that much about Cointreau?"

"What are his test results?"

"Of course I brought them."

Vermouth produced a paper report, tossing it onto the table in front of Gin as she gathered her hair and tied it back.

"It happened this afternoon on the Metropolitan Expressway, near the Little Buddha Tunnel... But I don't even need to tell you—you'll see it in the report tomorrow."

"I already told you, your intelligence team doesn't need to contact him," Gin muttered darkly.

"Oh, I have zero interest in getting close to that dangerous guy. Just had the misfortune of bumping into him today," she said with a smirk.

Gin wasn't interested in her lies. He picked up the report and glanced through it.

Hayashi Yoshiki had guessed wrong.

That physical exam he took had nothing to do with the Organization. But Vermouth, with her disguises, still managed to get her hands on it.

"Luckily, your so-called successor is in good health. But... there's one slightly troubling indicator."

—Elevated serum testosterone levels.

Gin noticed it even before Vermouth pointed it out.

Attached to the report was the doctor's note from the clinic. Despite confirming that Hayashi Yoshiki's testosterone level was unusually high, the doctor concluded that Yoshiki was stable and merely had a strong sexual drive.

What nonsense.

Gin sneered.

A guy like Cointreau wouldn't be swayed by some base instinct to reproduce.

After all, this idiot beside him had invited Cointreau out to "play" several times, and even Chianti's occasional teasing was flat-out ignored by him.

Clearly, this diagnosis was laughable.

Or... was it?

Cointreau was a murderous genius. He was also mentally unstable.

Sexual drive and fetishes are often intertwined.

What if his fetish... was killing?

Gin's eyes slowly narrowed.

If you combined Cointreau's uncontrollable urge to kill with a strong sexual drive...

That would explain a lot.

Gin suddenly felt a headache coming on.

He had once thought that even if Hayashi Yoshiki was ill, as long as his craving to kill was satisfied, he'd be a perfect subordinate—flawless missions, sharp intellect, capable of managing others.

Most importantly, he could lead.

But today's results suggested that his mental state was more serious than expected.

…

Back when he nearly died at the pharmaceutical plant, Gin had genuinely listened to Hayashi Yoshiki.

He had thought: Perhaps I could groom Cointreau as my future successor.

Like Rum, who built a circle of confidants in high places, Gin had only Vodka at his side. If he ever died unexpectedly, Vodka alone wouldn't survive.

"But Cointreau doesn't even seem like a carnivore,"

Vermouth said, lighting her cigarette with a ding, and added slyly:

"Who knows, I might even be a little interested."

"Oh…"

Gin gave a cold, sarcastic laugh.

What did he mean by that?

Vermouth arched an eyebrow.

But after learning of Cointreau's condition, the first person she thought of was Ran.

That guy was good at coaxing women. What if, one day, he decided to target Ran?

Just imagining it gave Vermouth a headache.

But—Cointreau still owed her a favor.

How could she stop him from going after Ran?

Meanwhile…

"Yes, the situation is exactly as Inspector Megure described. The deaths of the two robbers… have all the signs of an accidental murder."

"Just like the Thomas Schindler case."

"No—we still can't confirm that Thomas Schindler was the accidental murderer."

"Perhaps someone else is lurking in the shadows, manipulating things through Noah's Ark."

"But what worries me more is that the robbers' identities were never made public… Why would the person behind this accident target them? And how did he find them?"

Late at night—

In a beautifully decorated room, Hayashi Yoshiki was on the phone with Odagiri Toshiro, speaking in an unnervingly calm tone.

Straddling him, Reiko Shimizu fought to suppress her excitement.

She wrapped her arms around Hayashi Yoshiki's neck and let her hot breath tickle his skin.

But Hayashi Yoshiki, unaffected by her moist, enticing gaze, simply smiled, raising his index finger to his lips.

Be quiet.

Reiko Shimizu immediately behaved, too afraid to make another sound.

"Alright, let's talk in person, Minister Odagiri."

"It's getting late."

"Please get some rest."

After a short conversation, he hung up.

Reiko Shimizu waited until she was sure the call was over. Then, like a kitten finally let loose, she clung to him gleefully.

Today, she had hidden in the shadows with a sniper rifle and targeted Kunio Yashima. She had done her part.

"You were amazing today, Mr. Hayashi!"

"Yeah?"

"Yes~ I was so excited when I got back… so please…"

"Give me a reward."

 

 

Chapter 297 - 297: Conversation Between the Two Sides

One afternoon after the bus hijacking incident, in the apartment where Asami lives.

"Stretch out your arms."

"Okay."

In front of Haibara Ai, Hiroki Sawada, who looked only four or five years old, obediently stretched out his arm. Haibara Ai disinfected it with a cotton swab soaked in iodine, then took a syringe and began drawing blood.

Narumi Asai, a doctor, observed from the side. The child's calm movements didn't seem like something a real child would do at all.

But at this point, Narumi Asai already knew the truth.

"Okay, press down on the spot with this cotton ball."

"Alright..."

Hiroki Sawada nodded, then looked calmly at Haibara Ai injecting his blood into a test tube. After a pause, he couldn't help but ask:

"Where's Yoshiki-nii?"

"He went to the Metropolitan Police Department for a meeting early this morning."

"Is it because of the bus hijacking a few days ago?" Narumi asked.

"It was in the papers. The leader of the robbers was released by the police and has now gone into hiding."

"Maybe there are other cases that need him."

Haibara Ai didn't know much. She looked at Narumi and Hiroki and added coolly, "But when he brought me here, he asked me to remind you—Hiroki needs to change his name."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'm actually planning to give this child my surname—Narumi," Narumi said with a smile.

Sawada Hiroki lowered his head slightly.

Yoshiki brought Ai here, but… why didn't he come to see me?

He felt a sting of concern.

Since the last time Hayashi Yoshiki left, Hiroki still had many questions. He wanted to see him.

Haibara Ai, of course, understood just by looking at him.

"He didn't come on purpose."

"Eh?"

"He's highly respected in that organization. You never know when someone might be watching him. That's why... he won't meet you unless it's safe."

Haibara Ai looked calmly at the boy in front of her.

Before taking APTX4869, he was just a 10-year-old child—and a victim of my drug.

Logically, Haibara Ai shouldn't be so cold-hearted.

But when she remembered how Hayashi Yoshiki had risked everything to save this boy—only to be met with suspicion—she couldn't help but feel irritated.

Still, there was a reason Hiroki Sawada acted this way.

He was angry—because Yoshiki always did dangerous things without ever explaining.

Even that day... they never found out.

"Why does it have to be like this...?"

Hiroki looked down in frustration.

Then, after a moment, he lifted his head and looked at Haibara Ai with rare seriousness.

"Can you tell me about that organization—and about Yoshiki-nii?"

"Why?"

Haibara Ai didn't answer immediately. Hiroki still wasn't mature enough—and knowing too much could endanger Hayashi Yoshiki.

"His intention was for you to forget all that. He wants you to live like a normal kid."

"But maybe... I can help Yoshiki-nii!"

Hiroki retorted, eyes burning:

"If we use the power of Noah's Ark, we can track all the organization's crimes—find the evidence, their locations, even their real appearances... in real time!"

…

At that moment, Haibara Ai's expression changed.

If artificial intelligence really could do what Hiroki said... it could be an enormous help to Cointreau.

They might even break free from the organization... and live under the sun.

Inside the Metropolitan Police Department – Criminal Investigation Office

Toshiro Odagiri and Hayashi Yoshiki sat across from one another. Between them, two cups of tea released faint trails of steam.

"According to headquarters, the task force will be reduced significantly," said Odagiri, arms folded.

"That's understandable," Hayashi Yoshiki replied without surprise.

"After all, if the culprit used artificial intelligence to cause the accident, then... how do we arrest a program that lives on the internet?"

…

Odagiri was silent for a moment, then spoke again:

"But in the end, people are the ones using the tools—and people have weaknesses. Just like Thomas Schindler."

"Perhaps."

"I'm sorry, Counselor... but we have to prioritize our limited resources."

"I understand, Minister Odagiri."

"It's good that you do." Odagiri nodded, then looked at Yoshiki seriously.

"But the task force hasn't been disbanded. I still hope you'll remain as our consultant."

"Minister Odagiri," Hayashi Yoshiki said, picking up his teacup,

"What I didn't say during the meeting... is that I suspect the murderer has ties to the police."

Odagiri's expression immediately darkened.

"Even if they're not the killer," Yoshiki continued, "They're at least closely connected to the force."

"Because of the two robbers on the bus?"

"Exactly. Their identities were never leaked. Yet they died in such an absurd manner... The only people who knew about their actions—besides the passengers—were the police."

"…I'll take it seriously."

Odagiri did not take Yoshiki's words lightly. He had no reason to.

How could you distrust a man who stood in front of a bomb for the sake of civilians and officers alike?

A man who stared down the barrel of a robber's gun and said:

'It doesn't matter if you kill me—but let the child go.'

Silence fell between them.

As the escaped jewel thief Kunio Yashima remained at large, the only sound was that of Odagiri boiling more water for tea.

"Some officers from the task force will be reassigned to investigate the recent surge in crimes committed by the thief gang "Genjibotaru"

"Another gang?"

"Yes. They've been active since 1989. Do you know anything about them?"

Before Yoshiki could answer, Odagiri added:

"They've repeatedly stolen Buddhist statues and valuable works of art. Their operations span Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. Each member uses the name of a historical retainer of Yoshitsune—and they all carry a copy of Yoshitsune-ki."

"…And what have they done recently?"

"Their leader, who calls himself Yoshitsune, commands eight others—Benkei, Ise Saburo, and five more. Recently, the last five were murdered... and the Yoshitsune-ki in their possession was also stolen."

 

 

Chapter 298 - 298: Sour Orange

Kyoto, Japan—a city neighboring Osaka.

After Hayashi Yoshiki arrived by train, he made his way to Umekoji Hospital, following the address he'd been given.

"Brother Yoshiki, over here!"

In the corridor on the eighth floor of the inpatient wing, Ran was waving at him.

Hayashi Yoshiki quickly walked over. Together with Ran, he saw Hattori Heiji sitting up in bed, a bandage wrapped around his head. Surrounding him were Toyama Kazuha, Conan, Shiratori Ninzaburo, and Detective Otaki from the Osaka Police Department.

"Why is it so lively in here?"

Hayashi Yoshiki couldn't help but smile as he spoke.

"Why is this guy here too?"

Hattori Heiji looked a little surprised.

"You were the one taking care of me when I was hospitalized in Osaka. Of course I had to come see you when I heard you'd been injured."

As Hayashi Yoshiki spoke, he set the fruit basket he'd brought on the bedside table and began asking what had happened.

He had heard about the thieves' gang called "Genjibotaru" from Odagiri Toshio that day—it was the same name used in the movie Crossroads in the Labyrinth.

However, Hayashi Yoshiki hadn't gotten involved directly. He had waited until he heard that Hattori Heiji had been injured before rushing to Kyoto.

"We were at a teahouse when our companion, Mr. Shozo Sakura, was murdered in the storage room."

"After the investigation led nowhere, Kazuha and I headed back. But we were ambushed by someone wearing an old man's mask on the way..."

As Hattori Heiji spoke, a look of frustration crossed his face.

The attacker had been riding a motorcycle and had fired arrows at them from behind. To protect Kazuha, Heiji had driven into the woods and fought the attacker—but the opponent had used tricks and cheap shots to win. After knocking him down, the masked man seemed intent on searching his body.

"Wanted to take something from you?"

"That's just my guess. Actually, my partner and I... well, we were ambushed once before during the investigation."

Heiji still couldn't figure out what of his might be valuable to thieves.

But Hayashi Yoshiki remembered.

When Heiji was a child, he encountered his first love in Kyoto. He'd woken up in a temple to the sound of a song, and when he looked around, he saw a little girl in a yukata playing with a ball and singing a Kyoto folk song. But a gust of wind blew through, and suddenly, the girl vanished.

Heiji had chased after her, only to find an exquisite glass bead on the ground. Believing it to be a keepsake from the girl, he held onto it.

But that bead was actually a hair ornament that had fallen from the forehead of a Buddha statue during a temple robbery led by the "Genjibotaru" gang. Later, Heiji told this story in a magazine and even showed the bead—hoping to find his "first love."

That's how he ended up being targeted.

"Then it's possible that the person wearing the old man's Noh mask... is your first love, Hattori-kun."

"Haa!?"

Heiji's face immediately darkened.

"What did you just say!?"

"I heard the murdered antique dealer, Shozo Sakura, was actually a member of the Genji Botan group. The police found evidence in his residence."

At that moment, Shiratori Ninzaburo opened a notebook and began asking detailed questions.

Seeing Heiji animated again, Hayashi Yoshiki felt relieved. With a smile, he took an orange from the fruit basket.

After peeling it open, he handed a slice to Conan.

"Thanks."

Conan was just about to eat it when something occurred to him. His eyes flattened into dead-fish mode as he stared at Hayashi Yoshiki.

"You're using me to test if the orange is sour again, aren't you?"

"I'm glad you've grown up, Conan."

"Wha..."

Conan was speechless but still put the slice in his mouth.

The overwhelming sourness nearly contorted his face, but he managed to hold his expression and looked at Hayashi Yoshiki with a fake smile.

"It's very sweet."

"Is that so? Then you can have this one too."

Hayashi Yoshiki paused, then smiled and gave Conan the rest of the orange.

"Huh?"

Conan blinked, a bit surprised.

"Don't make it sound like I only give you sour oranges."

Hayashi Yoshiki smiled again, picked up another orange, peeled it, and tried a slice himself. It had just the right balance of sweet and sour.

He shared it with Ran.

"Thank you, Brother Yoshiki."

The girl smiled brightly.

Watching the two of them laughing and chatting, Conan looked at the sour orange in his hand and finally understood the meaning of helplessness—after what Hayashi Yoshiki just said, how could he now claim it was sour?

So he turned away to eat it, grimacing in pain.

"This orange is so sweet," said Ran, smiling.

"Yeah. Whenever I visit a hospital, sweet oranges always taste a bit different."

"Is the fruit basket for me? Can I have one?"

"I'll give this to you, Hattori-nii."

Hearing Heiji yelling from the bed, Conan quickly handed him the half-eaten orange.

Without thinking, Heiji popped it into his mouth.

The next second, his entire face scrunched up.

"Wha—! How could you do this to an injured man!?"

"What's wrong?"

Hayashi Yoshiki turned, feigning innocence.

"..."

Realizing the truth, Heiji knew he couldn't blame Yoshiki. So he turned to Conan with hollow eyes and a stiff smile.

"You little...!"

Just then, a nurse entered to take his temperature.

Following behind her was a man in a gray suit, his slicked-back hair sharp and clean. It was Inspector Ayanokouji from the Kyoto Police Department.

He was known for carrying a chipmunk in the pocket of his jacket.

"You seem to be in good spirits," said Ayanokouji to Heiji.

"Inspector, where's the dagger the killer used?"

"Sent to forensics."

"Let me know the result as soon as possible. If the evidence isn't enough, I can still offer the wound on my shoulder. And the murderer's motorcycle—where is it?"

"It was a stolen vehicle. Untraceable."

As he answered, Ayanokouji took out a strange-looking painting from inside his coat.

It resembled a cabinet, with odd symbols painted in some of the drawers.

"Also... do you know anything about this painting? It was among Mr. Sakura's belongings—hidden inside the Yoshitsune Chronicle."

Everyone turned their attention to the painting.

Hayashi Yoshiki stepped forward.

"May I take a look, Inspector?"

"The famous detective from Tokyo, said to be absurdly fast at solving cases... go ahead."

Ayanokouji handed over the painting.

Yoshiki studied it carefully, then asked:

"Is there any kind of cipher or reference code that could help solve it?"

"None."

"Then I'd guess the painting is a clue pointing to a location... but without any sort of code to guide us, I'm stumped too."

"You're that confident?"

"About 70%."

"Alright. I'll keep it in mind."

Though Ayanokouji could be arrogant, he was surprisingly cooperative with Hayashi Yoshiki.

He took the painting back and added:

"If I come across anything relevant later... I'll be sure to ask you again."

 

Chapter 299 - 299: My First Love Is Healing Buddha

"From what you guys said, this isn't the first time Hattori's been attacked, right?"

Earlier that morning, Hattori Heiji had quietly slipped out of the hospital while Kazuha and the others weren't paying attention. Conan went with him—but to their surprise, they bumped into someone already waiting at the hospital entrance.

"Brother Yoshiki!?"

"Why are you here?" Conan asked.

"Because you two wear your thoughts on your faces," Hayashi Yoshiki replied with a smile, pointing at his own.

"'We must find the murderer no matter what!'

You both had that exact expression when you looked at each other."

"So you just sat here waiting?" Heiji muttered, a bit exasperated. "I'm honestly impressed…"

He glanced around nervously, half-expecting Toyama Kazuha to burst out of the hospital doors chasing after him.

Confirming the coast was clear, Heiji turned serious. "Brother, we're happy you want to help, but the culprit is skilled in kendo and archery. He's dangerous."

"A high schooler with shoulder and head injuries, and an elementary schooler who can't even carry a bag…" Yoshiki looked at the two of them, eyes calm.

"Do you really think either of you is in better shape than me?"

"…"

Heiji fell silent, thoroughly convinced—and secretly relieved to have a reliable ally joining them.

"But I didn't expect Yoshiki to be waiting outside like this," Conan said as they walked.

"I could tell nothing would stop you," Yoshiki replied. "But it's still reckless to face a criminal like this."

He stopped in front of a vending machine and fed in some coins. A loud clang sounded as the can dropped.

"When you think of Kyoto, it's hard not to think of red bean soup. Even canned, it's better than nothing."

"Things from a can always taste terrible," Heiji grumbled.

"You won't know unless you try." Yoshiki smiled as he cracked open the can.

The three made their way out of the hospital and onto the streets. On the way, Heiji and Conan filled Yoshiki in on the details: the attacks, the stolen statue, and the mysterious coded painting.

The incident stemmed from a commission received by Mouri Kogorou from Ryuen, a monk at Sannoji Temple in Kyoto. The temple housed a sacred Healing Buddha statue, revealed only once every twelve years. However, the statue had been stolen eight years ago. At the time, Ryuen had urged the abbot to call the police, but the abbot refused—claiming that if fate allowed, the Buddha would one day return.

And just a few days before the next scheduled exhibition, a mysterious email arrived.

"If you solve the puzzle in the painting, you'll find the Buddha statue."

That cryptic message prompted Ryuen to seek Kogorou's help.

Conan, tagging along, encountered Hattori during the case. Their investigations had led to two attacks: one with arrows in the forest, and another while returning after failing to catch the killer of Shozo Sakura, an antique dealer.

"He attacked you twice even though your investigation hadn't made much progress?" Yoshiki mused. "If the intent was to stop you from learning the truth, that's... excessive."

"Exactly. It doesn't add up," Conan agreed.

"Which means…" Yoshiki narrowed his eyes. "You may already have something the culprit wants."

He then turned to Heiji. "I heard the abbot asked you to help recover the Buddha statue. Hattori-kun, show me your glass bead."

"Oh… right." Heiji fished out a small item he'd kept hidden for eight years.

Yoshiki took it and examined it in the sunlight. A clear, slightly glowing bead…

"This may be the white urna, embedded in the Buddha statue's forehead."

"The glowing part on the statue?!" Heiji's eyes widened.

"Right."

"Then the reason the culprit keeps targeting Heiji is because of this white bead?!"

"…It's possible," Yoshiki said thoughtfully.

"According to that magazine interview about Hattori's unforgettable first love, he found this bead at a temple eight years ago… and that's exactly when the Buddha statue was stolen from Sannoji Temple."

He handed the urna back.

Heiji's expression turned awkward—what he thought was a memento of young love was now connected to the Healing Buddha. That shift was hard to process.

"If someone's willing to kill over this bead…"

Heiji's voice dropped as he adjusted his cap. The atmosphere grew heavy.

Yoshiki said nothing, just smiled, and casually tossed the now-empty can into a nearby trash bin.

"Was it good?" Conan asked.

"Surprisingly good." (It really wasn't.)

The three arrived at the teahouse where the suspects had stayed. Ryuen, the Noh singer Shuntaro Mizuo, and the antique bookstore owner Saijo Taiga had all been there last night. All three, along with the murdered Sakura Masazo and even the abbot, shared one hobby: kendo.

Heiji confronted the three and questioned them about their whereabouts last night and their familiarity with kyudo (Japanese archery). Each of them denied any deep knowledge.

"I was attacked last night," Heiji announced bluntly. "At the time, I didn't understand why. But now… I might."

He then dramatically produced the glass bead.

"I was thinking of handing this over to the police. If I do, the killer won't have any reason to target me again."

Someone's gaze subtly shifted at those words—but none of them betrayed any overt emotion.

"What is that, exactly?" Ryuen asked.

Heiji only smiled and tucked it away again.

Soon after, Chikasuzu, the teahouse's maiko, returned to thank everyone for their stay and guided them outside.

"You're headed to Sannoji Temple, right?" she asked. "It's on Rokujō Street. This is Ichijō."

"How do we get there?"

"Marutake, Ichijō, Oshikōji, Oike… Sister Hexagon…"

She sang a local children's rhyme, gesturing with her hands to indicate the direction.

"What was that song?" Conan asked.

"It's called the Handball Song. Kyoto kids use it to memorize street names—north to south, east to west."

"…Could you sing the whole thing?" Yoshiki asked with unusual interest.

Conan and Heiji looked at him.

Had he just figured something out?

After Reika left, Yoshiki confirmed it.

"The code in the painting," he said.

"…"

"Don't forget—Officer Ayanokouji asked us to solve that painting's riddle to locate the Buddha statue. And I'm guessing the Handball Song is the key."

Realization hit Conan and Heiji at once.

"That's it!"

But first, they needed a map.

Back at a bookstore, they bought one. But as they sat down to solve the riddle...

"Marutake, Ichijō... what comes next again?"

"…Let me do it." Yoshiki, unable to bear it, rattled off the entire chant from memory.

"...Your memory is too good," Conan muttered.

They began drawing lines across the map. When connected according to the painting's riddle, the strokes formed the kanji 王 ("King"). A small dot in the painting hinted at another stroke: adding it formed 玉 ("Jewel"). The dot's position on the map matched Fukuō Temple.

At the temple, they found no hidden Buddha statue—but they did find a worn stone tablet inscribed "Site of Gyokuryuji Temple."

"Gyokuryuji? Could that be what the painting refers to?" Heiji asked.

Yoshiki asked a local, learning that Gyokuryuji Temple sat deep within Mount Kurama—and had been abandoned for years.

"Shall we go?" Yoshiki asked.

"Of course!" Heiji said.

"Are you sure? You haven't eaten, and you've been running around since leaving the hospital…" Yoshiki said, concerned.

"Brother Yoshiki's right. You should eat something first," Conan added.

Heiji hesitated, then gave in. "Alright. Let's at least grab a bite."

They went back to a vending machine.

Conan, curious, ordered the same red bean soup Yoshiki had earlier praised.

One sip in, he realized—it was overly sweet, the beans mushy, and the flavor weak.

He slowly turned to Yoshiki, deadpan.

"…Not tasty?"

"Heh heh."

Conan rolled his eyes. Why lie about red bean soup?

Just then, Yoshiki checked his phone—a cheerful text from Okino Yoko full of Kyoto food and sightseeing recommendations. Yoshiki smiled, quietly typing a reply.

Meanwhile, Heiji's phone rang.

He expected Kazuha. But when he answered—

"Is the white hair still with you?" a sinister male voice asked.

"…Who are you?"

"Hmph. Those two girls are with me now. Bring the white hair to Gyokuryuji Temple on Mount Kurama within an hour. Call the police or lose the bead—and they die!"

"Heiji! Don't come! He'll kill you!"

The call cut out.

The voice was unfamiliar, but his demand was clear—and terrifying.

"…Damn it!"

Heiji's face darkened as he lowered the phone.

"What's wrong?" Conan asked.

Heiji looked at them, ashamed.

"…Kazuha and Ran were kidnapped."

"WHAT!?"

"The culprit wants the white bead delivered to Gyokuryuji in an hour. No police… or he'll kill them."

"..."

Conan's expression turned deadly serious.

And Hayashi Yoshiki's face darkened with quiet fury.

 

 

Chapter 300 - 300: The Ruthless Hayashi Yoshiki

"Just let me go alone! Believe me, I'll definitely bring them both back!"

In front of Fuko-ji Temple, Hattori Heiji made a solemn promise to the other two.

It was because he had taken out the Baihao and claimed he would hand it over to the police that the murderer had chosen to kidnap the two girls, using them as leverage. At that moment, Hattori Heiji was drowning in self-blame.

"Idiot."

"Huh?"

Hattori Heiji was surprised by what Hayashi Yoshiki blurted out.

"They want the three of us to show up together, right? If we don't appear at the same time, do you really think they'll let us go?"

"I'll use this white hair to negotiate with him—"

"But he intends to kill all three of us."

Hayashi Yoshiki's eyes darkened.

Meeting his gaze, Hattori Heiji felt even more remorseful and dejected.

Conan also noticed the shift in Hayashi Yoshiki's expression.

Is it because he heard that Ran is in danger?

As for the murderer's intent, Conan and Heiji understood clearly.

—Because the culprit had directly asked for the Baihao over the phone, it all but confirmed that he was one of the three people present at the teahouse.

If he didn't kill Hayashi Yoshiki and the others, the truth about his crime would be exposed—and he might even murder the two friends who had been with him at the time.

"If there's danger, we face it together. Besides, this isn't just your problem, Heiji." Conan said.

"…I'm sorry. I just couldn't control my emotions."

Hayashi Yoshiki raised his hand to push back his hair a little, but without hairspray, the ends fell again: "Let's go. Since we're rescuing people, we should be prepared."

"Right."

Heiji didn't say much and nodded seriously.

The fact that Ran had also been taken hostage was something Hayashi Yoshiki hadn't expected.

Originally, Toyama Kazuha had overheard Hattori Heiji talking about evidence tied to the killer and recalled that when she rescued Heiji the night before, she had broken the murderer's mask with a stone. When she returned to the woods that night to retrieve the mask fragments, she was ambushed and captured.

So now... was it Heiji's use of the white hair that had provoked the murderer?

From the moment Ran lost her memory, although Hayashi Yoshiki had intervened, he hadn't been able to stop the original course of events.

He had avoided unnecessary interference—yet unexpected deviations still occurred.

Leading the way in silence, Hayashi Yoshiki narrowed his eyes.

An hour later, the sun had set.

There was a full moon tonight.

Its pale light blanketed the moss-covered steps up the hillside of Mount Ma'an. At the top stood a timeworn temple, seated quietly amid the mountain mist.

Rows of bonfires lit the temple courtyard.

The murderer, wearing an aged Noh mask, stood at the center. Beside him, Ran and Kazuha were tied up, struggling against the ropes but unable to break free.

"You're so slow."

A deep voice came from beneath the mask.

Kazuha, ceasing her struggles, glared at the killer and shouted angrily, "Idiot! How could you fall for such an obvious trap?!"

"Really? I think you're just scared." the murderer sneered.

Ran, hands bound, silently observed her surroundings.

She couldn't use her arms—but her legs were still weapons. Yet the murderer carried a blade and was clearly trained in martial arts. If she acted rashly and provoked him, it could end very badly.

She had to wait for the right opportunity.

The killer mocked her, but she didn't answer.

Because she knew Yoshiki—he would come.

She secretly hoped he wouldn't. That he would sense the danger and choose not to. But she knew that was unlikely.

I have to think of a way...

The murderer didn't guard against them carefully, probably because they were girls. If they could knock the knife from his hands at the right moment...

While Ran plotted her move, three figures emerged from the mountain gate.

"Yoshiki-oniisan! Conan!"

"Heiji!"

"You didn't hurt them, did you?!"

"Give me the white hair, and I'll let them go."

The murderer responded loudly to Heiji's demand.

But that was a lie.

He had already decided—he would kill them along with the two girls. Only then could he ensure his crimes would remain buried.

"Let them come over, and we'll hand over the white hair," Hayashi Yoshiki said calmly, his eyes fixed on the killer. "Mr. Nishijo Taiga."

"...How did you know my name?"

The killer was caught off guard.

But realizing it was no use pretending, he removed his mask.

Underneath was Nishijo Taiga, the antique bookstore owner seen earlier in the teahouse. But unlike the gentleman with glasses from before, this Taiga had wild, spiky hair and a twisted, ferocious expression.

Now came the reasoning.

The key clue that gave away Nishijo Taiga's identity was his unconscious behavior. Though he had claimed during questioning not to know archery, he had sat with the "half-foot dragging" posture characteristic of kyūdō practitioners.

Once exposed, he confessed.

"Heh, Ryuen and I trained at the same kendo dojo."

"But then I discovered an ancient sword style—Yoshitsune-ryu. I left the dojo two years ago and became its successor."

The Yoshitsune-ryu was said to be passed down from Musashibo Benkei, the legendary retainer of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.

But Taiga wasn't satisfied.

"Because I want to be Yoshitsune—not Benkei! Do you know how much I crave that name?!"

"But the leader of our gang took the Yoshitsune role, and I—the strongest fighter—was just 'Benkei.'"

"After the leader's death, I killed the others and took the Buddha statue. I wanted money—to build a Yoshitsune-ryu dojo in Kyoto!"

"This temple—Gyokuryuji—belonged to our leader, the former abbot. I asked him to give it to me before he died. But now that he's gone, the temple will be demolished!"

Taiga's yelling turned his face red with fury.

But the three people facing him remained unmoved.

Hayashi Yoshiki even muttered, "In short, you're just into extreme roleplay, huh?"

"What did you say?!"

Infuriated, Taiga nearly drew his sword, but Hayashi's next words stopped him cold:

"We'll give you the Buddha statue's location and the white hair—but first, release the girls."

"You found it?"

"Yes."

"...Then hiring a detective wasn't a mistake after all."

Satisfied, Nishijo Taiga shoved the girls forward, allowing them to walk back.

"Kazuha!"

"Ran-nee-chan!"

Heiji and Conan sighed in relief.

But as Ran and Kazuha moved forward, Taiga quietly drew the blade at his waist.

He had never intended to let them go.

In the next second, he lunged.

Heiji, sensing the threat, rushed to intercept with his own blade.

Clang!

The two silver swords clashed.

But Heiji's injured left shoulder limited him. Within moments, Taiga overwhelmed him and kicked him away.

Then—masked swordsmen in kendo gear surged from behind the gate.

"These are my loyal disciples. You won't escape."

Taiga smiled cruelly. "Give me what I want, and I'll grant you a painless death."

"That's why I made preparations."

Facing blades from all sides, Hayashi Yoshiki drew his sword.

A real one.

To move more freely, he discarded the scabbard.

"Can you do it...?"

Conan wasn't sure—but the blade in Hayashi's hands was real. A good one. Though he didn't know where it came from, now wasn't the time to ask.

"Yoshiki-onii-san..."

Ran looked on, worried.

Hayashi Yoshiki calmly untied his collar's bow and ripped open the top button, revealing his firm chest.

"I'm not trained in swordsmanship. But I'm not fighting bare-handed. Honestly, I'd rather have a light machine gun."

…

Even now, he was cracking jokes. Conan couldn't help but twitch a smile.

One of Taiga's men jeered, "Outsider."

To him, Hayashi's stance was laughably amateur.

Then he charged.

Taiga intended to fight Heiji himself—but if this fool wanted to handle Hayashi Yoshiki, so be it.

"Careful!"

As the attacker swung down with both hands from an overhead stance, Hayashi Yoshiki raised his blade to block cautiously with both hands.

The strike missed.

The enemy lifted his blade again—but Yoshiki had already seen through his rhythm.

He sidestepped swiftly.

The enemy tried to swing again.

Too late.

A silver flash arced through the air.

The man's grip loosened.

Thud.

Two hands, still clutching the sword, dropped to the ground.

"Wha—?!"

"Oh... this knife's really sharp?"

Even Heiji and Conan were stunned.

Hayashi Yoshiki gazed at his blade and touched the tip lightly with his index finger.

Blood oozed.

"My... my hands!?"

The man stared in horror at his bleeding stumps and screamed as blood pooled at his feet.

"Don't be so upset. You came here intending to kill me."

Hayashi Yoshiki spoke casually, like discussing the weather. Then he smiled:

"I was just defending myself. If you hurry to a hospital, they might reattach your hands... depending on whether your friends pick them up for you."

…

That smile sent chills down Conan and Heiji's spines.

This wasn't the always-smiling Yoshiki they knew.

Hayashi Yoshiki had shown a terrifying, ruthless side.

"Yoshiki-onii-san..."

Ran wasn't afraid.

But she was worried.

Meanwhile, Nishijo Taiga's face contorted.

"Kill them! Leave no survivors!"

More swordsmen charged forward.

Ran twisted her arms and shouted, "Untie us! We can fight too!"

Without hesitation, Heiji swung his blade to cut their ropes.

And Hayashi Yoshiki stepped forward.

Toward the Prajna-masked killers.

Toward the blood.

Toward the war.