Soon, two cars pulled up in front of the Tsujimura estate.
It was an impressive villa—clearly, being a diplomat had its perks.
As everyone stepped out of the car, Conan suddenly felt his head spinning.
The lingering effects of the Baijiuliquor were still messing with his system, triggering strange visual distortions.
But the moment he caught sight of Akashi, his dizziness was quickly replaced with fiery rage.
In his mind, Akashi had transformed into a smug, red-hot bull terrier—his earlier display of affection toward Ran still fresh in Conan's memory.
That hand… that little paw reaching out to Ran chest… Unforgivable!
However, Akashi paid him no mind.
Instead, he gazed up at the sky.
Dark clouds were rolling in.
The air felt heavy.
Will it rain tonight?
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Everyone followed Kimie Tsujimura into the villa.
At the entrance, they were greeted by an elderly butler, Mr. Koike.
As soon as he spoke, he informed them that the master of the house had been in his study since noon—and hadn't come out since.
As they walked down the corridor, a young couple emerged from one of the rooms.
It was Takayoshi Tsujimura and Yukina Katsuragi—the diplomat's son and his soon-to-be daughter-in-law.
Yukina Katsuragi was strikingly beautiful.
At the sight of her, Kogoro's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
He barely stopped himself from blurting something inappropriate.
After all, she was the very subject of today's investigation.
A student at Tohto Pharmaceutical University, an aspiring doctor—
And according to Kimie Tsujimura, someone suspicious.
The disapproving mother-in-law-to-be wasted no time.
She shot Yukina a glare, muttered something under her breath, then briskly led the group forward.
As they ascended the stairs, they encountered Toshimitsu Tsujimura—the family's elder and the diplomat's father.
An old man with a love for fishing and painting.
Grinning, he proudly displayed his latest artwork—a giant fish he had just finished sketching.
Kimie Tsujimura barely spared it a glance.
"You can wait for us in the washitsu," she said curtly, dismissing him without hesitation.
The efficiency of her actions spoke volumes about her authority in the household.
Finally, they reached the study.
A faint melody could be heard from inside.
The door was locked.
Kimie Tsujimura retrieved a key from her handbag and, with a soft click, unlocked the door.
As it swung open, they saw Isao Tsujimura, the diplomat himself—sitting at his desk, seemingly asleep.
Kimie Tsujimura sighed in frustration.
"Honestly, even at home, you can't be bothered to answer the door when someone knocks?"
Shaking her head, she strode toward her husband.
Meanwhile, Hattori and the others were drawn to the source of the music.
A retro gramophone was playing The Phantom of the Opera.
Behind the desk, Kimie Tsujimura reached out to nudge her husband.
"Husband… husband?"
The moment her hand touched him—
His body lurched forward as he fall to the floor.
The air in the room tensed.
Everyone's expressions shifted instantly.
The detectives rushed forward.
Kogoro bent down and checked for signs of life.
His face darkened.
"He's dead… but his body is still warm."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
Kimie Tsujimura's face went pale.
Her eyes filled with disbelief.
"Ran, call the police! The rest of you, step away from the body!"
But her words fell on deaf ears when it came to Hattori and Conan.
Despite meeting for the first time, the two detectives had an unspoken understanding.
Their eyes immediately locked onto the details others had missed—
The discoloration of the victim's lips.
The small puncture marks at the base of his ear.
Something was very, very wrong.
At that exact moment, beneath the desk, Hattori and Conan simultaneously spotted something—a poisoned needle.
In their haste to examine it, their heads collided with a loud thud.
"Dammit, you brat! No kids near the crime scene!"
Hattori shot Conan a sharp glare, rubbing his forehead.
Meanwhile, Conan nursed a forming bump on his own head, glaring back in frustration.
With no choice, he begrudgingly stepped back, momentarily retreating from the investigation.
Meanwhile, Ran, following orders, rushed outside with her phone to call the police.
Not only did she alert everyone inside the villa, but she also tracked down the butler, Mr. Koike, to confirm the address before relaying it to the authorities.
As she ran off, it left an opening—one that Kazuha was quick to seize!
Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she immediately scooped up Akashi in her arms.
Her delicate hands gently ran along his back, coaxing him as if he were a frightened child.
"Akashi, don't be scared, don't be scared~" she murmured soothingly. "Everything will be fine if you just don't look at it!"
With that, she pressed Akashi's head onto her shoulder, effectively shielding his view of the crime scene.
A triumphant smirk spread across her lips.
Heh! Plan successful!
That smug, cat-like expression practically screamed, I finally caught you!
Meanwhile, Akashi was completely speechless.
Which one of your eyes saw me being afraid?!
These women… they kept forcing strange personality traits onto him!
However, now that he was pressed against Kazuha's shoulder, he suddenly felt a familiar sensation.
Huh…?
A wave of Yin energy subtly transferred into him—just enough for him to absorb.
Well… I guess I can tolerate this.
More importantly, he had to admit—
The girl was surprisingly soft.
And based on his very refined tastes…
She was a high-quality female that met all the necessary requirements.
Not one to waste an opportunity, Akashi subtly activated his ability—Immortal Grip.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host, physique +0.5!]
At that very moment, Kazuha's face instantly flushed a deep red.
Her emerald-green eyes widened in surprise.
But instead of suspicion, she completely misinterpreted the situation.
She truly believed that Akashi was clinging to her out of fear!
Worried that others might see, she instinctively turned sideways, shielding him further.
Meanwhile, Hattori—completely oblivious to whatever just transpired—remained laser-focused on the corpse.
Somehow, he still had the presence of mind to adjust his cap… though oddly enough, he ended up wearing it backward.
If only he realized just how green that cap looked today…
Like Conan, he had a single-track mind—once a murder occurred, his instincts kicked in, and there was no stopping him.
Because this case involved a high-ranking diplomat, it didn't take long before Inspector Megure and his team arrived at the crime scene.
Alongside him were Detective Miwako Sato and Detective Takagi Wataru.
Meanwhile, Ran had just returned to the study—
And immediately, her sharp gaze landed on Kazuha and Akashi.
Kazuha, realizing she had been caught, forced an awkward smile before reluctantly returning Akashi to her.
"I-I just saw that Akashi seemed a little scared," she explained hastily. "So I was just comforting him… But he's fine now!"
Even as she said it, she found herself unwilling to let go.
The unique succubus energy radiating from Akashi acted like a magnet—once a woman made physical contact with him, it was difficult to pull away.
As soon as she handed him over, Ran instinctively tightened her grip on his small hand.
Kazuha, on the other hand, didn't step away either.
Instead, she casually stood beside Ran, as if forming a protective barrier around him.
The three of them were now spectators—watching as the real detectives began their work.
Inspector Megure surveyed the scene, then turned to Kimie Tsujimura.
"Mrs. Tsujimura, was the study exactly like this when you arrived?" he asked. "Were the doors and windows all locked?"
Kimie Tsujimura nodded.
"Yes. Since there was no way for someone to climb in through the windows, the most suspicious person is naturally the one with access to the keys."
Inspector Megure narrowed his eyes.
"How many keys exist for this study?"
"Two," she replied without hesitation. "One is with me, and the other belongs to my husband."
Inspector Megure immediately stepped forward, carefully slipping on a pair of gloves before searching the diplomat's pockets.
A moment later—
His fingers brushed against something.
Slowly, he pulled out a key from the inner pocket of the deceased's jacket.
As the small metallic object glinted under the dim study light, Hattori and Conan's eyes widened in alarm.
Their expressions shifted in an instant.
Something wasn't adding up.