"What?"
The masked man's expression changed drastically, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. He never imagined someone could catch a sharpened blade with bare hands, using just two fingers to precisely clamp the sword's edge.
He gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the hilt with both hands, thinking that with enough strength, slicing off those fingers wouldn't be strange.
But what happened next still exceeded his expectations. Even as he poured all his strength into the swing, the two fingers holding the blade were like iron clamps, completely immovable.
Fear rippled through the masked man's heart. For a moment, he hesitated, unsure whether to let go of the sword.
But that moment of hesitation cost him his life.
Toru clamped the blade between two fingers of his right hand, then struck it with the palm of his left.
Crack—
The katana, forged of refined steel, let out a crisp sound and shattered into three pieces under his palm.
While the masked man stood stunned, Toru gripped the remaining half of the broken blade and slashed it toward his throat.
"Wait a minute!"
Heiji quickly shouted, hoping Toru would spare the man and leave him to the law.
But Toru completely ignored him. The sharp blade cut straight through the man's windpipe, spraying blood into the air.
The masked man opened his mouth wide, producing gurgling sounds. He staggered backward two steps, the sword in his hands having long since dropped.
He clutched his neck with his left hand, desperately trying to block the blood and hold his windpipe together.
But it was all in vain. Slowly, his body collapsed to the ground, lifeless, the blood from his neck soaking into the earth below.
Seeing this, Heiji whispered, "This guy's just way too skilled."
Such deadly precision and ruthlessness made Heiji start to doubt Toru's true identity.
"Ah—!"
Screams erupted from the surrounding crowd as they scattered in all directions.
Toru tossed aside the bloodied blade. After confirming the man was completely dead, he turned and walked toward Heiji.
For some reason, Heiji felt a sudden wave of tension as Toru approached.
Toru squatted down in front of him and carefully examined the wound on his chest. "If you don't call an ambulance soon, this injury really might be fatal."
Conan, still pretending to be an elementary schooler, spoke up. "Fujiwara Toru, I already called the ambulance and the police uncles."
Toru glanced at him and replied, "You again, brat? Why is there always a murder case wherever you show up?"
Conan's face darkened.
You think I want this? Sure, there was a murder case this time, but you were the one who killed him!
Although Toru had killed again, Conan, as a detective, had nothing to say. In fact, he had to be thankful.
If not for Toru, Heiji might've died here tonight. And the man who tried to kill them had been taken down in what could reasonably be called self-defense.
"Oh right, I left the skateboard I borrowed from you in front of the Nichibei TV building. Did you find it, kid?"
Toru suddenly remembered.
Conan forced a smile. "I found the skateboard."
"Good. Otherwise, I'd have to buy you a new one." Toru nodded.
Not far away, Kaguya was pushing Momiji's wheelchair, distancing her from the body. Even for girls like them, having a corpse right in front of them—especially one that died so gruesomely—was too much.
Once they were far enough, Momiji suddenly said, "Shinomiya-san!"
"Something wrong?" Kaguya looked at her with confusion.
Momiji raised her chin slightly, her tone haughty. "Shinomiya-san, I like Toru-kun. Why don't you let him go?"
"Besides, you don't even have that kind of feeling for him, do you? If that's the case, why make yourself suffer?"
Kaguya's expression turned cold. Even a clay statue has some temper, let alone someone like her, raised by the elite education of the Shinomiya family.
Her face instantly darkened. "Whether I like Toru-kun or not has nothing to do with you, Ms. Ōoka. He is my fiancé."
She stressed the word fiancé deliberately.
"You also know you're only engaged. Not married. Even if you were married, so what?"
"I like him. I don't care about those things," Momiji said firmly.
Her response struck a nerve.
Kaguya was a rebellious girl by nature, but she was held back by the strict rules of the Shinomiya household. Momiji's boldness—almost like she was about to steal something—lit a fire within her.
"So this is how the Ōoka family raises their daughters? Shameless."
"You don't need to worry about that, Shinomiya-san. The Ōoka family teaches us to seize what we want, so we won't live with regret."
"Hmph. As it happens, the Shinomiya family teaches the same thing."
There was no emotion in Kaguya's wine-red eyes. Her cold stare met Momiji's as she continued, "...And one more thing, Ms. Ōoka, keep this in mind."
"Toru-kun doesn't belong to you. He doesn't belong to me either. Who he likes isn't something you or I can decide. Are you treating him like some possession?"
Kaguya's sudden aggression left Momiji flustered. "No, that's not what I meant."
Seeing her caught off guard, Kaguya's lips curved into a slight smile of victory.
This time, I win.
Hayasaka secretly gave a thumbs up.
Nice job, Kaguya-sama. You're finally getting into it. That's right, burn a little. Don't just wait around anymore.
But soon, Momiji regained her composure.
Who does Toru-kun like?
Heh... Kaguya, you never would've guessed. Toru-kun and I have already been intimate, while you two have at most only held hands.
In that regard, I'm way ahead. Toru-kun must like me more now, and I'm going to keep this lead until the end.
Seeing Momiji's confident expression and faint smirk, Kaguya suddenly felt uneasy.
I should've won... so why do I feel like I lost?
Haibara watched the two girls arguing and could only think they were both ridiculous.
Keep arguing, sure. It's just a pity neither of you understand that man at all. You don't know anything about what he really does.
Soon, ambulances and police cars arrived.
The police immediately felt a headache coming on.
Their headache grew worse when they saw the killer was Fujiwara Toru.
However, with numerous witnesses and clear evidence, it didn't take long for the officers to understand the full picture from the crowd and Heiji.
So, this dead man was actually the serial killer behind all the recent murders?
The same culprit who committed murders in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka without being caught? The case that left police departments across cities scratching their heads was actually closed by Kyoto?
The corners of the Kyoto officers' mouths twitched into grins.
Despite the many high-profile cases in Kyoto lately, they'd all been wrapped up quickly. It looked good to the public.
After all, police can't stop a crime before it happens. Their job is to solve it fast and arrest the suspect.
So, these Kyoto officers wouldn't be criticized, but praised.
Even if... the method was a little unorthodox.
"...Excuse me, Mr. Fujiwara. You'll still need to come with us to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department."
"No problem," Toru replied without hesitation.
On the other side, Heiji was carried into the ambulance. Although the killer was dead, the paramedics still performed routine procedures.
As the ambulance was about to drive off, Conan looked back at Toru, brows furrowed.
"What's wrong, Kudo?"
Heiji was pale, but asked when he noticed Conan's expression.
"Nothing, Hattori. Just focus on getting better."
Conan smiled, brushing it off.
He didn't mention that the little girl he had seen in the hospital, the one who left a deep impression actually knew Toru and was with him tonight.
Conan had once suspected Toru was part of the government, but he'd never found concrete proof.
Now, after seeing Haibara again, he started to suspect Toru might be connected to the Black Organization.
No... once I return to Tokyo, I have to act first.
Conan thought to himself.
Heiji sighed. "The case is solved, but it doesn't feel satisfying."
Conan frowned and nodded. "Yeah. The way it was resolved..."
They had uncovered the truth and the culprits, yet none of them were caught. Every suspect died.
It felt like playing a game and enjoying the process, only for the ending to be ruined. That kind of emptiness was hard to shake.
Still, the two major cases in Kyoto had finally concluded.
...
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Eri looked at Toru with disapproval. "Fujiwara-kun, are you fated to always end up here? I still have to catch the last Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto."
She checked her watch. It was already past 11 p.m.
Toru shifted the topic. "Being a lawyer is really hard work."
"Good that you know. To make up for it, don't forget we're going out in a few days, Fujiwara-kun."
After a pause, Eri added, "...I also have a sister to introduce to you. You'll definitely be interested."
"Who?"
Toru already knew but still asked.
"Kudo Yukiko. The big star you keep talking about. So? Interested?"
(To be continued.)