During the day, Ai and Ran had already received plenty of Yuu Hoshimiya's love and attention.
Only Sonoko, who craved erotic intimacy the most, hadn't managed to get a piece of him yet.
Consequently, during their first overnight stay at the Twin Tower Skyscraper, Yuu Hoshimiya spent most of his time accompanying Sonoko.
Sonoko was not like Ran; she didn't care if Ai was just a "fake" loli. Even if she were a real child, Sonoko wouldn't have any reservations after being held back for an entire day.
That night, the flames of lust stoked by Mio Tokiwa in Yuu were fully and vigorously released upon Sonoko.
Sonoko, who had been looking forward to it since the morning, was thoroughly satisfied, her body serving as the vessel for Yuu's relentless passion.
The only one suffering was probably Mio Tokiwa, who had initiated the arousal but ultimately had to resort to her own hands for a lonely bit of comfort.
The night passed in a blur of carnal indulgence.
The next morning, Yuu and the three girls had just woken up and hadn't even tasted the breakfast provided by the Twin Towers when they were invited to the police station by Juzo Megure and his officers.
At the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Yuu found that Kogoro Mouri and Conan were also there.
Even Professor Agasa and the Detective Boys, who had returned home yesterday, were present.
Everyone there had visited the Twin Tower Skyscraper the day before.
Yuu understood immediately; that old man, Hosui Kisaragi, had begun his move.
If things went as expected, that arrogant city councilor, Iwamatsu Oki, was already stone-cold dead.
Once the routine questioning was over, Yuu could use the time on his way home to teleport, eliminate Yoshiaki Hara, and secure the critical data in his hands.
At the same time, he could establish a perfect alibi for himself.
As for the coordinates for teleportation, they had naturally been arranged in advance.
He had contracted many women by now, and several had finished their training; a task like tailing Yoshiaki Hara was child's play for them.
While Yuu was silently planning his next move, the others couldn't help but start questioning Juzo Megure.
"Inspector Megure, why did you call us here so early in the morning?"
Juzo Megure spoke with a grave expression, "I brought you all here for one reason: the body of Iwamatsu Oki was found murdered in a hotel room at the Twin Tower Skyscraper."
"He was a councilor for Nishitama City. I heard that when he requested to stay at the hotel from Mio Tokiwa, you were all present at the scene..."
After a pause, Megure glanced at Yuu and Kogoro. Seeing no reaction from them, he continued, "Chiba."
Kazunobu Chiba, being quick-witted, immediately opened the file and began, "Councilor Oki's time of death was between 10:00 PM and midnight last night. The murder weapon was likely a small knife, though it wasn't found at the scene."
"However, gripped in Councilor Oki's hand was a small sake cup that had been broken clean in two."
The small white cup was split right down the middle into two pieces.
Inspector Megure added, "We believe this is likely a message deliberately left by the murderer."
Ninzaburo Shiratori pointed to several photos stuck on the whiteboard, "Since the crime scene is a skyscraper that hasn't opened yet, we suspect the killer is among these five people."
The photos were of the people they had met yesterday.
The genius programmer Yoshiaki Hara, the group head Mio Tokiwa, the old painter Hosui Kisaragi, the architect Hidehiko Kazama, and the twin-tailed secretary Chinami Sawaguchi.
Shiratori rested his chin on his hand and spoke gloomily, "In terms of the possibility of committing the crime, the most likely suspect among the five is Ms. Mio Tokiwa, who also stayed in the skyscraper last night. Her room on the 68th floor was only one floor away from Councilor Oki's on the 67th."
Hearing "68th floor," both Ran and Ai were stunned for a moment.
They, along with Yuu, Kogoro, and Conan, had also stayed on the 68th floor.
Why didn't the police suspect them...?
Ai and Ran only thought it in their hearts, but the outspoken Sonoko asked directly.
Facing the blunt future heir of a super-chaebol, Juzo Megure and his officers felt helpless.
Isn't this an unspoken understanding? Who asks that out loud?
Despite their internal exasperation, the police explained anyway.
"The possibility of any of you being the killer is extremely low, almost non-existent."
The gentle and plump Kazunobu Chiba took over the awkward task since Wataru Takagi wasn't there.
"First of all, it was your first time meeting Councilor Oki; you have absolutely no motive. Second, you all stayed together and didn't act individually."
In the eyes of the public, Ran and Yuu were a proper couple, and there was more than one bed in the suite. Plus, with Ai, the "fake" loli there, Yuu staying in one room with the three girls didn't raise any eyebrows.
Sonoko was blunt, but she wasn't stupid; she soon realized the logic and shut her mouth.
Meanwhile, the children were whispering among themselves, seemingly plotting something in secret.
Professor Agasa then asked, "Have you discovered anything regarding motives?"
Shiratori replied, "According to our investigation, Secretary Sawaguchi has no living relatives. Her older brother was a journalist who died in the line of duty during her senior year of college. It seems he was retaliated against for exposing corruption."
"As for Hidehiko Kazama, although he is Teiji Moriya's disciple, he doesn't share Moriya's artistic obsession. He is a rationalist and quite pragmatic."
"Originally, Nishitama City didn't allow buildings of such height, but Iwamatsu Oki worked with others to pass a special bill so Mio Tokiwa could build the Twin Towers. Given their cooperative relationship, there's no apparent motive for murder."
"However, if there was some internal friction between them, it's hard to say."
"As for the remaining two, Yoshiaki Hara and Hosui Kisaragi, our investigation hasn't turned up anything unusual yet."
Juzo Megure asked, "Brother Mouri, Brother Hoshimiya, do you have any thoughts on this case?"
Kogoro Mouri chuckled sheepishly and shook his head, "Sorry, Inspector. I spent the whole time drinking yesterday. Eventually, this brat had to call someone to drag me back to my room. I don't remember anything from dinner onwards."
Hearing this, everyone present couldn't help but roll their eyes.
So Kogoro had disappeared early yesterday just to go drinking.
Drinking from morning until evening—it would be a miracle if he were conscious.
Then again, after drinking that much, he looked perfectly normal now. His constitution really wasn't that of an ordinary human.
Then again, if he were an ordinary human, his brain would have turned to mush long ago from being shot by Conan's tranquilizer needles every day, even if they were "Conan-science" inventions.
Hmm... then again, maybe Kogoro's brain was already damaged, and it just wasn't obvious yet.
Everyone, including Conan, gave up on the unreliable Kogoro and turned to look at Yuu Hoshimiya.
Yuu was very decisive, stating directly, "It wasn't Mio Tokiwa. She invited me to dinner yesterday evening, and she was with me almost the entire night. We didn't return to our respective rooms until very late."
Since he planned to save Mio Tokiwa later, increasing the police's suspicion of the old man Hosui Kisaragi early on was only beneficial.
Ignoring the envious or surprised looks from the others, Yuu continued, "I think Hosui Kisaragi is more suspicious. Among the clues mentioned by Officer Shiratori, the small sake cup is very similar to the small bowls painters often use to hold pigments."
The police had high trust in Yuu's judgment, especially Juzo Megure, who had benefited from it many times.
He nodded, "Hmm, I will investigate in that direction."
"Thank you all for cooperating with the investigation."
Everyone stood up to leave. Yuu saw Ai being pulled away by Ayumi, with Mitsuhiko and Genta following closely behind. He understood their intentions immediately.
He shook his head and didn't interfere. After informing Ran and Sonoko, he went home first, then teleported to the vicinity of Yoshiaki Hara's residence from a secluded spot.
Outside Beika Station, Mitsuhiko crept around stealthily. Turning a street corner, he saw Genta, Ai, and Ayumi.
"Great, Conan didn't spot us."
Genta looked excited as well, "The thought of getting ahead of Conan makes me thrilled. Once we solve the case, he'll just have to watch us in envy!"
"Getting ahead of who?"
From behind a tree, a brat in a blue suit walked out. The trio was startled, while Ai remained calm.
Ayumi asked, "There you are, Conan! How did you find us?"
Conan rolled his eyes, "It was too obvious. Your thoughts are written all over your faces. How could I not know?"
"I'll let it slide today, but no more acting on your own in the future."
"Yes, sir!" The three children quickly agreed.
Since Ai had been dragged onto this "pirate ship" by Ayumi, she could only ask, "Where do you plan to start the investigation this time?"
Ayumi said, "First Hosui Kisaragi and Hidehiko Kazama, then Yoshiaki Hara and Ms. Sawaguchi."
Mitsuhiko reported, "Master Kisaragi bought a house three years ago in Asahino to use as a residence and studio. Mr. Kazama has a studio one stop away from Nishitama City; he'll be working there until the Twin Towers are finished."
Hearing the two organize things so logically, Ai and Conan were quite surprised. Mitsuhiko and Ayumi were actually growing up.
The five children quickly entered the station to buy tickets and headed toward Master Kisaragi's home.
Soon, the five arrived. Hosui Kisaragi received them but didn't say much.
There was a massive curtain in the studio that wasn't drawn.
The old man knelt alone in front of a scroll, painting, leaving the five children behind him for over twenty minutes.
Genta couldn't wait any longer and nudged Mitsuhiko with his elbow.
Mitsuhiko spoke up cautiously, "Um, we are the Detective Boys. We wanted to ask about Mr. Oki, who was killed last night..."
Before Mitsuhiko could finish, Hosui Kisaragi barked at them.
"What are you children doing, meddling in police business instead of studying?"
The trio was intimidated by the old man's aura, looking terrified.
Then Hosui Kisaragi turned around and sighed, "But letting you go back empty-handed seems wrong too."
A while later, the door opened, and Conan and the others walked out, each holding a portrait of themselves.
Genta frowned, "While getting the paintings is nice, it seems we didn't find out anything."
But Ayumi soon cheered up and rallied the group, "Let's go! Next, we investigate Mr. Hidehiko Kazama's home!"
Meanwhile, outside Yoshiaki Hara's apartment, Yuu Hoshimiya emerged from a hidden corner.
Beside him, a tall beauty with short hair showed a look of wonder.
Even though she had seen magical magic before and saw Akako Koizumi training the witch squad every day at the base, seeing Yuu teleport out of thin air beside her still amazed the former assassin.
The person responsible for assisting Yuu this time was one of the base's three chief instructors, Maya Tachibana.
Yuu had simply issued the order and hadn't specifically assigned anyone to assist.
However, because it involved that mysterious and powerful Black Organization, after discussion, it was decided that Maya Tachibana—the strongest in stealth and close-quarters combat—was the best choice for the mission.
The former female assassin's professional conduct was excellent. Playing around was one thing, but on a mission, one must be serious and disciplined.
As Yuu turned toward her, Maya tucked away her surprise and reported respectfully, "Boss, since last night, no suspicious individuals have approached. Yoshiaki Hara is currently safe and staying in his home."
Hearing this, Yuu nodded slightly.
As expected, after maxing out Gin's trust, being an "undercover" in the organization became incredibly easy.
Since Gin hadn't left a backup plan, this mission was foolproof.
Having lived two lives, Yuu was long past the stage of seeking thrills. He preferred everything to go smoothly rather than dealing with "accidents" and "danger."
In fact, after not seeing Gin's car at the Twin Towers yesterday, Yuu already knew the situation; Maya's report was just a double-check.
So now, the only thing to consider was whether Yoshiaki Hara should live or die...
Yuu didn't mind killing, but killing wasn't the goal—it was just a means.
He wasn't a psychopath. If possible, he preferred to solve problems through other ways.
Of course, if the target was evil, he didn't have to think too much.
Yoshiaki Hara was an organization man, but he wasn't "evil" in the traditional sense.
Then again, he wasn't a saint either.
After some thought, Yuu decided to let nature take its course.
Whether Hara lived or died would be decided after the situation was resolved.
Yuu approached the apartment and rang the bell. Soon, Yoshiaki Hara's voice came through.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Yuu Hoshimiya. I'd like to pay Mr. Hara a visit today."
"Alright, I'll open the door."
The apartment door opened, and Yuu took the elevator to Hara's place on the sixth floor.
Yoshiaki Hara was already waiting at the door in the hallway.
"Mr. Hoshimiya, surely you aren't here to investigate Councilor Oki's murder? Let me be clear: I am not the killer. Suspecting me is a waste of time."
As soon as they met, the genius programmer emphasized his innocence.
However, before he could finish his sentence, a tall woman suddenly dropped down behind him.
Maya Tachibana delivered a swift hand-chop to the back of Hara's neck, knocking him unconscious instantly.
The movement was clean and efficient, showing no decline from her days as an assassin. In fact, due to the effects of their dual cultivation, her strength had increased by thirty percent.
Maya dragged Hara into his home and dumped him on the sofa.
Yuu followed them inside, and the two began to search the place.
At the same time, Yuu had Noah hack into and search Hara's several computers.
Ultimately, under Noah's overwhelming technological superiority, they successfully found various software files locked by Hara, as well as the list of organization members he had stolen.
Yuu glanced at the list; it was mostly information he already knew. It was useless to him.
However, since he had it, he had Noah make a copy.
After reviewing the list, Yuu opened a few other files with equally high security levels.
After reading them, Yuu sentenced Yoshiaki Hara to death in his heart.
Those files clearly recorded the crimes of this genius programmer—the leverage the organization used to control him.
It could be summarized in four words: the torture and murder of children.
Perhaps Hara was forced into it at first, but later, he clearly began to enjoy it.
No wonder this genius programmer was so enthusiastic toward children; his mind was already twisted.
He wondered if the man was trying to compensate out of guilt, or if he was simply trying to lure them in...
Regardless, for someone who was a complete psychopath, the best end was his original fate in the story.
Yuu pulled out a handgun he hadn't used in a long time. One shot to the brow, one shot to the heart—he personally ended Yoshiaki Hara's life.
In his unconscious state, Hara felt no pain; with a single shudder, he descended into eternal darkness.
Afterward, Noah handled the surveillance footage, and Maya handled their traces.
Yuu put on gloves and, using magic, personally arranged the scene to match Hosui Kisaragi's serial murder style.
With the precise cooperation of the three, plus non-science magic, let alone Conan—even if Sherlock Holmes were reincarnated, he would never find a flaw.
As for whether Hosui Kisaragi would end up taking the fall—leaving aside Juzo Megure's assistance at the MPD—a simple mental suggestion from Yuu would make the old man, who was already on a killing spree, confess personally.
Yuu had even planned out exactly how to deliver that mental suggestion.
It takes a while to tell, but in reality, only about fifteen minutes passed from Yuu's appearance to his departure.
This was exactly enough time for him to get home.
Once Maya had slipped away, Yuu locked onto Seimi Asai's position and arrived home instantly.
The timing was perfect; the "impossible crime" was accomplished!
Just as he arrived home, his phone rang.
Yuu answered.
Ai's voice came from the other end, "Brother Star, we are at Mr. Hidehiko Kazama's place. Hidehiko Kazama has been murdered."
Ayumi's voice chimed in from the side, "He died so horribly! There's blood everywhere. Brother, come quickly!"
Yuu replied hurriedly, "I'm on my way. Ai, did you call the police?"
"We did. Inspector Megure said he's on his way as well."
"Alright, wait for me."
This time, Yuu couldn't teleport because his car was in the Twin Towers parking lot, so he had to take a taxi.
He soon reached Hidehiko Kazama's studio. The door was open. When Yuu arrived, Juzo Megure hadn't reached yet.
That taxi driver was skilled—he was actually faster than a police car.
Yuu praised the driver in his mind, then pushed the ajar door open. Once inside the foyer, little Ayumi ran over and hugged his thigh, looking terrified.
"Brother Star, someone died! It's so scary, there's blood everywhere!"
Yuu rubbed Ayumi's head, "Don't be afraid. You stay outside. Children shouldn't look at bodies."
Seeing this, Mitsuhiko and Genta looked indignant. Ayumi hadn't looked scared at all just now; as soon as Brother Star arrived, she was terrified. This was too obvious.
Mitsuhiko said mournfully, "Has Ayumi fallen for Brother Star too?"
"Fake! It must be fake!" Genta didn't believe it for a second.
Conan couldn't help but facepalm. Are kids nowadays this precocious?
One after another, at such a young age, they think about this stuff all day.
Ai's big eyes narrowed, flashing with a dangerous light. She slowly approached Ayumi and said, "If Student Yoshida is really that scared, stay with me. I will 'protect' you well."
Being a "legal" loli was one of her major advantages; how could she let a brat like Ayumi take a share!
Looking at Ai, who seemed to be radiating black flames, Ayumi was so scared she took a small step back, quickly letting go of Yuu's hand.
But the next moment, Ayumi looked at Yuu and summoned her courage. Suppressing her fear, she glared back at Ai, refusing to be outdone.
It was as if sparks were flying and lightning was crashing between their gazes.
Yuu was somewhat caught between laughter and tears looking at the two little lolis.
The scene was so discordant—two little lolis fighting over him.
He reached out and pulled the two girls over, making them hold hands. He said, "Alright, no more of that. You two take care of each other and wait outside obediently. When I'm done here, I'll buy you something to eat."
Ai glanced at Yuu and said calmly, "Is it strawberry ice cream?"
"Cough, cough, cough!" Yuu couldn't help coughing a few times and hurried into the living room to start examining the scene.
The "fake" loli's sharp-tongued skills were so strong he could barely stand it.
However, his mind uncontrollably filled with imagery, causing his heart to sway again.
How could he think of such things? He was a beast.
Upon entering the living room, Yuu saw Conan crawling on the floor, butt in the air, desperately searching for clues.
He picked Conan up by the collar and tossed him out of the foyer. The world was suddenly peaceful.
The victim, Hidehiko Kazama, lay on the floor in front of the sofa. A blood-stained dagger was nearby. The fatal wound was at the heart—killed in one blow.
Beside him, in a pool of blood, was another blood-stained broken sake cup, split in two, in the same style as the white cup the group had seen at the MPD that morning.
The scene was a mess; the design blueprints for the Twin Towers were scattered everywhere. Yet, there were no signs that the victim had resisted before death. It looked more like it was done deliberately, though the purpose was unclear.
Even without relying on his past memories, Yuu could be certain the time of death was about three hours ago, and the killer was the same person who murdered Iwamatsu Oki.
After all, the traces and markers left by that obsessive old man, Hosui Kisaragi, were far too obvious.
Yuu walked over to the computer and found that Hidehiko Kazama's work laptop had been smashed to pieces.
He used a handkerchief to lift the laptop gently. Looking from underneath, the hard drive had also been smashed; it was likely impossible to recover the data.
Just then, Juzo Megure led his team into the crime scene.
"Oh, Brother Hoshimiya, are you the first one to discover the scene?"
Yuu shook his head, "Not me. These kids found it first. I rushed over after receiving their call."
Shiratori looked down at the children, "So, you are the first witnesses?"
Conan acted innocent, his "shota" voice piping up, "I was scared to death just now."
Shiratori raised an eyebrow, "Interesting. It seems you're always at the scene of a murder, Conan!"
"Conan, do you have some kind of bad luck following you? Maybe you should go to a temple to pray for blessings."
Hearing this, Conan rubbed his head and laughed dryly, then turned around and couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Yuu ignored Conan; after all, this wasn't the first time such a topic had come up.
What will be, will be.
"Inspector Megure, there is another sake cup broken in half at this scene. It seems this is indeed left by the killer. Clearly, this is a serial murder case."
"Furthermore, I suspect this dagger is the same weapon used to kill Councilor Oki last night, as both victims were killed by a stab to the same location."
Megure asked, "The killer leaving the weapon at the scene... does that mean they've finished killing everyone they wanted to?"
Yuu shook his head, "Not necessarily. They might have thought of a different way to kill."
However, Yuu was somewhat puzzled as to why Hosui Kisaragi would destroy Hidehiko Kazama's work computer.
He wasn't a computer expert and wouldn't specifically go stealing data. What could possibly be worth deleting?
This crime scene didn't leave many clues. One was dead, leaving only four suspects.
The rest was for the police to handle—the coroner to determine the exact time of death, and then to subpoena and question the suspects one by one for alibis.
Megure said he would inform Yuu of any progress, so Yuu took the five children and left Hidehiko Kazama's home.
At noon, in a restaurant, Genta was eating the eel rice Yuu treated them to, his face full of joy.
With food in his belly, his hostility had vanished to parts unknown.
Conan rested his chin on his hand, constantly thinking about the case.
Meanwhile, Mitsuhiko sat nearby with an air of refusing "charity," glaring angrily at the two little lolis sitting on Yuu's left and right, looking like his sweetheart had been stolen.
Ayumi was constantly speaking to gain attention, her cute loli voice ringing out.
"Brother, I can't reach the salt. Can you help me?"
"Brother, try the steak I ordered! It's super delicious!"
"Brother, can I try the dish you ordered? It looks so good."
Ayumi beamed at Yuu from time to time, her "moe" power at full blast.
However, Yuu was suffering a bit. The "fake" loli Ai beside him was wearing a faint, knowing smile that made him feel quite awkward.