Another Riddle Speaker

"Aim the shotgun at the small clay plate..."

Fujino thought for a moment, then asked curiously, "Is it fun?"

"It's so much fun!"

Sano chuckled upon hearing this, "It can not only improve reaction speed, but also relieve stress."

"If you want to use a shotgun, you should buy the gun yourself, right?"

"Yes, usually people use shotguns to shoot clay discs."

Sano nodded. "Each of us has a gun license and owns our own hunting rifle..."

She then suggested to Fujino, "If you're interested, you could get a gun license, buy a hunting rifle, and play with us."

"Uh-huh!"

A woman wearing a knitted hat chimed in, "This kind of sport is more fun when there are more people around."

"If I need a shotgun and a gun license, I probably can't play with it."

Fujino shook his head helplessly. "After all, I'm still a high school student, and I can't do those things."

In Japan, ordinary people are still allowed to own guns.

The only problem is that getting a gun license is a bit of a hassle.

Furthermore, the only types of firearms permitted to be possessed are shotguns, air guns, and bolt-action rifles.

Pistols, submachine guns, rifles, heavy machine guns, and the like are all prohibited from being possessed.

Of course, the restrictions only apply to ordinary people.

Otherwise, Fujino wouldn't have been able to capture six pistols.

"Huh?! Are you still a high school student?"

The others gasped in surprise, scrutinizing Fujino and muttering, "I didn't realize..."

As his physique continued to improve, Fujino's body became increasingly strong and muscular.

With his towering height of 178cm, which is exceptionally tall for this place, and his handsome features, anyone would mistake Fujino for a young man in his twenties if he were wearing a suit instead of a school uniform.

"But speaking of which, it seems like it's been a long time since we've seen each other since that incident happened six months ago, hasn't it?"

Upon hearing Chihiro mention a mysterious past event, Conan immediately became very interested and curiously probed, "What happened half a year ago?"

Chihiro leaned down and whispered to Conan, "Little brother, do you want to know?"

Conan nodded. "Mm."

"But come on, that's a really scary story..."

"Alright, that's enough!"

Suddenly, a voice interrupted Chihiro's words.

'What the heck...'

Interrupted from his pretentious conversation, Conan felt a surge of annoyance. Turning around, he saw a rugged-looking man in a blue windbreaker approaching, complaining to Chihiro, "Are you an idiot? How could you say something like that to a child?"

"Hey-hey..."

Chihiro tapped her head, stuck out her tongue cutely, and said, "Sorry, I forgot."

Fujino: "..."

Why does this woman seem a bit coquettish?

It smells like Green Tea.

And judging from the conversation just now, this woman must be a rich girl from a wealthy family, right?

An unconventional celebrity... could he be fishing for attention?

Fujino felt a chill run down his spine, and goosebumps nearly fell off his skin.

The rugged-looking man glanced at the cute Chihiro, then turned around and said in a deep voice, "I said before that if anyone mentions that guy again, I will leave immediately."

"Hey, Oda, are you going back already?"

Koji called out to the rugged man named Oda, "Didn't we agree to go for drinks together later?"

"I just wanted to go over there and have a smoke."

Oda, without turning his head, said unhappily, "I don't know which idiot reminded me of that disgusting guy's memory."

"What the hell!"

Chihiro saw that her cuteness had no effect. "Does she really think she's so great just because she's handsome? She looks so annoying."

"But this time it was your fault..."

The woman wearing a knitted hat next to her wanted to say something more, but Chihiro interrupted her, "I just let it slip! He kept calling me an idiot, and if anyone should be criticized, it should be him! He's such an annoying guy, a loner, and he speaks so rudely."

"Unsociable?"

Sano frowned slightly and asked Chihiro, "Speaking of which, I've wanted to ask this for a long time: what exactly is it about him that makes him so unsociable?"

"Haven't you noticed yet?"

Chihiro seemed somewhat surprised.

"Actually, I don't know what happened either..." Koji.

"So, what happened between you two? Why are you the only one saying he's a loner?" the woman wearing a knitted hat asked, puzzled.

Chihiro's expression grew increasingly exaggerated. "Huh? No way, no way? You guys really didn't know?"

"So stop keeping me in suspense!"

Sano exclaimed excitedly, "Hurry up and tell me! This is infuriating!"

"No! I'm not telling you!"

Chihiro stuck out her tongue and walked away on her roller skates. "Those who know, know. But you're not curious young ladies, so of course you wouldn't understand."

Koji asked, "Hey, where are you going?"

"The restroom is here..."

Chihiro whispered, "If you still haven't figured out the answer by now, I don't mind giving you some hints!"

"This woman is infuriating!"

Sano gritted his teeth and watched Chihiro's departing figure.

"Another riddle-maker..."

Fujino stood to the side, his eyes slightly narrowed, watching Chihiro's departing figure, the lenses of his glasses turning a stark white.

At that moment, a scientific calculation formula appeared in his mind: [Riddler + Contradiction = Conflict]

[Conflict + Shotgun + Victim]

[Riddler + Conflict + Shotgun + Victim = Murder Case]

Yes, it's certain that someone will die here in a little while.

And that person was among these people.

And it's highly likely she's the president's daughter...

However, given the nature of the Conan World, the reasons that awaken the Beika people are usually bizarre and varied, so it's hard to say who will die.

As for the murderer, that's even harder to say.

"Wouldn't a young lady with a strong sense of curiosity understand?"

At this moment, Ran launched a counterattack, turning to Sonoko and asking, "So, does our curious young lady from the Suzuki Zaibatsu know?"

"Uh... how would I know?"

Sonoko was somewhat speechless and muttered, "I'm not an overly spoiled young lady like her."

She had actually noticed the Green Tea smell as well.

To be honest, she kind of hated that feeling.

Thinking for a moment, she looked around, then took out her phone and asked in confusion, "But come to think of it, it's almost seven o'clock, isn't it? Why are there still so many people here?"

"They're probably people who want to see fireworks, right?"

Ran pointed to the castle not far away, "This ice rink is the best place to watch the fireworks display behind that castle."

"Oh, I see~"

Upon hearing this, Sonoko narrowed her eyes slightly and asked, "Ran, how do you know all this?"

"Shinichi told me that before..."

Without a second thought, Ran fell into the Sonoko's trap.

When she saw the gossipy look on Sonoko's face, she snapped out of her daze and said resentfully, "Sonoko! You're teasing me again!"

"You're here to watch the fireworks too, huh?"

Just then, a woman wearing a knitted hat glided over from a distance. "Actually, we came here to watch the fireworks too. We used to come here to watch the fireworks after we finished making our clay plates."

"Raiko, I'll just skip it as usual!"

Sano was not far away, suddenly called out to the woman in the knitted hat, "Come find me at the nearby cafe later. I've seen the fireworks here countless times."

"I suddenly feel a bit hungry too."

Koji was also preparing to leave. "I'm going to the nearby Convenience Store to buy something. You can wait here for a bit until the fireworks start..."

"What the hell!"

The woman in the knitted hat named Raiko muttered resentfully, "I've wanted to go to the restroom for ages..."

"It's alright, Miss Raiko, you can go ahead."

Hearing this, Ran suggested, "We'll wait here, and we can pass on the message for you when your friend comes back."

"Thank you so much..."

Raiko thanked them, saying, "I'm sorry to have troubled you. I'll be back right away!"

Fujino watched Raiko leave and couldn't help but sigh softly.

The five people all dispersed.

A classic four-choice situation...

This time, a murder is definitely going to happen.

"Hmm..."

At this moment, Sonoko suddenly began to appear restless and agitated.

She glanced at Ran, then looked at Fujino.

Then, he leaned close to Ran and whispered, "Um, Ran, I need to go to the restroom too..."

"Well?"

Ran glanced at the time. "The fireworks show is about to start."

"Couldn't hold it in any longer..."

Sonoko whispered something, then quickly glided away. "I'll be right back!"

Fujino glanced back at Sonoko's departing figure and asked in confusion, "Where did Sonoko go?"

"Sonoko went to the restroom."

Ran leaned close to Fujino's ear and whispered something.

"Forehead..."

Fujino was speechless for a moment.

Go to the restroom at this time.

What if something happens, Sonoko stumbles upon a murder scene and gets chased?

If that's the case, then Chihiro must be the victim... However, the woman wearing the knitted hat also seemed to have gone to the restroom, so she might also be a suspect in the death.

"Call out!"

At that moment, a piercing buzzing sound came from behind.

Fujino looked back and saw three fireworks bursting in the night sky above the castle not far away, their tails trailing flames, blooming into three huge, beautiful flowers in red, blue, and yellow.

After the opening three giant firework shells, there were some scattered fireworks.

Fujino lowered his head and glanced at Ai Haibara and Conan.

The two fake children, neither of them very tall, had to put their hands on the railing to see the whole picture, their eyes full of expectation.

After all, people usually only see the spectacular fireworks displays during various events and fireworks festivals, so it's hard for them to resist the allure of beautiful fireworks.

Unlike Fujino, who used to watch fireworks and firecrackers during the Lunar New Year, with fireworks filling the sky like an automatic anti-aircraft gun.

Fujino reached out his left hand and picked up Ai Haibara.

"...?" Ai Haibara felt her body suspended in mid-air, and was surprised.

Coming to her senses, she looked up and saw Fujino, but remained silent.

She simply clutched the hem of her clothes, turned her head back, and quietly watched the fireworks in the night sky.

"..." Conan glanced at the two of them resentfully, then looked at Ran.

Damn, I'm a little envious.

"So beautiful!"

Ran leaned her hands against the wall, gazing at the fireworks in the night sky, and sighed.

"That's exactly what I meant."

Sano appeared behind them at some point, resting his elbows on the wall. "Especially the fireworks at the very beginning of the fireworks show, those are the most beautiful."

"Ms. Sano?"

Ran glanced back at Sano, "So you came to watch the fireworks after all..."

"Well, it's been a long time since I've seen it, so it's good to come back and take another look..."

Before Sano could finish speaking, Koji came running up from behind, panting, "Phew! I finally made it!"

The woman in the knitted hat from before also rushed back, glanced around, and asked Ran curiously, "By the way, where are Chihiro and your friend from earlier?"

"She went to the restroom..."

Ran frowned upon hearing this and asked in confusion, "Didn't you see the two of them just now?"

"No."

Raiko thought for a moment and explained, "When I went over there, I saw a sign that the restroom was being cleaned, so I simply took off my roller skates and went to another restroom."

"That's strange, isn't it?"

Ran seemed a little puzzled, "Why hasn't Sonoko come back yet..."

"Ah!!"

Before she could finish speaking, a scream like Sonoko pig being slaughtered came from not far away.

Upon hearing the sound, Conan immediately jumped off the wall and sprinted towards the source of the sound on his roller skates.

At the same time, a system notification echoed in Fujino's ears:

"A new Detective Profession Mission has been detected. Please check it!"

"Are they here?"

Fujino murmured to himself, not surprised by the appearance of the mission.

With a thought, the System Task interface opened, and a light screen appeared before me:

Detective Profession Mission: The Resurrected Death Message

Mission objective: Solve the murder case.

Mission Reward: One million yen, one hundred Detective Reputation

Mission Location: Tropical Land

"One million yen? That's a bit low..."

Fujino glanced at the mission details and sighed inwardly.

Then, he took out his phone with his right hand, held Ai Haibara in his left arm, and, on his roller skates, quickly followed Conan towards the restroom.

When Fujino arrived with Ai Haibara, the area in front of the women's restroom was already crowded with onlookers.

"Fujino- Senior!"

Suzuki Sonoko, looking bewildered, pointed to the cubicle in front of her. "Look... inside..."

Fujino turned his gaze to the direction Suzuki Sonoko was pointing.

Inside the clean bathroom, the wall opposite the entrance was stained with a large amount of blood, with tiny holes embedded in the blood, each containing several steel balls.

The blood gradually spread to the corner of the wall, where the woman who had just bumped into him had collapsed. Her pupils were dilated as she stared in horror at the huge, horrifying gun barrel protruding from her chest.

In front of the body lay a shotgun, and beside it was an "S" drawn in blood.

"Is he already dead?!"

Conan, seeing the huge hole in the woman's chest, immediately shouted behind him, "Scream!"

But before he could finish speaking, he froze.

Before him, Fujino had his left arm around Ai Haibara, considerately covering her glasses, while his right hand held a phone, already dialing Juzo Megure's number. "Yes, that's right, in the restroom of the Tropical Land ice rink, a woman was shot in the chest, and the shotgun used as the murder weapon is at the scene."

"A shooting?!"

Meanwhile, Juzo Megure, who was having dinner, answered the phone.

Upon hearing that Fujino had been involved in another murder case, I almost threw up the rice I had just eaten.

He coughed twice before continuing, "Brother Fujino, keep an eye on the scene, I'm coming right now!"

After hanging up the phone, Juzo Megure stood up from the dining table with a resentful expression and said to Megure Midori in front of him, "We can't have dinner tonight again..."

Megure asked curiously, "Has another murder case occurred?"

"That's right..."

Juzo Megure nodded, then went to the entrance and skillfully picked up his trench coat. "Fujino has encountered another murder case at Tropical Land. I need to hurry over there..."

Ugh, I have to work overtime again...

Fujino, you've changed! You encountered a murder case just yesterday, and now you've encountered another one today.

Although Fujino had indeed encountered some murder cases in the past.

But not many; most are bandits and drug traffickers.

At least no one will die, and they deserve a lot of credit.

Thinking of this, Juzo Megure sighed...

It's all Mori Kogoro!

They've led the clever and kind-hearted Fujino astray!

Meanwhile, at the crime scene in Tropical Land.

Conan: "..."

He glanced at Fujino speechlessly.

Why does it feel like Fujino was prepared all along?

It was as if they already knew a murder would happen before they even arrived.

Without thinking too much, he decided to go deep into the crime scene to investigate the case.

Then, Fujino grabbed him by the back of his neck by the collar and lifted him up like a puppy.

"Little Brother Conan, don't disturb the crime scene."

Fujino held Haibara in his left arm and Conan in his right. "Inspector Megure has already said that he will be here soon."

After putting Ai Haibara and Conan down, Fujino took out shoe covers and gloves from his pocket.

"Gloves and shoe covers?"

A glint of light flashed in Conan's eyes. He hadn't brought either of those items with him today, and he immediately asked, "Do you have any extras...?"

"No."

Fujino answered decisively.

"..."

Conan was speechless for a moment, then cast a resentful look at Fujino.

Helpless, he could only stand aside and look at the crime scene, trying to find some evidence.

Ai Haibara glanced at Conan, who looked like a wronged woman, and asked, "So, as a detective, you don't usually wear gloves and shoe covers when you go out?"

"Who knew that going out casually could lead to a murder case?"

Conan whispered, "On the contrary, that guy can pull all sorts of things out of his pocket anytime, anywhere. I really don't know what he carries in his pocket."

So compared to Fujino, you're far inferior...

Ai Haibara murmured to herself, crossed her arms, and thoughtfully looked around at Fujino and the crime scene.

Fujino activated his Eagle Eye Vision and began to observe the situation at the crime scene.

The moment Eagle Eye Vision was activated, details about the case began to emerge.

"Chihiro?!"

At this moment, Chihiro's other friends also arrived.

"How so..."

Wearing a knitted hat Raiko tried to approach the crime scene, but Fujino stopped her and asked about the names and occupations of the people involved.

Chihiro, who died in the toilet, was Itami Chihiro. Just as Fujino guessed, she was the president's daughter.

The man who helped Itami Chihiro up earlier was named Misawa Koji, and he was a bank employee.

The woman wearing the knitted hat, named Raiko, whose full name is Komatsu Raiko, is currently a housewife.

As for the long-haired older sister Sano, her full name is Sano Izumi. She is a pink-collar worker, that is, a female office worker.

The rugged-looking man was named Oda Kunitomo, and he was a firefighter.

A dozen minutes later.

Juzo Megure, along with Takagi Wataru and a group of Forensic Science Division officers, arrived at the scene. They pushed through the crowd of onlookers and arrived at the crime scene.

With a slightly tired Juzo Megure immediately spotted the most handsome guy in the crowd. He walked up to him and silently patted Fujino on the shoulder. "Fujino, you should hang out less with Mori in the future. When you have time, remember to visit shrines and temples, and remember to bring back a couple of Omamori when you come back."

Fujino: "..."

Okay, Juzo Megure saw through the essence of things.

However, Inspector Megure misjudged the situation.

The real Grim Reaper has never been Mori Kogoro, but rather the Shinigami Elementary School Student who is right next to you, wearing small glasses and with Tranquilizer Dart in his wrist!

And that Grim Reaper thing... are you sure the shrine or temple won't explode on the spot after you've prayed to it?

Seeing that Fujino did not reply, Juzo Megure sighed.

He silently took out an Omamori from his pocket and handed it to Fujino: "This is Omamori that I asked Senior in Mie Prefecture to get from Fujiwara no Shōjūji at Ise Grand Shrine. Brother Fujino, you can wear it for now."

"Um... will it work?"

Fujino took the Omamori and glanced at it.

Good heavens... Has Juzo Megure converted to metaphysics?

"..."

Juzo Megure paused, glanced back at the corpse... it seemed useless, "It's better to just have some psychological comfort."

"I don't need it."

As a materialist, I, Teng, do not believe in ghosts or gods.

He'd love to piggyback on more murder cases to make some money.

Transport?

For him, there was no need to pray to any ghosts or gods.

He simply took out Lucky Coin from his Pocket Dimension, tossed it in the air, and that was it.

"But the scene is truly horrific..."

"Inspector Megure!"

At this moment, Takagi Wataru, who entered the crime scene wearing white gloves, picked up the shotgun from the ground. "Judging from the crime scene and the wounds on the body, this shotgun should be the murder weapon."

"I think that's probably right."

Juzo Megure turned his head and glanced at the shotgun. "In that case, let's first check who owns the registration number for this shotgun."

"Officer, it's mine..."

The long-haired older sister, Sano, readily admitted it and asked doubtfully, "This gun is the one I used for target practice, but it should have been locked in a locker with an electronic lock along with everyone else's guns..."

"Other people's guns?!"

Juzo Megure frowned, realizing the crux of the matter.

He fixed his gaze on Sano Izumi and the others, and asked seriously, "Excuse me, why do you possess so many guns?"