Batman Under the Moonlight

"Are you going to talk or not?"

Fujino placed the photo in front of Numabuchi Kiichiro, pointed his wooden sword at his head, and said fiercely, "Do you recognize these two people?"

"I... I really don't know..."

Hearing this, Fujino narrowed his eyes. "Count down from one thousand by sevens!"

He raised the wooden sword in his hand and struck Numabuchi Kiichiro on the forehead.

"993... Ah!"

Screams echoed all around.

When Numabuchi Kiichiro fainted again, Fujino splashed another bucket of cold water on him, forcibly waking him up.

"I advise you to confess honestly."

As he spoke, Fujino pressed the wooden sword against Numabuchi Kiichiro's chest. "Otherwise, the suffering will continue..."

"I really don't know!"

Despite having killed many people, Numabuchi Kiichiro couldn't help but shed tears of grievance.

This man had been forcing him to say whether he had killed the strange man and woman in the photo since earlier.

If he said he didn't know, he would be beaten, and he would also be asked to count down by sevens from one thousand.

What was even more outrageous was that each beating left no marks on his body.

When he fainted from the pain, he would be woken up by cold water, and the cycle would repeat.

Even prisons didn't have such torture, right?

"You don't know?"

Fujino frowned and shoved the photo in front of his face again. "Do you recognize the people in the photo? Have you killed them?"

"I didn't... I really didn't!"

Numabuchi Kiichiro sobbed. "I've never even been to Tokyo. Please let me go!"

Fujino stroked his chin upon hearing this.

After his torture, this guy hadn't confessed anything.

This situation generally had two possibilities.

One was that this guy's will was too strong, and he was stubbornly refusing to speak.

The other was that this guy genuinely didn't know anything.

Did I really misjudge this guy?

Fujino couldn't help but think this in his heart.

Then, he brought down the wooden sword again.

Midnight... The screams in the forest had not stopped since nightfall. Those heart-wrenching cries were inhuman, like ravens, intermittent but never ceasing.

"It seems this guy really doesn't know anything."

Fujino put away his wooden sword and looked at Numabuchi Kiichiro, who was lying on the ground, his mouth twitching. "Damn it, was it not him who killed them?"

Compared to the previous two possibilities, Fujino leaned towards the first.

But after the torture he just inflicted, even a spy probably couldn't endure it, right?

It seemed he had indeed misjudged him.

However, this guy had actually committed murders; who knew how many families had been shattered because of him.

"Let today's punishment be repayment for those who died innocently..."

Fujino murmured, gazing at the full moon in the night sky, his mind filled with a thousand thoughts.

Early the next morning, Numabuchi Kiichiro, who had been listed as a person of interest by the police, was found at the entrance of the Kyoto Prefectural Police Headquarters.

When he was discovered, he was tied up in a shibari-style bondage with red rope, his crotch was wet, and he was constantly muttering:

"Batman, Batman! It really wasn't me, please let me go!"

The police had no idea what "Batman" or "really don't know" meant.

They only knew that a serial killer had been apprehended, and their superiors would likely reward them handsomely.

Well, the outcome was good anyway.

That day, Fujino took the Shinkansen back to Kyoto.

As for why he disguised himself as Batman to interrogate Numabuchi Kiichiro, it was only to say that his previous act of defusing a bomb on the Shinkansen had already been too conspicuous.

If he were to deal with Numabuchi Kiichiro, who was wanted by the Alcohol Company...

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.

Fujino understood this principle.

Meanwhile, in a traditional Japanese courtyard in Kyoto.

"As expected, I knew I wouldn't misidentify him..."

The brown-haired girl from earlier was now sitting by the wooden veranda of the Japanese-style building, staring intently at the report: "Shinkansen Explosion! High School Detective Bravely Defuses Bomb, Saving All Lives..." Her expression was somewhat agitated.

A moment later, she suddenly frowned.

"I came all the way to Kyoto, and he didn't even come to see me... My beloved, have you forgotten our promise from back then?"

The girl spoke with deep emotion, her cheeks puffed out, looking like a resentful wife.

Did he really forget?

Gazing at the falling red leaves, her eyes gradually grew distant.

The newspaper in her hand became creased, and a black mist of resentment seemed to emanate from behind her.

Beika Town, Mori Residence.

"Ah-choo!"

Fujino, who was drinking miso soup at that moment, suddenly sneezed, almost spitting out the miso soup he had just drunk.

"Hey! Kid!"

Uncle Mori, sitting at the wooden table opposite him, scolded loudly, "Don't sneeze randomly while eating!"

"Sorry..."

Fujino bowed his head, looking very apologetic.

"Senpai, are you perhaps catching a cold?"

Mori Ran didn't blame Fujino. Instead, she looked concerned, like she was looking after a child left behind. "It's the change of seasons from autumn to winter, flu is really going around..."

"I might have caught a chill last night..."

Fujino mumbled.

He recalled that last night when he was watching Batman under the moonlight, some water seemed to have splashed on him.

Could I really be getting sick?

And I just got over a cold not too long ago.

"Fujino, you're really weak!"

Conan, who had just finished a bowl of rice, glanced at Fujino with dead fish eyes.

After yesterday's events, he had a slightly better impression of Fujino.

At least he wasn't as annoying as he originally thought.

But... why was this guy here for dinner at Ran's house?!

Suddenly, Conan felt a long-lost sense of crisis.

"How many times have I told you, you should call me Fujino Big Brother!"

Fujino meaningfully patted Conan's dog head again.

Yeah, "dog head" isn't an arbitrary nickname.

Because in his feeling, petting Conan felt pretty much the same as petting a Shiba Inu.

"Yes, Fujino Bi... Big, Brother!"

Conan's mouth twitched.

To avoid exposing myself, I'll endure!

One day, I'll make this guy pay it all back, with interest...

"Thank you for the wonderful meal... I'm sorry to have troubled your family."

At the entrance of the Mori residence, Fujino bowed to Ran. "If I were to eat by myself at home, I definitely wouldn't be able to taste such delicious food..."

"It's nothing!"

Ran waved her hand. "It was just making an extra portion. If it's convenient for you, Fujino-senpai, you can come to my house for dinner every night from now on!"

"Ahem..."

Upon hearing this, Fujino coughed lightly, feeling a bit awkward under the almost twisted gaze of someone who was clearly jealous. "That... that might not be appropriate..."

"There's nothing inappropriate about it, Fujino Daichi!"

At this moment, Mori Kogoro, who was watching TV, suddenly chimed in, holding a beer bottle and looking quite tipsy.

Then, he slurred to Fujino, "My home is your home! You can come whenever you want! It's just dinner, you can even come for breakfast..."