Knocking People Out Is My Specialty

Night fell.

Fujino and Sato Miwako tailed the robbers all the way to a building called "Ghost Cherry."

"Those Maple Leaf Gold Coins Cabagne hid should be in that building."

Fujino hid beside a corner wall, watching Conan and the others enter the building. He rubbed his chin and said,

"They really followed those kids and found the coins?"

Beside him, Sato Miwako, who was also peeking out to observe, could not help asking in surprise.

"Don't underestimate children. A talent for deduction is sometimes something people are born with; those kids just haven't had the chance to show it yet."

Sato Miwako nodded at that.

As a detective, she deeply agreed when it came to talent for deduction.

Some people could see the truth at a glance, while others could struggle for a lifetime without solving a single case...

Thinking of that, she looked toward Fujino and asked quietly, "By the way, Fujino, was your talent as a detective something you were born with, or something you developed later?"

To be honest, she was very curious whether Fujino's deductive ability was innate or acquired.

After all, being able to infer the truth from a tiny detail alone...

It had already surpassed her understanding of normal people.

"Maybe I was born with it... or maybe I developed it later. It's a bit complicated to explain, but I'd call it the will of man..."

"The will of man?"

Sato Miwako could not make heads or tails of it.

"Under immense pressure, people often unleash limitless potential..."

Fujino chuckled as he spoke. "That's what being a detective is like. It's not like being a civil servant. If detectives don't improve, they lose their source of income. They probably couldn't even afford property tax."

"Is that so?"

Sato Miwako frowned at that.

If she remembered correctly, Fujino was an orphan.

She still vaguely remembered the boy kneeling beside two cold corpses, sobbing.

Thinking of that, a ripple stirred in her heart.

She lowered her head, and only after a moment did she murmur softly, "Sorry. I touched a sore spot."

"It's nothing. I'm already used to it."

Seeing the indifferent look on the boy's face, Sato Miwako did not feel any better. Instead, she felt even worse.

"Get ready to move!"

Just then, Juzo Megure's voice suddenly came through her concealed earpiece.

Sato Miwako immediately pulled herself together. Then, moving so fast that even Fujino failed to react, she charged ahead and sent two men flying with a single kick.

Fujino stared blankly at the scene before him.

Once he came back to his senses, he spotted one fish that had slipped through the net fleeing the scene at a jog.

Not far from the crime scene.

"Whew... Damn it, what kind of person was that fierce woman?"

The robber who had escaped sprinted wildly. Only after looking back and seeing that no one was chasing him did he let out a breath.

Recalling how his companions had been kicked away, a wave of fear washed over him.

Damn it, was a fierce woman like that really someone a person could deal with?

"Mr. Robber, isn't it a little rude to call a pretty girl a fierce woman?"

At that moment, a voice sounded behind him.

Before he could draw his gun, a thick, sturdy Wooden Sword smashed into the back of his head.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Accompanied by a series of dull thuds, miserable screams echoed through the surroundings.

"A robber, huh? Pulling a gun, huh? Fierce woman, huh?"

Fujino muttered as he swung the Wooden Sword.

The Wooden Sword clutched in his hand left afterimages as he swung it, striking the robber squarely on the back of the head again and again.

Detective Enhancement duration ended

Hearing the system notification in his ear, Fujino wiped the light sweat from his forehead and temples before finally breathing a sigh of relief.

"So this is how you ambush people?"

Just as Fujino raised the Wooden Sword, intending to launch another round of attacks, a familiar voice came from behind him.

Fujino turned around and saw Sato Miwako staring at him with a face full of astonishment.

"Officer Sato, is everything over there taken care of?"

"It's taken care of, but..."

As she spoke, Sato Miwako examined the robber lying on the ground, foam spilling from his mouth, and could not help swallowing. "You didn't beat him into a cripple, did you?"

"I didn't."

As he spoke, Fujino wanted to step forward and give him another hit.

Sato Miwako quickly grabbed Fujino's arm with her fair little hand. "He's already unconscious. Stop hitting him. If you keep going, someone's going to die."

"If someone dies, you'll have to bear legal responsibility..."

Her words carried a trace of resentment. "When that happens, even I won't be able to protect you."

"Don't worry, Detective Sato."

Fujino patted his chest and said confidently, "Knocking people out is my specialty. Even a medical examination won't find anything."

He would not dare claim much else, but he had tested on Numabuchi Kiichiro that Okamoto 0.01 could not kill someone by knocking them.

As for whether it could knock someone insane... that was another matter.

A moment later, officers from the Forensic Science Division were summoned by Sato Miwako and began examining the unfortunate man Fujino had struck dozens of times.

"The injured party's breathing and heartbeat are normal. His eyes have rolled back, so he has obviously fainted."

The Forensic Science Division officer turned to Sato Miwako and asked, "Detective Sato, are you sure this guy was hit in the head dozens of times in a row by that kid?"

"That's right!"

Sato Miwako frowned and answered firmly, "I saw it with my own eyes."

"Then that's strange."

The Forensic Science Division officer scratched the back of his head, then looked over the robber lying on the ground. "Although this guy did pass out, he doesn't have any external injuries at all. He doesn't even show symptoms of a concussion..."

"What?"

Sato Miwako asked in astonishment, "You're saying he doesn't have a single injury on him?"

"That's right."

The Forensic Science Division officer nodded, then looked meaningfully at Fujino and sighed. "I thought someone getting stabbed more than a dozen times and only suffering minor injuries was already ridiculous... I never expected to encounter someone even more ridiculous today. Knocking someone unconscious without causing any harm at all—this is the first time I've seen such a talent in my career!"

"So that means this guy doesn't need to go to the hospital?"

"Forget the hospital... I'd say a bucket of water splashed on him would wake him right up."

At that, Sato Miwako could not help sighing in relief.

She had originally intended to take responsibility for everything herself and clear Fujino's name.

But now, it seemed... there was no need.

"No trouble at all!"

The officer first waved his hand, then muttered softly, "Compared to this lucky guy who can be woken up with water, I should hurry over and check on the two people whose ribs you broke... I hope they can hold on until the ambulance arrives..."

A friend has written a prehistoric-themed novel. Interested readers can check it out.