Beika's Good Citizen Batman 25k

"Too far? How was I too far? A dead person is a dead person!"

Ikeda Chikako became more and more excessive, as though she were trying to conceal her guilty conscience. "I think Takahashi must be insane to say I plagiarized Atsuko...

That's right, it had to be that. That guy was jealous of me, so he claimed I plagiarized some dead person!"

Seeing that Ikeda Chikako showed no remorse, Takahashi's lips twitched viciously.

If this woman had truly repented, he might have let her go... But seeing her like this, he had to kill this bitch!

At that thought, he rushed forward before anyone could react, grabbed Ikeda Chikako by the throat, and strangled her tightly as he roared, "Die!"

"Takahashi! Stop it!"

Only after everyone came to their senses did they rush forward and free Ikeda Chikako's neck from Takahashi's tightly clenched hands.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Ikeda Chikako crouched painfully on the floor, coughing hard.

Even so, she still berated Takahashi mercilessly. "Murderer! This guy is a murderer!"

"How could anyone believe the words of a lunatic who dared to kill someone in broad daylight?!"

Fujino watched Ikeda Chikako, his brows knitting slightly.

This woman really deserved to die.

No, dying like this would be letting her off too easily.

I need to find a way to make her wish she were dead...

The disturbance brought the relaxed atmosphere of the forest villa down to freezing point.

After dinner, Ota and Kakubone went upstairs to keep watch over Takahashi Ryoichi. After all, after something like that had happened, they couldn't leave Takahashi alone in his room.

What if he tried to kill again?

Meanwhile, Ran, Sonoko, and Conan went to Ikeda Chikako's room to watch over her and prevent her from doing anything extreme.

Only Fujino and Ayako remained in the kitchen.

"I'm so sorry. You just went through something like that, yet we still had to trouble you with helping clean up the dishes."

"It's nothing."

Fujino handed a plate to Ayako and chuckled. "You call it helping, but I'm probably the one with the easiest job."

"Honestly... I finally invited old friends I hadn't seen in so long to gather together, and this happened instead."

Ayako, who stood before the sink washing plates, wore a despondent expression. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have held this gathering."

Fujino chuckled and comforted her. "It's not really your fault. If anyone is to blame, it's Ikeda Chikako."

As he spoke, his tone gradually sank. "From the day she plagiarized Atsuko and drove her to suicide, the flames of revenge had already been passed on."

"Even if Takahashi hadn't tried to kill her here, he would have killed Ikeda Chikako sooner or later. But luckily, he attacked me beforehand, and the tragedy didn't happen."

"I truly never expected Chikako to be that kind of person..."

Suzuki Ayako nodded at his words. Though she still felt somewhat guilty, she was clearly in much better spirits.

"If it hadn't been for you, an irreparable tragedy might have happened today."

She turned around and gave Fujino a sincere bow. "Thank you so much, Fujino."

"Don't say that."

Fujino waved his hand awkwardly. "I only did what a detective should do."

"What a detective should do?"

Ayako raised her head and looked at Fujino, a thoughtful gleam in her eyes.

Early the next morning, everyone hurriedly left the villa.

After something like that had happened, no one wanted to stay any longer.

After taking Ran, Sonoko, and Conan home, Fujino had barely returned to his own house when the system prompt echoed in his ear:

Congratulations, Host, for completing the Bandage Man mission. You have received 50 Detective Reputation and a reward of 500,000 yen.

Current system balance: 1.1 million yen.

Current reputation required for the Host's detective profession to level up: 200 reputation.

"That woman, Ikeda Chikako, really deserved to die..."

Fujino muttered, though he felt somewhat regretful.

If not for the issue of his identity, he would have gone over and stabbed that woman a couple of times himself.

He sighed, gave it no further thought, and went straight for a ten-pull.

Congratulations, Host, you have received: Sleepytime Tea x2, Blue Kingdom Manuscript x1, Portable Voice Changer (Blue), Temporary Ability Boost Card (increases strength and perception; duration: one minute) x2...

"The Blue Kingdom Manuscript?"

Staring at the newly drawn item on the system screen, Fujino's lips curled into a faint smile. "Looks like this damn system couldn't stand that woman either."

Originally, just as Ikeda Chikako had said.

Without any evidence that the original author was dead, it would have been extremely difficult to establish that she had plagiarized anything.

But now that he had the Blue Kingdom Manuscript, everything would be much easier.

Japanese conglomerates were not the sort to treat one another with courteous respect.

Commercial struggles played out constantly among the conglomerates.

Exposing the scandals of rival companies had long been an ordinary part of business warfare.

"Maybe I can squeeze a profit out of this?"

Examining the Blue Kingdom Manuscript before him, Fujino muttered.

That night, First Block, Beika Town.

A man who looked to be around thirty entered a narrow alley at the corner, carrying a briefcase through the night.

He wore a brown suit, a blue tie, and black-rimmed glasses. His name was Goto, and he was a reporter for a newspaper.

But he hadn't done very well as a reporter. After more than ten years in the profession, he had never broken a major news story.

Most of the time, all he could do was write sensational headlines to grab attention.

The reporters who had entered the field with him had already risen to editor-in-chief positions, while he was still just an ordinary reporter.

He had originally planned to remain in this position until retirement.

But at noon that day, a phone call had come directly to his desk.

The person on the other end called himself Beika's Good Citizen Batman and claimed to possess dirt on the hit film Blue Kingdom.

Goto hadn't believed it at first, until he saw the materials left at the newspaper office entrance to prove that the other party truly had damaging information...

After learning of it, the newspaper immediately gave him 2 million yen for the transaction.

They also promised that if he could report the story, Goto would be promoted to editor-in-chief.

There was no other reason for it. The newspaper's parent company and the production company behind Blue Kingdom were simply bitter business rivals.

Of course, the man calling himself Beika's Good Citizen Batman was none other than Fujino.

Goto's article last time, Fujino Doji's Journey to Moonlight Island and the Island Doctor's Unspeakable Secret, had left a deep impression on Fujino.

So this time, he naturally sought Goto out.

"Did you bring the money?"

Fujino's voice had become deep and low through the Portable Voice Changer, just like Batman's.

Goto looked toward Fujino. When he saw the Batman Mask on Fujino's face, the corner of his mouth twitched.

He had thought the other party merely used Batman as an alias... He hadn't expected him to commit fully to the act and actually wear a Batman Mask for the transaction.

"Two million yen in cash. It's all here."

Goto did not dwell on it. He took out the bag, opened it slightly to show Fujino, then asked, "Money for goods. One hand at a time."

Fujino took a photocopied manuscript of Blue Kingdom from the system storage and handed it to Goto.

Fujino accepted the 2 million yen, stored it in the system, and nodded in satisfaction.

The system could be called the best counterfeit detector in the world. Worthless fake bills were nothing but blank paper in its eyes and would not be converted into system balance.

"Pleasure doing business..."

Goto accepted the manuscript and examined it. After confirming that it was indeed the Blue Kingdom Manuscript, he paused before continuing, "Beika's Good Citizen Batman."