"Hmm, no matter how I looked at it, it didn't seem to have anything to do with the riddle..."
Holding up the photo he had taken of the riddle, Conan muttered to himself as he examined the statue at the foot of Gojo Bridge. He walked forward along the bridge railing, completely failing to notice that the two people behind him were slowing down and gradually falling farther away.
Two more minutes passed. Conan had begun gripping the railing and looking down at the Kamogawa River below when an amused voice sounded behind him.
"'On Kyoto's Gojo Bridge, Benkei raised his great naginata high with his massive frame and slashed at Ushiwaka...'"
Conan sensed the wind at the back of his head. He spun around sharply and saw a rod-like object swinging toward him.
With a jolt, he sprang straight up and landed on the bridge railing.
Ever since that well-known incident, he had to admit that his reflexes toward attacks from behind had grown sharper and sharper.
"Hattori, how did you—" Conan looked at Heiji Hattori, who was grinning as he held a bamboo sword. Just as he was about to ask how he had found this place, something occurred to him, and his face changed drastically. "No, watch out—"
So that was why Tangze had insisted on coming along. He had predicted that Heiji Hattori was investigating this case too, and had used him as bait to scout out a possible lead!
Sure enough, before Heiji Hattori could react, a strike had already landed squarely on his head.
It was another practice bamboo sword, also coming from behind, and it struck Heiji Hattori's cheek with perfect precision, knocking him sideways.
"Men! Aha, one point!"
Okita Soji, having landed the blow, cheerfully called out the competition declaration. Only after