Moriarty froze.
So it was... that sentence?
—But what did that matter!?
"Yes, that's right!"
"Hahahaha—The mastermind behind this disturbance, this incident—was indeed me!"
"I am the culprit!"
In that instant, he felt an incomparably immense weakness.
It was several times greater than the weakness caused by Lawrence's Noble Phantasm.
"Ooohhh—This is—"
"My power is draining away, why!?"
"Just because it was proven that I'm the culprit!?"
Suddenly, he understood.
"I see, I see!"
He laughed.
"The Napoleon of Crime could only maintain that position because he left behind no evidence or clues, and I—I was never accused of being the culprit!"
"I see, so the instant I'm accused as the culprit, the instant I lose to the detective, I—the culprit—am weakened to this extent!"
Thud—
Too much of his strength had drained away. Unable to control his body, he dropped straight to his knees.
"Even borrowing the power of a great detective, I originally should have been able to defeat the Master."
"No matter how I calculated, planned, or analyzed it, my plan should have been flawless."
He closed his eyes.
"I don't understand. It's difficult to understand. I simply cannot understand."
"Don't you understand yet?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka walked up before Moriarty and gave a soft laugh.
Moriarty was no longer any threat now.
He raised his head and looked blankly at Fujimaru Ritsuka.
"You mean you understand, Master? But I truly don't understand."
Lawrence stood behind Fujimaru Ritsuka.
"Actually, I understand a little too."
"Me too."
"Same here."
Mash and Leonardo da Vinci spoke up as well.
"Then what exactly do all of you understand? Can you tell me? My death is already inevitable, so could you at least not let me die with regrets?" Moriarty's gaze toward Fujimaru Ritsuka was pleading. "You were clearly the one who