Just as Natsuki Koshimizu was leaving with a face full of joy, she had no idea that everything she had done had been witnessed by a dark silhouette—that silhouette was, of course, Yuu Hoshimiya.
Natsuki re-entered her room from the foyer, taking off her shoes and carrying them; she walked across the floor in her black socks without making a sound, and soon, she was back in her own room.
She stared at the lavender nearby and soon clenched her fist.
"Mika, I'll find the killer who murdered you very soon."
Immediately after, Natsuki began to strip; she needed to change into her Koshien outfit to gather in the dining room later.
From behind the curtain, Yuu Hoshimiya watched as Natsuki slowly shed her clothes, unable to help but sigh with emotion.
This girl's features were incredibly delicate, and her natural yellow hair added a touch of fragility and prettiness to her look; her body was petite and graceful, but unfortunately...
Her chest was a flat "Pair of Aces"—he couldn't take it!
Just before Natsuki stripped herself completely naked, Yuu couldn't help but speak up: "Cough, cough! Miss Koshimizu, your body is quite nice, but for a first meeting, I'd feel a bit embarrassed if you went completely bare in front of me!"
Hearing this, Natsuki's green eyes contracted sharply; she hurriedly grabbed her clothes to cover her flat chest and whispered, "Who? Who's there?"
At that moment, the curtain was pulled aside, and Yuu Hoshimiya stepped out from behind it.
Natsuki Koshimizu was his only objective for this trip—a female detective who had descended into darkness to avenge her friend; Yuu wanted to recruit her into his own forces.
By the way, Natsuki claimed to be a high school student, but she actually wasn't.
She was already twenty years old; she was just slender and looked younger than her age.
She had proactively disguised herself as a student for the better execution of her plan.
Yuu spoke again.
"I have to say, that was quite a show just now; I didn't expect Miss Koshimizu to be so agile and strong—you actually managed to drag that fat guy around. That locked-room trick was decent, but it could definitely use some improvement."
"Mr. Hoshimiya..."
Hearing that her methods had been seen through, Natsuki couldn't help but feel a surge of panic; her original plan was to use that trick to commit murder, but Yuu had exposed it before she even made her move.
"Don't worry, I have no intention of exposing you."
Yuu gave a faint smile. "On the contrary, I'm here to help you."
"With those crude methods of yours, you'll definitely be caught by the others once your revenge is complete. After all, besides that piece of trash who framed your friend, the others here are high school detectives whose skills actually match their fame."
Natsuki's expression turned grave, and after a long silence, she asked with confusion: "Why... why are you helping me?"
"The law is not without its flaws. When it comes to curbing those who are violent, vicious, and greedy in their destruction of human nature, the only verdict for them is revenge. Justice and conviction are not useless; their value will eventually manifest alongside the value of truth."
Yuu added with a smile.
Natsuki felt that every single word Yuu said resonated deep within her heart.
That high school detective who drove her best friend to death was a vicious and cunning individual; purely for his own reputation as a "Great Detective," he had framed her friend as a murderer, eventually driving her to jump off a cliff and labeling it as a suicide due to guilt.
Because the police hadn't revealed the name of that detective back then, Natsuki specifically designed this Koshien competition to find the high school detective with the strange accent who killed her friend a year ago.
That was why she sent invitations to Junya Tokitsu (who referred to himself as 'boku'), Heiji Hattori (with his heavy Osaka accent), and Saguru Hakuba (whose Japanese was odd due to his time in the UK).
After hearing Yuu's explanation, Natsuki's face relaxed slightly.
She continued, "Then how do you know what I'm thinking, and how do you know the truth of what happened back then?"
Yuu smiled. "It's a long story. We can talk about it in detail after this is all over."
Time was tight for one, and for another, many things were inconvenient to explain before a contract was established.
Hearing this, Natsuki—who was already determined to kill for revenge—felt a bit uneasy, but after thinking it through, she didn't see any reason for Yuu to lie to her.
After a moment of silence, she stopped pressing for answers and asked, "One last question: what is your objective?"
As a smart woman, Natsuki understood there was no such thing as a free lunch.
If Yuu was laying his cards on the table like this and even helping her with revenge, he definitely wanted something in return.
"My objective is you."
Yuu spread his hands, making no effort to hide his desire.
As an adult, even if she had never been in love, Natsuki instantly understood Yuu's meaning.
She gripped the clothes over her chest tighter, and a rosy blush crept onto her pale, exquisite face.
Looking at the handsome and exceptional young man before her, Natsuki quickly made her decision.
To avenge her friend, she was willing to commit murder; sacrificing her virginity was nothing in comparison.
Especially since the person was such a handsome and outstanding man, there was no reason to hesitate!
"By the way, Miss Koshimizu, I know exactly which detective it was. Do you want me to tell you?"
Yuu had a great relationship with the police; to prevent the butterfly effect from causing accidents, he had specifically checked the case files from that year.
He confirmed without a doubt that the detective who framed the innocent woman was Junya Tokitsu.
"No need. I want to find the truth myself," Natsuki refused, shaking her head.
But then she added, "However, if I fail to find that person, I hope you can help me then, Mr. Hoshimiya."
"No problem. In that case, Miss Koshimizu, our little chat is over. You should probably finish getting dressed."
"Listen, someone is about to come knocking on your door. I'll take my leave first!"
Taking advantage of the moment Natsuki's eyes shifted, Yuu Hoshimiya teleported back to Ran Mouri's side with clean efficiency.
A short-range teleportation like that was basically no burden for him anymore.
If it didn't have a cooldown, he would have considered developing it into a special version of the Flying Thunder God technique just for fun.
In just a flash, Natsuki looked back, and the room was already empty.
The only window was locked from the inside, yet Yuu Hoshimiya, who had just been chatting with her for so long, had vanished into thin air like a puff of smoke!
What happened? Was there a secret door, or was it magic? Natsuki tossed the clothes on her chest onto the bed and began searching the room for a secret mechanism while completely naked.
However, after searching for a while, she found no trace of any device.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and Kenzo Kouya's voice came from outside.
"Dinner is prepared. Is anyone in the room?"
Natsuki replied, "Yes, but I'm changing! Please wait a moment!"
Hearing someone searching for her, Natsuki gave up her search and began to put on the special Koshien outfit—the school uniform worn for high school graduation ceremonies.
Wearing this outfit, Natsuki radiated a youthful energy, looking incredibly young and beautiful.
When she opened the door, Heiji Hattori and Conan Edogawa were immediately dazed by her appearance.
Heiji couldn't help but remark, "What a cute girl!"
Natsuki looked at everyone with a smile.
"I'm so sorry to keep you all waiting. Our school uniform is so troublesome to put on, and there are so many rules—no dyed hair, socks must be over the knees, and the shawl has to be tied perfectly symmetrical!"
Natsuki was acting now; with her youthful face, she was twenty and long graduated, yet she fit perfectly as a high schooler without a hint of discord.
But what she didn't know was: the more you speak, the more mistakes you make.
Without her boyish disguise, her charm was enough to make the high school boys light-headed, but the contradictions in her words had already been noticed.
To prevent Natsuki from revealing more flaws, Yuu led Ran in silence, quietly playing the role of an observer.
Besides, it wasn't time for him to act yet.
The group followed Kenzo Kouya and soon arrived in the dining room, where the table was laden with delicacies.
Seeing the steaming food, Natsuki put on the act of a young girl.
"Wow, this is incredible! Mr. Kouya, did you make all of this yourself?"
Kenzo smiled. "There's still a soup simmering; you'll be able to taste it shortly."
Just then, Saguru Hakuba scanned the room and frowned.
"Where is Director Tsuchio?"
Kenzo replied, "Regarding the Director, I knocked on his door just now, but there was no response. I don't know where he is!"
Hakuba hurriedly spoke, "Mr. Kouya, please take us to the Director's room!"
Without even eating, the group rushed to the Director's door.
Heiji Hattori stepped forward and pounded on the door, shouting, "Director Tsuchio! Director Tsuchio!"
But there was no answer from within.
Heiji ignored the breach of etiquette and began to twist the handle; he quickly pulled his hand back, his palm stained with fresh blood.
Everyone's face went pale. Hakuba spoke, "There should be a window at the back of this room. I'll go check it."
The long-haired Junya Tokitsu hurriedly followed Hakuba, but they soon heard the sound of the door being rammed. They turned to see Heiji slamming into the door.
The two were stunned. Soon, Heiji broke through the locked door, revealing the fat, balding director, Hiroo Tsuchio, lying on the floor.
He was bound hand and foot. Heiji and Conan rushed forward to check his pulse and breathed a sigh of relief when they found he was alive.
They hurriedly began to untie him while Hakuba, Tokitsu, and Natsuki examined the scene.
Natsuki noted, "The door was locked from the inside; even after being broken open, the bolt is still in place!"
Hakuba looked at the only window and said, "The only window is also locked. That means this is a classic 'locked-room' crime!"
Tokitsu stared at the window with a thoughtful look, completely unaware that Natsuki was staring at him as well.
Just then, Kenzo Kouya spoke: "The first battle of the Detective Koshien: all participating detectives must solve the method behind this locked-room crime. Once solved, summarize your deduction and report to me immediately. If your deduction matches the truth, you will advance to the second round and be allowed to leave this island!"
Heiji couldn't help but smirk. "So the competition has truly begun."
Hakuba smiled as well. "I suppose there must be hidden cameras installed here!"
Natsuki crossed her arms. "Good grief. I thought exposing the fake director was the first battle."
"What fake director? I am a genuine director for Nichiuri TV! How could I be a fake?" Tsuchio cried, sweat dripping from his head.
Heiji looked at him playfully.
"Stop the act. Back on the speedboat, these two tested you with professional terminology and you didn't even react. You aren't from the station at all!"
Conan added, "And one more thing, Uncle. The Nichiuri TV uniform you're wearing is a fake; the direction of the logo's vortex is reversed."
Tsuchio was left with no defense; he rubbed the blood on his head and muttered, "Good grief... this isn't what we agreed on. He said he'd use an anesthetic, not a club! I'm demanding medical fees once this is over!"
But the detectives present were all high-IQ individuals; they realized immediately that Tsuchio was just someone's pawn.
Just then, the long-haired Junya Tokitsu spoke: "My apologies, everyone, but I'm afraid I'm taking the lead."
"I've already completely figured out the locked-room trick. Do you want me to show you?"
"That fast?"
Heiji said, "Then show us!"
Kenzo Kouya hurriedly intervened: "That is strictly prohibited! If you reveal it now, everyone will know the trick. As I said, submit your summary to me. This is only the first round, not the final!"
Tokitsu replied with total confidence: "Fine, fine. Regardless of whether it's the first round or the final, the result will be the same for me."
Tokitsu slowly walked out of the room and said, "In short, I'm heading to the second floor to set up the room there using this method. You all go ahead and eat; it should take me about an hour."
Natsuki looked at him with surprise. "It takes that long?"
Tokitsu waved his hand and walked out, completely failing to notice the increasingly cold stare Natsuki directed at his back.
Yuu knew that Natsuki had successfully found her target. When she officially moved to kill him, that would be when he would act in the shadows.
However, he still hadn't decided whether to use supernatural power to make the crime truly impossible or to simply destroy the evidence so Natsuki wouldn't be arrested.
Suddenly, Saguru Hakuba spoke: "The famous Heiji Hattori of the West? I have to say, I'm deeply disappointed meeting you today. I didn't expect you to be so reckless!"
"What do you mean by that?" Heiji looked indignant.
Hakuba explained: "In that situation, if Mr. Tsuchio had been dead and leaning against the door, your ramming through would have destroyed the crime scene. You should have checked the window first before deciding on your entry. It seems my father over-estimated you!"
Heiji sneered, "Heh, you're certainly calm. I can't learn your cold ways. After all, a Great Detective only deserves the title because they always believe in the presence of life until death is confirmed."
Hakuba's brow furrowed, and he said no more.
Kenzo Kouya tried to smooth things over: "Alright, alright. Let's go eat, or the food will get cold!"
Everyone except Tokitsu returned to the dining room.
Since one must pass through the dining room to reach the kitchen, Kenzo said, "I'm going to the kitchen to prepare the dessert and the soup. Please, enjoy your meal!"
Kenzo arrived in the kitchen, saw the white steam rising from the simmering soup, and turned the heat down.
Then he began to prepare the post-dinner dessert.
The group began to eat. Seeing the fake director Tsuchio eating greedily, Heiji remarked: "Fake director, you can talk now, right? Your cover's already blown!"
Tsuchio shook his head. "No way. If I talk, I won't get my commission fee."
Just then, Hakuba asked, "Can you answer a question that's been bothering me? What is the meaning of all this purple lavender?"
Heiji added, "Right! Every room has lavender and a toolbox. What is that for?"
Tsuchio shook his head: "Don't ask me. Aren't you detectives? Find the answer yourselves!"
Just then, Natsuki spoke: "The Lavender Murder Case!"
"As soon as I saw the lavender, I remembered the Lavender Murder Case from a year ago!"
Conan added, "I've seen reports on that one. The young lady of a villa committed suicide, but six months later, it was blamed on a maid, who then committed suicide out of guilt!"
While everyone discussed the case, Tsuchio stood up with a dark expression.
He had lost his appetite completely and walked out of the room, saying, "I left my smokes in my room. I'm going back to get them."
Then he turned and left the dining room.
Ten minutes later, Natsuki rose as well. "I'm going to the restroom."
With that, she quickly left the room.
Natsuki went to the second floor, where Tokitsu was setting up the room. She walked in slowly.
Her eyes were cold as ice. She took a hammer from the open toolbox and approached Tokitsu from behind.
Natsuki didn't notice that Tokitsu, who was preparing the trick, looked completely dazed, appearing to be in a state between dreaming and waking!
Natsuki slammed the hammer directly into the clever high school detective's head. She killed him with a single blow!
Next came the setup of the locked room, exactly as she had described it to Yuu Hoshimiya!
Soon, having finished her work, Natsuki slipped back into the building and sat down in the dining room. Tsuchio still hadn't returned.
She waited there with Heiji, Hakuba, and Conan.
After a long wait, Kenzo Kouya brought out the dessert and headed back to the kitchen.
The soup that had been simmering for four hours was finally ready. Kenzo ladled out a small bowl.
Looking at the white steam, he sniffed it, blew on it to cool it, and took a drink.
With one gulp, Kenzo knew something was wrong. A searing, stinging pain spread through his throat.
He clutched his throat, letting out a piercing scream from his vocal cords.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!"
The four people in the dining room heard the sound and rushed in to find Kenzo on the floor, clutching his throat and rolling in agony, his face twisted in a terrifying mask.
Natsuki was stunned by the sight.
What is happening? I didn't do this! Is it Yuu's doing?
Conan saw that Kenzo's tongue had turned into a corroded mess. He hurriedly grabbed water from the tap and poured it down his throat, which helped only slightly.
Anyone could see his tongue was destroyed—bloody and half-melted away. It was a horrific sight to the extreme!
Kenzo moaned in pain before finally passing out.
Hakuba quickly realized the truth: the soup that had been simmering for four hours had been poisoned.
And it was likely a strong corrosive acid; nothing else could have dissolved his tongue so thoroughly with just one sip.
Hakuba and Heiji picked Kenzo up and carried him to the floor outside the dining room.
Just then, another scream rang out, coming from Tsuchio's room.
"Ah! My hand! Ah!"