Chapter 53 — Fifty-Three Punch
With a "ding," the elevator traveled all the way up from the fifth floor to the 23rd floor, where the murder had occurred.
The doors slid open slowly. Yellow-and-black police tape stretched across the hallway ahead, and officers in dark blue uniforms stood guard, preventing unauthorized personnel from entering the scene.
Seeing a large crowd suddenly pour out of the elevator, the officer blocking the way froze in shock and hurriedly stepped forward. "This is a crime scene. Unauthorized personnel are not—"
"Do you know who I am?"
The slightly flippant Kyoto accent cut him off. The utterly self-assured attitude of Naoya Zenin immediately intimidated the officer, who looked him up and down with uncertainty.
"Go call the detective in charge inside," Naoya said, lifting the officer's cap off his head with one hand. After giving him a dismissive glance, he placed the cap back on as though he were a noble dealing with a servant. "If you do well, maybe you'll even get a share of the credit when this case is solved."
Half-convinced, the officer turned and ran toward Room 2307 to fetch the lead detective. Watching Naoya's behavior, Takuma Ino muttered under his breath, "Ugh… that condescending attitude…"
Saitama remained as blank-faced as ever. "…"
Soon, the officer returned with a round-bodied man in a camel-colored trench coat—Inspector Megure.
The moment Megure saw Naoya, he visibly started. Although Naoya primarily operated in Kyoto, as a detective who dealt with the jujutsu world, Megure had naturally heard of him.
Megure's gaze quickly swept over the people standing behind Naoya, recognizing several familiar faces. When he spotted Saitama's gleaming bald head shining conspicuously among the crowd, he was even more astonished.
Why is Saitama here too?
Suppressing the question in his heart, Megure hurried forward. "What happened? May I ask why you've all come to the crime scene?"
Naoya flicked his wrist and pointed toward the room. "You probably don't know yet, but before you police arrived, our assistant supervisor already saw the victim's face. The old woman who died inside was a notorious curse user."
This was no small matter—far beyond the jurisdiction of ordinary law enforcement. Realizing this, Megure immediately lifted the police tape. "Please, come in."
Naoya shot a sideways glance at the discarded tape and stepped across it.
Walking beside him, Megure couldn't help glancing again at Saitama's vacant expression.
Recalling how Saitama had punched an entire juvenile detention dormitory building into the air with a single blow—and how his disciple Genos had blown up the Yasohachi Bridge in one attack—Megure shuddered. Yet at the same time, he felt an inexplicable sense of reassurance regarding combat strength.
"In any case… it's good that you're here," he said unconsciously.
"Hmph." Naoya smiled faintly. "I like dealing with smart people. You know I'm a Special Grade 1 Sorcerer, don't you?"
"Ah…" Megure snapped back to his senses and nodded awkwardly. "Yes."
"Well then, since this case is related to the jujutsu world, we'll transfer jurisdiction to you," Megure said. Then he paused. "Though I have an old acquaintance here at the moment. Let me speak with him first."
As he spoke, the group had already arrived at the doorway of the crime scene.
The corpse of Granny Ogami lay near the entrance, a large pool of still-wet blood spreading beneath her. Aside from detectives and forensic personnel inside, there stood a mustached man in a suit, a high-school-aged girl, and a bespectacled elementary school boy who was looking around rather impolitely.
"This is the famous detective who happened to be staying at the hotel when the crime occurred—Kogoro Mouri," Megure introduced, pointing at the mustached man. "With him are his daughter, Ran Mouri, and the boy living at his house, Conan Edogawa."
"What's this?" Naoya frowned, his gaze falling on Ran and Conan. "A detective is one thing—but why are a little girl and a brat allowed in here? …Never mind. They can leave now."
Naoya's blunt remark stunned the three of them.
"What's the meaning of this?" Kogoro Mouri's expression darkened. "And who exactly are you people?"
"Sorry, Mouri," Megure said, already pushing him toward the door. "This time there's no role for you. You and Ran head back first. And Conan—stop running around crime scenes!"
"What's going on here?!" Kogoro protested, struggling as he was ushered away.
"It's just… the case has been handed over to someone else. We're preparing to withdraw too…" Megure explained vaguely.
"Dad!" Ran hurried after him.
Meanwhile, Conan stood there in shock at the sudden turn of events when someone crouched beside him.
Wataru Takagi knelt down and said gently, "Conan, you should head back with Uncle Mouri and Ran too. It's not good for children to stay at a crime scene."
Not good? He had already witnessed over a hundred murder cases with his own eyes. And now they were saying this?
Conan pressed his lips together and had no choice but to pretend to obey, walking toward Kogoro. But at that moment, he made a swift decision.
Even during his brief time at the scene, he had already noticed several characteristics related to the culprit. He had to relay that information to the police before being forcibly removed!
Using the shoe cabinet as cover, Conan raised his wrist and habitually aimed the tranquilizer watch at the back of Kogoro's neck.
All he had to do was immediately anesthetize Kogoro, then use the voice-changing bow tie at his collar to deliver his deductions in Kogoro's voice…
Without hesitation, Conan pressed the firing button.
A flash of cold light sliced through the air. The hair-thin tranquilizer needle shot toward the back of Kogoro's neck at incredible speed—an invention by Professor Agasa, capable of reaching over 500 meters per second. There was no way anyone could possibly—
A red blur flashed.
"Hm?" Saitama casually caught the needle midair. Raising his fist to eye level, he opened his palm curiously and looked at it. "What's this?"
"What is it?" Ino noticed his movement and leaned over.
"Something suddenly flew through the air," Saitama said, showing him the crushed tranquilizer needle in his palm. "Thought it was a mosquito. Turns out it wasn't."
"Whoa, what's that? It's all thin and white…"
Behind his flat glasses, Conan's eyes widened in utter disbelief as he stared at Saitama.
In that instant, everyone else seemed to fade away. Even the surrounding chatter blurred into background noise. In Conan's vision, only Saitama remained.
The bald man in the ridiculous yellow suit now radiated an overwhelming sense of danger.
Did he just catch Professor Agasa's tranquilizer needle with his bare hand?
That's impossible!
At that moment, the stunned Conan Edogawa saw Saitama—who had been staring at his palm—suddenly lift his head. Those dull, unfocused eyes locked onto him with perfect accuracy.
"…Ah, right," Saitama said, pointing at Conan, who was standing by the shoe cabinet. "That thing was shot by that brat over there."
Takuma Ino followed his gaze, equally shocked. "Seriously? I didn't notice at all… What's with kids these days…"
Conan: "!?!?"
Saitama suddenly turned and strode toward Conan. Step by step he approached, his figure silhouetted against the overhead lights, his expression unreadable.
The reflection in Conan's plain glasses showed the bald head growing larger and larger. For some reason, an unprecedented sense of pressure and fear surged through him—greater even than the moment he had been cornered by his nemesis Gin.
Those red-gloved hands drew closer… closer…
And then they passed over his head, grabbing the back collar of his small blue suit jacket.
Saitama lifted Conan up and carried him outside the hotel room, setting him down in the hallway. He reached out and casually ruffled Conan's hair, his face as blank as ever. "It's dangerous here. Kids shouldn't wander around in places like this. Go home with your parents."
"…Huh?" Conan blinked, then let out a quiet sigh of relief.
So he was still being treated like an ordinary child.
Saitama turned and walked back toward the room, his cape swaying with each step. Conan hurriedly called out, "Bald big brother, I… my uncle found some clues just now. Let me go back and tell the police!"
"Eh?" Saitama looked back, thought for a moment, then replied, "You're still a kid. Don't worry about this stuff—leave it to us adults. If your uncle has something to say, he can say it himself."
Without another glance, Saitama walked away. For a split second, Conan considered following him—but hesitation stopped him.
With his instincts as a great detective, he could tell: that bald man looked ordinary, but… he was probably very strong.
…
"Did you send the kid away?" Ino asked when Saitama returned as if nothing had happened.
"Left him by the stairwell," Saitama replied. "He'll probably head home after that."
"Oh, I see." Ino nodded. "Good timing. You noticed it too, right? There's only one person's residual cursed energy at the scene. Whoever killed Granny Ogami didn't use cursed energy at all. This might not even be related to the jujutsu world—could just be an ordinary homicide. But to be safe, Naoya Zenin had the police retrieve the hallway surveillance footage—"
"Hey, what are you two whispering about over there?"
A lilting Kyoto accent rang out, though the tone carried unmistakable displeasure.
The room fell silent at once. People instinctively parted to make way. From the center of that opening, Naoya Zenin strode forward, eyes fixed on the two of them.
"While everyone else was examining the scene, why did you suddenly disappear, Saitama?" Naoya stopped in front of him and asked.
Saitama's gaze drifted silently to Naoya's thick, neatly trimmed hair. "Ah, I went to send the kid who wandered in back out—"
"That's exactly why I say someone like you won't get far in the jujutsu world," Naoya cut him off impatiently. "Excuses are just excuses. We don't need you for this operation anymore. You might as well go home."
"And you." Naoya turned to Ino, his eyes landing on the boutonniere on his chest. "The only sorcerer promoted to Grade 2 this quarter—Takuma Ino. You became Grade 2 at such a young age. A bright future ahead of you…"
"Are you sure it's wise to associate yourself with a dropout like him?"
"If you stick with him, it might drag down your own evaluation."
Under Naoya's cold stare, Ino's expression stiffened, sweat beading faintly at his temples. "I…"
"The hotel surveillance footage has been retrieved."
A voice suddenly came from the doorway, cutting him off.
Wataru Takagi walked in holding a USB drive. The first thing he saw was Naoya standing before Saitama and Ino, the others gathered tensely around them in silence. He couldn't help but look surprised. "What's going on?"
"Nothing. Just teaching an ignorant junior a lesson," Naoya replied lightly with a smile. He stepped past the two of them and approached Takagi. "You've copied the footage? Thank you."
"No problem…"
Takagi's gaze drifted unconsciously toward Saitama's expressionless face.
He's trying to teach Saitama a lesson? For a moment, Takagi's feelings became complicated, and the way he looked at Naoya grew subtly strange.
"Hm? What is it?" Sorcerers were highly sensitive to gazes. Naoya noticed the shift immediately.
"…No, nothing." Takagi hesitated, reflexively glancing at Saitama's bald head once more before shaking his head.
Naoya: "…"
After Takagi left, Naoya borrowed a hotel computer and began playing the corridor surveillance footage. Meanwhile, Ino lowered his head, staring fixedly at the tips of his shoes, not daring to look at Saitama.
"Saitama… sorry."
Since Naoya had called him out publicly, Ino no longer dared to speak casually with Saitama.
Ino had a dream. Special Grade was out of reach—but he wanted to rise to Grade 1 as soon as possible and become a sorcerer like the senior he admired, Kento Nanami.
In theory, receiving recommendations from two high-ranking sorcerers and successfully completing a promotion mission would be enough to advance. But the jujutsu world ran on connections and factions. The very fact that promotions were recommendation-based made that clear.
If someone like the Zenin clan's direct heir chose to intervene, it could easily mean that Ino would never again find a recommender. His promotion application could be blocked indefinitely, leaving him forever stuck at Grade 2.
News of Saitama being targeted by the Zenin heir at this briefing would quickly spread through the jujutsu world. Supporting Saitama meant offending the Zenin clan. A nobody like Saitama—with no reputation and no family backing—would likely never receive another promotion recommendation. At best, he would spend his life mediocrity as a Grade 4 sorcerer. At worst, he would leave the privileged jujutsu world and return to ordinary society.
Nanami's figure appeared in Ino's mind.
Choosing between pursuing Nanami's path or standing beside a complete unknown he had only just met today was not a difficult decision.
Besides, they were merely strangers who had crossed paths at a briefing. He had no obligation to keep guiding Saitama.
Ino closed his eyes briefly before speaking again.
"I'm sorry, Saitama. I won't be able to explain anything about this case to you anymore." He clenched his fists and spoke softly. "I still want to make it to Grade 1, so…"
"Ah? Why are you apologizing to me?" Saitama glanced at him, his expression as blank as ever. "It's whatever. We don't even know each other. I was actually wondering why you kept talking to me in the first place. Anyway, good luck with your promotion."
Takuma Ino couldn't help but look up in astonishment at Saitama's completely unchanged expression.
What was going on? Did this guy not understand the seriousness of the situation, or did he simply not care about ranks at all?
For a moment, Ino was at a loss. Meanwhile, Saitama scratched his head and turned to walk out.
Was he really leaving just like that? Ino parted his lips, but as he watched Saitama's back, he ultimately failed to say anything.
At that moment, the video had already begun playing on the computer. The corridor footage fast-forwarded to the time Granny Ogami checked in.
"There they are! Granny Ogami and her grandson!" one sorcerer exclaimed softly.
On the screen, two figures appeared in the hallway—one tall, one short; one male, one female. Though the resolution was blurry, they could still make out the kimono-clad Granny Ogami and a young man with a buzz cut, wearing a white high-collared shirt.
The two walked all the way to Room 2307 and used a keycard to open the door.
After Granny Ogami and her grandson entered the suite, the hallway remained motionless for a long time. The footage was fast-forwarded again to around 1:30 p.m., when the image on the screen finally changed.
The door to Room 2307 suddenly opened a crack. Through the gap, Granny Ogami's figure could vaguely be seen.
But then, abruptly, a pair of hands seized her from behind by the throat and dragged her away from the doorway. The door, which had been slightly ajar, closed once more.
Soon, some kind of liquid began seeping out from beneath the door, soaking into the carpet of the corridor.
About ten minutes later, the door opened again.
The person who stepped out made everyone gasp.
The man emerging from the room was slightly taller than Granny Ogami's grandson and more solidly built. He had short black hair and wore a black T-shirt and black trousers. In his hand he carried a woman's handbag that looked completely out of place with his appearance. His steps were light yet powerful, like a black panther poised to strike at any moment.
The hotel camera couldn't clearly capture the man's facial features, but Takuma Ino couldn't help muttering, "Who is that? Just from the way he walks and stands… you can tell he's strong."
The other sorcerers began whispering among themselves.
"…Was he already hiding in the room before Granny Ogami and her grandson arrived? Or…"
"The only body in the room was Granny Ogami's. The grandson disappeared. And Granny Ogami's technique is Séance. Could it be that the man is the grandson after being possessed through the Séance…"
Amid the murmurs, Naoya Zenin, seated before the computer screen, stared fixedly at the frozen image of the man in black, saying nothing.
The others couldn't recognize him, but despite the blur, Naoya had identified the man's true identity.
That was the figure of his cousin, who had died over a decade ago—Zenin Toji. No, by then he had already taken the name Fushiguro Toji.
It seemed Granny Ogami had used her grandson as a vessel for her Séance, summoning Fushiguro Toji.
She must have planned something, but events spiraled beyond her control, leading to her being killed by the very grandson who had been imbued with the information of "Fushiguro Toji."
Which meant—
Fushiguro Toji had completely taken over the grandson's body and gained his freedom.
He had returned from hell.
And now the problem was this—
Having regained a physical body, Fushiguro Toji would be like a tiger breaking free from a containment facility and charging into a flock of rabbits—dangerous beyond measure.
Where would Fushiguro Toji go?
Naoya immediately pulled up footage from the cameras outside the hotel and carefully examined the traces of guests and vehicles leaving the premises.
From the moment Fushiguro Toji entered the underground parking garage until the police sealed off the building, Naoya reviewed every guest and vehicle that departed. He found no sign of him.
And someone like Fushiguro Toji would never stoop to hiding in a car trunk to escape.
Which meant he was still inside this sealed hotel building.
"… "
Naoya knew full well that it was extremely abnormal for the summoner to be overtaken by the summoned dead. But precisely because of that, he understood something else: once the vessel's cursed energy ran out, the Séance would end, and Fushiguro Toji would return to where he belonged.
Fushiguro Toji had begun controlling the grandson's body around 1:30 p.m. Nearly an hour had passed since then. The grandson's body, serving as the vessel, must have consumed a considerable amount of cursed energy by now.
If it were now—even against that Toji—he would have a chance of victory.
After all, eleven sorcerers ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 4 were gathered here.
At the start, they only needed to let the other sorcerers act as sacrifices, drawing Fushiguro Toji's attention and draining the "grandson vessel's" cursed energy. After Fushiguro Toji eliminated them all, he—Naoya Zenin, the direct heir of the Zenin clan—would step in and effortlessly end the battle with a single strike of his innate technique.
The glory of defeating the "Sorcerer Killer" who had returned to the world of the living was destined to fall upon him, Naoya Zenin.
"Heh…" Naoya lowered his upturned eyes and let out a faint chuckle.
"Toji-kun, even though it took me an hour to realize you had descended once more, blood ties truly are something strange."
In a near whisper, Naoya muttered, "You, who carry the blood of the Zenin clan, will become nourishment for the Zenin family one last time. Be the stepping stone for me, the rightful heir. I will forever remember your contribution."
He suddenly stood up and turned to the sorcerers who had come for the briefing, flashing a fox-like, cunning smile.
"The killer is still inside this sealed hotel," Naoya announced loudly, his Kyoto accent tinged with incitement. "Follow me. The hunt in a jar begins now. This is a rare opportunity to act alongside the next head of the Zenin clan. Perform well, and perhaps a new recommendation will come your way very soon."
The sorcerers exchanged glances, but quickly made up their minds—no one didn't want to be promoted.
Moreover, Naoya Zenin was a Special Grade 1 sorcerer. Even against a living Granny Ogami, with this lineup, they wouldn't necessarily lose.
Takuma Ino lowered his head and quietly merged into the group. He cast one apologetic glance toward the direction Saitama had left, then withdrew his gaze and followed the others out of the room.
Five minutes later—
"I just went to the bathroom, and when I came back everyone was gone… Did they leave me behind?"
Saitama stood blankly inside Room 2307 after finishing in the restroom, scratching his head in confusion. Absentmindedly, he glanced out the window.
"Hm? What's that?"
From the upper floors, he could see the open-air parking lot behind the hotel covered by a pitch-black Curtain, obscuring whatever lay within.
"That thing… I remember it's called a Curtain. So someone's fighting there?" Saitama muttered to himself. "Guess I'll go take a look."