"Um, excuse me, who are you?"
Ran Mouri opened the door to see a boy about her age. He wasn't the kind of handsome face that left an unforgettable impression at first glance, but the more she looked, the more attractive he seemed. Even she couldn't help but feel drawn to him, though she quickly regained her composure and asked her question. At the same time, she thought to herself that it was fortunate her lovestruck best friend wasn't here—otherwise, she'd already be asking about his entire family history.
Facing Ran's inquiry, Kael smiled slightly. "Is Sakurajima Mai here?"
Ran suddenly understood. "You must be the detective Mai called for?"
Detective?
Kael was dumbfounded. It was true Mai had asked him to come, but he wasn't a detective. He was a demonic cultivator.
Just then, Mai came out of the room. "Come with me."
Ran quickly stepped aside politely. Kael nodded to her and followed Mai inside.
Passing through the entryway into the living room, Kael raised his eyebrows.
The room was crowded—besides Mai, several others filled the space.
One was Ran's father, Mouri Kogoro. Beside him was the already-shrunken Kudo Shinichi. Oh right, now he should be called… Edogawa Conan.
Shinichi's shrinking was an iconic scene—many transmigrators would want to witness it. But Kael had missed it. Too bad.
Still, though this world had merged with Detective Conan, the timeline hadn't changed much. Monday followed Tuesday, Tuesday followed Wednesday. There was only one Valentine's Day each year. Not "Conan logic," but rather scientific.
Besides those two, there was a stout policeman—Inspector Megure, a regular in Detective Conan. Behind him stood two more people:
The "flower of the police department," Sato Miwako.
And the bumbling officer Takagi Wataru, who would one day marry her.
Kael's gaze shifted to another pair—a man and a woman. The woman was a TV regular, even more famous than Mai: Okino Yoko. The man was likely her manager.
But none of that was the main point. The focus was the corpse lying in the living room.
Seeing this, Kael immediately understood—it was a typical Detective Conan scenario. If he remembered correctly, the body belonged to Okino Yoko's high school boyfriend. Was his name Eto or Sato? He forgot. Anyway, just a minor character.
In short, after breaking up with Yoko due to her manager's manipulation, the boyfriend's life spiraled downward while Yoko's career soared. He tried to reconcile, but was rejected. So he killed himself in her home, framing Yoko with his death. Classic "if I can't have her, I'll destroy her."
Kael turned to Mai. "So why did you call me?"
Mai pointed at Okino Yoko. "You recognize her, right?"
Kael nodded. "A famous celebrity."
Mai said: "Yoko is not only my senior but has always taken care of me. Now someone has died in her home, and this bumbling detective insists she's the killer. But I know Yoko would never think of murder, let alone have the courage. So I want you to prove she didn't kill him."
Mouri Kogoro twitched at being called a bumbling detective. But he couldn't vent his anger on a girl his daughter's age. So he turned his frustration on Kael.
"Kids these days are insufferable. Whether it's Kudo Shinichi or Akechi Goro, just a few TV appearances and they call themselves detectives. No respect for seniors—education these days is terrible. Tell me, kid, are you another so-called detective? Is it that easy to be one now?"
Kael suddenly looked up at Kogoro, ignoring his sarcasm, and asked instead: "Did you just say Kudo Shinichi and who?"
Kogoro replied impatiently: "Who else? That brat Akechi Goro. Just because he has a decent face, kids call him the 'Detective Prince.' Society is going downhill…"
Kael ignored Kogoro's rambling. Hearing the name Akechi Goro, his eyes flashed with shock. That name was all too familiar.
Back when he played Persona 5, he had fought that guy plenty. Well, well—this crossover world even included Persona 5.
Thinking about it, Persona 5 was a game but also had an anime. Its inclusion made sense.
More importantly, Persona 5's worldview included the Metaverse. In the game, it served three purposes: advancing the main story, completing side quests, and providing resources. But in truth, the Metaverse was a manifestation of humanity's collective unconscious. It was the reflection of people's inner thoughts, emotions, and memories.
The key point was that the Metaverse was filled with shadows born of desire. And those shadows were the dark sides of human personality.
Meanwhile, the Seven Emotions and Six Desires Demon Canon cultivated by devouring human emotions. To Kael, the Metaverse was the perfect training ground for it. He was determined to go—nothing could stop him. The two-dimensional world truly was a wonderful place.
"Hey, kid, I'm talking to you. Zoning out while speaking to an adult—how rude can you be?" Kogoro's voice snapped Kael out of his thoughts.