BWDC:SDDK Chapter 32: Batman Always Has a Backup Plan
"Ms. Hyuga, Mr. Mitsuaki just claimed that you conspired with him to murder Chairman Nagamoto."
"While I find that hard to believe... I still have to ask," Mouri Kogoro looked at Hyuga Miyuki standing by the bed, recalling the words he had heard downstairs. He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Is this actually true?"
In response, Hyuga Miyuki remained silent.
After a long pause, a tragic smile touched her lips. She was just about to follow the standard confession procedure of a Beika City citizen and explain her reasons.
But at that exact moment, Ren Ichimonji pulled his hand from his pocket.
A black wallet seemed to slip out inadvertently, falling perfectly toward the space in front of Conan.
Before the black wallet could hit the ground, Conan suddenly lashed out with a powerful kick.
Electric sparks flickered around his red sneakers, boosting his strength and speed far beyond Hyuga Miyuki's limits of reaction. By the time the black wallet struck the thermos in her hand like a bolt of lightning, she only then realized she was being attacked!
A sneak attack! Kids these days have no sportsmanship!
The thermos in Hyuga Miyuki's hand was struck by the high-speed wallet and flew out of her grasp. The impact of Conan's kick caused the outer casing to shatter instantly!
The gasoline inside, with its distinct pungent odor, splashed everywhere.
Everyone present witnessed this shocking scene.
However, what surprised them even more was that after only a slight hesitation, Hyuga Miyuki actually moved toward the gasoline spilled on the balcony and produced a lighter.
At this point, everyone finally realized what she intended to do—
She was planning to commit self-immolation!
"Dammit, Ms. Hyuga..."
Hattori Heiji lunged toward her, intending to pin her down before she could spark the flame.
However, the lighter was already in her hand. No matter how fast Hattori Heiji was, he couldn't possibly be faster than the flick of a thumb. Unless...
She was physically unable to light it.
A fifty-yen coin suddenly flicked out from Ren Ichimonji's hand.
It struck Hyuga Miyuki's fingers with unerring precision, forcing her to instinctively release her grip. Just before the lighter hit the floor, Hattori Heiji finally arrived.
He immediately kicked the lighter away and pulled her back, preventing her from getting near the spilled gasoline. He asked in a low voice, "Why? Ms. Hyuga, why would you do this?"
"If you have the courage to die, are you really afraid to tell everyone the truth? Things haven't reached the absolute worst-case scenario yet! Everything can still be salvaged, can't it?!"
Hattori Heiji's voice was more serious than ever.
At that moment, Hyuga Miyuki seemed to lose all her strength and collapsed onto the floor.
She sobbed in a lost, broken voice, "Why were they able to light the fire so easily... but I can't do it..."
Fire.
Hyuga Miyuki had previously mentioned a "bond of fire," and combined with the story told by Nagamoto Dosan and her use of the term "they," the truth was becoming clear.
Even Mouri Kogoro realized that the truth behind the arson and rescue incident twenty years ago was likely not what they had been told.
"The ones who started the fire were Nagamoto Mitsuaki and Nagamoto Hidetoshi, right?"
Ren Ichimonji took a sip of his coffee and spoke calmly.
"I already know everything."
You already know?
Standing beside him, Mouri Kogoro turned his head, looking at the mysterious "Coffee Man" in shock. At first, he thought this guy was just a delusional freeloader, then a delusional guy with high combat power. But now... he really was starting to resemble the "Batman" persona he claimed to be!
Hearing this, two officers from the Osaka Police District exchanged looks and asked, "Then, what exactly happened?"
Twenty years ago, Hyuga Miyuki's parents ran a hotel.
Their family lived a peaceful life. Though ordinary, it was full of happiness and joy.
Until two uninvited guests arrived.
Purely out of a twisted sense of "fun," Nagamoto Mitsuaki and Nagamoto Hidetoshi started a fire inside the Hyuga family hotel.
However, they never expected the flames to grow beyond their control so quickly.
In a short time, the fire swallowed the building. The Hyuga family and other guests were trapped, unable to escape.
Mitsuaki was terrified and prepared to flee, intending to act as if nothing had happened.
But Hidetoshi charged into the sea of fire, trying his best to atone for his mistake. In the end, he only managed to save Hyuga Miyuki. The incident left his body covered in severe burns, leaving him completely disfigured.
Since then, Hidetoshi lived every day in regret for his actions.
Especially when he discovered that Hyuga Miyuki had fallen in love with him and wanted to marry him...
"Nagamoto Hidetoshi died because of this."
"The remorse and moral condemnation in his heart outweighed his will to live."
Ren Ichimonji's gaze landed on Nagamoto Mitsuaki, his eyes narrowing slightly.
His gaze was like a blade, making Mitsuaki's heart feel as though it had fallen into a frozen abyss.
"But you, Nagamoto Mitsuaki—you feel no remorse at all."
"That is why Hyuga Miyuki feigned cooperation with you. Her real goal was to use the opportunity to kill you and avenge her parents. That is the full picture of this case."
"As for evidence? I have it right here in my hand."
Hyuga Miyuki, sitting on the floor, suddenly looked up in disbelief at the crumpled piece of paper in Ren Ichimonji's hand.
It was Nagamoto Hidetoshi's suicide note!
But why was it in Ren Ichimonji's possession...?
Hattori Heiji, who was still holding Hyuga Miyuki down, was equally startled.
He remembered when Nagamoto Mitsuaki had used the excuse of looking for Hidetoshi earlier. Ren Ichimonji had told him, almost jokingly, "Maybe Nagamoto Hidetoshi is already dead" and "Maybe I'll go pick his lock tonight to check things out."
Looking at it now, that was clearly no joke!
Batman always has a backup plan, and he never tells anyone until it's implemented.
Just like the man standing before them now.
"So that's how it was..." Nagamoto Dosan said, looking devastated. "Now that it's come to this... I have to confess as well..."
"The reason I wanted to arrange the marriage between Hidetoshi and Ms. Hyuga was because... she is the daughter of my first love. From the moment I saw the fountain pen she carried, I knew..."
The chairman, who was only sixty but looked as frail as a man in his eighties, sighed deeply.
In that moment, he seemed to age another ten years.
[Medium Difficulty Public Security Mission Completed!]
[50 Points Reward has been credited, please check!]
[Assisted Commissioner Gordon in solving a difficult problem, 25 Points Reward has been issued!]
The system screen popped up right on cue.
However, Ren Ichimonji simply took a sip of his coffee, dismissed the screen with a thought, and said calmly:
"Mr. Nagamoto, now is not the time for sentimentality."
"Your priority should be finding a good lawyer for Ms. Hyuga. Your son-in-law over there is responsible for the deaths of over a dozen people; he's definitely headed for the gallows. But Ms. Hyuga is different. Why don't you try to protect your 'daughter' instead?"
Although Hyuga Miyuki had the intent to kill, she hadn't managed to carry it out.
Her life could truly begin anew.
End of Chapter
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