The security here was indeed strict.
Everyone took the elevator up to the 22nd floor.
Yoko Okino unlocked the door and pushed it open but the scene inside made her freeze in shock.
A second later, her scream rang out.
Mouri Kogoro and Conan instantly looked toward the source of the sound.
Lying on the floor was the body of a heavyset man, a dagger buried deep in his back. Blood had soaked through his shirt. He was clearly dead.
Takeshi Ishikawa narrowed his eyes slightly.
Yin energy.
The entire scene was filled with it enough for him to absorb.
Right on cue, the system chimed in:
[Ding! Yin energy detected in the environment. Absorbing… Yin Energy +3!]
At this rate, he could collect around 30 points in an hour. Not as much as being held in Ran's arms, but far better than simple hand-holding.
But then, another prompt appeared and Takeshi's face darkened.
[Ding! Warning, host! Absorbing Yin energy from the dead will also draw in their resentment. Too much resentment may have negative consequences!]
"What consequences?"
[Resentment can turn into misfortune, making you extremely unlucky. Refer to the protagonist of this world.]
Takeshi's expression soured.
If he ended up like Conan a walking harbinger of death what was the point of living? How could he enjoy life like that?
"Is there any way to avoid it?"
[Ding! Seek justice for the deceased, fulfill their last wishes, and you can dispel the resentment!]
[Success will reward you with a large amount of Yin energy!]
That was a relief.
So, all he had to do was play detective and solve the case? Perfect he remembered almost every case from the thousands of episodes in the original series.
[Ding! Reminder, host: This is the real world. Cases may differ from your memory. Proceed carefully!]
Right.
After all, Conan's anime avoided truly dark crimes like sexual assault or gruesome dismemberment. Some murder tricks were so over-the-top they could only exist in animation. Here, reality was much harsher.
While Takeshi was still conversing with the system, Mouri Kogoro told Ran to call the police.
Conan, upon spotting the body, dove straight into the crime scene like a dog rushing to a bone. Unfortunately, he was quickly discovered by Kogoro, who gave him a sharp whack before tossing him out.
The moment he landed outside, Conan saw Ran hugging Takeshi, her voice gentle and soothing.
"Don't look, Takeshi. It's okay. Everything's fine."
She was clearly shaken, but in front of the smaller boy she showed strength, shielding his eyes with her hand so he wouldn't see the body.
Conan's jaw clenched so tight it could crack a tooth.
Takeshi's heart warmed at Ran's protective gesture. He reached up and patted her head lightly.
"Sister Ran, I'm not afraid. Don't be scared either. No matter what happens, I'll protect you."
A simple pat on the head, paired with such gallant words lethal.
Ran's heart melted instantly. She leaned in, rubbing her cheek against his porcelain-like skin.
Conan, standing nearby, turned green with jealousy.
"Protect you? Seriously? How cheesy!"
The envy on his face was almost inhuman.
Still, his focus on solving the case quickly pulled him back. He began scanning the scene and soon spotted something suspicious.
Yoko Okino and Yoshio Yamagishi were both far too calm for people who had just discovered a corpse. Conan knew from experience that ordinary people simply didn't react this way. Definitely suspicious.
The police arrived soon after, led by Inspector Megure in his trademark yellow coat, with Detective Takagi by his side and a team of uniformed officers behind them.
Megure immediately began questioning everyone.
"What happened here?"
"I'll tell you!" Mouri Kogoro stepped forward eagerly, only to be met with a frown from Megure.
"I was hired by Miss Yoko to investigate a stalker case. But the moment I came in, I saw this body in the living room. All the windows are locked from the inside, so this is clearly a locked-room murder!"
Megure scowled.
"Kogoro, a locked-room murder means no one can enter. You all came in here, didn't you? Whoever has the key to this door is the suspect!"
Kogoro fell silent under the inspector's glare.
Megure turned to Yoko. "You own this apartment? Is that dagger yours?"
"Yes, it's my fruit knife," she replied. "But I've been performing at concerts for the past three days. I haven't been home."
"There's no way such a lovely lady could be a murderer!" Kogoro declared, before pointing at Yamagishi. "The killer must be you, Yoshio Yamagishi!"
Megure backed him up. "As her agent, you'd have the spare key, wouldn't you? You killed him, didn't you?"
Yamagishi shook his head desperately. "I did have the key… but I lost it three days ago at the radio station lounge. I don't have it now I couldn't have killed him!"
Despite his words, suspicion still hung in the air.