Conan: Science Cartoonist Kudo Yuji

"The future? It's really very different from what we had back then."

Walking among the crowds in Osaka's West Ward, Koizumi Akako looked on in surprise at the refugees receiving relief. These dusty-faced people each held a bowl of hot soup, which contained only bean sprouts, tofu, and cabbage; there wasn't even any white rice.

Even though Osaka's West Ward was once a poor neighborhood, the current state of affairs is far too bleak, especially with the dust-covered sky, which immediately reminded Koizumi Akako of war.

"Get out of the way! I have very important business to attend to at police headquarters."

Hearing a boy shouting from the crowd surrounded by police, Koizumi Akako glanced over and noticed the boy's classic outfit.

"Really, I have to get there. They don't know there's a very important story behind this explosion!"

"Alright, kid, if you want to play spy games, wait until you get home! Don't cause trouble for us police!" The policeman standing in front of Higashino III glared at him impatiently.

"My...my mom and dad haven't come back since this morning. They went to the sixth block. It's someone's birthday today, and they said they were going to bring me a cake and a fairy tale book...sob."

"This..." The policeman stood there dumbfounded, wishing he could slap himself in the face, already feeling guilty.

“Conan?...No, it’s not him.”

She subtly suggested a deficiency within herself, and then, to the boy's astonishment, walked openly to the police.

"Hmm? Another little guy with high magic resistance."

Besides Kaito Kuroba and Shinichi Kudo, the only other person she'd met who was somewhat decent was Yuji Kudo, and now there's another one.

"If only we could make this little guy into a specimen for research..." Upon hearing this beautiful woman suddenly say something that could send him to jail, Higashino III immediately broke out in a cold sweat and took a step back.

"They really are the exact same shoes. You little brat, what's your relationship with Conan Edogawa?"

Koizumi Akako waved her hand next to the policeman, and Higashino III immediately froze, then cautiously touched his belt and watch.

"Who are you? Why are you hypnotizing this policeman?!"

"Hypnosis? This is magic!" Koizumi Akako frowned, but the brat opposite her scoffed.

"What methods I use are none of your business. I'm here to take Conan Edogawa home. You have his scent on you. Tell me, where is he now?"

"What aura? You say you can sense Conan's aura, but I think you deduced it from my shoes and glasses. You were clearly using observation techniques, but you insist on calling yourself a superpowered person."

“I already…said! It’s magic!” Koizumi Akako flipped her hand: “Tell me where he is, and as payment, I can restore this policeman after you run away.”

Higashino III hesitated for a moment, but seeing that this person's expression and tone of voice seemed to indicate a good relationship with Conan, he nodded anyway.

“Okay, but you have to take me with you. Conan should be at the Osaka Police Headquarters right now,” Higashino III said seriously.

He discovered traces of that organization's activities in the West District; they had kidnapped the Osaka Aoyama department head, and the West District bombing also seemed to be related to that organization. (End of Chapter)