Detective Conan: Birth of the Demon Child

"Would you like to come with me to take a look?"

Noticing the change in Shimabukuro Kimie's expression, Aizen pressed on, "Let's go see what the legendary mermaid is like?"

"..."

Shimabukuro Kimie stared into Aizen's eyes for a while, then asked in a somewhat hoarse voice, "Are there really mermaids in this world?"

Although Shimabukuro Kimie's rational mind told her that there were no such creatures as mermaids in this world, looking at Aizen's serious eyes, she felt that Aizen was not lying.

Before learning the truth about the longevity woman, Kimie Shimabukuro, like other young people on the island, firmly believed in the legend of the mermaid.

"If you want to understand the truth of this world, then come with me!"

Watching Aizen's departing figure, Shimabukuro Kimie gritted her teeth, got up, and chased after him in the direction he had gone.

Led by Aizen, the two soon arrived at a secluded beach.

Are there really mermaids here?

Shimabukuro Kimie looked around, but there wasn't a mermaid in sight, let alone the legendary ones. She suddenly felt like she'd been tricked.

"Don't rush! She's a bit shy and doesn't like to show herself in crowded places, so we need to be on a secluded beach like this to be able to call her out from the sea."

Aizen gestured to Shimabukuro Kimie to calm down, then raised his left hand and waved it, and a palm-sized golden conch shell appeared out of thin air in his hand.

"This is……"

Upon seeing this, Shimabukuro Kimie's pupils suddenly contracted.

Retrieve items remotely!

Shimabukuro Kimie was certain that the way Aizen had taken out the golden conch shell was definitely not the kind of magic show you see on TV.

Even the most skilled magicians would need some tools as a cover to conjure up a palm-sized golden conch shell out of thin air.

When Aizen conjured the golden conch shell, his hands were empty, a power that no ordinary person could possess.

Moreover, the golden conch in Aizen's hand looked somewhat like gold, yet also resembled jade, shimmering in the sunlight—clearly no ordinary object.

"More than three hundred years ago, when I was traveling in this sea area, I happened to save a mermaid who was seriously injured."

Before Shimabukuro Kimie could ask, Aizen began to fabricate a story with a straight face: "To repay my life-saving grace, that mermaid gave me a piece of mermaid flesh and gave me this conch shell that can be used to call her."

"Three...more than three hundred years ago?!"

Hearing Aizen say these words, Shimabukuro Kimie still felt somewhat incredulous, yet she hoped in her heart that these words were true.

"Waaaaah..."

Under Shimabukuro Kimie's conflicted yet expectant gaze, Aizen picked up the golden conch shell and slowly began to play it. A peculiar sound, like the cry of a whale, spread outwards.

Looking at the calm sea in the distance, Kimie Shimabukuro unconsciously clenched her hands, feeling as if time had slowed down many times over.

The deep, resonant sound of the conch shell lasted for nearly five minutes before slowly ceasing.

Aizen put away the golden conch shell, stared at the sea surface a hundred meters away, and suddenly said, "They're here!"

Pfft! ! !

As soon as Aizen finished speaking, the sea in the distance suddenly burst open, and a slender figure emerged from the seabed, shining brightly in the sunlight.

"A mermaid! It really is a mermaid!"

Although the figure was still a hundred meters away from the shore, Shimabukuro Kimie could already clearly see that her lower body was a huge fish tail.

Splash...

The mermaid, who had leaped high into the air, quickly fell back into the sea and swam rapidly toward the shore.

"What a nice view!"

As the beautiful figure drew closer, Shimabukuro Kimie finally saw her face clearly and was instantly captivated by her beauty.

Her thick, black hair, as thick as seaweed, made the mermaid's skin appear even whiter, like the finest jade in the world.

The mermaid's stunning beauty astonished Shimabukuro Kimie; her captivating face was something no human woman could possess.

Especially her large, bright blue eyes, full of innocence and naivety, formed a strong contrast and conflict with her foxy, pretty face.

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have found it hard to believe that someone could embody both allure and innocence.

However, what attracted Shimabukuro Kimie's attention the most was her incredibly mysterious blue fishtail.

With the discerning eye of top makeup artist Kimie Shimabukuro, she was certain that it was a real fishtail, not a fake fishtail created with special effects makeup.

Aizen glanced at Shimabukuro Kimie, who was standing there dumbfounded, and greeted the mermaid with a smile, "Hime Reiki, it's been a long time."

╭(╯╰)╮

Yan Lingji put her hands on her hips, pouted unhappily, and said, "Really, you haven't come to see me for over a hundred years."

"Alright, alright! Don't be angry anymore. I came to see you, didn't I? Besides, for us immortal beings with endless lifespans, a hundred years is just like ten days or half a month. It'll pass in the time it takes to take a nap."

"Nonsense! All men are big liars!"

Yan Lingji puffed out her cheeks angrily and turned to look at Shimabukuro Kimie, saying, "Who is this little girl? Is she one of your newly recruited subordinates?"

Hearing Yan Lingji's magnetic voice, Shimabukuro Kimie gradually recovered from her shock and said somewhat awkwardly, "Hello, my name is Shimabukuro Kimie, and I am a shrine maiden at the shrine on this island."

"Miko?"

Yan Lingji tilted her head and stared at Shimabukuro Kimie, looking her up and down. Suddenly, she clapped her hands and said, "I remember now! More than two hundred years ago, there was a shrine maiden wearing the same clothes as you who offered me food."

!!!∑(?Д?ノ)ノ

Could it be that the people on the island already knew about the existence of mermaids more than two hundred years ago, which is why the legend of mermaids has been passed down for so long?

If it were in the past, Kimie Shimabukuro would definitely have treated this as a myth.

But now that he has seen a mermaid like Yan Ling Ji in person, Shimabukuro Kimie has begun to doubt how many of the myths and legends circulating throughout the island nation are true and how many are false.

As for why the islanders haven't seen a real mermaid all these years, we can find out from Aizen's conversation with Yan Lingji just now.

For these immortal beings, a hundred years is far too short. They may have just found a place to sleep, but the people on the island have already changed several generations.

For example, decades from now, when Kimie Shimabukuro has grandchildren, and she tells the story of the mermaid to her children, they will probably think it's just a myth.

Chapter 286 The Mountain Has Trees (Second Update, Please Vote)

Aizen smiled and suggested, "By the way, there's a dugong festival on the island tonight. It'll be very lively. Would you like to come and join in the fun?"

"Dugong Festival? What kind of festival is that?"

Yan Lingji blinked her large, azure eyes, her pretty face full of confusion.

Aizen explained, "Dugong is a name that people have used for mermaids in recent years, which is also known as the Mermaid Festival."

"A mermaid festival? That sounds interesting, so I..."

Before Yan Lingji could finish speaking, Shimabukuro Kimie suddenly exclaimed, "No! You can't attend tonight's celebration!"

Why?

Yan Lingji was slightly taken aback at first, then asked innocently, "Isn't the Mermaid Festival for mermaids? If I go to the festival, everyone will definitely be very happy, right?"

?(?w?)?

Looking at Yan Lingji's alluring yet innocent face, Shimabukuro Kimie suddenly had the illusion that she was about to be turned gay by her. Her pretty face flushed slightly as she said, "Lady Yan Lingji, perhaps humans hundreds of years ago would have worshipped you as a god."

But humans are different now. They have invented many powerful weapons and are also very greedy.

If you were to actually appear before humans, they would be overjoyed and devour your flesh and blood to fulfill their dream of immortality.

Although it was the first time Shimabukuro Kimie had met Yan Lingji, she felt an inexplicable sense of warmth emanating from Yan Lingji and instinctively wanted to protect her.

During the three years that Shimabukuro Kimie impersonated the Longevity Granny, she saw too many people who came to her seeking immortality, including some high-ranking officials and nobles.

The mere existence of a long-lived woman who is suspected of consuming mermaid flesh has already caused so many people to lose their rationality in their pursuit of immortality.

If Yan Ling Ji were to actually appear at the Dugong Festival, a living mermaid would absolutely drive everyone into a frenzy.

Beautiful mermaids like Yan Ling Ji are marine spirits born of nature, and Shimabukuro Kimie does not want to see her harmed because of human greed.

Yan Lingji stared at Shimabukuro Kimie for a while, then suddenly smiled and said, "Kimi, you really are a good child!"

If a normal person saw a mermaid like Yan Lingji, they would probably want to get a piece of her mermaid flesh in order to gain the ability to live forever.

However, Yan Lingji could clearly sense that Shimabukuro Kimie truly did not want to be harmed by humans.

(?)

Faced with Yan Lingji's praise, Shimabukuro Kimie's pretty face unconsciously revealed a happy smile.

"In that case, I won't attend the celebration."

As Yan Lingji spoke, she took out a black pearl the size of a lychee and handed it to Shimabukuro Kimie: "Kimi, you are a kind child. I'll give you this pearl as a gift."

"This...this gift is too precious, I can't accept it." Shimabukuro Kimie waved her hands repeatedly as she looked at the black pearl that Yan Lingji offered.

Judging from the size and quality of this black pearl, Kimie Shimabukuro estimates it could fetch at least several hundred million yen; such a gift is truly exceptional.

"Alright! Don't be so polite with Yan Lingji. Since she's willing to give you a gift, just accept it."

Aizen advised, "Don't forget, she's a mermaid who can move freely underwater. To her, these black pearls are like glass marbles to humans."

"Aizen is right, so you should accept the pearl!" Yan Lingji narrowed her long, beautiful eyes and said with a smile.

"Thank you."

Hearing what Yan Lingji and Aizen said, Shimabukuro Kimie carefully put away the black pearl.

Although Kimie Shimabukuro knew that the black pearl was priceless, she did not intend to sell it. Instead, she planned to keep it as her most precious keepsake and cherish it for the rest of her life.

After all, this black pearl was a gift from the mermaid, and its special significance alone makes it incomparable to any other treasure.

"Aizen, it's been so many years since we last met. Could you sing me a song?"

Yan Lingji swayed her long fishtail and said in a coquettish tone, "I really miss your singing voice."

Sing! Sing for her now!

Upon seeing Yan Lingji's coquettish and adorable appearance, Shimabukuro Kimie was instantly captivated by her beauty and wished he could agree on Aizen's behalf.