Conan: I'm Really Not Tokyo Ghost Story

While Uehara Yui was in shock, Sano noticed the childish nickname.

"...Twenty-four generals, but only five of them are real?"

Chapter 658 Weapon Master Sano

Conan was a little surprised that Sano was focusing on this: "After all, it's just a matter of forcibly getting involved. It's probably impossible to make everything fit, right?"

"Then let's just say that."

Sano has no concept of the Way.

...Under normal circumstances, Sano might have wondered whether the argument was more about the woodpecker itself or Conan's claim.

But things are different now.

Because Sano has already confirmed that the Twenty-Four Generals are not just five people.

Even other people are Sano's targets.

[Please kill all designated Woodpecker Guild members within the mission time limit. Completion will reward you with 100 enhancement points. Mission time remaining: 23:59:59.]

Aside from the two members of the Takeda Group who are currently nearby, and Yamato Kansuke whose whereabouts are unknown, there are thirteen other people... although this still doesn't add up. As for whether these three people are members of the Woodpecker Guild, and whether the missing "famous generals" never existed, disappeared later, or something else, it's not clear.

This is also Sano.

To be precise, it refers to the transaction between Kurosawa and Kuroda.

The other members of the Woodpecker Guild will be handled by Sano.

As for the remuneration... well, Sano said he got a reference price from his peers.

Which competitor?

Ok……

Sano felt that Kuroda Hyōe probably knew what was going on.

The only thing that puzzled Sano was why these three weren't the target—although, in his judgment, Yamato Kansuke shouldn't be one of the Woodpeckers, were the other two just misunderstandings as well?

...Considering the word "designated" in the task description.

Sano felt that apart from the thirteen positions, there should be other members.

Perhaps it's because the others were destined to die?

Anyway, Sano arranged for Kurosawa to deal with these people.

As for this side...

[Please help Kuroda Hyoue find the real culprit within the mission time limit. Completion will earn you 100 enhancement points. Mission time remaining: 11:59:59.]

...twelve hours.

It seems the murderer will soon reveal his true colors.

Even if there's not much of a clue, what if something really happens on this trip to Akiyama?

Sano felt that the remaining member of the Takeda group was also nearing the end, and he only needed to keep an eye on that person; sooner or later, he would be able to catch the culprit.

The problem is not big.

With this in mind, the two cars quickly arrived at the so-called Wife and Daughter Mountain, drove deeper and deeper, and finally stopped next to a small wooden house.

"...According to intelligence, the wanted robber we failed to catch this morning is very likely hiding here. Is Akiyama here to capture him?"

The remaining member of the Takeda group speculated.

But nobody paid any attention... We've already arrived at the destination, what's the point of guessing if we don't actually go and see for ourselves?

Zhu Fugaoming pushed open the door and entered.

A quick glance revealed the messy traces of daily life inside, suggesting that someone had fled here to hide, but otherwise there was no one else around.

Whether it's the so-called wanted robber or the policeman named Akiyama.

"Could it be in the warehouse at the back?"

...Whether by design or by chance, there was a large warehouse behind the cabin. Sano went over and took a look. It was filled with timber, piled up in a tangled mess, perfect for hiding people.

However, with so many people here, the investigation should be quick.

Before Kuroda could give the order, cries for help coming from outside the warehouse drew everyone's attention again, and they followed the sound to its source.

At the edge of the cliff, the group saw Officer Akiyama with a rope around his neck tied to the back of a car, his face filled with fear and panic.

"Help me! Help me!"

Before several police cars had passed by, the car suddenly started moving.

He took Akiyama with him and plunged off the cliff, and in the last moment before they fell...

Akiyama shouted again, "My phone!"

At first glance, no one paid attention to this. Everyone crowded to the edge of the cliff and peered out. The fallen car had exploded, and the flames briefly blinded everyone, but they also successfully pinpointed two locations.

A head, and a headless corpse.

The flames quickly dissipated, and Sano squinted because it was too dark.

In addition, the plants below are an obstacle.

Even with Sano's eyesight, he couldn't see the details at all.

Just as Sano was about to look away, a strange feeling welled up in his heart. He didn't know if it was just his imagination or the human brain's automatic completion function, but he felt that his vision was becoming clearer and clearer.

"...Let's go back."

Kuroda Hyōe turned around immediately.

Yui Uehara was taken aback: "At least retrieve Officer Akiyama's body, right?"

"It's the middle of the night, and it just rained. Who can collect it?"

Kuroda Hyoue's rhetorical question silenced Uehara Yui.

But then Morofushi Takaaki brought up what Akiyama had said earlier.

So everyone went back and found Akiyama's phone that had fallen to the ground.

I found a text message above, inviting Akiyama over, signed Yamato Kansuke.

This seems to have led Kuroda Hyōe to conclude that the murderer was Yamato Kansuke.

Conan glanced at Sano and found that he hadn't made a move at all, so he had no choice but to speak up and defend Yamato Kansuke, saying that although the text message was indeed signed, the number was not the rightful owner.

Frame someone.

However, after exchanging blows with Conan...

Kuroda Hyōe, too lazy to waste any more words, simply brought out his trump card: "In fact, the forensic department just sent me a text message saying that they found Yamato Kansuke's fingerprints on the rope around Kano's neck."

"But that's because of Ah Gan..."

"Stop talking. The fingerprints were found at the bottom of the rope. If Yamato had placed the body there, the fingerprints would only be at the top of the rope, unless he did it himself."

Uehara Yui didn't even get a chance to finish her explanation before Kuroda Hyoue cut her off.

“We can’t find Yamato now, but he’s the prime suspect, and we can even say there’s irrefutable evidence against him. I think it’s necessary to issue an arrest warrant for him as a murderer.”

After sealing the deal with a single blow, Kuroda Hyōe left.

"By the way, Uehara, come and get in our car. There's a spare tire in the back of Morofushi's car. With that kid in the car, it might be a bit cramped for four people."

……Um?

Sano snapped out of his daze, his thoughts momentarily blank.

According to Morofushi Takaaki, there was indeed a spare tire in the back seat.

I'm keeping an extra tire on hand because I've been getting a lot of flat tires lately, just in case.

Sano didn't pay much attention to it at the time.

Because Morofushi Takamitsu was involved so little, it didn't seem like he would have been given any prior arrangements.

But now that Kuroda Hyoue has brought it up...

It seems a bit deliberate, could it be that...

Sano quietly followed the group back. During this time, Conan asked Morofushi Takaaki what the rope around Kano's neck looked like when he was hanged.

Sano didn't even listen to this part.

Sano had noticed the unusual nature of the rope from the very beginning.

It's just that the thing is so winding and complicated, it's really troublesome.

Sano was too lazy to think about it and simply regarded it as something that had been tampered with.

Kuroda Hyoue's move just now confirmed this.

But it doesn't matter, no matter what, Sano already knows who the murderer is.

However, there doesn't seem to be any concrete evidence at the moment, so we still need to catch them in the act.

Luckily, we also had some bait.

Just wait patiently.

Sano closed his eyes to rest, after all, he still needed to control Kurosawa Blade on the other end.

And then they returned to the police station.

Conan was immediately grabbed by the ear and scolded by Ran Mouri. In the end, Ran said it was too late and that he had to leave early because he either had to work or go to school the next day. He said goodbye to Sano and planned to take a train back to Tokyo overnight.

Sano, of course, didn't care.

But Conan, seeing that Sano intended to stay, shamelessly asked for leave.

After some back and forth...

In the end, Ran Mouri had no choice but to hand Conan over to Sano.

Hmm...aren't you even asking for your own opinion?

After watching the Mori father and daughter leave, Sano looked down at Conan, who had an innocent look on his face, and slapped him on the back of the head.