Isn't it very scientific to use the Death Note to kill people?

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the blinds, cutting into golden spots that fell on Prosecutor Makoto Kusakabe's desk.

The air was filled with the aroma of coffee.

He picked up his slightly cold coffee and took a sip. The bitter liquid did little to lift his spirits. In the days and nights since he started planning, he had barely slept a wink. Every night, he would meticulously review every detail of the plan to ensure that nothing went wrong.

The explosion on the ocean shore was just the beginning, meant to tear open that breach, and what followed...

His gaze swept across the web pages on the computer on the table, searching for news about the imminent recovery of the U.S. spacecraft "Swan," and his eyes grew increasingly cold and resolute.

Then a voice came from the morning news:

[From last night to this morning, multiple explosions occurred at various facilities in Tokyo... According to preliminary investigations, the method of the explosions is extremely similar to the recent explosion at the Marine Beach Convention Center, both suspected to have been remotely controlled through hacking into the Internet of Things system... No organization or individual has yet claimed responsibility for the incidents, and the Metropolitan Police Department has established a special investigation headquarters...]

Clang!

The coffee cup slipped from Makoto Kusakabe's hand and shattered on the white porcelain floor.

He stared in astonishment at the news report.

Similar to the methods he used?

How is that possible?!

Why did a similar bombing incident suddenly occur during his meticulously planned and sole attack on the credibility of the public security authorities?

Is someone copying the crime?

But what exactly is their purpose?

Alone in his office, Makoto Kusakabe's face became somewhat flustered. A sense of panic, as if his plans were spiraling out of control, washed over him like a cold tide, leaving him at a loss.

He forced himself to calm down, took a deep breath, and tried to re-analyze the situation.

The first principle that can be established is that one must not be led by the nose by the actions of copycats.

Furthermore, my ultimate goal is to guide the Swan probe, which will be recovered on the day of the summit, to crash into the Metropolitan Police Department—thereby completely undermining the credibility of the Public Security Bureau. The copycat should not know my purpose in this regard; I just need to carry it out as usual.

"..."

Makoto Kusakabe looked up at the police force that had been mobilized, as seen in the news reports, hesitated for a moment, and then picked up his phone.

Whether he admits it or not, the copycat's actions did indeed affect him.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Detention centers have never been comfortable places.

Because there's nothing inside.

There were no cell phones, no televisions, only cold beds and walls. The only sight to relieve the boredom was the occasional person passing by in the corridor outside.

Lin Jiashu was still wearing the same black suit he wore that day.

Despite being imprisoned, he remained calm, his eyes closed, his fingertips tapping lightly on the table, idly keeping a rhythm.

"Mr. Lin, someone wants to see you."

Kazami Yuya's voice interrupted his dozing.

He opened his eyes and smiled.

"Ok."

The door to the detention cell was opened.

Lin Jiashu followed him through a maze of turns toward a meeting room. At Kazami Yuya's prompting, he pushed open the door and entered alone. There, he saw a familiar figure standing by the window.

Toru Amuro.

His appearance was the complete opposite of Lin Jiashu's at this moment.

Although he was dressed in clean clothes, it did nothing to hide his disheveled state. He had gauze on his forehead, bruises on the corner of his mouth, and his movements as he turned around were noticeably stiff due to the pain in his side abdomen.

Their eyes met.

Amuro Tooru's lips curled into a mocking, pained smile: "Heh... Looks like the food here is pretty good? Boss, you look quite well."

His voice was somewhat muffled due to the injury at the corner of his mouth.

"Mr. Amuro's new look is also very good, with a kind of wild beauty."

Amuro Tooru's lips twitched, but he immediately stopped because of the pain.

He took a deep breath, too lazy to beat around the bush with him. As Lin Jiashu walked to his seat, he leaned forward slightly, his tone filled with barely suppressed annoyance: "You knew all along what would happen last night, that as soon as you came in, that madman Gin would be the first to suspect me! You deliberately kept quiet, just waiting to see me die, right?!"

Surprisingly, Lin Jiashu did not gloat.

His expression remained calm, and he simply asked in return, "So, Mr. Amuro, can you understand now? Experiencing firsthand what it feels like to be 'unknowingly used as a sacrifice' should foster mutual understanding, right?"

Amuro Toru choked.

He ground his back teeth and could only mutter angrily, "...you bastard."

Seeing that he didn't react, Amuro Tooru took a deep breath, forced himself to compose himself, and started to talk about business: "There were also explosions in other places last night, namely the backup transformer area of ​​the Nanko Power Supply Station, the bridge pier maintenance workstation of the cross-sea bridge, and the dispatch center of a large logistics warehouse in the port area... The methods used were similar to the explosions at the seaside, all using internet intrusion methods."

Lin Jiashu raised an eyebrow, revealing a hint of interest: "Continue?"

“The police have preliminarily determined that this is a deliberate series of crimes, not an accident,” Amuro Tooru continued, his eyes fixed on Hayashi Yoshiki. “Furthermore, because you have stayed here quietly and have a perfect alibi, the Public Security Bureau has clearly instructed the prosecutor’s office not to prosecute you. You will be able to leave soon.”

After he finished speaking, he carefully observed Lin Jiashu's reaction.

However, Hayashi Yoshiki didn't show much surprise or joy on his face, only replying indifferently, "Understood." This reaction made Amuro Tooru inexplicably angry and somewhat powerless.

He looked at Lin Jiashu's face, his tone tinged with complexity: "My initial suggestion to have Mr. Mori take the blame was merely a temporary measure. It was just to buy time. I will never let him actually bear the blame, I will..."

“I understand, Mr. Amuro.” Hayashi Yoshiki looked at him. “Just like what happened last night—judging from the injuries on your body, they must have been inflicted last night. I won’t really let you die. Curaçao’s abilities are quite good; she should have arrived just in time.”

Amuro Tooru was once again speechless.

People only feel pain when a boomerang hits them.

Hayashi Yoshiki, she really is taking revenge on him...

He knew that Yoshiki Hayashi would never truly agree with his approach to this matter, so Amuro Tooru rubbed his temples in frustration and changed the subject: "Besides that unknown criminal, I was wondering if the explosion outside was caused by Gin and his group... That guy values ​​you more than I thought, so it's also possible that they used the same method to create a commotion to help you escape from prison."

"That really goes to his trouble."

“I will ask the police to expedite the procedures. After you get out, we will need your help with the investigation.” Amuro Tooru said to Hayashi Yoshiki, “This mess doesn’t seem so easy to clean up.”

"Has the investigation made no progress at all?"

"No, all we know is that the perpetrator used the Tor browser to carry out the Internet of Things terrorist attack. According to the report from the Cybercrime Countermeasures Division, although NASA has a tracing system... it is still quite difficult to track down the perpetrator if certain conditions are not met."

"Then let's investigate Prosecutor Makoto Kusakabe."

Suddenly, Lin Jiashu spoke.

I've also uploaded tomorrow's content.

Chapter 38: Those Who Know the Truth

"what?"

Amuro Tooru was taken aback: "Kusakabe? What happened to him?"

He had some impression of that prosecutor—a prosecutor who, like Eri Kisaki, had never lost a case in court, and he had heard that the prosecutor was always dissatisfied with the current situation where prosecutors could only be led by the nose by the police.

"There is no conclusive evidence."

Hayashi Yoshiki said, "However, why did the explosion at the Ocean Beach venue happen before the summit started? It feels more like an attempt to undermine the credibility of the Public Security Bureau... And the problem is, when I was interrogated, Prosecutor Kusakabe's reaction was strange; he seemed to believe in my innocence more than anyone else."

That's a lie.

Makoto Kusakabe disguised himself very well and did not reveal this to Yoshiki Hayashi.

But Lin Jiashu had no interest in letting him continue—his plan would be exposed sooner or later, and the more "Noah" was used, the more his methods would be guarded against. Lin Jiashu was planning to get his hands on that thing.

"Of course, this is just my personal, unfounded speculation. After all, information is scarce here, so perhaps I'm just overthinking it."

Lin Jiashu spoke of it casually, as if it were just a casual remark.

But Toru Amuro understands him.

“…I understand.” He nodded solemnly. “I will keep an eye on it.”

The meeting time seems to be approaching.

Lin Jiashu slowly leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the bright sunlight streaming through the window.

Seeing his expression, Amuro Tooru could only shake his head helplessly and stand up.

"Just wait, I'll be there to pick you up soon."

Watching Amuro Tooru's retreating figure, Hayashi Yoshiki looked down at the watch on his left wrist—thanks to his friendly relationship with the police and his "public security" identity, he was not handcuffed, nor was his watch taken away.

He gripped the crown of the watch.

Pull the crown out four times in quick succession at intervals of no more than one second, and a hidden compartment will pop out from the bottom of the watch.

Looking at the small piece of white paper in the hidden compartment, Lin Jiashu smiled faintly and silently.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The air outside the detention center failed to completely dispel the oppressive feeling that filled Amuro.

He and Yuya Kazami walked out of the detention center one after the other. The sunlight outside was dazzling, but they couldn't feel much warmth.

"Kazami, go and investigate Kusakabe Makoto immediately,"

Amuro Tooru lowered his voice and instructed Kazami beside him, "Find out all their backgrounds, relationships, cases they've handled, and especially any records that may have involved conflicts with the Public Security Bureau, even if it means digging three feet into the ground."

"Yes, Mr. Furuya, but this is...?"

"Yoshiki's discovery," Amuro interrupted him succinctly, rubbing his temples. "He thinks there's something wrong with this person."

"Understood, I will take care of it."

Despite his surprise, Yu Kazami did not hesitate.

As the two were about to walk towards the parking lot, a slightly noisy sound of footsteps and conversation came from the entrance of the detention center.

"Great! I knew that kid Ashu would be alright!"

Kogoro Mouri's loud voice carried a hint of relief, and his tone became much clearer.

"That's right, there's no way Yoshiki-san would do something like that."

Sonoko Suzuki, arm in arm with Ran, was also chattering away, "Now everyone can rest assured."

"Yes, that's right."

Xiaolan nodded vigorously with a faint smile of relief on her face.

Her eyes were still slightly red, but she was clearly in much better spirits.

Eri followed beside her daughter, her steps still elegant and composed, but the corners of her mouth, which had been tightly pursed for the past two days, finally relaxed.

After the news this morning reported on last night's IoT terrorist attack, Eri Kisaki realized that this was an opportunity that would help her win the prosecution... But unexpectedly, the police acted very decisively and soon announced that they would give up their plan to prosecute Yoshiki Hayashi.

This surprised her somewhat.

Although I was somewhat concerned about the police's decisiveness, the most urgent thing was to get to the detention center as soon as possible to check on Xiaoshu's condition—even just checking through the window would be helpful.

However, this relaxed and pleasant atmosphere vanished instantly when Kogoro Mouri caught sight of Tooru Amuro getting into the car.

"Amuro——!!!"

Amuro Tooru and Kazami Yuya, who had already reached the parking lot, were both startled and turned around abruptly.

Kogoro Mori, like an enraged lion, his eyes bloodshot and veins bulging on his forehead, charged menacingly towards them.

"Wait, wait a minute, Dad!" Xiaolan's face changed in fright, and she hurriedly clung tightly to her father's arm.

"Calm down, uncle!"

Conan also hurriedly tugged at Kogoro Mouri's sleeve, his face anxious.

But his eyes keenly caught sight of the man in the suit standing next to Amuro Tooru, who looked nervous... According to Koshimizu Nanatsuki, his name seems to be Kazami Yuya.

—Conan has never met Kazami Yuya. But on the day they went to Hayashi Yoshiki's office to look for clues, Koshimizu Nanatsuki showed them the surveillance footage of the police's visit, and the police officer in charge at the time was this man named Kazami Yuya.

Toru Amuro...

Why is Bourbon, a member of the Black Organization, hanging out with the Public Security Bureau?

"That bastard actually dares to show his face here! I'm going to beat him up today!"