M/n's point of view
3 Feb 20XX, 3.45pm
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It's Friday, about a week since that troublesome day. And from the week that passed, but I heard that Shin-chan didn't attend this week.
Well it's to be expected. But I'm still confused on how a drug is able to turn someone 10 years younger.
And by that absence I deduce that he didn't get an antidote yet. Did that 'impressive' professor really can't make the antidote by now? No, that doesn't make sense, he'd need time for research and other tests to make any medicine. A rush antidote isn't a good antidote.
Wonder what the great detective makes up as his cover back story? Plus the excuse he gives to make the teachers not question anything about him.
I had asked Nana why he didn't attend school for a week. Of course I know why exactly, I just asked to know his cover story.
She informed me that "Mouri-chan said that he's doing a really hard case in America."
This mother fucker is never creative is he? Yeah to be honest he doesn't really need school he got a stable life if he'd ever quit, the police would likely give him the job of being a detective. Not surprising there really.
Just how long would that cover story be good enough to hide what he is actually doing.
And by the sense that Ran knows the shrunken detective from the last time we met where she almost killed me with a kick. Anyways, he's most likely to be in elementary right about now. Don't know if she knew exactly what happened to him though.
I bet he's bashing his head that he has to start elementary all over again. Sucks to be him.
Now about those 2 guys dressed in black. I found out they're from a criminal organization, would be the perfect targets if I say so myself. Though being a criminal organization means there's more than just the two of them.
By that logic it would make sense that I could be dead in a ditch if I do one wrong move on them. That or be turned 10 years younger, which is worse. Unless if I was in my 30s or so then that's actually pretty good.
I also found out from that conversation I heard from hiding in the bush, that the shorter of the two is nicknamed Vodka. I don't know about the other one, Vodka only called him Aniki so all I know about him is that he's older than Vodka or he just respect him.
And by that nickname Vodka, it's safe to assume that all of thier nicknames are alcohol based. Wonder if there's one nicknamed Bourbon. Yeah there's probably one.
My thought process was cut by the bell signaling it's the end of class.
And as usual Nana came to bother me, while I packed my stuff. "Ne M/n, have you heard about it?"
"Heard about what?"
"There's a rumor surrounding Beika Art Museum!" She said rather loudly.
"You mean the medieval suits of armor moving on its own that were seen by the security guards?" Shinji Gakushu , a classmate, chimed in.
"Ah so you heard it too Shinji-kun?" Nana asked, stupidly might I add.
"Yeah, but I don't think that's true, even though I'm big on spooky stuff. Do you believe it, Satsujin-kun, Shizoa-chan?" Gakushu said.
"Of course I don't believe it, though I'd still wanna check the place out! So can we go there this Saturday? Please...? " Nana invited, well pleaded.
"You're the one inviting… you're the one paying the tickets."
"Yeah! No problem here! " She shouts.
"Mind if I join?" Gakushu chimed in again.
"Yeah sure the more the merrier! Hey M/n, you have a motorcycle, do you have a license for it?" Nana asked for confirmation. I just nodded. "Okay good so we don't need a cab, oh yeah what about you Shinji-kun?"
"I'll just call in a cab, no worries for me!" Gakushu waved it off.
"Well then meet us there tomorrow at 12 o'clock all good?" Gakushu suggested. The two of us just nodded.
"Perfect I'll see you guys there tomorrow then gotta go now, duty calls." Gakushu went off to his club.
"Okay, Jamatta ne, Shinji-kun!"
"Ja ne!" His voice was still heard.
"Let's go M/n! There's no club meeting for me today and I want to eat that ramen again." She said now somehow with her bags already and going in the wrong direction...again.
"Wrong way dumbass."
"Hehe.."
Third point of view
4 Feb 20XX, 11.40
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You could see our 'lovely' protagonist on his motorcycle with an extra helmet in hand waiting for Nana to get ready.
Didn't we agree on seeing Gakushu at 12pm sharp? At this rate we'll be late. The museum is 20 minutes away.
On qué Nana was out of her house, wearing something casual.
"You're finally out. Took you long enough."
"Well 'sorry' mister impatient I was just getting myself done."
"For who?"
"Myself of course."
"Ahh...yeah whatever floats your boat. Now get on and wear the helmet, we're gonna be late because of you."
"Wasn't I the one who invited you?" She sassed while putting the helmet on.
"So? I just like to be on time. Unlike you."
"Okay mister, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Nana finished as she got on the motor behind him.
"Hold on tight." He informed her before accelerating. Nana was seen almost falling before holding onto M/n for dear life.
About 20 minutes later they arrived. Nana was looking kind of sick. Gakushu is seen waiting for them at the entrance of the museum.
"Man I thought I was stood up by you guys." Gakushu admitted, relieved that he wasn't stood up by his classmates.
"Sorry about that, Nana here decides to take longer than necessary." M/n remarked before he was punched lightly on the shoulder by Nana.
"Asshole! I think I'm gonna vomit because of your driving."
"Oh I'm 'so sorry' m'lady, but it's not my fault that you couldn't handle it."
"Haha let's just enter now shall we?" Gakushu interrupted, breaking their little quarrel.
Heh? He and Ran are here too? What a coincidence. I have a hunch that something's gonna happen later, bet it's death. The guy's a murder magnet there's bound to be a death happening with him here. I know they'll be one.
And it just so happens that Ran recognises us, Welp we are wrapped up in this shit now.
"Oh, Satsujin-kun, Shizoa-chan and?"
"Gakushu, Shinji Gakushu, nice to know meet you!"
"I'm Mouri Ran, feeling mutual, and this is Conan-kun and my dad, Conan , dad this is Shizoa-chan and Shinji-kun you've met Satsujin-kun before."
Both Conan and Kogoro look uninterested, M/n included. Before Nana suggested they go in already.
Right as they went inside they went into teams of three, M/n's with Conan's and Kogoro, Nana's with Ran and Gakushu.
You could see Gakushu, Nana and Ran all ogling at the sights of these vintage paintings.
"Wah~ look at all these beautiful paintings! I'm so glad we came! Look at this! The colors are so lovely!" Ran said enthusiastically.
"Right?! They're all beautiful!" Nana chimed right beside her. Both in awe of the beautiful paintings. Gakushu was silently admiring the paintings with them.
M/n, Kogoro and Conan could be seen looking really uninterested and deadpanned at the girl's and Gakushu's behavior.
"I take it you like that painting, Misses? I, too, enjoy this painting very much. No, I love all of the paintings here! Almost as if they're my own children." An old man said with a delightful smile on his face.
"Um.. you are..?" Asked Nana.
"Oh where's my manners! My name is Ochiai. I run this art gallery."
"Oh! I should've known!" Ran chimed in.
"Please enjoy your visit here." The detector of the art gallery paused before scolding someone. "Kubota! What are you doing?! How many times have I said to wear gloves when handling exhibits?!"
"A-ah sumimasen!" Presumably Kubota apologized.
"You can go. Iijima-kun, please take over for him." The old man called over a nearby employee.
"Yes sir."
"Tch" Kubota noise out before walking away. Before 2 guys entered the room.
"Huh, as empty and quiet as ever, I see." The shorter of the two said.
"Mr. Manaka…"
"Ten days left until this place shuts down. Take care of all this moldy, old junk for me until then! Okay, architect. Bring in the blueprints." Mr. Manaka said menacingly.
"Uh, yes sir." The presumably architect followed in suit of Mr. Manaka.
"This art gallery is going to close for good?" Ran asked right after the owner left.
"Yes. The previous owner's company went bankrupt, so he sold this place to Mr. Manaka."
"He sold it under agreement that Mr. Manaka would keep it running! But then the instant he brought it, he said he was going to turn it into a hotel!" Iijima yelled out in frustration.
So Mr. Manaka didn't hold onto their side of the contract...pity this workers seems to love it-. M/n thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang on the floor.
It was Kubota, he'd drop a armor piece helmet.
He's carelessly handling another exhibit again. Conan thought out.
"I take it you're Kubota-kun? I've heard about you. I suggest you hurry and scrape whatever money you can get together." The owner laughed out amused.
Right before Kubota slammed the helmet he picked up onto the cart he was pushing.
Again?! Thought Conan and he's surprised that this guy didn't get fired already.
"Please enjoy your visit." The director was surprisingly calm, escorting a bummed out Iijima to the back.
Ah! Why didn't he get angry again just now? Conan was stunned that the director didn't yell at Kubota at that moment.
How do you expect me to enjoy this place after I witnessed the staff all crashing down? M/n deadpanned.
After that unnecessary quarrel, they went to all the exhibits.
The Earth Gallery, filled with pictures of landmarks and clay pots and a king's crown.
The Sky Gallery, where statues of angels and birds reside.
The Sea Gallery, where figures of pirates and ships are kept.
They soon ran into a no entry sign to the next room.
"Huh? No entry?" Gakushu said.
"That's strange. There's supposed to be another room up ahead." Ran said as she looked back at the guide.
"Just forget about it. Let's hurry and get through this place." Kogoro added.
"Awe and here I thought we could see everything here!" Nana, now sulking about the inconvenience.
"There, there, c'mon you big baby." M/n just patted Nana's back in comfort. She just sulked again and followed the Mouri family.
I can't help but feel this ominous aura… Meh, probably nothing. M/n shrugged off the thought.
M/n's point of view
4 Feb 20XX, 5.06pm
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We've been sightseeing these exhibits for 5 plus hours already… my legs are killing me right now.
And I can say the same for mini Shin-chan and Kogoro, both looked so tired out.
The two of them are slumped on a chair. I, like the two guys, am also tired out. Though I just lean myself near a wall having a breather.
"So tired! Let's go home, Ran-neechan" Conan begged.
"I'm starving!" Mouri-kun said, his voice going a bit dry.
"Aren't we done here? Let's just go already… I want to sleep." I also joined the group that wanted to go home already.
"Jeez, talk about pathetic! Getting exhausted so easily like this!" Ran scolded.
What… may I remind you we had walked for 5 hours! Without even having lunch! It's no joke that they're tired.
"Ara?"
Ugh what now…
Oh great… that no entry sign is now not there anymore…_
"Hmm? The no entry sign is gone." Thank you, Nana for pointing out the obvious.
"Ne, since we're here, why don't we go see the last room?" Ugh why?!
Both of the slumped up guys look shocked at Ran's suggestion.
"You can go home if you want… but you have to cook dinner yourselves. Oh ho ho ho." Ohh Ran's bribing them now, dirty play right there.
"M/n don't even think about going home now!" Nana yelled at me.
"You don't control me. I can go if I wanted to."
"Please…"
"Hah, that doesn't work on me! But I'll go anyway since it's the last place here."
All of us entered the last room called the Hell Gallery. The room is quite dark.
"This room sure is dark." Said Ran going in a bit cautiously from the dark.
"Well it is the Hell Gallery. Conan stated
I noticed a camera above the door we just entered. Not surprising since this is a museum.
We stopped by a large picture with a knight and a bloodied up demon?
"Wah.. What a huge picture!" Ran said in awe.
"Very malicious too!"
"It literally is a picture from Hell." Mouri said.
Ran read out the title, the painting is called "Divine Punishment"
"It says it's a picture of a knight of justice sealing away a demon." Ran informed.
"Now this looks cool!" Gakushu chimed in. He and Nana cooed at a suit of armor that was nearby.
Seems like there's droplets of liquid from the sounds I heard.
Ran looked at me before she looked gasped, now stunned. "It's Mr. Manaka, the owner!" Conan shouted, right before Ran screamed bloody murder.
Looking behind me was Mr. Manaka stabbed into a wall with a sword in his throat. Blood splatters everywhere around him.
For sure that mother fucker is a death magnet. No doubt about that now.
The other two heard the screaming and saw the corpse pinned on the wall by his throat, before Nana also screamed bloody murder and ran hiding behind me.
Sirens were heard, not long after I called in the Po-po.
"You again?! Looks like inspector Megure is sick of seeing Mouri-kun.
"Yes, sir! I assure you, I haven't allowed anyone to touch the corpse, Inspector!" Mouri said surprisingly...cherry.
Megure-keibu just huffed before asking the director if anyone saw who did it. The director informed him that he checked with everyone and they all saw nothing.
"If I may inspector, the security camera that's above the door might caught the murderer." I pointed at the security camera that I noticed a bit before.
"Ne, M/n can we go home? I think I'm gonna vomit if I stay here for long." Nana plead.
"Sorry Nana I don't think the Inspector would let us, we are witnesses after all." I said before pulling her close to a one armed hug.
"Hey I can take her out of here to somewhere else. I think I need air from all this too." Gakushu suggested.
"Oh yeah, you can take her out of here, I want to stick around here a bit." I said before letting Nana out of my lazy hug and she went off to a restaurant nearby.
Everyone, except Nana and Gakushu, went off to the security room.
The tape shows an ominous looking medieval armor before Mr. Manaka appeared on screen.
Right as we expected the face of the killer, the suit of armor from before moved and slashed the owner's back and jumped close to the camera's angle. Before turning back and cutting the owner's shoulder, picking him up by the neck and plunging its sword to the owner's neck.
When the inspector paused the recorded video, it's scene was the same with the painting from before "Divine Punishment". Both Conan and Mouri-kun also noticed and informed the inspector.
"What a daring murderer, though. It would be all over if someone saw them wearing that around." Megure-keibu said.
"Now that you mention it there was a no entry sign in front of the room." Ran noted
"What now?"
"Ran. That was around 4 o'clock, wasn't it?" Mouri-kun asked for confirmation.
"Yeah but when we passed by just after 5.00, the sign was gone." Ran informed.
The inspector turned back at the time of murder which was approximately 4.30, and deduce that the murderer was the one who'd put the sign up, to keep people from coming in.
Mouri-kun deduce that the murderer was well acquainted with the museum. Which means it's gotta be one of the employees.
I look back at the screen seeing Conan play the video back. "Looks like Mr. Manaka was writing something with a pen and card on that table, before the killer jumped him again." I inform, pointing at the screen. "He threw the pen away!"
"What about the card?!"
"Crumpled up in his hands! Does that card say what I think it might?"
"It might still be in his hand!"
Mouri-kun and the inspector talked back to back.
Now back at the crime scene one of the officers found a piece of paper in the victim's hand.
On the piece of paper was written "Kubota"
"W-What's my name doing, on that?!" Kubota shouted in surprise.
"It seems you wore the armor to conceal your identity from the camera, but it also seems that the victim wasn't so easily fooled!" Mouri-kun deduced.
"N-no! It wasn't me!"
"In that case, give us your alibi. Where were you at 4.30?"
"I was alone in the office, doing work that Mr. Ochiai asked me to do…" Kubota said.
"Yes I did ask him to do some work." Ochiai confirmed Kubota's statement.
"Then that means nobody saw you, doesn't it?" Megure-keibu pointed out.
"Hold on! What motive would I have for killing the owner?!" Kubota defended.
"There's no point in trying to talk your way out of this, Kubota-san! The owner threatened to sue you for the damages because you were secretly selling this museum's exhibits!" Iijima countered.
"Well you see…"
"Is this the truth?" Megure-keibu asked for confirmation.
"But that had nothing to do with this! I wasn't the one who killed him!" Kubota denied again.
"If you say so.. the truth will come to light once my men find the suit of armor."
I doubt it's actually him… being a murderer myself, he's bound to be framed by the actual killer.
Kubota seems not to like this job though, and is threatened to be sued by the victim. I still doubt he had any reason to kill the new owner, from his behavior he seems too clumsy to be the one that killed him plus why would he choose this place if there's a camera here? Why would he even recreate the "Divine Punishment'' anyways. The guy doesn't even like art and base in how aggressive he was with that helmet he threw before.
That director on the other hand… hates the owner, and from that conversation earlier he'd hate Kubota too, with Kubota selling the art that he sees as his children and all, not to mention being the director gives him an upper hand on which room can be sealed off without questions.
It's more likable if he was the killer and framed Kubota in his stead. He'd even recreate that painting to stimulate punishment on the owner for breaking the contract. It's two birds in one stone here. Getting rid of the owner and at the same time getting rid of the employee that sells his 'children' in secret.
I was cut off from my thoughts when I saw Conan crawling around the place and found something.
"Megure-keibu! There's a ballpoint pen over here!" Conan shouted out.
"What?" He paused before picking up the pen. "Excellent work, my boy. Ouh.. This is quite a nice pen!"
"That pen was created this year in celebration of Beika Art Museum's 50th anniversary. Everyone who works here has one." Mr. Ochiai said.
"So, someone accidentally left it here then?" The inspector asked. He twisted the pen open and tried it on his small book.
"Both color and widths are exactly the same. This is probably the one the victim used."
A bit later Conan was off somewhere… I think he found something. Following further behind him, he then entered the security room we were just in. Not a minute later two police officers went out and passed me.
I looked into the security room to see the small detective looking back on the clip, before he looked like he price something together and sprinted out heading back to the scene of the crime, not noticing me when he sprinted by me.
Right as I entered Conan was in the air, Mouri-kun holding his collar and scolding him.
Poor poor Shin-chan with this body he can't freely see the evidence anymore.
"Inspector! We found the armor in Kubota-san's locker!"
Wow he really wanted to blame him huh?
Kubota kept denying the officers' claims. But the inspector didn't back down and pointed out that there's now two major pieces of evidence pointed towards him: the armor that was hidden in his locker, and the victim's dying message.
Iijima said the armor was a replica and it's the same armor that Kubota brought with him? Heh, all the more reason Mr. Ochiai is the culprit, he wouldn't even dare to taint prices of art. And that would explain why he was not yelling when Kubota threw that helmet violently.
Hmm? Now that I look at it… the wall the owner was killed at didn't have any art pieces. More things pointed to Mr. Ochiai committing it. He clearly wouldn't want his 'babies' ruin with blood. I was thrown off my thought process when Conan yelled.
"Uu hah! I really have to go so bad! Bathroom! Bathroom! Bathroom! Bathroom! Mister! Where's the Bathroom?!" Conan is acting? Huh looks like all of those lessons with Yuukiko actually paid off.
"The restroom? Go out this room, go down the stairs on your right, and then-" the director was cut off.
"That's too complicated for me! Draw it on this! Hurry up! Hurry up! Hurry up!" He's still acting now giving a notebook to the director.
"As I said you go out of this room-" the director paused, shock I written all over his face.
Ahh? The pen has no ink in it now does it?
"What's the matter, Mister? Why aren't you writing anything? Oh! You knew before writing anything that the pen doesn't work! But that's strange… Why did you have a pen that you knew didn't work?" Conan pointed out, his acting now stopped.
"A ballpoint pen that doesn't work?!"
"Hold on. If Mr. Manaka was also using a pen that doesn't work, so this dying message should be...blank." Mouri deduced.
Eh? What?
"Check the paper again, if the pen was inkless there should be scribble marks on the paper Mouri-jichan." I interrupted.
"And what if that mark was left behind because someone tried to cross out the letters beneath it, but the pen didn't work?" Conan threw the idea over.
Looking at the perpetrator he looked more shocked than before. Hah, must be embarrassing that a kid can catch you now is it?"
"Aha! This wasn't written by Mr. Manaka at all! It was written beforehand by none other than the killer!" Mouri-kun deduced.
"Eh?! But then why did he take the card in the first place?!"
"Hmph simple. The killer told the owner the following. "Look at the card behind you! The name of your murderer is on it!" But the card had Kubota's name on it, not the name of the killer! Shocked, he tried to cross out the name and replace it with the real one; using the ballpoint pen on the table. But he couldn't. The pen had been placed there in advance by the killer, and it didn't work!" I have to say he's not as dumb as I originally thought.
"So that's why he threw the pen away and tried to crumple up the paper!"
"In short, this was all a trick to fool us, perpetrated by the killer using a pen without ink and a videotape without sound Na Ha Ha Ha Ha!" Not bad old man, not bad.
"But the pen we found does work." Megure-keibu pointed out.
"Wasn't the tip of that pen retracted when we found it?" Conan interrupted.
"Ah yes, now that you mention it…"
"Strange for someone who's about to get killed to go through all the trouble of retracting a pen's tip…" Mouri-kun mentioned.
"So the killer switched this pen with the other one after the murder, but carelessly forgot to put the pen tip out?" I don't know how he even became an inspector with how much dumb question he's asking about now.
"Which means the killer is the one who has the inkless pen. In other words Mr. Ochiai is the perpetrator." I chimed in again. This was getting too long of a discussion.
"Well then, let us hear your alibi. Where were you at 4.30 when the murder took place?" Mouri-kun confronted him.
"Mr. Ochiai…"
"I was waiting to meet someone at 4.30. Waiting for that black-hearted demon…
...while inside that suit of armor."
Surprise, surprise! Not really but still a surprise to the other employee.
"Everything that happened afterward is exactly as you said, Detective."
"Tch, good thing everything was caught on tape!"
The director shakes his head. "That was no accident. Having Mr. Manaka stood where he did, the timing, the location of the card, the placement of the pen… They were all done according to my plan. I practice here on several occasions, you see…" Mr. Ochiai admitted.
"Then the rumors about the security guards seeing the suit of armor walking late at night was real?!"
"I felt like it was a foolish thing to do, but I did it for the purpose of getting rid of Mr. Manaka, the demon who was going to shut down this Divine museum and take away all of these exhibits that are like my own children. And then there was Kubota-kun, who went and sold some of my exhibits. I wanted to punish you as well."
"It appears to be different from the picture, Mr. Ochiai. It seems you've been struck down by divine punishment as well." Mouri said out
"No, it's exactly like the painting. Although the knight of justice has slain the demon, he has also been covered in its evil blood, which will soak into him and make him wicked in turn. No matter how you look at it, I am a murderer. I, too, have become a demon. The fact that I was unable to deceive the small knight of justice is proof enough of this!"
"The small knight of justice?"
"Say, little boy. Do you not need to go to the restroom anymore?" Oop busted!
After that confession Mr. Ochiai laughed out joyfully. He then was escorted out by the police.
Third point of view
5 Feb 20XX
You could see in the Detective agency, Mouri Kogoro laughing like a maniac as he sees that he was on the headlines after solving the case in the museum.
With M/n you could see M/n calling on his phone on a fine morning, "So, the art museum's not gonna close after all?" Nana's voice could be heard from the other line.
"Yeah, turns out citizens all got together after they heard about what happened." I guess Mr. Ochiai got what he wanted after all.
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Yo! It's the author here,this is episode 8 in the anime. Hope you enjoy this long ass chapter! Comments are always appreciated!
Treat it as a gift from yours truly since I won't be posting much because of school… no worries I'll still post within 2 weeks and maybe all the other chapters will be long like this one! Don't get your hopes too high though!
Author signing out!
❖Shēdo