115: Chapter 115: Modern Master of Deception

After briefly controlling the Soul Lotus to move around, Fujino had become accustomed to operating this new vessel.

He examined his slender hands, stroked his chin, and murmured, "This body's coordination and flexibility are excellent... just a bit lacking in strength."

Being a newly grown Soul Lotus, its physical capabilities naturally lagged behind his system-enhanced original body.

But that wasn't a major issue.

According to the Soul Lotus Cultivation Manual, the Soul Lotus itself could also be upgraded.

The resource required for upgrades was... soul power.

Soul ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠power could be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠acquired from the deceased through the Lotus Badge.

Upgrading could enhance the Soul Lotus's physical abilities and, with a small probability, even allow it to learn some basic, common knowledge skills possessed by the deceased soul.

Furthermore, these skills could be inherited by Fujino himself.

After all, the Soul Lotus was essentially another aspect of him.

In the world of Conan, where people dropped dead constantly, acquiring soul power seemed relatively simple.

"How is this becoming increasingly metaphysical..."

Fujino pondered, letting out a soft sigh.

All this talk of souls and the like reminded him of a certain spirit medium transmigrator predecessor.

Still, it wasn't a bad thing.

Having a substitute body made undertaking dangerous tasks much more convenient.

Moreover, since the Soul Lotus was strictly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠speaking a part of Fujino, system items and some functions could still be utilized through it.

And thanks to the [Soul Lotus Undying] trait, he wouldn't have to worry about his own safety when using this alternate form.

After all, it's just a Soul Lotus. If it 'dies', it dies.

Worst case, just toss it back in the bathtub to cultivate for a few days.

Miyano Akemi slowly opened her eyes, gazing blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling.

"Awake?"

Fujino stood by the bedside, looking down at the bewildered Miyano Akemi.

After some fine-tuning using the [Puppet Show] skill,

this Miyano Akemi no longer looked exactly like Miyano Akemi.

Besides minor height adjustments, her facial features and pupils had also been subtly altered.

Her pupil color now matched Fujino's own ink-black eyes.

Her face had transformed into that of a young woman bearing a slight resemblance to Fujino.

A close look wouldn't reveal any trace of the original Miyano Akemi.

"Where am I... Who am I... And who are you?"

The confused Miyano Akemi frowned.

Looking at the strange man before her, she clutched her head and voiced the three fundamental philosophical questions.

"Hmm... Amnesia, it seems?"

Fujino stroked his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠chin.

The Soul Lotus Cultivation Manual had mentioned this possibility.

Upon completing its growth, the Soul Lotus would lose all memories except for basic consciousness.

These memories could potentially be recovered through upgrades...

But Fujino had no intention of restoring Miyano Akemi's memories.

After all, an amnesiac Miyano Akemi was far easier to manipulate than one with memories intact.

After a moment's thought, he began his deception: "You're currently at my home. My name is Fujino Douji. Your name is Fujino Akemi."

"My name is Fujino Akemi?"

Miyano Akemi frowned upon hearing the name.

Although it felt somewhat familiar,

why did she have a nagging feeling it wasn't her name...?

"That's right."

Fujino nodded, continuing the charade. "Your name is Fujino Akemi... You're my cousin, my father's brother's daughter."

"Cousin?"

Miyano Akemi paused, a hint of suspicion in her eyes.

Yet, despite her doubts, she suddenly felt an undeniable sense of connection, a familiarity linked by blood, emanating from the stranger before her.

That feeling of kinship... it couldn't be wrong.

Could she truly be this man's cousin?

"But... why can't I remember anything?"

Miyano Akemi gently touched her forehead, looking forlorn. "Not just you, I feel like my entire past is a blank slate."

"That's perfectly normal."

Everything seemed to be proceeding according to Fujino's plan.

He picked up a medical record from the bedside table and handed it to Miyano Akemi. "You were in a car accident not long ago. After the accident, you fell into a coma... I only received news a few days ago and brought you back from the hospital."

"The doctor mentioned potential memory loss, but I didn't expect it to actually happen."

This medical record was fabricated by Fujino using the Virtual Identity Card.

As described, the Virtual Identity Card possessed the outrageous ability to alter reality.

It hadn't just created the medical record; it had also generated corresponding household registration information, even a driver's license and bank card.

"I... was in a car accident?"

Miyano Akemi took the medical record and began examining it.

Thinking, she looked up at Fujino's earnest expression, pausing again.

After a moment, she sighed and asked, "Besides you, do I have any other relatives?"

"Well... apart from my father who passed away a year ago, you don't have any other relatives for now. I only found out about you, my cousin, a few days ago myself. Otherwise, it wouldn't necessarily have been me picking you up from the hospital..."

And so, under the persuasive efforts of Bruce Fujino – a modern master of deception who, in his past life, had even lectured within pyramid schemes – Miyano Akemi accepted her fabricated identity.

Although numerous doubts lingered in her mind, pulling out the driver's license from her pocket and seeing the name Fujino Akemi printed on it convinced her to trust Fujino.

As for her previous apartment...

She was told it had been completely destroyed in an explosion.

There were no survivors in the entire building...

Now homeless and penniless, she had no choice but to stay with this unfamiliar 'cousin', Fujino, in his four-story building.

Meanwhile, at the Mouri Detective Agency.

"Ran-neechan, you're not inviting Fujino-niichan over for dinner again, are you?"

"That's right."

At the entrance, Conan watched Ran with a look of utter resignation.

It seemed that, in his memory, Fujino crashing dinner at the Mouri residence had become the norm.

He'd show up every few days to freeload...

Conan was numb to it now.

As for why Fujino frequented the Mouri household for meals...

Well, if there's a place offering free food, why bother spending money and effort cooking yourself?

Plus, he could use Ran as a convenient excuse for his own rapidly improving cooking skills.

Besides, Ran was genuinely a good cook.

Although Fujino possessed vast culinary knowledge and his cooking could literally emit golden light and background music,

in practice, Ran's food still tasted better.

Perhaps it was due to her 'cooking soul' or something?

Arriving at Fujino's place, Ran and Conan took the elevator to the fourth floor and knocked on the door to Fujino's apartment.

"Coming!"

After a moment, a mature-looking, unfamiliar woman wearing a red shirt and white skirt opened the door.

"Excuse me, you are...?"

Ran stared at the strange woman before her, momentarily lost.

Miyano Akemi looked back at the girl outside the door, equally curious.

Noticing the school uniform Ran was wearing, she asked puzzledly, "Are you Fujino-kun's classmate?"