124: Chapter 124: Conan: Impossible, Absolutely Impossible!

Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

"I suggest you confess honestly! Where did you put the rest of those bombs?!"

Inside the interrogation room, Sato Miwako demanded loudly, her face etched with displeasure.

"Hmph!"

Teiji Moriya, slumped in the interrogation chair, turned his aged face away, clearly refusing to cooperate.

"What kind of attitude is this!"

"Now, now... Sato-san, calm down."

Takagi, standing nearby, quickly tried to smooth things over.

"What time is it now?"

Teiji Moriya suddenly asked.

Takagi Wataru glanced at his watch. "Nine fifty-nine..."

"Hahahaha!"

Before Takagi could finish, Teiji Moriya burst into chilling laughter, his expression twisting into a crazed, psychopathic mask. "My plan is complete!"

"What do you mean by that?!"

Sato Miwako lunged forward, grabbing Teiji Moriya by the collar.

"Kudo Shinichi! Take your girlfriend and join my shame in paradise!"

"Damn it!"

Seeing Teiji Moriya seemingly lose his mind, muttering incoherently about Kudo and girlfriends, Sato Miwako shoved him away in frustration.

She pulled out her phone and dialed Megure Juzo's number. "Inspector Megure, Teiji Moriya suddenly started saying 'my plan is complete,' rambling about Kudo Shinichi and his girlfriend joining his shame in paradise."

Midori Police Hospital, patient room.

"Kudo-kun, and his girlfriend?"

After receiving Sato Miwako's call, Megure looked puzzled.

He knew Teiji Moriya was targeting Kudo-kun.

But Kudo-kun's girlfriend? What was that about?

"It's Beika City Hall! That guy Teiji Moriya must be talking about Beika City Hall!"

Conan, overhearing the phone call, suddenly shot up from the hospital bed. The mention of the case jogged his memory about his movie date with Ran today. "Shinichi-niichan said Ran invited him to watch a movie there today! And all the buildings targeted so far were designed by Teiji Moriya!"

"Beika City Hall?"

Megure looked surprised.

"Beika City Hall was indeed designed by Teiji Moriya,"

Shiratori Ninzaburo confirmed with a frown. "If it's there, it's certainly possible Teiji Moriya planted bombs... As the building's designer, he would know its structure intimately."

"What?!"

Mouri Kogoro couldn't sit still any longer. He jumped up from his chair beside the bed, ready to rush out.

"Mouri-kun, even if ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you go now, it won't help!"

Megure quickly stopped him. "I'll notify the bomb disposal squad immediately! We found the blueprints for those bombs on him!"

Conan, having somehow gotten hold of a phone, frantically dialed a number. "Ran-neechan! Get out of there, quickly!"

Soon, fire trucks, ambulances, and several police cars, including bomb squad vehicles, converged around Beika City Hall.

After a thorough search, the bomb squad located the explosives hidden ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠within the building.

"What? The bombs have already been disarmed?!"

Megure, receiving the situational report, breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the bat-symbol card just handed to him, he sighed again.

"Looks like the Beika Batman struck again."

Nearby, Conan, eavesdropping and observing, felt his small face darken.

Damn it, beaten to the punch again.

Not only did he directly capture Teiji Moriya, but he also disarmed all the bombs Moriya planted...

How did that guy figure out the bombs were in Beika City Hall before him?

Did he torture the information out of Teiji Moriya?

"Impossible, absolutely impossible! I definitely didn't tell anyone where the bombs were planted! How could they have been disarmed!"

"Damn it! Kudo Shinichi! It must have been Kudo Shinichi!"

Just as Conan was pondering, a frantic roar erupted nearby.

Conan turned to see a man in a green suit, handcuffed, his face swollen like a pig's head, standing beside a police car, screaming like a madman.

A swarm of reporters surrounded him, snapping photos relentlessly.

Recognizing the small mustache, Conan identified the man.

It was Teiji Moriya!

"Teiji Moriya didn't reveal the bombs' location?"

"Something's wrong... How did that Beika Batman know the bombs were hidden here?"

Conan stood alone in front of the building, feeling utterly confused.

No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't figure it out.

Could that guy's deductive abilities surpass mine?

Impossible, absolutely impossible.

He must have noticed some obscure detail!

That must be it!

Dong! Dong!

The large clock near the City Hall chimed punctually, marking the arrival of May 4th.

Ran, having been evacuated, clutched the gift bag in her hands, glancing at the large clock in the square, her expression tinged with disappointment.

"Damn it! Kudo Shinichi!"

As the clock chimed, drawing everyone's attention, Teiji Moriya somehow slipped away from police custody.

"Kudo Shinichi's girlfriend! Die!"

Roaring, Teiji Moriya charged rapidly towards Ran.

His aged body, in that instant, surged with astonishing strength.

Conan, snapping back to reality, twisted the dial on his power-enhancing shoes, but realized there was nothing nearby to kick.

Trouble!

Just as panic set in, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Ran.

"Beika Batman?"

Ran, shielded behind the figure, recognized who it was – the very same Beika Batman, friend to women, currently trending among her female classmates.

Under Ran and Conan's watchful eyes, Fujino first delivered a swift kick to Teiji Moriya's abdomen, sending him flying.

He then followed up with a relentless flurry of punches, each landing squarely on Teiji Moriya's already swollen face.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sound of fists meeting flesh echoed repeatedly.

Simultaneously, a stream of system notifications chimed in Fujino's ears: [Martial Arts Proficiency +2 +3 +1 +3 +2]

Beaten senseless, Teiji Moriya let out pathetic cries, tears inexplicably streaming from the corners of his eyes.

"Stop right there!"

The surrounding police officers finally noticed the sudden appearance of the Beika Batman.

Seeing Teiji Moriya being pummeled helplessly, they rushed forward to intervene.

Fujino released his grip on Teiji Moriya, stood up, and glanced at the approaching officers.

Just moments ago, after disarming the bombs and sending Fujino Akemi home, he had planned to stick around and enjoy the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠show of Ran being stood up by Shinichi.

Unexpectedly, instead of drama, he encountered the crazed Teiji Moriya attacking Ran.

Operating on the principle of 'grab proficiency points whenever possible,' he had proceeded to beat the lunatic senseless...

But, well, it seemed the surrounding police didn't approve of his methods.

Striking a pose for the surrounding reporters with their cameras raised, he then dashed away in the opposite direction with incredible speed.

"Beika Batman, who in the world are you?!"

A female reporter from Nichiuri News, holding a microphone, chased after him, shouting the question.

"Just a passing-by world's greatest detective,"

Fujino replied casually, recalling Batman's moniker from his past life.

The moment the words left his mouth, he triggered the Passing Assassin skill effect and vanished into the surrounding crowd.