Chapter 158 - Fujino: It's Magic
Fujino: It's Magic
Two hours later, the time paid for the bowling machine ran out.
Sonoko bowled for two hours but didn't manage many strikes in total.
Ran, aside from a few misses, achieved consecutive strikes in her last three games.
And Fujino was even more monstrous.
Forget strikes; he shattered the pins.
As for Conan...
Let's just say, being shorter than the two girls and Fujino, he'd probably fly down the lane himself if he tried to bowl.
His build was more suited to being the bowling ball for Fujino.
"Ah! That was really relaxing!"
Outside the bowling alley, Ran stretched languidly, remarking, "Bowling on a non-holiday feels really nice."
"It's rare to have a break after midterms; it really is relaxing."
Sonoko echoed.
She felt really good about her performance in the midterms this time.
Should be able to get a good score.
Fujino, nearby, also nodded silently.
Although he didn't feel the relaxing atmosphere,
while bowling, he did manage to adapt to controlling his strength, which was a fruitful endeavor.
But what gratified him more was that Conan's curse finally seemed to have failed.
No murder occurred at the bowling alley.
Hmm, Calm down. Today is another peaceful day.
"Cough cough cough cough!"
Just then, a series of coughs sounded.
Fujino turned to see Conan coughing violently.
One cough after another – could this kid have pneumonia?
"Conan, are you okay?"
Ran bent down slightly, asking with concern.
"I'm fine."
Conan shook his head. "Probably just a cold."
"Is that so?"
Ran raised her hand, checked the time on her watch. "It's only three o'clock... Well, let's just go home."
One had to say,
Conan really knew how to spoil the mood.
Thus, today's outing had to end prematurely.
Just as they were about to part ways, Ran suddenly remembered something.
Turns out she forgot to go to the bank to cash the check her father received from a client yesterday.
Then, led by Sonoko, the group arrived at a nearby branch of Touto Bank.
"Isn't this Miss Sonoko! What brings you here today?"
The bank manager recognized Suzuki Sonoko at a glance and warmly received the group.
"Ah, I'm just here with my friends today."
"I see."
The bank manager glanced at Fujino and the others. Seeing they were unfamiliar faces, he bowed slightly to Suzuki Sonoko.
"Please send my regards to your father."
'The daughter of the Suzuki Financial Group really is different.'
This time, Fujino and Conan were in rare agreement.
Fujino vaguely remembered the attitude of the manager at another Touto Bank branch when he applied for a mobile POS machine last time.
Indeed, this ugly, evil society of Japan still revolved around money.
Or perhaps, humans were just like that?
Why did he suddenly feel a bit like Ai-chan?
Just then, Conan started coughing again.
"Is this child alright?"
Just then, a man in a brown suit approached.
The man took out a throat lozenge from his pocket and handed it to Conan.
A green wrapper with a cartoon pear on it.
Handing the lozenge to Conan, the man then left.
"A bank?"
Fujino, sitting next to Ran and Sonoko, observed the quiet bank, feeling something was off.
This bank was way too quiet.
And ever since entering, he had felt a persistent sense of unease, a premonition of danger.
Could it be someone was about to rob the bank?
No way, no way. Could such a coincidence really happen to him?
"Bang!"
Then, with a loud noise,
a man holding a pistol burst in through the bank's back door.
After knocking out a bank employee, he entered the main hall.
It was a robber!
"Nobody move! Hands up!"
The robber pointed the gun at everyone in the bank, shouting threats loudly.
In response, the people inside the bank remained remarkably calm.
They all stood up from their seats, raising their hands above their shoulders.
Clearly, they were quite experienced in being bank robbery hostages.
'Really ran into a bank robbery...'
Fujino also stood up from his seat with a speechless expression.
He cast a slightly complaining glance towards Conan nearby.
He thought he could finally have a peaceful day.
Unexpectedly, right before heading back, this happened.
The luck of the elementary school shinigami was truly no joke.
"New Detective Profession Task detected. Please check."
Just then, a system notification interrupted Fujino's thoughts.
Before Fujino could open the system interface, the robber on the other side made another move.
Fujino looked up and saw the robber holding the gun with one hand, looking at the cash on the bank counter, complaining,
"Damn it, this world is so unfair! Rich people have so much money!"
He then herded everyone in the bank to the side.
He ordered the man who had given Conan the throat lozenge earlier to help stuff cash into a bag.
Fujino didn't quite understand this move.
Normally, shouldn't they order a woman to help bag the money?
Judging by physique and calmness, the female bank employees seemed more suitable.
And after the robbery, they could forcibly take a female employee hostage.
If things got even more out of hand, tsk tsk tsk.
"Ran, Fujino-senpai... what should we do now?"
Although Sonoko had encountered robberies once or twice before, she clearly wasn't proficient in being a hostage.
She whispered to Fujino and Ran.
"Don't worry... As long as we don't make any sudden moves, we should be fine."
Ran seemed quite experienced with bank robberies, responding softly.
Fujino, however, stood silently aside.
He opened the system interface, checking the system task that just appeared:
[Detective Profession Task: Bank Robbery Case]
[Objective: Solve the bank robbery case, arrest the robber, identify the robber's accomplice]
[Reward: 1,000,000 Yen, +100 Detective Reputation]
[Time Limit: 3 Hours]
Bank robbery case, should be this one.
But, what was there to solve...
Thinking this, Fujino began observing the robber's actions.
Based on posture and movements, the robber should be an adult male in his twenties or thirties.
The man wore a blue windbreaker, strongly resembling an Ele.me delivery rider.
The handgun he held looked somewhat crudely made.
Likely not a genuine firearm.
"Cough cough!"
Just then, the robber suddenly coughed twice.
He then reached into his pocket, took something out, glanced at it, and tossed it aside.
Afterward, he pulled a nearby chair under him, reached into the suit jacket draped over the chair, fumbling for something.
At this moment, the bank employee who had been knocked out earlier regained consciousness.
Under the expectant, or perhaps anxious, gazes of the others, the bank employee picked up a nearby wooden stick and cautiously approached the robber.
But just as the bank employee raised the wooden stick, a phone suddenly rang.
The alert robber immediately reacted, turned around, and pointed the gun at the bank employee.
"Bang!"
With a gunshot, the bank employee fell to the ground.
Good opportunity...
Seeing this, Fujino's mind moved quickly, immediately activating the Detective Enhancement:
[Detective Enhancement activated: Host's physical abilities increased by 225%, remaining time 8 minutes]
Then, Fujino used the enhancement cards.
[Strength Enhancement Card used: Host's strength increased by 100%]
[Perception Enhancement Card used: Host's perception increased by 100%]
[Reaction Enhancement Card used: Host's reaction increased by 100%]
A series of system prompts sounded in his ear.
Hearing them, Fujino paused, yanked the bokken necklace from his neck, and rushed forward at incredible speed.
The bokken necklace in his hand suddenly enlarged, fitting into his grip.
Boosted by the Comfort-Step shoes and various enhancements, before the robber could even turn around, Fujino was already behind him.
Thump!
Fujino's bokken rose and fell swiftly, striking the robber's helmet directly.
With a loud clang, the top of the helmet actually shattered.
The bokken, having breached the helmet's defense, slammed hard onto the robber's crown.
Instantly, a dull thud echoed – indicating a not-so-good brain.
Then, the handgun dropped, and the man collapsed, knocked unconscious by the bokken.
"A bokken?!"
Nearby, Conan, witnessing this, stared blankly.
Looking at the bokken in Fujino's hand, he was bewildered.
He had seen that wooden sword more than once; it seemed to be something Fujino often used when subduing criminals.
But how did the bokken suddenly appear in Fujino's hand?!
Where could he hide such a large wooden sword?
Could it be...
Could it be magic?
Soon, the police arrived at the scene.
Fortunately, since the bank employee was only hit in the side, his life wasn't in danger.
And after a doctor's assessment, the robber was found to have no serious injuries and was taken away for investigation.
Of course, the actual interrogation could only proceed after he regained consciousness.
"How do you guys always end up at crime scenes... Oh well, it's fortunate no one was hurt."
At the crime scene, Megure Juzo looked at the familiar faces and sighed softly.
He then patted Fujino's shoulder, remarking, "But this time, it's thanks to you again, Fujino-kun. If you hadn't subdued the culprit in time, who knows what reckless things that guy might have done."
"Senpai, you looked really cool just now!"
Sonoko chattered, her face showing a fangirl's adoration.
"By the way, Fujino, where did your bokken come from?"
Just then, Conan, having pondered for a long time, unable to figure out how Fujino produced the bokken, suddenly asked.
Fujino: "It's magic."