93: Chapter 93: Death is a New Beginning

Fujino's expression remained unchanged, but his grip on the limp hand tightened unconsciously.

He reached out and gently closed her eyelids, her pupils already dilated.

Standing up, he lit a cigarette.

Despite seeing many corpses, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠despite being numb to death,

sometimes, the fading of life still struck a chord of melancholy.

After standing there for a moment, Fujino slowly exhaled a plume of white smoke that lingered unusually long.

"But death isn't the end... it's a new beginning."

Gazing at Miyano Akemi's lifeless body on the ground,

Fujino silently retrieved the Soul Lotus Seed from his pocket ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dimension.

"Wonder if this thing will actually work."

Fujino murmured, holding the Soul Lotus Seed near Miyano Akemi.

[Compatible target detected. Absorb target soul into Thousand Lotus Soul?]

The system notification sounded in his ear.

Fujino took a deep breath.

"Absorb."

[Initiating Thousand Lotus Soul skill effect for Host.]

As the system notification sounded again,

the Soul Lotus Seed in Fujino's hand suddenly pulsed with a brilliant light.

The light gradually detached from Fujino's hand,

floating towards Miyano Akemi's body.

Amidst flashes of light, an ethereal, ghost-like figure slowly emerged from Miyano Akemi's form.

Within the light, the figure seemed... naked?

Fujino glanced at the figure, then awkwardly rubbed his nose.

He was a gentleman. Why would he stare at such a thing?

Naturally, he'd use his peripheral vision.

Although just a luminous silhouette, the figure's arms were crossed defensively in front, its body curled up, obscuring most details.

Yet, there was a hazy, indistinct beauty to it.

After a moment, the light shattered, streams of luminescence flowing into the Soul Lotus Seed.

This light gradually brightened into a dazzling dawn, radiating an unusual warmth.

Within those fragments of light, Fujino seemed to glimpse fleeting images.

Similar to when he first transmigrated.

Those images... fragments of memory.

Though indistinct, he could make out some details...

As the light merged into the seed, the once dry seed suddenly seemed to bloom with life.

Its original red color shifted, turning into a vibrant cyan.

"Is it done?"

Fujino caught the seed as it floated down from mid-air, murmuring thoughtfully.

Pocketing the seed, he looked back at Miyano Akemi's now cold body.

Miyano Akemi had entrusted him with protecting Miyano Shiho, and he, in turn, had taken her soul as payment.

In a way, it was an equivalent exchange.

Though Miyano Akemi appeared dead, her soul was now preserved within the Soul Lotus Seed, allowing her to continue existing in spiritual form...

No matter how inept Gin might seem sometimes, he was still designated A-rank in combat.

Vodka was at least B-rank.

And both carried high-performance firearms.

If Fujino had risked his life, perhaps, while sustaining serious injuries himself, he could have saved Miyano Akemi physically.

But what then?

If Akemi survived, the Organization would simply threaten her using her sister.

Knowing Akemi's personality, she would likely walk right back into their trap, risking everything.

It would just loop back to the same dilemma of saving her or not.

Besides, ultimately, he and Miyano Akemi were strangers who had just met.

Was risking his own life for a stranger worth it?

In this situation, preserving her soul seemed like the best possible solution he could manage.

Collecting his thoughts, Fujino walked back to Miyano Akemi's cold body.

He searched her briefly but couldn't find the safe deposit box key mentioned in the original story.

Seeing this, Fujino frowned slightly.

He remembered that in the original plot, Miyano Akemi's key was taken.

But that was a fake key. She had hidden the real one...

Could the Organization have found the real key too and taken it?

After a moment's thought, Fujino gave up on the key and continued searching for other items.

Miyano Akemi hadn't carried much with her this time – just a wallet and a cell phone, nothing else.

"A flip phone?"

Fujino pulled the phone from her pocket, surprised.

Normally, flip phones shouldn't exist at this point in the timeline...

He recalled seeing people use older brick-style portable phones just recently during the TV show recording with Yoko Okino and Ikegami Yuko.

Now suddenly it's flip phones?

Truly Conan-logical.

After the internal complaint, Fujino scrolled through some chat logs.

The history was simple, mostly mundane conversations with a contact saved as "Miyano Shiho."

From the messages, Fujino gathered that the sisters didn't meet often.

And when they did, Organization members were always present, guarding them...

It seemed her claim of only knowing the Organization's representative color was indeed true.

However, among the sent messages, Fujino noticed one particular text:

[Dai-kun... If I manage to leave the Organization, would you be willing to date me seriously?

P.S. Akemi]

"Akai ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Shuichi?"

Fujino stared at the message, taking a deep breath.

This text was sent yesterday.

It had received no reply.

The 'Dai-kun' mentioned was Moroboshi Dai.

Akai Shuichi's alias when he infiltrated the Organization.

It could be argued that Akai Shuichi played a significant role in Miyano Akemi ending up in this situation.

Five years ago, he didn't hesitate to use Akemi as a pawn (dumping Jodie Starling in the process) to get close to the Organization.

Two years ago, having gained some standing within the Organization, he initiated his plan to take them down.

But he was exposed. Not only did he flee after being exposed, but he also abandoned Miyano Akemi, leaving her behind in the Organization's clutches.

Honestly, Fujino couldn't understand Akai Shuichi.

Perhaps, from beginning to end, Akemi was just a pawn to him.

Fujino sighed. As a mere transmigrator, he could never comprehend the minds of secret agents.

Speaking of agents, wasn't Akai Shuichi actually Miyano Akemi's cousin?

Miyano Akemi's mother was Miyano Elena. Miyano Elena's sister was Akai Mary. Akai Mary's son was Akai Shuichi.

Such tangled relationships.

It's a waste not sending them all to Germany for psychoanalysis.

Letting out a long breath, Fujino put Miyano Akemi's phone into his pocket dimension.

After checking one last time for anything else, he put his hood and mask back on, flicked his sleeve dramatically, and vanished into the twilight dusk as if he had never been there.

About fifteen minutes later, Conan arrived, breathless.

"Damn it!"

Conan tossed his skateboard aside and rushed to Miyano Akemi's cold body, punching the concrete floor in anger.

The sharp pain jolting through his hand forced him to calm down slightly.

He pulled the safe deposit box key from his pocket, clutching it tightly.

Then, he took out his phone and made a call.

"Connect me to Inspector Megure of Division One, please."