The next few days were peaceful and calm. After working five days in a row, Yuu Hoshimiya found himself feeling a bit unaccustomed to the routine.
Teitan High School's festival was a two-day event, held from Saturday through Sunday.
Ran's drama performance was scheduled for Sunday afternoon. After the long work week, Yuu had planned to slack off and rest on Saturday morning to soothe his tired soul.
However, early that morning, he received a phone call from Kazuha Toyama.
When he picked up, a voice full of boundless energy rang in his ear.
"Teacher Hoshimiya! I'm at the station right now and about to take the Shinkansen to Tokyo. I'll see you very soon. Have you missed me?"
It was Kazuha's voice. Hearing the "Genki girl" speak, Yuu's mental fatigue vanished instantly.
He had been separated from Kazuha for quite a while, and he truly missed this high-spirited, ponytail-wearing beauty.
Kazuha usually stayed at home in Osaka, making it inconvenient for Yuu to teleport there at night. Thus, they hadn't met since their last parting.
As for finding an opportunity during the day...
Not only was it easier to be discovered during daylight hours, but neither Yuu nor Kazuha had felt that desperate yet.
"Kazuha, of course I've missed you. Are you coming for Ran's school festival?"
Yuu thought of the festival and figured that was why Kazuha chose this specific time to visit.
"That's right! Ran and the others said the performance would be wonderful, so I couldn't miss it."
The girl gave a mischievous laugh and added, "And since it's the weekend, I can go on a date with you, Teacher Hoshimiya."
If she were only coming to see Ran's play, she would have arrived on Sunday.
Choosing early Saturday morning was clearly so she could spend more time with Yuu.
And if they could have a private date, that would be even better.
Yuu thought about it for a second; he had nothing to do today, so he agreed decisively.
"Alright. I have no plans today. I'm at home, so call me when you arrive and I'll pick you up at the station."
"Hooray!"
Kazuha cheered. "It's a promise then! I'll hang up now, I'm getting on the train."
"Okay."
Listening to the girl's joyful voice, Yuu smiled, silently anticipating their meeting.
Around ten in the morning, Yuu was walking through Teitan High with Kazuha clinging to his arm.
Initially, they planned to date at the shopping district, but the district was always there, while the annual school festival was a one-time opportunity.
So, after some discussion, they chose to have their date right here at the school.
Kazuha had dressed up specially for today, wearing a pink dress cinched at the waist with a black leather belt. Her high ponytail was tied with a pink ribbon.
Her pale, exquisite face was exposed, radiating youth, vitality, and high spirits.
A soft smile played on Kazuha's face. "This is so nice. Being able to walk while holding onto Brother Yuu's arm feels wonderful."
Since many parents and students were visiting the festival, Yuu had Kazuha call him "Brother" to avoid unnecessary trouble.
After all, they looked like siblings, and it wasn't unusual for a couple to use that term as a pet name.
Yuu's face showed a hint of apology. "Kazuha, I'm sorry. I haven't been able to visit you in Osaka lately. I've just been too tied up here."
Kazuha shook her head and said, "It's okay. I know you're busy. Coming here is fast anyway, just two hours. It's just that my classes have been so packed lately that I couldn't come to Tokyo as often."
"But once I finish my university entrance exams next year, I can be with you all the time." Kazuha leaned her head against Yuu's arm, her eyes full of beautiful hope.
The two wandered through the various booths and attractions organized by the classes, eventually grabbing lunch at the festival.
By nearly three in the afternoon, they had walked through almost the entire festival grounds.
Kazuha was starting to feel a bit tired from all the walking, so they decided to head back home.
As the saying goes, a short absence makes the heart grow fonder. After several hours of emotional intimacy, it was naturally time for physical intimacy.
The girl, who had been lonely for a long time, was behaving even more proactively than Yuu.
Once they were home, Kazuha's amber eyes lit up as she immediately threw herself into Yuu's arms.
She stood on her tiptoes but still couldn't quite reach him, so she pouted and swayed her body, clearly demanding a kiss.
Yuu laughed at the sight, leaned down, and captured those pouting lips in a deep kiss.
His hands wrapped around Kazuha's soft waist, pulling her tightly against his chest.
Kazuha's hands began to roam over Yuu's body, even attempting to hike up his shirt.
Yuu broke the kiss and whispered, "Kazuha, don't you want to take a shower first?"
Kazuha licked her lips, her eyes sparkling with desire. She dragged out her words coquettishly, "Bro~ther~ Yuu~ I don't mind at all. Or are you the one who finds me gross?"
At this moment, Kazuha was like a little succubus, launching a relentless assault on Yuu.
Yuu glanced at Kazuha and shook his head decisively.
If Kazuha didn't mind, why would he, a veteran driver, care?
Even though they had walked for half the day, she didn't smell of sweat at all. Instead, her youthful fragrance seemed even more intoxicating.
He was certain that her "original flavor" would be incredibly moist and delicious.
Yuu began to respond actively, his hands wandering over Kazuha's soft and supple body.
At the entrance foyer, Kazuha gripped both sides of the door frame tightly with her hands. Her face was flushed deep red, and her amber eyes were glazed with a watery sheen, like two green lakes filled with surging waves.
The black belt that had been tied around her waist had already fallen off; Kazuha now held it in her mouth, biting down on it with her pearly teeth.
She didn't dare make a sound, though sharp gasps escaped her nose. These weak sounds were muffled by the heavy front door.
Her long, slender legs were spread wide as she stood, her muscle lines looking incredibly graceful and beautiful.
The most prominent feature, however, was Kazuha's large ponytail, which swayed and danced rhythmically behind her head like seaweed tossing in the ocean waves.
Kazuha's body trembled slightly. Her pores were wide open, and sweat seeped out, soaking through her pink dress.
The sweat was mixed with her unique girlish fragrance, making Yuu want to devour her greedily.
As she bit the belt, saliva gradually leaked out and spread across the black leather.
She stared at the door in front of her, knowing it could open at any second.
Ran or Seimi Asai could appear at any moment and see her in this compromising position.
Waves of shame and panic crashed over Kazuha's heart.
However, this fear and embarrassment seemed to meld together, creating an indescribable sense of thrill.
Just then, Kazuha suffered another fierce thrust from Yuu.
In an instant, the girl lost control, her body spasming and shuddering violently in climax.
A moment later, as the orgasm faded, a look of pleading appeared in Kazuha's amber eyes.
Yuu looked at the girl's flushed face and didn't force her to continue in that position.
He carried her to the living room sofa, sat down first, and had Kazuha kneel before him.
Since her "lower mouth" couldn't take any more, she would use the one on top to compensate.
Facing the oversized "ice cream" covered in her own secretions, Kazuha didn't mind at all. She opened her mouth into an 'O' shape and began to work hard, taking him in and out.
As she sucked, Yuu's right hand reached out and gripped her large ponytail, which was still tied with the pink ribbon.
His grip was a bit rough, even causing her a bit of pain.
But Kazuha's face actually showed a look of pleasure. It was unbelievable; this girl seemed to have masochistic tendencies.
Yuu sat spread-eagle on the sofa and pulled Kazuha up to sit on top of him.
"Mmm!"
A sharp nasal sound escaped Kazuha's nose as her long, pale legs spread into a full split on the sofa.
The setting sun shone on her legs, coating them in a golden glow. Her small white shoes twitched rhythmically, looking exceptionally playful and cute.
Yuu's mouth moved directly to Kazuha's, launching another assault.
Looking into her amber eyes from inches away, Yuu blinked rhythmically at her, leaving her completely mesmerized.
His right hand released her silky ponytail and slid down her pale neck to the small of her back, supporting her so she wouldn't fall.
His left hand followed the sunlight and slid gently along Kazuha's right thigh.
Clearly, a blowjob wasn't enough to satisfy Yuu, and the girl wasn't satisfied with just one climax either.
After a short rest, a new war began.
Two hours later, Yuu carried the completely exhausted Kazuha into the bathroom to clean up.
That night, Kazuha didn't continue to cling to Yuu. Instead, she slept with Ran.
Partly because she was truly "full," and partly because she hadn't seen Ran in a long time and they had a lot to talk about.
On Sunday morning, Kazuha and Ran went to Teitan High together while Yuu slacked off and slept in.
The class performances for the festival were scheduled for this afternoon. Since he had already seen most of the booths with Kazuha yesterday, he decided to only go for the afternoon shows.
There were many parents with the same plan.
They weren't very interested in the festival itself but wanted to see their children perform on stage.
In the afternoon, right as the performances were about to start, Yuu arrived at the Teitan High auditorium.
Scanning the audience, Yuu was surprised to find not a single familiar face.
Kogoro Mouri, Conan, and Heiji Hattori were all absent.
Curious as to why they hadn't come, Yuu had Noah check their phones to see what they were doing.
First was Conan; he was at Professor Agasa's house playing with the Detective Boys.
From their conversation, it seemed Conan and the kids wanted to come, but the Professor was busy and couldn't take them.
As for asking Kogoro Mouri to take them...
The man was currently in the middle of a massive hangover.
After his official divorce from Eri and Ran moving out, Kogoro had completely let himself go.
As long as he had no cases, he spent every day drunk.
He didn't even clean the house. Conan, unable to stand it, would have to hire professional cleaners to do a deep clean.
Since Ran hadn't specifically asked Kogoro to come, he probably didn't even know the festival was happening.
Heiji Hattori was back in Osaka, riding his motorcycle around aimlessly.
He likely lost interest because Conan wasn't attending the festival.
Without his best friend there, Heiji wasn't about to travel all the way from Osaka to Tokyo just for a high school play.
He'd rather spend that time investigating cases.
As the son of the Osaka Police Chief, Heiji was never short of crimes to solve.
The butterfly effect was very apparent at this moment.
Since these "Gods of Death" hadn't shown up, Yuu wondered if the poisoning case would still happen.
On a side note, because she knew Vermouth was disguised as Dr. Araide, Ai hadn't come today either.
Otherwise, Akemi would have brought her along for a fun day out.
While Yuu's thoughts were wandering as he waited for the show to begin, a soft hand patted his shoulder.
A moment later, Eri Kisaki's voice reached him.
"Yuu, why are you sitting here alone? No beauties accompanying you today?"
"Exactly. If I knew you were alone, I would have asked you out directly," Yukiko's playful voice added.
The newcomers were Eri Kisaki, wearing a purple suit skirt and black stockings that exuded a queenly aura, and Yukiko Kudo, dressed like a British gentleman in a flat brown cap.
Hearing their voices, Yuu said with surprise, "What are you two doing here?"
Eri and Yukiko sat on either side of Yuu. Eri crossed her legs and said, "This is Ran's drama performance. It's only natural for me to be here. She invited me several times. As for Yukiko, she was just bored, so she tagged along."
"Hehe, I was lucky. I just got home this morning, and when I went to see Eri, she told me about the Teitan festival. I certainly couldn't miss that," Yukiko added boastfully.
Before they could chat much longer, the lights in the auditorium dimmed, and the stage lights flared to life.
The first performance began, and it was a familiar face.
"Next, please enjoy a karate demonstration by Sumi Tsukamoto and the members of Class 3-C."
As the host finished the introduction, students in karate gi ran onto the stage and knelt in a group.
The opening act was a high-impact show.
Sumi Tsukamoto stood in the center, facing off against all the other students. She let out a fierce shout.
"I want to fight ten people!"
Instantly, ten male students in karate uniforms stood up and surrounded her.
Yuu was caught between laughter and tears.
He hadn't expected Sumi to actually take his advice. Didn't she find it embarrassing?
One could only say that the Japanese truly had a "Chuunibyou" spirit engraved in their bones.
A few days ago, Sumi had come to him for another private instruction session.
Afterward, she complained to him about being troubled over what to perform for the festival.
Yuu had casually suggested that line, briefly describing the iconic scene from Ip Man, and then pulled her into another session of dual cultivation.
While Yuu felt embarrassed, the rest of the audience watched with great interest.
Watching the girl's valiant figure and hearing her spirited shouts, the crowd was deeply moved.
What followed was a thrilling karate fight that was highly theatrical and visually impressive.
The audience was fired up; the performance was a huge hit.
Especially the final moment, where Sumi used a single punch to knock back six people at once. It was a jaw-dropping sight; even Yukiko watched with her mouth hanging open.
Being able to pull that off was partly due to the choreography, but mostly thanks to the strength boost Yuu had given her through dual cultivation over the last few days.
Without that, even with the actors cooperating, Sumi wouldn't have been able to knock six people back without hurting them.
Standing proudly on stage, Sumi bowed to the audience, looking incredibly cool as she took her curtain call.
"Hyah!"
On the stage floor, a pile of male students rolled around, groaning in theatrical pain.
The audience erupted in thunderous applause, with one young male student even shouting at the top of his lungs, "Senior Sumi! I love you!"
Sumi ignored him completely, walking off stage with a cool expression, not even glancing at the students she had "defeated."
Only after she left did the other students get up and bow their thanks.
The host then continued with the program.
After a few ordinary performances, it was finally time for Class 2-B's drama.
The curtain rose, and Aoko, dressed as a princess on a castle balcony, stood on a high platform. The music swelled, and she began to sing.
"O all-knowing, all-powerful God of the Universe, why must I suffer such hardship...?"
At this moment, Aoko looked like an angel who had fallen into the mortal realm. Her pure eyes were filled with longing and hope for the future, making everyone who saw her feel a sense of beauty.
The entire audience went silent to listen to her song.
Beside Yuu, Eri smiled and said, "As expected of my daughter. She's a natural."
Yuu, having seen the rehearsals, didn't have the heart to tell her that this was actually Aoko.
The plot of the drama unfolded.
The carefree princess lost her parents to a rebellion led by her brother, the prince.
With the help of an old guard, she barely escaped the palace and hid in the forest.
However, the prince sent a large force into the forest to hunt her down. Eventually, she collapsed outside an old witch's hut and was saved.
The old witch told the princess that to remain under her protection, she must accept her legacy and become a witch herself—a being who treated human lives like playthings, practiced forbidden curses, and was hated by all living things.
Then the lights dimmed for the highlight of the show.
In the darkness, Aoko shed her princess robe to reveal a white gown tinged with gold, while on the other side, Ran stepped onto the stage wearing a black witch's robe.
The lights flared up, and a collective gasp went through the audience.
Even Eri's jaw dropped. She looked back and forth between the two figures, stunned.
"Why are there two Rans?"
Yukiko was also unable to tell them apart. "They look exactly the same!"
The audience began to whisper frantically. "Is that holographic technology?"
"Impossible! There's no equipment on stage. How could they project that?"
Underclassmen who knew Ran stared in disbelief. "Does Senior Mouri have a twin sister?"
All the stage lights went out except for two spotlights hitting Ran and Aoko. The two women faced off, one representing the light and the other the darkness.
They began a fierce confrontation. Sonoko, dressed in a prince's uniform on the side, gave a self-satisfied smirk. This was her handiwork.
Using a montage technique, she portrayed the scene as a struggle within the princess's soul—a battle between her falling personality and her kind self. The audience watched, their hearts racing with excitement.
In the end, Ran, in her black witch's robe, emerged victorious. Her descent into darkness began at that moment.
Her words forced the kind princess to retreat until she finally left the stage. The witch remained in the forest as the surrounding scenery grew brighter.
Eri couldn't help but tug on Yuu's sleeve. "Yuu, what's going on here?"
Yuu leaned in and whispered, "The first one in the princess dress wasn't Ran. It's a girl who looks exactly like her named Aoko Nakamori. She's from Ekoda High and was invited to help. The one in the witch robe now is Ran."
Eri knew of Aoko but had never met her, so she hadn't realized Aoko and Ran were identical.
Eri was a busy woman; even her magic aptitude test had been done separately from the other women.
As for Yukiko, once she and Yuu had taken that final step, she stopped caring about his other women.
Aside from the women in the household and the Suzukis, Yukiko was entirely unaware of Yuu's other lovers.
She didn't care to know, either.
What would be the point? She couldn't change it, and it would only cause her unnecessary worry.
"Aoko actually looks that much like Ran..."
Eri murmured in amazement before focusing back on Ran's performance.
Backstage, Sonoko straightened her collar, put on the mask of the Night Knight, and stepped onto the stage. It was a truly dedicated cross-dressing performance.
For some reason, as soon as Sonoko appeared, the epic drama felt as though it had shifted into a comedy.
Acting out a romance between two best friends was truly a challenge for them. Just as the play reached the point where the prince was about to sacrifice himself to cover the witch's escape, a scream suddenly rang out from the audience, and the performance was instantly interrupted.
The auditorium lights flared on, and the crowd saw a man wearing glasses collapsed on the floor, unable to get up. Chaos immediately broke out.
Yuu turned to look. The murder had happened after all.
He originally hadn't planned to get involved, but to ensure that Ran's hard work for the past week didn't go to waste, he decided to solve it quickly so the festival could continue.
"Eri, call the police."
Yuu began to issue commands. "Yukiko, help me maintain order in the crowd."
With that, he took the lead and headed toward the fallen man.
"I am a teacher at this school! Someone has collapsed. Everyone, move back! Give him some room to breathe!"
The two of them soon reached the man. Yuu felt for a pulse on his neck and knew immediately that he was dead.
The victim wore glasses and was still holding a drink in his hand as he lay in the auditorium seats.
Yuu immediately shouted, "He's dead! No one is allowed to leave until the police arrive!"
Some people in the crowd tried to run, but Yukiko stopped them all.
"If you don't want to be dragged to the police station for questioning, you'd better stay right where you are."
Seeing Yukiko holding her phone as if she were recording, the agitated crowd began to settle down.
They'd rather wait here and cooperate than be taken to the station.
On stage, Sonoko looked down at the huddle and grumbled, "What the hell?! I was just about to do an even more explosive scene, and then this happens."
Ran, still in her black robe, and Aoko moved together toward the crowd.
Before long, Inspector Megure and Wataru Takagi arrived and cordoned off the scene.
Megure saw Yuu and greeted him. "Brother Hoshimiya, you've run into another case."
Yuu didn't want to be labeled a "God of Death" like the others, so he quickly explained, "I'm a teacher here. I have to be at the school festival. I never expected something like this to happen."
Megure nodded and said with a smile, "With you here, this case should be wrapped up in no time!"
Officer Takagi walked over, holding his notebook. "The victim's identity has been confirmed. His name is Kohei Urata, age 27. He works at the nearby Beika General Hospital as a doctor. It was his day off today, so he came to Teitan High with some colleagues to watch the show."
"His companions include Yota Mitani, a hospital security guard," Takagi said, pointing to a large man with thick eyebrows.
"Mai Kogami, a hospital clerk." He gestured to a short-haired woman in a yellow jacket.
"And Romei Noda, a hospital nurse." This was a brown-haired woman in a red dress.
Megure looked at the nurse in red. "Miss Noda, do you know how Mr. Urata collapsed?"
"I'm sorry, I was focused on the play and didn't notice," Romei Noda said, shaking her head.
"Do you remember what time he fell?" Megure pressed.
Romei shook her head again. "I was so scared I didn't even react."
Just then, Ran's voice cut in.
"It must have been around 2:30 PM. It was right in the middle of our scene. I've been keeping track of the time."
Megure smiled and went to greet Ran but was startled by the two figures—one in black and one in white. He hurriedly rubbed his eyes.
"Why are there two Rans?"
"Inspector Megure, don't you recognize me? I'm Aoko Nakamori! Inspector Nakamori's daughter. We've met before!"
Only then did Megure realize the truth, muttering to himself, How can a change in hairstyle make her look so much like her?
Megure turned to the coroner in the white lab coat.
"Well? Have you found Mr. Urata's cause of death yet?"
Yuu Hoshimiya said calmly, "Potassium cyanide. The cause of death should be potassium cyanide."
The coroner lowered his head and added, "Yes, Mr. Hoshimiya's assessment is very accurate."
"Usually, when a person dies, they lose their color. But this man's fingernails and lips haven't turned purple; instead, they are a cherry-red color. This is proof of potassium cyanide poisoning."
"Potassium cyanide is different from other poisons because it acts on the electron transport system of the cells without needing oxygen from the blood, so the complexion actually looks better."
After the explanation, the coroner paused and added, "Moreover, I detected the scent of bitter almonds in the victim's mouth. My professional judgment is potassium cyanide poisoning."