Chapter 115: Shinichi Kudo's Crime Warning
The scene of this "deduction" was somewhat brutal. For a moment, the room was deathly silent. Those present were struck with terror, fearing the Night Baron might give them a "nudge" of his own.
But after Night Baron successfully forced the criminal into submission through his "deduction," he returned to stand behind Yusaku Kudo, floating quietly without further movement.
Though Yusaku was incredulous at the appearance of the Night Baron, he said nothing for the moment, lost in intense thought. When the Night Baron had acted, certain inexplicable insights had flowed into Yusaku's heart—whispers from his Stand. Leveraging these insights, Yusaku began to deduce part of the truth behind the "Stand" mechanism.
A Stand appeared to be a supernatural phenomenon standing above reality, yet it was deeply intertwined with real-world behavior. The murderer's Stand was the spiritual manifestation of his soul on a higher plane, a collection and reflection of his real-world actions. The so-called Stand had always existed; it simply hadn't manifested in reality until now.
When the killer felt the intent to murder, his Stand moved in the shadows. That clumsy, flashy plot of framing and poisoning was the real-world operation of the Stand's ability. In any other setting or time, the killer's scheme might have succeeded. Unfortunately, he chose to strike today—and today, Yusaku Kudo was here.
Through a rough observation of the crime scene, Yusaku had narrowed down the suspects. By capturing shifts in gaze and facial expressions, he had cleared the nurse and, for the same reasons, locked onto the killer. That "performance" of trying to feign innocence while failing to hide trepidation and secret glee was, to Yusaku, pathetically amateurish.
Yusaku's wife, Yukiko, was a world-famous actress skilled in disguise and masterful acting. Living with such a woman meant Yusaku could see through the performance of a small-time crook in a single glance.
Under normal circumstances, this would have been a mundane case. But in a world where the timeline had shifted, everything was different. The moment Yusaku locked onto the killer, his own Fortune—hidden in the world's backend—had acted in sync, giving the killer's Fortune a gentle slap.
He didn't need much force. To Yusaku and his Fortune, a criminal of this caliber was a mere peon. Being serious would almost feel like bullying.
In the past, this would have been a clash of fortunes in the world's backend data. Struck by Yusaku's fortune, the killer would simply have grown flustered and made mistakes. But now, the boundary between the seen and unseen had weakened. Struck by that force, the killer's fortune followed the momentum to manifest as a Stand in reality.
The line between reality and the supernatural was blurring, though perhaps not as much as it seemed. In the past, faced with a detective's methodical peeling away of lies, a killer would stubbornly resist with excuses. Now, they simply manifested a Stand to resist with power. Both were attempts to rewrite the ending; the essence remained the same.
Of course, there was one change. Previously, Yusaku would have had to explain the motive and point out the evidence to make the criminal kneel in repentance. Now, Night Baron manifested as a Stand, performed a "gentle deduction," and the criminal was left vomiting blood and unable to stand.
"No... my method of resolution wasn't entirely correct."
Yusaku turned his gaze to a specific spot at the crime scene. There lay the "evidence"—a wiped tissue, a flaw born from the killer's oversight when crafting his flashy framing scheme. Yusaku walked over, picked up the tissue, and stood before the murderer.
Though heavily injured, the killer's eyes had cleared, the murderous intent replaced by indignation and fear. Behind him, the crushed skeletal Stand was attempting to reform, its half-reconstructed face twisted with rage. The crime and the criminal had not yet reached a final conclusion; there was still the possibility of a "resurgence." A final execution was required.
This realization rose in Yusaku's heart. He held up the tissue.
"I won't bore you with the details of your method; it was flashy but riddled with holes. This paper, stained with cyanide and undoubtedly your fingerprints, should suffice as evidence."
The killer seemed to sense what was coming. The Stand behind him wore a look of pure terror.
The moment Yusaku finished speaking, Night Baron raised a hand. The ordinary paper in Yusaku's hand erupted with light, which flowed into the Night Baron's palm and transformed into an iron coffin. Upon its surface was carved the image of a nun with an angelic smile.
The coffin creaked open, revealing a dense interior of sharp metal spikes.
With a casual toss, Night Baron sent the Casket of the Smiling Nun flying. It engulfed the killer's Stand and snapped shut. In the next instant, the angelic nun on the surface twisted into a demonic, hideous grin. From within the coffin came the sound of rotating blades and torture implements, accompanied by blood-curdling screams.
Yusaku was familiar with this. He had described this very device in his novels, calling it the "Crimson Casket of Punishment." He never expected to see it in the flesh. The killer screamed in unison with his Stand, feeling the pain as if it were his own body being shredded.
Inspector Megure rushed over to intervene. "Brother Kudo! I don't quite understand what's happening, but killing is one thing—doing this in public is another! The criminal's sin doesn't deserve this level of..."
Yusaku remained silent, reflecting on the insights Night Baron had granted him. Stands seemingly existed in the void all along, invisible to him and others. Does that mean his past (cool/elegant) cases were this cruel and horrifying behind the scenes?
He grew even more silent as he watched Night Baron retrieve the casket, holding it like a chalice and elegantly sipping the suspicious red liquid flowing from it. Is my Stand's reputation in the spirit world that of a cruel demon king who eats three hearts a day and uses screams as a lullaby?
Recalling his "Industry Model" frequency of solving cases and the common sight of criminals weeping in regret upon their arrest, Yusaku didn't want to think deeper. It was one thing to righteously rebuke a criminal; it was quite another to have your Stand disemboweling their Stand in the shadows. It was... excessive.
Because they were already in a hospital, medical aid was swift. The killer successfully "transferred" his career from intern to patient.
The diagnosis: extensive comminuted fractures. He would be bedridden for a long time, and even if "healed," he would suffer permanent side effects. Yet the killer didn't care. He seemed to have reached a state of total epiphany, discarding his obsession and hatred. He was willing to confess and accept the law's judgment. He even thanked Yusaku.
"My Stand... no, my soul, shouldn't have been like that. I was infected by hate, turning into that distorted visage of evil. I am grateful to Mr. Kudo for liberating my Stand. That was its final wish. Though... if you could have been a bit gentler, it might have been better..."
Without the distortion of hate, his face looked young and frail—possessing a certain "clear-headed stupidity" of a fresh graduate just entering the workforce.
Yusaku looked at the repentant man, his eyes complex. He sensed that behind this sin, there was some "extra" factor driving it.
But he had no time to ponder that. Under Megure's approval, he returned to Shinichi's room. Shinichi stared at his father, specifically at the floating Night Baron.
"Dad, you awakened a Stand too?"
Yusaku nodded. "It's called Night Baron. Its ability is Judgment of Sin. As long as I catch a shred of evidence, I can launch an attack. With evidence, I can pass judgment."
Yusaku kept it vague; he was still learning his Stand's boundaries. Shinichi smiled. "A strong Stand. I take it the case outside was solved? It's a shame I couldn't see you in action. Was the culprit difficult?"
"Not really. Just a young man who lost his way for a moment. It wasn't complex."
Yusaku narrated the case. The sun shone through the hospital window as Shinichi listened quietly, his eyes nostalgic. When he was a child, Yusaku used to tell him about cases and logic just like this.
Shinichi's gaze lowered. His father had been his greatest ally on the path to being a detective. But on the path to being a criminal, his father was his greatest obstacle.
Suddenly, Shinichi said: "Dad... you've met Moriarty, haven't you? I have one request: No matter what he says, don't believe it, don't listen to it, and most importantly... don't do it."
Yusaku looked deeply at his son, seeing the resolve in his eyes. He sighed silently and stood up.
"Maintaining doubt is the detective's basic skill. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Shinichi... stop talking. It's time for your medicine."
Night Baron moved. The Crimson Casket appeared in its palm and opened slightly. Blood gushed out like a spring, landing on Shinichi and flowing toward his chest like a living thing, burrowing into his heart.
Shinichi closed his eyes, perhaps to hide his emotions from his father. The constant angina subsided instantly. However, while the physical pain vanished, his psychological state was a mess.
His five-day life expectancy had been extended by two or three days. Those extra days didn't just mean victory in the "game" was further away; they meant that the things Shinichi refused to see or accept were drawing closer.
Shinichi opened his eyes and said flatly:
"Dad, did you know? Your deduction wasn't entirely correct. That 'evidence' wasn't an oversight. He left it on purpose. He loathed that nurse, yet he loved her at the same time. He had a more elegant, complex plan, but in the end, he chose to abandon it for a clumsy trick, leaving everything to fate. The 'Poison of the Useless Man' flowed from the depths of his heart..."
Yusaku didn't respond to the correction. He just stared at his son. Shinichi hadn't changed outwardly; the "medicine" wasn't poison and was effective for his injury. But certain deep changes were happening uncontrollably. Shinichi was beginning to empathize with criminals. He understood the "why" behind the sin too well. In a field like detection that requires knowledge, some things are better left unknown.
"I'm not a god, Shinichi," Yusaku smiled. "I can't deduce everything perfectly. Rest now. There have been many cases in Beika lately; I plan to help Brother Megure out to return the favor—and to get used to operating a Stand."
As Yusaku left, Shinichi watched his back. Night Baron glanced back, its white mocking mask hiding a gaze of firm, murderous intent. Shinichi's eyes grew complex.
Like father, like son.
Shinichi knew what Yusaku was planning. Now that he knew the "cure" worked, he would keep doing it. He would use every ounce of logic to find a way to save Shinichi while thwarting Moriarty's dark plot. As a father, he had to.
But there were things only Shinichi knew, things Yusaku didn't know—or didn't want to know.
A perfect ending never existed.
Shinichi looked at his handcuffs. He reached out with his other hand. Click. The cuffs opened.
It wasn't hard. With the beating of his heart and the flow of blood, every criminal technique flowed through his body like instinct, manifesting through his will. He had sensed this since he first faced Moriarty's two choices.
That instinct, combined with his assessment of Moriarty's threat, had finalized his resolve. In prison, as he learned more about the domain of crime, his authority grew. This was what Yusaku didn't understand.
Even if Moriarty died and Shinichi lived, the "Perfect Crime" authority wouldn't vanish. It would simply transfer from Moriarty to Shinichi. Could a sixteen-year-old boy withstand the constant infection of killing intent and the power to kill anyone at will?
Shinichi knew himself. That self-awareness was the answer. He used his authority to unlock his chains.
There was a guard in the room, but the officer had been spooked by the Stand and was standing far away. Noticing Shinichi moving, he tried to intervene. Shinichi simply glanced at him. Before the guard could speak, a piece of the ceiling broke off and struck him on the head, knocking him unconscious.
Shinichi stood up. He glanced through the door, catching a glimpse of Ran still in the hospital.
Resolve doesn't come from nothing. The world wouldn't be better if he died, but it would certainly be worse if he existed as a monster. Ran was an ordinary girl; Shinichi didn't want her living in a world of "accidents" where everyone died mysteriously, with her childhood friend as the culprit.
He might not be the Sherlock of the Heisei era, but he refused to be the Moriarty of it.
"Shinichi Kudo's Crime Show... begins now. Moriarty... you're dead."
When Inspector Megure entered the room later, he found only an empty bed.
End of Chapter
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