Chapter 43

Obsession

Slowly and rhythmically, the old clock ticks. Kogoro and Eri studied the young woman, who has settled on one of the wooden chairs of the dining table. A heater was chugging by the side of the kitchen, drying Shiho's damp jacket. The warmth from it couldn't soothe the persistent cold. She had been determined to seize hold of this woman ever since Shinichi went missing. To demand why she'd taken him. Why had she—

"Lead us here," Shiho glared fiercely at Koharu. The woman seated quietly with her head bowed was fiddling nervously with her fingers. Around the edges of her nails, her skin was peeling off.

"What do you mean?" Kogoro approached Koharu, slamming his hands hard on the kitchen table—using an intimidation tactic he had acquired while serving in the police department. "Were you responsible for the damage to Eri's office?"

Still picking at her nails, the woman remained stubbornly tight-lipped. And Shiho had had enough. Slamming her phone against the wooden table, it shakes, startling both Eri and Kogoro. The screen displayed photos she had taken of a well situated in the shallows of the river outside. After Eisuke left, she had painstakingly examined it. Shiho enlarged the "S" shapes symbols and indecipherable pyramid characters on the spine, displaying them in full view.

"The Kuzuryu," she observed Koharu stiffening. "Most locals in Hakone would be familiar with the tale of the nine-headed serpent who terrorized the people living in this area hundreds of years ago."

"And what does that have to do with—" Kogoro Mouri was about to interject when Eri stopped him. Looking at Shiho's photographs, the lawyer turned her attention to the woman in front of her.

"A giant serpent, made into a deity of sorts...but before that it was known as a monster...that terrorized the people so much that they were compelled to…" Eri covered her mouth with her hand.

At this point, Koharu was looking intently at the symbols. And underneath that stone-faced pallor was the unmistakable twisted grimace of—guilt.

"What is happening here, Koharu Matsumoto-san?"

She flinched when Kogoro slammed the table. "There is no time for this! We have a missing child!"

"I don't know what you're—"

"Formaldehyde," Shiho interjected. It was time to stop playing riddles. If they didn't hurry, their window of opportunity would close.

Koharu hesitated.

"It was you who kidnapped Edogawa-kun. He must have found something, and you drugged him. After which, you placed him somewhere…and if I'm not wrong…" Shiho jabs at the picture, "It has something to do with this."

"Formaldehyde? Wait…what do you mean, Ai-chan?" Eri regarded her with a mixture of confusion and awe.

"It's the smell," Shiho motioned to Koharu, who was biting her lips now.

"That strong pickle-like odor that you have attempted to conceal. Although you tried to mask it with dish soap, the pungent scent of formaldehyde could not be eliminated. I know...I tried repeatedly to wash it off in the lab—" she stopped, realizing that she was about to reveal too much.

Only to curse softly when she found the bugged-eyes expression of both Eri and Kogoro-san.

"Hey kid," the grumpy man muttered, "What…are you?"

"That does not matter," she changed the subject, focusing her attention on the cornered woman before her. "Koharu-san, not only did you attack Kuriyama-san in the office, but you also purposefully trashed Eri Kisaki's office. Not to keep her away from the case...no, but to bring attention to what is happening here."

Koharu clutched her hands to her fists, trembling—like she was struggling with herself.

"The Uwabami," Shiho whispered, and Koharu went still, ash-gray eyes whipping to her in shock. "The foster children told me about a giant snake that lived in the rivers next to your house. Mei even drew a picture of it. And Shota-kun said," she gestured to the flowing river outside. "That he had seen it two times."

"What are you trying to say, kid?" Kogoro snapped, clearly not following her line of thought. Eri, however, was carefully considering her words.

"I have heard about a particular folklore from a midnight radio talk show."

As soon as she saw the tiny holes at the foot of the inner walls of the well, Shiho remembered the information. Enlarging the picture with the "S" shape symbols, she drew attention to the small pyramid characters along the spine.

"Well, it wasn't simply a myth but a historical fact. A practice that had taken place during the warring periods in Chiba. It was a place rife with war, and after peace was achieved, a strange ancient practice developed. Babies," She emphasized, "were chosen from a crawling race. The winner was then taken and worshiped for days. As a hero, he or she was placed on a pyramid structure such as this..." Shiho pointed to the character running down the spine of the "S." "The structure was built from numerous rocks with a sharp angular top. The chosen baby was then placed on top of the structure and pushed down."

Kogoro and Eri gasped collectively.

"Koharu-san," Shiho whispered, "This Uwabami is the river, isn't it? A mythical giant snake god that Shizuo worships in some sick fantasy."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Kogoro whips to Koharu, who was completely pale. He reached out to grasp the woman when a mirthless chuckle escaped her lips.

Her haunting laughter reverberates throughout the kitchen. "How much…do you know?"

"It's not an orphanage," Shiho concluded, "it's a cult."

Against the stove top, Koharu leans. With lips quivering, she presses her face into her hands, clearly exhausted.

"What have you been doing here? How could this have happened?" Eri continued in horror.

"Where are the children, Koharu-san?" Shiho inquired. The woman pulls her hands away from her face after collecting herself. Devoid of hope but filled with fiery remnants of anger, dead gray eyes looked upon them. "In their rooms," she whispered, "They're safe…for now."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Kogoro, stunned, could only exclaim in shock.

"Why didn't you report them to the authorities? Why didn't you stop them!" Eri demanded.

And Koharu broke. Her eyes brimmed with tears. Ranting, the woman hit the counter with her hands. "I've tried!" she roared, shocking both Eri and Kogoro into submission. Shiho recognized the desperation, the hopelessness. The almost telling helplessness of—abuse.

"Ren and I were orphans, and when we were brought to this place, we thought we had a chance!" She revealed the story of her origins. "Shizuo was kind. He was loving. We even trusted him. Accepted his lies when he stated that he would never harm us."

Shivering violently, she wrapped her arms around herself. "But..." she continued, "we realized what he was going to do to us. Some children who sensed something was wrong attempted to escape, but Shizuo always managed to pull them back, even when they cried and pleaded with the town folk. Nobody believed us! They said we were lying. They were convinced we were troubled. The rare times we have been able to get outsiders involved, Shizuo Matsumoto always charms them away!"

"So, you decided to lure us here," Shiho muttered.

"That was Ren's plan. Somehow, we survived," Koharu recalls something traumatic. "We were adults, old enough…and Ren…Ren had had enough. He said that we needed to provide them with proof and show them what Shizuo Matsumoto was doing. And if nobody would believe us, we had to bring them into the compound, leave some clues along the way and let them figure it out themselves."

"Ren was Itsuki Endo," Eri whispered.

"Yes! Our strategy almost worked. The plan was for Ren to take you here himself. To provide concrete evidence of what transpired in this location, but—"

"They found out," Shiho muttered, "And killed him."

Holding onto her chest, Koharu choked. The agony on her face was difficult to witness.

"They?" Kogoro asked.

There was a resounding bang. The sliding door opens roughly, hitting the edges of its bamboo frame. Astonished by the sudden intrusion, Kogoro shields Eri from the intruder. Koharu became deathly pale, her hands cupping her lips as she suppressed a scream. Shiho's mouth went dry as soon as he walked in. Shizuo Matsumoto smiles widely while holding a lacquered hunting rifle.

"Koharu-chan," his voice carrying the sing-songey undertones of a madman. "What did I tell you about stepping out of your boundaries?"

Another shot was fired. Cracking like a whip, resonating above. In the dense fog surrounding him like a torrid curse, Shinichi pressed himself against the stone walls of the hole he had been dumped in. There was another crack, the sounds of panic shouts—screams, and then the crunch of feet smashing through the undergrowth. Running, escaping from what Shinichi could only suspect was the—Matsumoto's.

Surely there was a way out of this dreaded hole. If only he was tall enough.

Around him, vacant eye sockets stare at a grotesque statue in the center. Their mouths were agape, opened, reflecting the horror they must have experienced in their last moments. The skulls he examined earlier were small, underdeveloped, those of—children.

Shinichi was sure of it. This was the site of a ritual. One rooted in an ancient practice of human sacrifice. The statue in front has a snake-like head and a humanoid body. As he looked at the stained red hands outstretched horizontally, he was reminded of Moloch. Described in the Bible as a bull-like entity, children of all ages were sacrificed to this entity in a sick ritual to gain riches, power—anything they wanted. A ceremony that was banished by the people and condemned by God himself.

The thought made him wince, his head still hurting from being knocked out by the burning chemical. While studying the "S" shaped symbol, Shinichi was still unable to identify the pyramid character on its spine. However, he was sure of it. This was a cult. Koharu's motive for bringing him here was clear—how she planned to get him out…was what worried him.

Whatever the case, he needed to escape.

There was a loud boom, followed by gunfire that was getting closer. Shinichi heard twigs snapping under a heavy boot and metal nicking tree bark. And Shinichi froze. Memories of a day soaked in the rain were etched in his mind. Of Gin approaching with golden eyes like a rabid beast, pulling the trigger with rage. Of an auburn-haired scientist, he failed to protect, injured—running for her life.

Shinichi trembles at the image. He had received them occasionally, bits and pieces of that day flashing through his mind. A response to loud surprises and noises. The counselor, Haruka Wakaba, said it was normal. The stressors associated with such an operation and his never-ending cases would exacerbate his anxiety.

"Heisei Holmes or not," Shiho told him when he confided in her about it, "you're still human."

Sighing deeply, he closes his eyes. Using the breathing technique, Haruka-san taught him. He calms himself down. When the collective buzzing in his chest finally subsided, he reached into the secret compartment in his pockets and took out the pill-box Shiho had given him after Rum's escape.

"A reassurance," she told him, "Just in case."

"I thought you said," he chuckled as she scowled, "That I wouldn't get this even if I had to pry it from your buried corpse."

"It's an improved version, Kudou," she sneered, flicking him on the forehead when he tried to swallow it. "But don't blame me if you grow a second head. I can't control the side effects of overzealous pill eating."

Frowning at her insinuations, he paused. The cheeky smirk flirting on her lips will be the death of him.

"Right…Emergency situations only."

"Yes, Shinichi," she drawled, "Emergency Situations only."

He was trapped. Alone. Gunshots were getting closer. If this doesn't count as a situation, he doesn't know what will.

Looking at the drug in his hand, he smirked.

"I guess it is time to see if I will grow a second head, huh?"

Popping the pill into his mouth, he swallowed.

"Good, very good! Sherry! I have always enjoyed the hunt."

The sight of the hunting rifle in Shizuo's hands causes Shiho to freeze as he emerges from the remnants of her psyche. Rum. With his fingers over the trigger, Shizuo points the weapon at them expertly. There was an insidious glint in his brown eyes. The kindness he displayed before was no more, replaced with a smirk that lacked any human characteristics. His presence blends with the image of a one-eyed monster, parting through the darkness amidst the falling rain. A phantom ache radiates from her shoulder down to her chest, throbbing relentlessly throughout her body.

"What is the meaning of this!" Kogoro Mouri's harsh tone broke through the haze, bringing Shiho back to the present. Even though she was scared, Eri Kisaki stood protectively in front of her.

Suppressing her growing panic, Shiho concentrated on the situation in front of her. She had to focus. One wrong move could spell disaster for everyone. Shizuo was prepared to use his gun.

Taking a deep breath, Shiho scrutinizes the surroundings carefully.

Koharu looked faint, her face a dull shade of blue. On the stove, a kettle was hissing. Overflowing boiling water causes a sharp hiss, which echoed throughout the room.

The kitchen was small. Shizuo was blocking the exit. All that separated him from them was a rectangular dining table and a few chairs. There were no items nearby to use as a distraction…well—apart from the hissing kettle.

Shiho was about to make a move when—

"Koharu-chan," Riko called out sleepily. "Where are you? You promised to tell us a story. Mei is tired. You're taking too long!"

The girl was descending the stairs slowly. Shiho could see her ankles, which were covered in cartoon socks.

Her voice took on a whining quality reserved for children who wanted to be pampered. The girl took another step down, and Shiho tensed as Shizuo's fingers curled around the trigger. An unsettling grin spreads across his face.

He wouldn't…no…

"Riko-chan!" Shota-kun called out to the little girl halfway down the stairs. The little boy grabbed onto her. "Koharu-chan is busy, so do not disturb her." He was practically shoving the girl up, and she was protesting.

"Koharu-chan will come later, Riko-chan; if you don't behave, there will be no stories for you."

"But...but..." Riko-chan whined, but Shota tightened her grip on her, and she gave up.

"Koharu-chan! Hurry!" she demanded before following Shota-kun up the stairs again. As soon as the children left, Koharu sank to her knees and began to shake.

"She's lucky, isn't she," Shizuo chuckled softly. His eyes were dark.

"You sick fuck," Kogoro Mouri growled, eyes trained on the hunting rifle and then at Shizuo himself. "Were you planning on shooting her!"

"Fodder, livestock, it doesn't matter if she is dead or alive," explained the man methodically. The friendly demur he once displayed had disappeared and what was left was the cold, callous tone of an individual who did not seem to care. "Ultimately, they exist for the cause, and I have raised them to fulfill that purpose."

"Purpose," Eri spat at the man indignantly, "The orphanage, the children...the runaways, what exactly are you trying to accomplish here."

"Well?" Shizuo shrugged, holding the gun up and pointing it once more at Kogoro. "Care to explain, Koharu-chan?"

This man purposely taunted the woman, who was paralyzed with fear. Having experienced that terror herself, Shiho recognized it. Deliberating in nature, nothing could pull Koharu out of it. There was no magical switch that could turn trauma on or off.

And Shizuo knew this.

He was using it— to control.

"Why don't you answer Koharu?" Shizuo mocked. "Why are you so silent?"

He was now focused on Koharu, and Kogoro seemed to notice it. Shiho took advantage of the opportunity and slowly made her way to the stove, where the hissing kettle sat.

"Have you not learned anything? Hadn't the drowned policeman provided enough of an example? You guys were chosen. Special enough to survive the ritual. You, Asahi, and Ren were my pride and joy." He was getting more and more agitated. He could not control the rage spilling from his lips. The implication of his words was not a pretty one. "So why did you and Ren decide to betray me? Have I not given you enough!?"

Koharu and Ren were most probably—

"You killed him!" Koharu rocks back and forth, tears running furiously down her cheeks. "You killed him! You killed him!"

"What were you expecting? That I let him do as he pleases? That I let you ruin what I have achieved?"

"She is dead!" Koharu clutched her chest. The woman slumped to the ground, her forehead resting on the wooden floor. "Nothing will bring her back! Not you, not me, not Asahi, nor Ren... don't you get it? No sacrifice can bring her back!"

"Shut up!" He cocks the rifle. Wild eyes greeted them, those of a beast, losing all composure. A desperation etched deep. "Miyu is alive! She isn't dead!"

"Miyu?" Eri whispered, and she gasped. The missing piece of the puzzle falls into place as realization strikes. As her gaze fell on Koharu's withered form, the lawyer looked as if she were sick. Pity washed over her features.

On the other hand, Kogoro Mouri was preparing himself. Shiho saw the clenched fist hidden in his pockets. The rigid form he takes before launching an attack is similar to that of Ran. Now—all they needed was an opening.

"You fool," Shizuo continued, "I've given you so much. When you were chosen by Uwabami, I gave you everything you asked for. Clothes, food, a warm, safe place, a home—and this is how you repay me?!"

Home? This deluded man.

"Child sacrifice," Shiho faced the man with an icy glare. "You killed children. Probably by drugging them and placing them in that tiny well in the river. You waited for that empty well to fill up. As the water rises, the children drowned in your 'Uwabami' ."

Kogoro and Eri gasped at her mention, glaring at Shizuo, who had become very quiet. "Ren, Asahi, and Koharu used to be sacrifices, weren't they?" Shiho concluded. "However, the waters didn't rise during the days they were in the well, and because they survived, they were chosen. In your view, they were your helpers, sent by your god to assist you in your endeavors."

"You forced them to help you," Shiho spat, "And you expected them to remain loyal to you?"

"I saved their lives!" Shizuo was adamant. There was no reasoning with the madman. Koharu was a tool that had betrayed him, and he had no qualms about getting rid of her, just as he did to Ren Matsumoto.

They were…Shiho grabs the kettle, the iron handle scalding her skin—like her.

Taking her chance, Shiho threw it with everything she had. Adrenaline fueled her, and she barely noticed the sharp pain in her palms. The kettle soared through the air, landing on Shizuo's arm, and he roared as boiling water splashed on him.

"Now!"

Kogoro didn't need to be told twice. There was a scuffle as the man tackled Shizuo to the ground.

"We must run!" Shiho shouted at Eri and Koharu, who were observing the developing situation in a daze. Instead of moving, Koharu seemed to have lost her spirit. Shizuo's statements are affecting her. Tears were streaking down her cheeks, and she was still hysterical, but—

"Get a hold of yourself," Shiho seizes hold of her arm and pulls her up. Eri doing the same. "You wanted to take him out, remember!"

Her words seemed to have an effect, and Koharu rose voluntarily. Still sniffing, she followed Shiho out of the kitchen, nodding meekly. Kogoro was still fighting with the man. Shizuo seemed to be as strong as Kogoro Mouri. When the man managed to overpower Kogoro, Eri screamed a warning. Kogoro dodged the incoming punch before dashing toward them.

"Move!"

Shizuo had gotten a hold of the gun again and, this time, did not hesitate.

Taking hold of Eri's hand, Kogoro burst through the front door. Shiho and Koharu rushed after—as a bullet whizzed past them. They emerged into a foggy landscape. The swirling mist around them was thick with humidity. Shiho hears the familiar click of the hunting rifle.

They made their move, not looking back as another shot passed by. Running blindly, their shoes sinking into the wet mud.

"Where are we headed!" Eri shrieked as Kogoro pulled her out of harm's way. A bullet narrowly misses her head as it lodges against a shed.

"Hide behind the trees!" Koharu ordered.

Taking the lead and rushing forward. The thick fog obscures Koharu's form. They scurried after her into the forest, trying desperately to escape in the sinking mud.

"There is nowhere to go!" Shizuo's voice echoed through the dense mist. Like a fever dream, Shiho stumbled after Koharu, wincing when another shot streaked by. They were at a disadvantage. This—was his hunting ground.

Eventually, they reached the edge of the woods. Kogoro grabs Shiho as she gasps. Taking cover, he tucks her behind him. Bullet fragments lodge into the tree bark, splintering into tiny pieces.

"Over here, we need to go deeper," Koharu motions further in. "It is possible to escape through the hidden path, hurry!"

Again, they ran. The deranged atmosphere reminded Shiho of a haunted woods Snow White was forced to flee into. Against the misty backdrop, thin, wiry branches create menacing shadow silhouettes. Slipping along that muddy path, they rushed through the cacophony of pine trees towering over their heads. The fog conceals stray foliage that occasionally strikes them as they pass. Shiho heard heavy footsteps crunching on fallen leaves behind them.

They were effectively trapped.

"Stop!" Kogoro warned, and Shiho was grabbed by Eri, who pulled her back. Shiho gasped at the steep slope before her, covered in leaf litter and dead logs.

A step more, and she would be tumbling down the ravine.

Squelching sounds were followed by the cocking of the rifle. Shizuo was preparing to fire a few more rounds.

This was bad. They didn't have time to—

It all happened so quickly. A shot was fired, and she dodged it. Shiho landed in wet mud. Her ankle twisted at an odd angle, making a strange snapping noise. From within, a stabbing pain erupts. Eri struggled to assist her when Koharu screamed a warning. Another shot. A flash from a muzzle. Kogoro Mouri leaps in front of an incoming bullet. With arms outstretched, the man shielded them. A burst of scarlet sprang from his left shoulder. Kogoro winced, crashing into them. They were pushed back. Koharu attempted to reach for them but failed, and they rolled down the steep slope.

Leaves, mud, gravel, and twigs struck them. Eri instinctively wrapped her arms around Shiho as they collided with a tree. The impact left them reeling, and the woman was shaking.

"Get up! Eri! Get up!" Kogoro shouted.

Standing above, Shizuo aimed his rifle.

"Run!" Koharu snapped as she slid down the slope after them.

Shaken, wounded, and delirious, Shiho struggled to stand but stumbled as pain ripped through her ankle. Koharu caught her, supporting her as they rushed through the ravine.

"No," Koharu whispered feverishly. "Not again. Please, please, god, for once…"

The woman was trembling badly, her pleas so desperate it hurt to listen. Shiho winced before turning around to see Eri supporting a bleeding Kogoro. He was limping along as Eri used herself as a perch. They were—too slow.

"Look out!" Shiho shouted as Shizuo raised his rifle once more. Kogoro and Eri moved forward as fast as they could as the mist thickened suddenly. A blanket of white hides them from view. Shiho flinched when she heard the shot. She heard panic cries but could not determine Kogoro's or Eri's fate.

"No!" Koharu halted, and Shiho found herself staring into a bottomless pit. They stopped by the edge. Shadowy outlines of an idol were visible. Its head resembled a snake, and its body was humanoid in shape. The Uwabami. Was the first thought that Shiho conjured. Upon closer inspection, she spotted a faint outline of a skull.

Recoiling from the pit, she was greeted by a crash and grunts. Kogoro and Eri lay prone on the leaf litter beside her. They were relatively unscathed apart from the blood running out of Kogoro's shoulder. Shiho breathed a sigh of relief only to stiffen when she heard a twig snap under a heavy boot.

Like a phantom breaking through the fog, Shizuo emerged. There was a wild look in his eyes, filled with adrenaline. With practiced ease, he cocked the rifle. Excitement and amusement flooded his visage, and when he saw them standing at the edge of a pit.

"After everything!" He faced them. "You've still led them to the ritual site!"

Turning pale, Koharu stood.

"Ritual site?" Eri gasped as she gazed at the pit. She held onto Kogoro, who festered. Crimson seeped through his fingers as he clutched his bloody shoulder. "You bastard!"

"You'll never revive her this way!"

A last desperate attempt. Faced with the demon who had made her life a living hell, the woman screamed. "Miyu-san will never awaken from her coma. She's dead and has been for years! Taking the blood of children to feed the Uwabami never worked! Ren was right. You are nothing but a monster!"

"A monster?" Shizuo's eyes were growing darker.

"You've helped too...the children you drugged are there...at the bottom of the pit. You are not exempt from this. Do you think exposing our activities would absolve you of responsibility? Koharu...who is this monster?"

The man lifts the rifle and points it at the woman. "I am," he whispered feverishly, "Just a man."

"Stop!" Eri pleaded, "If you kill us, the authorities will be alerted. We're not from around here. It's impossible to talk your way out of this!"

A mirthless laughter escapes him.

"Well, assuming they find your bodies first," he sneered. "If you haven't noticed, everybody falls for the act. No one has bothered to investigate. What makes you different from the others? Besides, Asahi has taken care of your inspectors and that professor already. Those teenagers and that little boy are probably lost. I'll hunt them down later... it's already too late."

Her worst fears realized, Shiho clenched her fist.

Hakase… sadness overwhelms her, and she could hardly stand it. The barrel of the hunting rifle loomed larger until it was all Shiho could see.

"For now," Shizuo shrugged, "I'll ask that you quietly expire."

Fingers wrapped around the trigger—he pulled it.

"Don't be too sure about that," a voice said as the bullet missed Koharu by a few inches. Shizuo was on the ground now, clutching a bleeding arm. The hunting rifle was flung to the side. From the murky streaks of fog, a figure emerges.

A cocky familiar smirk, azure blue eyes, and that self-assured irritating countenance.

"What is that twerp doing here!" Kogoro exclaimed as Shinichi appeared in his teenage form, wearing Inspector Megure's brown coat. It seemed that it was all he was wearing. The belt of his coat tightened around his waist to prevent it from flapping in the wind. Despite its absurdity, the relief flowing through her prevented her from making a snide remark.

"Who are you!?" Shizuo screamed.

Shinichi clicked his fingers like he was performing a show. A snort escaped Shiho's lips as the inspectors emerged from the fog. Looking worse for wear, their hair was covered with leaves and twigs. Following behind them was the professor with a scuffed coat and cracked glasses. In their clutches, handcuffed and positively unconscious, or rather—asleep, was Asahi Matsumoto. He groaned slightly when the Inspectors released him.

"Kudou Shinichi," Shinichi announced, bearing his usual signature move, "A detective."

When Shizuo tried to grab his gun, a shot was fired. Inspector Satou held a smoking pistol and glared at the man like he was a pile of horse shit. "I suggest you stop," Shinichi walks over. Koharu, Eri, and Kogoro regarded Shinichi with stunned silence. Eri was especially interested in the coat that he wore.

"You're late," Shiho muttered as he picked her up. Cradling her gently, he embraced her. The boy stank of mud and sweat, yet—

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her face in his chest. The warmth seeped through, and she smiled.

"Hey, better late than never, right?"

"Idiot," she whispered, and he chuckled. Their exchange was met with confusion as Eri and Kogoro gaped at them.

"Who…who are you?" Koharu whispered again, "I…"

A flurry of footsteps interrupted her. Bright light pierced through the swirling fog, lighting up the dim forest. Within moments, they were surrounded by local policemen with guns raised, their eyes widening at the scene that lay before them.

"Help me!" Shizuo cried out as soon as he spotted them.

"Shizuo-san?" Their eyes lit up with recognition.

"Yes, please help me! These people are trying to harm my family! They shot at us!"

"Are you sure they won't fall for it?" Shiho muttered to Shinichi, who shrugged, watching the scene with a mixture of amusement and revulsion.

"Please help us!" Shizuo continued his drivel until a policeman sighed. Guns pointed at them were now aimed at the madman in front.

"What—"

"You're under arrest, Shizuo Matsumoto-san," they said, and he gaped in disbelief.

"What? No, you don't understand they are threatening u—"

"That's enough," Eisuke appeared. With grim expressions, the officers parted ways for him. Ran, who was holding onto a box, tossed it to the ground. Shizuo looked at the newly printed documents in disbelief before whipping to Shiho, who sighed in relief.

It seems…they managed to find...

Indecipherable proof.

"28 foster children over the course of 10 years. Disregarding the seven you have here now, 25 have been adopted," Eisuke revealed. "Though they have never left the compound."

Eisuke pointed to the documents that had spilled from the box. "After much investigation, we discovered that these records were falsified. To make matters worse…"

Eisuke gestured to the pits that were right behind them. The local policemen were staring at Shizuo with confusion and disgust.

"We'll find out soon enough, won't we?"

"You're lying! All of the children were adopted! Those documents aren't false. How can you possibly prove that—"

"The PSB," Ran steps forward with a deadly glint in her eyes. "Even before our trip, the Public Service Bureau had been trying to track down the adopted children...and what did they find?"

"Not a thing," Koharu whispered. "They are dead. Gone." The woman stood up.

She was still shaking, but not from fear.

That look!

"Shinichi," Shiho warned before anyone could intervene.

The woman had rushed forward.

"Stop!" Satou-san ordered. Koharu picks the hunting rifle from the ground and took aim. There was a defeating crack. Local policemen pounced on Koharu, who dropped the gun and was now staring blankly at Shizuo, who was clutching the left side of his head.

Releasing his hold, the man shrank back as his ear fell onto a pile of leaf litter. Blood streams heavily, forming a river, as he screams, sinking to his knees.

Cuffed and pinned, Koharu smiles triumphantly.

"That was for Ren."

The red and blue lights of the ambulance cast repeatedly against the entrance of Matsumoto's residence. Sitting at the back, Shinichi observes the numerous police cars arriving at the site. As the children from the orphanage gathered, confused and scared, Inspector Satou and Megure-san gently held them while explaining their circumstances.

Surprisingly, it was Shota-kun who broke down. The boy, who Shiho described as intelligent and leveled headed, sank to his knees as he sobbed. Sara, the quiet girl always by his side, hugged him tightly as they supported each other. After that, the children were led to their respective ambulances. There was a need to check them. Even though they seemed uninjured, it was impossible to tell for sure.

In the police cars, the perpetrators sat quietly. A guarded ambulance led Shizuo away from Koharu and Asahi. His screams continued as they dragged him away. The painful agony he was experiencing was fitting as blood gushed from his wound.

As body bags emerged from the forest, Shinichi winced. Several tents had to be erected. Organizing the mess would take forensics days. The cause of this—

"A woman?" Shiho glanced at another ambulance. Several minutes earlier, paramedics had entered the Matsumoto residence. And there, per Shinichi's instructions, they found the woman known as Miyu Matsumoto. It took the local policemen a while to believe that the man they had known all their lives was capable of such a thing. The case had already attracted a crowd cordoned off by yellow tape and pushed back by authorities.

"Yes," Shinichi said, "I found the woman, and Koharu knocked me out."

"Why do you keep looking for trouble?" Shiho quipped.

"Look, I wasn't looking for it."

"Fate then," she winced when she accidentally brushed against the side of the vehicle.

Shiho was in a bad state. The jacket that she was wearing was torn, and her left hand was blistered and burnt. Her cheeks were scratched, and a bandage covered her swollen ankle. Although he was worried, her concern touched him, and he could not help but smile.

"I didn't grow another head," he teased and gulped when she eyed him with a livid stare.

"When I woke up, I was surrounded by skeletons."

Shiho snorted, folding her arms.

"And you decided it was a good time to administer the temporary antidote?"

"I had no choice. I would have been killed by approaching gunfire if I hadn't climbed out of the pit."

"What happened exactly?"

"It was difficult for me to determine the source of the gunfire, so when I took the antidote and emerged stark naked from the pit, you can only imagine Asahi's surprise. He had been pointing the gun at the inspectors and the professor. But when he saw me, he was beside himself. In his words, he thought...I was the spirit of the children he'd killed."

It was an experience Shinichi never wanted to repeat. The antidote had worked almost too well. It took less than a minute to transform, although it had been more painful. A melting, burning sensation similar to holding lava in your hands. Following the transformation, he climbed the pit naked and exhausted. Failing a few times, he eventually gained his bearings. Upon emerging from the pit, he was stunned to discover the inspectors and professor standing at the edge. According to Satou-san—Asahi Matsumoto, the unexpected shooter had turned on them halfway to the police station. They were disarmed, and their pistols were taken. After which, Asahi forced them at gunpoint to the pit.

Shinichi's emergence from the hole was completely unexpected, and Asahi went completely white. The Inspectors and the professors, shocked at first, were then flabbergasted by his bare butt. Taking note of the situation, Shinichi reacted quickly—shooting the perpetrator with the tranquilizer watch that was still intact.

Asahi collapses. The Inspectors and the professor were safe. They were about to head toward the Matsumoto's mansion to warn Shiho and the others when he saw Ran and Eisuke rush out of the estate with Shiho's detective badge.

And an ambush strategy to catch the Matsumoto family in action was hatched.

As Shinichi recounted the story, he couldn't help but notice the stern expression on the auburn-scientist face turning into amusement. Though she tried to remain stoical, her lips curled upward, and her eyes held a cheeky glint.

He folded his arms in indignation when Shiho broke into a fit of chuckles. "Yes, yes, laugh all you want, but—"

"Let me guess," she eyes the belt he had used to secure Megure's coat. When she tries to pull it, he slaps her hand away.

"Shiho," he warned, and she smirked, raising her hand in mock surrender.

"I'm just curious, Kudou," she teased as he pouted, "Do you need underwear?"

"Ha-ha, very clever."

"There is a good chance that Hakase will be willing to spare you some. Hey," she shrugged, her lips twitching again, "maybe you could..."

Her hand reached for his belt, and she pulled it. When the coat came undone, he panicked, cursing loud enough to alert the nearby paramedics, who were greeted with a full frontal assault of his naked chest.

"Share," Shiho said as he pulled the coat around him again.

"You evil-eyed yawny piece of shi—"

"Serves you right for making me run around in circles!"

"Do you think I want this!?"

"Next time when you feel the need to pee, why not use a bottle?"

"That is absolutely disgusting, and I've already told you it wasn't my intention to get kidnapped."

"It never is, isn't it?"

"What about you?!"

"No," she shakes her head, "I was trying to find you. It doesn't count."

"Throwing a hot kettle, facing off against a man with a gun, tripping and hurting yourself, how are you any different? Don't think I didn't see you trying to protect Koharu-san!"

"It was not my intention to do anything," she argued, eyebrows twitching in irritation. "If I had been standing behind her, I would have ended up in the pit. It's simple geometry. You directionally challenged detective."

"You—"

Light giggling interrupted their banter. His childhood friend with Eisuke was regarding them with amusement.

"Told you they would be quarreling," Ran predicted, and Eisuke chuckled.

"I don't think they were quarreling," the bespectacled boy was getting too comfortable. "They seem genuinely concerned for each other. Maybe even infatuated?"

"Oh, I like that, Eisuke. Infatuated."

"I am not!" Shinichi snapped, still irritated with the shrunken scientist.

"Same, striper, same," Shiho replied.

"You aren't?" Ran continues her tirade, and Shinichi notices Eisuke and his childhood friend holding hands. Shiho catches it too, spotting a sly glint.

"What do you think about that, Watson-kun?" he asked Shiho, who shrugged.

"Statistically speaking, Sherlock, holding hands with someone of the opposite sex likely means you're attracted to them," Shiho deadpans, "I think the word to use here would be…"

"Infatuated. Right. Yes, I like that word. In-fa-tu-ated," Shinichi grinned.

At their mention, a reddish hue appeared on Eisuke and Ran's faces. Initially flustered, they took some time to calm down. Shinichi noted, however, they have yet to let go. Still holding hands, the case they had helped solve spilled from their lips.

"We did what you asked, Haibara-san," Eisuke started, "When we reached the local police station, we were able to get reception."

"That's when we enlisted the help of the FBI and PSB to track down the adopted children. Akai-san, Jodie-sensei, and Amuro-san were very quick about it," Ran elaborated.

"So, you suspected human sacrifice was taking place?" Shinichi was impressed with the auburn scientist. "Even deduced what those strange pyramid characters were?"

"It was a radio talk show, Shinichi. I would never have guessed it if I hadn't accidentally stumbled upon it."

"That's a relief. I was about to pass on the title of wikipedia-kun."

"A lame title which I refuse."

Shinichi frowned as Ran chuckled.

"And Akai, with the help of Jodie-san, hacked into the family and child government agencies," Eisuke continued, "but we didn't let the police know. We simply told them we had discovered a body and wished for them to investigate."

"That's a clever move," Shiho said, "they wouldn't have believed you if you told them the Matsumotos were involved."

"Yeah, they are strangely enamored with the guy," Ran agreed.

"Infatuated, you mean," Shiho snorted.

"Well, anyway..." Shinichi murmured, finally feeling the weight of the case.

His gaze shifted towards the body bags brought out from the woods.

"Twenty-five," Eisuke murmured, and they fell into silence.

It wasn't the conclusion they were hoping for. A man gone mad for his wife, Shizuo Matsumoto, tried to find a way of reviving what he had lost. With his belief in superstition and ancient myths, he began his dark journey into the unknown, dabbling in the occult as he devised a scheme. A morbid and sinister design to sacrifice children as blood offerings to a fictitious idol. The Uwabami.

Pulling foster children into his ploy and entrapping those who survived the ordeal, he cut open the bodies of those drowned in the river—spilling their blood onto the statue in the pit before burning their bodies into dust. Bones were what remained, and he stacked them in the ritual pit itself. The giant bonfire Asahi was lighting before—a burial pyre. The thought made Shinichi shiver. The next victims would have been the twins, Mei and Riko.

Asahi practicing before the final show.

"I couldn't take it anymore," Koharu had admitted. "I knew something had to change when they killed Ren."

"So you decided to lure Eri Kisaki to Hakone?" Inspector Satou asked.

"Yes, I had a limited amount of time. After what Ren did, I couldn't leave the compound. Shizuo and Asahi were becoming increasingly paranoid. However, when they left to sell the daily farm produce in the main town, I took advantage of the opportunity to travel to Beika. And there, I messed the office up. I shouldn't have hit that woman, but she was in the way."

"Why didn't you just tell us? We could have helped you?"

"Because," Koharu glanced at her hands, "there wasn't enough time...and nobody believed us." Her eyes hardened as she continued, "We couldn't trust anyone. When Ren and I were teenagers, we escaped once. We were about to leave Hakone when Shizuo found us and convinced the authorities to let us go. After a few more attempts, Ren stopped when Shizuo threatened to kill me."

They had been entirely alone. Forced into submission. Koharu's tale—similar to one. Shinichi took notice of the twisted grimaces that appeared on Shiho's expression when Koharu recounted her story.

"We were stuck in a loop, forced to drug the foster children to appear like a happy family. But I couldn't do it anymore...not after Ren, not after...they wanted to kill..." Koharu broke into sobs as she was led away. She and Asahi were facing serious charges, and Shinichi couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"I'll do something about it," Megure-san whispered to Shinichi when he explained his deductions. That was the best he could do.

"Abuse, sacrifice, all for the madness of one man," Shiho muttered, and Shinichi knew she wasn't referring to Shizuo-san. An image of a one-eyed beast was conjured up, and he shook his head. With a tentative smile, Shinichi reached out, resting his hand on her shoulder.

It was a sad case. Of cults, of human sacrifice, of children killed and abused but—

"They're safe now," he affirms, "The children, they're safe now. Nobody can hurt them."

A sigh escaped Shiho's lips as she took this in. "I guess," she whispered wryly.

"That's a good thing," Ran affirmed. "Shinichi."

"I agree, Edogawa-kun," Eisuke agreed. "They would be in a better place."

"Conan-kun..." Eri startled them. The four teenagers turn to face two stunned adults.

"This brat," Kogoro stared at Shinichi, then at Shiho. "You're…Conan-kun?"

"No," Shiho intoned as Shinichi pursed his lips. "He is the one and only sleeping Kogoro Mouri."

"What!?"

"Oi."

And the Mouri's join the hunt. :D I would like to call this Arc, the great Pokemon Training Arc. Now, who else would be added to the list? Hmmm...

Jokes aside, thank you for the reviews and feedback. It is greatly appreciated :).

I would be taking a small break soon- the holidays are busy busy season. Though, the chapter for next week would come out as scheduled :D. Again, thank you, and have a nice week ahead.