It wasn't until a moment after they brushed past each other that Kyosuke Kazato snapped out of it.
He hurriedly turned around to look at the figure walking away, a bit surprised.
He'd just been knocked out yesterday, and now he was running into the guy again on the street today?
What kind of ridiculous luck was this?
Still, Kyosuke didn't dwell on it too much. A wave of wild excitement surged through him.
You don't get chances like this twice!
If he didn't teach that damn dark-skinned punk a lesson today, could he even call himself Kazato?
But then he paused, reining in his impulses. He didn't chase after him right away.
To him, all dark-skinned guys looked the same.
With so many of them out there, he couldn't be sure this was *the* dark-skinned guy just from a quick glance.
If he got the wrong person, that'd be a real mess…
With that thought, Kyosuke calmed down. He turned his gaze back to Toru Amuro, studying him closely.
Meanwhile, Toru Amuro was strolling down the street, planning to find some odd job to kill time, when he suddenly stopped.
He felt a faint hint of hostility coming from behind.
Turning around, he saw a man standing there, staring at him with an oddly excited look.
The guy was dressed in a suit, tall and upright, with a refined, handsome face. His skin was strikingly pale, and he had a teardrop mole on his cheek—overall, he gave off a polite, easygoing vibe.
"Hmm?"
Toru frowned slightly, puzzled by this stranger sizing him up for no apparent reason.
Kyosuke noticed Toru turning around.
The moment he saw that dark face, his eyes froze.
A line popped into his head:
*"The second I saw that face on the street, I knew this little punk was the one who stole my gun."*
—*General MacArthur, Starry Sky.*
A sharp pain throbbed at the back of his head as memories of being knocked out yesterday flooded back.
He might've been unsure before, but that smirk? He'd never forget it!
No doubt about it—this was the damn dark-skinned guy who'd taken his gun!
Still, after a moment's thought, he didn't act right away. Instead, he forced out an awkward smile— uglier than a sob—and waved at Toru.
Toru: "…?"
From the guy's behavior, it seemed like he knew Toru, but Toru had zero recollection of him.
Then again, since the guy was waving, they must've met somewhere, right?
Toru gave Kyosuke a puzzled once-over, noticing the injury on his head…
It didn't take long for him to piece it together—this poor sap must've fallen and turned himself into an idiot.
Out of pity for someone with a mental disability, Toru shot him a sympathetic look, raised his hand with a practiced wave, and flashed a warm, neighborly smile.
Kyosuke: "…"
Was this guy mocking him?!
His expression darkened.
Yesterday, this jerk had pulled *that* stunt, and now he had the guts to wave at him like nothing happened…
Did he really think Kyosuke was that dumb?
This damn dark-skinned punk was pushing it too far.
But logic told him now wasn't the time to strike.
He'd need to find a quieter spot…
"What a weirdo."
Seeing no response, Toru muttered to himself, then turned and walked off. Kyosuke, meanwhile, started tailing him from a distance.
"He's following me?"
Toru glanced back at Kyosuke trailing not too far behind and frowned.
As a spy, he could easily spot amateurish stalking like this.
He just couldn't figure out…
Who was this guy, and why was he following him?
No clue who he was, but if he was tailing Toru, he was definitely up to no good…
Whatever—didn't matter. He'd grab him and interrogate him first.
Toru's eyes narrowed as his expression grew serious. At the next corner, he slipped into a nearby alley.
"Perfect chance!"
Kyosuke's heart raced with excitement.
He'd planned to follow the guy back to his hideout…
The street wasn't exactly the best place to make a move, but since the guy had handed him an opportunity, Kyosuke wasn't about to let it slip.
He hurried after him into the alley Toru had just entered.
Staring at that golden-blond head, Kyosuke couldn't hold back his glee any longer.
With a quick glance around, his trembling hand grabbed a wooden stick nearby. Channeling some old gangster move, he swung it hard at Toru's head. "Die, you damn dark-skinned punk!"
*Thud!*
A dull sound rang out.
Toru spun around.
Kyosuke stood there, dumbfounded.
Their eyes locked for an awkward moment.
Toru reacted fast—grabbing the stick mid-swing with one hand and driving a knee into Kyosuke's gut with the other.
"Urgh!"
The sharp pain forced a mouthful of blood out of Kyosuke.
Before he could recover, Toru followed up with an over-the-shoulder throw, slamming him hard onto the ground.
"Ahh!"
This time, Kyosuke let out a yelp.
Hearing it, Toru paused, his fist hovering as he glanced at the blood on the ground.
Wait—he hadn't even gone all out yet.
How was this guy already spitting blood?
If he'd hit harder, he might've killed him on the spot.
This was… unexpected.
Was the guy targeting him really *this* weak?
"Damn it…"
While Toru was puzzling it over, Kyosuke came to his senses.
He'd thought this guy was just a sneaky little thief good at ambushes.
But now? This dark-skinned punk was clearly more than that!
Kyosuke quickly sized up his situation.
Things weren't looking good—he turned and bolted!
"Wait!"
Toru tried to call after him.
But fueled by the adrenaline of that throw, Kyosuke was lightning-fast. Dragging his battered suit, he darted out of the alley in a couple of breaths.
By the time Toru gave chase, the street was empty—no sign of him.
Toru: "…"
What was that guy's deal?
He was so weak but ran faster than a rabbit.
It felt like he was out for revenge, but…
This weak? Couldn't be anyone Toru had seriously wronged…
Maybe just a mugger after his wallet?
"Ugh…"
Toru let out a long sigh. "Things are getting crazier out here."
"That damn dark-skinned punk… *cough cough*…"
Leaning against a wall, Kyosuke stumbled away from the scene. He glanced back, saw no one chasing him, and coughed out a bitter complaint.
Those coughs brought up two more splashes of bright red blood onto his hand.
Staring at his blood-stained palm, Kyosuke's face twisted oddly. He went quiet.
Yesterday, that brutal beating from the Mihama Batman—plus getting strung up on a lamppost—had already left him with internal injuries.
It wasn't a big deal at first—the guy had pulled his punches just right, one more hit would've been serious.
But today, that knee from the dark-skinned punk? That turned it into a real injury.
Mihama's grand stage had a knack for pairing him with characters like this—keep going, and he'd be dead for sure!
He'd just danced with death…
---
### Tokyo · Some Underground Concert
At the basement entrance, Fujino listened to the chaotic music blaring in his ears and glanced at Hakuba Tan. "So, you think Toshiya Odagiri could be the killer?"
"Yep. Not just him, though—Masa Tomonari, Tamaki Nino, everyone tied to the case is a suspect. I just think he's the one worth checking out first."
Hakuba nodded. "Don't you agree?"
Fujino: "Heh…"
"Yesterday at the celebration, he was there. Toshiya Odagiri's left-handed, too. When he showed up that day, he had a guitar case on his back… could've had a gun in it."
Hakuba mused, "If he's the killer, then Toshiro Odagiri might be in on it, too."
"You're suspecting the Criminal Affairs Chief now?"
Fujino gave Hakuba another exasperated look.
"From what we know, Toshiya Odagiri was likely involved in that earlier case."
Hakuba thought it over, his tone serious. "If he's the one who killed Tamaki Nino, then Toshiro Odagiri might've killed those two cops to protect his son."
"You've got some wild guesses…"
Fujino shot Hakuba another speechless glance. "Suspecting the current Criminal Affairs Chief and his family? Only you'd dare pull that off."
Probably because he was the Police Commissioner's son—nobody else would have the guts.
Openly suspecting the Chief's son—or even the Chief himself—of murdering active-duty officers?
That kind of thinking wouldn't even cross a regular cop's mind.
Even in the detective world, it was explosive.
Hakuba didn't overthink it. "A detective chases the truth. Until it's out in the open, anything's possible, right?"
"That's just you."
Fujino chuckled helplessly. "The world's not always black and white. Some things aren't meant to see the light—too much sunshine can burn people beyond recognition. When they're cornered, they'll fight back with everything they've got. Sometimes, the only way to kill darkness is with a purer kind of darkness."
Guess this kid was used to being cocky.
Since this case involved the Criminal Affairs Chief, protocol kicked it up to the Police Commissioner.
Commissioner Hakuba had handed it over to Megure Juuzou and Shiratori Ninzaburo.
Those two weren't afraid to suspect Toshiro Odagiri, but they knew where to draw the line—not treating him like some common crook.
Fujino got roped in thanks to Commissioner Hakuba… or maybe some other higher-up.
Sure, Toshiya Odagiri was a suspect, but with Toshiro Odagiri in the picture, the main focus was still on Masa Tomonari.
Hakuba, though? With his dad backing him up, he was fearless.
Criminal Affairs Chief, Chief's son—didn't matter.
One rank higher crushes the rest.
To him, unless it went above that, everyone was fair game.
Maybe that's why Commissioner Hakuba sent him here…
Damn corrupt system, damn class solidification.
"But darkness is still darkness."
Hakuba said solemnly, "Using darkness to swallow darkness just makes it deeper—until it swallows itself whole."
"Fair point."
Fujino nodded, leaving it at that.
In his memory, Toshiya Odagiri wasn't the killer.
His meeting with Tamaki Nino back then? He'd found evidence of Nino dealing drugs and was blackmailing him, that's all.
It wasn't until a month ago that Toshiro Odagiri found his son's lighter. The name on it jogged his memory about Tamaki Nino's case from a year back…
Maybe to shield his son—or for some other reason—he didn't file an official reinvestigation. Instead, he quietly tapped Nara, the first cop who got killed.
In the follow-up, since it tied back to him, spilling the blackmail would've landed his son in jail. So he kept his mouth shut.
---
Stepping down the stairs and pushing open the door, they entered a dim, spacious basement.
At the far end was a big stage, where a few scantily clad cyberpunk-style youths were rocking out. One of them was Toshiya Odagiri.
He still had that purple hair, decked out in a revealing cyberpunk top and black leather pants, strumming an electric guitar with over-the-top flair—total non-mainstream rocker vibes.
Above them, neon lights flickered dizzyingly, while below, the crowd went wild.
All sorts in the mix—scene kids, street punks, you name it…
Plus some normies who might've just been there for the music.
Hakuba in his white shirt and Fujino in his black suit stuck out like sore thumbs in this modern chaos.
"…"
Hakuba stared at the scene, his expression turning weird.
"First time at a place like this for the gentleman detective fresh from England?"
Fujino caught Hakuba's look and teased, "No underground concerts over there?"
"They've got them in England, sure, but honestly, this is my first time at one."
Hakuba took a deep breath, admitting it straight. "You seem pretty chill, though… been to one before?"
"Nope, never."
Fujino shook his head with a wry smile. "My time's too precious to waste here."
Hakuba: "…"
Then why're you giving me grief about it?
"Miss Tamaki, you're here too?"
Fujino dropped the teasing and turned to the side with a light smile.
"Tamaki?"
Hakuba followed his gaze and spotted a familiar face he'd seen in photos.
By the basement entrance, Tamaki Nino leaned against the wall in a purple cropped sleeveless top that hugged her figure, paired with white stockings and gray shorts with slits that hinted at something mysterious.
She was staring at Toshiya Odagiri on stage, lost in thought…
Hakuba blinked, then glanced at Fujino with a slight frown.
This guy's observation skills were insane.
Sure, Hakuba had been thrown off by the environment for a second.
But adapting fast was part of being a detective.
Spotting her in this noisy mess with one look?
His dad was right—sticking with this guy was a learning goldmine…
Hakuba quietly marveled.
"Do we know each other?"
Tamaki turned to Fujino, clearly startled, then puzzled.
"You don't know me, but I know you."
Fujino stepped forward with a chuckle. "Tamaki Nino, sister of Tamaki Ho, who was killed a year ago. Now a journalist, right?"
"I know you, Detective Fujino, but what're you…"
"You probably know I'm a detective."
Cutting through her confusion, Fujino explained, "This time, the police secretly brought me in on the recent cop assassination case. I saw your file while digging through the records."
(End of Chapter)