However, when Akemi Miyano heard this, her footsteps only paused slightly. She looked back at her sister with a complex, almost sorrowful smile on her face, but in the end, she said nothing and only gently shook her head.
This shake of the head contained too many meanings—perhaps disbelief, perhaps the inability to turn back, or perhaps she had already accepted her fate. Then, she followed Kanjuro without hesitation, even proactively reaching out to take his arm as if he were her only support.
Ai Haibara stood there, watching the backs of her sister and that demon as they left side by side, until the door of Dr. Agasa's house slowly closed, cutting off her view. The tears she had been holding back finally slid down silently. Her ice-blue eyes were filled with endless worry, despair, and a deep sense of powerlessness.
She knew her sister was already deeply entangled and unable to extricate herself. As for herself, although she was temporarily safe, she felt as if she were in a larger, invisible trap that would completely swallow her at any moment. Dr. Agasa walked forward worriedly, wanting to comfort her, but didn't know where to start and could only let out a heavy sigh.
Leaving Dr. Agasa's house and walking along the somewhat quiet street, Akemi Miyano carefully observed Kanjuro's expression. Her grip on Kanjuro's arm tightened unconsciously, her tone carrying a hint of unease and a desire to please:
"Brother Kanjuro..." she called softly, "My sister... Shiho, it might be because she's been through too much before, so her vigilance is quite high. She... she might not completely trust you for now. I hope you won't take it to heart."
She looked up at Kanjuro's cold and hard profile, her eyes filled with unreserved trust and a hint of pleading, as if she were afraid Kanjuro would become unhappy because of her sister's attitude.
"But to me," her voice became firm, carrying an almost oath-like devotion, "Brother Kanjuro, I will always believe in you. No matter what others say, no matter what happens, I believe that everything you do has its reasons, and you will never hurt me."
Kanjuro stopped, turned his head, and looked at the woman beside him who was utterly devoted to him. There was no displeasure from being questioned on his face; instead, he showed a smile that could be described as "tolerant." He reached out and gently stroked Akemi Miyano's hair, his movements carrying the affection of a ruler toward a possession.
"Silly girl, how could I take it to heart?" His voice was low and magnetic, carrying a convincing sense of "understanding." "Haibara Ai is still young, and she's just escaped the control of the 393 Organization, so it's normal for her to be uneasy. She needs a little time to observe, to think, and to distinguish what is real danger and what is... real protection."
He changed his tone, his eyes becoming deep as he began to weave a lie that rationalized Ai Haibara's resistance:
"And you should know, after she escaped from the organization, she was 'cared' for by my enemies, Shinichi Kudo's group, for a long time." He deliberately emphasized the word "cared," making it sound full of irony.
"That group, self-proclaimed champions of justice, are used to brainwashing people with hypocritical rhetoric and so-called 'protection.' They must have said many bad things about me in front of Haibara Ai, twisting the facts and giving her a preconceived misunderstanding and fear of me."
Kanjuro sighed, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness, as if he were the victim of a misunderstanding:
"So, Haibara Ai's current lack of trust in me is largely due to their influence; she's been blinded by the wrong concepts they've instilled in her. It's not her fault. If anyone is to blame, it's those people with ulterior motives who misled her."
This rhetoric cleverly attributed Ai Haibara's reasonable vigilance and fear to the "brainwashing" and "misleading" of Shinichi Kudo's side, completely twisting the truth, yet it perfectly catered to Akemi Miyano's current psychology—she needed to believe that Kanjuro was absolutely correct, and any doubt toward him stemmed from external malice.
Sure enough, after Akemi Miyano finished listening, a flash of realization and anger crossed her eyes: "So that's how it is! Shinichi Kudo and the others... they're truly detestable! To mislead Shiho like that!" She hugged Kanjuro's arm even tighter, as if she had found the "true reason" for her sister's resistance, and a more solid reason for her own absolute trust in Kanjuro.
"Brother Kanjuro, don't worry," she looked up, her gaze firm, "I will slowly make Shiho understand who is truly good to her. I will let her know that you are our salvation."
Kanjuro looked with satisfaction at the unquestionable loyalty and the shared sense of enmity in Akemi Miyano's eyes. He smiled slightly, put his arm around her shoulder, and continued walking forward.
"Mhm, I believe you, Akemi. We also need to give Shiho some time to see the truth for herself." His words were full of "patience" and "understanding," but in the depths of his eyes, there was only cold calculation.
Having Akemi Miyano "soften" Ai Haibara was undoubtedly more effective and more interesting than using force. He enjoyed this process of manipulating hearts, leading his target step by step into his carefully woven web under the guise of their own free will.
Akemi Miyano leaned against Kanjuro, her heart filled with a "sense of mission"; she wanted to save her "misled" sister and bring her to the side of "light" (Kanjuro). She did not know that she was personally pushing her sister into a deeper, darker abyss. All of this stemmed from her twisted and firm "trust" in the demon beside her. Kanjuro took Akemi Miyano to an elegant Western restaurant. Just as they were about to dine, his gaze casually swept across the entrance and happened to see two familiar figures with their heads down, trying to quickly cross the lobby—it was Gin and Vodka.
The two obviously saw Kanjuro as well, and their bodies froze instantly like frogs stared down by a venomous snake, not even daring to breathe loudly. They subconsciously wanted to retreat and avoid him, but Kanjuro had already spoken faintly. His voice wasn't loud, but it reached their ears clearly with an irresistible weight:
"Stop."
Those two simple words made Gin and Vodka's feet feel as if they were nailed to the spot. They turned around stiffly, the fear they couldn't hide visible beneath the respectful expressions they struggled to maintain. Cold sweat instantly broke out on Vodka's forehead.
When Akemi Miyano saw these two, her body couldn't help but tremble, and she subconsciously leaned closer to Kanjuro. As a former member of the organization, she knew Gin's coldness and cruelty all too well; that fear was etched into her bones.
Kanjuro felt Akemi's fear. He gently patted the back of her hand to reassure her, then fixed his gaze back on Gin and Vodka. His eyes were calm and waveless, yet they carried more pressure than any threat.
"You've frightened my Akemi." Kanjuro's tone betrayed no emotion, as if he were merely stating a fact. "Apologize."
Upon hearing this, Gin and Vodka hardly hesitated. In the face of absolute power and the threat of death, the so-called dignity of the organization's elite was fragile.
"We are very sorry! Miss Miyano!" Vodka was the first to bow ninety degrees, his voice loud yet trembling, his stout body swaying slightly from tension.
Gin's face was livid, his lips pressed into a thin line. Those green eyes that always flickered with murderous light were now lowered, not daring to meet Kanjuro's gaze. He clenched his teeth, the humiliation within almost consuming him, but under the pressure of Kanjuro's invisible aura, he still slowly and with great difficulty bent the waist that had never bowed to anyone before.
"Sorry... Miss Miyano." Gin's voice was hoarse and dry, each word sounding as if it were squeezed out from between his teeth. This was likely the first and only time in his life he had bowed and apologized to a woman he once viewed as a traitor and an ant.
However, Kanjuro didn't seem satisfied.
"Kneel."
These words were like a thunderclap, making Akemi Miyano cover her mouth in shock, looking at Kanjuro in disbelief.
Gin and Vodka's bodies jolted violently. Vodka, with almost no spine, fell to his knees with a thud, his head buried low, wishing he could crawl into a crack in the floor.
Gin's body trembled violently, his fists clenched so hard that his nails dug deep into his palms, drawing blood. He had dominated the dark world for years; when had he ever suffered such a great humiliation! But the terrifying scene of Kanjuro killing the police with a flick of his finger and forcing the entire state machine to submit, along with that bottomless dark power, flashed through his mind... All his struggle and anger were ultimately crushed by the instinct to survive.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if using all his strength to bend his knees, kneeling heavily onto the smooth marble floor. That dull "thud" seemed to strike the hearts of everyone present.
Two high-level executives of the Black Organization were now like the lowliest prisoners, kneeling in the middle of the restaurant, bowing their heads in apology to Akemi Miyano—a "traitor" they had once hunted.
Akemi Miyano watched this surreal scene, her mind a complete blank. She looked at the Gin who once made her lose sleep with fear, now kneeling before her like a stray dog, and her heart was filled with a massive shock and an indescribable... twisted sense of security.
Kanjuro looked at the two kneeling on the ground, his face still expressionless as he said faintly to Akemi Miyano, "Akemi, their past hunting and pressure on you can be considered a small compensation now. Are you satisfied?"
Akemi Miyano came back to her senses, looking at Kanjuro's calm yet controlling face, her reliance and awe toward him reaching their peak. She nodded vigorously, her voice somewhat choked, "Satisfied... thank you, Brother Kanjuro."
She knew that all of this was because of the man beside her. He possessed the power to overturn all rules and trample on all dignity. And that power was currently protecting her.
Only then did Kanjuro wave his hand as if shooing away flies. "Get lost, don't be an eyesore here."
Gin and Vodka felt as if they had been granted a great reprieve. They almost scrambled to their feet and, without daring to stay for a second, stumbled out of the restaurant, their retreating figures looking wretched, with none of their usual terrifying demeanor left.
The other guests and servers in the restaurant who had witnessed this scene were already hushed in fear, even lightening their breathing.
Kanjuro acted as if he had only done a trivial thing. He elegantly picked up his napkin and said softly to the still-shocked Akemi Miyano, "Alright, the annoying flies have been driven away. Let's continue our meal, Akemi."
Akemi Miyano stared at him blankly, then slowly revealed a tearful, utterly reliant smile. In her heart, Kanjuro's image became increasingly tall, mysterious, and unshakable. She completely believed that as long as she was by his side, nothing in this world could ever hurt her again. And this absolute sense of security was precisely the strongest shackle Kanjuro had carefully woven for her. After the heart-pounding interlude with Gin and Vodka, Kanjuro returned to a relatively peaceful daily life with Akemi Miyano. He remembered the time capsule Akemi had mentioned and decided to take her to Teitan Elementary School to open that long-buried childhood memory.
The afternoon sun spilled over the playground of Teitan Elementary School, casting a nostalgic golden glow on the familiar swings and sandpit. Kanjuro and Akemi Miyano walked side by side through the campus, a hint of anticipation and melancholy on Akemi's face, as if she were seeing the timid version of herself and a young Kanjuro through the lens of time.
However, this tranquility was soon broken by a burst of discordant commotion. In the corner of the playground under a large tree, they saw two boys who were significantly sturdier than their peers—Genta Kojima and Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya—surrounding a thin, small boy, shoving him and shouting, "Hand over your pocket money!" "Or else we'll show you!"
Nearby, Ayumi Yoshida, with her hair in a ponytail, was anxiously trying to stop them. She spread her arms to block the way in front of the bullied boy, her voice carrying a sob, "Genta! Mitsuhiko! You can't do this! Stop it now!"
But her persuasion was so weak that Genta even pushed her impatiently, making Ayumi stumble and almost fall.
Seeing this scene, Akemi Miyano's body subconsciously tensed up. That dark memory of being bullied instantly flooded her mind, causing her to feel strong empathy for the boy being picked on. She almost instinctively grabbed Kanjuro's arm, her eyes showing her inability to bear it and a plea for help.
Kanjuro felt Akemi's emotions and saw the situation clearly. His eyes turned slightly cold. It wasn't that he had any sense of justice; he simply disliked such noisy scenes disturbing his nostalgic moment with Akemi. More importantly, this scene had triggered unpleasant memories for Akemi.
He didn't step forward immediately, but said softly to Akemi, "Wait for me here a moment."
Then, he started walking toward the group of children. His pace wasn't fast, but the cold aura he exuded, which was out of place on a school campus, immediately drew the attention of all the children.
Genta and Mitsuhiko felt someone approaching and turned their heads impatiently, about to shout, but the moment they met Kanjuro's gaze, it was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over their heads. All their arrogance was instantly extinguished, leaving only primal fear. It was the shudder of a small animal encountering an apex predator.
Kanjuro didn't even look at the bullied boy. His gaze fell directly on Genta and Mitsuhiko, his voice flat yet carrying an unquestionable authority:
"Get lost."
With just one word and no extra threats, Genta and Mitsuhiko felt as if they had been granted a reprieve. They scrambled and ran away, not even daring to look back.
Ayumi Yoshida supported the shaken, thin boy and looked at Kanjuro in surprise. Although she was young, she also felt that this big brother who suddenly appeared was very scary, but... he had helped them?
Akemi Miyano also walked over quickly. She first looked at the bullied boy and Ayumi with concern, asking softly, "Are you all okay?"
Ayumi shook her head and said in a small voice, "No... we're fine. Thank you, big brother. Thank you, big sister."
The thin boy also timidly offered his thanks.
Akemi Miyano looked at them, as if she were seeing herself from years ago and... the Kanjuro of back then. She turned her head to look at Kanjuro, her eyes filled with gratitude and a complex emotion. Although Kanjuro's methods always carried a cold sense of oppression, this time, he had indeed stepped in to stop the bullying.
Kanjuro remained noncommittal toward the two children's thanks, his attention returning to Akemi Miyano and the purpose of their trip.
"Let's go, Akemi." He took her hand, "Let's find our time capsule."
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