Beyond the Truth: Mouri's Odyssey

Chapter 0032: A Murder Occurs

The match had ended, and the people in the gymnasium gradually dispersed. Tomorrow would feature the semifinals and finals. Among the four remaining competitors, only Kogoro Mouri was a local from Beika City. The other three had traveled from far away, so Beika University arranged for them to stay together.

As for the three martial arts champions who lost, they did not leave either. Observing the battles of top experts was far more effective than training alone behind closed doors. The three decided to remain at Beika University and followed the staff to the same accommodation.

Kogoro Mouri, being a local, naturally had no reason to join them.

---

Later that evening, three young adults stepped out of a barbecue restaurant—it was Kogoro Mouri and his companions.

Yukiko, looking thoroughly satisfied, patted her stomach. She had been completely unreserved during the meal, specifically ordering Kobe beef and squeezing Kogoro's living expenses dry.

"Thanks for the treat, Mouri-san!" Yukiko said with a bright smile.

Kogoro, both annoyed and amused, turned to Eri. "Eri, let me take you home."

Yukiko immediately cried out in protest. "No way! Don't think I don't know what you're up to. You just confessed yesterday, and now you're already planning something bad. Eri, don't worry—I'll protect you. Tonight, I'll have my driver take you home."

Kogoro's smile froze, concealing a strong urge to curse. 'What does she mean by "something bad"? Eri's already mine!' he thought bitterly.

Eri's face flushed crimson. Having recently tasted the sweetness of love, she was reluctant to part from Kogoro. "Yukiko, don't think so poorly of Kogoro. Besides, we're not even going in the same direction."

"No problem! I have something I want to talk to you about, anyway," Yukiko declared with a determined tone, pulling Eri toward a nearby Bentley. Kogoro was left standing alone in the chilly night.

The car window rolled down, and Yukiko smiled brightly. "Mouri-san, we'll see you tomorrow morning at Beika University. Eri and I will be there to cheer you on!"

Eri, sitting beside her, looked at Kogoro with an apologetic expression. With that, the Bentley drove off into the distance.

Kogoro sighed and began walking home.

---

Kogoro's residence was the same three-story building he would live in twenty years later. At this point, however, it wasn't a café or detective agency but rather rented out as a warehouse. Kogoro still lived alone on the third floor.

The surrounding buildings were much shorter compared to the high-rises of twenty years later.

Near his residence was a pawn shop. As Kogoro approached, a woman and a young girl came running out of the shop in panic.

"Mrs. Nishimoto!"

The pawnshop owner, Kirihara Yosuke, chased after them. He was a middle-aged man with a balding head, an oily demeanor, and an unattractive face that reeked of corruption.

Kogoro disliked this neighbor intensely. He had once caught the man secretly watching child pornography and frequently harassing young girls on the street with vulgar remarks.

After a short pursuit, Kirihara gave up and turned back to his pawnshop. Soon, the sound of shouting and fighting could be heard from inside.

Kogoro glanced at the retreating figure of Mrs. Nishimoto and her daughter. The little girl turned back briefly, and Kogoro noticed her eyes, which resembled those of a cat.

He sighed. Life was already hard enough, especially for a single mother raising a child. Mrs. Nishimoto was a pitiable woman who had no choice but to sell her body to make ends meet.

This brief incident didn't weigh heavily on Kogoro's mind. If memory served, the oily middle-aged pawnshop owner would soon die mysteriously in an abandoned building. After that, the Nishimoto family would quickly vanish from his life.

Kogoro had no intention of saving such a despicable man. 'The sooner he dies, the better,' he thought.

He returned to his room on the third floor and began meditating, preparing for tomorrow's competition.

'What exactly is this guiding technique?' he wondered. He still had no clue.

---

The next morning, Kogoro woke up early. The more he practiced the guiding technique, the more refreshed he felt. Now, he only needed four hours of sleep to sustain himself for an entire day.

He had arranged to meet Yukiko and Eri at the entrance of Beika University. The three of them gathered there early.

However, just as they entered the university, the sound of police sirens echoed nearby. Shortly afterward, several police cars drove into the campus. A familiar chubby figure stepped out—it was a young Inspector Megure, twenty years younger.

At this age, Megure was only slightly overweight, unlike his future self. However, his love for yellow clothing had already become a long-standing habit. His appearance wasn't much different from twenty years later, though his younger self seemed more agile.

"Is the crime scene inside the gymnasium?" Megure asked.

A murder case had occurred. Kogoro immediately sprinted toward the gymnasium, with Eri and Yukiko close behind.

Megure shouted after them, "Hey! Who are you? Don't enter the crime scene! You'll destroy the evidence!"

The three of them entered the gymnasium and, as expected, found a corpse lying in the center of the martial arts stage. It was Kang Shin-cheol, a Taekwondo master, who had been stabbed in the abdomen. His posture suggested an attempt at seppuku, but the sight was horrifying. A pool of blood had formed beneath him, though it had already dried.

Beside the corpse, two men wearing white gloves were crouched down, examining the scene. They were Yukiko's husband, Kudo Yusaku, and Hattori Heizo. Seeing these two, Kogoro felt as though he were looking at the younger versions of Kudo Shinichi and Hattori Heiji.

V-chan said, [Main Task: Detective Showdown II – Dominate the Scene: Kang Shin-cheol from Seoul has been brutally murdered. The culprit is among the people present. Pay attention—there are four highly skilled detectives here: Kudo Yusaku, Hattori Heizo, Toyama Ginshiro, and Eri Kisaki. Solve the case faster than anyone else to uncover the truth. Reward: 5000 points and one draw from the Multiverse Lottery.]

Hearing the task, Kogoro's lips curved into a confident smile. 'Interesting,' he thought.