Chapter 27: Conan: I have a feeling he might turn to the dark side at any moment.

Not only were Ryoko Akagi and Conan stunned by the force of that kick, but the child who had been happily playing video games with a controller was also startled by the commotion, peering out from the room to stare blankly at the scene outside.

"Ryoko-san?" Mamoru Akagi asked in confusion.

"Ah! Mamoru!" Ryoko Akagi snapped back to reality. Stepping over the door panel that was pinning Naoki Kamimura down, she ignored his cry of pain and rushed into the room, pulling the young boy into a tight embrace. "You scared me to death! How could you just wander off to play like that!"

"But I left a note! It’s the school anniversary today, and Naoki-niisan said he’d take me to..." Mamoru trailed off, pointing excitedly at the television in front of them. "Look! Naoki-niisan helped me beat this level! No one in my class has cleared it yet!"

Completely oblivious to the fact that he had been kidnapped for several hours, Mamoru remained in high spirits. Conan sighed, walked over to the twitching Naoki Kamimura on the floor, and poked him. "Looks like he's still alive..."

Karasawa moved the door panel aside as if it were nothing. Confirming that the man wouldn't be moving for a while, he reminded Ryoko, who was on the verge of tears while hugging Mamoru, "You can call Mamoru's brother now. I suspect this man never intended to hurt him in the first place."

Soon, Hideo Akagi, who had been called to the sidelines by his coach, received the news that his brother was safe.

The television in the living room was broadcasting the match, and it was clear that Naoki Kamimura had been following the game’s progress the entire time. Freed from his constraints, Hideo Akagi played like a tiger released from its cage, scoring two consecutive goals amidst the roaring cheers of the fans in the stadium.

The commentator on-site was so excited his voice nearly cracked, shouting hoarsely over the deafening cheers: "3 to 1! The divine power of 'Hideo the God-Leg' sweeps the field! He has finally unleashed the full force of his legendary shooting! Combined with that miraculous assist in the first half, this is the 'God-Leg Hideo' of Tokyo Ashi-Team! Hideo Akagi! A shining football genius!"

"Hmph, a genius..." muttered Naoki Kamimura, whom Karasawa had dragged into the living room. "Yes, he is always the genius, while I am just a fool who knows only how to work hard without an ounce of talent..."

The others turned to look at Naoki, who could only sit on the floor, clutching his plaster-cast right leg. Faced with their gazes, he no longer hid his resentment, his voice filled with bitterness. "We had similar records on our high school team, yet his popularity and signing bonus were far higher than mine. I couldn't accept it. Since joining the Ashi-Team, I practiced day and night, just to surpass him, to prove I was better than him! And finally, I was about to catch up..."

"But then, during a practice match, he shattered my right tibia! I’ll miss the entire season, and I don't even know if I’ll ever recover my form!" Naoki slammed his plaster-covered knee in fury. "It was intentional, it had to be! Haha, the 'Golden Twins'... kid, you were right. I didn't plan on hurting Mamoru. I just wanted that genius brat to understand that he won't always win! The world doesn't always go his way!"

Conan looked solemn, wearing his signature expression for hearing out a criminal's life story.

"Ryoko, call the police. Tell them to come and take me away." Having vented his grievances, Naoki calmed down, staring at Hideo Akagi on the screen, who was huddled with his teammates. "If Hideo knew what I did, he’d be very surprised, wouldn't he?"

"Hideo, who would you most like to share the news of this victory with?" the reporter conducting the post-game interview asked, holding the microphone to the man who had brought the team victory.

"Ah, I want to tell Ryoko-san and my little brother, and also... my best partner and rival, Naoki Kamimura." Hideo Akagi rubbed his sweaty cheek, looking a bit embarrassed. "He missed the match due to injury. I kept thinking, if he were here, we definitely would have scored even more goals, right?"

Karasawa stood up from the sofa, no longer looking at the stunned Naoki, and reached out to pull Conan toward him. "Let's go, Conan. There's nothing left for us here." He then raised an eyebrow and teased "Akagi" Ryoko, saying, "Ryoko-san, I assume your last name isn't actually Akagi? You should really wait until you're married to consider taking his name, don't you think?"

"Ah!" Ryoko Akagi jumped at his words, her face turning visibly red.

On the television, Hideo Akagi laughed heartily, waving his fist at the camera. "Get well soon, Naoki! I’m waiting for you on the pitch!"

Conan kept looking back as Karasawa pulled him toward the exit. Watching Naoki Kamimura, who was collapsed on the floor in tears, muttering "Idiot, fool...", Conan asked hesitantly, "Do we really not need to call the police?"

Karasawa shrugged. "No one was truly hurt anyway. Let the victims decide; whether or not to report it is their business. I'm not the type to obsess over procedural justice, sorry, little detective."

Conan opened his mouth to retort, but remembering how Karasawa had been framed, he didn't know where to begin to persuade him.

"Come on, let's go," Karasawa said, hoisting the dawdling Conan up. "If we don't run, they'll realize what happened and ask us to pay for the door!"

"Is that the first thing you thought of?" Conan’s brow twitched as he was tucked under Karasawa's arm and carried downstairs.

"Put me down!" Conan struggled until he escaped Karasawa’s grip and hit the ground. "I only look like a child, don't actually treat me like an elementary schooler!"

"It’s just more convenient that way..." Karasawa coughed twice to suppress his laughter, changing the subject. "You seem very surprised that I didn't call the police."

"Not many detectives would do it this way, right?" Conan walked alongside Karasawa toward the main street, hands clasped behind his head.

"That depends on one's personal philosophy," Karasawa said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "The cafe I live at is called 'Poirot.' You should know that’s a famous detective's name, right?"

"Hercule Poirot?" As a fan of detective novels, Conan naturally knew the classic character.

Karasawa nodded. "Exactly. You must have read the famous 'Murder on the Orient Express,' right? How would you evaluate its ending?"

"Murder on the Orient Express" was a classic work by Agatha Christie, in which she innovatively designed a case where all the suspects completed a part of the crime, making everyone the murderer. It was a blood feud where the victims sought revenge against a villain the law failed to punish. Poirot, having uncovered the truth, chose to abandon justice to protect the killers.

Conan opened his mouth, sensing the question was a bit dangerous. Karasawa seemed to be hinting that he was a detective like Poirot, who only cared about the truth and the justice of the result. Such a person was, of course, still a detective. He considered it for a moment before saying cautiously, "I don't entirely oppose Poirot’s choice, but defining justice by one's own standards is an arrogance that ignores the law."

Karasawa wasn't just chatting about life philosophy for no reason; he was laying the groundwork.

In the future, cases would continue to appear around Conan constantly. Some Karasawa could stop using the methods of the Phantom Thief; others he could halt using his knowledge of the plot. But inevitably, there would be murders Karasawa couldn't or wouldn't want to stop. Preparing Conan mentally in advance would avoid many disputes later on.

Karasawa thought for a moment. Not knowing if this world had a film version of "Murder on the Orient Express," he slightly tweaked the movie’s lines. "I’ve realized that the scales of justice cannot always remain balanced, and I am learning to coexist with that imbalance."