Chapter 56: Gake Akechi

"Let's call it a day for today's meeting. Thank you all for your hard work."

"Thank you for your hard work."

Rei Furuya sat in the pitch-dark room, listening to the others quietly pack up their documents, listening to their footsteps leave the conference room one after another, until Yuya Kazami finally switched on the lights.

The number of cases collected by the Zero Unit exceeded his imagination. Even after the meeting concluded, Rei Furuya's brow remained tightly furrowed.

"This guy calling himself Joker has a sphere of activity much larger than our previous estimates." Looking at the Tokyo map on the whiteboard, Yuya Kazami also felt a wave of dizziness.

Following serious discussions within the Zero Unit, everyone had basically concluded that the "warning letter" was not an absolute prerequisite for Joker to make a move. Unlike Kid, the phantom thief who always made a flashy announcement to the whole world before acting, Joker operated in the shadows far more often than he sent advance notice letters.

"Kazami, I believe we cannot afford to act like startled birds now, viewing every sudden personality mutation among criminals as the handiwork of Joker." Rei Furuya stood up, plucked several magnets from the whiteboard, and eliminated some broader, vague criteria. "Let's look at it from another angle. Let's first assume that Joker possesses some means to cause anyone of his choosing to undergo a fundamental shift in mindset within a short period... If you possessed that power, would you chase heroic daydreams just like him?"

Yuya Kazami folded his arms, gazed at the map covered in numerous circles, and slowly spoke, "To be honest, there are some cases that even the police cannot prevent. We can only pursue accountability after the harm is done; it's very difficult to issue warnings beforehand. Frankly speaking, after investigating all this, I actually find myself somewhat endorsing Joker's statement about 'severing the cycle of evil'... If I had that ability, perhaps I would do the same thing."

Rei Furuya's gaze swept over the names "Yuji Suwa," "Yutaka Abe," and "Ichiro Hagino," and he slowly nodded.

Had it not been for Joker's intervention, cutting off grievances from the source, any of these individuals could have become murderers.

"From this, we can deduce that Joker's social identity is relatively ordinary—an office worker, a manual laborer, or perhaps even a student."

He pointed his fingertips at the three names with definitive ties to Kogoro Mouri and said, "His focus on Kogoro Mouri is likely not due to targeting a specific detective, as outsiders speculate, but rather because Kogoro Mouri is his sole channel for accessing criminal cases."

Yuya Kazami had an epiphany and nodded in recognition, "If I were Joker, the targets I'd choose would definitely be cold cases within my reach, or wicked villains whom the police cannot interfere with due to constraints."

"Yes. In our recent meeting, we also determined that either Joker possesses a certain moral standard that prevents him from using this ability for personal gain, or the brainwashing effect of this power on people is unidirectional, capable only of inspiring goodness." Rei Furuya pointed one by one at the warning letters pinned to the documents and said, "As for those cases where we aren't certain whether they should be classified here, I think we can establish a separate direction."

Yuya Kazami was slightly stunned, then hurriedly snatched a notebook from the desk, waiting for his superior's new orders.

"Aside from the private message left for Takt in the Queen Elizabeth, all the warning letters use pronouns and signatures that emphasize that the Phantom Thieves of Hearts are likely not just Joker alone." Rei Furuya picked up a pen and swiftly wrote the words "Phantom Thieves of Hearts" on the whiteboard. "Therefore, we should begin attempting to categorize these cases, determine whether a group truly exists, and if so, how many members there are, and compile profiles for each one."

Yuya Kazami hastily acknowledged the command and began jotting down the new project in his notebook.

Actually, asking Takt about this question would yield a very simple answer.

"Even though I'm just one person, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts sounds much cooler, doesn't it? Replicating the original work is also a form of ritualistic sentiment!"

Rei Furuya crossed his arms, critically inspecting the words written in the center of the whiteboard.

"Male, single
Aged 15-25
Possesses a good educational background
Possesses moral standards higher than societal norms (?)
Distinctive style of action, confident and forceful speech
Possesses a certain degree of desire for control
..."

He himself was currently spending all day right downstairs at the Mouri Detective Agency, and he had gained some understanding of this increasingly famous neighbor.

After simply eliminating those connected to him in his interpersonal network, Rei Furuya raised an eyebrow and uttered a name.

"...Shinichi Kudo?"

Yet Shinichi Kudo was already a renowned detective, even more famous than Kogoro Mouri. If it were him, what need would he have to use Kogoro Mouri to screen targets?

Unless... Recalling Shinichi Kudo's disappearance, Rei Furuya touched his chin.

Is he currently unable to show his face due to certain reasons?

---

Conan, completely unaware that he had been ruthlessly set up by his little friend, walked briskly into Cafe Poirot.

Ever since Takt arrived, he would drop by from time to time. When it was inconvenient for an elementary schooler to find an excuse to go out, Takt, being a high schooler, made for a great cover. After doing this a few times, he had mastered the routine, moving as naturally and easily as returning home.

"Eh? Takt hasn't returned yet?" Hearing Azusa Enomoto's words, Conan felt a mild surprise. "Mr. Amuro took leave as well?"

Azusa Enomoto sighed, "Yes... With Mr. Amuro gone, I'm practically overwhelmed."

Takt had headed to the police station right after school. It had already been two or three hours—did writing a report really take this long?

The bell by the door jingled crisply. Azusa Enomoto paused her thoughts about the child, turning toward the entrance with a warm, welcoming smile: "Welcome!"

The person who walked in also smiled, nodded in return to her greeting, and sat down at the counter.

"Are you visiting for the first time?" Cafe Poirot was not an extremely famous establishment; its regular patrons were exclusively residents of the surrounding neighborhood, allowing Azusa Enomoto to easily spot new faces. "You should try our sandwiches. Today we have special chicken sandwiches, which everyone loves."

"I've also heard that your sandwiches are exceptional," the young man said with a warm, pleasant voice and a smile. "Just give me one of those, please."

Azusa Enomoto turned away to prepare the sandwich, while Conan's gaze instinctively shifted toward the newcomer, followed by a slight pause.

This person's hair color was very similar to Takt's, but slightly longer and softer, falling smoothly against his collar. He possessed handsome features—the kind of face that would make Sonoko shriek.

A khaki double-breasted jacket, black leather gloves, paired with a metallic briefcase in his hand—he was a strikingly stylish and handsome youth, likely turning heads constantly on the street.

The reason Conan paused was that this person was also staring at him with evident interest.

He had pale amber eyes, and when he stared unblinkingly at someone, it gave them an unsettling feeling of being watched by a cold-blooded animal.

"Little brother, you're that little hero from the newspaper who stopped Kid's theft, right?" The smile on his face was gentle and warm, and his tone was even and soft, the kind of person who easily inspired goodwill.

Conan blinked, though the metaphor of a "cold-blooded animal" that had initially popped into his mind still lingered stubbornly in his heart.

He deliberately replied with a wide smile, asking in an innocent and naive tone, "That's me! Big brother, what's your name?"

"Me? My name is Akechi, Goro Akechi." Goro Akechi tilted his head slightly, his chestnut hair flowing down smoothly. "I'm a detective."