klisemfg Chapter 1313: The last time I watched this episode, I turned into a rat.
Chapter 1313: The last time I watched this episode, I turned into a rat.
Chapter 1313 Last time I watched this episode, I turned into a rat.
"Kudo-kun————" Seeing that Akiba Reiko had finally appeared, Takagi Wataru breathed a sigh of relief. As he approached, he noticed that there was a familiar face standing next to her. He looked back and forth between the two of them with a surprised expression.
Takagi Wataru, who was assigned a task, knew all too well how difficult Akiba Reiko was to deal with.
She refused to cooperate with questioning, stating that she had already been questioned and that any further clues proving her connection to the case would prompt a formal statement from her. Otherwise, she had neither the time nor the obligation to cooperate. She also refused police protection, despite repeated police emphasis that the perpetrator had directly attacked her and that without police protection, she might miss the concert due to the perpetrator's actions.
No matter how much you try to reason with her or appeal to her emotions, her expression remains indifferent. She crosses her arms and adopts a defiant attitude, demanding a search warrant if you ask any further questions. If you don't have one, she simply slams the door shut and ignores you completely.
Seeing Shinichi Kudo walking towards her side by side, Reiko Akiba seemed quite happy, not to mention Wataru Takagi's astonishment.
Could it be that the famous detective has some special talent in this area, enabling him to quickly establish a good relationship with the victim?
"Miss Akiba, where have you been?" Takagi Wataru turned to look at Akiba Reiko with a helpless expression. "You've been in great danger these past few days—"
"Where else could we go? Rehearsals, of course. Didn't I say we wouldn't go anywhere else?" Akiba Reiko's reply was blunt. She glanced at Kudo Shinichi, who had followed her all the way here, and waved her hand. "Alright, I'm going back now. Just drop me off here."
"But----"
"Weren't you guarding this place the whole time? What, were you worried that there was some murderer hiding in my house who would try to assassinate me when I got back? That would be a dereliction of duty on your part."
After saying that, she turned and walked into the apartment building, ignoring Takagi Wataru, whose expression was already masked with pain, and Kudo Shinichi, who seemed lost in thought, and went upstairs in the elevator.
"Kudo-kun—" After being repeatedly rejected, Takagi Wataru turned to Kudo Shinichi, gave a bitter smile, and said, "You met her at the concert hall?"
"Yes, she takes the performance very seriously and attends every rehearsal. But she shouldn't be going out tomorrow, so don't worry." Shinichi Kudo looked at him, who had been in the car for a long time and looked extremely haggard, and couldn't help but offer a few words of comfort.
This kind of task is about the same intensity as staking out a criminal. If the victim were willing to cooperate and let the police into her home, they could find a female police officer like Miwako Sato to get closer to her and even stay at her house. But Akiba Reiko doesn't even accept protection, so Wataru Takagi can only suffer here staking out the house, and he has to rush to the bathroom.
"Sigh—" Takagi Wataru sighed, drawing out the sound, "I hope so."
If Akiba Reiko were truly so law-abiding, the police wouldn't be in such a predicament.
"Actually, I have some suspicions about the flute parts that keep appearing in the case. Have you done any background checks on Akiba Reiko's interpersonal relationships? Especially those of people who can play the flute," Shinichi Kudo asked rhetorically.
Judging from her behavior during the various interrogations, even if she didn't have a clear understanding of the case, she must have known at least some relevant clues.
However, she now values the performance even more than her own safety. If you want her to spit it out, it would be more efficient to just call over the Heart Thief and have him change her mind.
"Inspector Shiratori should be following up on this," Takagi Wataru replied. "I think they've probably found something. Mainly, flute playing is a major that Domoto Academy has offered since its founding—"
As a vocal music student who consistently achieved excellent grades throughout her school years, Akiba Reiko knew a great many different instrumentalists.
The reason why the situation is still being confirmed is that the list is too long, and the way schools operate as small societies can lead to many hidden interpersonal problems and conflicts that no one but the parties involved can explain. It is perfectly normal for the police to need time to confirm the situation.
"Okay, I understand." Shinichi Kudo nodded, turned to look at the lit window upstairs, and added sympathetically, "I'll have to keep working hard for you, Officer Takagi."
It's her business if Akiba Reiko refuses to cooperate, but if the police withdraw their protection because of this, and something happens to her, that's the police's problem.
So even with such a difficult situation, Takagi Wataru still had to stay downstairs and keep watch. Even if it didn't have any real effect, he still had to make a show of it.
At least until the concert begins, Wataru Takagi will not be free.
"You've worked hard too. If you have any new leads, please contact me." Takagi Wataru understood that Kudo Shinichi was preparing to leave, so he made this polite remark.
There's a new clue, and it might just get Akiba Reiko to talk. Takagi Wataru is naturally very interested in this.
Watching Shinichi Kudo wave goodbye and leave, Wataru Takagi couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Before Shinichi Kudo disappeared, he wasn't particularly familiar with the other party. Shinichi Kudo is the type of detective who can make progress in a case even without the help of the police, so it's only natural that he would be more familiar with someone like Inspector Megure, who is in charge of the scene.
Especially since they hadn't seen each other for several months, it was already a good thing that their nodding acquaintances weren't awkward. Why did it seem that Shinichi Kudo's attitude was inexplicably much more familiar this time, as if they had been working together frequently lately?
Unaware of Takagi Wataru's inner thoughts, Kudo Shinichi walked home along the road and soon passed through the Beika Shopping Street.
Reiko Akiba attends elementary school at Teitan School, naturally because her home is nearby; just across the street is the Beika shopping district, which is very close.
Looking up at the Mouri Detective Agency with its lights on, he glanced down at the bustling Polo Cafe downstairs, where the number of customers was astounding.
I couldn't see Karasawa, nor could I see Amuro Tooru behind the bar. I wonder if he was in the kitchen or attic and hadn't come downstairs.
He hesitated, restraining himself from stepping inside.
Conan Edogawa can run in without restraint and go straight up to the attic to find Tang Ze without even saying hello, but Shinichi Kudo, who is not that familiar with them, should not be venturing into this place.
He turned his head and continued walking forward, pondering to himself.
What was the purpose of the Phantom Thieves' appearance at the rehearsal venue today? Were they there to find the murderer, or were they somewhat similar to him and there to ensure Akiba Reiko's safety?
Under Yusuke Kitagawa's guidance, Chigusa Lala no longer has any real conflict with Akiba Reiko, and the two are now going to stand side by side and work together to complete the performance.
As for the score and the craftsman—
Oh right, I almost overlooked this question. Like Yusuke Kitagawa's slightly pointed question, you're not a performer, so why are you here watching the rehearsal? Is it because you care about the concert that Kazuki Domoto is preparing, or for some other reason?
"Is this guy going to see Reiko Akiba today?"
After knocking down the armored shadow in front of him, Asai Narumi looked at the other shadows in the hall with a strange expression. Their clothing designs, which more or less echoed the piano, seemed odd to him.
Although he didn't seriously intend to officially recognize the obviously fake temporary identity of Asahi Seisaku as a pseudonym, it doesn't mean he had no psychological qualms about killing off so many costume designers in the same series.
Pu Hejiang, an elderly man who has been so devoted to the piano from beginning to end and unwilling to let go, has a stubbornness that is reflected in every aspect of his life.
The black and white piano keys, to some extent, echoed the meaning of death and funeral represented by his tomb, and thus were exaggeratedly overused.
This gave Asai Narumi, who had to wear similar clothes from time to time, a subtle feeling of being predicted, as well as a worry that her thoughts were aligned with those of a madman.
"Yes." Tang Ze affirmed his statement, hiding in the shadows and aiming at the next shadow, answering while multitasking, "Akiba Reiko almost became his daughter-in-law, and he hasn't even had contact with his son, let alone a daughter-in-law. Right now, he's prepared to self-destruct, so of course he wants to see what the person his son loves looks like on stage."
There's nothing we can do; every time we see it, it's one less time we'll get to see it.
Moreover, Akiba Reiko's gospel singing is really good. It's the kind of voice that is extremely penetrating and profound, capable of touching people's hearts. No wonder Kawabe Kanade, who has never collaborated with her before, admires her so much and can't forget her.
Letting her sing religious songs and gospel songs is absolutely the right thing to do.
It's perfectly normal for an old man who has already committed murder to be sitting in the audience listening to Akiba Reiko sing Ave Maria and Amazing Grace, filled with inner struggle and emotion. If it weren't for Tang Ze's harassment today, Pu and Takumi might have gone to Akiba Reiko to reconcile and talk to her.
"He used such extreme methods to threaten Akiba Reiko's safety. What a strange person," added Haga Kyosuke, who was following behind as an accessory.
You could say that Fu and Takumi showed mercy to Akiba Reiko, but the problem is that every time they did something, it could have had serious consequences.
Whether it was the medication or the pursuing truck, frankly speaking, if anything went wrong and wasn't controlled properly, Akiba Reiko could have suffered permanent damage to her vocal cords, lost her voice, or been seriously injured in the car accident.
He had his own considerations, thinking that preventing her from participating was helping her. However, it was only because the victim bore the cost that the murderer could so casually bestow a little mercy. Little did he know that this condescending attitude was already making people uncomfortable.
"If he were less extreme, we wouldn't be standing here."
Watching Tang Ze easily extinguish the shadow that had just appeared, Asai Narumi pointed suggestively to the top of his head.
The temple of the scribes and craftsmen consists of two parts: a church on the ground and a tomb underground.
Unlike Kyosuke Kazato, which also has clever touches, this is a church where a funeral is being held to mourn the deceased, due to its completely opposite theme.
The more unsettling part is that in the small, dilapidated church above, the shadows of those participating in the funeral are also those of the deceased.
They sat neatly on the bench, dressed in various black mourning clothes, their faces covered with funeral masks, all arranged quietly with the same expression.
Funeral masks, unearthed in the Americas, were once worn by the dead in ancient cultures. They were carved from a single piece of greenstone to depict facial features, somewhat similar to the masks worn by Egyptian mummies. However, the surface of the funeral masks is smooth and exquisitely polished. They are even carved with raised and recessed relief to depict closed eyes and lips, which look quite eerie when lined up in a row.
Directly in front of this church is a pipe organ that is not much different from the one in the Domoto Concert Hall in reality, except that the overall color scheme has been completely changed to black and white, and it automatically plays a funeral march.
This practically reveals what the musician and the craftsman are going to do: Domoto's concert, in his hands, will transform from a celebratory inauguration ceremony into a grand funeral.
The 25-shot C4 bomb was buried in a grand manner.
Passing through the coffin in front of the pipe organ, you can enter the tomb section below, which is also the most important part of this hall.
The overall design elements here gave Asai Narumi a sense of déjà vu, reminiscent of the hall of Haga Kyosuke, especially considering that Haga Kyosuke was actually playing a funeral march in his mind for the person he was about to kill, but the feeling it evoked was completely different.
Similarly, with many musical scores and piano elements, Yosuke Haga struggles between confusion, anger, and hatred driven by emotions. His state of mind at the time was extremely intense and painful. The entire hall oscillates between detached self-examination and an erupting desire for revenge. If he memorizes the scale and plays the key correctly, he can continue to question himself. If he memorizes it wrong, he has to face instantaneous hidden weapons, flames, and traps. It is a bit of a mental struggle, but at least the emotional fluctuations are always there.
The composer and the craftsman are different. His temple gives people the feeling that he considers himself a martyr, gladly and without looking back rushing into the embrace of death.
The atmosphere was deathly still, yet sharp and sensitive. The dialogue of these shadowy figures was extremely unsettling. Coupled with the inevitable layers of niches containing coffins in the catacombs, the entire color scheme, including the attacks and traps, was eerily sinister, making one want to perform a ritual to send them to the afterlife.
"Although he hasn't seen the notice yet, and can't directly confront his shadow for the time being, I can already guess what kind of image he probably has." Tang Ze led them to the next level of the tomb chamber, and said strangely, "It feels like I'm about to turn into a rat at any moment."
The hall was filled with shadows that didn't look like living people. Surely the hall master must be a dead man too?
As can be seen from the church section, the imagery of coffins and sarcophagi is of great importance in this temple.
Tang Ze speculated that this might be related to the piano element, or it might be the score and Takumi's "final dignity" left for Domoto Kazuki. In any case, the shadow will crawl out from inside, and to cross the area, one needs to repeatedly pass through the coffin and the darkness.
It seems like Mott must be involved in all of this, right?
I really liked the last episode where I turned into a mouse, and I want to turn into one again next time.
P.S.: This is what Morte looks like, in the Twin Leaf Palace.