“I can go too,” Yoruichi Toyama chimed in, having been beaten to it.

Ever since I heard from Nimi that I was going to join this Shinsengumi cosy, I've been planning to do this.

Whether it's Futami, Ai, or any other child who gets kidnapped, Yoruichi Toyama will keep a close eye on the kidnapper once he starts his plan.

"Me too." A voice came from beside him. When he turned his head, he met Akemi's gentle gaze.

"This won't do..." Yoruichi Toyama's attempt to stop her was interrupted by Akemi.

"Don't forget, I'm a detective too, just like you!"

"Besides, isn't Nishiki Shinmi the only girl among the six? If she needs to go to the restroom or something, can you follow her in?"

This reasonable rhetorical question silenced the few people who still wanted to debate.

In the end, I wisely nodded.

"I will find a female police officer and Ms. Lin to support each other and ensure her safety."

"As for Kindaichi, I'd like you to keep an eye on that Yamanami Keisuke. Masano will be your support."

"Mr. Akechi!" Miyuki finally found an opportunity and said in a weak but firm voice, "I...I'm going with Hajime-chan too!"

Since things had already come to this, Mingzhi did not object anymore.

He just smiled at her and said, "You all need to be careful. It's okay if you lose someone, but don't take any risks."

"Then, distant mountains..."

"I'll keep an eye on Nagakura Shinpachi," Yoruichi Toyama finished speaking for him, feeling that it was exactly what he wanted.

At the same time, I was wondering, did Akechi figure it out through reasoning, or was he just incredibly lucky with exams?

How could he guess such an answer?

It's one thing if the only person with the same name is the killer's target.

In this incident that deliberately misled everyone on the Keio Line tram route, the real culprit was none other than Nagakura Shinpachi!

...

The next day, the weather was gloomy, with large, leaden rain clouds piling up in the sky. The air was so damp that it seemed as if water droplets would fall at the slightest touch.

At 11:40 a.m., the six-person team to hand over the ransom had already assembled outside the south ticket gate of Inada-ji Station on the Keio Line.

It was 20 minutes earlier than the agreed time, but because it involved lives, no one dared to be careless at such a time.

The police completely blocked the news that the hostages had been rescued, so the group of six was unaware of it.

At this moment, they only guessed that the police would follow them, but had no idea where the people following them were.

Under the guidance of the police, Kindaichi and Miyuki put on hats and glasses, disguising themselves as passersby, and hid in a corner watching the people.

Compared to the police officers who were all dressed rather inconspicuously, those six people were far too flashy.

Wearing a sky-blue haori from the Shinsengumi and a headscarf, she looked just like a cosplayer going to a comic convention.

The problem is that while young people like Saito Hajime and Niimi Nishiki are relatively well-dressed, even Kondo Isami, who is almost 40 years old, is dressed like this.

Even though cosplay culture is deeply ingrained in Japan, the sight of such a person on a commuter train line still draws attention.

The group of people didn't look too good, partly due to nervousness and partly due to discomfort at being the center of attention.

"What's going on? Hasn't Toyama arrived yet?" Kindaichi complained, pulling his hat brim down low. "He's so unreliable!"

With a loud "thud," the pain from the blow through the hat almost made him jump up, but he desperately held back his scream.

"Hey you! What are you doing!" Hajime-chan, furious, suddenly turned 180 degrees and yelled at the person who had punched him on the head.

However, the person wearing a thin, long raincoat, whose attire was completely obscured, simply raised a finger in front of their lips.

"Keep your voice down. Do you want people to know you're following me?"

"Huh? You..."

Upon hearing the voice, Kindaichi realized that the guy wrapped up tightly in the raincoat in front of him vaguely resembled Yoruichi Toyama.

However, his appearance has completely changed.

"Seriously? You? You're just following someone, why would you need to disguise yourself?"

Kindaichi's lack of this skill stemmed less from disdain and more from jealousy.

I felt that this detective was quite skilled, and even had the air of a secret agent.

Damn it! ...

However, Yoruichi Toyama nodded calmly.

“They all saw me yesterday. Since I’m a relative of the kidnapped little girl, they should remember me quite well.”

"To avoid being discovered by the kidnappers, we must first avoid being discovered by those six people. This is the only way."

Jin Tian scratched his head subconsciously, thinking that it made sense.

So, the tall, unfamiliar woman standing next to him must be Ms. Akemi?

"I said," Kindaichi suddenly remembered another question and couldn't help but frown, "Where's Ai?"

"You two are both out now, are you going to leave her alone at home? She was just kidnapped!"

"That's what I wanted to ask you!" Yoruichi Toyama countered, "How's Nizo doing?"

"That brat!" Kinda waved his hand dismissively. "It was just a little anesthetic. He woke up before dark last night, ate two big bowls of rice for dinner, and is perfectly fine!"

"That's good." Yoruichi Toyama chuckled softly.

This is a good sign; it means that no one should be harmed in this incident.

Of course, this only refers to the "current" event.

"Ai is fine." Also to reassure Kindaichi, Yoruichi Toyama replied while watching the group of six still discussing from a distance, "She's even more capable than you think."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!