On a large tree not far away.
"Tsk tsk, this technique..."
Yu Shengnan sat on a tree branch, tapping his palm lightly with the fire-controlling fan in his hand. "It's quite artistic."
Ikeba Shizuka sat quietly beside him, her brows slightly furrowed, and asked softly, "Is this the show you wanted me to watch?"
"Master, don't you find this interesting?"
Yuzuru tilted his head, "The Mermaid's Revenge~"
Ikeba Shizuka sighed softly, "That child... is also a pitiful person."
She already knew the whole story from her apprentice.
A once innocent and kind-hearted girl, in order to protect the ethereal legend on the island, not only lost her mother, but now, in order to seek revenge, she has to hurt her former best friend with her own hands. The cruelty of this story far exceeds the fantasy and beauty brought by any legend of immortality, making people feel sad.
"Should we stop her?" Shizuka Ikemura asked.
Yuzuru shook his head: "Why should we stop it? A life for a life, that's only right."
He paused, a playful smile playing on his lips, and continued, "Besides... I think she did a great job. She avenged her mother in her own way."
Chibo Jinghua tapped her disciple on the head with her folding fan, scolding, "You always seem to enjoy watching the drama unfold..."
"Ouch, ouch, ouch~" Yuzuru rubbed his head exaggeratedly, with a wronged expression on his face. "Master, I call this respecting other people's fate~ Everyone has to be responsible for their own actions, and Shimabukuro Kimie also has the right to choose revenge."
Looking at her apprentice's grinning face, Ikeba Shizuka shook her head helplessly.
In the past, given her status as the wife of the Osaka Prefectural Police Chief and her commitment to upholding the law and justice, she would certainly have intervened to stop this revenge and bring everything back to the right track of the law.
But now...
She sighed softly, her gaze softening.
—A woman should follow her husband wherever he goes, whether he's a chicken or a dog.
Since my foolish apprentice likes watching plays, let him be.
Anyway...
She tilted her head slightly, glanced at the lifeless body of Ebihara Tomi under the waterfall, a hint of indifference flashing in her eyes. She tapped her folding fan lightly, her expression calm.
—A life for a life, that's only right and proper.
Shizuka Ikenami is a typical traditional Yamato Nadeshiko-type woman, upholding the values of being a devoted wife and mother, and placing her husband above all else. Having chosen Nanami Hanyu, she will stand firmly by his side and respect every decision he makes.
Moreover...
Looking at her apprentice's enthusiastic expression, a gentle smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.
—It's just kids playing around.
As long as he's happy.
.........
Above the waterfall.
Shimabukuro Kimie stood quietly on the edge of the cliff, the night wind blowing through her long hair, making it dance wildly, as if playing a final elegy for this tragedy.
In a daze, a strange and intense feeling welled up in her heart. She seemed to feel a pair of eyes staring at her in the dark, the gaze seemingly piercing through the darkness and landing directly on her.
Instinctively, she abruptly turned her head to look into the distance.
"call--"
A gust of wind blew by, and a few leaves fell from the tall trees in the distance.
"strangeness......"
The shrine maiden narrowed her eyes in confusion.
This feeling of being watched has haunted her ever since she accidentally bumped into the boy who looked exactly like the god she had imagined.
From that moment on, she felt as if there were an invisible pair of eyes hovering above her, watching her every move and understanding her every thought.
"Whether it's an angel or a devil..."
Shimabukuro Kimie bit her red lips tightly, her eyes sharp.
As long as the other party doesn't stop her revenge plan, then whatever that being watching in the shadows may be, will be the supreme deity in her heart.
With this thought in mind, she tidied up the scene and turned to walk down the mountain.
On a large tree not far away, Yu Shengnan gently tossed a talisman in his hand, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Under the moonlight, a small snake on the talisman was emitting a faint glow.
Unlike Asami's "mutual destruction" revenge on Tsukikage Island, the shrine maiden Kimie Shimabukuro's revenge contains a deeper tendency toward self-destruction.
She chose to carry out her revenge on the same date (the anniversary of her mother's death) and in the same way (the impending fire), essentially to affirm her own worth by reliving the trauma.
"Self-destruction...tsk~"
Yuzuru shook his head.
He is a very soft-hearted person and can't bear to see a beautiful young woman heading towards self-destruction.
.........
On the other side, below the waterfall.
Tourists arrived one after another.
Shimabukuro Kimie, who had rushed back ahead of everyone else, had regained her composure. There was no trace of the determination and ruthlessness she had shown when seeking revenge; instead, she wore a solemn expression.
She looked around and announced, "Now, please welcome our three lucky guests to the front tonight."
"Okay, I'll be right there!"
Kazuha waved excitedly, took the number tag, and climbed over the cordon to cross.
At the same time, a woman wearing a purple trench coat walked over with her. This was Naoko Kuroe, one of Kimie Shimabukuro's three friends and one of the three murderers who killed her mother.
Shimabukuro Kimie's gaze seemingly casually swept over her friend, her expression remaining calm as she asked in a steady voice, "And one more person? Who is the other person?"
A middle-aged drunk man followed closely behind.
"Hehe, it's me..."
The visitor was Kadokyo Benzo, the father of Kadokyo Saori.
"That's strange, something's not right. I thought it was that lady who drew the winning ticket earlier."
Hattori Heiji glanced at the crowd with a puzzled look. He clearly remembered that during the lottery, a woman looked very happy when her number was drawn, but the woman standing here now was not her.
Conan also noticed something was wrong.
Both experienced detectives keenly noticed this unusual detail.
However, the awards ceremony was not affected. Kimie Shimabukuro presented the three winners with the Dugong Arrows in turn, and then loudly proclaimed, "Now, please receive the light of bliss."
As soon as he finished speaking, fireworks went off beside the waterfall.
The moment the fireworks lit up the sky, they illuminated the entire night.
It also illuminated the ceaselessly flowing waterfall ahead.
"ah!!!!"
A scream pierced the night sky.
"It's a mermaid!"
"Wait! That's...Ms. Ebihara?!"
"Oh my god! How could she be there!"
"Help! Someone's in danger!"
The crowd instantly stirred.
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