"My Lord God... what should I do next?"
Amidst the wondrous spectacle of flames and swirling snow, Shimabukuro Kimie—now more accurately described as Hanyu Kusunoki's personal shrine maiden—knelt reverently, gazing up at Hanyu Kusunoki's profile.
The boy's profile, illuminated by the flames, was even more defined, exuding an indescribable charm.
The shouts and hurried footsteps of villagers could be heard in the distance; firefighters were rushing to the scene.
Yu Sheng Nan gently tapped her forehead with his Fire Fan: "Just proceed according to your original plan."
He turned to look at the approaching torchlight, a mysterious smile playing on his lips: "I'll handle everything that follows."
"yes!"
Kimie Shimabukuro agreed without hesitation, her eyes gleaming with an almost fanatical light of faith.
At this moment, every word the boy spoke was like a divine oracle, a guiding light for her, and a direction she was willing to follow without hesitation.
Seeing the shrine maiden's devout, almost obsessive, expression, Yuzuru couldn't help but chuckle and reached out to ruffle her hair: "Don't be so formal, just call me Yuzuru or Nan."
"How can this be!"
Kimie Shimabukuro shook her head excitedly, "That's so disrespectful!"
Can a god be addressed by his name?
Yuzuru shrugged helplessly, then beckoned to her and took out the "Longevity Woman" mask from the shrine, handing it to her: "Put this on first, the villagers are coming."
Shimabukuro Kimie quickly took the mask and began to disguise herself with practiced ease.
In no time, the once youthful, beautiful, and energetic shrine maiden transformed into a wrinkled and aged "old woman."
"Hmm..." Yuzuru stroked his chin and looked him over. "His technique still needs improvement."
He reached out and gently tapped the mask twice, and a few subtle streams of spiritual energy flowed through it, instantly making the disguise look more natural and realistic.
"I know two... well, three masters of disguise."
Yuzuru said with a smile, "Two of them are internationally renowned actresses, and the other one is... well, a mysterious and beautiful thief. I'll introduce you to her another day."
He was also quite curious about whose disguise skills were better.
Is it a case of the student surpassing the teacher, or is it simply a matter of experience and wisdom?
Shimabukuro Kimie respectfully said, "As expected, the people the God knows are all extraordinary!"
"I told you to call me Yuzuru..."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Yuzuru: "......"
Oh well, let her be.
In the distance, the shouts of the villagers grew closer and closer.
Yuzuru snapped his fingers, and Flareon, which had been playing happily to the side, immediately hopped back. A soft light flashed across its body, and it transformed back into its small and cute form, whimpering. It lightly jumped onto his shoulder and affectionately rubbed against his cheek.
"remember."
His final words were, "From now on, you still have me."
After he finished speaking, his figure gradually became transparent, eventually turning into starlight and disappearing into the night.
Shimabukuro Kimie stared longingly in the direction he had disappeared, her eyes filled with longing and reluctance, until the sound of the villagers' footsteps came close at hand, bringing her back to her senses.
"Grandma Changshou! Are you alright?" Several villagers ran over, panting. "How could the warehouse suddenly catch fire?"
Kimie Shimabukuro—now a very old woman—raised her head slightly and said slowly in a deep, aged voice, "The wrath of the mermaids...this is retribution..."
The villagers looked at each other, their faces showing fear.
Just then, a villager suddenly pointed at the burning warehouse and exclaimed, "There...there seems to be someone there?!"
Following the direction he pointed, everyone could vaguely see a figure dressed as a shrine maiden lying in the center of the warehouse through the raging flames.
The villagers were thrown into chaos. Some tried to put out the fire but were forced back by the heat; some knelt down to pray; and some were already crying. The older folks, however, looked at the "Longevity Granny" who stood quietly to the side with complicated expressions.
Heiji Hattori and Conan, having heard the news, also rushed over.
The two ran as fast as they could, their faces grim as they watched the raging fire.
"Kudo..."
Hattori Heiji said in a low voice, "This fire started in a very strange way."
Conan's glasses reflected the firelight: "And the timing was just too perfect..."
The two of them, without prior arrangement, thought of a certain guy taking a leisurely stroll.
In their minds, Yuzuru's appearance was always accompanied by all sorts of strange things, and this fire was probably also related to him. Moreover, this sudden heavy snow was very similar to the time when they met Gin at the Beika Hotel.
Meanwhile, our "leisurely stroller" is standing on the top of a large tree, admiring his masterpiece from afar.
"All done~" Yuzuru stretched, "Going back to catch up on sleep."
Yingying nestled on his head and yawned, "Buyi..."
The figures of the man and his pet gradually disappeared into the night, leaving only the raging fire and a group of panicked villagers.
.........
The next morning, Mermaid Island was covered with a thin layer of snow, a miracle for a tropical island.
"Strange, why is it snowing?"
Xiao Lan, who had kept vigil all night, rubbed her tired eyes and looked out the window at the dreamlike scene with a puzzled expression.
Kazuha, on the other hand, was as excited as a child. "So beautiful! This is the first time I've ever seen snow in the tropics!"
Akemi gently brought hot tea to the two of them: "I heard that the shrine warehouse caught fire last night, and Ms. Shimabukuro Kimie... was unable to escape."
Ran and Kazuha fell silent instantly, their smiles vanishing from their faces and replaced by deep sorrow.
The police autopsy report has been delivered.
After detailed comparison and identification, the teeth of the disfigured corpse found in the warehouse confirmed that the deceased was Ms. Kimie Shimabukuro, which was hard for the two kind-hearted girls to accept.
The shrine maiden is so pitiful...
This is a thought shared by both girls now.
They never imagined that the warm and cheerful priestess would end her life in such a tragic way.
Outside the funeral hall, Heiji Hattori and Conan were negotiating with the local police. Both of them looked grim—there were too many suspicious points in this murder case, but no evidence could be found.
No, perhaps the clues found were somewhat unbelievable.
Even without Yuzuru making many changes to the plot, the two great detectives, with their intelligence and experience, managed to uncover some clues after working all night.
Although it seems incredible, if you eliminate all possible people, the remaining person is the most impossible, and you can only believe it.
“Hattori…” Conan called out, head bowed.
Hattori Heiji nodded, and the two walked together toward the forest.
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