Chapter 134 The Dust Settles
December 10, Mika Law Firm.
Winter arrived in the blink of an eye, and fine snowflakes began to fall from the sky. Xinbai listlessly followed the fluttering snowflakes with his gaze. A glance out of the corner of his eye caught the clock on the wall, stirring up some unpleasant memories. He frowned, then turned his gaze back to the window.
He was waiting for someone.
"Kudo-kun, I thought you had returned to your normal school life. I didn't expect you to come and meet me today." A man in a suit and tie, who looked to be about 50 years old, walked into the reception room and sat down directly opposite Shinichi.
Shinichi had no time for pleasantries. He pulled out a stack of documents and said directly, "Mr. Hirose, this is all the information I've compiled regarding the crimes committed by Osiris, uh, that is, Yukino Hiro. Please take a look."
"Hmm, Kudo-kun, you're a very...serious person." Hirose casually weighed the thick stack of papers in his hand, pretending to read them carefully as he slowly turned the pages one by one. His deep and serious face would occasionally furrow his brows, and his eyes would flash with surprise and confusion that even his thick glasses couldn't hide, as if he were reading a book written in a foreign language.
Shinichi observed all of this and said, "Mr. Hirose, I would like to explain a few important points to you."
Hirose secretly breathed a sigh of relief and adopted an attentive attitude, saying, "Please speak."
"First of all, Yukino Hiroshi's actual age is 30. His mental age is completely..."
"Excuse me, Mr. Kudo, I must interrupt for a moment. Because you previously questioned Hiro's age in this case, the expert panel conducted a more comprehensive assessment of his physical development and mental development. Here is the latest test report from last week. The final conclusion is that Hiro's biological age is between 9 and 13 years old. Of course, this child is very precocious and has an extremely high intelligence level, with an IQ of 180, far exceeding that of normal people. However, he is still just a child."
"May I see the full list of experts?"
"Kudo-kun, are you questioning the professional competence of the expert panel? Every member here is a carefully selected leader in their field, covering experts in psychology, medicine, genetics, and many other areas. Their average years of professional experience are longer than your age! We also consulted Dr. Miyano, whom you recommended, and she did not raise any questions about the test results. So I think we can reach a consensus on this issue, right?"
Shinichi was somewhat annoyed; in terms of seniority, he wasn't even in a position to be considered. Moreover, given his resume, he certainly didn't question the qualifications of any of the "experts." He retorted unwillingly, "Ms. Rumi Wakasa can testify that Osiris is definitely more than 10 years old!"
Hirose shook his head slightly and sighed: "Ms. Wakasa's testimony has many flaws: First, she claims to be Hiro's cousin, but genetic testing results show that they are not related by blood."
"Secondly, she claims that Hiroshi killed her father. However, the remains in Swan Castle and the skull in Twilight Villa cannot prove who the murderer is. Furthermore, even if Hiroshi is really 30 years old, how could he have done all this when he was only 10 years old 20 years ago? I even consulted my colleagues who are in charge of juvenile delinquency cases. They all said that the way teenagers commit crimes is more immature and irrational than that of adults. In the case of Ms. Wakasa's father, the meticulous mind and calm thinking required by the murderer are far beyond what a 10-year-old child could possess."
"Thirdly, she also claimed that Hiroshi sent people to imprison her in a secret room. This is also recorded in your manuscript. On your birthday, May 4th, you wrote: Osiris captured Ms. Wakasa and ordered her to revive a dead rat within three days. But the problem is that Ms. Wakasa said the other party's request was to revive a dead person. In addition, on the morning of May 5th, there were eyewitnesses and surveillance footage proving that Ms. Wakasa entered and exited a convenience store. So according to the police's judgment, Ms. Wakasa should have been arrested shortly afterward. Kudo-kun, how do you explain these contradictions?"
Shinichi composed himself and replied, "Firstly, Miss Wakasa's father and Osiris's mother are siblings, which is why she said she was Osiris's cousin. But their parents may not be related by blood; adoption or some other reason is possible."
"Secondly, as you just mentioned, Osiris is a genius with an IQ far exceeding that of ordinary people. Therefore, his actions should not be judged by the standards of an ordinary 10-year-old child."
"Thirdly, Osiris, like his mother, is a master of disguise and voice imitation. The woman who appeared at the convenience store on May 5th was someone else in disguise! Osiris's mother is Sharon Vineyard, the same person as Chris Vineyard!"
"I regret to inform you that Miss Vineyard has perished in an aviation accident, and your accusations are completely unfounded."
"It was a staged plane crash, Vermouth didn't die! What a coincidence! Osiris went to report it to the police, and Vermouth was in a plane crash right after? Don't you think that's suspicious?"
“Accidents happen every day. You can’t force two unrelated people together. Besides, the police searched the accident area for four whole months and confirmed that Ms. Vineyard’s private plane had crashed. Kudo-kun, you should understand the power of an air disaster, right? No one can survive such an accident.”
"Vermouth may not have been on that plane at all. Based on my deduction, Alice, namely Nanami Fukuyama, should have been among the passengers. Alice was Osiris's confidante, but betrayed him at the last minute. So he took the opportunity to eliminate the traitor and let his mother go free."
"Regarding this Ms. Nanami Fukuyama, the information we have is that she died in the tragedy 20 years ago. Although you said you saw her at D-Lab, this does not prove that Alice is Nanami Fukuyama, nor is there any evidence that she worked for this organization."
"Mr. Amuro can be my witness!"
Hirose's expression revealed a hint of bitter helplessness: "Kudo-kun, in the manuscript you made at the Twilight Villa, you mentioned memory erasure. Based on your testimony, Ms. Wakasa's testimony, and the testimonies of the two undercover police officers, the psychological consultant in this case believes that the memories of all four of you have been affected to varying degrees. It's not just memory loss, but also the implantation of some false memories. For example, you mentioned a fairy tale book written by Alice, with a little rabbit drawn on the cover. However, the investigators couldn't find that book; they only found a pet rabbit care manual in the laboratory. Ironically, you yourself wrote a story about a little rabbit."
“I didn’t write that story, I wrote it down! She showed it to me once, and I memorized it all.”
"But in a test seven months ago, you were unable to completely recite an unfamiliar passage that you had only read once."
Shinichi tugged at his hair in frustration: "I wasn't in the zone back then. If you asked me to write it down from memory again now, I'm sure I could do it!"
Hirose smiled and shook his head: "I think anyone who sees this would agree that the test from seven months ago is more convincing. Because you had just been rescued then, and your overall condition was very similar to when you wrote this manuscript. According to the diagnosis, it is an indisputable fact that your short-term memory is impaired. Moreover, it is accompanied by a series of symptoms such as insomnia, photophobia, anorexia, and endocrine disorders. Not only that, you also experienced some bizarre hallucinations at the time. You even joined two police officers in openly assaulting them during the police search and rescue operation!"
Shinichi readily admitted to this: "Yes, we did have some misunderstandings back then."
"Kudo-kun, this is not a matter that can be explained away as a misunderstanding! Ask yourself, would a normal person attack a police officer after he shows his badge? Perhaps you cannot verify the authenticity of the badge, but two other police officers made the same wrong judgment as you. This shows that the three of you must have been in a state of extreme confusion at that time, completely devoid of clarity and rationality."
"I'm not crazy!"
Shinichi roared hysterically, as if he wanted to vent all the anger and resentment that had accumulated over the past six months. As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized his loss of composure, lowered his head, and murmured, "I'm sorry."
Hirose paused, then softened his tone and comforted her, "Of course, I understand you. Attorney Ki once told me that you are an exceptionally intelligent child. Such an experience would be a huge blow to anyone, but thankfully you pulled through."
"What?" Shinichi looked up blankly, not quite understanding what the other person meant.
"Kudo-kun, I've learned from your teachers and classmates that you're a person with a strong sense of justice. This time, you even risked your life to save a stranger's child. Before the Nagano Winter Olympics, you booked a room for Hiro in your own name at the Meiki Hotel. It was then that you realized this bright child was in danger and wanted to protect him, right? Your act of bravery is certainly commendable, but I must say, next time, remember to protect yourself before saving someone!"
“Osiris is the mastermind! He’s not some pitiful victim! Don’t be fooled by his appearance!” Shinichi clenched his fist excitedly. “Please think about it carefully. Reporting to the police was a carefully designed trap. He wanted to use his status as a minor as a cover to destroy all the evidence, shift all the blame onto his cronies and henchmen, and escape legal punishment in a blatant manner!”
Hirose sighed sadly, "If Hiro knew what you look like now, he would be heartbroken. This child has suffered a lot. Those people did many experiments on him, and his hair has turned completely white. If you ever regain your memory, I hope you can have an open and honest conversation. Hiro has always regarded you as his savior."
Shinichi gave a noncommittal sneer, thinking: Hmph! Heartbroken? If it were me, I'd probably be laughing in my sleep.
"To kill someone, nothing is more deadly than to destroy their spirit!"
"Kudo-kun, I admit you're better than me at deduction games. But as a lawyer, I know better than you how to win this case. Based on my past experience, memory is extremely unreliable. Every year, countless wrongful convictions are made because of this. Combined with your previous mental state, the credibility of your testimony in front of the judge will inevitably be greatly reduced. The defense team will definitely seize on every loophole."
"Without sufficient evidence, this puts us in a very passive position. Especially since you said 'that gentleman' who manages the organization is a product of artificial intelligence. But when the Gunma police entered the lab to rescue you, they activated a self-destruct program to erase all data. Who do you think would believe such a claim? In short, this manuscript cannot prove that Osiris, as you claim, is the mastermind."
Seeing that the other party still wanted to argue, Hirose gestured for him to finish speaking. "On the contrary, it can serve as evidence in court, showing the judge how the terrorist organization led by Rum wantonly trampled on human rights and the law, and harmed innocent people. Combined with your rehabilitation treatment report, this will be very powerful evidence!"
"Rum is that gentleman."
This was the most ridiculous conclusion Shinichi had ever heard. But he didn't have enough reasons to refute it; instead, there was a whole host of direct and indirect evidence proving the correctness of this assertion.
Police found complete blueprints and detailed action plans for the Fukushima nuclear power plant and Gulf of Mexico oil well blasting devices on Rum's computer; Amuro's message to Kazami, "The only Amuro in all of Japan," also pointed to various pieces of evidence of Rum's collusion with high-ranking officials in the Public Security Department; the Nagano Metropolitan Police Department also followed the clues to uncover the underground transactions between Yoko Shiotsuki and the Woodpecker Society. However, since Shiotsuki and Osiris are not related by blood, their relationship could not be proven.
Furthermore, none of the captured organization members had ever heard of the name "Osiris," and even high-ranking members like Gin only knew the name "that man" and had never seen his face.
This inevitably raises suspicions that the so-called "that gentleman" is a fabricated Big Brother created by Rum to deceive others.
In conclusion, the evidence is conclusive and the chain of events is complete. This is the type of case the judge prefers.
In this world, who else but a judge can be the most impartial judge? Shinichi's reasoning, to put it nicely, is "out of the ordinary," but to put it bluntly, it's "utter nonsense"! How could a judge possibly accept it?
“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed that Osiris had orchestrated all of this. And all of this was lost with the self-destruction of the Hidden Servant, which resulted in the loss of the most crucial evidence.”
"How can I convince the lawyers and judges of my testimony?"
This wasn't the first time Shinichi had come to see Attorney Hirose. But each meeting had always ended unsatisfactorily.
Shinichi still remembered his first visit here. After listening to his long-winded explanation, Hirose spoke with unusual sincerity, words that sounded like a joke to Shinichi: "Kudo-kun, I really love your father's 'The Dark Baron,' and I believe you will surpass him! Hollywood directors, especially those who love suspense and science fiction, will definitely love your script. However, from a layman's perspective, I'd like to offer a small suggestion: the ending should probably be changed. Because if the villains get away with it, the audience won't accept it!"
“Mr. Hirose, I have given my all in this case, even risked my life. I have done everything I could! The final outcome should be written by the legal team and the judge. I have told you the whole truth.”
"I'm just a lawyer, what qualifications do I have to write the ending for this Earth life-modification project with a time limit of 500,000 years?"
"Good question! But what have I done to deserve this? Do you think I wanted to be this 'savior'?!"
One thing that Shinichi found frustrating was that all of his rivals combined seemed unworthy of Osiris's ambition.
That bizarre motivation, transcending social norms and morality, a personality twisted to the extreme; that grand plan that challenges the limits of human cognition and only exists in science fiction; that crystal game that embodies the creator's life's wisdom—all of these demonstrate Osiris's uniqueness. That person was right, "I am just myself…not a villain in a novel who must exist to oppose the protagonist." Shinichi, and everyone else, they all have their own lives.
The two sides met on a narrow path, and it was only in the last few hours that Shinichi fully understood Osiris's meticulously planned scheme that had been prepared for more than 20 years.
While Osiris was discussing evolution and chaotic systems with Shinichi, Hirose and the others were concerned with price fluctuations, neighborhood relations, promotion opportunities, and which route to take home from get off work tonight to avoid traffic jams... All of these things are closely related to people, and the term "all of humanity" is too big and too abstract for them.
Osiris went to great lengths to raise Shinichi and the others' cognitive abilities to the point where they could comprehend the Crystalline Project. However, at the last moment, he removed the Heavenly Ladder, leaving only a castle in the air. Those above could not descend, and those below could not ascend.
"This must be the curse of knowledge!"
The final meeting yielded no progress. This outcome was within Shinichi's expectations; his repeated visits were likely driven by his "unwillingness to give up."
Losing the match because Osiris exploited a loophole in the law is something Shinichi absolutely cannot accept.
"Kudo-kun, instead of worrying about the fate of humanity, I suggest you think about your own future! You're about to take the college entrance exam, aren't you?" Hirose said kindly.
"Thank you, I understand what I need to do."
Hirose left the reception room, and Shinichi looked out the window. The snow had stopped sometime earlier. He rested his head on the table for a short nap and accidentally fell asleep. In his half-awake state, he smelled the aroma of food. He groggily raised his head and recognized the person as Hino Akira.
"Remember to eat on time." Hino pushed the lunchbox in front of Shinichi.
"Mr. Hino, we're only 12 years apart in age, why do you still treat me like your son?" she complained under her breath as she wolfed down her food.
"Eat slowly..." the old father grumbled in his ear, "because you really are a handful."
Have you eaten?
"Um."
"Mr. Hirose still doesn't believe what I'm saying."
“I know.” Hino paused. “Osiris won’t be prosecuted.”
Shinichi stopped picking up food, swallowed the mouthful of rice with difficulty, and buried his head in eating.
"Kudo, you know I've always believed in you."
"I understand. You are one of the few people in this world who will listen to me explain the whole story without treating me like a madman." Shinichi gave the other person a grateful look.
“Osiris’s plan was insane, but yours wasn’t,” Hino said gently. “However, this case has attracted global attention and has become an international hot topic. If, after mobilizing thousands of police officers and experts to investigate for more than half a year, the Japanese police finally conclude that ‘the main culprit is a mere 10-year-old child,’ how do you think the public opinion will react? Mr. Hirose and others have already provided the answer.”
Shocked? A laughingstock? Utterly absurd!
"But I just can't accept it! I get so angry whenever I see that pitiful look on his face!" Shinichi shoved his chopsticks into the rice in his lunchbox. "All our efforts over the years, and all we got in the end was that he avoided blowing up two nuclear reactors?! Tell me, what is this?! What is this?!"
“We also managed to capture Osiris and wipe out his accomplices. You deserve some credit for that too,” Hino comforted him.
"Vermouth escaped, Alice died, and he even went after Seven. Osiris, on the other hand, is still at large. This is not the ending I wanted."
"It's not your fault. It was my fault for not preserving enough evidence at the time. You don't need to blame yourself."
“Mr. Hino, you know what? Sometimes I feel like we’re not the decoders at all, but rather participants in the final step of the Osiris Project as experiencers.” Shinichi unconsciously poked at the unfinished rice grains with his chopsticks. “I learned the theoretical basis of the crystal network, and you and Mr. Amuro even helped him discover a bug. The binding between empaths and those who feel the same way is what prevented Osiris from blowing up the last two reactors, right?”
"That's no longer important. Zero has secured guardianship of Yukino Hiroshi, and genetic testing has confirmed their blood relation. The police will keep a close watch on him and will absolutely not let him cause any more trouble."
"But for someone who has lived alone in a haunted house like Twilight Villa for 20 years, this is hardly a punishment, is it?"
"Mr. Hino, may I attend the court hearing?"
"You want to appear as a witness? I might need to speak with Mr. Hirose..."
“I will never commit perjury unless I am a witness. I just want to be a bystander.”
"Of course, I'll arrange it for you."
"Thanks."
The cherry blossoms bloomed again the following April.
Shinichi sat in the gallery, watching the tug-of-war between the two legal teams and how the judge would deliver the final verdict.
Coincidentally, the trial coincided with the school's opening ceremony. Shinichi paid no attention to the principal's address; he felt the trial had taught him much more. Most importantly, he finally understood: just how far can the distance between justice and truth be?
After the trial concluded, everyone received a satisfactory answer and believed that the truth had been revealed.
However, the boy sitting quietly in the audience knew another version of the truth, the version told to him by the real instigator, but unfortunately, only a handful of people were willing to believe him.
"it's over?"
"it's over."
From then on, life went on, and everything seemed to return to normal.
Conan Edogawa is dead, and Shinichi Kudo begins his university life.
On graduation day, a small thing and a big thing happened.
The minor incident was that Hiroshi Yukino sent Shinichi a text message to wish him a happy graduation; the major incident was that an underwater volcano in the Pacific Ocean erupted, a disaster of epic scale.
Without a second thought, Shinichi threw off his graduation cap and headed straight for the single apartment that the police had arranged for Osiris.
"Osiris, what exactly are you trying to do?!"
The little boy said softly, "Brother Shinichi, didn't you graduate today? I wanted to congratulate you! Why are you getting angry at me?"
"Did you cause this volcanic eruption?"
"Huh? What does this have to do with me?"
"Osiris, you better behave yourself. As long as I have a breath left, I'm not done with you! I will get to the bottom of this!" With that, Shinichi strode away, but Osiris suddenly called out to him as he reached the door.
"Shinichi-nii-san!"
"how?"
"Happy graduation!" His smile was innocent and flawless.
For some reason, the tone sounded somewhat like a farewell to Shinichi, and with mixed feelings, he still said, "Thank you, goodbye."
That night, Osiris died.
Shinichi was completely stunned after receiving Amuro's call: How could the person who said "survival is the first secret of the universe" just die like that?
However, a forensic examination confirmed that Osiris was indeed dead.
“He passed away peacefully in his sleep,” Oda said.
"What was the cause of death?" Amuro asked.
"To be honest, this is the most bizarre corpse I've ever seen. Although it looks like a child, its heart, lungs, and liver are as old as an elderly person's."
"But Osiris's previous medical check-up results were all normal," Shinichi said, puzzled.
"Perhaps he can hide it for a while, but not forever. The law didn't give him the punishment he deserved; only death can take him now," Amuro said softly. "Maybe this is his graduation gift to you?"
Shinichi rolled his eyes at Amuro: "I never wanted him dead. Do you think this volcanic eruption is related to the previous nuclear power plant accident? Osiris once said that humans don't understand the deep sea as well as the moon. I think he might be trying to do something about it, like simulating the origin of life on Earth billions of years ago."
"Aside from both being located in the Pacific Ocean, the two are practically unrelated. I think Osiris is just trying to scare you one last time. The police are keeping a close watch on you; he won't have a chance to make a move."
“Mr. Amuro, when did I say he personally took action? When a tornado is raging, why would the residents of Texas blame a butterfly from South America?”
In a chaotic world, once a suitable point is triggered, the entire system will irreversibly continue its evolution. There is only an accelerator, no brakes.
"Whether it is true or not, we can no longer pursue the responsibility for the dead. Finally, he can be reunited with his brother, which can be considered as fulfilling his last wish. Kudo, let's go."
In Osiris's room, Amuro found a letter with Osiris's own epitaph, as if he had foreseen his own death.
Out of a sliver of blood relation, Amuro erected a tombstone according to Osiris's last wish, inscribed with: "Here lies the master of time."
No name, no birth or death date.
Later, Shinichi opened his own detective agency.
Life goes on day by day amidst thrills and excitement, and also with some private and heartwarming moments.
One day, Shinichi was working overtime at home. A little head peeked out from under the table, grinning.
"Sakura Yuki, why aren't you going to sleep yet?" Shinichi scooped the little one up with one hand and placed her on his lap.
"Daddy, I want to hear a story!" the little girl pleaded.
"It's late, we should go to sleep. How about we talk about it tomorrow?"
"I want to hear a bedtime story! My mom tells me one every day."
"But Mom is away on a business trip today."
"That's why Dad has to tell me."
What kind of bedtime stories are suitable for a 3-year-old girl? Will telling her Sherlock Holmes stories scare her and keep her awake?
Even the detective sometimes has problems he can't solve.
"Daddy, I want to hear the story of the little rabbit."
"What little rabbit?"
"This one! Mom said it was written by Dad, but Dad's handwriting is so messy, so Mom printed out a new copy."
"The last time I saw this manuscript was 10 years ago."
Shinichi picked up the not-so-thick stack of papers and inexplicably felt a heavy weight on them.
"Dad, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing, I'll start now, lie down and be a good girl!" Shinichi cleared his throat and began to read the story he had once found absurd and boring. But after reading it, he still didn't understand why his daughter liked it.
"Sakura Yuki, why do you like listening to this?"
"I just like it! Qizai is a smart and brave little rabbit."
Shinichi smiled helplessly, realizing that his inability to understand might simply stem from a lack of childlike understanding.
"Dad, could you write a few more stories?"
"Actually, I didn't write this story; I copied it."
"Who wrote the story?"
"It's... a friend."
"Where is that friend? I want to hear his story!"
"That might not work. She's very far away. In... another world."
"Can't I see her?" the little girl asked, blinking her big eyes.
"Maybe we'll meet sometime, but that'll be a long time from now." Shinichi gently kissed his daughter's forehead. "Goodnight, sleep well."
Throughout his life, Shinichi encountered countless adversaries, numerous coded mechanisms, and countless unsolved mysteries. But Osiris always held a place among them.
He met him too early, and his influence on him was too profound.
After retiring, Shinichi selected several cases he had never been able to fully solve and compiled them into a book called "The Disciple of Sherlock Holmes." The Osiris case was placed as the final chapter.
However, reader feedback after the book's publication surprised Shinichi; the O'Shea case received a lukewarm response. There was clearly more interest in the earlier cases.
This made Shinichi feel somewhat ironic; when he was seventeen or eighteen, the world couldn't understand Osiris's actions, and it was still the same when he was seventy or eighty.
Osiris's greatest dream was to break down barriers of cognition. But he did not live to see that day come.
Time passed by, and the boy gradually entered his twilight years.
By human lifespan standards, Shinichi lived a long life. However, compared to a lifespan of 500,000 years, it was far too short. Time ultimately took away the last glory of the Twin Chains Era.
What impact will Osiris's actions have on Earth? Shinichi tries his best to pursue the truth, but this generation will never have the answer.
Those who experienced this major event firsthand did not fully grasp its severe consequences; the bizarre development of events was something even the instigators could not have foreseen. Later historians searched for clues in fragmented historical documents and finally determined that the major event was the beginning of everything, known in history as the "Crystal Explosion."
Shinichi's funeral was a grand affair, filled with profound respect and honor.
Later, an interesting rumor circulated. It's said that Shinichi's great-grandson heard a ticking sound at the funeral—
"Mom, did someone set an alarm to wake up Great-Grandpa?"
"Shh! Great-Grandpa is asleep, don't wake him."
"good--"
So no one paid any attention to the faint sound emanating from the detective badge that had been gathering dust for more than half a century.
Shinichi once gave one to Osiris, but no one has seen it since. The rare and unique crocodile pocket watch also disappeared along with it.
If there is a spirit after death, the detective who is forever pursuing the truth will surely find the culprit and ask the question he could never answer in his life: "Where does the future of humanity lie?"
And that eternally young voice will tell him: "Time will eventually provide all the answers."
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