"This brings me back to the question I asked earlier. Are you here to cash in your bet?"
"A commission?"
"Yes, a commission." Kazawa set down his coffee cup and observed Hattori Heiji's expression for a moment. Then he changed his tone, "Of course, if you're not interested or feel like you're not the right person for it, I won't force you. I also asked Kudo to take on this commission. Unfortunately, his progress has been limited. If it hadn't been, I wouldn't have contacted you."
"Kudo also accepted your mission? Ah..." Hattori Heiji suddenly understood, his expression full of realization. He thought he had uncovered the reason Kazawa had won their bet. "No wonder you were so confident betting on Kudo's whereabouts. You actually know exactly where he is."
"That's roughly it." Kazawa admitted vaguely. He did know where Kudo was—and could produce a "Kudo" whenever he needed. That was the general idea.
I was completely tricked. Of course, unless someone had known Kudo for a long time, they wouldn't have been confident enough to bet like that.
Hattori Heiji stroked his chin and said, "If Kudo hasn't made any progress, then this case must be serious."
"What? Getting cold feet already?" Kazawa asked provocatively.
"Not a chance." Hattori rolled his eyes, irritated. "But you also know Kudo's skill level—what makes you think I can do better?"
Kazawa had anticipated this question. He nodded and said, "Because you're different from Kudo. You're the son of the chief of Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters."
As he said this, Hattori Heiji's raised eyebrows slowly lowered, forming a funny and conflicted expression.
Kazawa suppressed a smile as he gradually slipped into his usual rhythm. His expression grew serious, his gaze turned vacant, and he began telling his usual story: "This all began a few months ago. As you know, I'm originally from Kyoto. Mouri and his students don't really understand why I transferred to Tokyo, and that's what I'm entrusting you with..."
In short: a familiar mix of bravery, juvenile delinquents, unjust legal procedures, wrongful convictions, and beatings.
Kazawa even considered tossing in more bait to sweeten the deal.
This setup—one even Kudo Shinichi couldn't resist—was immensely effective on Red Team types. Every sentence landed like a critical hit.
He wanted to name this setup Fully Automatic Red Detective Fishing Machine.
If he added cyberbullying, school bullying, or a terminal illness, it'd be unstoppable...
Wait a second—it could be added. Kazawa had actually been through those things.
Kazawa drifted into deep thought, contemplating whether to update the story to create more emotional resonance.
Hattori Heiji, clueless about Kazawa's inner monologue, only saw the victim in front of him lose all focus in his eyes. Who knew what he was remembering.
A fire lit up in Hattori's gaze. He clenched his fists on the table. After gritting his teeth, he picked up the iced oolong tea Kazawa had ordered and gulped it down to suppress his anger.
"Those bastards..." Hattori growled, voice hoarse and low.
If there was one major difference between him and Kudo Shinichi, it was exactly what Kazawa said—he was the son of a police officer.
Though he and his father didn't always agree and argued frequently, Hattori Heizo had always been his role model. Heiji's reasoning skills and his exceptional kendo abilities were both the result of his father's influence.
His father had earned his position through fair and sharp judgment. Hattori knew just how hard it was to work in the police force and how much effort it took to solve cases.
He would never tolerate trash that corrupted the police and caused injustice.
"I understand what you mean." Hattori Heiji closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and his expression relaxed. "You want me to investigate from within the system using my father's network."
"Yes, exactly." Kazawa lowered his eyes to his coffee cup. "In Tokyo, the officer in charge of my observation period is also suspicious of the case and investigating on his own. But Kanto and Kansai are far apart. Honestly, I'm not expecting much from what they can find. So I hope, when the opportunity arises, you can work together with Kudo to investigate this matter."
Kazawa paused, then added sincerely: "Of course, the person behind this—someone capable of manipulating a trial—must be very powerful. If you accept this commission, you have to be cautious. Don't let anyone know you're investigating… If your father gets dragged into this, I'll feel responsible."
"Is that why you don't trust the justice system?" Hattori asked quietly.
Deep down, he could understand Kazawa's perspective.
After going through such a dark experience, Kazawa's worldview was a little warped, but he hadn't turned into someone who hated the world or wanted revenge. That meant he still had remarkable self-restraint.
"I'm sorry. I misjudged you earlier." Hattori was never one to beat around the bush. He was usually cheerful and open, except when it came to his childhood sweetheart. Now that he realized his earlier thoughts had been shallow, he apologized at once. "But Kazawa, I'll prove to you that your belief is wrong. We can't excuse murder just because the motive seems understandable. That'll only lead to even more tragedies… I will prove it."
Kazawa hadn't started out with such cynical views.
He'd simply been deceived while doing something righteous. That didn't mean doing righteous things was wrong…
Kazawa was a powerful man. His observation and deduction skills were even better than his own. For someone so capable to give up preventing tragedies because of his own misfortunes—that was truly heartbreaking.
Hattori would convince him—on his own terms.
"So, you've decided to take on the commission?" Kazawa looked up, his light blue eyes locking onto Hattori Heiji.
"Of course." That piercing gaze was intense. Hattori felt challenged, and he met it. He reached out his hand to Kazawa. "Leave it to me. 'Hattori from Kansai' won't lose to 'Kudo from Kanto'!"
Kazawa smiled brightly and shook the other's hand—the contrast in their skin tones was striking.
"Then I'll count on you, famous detective from Osaka."
As expected, a sharp sound of glass breaking echoed in the air.
Leon's voice cut through the noise of the passing crowd:
[Cooperation: Hattori Heiji]
Arcana: Chariot
[Cheerful and sunny, passionate and impulsive... As expected, no tarot suits him better than the Chariot. A reckless young lion, a blazing flame. If you recklessly take advantage of and draw near such a person, will you really escape unscathed? After all, what defeats a fastball?]
[Learned Skill: Innocent Heart – Increases success rate of instant-death skills for all attributes.]
Kazawa's hand froze in Hattori's grasp.
Partly due to Leon's teasing, and partly because of the skill's effect.
He stared at the description in silence, then glanced at the dark-skinned detective across from him.
A pure heart... with instant death.
Just a hunch—but that name definitely didn't sound like a good thing.
"What is it?" Hattori noticed Kazawa's sudden stillness and looked curiously at their hands.
"Nothing. Just remembered something." Kazawa withdrew his hand naturally and gave a gentle smile.
Forget it. He's a tank after all.
Chariot Arcana always came with unique combat perks—it wasn't that strange for Hattori Heiji.
Alright, Chariot. Whether this impression space can clear a few more rounds—it's up to you.
"By the way, were you looking for Akechi Goro?" Kazawa asked casually, nodding. "Well… you didn't win the bet, so I can't tell you his secret. But if you're just trying to contact him, I can help."
Hattori Heiji was indeed interested.
Originally, he'd paid attention to Akechi Goro due to Kudo Shinichi's disappearance. Now that Kudo had reappeared… Still, just like his rivalry with Kudo, he also had a strong desire to compete with this new rising star detective.
Kazawa grinned, reached into his bag, pulled out a notebook, wrote something in a flamboyant hand, tore out the page, and handed it to Hattori.
Hattori took the note. Written on it was an address and the name of a shop.
"Amuro Detective Agency?" Hattori read aloud with a thoughtful look.