Multiple choice system: Conan World

At the same time, Misaki Itakura, Akikawa Kyousuke's agent, stood below the stage of a film event featuring her idol, Okino Yoko. She and a group of tourists watched Yoko on stage, wearing her beautiful gown, with admiration.

In her heart, Misaki almost sighed repeatedly:

"Miss Yoko is so beautiful!"

Just then, the sound of an ambulance siren broke through the air.

Many people turned toward the direction of the siren.

They saw an ambulance drive past, leaving the exhibition area.

---

"Could something have happened again?"

"What's going on this time?"

"Three days ago, someone died at the Suzuki Consortium's dinner. Two days ago, there was a shooting. Now today, another person is being taken away in an ambulance. Isn't the Suzuki Consortium having far too much bad luck?"

These murmurs came from the crowd around Misaki Itakura.

For some reason, she felt a deep sense of unease.

---

Quickly, Misaki took out her phone and called Akikawa Kyousuke.

She couldn't explain why, but she had always felt her artist had an unusual propensity for encountering trouble.

Ever since officially starting her work with him, one incident after another had occurred.

Although she suspected these events were not mere coincidence, she still wanted to confirm Kyousuke's safety.

---

"Please answer the phone, Mr. Akikawa," Misaki thought anxiously.

After a while, the call connected.

Misaki let out a sigh of relief.

However, the next moment, the voice on the other end made her heart sink to the depths.

Because the voice was not Akikawa Kyousuke's.

It was the voice of a fat police officer from the Metropolitan Police Department, one she had heard many times before.

---

Inside Souma Miho's screening room:

After Conan extended his arm to reveal the bloodied palm print on it, showing it to Kyouji Toda and everyone else present, all eyes turned to Toda with intense scrutiny.

Toda Kyouji's usual composure had long since been shattered.

In the past, he had always been in control. But now, he found himself unable to offer the slightest explanation in the face of Akikawa Kyousuke's direct accusations.

---

Because he couldn't understand Kyousuke's methods.

He didn't even know how to prove his innocence.

---

"You're lying!"

"Those definitely aren't Akikawa Kyousuke's fingerprints! He must have covered the fingerprints on his right hand!"

"You, the forensic expert, hurry and compare that kid's arm prints to Akikawa Kyousuke's fingerprints!"

"Quickly prove it! Akikawa Kyousuke framed me!"

Toda Kyouji shouted hysterically, convinced Conan was tricking him.

---

Conan, irritated by Toda's erratic behavior, said nothing more.

He calmly took off his coat and handed it to the forensic officer.

The officer, already displeased with Toda Kyouji's earlier tone, accepted the coat without a word.

---

"I almost suspected Kyousuke because of this liar's nonsense," thought Sera Masumi, glaring at Toda with fury in her eyes.

If Megure Juzo weren't here right now, she would've pushed Toda Kyouji to the ground and punched him in the face.

---

At this moment, Megure Juzo rarely displayed such extreme anger.

By now, how could he not see the truth of the matter?

He was enraged that one of his own detectives had committed acts that harmed innocent civilians.

---

At the same time, Megure couldn't help but recall what Sera Masumi had told him earlier:

"Officer Toda not only coerced confessions but also set traps to lure criminals into attacking police officers deliberately."

If this was true, the credibility and reputation of the entire Investigative Division would be completely ruined in the public eye.

---

"Toda, you bastard!" Megure Juzo roared angrily at Toda Kyouji.

Just as he was about to continue, the sound of a phone vibrating echoed in the screening room.

---

Everyone turned toward the source of the sound.

A phone lay on the floor nearby, its screen lit up and vibrating incessantly.

---

"Is that…?"

Megure Juzo stepped forward, picking up the phone with his gloved hand.

The screen displayed the name [Misaki Itakura].

---

"Ah, this should be Akikawa Kyousuke's phone!" Conan's voice piped up.

"Brother Akikawa said Officer Toda confiscated his phone after bringing him here."

---

Hearing this, a vein bulged on Megure Juzo's forehead.

He glared hard at Toda Kyouji, who avoided his gaze entirely, before answering the call.

After a brief exchange with Misaki Itakura, Megure explained the situation as minimally as possible before hanging up.

---

"Hmm?"

As Megure prepared to put Kyousuke's phone away, his eyes caught a series of notifications on the screen.

The alerts read:

[Motion Detection Alert: Movement Detected]

[Intrusion Alert: Possible Unauthorized Entry]

[Alert: Someone Passed By Your Camera]

---

The phone's software had triggered these alerts starting at 11:32 AM, and new notifications continued to appear up until just a moment ago.

---

"Officer Megure, what's wrong?" Sera Masumi asked, noticing his furrowed expression.

---

"This seems to be a webcam alert. Kyousuke's phone is showing dozens of notifications about illegal entry and detected movement," Megure explained.

---

Conan and Sera Masumi: "!!!"

Hearing this, they both turned sharply to look at Toda Kyouji.

---

As expected, upon hearing Megure's words, Toda's mouth opened wide in shock.

His face drained of all color as though the pool of crimson blood on the ground came not from Akikawa Kyousuke, but from himself.

His muscular frame began trembling violently.

---

"This is insane! Is he a spy? Why would someone install a camera in his house?"

Of course, Toda Kyouji knew exactly who had entered Kyousuke's home.

It was Takuto Nakajima, acting under Toda's orders to "create" evidence.

Suddenly, Toda recalled something Kyousuke had said to him earlier:

---

"Officer Toda, may I offer you some advice?"

"Don't overreach when you act. Always leave yourself an exit."

"Because when someone loses all their value, they're easily discarded."

---

Toda had thought Kyousuke was referring to himself.

Unexpectedly, it turned out Kyousuke had left an escape route not for Toda, but for himself.

---

Toda Kyouji suddenly realized that his current downfall was entirely self-inflicted.

It wasn't because he provoked someone as cunning as Akikawa Kyousuke.

It was because, from the very beginning, he had cut off his own path to retreat.

---

Not only had he eliminated the two criminals who knew about Kyousuke's deeds, ensuring they could no longer testify against him, but he had also sent Takuto Nakajima into Kyousuke's home to fabricate evidence.

This action completely cleared Kyousuke of suspicion in the eyes of the police.

---

If Megure Juzo and the detectives followed the camera footage back to Takuto Nakajima, it would sever the last connection to Kyousuke.

At that point, Toda would have no value left for Kyousuke.

---

He realized, far too late, that he had been nothing more than a pawn in Kyousuke's plan.

---

After finally unmasking Akikawa Kyousuke's seemingly childish facade, Toda thought he had seen Kyousuke's true face.

But now, he realized that face was just another mask.

---

(End of Chapter)