Starting With The Sefirah Castle In The Anime World

The next morning, just as Ran was preparing to leave for school, the Mouri family received three unexpected guests.

The Kudo couple, their faces lined with sorrow, stood at the door. With them was a young boy, no older than seven or eight, wearing glasses.

Coming downstairs from the third floor, Ran froze when she saw them.

"Aunt Yukiko, Uncle Yusaku?"

"Aren't you both overseas? Why did you come back so suddenly?"

"Ah…"

Kudo Yukiko let out a deep sigh, hesitation flickering in her eyes before she finally spoke.

"Ran, Yusaku and I returned because of Shin-chan."

"Shinichi?"

"Didn't he say he was investigating some cases?"

Seeing how Ran was still in the dark, Yukiko's worry deepened, though she didn't say much more.

At this moment, Kudo Yusaku, his expression heavy, lowered his voice.

"Ran, Shinichi… he's in trouble."

"!?"

"The police found him over the weekend, late at night, in an empty alley…"

Ran froze completely, her body stiffening at those words.

"That… can't be true, can it?"

"It's true."

Mouri Kogoro, who had been standing nearby, couldn't bear to watch his daughter break down, but the truth was unavoidable.

When he had first heard the news, even he had been left speechless.

He had never been fond of that brat.

Not only was Shinichi constantly hanging around his daughter, but the boy was always butting into cases, encroaching on his turf. How could Kogoro possibly tolerate that? It was no wonder he would often curse the kid out.

But despite everything, Kogoro still had high hopes for Shinichi's abilities.

It was a shame, though.

For all his talent, the boy lacked the self-preservation to match it.

He was too righteous, too driven to chase after danger, and it had finally caught up to him.

The need to uncover the truth, no matter the cost, had ultimately been his downfall.

Thinking back on it, Mouri Kogoro sighed heavily.

"That brat charged ahead without a second thought."

"As someone who used to be a police officer, I can't help but admire his courage. But…"

He paused, his voice growing softer.

"…as a former officer, I have to say he was too reckless. So reckless that he forgot even the most basic precautions."

"Or maybe," Kogoro continued after a moment, "he didn't trust the police to handle things properly from the start."

"Still, I can't say he was entirely wrong."

Kogoro knew all too well the flaws within the police force. Many officers, especially those in the Metropolitan Police Department, lacked dedication to their duties. They simply coasted by, doing just enough to keep their positions without risking too much.

Given that reality, Shinichi's mistrust wasn't entirely unfounded.

Maybe that was why the boy chose to face danger head-on, rather than relying on the authorities.

Kogoro let out another deep sigh.

"It really is a shame…"

"If only that kid had been more worldly, more experienced with the darker sides of society, maybe he wouldn't have been so impulsive."

"Maybe then he would've known to stop himself from rushing forward like that."

"No matter how you look at it, that boy was still too young…"

"If he'd just waited a few more years, grown older and joined the police properly, he could've handled things so much better."

"What a waste…"

As Kogoro spoke, Ran covered her mouth with her hands, her shoulders trembling. She looked like she couldn't bear to hear any more.

Seeing this, Kogoro shook his head helplessly.

"What do you plan to do now?"

"Do you have any leads on the culprit?"

"I know a little," Yusaku replied, "but it's complicated."

"That's why Yukiko and I have decided to start from overseas."

"International criminals, huh…"

Kogoro nodded in understanding.

Considering the scale of the case, tackling it domestically might not be the best approach. With their connections abroad, they could navigate the investigation with fewer restrictions.

"If there's anything I can help with, just let me know," Kogoro offered. "I have a few contacts in Beika who might be able to assist."

"Thank you," Yusaku said sincerely, "but it's better if you stay out of this."

"Digging too deeply into Shinichi's death could be dangerous. As long as no one investigates too closely, the ones behind this won't act. But if you dig up the wrong information, things could get very messy."

"I see. Definitely sounds like trouble."

Kogoro could imagine the kind of danger Yusaku and Yukiko were facing.

Any attempt to investigate the people behind the scenes could expose them to risks, and one wrong move could drag them into a world of chaos.

Still, Kogoro knew they wouldn't back down.

As Shinichi's parents, Yusaku and Yukiko wouldn't simply let things go.

"But there is something we'd like your help with," Yusaku said, gesturing toward the boy standing beside them.

"This child."

Kogoro turned his attention to the bespectacled boy, who looked oddly familiar.

Then, it clicked.

"Wait, don't tell me this kid is…"

"Mr. Mouri," Yusaku cut in firmly, "this child has no connection to us anymore."

"…I see."

Kogoro studied the boy's sincere eyes, quickly piecing things together.

It seemed that traveling abroad with a child would be inconvenient, so the couple wanted to leave him in Kogoro's care.

"No problem. I'll look after him."

Kogoro agreed without hesitation.

Relieved, Yusaku nodded before motioning to Yukiko.

"Kogoro, here's some money for his living expenses."

Kogoro accepted the envelope instinctively, but when he opened it, he nearly dropped it in shock.

Inside was a bank statement with a balance of 500 million yen.

"Are you two planning to go to war or something?" he blurted out.

"No," Yusaku said calmly. "We're just preparing for the worst."

"We'll officially leave under the pretense of being emotionally unstable, using it as an excuse to relax abroad."

"We're not stupid enough to charge in recklessly. We'll only assist local law enforcement with their investigations."

"As long as we don't dig too deeply, they won't target us."

"We're just buying time and creating excuses to interfere with their plans."

"Got it," Kogoro said, tucking the statement away.

"Just don't overdo it, okay? There's still a kid here to think about."

"Don't worry. We know how dangerous this is, and we're not taking it lightly."

Yusaku's voice was steady, his resolve clear.

He wasn't about to risk everything.

The goal was simple: stay away from the organization while quietly helping law enforcement.

Providing information was one thing, but direct involvement was out of the question.

***

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