Detective Conan: I'm a Succubus?!

Since he knew the identity of the murderer, there was no reason to wait around. Allowing the murderer to stay until morning was out of the question. 

If he remained unchecked, there was a real risk he might attack Sonoko again during the night. 

Akashi wasted no time and pointed directly at the culprit. 

"Ryoichi Takahashi, it's you!" he declared. "You're the one who killed and dismembered Chikako!" 

A bead of sweat instantly formed on the back of Ryoichi's neck. Yet, seeing as the accusation came from a child, he quickly regained his composure and retorted with confidence: 

"How ridiculous! Didn't everyone see it? The bandaged monster kidnapped Chikako while I was upstairs!" 

"I don't have the ability to clone myself. How could I have killed her?" 

"You little brat! Who even brought you here? You're being absurd!" 

But Akashi merely smirked. 

"You claim you're not the murderer?" he asked mockingly. "Then show us your stomach! Lift up your shirt!" 

At those words, Ryoichi froze in place. 

Sonoko, meanwhile, gasped as realization struck her. 

"Wait! That's it! I knew something felt off earlier!" she exclaimed. "When I went to the second floor, I saw you changing clothes. You weren't fat at all—you're actually quite slim!" 

Ryoichi's face turned ashen at her words. 

All of his efforts today had been to ensure Sonoko didn't mention what she had seen. 

Akashi pressed on: 

"Exactly! When Sister Sonoko caught a glimpse of your real body, she realized you weren't overweight." 

"And that's why you attacked her in the woods earlier—to silence her!" 

The room fell silent as everyone absorbed Akashi's words. 

Ryoichi stood there speechless, unable to mount a rebuttal. 

Seeing his silence, the group instinctively backed away, fearful of standing too close to him. 

Masaru couldn't help but ask hesitantly: "Ryoichi… did you really do it?" 

"But how?" he continued, struggling to process it. "Weren't you upstairs the whole time?" 

Akashi shook his head, his tone cutting and direct: 

"You fool! Haven't you figured it out yet?" 

"He was on the second floor, yes, but he's also a prop master." 

"Using basic wire techniques, he strung a cloak, bandages, and Chikako's severed head with fine threads." 

"He lured you to the window, manipulated the head to appear as though it was floating, and scared you into running outside. It was a simple trick—a basic illusion from filmmaking." 

"And none of you, members of the film club, even realized it?" 

"After that, he hid the evidence on his body and joined the rest of you in chasing after the so-called bandaged freak." 

"In the chaos of the rainy night, he used this setup to make it seem like Chikako had been kidnapped and then dismembered." 

"But the reality is far more horrifying: he dismembered her 'first ' and used her head as part of his act!" 

Akashi's explanation left everyone stunned. 

Conan stared at him in disbelief, his mind racing to piece everything together. The intricacy of the trick was impressive—even Conan hadn't thought of it right away. 

All Akashi had done was point out that Ryoichi wasn't truly fat, and suddenly, the truth had become clear. 

Before Conan could fully process his own deductions, Akashi had already laid out the entire scheme. 

The young detective couldn't help but feel a twinge of embarrassment. 'This kid is too sharp! ' he thought, his pride stinging. 'How is he figuring this out so fast? ' 

Meanwhile, Masaru, who had been called a fool, remained frozen in place. His gaze locked on Ryoichi, his voice trembling as he asked: 

"Is it true, Ryoichi? Did you kill Chikako!?" 

Hiroki joined in, his tone firm and demanding: 

"Ryoichi, answer us! Was it you!?" 

---

Akashi, with his sharp tongue, broke the silence. 

"Why bother asking him to confess? There's no need to waste time," he said, his tone calm yet authoritative. 

"Just search his clothes. There'll definitely be bloodstains on the inside of his shirt. After all, how could he carry a severed head without leaving traces of blood?" 

"And the bandaged head mold, cloak, and hat—he wouldn't have had the chance to dispose of them yet. They must still be hidden on him." 

"If you're looking for evidence, there it is. So, why don't you just get on with it?" 

For a moment, the room was silent, stunned by the boy's confidence. Then, Masaru and Hiroki prepared to step forward. 

Before they could reach him, however, Ryoichi took a step back and made his move. 

With a swift motion, he unbuttoned his shirt and let the hidden items fall to the floor: the cloak, the hat, and the bandaged head mold—all stained with blood. 

The horrifying sight shocked everyone present, rendering them momentarily speechless. 

Ryoichi then raised his head, his expression twisted with a mix of defiance and sorrow. 

"Yes, I killed Chikako," he admitted. "She deserved it. She was the one who killed Atsuko, and I was only avenging her." 

His voice trembled with emotion as he continued: 

"Years ago, if she hadn't plagiarized Atsuko's 'Sky-Color Kingdom ', she never would've won the Best Screenplay Newcomer Award. She never would've reached the heights of her so-called 'Cyan Kingdom. '" 

"She stole Atsuko's work and had the audacity to take pride in it! Meanwhile, Atsuko poured her heart and soul into her craft—only to have it turned into Chikako's stepping stone." 

"Chikako betrayed her, betrayed all of us! My best friend took her own life because of her!" 

Ryoichi's voice cracked, and tears welled in his eyes as he recounted the tragedy. 

"The day after Chikako won the award, Atsuko called me. She told me everything—about the plagiarism, the betrayal. She was devastated, broken. She even said she couldn't trust anyone anymore. At the time, I didn't realize those were her final words." 

"The next day, I found her body hanging in the activity room. That sight…" 

His voice faltered as he clenched his fists, grief giving way to anger. 

Suddenly, he grabbed a fruit knife from the table and glared at everyone. 

"I did what I did, and I don't regret it!" he declared, his voice rising. "The real shame lies with all of you—cowards who didn't stand up for Atsuko!" 

"We spent years together in college, and none of you dared to question Chikako's success, even though it was obvious she didn't deserve it! Atsuko was the true talent among us, and yet, you all stayed silent!" 

He pointed a shaking finger at Hiroki. 

"Especially you! You fawned over Chikako, lavishing her with praise. You disgust me!" 

His accusations left Masaru, Hiroki, and Ayako speechless. They lowered their heads in shame, unable to meet his gaze. 

"I'm the one who sought justice," Ryoichi declared. "And if that makes me a villain, so be it. I've already made peace with my fate." 

He raised the knife to his throat, his voice firm. 

"When I reach the afterlife, Atsuko will know I avenged her." 

Just as he was about to strike, Akashi spoke up, his tone sharp. 

"Cut it out! You're holding the knife wrong if you're serious about slitting your throat!" 

The unexpected remark froze everyone in their tracks. 

Masaru and Hiroki, who had been about to intervene, stopped dead in their tracks, staring at Akashi in disbelief. 

Even Ryoichi faltered, the knife hovering mid-air as he looked at the boy in confusion. 

What kind of reaction was this? 

Normally, wouldn't they rush to stop him, pleading for him to reconsider? 

Why was this kid undermining his dramatic final act instead of trying to save him?