Detective Conan: I, with my magical powers, am going to destroy the world!

Conan carefully observed the deceased's condition.

“That’s right.” Hattori Heiji nodded, rubbing his chin.

"Judging from the way she was bound, it's unlikely that the murderer tied her up first and then strangled her. The murderer probably strangled Ms. Naoko first and then tied her to the fishing net. But it's really strange, why would the murderer tie the body to the fishing net after killing her?"

Hearing Heiji Hattori's words, Conan narrowed his eyes and then said in a low voice, "Perhaps, it's because the murderer wanted to turn her into a mermaid?"

"Turn into a mermaid?" Hattori Heiji was taken aback, then couldn't help but look at Naoko's feet, asking in surprise, "Conan, are you kidding me? What do you mean, turn into a mermaid?"

"Have you forgotten?" Conan turned to look at Heiji Hattori.

“Yesterday, Akachu-san said that Yaobikuni gained immortality by eating the flesh of a captured mermaid. Doesn’t she look a lot like that legend?”

"What?" Hattori Heiji was stunned upon hearing this, and his expression changed drastically.

"I remember the legend about the Dugong's Arrow that the Old Woman of Longevity told me was that once the Dugong's Arrow is released..."

Before Heiji Hattori could finish speaking, Conan's deep voice came from the side.

"The monster will build its nest on the owner's body. If it is a man, he will be buried and become a heartless demon. If it is a woman, she will enter the water and become a mermaid who cannot speak."

"The murderer must have been using this legend to kill people, which is why they deliberately arranged the body like this, right?"

After carefully examining the scene, Hattori Heiji stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"On the ground here, besides the footprints left by our slippers, there are some strange fan-shaped marks that look like they were swept out by a fish tail."

Conan stared at a mark on the ground.

"You can clearly see the mark of an arrow here, plus there are traces on the ground that look like fish tails walking, the traces going through the fishing nets and into the sea."

"Is the killer trying to mislead us into thinking it's a mermaid that has come ashore?"

"Yes! Judging from the current situation, that's definitely the case. Moreover, to make it look realistic, that guy even sprinkled a lot of fish scales next to the fish tail mark."

Hattori Heiji stared at the scattered fish scales on the ground and pursed his lips.

"I say, isn't that murderer underestimating us a bit? Does he really think we'd be fooled by such a simple trick?"

Conan peered through the fishing net, looked at the fish tail trails leading to the sea, and chuckled softly.

"If you ask me, the murderer was just wearing a pair of pants with a fishtail-like bottom, and walked along the wave line to the fishing net. After killing Ms. Naoko, he left along the wave line, leaving some fish scales behind."

"Speaking of which, Miss Naoko's dugong arrow is also missing. Was it taken by the murderer?"

Suddenly, Shimabukuro Kimie's voice rang out from behind them.

"Saori, she also suddenly disappeared after the Dugong Arrow was lost. Could it be that she also..."

Hearing what Shimabukuro Kimie said, Conan and Hattori Heiji exchanged a glance and nodded together.

"We previously speculated that there was a very high probability that Ms. Saori was murdered!"

As soon as Conan and his friends finished speaking, an old lady from the island immediately said, "What nonsense are you talking about! If we're talking about Saori, I saw her near Mermaid Falls yesterday!"

“Me too, me too!” a middle-aged man chimed in from the side.

"I also saw her wandering around in the forest near the waterfall from afar. She had dyed hair, wore glasses, and was dressed in the blue clothes that Saori often wears. There's no mistake!"

Conan and Heiji Hattori were both taken aback upon hearing this.

Hattori Heiji exclaimed in surprise, "Really? That's a bit strange."

Conan pondered for a moment and then asked, "Miss Shimabukuro, do you have adult versions of mermaid costumes on your island?"

"The adult version?" Shimabukuro Kimie was completely confused.

"Haha, he meant to ask if there were any of those clothes worn by older women in adult films..." Hattori Heiji said with a mischievous grin.

Shimabukuro Kimie's face immediately turned red.

Damn it! Hattori, you tricked me!

Conan was so angry he felt like he was going to vomit blood.

He rolled his eyes and chuckled, "Yeah, that's the kind. Hattori-nii wants to try it on."

huh?

Hattori Heiji was dumbfounded.

"No, no, that's not true. This kid is talking nonsense. I never said that!"

Kimie Shimabukuro turned and ran away.

Heiji Hattori punched Conan on the head, instantly raising a large bump.

What are you doing?!

The two started playfully fighting.

Chapter 400 Who was the woman last night?

That evening, Conan and Heiji Hattori returned with a large bump on Conan's head.

He has short arms and short legs; how could he possibly beat an adult?

The two walked back to the hotel and were about to enter when they suddenly heard a faint sound coming from afar.

Conan and Heiji Hattori casually turned their heads to look over, and then immediately froze.

Under the streetlights, a woman dressed in blue, with brown hair and glasses, was hiding behind a tree, watching them.

Brown hair, wearing glasses?

Could it be that person is Kadokawa Saori?

The two looked at each other, and when they looked again, the person was gone.

Just as they were about to give chase, they suddenly heard a commotion.

Someone seemed to be shouting things like "Fire!", "The fire is huge!", and "The fire brigade has just been dispatched."

Conan and Heiji Hattori turned their heads and saw that the sky in the distance had been burned to an orange-red color, causing their expressions to change drastically instantly:

"Damn it! What's with the firelight over there? That's... a shrine?!"

The fire that started in the shrine's warehouse burned for an entire night!

The fire was finally extinguished by the arriving rescue workers at dawn!

Heiji Hattori and Conan sought them out to learn about the situation at the scene.

"We found a charred body at the scene!" the rescue workers said.

"A charred corpse?"

Hattori's expression changed drastically.

At the same time, the ominous premonition in my heart grew stronger!

Upon seeing this, the rescuers nodded. "Yes! Although the deceased's body was charred, she was wearing glasses and blue clothes. I think that must be Saori, who has been missing!"

At this point, a look of sadness gradually appeared on the other person's face.

The rescuers were residents of the island themselves, so they were naturally well aware of the disappearance of Kadokawa Saori.

However, he never expected this.

When they met Kadokawa Saori again, the once vibrant person had become a charred corpse!

"What? It's Miss Saori?"

Conan and Heiji Hattori looked serious.

If the woman burned to death in the warehouse was Ms. Saori, then who was the woman they saw last night?

Just then, the sound of a stick hitting the ground and the old woman's shouts suddenly came from the corridor: "Junhui? Junhui? Where are you? Junhui!"

Upon hearing the old woman's voice, Hattori Heiji turned his head and looked over, his expression so serious it was almost frightening: "Miss Kimie left the Ebihara Sumi family last night and hasn't returned?"

Conan also frowned and reached out to pinch his chin.

"Hattori, Ms. Kimie mentioned that she went to the dentist before, right?"

"Yes, that's right." Heiji Hattori's expression changed slightly as he looked down at Conan, his voice also changing, "You brat, you're not thinking about something bad again, are you?"

"Hattori, stop playing dumb, okay? I bet you figured it out already, didn't you?" Conan suddenly looked up, his expression serious and complicated.

"Miss Kimie probably went to the warehouse after leaving the Ebihara Toshimi residence last night!"

In the afternoon, at the entrance of the Shimabukuro family's house.

Conan and Heiji Hattori came out together, closed the door, and headed towards the shrine's storeroom.

Based on the comparison of the teeth, it is highly likely that the deceased was Miss Junhui.

They came here to inform the Longevity Granny.

The two walked slowly down the road.

"If the person who died in the warehouse was Miss Junhui, then the person we saw last night must have been Miss Saori, right?"

"Also, when Miss Junhui died, she was wearing glasses and a blue dress. Could it be that Miss Saori did all this to make people think that she died in the warehouse?"

Hattori Heiji said, stroking his chin.