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

Chi Chufeng glanced at the proprietress.

He had also seen the shrine's shrine, and it was said that if one wore a long-sleeved kimono to worship in the middle of the night, the kimono-sleeved deity would help avenge any grudges that one could not avenge oneself.

It was just a charade, wasn't it? The murderer went to all this trouble just to make people think about the curse of the kimono sleeve god?

The next morning, just as dawn broke, an older police officer from the Yamagata Prefectural Police arrived with a team, and forensic personnel quickly began collecting testimonies at the scene.

"In other words, Shibasaki Asuka entered the open-air bath around 10 p.m., while Anzai Ema entered the shrine in the courtyard around 10:30 p.m."

59-year-old Inspector Shinseon, referring to the hotel map, concluded: "Both of them died from the same murder weapon, which was later found in an open-air bathhouse, right?"

“Also,” the old policeman added, “only Miss Ema’s shoe prints were left outside the shrine, and to get to the open-air bath, you had to go through the lounge, but there were always people in the lounge at the time.”

"This is really bad," Inspector Shinsuke said, his head throbbing. "Could both of them be locked-room murders?"

"Officer Zhenxian!" A policeman suddenly ran over from the ancestral hall outside, whispered something to Zhenxian, and handed him several bags of documents.

Chi Chufeng glanced at it; it appeared to be a note and an earring pendant.

Shinichi immediately showed the earring pendant to everyone: "This is one of the earrings found on Anzai Ema's body; the other one wasn't found at the scene."

Chapter 573 Isn't that your curse?

"Ah," Editor Yasuda exclaimed in surprise, "These are designer earrings! Each one costs at least 20 yen. Come to think of it, Harumi seems to have earrings of this type as well."

Harumi Fukatsu hurriedly explained, "That's right, but because Ema gets upset every time she sees it, I put it away."

"Is that right?"

Officer Zhenxian did not press further, but instead discussed the situation at the scene with his subordinates.

"The long-sleeved kimono and obi (sash) on site were originally stored in the hotel's storage room, but that storage room is usually not locked."

"Everyone," Zhen Xian said, turning to the crowd after exchanging a few words.

"Now we need to confirm everyone's whereabouts last night. First, Ms. Akechi Eri, let's start with you. You entered the bathhouse around 9:30 and left around 10:00. Shibasaki Asuka entered the bathhouse after you."

“Yes,” Eri Akechi, sitting upright on the sofa, nodded gently. “Later I went back to my room, and I ran into Lord Akaso on the way.”

“That’s true,” Chi Chufeng smiled slightly. “I ran into 787 around 10 o’clock, just as I was about to take a bath.”

"Well, next up is Ms. Yasuda Yoriko." Officer Masaki turned to Editor Yasuda next to Eri Akechi. "You've been here organizing interview materials until 9:30, right?"

"Yes, I saw Eri at the time, and about 5 minutes later, Ema went to the back door by herself."

"That happened around 10:30. Did you see anyone else going out the back door?"

"No, just Ema."

Chi Chufeng quietly watched Yasuda and the others.

The sign for the private event said it was from 10 to 11 pm, and the door was locked from the inside at the time.

Akatsuka Kaze and Fukatsu Harumi were taking a bath next door.

"Have Lord Akatsuki and Miss Harumi stayed in the men's pool area the whole time?" Officer Shinsaki continued to ask.

Chi Chufeng nodded.

Harumi Fukatsu blushed slightly, feeling a little embarrassed.

Officer Shinsuke stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "At this time, Ms. Raiko and Ms. Eri are having a meeting here. Where is Mr. Bando?"

Osaka Tokyo explained, "I came here around 11:15 to discuss something, and then the proprietress came here and said that Suka had been killed in the bathhouse."

“That makes sense,” Zhenxian nodded slightly. “Boss lady, you didn’t see that Hannya doll with the kimono sleeve the first time you went, but you noticed it on your second visit?”

"Yes!" the proprietress affirmed. "When I first put up the sign, it definitely wasn't there. When the time came, I went to take down the sign for the entire venue and discovered that the kimono-sleeved Hannya doll was still a bit cold, as if it had just been taken out of the snow!"

"But speaking of which," the old policeman asked, "why would Miss Ema go to a place like a shrine all by herself?"

Shin smiled and took out a document bag: "This is what we found in Ms. Ema's pocket. It says: 'Ms. Ema, I have a secret to tell you. I'll be waiting for you at the shrine in the courtyard at 10:30 tonight. From Bando.'"

"Nonsense!" Tokyo Ichi's expression changed drastically. "How could I possibly write such a letter?!"

"But the reality is that you don't seem to have an alibi for before 11:15."

"This... I had absolutely no motive to kill Asuka and Ema!"

“What you said is quite right.” Shinichi nodded and turned to Fukatsu Harumi.

"If we consider motives, the only one with a motive for murder is Miss Harumi. She has always harbored resentment towards them, believing that they killed your senior, but she has an alibi."

Fukatsu Harumi looked at Akatsuka Kaze with gratitude in her heart.

She suddenly realized something.

Chi Chufeng invited her to the private pool area not only because he wanted her, but also to provide her with an alibi.

After the questioning ended, the editors, including Yasuda, returned to their rooms one after another.

“Miss Harumi,” Akatsuka asked as he walked with his arm around Fukatsu Harumi toward his room, “You seem to care a lot about that Suzuka-senpai.”

“Hmm,” Fukatsu Harumi came back to her senses, “I lost both my parents when I was young. My uncle and aunt raised me. Sakura’s parents also died in an accident when she was young, so they have always taken special care of me.”

"So that's it."

Akatsuka nodded. No wonder Fukatsu Harumi had begged him to help Sakurako seek justice.

"Lord Akatsuchi, isn't that your curse?" Fukatsu Harumi asked cautiously.

Chi Chufeng smiled.

He was very clear about this case.

This includes the murderer who killed Asuka and Ema.

"You want to know the truth?" Chi Chufeng asked.

Harumi Fukatsu bit her lip and nodded.

Chi Chufeng said, "I designed two seemingly perfect locked-room murders using the unique hotel environment. I used the legend of the kimono sleeve god and the hotel environment."

All of this clearly demonstrates one point: such a meticulously planned crime could not have been orchestrated without a lengthy stay at the hotel and a thorough understanding of the area.

Chapter 574 What do you plan to do?

Fukatsu Harumi's eyes widened immediately upon hearing Akatsuka's words.

"Could it be..." She didn't say the name.

Chu Feng continued, "Although the storage room for long-sleeved kimonos isn't locked, not everyone knows what's inside."

There's also the seemingly unsolvable sequence of murders. Due to the circumstances, it's impossible to determine the order of Asuka and Ema's deaths, but all the clues point to Ema being murdered first.

"There are two problems now. First, there are the footprints in the courtyard. Second, no one has been to the women's hot spring in the open-air bathhouse after 10:30. This is the presumed time of the crime. Under normal circumstances, the murderer could not have been at the crime scene."

"Besides that, the key issue is the order in which Asuka and Ema were killed. Logically speaking, Asuka in the bathhouse should have been killed before 10:30, that is, before Ema Anzai. However, the murder weapon used to kill Ema Anzai and Ema Anzai's headscarf were found in the bathhouse."

Akatsukaze, accompanied by Fukatsu Harumi, strolled around the yard as they talked.

Harumi Fukatsu was utterly shocked.

At noon, a police car from the Yamagata Prefectural Police Department drove into the snow village and finally stopped in front of the Kotoya Ryokan.

"Officer," Officer Zhenxian's subordinate rushed into the lobby with a report, "the items have been delivered!"

"Has the autopsy report come out yet?" Zhen, who was sitting on the sofa, looked up first.

"Yes, the murder weapon used to kill both victims was indeed that divine sword!"

The subordinate reported: "The bloodstains on the headscarf have been confirmed to be left by Anzai Ema herself. In addition, no suspicious fingerprints or other clues related to the murderer were found at the crime scene, the origami doll at the shrine of the kimono-clad sotshin, or the note that Anzai Ema received."

Akatsukaze, carrying the absent-minded Fukatsu Harumi, returned from the courtyard. He glanced at Officer Masaki, who was looking worried in the lobby, and then turned to head towards the open-air bathhouse.

He has already explained most of the cases, including the mysteries of Anzai Ema's murder and Shibasaki Asuka's murder.

All the clues pointed to romance novelist Eri Akechi.

Whether it's her familiarity with the Kotoya Ryokan or the kimono-sleeve deity, Eri Akechi, who has been creating art here for a long time, meets the criteria, including the time of the crime and her alibi.

At least from Eri Akechi's own perspective, many things can be reconciled.

Chi Chufeng's gaze swept over the open-air hot spring below and both sides of the cliff slope.

Because of the obstructed view, the pool is not visible; only the entrance to the bathhouse at the end of the escalator is visible.

He told Harumi Fukatsu, "Although logically Asuka was murdered after Ema Anzai, the murder weapon, the stun gun, and Ema Anzai's headscarf were indeed found in the bathhouse."

Anzai Ema was murdered after 10:30 PM, but after 10:30 PM, no one passed through the only entrance to the bathhouse, which was the lounge area.

Harumi Fukatsu looked at the hotel buildings on the other side of the lounge. There were also guest rooms and corridors on the edge of the cliff. From the lounge, one could barely see the windows and balconies facing the cliff.

Chi Chufeng continued, "Since the person can't go down, all that's left are the items. Send the murder weapon and the headscarf separately to the bathhouse pool downstairs, and the whole case will make sense."

Harumi Fukatsu remained silent for a moment, then looked at the few travelers having fun in the lounge.

Because of the murder, many people checked out of their rooms or stayed in their own rooms. However, no matter what, they still had to be questioned by the police. It's quite remarkable that they still had the mood to have fun.

"Chunmei," Chi Chufeng suddenly asked, "what's your view on revenge?"

Harumi Fukatsu looked up: "Why are you suddenly asking this? Is it because of this case?"

"Although I promised you yesterday to investigate Suzuka Sakurako's matter,"