I'm in Detective Conan, and the system has appointed Batman.

"Because you knew I was going to be discharged at this time? No, I didn't mention this to anyone beforehand. Even if you have unique information channels, at most you would know I was in the ward, not that I would be hospitalized at this time."

"Someone gave you some information, right? It should only be some minor details... and you guessed it?"

Hakuba Saguru didn't mince words and immediately recounted what Kuroda Hyōe had said in the meeting room.

After hearing Kuroda Hyōe emphasize that the person handling this matter was a professional.

The members of the gold watch group couldn't help but chuckle in surprise.

That's certainly true.

Once it is known that mystical forces are involved in this incident, and that it is limited to professionals within the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department who handle such matters, finding him is a matter of course and requires no further deduction.

The gold watch group members stopped talking, picked up their briefcases again, and walked towards the door, passing by Hakuba Saguru.

After walking a little further down the corridor, he turned back to look at Hakuba Saguru and said.

"Come along, we'll talk as we walk."

"Ashiya also conducted some investigations last night and made some progress, but it can't be explained in a few words... Of course, if you're afraid to come with me to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, we can talk about it next time."

"But I don't think you're afraid."

Chapter 1324

"...Are you sure it's a tactic from the mystical side?"

On the way to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Hakuba Saguru confirmed this again.

Upon hearing Hakuba Saguru's question, Ashiya, who was sitting next to the Gold Watch Group member, answered without hesitation.

"It can be basically confirmed that it was done by a local magician."

"In addition, I asked a friend to help investigate, and we can basically confirm what kind of mysterious tool the mastermind used to be able to manipulate the victims in this way."

Hakuba Saguru was somewhat surprised to hear Ashiya's words.

If he remembered correctly, Chen En's side did not seem to have found out what method the mastermind used to manipulate the victim, but Ashiya's side was certain that they could confirm what kind of mysterious tool was used.

Could it be that the magicians Chen En knows are not as powerful as Ashiya?

As if sensing Hakuba Saguru's surprise, the Onmyoji explained directly.

"Are you wondering why the other magicians can't figure out what's going on?"

"This is not surprising, because that person used a mysterious artifact that appeared in ancient times in this country, rather than a magical artifact brought in after the Black Ships went to sea."

"This all started with an old legend..."

Ashiya then recounts the story of the ten masks and the manipulators behind them, a tale of the storms they stirred up in ancient times.

The original user of these masks was a shogun whose name was erased.

The shogun used these masks to create a mysterious shadow army, which he could mobilize and control without time difference, even when he and the army commander were at opposite ends of the earth. This allowed him to defeat other feudal lords of the same era and successfully march on Kyoto.

However, in the end, even the mysterious shogun was betrayed by his own subordinate.

Ultimately, not only was the name of the Shogun erased, but even these masks with their mystical qualities were considered ominous and buried somewhere along with the Shogun's remains.

After hearing the legend, Hakuba Saguru was still somewhat unsure about the number of masks.

However, the description of this ability is exactly the same as the effect of the black skull mask that Miura Takeo, the chairman of the Steel Guild, once used in Hakuba Saguru's memory.

He was somewhat surprised that such a mysterious story was hidden behind it.

But then he immediately followed up with another question.

"But if I remember correctly, those black skull masks can only manipulate the wearer's mind."

"According to my personal intelligence sources, it seems that it can also enable wearers to communicate telepathically over short distances, and it can also make all wearers mistakenly believe that they are the same person."

"If you're saying that person used some kind of mysterious prop to create that series of events involving the resurrection and destruction of the dead..."

Don't you think this is too strange?

After summarizing in his mind the events that had occurred and how the mastermind had orchestrated them, Hakuba asked with certainty.

"The impact of black masks should be limited to living people."

"Even if it's possible to manipulate, it can only manipulate living people. Why would it be possible to manipulate a dead person who has been dead for some time, or whose body has been preserved in formaldehyde for a period of time?"

The gold watch team members were focused on driving, but they still managed to mention it at that moment.

"A living person can only manipulate another living person, but what if they are not a living person?"

These words immediately startled Hakuba Saguru.

What does this mean if someone in the gold watch group says this?

Does this mean that even the dead can use this mysterious artifact?

Hakuba Saguru then looked at Ashiya, and the Onmyoji stopped being coy and earnestly told what he knew.

"Just as the officers from the Gold Watch Unit said, this prop can indeed be used by the deceased."

"However, we can't use this mysterious item on the dead in the conventional way. After all, the dead are truly dead. To bring them back to life, we need at least an item that only exists in mythology."

"For example, weapons like the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi only exist in mythology..."

Ashiya seemed to realize that he had gone off-topic, so he got back to the main point.

"That black skull mask, although it is also a mysterious item that has appeared in ancient legends."

"However, compared to the divine artifacts in mythology, it is still far inferior. Therefore, this mysterious item cannot bring back consciousness to the dead and allow them to use it."

"Based on the records of the Yin-Yang Bureau regarding this mask, it can be confirmed."

"The reason why this mask can manipulate the mind of the wearer and make other people wearing the mask subconsciously believe that they are the same person as the mastermind behind the mask is that the actual function of this mask is to copy consciousness."

"The person who possesses the black mask imprints their consciousness and memories onto the main mask."

"Then, using the main mask as a medium and the other nine black masks that have been engraved as targets, one's personality and consciousness are imprinted onto the other people wearing these masks, and through the connection between the masks, a remote sensing effect is achieved."

"The reason I believe the mastermind used this mysterious tool to commit the crime is because..."

"The Yin-Yang Bureau has recorded one possible trajectory for this mysterious item."

"That is, if someone completely uploads their consciousness into the main mask and then puts the main mask on someone else, is it possible that the original owner is already dead?"

"The possibility of resurrection by using one's own consciousness to possess others who have been forcibly fitted with the main mask."

"Of course, this kind of resurrection is not a resurrection in the true sense."

"In reality, it only copies his personal consciousness into other people. The real him is still dead. Even if the person who survives in this way is just another person who thinks he is himself."

Upon hearing this, Hakuba Saguru's heart skipped a beat.

In that case, the death of Takeo Miura, the leader of the Steel Society who caused great panic and several terrorist attacks in Tokyo, was probably not the end, but rather the beginning of another.

Moreover, according to the information Chen En told him.

The main mask of the magical item used by Takeo Miura has not been found to this day.

Did Takeo Miura deliberately allow himself to be killed by the enemy, and actually hand over his main mask to someone he trusted, so that he could be resurrected elsewhere through possession?

Just as Hakuba Saguru was about to ask the question that was on his mind, he heard Ashiya continue speaking.

"But based on my subsequent investigation, I can confirm that this is impossible."

"It is impossible for the remaining consciousness of the dead to possess another living person wearing the main mask. The will and spirit of the two people are vastly different. Otherwise, that mysterious shogun would probably still be alive today and would be the ruler of this country."

White Horse Scout, who had just been speculating, was speechless upon hearing this.

Since it's impossible, why are you even bringing it up?

Or is he just making fun of me?

Just as Hakuba Saguru felt his fist getting a little harder.

Ashiya finally stopped keeping everyone in suspense and revealed his guesses.

"So I think there should be another possibility."

"Since it's impossible to possess a living person, what about possessing a dead person?"

"If a corpse that has died can be brought back to life by some kind of magic or Yin-Yang technique, then it is possible to use the corpse as a shikigami and then wear the main mask to imprint his personality on the corpse."

"In this way, that person can preserve their original personality and memories as a corpse, thus being resurrected."

"However, if that guy really does that, then he has a huge flaw, which is that the corpses he uses cannot be used for operation for long. A corpse can only be used for a maximum of seven days."

"So I think if we start from this point, we should be able to find that person easily."

However, the Onmyoji's smug thoughts were immediately shattered by the words of the Gold Watch Group members.

The gold watch group member, who was driving, displayed the professional qualities unique to the professional group among professional groups, and spoke without reservation based on what he knew.

"It's impossible to find the person who modified the personal perception and the real culprit behind the explosion through this."

"If the mastermind behind this isn't an idiot, then during the time he disappeared, he must have stockpiled a large number of corpses to ensure that he could use the corpses and masks to play shadow tricks and escape at any time."

“If I were him, I would never reveal my true form and the main mask.”

"Even investigating solely by tracking the direction of the body is insufficient... There are far too many bodies across the country believed to have died unnatural deaths, and many remain unclaimed."

"Not to mention our Japanese Public Security Bureau, even Batman probably couldn't do that."

"After all, the vast majority of body identification information is not recorded in the database."

The member of the gold watch group paused for a moment before continuing.

"You know, this makes the network data look bad."

"As for paper records, they are either only kept in the corresponding cold storage, or they are simply burned or thrown away as expired records, making it impossible to verify."

...the world constructed.

Ashiya was at a loss for words.

He lived in the Yin-Yang Bureau for a long time, studying various books on Yin-Yang techniques.

Therefore, he only had a superficial understanding of the situation in Japan and could only obtain a certain amount of information about Japan through online channels, even after leaving the Onmyoryo and coming to Tokyo.