Not a detective

Page 247

Even if the answer isn't true, even if it's fabricated, as long as she can accept it and it passes the "gold" and "scarlet" scrutiny, that's fine.

Even if it's "fictional reasoning"...

He just wants to get back safely. If he can give Asukai Shi an explanation, it would be a way to save this girl who is blinded by hatred and pain.

"[Blue text: The murderer is one of the doctors and nurses, not one of those who came to resuscitate later, but one of those who came to check on Lu Chuanqian that morning. They had the opportunity to manipulate Lu Chuanqian's IV drip; all they had to do was add some kind of delayed-acting poison and ensure the dosage took effect when they weren't present at noon.]"

To ensure he wasn't ripped off by the gold standard, he added, "This drug isn't out of touch with reality, and the doctors and nurses are medical professionals who are perfectly capable of producing it."

However, this attempt was also rejected:

"[Red text: The examination of Lu Chuanqian's body found no toxic substances in his body. His heart stopped beating naturally, and the cause of death remains unknown.]"

Asukai Shi smiled: "Senior, are you perhaps the kind of person who would cause trouble at a medical facility...? Why are you still unwilling to mention the only suspect left?"

"You mean-"

Asakawa Riku's breathing became rapid, and his pupils contracted.

Yes, there is another suspect. Of all the people who came to the ward that day, only the last option was ruled out, but who would want to think about that possibility?

“Since you’re unwilling to talk about it, I’ll gently answer your question.” Asu-i Shi shook her head: “[Red text: Lu Chuanqian’s mother is also unlikely to be the perpetrator. Her only possibility is that she poisoned the food, but Lu Chuanqian is unable to eat or swallow, and as mentioned earlier, there is no toxicological test data on his body.]”

"Don't joke about something like this!"

Asakawa Riku was somewhat angry. His mother had murdered him, and even he, who had just been wildly imaginative and recklessly explored all the possibilities, was unwilling to consider this possibility.

"I'm not joking."

However, Uta Asukai did not apologize, but coldly said, "In order to find out the truth, I can suspect anyone, and anyone could be the murderer."

Looking into her eyes, Asakawa Riku could only remain speechless. Those were pupils devoid of any light, completely black, now filled with despair.

There's no way to communicate with a madman.

He sat down again, lost in desperate thoughts.

...All suspects were ruled out, all methods were exhausted, and all tricks were rejected.

This is a desperate puzzle. It was here that Asuji Shi was trapped and locked up, which gradually turned her into this crazy person, a bond that even the gods could not break free from...

To be honest, he couldn't think of anything else.

He felt that he might have to stay with her forever.

Winter of Man: Chapter Twenty-Two - Intermission

"Lu...Lu".

A soft call slowly woke Asakawa Riku.

He opened his eyes in surprise. The hospital room had a clean white ceiling, and the familiar feeling of gravity enveloped him.

This is the "real world"... no, it can no longer be called the "real world".

The confusing wording made Asakawa Riku almost laugh; he didn't know how to look at everything around him.

So... how did you wake up?

He remembered that he hadn't yet solved the "ultimate mystery" of Asukai Shi, but when he opened his eyes, he was back in reality.

Could it be that Shiki Asukai had a change of heart, felt pity, and finally decided to let him come back?

Before he could even feel the relief of escaping death, he soon realized that things weren't as they seemed. Asakawa Riku turned his head slightly and saw the woman staring at him from the bedside.

"Your sleeping posture is so ugly, were you having a nightmare?"

The last moon of the eastern cloud.

"Even in this state, I'm still so sharp-tongued."

Asakawa Riku felt somewhat helpless, but no matter what, this was what gave him a sense of familiarity.

She was wearing loose hospital gowns, her face pale and bloodless, making her already exquisite face look more like a sculpture, giving her an unreal appearance.

Even Asakawa Riku, who was used to seeing this, had the illusion that an angel had come to take him to heaven.

The ward was very quiet, with only the regular ticking of the medical instruments. It was as if time had stopped there. The light source was constant, and the view outside the window was not visible.

I don't even know if it's day or night, or if it's winter or spring.

Dongyun Moyue guarded this place day and night. Their lives were shared by blood, as if they were one body with two lives. She gave everything without reservation.

"Where are they?"

"Da Yu Kui...didn't you ask her to go and gather people? She's very obedient and left right away."

"Wait...did you hear that?"

"You heard it, didn't you? You weren't actually unconscious, Lu. You also know about that charlatan woman, Bai Hezi, going to seek revenge, right?"

"Who exactly are they talking about...?"

Asakawa Riku smiled helplessly.

This surprised him greatly. He hadn't expected Mo Yue's observational skills to be so sharp, knowing in just a short reaction that he hadn't actually fainted.

To be precise, he is like someone caught between two worlds, thus able to receive information from both.

But in that instant, he also realized something was wrong:

"How come you're still awake?"

Asakawa Riku was surprised and belatedly realized that, in theory, the two of them were now extremely fragile, hanging by a thread, only sharing a life because of their [immortality] ability.

If Sueki is awake, then Asakawa Riku must be unconscious; if Asakawa Riku is awake, then Sueki must be unconscious.

Why are they both conscious and able to talk to each other now?

Perhaps I was too confused by so many things that I only realized this now.

"because this."

Moyue raised his hand.

Asakawa Riku's pupils contracted rapidly: "You..."

He saw that besides the hand that was receiving the blood transfusion, Higashion Suetsuki's other hand was also covered in blood, with a needle piercing through her palm, a horrifying injury that remained deep in her flesh and bone.

"Who did it?"

"Myself," Mo Yue said calmly, her unwavering eyes fixed on the wound as if examining and admiring it, seemingly oblivious to the pain. "There's adrenaline in the ward for emergency treatment. I was thinking of giving myself an injection to wake myself up, but I don't know how to give injections, so I just did it this way. It seems to work, which is good."

Asakawa Riku gasped.

You could feel how much pain she was in just by looking at the needle piercing her palm. It wasn't adrenaline that made her sober; she was forcing herself to stay awake through pain!

Moreover, Mo Yue's immortality allows her wounds to heal continuously, but when they encounter foreign objects in her flesh, they rub and twist, preventing healing and only causing more pain.

No wonder they were both awake this time... So that's why.

"Why did you have to do this..."

Asakawa Riku felt a pang of sympathy. He could only move a small part of his head and couldn't even lift his hand to bandage her.

All I could do was watch as blood dripped onto the white sheets.

"I just want to see you, I want to chat with you, Lu."

"It's late," Mo Yue said calmly.

Her words have always been like this, devoid of tone, gentleness, or affection.

Asakawa Riku could never quite grasp her heart. Even after they became intimate, she remained distant, because Sueki never expressed her feelings directly. She was like someone who was "not human"—not in a derogatory sense, but rather an indescribable description. Perhaps it was because of her superior intelligence from a young age, her immortal lifespan, and her complex memory structure, which made Sueki's way of thinking and her way of interacting with people extremely strange. Whether she was a mischievous child or a genius, some might find her sharp-tongued, unapproachable, eccentric, and lacking in emotional intelligence…

But even at this moment, this simple and straightforward sentence, devoid of any tone or emotion, brought Asakawa Riku to tears.

"You're just my assistant, my person. Can you please not leave? Don't fall asleep?"

She reached out her bloodied hand and grasped Asakawa Riku's hand on the hospital bed.

Even if Riku Asakawa is completely unconscious, even if he makes a mess of the sheets, even if he causes trouble for the doctors and nurses.

But this is the real Dongyun Sueyue. She doesn't understand those complicated things; she just wants to do what she wants to do.

"I will return."

Asakawa Riku made a promise to her, not only to her alone, but also to the other girls who were working hard for him.

He immediately realized that since Shinonome Suetsuki had strong reasoning abilities, he might as well take this precious opportunity to tell her the mystery; perhaps she would have a clue...

"Um...uh."

But as soon as he opened his mouth, he found that he couldn't say anything. He wanted to say "Lu Chuanqian's experience", "the locked-room murder in the ward", "the impossible crime", but he couldn't say any clue. It was as if he couldn't organize his words. All the words would get confused when they reached his throat. He could only open his mouth repeatedly, but he couldn't say anything.

"What's wrong? Do you want me to kiss you?" Mo Yue asked seriously as she watched him open his mouth repeatedly.

...Don't joke around at a time like this!

Asakawa Riku was so anxious he almost laughed. Even if a normal person misunderstood, they would only misunderstand whether he wanted to drink water or eat something!

He didn't know why he couldn't speak, but it wasn't like he had suddenly lost his voice and become mute. He initially thought it was because "the truth involving the higher level cannot be revealed to the inhabitants of this world due to the laws of the world," but even if he concealed the relevant details, didn't say that this was a fictional world in a book, and secretly replaced the characters, he still couldn't reveal the content related to the case.

When I came to my senses, I realized that I could vaguely see a golden sword in front of me.

Second, detectives cannot use supernatural or bizarre detective methods.

Asakawa Riku stared at the words in despair.

Those gleaming golden words still sealed away his last glimmer of hope.

...I never expected that they would still be chasing him even after we got here.

Winter of Man: Chapter Twenty-Three - The Final Deduction

Shinonome Suetsuki uses a special method for reasoning. Although she relies on her thinking ability, the very existence of her brain is incredibly incredible.

This is not recognized by the "Ten Commandments of Knox," and this kind of detective does not meet the requirements of the rules.

...not a detective.

It was as if Shizuka Asuji's cold voice was warning him from afar that cheating in any form was not allowed.

Asakawa Riku is not allowed to transfer his detective identity to others, nor can he seek help from Suezuki. This mystery can only be solved by himself.

"All right……"

He accepted this reality and stopped trying to express it. Since he couldn't say it aloud, he figured writing it down with a pen in his mouth was also not feasible.

But suddenly, Shinonome Suetsuki became excited:

"Is there something you want to tell me, but you can't say it because of some force?"

"...!" Asakawa Riku was surprised. He didn't expect her to react so quickly and guess so accurately.

As expected of a detective.

"You don't need to answer me, just nod and blink, and I'll ask you a question."

However, he soon discovered that he couldn't even nod or blink to indicate anything; the golden sword of order hung high in the sky, intimidating him from the shadows.

Just then, Mo Yue flipped herself up, moved the instruments aside, straddled Asakawa Riku, stood in front of the sword, and stared at him with her eyes:

"Can't make any movements... That's fine, I'll deduce it."

Riku Asakawa then realized that this guy's eyes were beautiful, with a captivating charm in his eerie pupils, just like the first time he had seen him.

Only she, only this unruly madwoman, would do such a thing on a whim, even without any means of verification.

"You've encountered a predicament, an unimaginable difficulty. That's why you told them not to go after Takanashi. Her power surpasses the ordinary, but instead of killing you, she gave you a test. If you succeed, you might recover. This isn't a physical battle, otherwise you wouldn't be in this state. The fact that you want my help indicates an intellectual problem, like when you dragged me to play those games during the Marineford War. It's about reasoning, puzzles, a puzzle you can't solve..."

The soft murmur of Dongyun Suezuki echoed in the ward.

This isn't deduction; it's divination, it's the all-knowing Rinnegan!

Asakawa Riku was overwhelmed with excitement, but he couldn't make any expression to respond. He wanted to say something, and felt like he was about to get to the heart of the matter.

Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time.

Asakawa Riku couldn't help but feel his eyelids closing, his vision slowly blurring, his consciousness becoming heavy, and he could no longer see her clearly.

Whether it was because the two of them needed to be awake at the same time for the maximum period of time, or because the situation had exceeded Asu's tolerance limit, she could no longer allow the cheating to continue.

Consciousness was about to be forcibly pulled back into that cage...