Shio Sakaki moved with quick, small steps, leaving an afterimage to confuse the kidnapper.
His real body had already charged forward, delivering a powerful gut punch.
The immense impact sent the kidnapper flying, crashing to the ground with a thud, clutching his stomach and letting out muffled groans.
It wasn't that he didn't want to scream—he couldn't. The punch had knocked the wind out of him.
All he could manage were faint whimpers.
Shio Sakaki grabbed the man and dragged him out of the house. Inspector Megure and his officers moved in, cuffing the kidnapper.
Sato Miwako and Takagi Wataru rushed inside, restraining the other two unconscious kidnappers.
With that, all three kidnappers were apprehended.
Meanwhile, Yusaku Kudo, observing the situation from his home, spotted Shinichi among the crowd and hurried out of the house.
"Shinichi, are you okay, Shinichi?"
Shinichi shook his head, about to say something, when a figure darted past Yusaku Kudo and threw herself at Shinichi, pulling him into a tight embrace.
It was none other than Shinichi's mother, Yukiko Kudo.
Shinichi froze for a moment, noticing Yukiko's body trembling slightly. His heart warmed.
He patted her back and said, "I'm fine, Mom."
Yukiko didn't speak, clinging tightly to her son as if afraid he'd vanish the next moment.
Seeing this, Yusaku Kudo let out a small sigh of relief, his gaze shifting to the cuffed kidnapper.
He turned to Inspector Megure and said, "Inspector Megure, may I have a word with this kidnapper?"
Megure, an old acquaintance of Yusaku's, didn't refuse.
Yusaku approached the kidnapper and asked, "Who are you people? Why did you kidnap my son?"
If he didn't get answers, this could happen again.
The kidnapper looked up at Yusaku, grimacing through the pain in his stomach, and sneered, "No one crosses the Trinity and walks away unscathed—not even you, Yusaku Kudo."
"Today was just the beginning."
"Though I failed, you and your family are now on the Trinity's kill list."
"You'll all die. Every last one of you."
His venomous glare swept over everyone present, making a chilling vow.
The cold, malicious stare left everyone uneasy.
Among them, only Morpheus remained unfazed, lost in thought about something else.
What exactly was this "Trinity"?
Could it be the Trinity from Tomb Raider?
So, this crossover world had stitched in Tomb Raider too?
But Tomb Raider was a game, not an anime, wasn't it?
Wait a second.
Morpheus suddenly recalled that before he was reborn, Netflix had indeed produced an animated Tomb Raider series.
So, Tomb Raider could count as an anime.
Its inclusion in this bizarre world didn't seem out of place.
If that was the case, Netflix had backed more than just Tomb Raider.
Dmc: Devil May Cry, Record of Ragnarok, Castlevania, and Pacific Rim were all Netflix-funded anime.
Could those worlds have been woven into this one too?
If so, this world was getting way too exciting.
Soon after, the kidnappers were taken away by Inspector Megure and his team.
Shio Sakaki left with the police as well.
He'd come solely to catch these kidnappers, and with the job done, he was off to collect his bounty.
The martial artists from Kenichi each had their own ways of making a living.
Shio Sakaki sustained himself by taking on these dangerous jobs for rewards.
It was his way of life.
After they left, Shinichi introduced Morpheus and Nanami to his parents.
Once Yusaku and Yukiko Kudo understood the full story, they immediately expressed their gratitude to Morpheus and Nanami.
Without them, their son might have been in grave danger.
The Kudo couple was genuinely thankful.
Ran seized the moment to ask, "Kudo-san, what's this Trinity organization the kidnapper mentioned?"
At that, Yusaku Kudo's expression darkened.
"Ran, don't ask too much. I'll handle the Trinity."
He didn't want to drag Ran into this.
"What about me?" Shinichi interjected. "If you won't let Ran ask, surely I can, right?"
"I'm the victim here. I deserve to know what the Trinity is."
Yusaku's face stiffened, then he let out a long sigh. "You're right, Shinichi. You have every right to know."
"This isn't the place to talk. Everyone, come inside."
Led by Yusaku, they entered the Kudo residence.
Yukiko Kudo, suppressing her confusion and fear, served everyone tea.
Once seated, Yusaku began slowly, "The Trinity is a very ancient and storied religious organization."
"They pursue mythical artifacts from legend."
"Like Poseidon's trident or Perseus's Aegis."
At the mention of "mythical," Nanami instinctively glanced at Morpheus.
Even Ran and Sonoko did the same.
Yusaku noticed but didn't press, continuing, "Not long ago, the Trinity apparently tracked down a lead on the fabled Fountain of Youth."
"But that lead was stolen by an FBI spy within the Trinity."
"The FBI, unable to crack the clue's riddle, came to me."
Everyone present was sharp enough to piece together what happened next.
Yusaku Kudo solved the riddle, offending the Trinity and earning a spot on their kill list.
His family was caught in the crossfire.
Yukiko Kudo couldn't help but complain, "Why did you have to deduce something so dangerous? Now we're all targeted by this dangerous organization."
"It's not Dad's fault."
Surprisingly, Shinichi spoke up in his father's defense.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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