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Slap!
The sharp sound echoed through the air. The greasy middle-aged man spun around twice before crashing to the ground. Passersby immediately stopped to watch the commotion.
Still not satisfied, Steven stepped forward and kicked him once more.
Vermouth and the others stood there, stunned, unable to figure out why he'd suddenly snapped.
"President Ampei…"
The man's bodyguards finally reacted and rushed over to help him up.
Hah.
Another "president," and with the surname Ampei too.
Steven couldn't help thinking of that famous "hero" who had taken out another Ampei. In the Detective Conan world, company presidents had an absurdly high mortality rate.
The Ampei in front of him looked like a walking dead man anyway.
"Bastard! Why are you holding me up? Get him! Beat the crap out of that kid until even his own mother wouldn't recognize him!"
Clutching his swollen cheek, Ampei stomped his feet in rage.
"Yes, sir!"
Whoosh.
Two bodyguards rushed in from both sides, fists cutting through the air as they closed in on Steven.
Bang. Thud.
One punch, one kick. Both bodyguards dropped like sacks of potatoes and instantly passed out.
The clean, decisive moves left Ran Mouri wide-eyed, admiration quietly taking root in her heart.
For martial artists, strength was everything.
From just those few exchanges, Ran could tell Steven was far beyond ordinary. Even if she fought him herself, she wouldn't stand a chance.
After knocking out the bodyguards, Steven fixed Ampei with a chilling stare.
"Don't come any closer, or I'll call the police!"
"You're insane! Completely insane! What gives you the right to attack me out of nowhere?"
Terrified by Steven's gaze, Ampei trembled and stumbled backward.
"Because I'm in a bad mood. And because I'm American."
"This island nation is nothing but a U.S. colony. I'm your master. If I'm unhappy and slap you, you should bow and thank me. Why are you so upset instead?"
Steven wasn't deliberately playing the American card. The system had assigned him U.S. citizenship, so he was just using it legitimately.
"That's nonsense! Our country has never been a U.S. colony. We are an independent nation!"
"Even if we lost the war and the U.S. stationed troops here, the people never recognized America's legitimacy, nor that part of history!"
Ampei argued desperately, as if trying to hypnotize himself.
As though history could simply vanish if he refused to acknowledge it.
"The purer the water, the fewer the fish. The more shameless the man, the more invincible he becomes."
"No wonder you dare claim Okinawa has always belonged to your country. Now I get it. You don't acknowledge history, but China won't forget it."
"Okinawa was once called Ryukyu, a vassal state of China. Later, your country swallowed it up. And remember this: when shameless thieves steal property, ownership never truly belongs to the thief. It belongs to the original owner."
"If you don't recognize America's right to station troops here, then China can just as easily refuse to recognize your rule over Okinawa. Be careful. One day you might piss China off, and when a 'dog' disappears on your islands, your tiny little country might vanish right after."
Steven replied calmly, shooting Ampei a look of pure disdain before turning away.
He'd write this one down in his little notebook and collect the debt when the time was right.
"Everyone judge for yourselves! Doesn't Okinawa belong to us? Just because he's American, he can assault people without facing criminal charges…"
Unable to directly provoke Steven because of his nationality, Ampei stayed put, pointing and yelling in impotent rage, venting with words alone.
A textbook case of self-soothing victory through denial.
"You were too impulsive," Vermouth said, clearly displeased. "President Ampei is one of the sponsors of this event. He's in finance, and Ampei the Second is a well-known figure around Okinawa."
"He was just talking nonsense. Why get that angry?"
This trip to Okinawa wasn't just about introducing Steven to Yukiko. Vermouth also had a mission from the Organization.
Before it was completed, she didn't want unnecessary trouble.
"Oh, I majored in history in college," Steven replied calmly, casually making up an excuse. "I really hate it when people twist and smear history."
As a Chinese man, hearing Ampei's remarks had triggered something deep in his blood.
There was no grand reason. He just didn't feel like letting that guy get away with it.
"And this is…?"
Yukiko and the others, unaffected by the brief incident, all turned to Steven with curiosity.
"Steven, my assistant," Vermouth said without hesitation.
She'd spent a long time on the drive thinking about how to define his identity.
Manager? Actor? Fiancé?
None of them felt quite right.
Especially when the thought of "fiancé" crossed her mind. It stirred something in her, but she didn't know how Steven felt, so she didn't dare label him that way.
"Steven? Isn't that the name of the bomber?" Kogoro Mouri and Conan blurted out in unison.
Fortunately, Vermouth's disguise was flawless. Neither of them noticed anything amiss.
Even Yukiko looked a little surprised.
Steven had always been handsome. After merging with the Gray Wolf card, he'd become even more built. When Vermouth disguised him, she'd added a small, sexy mustache that gave him a rugged charm.
Standing together, they looked like a couple deep in love.
Yukiko knew Vermouth had always sworn off relationships and rarely spared men a second glance.
Now she had a mature, handsome man as her assistant. It really did seem like she'd changed her mind, maybe even started thinking about settling down.
"Dad, do you have no manners?" Ran said. "Steven looks nothing like the bomber in those photos."
She couldn't help sneaking another glance at him.
A man who was both handsome and strong was hard not to like.
Conan noticed her reaction and rolled his eyes, instantly hostile toward Steven.
"It's just a coincidence," Vermouth quickly said. "Please don't misunderstand. Steven is an upstanding citizen. There's no way he'd ever break the law."
"Auntie—" Conan started, turning to Yukiko.
She shot him a lethal look that made him break out in a cold sweat.
"…Sister," he corrected himself immediately. "Who is this beautiful lady?"
In front of his own mother's bloodline suppression, even the Grim Reaper kid knew when to back down.
"Oh right, I forgot to introduce everyone," Yukiko said, smiling as she made the introductions.
First meetings always came with polite small talk.
"This is amazing," Ran said with a bright smile, clearly starstruck. "Meeting such famous people, and right here at the Okinawa Film and Opera Festival. I really have to thank the heavens."
Vermouth frowned slightly, staring at Ran as memories of her own past surfaced.
Back then, she too had believed in gods.
But when hardship came, no god ever reached out to help her.
The Vermouth of today no longer believed in that nonsense. She believed only in strength. Only by being strong enough could you protect yourself.
Placing your hopes in gods was no different from waiting to die.
Drip.
At that moment, a light rain began to fall from the sky.
"....."