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After leaving the bar, Steven first went back to Chinatown.
The room was silent. All of Vermouth's and Mouri Ran's belongings were gone. No need to think too hard. The two had already slipped away quietly.
Just as well.
Vermouth's identity hadn't been exposed, and she treated Ran like an angel. Letting her play the good cop and send Ran home was clearly the best solution right now.
"Ran, looking forward to seeing you again."
Steven looked at the bare mattress, the sheets missing, and smiled faintly.
That girl had quite a few thoughts of her own.
The mountain doesn't turn, the water does. With Vermouth as the middleman, they were bound to meet again sooner or later.
Steven locked the door, went downstairs, and headed straight to the counter where Araide was resting with his eyes closed.
"Araide, help me calculate the medical fees and room charges. Thanks to you stepping in yesterday, my two friends are safe and sound."
"Young man, when we're both far from home, why be so polite? My rule here is simple. Chinese people are always treated for free."
Araide squinted one eye and placed a dragon-shaped token on the counter.
"I smell killing intent on you. If you want to walk the path of an assassin like Kurogane Yaiba, you'd better be careful. Take this token. From now on, you can come and go here anytime, no need to announce yourself."
An expert. He saw through Steven at a glance.
No, it felt more like an NPC handing out unconditional support to the main character.
Relying on memories from before transmigrating, Steven knew many secrets about important figures in the Detective Conan world.
But he couldn't see through Araide at all. It was like a sudden bug in the game.
And in the Conan world, there was no such person.
That didn't make sense either. Powerhouses were always focal points in movies and TV. Even if they didn't appear, they should at least be mentioned.
Could he be another transmigrator?
"Palace Jade Liquor?"
"Huh? What's that? Is it good?"
Wrong code. Araide wasn't a transmigrator.
Steven guessed it was like some plot deviations. Because of his arrival, hidden characters had been added to the original storyline.
"It's great. Tastes like home. If you open a shop in Tokyo, I'll make sure to treat you to as much as you want."
"Deal. One of my disciples runs a general store there. I hear he's friends with a mystery novelist named Kudo Yusaku. I was planning to go check on him anyway, see if his kung fu has improved."
What?
In Steven's mind, a scene flashed by. The Kudo couple secretly observing Conan, nearly getting him stabbed to death by a Chinese grocery store owner.
Could that shop owner be Araide's disciple?
If only that stab had landed. Detective Conan could've ended early. No more eye-burning plotlines insulting the audience's intelligence and dragging things out for over twenty years.
"Alright. I'll be waiting for you in Beika, Tokyo."
Steven knew that after finishing the test mission, there was a high chance he'd be heading back to Tokyo with the Winery.
After all, that was the main battlefield.
"Araide, this is bad. Several men claiming to be from the Yamaguchi-gumi are causing trouble. They're demanding a huge protection fee and have injured two nurses and several patients."
The nurse from earlier rushed into the clinic in a panic.
"Damn island dogs. I retired, I didn't die. Do they really think I can't lift a blade anymore?"
Araide's eyes went wide with fury as he grabbed his blade and strode toward the clinic hall.
Island dwarfs bullying Chinese people? Steven wasn't about to stand by. He followed close behind.
In the hall.
"Bakayaro! Sick men of East Asia running a vet clinic in our country without the Yamaguchi-gumi's permission? You China pigs are useless trash, only fit to be slaves of island samurai…"
The leading thug cursed nonstop, his arrogance off the charts.
"To hell with your island samurai. I'd like to see how strong those two moves you stole from China really are."
Araide had been a tyrant in Okinawa in his younger days, famous for his explosive temper. He raised his blade, ready to chop straight at the man's head.
Chinatown was his turf. Even the island government had to give him some face. The Yamaguchi-gumi were nothing.
"Araide, dealing with this trash doesn't require you to dirty your hands."
Steven stepped in first, unleashing a spinning kick that sent the thug flying. Several teeth sprayed out of his mouth.
"Get him! Kill him!"
Shing!
The remaining five men drew their blades and rushed in to surround Steven.
Child's play.
Steven had fused Wolf Bro's card and obtained mastery over all eighteen traditional weapons. A clean barehanded blade-snatch left everyone staring in shock, and the flowing sword techniques that followed were so fast and stylish they made the eye spin.
In just a few exchanges, all five island samurai had the hands gripping their blades cleanly severed. They collapsed to the ground clutching their wounds, howling in agony.
"Not bad, kid. You're even better than I was when I was young."
Araide praised him sincerely, subconsciously glancing at the blade in his own hand.
Araide companion had been neglected for over a decade. It was time for it to return to the world.
"Hey, island dog," Steven said, pointing his blood-soaked blade at the lead samurai with a half-smile. "If I remember right, your tradition says losers are supposed to commit seppuku. You doing it yourself, or should I help?"
Thud!
The samurai leader instantly lost all the arrogance he'd had moments ago. His legs gave out and he dropped to his knees, slamming his head into the floor over and over as he begged.
"Please, spare my worthless dog life! I have an eighty-year-old dog mother at home and newborn puppies to feed…"
Holy crap.
He was really willing to admit he was a dog just to stay alive.
Looking at the samurai with pure disdain, Steven suddenly lost all interest.
Villains really only had one set of lines. Zero creativity.
"Kid, killing trash like this just dirties your hands," Araide said dismissively. "Leave him alive."
"I'll give Araide some face," Steven replied calmly. "You can live. Leave behind the hand you use to hold a sword, then get lost."
"And remember this well. China will always be your island's grandpa. Beating you is as easy as disciplining a grandson. If I ever hear you running your mouth again, even your American daddy won't be able to save your dog life."
Steven only wanted to humiliate them. If he'd really intended to kill, the other five samurai wouldn't have merely lost their hands.
Crack!
The samurai leader clenched his teeth and severed his own right arm. Then he fled the veterinary clinic with his men, crawling and stumbling the whole way.
"Araide, if fate allows, we'll meet again in Tokyo. Farewell."
Steven clasped his fists in a jianghu salute and turned to leave.
"Wait, young man."
Araide stopped him, lingeringly looking at the blade in his hands before offering it with both palms.
"This blade fought with me across the streets of China. It hasn't tasted blood in over ten years. I've always wanted to find it a new master, someone who could keep carving a path through the martial world."
"Your swordsmanship is outstanding. You're the right person. I hope you take it and make a name for yourself here on the islands."
NPC confirmed.
As Steven stared at the treasure blade radiating a chill, he became even more certain of Araide's role.
This wasn't a game world, but Araide's position was basically that of an NPC who handed out gear and healed the wounded.
"Since this is your kindness, senior, I won't refuse."
Steven accepted the blade without hesitation.
With Wolf Bro's card buffs, he could create plenty of weapons, but some legendary Chinese arms simply couldn't be replicated.
And Araide's blade was clearly no ordinary weapon.
"....."