Chapter 284

In the courtyard of the America Shrine, many tourists were strolling around and visiting.

Suddenly, someone shouted loudly.

"Master Akaso!"

"It's him! It really is Master Onmyoji Akaso!"

This place wasn't far from Tokyo, and many tourists were from Tokyo.

They saw Akaso Kaze and shouted his name excitedly.

"Onmyoji? Master Akaso? Who is that?"

Some tourists from out of town who didn't know the situation asked.

"You don't know Master Akaso?"

"He is the most famous and powerful Master Onmyoji in our Tokyo."

"Huh? Really?"

"He is really very handsome."

"He's so young, is he really that powerful?"

"Of course it's true! I heard his magic power can stop a Ferris wheel hundreds of meters high."

"He is also the most handsome and charming crime-buster; criminals who run into him all suffer bad luck."

"Have you heard of Kaitou Kid? He was almost beaten to death by Master Onmyoji several times."

The tourists on this island were basically all hardcore superstitious patients who came for the mermaid legend.

They were the main audience for those sensational news stories.

They loved engaging in feudal superstition and chasing after witch doctors and masters.

Whether it was the Longevity Crone or the Onmyoji, they were all stories they loved to hear.

So on this America Island, among these superstitious tourists from out of town, the Onmyoji's reputation was naturally far louder than anywhere else.

The fans were crowded around Akaso Kaze with enthusiasm on their faces.

"Is Master Onmyoji here to battle the Mermaid?"

Huh?

Battle?

Akaso Kaze had black lines on his forehead.

He was a peace lover; why would he battle anything for no reason?

"You misunderstood, I'm here to visit the Longevity Crone."

Akaso Kaze separated the crowd and walked toward the inside of the shrine.

Conan and Heiji Hattori happened to arrive at the shrine, and seeing Akaso Kaze, they both curled their lips.

"This guy is really too flashy."

"Yeah, he's the center of attention wherever he goes."

In front of the main hall, a beautiful woman with dark brown hair and wearing a shrine maiden outfit came out to greet them.

"I am Kimie Island, the shrine maiden of this shrine. My great-grandmother is not feeling well, so she asked me to come out and welcome Master Onmyoji."

Kimie Island said while looking at Akaso Kaze curiously.

She didn't know why, but this man had an inexplicable attraction.

"It's nothing, I was also entrusted by someone to come to the island. I heard there's an immortal Longevity Crone here, so I came to take a look," Akaso Kaze said with a smile.

Kimie Island heard this and said helplessly:

"Really, who said my great-grandmother is already immortal? She just lived longer than ordinary people, and yet so many rumors have spread!"

"Uh, is that so?"

Heiji Hattori leaned closer and scratched his head, saying:

"But we heard from Miss Naoko Kuroe, who works at the souvenir shop, that Miss Kimie Island's great-grandmother is immortal because she ate mermaid meat."

"Also, the reason Miss Saori Kadowaki went missing is because she lost some Dugong Arrow and was afraid of the mermaid's revenge, so she fled the island."

"Huh? My great-grandmother ate mermaid meat?"

Kimie Island was stunned for a moment, glanced at Akaso Kaze from the corner of her eye, and covered her mouth and laughed.

"How could that be! Naoko is just talking nonsense; mermaids don't exist in this world at all! As for the Dugong Arrow, its original intention is just a spell-binding arrow representing exorcism and warding off evil."

"And Saori, I have heard her mention that she lost the Dugong Arrow and was worried about the mermaid's revenge."

"That was four days ago; I asked her to accompany me to the mainland to see a dentist, and she told me that in the hospital. However, the so-called mermaid revenge doesn't exist at all!"

A woman's voice suddenly came from the side: "Kimie, you are too silly! The reason you say that is because you don't believe in your great-grandmother's power at all."

Kimie Island was stunned when she heard this, turned her head to look to the side, and said in surprise: "Sumire?"

Sumire smiled lightly, and Heiji Hattori asked curiously: "Miss, what exactly is the power of Miss Island's great-grandmother that you are talking about?"

"Of course, it's the thought-form she attached to the Dugong Arrow!"

Sumire answered seriously.

"I remember Kimie's great-grandmother once said that the Dugong Arrow was originally an insurance for exorcising evil, but once you let go or lose it, the monster will nest in the owner's body."

"If it's a man, he will enter the earth and become an evil ghost without a heart; if it's a woman, she will enter the water and become a mermaid who cannot speak."

"Huh, there's such a thing?" Conan didn't believe it at all.

He rolled his eyes and asked Akaso Kaze: "Akaso-brother, do you believe in the existence of mermaids?"

Everyone's gaze turned toward him.

Akaso Kaze thought for a moment and said: "If I remember correctly, mermaids appeared more than a thousand years ago. They were aquatic creatures with heads like humans, fine teeth like fish, and bodies covered in scales."

"It is said that at that time, a man named Takahashi lived in Obama, Wakasa. He caught a mermaid, but because everyone felt disgusted, no one dared to eat it, except for his daughter, who was full of curiosity and ate the mermaid meat."

"Later, Takahashi's daughter lived for a full eight hundred years and finally passed away with a smile beside a mountain spring. She was called the 'Eight Hundred Nun' by later generations."

Listening to Akaso Kaze's words, Shimabukuro Kimie couldn't help but shudder. Pale-faced, she said, "Th-this is all just legend. How could such a thing possibly exist?"

Her panicked expression made Akaso Kaze take a second look.

Akaso Kaze continued, "However, by the Edo period, the image of the mermaid had already changed to a human upper body and a fish lower body. Judging by their appearance, they were evolving toward a human form."

"I suspect that even if mermaids truly exist now, they might be exactly the same as humans."

"The same as humans!" A light suddenly flashed in Sumi's eyes.

Shimabukuro Kimie's face turned white. She turned her head to look at the main hall, bowed, and said:

"My apologies, everyone. I still need to prepare for tonight's festival, so I must take my leave. If you are free tonight, you are welcome to attend the Dugong Festival."

Just as Shimabukuro Kimie was about to leave, she seemed to remember something and took out two placards.

"Oh, right. I still have two numbered placards here. They originally belonged to an elderly couple, but they suddenly had something come up this morning and left them behind. Would you like to try your luck?"

"You might just draw a Dugong Arrow and gain eternal youth and immortality!"

Akaso Kaze looked at them but did not take them.

This Shimabukuro Kimie seemed to have some issues; it was better to watch from the sidelines.

He turned his head and said, "They are useless to me. Conan, Hattori, you two take them. These are the keys to immortality, after all."

"Us? Immortality?"

Hattori Heiji and Conan took the placards with bewildered expressions.

Seeing this, Shimabukuro Kimie seemed somewhat disappointed.

She forced a smile and said, "Also, if you still want to know anything about Saori, you can ask Sumi. Sumi's surname is Ebihara; she and I have been friends with Saori since we were children."

"Sumi, would you mind taking care of these three?"

"Sorry, I'm not interested."

Ebihara Sumi glanced at the placards in Conan and Hattori's hands, gave a light huff, waved her hand, and turned to leave.

"Oh my, this Sumi. My apologies, I really must leave now. I will entertain the three of you after the festival ends."

Shimabukuro Kimie excused herself and left.

Watching her back, Hattori Heiji frowned and said:

"Conan, you must have thought of it too regarding the rumors of the Dugong Arrow. If someone is deliberately exploiting this legend, Miss Saori might have already met with misfortune."

"It's just a pity that our clues are far too scarce. For now, everything is just speculation!"

Conan suddenly glanced at Akaso Kaze and asked, "By the way, Akaso-san, didn't you also receive a commission from Miss Saori? Why aren't you in a hurry to find her?"

Akaso Kaze looked at Shimabukuro Kimie's retreating figure and said indifferently, "There is nothing to find. Her fate was sealed long ago."

Within his Eye of Space, a dark soul was clinging to Shimabukuro Kimie's calf.

That should be Miss Saori, who had commissioned him.

However, it was truly quite strange.

Usually, souls cling to the top of the murderer's head. Why was she clinging to her leg?

Akaso Kaze slowly narrowed his eyes.

He was in no rush to collect the soul.

This shrine maiden was not simple. It was better not to alert her and just wait and see.

At seven o'clock in the evening, the sky had turned completely dark.

Inside the American Shrine, the place where the festival was held was brightly lit, and the surrounding area was crowded with people who had come to participate.

These people included island residents and visiting travelers, all gathered together, waiting for the festival to begin.

In the front row of the crowd, Conan and Hattori Heiji stood together, chatting while they waited.

Conan looked back and asked, "Why don't I see Akaso-san? Logically speaking, he should have come to such an interesting festival, right?"

"Hmm, who knows?" Hattori Heiji rubbed his still-swollen forehead and curled his lip. "Maybe he found it boring and didn't come."

Inside the shrine, as the door in front of the altar opened, the crowd watching the festival became increasingly noisy.

Conan and Hattori Heiji looked curiously at that room.

"Hattori, what is the next ritual? Shouldn't the Longevity Hag be appearing now?" Conan asked.