### Chapter 90: The Lotus Seed of the Soul

[Detective Enhancement Activated: 200% Physical Ability Enhancement]

[Strength Enhancement Card Used, 200% Strength Increased]

With the system's prompt ringing in his ears, Fujino stepped forward and delivered a punch to High-Sugi Junichi's abdomen.

**Bang!**

With a muffled thud, High-Sugi Junichi was sent flying backward more than a meter, crashing to the ground with a twisted expression of pain and emitting groans of agony.

"Did you really think Ms. Sayaka would be that naive?"

Fujino stepped closer, lifting High-Sugi Junichi by his collar and glaring at him coldly. "Sodium hydroxide is a highly corrosive substance. After you poisoned the tea, she should have felt the burning sensation immediately, yet she endured the intense pain and drank it anyway…"

"She must have known about the incident from twenty years ago."

Fujino released High-Sugi Junichi's collar, "In the end, you're just a failed murderer, not even a real criminal. Real criminals at least try to hide their actions, while you merely exploited Ms. Matsumoto's guilt."

"Enough, Fujino. Leave the rest to the police."

At this moment, Matsumoto Kiyoshi intervened, fearing that Fujino might act out of line.

...

By the time everything was resolved, the sun was setting.

High-Sugi Junichi was taken back to the police station, and the fingerprints on the lemon tea were confirmed. Outside the preparation room, the police also found the bottle containing sodium hydroxide. All the evidence pointed to High-Sugi Junichi.

After dealing with some matters, Fujino, along with Ran and Sonoko, went to the hospital where Matsumoto Sayaka was being treated.

After exchanging pleasantries, Fujino was left alone in the hospital room with her once everyone else had departed.

"Actually, you noticed from the beginning, didn't you?"

Matsumoto Sayaka turned to Fujino and asked softly, "About the poisoning?"

Fujino looked into her eyes, standing silently.

"He's no longer the person he used to be. Now he's been blinded by hatred and money."

After a moment, he shook his head, turned, and walked toward the door.

"Thank you, Fujino-kun."

Matsumoto Sayaka's voice came from behind, but Fujino did not reply. He simply walked out of the room with his hands in his pockets.

...

Late at night.

Back home, Fujino stood on his balcony, a cigarette from the Zhonghua brand in his mouth, gazing at the moon in the deep sky.

[Detection: Host has completed the June Bride Murder Case]

[System Reward: 500,000 yen, 100 Detective Prestige Points Awarded]

[Current Host Prestige: 400 — 700]

[Current System Balance: 2,000,000 yen]

Hearing the system's notification, Fujino took a deep breath.

Clearing his thoughts, he opened the system's profession ball exchange interface and began his new round of draws.

[Host has spent 1,800,000 yen]

[Congratulations, Host has obtained: Kamen Rider Car Pendant (Purple), Gold Random Gift Pack Fragment x4, Shining Stick (Blue), Beginner Strength Enhancement 100% Card x3, Image Change Card x3, Beginner Reaction Ability 100% Enhancement Card x3, Beginner Reasoning Ability 100% Enhancement Card x3, 100,000 yen x1, 200,000 yen x1]

"Shining Stick?"

Fujino examined the items he drew, pausing for a moment, then opened the system warehouse.

[Shining Stick: Shout 'Transform'... but you won't turn into Ultraman; pressing the transformation button emits a perpetual light and does not require battery replacement]

"I thought it might let me transform into Ultraman,"

Fujino commented, examining the description of the Shining Stick.

He then turned his attention to the purple item, the Kamen Rider Car Pendant:

[Kamen Rider Car Pendant: Can disguise the vehicle you drive at will, but does not change its original performance]

"Basically, it can change the vehicle's appearance at will?"

Fujino was quite satisfied with this item.

He jokingly thought about disguising his Ford Taurus as a Rolls-Royce.

[Gold Fragment Collected: Random Gold Item Pack has been distributed to the system warehouse]

The system's voice suddenly announced, and Fujino opened the system warehouse to see a glittering gold gift pack among the numerous items, standing out remarkably.

"Truly worthy of being a gold item, even the gift pack is different from the ordinary."

Fujino sighed, then opened the random gold gift pack, "I wonder what I'll get…"

With a burst of dazzling light, a small seed gradually appeared before him.

"Just this?"

Fujino looked at the seed with a frown.

Soon, the description of the seed appeared before him:

[Soul Lotus Seed:

A seed that can change the world!

Appearance: A small red lotus root seed

Effects:

Thousand Lotus Soul: Can temporarily store the soul of a near-death person with a strong will to live (limited to one person)

Soul Lotus Puppet: Using a drop of the host's blood to cultivate the Soul Lotus Seed, it can grow into a Soul Lotus Puppet. The appearance of the Soul Lotus is as per the host's design and is under the host's control, with its own will when not controlled.

Eternal Lotus: Not yet unlocked; can be activated after cultivating the Soul Lotus Seed into a Soul Lotus Puppet]

"Perverted…"

Fujino examined the description of the Soul Lotus Seed and commented.

The Soul Lotus Puppet, if Fujino understood correctly, was a puppet that could be directly controlled by him.

And this puppet might even have consciousness.

This is… quite twisted.

The conditions are also harsh, requiring the soul of a person with a strong will to live. But in the world of Detective Conan, such people should be easy to find.

Still, the appearance of souls makes it increasingly less like a typical detective story.

...

Two days later, at Teitan High School, Class 2-B.

"What?!"

Sonoko's surprised voice echoed through the classroom.

Moments later, noticing the unusual attention, she awkwardly scratched the back of her head, showing an embarrassed expression.

The students in the classroom had long since grown accustomed to Sonoko's dramatic reactions.

Sonoko, settling down, leaned toward Ran and whispered, "Ran, did you really encounter a robbery yesterday?"

"Yeah, the armored truck that was robbed passed right by me…"

Ran nodded and swallowed.

Recalling yesterday's events, she still felt a bit shaken.

"A billion yen robbery case?"

Nearby, Fujino, who was diligently studying and aiming to advance his student career, perked up his ears, catching snippets of the conversation.

(The End of the Chapter)