Chapter 0029: The Martial Arts Murder Incident
At the entrance of Beika University, Yukiko was anxiously waiting. Just then, Kogoro Mouri and Eri Kisaki appeared at the University gates, with Eri holding onto Kogoro's arm.
Yukiko was quite surprised. Upon noticing Yukiko, Eri quickly released Kogoro's arm and returned to her usual composed demeanor as the "Queen of Teitan."
Yukiko still felt something was off. "Eri, you seem a bit… strange."
Eri's heart raced, her expression unreadable. "Didn't I mention on the phone that I caught a cold?"
"Oh, that's right. I forgot. When you're sick, you need to take better care of yourself," Yukiko said, her smile returning. She turned toward Kogoro, her irritation evident. "You almost showed up late again! How can you be so careless? You only advanced by sheer luck. Now that you're up against real experts, let's see how you plan to win."
Kogoro lazily opened his mouth. "Why don't you focus on your own business, Miss Yukiko, who failed her acting auditions?" With a smirk, he raised an eyebrow and led Eri into the University.
Yukiko's fury was ignited. "You arrogant jerk! Do you have any idea? I'm today's opening performance guest!" She bared her teeth and claws, trailing behind Kogoro as if ready to pounce on him.
Passersby couldn't help but comment, "Such a cute girl, yet so violent."
Hearing this, Yukiko immediately composed herself into a ladylike demeanor. Glaring at Kogoro's back, she clenched her teeth in frustration.
Beika University, the largest in Beika City, occupies a vast area in this land-scarce region of Kyoto. The Youth Martial Arts Tournament was being held in its gymnasium.
The gymnasium, capable of seating thirty thousand spectators, was impressive in scale. The drawing ceremony for the tournament would take place at noon, determining which of the seven participants would get a bye in the first round. The first match would follow in the afternoon to determine the top four contenders. The semifinals and final would be held the next day, Sunday, to crown the strongest youth martial artist.
The drawing process was simple: just seven bare-chested participants. However, it was inevitable that Miyamoto Shinbu of the Iaido University and Hattori Heizou of kendo would face each other to determine who advanced to the semifinals.
Because kendo and Iaido practitioners use weapons, their matches against other martial artists would be restricted. All weapons were to be replaced with wooden replicas, and there were specific scoring rules. Overall, the rules were considered fair.
The martial arts competition drew a large crowd, significantly increasing foot traffic at Beika University.
Kogoro Mouri entered the gymnasium with Eri and Yukiko amidst the bustling crowd. The six other youth martial arts champions were already seated. Among them was Hattori Heizou, Heiji's father, a burly man with sharp, fox-like eyes honed by years of kendo practice.
Also present was Ginshiro Toyama, Kazuha's father, who radiated a righteous aura.
Representing taekwondo was Seoul University's Kang Shin-chul, a lean man draped in a golden robe, his sharp eyes exuding strength and confidence. Kang was no ordinary individual; his taekwondo dojos had expanded not only in Seoul but also throughout South Korea—and even in Kyoto—with many high-ranking officials among his disciples.
The judo champion was Kuroba Ichi, a rather plain-looking man whose name struck a chord of familiarity with Kogoro.
There was also Miyamoto Shinbu, who clutched a large blade and meditated with his eyes closed.
Finally, there was the sumo wrestler Omiki Kura. Though hefty, his build was relatively modest for a sumo wrestler, making him appear only slightly larger than Hattori Heizou.
As Kogoro surveyed the participants, he spotted someone familiar in the crowd—a scholarly man with gold-rimmed glasses and a book in hand: Yusaku Kudo. Kogoro was surprised to see Yusaku at Beika University. Turning to glance at Yukiko, Kogoro wondered why they hadn't reunited yet. Could this be another butterfly effect?
Yusaku Kudo had recently published his first mystery novel and was gaining fame. Hearing about the martial arts tournament at Beika University, he had come to gather material for his next book.
Yusaku's sharp intuition quickly noticed someone observing him. Kogoro hastily turned away, blocking Yusaku's line of sight to Yukiko. "Eri, why don't you and Yukiko find seats at the back? The drawing ceremony is about to start here," he said.
"What? There's plenty of room right here," Yukiko complained, but the newlywed Eri was surprisingly compliant, taking Yukiko to the back.
Onstage, the host appeared.
"The moment we've all been waiting for has arrived! Our nation's young martial artists have finally come of age. Now, let's welcome our sponsor, Shiro Suzuki, to address the audience."
Shiro Suzuki, Sonoko's father, was already in his thirties and had established the Suzuki Financial Group, making him a leading figure in the business world. Dressed in an orange suit, he exuded the aura of a successful man.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Shiro Suzuki. It brings me great joy to see so many talented young martial artists in our country. When I was younger, I dreamed of studying martial arts, but, alas, my stomach didn't cooperate," he said, patting his beer belly, eliciting laughter from the crowd.
"However, the Suzuki Financial Group has always been dedicated to supporting the martial arts community. If there's an opportunity to contribute, we'll seize it. This tournament is one such opportunity."
"As a reward, the champion of this Youth Martial Arts Tournament will receive a special gift from the Suzuki Financial Group."
A staff member unveiled a red cloth, revealing a gleaming blade underneath.
"This is Chidori, the famed sword of the legendary general Tachibana Dosetsu. The champion will take home this treasured blade."
Miyamoto Shinbu, who had been meditating, immediately stood up, his eyes filled with undisguised greed. "That sword is mine."
His words caused those around him to frown. Kogoro Mouri, however, remained indifferent. He had little interest in Japanese swords. Perhaps if it were a Gutting Knife, he might have been more intrigued.