"Of course."
Maru Denjiro nodded, pulling out a thick envelope from his inner jacket pocket and handing it to Fujino.
"Thank you so much this time, Detective Fujino. You found proof of that bitch's infidelity so quickly—"
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang insistently again.
"You should probably go greet your guests,"
Fujino said, accepting the envelope and nodding.
"My commission is officially complete now."
"If I have any other commissions in the future, I'll be sure to contact you."
With that, Maru Denjiro left the room.
"Five hundred thousand yen secured."
Once Maru was gone, Fujino stretched, depositing the cash into his system space.
[Current Balance: 1,802,000 Yen]
He glanced at his balance, then opened the task interface again:
[Detective Profession Task: Antique Collector Murder Case]
Objective: Resolve the Antique Collector Case by any means.
Location: Maru Denjiro Residence
Reward: 500,000 Yen, +50 Detective Reputation.
"Time to collect the remaining 500k and 50 reputation points,"
Fujino thought, retrieving the Okamoto Momoka 0.01 from his bag.
"Fifty more points, and my Detective rank goes up..."
"Since I've paid back the money, can I have my sword back now?"
In a side room, Suwa Yuji, dressed in a black suit, knelt formally before Maru Denjiro, who was avariciously counting a stack of bills.
"Ah, that sword?"
Maru Denjiro finished counting, then said dismissively,
"I already sold it. Tsk, didn't even fetch much."
"Anyway, consider the money I got for it as interest..."
Of course, he hadn't sold the sword. Kikuchiyo was a famous blade; as an antique collector, Maru treasured it.
How could he possibly sell it? It was safely locked away in his storage room right now.
Suwa Yuji's eyes widened, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
A wave of fury washed over him, clouding his judgment.
He snatched a decorative katana from a nearby stand, drawing the blade from its scabbard.
Shing!
The sound of steel scraping against wood echoed.
But before he could strike, the shoji door to the room burst open.
"Stop right there! Is killing people what your kendo is for?!"
"Nani?!" (What?!)
Suwa Yuji exclaimed, startled. He whirled around to see a young man standing in the doorway, having kicked the door open.
The youth held a wooden sword pointed directly at him. The glasses the boy wore seemed to glint with an ominous white light.
Suwa Yuji stared at Fujino, feeling an unexpected pressure emanating from the newcomer.
"Fujino-kun! Help me!"
Maru Denjiro scrambled desperately into a corner, pleading with Fujino.
"Saving you costs an extra 500,000 protection fee!"
"No problem!"
[Bodyguard Effect Activated!]
Hearing the confirmation, Fujino, with all system buffs active and wearing his Lifesaving Trench Coat, charged forward.
He's skilled! Suwa Yuji instantly assessed Fujino's stance and movement. He raised the katana defensively, blocking the incoming strike.
CLANG!
Sparks flew as the two blades collided.
Suwa Yuji's carbon steel katana visibly dented where it met Fujino's seemingly ordinary wooden sword.
"A wooden sword with such power?!"
Suwa Yuji exclaimed inwardly, shocked. He quickly retreated several steps, his gaze towards Fujino turning serious.
This young man's style was unorthodox, a strange mix of different schools, yet fluid and powerful. The only flaw was a lack of true experience; it was like knowing the forms but not having mastered their application.
"Interesting! Let me test your skill!"
Suwa Yuji lunged forward again, his katana thrusting with deceptive speed towards Fujino's arm. But just before impact, the blade shifted slightly, avoiding a vital point – clear indication he didn't intend to kill.
Fujino saw the hesitation. He parried with his bokken.
CLANG!
Another sharp ring of impact.
The two fighters quickly repositioned, their blades locking and disengaging, the fight spilling out into the courtyard garden.
"You held back just now?"
Fujino asked, genuinely curious, during a brief pause in the exchange. He'd noticed Suwa consistently avoiding fatal blows. As someone with ingrained swordsmanship knowledge, Fujino recognized the deliberate restraint.
"Selling Kikuchiyo... I just lost my head for a moment,"
Suwa Yuji admitted, his eyes narrowed.
"You were right. My sword is not meant for killing."
"If you've calmed down... then why not stop?"
"I want to see your true strength,"
Suwa replied, his gaze intense.
"To be so young, yet able to match a 7th Dan kendo master like me with just a wooden sword... and possess such a deep understanding of swordsmanship..."
"Give it time, and a kendo genius like you will undoubtedly become famous throughout Japan."
The desire to kill Maru Denjiro had already faded. The initial rage had been real, but clashing with Fujino had cooled his head.
Now, he was simply intrigued by this unexpected young swordsman's potential.
"Cut the crap. That old geezer will be out here soon, and that'll complicate things,"
Fujino muttered, glancing back towards the house.
"Alright, play along with me for a second. Let's see if the old man really sold your family's sword."
"How?"
"Just follow my lead."
While continuing their mock fight, they quickly whispered a plan.
A moment later, Fujino broke away from the clash, retreating several steps until he was near the room where Maru Denjiro was cowering.
"Is your sword only meant for killing?!" Fujino yelled dramatically, giving Suwa a subtle nod.
"You're right! My kendo isn't for murder!" Suwa Yuji caught the cue, raising his katana non-threateningly but speaking with fierce intensity.
"I just want Kikuchiyo back! That bastard sold my family's ancestral sword! Even if I die, I'll make him pay!"
"Maru-san, this guy's tough..."
Fujino pretended to struggle, whispering loudly towards Maru.
"If he doesn't get Kikuchiyo back, he might kill us both today!"
"How could this..."
Maru Denjiro swallowed hard, terrified. He believed Fujino. As a 3rd Dan kendo practitioner himself, he knew how dangerous a 7th Dan like Suwa Yuji could be, especially armed with a real sword. Three, even five men might not be able to stop him... Killing a detective and a lowly 3rd Dan would be easy.
Gritting his teeth, Maru Denjiro made a decision.
"Alright, alright! I didn't sell Kikuchiyo! It's in my storage room right now!" he shouted desperately.
"Just spare my life, and I'll give it back to you!"