The Historical Records
> "At the end of the Kamakura Shogunate, about seven hundred years ago, the New Buddhism was in vogue."
> "But that was just a microcosm of the change in religious power."
Some historians say that the Kamakura Period symbolized the Separation of Gods and Humans. Gods and Buddhas no longer walked on the earth but ascended to heaven, leaving mortals to fend for themselves.
Others argue that the power of religious leaders was simply broken by the rise of the Shogunate (Samurai Rule), turning Emperors and Monks into mere figureheads.
Mingwang Temple was an old Buddhist power established during this turbulent era. Therefore, it was suppressed by the Shogunate.
However, a single story—the legend of the Wisdom King Burning the Demon—made Mingwang Temple famous, allowing it to survive the suppression and pass down its lineage to this day.
Ekoda High School
Kaito Kuroba (Kaito Kid) was a little confused by the records he was reading.
Is it that simple?
Something is wrong…
Such a simple story allowed an enemy of the Shogunate to survive?
Maybe Mingwang Temple is just putting gold on its face (exaggerating its history)?
Rubbing his eyebrows, Kaito continued reading.
Knowing yourself and your enemy is the best policy.
He had never failed a heist because he always prepared in advance. Even the history related to the treasures he stole was part of the job.
Tokyo: The Shinomiya Mansion
Turning to the next article on her tablet, Ai Hayasaka didn't care whether the legend was reasonable. She was just looking for topics to talk about when she ran into Sonoko Suzuki.
Just in case.
Kyoto: Hotel Room
Eri Kisaki comforted herself with the same thought.
In any case, it's not a bad thing to satisfy my curiosity.
She wrapped her coat tightly around herself and checked the locked windows. Outside, the night scene in Kyoto was bustling, not much different from Tokyo.
She turned to the next article on her laptop. Her eyes narrowed.
> "Mingwang Temple is not actually a temple, but a Seal where monks sacrificed their lives for Justice."
> "Therefore, every monk in Mingwang Temple is known for his Noble Character."
"...…"
Is this really not self-promotion?
No matter how Eri looked at it, those crooked, greedy creatures currently running the temple didn't look "Noble."
She read on patiently, skipping the flattering words.
> "There was a Great Demon, named Hua Yu, who was under the jurisdiction of the Demon God Mukui."
> "It devoured an entire country. The Shogunate was shocked and sent an army, but failed."
This matched the murals she had seen in the underground passage.
> "A Great Monk was born. He burned himself alive to attract the attention of the Wisdom King (Acala)."
> "The Wisdom King was furious and suppressed the Great Demon."
The text that followed, however, made Eri focus intently.
> "The Great Demon is not completely dead."
> "It will come back again."
> "The time difference is about Seven Hundred Years."
> "At that time, the Demon King will destroy the Buddha's Dharma."
And then, a piece of advice:
> "If people in later generations have no Law to rely on, they should hold the Vajra Pestle."
Eri stared at this somewhat absurd advice in silence.
Vajra Pestle… what's the use of that? A ceremonial mace?
And what does the Great Demon represent?
It can't be… is it really a literal Demon?
Eri began to doubt her own mind. Had she been searching for ghost stories for days just because she was tired?
This self-doubt did not improve until the next day.
The next day, the crowds were immense. And among them was a face Eri knew too well.
Ran Mouri.
Her daughter.
Eri's face darkened immediately. She was very unhappy.
This place would soon become a "battlefield" between the police and Kaito Kid. What if her daughter got hurt in the stampede?
Not only Ran looked embarrassed to see her mother, but Sonoko Suzuki was also a little awkward.
The atmosphere was chaotic. The slightly excited discussions of the tourists made the Outer Temple noisy.
"Why hasn't Kaito Kid come yet?"
"Don't look at the sky. How can you see Kid in the Outer Temple? The Kirin Horn is in the Inner Temple."
"Huh? Then we came here for nothing? We aren't allowed inside?"
"Stop complaining. It's impossible for them to display a national treasure to this many people."
At the same time, the monks of Mingwang Temple were almost laughing with joy.
More people means more tickets sold.
Only Abbot Ryōgen was waiting anxiously outside the main gate.
He smiled with relief only after seeing several police cars approaching from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
Inspector Juzo Megure got out of the car with a smile even brighter than the Abbot's.
On his shoulder, a mysterious Black Crow stood, looking extremely aloof.
But Megure looked at it as if he loved it very much. There was a smug smile on his face that he couldn't suppress.
This is as it should be.
The Metropolitan Police Department has finally stood up…
Megure had been so excited he couldn't sleep for days. Because he had finally applied for and received a "Descendant of the Divine Crow" (a magical familiar) from the higher-ups.
And this was because of his hard work… and mostly because Yumi Miyamoto was his subordinate, and she was the only one who had successfully "guarded" Seiran Mizunotsuki.
This made Megure cheerful almost every day. He smiled at everyone he met.
"Brother Ryōgen! Long time no see… How is it? Isn't my Divine Bird nice?"
Abbot Ryōgen just responded with compliments, ignoring the fact that he was much older than the Inspector who called him "Brother."
"Brother Megure, I'm counting on you this time."
"No problem! Leave it to me!"
Megure was very confident. With the magical Black Crow on his shoulder—which was trained to sense supernatural interference and disguises—catching a mere thief would be easy.
He knew that even Heizo Hattori (Chief of Osaka Police) had applied for a crow and was rejected.
How face-saving is this?
There are not many Divine Crows. Getting one proves I am a core member of the new police initiatives.
"Let's go."
Megure took the lead, walking toward the small shrine near the forest.
However, inside the shrine perimeter, he saw a few familiar faces.
Heiji Hattori, Eri Kisaki, Ran Mouri, Sonoko Suzuki.
And… a few little brats?
"How rude! My name is Ayumi Yoshida!"
"And me! My name is Genta Kojima!"
"Hello, Inspector Megure. I am Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya. We are the Junior Detective League, responsible for assisting Abbot Ryōgen in arresting Kaito Kid!"
Conan Edogawa stood awkwardly in the back, trying not to be noticed.
Eri Kisaki had no time to pay attention to the farce.
With the police taking care of security, Kaito Kid—who never hurt anyone—would not be ruthless to children.
Her eyes narrowed, staring up at the roof of the shrine.
At the statue of Acala (The Wisdom King).
In its stone hand, it happened to be holding a massive Vajra Pestle.
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