It was necessary to help Ran and Sonoko build some resistao fear.

  Among the girls, most of them had slightly stronger mental endurance, Ran was the most relut when it came to supernatural matters.

  They weren't going to the back mountain, but since evil spirits were active all over the isnd, finding one wasn't difficult.

  Besides, Ren wasn't pnning to capture an evil spirit, his goal was to make Ran and Sonoko fully aware of their existend develop a clearer uanding of what they were dealing with.

  "Before you observe the evil spirits iail, let me help you see them first."

  "Hold still."

  Ren raised his hand aly tapped their foreheads, allowing a small amount of his spiritual energy to flow into their eyes.

  This temporarily grahem spiritual vision, enabling them to see spirits that were normally invisible.

  "Now, look up at the sky—"

  "Ran!?"

  A sudden voiterrupted him.

  A rough, familiar voice.

  Ran immediately reized it.

  She turned, eyes wide in surprise.

  "Dad? Why are you here?"

  Standing before them was Mouri Kogoro.

  ---

  "Obviously, I'm here for a case."

  Hearing his response, Ran was briefly remihat her father was still a detective who took on various private iigations.

  But…

  Didn't her dad mostly handle missis or cheating spouse iigations?

  What kind of case had brought him all the way to Tsukikage Isnd?

  "…Wait. Dad, are you iigating an affair on Tsukikage Isnd?"

  "…What kind of question is that?! Do you think all I do is iigate affairs?!"

  "Yes."

  Without hesitation, Ran nodded firmly.

  Kogoro felt an immediate sting in his chest.

  Why did his own daughter have such a low opinion of him?

  Ever since she moved out to live with Eri, it felt like his reputation had taken a massive hit.

  "Dad, didn't you always say that iigating affairs requires a certain level of skill?"

  "You also said that only former police officers have the necessary expertise to uncover evidence of iy."

  I was just bragging!

  Kogoro felt a sharp pain in his pride.

  He really shouldn't have said those things in front of Ran.

  He was only trying to show off, but she had actually taken him seriously.

  As a former police academy graduate, iigating and analyzing clues was a basic skillset.

  But it wasn't some specialized ability, just standard detective work.

  The fact that Ran believed it so deeply was a little painful.

  ---

  At Kogoro feet, Edogawa silently shook his head.

  Uncle… ime, don't say unnecessary things in front of Ran.

  She tends to take everything literally.

  But 's attention was quickly drawn elsewhere.

  Because standio Ran and Sonoko was a certain boy.

  The same one from before.

  The one he had seen with Sonoko oreet.

  And just moments ago, before Kogoro called out to Ran…

  That boy had reached out and touched her forehead.

  What was he doing?

  From 's position, he couldn't tell the details.

  Had he just touched her?

  Had he brushed her bangs aside?

  What exactly had happened?

  Something about it didn't sit right.

  And that bothered him.

  A lot.

  Especially since Sonoko hadn't reacted at all.

  If this guy was taking advantage of Ran, Sonoko would have definitely called him out.

  And Ran wasn't the type of person to let someone casually touch her like that.

  So… what was that about?

  Despite running multiple sarios through his mind, couldn't figure it out whily frustrated him more.

  But above all else—oion was clear.

  Unhappiness.

  It didn't matter who it was.

  felt this way toward any boy who got close to Ran.

  After all, right now, he wasn't Shinichi anymore.

  He was just Edogawa —a child.

  As long as he remained in this form, he had no ove forward with Ran.

  And ever since Ran had e to believe he was dead, she was now pletely open to meeting other people.

  The thought made him uneasy.

  Anyone who got close to her was an enemy.

  ---

  "So, Dad, why exactly are you on Tsukikage Isnd?"

  Ran's question pulled Kogoro out of his thoughts.

  The truth was, he also found this case strange.

  The t had paid upfront, expiheir identity, and given him a vague objective but provided almost no actual details.

  It was exactly because of how suspicious it was that Kogoro had relutly taken the case.

  But he didn't want Ran to know that.

  "A case is a case."

  "The t's identity o be firmed, and there are still many uainties."

  "I 't share the details just yet."

  Then, shifting his gaze, he turo Ren.

  "…Are there only three of you?"

  "Not at all."

  Ran shook her head.

  "It's a club activity."

  "A club?"

  Kogoro frowned.

  "Ran, aren't you part of the karate club?"

  Ran nodded.

  "So why are you in another club?"

  Ran had anticipated this question.

  "I joined as a hidden member."

  Kogoro stared at her.

  "Does your karate club president know about this?"

  "Of course."

  Raated for a sed.

  Then, remembering the president's unwilli powerless expression, she felt… a little guilty.

  "She wasn't happy about it, but she accepted it."

  This shocked Kogoro.

  His daughter was the karate club's ace.

  Would any club president willingly let their star athlete join another club?

  "Pfft—Uncle, don't overthink it."

  Sonoko was thhly eained by his rea.

  "That senior sister didn't want to accept it at first."

  "But if she refused, the club's funding would have been revoked."

  "So, even if she didn't like it, she had no choice but to accept."

  "Besides, Ran isn't quitting, she's just a hidden member."

  Kave Sonoko a skeptical look.

  This girl usually hated using privileges why was she involved in something like this?

  "Oh, it wasn't me. It was the ice queen."

  The moment she saw Kogoro's suspi, Sonoko immediately shifted the bme.

  "I won't say who, but let's just say she's from a family as powerful as mine."

  "…Huh?"

  Kogoro froze.

  Another elite family? Ian High School?

  He hadn't heard anything about that.

  And just like that, the detective was left more fused than before.