Chapter 35: Masked Rider

Kogoro Mouri was well aware of Conan’s reckless, death-defying personality. Every time a murder case occurred, the little brat would be the first to rush in, acting in a way that didn't seem like a normal child at all. However, while he might overlook a typical murder case, a full-blown gunfight was a different matter entirely; Kogoro certainly could not allow Conan to act on his impulses. If something were to happen to Conan by accident, Kogoro wouldn't know how to answer to his family, so he decided it was better to suppress him by force.

Compared to the suppressed Conan, Seimei Suzuki, the true culprit behind the scenes, was quite comfortable. Ran Mouri, worried that Seimei might have been frightened, comforted him with gentle words before pulling him into her arms to sleep.

The next morning, Inspector Megure and his team arrived at Moonlight Island and immediately sought out Kogoro Mouri to understand the situation. When they saw the bodies of the drug dealers in the warehouse, their expressions turned grave. After all, so many deaths at once constituted a major case, and the pressure on Inspector Megure was significant. Fortunately, the police soon found the drugs that had not yet been moved, confirming that Tatsuji Kuroiwa and his cohorts were indeed drug dealers.

If a dozen ordinary villagers had been killed, Inspector Megure would have surely felt a massive headache. But since these men were drug dealers, the Inspector felt no such pressure; in fact, he felt a sense of vindication. Because the evidence remaining at the scene was extremely limited—and because Aizen had long since been recalled to Seimei Suzuki’s system space—even with Conan present, the police were unable to find many useful clues. Ultimately, Inspector Megure categorized the case as a gang vendetta, suspecting that the drug trafficking group led by Kuroiwa had stepped on the toes of some power, leading to their elimination by hired assassins.

Having heard the intense shootout with his own ears the previous night, Kogoro Mouri also felt that Moonlight Island was too dangerous. He abandoned his plan to continue investigating Keiji Aso, firmly suppressed the restless Conan, and departed the island with Inspector Megure’s team.

...

At the Marutan Department Store, a temporary stage had been set up in the square in front of the building.

Actors dressed in Masked Hero costumes were performing the classic plot of Ultraman fighting a little monster. Although the story was somewhat childish, to the audience below, it was the most spectacular show imaginable. This was because the audience consisted entirely of children under the age of ten. Aside from elementary school students like Seimei Suzuki and his friends, the rest were children whose mothers had temporarily dropped them off while they went shopping. This was one of the department store’s marketing strategies; without the burden of these children, the mothers had more time to shop. Thus, the department store had specifically set up this stage in the plaza to serve as a temporary nursery.

"Together now! Send that hateful Masked Hero to hell!"
"The peace of the Earth shall be protected by me, the Masked Hero!"
"Go, Masked Hero!"
"Wipe out the bad guys!"
"Masked Spinning Kick!"

(￣ー￣)

Watching Genta and the others in their state of intense excitement, the corner of Conan’s mouth twitched. He grumbled to himself, "I’m a high school student, for heaven's sake—why am I stuck watching this with these little brats?"

*Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...*

Seimei Suzuki, sitting next to Conan, ignored the noisy environment and focused intently on sketching on his drawing paper with a pencil. Under Conan’s curious gaze, a humanoid warrior with an appearance somewhat resembling an insect quickly took shape under Seimei’s pen. Ayumi and the others also noticed the character Seimei was drawing and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Seimei, what is that you're drawing?"

"This is Kamen Rider Kuuga, a type of Kamen Rider. Once I further refine the settings and the plot, I plan to find someone to help me film a tokusatsu show," Seimei replied.

Ayumi said excitedly, "Kamen Rider? That sounds so cool!"

"I wonder who is stronger, Kamen Rider or Masked Hero? I’m starting to look forward to it!" Genta and Mitsuhiko looked on with anticipation.

Conan watched the Kamen Rider on Seimei’s paper with a thoughtful expression. He mused to himself, "I didn't expect this little brat to have such a business head. As long as the plot isn't too bad, this Kamen Rider is bound to be a huge hit." Even though *Kamen Rider* had not yet been filmed, the sheer coolness of the character's design was enough to pique even Conan’s interest. After all, Conan was no real child; he was a high school student, and that alone was a testament to the charm of *Kamen Rider*.

In fact, judging by the premise of the Masked Hero, it was very similar to the plot structure of the *Kamen Rider* series—effectively a Showa-era *Kamen Rider*. Since the children of this world loved the Masked Hero, they would surely be unable to resist the allure of *Kamen Rider*. To outperform the Masked Hero, Seimei did not intend to replicate the earlier *Kamen Rider* series but instead planned to start directly with *Kamen Rider Kuuga*.

*Kamen Rider Kuuga* was the first *Kamen Rider* of the Heisei era; it was at this point that the series truly matured. Compared to the Showa-era *Kamen Rider*, the Heisei-era series not only boasted richer plots but also featured increasingly stylish transformation forms. It wasn't just elementary school students; even middle and high schoolers found it hard to resist the charm of Heisei-era *Kamen Riders*. Even in his previous life, Seimei had succumbed to the urge to buy several Rider belts while in college. Had the costumes not been so expensive, he would have even bought a few just to wear for fun.

Therefore, Seimei was extremely confident in *Kamen Rider*. Once the show was produced, he believed it would quickly overshadow the popularity of the Masked Hero and become the most beloved tokusatsu show of the time. Moreover, the *Pokémon* franchise he had previously launched had already become one of the most popular anime series. The various merchandise had earned significant profits for the Suzuki Group, leading the executives to recognize his talent and stop viewing him as an ordinary child. With the success of *Pokémon* as a precedent, Seimei now held some sway within the Suzuki Group. As long as he gave the word, *Kamen Rider* could enter production at any time, with no need to worry about the budget.