Chapter 19: Monkey’s Firewater

“Hmm?”

The mention of family by Suguru Geto caught Ryoumei Kisaragi’s attention just as Koshigoe Mae was about to sever Satoru Gojo’s head.

With a flick of his wrist, the thunderous strike of his long blade abruptly halted.

Yet, a lingering gleam of the blade swept just past the boy’s neck, leaving a wound deep to the bone. With an unstoppable momentum, the sword cleaved through every obstacle in its path, even tearing open a several-meter-long gash across the boundary wall that confined the space.

This was undeniably a lethal attack.

“Dammit…”

Having just had a near-death experience in the underworld, Satoru Gojo’s first reaction wasn’t relief but regret. He was so close to mastering the Reversal Technique! Damn it! And now, he was back to square one!

Just as he prepared to let Ryoumei Kisaragi strike him a few more times, the latter’s suspicious voice rang out: “Tell me, since you aren’t after Shinohara and Megumi, why are you trying to uncover information about my family?”

Uttering the answer was Suguru Geto beside him.

He briefly recounted the entire sequence—from encountering cursed energy remnants at the train station yesterday to sensing something off at the dessert shop today and following them here.

Naturally, Ryoumei Kisaragi didn’t believe a word and suspected fabrication. After all, how many coincidences could happen in this world?

But after divining silently, he surprisingly confirmed the truthfulness of their story, raising his eyebrows in intrigue.

Suguru Geto, who had been watching him closely, immediately asked, “What is it?”

“A fateful entanglement,” Ryoumei Kisaragi sighed, gazing at the two battered boys before him. Not an ounce of guilt crossed his expression; instead, he spoke coolly, “Enough. Since this is a misunderstanding, consider it settled.”

Satoru Gojo instantly bristled, “Huh? You beat me half to death and you just say that?”

Though Suguru Geto remained silent, his failure to silence Gojo revealed that he cared more than he let on.

After all, both were prodigies, and today’s unwarranted humiliation was intolerable.

“Looking for an explanation?”

“Otherwise…”

“I think you’ve misunderstood something.”

Ryoumei Kisaragi’s expression was calm, but his words were cold and merciless: “Losers don’t have the right to shout.”

“You…”

The two youths’ eyes flared with fiery anger. For them, the beating was one thing, but that scornful remark stung far worse.

Defeat only fueled their determination to train harder, but ridicule—especially for talented adolescents at the prime of youth—was sheer humiliation.

“After all, you followed me with impure intent, didn’t you?”

That single sentence silenced them completely.

Though he would mercilessly kill those who harmed his family, Ryoumei Kisaragi would never tolerate anyone offending him personally.

His temper was notoriously bad.

Satoru Gojo snarled, “Don’t get cocky. I can’t beat you now, but later—”

“Oh, then train hard,” Kisaragi replied casually, recalling Conan’s warning, a hint of annoyance creeping in. “This is dragging on far too long.”

He looked at the two and said coldlyI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.