Tokyo was vast—so much so that even after living in Beika City for some time, Hayashi Yoshiki had rarely left the district. But choosing a car requires more than convenience.
Today, he'd ventured far—so far, in fact, that he'd left Mihua entirely and made his way into Ekoda, and then onward to Toshima Ward.
He'd already browsed several 4S dealerships.
Among all the options, one car stood out:
A Mercedes-Benz E-Class W210—the same model driven by Natsuki's "father" in Initial D.
A small, amused smile had formed on his lips at the memory.
No matter how fast the AE86 is, it can't outrun a Benz driven by Natsuki.
Although the meme was a joke, Yoshiki was genuinely drawn to the car because of its performance and elegance.
Hayashi Yoshiki wandered down a commercial street in Ekoda City.
His first time here since arriving in this world.
The unfamiliar streets, the different crowds, and especially the various school uniforms—distinct from those in Teitan—refreshed his senses.
It felt… pleasantly foreign.
He stepped into a convenience store to grab a drink, casually glancing at the newspaper stand.
Unsurprisingly, the stories here were different.
In Beika, headlines were always filled with gruesome crimes and dramatic detective exploits. But here—
>"KID Issues Another Notice!"
>"Kaito Kid Takes Flight Again!"
>"Inspector Nakamori's Counterattack!"
>"Kaito vs. the Police—Next Target: A Museum's Jewel!"
All flashy titles centered around one name:
So, this was his city.
The infamous phantom thief who specialized in spectacle, trickery, and grand illusions.
Hayashi had always been aware of Kaito Kid—Kuroba Kaito, the son of the original Kid. The Kid narrative predated even Edogawa Conan's timeline, though the two had since clashed in the main series.
Their paths were destined to cross eventually.
As he turned out of the store, a small group of high school girls nearby caught his attention with an animated conversation.
"She's here again today!"
"The fortune teller with the crystal ball!"
"Ohhh, the mysterious one who vanishes in smoke?"
"Yes! She told my friend to confess and it worked! But then she disappeared right after!"
In Toshima, that rang a very specific bell.
A certain red-haired witch came to mind.
Curious, Hayashi Yoshiki followed in the direction the girls excitedly ran.
A short while later, tucked into a narrow alley beside a sushi restaurant, he found it:
A peculiar setup—not so much a "stall" as an altar.
A high, dark table adorned with four serpentine carvings, each head twisted protectively around a central crystal ball.It was theatrical, occult, and undeniably magical in atmosphere.
At the table stood a cloaked woman—entirely wrapped in grey fabric. Not even her face was visible.
"Can you tell me if my confession will succeed?" asked a hopeful high school girl.
The cloaked woman placed her fingers lightly on the crystal ball, circling it with practiced grace.
After a moment, she answered:
"Zero percent. The boy already has a girlfriend."
"But if you're willing to wait, he'll break up soon."
"Yes—because he's cheating. And he'll move on to someone new instantly."
The girl burst into tears.
Hayashi suppressed a smirk.
A bit brutal, this one.
But despite her blunt delivery, a line of people stretched behind the girl—mostly teenage girls, with a few office workers.
Clearly, this was a local legend.
The "Elusive Fortune Teller"—a whispered name in Toshima.
No one knew where she came from or how old she was. Her readings, however, were uncannily accurate. She would vanish just as suddenly as she appeared, like a spirit out of folklore.
Hayashi stepped into line.
Under the cloak, Koizumi Akako was enjoying herself immensely.
As the heir to the Red Magic bloodline, Akako was well-versed in alchemy, spellwork, and particularly divination.
Magic had its limits in this rational age. But fortune-telling remained a rare exception—it could slip under the radar, bypassing modern skepticism.
"Next," she said, not bothering to look up.
"Can you help me find out someone's real name?"
She raised her eyes and glanced at the man in front of her.
And then—everything twisted.
The vibrant world collapsed into monochrome.
Koizumi Akako's eyes widened behind the shadows of her hood.
The man before her radiated a presence she had never encountered.
A suffocating, absolute stillness.A void-like aura of finality that drained the color from the air.
They weren't black—but blood red, glowing like rubies submerged in darkness.
Eyes of absolute silence.
Eyes with no future, no light, no mercy.
Akako's heartbeat stuttered.
This man is—This man is dangerous!
Her sixth sense—cultivated through generations of sorcery—was screaming at her.
She must not anger him.
"I… If you want someone's real name, you'll need an object of theirs. Something personal. Something with their essence."
Her voice was steady, but she was trembling inside.
Hayashi Yoshiki smiled faintly.
A method to divine true names…
He examined the slender hands placed on the crystal ball. The aura. The setup.
"I see. I'll return when I have something suitable."
Just go, just leave, she pleaded inwardly.
He stepped aside, making room for the next person in line.
Koizumi Akako immediately stood.
"That's it for today. Divination ends here!"
Gasps and complaints rippled through the crowd.
But the "elusive fortune teller" was known for leaving abruptly.
As the crowd murmured in disappointment, a sudden puff of purple smoke erupted—and she was gone.
Hayashi Yoshiki, watching calmly, confirmed his suspicion.
It was her after all.
He would need to build a connection with Koizumi Akako—sooner rather than later.