Chapter 124: This Toda Wants to Kill Akikawa Kyousuke!

Conan asked Mouri Ran for a handkerchief while observing Akikawa Kyousuke's neck wound again.

'The angle of the wound slopes upward, indicating someone stabbed the neck with a dagger from above.'

'At the same time, the upper edge of Akikawa Kyousuke's muscle tissue is relatively flat, while the lower edge shows a clear arc.'

After confirming this quickly, Conan firmly pressed the handkerchief against Akikawa Kyousuke's neck wound.

This was to try to control the bleeding as much as possible.

Although Conan judged from the degree of bleeding that Akikawa Kyousuke's carotid artery and jugular vein were not injured, this didn't mean Kyousuke was out of danger.

In addition to the potential shock caused by excessive blood loss, there was another hidden danger. When non-professionals rely on strong pressure around a wound to stop bleeding, they might compress the carotid artery, affecting the blood supply to the injured person.

Fortunately, Conan had learned how to handle such situations in Hawaii, so he was able to avoid secondary injuries caused by improper treatment.

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While controlling Kyousuke Akikawa's bleeding, Conan turned to look at the dagger that had fallen to the ground.

He noticed that the false edge (upper edge) of the dagger was almost flush, while the main edge (lower edge), the blade's sharp side, had an obvious curve.

At that moment, Conan suddenly felt someone grab his arm tightly.

He quickly turned around and saw Akikawa Kyousuke's blood-stained right hand gripping his left arm firmly.

At the same time, Conan saw the extreme panic in Akikawa Kyousuke's trembling eyes.

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"Am I going to die?"

Akikawa Kyousuke's lips trembled as he voiced his fear.

Conan was startled again upon hearing Kyousuke's words.

Only then did he suddenly realize that he had been too focused on analyzing clues and had ignored something more important—

Protecting the injured.

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During emergency treatment, stopping the bleeding isn't enough.

It's also crucial to calm the injured person and monitor their breathing and consciousness.

If Akikawa Kyousuke panicked excessively, his heart rate might increase due to sympathetic nervous stimulation and heightened cardiac output.

At the same time, the vasoconstriction caused by stress hormones and acute panic could lead to higher blood pressure.

Increased heart rate and blood pressure would further worsen the bleeding.

Furthermore, panic could cause faster breathing, leading to excessive carbon dioxide release, lower blood CO2 levels, and increased blood pH—also known as respiratory alkalosis.

There were also hidden dangers like difficulty effectively contracting blood vessels due to muscle tension.

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Thus, ensuring Akikawa Kyousuke's emotional stability was critical.

"No! Kyousuke, you'll be fine!"

"I've done my best to control the bleeding. You'll be okay!"

Conan shouted to reassure Akikawa Kyousuke.

"Kyousuke, don't move! Relax!"

"I've seen this on TV—if the injured person moves improperly, the wound can tear even more!"

"Don't worry, Kyousuke, I promise you'll be fine!"

---

As Conan spoke, he felt Akikawa Kyousuke's blood-stained right hand, which had been gripping his left arm tightly, gradually loosen and fall to his side.

On Conan's left sleeve, there was a clear bloody handprint.

---

On the other side

Kyouji Toda, who was being glared at coldly by Sera Masumi, quickly shouted his version of the truth:

"I didn't want to kill Akikawa Kyousuke!"

"He was trying to kill himself, so he stabbed himself with the dagger! I only tried to stop him!"

---

"Then, can you explain why Akikawa Kyousuke wanted to kill himself?"

Sera Masumi's rhetorical question immediately made Kyouji Toda choke.

Why would Akikawa Kyousuke commit suicide?

It wasn't because of the fabricated truth that he had been exposed as the murderer and decided to end his life.

But how could Toda say such a thing in front of Sera?

---

Sera Masumi instantly sensed something from Toda Kyouji's hesitation.

Her gaze grew colder, and at the same time, the hand gripping Toda Kyouji's collar tightened.

"You forced someone into a confession again, didn't you, Detective Toda?"

Sera Masumi's words made Toda Kyouji feel as if his mind had been struck by thunder.

He couldn't understand how Sera Masumi knew about the confessions he had coerced.

---

Before Toda Kyouji could deny it, he heard the words that made his heart tighten again—

"Forcing confessions, fabricating truths."

"And finally, inciting the accused to attack the police."

"These are all things you've done, aren't they, Detective Toda?"

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"You did it in the case of Koichi Nishihara, and you've done it again now with Takao Ohga. The attacks on the police were all orchestrated by you, weren't they?"

There was an incomprehensible rage in Sera Masumi's tone.

Toda Kyouji's face turned pale instantly, unable to come up with a response.

---

'How could this be? How does she know these things?'

'Is there a mole within my ranks?'

'Or did Sera Masumi simply deduce my methods from the news about the police attack?'

---

This was a significant secret tied to Detective Toda Kyouji's identity—something no outsider should know!

While Toda Kyouji was horrified by Sera Masumi's insight, Sera herself was lost in thought.

'So, was Akikawa forced into suicide by Toda?'

'Could it be that, like Koichi Nishihara and Takao Ohga, Akikawa also committed a crime?'

---

Just as Sera Masumi was contemplating this, she heard Conan's voice:

"Sister Sera, I noticed that the wound on Kyousuke's neck slopes upward."

"At the same time, the upper edge of the wound is flat, while the lower edge is curved."

---

After hearing Conan's words, Sera Masumi instantly reached a conclusion in her heart.

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'Based on what the boy said about Akikawa's wound, the dagger was stabbed into his neck from above, held upright.'

'In that case, it's absolutely impossible that Kyousuke stabbed himself!'

---

'In most suicides, the dagger is inserted from below, so the wound angle would slope downward.'

'Moreover, based on the boy's observations, the top of the wound is flat, and the bottom is curved. This means the dagger's false edge (upper blade) was at the top, while the main edge (lower blade) was at the bottom.'

'If Akikawa had stabbed himself from above instead of below, the dagger would have to be held backward, not upright!'

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'But if held backward, the main blade would be at the top and the false edge at the bottom—this doesn't match Akikawa's wound.'

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Sera Masumi ruled out the possibility of Akikawa Kyousuke's suicide after imagining both scenarios.

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'There's only one possibility for an upward-sloping wound with the dagger stabbed while held upright—'

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'It's the same conclusion I reached at the start—'

'Akikawa Kyousuke wasn't trying to kill himself.

Toda wanted to kill him!'

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(End of Chapter)