-----
-----
"..." Professor Agasa let out an awkward laugh and said to Han Fuming, "As long as we can find data on APTX4869, maybe we can come up with an antidote. Then you could go back to normal."
"Come on! Didn't I already say it? I didn't shrink because of that weird drug. This is just how I've always been. Believe it or not, that's up to you." Han Fuming looked pretty annoyed.
Haibara stared at Han Fuming with clear suspicion in her eyes—and Conan? His face might as well have had the words "Not buying it" written all over it.
Soon after, Professor Agasa left with Conan and Haibara, leaving Han Fuming at home alone, frowning in thought.
"This is weird... Ever since I came to this world, I've been getting way more emotional," he muttered, puzzled. "Don't tell me turning into a kid also messed with my personality?"
He might look like a child now, but Han Fuming used to be a handsome, charismatic young man—at least, in his own opinion. That whole thing about "kids making people lower their guard" was just an excuse he came up with to trick Haibara.
To be honest, he had no idea what the hell was going on with his body. One minute he was a good-looking young guy, and the next—bam—he's a little kid. If word of this ever got out, every assassin back on Earth would probably laugh themselves to death.
Back in his previous life on Earth, Han Fuming was ranked the number two assassin in the world. His throwing knife skills were legendary—flawless and unmatched. But he had always been dissatisfied with that ranking. So, for his final mission, he set his sights on taking down the number one assassin: the Shadow King.
The two top assassins were evenly matched. What was supposed to be a silent assassination turned into an all-out brawl, intense enough to shake the heavens. In the final moment, Han Fuming's knife pierced the Shadow King's heart—just as the Shadow King's poisoned arrow struck Han Fuming's throat. They died together.
The only strange thing was that, in that very last second, Han Fuming's strength suddenly broke through the barrier he had never been able to pass before. He finally leveled up—only to drop dead right after. What a joke.
"Wait a sec... could that be it?" Han Fuming's eyes widened as he sat on the couch, deep in thought.
Could this be the so-called ultimate martial arts realm—returning to one's original nature?
Oh, come on! He nearly spat out blood in frustration. Seriously, heaven?! I'm fine with returning to basics, but you turned me into a freakin' little kid?! Might as well just turn me into a fertilized egg while you're at it!
He wasn't happy, but what could he do? It's not like he had a choice. He just had to suck it up.
"No, wait!" Suddenly, a thought struck him. "That's not what returning to one's original nature should look like... unless..."
As he considered the possibility, Han Fuming closed his eyes and sat completely still. Then, out of nowhere, his body started to grow rapidly. In seconds, he went from a little kid to a teenager. He only opened his eyes when he felt like his clothes were about to burst at the seams.
"I knew it! If I just suppress the flow of spiritual energy in my body, this whole 'returning to childhood' thing disappears. I can go back to my real form!" He was absolutely thrilled with this discovery.
Suppressing his spiritual power meant he couldn't use pressure point attacks or anything like that, but honestly, that was no big deal. He was Han Fuming! The world's greatest assassin! Even without those supernatural powers, his body, his strength, his speed—still way beyond anything a normal person could dream of.
And best of all, he could switch between the two forms anytime he wanted. If he ever had to use his spiritual energy, he could just shrink down again.
If Conan ever found out about this, he'd probably start banging his head against the wall. Ever since Conan got turned into a kid, he'd been struggling with his weaker body and had to rely on gadgets just to keep up. But Han Fuming?
He became a kid and somehow got even stronger.
Total monster.
"....."