100-102

Chapter 100: The Fool's Riddle 

"Who is... the Holiday Killer?" 

He held a cane, wore a bowler hat emblazoned with a giant question mark, green gloves, a green suit, and slim trousers. A black eye mask covered his face. His entire body was a riddle – and don't misunderstand, it was genuinely "riddles" all over. His green suit was covered in dense question marks of varying sizes. 

St. Patrick's Day had passed, and his outfit had nothing to do with the holiday. He was wearing green because that's just how he liked to dress. 

The Riddler, Edward Nygma, the man with the most questions in all of Gotham City, and probably one of the most disliked supervillains. It wasn't that he was as evil and chaotic as the Joker; it was mainly because he was just so annoying. 

A narcissist, a patient, a man hopelessly driven to display his intellect and clever puzzles. Most of the time, the only thing he wanted to do was show off his intelligence, which led to him leaving clues and riddles at every crime scene. 

A psychopath who intentionally commits crimes and leaves clues every single time, a psychopath who forever wants to prove he's smarter than Batman. Many of the riddles he left were meant to challenge Batman, but every time he ended up back in Arkham – yet being able to go toe-to-toe with Batman intellectually was enough to prove how smart he was. 

Cody looked at the Riddler's face on the left half of the system screen and subconsciously recalled that dialogue about him. 

"Wouldn't you avoid getting caught if you didn't leave riddle clues?" 

"I don't want to go back to Arkham Asylum either, but... I can't control myself, I might need help... Maybe I really am insane." 

He even used words like "might" and "maybe" – this guy really wasn't all there. 

Cody instinctively thought of some games he'd played. That bastard Riddler scattered his riddle trophies all over Gotham, hundreds of them, hidden in all sorts of corners. To catch him, you had to find all those things, which was exhausting and frustrating. 

That's also why everyone genuinely shouted, "Riddler, get out of Gotham!" from the bottom of their hearts. 

However, the right side of the screen wasn't exactly easy to deal with either. 

"Who is the Holiday Killer?" 

A low voice murmured to himself. A bat in his Batcave, facing case files on a computer, asked the same question as the Riddler. 

The two voices intertwined and echoed. If Cody hadn't triggered this system gig, it would have been hard to witness a scene where two of the world's top, most brilliant minds clashed with such uncanny synchronicity. 

Although one was in an office and the other in the Batcave, they seemed unusually coordinated at this moment. Their conjectures intertwined, appearing as if they were in the same room, playing a game of shared deduction, despite being in different spaces. 

【Fool's Day Sage Game Task Introduction: April Fool's Day – On a day when everyone tells lies, some people want to seek the truth. Isn't that a strange thing? 

Annotation: The "Weak Brained Bar" doesn't accept genuinely weak-brained people. It's time to prove your strength, bro. 

Status: In Progress (0/3) 

Reward: For each deduction object verified/falsified through reasoning, and for each deduction completed, you gain one level of "Acting Mastery". After completing three deductions, you gain Advanced "Acting Mastery".】 

Cody sat in his home. Of course, he didn't have the guts to wiretap either the Godfather or Batman. Fortunately, the system was humane enough to display both perspectives simultaneously, not requiring him to install monitoring devices himself. 

On the other side of the screen, the Riddler stared intently at the desk before him, still conducting his deductions. 

"It's a riddle – broken into scattered tangram pieces – wrapped in a puzzle – hidden in a Chinese box." 

On the right side of the screen, Batman's actions mirrored the Riddler's exactly. He too stared at the desk before him, where various festive items were also placed. 

"Clues were left at the murder scenes. These things can be easily obtained from any cheap novelty store, or made by anyone – they were chosen to represent the date of each killing." 

A pumpkin lantern – "Halloween." 

A cornucopia – "Thanksgiving." 

Champagne flute – "New Year's Eve." 

Red chocolate – "Valentine's Day." 

A green leprechaun figurine – "St. Patrick's Day." 

"They're all holidays, just like today – April Fool's Day." 

Cody grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into his mouth. "Yeah, yeah." 

The Riddler examined the .22 caliber pistol in his hand, completely oblivious to the two imposing figures beside him. 

He quirked the corner of his mouth. "A riddle." 

Batman used a machine to examine an identical pistol. An old man in a tuxedo stood behind him, fiddling with a .22. 

He was expressionless. "A killer." 

Cody grabbed another handful of popcorn and stuffed it into his mouth. "Yeah, yeah." 

"Question." The Riddler arrived at his favorite part. "Why does the Holiday Killer always use the same weapon?" 

"Answer: He bought them wholesale." 

Cody grabbed another handful of popcorn and stuffed it into his mouth. "Nah, that's not right. The person who wholesaled these things would definitely have been thoroughly investigated by Batman by now." 

"Or, let's approach it from a more practical angle – these .22 caliber pistols are light, easy to carry, and most suitable for... a lady." 

"A Catwoman." 

"During that break-in last June, she opened Mr. Falcone's safe. So, the list and ledger containing the names of everyone in 'The Roman's' empire are in her hands; coupled with the million-dollar bounty Mr. Falcone subsequently placed on her head. Suddenly, her best defense..." 

"...became proactive offense." 

"Nope, not right." Cody shook his head. "Catwoman is a thief, not a killer. The second case, the dead Irish mobsters didn't even belong to the Falcone family; killing those kinds of people makes no sense. On Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day, the victims were all Maroni family members, targeting Maroni directly – the motive doesn't fit, it's not Catwoman." 

【Task Status: In Progress (1/3)】 

The task progress increased by one. Cody continued watching the screen. At this moment, another name jumped out of Batman's mouth. 

"Maroni." 

"From the beginning, these killings have all benefited Sal Maroni – The Roman's main rival in controlling Gotham City." 

"He's weakened the Falcone family, and each murder is more daring." 

"Who else would shoot Falcone's own son in the back on New Year's Eve?" 

Chapter 101: Carmine Falcone? 

"No, no, that doesn't fit." Cody shook his head again. "Richard's leaving his job doesn't necessarily mean Maroni did it. And Alberto had absolutely no ties to the Roman family's business. Killing him would only make the Godfather's revenge even crazier. Lastly, the last two holidays, the number of Maroni family members who died was more than a dozen times greater than the Falcone family combined before this – how could a feigned injury turn into genuine self-weakening that strengthens the enemy? Maroni is a mob boss, not a stupid lunatic." 

[Task Status: In Progress (2/3)] 

The Riddler's turn followed: 

"Question: Why did the killer shoot Alberto Falcone?" 

"Answer: Because he could." 

Hearing this question and answer, which sounded like they came straight from a classic twisted killer's mind, the seated figure beside the Riddler immediately leaned forward, clenching his fists. Then, his movement to stand was restrained by a massive shadow. 

Hearing the voices, the Riddler turned around. He saw Falcone sitting in the shadows, a vein throbbing on his temple, the three claw marks on his face looking even more savage with anger. The mountain-like figure behind him seemed ready to pierce the Riddler with his icy glare. 

An awkward, nervous chuckle immediately crossed the Riddler's face. "I... uh... I just meant to say, Alberto wasn't involved in the family business..." 

"The question that follows, then," the Riddler continued, trying to regain his footing, "is whether all this killing could simply be motivated by personal vendetta?" 

Cody scratched his head. "A revenge killing on Alberto? This person would have to have a deep-seated hatred for the Falcone family, a deep-seated hatred for the Maroni family too, and still be able to bring themselves to kill Alberto, who wasn't involved in the mob." 

"Carla Vitti, Mr. Falcone's sister." 

"Her son, Jonny Vitti, was supposed to testify against Mr. Falcone before the grand jury – it's no secret how the Romans [Falcones] tried to find someone to put a knife between his nephew's ribs." 

"Could Carla Vitti do something unimaginable? Could this mother kill her own son just to hide her identity? Now, her crimes are masked by fury. She can attack anyone, because no one will suspect her anymore." 

"She was there during the New Year's Eve incident. Who could get close to Alberto without arousing his suspicion?" 

"In that sense, it's more like... a son for a son." 

"A little while later, she returns to the scene, covering her tracks." 

Cody looked at the screen, munching popcorn, and still shook his head. "Killing her own son, then taking revenge on Falcone? That logic is too abstract... unless her son was killed by someone Falcone hired." 

"That makes sense," Cody nodded. "If Falcone hired someone to kill his nephew, and Carla Vitti sought revenge for her son, the logic chain is complete – but that still doesn't explain the deaths of the Irish gang, nor does it explain why the Holiday killer later started targeting Maroni. After completing her revenge for her son, Carla would have no reason to continue helping Falcone eliminate his rivals." 

"Besides, would the Godfather really do that? When Jonny was about to confess to the court, he didn't resort to such extreme measures. Instead, he kills Jonny after he switches to his side? That doesn't seem like the Godfather's style." 

"Most importantly, he's an old-timer – old-timers wouldn't come up with such a novel, twisted killing method. One shot to the head, and leave, that's the cautious style of old-school gangsters." 

[Task Status: In Progress (3/3)] 

[Reward Gained: Advanced Acting Mastery] 

Two crisp prompts appeared. The April Fool's gig reward was delivered, but the system screen didn't go dark immediately. 

Cody, unsure why, grabbed another handful of popcorn and continued watching the screen from his sofa. 

"If I may interrupt, Master Wayne." 

The old man holding the teacup suddenly spoke. "In all of your deductions, one person has been entirely overlooked." 

Batman's voice was steady. "Julian Day." 

"But according to the records at Arkham Asylum – while they could potentially be tampered with, I believe the Calendar Man is still under their care." 

"The person I wish to mention is not him." 

It was only then that Batman seemed to realize something. He turned his head but said nothing. 

"I merely wished to point out that on a man's path towards seeking justice – I have seen some people as rational as yourself..." 

Cody's mouth twitched. 

"...can also do the most unexpected things." 

Batman was silent for a moment before answering Alfred's question. 

"Captain Gordon told me he also came home late on New Year's Eve." 

"He met up with me outside Wayne Manor on Valentine's Day. It was already late, and the news of the attack on Maroni's restaurant came right after we met." 

The atmosphere was silent for a moment. 

"What do you intend to do now, Master Wayne?" 

All content is visible in one glance!  

"Pray I'm wrong. Pray my surveillance worked... Harvey Dent." 

"It shouldn't be Harvey, right?" Cody scratched his head. "I've done so much. The Holiday killer didn't commit any more crimes on Christmas Day. That shows we had some effect." 

"The only thing that's a bit strange is, why did the Holiday killer continue killing later?" 

There was no response. The system's gig was over. Cody couldn't even tell from the panel whether his thoughts were right or wrong. 

"Mr. Nygma," the Godfather's expression was cold, "People tell me there's no riddle you can't solve. And now, all you've done is lay out guess after guess, piling them up. But you haven't been able to find a single more certain conjecture from them." 

"Uh..." 

Cold sweat dripped down the Riddler's face, which was now filled with a touch of fear. He felt a large hand reach up and take off his green hat. Then, two large hands pressed down on his temples. 

"If your life depends on this – and the truth is, it does." 

As the Godfather spoke, those iron hands began to exert force. The Riddler felt intense pain in his head. His skull and features were being squeezed by a terrifying, unnatural strength, like clay being mashed into a ball. Blood gradually started to trickle from his nose and mouth. 

And the Godfather continued to speak slowly, unhurriedly: "Tell me – who is the Holiday killer?" 

"Uh..." 

Sweat and blood nearly covered the Riddler's face. At this moment, he truly felt the fear of death. If he didn't give a satisfactory answer, he might never get another chance to solve a riddle again. 

And so, he trembled and uttered a name. 

"Carmine Falcone?" 

Chapter 102: The Riddler is a Fool 

"Carmine Falcone?" 

The Godfather's lips curled slightly. "That's me." 

The burly woman holding the Riddler raised an eyebrow. "You?" 

A weird silence hung in the air for a second, then the Godfather couldn't hold back a loud laugh. He seemed genuinely amused by the ridiculous idea. Even Sofia, with a face like she could crack concrete, let a small smile slip through. 

"Sofia," the Godfather chuckled. "Escort Mr. Nigma out the side door." 

"Right, Dad." 

Sofia landed a punch that slammed the Riddler's hat right back onto his head. The sheer force of it rattled his brain like crazy. Still reeling and seeing stars, the Riddler heard the Godfather speak again. 

"Oh, and Sofia, get back here ASAP." 

"Got it, Dad." 

At that, a quick, almost invisible smile flickered across the Riddler's lips, only to be instantly swallowed by a look of complete terror. 

The side door creaked open, and the Riddler was practically shoved out into the downpour. He stumbled through the rainy alley night, not even knowing where his signature cane had ended up. Looking utterly pathetic and lost, he seemed less like a high-IQ criminal mastermind and more like just some poor, soaking-wet nobody. 

Even looking like that, someone still managed to corner him in the alley. 

A black umbrella. A black fedora pulled low. A wide trench coat hid their form, face lost in shadow. Rough men's gloves covered their hands. The figure raised a hand, and a .22 caliber pistol, bizarrely fitted with a baby pacifier, appeared right in front of the Riddler. 

Nigma scrambled back in sheer panic. He didn't beg, didn't scream – he just plastered himself against the alley wall, frozen stiff as if paralyzed by fear. In his wide, trembling eyes, the muzzle flash reflected. The pacifier shattered as the bullet tore through it, hot casings spitting from the chamber and scattering across the wet ground. The Riddler just stared, transfixed by the weapon, his face a mask of pure terror and confusion. 

He watched as the gunman emptied clip after clip, finally tossing the distinctive bent-handle black umbrella – along with the pistol and the broken pacifier – onto the rain-slicked ground before calmly walking away. On the alley wall, pressed skin-tight against the brick, the Riddler was literally framed by bullet holes. Every single round had precisely kissed his body before embedding itself in the wall, creating a chilling, continuous outline of holes surrounding Nigma's rigidly frozen form. 

He stared at the black umbrella on the ground, noticing how its bent handle made it look uncannily like a question mark. He trembled, muttering to himself. 

"When would a killer... not kill?" 

Right at that moment, the system screen abruptly went black. 

Cody sat there, clutching his popcorn bucket, his mind churning over the last riddle Nigma had posed. The obvious, surface-level answer? Today's date, of course. April Fool's Day. A day when everything gets flipped on its head – truth is lies, white is black. For the Riddler, it had to be his absolute favorite day. 

But dig a little deeper? For the Holiday Killer, who always marked holidays with murder, today meant doing the opposite. That was their whole deal, their modus operandi. If they were truly a super-villain, like the Riddler or the Joker, they'd stick to their own twisted rules. That was their nature. So, yeah, they didn't kill today. 

So, was that the whole puzzle? 

"No, there's another layer." Cody chewed his popcorn, running the whole deduction back in his head. He had a sudden realization. 

"The Holiday Killer isn't the only one operating in reverse today." 

"Twisted minds, especially super-criminals, are all kind of similar in their own way. And today, besides the Holiday Killer, there was another super-criminal playing by his own inverted rules... the Riddler." 

"Who is the Holiday Killer?" 

That was the first question Nigma asked, but it was April Fool's Day. So the question he really asked must have been— 

"Who is NOT the Holiday Killer?" 

That's why the Riddler threw out those five names afterwards. 

"Catwoman." Not enough motive, Cody dismissed it, and the system confirmed he was right. 

"Maroni." His interests were completely opposite the outcome, Cody dismissed him too, and the system confirmed that judgment. 

"Carla Viti." Her motive couldn't explain all the killings, and Cody figured "The Roman" would never kill his own son. The system also shot down the idea of Carla being Holiday. 

So, following those three precedents, the hypothesis that both the Riddler and even Alfred brought up—Gotham's White Knight himself, Harvey Dent... could he be the one behind these crimes? 

If the Riddler was playing as smart as he usually does, and if Cody was reading his mind correctly, those five people Nigma named? Those were the exact people he'd figured couldn't possibly be the Holiday Killer. 

So, what about the Godfather, Carmine Falcone? What were the reasons to rule him out? 

"Just... too many," Cody mused. "There are way too many reasons. Why would he possibly kill his own son? What incentive would he have to whack the Irish gang who were doing his dirty work? What motive would he have to risk ticking off outside mafia families, like Carla Viti's, by killing Johnny Viti?" 

"Even the later hits on the Maroni family... that didn't feel like his style either. A crime boss like Falcone, who'd actually tell Maroni straight up, face-to-face, 'I'm going to handle your family'... would that guy really be someone who only resorts to sneaky, underhanded moves?" 

"Riddle me this: Why does the Holiday Killer always use the same weapon?" 

"Because he bought them in bulk, obviously." 

But Batman? He'd traced every single purchase, from the manufacturers down to corner stores, and found nothing. So Nigma's real question must have been, "Why doesn't the Holiday Killer use any other weapons?" 

And the answer? "Because he gets his weapons custom-made through some kind of completely untraceable, secret channel." That makes the seemingly ordinary .22 caliber pistol a dead end as far as leads go. 

"Next riddle: Why did the killer target Alberto Falcone?" 

"The easy answer? 'Because he could.'" 

But that didn't sit right. The Holiday Killer was meticulous. Precise. They picked the holiday, they picked the 'gift'... there was no way the victim was chosen at random. When you've got a glass of water right there, why would you hike all the way to the water cooler? 

So, Nigma's real question: "Why didn't the killer pick anyone else?" 

His own answer: "Because they had a perfectly good, sufficient reason... specifically to kill Alberto." 

"So, the next question rattling around was: Could all these killings stem from personal vendettas?" 

But if you flip that, playing by the April Fool's rules, it changes. 

"So, the real question rattling around is: Could only some of these killings stem from personal vendettas?" 

Which brings us back to the final riddle. 

"When would a killer... not kill?"