Late at night, 12:22 a.m.
Yang Tao and Conan stood atop a restaurant rooftop, the wind tousling their hair. From this height, the Tokyo nightscape shimmered with an enchanting beauty.
Conan leaned against the edge of the terrace. "When will he arrive?"
"Hm… I think he's probably already here. Maybe he's crouched atop the emergency stairwell right now, waiting for the perfect moment to make a dramatic entrance."
Hearing this, Conan quickly turned to glance at the small rooftop stairwell structure.
"Why didn't you mention that earlier?"
Yang Tao slung his empty drink bottle back into his backpack, grinning. "You didn't ask! Besides, it's illegal to stop someone from showing off."
"Illegal?"
Conan, well-versed in the law, blinked in confusion. Since when was preventing someone from showing off against the law? Perhaps this was legislation from another world?
"The Show-Off Act, Article 27: No one shall impede another's display of prowess or style, or face six months of imprisonment."
"Wait… is there really such an absurd law?"
"Of course! No!"
Yang Tao chuckled at Conan's expression. "I made that up. There's no way such a ridiculous law exists in this world."
As the two bantered casually, Kaito Kid, crouched atop the stairwell, was already sweating profusely.
'When did they notice me?'
He glanced at the clock: five minutes remained until 12:30 a.m. He was torn. His techniques had been uncovered—should he reveal himself now or stick to the original plan and appear at midnight thirty?
"Kaito, come on out! Conan doesn't believe me," Yang Tao called toward the platform above. His certainty that Kaito Kid was there stemmed from knowing Kaito's abilities and intelligence were top-tier—but still human. Unless Kaito had spatial powers, he had to be hiding on the platform above the stairwell.
A swirl of white smoke suddenly erupted on the rooftop. Moments later, it dissipated, revealing a solitary figure.
Conan watched, hearing a deep, alluring voice narrate in his mind:
"In the hushed cloak of night, he appeared silently before me, his gaze piercing as if seeing through all, a fearless smile gracing his lips.
A flowing cloak, a dashing top hat—every movement measured, yet the face beneath, partially obscured by the monocle and backlight, bore a youthful radiance. He could be in his thirties, twenties… or even younger.
This is the man I seek—the lifelong rival I have been destined to face!"
The first part was bearable, but upon hearing the last line, Kaito spun toward Yang Tao, who whispered beside him, frowning. "Hey! Stop adding narration for others, okay? 'The man I seek'? You're making me sound like a pervert."
Kaito Kid gazed down at the duo below—a large and small figure—and gracefully leapt from the stairwell's rooftop, landing with elegant precision.
When he was less than five meters from Yang Tao, a notification appeared before his eyes:
[Detective Conan World Exploration Value: 31.123%. Mini-map module activation conditions met]
Simultaneously, a square mini-map appeared at the upper-right of Yang Tao's vision, marking various avatars: Conan, Kaito Kid… even Officer Nakamori downstairs.
'What the… exploration value is a reward module? If I get an equivalent exchange module, I'd be unstoppable!'
Yang Tao noticed another detail: the notification said "activated," not "acquired." In other words, he already possessed these modules—they simply hadn't been unlocked yet due to special circumstances.
"Gentlemen, may I ask what brings you here at this hour?"
Perhaps due to encountering a nemesis, Conan spoke with exaggerated flair: "Your trick has been uncovered. If you don't leave, the police might notice…"
Kaito Kid smirked, hand slipping into his cloak to use his voice-altering ability to summon officers.
Before he could speak, Yang Tao interrupted, pointing to the stairwell behind him: "Kaito Kid, please take a look behind you."
Kaito glanced casually, but what he saw made him nearly drop his communicator: the once-safe stairwell entrance was now entirely blocked with cement.
"I'm afraid your plan to lure the police through and slip among them is… no longer feasible."
Kaito felt as if someone had read his mind. Yet his composure remained intact. "Heh… if I want to leave… wait, where did that axe come from?!"
This was no collapsible glider, no soft material—the blade was the size of a human head. A bead of cold sweat slid down Kaito's forehead.
"You mean this? I call it 'Reason.'"
Kaito's instinctive reply: "Reason?"
"Yes. Come on, let's talk about reason!"
With that, Yang Tao lunged at Kaito with astonishing speed.
Kaito's physical prowess was extraordinary, but ultimately, he was human. With 22 hit points, he was no match for Yang Tao—far weaker than even Ran, whose maximum hit points of 37 highlighted her inhuman capacity.
And, of course, Yang Tao wasn't fighting for honor—he intended to 'borrow' some money from Kaito.
'You… you settle disputes like this???'
Kaito was stunned. He fired his card gun, sending razor-sharp playing cards hurtling toward Yang Tao.
But…
Yang Tao didn't raise a shield. From his backpack, he drew an iron door and swung it. The cards were blasted away by the powerful gust.
"Tit for tat!"
He hurled the door at Kaito with all his strength.
'This is insane! Where did that iron door even come from?!'
Kaito leapt midair as the door slammed into the wall behind him with a resounding crash.
'Does he intend to kill me?'
Had Yang Tao known Kaito's thoughts, he would have laughed—given the average human stats in the Conan world, Kaito would at worst suffer a minor injury.
Kaito abandoned any notion of prolonged combat, sprinting toward the rooftop edge. Leaping, a white glider unfurled beneath his cloak.
"Until next time…"
As he turned, he froze. Yang Tao, also leaping, appeared just as Kaito glanced back, catching the mischievous glint in his eyes.
Too bad the distance was slightly too great.
Yang Tao almost grabbed Kaito's ankle. Feeling the pull of gravity, he remained calm. "I will find you…"
Then Newton's laws took hold, propelling him toward the ground.
Just as he neared the rooftop of the adjacent building, a patch of water appeared beneath him, perfectly cushioning his fall.
He looked up at the departing white-cloaked figure.
'Seems like Kaito Kid has quite a few supporting characters around him…'