Chapter 114: Looking Forward to Our Next Meeting
The white mist from the sleeping gas was rapidly dissipating through the shattered windows.
Outside, reporters and fans erupted in wild cheers.
Police presence, helicopters, swirling white fog, armed men in black trench coats—the scene was absolutely spectacular, and the crowd was already whipped into a frenzy.
Was this the legendary spectacle of Phantom Thief Kid's heists?
One girl's excitement stood out above all others, her enthusiastic voice piercing through the noise.
"Ran-chan! Look, it's Kid-sama! They even need helicopters to try catching him, and he still always escapes!"
Suzuki Sonoko's eyes sparkled with admiration, her heart racing. She wished she could be inside right now to witness Kid stealing Eternal Bloom firsthand.
"Sonoko, you're way too loud! My ears are ringing!"
Ran felt dizzy and helpless, practically seeing stars from Sonoko violently shaking her arm.
If this continued much longer, she'd collapse before the heist even concluded!
She silently vowed never to accompany Sonoko to another Kid heist again.
She didn't know whether Kid would be arrested tonight, but she was absolutely certain Sonoko would drive her insane first.
"Hey! Sonoko-neechan, are those really police helicopters?"
"Of course they are! What would you know, kid? Flying helicopters in broad—well, nighttime—like this, who else could it be but police?"
Conan's expression turned serious, his sharp eyes revealing deep contemplation.
He distinctly remembered that Metropolitan Police Department helicopters all bore cherry blossom emblems and clear "警視庁" (Metropolitan Police) markings on their fuselages. These helicopters had neither.
Something's definitely wrong here!
Also, even if these were Special Assault Team members, they shouldn't be wearing black trench coats, right? Black tactical uniforms would align much better with SAT protocol and equipment standards.
These black trench coats... they gave off a distinctly Black Organization vibe!
The moment that thought crystallized, Conan's expression changed dramatically.
"Ran-neechan, I need to use the bathroom! You and Sonoko-neechan stay here—I'll be right back!"
Conan took off running before either could respond, sensing a case calling to this great detective.
"Conan!" Ran called after him, but he didn't even glance back.
Sonoko draped her arm around Ran's shoulder, waving dismissively.
"Don't worry about that kid. Kid-sama might make his escape any moment now! You've definitely never seen a white hang glider soaring through the night sky—a phantom thief flying beneath the moonlight, elegant and impossibly cool!!!"
The police officers stationed outside looked utterly bewildered upon seeing the helicopters.
(⊙_⊙)?
This wasn't part of the plan at all. No helicopter support had been requested for tonight's operation, and what was with those black trench coats?
Those guys weren't from the Metropolitan Police Department at all!
One particularly sharp officer sensed something was terribly wrong and repeatedly radioed Inspector Nakamori.
However, Nakamori Ginzo was deep in drug-induced sleep and couldn't answer any calls.
Several officers strode purposefully toward the exhibition center's entrance, wanting to investigate the situation inside. But Inspector Nakamori had already sealed and locked the doors—they wouldn't be getting through anytime soon.
Inside the exhibition hall, Eternal Bloom stood magnificently in its display case, shimmering brilliantly through the thinning white mist, its jeweled beauty amplified by the dramatic atmosphere.
Kaito's sharp gaze shifted from the gemstone to the approaching figure in the police uniform.
"Let me see if you're really Kuroba Toichi."
The disguised man reached out to rip off Kaito's gas mask.
Kaito remained completely unfazed, calmly pressing a small remote control concealed in his palm.
Instantly, four or five grayish-white cylindrical objects dropped from the ventilation ducts above.
The policeman's head snapped upward, curiosity transforming into surprise and then outright panic.
"Get down! Flashbangs!"
His warning was immediately followed by a blinding eruption of white light that consumed the entire exhibition hall.
Only two individuals remained unaffected.
Kuroba Kaito leaped with supernatural grace, seemingly defying gravity itself as he landed directly atop Eternal Bloom's display case.
Natsukawa, anticipating exactly this chaos, opened fire immediately.
His target wasn't Kid, but rather the armed men in black trench coats who'd just rappelled through the windows. Completely blinded by the flashbangs, they were sitting ducks.
Gunshots echoed through the exhibition hall, and one by one, the trench-coated men collapsed.
Simultaneously, Kuroba Kaito—having just secured Eternal Bloom—pulled out his card gun and fired at another group of armed operatives.
Playing cards whistled through the air with precision, and the men in black, barely beginning to recover their sight, felt sudden numbness shoot through their arms. Their assault rifles clattered uselessly to the floor.
"Hey! That's a real gun! You're actually killing people!"
Kuroba Kaito's expression was grim. After confirming all the armed men were neutralized, he pointed his card gun directly at Natsukawa.
This guy was going way too far! These were living, breathing human beings. Even if they were illegally armed, they deserved to face proper legal judgment, not execution by some unknown vigilante.
Although this blond man had been standing with Inspector Nakamori earlier, Kaito was absolutely certain he wasn't actually part of the police force. Don't ask how he knew—his genius-level deductive abilities told him everything.
"They deserve the judgment of law, not to fall by your gun!"
"Oh, sorry—I represent the law right now! Besides, this is my jewel. I have every right to protect my property with lethal force if necessary. Right, Phantom Thief Kid?" Natsukawa produced an official identification card and waved it casually.
Kuroba Kaito, blessed with exceptional 20/20 vision, immediately recognized the emblem emblazoned on it.
It was a National Tax Agency special investigator's badge.
"Since when does the NTA authorize armed officers?"
"It's a new cabinet policy initiative, still in the trial phase. If you have complaints, feel free to submit them to the Ministry of Finance or the National Police Agency. But given your... legal status... I'm afraid you'd be arrested and thrown in prison long before any complaint could be processed."
"So I'd advise being cooperative."
Natsukawa pocketed the identification card smoothly. Franky had provided it—supposedly acquired through his "father-in-law's" connections.
Natsukawa believed the card was genuine, since Franky had explained the details previously. Though the term "father-in-law" was highly questionable.
He seriously doubted Franky even had a girlfriend!
Still, he now possessed legitimate government credentials. Finally, he was no longer just an unemployed drifter.
As for the policy he'd mentioned, it wasn't fabricated. The National Tax Agency really was piloting a new regulation granting certain special investigators legal authorization to carry firearms for self-defense during high-risk investigations.
After all, people who aggressively evade taxes weren't exactly law-abiding citizens.
Especially since special investigators frequently targeted major conglomerates and yakuza organizations, carrying a weapon provided essential protection.
Gunshots rang out again—this time not from Natsukawa, but from the man still disguised as a police officer.
"Damn bastard!"
The disguised operative had ducked behind a support pillar the instant he'd seen the flashbangs drop, placing him just outside Natsukawa's firing angle and allowing him to escape unharmed.
He emptied an entire magazine in Natsukawa's direction, but not a single bullet found its mark.
"See? If I hadn't fired first, I'd be the corpse right now."
Crouched safely behind the display case, Natsukawa somehow still had the composure to chat with Kaito Kid. "Also, the Hatamoto family has already gifted me this gem legally. I'm sorry, but you can't take it."
As he spoke, he swiftly snatched the jewel from Kuroba Kaito's grasp.
Holding the gem, Natsukawa immediately sensed something was off about it.
Soft, warm, and it even... struggled slightly?
Glancing down, he discovered the "gem" in his hand had somehow transformed into a white dove.
Then he noticed the dove had just defecated on the floor—clearly he'd squeezed it too tightly and literally scared the crap out of it.
"Whoever it belonged to before, it belongs to me now!"
Kuroba Kaito smiled with smug satisfaction, using his card gun to knock the disguised operative's pistol from his hand with pinpoint accuracy. He then leaped gracefully upward, perching atop the shattered window frame high above, his gaze shifting to the other "Phantom Thief Kid" who was already making his aerial escape.
"Sir, I look forward to our next meeting."
Kuroba Kaito executed an elegant farewell bow, spread his arms wide like wings, leaned backward dramatically, and vanished through the broken window into the night sky beyond.
Natsukawa chuckled softly, watching the theatrical departure with amusement.
He had to admit, Kaito was genuinely talented. At least in terms of showmanship and flair, he was every bit as skilled as Kuroba Toichi had been.
"Interesting kid... but I hope you enjoy the little gift I left you."
End of Chapter 114
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