As the search inside the Orpheus Jewelry Exhibition Hall continued, the strange components hidden inside various machines were carefully removed one by one.
At first, each part seemed meaningless on its own.
A small motor here.
A reinforced drill head there.
Power connectors concealed inside lighting panels.
Modified switches hidden inside the ventilation system.
But once all the pieces were gathered together and placed on a table—
They formed something unmistakable.
An ice-breaking drill.
A highly specialized drill capable of rapidly penetrating thick ice.
Everyone present froze.
Then—
"Hiss—"
A collective gasp spread through the hall.
Gas masks.
A secret passage.
An ice-breaking drill.
Each element alone was suspicious.
Together, they formed a complete and terrifying plan.
Kaito Kid's preparation had been perfectly designed to counter the Orpheus Exhibition Hall's defensive system.
The hall had two main protective measures.
The first was the massive block of solid ice sealing the Hope Diamond inside.
Many people underestimated ice. They thought it was fragile.
But in large volume, dense and continuously refrigerated, it was harder to destroy than steel. It functioned like a transparent safe—beautiful and nearly impenetrable.
Except—
With the assembled drill, even the thickest ice could be bored through in a short time.
And the thief didn't even need to melt the entire block.
He only needed a hole large enough to retrieve the diamond.
The second defense was even more sophisticated.
If the alarm triggered, the exhibition hall would automatically seal.
The main doors would lock tightly.
The refrigeration system would switch functions and release hypnotic gas into the room.
The alarm could be activated in three ways:
1. A significant displacement of the Hope Diamond.
2. Violent damage to the ice—even a heavy punch could trigger it.
3. Manual activation from the monitoring room.
Once activated, the doors would remain sealed for approximately two minutes.
Two minutes.
For an ordinary person, that was nothing.
For a master thief, it was eternity.
In two minutes, someone immune to the gas—thanks to a prepared mask—could drill through the ice, retrieve the diamond, and disappear.
The only remaining obstacle would be escape.
Once the alarm sounded, the Gotham City Police Department would surround the building.
How could anyone flee from a sealed chamber?
But Kaito Kid had already solved that too.
Beneath a loose floorboard, they discovered a secret passage.
It led directly behind the exhibition hall wall to a service corridor.
The tunnel was about five or six meters long.
Short.
Simple.
But perfectly positioned.
It wasn't an impossible feat to dig in a few days of careful labor.
Director Ofe stared at the drill and gas mask with lingering fear.
"If he had used all of this," he muttered, "stealing the Hope Diamond would have been effortless…"
Commissioner Gordon's expression turned grim.
James Gordon
"This exhibition hall can no longer be used," he declared. "There's no guarantee we've found everything. The Hope Diamond must be relocated immediately."
No one objected.
Even Kailina, who had designed the independent hall and had been confident in its ice defense system, agreed without protest.
There was still time before the exhibition officially opened.
To relocate the diamond, they had to remove it from the ice.
Waiting for natural melting would take too long.
Ironically, they used the discovered ice-breaking drill themselves.
The machine whirred loudly as it bored into the frozen mass.
After drilling a precise opening, Director Ofe stepped forward carefully.
With trembling hands, he lifted the box containing the Hope Diamond.
He did not allow it to open even slightly.
The specially constructed independent exhibition hall—built at enormous expense—was officially abandoned after less than three days of use.
Director Ofe appeared devastated.
Whether his heartbreak was genuine or exaggerated was unclear.
But he certainly acted as though his entire fortune had been lost.
Soon, everyone became busy again.
Relocating the Hope Diamond meant repositioning guards, adjusting security systems, and reassigning surveillance.
It was chaotic.
Brock wiped sweat from his forehead and grumbled to Gordon.
"That guy predicted Easter—and today he's already thrown everything into chaos. I don't think he even cares about the diamond. He just enjoys playing with us."
Gordon gave him a sideways glance.
"If you don't want being played with to become routine, then be serious and catch him."
Brock scoffed. "When am I not serious?"
There was a pause.
Then Gordon lowered his voice.
"Harvey… do you truly believe Kaito Kid prepared everything we found?"
Brock blinked.
"If it were just the drill and gas masks, sure. He could have placed them while disguised."
"But that tunnel?" Brock shook his head. "He wouldn't have had enough time. And I don't think he'd choose such an unglamorous escape method."
Gordon nodded slowly.
"The most likely person capable of building that passage is Kailina. She designed this hall herself."
He hesitated.
"I had officers keep an eye on her earlier. They lost her. And her movements don't appear clearly in the surveillance footage."
Something deeper was happening.
---
Meanwhile.
In another section of the exhibition hall, away from the crowded security activity—
Barbara and Dick had quietly changed into their Batgirl and Robin suits.
Batgirl
Robin
They approached the women's restroom discreetly.
Barbara checked a tracking signal on her tablet.
"She's inside," she whispered.
"I'll go in first. Wait for my signal."
Dick nodded and stayed out of sight.
Barbara moved silently toward the door.
With sudden speed, she pushed it open.
The air inside felt different.
Calm.
Confident.
Then a voice—smooth, playful, and dangerous—filled the room.
"Wow… you're dressed more like Batman than Robin. So you must be Batgirl."
Barbara's eyes locked onto the speaker.
Standing by the window was a woman dressed in a sleek black leather catsuit.
A mask with pointed cat ears rested on her head.
A long leather whip dangled casually from her hand.
Her posture was relaxed.
Her smile was confident.
Her presence filled the room.
Catwoman
Catwoman.
She looked at Barbara up and down with amused eyes.
"I must say," she purred, "you wear it well."
Barbara stood firm.
"Selina Kyle," she said coolly. "What are you doing here?"
Catwoman twirled the whip lightly.
"Oh please. You know better than to ask that."
Her gaze drifted toward the distant exhibition area.
"Such a beautiful diamond. Hard to resist."
Barbara didn't lower her guard.
"You're not working alone."
Catwoman's smile widened slightly.
"Now that would be telling."
Behind the restroom door, Dick tightened his grip on his staff.
The tension between Batgirl and Catwoman crackled like electricity.
Outside, police officers and staff were busy relocating the Hope Diamond.
Inside—
A different kind of confrontation was about to begin.
Because now it was clear.
Kaito Kid might not be the only player on the board.
And when Catwoman entered the game—
Things always became far more complicated.
The hunt had just gained a new predator.
---------------------------------
🕷️ End of Chapter
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