L
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Robin staggered backward as the tear gas burned his lungs and eyes. His vision blurred, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. The irritating gas filled his nose and throat, making it nearly impossible to breathe.
His mask protected him partially, but the sudden attack had caught him completely off guard.
Left with no other option, Robin pulled his cape over his mouth and nose, retreating several steps while struggling to unlock the handcuffs.
His fingers moved quickly despite the burning sensation in his eyes.
He had to get free.
Immediately.
Robin knew that every second he spent escaping the tear gas was another second Kaito Kid could use to escape—or worse, steal the diamond.
Right now the exhibition hall was completely dark.
The power had been cut.
That meant the gravity sensor protecting the Hope Diamond was no longer functioning.
And if the alarm system was inactive…
Then nothing remained to stop the phantom thief.
Robin clenched his teeth.
"Damn you, Kaito Kid!"
His mind boiled with frustration.
He had been so close.
So incredibly close.
Then suddenly—
A cheerful voice sounded beside him.
"Robin, you really need to learn your lesson."
Robin froze.
Kaito Kid's voice carried the same teasing tone as always.
"You should be extra careful with things that villains give you."
Robin instantly swung his fist toward the direction of the voice.
His punch sliced through the air.
But it hit nothing.
No body.
No cloak.
No thief.
Kaito Kid had already moved.
"Oh, and there's something else I almost forgot to mention."
The voice returned again, echoing strangely around the hall.
"That Hope Diamond you thought was a fake earlier…"
Kaito Kid paused dramatically.
"It was actually the real one."
Robin's eyes widened.
"Don't joke with me!"
Even while coughing, he shouted back in disbelief.
"If that was the real Hope Diamond, then why would you sneak back here?"
"And what about the diamond inside the display now?!"
Robin refused to believe it.
Kaito Kid's tricks were legendary.
But his lies were just as famous.
The thief laughed softly.
"Believe it or not."
His voice sounded distant now.
"But according to my calculations…"
"The Gotham City Police Department should have already caught up with my little dummy by now."
Robin's breathing slowed.
"You'll know the truth soon."
Then Kaito Kid added casually,
"Or… you could always ask Director Ofe."
Robin's head snapped upward.
Director Ofe?
The voice continued drifting through the darkness.
Sometimes it sounded close.
Sometimes far away.
Sometimes from the left.
Sometimes from the right.
It was impossible to pinpoint.
Kaito Kid was deliberately confusing his hearing.
The voice gradually faded.
Then finally—
Silence.
Robin waited.
He listened carefully.
But no footsteps followed.
No movement.
No sound of a glider.
Still…
Robin knew.
Kaito Kid had already left the exhibition hall.
Nearly a minute passed before the tear gas finally dissipated.
Robin slowly lowered his cape.
His breathing returned to normal.
The hall was still dark, but his night vision finally activated.
He scanned the entire room.
Empty.
Kaito Kid was gone.
And worse—
The Hope Diamond was gone too.
Robin did not chase after him immediately.
Instead, he stood silently in the middle of the hall.
Thinking.
One phrase kept echoing in his mind.
"Ask Director Ofe."
Kaito Kid had said those words deliberately.
That meant they mattered.
Robin replayed the conversation in his mind.
Kaito Kid had claimed that the diamond on the dummy's hand earlier was the real Hope Diamond.
If that was true…
Then the diamond inside the exhibition hall had been fake.
Robin frowned deeply.
Could Kaito Kid really have returned just to steal a fake diamond?
That made no sense.
Even for someone as unpredictable as Kaito Kid.
But something still bothered him.
Kaito Kid had sounded confident.
Too confident.
Which meant—
There was information Robin was missing.
And somehow…
Director Ofe knew the truth.
Robin suddenly recalled something.
Earlier that evening, when the diamond had first been displayed, Director Ofe had insisted on sealing the Hope Diamond inside a special container.
He had claimed it was to "seal the curse."
At the time, the explanation had seemed harmless.
But now Robin realized something important.
The container was not colorless glass.
It had a slight blue tint.
And the Hope Diamond itself was already blue.
That meant—
Anyone trying to inspect the diamond from outside the container would struggle to judge its authenticity.
Even expert jewel appraisers would have difficulty.
Robin's eyes narrowed.
Director Ofe had deliberately concealed the diamond's appearance.
Which meant one thing.
He did not want people to discover that the diamond on display might be fake.
Robin remembered another detail.
Earlier in the exhibition hall, when everyone else was worried about the diamond being stolen—
Director Ofe had seemed strangely calm.
Even pleased.
Robin had noticed it at the time.
That was why he had briefly suspected Director Ofe might actually be Kaito Kid in disguise.
But he eventually dismissed the thought.
Now things were different.
Dean Thurston had already been exposed as a disguise.
But Director Ofe clearly had secrets of his own.
Robin sighed quietly.
"Director Ofe…"
He whispered to himself.
"I think we need to have a conversation."
---
Meanwhile…
Several blocks away.
Near Gotham's Knight Stadium.
On top of an old building scheduled for demolition—
A white hang glider descended rapidly from the sky.
A powerful searchlight from a police helicopter instantly locked onto it.
"Target located!"
The helicopter pilot spoke urgently into the radio.
"Helicopter Two reporting! Kaito Kid has been spotted!"
"The suspect has stopped moving!"
Below, police sirens wailed.
Dozens of police cars screeched to a halt outside the abandoned building.
Police officers rushed out immediately.
"Move! Move! Move!"
"Seal the exits!"
"Don't let him escape!"
The officers stormed into the building and raced toward the rooftop.
Meanwhile, several blocks away—
Commissioner James Gordon received the report through his radio.
"Helicopter Two, report Kaito Kid's exact position!"
Gordon spoke quickly.
"Maintain constant visual contact!"
Inside the police car, Gordon turned toward the driver.
"Bullock, step on it!"
Detective Harvey Bullock grunted and pushed the accelerator harder.
The police car sped through Gotham's dark streets.
In the back seat sat a woman with a tense expression.
Miss Biska, a representative from the Smithsonian Museum.
She had insisted on joining the pursuit.
The Hope Diamond was one of the most famous jewels in the world.
She refused to rest until she personally confirmed its recovery.
Minutes later—
Gordon's car arrived at the abandoned building.
Police had already surrounded the entire area.
Officers guarded every entrance.
Gordon stepped out immediately.
"Where is Kaito Kid?!"
He approached one of the officers.
"Has the diamond been recovered?"
The officer hesitated.
Several policemen exchanged strange glances.
Then one of them spoke.
"The diamond… should be recovered."
Gordon frowned.
"Should be?"
The officer continued awkwardly.
"But… there's a problem."
"What problem?"
"Kaito Kid isn't here."
Gordon blinked.
"What?"
The officer scratched his head nervously.
"It turns out we weren't chasing Kaito Kid at all."
"It was a dummy."
For a moment, Gordon felt like lightning had struck him.
Earlier during the chase…
He had briefly suspected that the figure outside might be fake.
But the pursuit had grown too chaotic.
And now—
They had chased a decoy the entire time.
One officer stepped forward and handed him two sealed evidence bags.
"Sir, this is the diamond we recovered."
"And this…"
He pointed to the second bag.
"…is a message left by Kaito Kid."
Gordon immediately handed the diamond to Miss Biska.
"Check it."
She nodded and began examining it carefully.
Meanwhile, Gordon opened the second bag and pulled out the familiar calling card.
Written in elegant handwriting were the thief's words.
He read aloud quietly.
> **"The beautiful diamond known as 'Hope' has long been imprisoned by the curse of 'Misfortune.'
People fear it… and therefore fail to appreciate its beauty.
This is truly a pity.
So tonight—
I have broken the terrible curse that has haunted this diamond for centuries."**
—Sincerely, Kaito Kid
Gordon stared at the card.
His eyebrows slowly rose.
"Broken… the curse?"
He rubbed his forehead.
"What the hell does that even mean?"
Gordon had never believed in curses.
And even if the Hope Diamond did carry some supernatural legend—
There was no way Kaito Kid had risked a massive heist just to remove a curse from a diamond.
The entire message made no sense.
Gordon sighed heavily.
But then again…
This was Gotham.
And in Gotham—
Criminal motives rarely made sense.
--------------------------
🕷️ End of Chapter
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