"Welcome to my humble abode, Magician Under the Moon," Kanjuro spoke first, his voice carrying clearly through the broadcast equipment with a hint of a lazy smile, as if hosting an old friend after a long separation. "I didn't expect you to come to my 'date' in this manner."
Kaitou Kid stood at the door, his body visibly stiffening for a moment. No matter how resilient his mind was, facing this scene that exceeded imagination and overturned ethics, along with Kanjuro's composed attitude that showed no regard for him at all, his heart suffered a massive blow. He gripped the magic cards hidden in his sleeve, his gaze beneath the monocle as sharp as a hawk's.
The audience across the country saw this bizarre and shocking scene through their screens. Those who supported Kid felt their hearts sink to the bottom, while those who feared Kanjuro became even more terrified. More people, however, felt a sense of nearly hopeless powerlessness in the face of this extreme contrast.
Was it really possible to challenge such a being?
Kaitou Kid's Adam's apple bobbed, but his white cape still billowed behind him without any wind, showing his will had not been completely crushed. He raised his hand and pressed down on the brim of his hat, trying to regain the composure and sense of mystery that belonged to a phantom thief.
"Kanjuro," Kid's voice came through his Voice changer with a hint of coldness, "I have come to retrieve the heart of the ocean."
Hearing this, Kanjuro chuckled. He swirled the glass in his hand, but his gaze seemed to pierce through Kid, looking further away at the countless pairs of nervous eyes watching behind the cameras.
"Oh? That blue stone..." His tone was appallingly casual. "I said, if you want it, I'll just give it to you."
He turned his head slightly and gestured to Tomoko Suzuki beside him. Tomoko Suzuki immediately bowed and walked toward a hidden compartment in a corner of the living room.
Kanjuro's gaze returned to Kid, and within those deep eyes, a more dangerous and aggressive light began to flicker.
"However, compared to that stone..." The corners of Kanjuro's mouth curled into a wicked arc, and his voice, like a demon's whisper, spread clearly across the country through the broadcast:
"I am more interested in you yourself, and that little girl by your side... named Aoko." Kanjuro's words, like a demon's whisper, clearly passed through the live broadcast signal and into the ears of Kaitou Kid—Kaito Kuroba.
The moment the name "Aoko" was mentioned, the composure and mystery on Kid's face shattered like glass hit by a heavy hammer! His body jolted violently, and his blue eyes widened behind his monocle, filled with extreme horror and disbelief!
How could he know about Aoko?!
Could he even know that my true identity is Kaito Kuroba?!
These two thoughts were like ice picks, instantly piercing through all his psychological defenses. Kanjuro's terrifying nature far exceeded his imagination! This wasn't just a crushing defeat in terms of power, but absolute control over information! In front of him, he felt like a pathetic wretch who had been stripped of all disguises and stood naked under the spotlight!
The courage and determination he had gathered to oppose Kanjuro almost collapsed at this moment. A massive fear seized him—not fear for his own safety, but the deepest fear for the most important person by his side who might suffer misfortune because of him!
He even forgot to take the exquisite velvet box containing the heart of the ocean that Tomoko Suzuki was silently handing over. It wasn't until Tomoko Suzuki pushed it forward again that he snapped out of it as if he had been burned, grabbing the box almost reflexively, his fingertips trembling slightly from the force.
"...Thank you... for the gift." Kid's voice came through the Voice changer, but it carried an unmistakable tremor and dryness. He could no longer maintain the elegance and composure of the Magician Under the Moon, and he couldn't even manage a single complete polite remark.
He turned abruptly, his white cape drawing a hasty arc as he practically fled out of the still-open villa gate, leaving behind the bizarrely luxurious scene inside the villa and Kanjuro's playful gaze.
The live camera closely followed his slightly stumbling white figure.
Outside the villa, the police personnel who had already been deployed in the shadows according to Inspector Nakamori's orders immediately sprang into action.
"Kid is out!"
"Act according to plan! Cover his retreat!"
Inspector Nakamori breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Kid emerge safely through his binoculars, but he immediately sensed Kid's extremely unnatural, almost fleeing posture, and his heart sank. Although he hadn't heard clearly what Kanjuro said to Kid at the end (the broadcast audio hadn't clearly captured Kanjuro's lowered voice), Kid's reaction was clearly wrong!
"Something's wrong! Everyone be careful! It might be a trap!" Inspector Nakamori barked into his walkie-talkie.
However, his warning came too late.
Just as several plainclothes police officers tried to rush out from their hiding spots to meet Kid and use vehicles to create obstacles against any possible pursuit—
A sudden change occurred!
Several Black shadow blades, nearly impossible to catch with the naked eye, shot out silently from the shadows near the villa like harvesting scythes from hell!
"Squelch!" "Squelch!" "Squelch!"
The dull thuds of blades entering flesh rang out one after another!
Those police officers who had just shown themselves didn't even have time to let out a scream before their bodies were instantly torn apart by an invisible force! Blood and severed limbs were splattered under the moonlight; the scene was bloody and terrifying!
Everything happened too fast, too suddenly! The live broadcast signal, which had captured this scene through a long-focus lens, was instantly cut by the television station, but that fleeting bloody image still caused countless viewers to let out screams of terror.
Inspector Nakamori watched his subordinates being killed in an instant, his eyes nearly bursting with rage, and a chill surged from the soles of his feet to the top of his head! He hadn't even seen where the attack came from or how it was launched!
"Retreat! Everyone retreat! Don't show yourselves! Repeat, do not show yourselves!" Inspector Nakamori's voice was distorted by extreme anger and fear as he roared into the walkie-talkie. He understood that in the face of that power which transcended understanding, ordinary police like them didn't even have the qualification to serve as cannon fodder!
Kaitou Kid also saw the tragic scene behind him, his heart nearly jumping out of his chest. He didn't dare to stay for a second, forcibly suppressing the storm in his heart as he slammed the switch on his Hang glider. His white figure soared into the sky under the moonlight, fleeing into the distant darkness at top speed like a startled bird, even completely omitting his usual curtain-call smoke and lines.
The Magician under the Moon arrived with a flamboyant declaration of war, but departed like a stray dog hunted by a vicious dragon.
Surface-level peace returned to the Suzuki Mansion once more, with only the few puddles of rapidly congealing blood and wreckage at the entrance serving as proof of the brief and brutal interception that had just occurred.
Inside the living room, Kanjuro slowly finished the last drop of wine in his glass. Looking at the static appearing on the screen due to the signal interruption, the pleasant curve of his lips never once faltered.
"A boring interlude has ended," he commented indifferently, as if he had just casually swatted a few annoying flies. His gaze swept over the women beside him, who were as quiet as cicadas in winter, before finally resting on the night sky outside the window, where Kaitou Kid's silhouette had long since vanished.
"However, the game... has only just begun," he whispered to himself. His eyes flickered with a thick and dark interest in his next "collection target"—Nakamori Aoko—and in thoroughly toying with the fate of Kaitou Kid.
Inspector Nakamori slumped powerlessly in the command vehicle, looking in the direction where Kid had disappeared, and then at the Mansion's gates that resembled a demon's gaping maw. He clenched his fists tightly, his nails sinking deep into his palms. The absolute gap in power gave him a sense of unprecedented despair. And Kid's panicked retreating figure also made him realize that this time, the enemy was likely even more terrifying and... omniscient than they had imagined. The white figure fleeing the Suzuki Mansion in panic was like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring, weaving through Tokyo's intricate buildings. After making countless detours to ensure he was absolutely not being followed, he quietly landed back on the rooftop of the Kuroba Residence in Ekoda-cho, as if he had exhausted his very last ounce of strength.
Retracting his glider, Kaitou Kid—no, at this moment he was just Kaito Kuroba—staggered a few steps. Leaning against the cold water tower, he slowly slid down to sit on the ground. He yanked off the white top hat and monocle, tossing them aside to reveal the face of a high school student, now pale and filled with alarm.
Sweat soaked the stray hairs on his forehead, and his heart continued to drum wildly in his chest, as if trying to break free from its constraints. He tightly gripped the velvet box containing the heart of the ocean; the cold sensation now felt as scalding as a branding iron.
Did he succeed? He had obtained the gem without even exerting any effort; the opponent had practically "given" it to him.
But this wasn't success at all! This was the most complete failure and humiliation!
Kanjuro's eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through everything, and his words, which sounded like a demon's whisper, echoed repeatedly in his mind—
"I am more interested in you personally, and that... little girl named Aoko by your side."
Aoko... Aoko!
Immense fear, like a cold tide, instantly submerged Kaito. How could Kanjuro know about Aoko? How much did he actually know? What did he want to do by approaching Aoko? That demon who treated human lives like playthings and controlled the fates of countless women... he had set his sights on Aoko?!
At the thought that Aoko's pure smile and guileless nature might be targeted by a monster like Kanjuro, Kaito felt a suffocating panic. He couldn't imagine what would happen to Aoko if she fell into Kanjuro's hands. Would she end up worse than Matsumoto Sayuri?
"No... absolutely not!" Kaito stood up abruptly and paced irritably. He had to confirm Aoko's safety! He had to warn her! But... how could he warn her? He couldn't directly tell her what a terrifying monster Kanjuro was, much less reveal that he was Kid... He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. With trembling fingers, he pulled out his phone and dialed the familiar number.
The call was answered almost immediately. Nakamori Aoko's energetic and slightly confused voice came through the receiver: "Moshi moshi? Kaito? Is something wrong this late? Your voice sounds really strange."
Hearing Aoko's familiar and cloudless voice, Kaito's tense nerves relaxed for a split second, but what followed was even deeper worry. He tried to make his voice sound more normal, but he couldn't completely hide his anxiety:
"Aoko... are, are you okay?" he asked urgently, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling.
"Me? I'm fine? I just finished my homework and was getting ready for bed. What's wrong, Kaito? You sound like you're really nervous?" Aoko asked back with concern.
"No, it's nothing..." Kaito swallowed hard, weighing his words as he tested the waters cautiously: "Um... Aoko, do you... do you know someone named... Kanjuro?"
"Kanjuro?" Aoko's tone was full of confusion, clearly having no impression of the name. "I don't know him? Who is he? A transfer student at our school? Or a new friend of yours?"
Hearing Aoko's straightforward denial, Kaito didn't feel relieved; instead, his heart grew even heavier. Aoko didn't know Kanjuro, which meant Kanjuro had noticed Aoko from the shadows! This feeling of the unknown, of being watched from the dark, was even more hair-raising!
"Kaito? What is really wrong with you? You're being so weird," Aoko pressed, her voice carrying a teenage girl's characteristic sharp intuition and worry. "Did you run into some trouble? You're just like Dad, being all mysterious lately!"
(She was referring to Inspector Nakamori also being overwhelmed by the matters concerning Kanjuro and Kid, though she didn't know the details.)
"No! Nothing! I'm fine!" Kaito quickly denied, his voice involuntarily rising. "I just... just happened to hear the name and asked on a whim! You... you must be careful lately! Go straight home after school, don't linger outside, and absolutely do not talk to strangers if they approach you! Do you hear me!"
He rattled off his instructions rapidly, the tension and concern in his tone almost overflowing.
Aoko on the other end of the line seemed dazed by his string of words. After a few seconds of silence, she said with a bit of reproach and confusion: "Kaito, you're really strange today! Have you been reading too many detective novels? Fine, fine, I get it! I'll be careful! You too, stop always thinking about those weird magic tricks and pranks, and get some rest early!"
Listening to Aoko's tone—completely oblivious to the situation and even carrying a hint of complaint about his usual "unproductive" behavior—Kaito's heart was a whirlpool of emotions. He was both glad that Aoko was still unaware of the impending danger and felt a deep sense of helplessness and fear for her innocence.
"Yeah... I know. Then go to sleep early, Aoko," Kaito said, using all his strength to make his voice sound calmer.
"Got it, goodnight, Kaito!"
"Goodnight..."
The call ended.
Listening to the dial tone from the receiver, Kaito let his hand drop powerlessly. The phone slipped from his palm and fell onto the cold concrete ground with a crisp thud.
He leaned against the water tower and slowly sat down, burying his face deep into his knees.
The moonlight spilled down, illuminating his slightly trembling shoulders and the scattered white gear belonging to Kaitou Kid.
He had obtained the legendary heart of the ocean and completed a seemingly impossible task, yet he felt like he had lost everything. An unprecedented sense of powerlessness and a massive sense of crisis, like a cold spiderweb, tightly entangled him.
Kanjuro... was like an inescapable nightmare. Not only had he seen through his identity, but he had also stretched his demonic claws toward the person Kaito most wanted to protect.
What should he do?
For the first time under the moonlight, the white phantom thief felt a bone-chilling cold and aimlessness. Meanwhile, far away at the Suzuki Mansion, Kanjuro was perhaps savoring the sweet fruit named "fear" that he had sown with his own hands, looking forward to the next, more interesting "hunt."
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