"How do you plan to set the trap?"
"We'll station some of the best-trained officers in plain clothes so they can rush onto the rooftop at a moment's notice. When the time comes, I'll go up there alone. You may not know this, but if I'm holding a sword, there isn't a single person on Earth who can defeat me."
"I've heard your swordsmanship is extraordinary. But can you really handle it alone?"
"I can. Still, since he may try to escape, police support will be essential to block off all possible routes."
Chairman Shiro thought it over for a moment, then finally agreed and personally requested the police's cooperation.
"Jin, the police want to see your swordsmanship. Will that be possible?"
"Of course."
Together with the chairman, we went to meet Inspector Chaki of the Metropolitan Police Department's Second Investigations Division.
"So you're Onmyoji Jin. We can't simply hand an international criminal over to a civilian. However, considering that you deciphered the meaning of the calling card, and that Chairman Suzuki himself has requested it, I'm willing to give you a chance."
The police had set up a mannequin dressed in a tactical helmet, riot gear, and a shield used by the special assault team.
"Show us something convincing."
"Understood."
I walked toward the mannequin.
Everyone around me stepped back and watched in silence.
I could have simply drawn my sword-cane and reduced the armor to dust, but that felt like it would lack style. Instead, I slowly assumed my stance and gently placed a hand on the hilt.
At once, the atmosphere grew tense. I could hear people swallowing nervously.
"Hah!"
Shushushushuk!
Click.
With a sharp kiai, I slashed the armored suit in an instant, sheathed my blade, and casually turned around to stroll back to my group.
"W-What exactly did you do? The armor looks perfectly fi—"
Thunk. Thududud!
"No! That's impossible!"
The seemingly untouched suit split apart a moment later, collapsing to the floor in countless pieces.
Each fragment had been cut into perfectly clean squares.
Murmurs erupted throughout the room.
"What?! Is that even possible?"
"I only saw a flash."
"I thought that kind of thing only happened in manga."
I looked at Inspector Chaki.
"Do you believe me now? If I'm holding a sword, there is no one on this planet who can stand against me."
"I-I see… I admit it."
Our group was just as stunned.
"Wow! I knew you were good with a sword, Jin, but not this good… Amazing!"
"Have you fallen for me, milady?"
At my teasing, Ran blushed.
"Oh, Jin…"
Sonoko and Chairman Shiro approached with astonished expressions.
"That was incredible, Jin!"
"In all my life, I've never seen swordsmanship like that. It was practically divine. We're counting on you."
"I understand."
With the police now fully cooperative, plainclothes officers were stationed around the hotel and on the top floor just beneath the roof.
Three helicopters were also assigned in case Kaito Kid tried to escape by air.
The remaining officers were left at the museum to guard the jewels.
Conan and the others had come along as well. Sonoko insisted she had to see the phantom thief's face, so everyone waited together on the top floor until the appointed time.
Yawn…
Conan kept yawning, probably because he'd stayed up all night deciphering the calling card.
Seeing this, Ran spoke to him.
"Conan, if you're tired, go rest in the room the police prepared. I'll come get you when it's over."
"Ran's right," I added. "If kids your age stay up too late, they won't grow."
Conan bristled.
"I can take care of myself! And I want to see the phantom thief too."
"Alright, alright."
I glanced over and saw Kogoro and Sonoko fast asleep in their chairs, even drooling.
If they were just going to sleep, why had they come at all?
We passed the time playing cards, and when midnight struck, Inspector Chaki came over.
"Jin, it's time. And this…"
He handed me a small device with a large button.
"When Kaito Kid appears, press this button. The officers on standby will rush to the rooftop and support you. And one more thing — if a confrontation occurs, try to capture him alive. It will be troublesome if he dies."
Having seen my swordsmanship, Inspector Chaki was clearly worried that I might kill the thief.
It was a reasonable concern. Letting a civilian — especially a minor — handle this was already highly irregular. If it ended in death, the fallout would be severe.
"Understood."
I headed up to the rooftop.
There were still twenty minutes left, so I leisurely admired the night view while I waited.
When the time came, my Observation Haki,, detected something flying toward me from afar.[Kenbunshoku]
It was probably Kaito Kid riding a compact hang glider.
I made no move and continued gazing at the city lights.
A moment later, I heard him land on the rooftop.
"This makes twice in one day, doesn't it?"
"You knew?"
"Of course. I saw you disguised as a police officer at the museum. Disguises don't work on me, Kaito Kid."
With [Mystic Eyes], even true shapeshifting might not fool me, much less a simple disguise.
"Wow, looks like I've run into a formidable opponent. Onmyoji Jin."
"How about retiring from theft?"
Kaito Kid chuckled.
"No thanks. Why should I?"
I decided to explain reality to him.
"You steal jewels from the Suzuki Group for amusement, but if you succeed, the company's stock price will plummet because investors will see them as incapable of protecting their assets.
The Suzuki Group also does extensive charity work and operates scholarship funds.
If you steal the Black Star, people could lose their jobs, and those in need may go hungry or lose access to education.
Have you ever thought about that?"
That was the truth.
The Suzuki Group made enormous profits, but they were also a company that contributed a great deal to society.
"..."
As expected, he'd never considered any of that.
He had probably just inherited his father's love of tricks and magic and wanted to follow in the footsteps of a gentleman thief.
"The fact that you can't answer tells me everything. You're nothing but a common criminal."
"I…"
"You what?"
"..."
Again, he said nothing.
"You seem to be around my age, so I'll ask one more time. Will you give up being a thief?"
Kaito Kid fell silent in thought.
Not because he was considering abandoning theft, but because he was thinking about the people who would suffer because of his actions.
"I'm sorry, but I can't give up being Kaito Kid."
"I see… Then."
I pretended to invoke an Onmyoji spell.
At once, Kaito Kid slammed face-first onto the rooftop, unable to move.
Crash!
"Gah!"
I walked over and looked down at him.
"Urgh… What did you do?"
"I placed a curse on you that increases your weight. I could make it even heavier, but you might die. I cast it earlier when you were wandering around disguised as a police officer."
In truth, I was using the power of the [Zushi Zushi no Mi] to pin him down with gravity.
"S-So that's…"
Kaito Kid struggled to retrieve something from his wrist, but I immediately kicked his hand away.
Then I took out a red rope and quickly tied him up in a tight tortoise-shell bondage that he could never escape from.
Honestly, I'd wanted to try this knot at least once.
It was a shame the target wasn't a woman, but there would be other opportunities.
"Too easy. You really are just a petty thief."
"Damn it! What kind of perverted bondage is this?!"
"Sorry. I've always wanted to try tying someone up like this, but I never had the chance. Good practice, though."
"You bastard!"
Kaito Kid writhed furiously on the ground.
If he kept squirming like that, his rear was going to hurt.
I pressed the button Inspector Chaki had given me.
Almost immediately, the helicopters took off and officers stormed onto the roof.
"Oh! You caught Kaito Kid! Excellent work, Jin. But… is that tortoise-shell bondage?"
"Haha, yes. I wanted to humiliate him a little."
"Ah, I see. Well done! That's exactly what someone like him deserves. Hahaha!"
My flimsy excuse was enough. Inspector Chaki merely laughed.
Ran and Conan arrived as well, but the moment they saw Kaito Kid flopping around in tortoise-shell bondage, they wore expressions that said they had witnessed something they could never unsee and quietly turned around.
"I think I'll get some rest now. I'll leave the rest to you."
"On behalf of the police, thank you. Sleep well."
I went downstairs to where Ran and Conan were waiting.
"Good grief… So the phantom thief was that kind of person…"
"Disappointed, Conan?"
"Yeah. He sent such complicated calling cards that I expected something amazing. I'm just going home to sleep."
We tried to wake Kogoro and Sonoko so we could return home, but they were impossible to rouse.
Since it was already late, Ran and Conan decided to stay the night at the hotel.
We rented two rooms and split up by gender.
The next morning, we were eating breakfast in the hotel restaurant when Sonoko glared at us with a pout.
"Ugh… You should have woken me up! Do you know how badly I wanted to see Kaito Kid?"
"We tried, but you wouldn't wake up…"
"I was a fan, you know."
"Well… if you'd seen him, you might have been disappointed."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Sonoko kept pestering Ran, but Ran refused to explain.
After breakfast, we were preparing to head home when a police officer rushed over.
"Jin! Detective Mouri! Kaito Kid has escaped!"
"What? How?"
"Well…"
According to the officer, when the police untied Kaito Kid so they could place him in the patrol car, he immediately threw a flash grenade and vanished.
"Did you at least confirm his identity?"
"We were going to do that at the station… We're very sorry."
The police in the Conan world were truly incompetent.
No wonder criminal organizations ran rampant.
"Inspector Chaki asked me to apologize. We'll cover your hotel expenses as compensation."
"I see… Understood."
At the news that Kaito Kid had escaped, Sonoko actually looked delighted.
Watching her rejoice over the escape of the man who had tried to steal her family's treasure, I was reminded once again that women were impossible to understand.
Two days later, Sonoko approached me at school with an excited grin and showed me another calling card from Kaito Kid.
Apparently Chairman Shiro hadn't torn this one up.
"Jin! Look! Another calling card!"
"Really?"
I will come to claim the true Black Star aboard the Queen Elizabeth, departing from Yokohama Harbor.
—Kaito Kid
"No riddle this time."
"Right. And Dad asked you and Detective Mouri to handle it again."
"I see."
Even after everything I'd told him, he still intended to steal the Black Star.
Either he was hopelessly stubborn, or he was using the jewel as an excuse to get revenge on me.
"There's also going to be a party on the ship, so make sure you dress properly."
In other words, formal attire was required.
I noticed Ran looking troubled and carefully broached the subject.
"Ran, do you have a dress?"
Ran seemed to understand what I was asking and answered softly.
"My mom did buy me one, but it's pretty old… I'm not sure it still fits."
As I'd expected, Kogoro probably hadn't paid attention to things like that.
That meant the dress she wore in the original story was likely borrowed from Sonoko.
"Then I'll buy you one. Let's go shopping after school."
"Eh… You really don't have to…"
Ran looked hesitant.
"Don't worry. I was planning to get you something anyway. Chairman Suzuki gave me a generous reward for the last job. We can go shopping and have a nice meal afterward."
"But that's money you earned…"
Sonoko immediately jumped in to help.
"Oh, come on. You two are practically family already. I'll come too and help pick one out."
We were keeping our relationship secret because I was a public figure and Ran was shy, but Sonoko was the one person who knew.
She understood our situation and agreed to keep it confidential.
After class, we headed to a dress boutique.
"Wow… This is a famous luxury store, even in Europe…"
"It's fine. Why worry when your boyfriend is rich? Come on."
Sonoko grabbed Ran by the arm and dragged her inside.
Bringing Sonoko along had definitely been the right choice.
I'd been wondering how to convince Ran, but Sonoko had solved the problem for me.
Somehow, it seemed like Sonoko was enjoying this more than anyone else.
Because the Suzuki family were regular customers, the staff and owner welcomed us warmly and helped us select dresses.
"Ran is still a student, so please choose something elegant rather than too revealing."
"Wow. For a second, Sonoko actually looks like a proper heiress."
"Seriously. She's so down-to-earth that if someone told me she was the daughter of a carpenter, I'd believe it."
Sonoko exploded.
"What did you say?! Hey!"
"Ah, there's the Sonoko we know."
"Yep, she's back."
At our remarks, Sonoko slumped dramatically.
"Why is that my image at school? Ugh…"
Soon, the sales associates brought over several dresses.
Ran emerged one by one, trying them on.
For fun, we decided to rate each dress out of ten.
"How about this one?"
"Hmm… Seven points."
"Jin keeps giving high scores, but I'd say five."
"Really? I'll try the next one."
Ran changed again.
"Oh! Nine points!"
"I like this one too. Eight."
After trying on so many dresses, Ran was beginning to look exhausted.
"Guys, can't we just buy this one?"
"No way!" Sonoko declared firmly. "There are still more. Go change!"
Ran sighed and returned to the fitting room.
"What about this?"
"Hmm… Not quite. Three points."
"Zero points! Next!"
Yep, Sonoko was definitely enjoying herself.
After several more changes, Ran stepped out wearing another dress.
"Wow! Ten points!"
"Oh, this one gets a nine from me."
It was a deep blue dress with white accents.
The design wasn't overly revealing and had a youthful elegance that suited Ran perfectly.
"I don't think we'll find anything better than this," I said. "What do you think, Ran? Do you like it?"
Ran examined herself in the full-length mirror, checking the dress from every angle.
Then she smiled.
"I like it too."
"Then that's the one."
Once the decision was made, the staff took Ran's measurements and promised to alter the dress and deliver it to her home.
While they were busy, I quickly paid.
I knew Ran would feel burdened if she saw the price.
It was expensive, but still far cheaper than the dress I'd bought Natasha in Manhattan.
When we left the boutique, it was already nearing evening.
On the way home, we ate ice cream cones that Ran insisted on treating us to.
"Ah, today was fun."
Sonoko looked thoroughly satisfied.
"Ugh… I'm exhausted."
"But we found the perfect dress."
"That's true."
Everyone seemed tired, so we decided to walk Ran home first.
Then I would return to my house, get my bike, and take Sonoko home.
"See you tomorrow, everyone. And thanks for the dress, Jin."
After dropping Ran off, I took Sonoko home on my motorcycle.
As we approached the house, we heard laughter coming from inside.
"Hm? What's going on?"
"Sounds like something good happened."
"Really? I wonder what."
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Jin, it's getting dark. Why don't you stay for dinner? My family already knows about us, so it's fine."
"Really? In that case, thanks."
The household staff had likely gone home by now, and I didn't feel like cooking for myself, so I gladly accepted.
When we entered, Sonoko's older sister Ayako was there with her boyfriend.
"Oh, Jin! Welcome."
"Good evening, Chairman."
"You were right, as always. Ayako brought her boyfriend home."
"I see. That explains the laughter."
Ayako's boyfriend stepped forward and introduced himself.
"It's a pleasure. My name is Tomizawa Yuzo. I've heard a lot about you."
"Likewise. I'm Onmyoji Jin."
As we chatted, the conversation turned to my Onmyoji arts.
"Then spiritual beings really do exist?"
"Of course."
Sonoko chimed in.
"Jin is already famous, you know. His divinations are never wrong."
"I suppose that's true."
"Since the topic came up, how about I read Mr. Tomizawa's fortune?"
"Oh, that sounds entertaining."
Chairman Shiro was instantly intrigued.
I sat across from Yuzo and pretended to perform a divination while reading his memories.
"Hmm… You work extensively with your hands, and I see many colors around you. You're a painter."
"How did you know that?"
"And you're a sincere and kind man. You and Ayako are a perfect match. Without a doubt, the two of you are destined to become husband and wife."
My words brightened the expressions of Sonoko's family.
Ayako, embarrassed, covered her face with both hands.
"Hahaha! This is a wonderful day. Since you read his fortune, let me—"
Chairman Shiro tried to offer me money, but I declined.
"Dinner is more than enough."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
Then Sonoko's mother, Tomoko Suzuki, smiled.
"In that case, it's been a while since I've had a chance to show off my cooking."
That night, I ate until I was stuffed before heading home.
The Suzuki family really were good people.