Worthy of You

"Impressive..." Tangze sighed at the huge front-page photograph.

Tooru Amuro leaned over to look at the newspaper in his hands, narrowing his eyes warily. "What's impressive? Don't tell me you mean the Phantom Thief."

"No, I mean the reporters." Tangze pointed at the photo. "How did they manage to take a picture like this? That's amazing."

Today's front-page headline read, "Phantom Thief VS. Phantom Thief! The Ultimate Showdown Under the Moon! Could the One Who Stopped Kaito Kid's Crime Be...?!"

Below the headline was a photograph taking up half the page. A crescent moon hung high in the center, with Kaito Kid in white and Joker in black facing each other on either side. Behind them stood Beika Museum, ringed by helicopter searchlights. The angle was perfect, the composition exquisite, and the image brimming with tension—a genuine masterpiece.

The problem was, he had not noticed anyone taking it at the scene!

Where on earth had they taken this from? Were all Beika Town reporters secretly ripping open their shirts to reveal an S underneath, then flying through the air to get their shots?

The article itself was even more astonishing. Not only had they interviewed Ginzō Nakamori, who had failed yet again to capture Kaito Kid, but they had somehow acquired firsthand information. They had obtained the contents of Kaito Kid's new calling card and even learned the codename Tangze had used the previous night: "Joker."

The author even boldly suggested that the one who had made Kaito Kid abandon his original theft plan was likely Joker, a member of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts—a group that had suddenly appeared, been active in Tokyo for days, and was suspected of dedicating itself to eradicating evil.

Tangze: "..." I'd like to thank Joker's ancestors for eight generations.

Unlike the stunned person involved, Tooru Amuro was unsurprised. He rested his chin on a hand and studied the photo for a moment before casually commenting, "Judging by the angle, it might have been taken from Tokyo Tower with a telephoto lens. Or maybe the media rented a helicopter. It's pretty normal. Plenty of Tokyo media outlets have sharp noses and will risk their lives for a story."

Tangze looked oddly from the photograph to Tooru Amuro. You called that normal? Either he or this world had to be the one with a problem.

"And what kind of strange person is this 'Phantom Thief of Hearts'?" Tooru Amuro stared at the black-clad figure on the right side of the image, his red scarf billowing as he frowned unhappily. "'Eradicating evil'? Is he playing some kind of superhero make-believe game?"

And it had to be red. How irritating.

"What, Mr. Amuro? You don't like him?" Tangze grew curious.

"It's not a matter of liking him or not." Tooru Amuro moved his gaze away from that vivid scarf. Though the newspaper's front page was in color, the photograph itself was mostly black and white, making that streak of red particularly glaring. "I just think that if society needs masked vigilantes like this to eradicate evil, then it's probably beyond saving."

"What, does this Phantom Thief of Hearts have something to do with 'them'?" Tangze caught the wariness in his words. It went beyond the normal caution one might feel toward a righteous thief who used unknowable methods, and he quickly understood.

At present, Tangze and Tooru Amuro were maintaining the cover story that they were a guardian and ward, both coerced by the organization and helping each other. Since Tooru Amuro had never told him the details, he could only refer to them as "them."

At the mention of it, Tooru Amuro's expression darkened. This new layer of disguise he had acquired had one advantage: he could freely vent his dissatisfaction and hatred toward the organization. "We don't know yet. But the brainwashing and hypnosis techniques 'they' possess do have the ability to make someone repent overnight like this. Apart from them, who have mastered related technology through your parents' research, it would be difficult for anyone else to achieve the same effect."

Well, his intuition was spot-on.

The Phantom Thieves of Hearts and the Tang Ze couple's research really did come from the same line of work.

"Let's not jump to conclusions yet. At least for now, he really is helping people, and that's a good thing." Tangze smoothed things over and changed the subject. "Suzuki invited me to a party aboard the Queen Elizabeth. I can go, right?"

Tooru Amuro saw through him at once. "The cruise ship mentioned in Kaito Kid's second calling card?"

"Uh, yeah, that one. I just want to have some fun, please." Tangze pressed his palms together, looking pitiful. "It's the first time I've gotten an invitation like this since transferring schools."

Tooru Amuro had the distinct feeling that the boy was up to something again.

Still, he really had been keeping a close eye on Tangze these past few days. It was not strange for him to want a chance to blow off some steam...

So Tooru Amuro put his hands on his hips and smiled pleasantly. "Sure." Before Tangze could look happy, he added, "Miss Suzuki probably won't mind adding one more person to the guest list, will she?"

"So that's what happened." Dressed in formalwear, Tangze spread his hands helplessly at Conan.

Conan glanced speechlessly at Tooru Amuro, who stood behind Tangze with a broad smile, making small talk with others. The corner of his mouth twitched. "What a terrifying parent."

Having been raised with little restraint by Yusaku Kudo and Yukiko Kudo, he had been brave and reckless since childhood. If he had taken a few more beatings, he probably would not have developed his current personality.

"He's just worried I'll run into trouble again. I'm about to undergo my first regular review, so causing major news at a time like this wouldn't be good. It's not like he'll follow me every step of the way. Let him be." Tangze took it in stride. After all, if he really intended to slip away and cause trouble, Tooru Amuro could not stop him. "More importantly, I saw you in the news!"

"What news?"

"That 'Phantom Thief VS. Phantom Thief' one."

"...So they remembered to include me after all. I thought no one had even noticed me." Conan's head hurt whenever he thought of the exaggerated front-page article. "I was clearly there to help the police catch Kaito Kid, but the report made it sound like the officers and I didn't even exist."

"So you really saw them? Kaito Kid, and that Joker?"

"Yeah."

"What did you think?"

Conan fell silent for a moment. Kaito Kid's leisurely, arrogant descriptions of himself as an "artist" and "critic" drifted through his mind, and he clenched his fists indignantly. "Arrogant bastards. Both of them."

"Oh, sounds like they looked down on you." Tangze clicked his tongue twice.

Conan huffed, then continued, "The newspaper didn't seem to mention that the two of them didn't merely exchange a few blows. They actually arranged a duel."

They had even arrogantly declared that they needed a "critic" to judge and witness it.

"They'll both be here tonight. Since they agreed to a showdown, people who love sending calling cards like them won't break their promise." Conan's eyes shone sharply, and he wore that familiar confident smile. "I'll show them I'm no insignificant little fish. I'll definitely catch them."

"Then do your best, Heisei's Sherlock Holmes." Tangze admired his fighting spirit and offered sympathetic applause for his doomed endeavor.