As Expected of You

"Amazing..." Tang Ze exclaimed, marveling at the giant photo on the front page.

Tooru Amuro leaned in to look at the newspaper Tang Ze was holding, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Amazing what? You're not talking about the Phantom Thief, are you?"

"No, I'm talking about the reporters," Tang Ze said, pointing at the photo. "How did they even get a shot like this? It's incredible."

Today's front page headline was a ridiculously sensationalist, variety-show-style title: "Phantom Thief vs. Phantom Thief! The Ultimate Showdown Under the Moon! Could it be... the one who stopped Kid's crime?!"

Below the headline was a photo that took up half the page. At the center was a crescent moon hanging high in the sky, with the white-clad Kaito Kid and the black-clad Joker facing each other, one on the left and the other on the right. In the background, the Beika Museum was surrounded by spotlights from helicopters. The angle was perfect, the composition meticulous, and the image was full of tension—a true masterpiece.

The problem was, he hadn't noticed any of this at the scene!

Where on earth did they take this photo? You people in Beika Town, are all your reporters the type to rip open their shirts to reveal an 'S', flying through the air to get their shots?

The main article was even more substantial. It not only interviewed Ginzō Nakamori, who had failed to capture the thief yet again, but it also somehow obtained exclusive, firsthand information. Not only did they get the content of Kid's latest preview letter, but they also learned about the codename "Joker" that Tang Ze had mentioned last night.

The writer even boldly suggested in the article that the one who stopped Kid's original theft plan was likely Joker, who had suddenly appeared, had been active in Tokyo for days, and was suspected to be a member of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, dedicated to eradicating evil!

Tang Ze: "..." I really thank your ancestors eight generations back on behalf of Joker.

Compared to the astonished parties involved, Tooru Amuro seemed unfazed. He propped his chin on his hand and looked at the photo for a while before casually remarking, "Looking at the angle, it might have been taken from Tokyo Tower with a telephoto lens, or perhaps the media rented a helicopter. It's quite normal; many media outlets in Tokyo have sharp senses and will risk their lives for a scoop."

Tang Ze looked at the photo with a strange expression, then at Tooru Amuro. Did you call this normal? Either he or this world had a problem.

"What's this 'Phantom Thief of Hearts' or whatever? Another weirdo," Tooru Amuro frowned unhappily, staring at the black-clad figure with a fluttering red scarf on the right side of the image. "'Eradicating evil'? Is this some kind of superhero game of make-believe?"

And it just had to be red, how annoying.

"What, Mr. Amuro, you don't like him?" Tang Ze asked curiously.

"It's not about liking or disliking him," Tooru Amuro shifted his gaze away from the vibrant scarf. Although the newspaper's front page was in color, the photo itself was largely black and white, making that single splash of color incredibly jarring. "I just think, a society that needs masked vigilantes to eradicate evil seems a bit hopeless."

"What, the Phantom Thief of Hearts, is he related to 'them'?" Tang Ze, sensing his apprehension, which went beyond the usual wariness towards a vigilante using unknown means, quickly realized.

At this point, Tang Ze and Tooru Amuro were maintaining their cover as individuals coerced by the Organization who were helping each other, in a guardian-and-ward relationship. Since Tooru Amuro hadn't revealed the details to him, Tang Ze could only refer to the Organization as "them."

Mentioning this, Tooru Amuro's expression turned grim. The advantage of his new persona was that he could vent his dissatisfaction and resentment towards the Organization without restraint. "It's not clear yet, but their current mastery of mind control, hypnosis, and similar techniques does indeed possess the ability to make people repent overnight. Besides them, who have access to related technology through your parents' research, it's difficult for others to achieve the same effect."

You know, his intuition was really spot on.

The Phantom Thief of Hearts and the Tang Ze couple's research were indeed on the same track.

"Let's not jump to conclusions yet. At least he's helping people right now, and that's a good thing," Tang Ze said, smoothing things over with a couple of platitudes before changing the subject. "Classmate Suzuki invited me to a banquet on the Queen Elizabeth. Can I go?"

Tooru Amuro cut to the chase: "Is that the cruise ship mentioned in Kaitou Kid's second preview letter?"

"Uh, yes, that's the one. I just want to go have some fun, please," Tang Ze clasped his hands together, putting on a pitiful expression. "This is the first invitation I've received since transferring here."

Tooru Amuro had a feeling the kid was up to something again.

However, he had been keeping a close eye on Tang Ze these past few days. It wasn't strange for Tang Ze to want an opportunity to let off some steam...

So, Tooru Amuro put his hands on his hips and said with a smile, "Sure." Before Tang Ze could show his joy, he added, "I'm sure Miss Suzuki wouldn't mind adding one more person to the guest list, right?"

"So that's how it is," Tang Ze said, spreading his hands helplessly at Conan, dressed in a formal suit.

Conan looked speechlessly at Tooru Amuro, who was smiling and chatting with people behind Tang Ze, his mouth twitching. "What a terrifying guardian."

Having been raised with little supervision by Yusaku Kudo and Yukiko Kudo, he had been brave since childhood. If he had been disciplined a few more times, he wouldn't have developed his current personality.

"He's just worried I'll get into trouble again. I'm about to undergo my first regular check-up, and causing a major incident at a time like this wouldn't be good. He won't follow me every step of the way, so let him be," Tang Ze was very open-minded. After all, if he really intended to slip away and cause trouble, Tooru Amuro wouldn't be able to stop him. "More importantly, I saw you in the news!"

"What news?"

"That 'Phantom Thief vs. Phantom Thief' thing."

"...They still remembered to include me? I thought no one even noticed me," Conan's head hurt thinking about the sensationalist text on the front page. "I was there to help the police catch Kaitou Kid, but the report made it sound like the police and I didn't even exist."

"So you really saw him? Kaitou Kid, and that Joker."

"Yeah."

"What did you think?"

Conan was silent for a moment. The leisurely and arrogant descriptions of Kaitou Kid as an "artist" and "critic" floated through his mind, and he clenched his fist indignantly. "Arrogant guy. Both of them."

"Oh, looks like you were underestimated," Tang Ze clicked his tongue a couple of times.

Conan snorted and added, "The newspaper didn't seem to mention it, but they didn't just exchange a few blows back then; they actually made a challenge to each other."

And they had arrogantly declared that they needed a "critic" to act as a judge.

"They'll both be here tonight. Since they agreed to a showdown, these guys who love throwing out preview letters won't break their word," Conan's eyes were bright and sharp, revealing that classic confident smile. "I'll let them know I'm not some insignificant nobody. I will definitely catch them."

"Then good luck, 'Heisei's Sherlock Holmes'," Tang Ze expressed his admiration for his fighting spirit and offered a sympathetic round of applause for his doomed endeavor.