Conan: I'm Really Not Tokyo Ghost Story

Seeing Shiho Miyano, who was startled and almost fell over, Sano was speechless.

Because the current situation is too uncertain, Sano can't just interfere, so he temporarily enters black cat mode and, based on the hotel's layout, prepares to sneak in through the fireplace chimney... I guess it's called a chimney.

Unexpectedly, he ran into Shiho Miyano.

However, Sano also heard the commotion outside the fireplace.

Will Gin really leave like this?

Sano glanced at the mission; it seemed unlikely.

The mission deadline is fast approaching, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, the moment Shiho Miyano leaves the chimney will be the crucial point of the mission.

Before Miyano Shiho could react, Sano used all four claws to quickly climb out of the chimney again.

After climbing out of the chimney first, Sano's eyes immediately locked onto two figures at the top of the rooftop stairs.

really.

Gin is planning to lie in wait here.

Ha, he could have done it down there, but he had to come up here. When did he become so wicked?

Where did your previous clean and efficient way of doing things go? Aren't you afraid of accidents happening?

Sano curled the corners of his lips. Even with him there, and even if Gin acted as cleanly and efficiently as ever, an accident was inevitable.

"Boom boom boom!"

Shiho Miyano slammed open the chimney lid, and the cold air and snow falling on her skin finally cleared her head a little.

"Ha, I didn't expect that I actually escaped alive."

Shiho Miyano murmured to herself, completely unaware that another gun was already pointed at her.

"Seriously? Two grown men bullying a defenseless girl, and they actually need to resort to sneak attacks?"

"No way, really?"

The sudden jeers startled the three people on the rooftop.

Then, almost simultaneously, the three of them turned their heads to look at the source of the sound.

What came into view was a black figure standing on the rooftop entrance.

Although it was already night and the other person's appearance was not clearly visible at first glance, the black outline appeared... quite distinct against the backdrop of falling snowflakes.

"Ah~ Gin."

"I'm so missing you so much!"

Chapter 233, Part 232: The Love-Hate Relationship Between Black Mask and Gin

A black... scarf, or perhaps something called a scarf, fluttered in the wind. Sano lowered his head slightly to look at Gin, and the Beast Eyes he had activated earlier lit up red. His muffled voice, however, contained an undisguised excitement.

As mentioned before, the helmet in the Kamen Rider design is a motorcycle helmet, but it doesn't have a visor that can be opened or closed like a regular motorcycle helmet, nor does it have a pair of big eyeballs like Kamen Rider.

There were just two... well, small eyeballs, about the size of normal eyes.

Like ordinary masks with two small holes for the eyes, Sano's hole has lenses, which usually look similar to gray plastic.

If you activate Beast Eyes under these circumstances, red light will seep out.

...Although Sano rarely uses this thing except for some experiments he conducted when he first obtained the Beast Eye enhancement item.

However, this does not mean that the Eye of the Beast is completely useless. After all, it is a B-grade enhancement item, and its boost to the aura attribute is as high as 100 points.

Furthermore, after acquiring the delinquent special attack suit and the Kamen Rider accessory, Sano felt that the value of 100 attributes seemed to represent a crucial threshold.

...Although it is not as outstanding as the previous two, this thing can indeed overwhelm some thugs with its sheer presence. Even some veterans with good mental fortitude will be affected to some extent.

Especially given the abrupt timing of Sano's appearance and the combined effect of his location and other factors, the pressure he exerts on the three below has reached its peak.

Even Gin was unable to react immediately due to his stiff body.

"Black, Black Mask!?"

In just a second or two, it was enough for the three of them to adjust to the blackness of Sano's body, which seemed to blend into the night sky, and the faint red light of the Beast Eye. Finally, they recognized this righteous messenger who was currently enjoying great popularity.

...Gin shouldn't have recognized him.

After all, as an outstanding employee, Gin has too many things to do every day and simply doesn't have the time to pay attention to gossip news, even headlines.

Gin only has the leisure to read the newspaper on very rare occasions.

However, thanks to a subordinate who often stirred up trouble behind the scenes without saying a word, Gin had to glance at the news reports every day to avoid missing any important information that he needed to know but didn't.

But that's not important.

The important thing is that an unexpected disruptor appeared in his plan!

This is the thing that Gin finds most intolerable.

On the other side, Shiho Miyano noticed Sano's black mask, but before she could think much about it, she immediately noticed the Gin duo below.

Panic instantly began to spread through my mind.

Gin really didn't leave...

"biubiu!"

Without another word, Gin raised his gun and fired three bullets at Sano.

As expected, Sano easily dodged the attack and then leaped down, pressing down on Gin from above.

This guy can actually dodge bullets?!

Gin was startled and was forced to retreat to dodge Sano's downward kick.

However, before Gin could adjust his state, Sano launched a quick attack, forcing him to dodge and block repeatedly, retreating one after another.

Such fast movements...

"Big, big brother!?"

By the time Vodka reacted and drew his gun to aim, Sano was already locked in combat with Gin, and with his marksmanship, he had no chance to fire.

After realizing what was happening, Shiho Miyano took the opportunity to find cover and hide temporarily, peeking out with half her head to observe the situation.

"What's going on, Ai!?"

Seemingly having heard the commotion, Professor Agasa's anxious question came through the glasses. Shiho Miyano, panting heavily, hesitated before replying, "Gin... they've found me, but that Black Mask suddenly joined in too... where's Kudo?"

"Shinichi just rushed into the restaurant again, it seems he discovered Pisco's identity... What, Pisco has already been arrested?"

Before Shiho Miyano could even think about why Conan ran into the hotel and handed the communicator to Professor Agasa instead of taking it with him, she heard Professor Agasa starting to rant and rave again.

It's likely that Professor Agasa is also in contact with Conan, which is why he can get information from the other side in a timely manner.

What the heck is Pisco being arrested?

What exactly is going on now? It feels like things are getting more and more chaotic.

With Pisco in trouble, Gin seems to have been counter-ganked as well; it feels almost like...

It's like someone set up a trap specifically for Gin and his group.

Shiho Miyano was startled, feeling both surprised and delighted by her own idea.

If that's the case, then it might be the work of a force confident enough to challenge the organization, and Black Mask might even be one of them.

Although this time, the other party may have only helped me by chance, if I could get in touch with them again and maintain a cooperative relationship in the future...

"What? Sano showed up at the restaurant, dragged Pisco out, and had Inspector Megure take him away?"

However, before Shiho Miyano could even finish her train of thought, she was interrupted again by Professor Agasa's voice.

...So it was Sano. Then it couldn't be what I thought.

Shiho Miyano sighed with some regret, then began to carefully observe the situation while informing Professor Agasa of the situation.

"It's been so long, your skills seem to have weakened, Gin."

While Shiho Miyano and Professor Agasa were exchanging information, Masashi Sano continued his offensive against Gin while spouting nonsense.

Long time no see?

Did this guy cross paths with me before?

Gin frowned. After about ten seconds of fighting, he gradually adapted and slowly turned the tide after being caught off guard by Sano's surprise attack.

They are no longer limited to defense and dodging; they have begun to counterattack and even have the capacity to think strategically.

...And what this guy said when he came out was also quite intriguing.

"What, are you one of my defeated opponents who came here specifically to find me?"

The two were locked in a fierce struggle on the rooftop when Gin asked a question, partly to gather information and partly to distract Sano.

"Ha, Lord Gin, you are too forgetful to remember someone as insignificant as me. You only need to know that I am where I am today thanks to you."

Sano casually added some details to his third persona, trying to divert the other party's attention from today's events and make it seem as if there were not too many coincidences.

It turned out they had met before, or even had a grudge.

...I just don't know if this guy's appearance here is a coincidence, or if there's any connection between him and Sherry.

Gin didn't deliberately try to recall when he had met the other person.

Firstly, there's too little information... Even if there were enough information, Gin doesn't think he could remember it all. Secondly, he doesn't have the time to daydream right now.

Vodka and Shiho Miyano, who were on the rooftop, naturally overheard the conversation between the two.

...So, there's an unspeakable past between Black Mask and Gin/his boss?

The two looked thoughtful, but what they were thinking about was hard to say.

What we can see right now is that Black Mask knows Gin, but Gin doesn't recognize Black Mask's true identity.

The two sides likely had a feud a long time ago, and at that time, Black Mask probably wasn't capable of fighting Gin.

So he stayed hidden in the shadows, developing his abilities stealthily until he felt he was strong enough. Only then did he begin to fight for justice while gathering information about Gin, preparing for his revenge.

It's truly a case of fortunes changing every thirty years; the king has returned, delivering the most exhilarating experience of the year...

Cough cough, coming to their senses, Sano and Gin were still fighting.