Conan: I'm Really Not Tokyo Ghost Story

"...Hey, boss, working again?"

"Yeah, a temporary worker, I'll only be working until the exhibition ends."

Amuro Tooru explained with a smile... the implication being that even if Sano did something that caused him to lose his job, he wouldn't care.

Tsk, don't make it sound like all you do all day is cause the other person to lose their job, okay?

Sano mentally scoffed, but what bothered him even more was... this guy had even worked his way up from Tokyo to Osaka for part-time jobs.

Isn't that a bit too suspicious?

Sano squinted at Amuro Tooru, seriously suspecting that the other man's motives were impure.

If we really had to find a reason, it seems like we could.

Black Death.

Yesterday, Kokushi appeared in Osaka, and today Amuro Tooru followed.

If that's the case, then it makes perfect sense.

However, Sano did not investigate this further.

Compared to Amuro Tooru, Sano has more pressing matters to attend to.

So after exchanging only a few pleasantries, Sano and Amuro parted ways.

Then soon, night fell.

At the top of Tsutenkaku Tower in Osaka Castle, a white figure was lewdly... leering at the buildings below.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the show is about to begin."

Kaito Kuroba pressed the remote control in his hand, and countless fireworks immediately rose into the sky, exploding in brilliant colors in the night sky, attracting the attention of countless people.

...This kid, he doesn't even have an audience, yet he's still putting on such a show...or is it precisely because he has no audience that he's engaging in such shameless behavior?

Sano, who had just arrived at Tsutenkaku via the transmitter, muttered a complaint to himself before taking out his phone, composing a text message, and sending it to Suzuki Shiro.

Then he shook his sleeves, and the hammer of justice slid into his palm.

Sano stealthily crept up behind Kuroba Kaito and smacked him on the back of the head with a hammer.

"Um!?"

Kaito Kuroba sensed something was wrong and instinctively dodged the hammer by tilting his head, but he was still hit on the shoulder. He grimaced and quickly backed away.

That familiar hammer...

When I looked up again, my black coat billowed in the wind, and a familiar figure carrying a hammer came into view.

"Sano Shinichiro..."

Kaito Kuroba recognized Sano immediately and uttered the name through gritted teeth.

After all, in their last and first meeting, the other party had left a very deep impression on Kaito Kuroba.

...So much so that just seeing that hammer now makes Kaito Kuroba feel a chill down his spine.

It was a truly shameful and terrifying nightmare.

Kaito Kuroba shivered slightly.

Sano also joined the joint operation, which Kaito Kuroba naturally knew. However, because the white doves he sent out to eavesdrop had not returned any information, he assumed that the other party had not deciphered the notice he left behind.

...Unexpectedly, the problem was solved, but I didn't tell the police and ran over myself.

"You truly are impressive, but isn't it a bit much to be so ambitious, arrogant, and conceited?"

Kaito Kuroba grinned and pressed another remote control. Sano faintly heard an explosion, and then the entire Osaka Castle was plunged into darkness in an instant.

...Sano had no idea what Kuroba Kaito was thinking. If he did, he would probably roll his eyes at him.

The reason Sano arrived at Tsutenkaku at the last minute was because of the constantly shifting transmitter's location, which finally stopped at Tsutenkaku.

If Sano had known Kaito Kuroba's whereabouts in advance, he would never have come alone. He would have laid a trap long ago, waiting for Kaito to fall into his trap.

After all, if we really have to compare, although Sano knows the true identity of Kaito Kid but not Scorpion's, the kid's disguise skills are really too troublesome, so if possible, he should be dealt with first.

Otherwise, Sano wouldn't have made a special trip here.

"...You blew up the power plant?"

Looking down at the dimly lit Osaka Castle, Sano asked Kaito Kuroba.

“That’s right. I knew all along that the real Egg of Memories had been switched, so I came up with this method to help me pinpoint the location of the real one.”

While keeping a close watch on Sano, Kaito Kuroba took out his binoculars to observe him, and even began to explain his plan.

...The general idea is that if there is a power outage, the only places that can automatically generate electricity are particularly important buildings.

For example, hospitals and luxury hotels, and... the place where the police officers hid the real Egg of Memories.

"found it."

Taking advantage of the moment when Kuroba Kaito relaxed his guard after discovering the target location, Sano quickly closed in and launched another series of attacks.

Despite Kaito Kuroba's quick reflexes and agility, managing to dodge most of the hammers, he still looked somewhat disheveled.

"Ha, a futile effort..."

After creating a safe distance, Kaito Kuroba was about to taunt them and then pull up his hang glider to escape using his aerial advantage when Sano's words made him freeze.

Do you know how many people you're going to kill?

"……what?"

Sano pointed downwards with his left hand: "I can't even be bothered to mention the economic losses caused by the power outage."

"A sudden power outage will inevitably frighten many people. If someone is engaging in dangerous behavior, they may be injured or even killed. Don't assume that the definition of dangerous behavior has a high ceiling; driving, surgery, or even climbing stairs all count."

"Car accidents, surgical malfunctions, falling from a height—to put it more dramatically, it's not impossible for elderly people or patients with heart conditions to be scared to death."

"Tell me now, what exactly do you value human life for?!"

Sano's speech gradually quickened, and his volume also gradually increased. After a series of accusations, every word was like a sharp arrow, piercing Kuroba Kaito's heart.

...because it seems that Kaito Kuroba really hasn't considered this aspect.

If what they say is true, then my sins would be enormous...

Kaito Kuroba's face turned deathly pale instantly, and his mind went completely blank.

Ha, so young, they've already taken the bait.

Seeing Kaito Kuroba's reaction, Sano knew perfectly well that the other was frightened. He couldn't help but smile slightly and then pressed closer to him again.

This time, Kaito Kuroba was only dodging and blocking on instinct. Even after he realized what was happening, he began to hesitate, wondering if he should surrender and be taken away by Sano to take on his responsibilities.

It wasn't until he heard his teammate's voice through his earphones that Kaito Kuroba realized he had been fooled.

"Young Master Kaito, don't listen to that guy's nonsense. I had already done the calculations before this plan even started. A large amount of fireworks can attract people's attention in advance, so they won't be scared by the power outage. The brightness brought by the fireworks is not low, and darkness won't come in an instant. Economic losses may be unavoidable, but deaths are absolutely impossible!"

...I see. In that case, it seems that the phenomenon Sano mentioned will indeed not occur.

So Sano just exaggerated the facts and intimidated me in order to take advantage of the situation?

Kaito Kuroba, who was being forced back by Sano's punches, gritted his teeth.

Is this guy some kind of devil?!

How can someone say such terrifying things so easily?

Don't you know that scaring someone can be deadly?!

Chapter 266, Kaito Kuroba: The Kidneys Exploded

"I'm not playing with you anymore. See you next time, Detective!"

Kaito Kuroba was eager to have another good match with Sano and get revenge for the loss he had just suffered.

However, the situation did not allow Kaito Kuroba to get entangled with Sano any longer, otherwise if Inspector Nakamori realized something was wrong, he would quickly transfer the Egg of Memories again.

In that case, all your hard work will have been for nothing, all those blows you took will have been for nothing, and all that fright will have been for nothing!

Kaito Kuroba quickly retreated, leaped off the Tsutenkaku Tower, deployed his hang glider, and flew towards his target location.

Seeing this, Sano could only regretfully put away his hammer.

...So it still doesn't work after all. Well, after all, even if you use the Hammer of Justice to launch a sneak attack or gain the upper hand with words, the opponent is still Kaito Kid in the end.

It's okay, it's not a big problem.

Sano, with one hand in his pocket and the other lighting a cigarette, watched the white figure disappear into the distance above the city, a smile playing on his lips once more.

Hopefully, when this kid discovers that there are even more advanced "monsters" waiting for him at the target location, he won't regret leaving here, and he won't blame me for not warning him, because he's the one who went there willingly.

Meanwhile, in the warehouse where Officer Nakamori hid the transferred Egg of Memories.

Officer Nakamori had just instructed his two trusted subordinates to turn on the automatic generator they had brought, causing the lights in the warehouse to turn on again.

"Why did the power suddenly go out out of nowhere..."

Officer Nakamori muttered something in confusion, then his phone rang. He took it out and glanced at it, his expression immediately changing drastically.

"Oh no, that Kidd guy..."

Before Officer Nakamori could instinctively explain or give any instructions, a white figure had already rushed in through the window.

Good evening, Officer Nakamori!

Kaito Kuroba fired two tranquilizer darts, knocking the two unconscious. Just as he was about to finish off Inspector Nakamori, a dark figure pounced in.

Good evening, Mr. Thief!

"What!?"

Before Officer Nakamori's drastically changed expression had faded, the white figure and the black figure were already locked in combat.

...Strictly speaking, it should be said that it was only Kaito Kuroba who was being beaten.

Firstly, Kaito Kuroba was caught off guard and lost the initiative; secondly...

The difference in combat strength between the two sides seems to have been quite significant to begin with.

The tranquilizer gun in his hand was kicked away, and the fist coming towards him changed direction as Kuroba Kaito tilted his head, finally hitting his side of the face. Before he could even pull out a flashbang, his other hand was already clamped by the other party, and his panicked retreating steps were hooked by a foot that suddenly stretched out.