Conan: The Phantom Heart Thief

"Hirota Masami?" Gin paused as he lit his lighter, the cigarette still hanging unlit from his lips. He squinted at his phone. "Where did you hear that name, Kumail?"

"Hey, Gin-senpai, what kind of joke is this?" Akechi Goro chuckled on the other end. "No matter what name she's using... have you forgotten I've been in the organization for eight years?"

"You've met Miyano Akemi." Gin came to his senses, shook his head, and lit the cigarette. "So, you ran into her?"

"More than that." Gin could hear the clinking of metal—probably the boy toying with his butterfly knife again. "So she was the one who pulled off the billion-yen robbery?"

Gin frowned. Recognizing Miyano Akemi was one thing—but this information was another matter.

"Where did you see her?"

"In the detective agency right above me... the detective's daughter upstairs is a classmate of 'Karazawa Akira'. I get along pretty well with the neighbors." Akechi Goro explained casually, skimming past the detail about the agency. "As soon as I heard about her case, I had a feeling. What, is the organization so broke that we're making amateurs rob banks now?"

Yeah, we're short on cash—so could you two stop burning through the budget so fast?

Though he was tempted to throw that back in Goro Akechi's face, Gin stuck to the topic at hand. Even if he did bring that up, it wasn't like Bourbon or Kumail would suddenly become frugal. "The robbery itself doesn't matter. Are you sure that detective won't see through her?"

This mission was a mess from the start. Of the three people involved in the robbery, only Miyano Akemi was a member of the organization. The other two were just debt-ridden small fry under the control of gangs tied to the organization.

They didn't know the real mastermind behind the heist. And without the organization's pressure looming over them, with a billion yen in hand, it was no surprise if one of them got greedy and tried to run.

Gin knew all of this from the start.

Frankly, he hadn't expected Miyano Akemi to have the guts to pick up a gun and go through with it. Even if she recovered the money from her partners, the outcome wouldn't change.

But if she chased after the one who ran off with the money and ended up attracting police attention, then she'd have to be dealt with early.

"With him? That detective? Of course he won't notice. Miyano Akemi is surprisingly good at acting. I never realized before. If I hadn't seen her myself, I might've actually fallen for her," Akechi Goro said. His tone was dismissive even as he complimented her. "Why send such a fragile girl? …Ah, I get it now. So she messed up, and now you're throwing her out to die?"

"It's just recycling," Gin said flatly, exhaling smoke.

"How cruel." Goro Akechi's voice was cheerful, as though laughing at the idea. "That's efficiency for you—very much your style, Gin-senpai."

Tch. That didn't sound like praise.

Gin frowned but didn't dwell on Goro's sarcastic undertone. He simply gave him an assignment: "Since you've met her, it's your job now to watch her. Make sure she doesn't contact the police. That money is ours. If her little accomplice doesn't know what's good for him... you know what to do."

Goro Akechi groaned in protest. "I still have to go to school, you know. You seniors are devil bosses—no care at all for a poor high schooler."

Gin glanced out the car window in irritation. The large screen on the shopping plaza was playing the noon news. There, smiling brightly, was none other than Goro Akechi being credited for solving a violent case and apprehending the criminal.

...This guy was getting way too much exposure.

Kumail's fake whining echoed in Gin's ear. That smile on the screen made his temples throb.

"Quit showing off in front of the cameras. Just do the job."

"You're so unreasonable…"

Gin hung up without bothering to hear more.

Kazawa put the phone down and whistled lightly.

Thanks to the excellent performance of Amuro Toru, Kazawa's current operation was running very smoothly.

Every time Gin sent a message, he and Amuro would stage a convincing verbal brawl—sometimes even escalating into staged physical fights.

Of course, since the fights were fake, there were no real injuries. But still, their "damages" expenses had skyrocketed.

According to the reimbursement logs, the two had practically destroyed all the office furniture. Amuro even filed claims for full repainting and leather seat replacements—twice—for his Mazda.

As a result, Gin had grown increasingly annoyed with both of them. His attitude was basically: Don't come to me unless one of you is dead. His evaluation of Kumail had settled into useful, but insufferable.

Which was perfect for Kazawa. Gin now couldn't be bothered to investigate deeper into Miyano Akemi's situation and had simply delegated it to him.

Putting his phone away, Kazawa headed downstairs, planning to take Xingchuan Hui to the café for lunch.

As soon as he reached the first floor, a sudden sound echoed in his mind.

After Leon's signature voice recited, "I am you and you are me," a brand-new Tarot card appeared in front of Kazawa.

[Cooperation: Miyano Akemi]

Arcana: The Hermit

"The bubble of chasing dreams dissipates before dawn, and you exchange long sleep for a short sweet dream... Have you made up your mind to change everything and step into the whirlpool of fate, fool?"

Learned Skill: Go for Broke (Attack increases as health decreases)

"Pfft… Hahahahaha!"

Just as Xingchuan Hui stepped out of the living room holding his coat, he saw Kazawa doubled over with laughter, holding his knees and unable to straighten up.

"…What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"No, nothing…" Kazawa straightened up, wiping tears of laughter from his face. "I just remembered something really funny. Hahahaha… she actually read it out loud…!"

Without even checking what this new "Backwater Man" skill actually did, Kazawa glanced at the Tarot card still hovering before him and burst out laughing again.

"I should've made her record it! What a pity…" Kazawa wiped his eyes, still breathless. "Such valuable material..."

After testing so many Tarot cards, it was obvious now—the trigger conditions for establishing a cooperation link were usually words like "contract," "deal," or "promise." Any one of them would do the trick.

So, to keep things simple, Kazawa had staged a whole theatrical encounter—Joker style—to trick Miyano Akemi into reading the lines.

And since it only needed keywords...

The note he left for her said:

"Key that hides the power of darkness! Show me your true strength! I am the successor of the mission. I will liberate your power in the name of the contract. Wind, remain in the sky; stars, remain in the night. Let unyielding courage dwell in my heart. Wield your magic—I hereby sign a contract and become a magical girl!"