Chapter 268: Witch (12)
Kaito Kuroba quickly entered Arena C, full of doubts.
He moved swiftly through the crowd, heading straight to the Moonlight Necklace collection room in Area C-2.
Originally, Kaito thought the Scarlet Shadow Heart display case had exploded because he entered the correct password.
But now, it seemed that wasn't the case at all.
Although the Moonlight Necklace was no longer in the collection room, there had still been an explosion.
---
Of course, Kaito Kuroba wasn't suddenly feeling charitable and wanting to help the tourists present.
With so many police officers and detectives inside the Tokyo International Exhibition Center, there was no need for him to act.
Even so, Kaito decided to rush to Arena C before Conan and the others.
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Suddenly, Kaito Kuroba's phone rang.
He took it out and glanced at the screen. Upon seeing the name displayed, a look of utter helplessness spread across his face.
"Here we go again..."
Kaito muttered inwardly before answering the call. With a resigned tone and his voice disguised, he said:
"Akako, what do you want now?"
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"Kuroba-kun, why do you sound so impatient?"
"Isn't it a bit rude to treat your savior with such an attitude?"
On the other end of the line, the familiar playful voice of his classmate, Koizumi Akako, echoed.
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"Akako, didn't I tell you not to interfere in my business?"
Kaito said, exasperated.
"If it weren't for me, Kaito-kun would've ended up a corpse just now."
"..."
Kaito Kuroba fell silent.
As Akako said, this witch had just saved his life.
The sniper's attack earlier had caught him completely off guard. No matter how fast Kaito's reflexes were, it wasn't enough to dodge it entirely.
Although Kaito liked to think he could've survived without Akako's help, the truth was that he owed her his safety.
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"Akako, why are you even here?"
"Because my divination told me Kuroba-kun would be in danger."
"..."
Kaito was rendered speechless again by Akako's straightforward response.
He'd hoped she might have some concrete leads, but once again, she relied entirely on her fortune-telling.
Her uncanny ability to predict everything without fail always left Kaito with a sense of unease.
---
If it had been Conan, the little detective would be eloquently explaining the suspicious points in the case that had led him to uncover clues.
The intellectual satisfaction from that kind of reasoning always excited Kaito.
But dealing with someone like Akako, who could effortlessly know everything through vague "divinations," drained all the fun out of it.
---
And it definitely wasn't jealousy—it was her abnormal ability that made him so uncomfortable!
Kaito recalled the prophecy Akako had given him a few days ago.
She had claimed that the victory this time would belong to her.
Now, however, it seemed that even if he were to succeed in the end, it would only be because of Akako's interference.
This realization dampened Kaito's enthusiasm even further.
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"Kuroba-kun, wasn't that gemstone taken by Aoko's father? Why are you still heading to Arena C?"
Akako asked curiously.
"Akako, can't you just divine these things yourself?"
"It would be boring to rely on divination for everything."
Akako's voice rang with her usual lighthearted charm.
"It's far more interesting to slowly clear the fog and uncover the truth through personal experience!"
---
Despite her supernatural powers, Akako often acted like a detective, gathering information through Kaito or her own investigations.
She viewed this as an essential element to add excitement to her otherwise dull life as a witch.
Whether it was Kaito's heists or the detectives solving crimes, Akako saw them as ways to entertain herself.
---
"That gemstone is a fake," Kaito revealed, finally giving his reason for returning to Arena C.
"No wonder you left it behind, Kaito-kun. So the real gem isn't there?"
Hearing the realization in Akako's voice, Kaito thought she might make a better detective than a witch.
Crime-solving games seemed better suited to someone like her, who was always seeking fun.
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"If it were the real gem, I wouldn't have discarded it so easily."
Kaito's keen ability to identify gemstones allowed him to determine their authenticity at a glance.
This was why, after being betrayed by Amuro, he returned to Arena B.
---
It wasn't until he started examining the gemstone in his possession that he realized it wasn't the extremely valuable Scarlet Shadow Heart.
"Moreover, I went to Area C because I wanted to find out why the password for the Scarlet Heart display case was set to 1412."
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"I remember... That's a number with special significance to you, isn't it, Kaito-kun? Interesting."
On the other end of the call, Akako's tone grew thoughtful.
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"That's right," Kaito replied, glancing at the dense crowd of tourists in Arena C.
He suddenly recalled the events in the broadcast room and said to Akako,
"Akako, do you know who's been in the broadcast room this entire time?"
"You could find out," Akako replied, her interest piqued.
"Kaito-kun, are you curious?"
---
As soon as Kaito heard Akako's tone of intrigue, he had a bad feeling.
"I just saved your life, Kaito-kun. If I do this divination for you, you'll owe me two favors. In that case, I want—"
"Forget it."
Before Akako could finish, Kaito decisively hung up the phone.
---
Everyone who's ever read fairy tales knows never to trust a witch's spells.
Kaito Kuroba himself made every effort to avoid interacting with Akako more than necessary.
He definitely didn't want to owe her any favors.
Who knew what this unconventional witch, who always seemed to be one step ahead, might demand of him?
And if Nakamori Aoko misunderstood again, it would only make things worse.
---
Kaito brushed aside these thoughts.
Right now, figuring out the display case password and locating the real Scarlet Shadow Heart were far more pressing.
Aside from the person in the broadcast room, another individual occupied Kaito's mind—the one who had just shot at him.
Unlike the others, that person clearly intended to kill him.
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(End of Chapter)