The smoke rose and faded away. Phantom Thief Kid had turned into Phantom Thief Sherry—his gender completely changed.
Standing before everyone was a brand-new thief, Kid's mysterious partner, the one who had stolen The Lady of the Sky.
By now, everyone had completely forgotten about the Red Siamese Cat and the fear that had gripped them at gunpoint. All eyes were on Phantom Thief Sherry.
Unlike Phantom Thief Kid, Sherry was a girl—and a stunning one at that. Her voice alone was soft, confident, and full of allure. As Vermouth once said, "A woman's beauty lies in her mystery." That saying was truer than ever now—Phantom Thief Sherry was the very embodiment of mystery.
Besides, women and gemstones were a perfect match. When a man like Kid stole jewels, it felt wasteful. But in a woman's hands, a gemstone shone with new meaning. A gem in Phantom Thief Sherry's hand was like a sword in a hero's—utterly fitting.
The jewel was already in her grasp, which meant it was time to leave the stage. Yet she was aboard an airship. How to make a graceful exit—that was the challenge before her.
The simplest way would've been to leap from the window and glide away. But for a new phantom thief, that would've been too plain, too ordinary. She needed something memorable, something grand—something worthy of the title "phantom thief."
Sherry was still new to this. Her movements were a bit awkward, her posture slightly tense. She didn't radiate the same unshakable confidence Kid did, but she knew one thing—he was somewhere among the crowd, watching. She wasn't alone in this performance.
A dreamlike journey aboard a dreamlike airship. Within her heart, Haibara Ai hid the innocence of a girl—the quiet excitement, the long-buried wish to shine. Tonight, she would fulfill it herself.
The clear wind, the cool moonlight, the glittering stars—these were the natural props that phantom thieves loved to use. Tonight, Haibara Ai would use them in her own way, weaving them into her debut. Phantom Thief Sherry would have her own style—different from Kid's.
"Then, Phantom Thief Sherry will now take her leave!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, bursts of pink smoke exploded outside the windows, wrapping the entire airship in a soft rosy haze.
"What's happening?" Inspector Megure was shocked, but he didn't dare take his eyes off Sherry. Yet she hadn't moved at all. Instead, the people around her gasped in wonder.
Through the pink smoke, faint shapes shimmered in and out of sight—palaces of light, celestial halls, cranes gliding through clouds, deer and foxes darting among the haze.
"Impossible… what is that?!" someone whispered.
It was nothing but pink smoke. But inside the smoke was a trace of harmless hallucinogen, just enough to make everyone see what they wanted to see—an illusion of beauty.
In the eyes of the spectators, the smoke became whatever they most loved—an illusionary paradise, a heavenly palace, a dream they didn't want to end.
Go! Phantom Thief Sherry leapt into the air, soaring into the clouds of pink mist. Her white cape fluttered like feathers, her silhouette glowing against the moonlight. She looked like a celestial maiden ascending to the heavens.
"Fairy! Don't go!" people cried, reaching out for her. But all they touched was smoke.
"Everyone, calm down!" Megure shouted. "Satou, Takagi, Chiba—hold them back!"
"Understood!"
Satou pulled back the entranced onlookers who were trying to chase after the vanishing "fairy."
This was unreal—even Megure was shaken. This female phantom thief was even more fantastical, even more mysterious than Kid himself. Too bizarre. Too dangerous. No—what was he thinking? He should be catching them, not admiring their tricks! Kid was still carrying a murder charge, and now he'd vanished again. "Damn it!"
The airship continued forward, soon breaking free from the pink mist. The hallucinogen's effects faded, and everyone slowly returned to normal. Only the afterglow of that surreal experience remained—like the lingering warmth of a fading dream.
"Inspector, they escaped again," Takagi said quietly.
"I know," Megure sighed. "Round up all the members of the Red Siamese Cat first. The virus they stole still hasn't been found."
That's right—the Red Siamese Cat case wasn't over yet.
"Right, Inspector, the pilots of the airship are also with them. Should we go deal with them?" Takagi asked.
"Satou, you and Takagi go together. Be careful—they might still be armed."
The officers had already recovered their pistols. They moved through the entertainment deck and down one level, toward the control room. Since the pilots needed a clear view of the sky, the cockpit was located at the very bottom of the airship.
"Officer Satou, you just got out of the hospital. Let me handle this," Takagi said as they reached the door, worry written all over his face.
"I've fully recovered," Satou replied calmly. "You don't need to worry about me."
Takagi fell silent. Somehow, Satou felt… different. He couldn't quite explain what had changed, but there was a distance between them now that hadn't been there before.
"I'll count to three, then we go in," Satou said, raising her gun. "One, two, three!"
"Freeze! Police!" Takagi charged low while Satou covered high.
They both aimed at the cockpit. From where they stood, only the backs of the pilot seats were visible. The pilots didn't react at all, not even a twitch.
"Hey, I said hands up!"
Still no movement.
Satou frowned and cautiously stepped closer. Then she saw it—two adults slumped over in their seats, unconscious. And on one of their laps sat a small boy. Conan. His tiny hands were gripping the control stick. The kid turned around with a bright smile. "Officer Satou, Officer Takagi—you're here."
It sounded like an innocent greeting, but it froze both officers on the spot. Two adult pilots unconscious, and the world's largest airship was being flown by a child.
"Conan?! What the—how?!" Takagi shouted in disbelief.
"The pilots were members of the Red Siamese Cat," Conan said casually. "So I took care of them."
"That's not what I mean! Conan, why are you flying the airship?!"
"It's actually really simple," Conan said, completely unbothered. "The airship's control system is fully automated."
"Ah… ah…" Takagi's jaw dropped. The idea of trusting his life to a grade-schooler nearly made him faint. "Conan, do you even know how to fly an airship?"
'What, do you want me to tell you I learned to fly airships in Hawaii too?' Conan thought, looking at Takagi like he was an idiot. "Relax. I've played the flight simulator before."
Takagi's heart almost stopped. He felt like his life was hanging by a thread, ready to snap at any second.
"Takagi, don't be so dramatic. Unless you know how to fly, you're not helping," Satou said flatly.
"I… don't," Takagi admitted.
"Then it's better to let Conan do it. At least he knows what all these buttons are for." Honestly, if a regular cop tried, they'd probably crash the ship before figuring out the controls.
"Don't worry," Conan said. "I've already contacted Osaka Airport. They're ready for us." He glanced at Satou. "By the way, what about the Red Siamese Cat's virus? Osaka's still concerned about that."
"The virus on the airship was fake, so it's fine," Satou replied.
'Knew it,' Conan thought. The virus and the bomb had been two completely separate tricks. A fake virus—it made sense. Good. That meant they could land safely.
Once Osaka received confirmation from the police, everyone there breathed a sigh of relief. Then they began guiding the landing process remotely.
Throughout the descent, Satou sat in the co-pilot seat, while Conan remained at the main controls. Together, they piloted the massive airship smoothly down toward Osaka Airport, ensuring everyone aboard landed safely.