"Phantom Thief Kid, what proof do you have that the virus is fake?" Inspector Megure's heart skipped a beat. If the virus was fake, then maybe—just maybe—they didn't need to panic.
Kid smiled faintly. "You want proof?"
"Yes. If it's uncertain, I can't let you do anything reckless," Megure said firmly.
"Alright then!" Kid replied casually. Under everyone's horrified gaze, he opened the vial containing the so-called virus, grabbed the leader by the chin, and poured the entire tube of green liquid down his throat.
…
That scene nearly gave Megure a heart attack. What kind of man does something like that?! "Assistant, Kid, how could you?!" Megure scolded harshly. "Do you have no respect for human life? Don't you know that this kind of reckless act is a mistake upon a mistake?"
"To kill one person in order to save ten thousand—I'd gladly do that any day," Kid said with a sly smile. "Inspector Megure, you and I are not the same. I'm not a cop. I'm just a thief. Besides, does this guy look like someone who's dying to you?"
Sure enough, although the leader looked uncomfortable, he wasn't showing any signs of terror or agony. Kid had been right—it was a fake toxin.
"Even if it's fake, you shouldn't have done that," Megure said, still lecturing.
Kid only shook his head slightly. People in this world had too many principles. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to work so hard to convince Conan earlier. He really didn't want to go through that again.
The main characters in this world—blessed by their protagonist halos—always had that perfect God's-eye view. They could solve everything and still uphold their ideals like model citizens. This world was an ideal world, a comfortable place to live in. If it weren't for the fact that he always had to clean up after these people, Kid would've enjoyed it even more.
The police's principles were guarded by two high schoolers—Conan and Kid. One stood for justice, the other for rebellion, but together they were the two saviors of the police department. They were the vanguard in fighting evil.
But since he often worked from the shadows, Phantom Thief Kid was constantly being hunted by old-fashioned cops. So he usually ignored whatever they said. Arguing with Megure was pointless—facts would prove who was right soon enough.
"Good thing I acted when I did. I already know who the other members of the Red Siamese Cat are!" Kid's sharp gaze made the criminals' hearts skip. They had been exposed. No point hiding anymore.
Three men exchanged glances, then drew their weapons and aimed at Kid.
"Phantom Thief Kid!" the magazine reporter shouted. The two cameramen followed suit—turns out, they were all members of the Red Siamese Cat. Not journalists at all. "Die! We're not amateurs. At this distance, you don't stand a chance. Die!"
Three pistols. Distance—barely 10 meters. Three different angles. No room to dodge.
"You guys… all the same," Kid sighed, almost bored. "Even as villains, at least have some personality so people remember you. Like me." He let out a long sigh. "Ah…"
Bang—smoke bomb.
Everyone froze. Just when they thought Kid was about to surrender, he'd pulled another trick.
"Cough! Cough!" The room filled with thick smoke. The Red Siamese Cat members covered their mouths and noses, losing control of the situation.
Bang!
"Don't shoot! Are you crazy? You'll hit your own men!" one shouted in panic.
The gunfire ceased immediately. Shooting blindly in smoke was suicide. That hesitation was all Kid needed. Using the cover, he moved swiftly and struck.
Megure saw shadows darting through the smoke but couldn't tell what was happening. Still, he had to admit—Kid was ridiculously well-equipped. Smoke bombs too? But no matter how fancy his gadgets were, Kid was still a criminal, and he had to be arrested.
"Kid! Stop running!" Megure shouted into the haze. "Surrendering is the right path!"
Kid's amused voice echoed back. "Inspector Megure, feel free to chase me. I quite enjoy this kind of game. Police and phantom thieves—it's only fun when both sides play their roles properly!"
Outside, the sky was pitch-black. The airship drifted like a lonely island in the sky. It was time for Kid to make his move.
Suddenly, the smoke near Megure began swirling violently, like a lake stirred by a storm. "Inspector Shiratori, what are you doing?"
But standing beside him wasn't Shiratori—it was someone else.
"The Lady of the Sky now belongs to me—Phantom Thief Sherry!"
The voice rang clear and confident through the haze, announcing the arrival of a new phantom thief.
"Huh?! Shiratori turned into a woman?!" Takagi, Satou, and Chiba were completely dumbfounded. Even Inspector Megure froze in disbelief. "Shiratori, what happened to you?"
Perfect timing. Kid fired two cards toward the side windows, shattering all the glass at once. The night wind rushed into the airship, blowing away the lingering smoke.
The phantom thief appeared—but it wasn't the same one. That's right, Phantom Thief Kid wasn't stealing Sherry's spotlight tonight. He wanted her to experience the thrill of dazzling an audience for herself. Once she felt that rush, she'd fall in love with the thief's life.
"You're not Shiratori?" The officers were so stunned their reaction came late. Who could blame them? One moment there was the tall, calm Shiratori, and the next his voice had turned soft and feminine—it would've startled anyone.
Having Haibara Ai play Shiratori was Kid's idea. Shiratori didn't talk much, making him an easy role to impersonate. Kid himself had disguised as Sonoko earlier—that one had really tested his acting. Haibara definitely couldn't have pulled that off.
"I am Phantom Thief Sherry." Haibara's movements were still a bit stiff as she dropped her disguise, but her tone carried that signature thief's flair.
She was also dressed in white, but this new phantom thief was unmistakably a woman. Her figure was elegant and graceful, her voice smooth and magnetic. Her outfit shared Kid's trademark style yet had its own distinct touches. The biggest difference was the skirt. Her boots were knee-high, the blouse tighter and fitted, with a soft purple color, and the tie was gray—altogether more feminine, more refined.
The male phantom thief had turned into a female one, and that sudden transformation left everyone stunned—so much so they even forgot about the unconscious terrorists around them.
What on earth was going on? Megure's mind was spinning. Just moments ago, he'd been thinking about arresting Phantom Thief Kid. Then—poof!—out of the smoke appeared Phantom Thief Sherry. What kind of madness was this? Had Kid split into two? Or had phantom thieves started multiplying now?
In Sherry's gloved hand shimmered the stolen treasure—The Lady of the Sky.
"When did you—?" Of course, it was while Shiratori was on guard duty alone. Earlier, Kid disguised as Sonoko had already cracked the lock. No one would've bothered to check the display case again once the banquet started. So when Shiratori was stationed alone, Sherry had simply opened the cabinet, swapped the real gem for a fake one, and closed it back up without leaving a trace.
Originally, the plan was for a grand reveal later that night. But with the terrorists' sudden attack, everything changed. When the smoke filled the room, Kid sent the signal—and it became Sherry's turn to shine.
It wasn't a perfect debut, but it was still spectacular. At the very least, she'd left an unforgettable impression on everyone there. A breathtaking figure in white—Phantom Thief Sherry—a new mystery born under the moonlight.
"According to the notice, the phantom thief takes the gem," she said with a playful smile. The thief's performance had three parts: the entrance, the reveal, and the escape.
Her entrance was complete. The reveal—brilliant. Now came the final act: the escape. This was Haibara Ai's first real heist, her first time standing as a true phantom thief. The retreat would decide it all.
Kid couldn't step in. He could only watch, eyes gleaming, as she took her first true step into the life of a phantom thief. Success or failure—it would all be up to her.