The mission to recover the data from Yokohama Ocean University concluded without a single hitch. Curacao infiltrated the campus and secured the files, while I set the building ablaze. When we moved in at midnight, the university was entirely deserted. Earlier that day, a report of a suspicious intruder had triggered a full evacuation—a plan I suspect Conan-kun orchestrated.
I had intentionally leaked the information to him, knowing he would handle the site clearance. In a sense, it was a way to cut corners and save effort. Curacao praised me, saying, "Your preparation is excellent, as expected of Bourbon," though Conan-kun deserves all the credit. I replied with a faint smile, "I couldn't let you face all the trouble alone," but in truth, I was simply a devious adult exploiting a child's hard work for my own gain.
After retrieving the data, I tidied up the traces and submitted my report. The following afternoon, I met the usual duo, Gin and Vodka. Gin seemed highly satisfied, and my duties ended once I fed him a few well-placed compliments.
During that time, the events of Conan-kun's latest case also concluded. Several explosions reportedly rocked Miracle Land, and Kaito Kid caused a significant stir. Once I finished my report and rushed back to the park, Detective Mouri—relieved that the ordeal was over—greeted me with a powerful lariat to the chest.
Conan-kun had apparently fabricated a cover story, claiming that Toru Amuro had rushed off to investigate alone out of an overactive sense of responsibility. Detective Mouri barked at me, "You idiot, don't make us worry like that!" I was actually the one who burned down the university, but that remains a secret shared only between Conan and me. Conan looked grim; the loss of valuable documents, research results, and expensive laboratory equipment in the flames clearly weighed on him. He shouldn't feel so burdened; after all, the crime was committed by me in my capacity as a member of an outlaw organization.
Today, after the news of the Yokohama Ocean University fire (which remains unsolved) died down, I arrived at Lupin III's hideout in a foreign country.
"Your clothes are as flashy as ever. Having two people in traditional Japanese attire, including Goemon, feels strange," Lupin remarked.
"─── Is there a problem with that, Lupin III?" Goemon asked.
"Not at all. A stranger will notice the clothes first, and it's rare for them to remember your specific physical features. It's a good disguise."
"Master Goemon, do you consider that a compliment...?" I wondered.
Our current outfits are bizarre, to say the least. We are wearing traditional Japanese robes dominated by red and white, paired with fox masks adorned with red tassels. We look like we are at a cosplay event. Kazami provided these outfits, serving as armor to hide our true identities. He claimed the design was inspired by Yoko-chan's role as the "Legendary Vixen," a comment that nearly earned him a beating from Mr. Furuya.
The look is intentionally androgynous. Even though the kimono is cut for a man, it possesses a mysterious charm that makes observers wonder if they are looking at a beautiful woman in drag. This type of disguise aims to obscure gender and make identification difficult. Since we are moving with a world-famous figure like Lupin, this was a desperate plan to protect our data. Nevertheless, anyone experienced would identify me instantly once I ready my claws.
Because of this strange appearance, Mr. Furuya was fuming and extremely tense. He is already sensitive about his youthful features, so being treated like a girl was the final straw. He was boiling with rage over the outfit he had to wear, while Lupin only made things worse with his teasing.
"Man, if I didn't know the truth, I might have tried to flirt with you," or "Don't you look cute, Furuya-chan?" Lupin said, turning the situation into a complete disaster. It reached a point where Mr. Furuya tried to challenge Lupin to a boxing match, but Lupin flattened him easily. Mr. Furuya retreated into the house out of sheer humiliation. Poor Mr. Furuya... but it's obvious you wouldn't win against him.
Anyway, moving past the clothing issue.
Our goal today is the "Great Jewel" kept in a wealthy man's mansion, located near our temporary hideout. Lupin had sent a calling card in advance, so the place is now crawling with security and police reinforcements. The giant vault is state-of-the-art, and various sensors turn the mansion into a mechanical fortress full of traps.
We all piled into the vintage yellow getaway car and struck at exactly midnight under the cover of darkness. We picked the entrance lock in two seconds. We bypassed three levels of traps and reached the electronic lock, ignoring the detectives patrolling the grounds. Lupin could have opened this electronic lock in the blink of an eye, but he left the task to Mr. Furuya this time. The primary goal was to test Mr. Furuya's electronic lockpicking skills as a review of what he had learned. However, since Mr. Furuya is still a novice in this field, the breach took a long time.
"Tell me, aren't you done yet, Furuya-chan? The security guards will be swarming here any second," Lupin teased.
"Just a little more... damn it!"
A curse slipped from Mr. Furuya's mouth in response to Lupin's mockery. I spoke to him from within our shared consciousness: "Calm down, you can do this." He regained his composure.
"It's open!"
"Oh, even though it took you a while, the result is acceptable. Alright, you pass!"
"Yes!"
Mr. Furuya instinctively made a victory gesture. It was only natural to feel happy receiving recognition from Lupin III himself.
We opened the double iron doors and stepped inside, only to hear the sound of many footsteps rushing toward us from the front. Four submachine guns and six pistols—twelve men in total stood in the wide hall.
"Good grief. It's an ambush," Lupin said, shrugging comically and looking at me.
I swapped places with Mr. Furuya, who had been in the lead, and opened my eyes using the physical body. Cries rang out: "There he is! It's Lupin! Attack!"
Then, a hail of bullets poured from the submachine guns. I dashed forward with fluid grace. I moved between the bullets as if racing them and struck once with my claws. In an instant, clothes were shredded, weapons fell apart, and boots and body armor disintegrated into scraps.
It was the "Disarmament Technique," a secret skill I learned directly from Master Goemon. However, my success rate with this skill is still only about twenty percent; other times, I end up tearing skin and leaving horrific scars on the targets. This time, the technique worked perfectly on everyone, and no one fell writhing on the ground in pain.
"Good. Continue to polish your skills like this," Goemon noted.
"Understood, I will make sure to train daily," I replied.
I bowed respectfully to Master Goemon, who looked satisfied, and we continued further inside. At that exact moment...
"Lupiiiiiin!! You're under arrest!!!"
That ever-familiar voice boomed. It was Inspector Zenigata, the man who hunts Lupin across the globe. He truly appears everywhere, attacking at the precise moment Lupin commits a crime. Honestly, his capabilities border on the supernatural.
"Damn, has the 'Inspector' already sniffed us out and arrived? Isn't this a bit early?" Lupin complained.
"It was just a hunch, but it paid off after I watched the place all night. You won't escape me today!!" Zenigata shouted.
"A hunch? 'Inspector'... what do you mean by a hunch...?"
While Lupin III was showing a rare moment of confusion—though it happens often with Zenigata—I also felt a sense of foreboding. Inspector Zenigata turned toward us and pointed a finger sharply at me!
"And you! The new member of the Lupin gang, with the red claws! 'Foxtail'! I don't know how you joined Lupin's crew, but I won't go easy on you!"
"..."
Let me explain! "Foxtail" is the nickname given to me because the claw marks I leave look like a fox's tail. Fox, dog, wolf, cat, leopard, or jaguar? No one knows the truth. All that matters is that I look like a wild animal to them. Probably.
"Oh, look, Foxtail and the others are famous now!" Lupin laughed.
"This is also part of your training. Face it with seriousness," Goemon added.
"Is there even a reason for me to be here?" Jigen muttered. He looked like he wanted to go home, being the only one among us without a disciple. Lupin grabbed his shoulder, saying, "Don't say that!" while Jigen held his cigarette in his mouth with a slightly pathetic frown.
By the way, Jigen's assessment of Mr. Furuya was: "He has no talent for quick-drawing. In fact, his development in firearms has reached its limit." As for his assessment of me, it was nothing but a very deep sigh after a long silence. Was that the ultimate insult?
"It seems the rumors that 'Foxtail' is training under Lupin were true. What possessed you to do such a thing?" Zenigata asked.
"Man, we hesitated at first, but this kid insisted so much we didn't have a choice," Lupin replied.
"Raising a disciple is like raising and developing oneself. I was fortunate to realize that fact," Goemon said.
"Oh, really. So that's how it is..." Zenigata noted.
Inspector Zenigata seemed to back off slightly, sensing how serious and focused they were on the life of training a disciple. But he shook his head vigorously and regained his enthusiasm.
"Regardless! What I must do will not change! This time, I will definitely arrest you, Lupin!!!"
"Everyone, start escaping immediately! Each of you act according to the situation!" Lupin shouted.
And what exactly am I supposed to do!?
I screamed internally as I tried desperately to evade Inspector Zenigata's pursuit.
••••••
[100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
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