Gojo Satoru sat on the sofa, uncharacteristically well-behaved, with his hands folded in his lap.
To his left was Victim No. 1, Vodka, who had finally woken up after being knocked unconscious for quite some time. To his right was Victim No. 2, Gin, who had previously been stripped to the waist and tied up in a complex binding.
Gin was now fully dressed and groomed, showing no trace of his prior humiliation, though he clearly despised Gojo's "innocent" act. He let out a cold, derisive snort.
Since Vodka had been knocked out early on, he didn't know exactly what Gojo had done to Gin. However, looking at his boss's murderous aura, he could guess it wasn't anything good.
"Uh, Vodka, I broke your sunglasses. Here, have a new pair."
Fortunately, Gojo hadn't used much force when he struck, otherwise, Vodka's corpse would have been cold by now.
"Ah... thank you, Caesar-sama."
The honorific had shifted from "Mr." to "Lord." Clearly, the name Caesar had left a significant psychological shadow on Vodka's soul. He took the brand-new sunglasses as if they were made of hot coals.
Vodka was easy to appease, but the other one was a different story.
When told he couldn't play "too wild," Gojo had thrown a tantrum, only to turn around and perform a full "binding play" on his best friend.
Gin's internal monologue: Not playing wild?? I'll believe that when pigs fly.
Sigh, is there any hope left for my reputation?
Gojo reached out and grabbed a corner of Gin's coat. He suppressed the rugged, masculine tone of Nakamura Yuuichi, forcing out a soft, cutesy voice: "I didn't do it on purpose~ Gin-chan, please forgive me, pwease~"
But he had forgotten that he was no longer the androgynous beautiful boy of the past. He had long since grown into a 190cm giant. The effect of his forced cuteness was no less jarring than Kudo Shinichi calling out "Ran-neechan" while in his high school body.
"Besides... it's all Vodka's fault!!" Gojo pouted. "If he hadn't left the booze lying around, I wouldn't have accidentally drunk it!"
Vodka gave a terrified shiver.
"Come on~ forgive me? We're best friends, aren't we—"
Gin, who had been harassed and tugged at for ages, felt utterly exhausted. He had been worried that Gojo's disappearance meant he was in danger, only to end up suffering this senseless disaster. There was no point in arguing with a drunkard who couldn't distinguish friend from foe; he'd just treat it like being bitten by a mad dog.
Still... it was incredibly irritating.
Gin clenched his fist and delivered a sharp punch to the top of Gojo's head.
"Ow—!" Gojo yelped. It felt exactly like being caught making trouble by Principal Yaga.
Looking at the teary-eyed Satoru, Gin sighed. "Fine. That whole mess ends here. Never mention it again."
"As for alcohol... as long as I'm around, you're never touching a drop."
The top ace of the Organization being a one-cup lightweight? If that got out, it would leave a lot of people speechless.
"Hehe~ I knew Gin-chan was the best—"
Seeing that the matter of his overnight disappearance and drunken rampage had been smoothed over, Gojo began to get cocky again. He lunged for a bear hug, but suddenly went silent.
Zzz...
Gin and Vodka exchanged a look. Watching Gojo collapse onto the sofa and fall instantly asleep mid-sentence, they stood up in silent unison.
...Of course. The kid was still drunk.
"Boss, what do we do now..."
"Good timing. The window is right." Gin tucked his weapon into his trench coat and adjusted his collar. "Let's go. Time to eliminate the target."
"Yes, sir!"
As they reached the door, Gin paused. He turned back and tossed a blanket over Gojo.
"...Rampaging like a drunk and then falling asleep instantly. And you claim you aren't a pig."
Looking at that peaceful, harmless sleeping face, Gin felt a wave of helplessness. Staying with this kid would eventually give him high blood pressure.
"Boss?" Vodka called out cautiously.
Gin shoved his hands into his pockets. His pale gold hair fluttered in the breeze as his aura shifted back into that of a cold, lethal Top Killer.
"Move out."
By the time Gojo woke up on the sofa, the sky outside was pitch black. He pulled a bottle of melon soda from his system inventory and gulped it down. The sweetness masked the lingering spice of the Vodka, and his mind finally cleared.
Ugh, I really hate alcohol...
He burped and noticed Gin and Vodka hadn't returned. They likely went out to handle business and left him in the safehouse to sleep.
Gojo stretched his limbs and boredly flipped through the TV channels. He was about to open a bag of crispy chips when he noticed the clock approaching 7:00 PM. He suddenly remembered something.
Wait. That Gashed Auction... isn't that about when the gems are supposed to be auctioned?
He thought about it and realized it wasn't just "about then." It was happening now.
Just then, a live broadcast appeared on the screen—
A horde of reporters was crammed outside a magnificent exhibition center, talking incessantly into microphones, surrounded by security and onlookers.
"Good evening. I am currently outside the Gashed Auction in New York. The highly anticipated auction is about to begin. Everyone is eager to know: what treasures are up for bid tonight?"
"Reliable sources say the items include a crystal necklace once belonging to a French Queen, an original masterpiece by an Impressionist painter, and a priceless rug from ancient Persia... Amazing! These will undoubtedly be the highlights!"
"But the most eye-catching item is the ruby known as the 'Deep Red Embers.' It is a rare pigeon-blood red that reportedly glows with a stunning crimson light even in total darkness..."
Suddenly, another reporter pushed forward and shouted, "Forget that! We all know why people are really watching—it's because of—"
"The calling card of Phantom Thief 1412!"
Gojo raised an eyebrow. Kaito Kid? Kuroba Kaito?
No, the main plot was still twelve years away. Kaito would only be four or five years old. So... it was his father, the original Kid: Toichi Kuroba.
Because Kudo Yusaku had misread the messy "1412" written by a reporter as "KID," the name stuck. Toichi Kuroba was a world-renowned magician and, interestingly, the twin brother of Kudo Yusaku (according to some theories/fan-tastes).
Gojo had looked up the lore before and couldn't help but roast it. The "Conan" world was so small; every important character seemed to be related.
"To counter this arrogant thief, the NYPD has deployed massive forces to set a dragnet at the auction. If Phantom Thief 1412 shows up, he'll find it easy to enter but impossible to leave! Please trust in our police strength..."
So, Toichi Kuroba was active in New York right now?
In the broadcast, officers tried to block the cameras, but the crowd surged forward. Someone began reading the contents of the legendary calling card aloud for the audience:
To my dear collectors,
Under the guidance of light, I shall unveil the shroud of night.
When the clock strikes the moment of Genesis,
It shall no longer be a mere ember in your eyes, but a shining star in my hand.
Please be prepared to welcome a moment of loss.
— Respectfully, Phantom Thief Kid.
After reading it, Gojo thought it was fairly straightforward. It basically said he was coming for the "Deep Red Embers" after seven o'clock. Kid was quite blunt in these days.
However, based on the public's reaction, it was incredibly high-profile.
While Gojo certainly wouldn't give the Pandora gem to that "Old Man"—no, the Boss—he still had to keep up appearances as his "foster son." Plus, he wanted to watch a free magic show.
Looks like I won't be needing that invitation after all.
Gojo sent a quick text to Gin, telling him he was heading out to "execute the mission." Then, he located the exact coordinates of the auction house and teleported directly into—a toilet stall inside the venue.
...OK, at least there were no witnesses.
A security guard washing his hands at the sink was suddenly knocked out by a hand-chop to the neck. He didn't even see his attacker's face.
"Good night~" Gojo swapped into the guard's uniform and cap. He pulled a disguise mask from his inventory, put it on, and strolled toward the entrance with a whistle.
"Leon? Where did you go?" A white youth in the same uniform ran over, complaining, "How long can one person spend in the bathroom?"
He then noticed a plain-looking white-haired man walking his way.
"Wait, which department are you from?" he asked suspiciously. "I've never seen you before."
"Idiot."
Stunned by the immediate insult, the guard was about to snap back when he saw the other man sigh and look at him like he was a moron. "The department is huge; who could possibly know everyone?"
"I'm from the Special Unit, ordered here to secure the scene," Gojo fabricated. "If we're catching the Phantom Thief and a civilian gets hurt, are you going to take responsibility? Come on, let's get inside and stop loitering."
Gojo grabbed his hand and forcefully pulled him into the hall.
"Uh... okay."
Baffled by the man's sheer audacity and confidence, the young officer was dragged along.
It wasn't until a while later that he realized—Wait, wasn't I looking for Leon?