The moment the voice sounded from behind him, the man in the black hoodie froze.
He turned around slowly, genuine surprise flashing across his face.
Standing less than three meters away—separated only by the half-open door—was a young man in a red, green, and yellow uniform, his gaze sharp and unwavering.
It was Robin.
The hoodie-clad man blinked, then instinctively looked left and right, as if searching for someone else.
After a brief pause, he pointed at himself, utterly baffled.
"Uh… the Kaito Kid you just called out—" he asked hesitantly,
"—you're not talking about me, are you?"
"Stop pretending."
Robin crossed his arms and let out a cold snort.
"Even if you don't tear off your disguise, I could identify you by smell alone."
"Kaito Kid."
---
The Mask Comes Off
The moment his name was spoken with certainty, the confusion vanished from the man's face.
Calm replaced surprise.
He casually tugged at his collar.
In one smooth motion, the hoodie, inner layers, and false silhouette peeled away as if they were a single piece, revealing the familiar white suit, monocle, and flowing cape beneath.
Kaito Kid stood there openly now.
Throughout the entire transformation, Robin never looked away for even a second.
And yet—
He saw nothing.
No seams.
No tricks.
No mechanisms.
It happened so naturally that it was indistinguishable from magic.
"Tsk, tsk," Kaito Kid sighed dramatically.
"I thought my disguise was flawless. How did you see through it?"
"Do you think I learned nothing from our last two encounters?"
Robin's lips curved upward slightly.
---
A Detective's Reasoning
"Most people interpreted your Notice as a clear signal that you'd start at the Jungle Pavilion," Robin continued.
"But I've fought you. I know you rely on misdirection more than anyone."
"So from the very beginning, I didn't fully trust my own interpretation."
His eyes hardened.
"And sure enough—you tricked everyone."
"You appeared in the plaza instead, stole the spotlight, and even staged a so-called miracle in front of thousands."
Robin looked at Kaito Kid with clear disdain.
"That 'rain flowing upward' stunt was nothing more than a visual illusion created by strobe-timed lighting."
"And you dared call it a miracle?"
"No wonder people say the essence of magic is deception."
Kaito Kid tilted his head.
"Can I take that as praise?"
Robin nearly rolled his eyes.
Only a lunatic would call that a compliment.
---
A Thief's Reputation
"So you believed from the start that I wouldn't follow the Notice," Kaito Kid said, spreading his hands innocently.
"Am I really that untrustworthy in your eyes?"
Robin ignored the act.
"That still doesn't explain how you recognized me," Kaito Kid added.
"You weren't in the plaza earlier either."
"Who said I wasn't?"
Robin cut in calmly.
"I was there the entire time."
Kaito Kid's pupils shrank.
He hadn't sensed Robin's presence at all.
That shouldn't have been possible.
With that bright color scheme, Robin should've stood out immediately.
Did I miss him?
Or am I suddenly color-blind?
For the first time tonight, Kaito Kid doubted himself.
---
Layers of Misdirection
"What's that look supposed to mean?" Robin frowned.
"You think you're the only one who knows how to disguise themselves?"
After a short pause, he continued, voice steady and precise.
"I know you never do anything pointless."
"From the moment you appeared in the plaza, I knew your real goal was to draw every available officer away from their assigned positions."
"Disrupt the GCPD's defense grid."
"But not entirely," Robin said sharply.
"You knew the Cultural Relics Pavilion would never be abandoned."
"So your true objective wasn't the necklace directly—it was access."
"The Jungle Pavilion and the Library Pavilion sit east and west of the Cultural Relics Pavilion."
"Because of the Notice, everyone instinctively focused on the Jungle Pavilion."
Robin's gaze sharpened.
"When you launched a lifelike decoy with a jet engine toward the Jungle Pavilion, no one questioned it."
"They chased it."
"And while they did, you disguised yourself as an ordinary tourist and walked straight into the unguarded Library Pavilion."
Kaito Kid's smile slowly widened.
---
The Trap Explained
"I briefly surveyed the Library Pavilion's exterior," Robin continued.
"There's a ventilation duct above the corridor connecting it to the Cultural Relics Pavilion."
"It leads directly to the upper floor."
"That's your real route, isn't it?"
He finished calmly.
"In short—anyone who entered the Library Pavilion alone at this moment… was you."
"Because the plaza crowd was large enough for you to vanish into, I didn't reveal myself."
"I waited."
"For a one-on-one confrontation."
---
Applause for the Detective
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Kaito Kid applauded sincerely.
"Brilliant," he said with a smile.
"I didn't expect you to notice that ventilation duct."
"Worthy of the World's Greatest Detective's partner."
"Should I start calling you Great Detective now?"
"You still have the nerve to joke?" Robin snapped.
"You're cornered. You have nowhere left to run."
A flicker of confidence flashed through his eyes.
---
An Unexpected Confession
"I still have one question," Robin added after a pause.
"Batgirl mentioned earlier that you seemed… fond of me."
Kaito Kid nodded thoughtfully.
"That's true," he said casually.
"And actually—I feel the same."
Robin froze.
"What…?"
Kaito Kid lifted his chin slightly, his voice gentle.
"There's nothing strange about a phantom thief falling for a detective, is there?"
"What are you trying to say?" Robin demanded, frowning.
Kaito Kid's lips curved into a familiar half-smile.
"What I'm saying is—three minutes are almost up."
---
Too Late
The moment Robin saw that expression, his heart sank.
"Just a reminder," Kaito Kid added lightly.
"You never actually entered the door."
In a flash, a card gun appeared in Kaito Kid's hand.
Bang! Bang!
Two playing cards flew straight toward Robin.
Without hesitation, Kaito Kid turned and sprinted away.
Robin dodged sideways with ease.
"You can't escape—"
His words cut off mid-sentence.
The automatic sensor door began to close.
Robin's eyes widened.
All sensor doors in the Natural History Museum were programmed to close automatically after remaining open for three consecutive minutes.
Kaito Kid had been watching the countdown the entire time.
Grinding his teeth, Robin sprinted forward.
But dodging the cards had cost him precious seconds.
The door slammed shut just as he reached it.
"It's fine," Robin muttered, forcing himself calm.
"He only bought a few seconds…"
He stepped back, preparing to trigger the sensor again.
Then—
Everything went black.
No pain.
No warning.
Just darkness swallowing his vision whole.
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