Chapter Twenty: Who Is This Person?

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Kaito Kid leaned casually against the doorway, twirling a jewel pendant in his hand and holding it up as if examining it with great care. Noticing Inspector Nakamori’s gaze, he turned his head and cheerfully waved at him.
“Chase him!!!” Inspector Nakamori’s eyes blazed with fury as he pointed sharply at Kid.
Kaito Kuroba was startled by Nakamori’s sudden outburst.
Was the grudge really that deep? Was such a commotion really necessary?
Could it be that his father had made so many enemies back then?
Seeing the situation, he didn’t dare linger and threw a smoke bomb. When the dense smoke cleared, he had disappeared without a trace.
Meanwhile, the once ferocious-looking Inspector Nakamori instantly regained his composure.
This old lecher—eight years have passed, yet his style hasn’t changed much, if anything, he seems even more irritating than before. Annoying.
He chuckled to himself. No matter how sly Kid is, he has still fallen into my ingenious trap.
Confidently, he called to the officers, “Go, track Kid’s location!”
Then he clenched his fist tightly, his smile turning sinister and twisted. “Heh heh, Kid, today you are defeated, undone by the ultra-miniature tracker I installed inside this pendant... Now savor the police force’s equipment upgrades over the past eight years, and then repent your life behind bars! Ha ha ha ha—”
Unaware of Inspector Nakamori’s little scheme, Kaito Kid was making his escape upstairs.
Tonight’s moonlight shone brighter than usual, its clear radiance spilling through the rooftop door onto the stairs. Kaito Kid couldn’t help but relax at the beautiful sight.
This moonlight is paving my path; the jewel rightfully belongs to me.
Anyway, I’ll return it afterward. Uncle Nakamori is just a bit petty. Sigh, my father was more magnanimous—never once spoke ill of Uncle Nakamori in all these years. Truly a man of great generosity. My father is Kid, and I am Kid too. So, I guess that makes me magnanimous as well...
Wait, who is that person up there?
Suddenly remembering the threatening call from a few hours ago, his eyes sharpened. He quickly stopped, straightened his clothes, tipped his hat slightly, and walked calmly out through the door with one hand in his pocket.
As a magician, maintaining grace and poise before the audience is fundamental.
Even if facing an enemy.
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed.
A group of people emerged one after another from the stairwell behind. Their leader wore a brown trench coat and a hat, a sinister smile playing on his lips as he pulled a pistol from his coat.
They formed a tight encirclement.
The man ahead rose to his feet and turned to face Kaito Kid. Moonlight cast from behind him, shrouding his face in shadows.
Such a heavy-handed setup—it seems the enemies my father made were quite formidable, huh?
Kid thought to himself. Meanwhile, the man before him nimbly leapt down from the rooftop railing and approached steadily.
Naturally, the man on the rooftop was Morlay, who had been waiting patiently.
Earlier, Kid had wondered why no one from the Zoo group appeared in ambush. Now he realized—they were probably lying in wait on the floor below, ready to block his escape to the rooftop. A chaotic fight inside the building would give Kid a chance to slip away or even turn it into a werewolf-style game of deception. In the open space, though Kid could more easily flee by flight, it would be harder to muddy the waters. It was a trade-off.
But how do you plan to stop Kid from flying away?
Morlay saw the men behind draw their pistols, spreading out to form a net of firepower.
He was momentarily speechless. The Zoo group had no sense of style or flair, already losing on the fashion front, so how could they be the story’s protagonists?
Their leader was just a captain among grunts, swapping his black double-breasted trench coat for a brown one. A rookie elite monster from a beginner’s village, with that sinister grin...
Surely, as the protagonist grows, he’ll be cast aside.
But no denying, guns carry undeniable intimidation. Though in artistic works, flashy skills often outshine straightforward gunfire, in reality, there’s a high wall between bare hands and firearms—and that wall is much taller than that between cold weapons.
Meanwhile, Snake, the Zoo group’s first lieutenant confronting Kaito Kid, found it strange to see Morlay blocking their path.
Who is this man? Sent by the organization to trap Kid? His black double-breasted trench coat and appearance did not belong to Kid’s side. But does the organization have someone like this?
Wait... could he be the man from the organization a few days ago? But what can one person do?
If so few but so lethal, could he be... a human bomb?!
Is that really necessary? The brewery incident only involved one death—what’s so unforgivable?
The thought made cold sweat break out on Snake’s forehead.
He signaled his subordinate quietly, whispering, “That black-clothed silver-haired man—I’ll check him out first. If he makes any sudden moves, like rushing forward, shoot him in the head immediately! Don’t touch his coat!”
Though the order to aim for the head was unusual, the trained subordinate nodded and silently aimed his gun at Morlay.
Kaito Kid keenly noticed some gun barrels shifting to target the silver-haired man opposite. He wondered if the two groups were not allied. But regardless, the guns pointed at him from behind were undoubtedly more dangerous—they were probably the ones who threatened him by phone just hours ago.
Damn, are innocent civilians caught in this mess?
No, that can’t be right.
Only when the man stepped closer did Kid notice that the man’s eyes never rested on him but instead looked down on the armed crowd opposite without a trace of fear.
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No, it wasn’t a normal gaze—it was a look from above. Though the man wasn’t physically elevated, his eyes seemed to tower over the others. His spirit undoubtedly stood on a higher plane than that crowd.
With such a gaze, he couldn’t be an ordinary citizen. But even so, these people seemed to be targeting me... or was I dragged into something unrelated?
Judging by his calm eyes, maybe he could handle the current situation?
If so, perhaps we could cooperate!
“Sir...”
“You bastard...”
Snake and Kaito Kid spoke simultaneously.
They exchanged a glance, then both looked at Morlay.
“We can...”
“Where did you come from...”
Kaito Kid clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Snake sneered, veins bulging on his forehead.
Morlay sighed heavily.
He stepped past the blocking Kid and stood before the Zoo group, lifting his coat.
Snake’s eyes sharpened, bracing for a fight.
Kaito Kid looked at Snake, puzzled.
Morlay reached into his coat pocket.
Snake swallowed nervously and took a step back.
Kaito Kid noticed Snake’s reaction and grew a bit anxious.
Morlay fumbled for a moment, then paused.
Snake raised his right hand tensely. If Morlay made any strange move, a hail of bullets would rain down mercilessly.
Morlay withdrew his hand, empty. He turned to Kaito Kid and asked, “Kid-san?”
“Uh... huh?” Kaito Kid was confused.
“Do you have an extra white glove?”
“Huh? Um... yeah, I do.” Kaito Kid flipped his hand, producing a brand-new white glove.
Morlay casually pulled out a piece of Ichiyo Higuchi (note) and handed it to Kid, then took one glove from him. “Thanks. Just one.”
Kaito Kid opened his mouth but was speechless.
You keep one glove—what am I supposed to do with just one?
And you only want one glove—what good does that do?
Morlay looked at Snake holding the glove and gently dropped it to the ground.
“In light of your recent offense,” Morlay said softly, “we will enact reciprocal retribution. You may choose one person to return and report. The rest may live.”
The Zoo members exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.
“What... does this kid think this is, the Middle Ages?”
“Throwing a white glove... hahaha!”
Snake’s expression relaxed at the scene.
He had feared a human bomb but it turned out to be a clueless rookie. Yet, recalling his own startled reaction, he felt a bit annoyed.
Damn it, scared stiff by a rookie. If he lets him live...
A cruel smile crept across his face.
He clapped his hands and the Zoo group quieted instantly, aiming their guns at Morlay.
Morlay said nothing further and flicked his hands, producing two Berettas.
Kaito Kid gulped at the sight. Morlay producing those guns so swiftly surprised him even more than facing seven or eight armed thugs alone.
Where did those guns come from? What skill was that? So fast even I couldn’t see clearly?
Could it be that he’s a magician too?
But everyone could see this wasn’t a place to linger. Kaito Kid assessed the situation and decided his life was more important.
Still, before leaving, he didn’t mind stirring up some trouble.
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While the Zoo group’s attention remained fixed on Morlay, Kaito Kid whipped off his cloak and hurled four or five smoke bombs in different directions at super high speed. As the smoke began to appear, Snake reacted immediately, but the smoke bombs still captured his momentary focus. When he regained awareness, both men had vanished without a trace!
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a black figure approaching on his right. A gunshot rang out!
Moments earlier.
Morlay wondered where Kid had gone but didn’t care much. Anyone else would have fled long ago in this situation; Kid was already considerate enough to throw a smoke bomb. He made a mental note of the favor.
Now Morlay moved swiftly and silently to the group’s left flank. He watched the dim shapes of the men and quietly crept behind one of them.
That man remained alert, gun raised, scanning around. But his companion noticed Morlay standing behind and was about to shout when Morlay shoved the barrel of a gun into his mouth, silencing him.
Morlay’s left hand lowered the gun, finger pressed to his lips.
“Shh—”
The man was startled and angry, but the cold sensation in his mouth instilled a flicker of fear, keeping him still.
Then he saw Morlay’s disappeared gun reappear in his left hand, aimed at the back of his companion’s neck.
Why not shoot the back of the head? Simply put, it’s a bit disgusting...
The man with the gun in his mouth tensed, gathering strength secretly.
The moment Morlay shifted his gaze away, the man suddenly lurched backward at high speed. A gunshot sounded, and he saw his companion collapse stiffly while a shadow passed just above his nose.
Though barely escaping death, he dared not relax, instantly raising his gun again.
But almost simultaneously, his vision blurred, his palm burned with pain, and the gun vanished somewhere.
Morlay retracted his leg and looked down at the man, suddenly losing interest in shooting him again.
This guy is interesting. Even if I underestimated him, the fact he dodged that shot means he’s not doomed.
Maybe he’ll grow into a noteworthy “supporting character,” Morlay mused.
He put away his guns and disappeared into the smoke.
Meanwhile, Snake fired a shot to the right, and the black figure shattered into a shower of fragments.
...A balloon doll!
He gasped, then two shots rang out almost simultaneously from the left!
He realized he’d been tricked! His eyes blazing, he shouted, “Left side!”
The others obeyed and raised their guns, firing to the left.
Kid’s smoke bombs dispersed quickly. The recent chaos happened within just over twenty seconds.
Now the smoke thinned and the gunfire ceased. Snake’s face darkened as he saw only one corpse on the ground, shot in the back, and one injured man grimacing in pain, his finger bones twisted as he lay on the floor.
Kid and the silver-haired man had long since vanished.
A deathly silence settled over the rooftop.
After a while, Snake waved his hand. A few of his men stepped forward to carry away the body and help the wounded.
On the building opposite, Gin, watching through a telescope, lowered it quietly.
He turned silently and his hoarse voice reached Giancotti and Cohen’s ears: “The assessment is over.”
Giancotti, holding a sniper rifle, spat in frustration, cursing, “Damn Kid, throwing smoke bombs? Didn’t even see anyone get killed. Thought we’d rack up some kills.”
Cohen silently stood up from the gun.
Giancotti kept rambling, “That rookie brat too—he actually pulled it off. If no one had interfered, maybe we’d have seen him fail and get captured, then I could’ve...”
A chilling gaze cut through his rambling.
“One shot... Support to help him break the deadlock, maybe he could’ve turned the tide, haha...” Giancotti forced a laugh.
The icy stare shifted away.
That crazy woman—she doesn’t realize how hard it is to recruit capable field agents? Even if they’re moles, the organization can still squeeze some juice out of them. How can you just let her kill for fun? Gin’s eye twitched.
That brat—what’s his background, to get Gin so riled up? Both have silver hair—no way... Giancotti muttered under his breath.
Heh, two killers.
Some might think otherwise, but Giancotti only noticed the silver hair of both Gin and Morlay and suspected some familial connection.
Outwardly, he dared not show anything and obediently stowed his rifle, returning to the organization’s bar with Gin.
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