Chapter 207, Seventy-Third Cycle (37)

[Sakura: Then, you try to advance the plot before the original storyline unfolds, and see if you can make changes that affect the original plot development.]

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"Why is that thief everywhere? I really don't understand why so many people like that awful guy." Nakamori Aoko was annoyed seeing the fans who had come because of Kaito Kid. "It's all his fault! He made my dad have to work overtime and can't play with us."

She was lucky enough to win three tickets to the Hokkaido Snow Festival. She was originally going to come with her father and childhood friend Kaito Kuroba, but she missed it again because Kaito Kid caused trouble, which meant her father, a policeman, had to go catch that arrogant thief.

Kaito Kuroba, the phantom thief himself, gave an awkward but polite smile, silently apologizing, before turning his gaze to the towering hotel building.

However, before thinking about how to break through the police and security lines to steal the gems tonight, he temporarily turned his attention to the unusually quiet red-haired girl next to him.

Koizumi Akako, a second-year student in Class B at Ekoda High School, is his classmate. She is also a witch who claims to be the rightful heir to the Red Magic and knows his secret as the Phantom Thief Kid.

When he looked at the red-haired girl, he thought she would say something strange like before—such as, "Do you think Phantom Thief Kid can still fly in this cold weather?"

But no, even while still in the car, Koizumi Akako had fallen into an unusually serious and confused silence, and now her expression was even more solemn.

"...What's wrong?" Kaito Kuroba was also a little nervous.

Koizumi Akako withdrew her gaze from the hotel, frowned, and said, "Do you remember the Demon of Light I told you about before?"

Kaito Kuroba nodded, glanced at Aoko Nakamori who was taking pictures of the snow scene, and whispered, "What's wrong? Is he here this time too?"

He wasn't afraid, because the guy the witch called the Demon of Light was actually someone he knew.

Koizumi Akako advised him to abandon the mission and made a prophecy that he would encounter the Demon of Light and then suffer great misfortune.

She said, "When the ancient clock tower, which tells the story of time, strikes its twenty-thousandth chime, the Demon of Light will descend from the eastern sky and annihilate all criminals in one fell swoop."

Although he was indeed frightened, he encountered Shinichi Kudo, a high school detective, who was just an ordinary human being.

However, later on, the ordinary high school student Shinichi Kudo suddenly shrunk into an extraordinary elementary school student, Conan Edogawa. He also knew some of the inside story about Conan, and now they are working together to fight the organization.

Although they are a detective and a phantom thief, their relationship is quite good.

I'm definitely not scared, I'm just a little curious and excited.

After a long silence, Koizumi Akako said with a serious expression, "I'll go back and do some divination first."

Kaito Kuroba opened his eyes wide in surprise: "You didn't do a divination before you came?"

Generally speaking, doesn't this person usually consult the oracle before taking action and gather information before joining the group?

"I had my fortune told, but I didn't see it at the time..." She paused for a moment, seemingly unsure how to continue, and then, as if the situation was serious, went back to the hotel alone.

Kaito Kuroba also became curious about this, and while accompanying Aoko Nakamori on her trip to take pictures, he took out his phone and sent a message to the "Magician of Light" to inquire about it.

Then, he received a call directly from the other party.

“I am indeed in Hokkaido, but it’s a bit dangerous here now. You’d better abandon your plans.” The child’s serious and steady voice came from the phone.

Kaito Kuroba took two steps back to avoid being overheard by Aoko Nakamori: "What's wrong? Is it something about that organization that's making you so nervous?"

Conan Edogawa paused for a moment.

Kaito Kuroba then understood the answer.

"Hiss, why are they here too? Is their goal also that gem? That's troublesome." Kaito Kuroba frowned in thought.

The child on the other end of the phone sighed: "We don't know the specifics yet, but Vermouth and Bourbon are here, as are the FBI and the police. There might be others hiding in the shadows... In short, I have a very bad feeling. You'd better not get involved."

Kaito Kuroba suddenly felt a bit of a toothache. He thought about the other party's amazing connections and asked, "Are they those FBI agents and police officers you know?"

Conan Edogawa said, "Yeah, I just happened to run into them. I haven't been able to contact Ms. Jodie from the FBI yet. Officer Matsuda and the others said they were just on holiday to see the snow."

Kaito Kuroba reached out and grabbed a handful of cold snow. His frozen fingers, not very nimble, sculpted a perfectly crafted snowman.

“I won’t abandon the plan, but I also have something to tell you.” He exhaled a puff of white mist. “A mage seems to sense something is wrong here. I’ll let you know if there’s any further information. You should also be careful.”

After thanking him, Conan Edogawa chuckled and said, "How do you, a magician, get along so well with a sorcerer?"

Kaito Kuroba: "..."

Kaito Kuroba: "Our relationship would be a disaster. Alright, I'm hanging up."

All friends.

The two returned to the hotel five hours later, and it was almost dark, but the evening in the snow country was still bright.

Kaito Kuroba wanted to go find Akako Koizumi to ask about the situation, but she stayed in the hotel and didn't come out or respond.

Just as he secretly got up in the middle of the night to scout out the location and prepare the traps, the red-haired witch suddenly appeared silently behind him, startling him.

“I’m leaving.” Koizumi Akako frowned. “You’d better take her with you and leave too. This is not a place for ordinary people to get involved in.”

Kaito Kuroba looked at her in surprise: "This doesn't sound like something you would say. You actually said you're an ordinary person?"

Koizumi Akako pursed her lips: "Compared to that kind of being, everyone is as insignificant as an ant. I don't even understand how such a being could actually appear in this world..."

She suddenly stopped halfway through her sentence, her face turning slightly pale. She shook her head and said, "This is the most serious warning I've ever given you. You'd better not get involved in the affairs of the Demon of Light and the Hero of Darkness."

"What, another hero of darkness? And they've even paired up?" Kaito Kuroba, who seemed to have no fear, laughed and said, "Is this the reason you're afraid? Come on, tell me what kind of person he is."

"I'm not scared at all!" Koizumi Akako retorted angrily. "It's just that there's no need to get involved in such a terrifying and irreversible cause and effect!"

Kaito Kuroba raised an eyebrow: "You've made me curious. Just who is this Hero of Darkness? Is he even more terrifying than the Demon of Light? What exactly did you divine?"

Koizumi Akako remained silent for a long time, then slowly recited the prophecy she had divined, her face expressionless:

"The ancient clock tower, representing time, will announce to the world that when it strikes its fifty-thousandth chime, the Demon of Light will be reborn in the sunlight of the Eastern Capital, bringing hope to annihilate all criminals in one fell swoop."

"This is a game between God and the devil. When the bells rang to commemorate the birth of the Holy Lord, the hero of darkness will fall in the darkness of Satan's city, successfully saving the world and bringing both happiness and sorrow."