"By the way, you'd better... not tell them who they're chasing, or the kids will just get even more excited."
"I understand," Conan replied after a moment's thought, then hung up the phone.
Yoruichi Toyama gave a cold laugh as Amuro spread his hands to him, indicating that he was powerless to take back the children.
"You did this on purpose, didn't you?"
They were well aware of how enthusiastic those kids were about this cops and robbers game.
Part of the reason I didn't dare tell the truth at the time was because of this.
“Actually, you want it to be like this too, don’t you?” Amuro Tooru retorted without any politeness.
"Otherwise, you wouldn't have been a step too slow when you were stopping them."
"Toyama, don't forget our duty is to protect Miss Shiho. She's been incredibly important throughout the entire operation..."
"That's just your duty!" Yoruichi Toyama shouted, unable to contain herself any longer, which immediately drew the attention of many passersby.
The two of them had no choice but to suppress their anger and turn to walk into a quiet alley next to the movie theater.
"Alright, Toyama, you don't need to worry about this anymore." Amuro Tooru lowered his voice, his expression quite solemn.
"I assure you, those children will be fine. I've read Takato Yoichi's file; he's not the kind of person who indiscriminately kills innocent people, let alone harms children..."
Yoruichi Toyama took a deep breath, seemingly wanting to shout again but holding back, and then angrily turned her head away.
"That's not a reason for you to exploit children..."
You've seen Gao Yuan's information, so do you understand him better than me?
Don't I know what kind of person he is?
But what if? ...
If, under increasing pressure, Gao Yuan is forced to do something—even if it's just for show—to harm the children in order to escape...
Yoruichi Toyama believed this, but Tooru Amuro couldn't guarantee it with absolute certainty.
Therefore, he remained silent.
An awkward silence.
A pair of hands once again linked arms with Yoruichi Toyama's.
“Yoruichi, don’t worry too much,” Akemi said gently. “Mr. Amuro has a point.”
"You should think about it, Shiho... she went to Mr. Takato on her own."
Yoruichi Toyama paused for a moment, then looked at Akemi's smiling face.
Indeed, I overlooked something.
Shiho Miyano, their most important target on this trip, the person they wanted to "rescue" from Takato...
She's Akemi's sister!
He had been speaking out for the Junior Detective League, believing that Amuro Tooru had lured them into danger, while Akemi, whose younger sister was also in danger, had never uttered a word in his defense.
How could she not be worried!
Yoruichi Toyama sighed deeply and said nothing more.
He really didn't know what to say.
As if to rescue him once again, Amuro Tooru's phone rang again.
Before Amuro Tooru could speak, Conan's somewhat helpless voice came through the microphone.
"We are now in Ikebukuro Park, in the small plaza next to the pond..."
"The park?" Amuro Tooru was completely confused. "You and the children? And... Aunt Toyama?"
"We're all together..." Conan's reply was weak, as if he had given up the struggle.
"The 'we' I'm referring to is that mother from the distant mountains. She noticed us following her and invited us all to come to the park..."
The tone conveyed a sense of weariness, but there was no warning of danger.
As he spoke, the cheers and applause of children could be heard from not far away.
“She said she was going to do a magic trick for everyone… There were many children around, not just us…”
"But don't worry, Ai-chan is already with us."
Of all those words, only the last sentence offered a slight sense of reassurance.
"Magic... Huh?..." Amuro Tooru held the phone, feeling awkward in his hands and feet for some reason.
Yoruichi and Toyama had been arguing for nothing for a long time, while the children over there were happily watching the magic show.
I simply don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Yoruichi Toyama's eyes flickered for a moment, but after thinking about it, she gave a wry smile.
"Alright... this time we can only let him get away..."
As if in response, another cheer came from the other end of the phone, interspersed with Conan's alert shouts.
"Wow!..."
"Amazing!..."
"Ayumi! Everyone, step back, be careful!..."
At the same time, I also heard that familiar voice, laughing against the backdrop of some unknown noise.
"Goodbye, my dear children... Good luck!..."
Amidst the enormous, jet-like noise and the children's exclamations of utter astonishment, nothing else could be heard.
Conan was momentarily speechless.
Unaware of the situation on the other end, Amuro Tooru could only continue holding his phone, waiting for a reply.
"...It's over." After a while, Conan hurriedly said amidst his friends' chattering questions, "That guy... flew away in a hot air balloon, just like a real magician..."
"You guys go back to Poirot Cafe, Ai and I will head over right away."
...
"A hot air balloon!..." Amuro Tooru kept muttering to himself on the way back to the cafe, "What the hell is that?"
Yoruichi Toyama also wanted to make the same comment, but considering that Kaito Kid could always wear a hang glider under his clothes, she had no objection to Takato carrying a simple hot air balloon with him.
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