Kaito's expression froze, and the rose fell to the ground.
The scene from that night resurfaced—a giant dragon of flames swirling in the night sky, the heat scorching his cheeks...
"That...that must be some kind of holographic projection! And afterwards, the Suzuki Foundation even released a report saying they had developed a brand new projection technology." He stubbornly insisted, "Holographic projection combined with combustible gas and—"
For these main characters, their worldview is unbreakable.
Instead of trying to make them believe in magic, it's better to just kill them.
"That's enough, I'm not interested in trying to convince you."
Hongzi waved her hand impatiently, as if shooing away flies.
Right now, Kaito Kuroba is just a tool to her. Her eyes and heart are only on Nanami Hanyu. As for how to achieve that, that's another story.
As she spoke, she pulled a yellowed ancient book from her bag; the gold-embossed runes on the sheepskin cover had faded. "Do you recognize this?"
Kaito's pupils suddenly contracted.
The spider emblem engraved on the spine of that book was exactly the same as the one in the notebook left by his father!
“The Dark Night Star Chronicles…” His voice tightened, “The legendary forbidden book that records the whereabouts of the Pandora Gems…”
"It seems Kuroba Toichi has told you quite a few stories." Akako casually flipped through the pages, and Kaito's gaze followed her as if drawn by a magnet. "Page 37 mentions that Pandora appears when the moonlight shines..."
"Give it to me!" Kaito suddenly reached out to snatch it.
Hongzi was prepared; the book snapped shut and disappeared into her palm: "Want it? Do me a favor first."
Kaito's hand froze in mid-air. After a brief hesitation, he put on a solicitous expression and asked, "How can I help you?"
“It’s very simple~” Akako magically produced the chocolate again, “Have your mother—the Phantom Thief Lady—help us get Hanyu Nan to eat this at the Ryoma Exhibition.”
Kaito's expression changed drastically: "How do you know about her—"
My own mother retired from the world a long time ago.
"I know far more than you think." Hongzi confidently toyed with the chocolate, a mysterious glint in her eyes. "For example...did you and your son have a big fight recently?"
She tilted her head slightly, looking at Kaito with a half-smile.
Kaito's forehead instantly broke out in a cold sweat, and his heart suddenly raced.
He hasn't dared to go home for a long time since he had a big fight with his mother over something, and was even chased and chopped with an axe.
Unexpectedly, Akako knew all about these things. But considering that the other party already knew his identity as Phantom Thief Kid, it wasn't so surprising that she knew his mother's identity as well.
But to complete the task assigned by Hongzi...
"...I can't communicate with her right now." Kaito turned his face away.
Just thinking about his mother's angry face and the figure wielding an axe made Douzi feel a chill.
“Then go and communicate.” Hongzi waved the ancient book in front of him. “Unless you don’t want this?”
Kaito stared at the book that might contain clues to the Pandora Gem that he and his father, the two generations of Phantom Thieves Kid, had been searching for, and his hands unconsciously clenched.
Finally, he took a deep breath: "...Deal."
There was no way he could refuse the temptation offered by Koizumi Akako.
Hongzi smiled with satisfaction: "A wise choice."
She turned to leave, then turned back and added, "Remember, if the mission fails, I can't guarantee this book won't end up on some zookeeper's desk."
"zoo?"
Kaito didn't immediately understand what it meant.
After all, his parents, for his safety, had never revealed anything about the mysterious "zoo" organization to him.
"This is so superstitious, and I'm supposed to be at the botanical garden..." Kaito thought to himself, staring at Koizumi Akako's departing figure, when he suddenly shouted, "Wait! Why does my mother have to be involved?"
Hongzi paused slightly, her profile glowing with an eerie red light in the afterglow of the setting sun, like a witch from the dark world. "Because, as far as I know, Yuzuru is... unusually unguarded around mature women."
This answer sent a sharp pain through Kaito's stomach.
What's the meaning?!
Is he going to use his mother as bait?
Putting aside whether his mother would agree, could he, as her son, just stand by and watch his own mother use her beauty to seduce Yuzuru? Absolutely not...
"Hmm~ That sounds like a good idea..."
Kaito Kuroba pinched his chin, his expression gradually shifting from anger to contemplation, and then to excitement.
Based on my understanding of Yuzuru, that guy is always surrounded by all sorts of beautiful women; you could say that women are his biggest weakness.
Using a beautiful woman as a weapon might actually be the best option.
Moreover, if Mom were to intervene, given her skills, that guy probably wouldn't get the better of her.
After all, my mom has been in the business world for many years and has a lot of experience.
The more Douzi thought about it, the more excited he became.
He saw an opportunity to get revenge on Hanyu Nanami, and regardless of whether Koizumi Akako's talk of the true love chocolate was true or false, as long as he could get that guy to eat the chocolate, he could get the book with clues about the Pandora gems.
"A win-win situation! I'm a genius!"
Douzi slapped his thigh, his face full of excitement, confident of victory.
For the sake of the gem and her son, it's time for Mom to "sacrifice" a little.
.........
Meanwhile, at Yuzuru's residence.
The villa has been expanded with another floor in the last two days.
Several girls discovered another way to play with the shrinking light.
With the perfect combination of four-dimensional building blocks and the skillful carpenter Amei, this newly expanded floor has been given a fun name – the Little People's Room.
Stepping into the miniature room is like entering a miniature fantasy world.
Inside are all sorts of building block toys, replicas of amusement facilities, buildings, forests, and other items from the real world at a 1:1 scale, with every detail lifelike.
The girls in my family have been playing here these past few days.
By using a shrinking light to make yourself smaller, it's as if you've entered a fairytale kingdom full of surprises.
Here, you can find miniature versions of any famous building you can think of, such as the pyramids and the Statue of Liberty, allowing you to experience the wonderful feeling of traveling the world without leaving home.
Achoo!
While Hanyu Nanami was enthusiastically playing hide-and-seek with Ran, Sonoko, and Kazuha in the dollhouse, he suddenly sneezed.
"Bu-i?" (Have you caught a cold?)
Yingying jumped onto his shoulder with concern.
"No..." Yuzuru rubbed his nose, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes, "Someone is probably after me..."
He glanced in Ekoda's direction, a meaningful smile playing on his lips: "I hope that witch... has fun~"
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