ALL NOVEL Chapter 254: Chapter 254: Confrontation
At that moment, the tourists in the Scarlet Shadow Heart collection room, as well as the staff at the door responsible for guiding them, were stunned after hearing Sera Masumi's words.
"What... what's going on? Kaitou Kid?"
"Isn't this Mr. Tsukino? What is this person talking about?"
Everyone stared at Sera Masumi, who unceremoniously grabbed Tsukino Takashi's shoulders, and their first thought was that she had come to cause trouble.
Just as the staff at the door were about to call security to stop Sera Masumi from attacking Tsukino Takashi, they witnessed something that left them speechless—
They saw Tsukino Takashi pull something out of his pocket and toss it onto the ground.
Immediately,
A thick plume of white smoke rose in the small collection room, blocking everyone's view.
As for Sera Masumi, who had caught Kuroba Kaito, she felt Kaitou Kid's shoulder slip out of her grasp.
Amid the dense white smoke, Sera Masumi caught a glimpse of a shadow darting toward the exit of the collection room.
She quickly gave chase.
The smoke detector in the collection room blared loudly.
The staff, initially baffled by "Tsukino Takashi's" strange behavior, along with the tourists in the collection room,
Finally realized what had happened—Tsukino Takashi was actually Kaitou Kid in disguise.
---
"Kaitou Kid is here!!"
"He's here to steal the Scarlet Shadow Heart!"
The staff at the door shouted as they evacuated the tourists lined up at the entrance.
At the same time, they quickly reached into their pockets and pressed the button on their alarm device.
This alarm device was issued by Tsukino Takashi to every staff member the night he received Kaitou Kid's warning letter.
Whenever a staff member spotted Kaitou Kid or sensed someone trying to steal an exhibit, they could press the button to send a signal.
The on-site security captain could then pinpoint the location of the alarm and dispatch additional personnel to the relevant area.
---
By then, Kuroba Kaito had already escaped from the Scarlet Heart collection room.
'I really didn't expect that guy to bring someone along.'
Just as Kuroba Kaito silently cursed in his heart, a strong sense of danger surged within him.
Following his instincts, he ducked without hesitation.
As he crouched, a leg whizzed through the air above him, narrowly grazing his scalp.
Kuroba Kaito quickly rose and spun around.
He saw Sera Masumi, dressed in a hat, a cardigan, and a sweatshirt, retracting her leg from the kick.
---
'Why is this person attacking as fiercely as that monster? Does she even know how to hold back?'
Cold sweat ran down Kuroba Kaito's back as a deeply ingrained image resurfaced in his mind—Kyogoku Makoto.
Although Sera Masumi's combat skills weren't as extreme as Kyogoku Makoto's,
She was still one of the most formidable people Kuroba Kaito had ever encountered.
---
'Thank goodness for my quick reflexes. If I had been even a bit slower, she would've landed a direct hit.'
Originally, Sera Masumi had aimed for Kuroba Kaito's shoulder, but because of his instinctive crouch, her kick nearly struck his head instead.
---
"You're quite responsive, Kaitou Kid," Sera Masumi remarked with a smile, then continued,
"Kaitou Kid, you're truly greedy.
You already stole one piece of the collection before, but now you're trying to take a second."
Sera Masumi didn't reveal that she had deduced Kaitou Kid's true goal was the Scarlet Shadow Heart from the start.
She wanted to mislead him into thinking she was unaware of his real intentions.
This way, Kaitou Kid would continue focusing on the three collection pieces,
Increasing her chances of capturing him.
If Kaitou Kid realized his true purpose had been exposed, he might abandon his plan and flee upon noticing Sera Masumi and the others stationed near the Scarlet Heart collection room.
---
By then, several people in Area B-2 had noticed the commotion and were curiously looking on.
Many security staff, alerted by the signal from the door staff, quickly arrived to apprehend the phantom thief disguised as Tsukino Takashi.
Kuroba Kaito swiftly assessed the situation before lifting his gaze back to Sera Masumi.
---
A smile once again appeared on "Tsukino Takashi's" face.
Like magic, he produced several more smoke bombs in his hands.
Sera Masumi, noticing this, reacted instantly.
She rushed forward, spun around, and delivered a kick toward Kaitou Kid.
---
Thick white smoke erupted again as Sera Masumi's kick missed its mark.
Then, she saw a white figure soaring above her head.
Everyone instinctively looked up, only to see not Kaitou Kid returning to his original guise,
But a pure white kite gliding upward, carrying a grappling hook that latched onto the ceiling.
Realizing she had been tricked, Sera Masumi dashed back into the smoke, but by the time she emerged from the white haze, Tsukino Takashi was nowhere to be seen.
---
'Disguised as someone else again?'
Sera Masumi knew Kaitou Kid possessed exceptional and lightning-fast disguise skills, allowing him to transform almost instantly.
Meanwhile, Kuroba Kaito, now entirely disguised as another person, blended seamlessly into the crowd.
From a distance, he watched Sera Masumi searching around, a subtle smile curling at the corners of his lips.
---
Kaitou Kid's abilities had been thoroughly analyzed and widely discussed online.
For most people, such exposure of their skills would be a disadvantage.
But Kuroba Kaito wasn't concerned in the slightest.
Anyone familiar with Kaitou Kid knew he liked using smoke and gliders to escape through the air.
He had turned this knowledge to his advantage by using the kite to divert attention.
While Sera Masumi and the others were distracted, Kuroba Kaito swiftly transformed into someone else and disappeared into the crowd.
---
However, Kaitou Kid's lips curled into a smile.
He noticed Sera Masumi's gaze falling directly on him.
(End of Chapter)