Chapter 62: Makoto Kusakabe and the Magician of the Silver Sky
As the New Year's Day approached, the final match of the Emperor's Cup soccer tournament was about to be held at the Japan National Stadium.
However, to the utter astonishment of the tournament's general director, a group of secret police had requested a meeting with him, hoping to delay the kickoff time of the Emperor's Cup final so they could conduct an investigation—
"Are you kidding me? How is that even possible?" the director shouted.
"You secret agents who never do a real day's work, are you purposely trying to pick a fight?"
"There is absolutely no way this match can be postponed or delayed. Fifty-six thousand tickets are completely sold out, and tomorrow is New Year's Day. If you make me postpone the match, do you have any idea how much money that will cost us?"
Money, money, money—it was always about money.
Was this guy literally made of money?
Toru Amuro's face darkened.
His skin was already somewhat darker than the average person's, and now his expression made him look even more menacing.
Kazami Yuya, standing next to Toru Amuro, was quite accustomed to this kind of situation. He merely pulled the general director aside to persuade him—normally, they, the Japanese Public Security, had the authority to conduct security inspections.
Unfortunately, given that the Emperor's Cup was being held at the Japan National Stadium, one had to wonder if that security inspection authority was quite sufficient in scale.
Unlike Toru Amuro, who had switched career paths midway and been hastily promoted into the Zero Section, Kazami Yuya knew just how terrifying the reputation of the Japanese Public Security was to the outside world.
Ordinary civilians simply referred to them directly as secret police, and less flatteringly, as secret agents. Frankly, if the prosecutors from the Public Security Department hadn't been able to salvage a bit of their dignity here in Tokyo, there was a very real possibility they would have been chased away and sent back to report to their superiors.
Furthermore, it wasn't just civilians who kept their distance from and even despised the Japanese Public Security.
Even the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department held an extremely hostile attitude toward them. That guy Rinzaburo Shiratori earlier had looked at them with utter disgust; if they hadn't been there to take the blame off the Criminal Affairs Division, a shouting match would probably have broken out on the spot.
"Sigh..."
Toru Amuro shook his head and leaned against the nearby railing.
He knew this matter would be difficult. At best, Kazami Yuya would likely only be able to persuade the general director to allow them a limited degree of access to backstage at the Japan National Stadium during rehearsal times—
"Hey, have you heard? That prosecutor is back!"
"Oh... You mean the prosecutor who took down the Red Ogre Syndicate? Wasn't he told to lay low for a while by the higher-ups? Now that the Kanto Alliance has quieted down after being targeted by that urban legend, they've transferred him back already?"
Two of the Public Security officers, who had been barred from entering, were chatting idly, catching Toru Amuro's attention.
Toru Amuro stepped closer and asked, "Which prosecutor are you talking about? It couldn't be... the prosecutor from the Public Security Department, could it?"
A strange emotion tinged his voice.
Hearing Toru Amuro's words, the two Public Security officers exchanged a glance, and then spoke in unison.
"Yeah, of course it's the prosecutor from the Public Security Department! That's the ace prosecutor of the Public Security Department, just as well-known as Reiko Kujo, the prosecutor who can go toe-to-toe with Tokyo's undefeated lawyer, Eri Kisaki—"
"Prosecutor Kusakabe!"
Prosecutor Kusakabe, also known as Makoto Kusakabe.
Toru Amuro instinctively turned around and let out another sigh, finally understanding why a single prosecutor had been able to dismantle an entire violent criminal organization. If it was Makoto Kusakabe, it didn't come as a surprise at all.
Because Makoto Kusakabe was a restless prosecutor within the Public Security Department.
A normal Public Security prosecutor would indict whoever the Japanese Public Security told them to indict, but Makoto Kusakabe insisted on independent judgment and independent investigation, and had even secretly developed his own informants.
The reason the Red Ogre Syndicate was taken down by Makoto Kusakabe was likely because he had sent his own informant to go undercover inside the organization.
Toru Amuro was fairly well-informed about Makoto Kusakabe's informant—
Because that informant was someone Toru Amuro himself had later captured, brought out, and then... died in the interrogation room.
At least, the official narrative was that he died in the interrogation room.
"Troubled times indeed."
Toru Amuro felt a headache coming on.
Why did Makoto Kusakabe have to return to Tokyo at a time like this? Things were bound to get chaotic over the matter of Swallow Shuangying, and there was no telling what kind of wretched state Beika Town would turn into next...
Meanwhile, at the Beika Town Station.
A meticulous man in a suit stepped off the train.
If Toru Amuro were here, he would undoubtedly have recognized the man's true identity at a glance—
Makoto Kusakabe, the ace prosecutor of the Public Security Department.
(Makoto Kusakabe, the villain from the theatrical film *Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer*, proficient in the legendary ninja art of *Tengai Shinsei*, because he literally caused a satellite to fall and crash into the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters.)
"Ran, hurry up, hurry up!"
A young girl's voice rang out nearby.
Makoto Kusakabe turned his head slightly to look at the commotion.
There, a tea-haired girl wearing a headband was urging on another girl with a somewhat unusual hairstyle. They looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, presumably high school students.
Behind the two girls, an elementary school student in a blue suit was watching them with a speechless expression.
Next to the elementary school student was Tokyo's famous detective, the "Sleeping Kogoro," Kogoro Mouri.
The two males, one tall and one short, were carrying suitcases and backpacks as they followed behind the two girls.
"Honestly, Sonoko, where are we even going?"
Mouri Ran complained slightly.
First thing this morning, Sonoko Suzuki had called her up in high spirits, babbling on about some magician gathering.
Really, Sonoko didn't even know any magic!
"Hehe, you didn't know, did you? This magician gathering is going to feature a real handsome guy!"
"Especially that speaker named 'Tatsuki Doiha'!"
(Tatsuki Doiha, i.e., Kaito Kid, who appeared in TV episodes 132–134, "The Magician Lover Murder Case," a storyline that connects to the theatrical film *Detective Conan: The Magician of the Silver Sky*.)
Although Sonoko Suzuki had only chatted with Tatsuki Doiha online, and had never even seen a photo of him, she was already acting like a lovesick maiden.
"Hehe, I have a feeling he's going to be a total hunk!"
"Maybe I can finally find a boyfriend! Ran, you just have to come with me! You already have Kudo, you can't just stand by and watch me remain single without a boyfriend, right?"
...Tatsuki Doiha? Who's that? Never heard of him. Is he a magician too?
Conan wore a deadpan expression and shook his head.
He had certainly never heard of him; the guy must be some third-rate magician, or simply a magic enthusiast...
His gaze suddenly drifted toward the man in the suit nearby.
Makoto Kusakabe, meanwhile, was also observing the grim reaper-like elementary school student.
For some reason, looking at this elementary school student gave him an ominous feeling.
...It must be my imagination.
What could an elementary school student possibly do?
As Conan and his group headed toward the venue of the magician enthusiasts' gathering, Makoto Kusakabe took a car back to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office.
The two parties crossed paths, each heading toward their respective destinations.