"I wonder if the Phantom Thief will appear again, as everyone expects? Although the warning letter hasn't arrived yet, naturally it'll be targeted, considering its value." Man said.
"But that Phantom Thief, whose name is Dark or something, is quite..." Woman said.
"Police Chief Hiwatari has arrived." Man said.
"He's twenty-six and already a candidate for the highest executive position." Woman said.
"How handsome!" Woman said.
"Well, if it isn't Police Chief Hiwatari." Man said.
"Hello." Kei said.
"It's rare for you to show up for this kind of gathering, isn't it?" Man said.
"Yes, sort of." Kei said.
"Your proud son, the Chief Commander, seems to have been waiting a while." Man said.
"Satoshi! So you were already here." Kei said.
"But to have adopted a son at such a young age..." Man said.
"At his age, Satoshi has already graduated from Lagoon University at the top of his class. And since he doesn't have any relatives that he can depend on, he needed someone who could support him." Kei said.
"I see." Man said.
"Moreover, I thought I could draw out his talent. Well, he's actually cute, in spite of how he seems." Kei said.
"Don't you have something to discuss with me?" Satoshi said.
"Oh, that's right. Well then, everyone, please excuse us. I would like to be alone with my dear son." Kei said and the two left.
"I wish he would stop bragging about his son. A Chief Commander who let Dark escape
isn't really..." Man said.
Xxx
"This is the Rutile of Grief. You know about it, don't you?" Kei said.
"Yes, and also the fateful story surrounding it." Satoshi said.
"You also understand that we can't let him steal any more, don't you?" Kei said.
"Fake! This is a counterfeit!" Satoshi said.
"I know you're having fun playing with that phantom. But won't you end your play time soon? You are not Satoshi Hikari any longer. You are Satoshi Hiwatari." Kei said.
"Are you asking me to protect something like this?" Satoshi said.
"I'm not saying to protect it. I'm telling you to capture that annoying Phantom Thief." Kei said.
"That's the real Rutile!" Satoshi said.
"If it's necessary to draw out more of your power in order to catch him, shouldn't we use whatever we can? Here, take this, Satoshi." Kei said.
Xxx
"Dai, answer the door, please!" Emiko said.
"Okay! Please come in." Daisuke said.
"Hey!" Kosuke said.
"Hey?" Daisuke said.
"Maybe "hey" was a little strange." Kosuke said.
"Who is it, Dai?" Emiko said.
"Well, may I ask who you are?" Daisuke said.
"I'm not anyone special, exactly, but..." Kosuke said. "Hey."
"Welcome home, Kosuke!" Emiko said.
"Kosuke? Is Kosuke back?" Daiki said.
"It's been a long time. Well, aren't you looking good!" Kosuke said.
"Dad?" Daisuke said.
"You've grown, Daisuke." Kosuke said.
"Couldn't you have come home a little more dramatically?" Daiki said.
"No kidding! It was like you hadn't been gone for long at all. You're such a strange person. Don't you think, Dai?" Emiko said.
"Huh? Oh, yeah." Daisuke said.
"That's right. I have a souvenir for Daisuke. It's a replica of the Rutile of Grief. I've been reading about your remarkable activities in the papers. You're going to steal it tomorrow, right?" Kosuke said.
"Yes, that's the plan." Daisuke said.
"If you have this, you won't mistake it for another. Keep it with you always." Kosuke said.
"Yes. Thank you very much." Daisuke said.
"Gee, Dai, you're acting strange, being so formal! Don't you think so, Dad?" Emiko said.
"Yeah, really." Daiki said.
"What should I make for dinner today, Dad?" Emiko said.
"That dish that Kosuke likes. You know, that one..." Daiki said.
What's wrong? It was the first time you'd seen your father in a long time, right? Dark said.
I don't really know if anything's wrong. Twelve years have passed since he left. Daisuke said.
Well, it's like that between a son and a father. Dark said.
I don't get it. I wonder what he's thinking, giving me this replica out of the blue. Daisuke said.
Xxx
"I said, hey!" Reiko said. "We've being calling you for a while."
"Sorry." Daisuke said.
"Hey, that's a replica of the Rutile of Grief, right?" Kuri said.
"Yeah, it is." Daisuke said.
"Who gave it to you?" Reiko said.
"We were just saying that you're more popular with the girls than we thought." Kuri said.
"That's not it. It was just a souvenir." Daisuke said.
"From who?" Reiko said.
"It's from my dad." Daisuke said.
"Your father?" Reiko said.
"He came back yesterday, all of a sudden." Daisuke said.
"Don't you guys know?" Takeshi said.
"Know what?" Twins said.
"The Rutile is popular nowadays." Takeshi said. "It's a replica, but the stone is real."
"That's a reporter for you." Reiko said.
"You see? This stone has the power to draw out people's hidden abilities. Like my charm.
Here, can't you feel it?" Takeshi said.
"If that's all the power it has, it wouldn't be popular, right?" Reiko said. "There's no way it could be."
"Darn." Kuri said.
"No, I think the power of that stone is incredible." Satoshi said.
"Hiwatari!" Daisuke said.
"Long time no see, Hiwatari!" Reiko said.
"I have one too." Satoshi said.
"Wow, it really is popular. Now I want one too." Kuri said.
"Geez, you've got a weak spot for popular things." Reiko said.
This isn't good. Dark said.
Dark, what is this stone? Daisuke said.
Xxx
That stone? Dark said.
Xxx
"No, that Rutile is the real one, but in the end it's just a replica. I've traveled around the world and researched many kinds of artworks, in order to find ways of completely removing the curses in those artworks." Kosuke said.
"Did you find any?" Emiko said.
"No, but what I can say is that any artwork contains its own power, the artist's feelings, and also the thoughts of people who held it. Many kinds of feelings get accumulated, the artworks become respected due to their attractiveness, and it leads to more power and creates synergy. At the least, I think I was able to reconfirm those matters." Kosuke said.
"Can I ask you a question? What made you want to come home?" Emiko said.
"Well, I wanted to see you, of course." Kosuke said.
"Kosuke?" Emiko said.
"Well... If anything, maybe it's because of the Rutile of Grief. I heard that the real one would be
donated to this town's museum. The Rutile of Grief has the power to draw out the abilities of the one who holds it. Yes, it could even drive that person to destruction." Kosuke said.
"Is it that dreadful?" Emiko said.
"Well, no, probably not, I think." Kosuke said.
"You were worried about Dai, right? I'm so happy!" Emiko said.
Xxx
Be on the lookout for anything this time, Daisuke. Dark said
Why? Daisuke said.
I may have to use a power that I haven't used yet. Dark said.
Magic? Daisuke said.
Yes, a strong one that could strain your body. I'll avoid it as best I can, but if I do, pardon me. Dark said.
But why? Daisuke said.
You'll know why soon! Dark said.
Xxx
"Today, Dark sent in a warning letter saying that he will steal the piece of jewelry, the Rutile of Grief, which was recently donated here to the Granbel Museum." Yukiru Sugisaki said. "The time is fast approaching. How does Phantom Thief Dark intend to break through this heavy security? Exciting, isn't it?"
"Well, then..." Kosuke said.
"What?" Emiko said.
"You were saying that the light bulb in the basement was dead, right? I'll go and change it." Kosuke said.
"But it's okay to do it later. Aren't you going to see Dark's work?" Emiko said.
"I know how it'll go even if I don't watch." Kosuke said.
Xxx
"It's now beginning." Satoshi said.
"Excuse me. The time in the warning letter has just passed." Dark, dressed as an officer said.
"Yes." Satoshi said.
"The Rutile of Grief is safe, as you can see. Dark probably won't show up tonight." Dark said.
"No, he is already here." Satoshi said. "You can easily tell the real one from the fake one, can't you? Reveal yourself, Dark!
"Violence isn't to my tastes. Come on, give me the real one." Dark said.
"I've been waiting for this moment." Satoshi said.
Who is that? Daisuke said.
"Don't come out, Krad! I'll do it myself!" Satoshi said.
Krad? The one from before? Daisuke said.
Yeah. Dark said.
"I've captured Dark! Go!" Satoshi said.
"You don't think that you've really captured me like this, do you?" Dark said.
"Of course not." Krad said.
"Krad!" Satoshi said.
"Master Satoshi, you do know why your father gave that Rutile to you, right?" Krad said.
"The Rutile?" Satoshi said.
Is that because the Rutile draws power out from people? Daisuke said.
Yes, and the power is HIM. Dark said.
"Rutile of Grief, release my magic!" Krad said.
Daisuke! Dark said.
Dark, hang on! Daisuke said.
"It's not as bad as I thought. It doesn't hurt at all." Dark said.
"You're bluffing. Then how about this?!" Krad said.
Dark! Dark! Daisuke said. I'm not feeling any pain. Dark, the Rutile is protecting us. The Rutile that Dad gave me is absorbing the magic.
This thing? Even if it's a replica, the thought put into it is real. Dark said.
"Master Satoshi, please step back. Master Satoshi!" Krad said.
"Here goes!" Dark said.
Are you okay? Dark said.
Yeah... Daisuke said.
"So we were able to meet again, Dark." Krad said.
"Don't address me as if we were close." Dark said.
"I won't let you escape!" Krad said.
"I don't want to see your face!" Dark said.
"That's a cold thing to say when we haven't seen each other for a while." Krad said.
"Don't come close to me, you creep!" Dark said.
Dark, is Krad... Daisuke said.
"Don't talk to me right now!" Dark said. "At this rate, things are going nowhere! Krad!
He's my other half."
Your other half? Daisuke said.
"But I'm different from him! That's right, he's a replica!" Dark said.
"I'm myself, and the only one. Yes, this body belongs to me!" Krad said.
What happened to Hiwatari? Hiwatari! Daisuke said
"Disappear, Krad!" Dark said.
Hiwatari...Thank goodness. Daisuke said.
"Looks like Krad disappeared. Then I guess I'll save him." Dark said. "Are you okay, Daisuke?"
Yes, I'm fine, but... Daisuke said.
"That's thanks to Kosuke, isn't it?" Dark said.
I think so. Daisuke said.
Xxx
"Kosuke, what's wrong?" Emiko said. "Hey, open the door!'
"What happened?" Dark said.
"Dark! Kosuke went in to change the light bulb and hasn't come out yet." Emiko said.
"Light bulb?" Dark aid.
"Kosuke!" Emiko said.
"Ow ow..." Kosuke said.
"Kosuke? So that's how it is." Dark said.
"What do you mean?" Kosuke said.
"Nothing." Dark said.
"I was able to change the light bulb, but I fell from the footstool. I think I was unconscious for a while." Kosuke said.
"Goodness, you're clumsy..." Emiko said.
"Sorry." Kosuke said.
Xxx
"Dad..." Daisuke said.
"What is it?" Kosuke said.
"Well... Thank you." Daisuke said.
Xxx
"Ouch! Ouch..." Kosuke said.
"Okay, done. Kosuke... You're not a Phantom Thief, but I can see Dark's wings on you too." Emiko said.
Xxx
"It turned out that the Rutile of Grief was stolen after all. But it's frustrating that we don't know when and where it was stolen. I can't write anything like this." Takeshi said.
"What's up, Hiwatari? Did something good happen?" Daisuke said.
"It would have been mortifying, ordinarily. But you know what? If there's something you don't need, it's better off being stolen. I even feel like saying thank you for stealing it. Well, not that it has anything to do with you." Satoshi said.
Xxx
"I'll show you that I can capture Dark without the help of such a thing." Satoshi said in a message.
"Children don't know how dear they are to their parents. But the time that I won't be able to say things like that is coming, in the very near future." Kei said.