Across Universes

by Taliya

[ORV x DCMK] What is one to do when they find themselves bodyswapped into a universe not their own, forced to complete a scenario in order to return to their rightful body and universe, and have a telepathic connection to the one they've switched bodies with? A.) Kill everyone around you except your teammates; or B.) Save everyone around you except for the already-dead guy.

2. Part II: Kaitou KID and Kim Dokja

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Detective Conan and Magic Kaito characters, settings, and ideas do not belong to me but to Sing Shong and Aoyama Gōshō, respectively.

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Warnings: Body dysphoria, crossdressing, violence, language, spoilers for the Demon King Selection arc (Episodes 47-50/Chapters 247-271) from Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint and The Jet-Black Mystery Train arc (Files 818-24/Episode 701-4) from Detective Conan, and The Splendid Rivals (Chapters 15-6/Episode 7) from Magic Kaito: KID the Phantom Thief.

Note: The two universes and events involved will be simultaneously running in parallel to each other, so just… be mentally prepared for the inevitable confusion that comes with narrating and conversing about both with multiple conversations going at the same time.

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Crossing Universes

By Taliya

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Part II: Kaitou KID and Kim Dokja

Chapter-specific warnings: Body dysphoria, a dash of body horror but Kim Dokja has more pressing things to worry about, crossdressing, violence, language, The Jet-Black Mystery Train, The Splendid Rivals, and Demon King Selection spoilers

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Despite the small snafu that occurred during the boarding process, once Mouri Kogoro had been herded away by his daughter, it was smooth sailing from there. It was child's play to throw his voice around to cover for Jii's inability to manipulate his own voice. Kaitou KID easily ignored the discomfort wearing women's clothing always brought due to having to do a few temporary body modifications, but the painstaking detail he put into his disguises were almost always worth the effort, in the end.

Sumitomo Hiroka was his disguise for this trip, while his assistant, Jii Konosuke, was disguised as the elderly Komino Natsue. The maid leaned over to open the door to the cabin that the original Komino Natsue had booked before carefully wheeling her assistant inside.

[The winning team of the first game is the Yoo Joon—]

What? she thought, confused. Between one breath and the next her physical discomfort with her disguise had vanished—

[—ghyuk – Kim Dokja Industrial Complex.]

—only to be replaced by the equally familiar aches and pains that came from intense ninjutsu sparring. KID blinked in bewilderment. The moment he had passed over the threshold of his and Jii's appointed cabin doors, he had somehow been transported to… wherever this edge of the forest was, surrounded by a small cluster of people in various states of distress, two dogs of… varying sizes, and a… wooden gong?

「What the—where am I, and why am I dressed in women's clothing?!」 screamed a voice in his head. A very male voice.

Oi, don't freak out over there! You'll blow my cover! And I'd like to know where I am myself, he replied tightly as he glanced down. Clothing not his own greeted him: black pants, dark grey shirt, and a long, beige trench coat, complete with sturdy black boots. If he concentrated enough, he could faintly feel discomfort in his groin area where he had taped himself flat. So, at least there was still some minimal amount of connection between his mind and his body.

「You're in the Demon Realm.」 the voice answered, 「Who are you though? And why are you in my head?」

I could ask the same of you, since you're also in mine. You're on the Mystery Train traveling from Tokyo to Nagoya, by the way. KID's attention to the voice in his head switched outward as he barely refrained from jumping as a small, glowing object suddenly appeared before him to hover in the center of the odd gathering. By simply staring at it, KID somehow understood that it was a sentence.

『The flower of the story blooms in the cruel Demon Territory.』

The voice sighed. 「So, that's what our prize was for winning.」

"… we really won?" asked the grubby looking teenager beside him. KID nodded wordlessly in reply, relaying the voice's confirmation that they had indeed won… whatever game they had been playing as he tucked it into his coat for safekeeping.

「While I'm happy that we won the first battle, what I would really like to know is why is there a need for me—you—to be disguised?」 the voice prodded. 「Ah, I'm fine, Jii-chan, just a little distracted.」

The last was not directed at him, and KID realized with some astonishment that although the voice had been speaking to Jii, he could still "hear" him. Apparently something else was also news to whoever was on the other end of the mental tether, since he exclaimed, 「… since when did I speak fluent Japanese?」

KID snorted. Since now, I guess. Why, are you not Japanese?

「I'm Korean. And for future reference, all the humans working with you are Korean unless they indicate otherwise.」

I see, KID hummed. Anyhow, the reason you're disguised is because I was in the m— A blue game system-like notification blinked into existence before the phantom thief.

[The 'Demon King of Lust and Fury' is looking at you with interest.]

[Many constellations are cheering for the Yoo Joonghyuk – Kim Dokja Industrial Complex.]

[The reward of 100,000 coins each for the first game has been distributed.]

[100,000 coins have been added to your account.]

Constellations? the phantom thief wondered what stars had to do with anything, and yet as he thought the word, knowledge about the constellations and what role they played in whatever place he was filled his head.

「Assholes who torment people for enjoyment,」 the voice huffed impatiently. 「Continue explaining.」

Of course, Sassy Pants, the phantom thief snarked as he unobtrusively slipped away from the group to stand off to the side. As I was saying, I was in the process of scouting out the location of a heist.

There was long pause. 「… heist.」

KID barely refrained from rolling his eyes. Yes, heist.

「Who—Who are you?!」

The uncatchable Kaitou KID, at your service, KID purred, deciding this visitor to his body did not need to know his true identity. May I ask who you are? he asked.

「Kim Dokja,」 the newly introduced Kim said. 「When you said "heist," did you—huh, I didn't realize it would work here, too…」

A new blue message window popped up before KID. Frowning, he read its contents.

[Main Scenario #25 - Demon King Selection]
Category: Main
Difficulty: ?
Clear Conditions: Team up with 'participants' to win the 'Mythical Battlefield'.
Time Limit: —
Compensation: Official succession of the demon king position, ?
Alternate Compensation: Win the 'Mythical Battlefield', return to original universe and body.
Failure: Death
* You may recruit 'participants' for this scenario.
* There will be additional explanations from the dokkaebi as the scenario progresses.

「Oh,」 muttered Kim, 「Shit.」

What? KID asked.

Kim replied, 「This was the scenario I was in before we swapped bodies. It's kind of like capture the flag except it's to the death.」

The phantom thief resisted the urge to pinch his nose in irritation. Wonderful, he griped, like I need another group of psychos besides the Syndicate. KID suddenly just knew that Kim had read some system pop up message because he also knew what it had said despite having never seen it.

[Main Scenario – Mystery Train]
Category: Main
Difficulty: ?
Clear Conditions: Survive the heist on the 'Mystery Train'.
Time Limit: 1 hour
Compensation: Continued survival of 'participants' and 'passengers'.
Alternate Compensation: Survive the 'Mystery Train' heist, return to original universe and body.
Failure: Death
* You may recruit 'participants' for this scenario.

「Why,」 Kim cagily asked, 「is survival a requirement for a heist?」

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is watching the participant 'Yoo Joonghyuk' with immense amusement.]

KID wondered how well simply responding with, "Tantei-kun," as an explanation would go over even as he ignored for now the odd pop up. The fact that there is a detective on board with a tendency to trip over corpses means there'll likely be a dead body somewhere. The answering silence had the phantom thief mentally sighing. Since your task is to survive the heist, you should talk to my assistant. He's the one dressed as the elderly woman in the wheelchair. Ah, you might also want to practice ventriloquism—you're going to need it for this disguise.

「WHAT?!」 Kim yelped, 「Ventriloquism?!」

Yes, KID sternly, insistently replied. I was supposed to cover voices for the both of us, so you'll need to practice with Jii-chan while you have some semblance of privacy.

Kim's voice was a mixture of confused, wary, and resigned as he replied, 「While I have an idea of what you want to accomplish now, that's not a bad idea…」

The phantom thief tuned out Kim's voice as he began to ask questions to Jii, whose replies KID was unable to hear. The approach of a tall, well-built man clad entirely in black and carrying a small, white-furred creature caught his attention.

"The messages were sent by this one here," the man—Yoo Joonghyuk, who was apparently the epitome of perfection, if Kim was to be believed—said curtly by way of greeting the group as the furball hopped out of the man's arms.

[Baaat!] the small creature trilled as she energetically waved about a doll of what looked like an angel.

[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' insists that she didn't do anything.]

Kim-san, I know you told me what a constellation was, but could you explain it better? I'm getting weird messages from 'Demon-like Judge of Fire'. And what are my teammates' names and the tiny white fuzzball? The small fuzzball negligently tossed the doll and leapt at the phantom thief, who caught the creature and cuddled her gently. "Where did you go?" KID asked the newest additions to their group, and wow was it weird to know that even though his thoughts were in Japanese, his spoken words were Korean.

"I was in the vicinity of Melledon," the newcomer answered.

Kim paused in his chat with Jii to answer with a chuckle, 「Calling me 'Kim-san' sounds very odd—just call me by my name, given or whole—either works, Kaitou KID-ssi, as surname only is a little strange. Anyhow, constellations are higher entities that spectate on events in the universe for entertainment, and are essentially mythos, historical figures, and fictional characters brought to life. They can sponsor incarnations—people like us—and they give their sponsored incarnations abilities unique to the sponsor. The 'fuzzball' is Biyoo, my daughter. And your teammates are Yoo Joonghyuk, Jang Hayoung, Samyeongdang, Osu, and the Breaking the Sky Master.」

"Why there…?" KID asked aloud, the name bringing a demon to mind. Ah, okay, but… Kaitou KID-ssi? KID on its own will suffice. And thank you.

The black-clad man gave him a flat stare. "None of your business."

KID shot his teammate a scowl. "It's better for everyone to know," he insisted, driven by curiosity.

"I don't see why I have to tell you," Yoo Joonghyuk said brusquely, clearly displeased with something about Kim Dokja. Not that the poor bastard knew that it was not actually Dokja currently residing in Kim Dokja's body.

What a dick, he thought, and he heard Dokja snort in phantom thief scoffed at the animosity, unphased as he remarked, "Well, good job."

「Where and what item?」 asked Dokja after KID failed to expound.

Cranky bastard wouldn't say what, but he went near Melledon's base, the phantom thief explained.

Dokja pondered, 「Sounds like Yoo Joonghyuk. I wonder what it was…?」

[Hahaha, something amazing happened! However, the game isn't over until it ends!] cackled an excited voice. The phantom thief glanced up and saw an adult dokkaebi hovering high in the air. [In 5 minutes, the second game will start!]

KID took a slow, deep breath to calm himself. The announcement of the beginning of the next game had sent a spike of fear through him, and he desperately needed his wits about him in order to survive the coming ordeal. Any tips for me, Dokja-san?

「Bookmarks,」 the plutocrat answered, 「Be sure to use my bookmarks because I'm positive you're going to need them, KID-ssi.」

Bookmarks…? he repeated, but even as he thought the word, it pulled from the depths of Dokja's brain just enough knowledge of what they were and how they could be used, though it was not nearly enough information to be useful.

「I currently have six. They are 'Judge of Destruction Jung Heewon', 'Steel Sword Lee Hyunsung', 'Beast Tamer Shin Yoosung', 'Prince Lycaon Imyuntar', 'Paradox Baekchung Kyrgios Rodgraim', and 'Breaking the Sky Sword Saint'. Really, you only need to win this upcoming battle to end the entire selection process. I think.」

That's very helpful, KID groused, as I don't think I know enough about any of them to use them effectively. Switching his focus, the phantom thief injected a little pep into his voice to increase morale, "All we need to do now is win one more time, since the game is over if we win two rounds first. Now, we just need to try a little har—" A rattling noise distracted KID, and he saw a wooden gong floating within the circle of teammates. "Uh," he muttered, mind drawing a blank. "Is that you…?" he asked, phrasing his question in such a way as to not reveal his ignorance.

[It is I, Samyeongdang,] the gong confirmed.

The name triggered a trickle of information. Samyeongdang, the Bald General of Justice. "Ah, Samyeongdang," he repeated smoothly before his brow furrowed in bafflement, "why do you look like that?"

The gong gave the impression of being embarrassed, and KID thought that was quite an impressive feat, considering a normally inanimate object literally had no way of making any kind of facial expression at all. [That… I spent too much of my probability.]

The word "probability" tugged more information from Dokja's mind, and while KID understood what probability was, it was not an easy concept to grasp. He glanced at the abnormally small canine at his feet and asked, Who's the tiny dog?

「It's either Osu, 'Dog Who Threw Himself into the Flames', or 'Breaking the Sky Master'. Either way, whichever one it was, they were originally bigger, but my guess is they that also used up too much of their probability if you say they are tiny.」 Dokja supplied.

They're the size of a guinea pig. And your constellations need better PR management, KID grumbled. Their titles suck. Really, 'Bald General of Justice'? Aloud he called out, "Osu?" to see which one responded. The miniscule dog barked in response.

"I-I can't do it anymore…" an older man beside him whimpered. KID blinked upon realizing that he was missing a leg. Something told him his missing limb had to do with the previous game that had just been won.

"It's fine, go ahead and get some rest," the phantom thief said, and the man smiled gratefully and hopped off. He glanced around at what remained of his group and silently sighed at who was left and whole enough to do battle. Osu and Samyeoungdam were also out, considering their current states, which left himself, Yoo Joonghyuk, Breaking the Sky Master, and Jang Hayoung.

「Just so you know, your vocal abilities are amazing, KID-ssi…」 Dokja remarked after having done a bit of vocal practice with Jii.

KID preened. Why, thank you, Dokja-san, he replied before returning his focus to his current predicament.

While KID had been sorting out who was still capable of participating in the upcoming battle, Yoo Joonghyuk had settled into a pose that was… suspiciously recognizable: one arm across the chest, holding the elbow of the other arm, while the free hand thoughtfully rubbed the chin. Even the frowning expression he was making—while on a different face, it was familiar. KID did a doubletake when he noticed the other man's pose. No, he thought in shock, no fucking way.

「What?」 asked Dokja.

I think I'm here with Meitantei, KID thought, excitement stirring within him, and if my hunch is correct, then the real Yoo Joonghyuk-san is with you on the train!

The other man sounded just as eager in a manner not unlike a co-conspirator, though there was mingled relief in his tone as well. 「Really? Who would he be?」

KID barely refrained from cackling. He'd be a short six-year-old kid with oversized glasses and a bowtie.

The plutocrat released a choked off snort of laughter. 「Wait, seriously?!」

Dead serious, the phantom thief swore.

「Oh, that guy is going to be pissed! Though I don't know if that's better or worse than being a male stuck pretending to be a thirty-something-year-old woman… seriously, what the hell did you do to that area to make it this uncomfortable?!」

"I will try to call for additional support," Yoo Joognhyuk announced, and KID wondered—if this man was indeed Kudou Shinichi—who exactly he would call since they were both equally new to this universe.

The same thing drag queens the world over do to hide the fact that they have a dick, he retorted back at Dokja.

Jang Hayoung asked, "Do you have any constellations?"

Yoo Joonghyuk shook his head. "I don't know if reinforcements will come in time. I'll still put them on the list, but we need to change up our plan for the second round—our positions as well."

"Why?" the teenager frowned, "Can't we do what we did in the last round?"

KID, despite not knowing whatever it was they had done in the last round, agreed—Meitantei had apparently come to the same conclusion the way he was coming around to by considering their drop in numbers. "Yoo Joonghyuk is powerful, but he isn't invincible."

Jang Hayoung visibly wilted. " … it seemed like he was almost invincible…"

「He does have 'Ruler of Amusement' now, which gives him a huge buff in game situations like this one, but even so, the constellations you're facing off with will be much better prepared this round since they'll be at 30% of their full capacity as opposed to 0% in the round I just finished,」 Dokja commented.

"It was because the constellations didn't know much about this game in the previous round," KID replied with a heavy sigh as he wracked his brain for ways to ensure everyone's survival. A thought came to him, a seed of an idea, but it had him pausing to consider it from every angle he possibly could with the information he had. A near-feral grin stretched his lips as he purred, "I have an idea."

KID did a quick check of what items Dokja had on his person. Do you carry any supplies of any sort?

「My coat has a 'space' feature that stores all my possessions…」

What do you have in there and how do I access it? KID asked. Is there anything in your "space" that would be useful for this battle? Smoke bombs, weapons… anything like that?

Dokja sighed. 「Unfortunately I am not a proficient weapons user unless I use a bookmark and grab someone else's weapon or use Unbreakable Faith—the sword you're carrying—and I don't keep much on me besides maybe a few health restorative potions. But you could also purchase items from the Dokkaebi Bag, which is like an online shop and auction. Call for Bihyung if you want to access the Dokkaebi Bag.」

Budget?

「None. Just make sure you survive.」

KID blinked at that before he smirked, All right, you plutocrat. "Bihyung," he called out, and the dokkaebi that he had seen before floating overhead appeared before him.

「Yah!」 Dokja indignantly objected at the moniker.

[What do you want, incarnation?] the furry creature huffed.

"I'd like to make some purchases, so open the Dokkaebi Bag." When the window for the shop opened, the phantom thief ended up spending well over two million coins. So… who exactly is Yoo Joonhyuk-san? KID asked.

「He's the protagonist of this world,!」 Dokja answered. 「He's the focus around which all the events of this world orbit—and doesn't he look the part of a classic protagonist? Classically handsome face, tall, well-built body, has skills that are incredible—particularly if you see him in action—though his temper could use some work…」

[The item 'Rope of Restraint' has been acquired.]

KID raised a brow as the plutocrat continued. 「I mean, look at his appearance! Could you not just look at him and immediately acknowledge that he is the archetype of a dark, broody hero? He has an almost perpetual scowl that oddly enough does nothing to detract from his looks, seems to maintain his form without extra exercise—the fucker—and his outfit is just so… so epic.」

[The item 'Ancient Dragon's Tooth' has been acquired.]

The phantom thief was not quite sure how to respond to Dokja's unrestrained gushing. He was tempted to ask if the plutocrat had the hots for the other man, but figured he should not offend the one person he absolutely needed in order to survive his scenario.

[The item 'Black Witch Moth's Spleen' × 5 has been acquired.]

「He also somehow ends up getting all the pretty ladies,」 Dokja continued, 「And I suppose it makes sense considering he is the protagonist and all, while I'm just a dumb squid nobody, but seriously, he literally makes every man around him feel inadequate!」

[The item 'Colossus' Tendons' × 4 has been acquired.]

Uh, are you sure you aren't just… projecting your own insecurities on others…? KID tentatively asked.

[The item 'Ahriman Eyeballs' × 10 has been acquired.]

Dokja snorted. 「I'm not projecting anything if it's true!」 he argued. 「I mean, just—just look at him! How can you look at that face and not immediately think he is handsome?」

[The item 'Sæhrímnir's Bladder' × 2 has been acquired.]

KID sneaked a look at the aforementioned protagonist and could not deny that the plutocrat had a point. If you want to wax poetic about Yoo Joonghyuk-san's looks more, be my guest, but I have plans I need to explain and carry out.

[The item 'Disguise' has been acquired.]

The phantom thief left the plutocrat sputtering as he completed his purchases and ran through the plans forming in his mind. KID's eyes glittered with unrestrained malice as he handed the tendons and a bag of the now sold-out pea ball-sized eyeballs to Yoo Joonghyuk—who was likely Kudou—and instructed, "I want you to snipe them with these, and handle carefully because they become corrosive when exposed to blood." The taller man frowned, puzzled, before understanding quickly changed his expression and he nodded. Turning to the wider circle, he said, "The rest of us will also be doing our best to take them out, but we will also be working as distractions. We will need to hold them off until our backup arrives. We'll use guerilla warfare tactics because we want to avoid a head-on confrontation, if possible. If we must engage, we use the forest by the field for cover."

He glanced back at Yoo Joonghyuk. "You should go find your hides. Yes, multiple," KID clarified when the other man raised an eyebrow in silent inquiry. "There's a reason I gave you four tendons." Yoo Joonghyuk nodded once more, spun on his heel, and disappeared into the forest. "As for us," KID continued and began walking towards the edge of the forest, "we find the best places to stage an ambush."

KID took the rope he had purchased and tied the dragon's tooth to the end. Is there a way to communicate without having to speak?

「'Midday Tryst' allows you to talk mentally with one person,」 Dokja answered.

I'll use that to contact Yoo Joonghyuk-san then. When he was satisfied the fifteen-centimeter-long tooth was secure, he tested the knots by swinging the rope around in lazy loops using the tooth as a weight and initiated Midday Tryst's usage.

[You have used 'Midday Tryst'.]

He did a few arm wraps to accustom himself to the feel of his improvised weapon.

「What are you doing? I feel faint pressure and heat on my hands,」 Dokja stated.

Improvised rope dart, KID replied, that I can use as a second weapon to your sword. KID heard the plutocrat hum consideringly but focused on regaining his familiarity with the weapon.

['Midday Tryst' has started.]

「-Yoo Joonghyuk-san, are your preparations complete?」

「-Kaitou KID. I thought that might have been you.」

「-Ah, did you, Meitantei? When did you realize? When I reflexively used '-san' instead of '-ssi'?」

「I take it you were found out?」 Dokja asked dryly.

Indeed, KID answered.

「-I'll tell you later. Right now, we need to focus on this battle. My preparation is done. What's the plan?」

Satisfied with his handiwork, KID stowed it on his person and helped his two remaining teammates find suitably covered spots to wait at. He used the Midday Tryst to send his directions to his now-hidden weapon. "When I give the signal, I want Breaking the Sky Master and Jang Hayoung to charge. I wo—"

"I'm a long-distance damage dealer, so I can't do that without incurring agility penalties," Jang Hayoung reminded.

"Oh, right," KID fibbed, and reconsidered his plans for a moment. "Do you have any attacks that need charging time?" Considering how video game-like this universe of Dokja's was, it made sense to KID that there would be both quick attacks and charged attacks.

The teenaged female answered, "I know a technique that requires ten seconds to power up, but it can deal damage to multiple enemies because the technique encompasses an area as opposed to focusing on one opponent."

KID nodded. "In that case, start charging it up the moment the fighting starts. Breaking the Sky Master will charge from behind at my signal. I will already be on the field holding their attention and should be able to turn them around so that their backs are to you, so you should have ample time to charge up. Breaking the Sky Master should circle back and protect Jang Hayoung."

「-You know what to do, Meitantei.」

[The constellation '?' is wondering how the participant 'Yoo Joonghyuk' plans to solve the murder.]

The plutocrat yelped, 「Murder?!」

This is normal where I come from, KID commented, and chuckled as Dokja uttered a string of curses in response.

"Biyoo," he murmured to the adorable white furball in his arms, "You should go hide now." The baby dokkaebi cooed, nuzzled his chest, and hopped out of his arms, disappearing midair. KID could only hope that the baby dokkaebi had whisked herself off to somewhere safe.

[The item 'Disguise' has been activated.]

Where Dokja had been standing a moment ago now stood Yoo Joonghyuk. While the difference in height was enough to be noticeable, he did not feel different otherwise. Because he had noticed that Yoo Joonghyuk also had a sword at his hip, KID drew Unbreakable Faith and tested its weight and balance by giving it a few experimental swings and thrusts.

It was a beautifully crafted weapon, perfectly balanced, and sang with every slash through the air. Satisfied, KID strolled out of the forest's cover and stationed himself just outside the tree line where he crouched behind some shrubbery in the adjacent field. He spotted a large bird-like creature in the sky and readied himself to be uncovered by the enemy.

「The door to Cabin A?」 Dokja said in a voice that sounded surprisingly feminine if a little creaky, and it took KID a moment to realize that the other man was talking to others—possibly even his Yoo Joonghyuk—and he silently cackled.

[The constellation '?' is laughing uproariously at you.]

The airborne creature beat its powerful wings, momentarily exposing him to the enemy incarnations. A shouted, "Now!" from one of them had all four rushing towards him.

[The participant 'Jang Hayoung' has used the point earned to unseal a specific skill.]

[The participant 'Jang Hayoung' is preparing the ultimate skill.]

「The only door that opened was of Cabin E where Idenami-sama's voice of complaint could be heard,」 Dokja said in a different but equally feminine voice, and KID took mental notes on the two voices the plutocrat had used so that he could continue his charade once he returned.

[It will be different this time!] roared a tall man as he swung his spear at KID, and his attention snapped back to the here and now—he could not afford to have his attention split. On the tall man's heels was a bearded man with bloody, empty eye sockets who shot what looked like laser beams at him.

「I hope I never have to speak like that again,」 Dokja heartily swore in his normal voice, and the phantom thief snickered in response.

[The constellation '?' has sponsored 75,000 coins to the participant 'Kim Dokja'.]

[75,000 coins have been added to your account.]

KID deflected the spear but was unable to completely dodge the ray, and his forearm burned painfully as the wound began to bleed. The shadow of the ape-like incarnation split from its owner and somehow managed to smash the shadow of a rod into his ribs. He gritted his teeth in pain and shoved the spear away, flipping backwards not only to put some space between himself and his aggressors, but also to angle them in a way that both Jang Hayoung and Breaking the Sky Master could optimize.

[… what? Why isn't he dead?] The four incarnations stood and stared at him, baffled.

The phantom thief held Unbreakable Faith up in a defensive stance despite his forearm throbbing painfully.

「-Anytime now, Meitantei…」

"T-This guy's health is strange," a horned demon stuttered, "Don't tell me—!"

His taunt and the demon's question were answered when the ape-like being suddenly hunched over with a choked sound. This happened exactly as the soil three meters behind the creature exploded in a cloud of dirt and dust. All eyes turned to the ape-like being, and as he staggered but straightened, exposing a small but bloody hole in his chest—right where a human's heart would have been.

Three more holes ripped through the fallen incarnation in rapid succession, all in the chest. A spray of red showered the grass around the incarnation. The creature screamed as he hunched over, face a rictus of pain as he clawed at the wounds that had begun to hiss and smoke and blacken at the edges, and he absently wondered if an incarnation's somewhat hardier forms could overpower the effects of Kudou's shots. KID noted with satisfaction that the shots had come from slightly different directions, which would make pinpointing Kudou's location all the more difficult.

[The participant 'General of Vanara' is cursing furiously.]

The ammunition KID had given Kudou, the Ahriman Eyeballs, were indeed the eyeballs of evil, destructive Zoroastrian spirits. KID had read in the item description that contact with blood would produce a potent corroding agent, and he had been banking on Kudou's impeccable aim to help in partially incapacitating the opposing incarnations. The corroding agent within the eyeballs were potent, yes, but they were also tiny, and would therefore do more localized damage than anything else. Even so, every bit would help in this battle to the death.

「-Excuse me for taking the time to aim and make sure you wouldn't be collateral damage.」

"Breaking the Sky Master!" KID barked as he ignored Kudou's snark, not allowing the bewildered incarnations time to figure out where the detective's shots had come from. The canine leapt out of the trees and bowled into the avian still circling above. The two animals crashed to the ground, and the dog proceeded to tear the bird apart with her fangs.

[The participant 'Thunder Eating Bird' is screaming in pain.]

[The participant 'Jang Hayoung' has activated 'Breaking the Sky Force Punch Lv. 10'.]

KID immediately turned on his heel and fled in a direction obliquely away from the trees, much to the confusion of the incarnations. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Breaking the Sky Master sprint off in a different direction, her path curving back towards the trees.

「-Worry about your morals after we win this fight!」

[Why is he running?] one of the incarnations asked right before what amounted to a gigantic air canon exploded from the forest. The blast of wind knocked all the incarnations off their feet, and KID whistled as he stopped running and swiveled to observe the damage. From where the phantom thief stood, he could clearly see his teammate. Between them was a wreckage of splintered trees and bare earth where the grass and topsoil had been blown away. Jang Hayoung tottered on her feet, clearly exhausted, though the giant grin she sported was easily visible despite the distance.

[The participant 'Jang Hayoung' has killed the participant 'Thunder Eating Bird'.]

[The participant 'Jang Hayoung' has killed the participant 'General of Vanara'.]

[The Yoo Joonghyuk – Kim Dokja Industrial Complex has won two points.]

[Kill him!] the remaining three opponents roared as they regained their feet and ran towards the worn-out teenager. Breaking the Sky Master reached her before the opposing incarnations could, and she snarled as they approached, clearly willing to fight to the death to protect her teammate.

[The participant 'Breaker the Sky Master' is feeling protective over the participant 'Jang Hayoung'.]

The bearded man stumbled mid run and plowed into the ground face first, hemorrhaging from holes similar in size to the ones that had wounded the ape-thing. Kudou had shot at the man's chest, again aiming for the heart.

「-oq2iw4bfg;oi3t」

KID raised a brow upon receiving that message even as he reached the prone bearded man and swiftly decapitated him with a swing of Unbreakable Faith before he could do little more than register the phantom thief's presence beside him. A part of the phantom thief, like the detective, screamed in horror at the fact that he had actively and willingly just taken a life. But the more practical side of him understood that this was a life-or-death situation and that his continued survival trumped everything else. Still, he was quite impressed that the detective had managed to send a literal keysmash when there was not a single keyboard in sight.

「-Uh, just so you know, Meitantei, a headshot would have been a quicker and more merciful death…」

[The participant 'Demon King of Salvation' has killed the participant 'Poked Out His Eyes'.]

[The Yoo Joonghyuk – Kim Dokja Industrial Complex has won one point.]

[The participant 'Founder of Humanity' is furious at being fooled by you.]

[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' is pleased.]

'Disguise' faded away once the time limit on the item was reached. The visage of Yoo Joonghyuk dissolved, leaving behind a scowling Kim Dokja. … just when the hell were you planning to tell me that you are also a constellation, Dokja-san? Are you one of those "assholes who torment people for enjoyment," too, since you also apparently have a title?

[The constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' is laughing at your antics.]

「Uh, oops? And no, I'm not.」

[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' has sponsored 10,000 coins to the participant 'Yoo Joonghyuk'.]

[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' has sponsored 10,000 coins to the participant 'Demon King of Salvation'.]

[10,000 coins have been added to your account.]

「-Oh, fuck you, KID. You didn't have to kill him!」

[Many constellations are spellbound by the constellation massacre.]

「Isn't he a ray of sunshine?」 Dokja remarked sarcastically as he blithely ignored KID's confusion over his state of being.

「-Actually, I'd rather be the one doing the fucking, thanks. And yes, I did.」

[The participant 'Founder of Humanity' has neutralized the participant 'Breaking the Sky Master'.]

The phantom thief huffed, amused and pleased as the plutocrat cackled at the response. Ah well, don't mind us, was KID's flippant reply as he darted towards the fallen Jang Hayoung and Breaking the Sky Master to lend them aid. Once we're through here, we're both going to end up in psychotherapy one way or another. He charged from behind, running Unbreaking Faith through Founder of Humanity up to the hilt before he slashed it horizontally and tore open the incarnation's side, moving with his blade out of his opponent's immediate vicinity. Absently, he noted that Duke Melledon sported two bleeding puncture wounds on his chest—likely courtesy of the detective.

「-I'm out of ammo, KID.」

The incarnation roared and swatted at where KID had been just a breath before, turning to fully face the phantom thief. They fought—or rather, the incarnation pursued while the phantom thief parried and dodged. With Founder of Humanity pressing forwards, KID was forced further and further away from his allies.

"Fuck," the phantom thief swore fervently as he dodged a potential decapitation.

[The participant 'Duke Melledon' has killed the participant 'Breaking the Sky Master'.]

"Double fuck!"

「That doesn't sound good…」 Dokja sounded worried.

「-Is there anything around that you can use, Meitantei? I bought out the entire stock of eyeballs in this world's online shop.」

KID deflected a blow, dancing backwards but frustrated by his inability to stand his ground.

[The star relic 'Robin Hood's Strongbow' has maximized the user's accuracy.]

[The participant 'Yoo Joonghyuk' will receive the position compensation effect.]

Does he have any arrows to shoot? Wait, does he even know how to shoot with a bow? KID wondered somewhat hysterically.

Dokja was understandably concerned. 「What are you talking about? That's a star relic! It generates its own arrows.」

[The participant 'Duke Melledon' has killed the participant 'Jang Hayoung'.]

The phantom thief gritted his teeth with a hiss at the latest announcement. With both of his visible allies dead, KID spun and sprinted away. Behind him, he could hear crashing through the underbrush indicating that there was at least one enemy in pursuit. He hoped that Kudou would be able to fend for himself if one of the two remaining incarnations had decided to loiter at their ambush site. I have no idea if my counterpart knows how to shoot with a bow! The phantom thief slid down a slope into the bottom of a canyon, the base of the gorge covered in a layer of dark fog that, in some indescribable way, felt wrong.

Uh, Dokja-san? KID asked as he anxiously glanced about for cover of some sort while rubbing his arms to soothe the sudden prickling of his skin. A flood of notifications indicating the acceptance of new participants flashed before him.

「Yes, KID-ssi?」

I've been chased into a canyon and there's this… fog that in is making my skin crawl.

[You are quick, Demon King of Salvation,] greeted a female voice.

「Oh, hell,」 Dokja swore, 「I forgot about that…」

KID whirled in the direction of the speaker and found two: a giant mummy and a goddess with a pointed scorpion tail. Please expound, he prodded, squinting at the two figures before asking in confusion, "… who're you again…?"

「Who…?」

[Impudence!] one snapped while the other shrieked, [The sheer arrogance!]

A mummy and a scorpion lady, KID answered as he rolled and dodged a fired stinger from the scorpion woman hybrid. And 'Founder of Humanity'. Do you have any sort of protective armor? Something tells me it's about to get dicey. Bandages from the mummy wrapped themselves around his ankles, but the phantom thief quickly severed them with a swipe of Unbreakable Faith.

「'Beast King's Sensitivity'—ah, I'm sorry Biyoo!—is your best bet for physical protection,」 Dokja answered. 「And I'm guessing you're referring to the 'Last Pharaoh' Cleopatra and the 'Scorpion Goddess' Serket? Wait, why are they there?」

KID huffed. Beats the hell out of me, he replied as the name of the bookmark tugged its abilities to the front of KID's mind. He absently wondered why the plutocrat had felt the need to apologize to Biyoo.

[The participant 'Demon King of Salvation' has converted the points won in the last game.]

[The participant 'Demon King of Salvation' has unlocked a certain skill with the points.]

Are they not supposed to be here? he asked as he tested out the bookmarks feature Dokja had mentioned. Oh, nice!

Dokja hummed. 「They are aligned with another team—unless they've joined forces.」

[The participant 'Founder of Humanity' is confused by the sudden darkness.]

[The participant 'Scorpion Goddess' is staring with wide eyes.]

[The exclusive skill 'Bookmark' has been activated.]

Oh, goody, the phantom thief grumbled.

[The participant 'Yoo Joonghyuk' has killed the participant 'Duke Melledon'.]

[The Yoo Joonghyuk – Kim Dokja Industrial Complex has won one point.]

「-Hot damn, Meitantei, didn't think you had it in you!」

The Founder of Humanity called up a dust storm that swirled around KID, the particulate matter stinging against his skin. Recalling the location of his opponents as well as the layout of his surroundings, the phantom thief produced one Black Witch Moth's Spleen and threw it on the ground. The spleen released a cloud of black the instant it was ruptured, and the dust storm turned into an opaque, roiling mass that blinded everyone in the vicinity.

[The constellation '?' is chuckling at the identity crisis the participant 'Yoo Joonghyuk' is facing.]

「-Shut it, KID!」

「What a charmer,」 was Dokja's sarcastic commentary.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is greatly entertained by the situation the participants 'Yoo Joonghyuk' and 'Kim Dokja' are in.]

[The exclusive skill 'Beast King's Sensitivity Lv. 10' has been activated.]

[The constellation '?' has sponsored 50,000 coins to the participant 'Yoo Joonghyuk'.]

KID sheathed Unbreakable Faith and pulled out his improvised rope dart, stiffening as something heavy and warm draped itself over his back and spread outward to engulf his limbs. A squint through the darkness revealed a pale pelt growing outwards to envelope him, blocking every speck of dust within the storm so that he was protected from the barrage of stirred up dirt. Dokja's apology to Biyoo suddenly made so much more sense as he realized that this was likely the pelt of a fully mature dokkaebi.

[The participant 'Demon King of Salvation' will receive the position compensation effect.]

[The exclusive skill 'Way of the Wind Lv. 11' has been activated.]

[The number of 'Bookmarks' being simultaneously used is two.]

[The duration of 'Bookmark' has been reduced by half.]

[The exclusive skill 'Electrification Lv. 12' has been activated.]

KID began swinging the rope dart with practiced ease. Blue-white lightning crackled around his soft weapon, and he grinned fiercely. "Time to win this thing," he murmured, and with a twist of his mind he dispersed the Black Witch Moth's Spleen powder and kicked the attached tooth towards his opponents.

The tooth slammed into Scorpion Goddess' abdomen, punching clear through her body, and the electricity that wrapped itself around his weapon simultaneously cauterized the wound and short-circuited her nervous system. He snarled as he yanked the rope back and felt resistance as the incarnation came flying, the tooth catching against her back and dragging her towards him.

As the phantom thief reeled in the rope, the weight of the incarnation forced him to drag her body across the dirt. Once she was deemed close enough, he sent a concentrated pulse of lighting through the rope into the incarnation and watched with distant satisfaction as the Scorpion Goddess screamed and jerked spasmodically before relaxing lifelessly. KID approached and, with a foot braced against her belly, tore the tooth free from the corpse.

[The participant 'Demon King of Salvation' has killed the participant 'Scorpion Goddess'.]

[Demon King of Salvation,] Founder of Humanity huffed as more silhouettes joined the two that KID knew to be Last Pharaoh and Founder of Humanity, [I honestly didn't think you would be this strong.]

Uh, Dokja-san? There are more newcomers…

「-KID… another one…?」

「How many newcomers are we talking about, KID-ssi?」

KID was about to respond when immense pressure—not physical pressure, but metaphysical—threatened to suffocate him. Dokja-san…!

The plutocrat must have sensed something of what KID was currently feeling, for he barked back, 「Concentrate on the fact that you are also a constellation, one that is more impressive than them!」

The phantom thief willed every fiber of his being into the belief that he was a powerful constellation—whatever that meant—and the pressure he felt lightened—even to the point that some of those silhouettes staggered back in response. He panted, tired but distantly pleased that he had managed to scare a few of them.

「-Kill or be killed, Meitantei. Our opponents are out for our blood and seem willing to do whatever it takes to get it.」

[You're an interesting child,] one incarnation uttered as others bowed away from him. His literally light complexion had KID blinking. [Mitra was trying to get his own holiday off, so I was wondering what type of person you were.]

「-That's not justification to kill someone!」

Egads, this fucker is bright! the phantom thief complained as he raised his free hand to shield his eyes.

Dokja sighed. 「Poor kid—he going to be all right? Also, blond, extra arms, and three eyes?」

KID squinted as he tried to notice more detail past the blinding illumination. Looks like that'd be him. And Meitantei will just—need to get over it.

「-Meitantei, we cannot afford leniency in our situation right now.」

「My guess is Surya of the southwest, 'Supreme God of Light',」 Dokja continued.

"Surya," KID greeted as he continued to twirl his rope dart, nonchalantly flinging blood and bits of gore from the swinging tooth as knowledge about this newest incarnation flooded his brain.

[Kid, how do you know my name?] Supreme God of Light asked.

KID privately snorted in amusement at how he had been accurately, if unintentionally, addressed. "I know things, Surya of the southwest."

「-The ends do not justify the means!」

[The constellation 'Mass Production Maker' is frowning.]

[The constellation 'Goddess of Love and Beauty' is accusing the participant 'Supreme God of Light'.]

[The constellation 'Queen of the Darkest Spring' is pointing out that this behavior does not fit the status of the participant 'Supreme God of Light'.]

Supreme God of Light acknowledged KID's claim with a nod. [If so, then you know that you cannot with this game.] His presence pressed down on the phantom thief, and inwardly, he shuddered at the pressure. [Come to Vedas. You will die even if you win this game.]

「-Meitantei, let's… just focus on getting past this first, okay?」

The phantom thief pretended to consider the offer for a moment before he replied insolently, "I don't want to."

[The participant 'Yoo Joonghyuk' has killed the participant 'Chronicler of Visionary Fiction'.]

[You don't know about the world that will appear after the giant story,] Supreme God of Light insisted. [Do you think you can stand against that power alone? It isn't a story that only one star can afford.]

KID had no idea what a "giant story" was, but it seemed important. He made a mental note to tell Dokja about it later. "Nope, I can afford it," he replied insolently, mind conjuring up scenarios where he and the detective had teamed up to overcome seemingly unbeatable odds together. The fact that they were both here despite not being in their own bodies was negligible. They made a fantastic pair, despite the detective's repeated objections. "I'm not alone."

[The possibility of a new story has developed.]

The notice caused the phantom thief to raise a brow in curiosity.

「Oh ho, what is this?」 Dokja remarked curiously, having also received the notification.

Something you clearly know about more than me, KID snarked, but Surya mentioned something about a "giant story?"

[You aren't alone… how funny,] Supreme God of Light sneered. [Who is with you now?]

Dokja's breath caught, and his voice was thoughtful, calculating. 「… a giant story, huh…?」

"A person who is more familiar with the consequences of actions than anyone else…" He snorted as he thought of the current-but-not state of the detective and how one single action—one that he was still unclear of—had turned him into a child. He thought of the person on the other end of his mental tether and how all the intertwining bits of his past and his knowledge—that he knew of, at any rate—had shaped him into a being that others held grudging respect for. Shaking his head, he solemnly proclaimed, "It is truly ridiculous." As he spoke, he lashed the tooth out once more towards the gathered incarnations while warily observing the way the Supreme God of Light gathered energy.

The tooth slammed into the Last Pharaoh's throat, and he sent a surge of electricity down the rope. Like the Scorpion Goddess, she collapsed with a choked gurgle into a twitching pile of limbs before falling still. KID tore the tooth free of her neck, nearly completely decapitating the corpse in the process, and swung the rope sideways. Something in his chest lurched and seemed to inexplicably give out, rendering him abruptly sapped of energy.

[The participant 'Demon King of Salvation' has killed the participant 'Last Pharaoh'.]

KID snarled, brute forced his limbs into cooperating, and charged the rope dart with more electricity. The tooth collided with Duke Bercan while the rope clipped Mysterious Bird of the Nile. The tooth missed impaling the demon but managed to carve a deep, bloody grove through his side—not enough to be fatal, but certainly serious enough to be somewhat debilitating.

[The excessive use of 'Bookmark' can leave a permanent injury on your soul.]

Supreme God of Light continued as KID reeled in his rope dart and kicked it at the being. [I have watched you for a long time. You always borrow the power of other beings. From the first scenario to the present, you never fought with your own power.] The derision in his voice was clear, and it made KID's metaphorical hackles rise at the insult as the incarnation knocked the dart out the air with one of his four arms, the electricity in the dart doing nothing. [Do you really think you can build up your own story? The history that you've learnt is just history that came from stealing. It isn't yours.]

KID froze as Supreme God of Light's third eye glowed. What the—

[The participant 'Supreme God of Light' has invoked 'Third Eye'.]

Dokja swore, 「Oh, fuck.」

KID's sight disappeared into silent darkness as Supreme God of Light's voice echoed around him, [There is no 'you' in your story. You will die alone.]

[The legendary story 'Distorting Things as One Pleases' has been activated.]

The edges of the space around the phantom thief seemed to crumble while he stood at the center, and somehow the phantom thief knew that in this odd void, his mental tether to the plutocrat had been severed.

[The story 'Distorting Things as One Pleases' is screaming.]

[De li cious food.]

KID shuddered as he felt something latch onto his back and he turned to find a disembodied mouth chewing on him. As far as illusions went, it was more annoying than anything. Spider's illusions had been much worse.

[Kim Dok ja is a fool,] it somehow managed to enunciate as it continued gnawing at his left scapula.

"Joke's on you," he told the mouth with a grim smirk but an unamused tone of voice, "I'm not Kim Dokja-san…" He twisted and yanked the mouth by a lip to pull it towards his face as he snarled, "… and I have no story you can eat!"

The mouth shrieked as it released him, and KID derisively flung it into the void beyond the crumbling edges of his space. The space around the phantom thief shuddered before a cacophony of sound reverberated through the space and light fractured the darkness.

[The stigma 'Third Eye' is shuddering.]

[The participant 'Supreme God of Light' is astonished.]

The fractures spread rapidly, illuminating the space before shattering the darkness entirely. KID stood where right where he had been before the Third Eye had been activated, and he noticed how the incarnation's third eye was furiously crying.

[You…] Supreme God of Light breathed with building anger, [What are you? You dare…! Die!] The scream incited the other incarnations around him to rush towards the phantom thief.

[The fog in the gorge is thickening.]

「KID-ssi, get away from the source of the fog!」 Dokja warned, and KID wasted no time in booking it in the opposite direction the haze was billowing from. Behind him, the ground released a loud crack and heaved beneath his feet, nearly faceplanting him, but he caught himself and continued sprinting. A roar reverberated on the walls of the gorge, and there were terrified screams and a crash of something heavy that the phantom thief did not bother to stop to observe. He did, however, chance a peek over his shoulder.

[The participant 'Mysterious Bird of the Nile' has been killed by 'Apocalypse Imoogi'.]

[Damn it! Don't back down!] Supreme God of Light bellowed. KID's opponents had turned their attention from him to the apparent dragon that had erupted from the ground, and the phantom thief watched with horrified fascination as a number of incarnations perished, complete with notifications popping up before him. He instinctively froze when the red creature turned its attention on him.

Supreme God of Light's voice echoed in the gorge from his place on its lip. [You might have wicked tricks up your sleeve, but you won't survive.]

[The participant 'Yoo Joonghyuk' has killed the participant 'Demon King of Sound and Color'.]

Apocalypse Imoogi powered up a crimson fireball in its mouth, and knowledge seeped into his head. The red flames of the apocalypse. The fire of judgment.

Fuck, KID swore as he stared, frozen, at his imminent demise. He could not dodge an attack like that. I wish I had my grappling gun…

「… your what?」

The fireball was released and flew in his direction. The phantom thief closed his eyes, mentally bracing himself to be immolated. The air warmed as the fireball approached, and his closed eyelids glowed red as light and heat flared around him. The temperature burned his exposed skin, throat, and lungs, true, but KID somewhat belatedly realized he had not actually been burnt.

[The game has accepted the summoning of a new participant.]

KID blinked his eyes open to find a sturdily built man in military garb blocking the flames with a gargantuan shield. As the flames guttered around them, the soldier turned to him for a brief moment and grinned. I… I've been saved by a guy with a shield.

「Oh, good, they made it!」 Dokja cheered.

[The constellation 'Master of Steel' is looking at you.]

The screech of something overhead had KID's eyes darting upwards, and a large dragon chimaera swooped towards them. A small girl was perched just behind the creature's head and waved tearfully at him. "Ahjussi!" she called joyfully.

[The game has accepted the summoning of a new participant.]

[The game has accepted the summoning of a new participant.]

"Hyunsung-ssi! Please get Dokja-ssi out of here!" a woman's voice shouted as KID was abruptly wrapped in thin, sticky thread that bound his arms to his sides, and he fell into Lee Hyunsung's side with a grunt. The phantom thief experienced a brief burst of panic as his mind instantly flashed to Spider, but his fears were immediately dispelled as a long-haired brunette in a black leather cat suit sprinted through the air towards them. As she approached, she called out to the girl on the chimaera. "Yoosung, provide cover fire from a distance and continue until Hyunsung-ssi has evacuated!"

The chimaera roared and shot a streamlined jet of clear liquid of some sort at Apocalypse Imoogi, and the red dragon shrieked in pain as the liquid splashed its hide. It wailed and collapsed, apparently paralyzed by the liquid even as it twitched in agony.

[The participant 'Shin Yoosung' has neutralized the 'Apocalypse Imoogi'.]

[The constellation 'Master of Steel' has given a great probability to his incarnation.]

[The constellation 'Abandoned Lover of the Labyrinth' is supporting her incarnation.]

[The constellation 'Master of the Skywalk' is supporting his incarnation.]

"Lee Hyunsung-ssi," KID protested as the man hefted him over a shoulder. The soldier was even kind enough to pick up his rope dart, which he had dropped in surprise at being bound by the sticky thread.

「-KID, mind giving me a hand over here?」

The soldier grunted, "Stay still, Dokja-ssi," as he arranged the wiggling phantom thief into a more comfortable position and began hiking out of the gorge at a brisk clip.

「-I'm a little tied up right now, Meitantei…」

KID huffed, very disgruntled by the fact that he had been tied up and that this time, he had no idea how to undo his bindings. He squirmed a little as he complained, "You don't have to do this. I can walk on my own."

「-Sure, you are…」

Despite the fact that his conversation with Kudou was entirely through text, skepticism fairly dripped off the detective's words.

「-Okay, I'm a lot tied up right now! Legitimately hogtied and being carried like a sack of potatoes!」

Dokja snickered, and KID valiantly resisted the urge to think very uncharitable thoughts about the one on the other end of his mental tether.

「-I don't believe you.」

「-Meitantei…!」

Lee Hyunsung waited until the top of the gorge was in sight before he spoke. "Dokja-ssi, have you ever thrown a grenade?"

Do smoke bombs count as grenades, or… well, I guess bombs could also be used as grenades… he thought before he replied, "Yes?" He did, after all, know his way around explosives quite well, having made his own for select heists.

「… I don't even want to know.」

"Then you know how important the safety pin is for a grenade, right?"

"Yes…?" KID admitted to himself that he was very confused as to why the soldier was bringing up grenades of all things. Was this a code of some sort?

Lee Hyunsung paused in his hiking to turn his head back and lock gazes with the phantom thief. "Once the safety pin is inserted, the grenade is safe to everyone."

It suddenly clicked in KID's head what the soldier carrying him was trying to say. Considering the fact that he was clearly military, his analogy was his own fumbling way of verbalizing how he felt, and KID could not help the small but sincere smile that curved his lips. You're very lucky to have a friend like Lee Hyunsung-san, Dokja-san.

The warmth in Dokja's voice was almost tangible. 「I know, KID-ssi, I know.」

As they crested the gorge, Lee Hyunsung set KID down on his feet and freed his arms with a flick of a knife before returning the rope dart to him. A fond smile remained on the phantom thief's lips as he murmured, "Hyunsung-ssi."

"Yes?" Lee Hyunsung replied, blinking at him.

"Thank you for coming." The words and sentiment were earnest, as KID knew he would have died had the soldier not shown up. He politely ignored Lee Hyunsung's sniffles as he allowed his gaze to stray the distant, gloomy horizon. The patter of feet was all the warning he had before something slammed into his leg and wrapped around it like an octopus.

"Ahjussi!"

Who— he began as he glanced down. The girl—Shin Yoosung—who had been riding on the dragon chimaera beamed up at him. "Hello, Yoosung," he greeted as he ruffled her hair, somehow sensing that Dokja did not customarily address her with any honorifics.

"It has been a long time, Dokja-ssi." The woman clad in black leather approached him with a soft smile.

KID nodded as if it truly had been a while as he coiled up the rope dart to stow it on his person. "It has. Have you been well?" he asked, belatedly realizing how inane his greeting towards this woman was.

She huffed in amusement. "You haven't changed a bit, Dokja-ssi."

He shot her an injured look before he asked seriously, "Were there any others…?" He trailed off, unsure of how many people the detective had been able to call. After bidding Shin Yoosung to release him, he began walking in the direction of the distant sounds of metal clashing against metal, sure that if he followed the noise, he would find the detective.

"We're the only ones that came," she replied with a shake of her head. "Heewon-ssi and the kids wanted to come as well, but—"

"I won the coin toss against Lee Gilyoung!" Shin Yoosung interrupted gleefully, and KID had to laugh at that. It seemed his luck had followed him even here, if he had managed to obtain such wonderful help in the form of the trio around him.

KID combed his fingers through Shin Yoosung's hair, untangling what he had ruffled before as he said, "Thank you."

"I had been thinking about coming here," the woman said. "There was a bad sign from Dokja-ssi's Good or Bad Luck, Disaster or Happiness Fortune."

"Good or Bad Luck, Disaster or Happiness Fortune?" That did not sound ominous at all.

She nodded. "Yes, it showed 'great misfortune.'"

KID had to withhold a snicker at that. Misfortune? He was more inclined to say it was luck again, albeit in a very weird way. He was enjoying himself despite being in a game with such high stakes—this sort of scenario was nothing new to him, after all.

「-KID…」

"Sooyoung and I were wondering who should go when Yoo Joonghyuk contacted us," she continued, "Sooyoung-ssi also wanted to come."

「-I'm on my way already!」

The new name brought to mind another young woman, a writer who… did not like Dokja much, apparently. "Ah… yes. I see. Well, are you aware of our situation?" A rumble ahead of him spurred the phantom thief into a run, and the others followed suit.

"I heard the story from Bihyung," the woman panted as she kept up with his faster pace.

"Good." The group of four humans and one dragon chimaera burst out of the tree line and made directly for the sole human barely hold out against seven incarnations and one demon, though Supreme God of Light was nowhere to be seen. Despite being spattered with blood, the visual of Yoo Joonghyuk—or rather, the detective in another's body—battling with lightning-fast strikes and parries, sword glowing with magic—was one that KID was not likely to forget anytime soon. "Yoo Joonghyuk!" he shouted as he unsheathed Unbreakable Faith and leapt into the fray.

「-You're late, KID.」

The phantom thief snorted as he parried a sideswipe and pushed back a skeletal incarnation that… was smoking a cigarette…?

「-Better late than never!」

[You!] the skeleton screamed, alerting the other incarnations, [He has a sentence! Get him!] The opposing incarnations almost simultaneously turned towards KID and charged at him.

Shit. As much as KID wanted to remain by Kudou's side to watch his back, he turned to flee as seven entities with various abilities converged on him.

"I WON'T LET YOU DIE AGAIN!" Lee Hyunsung roared as he charged past KID and smashed his shield against Founder of Humanity's Primitive Spear. The incarnation scowled at being attacked by the soldier and he utilized his own abilities to heat his fingertips enough to soften the shield's steel.

[The participant 'Master of Steel' is looking at the participant 'Founder of Humanity'.]

KID did a doubletake as metallic thorns sprouted from the soldier's body, though they seemed to be concentrated on his hands—more specifically, his knuckles. A blur of black swept by him, and the brunette, called out, "I'll take the skeleton!"

Shin Yoosung's dragon chimaera shot out jets of that incapacitating clear liquid, dousing several incarnations. Like Apocalypse Imoogi, they screamed as they collapsed to the ground, immobilized but still managing to twitch. Immediately after immobilizing the incarnations, the dragon chimaera seemed to wilt, panting heavily from the strain of spraying so much of the poison it was able to generate.

[The participant 'Shin Yoosung' has killed the participant 'Keeper of Indistinct Gender'.]

[The participant 'Shin Yoosung' has killed the participant 'Traveler of the Dark Sky'.]

[The participant 'Shin Yoosung' has killed the participant 'Fount of Obscure Knowledge'.]

[There are 10 minutes remaining.]

Kudou surged forwards with the intent of engaging Duke Bercan, only to be rebuffed by the opposing incarnations closing their ranks around the duke.

Founder of Humanity, despite being engaged in combat against Lee Hyunsung, noticed the dragon chimaera's condition and shouted, [The dragon is a hatchling despite its size!]

「Yes, I'll never be able to forget the fire. Because of that, I'm now wheelchair-bound.」 The plutocrat's words were so random that KID's brain scrambled to understand before he realized that Dokja was not talking to him. The fact that he was using one of the two falsetto voices from earlier helped to clue him in.

The detective caught KID's eye and tiredly murmured, "Get the duke. He has the sentence." When the phantom thief nodded, he said, "I will open up a path for you." True to his word, Kudou hefted his sword and funneled what was left of his depleted magic into the blade, making the steel glow a cool bluish white.

Dokja huffed. 「Indeed, and for that reason, I will not be running down the corridor like everyone else. 」

"Yoo Joonghyuk, wait!" KID fished out one of the Sæhrímnir's Bladders and shoved several Black Witch Moth's Spleens inside it before foisting it upon the other man. The detective stared at KID as he retreated with a wink.

「-Black Witch Moth Spleens in lieu of a soccer ball, Meitantei. Mind the blackout powder inside.」

Kudou blinked before smirking in response. Sheathing his sword, he placed the bladder on the ground and backed up a handful of paces.

「-I will use this well. Thanks, KID.」

「What's this?」 Dokja asked, no doubt curious about the aforementioned items.

KID hunkered down, lowering his center of gravity in anticipation of the pandemonium that he knew would ensue. He mentally marked the demon duke's location as well as potential obstacles to reaching his targeted location. Meitantei, had he not decided to pursue a career in forensics, could have become a pro football player instead.

In a different falsetto, Dokja said, 「So… all I have to do is run?」

Kudou took several running strides before he kicked the soccer ball substitute towards the trio of two incarnations and one demon with a shout that vocalized his terror, frustration, and anger. KID took off running the moment the bladder went airborne, chasing the flying organ as it hurtled towards its utterly clueless targets. The bladder smashed into one of the incarnations guarding the demon, and the area was instantly blanketed in pitch blackness.

[The participant 'Yoo Joonghyuk' has neutralized the participant 'Red Herring Scribe'.]

Dokja whistled in amazement, and the phantom thief admitted, His kicks are scary.

One of the incarnations—KID assumed the one that had not been the recipient of the flying bladder—yelled out a warning. [They are aiming for the sentence!]

"Ahjussi!" Shin Yoosung screamed from somewhere beyond the black, but the phantom thief ignored her panicked cry in favor of taking advantage of the element of surprise. KID swerved hard to the left once he estimated that he was near Duke Bercan's vicinity. He held Unbreakable Faith out horizontally before him, arm ready to slice forwards at the faintest hint of resistance. The moment he encountered a body, he swung the blade, felt beads of hot liquid splatter on his skin, smelled a stench that weirdly enough gave him the impression of corrosion—how that worked, he had no idea—felt feathers from the incarnation's black wings brush across his face.

[The participant 'Demon King of Salvation' has killed the participant 'Reject of Divinity'.]

"Fuck," he swore as he twisted right and slashed Unbreakable Faith in that direction. He had turned too early and had encountered the duke's guard, as opposed to the duke himself. "Wish I had my monocle now…" he muttered as he sheathed his blade and tugged out the rope dart, although considering it had no non-visible spectrum capabilities, it would still have been useless in his current situation.

「Monocle…?」

A piece of my phantom thief outfit. But fuck it all, I got the wrong person!

The weight of the tooth whipped around him just overhead, the whirring hum of its speed a warning for those who knew about the weapon. KID made sure to whip it high enough that even if Kudou in Yoo Joonghyuk's body, the tallest of their party discounting the dragon chimaera, approached him, the rope dart would pass harmlessly overhead. The whirling of the rope dart had the unfortunate side effect of dispersing the black powder from the Black Witch Moth's Spleens.

[The participant 'Yoo Sangah' has killed the participant 'Stinking One'.]

"Dokja-ssi!" Lee Hyunsung cried, and he leapt before KID just as Founder of Humanity threw his Primitive Spear at him. The soldier withstood the impact with gritted teeth, the metallic thorns protruding from his body reinforcing his shield.

[There are 5 minutes remaining.]

The rope dart's tooth whacked Founder of Humanity in the chest with a meaty thwack, and the sudden slack in the rope had the phantom thief quickly reeling his weapon back. KID noticed Duke Bercan fleeing, and he caught Kudou's attention once more. "Again!" he screamed and threw the second bladder at the man. Those were the only two bladders in the Dokkaebi Bag's inventory, but he was confident in the knowledge that the detective would not miss. After a quick assessment of Lee Hyunsung's physique, KID hissed, "Can you throw me towards Duke Bercan, Hyunsung-ssi?"

Kudou wasted no time in lining himself up for the shot. With another bellow, the bladder rocketed into the air, its aim true as it nailed the duke in the back of the head. Duke Bercan faceplanted hard into the grass.

Lee Hyunsung scowled as he replied, "Not possible. You're not doing that again!"

Doing what? KID wondered before he reminded the soldier, "You have to throw the grenade after pulling out the safety pin."

「Doing what?」 Dokja repeated quizzically.

"I won't believe your lies again!" Lee Hyunsung barked.

KID wanted to hide his face in his hands, and his eyes flicked towards the prone duke. He was still out, though for how long was anyone's guess, and KID could tell that Kudou was in no condition to move about anymore—he was barely staying on his feet as it was. "Now isn't the time to be stubborn—!"

Lee Hyunsung snarled, "If you die, then we'll die together!"

[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is greatly pleased.]

KID's mind blanked for a moment, uncomprehending, before he mentally rallied and said, "I have to get over there." Dokja-san… have you died once already?! The fact that he was in the plutocrat's body—warm, breathing, alive—had him wondering if the man had somehow discovered Pandora.

「Uh, yes…?」 was Dokja's furtive response.

The phantom thief yelped in surprise as he was heaved off his feet and slung across Lee Hyunsung's back. The soldier charged forwards, bowling past Founder of Humanity and knocking him over like a bowling pin.

[Insolent incarnation!] he snarled after the two hoofing it towards the prone duke.

[Proud child. As I said earlier, it is barely 'history'.] Supreme God of Light appeared before them, an obstacle between them and their target, Duke Bercan. Lee Hyunsung was knocked backwards as Supreme God of Light used his four arms to generate a shield that he slammed into the ground, inducing an earthquake. The action that was repeated when the soldier attempted to bypass the incarnation. [The place where you are standing now is a place for humans. A human who keeps repeating the same mistakes.]

From his place on the soldier's back, KID reactivated 'Electrification Lv. 12' and swung a fist into the other incarnation's side as Lee Hyunsung managed to bypass one of the induced earthquakes and run by the incarnation. It did absolutely no damage, as Supreme God of Light's shield held steady. The phantom thief snarled in frustration.

[Was that it?] the incarnation taunted, [Are you that desperate to see the end of the scenario?] He clicked his tongue in mocking remonstration. [Times have changed, and you only have so much history…]

"Don't ignore Ahjussi!"

KID turned to find Shin Yoosung atop the dragon chimaera. The creature spat a burst of the clear liquid at the incarnation, and Supreme God of Light used one arm to bat it aside. The act of doing so broke his shield, and Lee Hyunsung wasted no time smashing himself into the incarnation with a roar, metallic spikes sprouting from his body as he did so.

[The 73rd Demon Realm is responding to the will of you and your team of 'participants'.]

[A new story about you is being written.]

The shield around Supreme God of Light fractured, and KID unsheathed Unbreakable Faith. Giving the blade a muttered apology, he jammed the weapon into the crack and heaved. The fracture widened, and KID widened the break until he was able to shimmy and squeeze himself through it. The shield snapped back together the moment he made it through, Unbreakable Faith sealed and stuck in the barrier, but the phantom thief had eyes only for the fallen duke.

「You are… really impressive, KID-ssi,」 Dokja said quietly in awe.

Just trying to survive, Dokja-san, KID replied as he tore his rope dart from where he had stowed it and grabbed the tooth like a dagger. His approach was swift and on silent feet. He knelt, flipped the duke over, and snatched the sentence from him and immediately afterwards jammed the tooth into Duke Bercan's heart. The force with which he slammed the tooth down with was enough to crunch through the duke's ribcage and into the beating organ protected within. At the same time, the duke jolted awake and rammed a hand into KID's stomach.

[You have taken away the enemy's sentence and won the game.]

… or rather, through KID's stomach, right where he had stored his team's sentence. The phantom thief choked as Duke Bercan jerked and instantly went slack, eyes staring sightlessly up into the overcast sky.

[Your sentence has been taken away and you have lost the game.]

[The participant 'Demon King of Salvation' has killed the participant 'Duke Bercan'.]

「… KID-ssi… Your stomach…?」 Dokja prodded, worried.

It's over… KID ignored Dokja's query and gasped wetly as numerous notifications flickered past his eyes too fast for him to read. The phantom thief suspected he was in shock if the pain of having a literal hole blown through his guts had not yet registered. … pretty sure we won…

"KIM DOKJA!"

"KIM DOKJA-SSI!"

A chorus of voices screamed from somewhere behind him, their voices oddly fuzzy and distant. The phantom thief glanced at the glowing sentence in his hand, grinned weakly in triumph, and slumped over, his vision blacking out.

「KID-ssi? KID-ssi, stay awake! Don't black out, come on! Stay w—」

[You have died.]

—ith me! I—oh… That felt weird.

A blink, a breath, and KID abruptly found herself sitting in a train carriage hallway, face weighted down with prosthetics and body with women's apparel, and groin area uncomfortably but familiarly "fixed." Echoes of the injuries he had sustained while inhabiting Kim Dokja's body gnawed at her own body—strong enough to notice, but not enough to truly hurt. I'm back, she realized as she discreetly twisted her head to take in her surroundings—sitting on one of the sofas inside a train cabin, a disguised Jii in the wheelchair puffing away on a kiseru in front of her.

I'm so glad you made it back, Dokja greeted emphatically, and KID blinked at the strange sensation of having her headspace "shared" in a very peculiar way. It felt… a little crowded in her brain, though she really had no words to adequately explain the feeling.

Dokja-san? You're still here? I—oh fuck, I killed you!

The plutocrat huffed. Yes, since I haven't completed this "heist" of yours yet, and don't worry too much about killing me—I'm a little harder to kill than that. I'm sure my body will be fine.

Uh, if you're sure, KID replied worriedly, but brushed her concern off to focus on the task ahead of her. Well, sit back and relax and enjoy what's left of the show, Dokja-san. … is Jii-chan aware of the fact that I wasn't me for a while?

I don't think so, Dokja admitted, since he didn't want to speak in his own voice, and I was kind of afraid to do ventriloquism. As it is, I'm not sure how well I managed despite your body instinctively knowing what to do.

"Jii-chan," KID whispered, leaning close to the disguised elderly man ear, "what has Tantei-kun been doing so far?"

Jii replied, equally quiet, "He's been… well, he did not seem quite a focused, but I do not think we've been discovered yet."

KID nodded. "Okay, good."

KID-ssi? I'm still a little concerned as to what exactly we have to "survive"…

Ah, the phantom thief replied, you haven't yet seen Meitantei in action, but he always manages to spice up any heist that he participates in.

The skepticism was clear in the plutocrat's voice. And… this is a good thing…?

KID chuckled. He always forces me to one up my game. Keeps me on my toes.

You are an odd one, Child Phantom Thief, Dokja said with a definite grin in his voice.

The phantom thief laughed as she snarked back, Speak for yourself, Bookmark Boy.

Dokja sputtered, B—Bookmark Boy?! I can't—I—Bookmark Boy?!

"Komino-sama," KID crooned in Sumitomo's voice, "is there anything that you need at the moment?"

The phantom thief answered herself in Komino's voice, "I'm fine, Sumitomo-san, but thank you."

"You might want to consider putting out your pipe because I suspect we will be called upon soon." Sumitomo's voice.

Komino's voice grumbled, "Fine, fine…" Jii complied and snuffed out the pipe. The tobacco was tapped into a wastebin and the pipe itself stowed.

A knock on the door startled the cabin occupants, but before KID could ask who it was, Kudou—Edogawa—'s childish voice called out, "Komino-sama, Sumitomo-san, Kogoro-ojisan would like you to meet him at the end of the hallway!"

Sumitomo rose and opened the door to gaze down at the diminutive detective. "Did he?"

Edogawa nodded with a sweet smile. "Kogoro-ojisan is down that way," he said and pointed down the hallway to where the older detective stood.

The phantom thief nodded and murmured that the two of them would be out in a moment. She closed the door and turned to her disguised assistant, and a wide grin uncharacteristic of the maid brightened her face. "It's showtime!" she whispered with rising excitement.

… was that… is he…? The almost bloodthirsty and eager curiosity in Dokja's voice was amusing in the extreme to the phantom thief.

Komino chuckled, then straightened out her expression into her usual somber frown.

Yup! KID cheerily answered, that would be Meitantei stuck in Tantei-kun's body with a probable spiritual hanger-on.

Dokja howled with laughter. You—You're telling me that the entire time I have been here cross dressed as a woman, Yoo Joonghyuk was running around in the body of a kid?! KID had the impression that if Dokja had a physical body, he would be rolling on the ground clutching his stomach.

Sumitomo opened the door again, maneuvered behind the wheelchair, and pushed her assistant out into the corridor, where the others were similarly gathering. Her eyes briefly flitted to the near-invisible fishing line that had been threaded into the handrails and attached to the doorknob of Cabin C.

What is that? Dokja asked, able to see whatever KID saw.

Likely part of the murderer's trick, as it certainly is not anything of mine, the phantom thief answered.

Mouri looked puzzled that everyone had come out all at once, and it did not help that Noto and Idenami had immediately asked him about his deductions.

"But the boy called us all out from our rooms…" Sumitomo remarked, and Komino added, "He said that the sleeping detective was about to start a deduction show." The maid watched as Edogawa knocked Mouri out and hid himself as a dark-skinned blond introduced himself as the older detective's apprentice.

I… did that kid do what I think he did…? the plutocrat asked, askance.

Yup! KID answered a hair too gleefully as she relished in Dokja's confusion. This is how Meitantei solves his cases while he is Tantei-kun-sized.

Dokja was very baffled by the terminology. Tantei-kun-sized…?

KID hummed. Yes, when he's a bite-sized ankle biter. I use the terms "Meitantei" and "Tantei-kun" to denote not so much the physical size of the lovely detective, but rather, which mindset he is in. Meitantei is for when he is absolutely serious, and Tantei-kun is used when I publicly address him and when he's playacting at being a child. I'm sure you'll see what I mean later on.

The phantom thief idly watched the goings on, and once the discovery of the different link numbers had been made, she spoke up. "But if somebody was loitering around the door, surely the train attendant would have noticed?"

There was more discussion before the attendant left to count the number of chain links in each cabin. While the man was off doing just that, KID noticed Edogawa creep by them to enter Cabin B. The call out bell sounded, but as the attendant was flitting from room to room, no one thought much of it, assuming that the attendant had probably pressed the button by accident.

How is that guy speaking when he's clearly asleep?

KID mentally hummed. Meitantei has a nifty little device that changes his voice to whatever he has programmed into it, so he uses it to speak as Mouri-san over there to make his deductions after he's been knocked out with a soporific dart.

As the murder method was further unraveled, Dokja marveled, I can't believe this even though it's happening right in front of me. Mirrors, though? I would have never thought of that.

Don't ever underestimate Meitantei, the phantom thief warned, because if you do, you'll assuredly end up in whatever trap he's laid out for you. There's a reason he was called "Heisei Holmes"—he's never walked away from a murder without a confession from the culprit.

They quietly listened as the deduction show between Edogawa-as-Mouri and Amuro continued. Sumitomo simply stared at the sleeping Mouri when he addressed them with a pointed, "I would hope it's not as though they purposefully said nothing to avoid getting involved with the case…"

KID noticed smoke leaking out from Cabin B around the same time as Idenami did. "O-Oi," the woman nervously muttered, "what's going on with all this smoke?"

Amuro peered into the cabin and gasped. "F-Fire?! There's a fire!" he yelled, "Everybody, evacuate to the front of the train!"

There was utter pandemonium as Sumitomo's fellow Carriage 7 passengers panicked and fled from the apparent fire. The smoke did not have the scent of burned… anything. Rather, it smelled familiarly of the type of smoke that she routinely used in her own magic shows. As the maid was figuring out what to do in order to salvage her heist casing, Edogawa rapidly approached and directed, "And you two as well! Hurry!" With the detective latched onto Komino's hand, Sumitomo had no choice but to wheel the elderly woman in the direction Edogawa was pulling them towards—which was in the direction of the smoking Cabin B.

Komino croaked out a nervous, "O-Okay…"

The carriage became quiet as everyone else vacated it, and Edogawa smirked. KID knew in that instant she was squaring off with Kudou, though she maintained her cover. "You two," Kudou began, "you're Kaitou KID and one of his accomplices, right?"

The phantom thief decided playing dumb could not hurt. "Eh?"

How… how did he figure out…? Dokja was so very baffled by the sudden and rather unceremonious reveal.

"You came to scout out the train before your heist." The statement was confidently made.

I'm sure he'll tell us, KID answered with much exasperation a touch of annoyance.

"Is this some sort of joke?" Sumitomo asked, acting affronted by the accusation that she was Kaitou KID—which, to be fair, she very much was.

Kudou blinked wide, falsely innocent eyes up at them. "The maid, Sumitomo-san, is Kaitou KID, and the old lady is her accomplice. She doesn't seem to be able to mimic Komino-san's voice though. Whenever KID used ventriloquism to make up for that, she just opened and closed her mouth in time with the voice and tried to mask it with the veil of her hat. That's my guess, at any rate."

Something clicked in KID's brain. "I see… that's why you made me run in the corridor," she said, even though the phantom thief specifically had not been there. It was only through the plutocrat's words that KID knew that Dokja had been made to run the length of the hallway and back.

"Yes," Kudou answered with a grin. "Well, at that time, the old lady was absolutely fine lighting her pipe. All the others who had been rescued from the fire were terrified of flames. That's why I thought she must be a different person. The reason you chose the wheelchair bound Komino-san for your disguise was because you could measure the width and the length of the corridor using the rotations of the wheelchair, right?"

Well, fuck, KID thought with a wry grin.

Dokja murmured, Your Meitantei is kind of scary.

"Fine, yes," KID admitted in her usual voice, "the real old lady and her maid are probably wandering around their home at the moment. I merely sent them an email about a change in the train's departure date."

He has to be observant in order to solve as many cases as he does, the phantom thief reasoned.

"Anyway, be a little grateful I didn't press you guys when you were trying to avoid getting involved in the case and said you didn't see anything," the detective stated with a smirk.

KID felt an eyebrow twitch at Kudou's sheer audacity. "Is that so?" she crooned. "You've made it clear that I owe you one, so what are you trying to get me to do?"

Kudou produced his phone, scrolled to a picture, and showed it to the phantom thief while pointing at the figure in it. "I want you to disguise yourself as this woman and shake off the people going after her," he instructed.

Bossy little snot, isn't he? Dokja remarked, and KID stifled a snort of amusement.

"Your conversations with them will be picked up by a microphone. She herself will be waiting in a separate room and will tell you everything you need to say via an earphone." Kudou handed the phone over, and KID studied the image of the strawberry blonde woman on the screen. "They'll probably try and corner her in the storage hold, where they've set some explosives, so be careful."

I… explosives?! Dokja shrieked, and KID physically winced at the perceived volume in her head.

How is that any worse than all the crazy magic shit in your world?! KID demanded.

"So, I'm supposed to look like her?" she asked as she ran through her inventory, cataloguing what she would need to cobble together such a hasty disguise.

"Yeah," Kudou said, "Take the phone so you have a reference while you build your disguise."

A quiet, "Bocchama," from Jii had KID replying equally quietly, "I'll be fine." The aged assistant, gazed at her, assessing, and with a nod, she stood from the wheelchair and rolled it away. KID was relieved that Jii would be out of the line of fire once she changed out of her disguise.

Will we be fine…? the plutocrat murmured uneasily.

KID sighed and lamented, Oh, ye of li—

"Kaitou KID," the detective suddenly said with an uncharacteristically blank but intense expression on his face, "I've heard so much about you."

—ttle fai—what? The phantom thief blinked at the detective, tilting her head quizzically and frowning. Something's… off about Meitantei… "Excuse me?"

That's… that's a classic Yoo Joonghyuk expression, Dokja uttered quietly with surprise. I'd know that flat stare anywhere.

KID scowled. I am not going to do this dressed as a woman. The phantom thief dropped a smoke bomb and quick changed out of the Sumitomo Hiroka disguise back into his usual white and blue outfit. "And you must be Yoo Joonghyuk-san," he purred in response. A gloved hand tugged the brim of his top hat further down over his eyes as he he smirked at this newest… acquaintance.

I… how did you do that?! Dokja shrieked, mind boggled.

Practice, KID answered, lots and lots of practice.

"I take it Kim Dokja was the one to tell you who I am?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked as the phantom thief ignored the choked sounds the plutocrat was making in the back of his head, and KID thought back to the tall, well-built man that the detective had inhabited for the duration of their battle against the constellations.

"He did," the phantom thief assented. He was tempted to tack on something about how the plutocrat had sung praises about the other man but refrained from doing so.

Thank you. I'd hate to see what would happen if I murdered you in your own body, Dokja snipped somewhat sourly.

The phantom thief breezily ignored his mental tenant's muttering. "Was there a reason you wanted to talk to me, Yoo Joonghyuk-san?" KID was, frankly, very puzzled by the fact that the protagonist had sought him out.

KID watched as a myriad of micro-expressions flitted across Kudou's face before the question of, "Could you permanently trade places with Kim Dokja in my world?" was blurted out.

Yah! Dokja objected indignantly, and KID abruptly felt himself unceremoniously shoved "aside" as the plutocrat snapped, oddly hurt, "Why the hell do you want KID-ssi to trade places with me?!"

"You. Keep. Dying," the protagonist accused pointedly.

"But—he did end up dying at the end of the battle! You saw that notification!" Dokja argued somewhat petulantly.

Oi! It's not like I had intended to die! KID protested, I thought dickface was already dead!

"Considering KID had absolutely no knowledge of how our world worked, the fact that he managed the unprecedented achievement of writing the beginnings of a story on his own speaks well about him."

"He's clever, I'll give him that, but—" Dokja conceded, and KID snorted at the smidge of reluctance the admission was given.

Tell me how you really feel, Dokja-san, he needled teasingly.

"I'm putting a stop to this argument." The expression and stare told KID that Kudou was back in control. "If I let you two continue, we'll be here for a week. KID, will you be able to disguise or not?"

The plutocrat ceded control, and the phantom thief scoffed as he replied, "Are you doubting my abilities?"

"No, because I know you." The smug grin had KID wishing he had some means of knocking it off the detective's face, purely out of spite.

"Oh," he purred, "do you now?"

Oh, get a room, Dokja snipped in amusement. You two are sickening.

Not like you're much better with Yoo Joonghyuk-san, KID retorted. I did have to listen to you monologue earlier about him for ten minutes straight, after all. He mentally smirked at the plutocrat's incredulous and indignant sputtering.

Kudou's exasperation was clear on his face. "Yes. Here's your earpiece. It's already been synced. You have five minutes to get yourself ready," he said as KID plucked the small device from the detective's outstretched hand.

With a swirl of his cape, KID retreated to the storage hold beyond Carriage 8 where his glider and other supplies were stowed.

So how are you going to disguise? Dokja asked curiously as he observed the phantom thief pull items out from a small rucksack stored next to a large, folded white… something.

I had a feeling I would need extra supplies. Good thing I always overprepare when it comes to Meitantei, KID murmured as he began applying prosthetics that would change the shape of his face. The silicone mask was then adhered to his face before a strawberry blond wig was added. KID quickly unbuttoned his blue shirt—though he left on the under-clothing harness for his glider on—and changed into a black shapewear tank top and fuchsia button up, artfully wadding up the blue shirt to give himself a bust.

Holy shit, Dokja breathed, transfixed by the phantom thief's complete and rapid transformation.

KID gave herself a last onceover in his small compact mirror, compared her reflection to the image in the phone, and nodded. "It'll do," she muttered, and shoved the earpiece into his right ear. "I'm ready," she murmured as she stashed her supplies back into the rucksack.

"Thank you for doing this, KID-san," came a girl's voice, and her gratitude was easily heard in her tone.

The phantom thief sighed. "You know I wouldn't leave you hanging out to dry in situations like this if someone is after your life, right, Haibara-san?" she asked in an imitation of Haibara's voice, though aged up.

"I know," she replied.

"KID, I need you to return to Carriage 7 and act as though you were trying to escape to the front of the train from the back," Kudou said, inserting himself into the conversation.

"Ever the demanding one," KID lamented as she exited the storage hold, slipped out into the space where the carriages connected, and peered inside Carriage 7 through one of the windows on the end of the carriage. It was a good thing she had checked, for Amuro was skulking about on the other side of the pane of glass. "Amuro-san is loitering inside the carriage near my entrance," she announced quietly as she crouched just below the window.

Kudou answered with, "I'll create a distraction."

KID left the detective to whatever he deemed a "distraction" and instead refocused on Haibara. "How do you need me to act, Haibara-san?"

"Scared," the girl replied softly, "Scared and feeling hunted."

Poor thing, Dokja murmured sympathetically, and the phantom thief mentally agreed.

"Can you hear everything on my end okay?" KID checked.

"Yes," Haibara replied.

There was rough hacking and a faint, "Who's there?" before Kudou hissed, "Go, KID."

The phantom thief wasted no time sliding into the smoky carriage and sliding past the confused blond detective. Let him think that she had hidden inside one of the other cabins. Her coughing upon entering the carriage was not feigned. While she was more than used to this type of effects smoke, she had put it to use in areas with much more ventilation. She ran down the corridor, the smoke forcing her to lean on a cabin wall for a breather. She then noticed the body of Murobashi inside and realized she had stopped at Cabin B.

"As expected of Hell Angel's daughter," Amuro purred from somewhere behind, and KID instinctively froze. "You look very much alike." The phantom thief turned to find the blond detective keenly watching her with a significantly less than friendly expression. "Pleased to meet you. Call me by my codename, Bourbon."

Haibara whispered, "Bourbon…" and KID faithfully repeated her as he portrayed fear and wariness through her expression and body language.

Bourbon shoved his hands casually into his pockets. "Perhaps you recall hearing this codename before? I have met your parents and sister," he said, and KID felt annoyance on Haibara's behalf at the jab.

"Yes, I have heard of you," she replied, masking her irritation. "You're the member of the Organization who was the rival of my sister's lover, Moroboshi Dai. From what my sister told me, there was considerable antipathy between the two of you."

Bourbon snorted. "Of course. Just as I suspected, that man turned out to be a mole for the FBI. I couldn't believe the reports that he had been killed after his betrayal of the Organization." His lips curled with disdain as he continued, "So I disguised myself on as that man and wandered around for a bit, revealing myself to people close to him and observing their reactions. Unfortunately, I could only conclude that that man really had died…" The lack of sadness was equally as jarring as the faint tinge of glee that suffused his voice.

"Anyway, the colleague who helped me create my disguise is the one who's now disguising as that man on my behalf. The fact that you've appeared before me just goes to show how effective the terror she instills in you is—she's the only one who can completely immerse herself into the role of that man, and you know her well, after all." He reached into his vest and pulled out a handgun and pointed it at her. "Now, shall I have you come this way with your hands up—" KID wordlessly raised her hands up, palms facing him, "—to the storage hold carriage beyond Carriage 8?"

KID allowed himself to be herded through Carriage 8 and into the last carriage on the train.

"Okay," Bourbon hummed, pleased. "Now, would you mind opening that door? Beyond that door is the storage hold—and don't worry," he added with a smirk as he pulled out a brick of some sort of explosive from his vest, "I intend to take you back to the Organization alive."

The phantom thief had opened the door to the storage hold and had backed into it with hands still raised.

What a longwinded, soliloquizing bastard, Dokja complained.

Tell me about it, KID grumped in reply.

"I'm going to destroy the link between these two carriages with an explosive to break off the storage carriage." The blond detective knelt as he spoke, setting the explosive on the joint between the two carriages. "Then after it stops, the plan is for my colleagues, who are following this train in a helicopter, to come and collect you. Until then, I'll have you knocked out for convenience. It'll be fine, you'll be asleep some distance from the door, so you won't need to worry about getting caught up in the explosion."

"It doesn't seem fine to me," she answered as she glanced to her right. She plucked at a sheet covering a mound of cargo as she explained, "This storage hold is full of explosives. Looks like there was some slip-up in your preparations." Her parting remark was delivered with a mocking blandness.

I'm going to kill you, Meitantei, KID snarled, You never mentioned anything about explosives!

Dokja hissed, What is wrong with you people?!

The blond detective sighed in faux disappointment. "Well, nothing you can do about it, so why don't you just step aside with me?"

KID slid the storage hold's door partly closed and snipped back with frosty politeness, "If you don't mind, I'll turn down that offer," and slammed the door shut. The moment the door closed, KID dashed to the far corner of the storage hold where she had stashed her glider. "Come on," she muttered as she attached the cape to her shoulders, forcibly latching the locking mechanism on the cape's pauldrons to the harness despite the layers of cloth in between.

The moment both shoulder clasps were latched and the belt was secured around her waist, she picked the lock to the door at the very end of the carriage with the swiftness that came with years of practice.

Damn, Dokja swore, impressed.

"Comes in handy, sometimes," KID answered with a grin as she slid the door open. The wind whipped past her, and KID eyed the distance from the doorway she stood in to the edge of the train tracks, where gravel had given way to open air above what the phantom thief assumed, by both the time and distance the train had been in motion, was the Tenryuu River. "Hope you're not afraid of heights and skydiving!" KID shouted into the wind.

The plutocrat's confused, Wha— turned into a scream as KID leapt off the carriage and angled herself off the edge of the tracks. WHAT THE FUCK, KID-SSI?! Dokja shrieked as the phantom thief allowed herself to freefall towards the river below.

Dokja-san, KID teasingly chided with comfortable ease in spite of the fact that they were plunging towards a body of water at terminal velocity, where's your sense of adventure?

It's run away to wherever the hell your common sense is, which is nowhere near your brain! the plutocrat shrieked back.

There was a concussive BOOM behind them that knocked the breath out of the phantom thief, and only then did KID deploy her glider, curving gracefully up from her previously downward trajectory with plenty of distance between herself and the river's surface to spare. She blinked as a notification popped up in front of her.

[Main Scenario – Mystery Train has been successfully completed.]

"Definitely going to wring your neck, Meitantei," she muttered unhappily. That had been close—too close for comfort, really. She frowned when there was no response from her mental tagalong, and with a start KID realized that Dokja's presence was simply gone, vanished in much the way she herself had come and gone through the plutocrat's universe. Her mental space felt somewhat off kilter, as though there was a small hole where there once had been something residing in the now vacant space.

「I can't believe you got me killed, KID-ssi… Being gutted like a fish is not fun at all, fucking ow…」

You okay, Dokja-san?

「Still breathing, but… where am I?」

I… can't help you there. I was forcibly removed from your body the moment I got the "You have died." notification.

「I see.」 The plutocrat grunted before he said, 「Still breathing, but… where— I?」

Dokja-san? he asked, noting that Dokja's voice had cut out a little at the end.

「I guess the conn—ing since our scen—ne.」

KID was able to parse out what the plutocrat had said. Seems that way. Well, good luck on your continued survival, Dokja-san.

「Thank you. It wa—ly nice t—ou, KID-ss—」

"It was really nice to meet you too, Dokja-san," he whispered as he lazily spiraled skywards on an updraft. KID smiled, though the expression was tinged with sadness. Recalling that he still had Kudou's phone, the phantom thief plucked it out and dialed Kudou's de-aged number. It was as he was listening to the rings that the awareness returned, that less than an hour ago, he had killed someone—multiple someones, to be precise. The knowledge sat sourly and heavily in his gut.

"Hello?" Kudou's voice was pitched high enough to indicate that he was currently masquerading as Edogawa, though there was something off about it, as though the detective seemed incapable of completely masking his emotional turmoil. The background noise indicated that he was somewhere with a lot of people—perhaps the train's destination in Nagoya. The Tenryuu River crossing was more than close enough for that to be the case.

"Ugh," KID moaned, fighting back the sudden urge to vomit at the recognition of what he had done in that other universe. Poker Face was nowhere near strong enough to handle the revulsion he felt towards himself.

Edogawa's voice was concerned. "You okay…?"

The phantom thief, sighed as he wrestled his stomach into submission. "I'll live," he croaked. "Is Yoo Joonghyuk-san gone for you, too?"

"Yeah," the detective confirmed, "I—it's now just hitting me that I—that I…" KID was certain that Edogawa was feeling the same way he was—perhaps even worse, since Kudou, though his own observations, had made it a point to never take a life regardless of the circumstances he found himself in. That it had been an absolute necessity in the world Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk had come from was… well, KID was not sure there would ever be a way to rationalize it. A life was a life, regardless of the form it took.

"Same here," he mumbled quietly.

"I didn't—I never meant—!" Edogawa choked, and the self-loathing in his voice was like a razor sharp blade that he used to repeatedly stab himself in the heart with. KID sorely wished that he could be somewhere near detective, not only because the detective sounded like he could use the mental and emotional support that the phantom thief could provide purely by being someone who had experienced the same situation, but that support would be mutual.

KID sighed deeply. "I know, Meitantei, I know. I know that I'll need time to process and come to terms with what I did, too." There was silence on the other end of the line, the background murmur of a crowd of people notwithstanding. KID decided that now would be a good time to change the subject, and as he thought of the topic he wanted to address, he felt his temper begin to flare a little. "Well… putting that topic to the side for now, I have a bone to pick with you."

"Oh?" Edogawa's voice had perked up a small amount with his declaration.

"What the hell was that, sending me essentially blind into a situation as dangerous as that was?!" he spat, his pent-up feelings regarding his dealings with Bourbon directed towards the person solely responsible for putting him in such circumstances in the first place.

Edogawa had the nerve to laugh at him, and though the detective's chuckles did nothing to soothe his ire, the fact that there was something other than the visceral self-directed hatred he had heard earlier in his voice had . "Sorry, sorry! It sounds as though things heated up a bit for you."

"I didn't sign up for this!" KID snapped, "Guns and explosives and what the hell?! These douchebags of yours—if I hadn't hidden my glider in the storage hold just in case, I'd be burnt to a crisp right about now!"

"Well," the detective hummed, "since this is you we're talking about, I thought you'd be prepared. Anyway, consider yourself out of my debt—"

The phantom thief snarled, "Hell yeah I am!"

"—and remember to drop off this phone I gave you back at the agency," Edogawa finished, seemingly unperturbed by KID's outburst. The cheeky shit then had the gall to hang up on him.

That little brat! KID raged. "Out of your debt? Consider yourself in my debt now, Meitantei," he muttered darkly as he steered his glider towards Nagoya with the intention of meeting up with Jii.

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Author's Note: Fairly early on, I made the executive decision not to include Lee Seolhwa and Haibara Ai/Miyano Shiho because these four idiots were already a handful to juggle. I also was not able to get the full DCMK/ORV group meet, nor the Shinichi and Dokja mental acrobatics showdown—sorry, Kuro. I picked the two POVs that I did because the original in-body person was essentially the narrator for that arc (Shinichi/Conan for the Mystery Train, Dokja for the Demon King Selection) so theoretically I knew where they were supposed to be at all times—or well, at least where their bodies physically were in canon. How the new drivers steer obviously changed how some things went down, but it was much easier to have that reference in the chaos of flying thoughts and conversations and whatnot. I also tweaked some of the dialogue to better fit how the characters would say things. I have long headcanoned Kaito having been thoroughly schooled in ninjutsu, hence his ability to use various concealed weapons as well as stealth and agility training. I'm really glad this is done, holy shit. It tied my brain in fucking knots writing two parallel and simultaneously running POVs, though I did end up having to speed up how time ran on the ORV side because I wanted the Demon King Selection to end before the Mystery Train case did—there's no way Joonghyuk was going to be able to solve that case and put on a Nemuri no Kogoro deduction show, so Shinichi would need to be there for that. And there was similarly no way Dokja was going to be able to successfully pull off impersonating Shiho and escaping the bomb while fooling Bourbon into thinking Shiho had died—KID's expertise is definitely required for that. This was very much a labor of love, and you damn well better fucking love this, Kuro! … just kidding. I hope you enjoyed it.

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Completed: 07.04.2023