Chapter Text
Humans will change because they are humans.
Not only in physical appearance but also on the inside. The way they are thinking, their personality, and their belief, humans can change, humans will change in one way or another. As time passes, as they grow, as they get older, as they experience so many events in their lives, they will change no matter how subtle it is.
That is what Hikawa Sakuya, as Patranger Nigou, thinks.
Especially, because he is Patranger Nigou, he knows that better than anyone.
One year is a lot of time to change, two years more so.
He is still the junior in his unit, but he believes he has grown into a better man.
“Sempai, please don’t wear such a dark expression on your face, the situation isn’t all that bad,” Sakuya is the type who tries hard to see everything from the bright side.
The two of his beloved seniors, Asaka Keiichiro and Myojin Tsukasa, have serious expressions on their faces.
Not that Sakuya can blame them.
Last night's event is surely… very shocking.
After a year, finally, those three infamous phantom thieves are back.
His beloved Umika-chan is also coming back, alive and all.
But, after that, the shock start to settle in, especially after the three of them disappeared into the night. It felt like they came back to how they began as if nothing had changed.
But, everything has changed.
And they too has changed.
“You look quite happy for someone who will be called by our superiors later after lunch, huh, Sakuya?” Tsukasa asks him, in a sarcastic and menacing tone.
“Please don’t remind me that,” Sakuya trembles if he tries to think what will happen to himself today. Meeting with the GSPO superiors is the least favorite thing for him to do, even worse than fighting Ganglars. “Even if I mopped around, I can’t run away. It can’t be helped.”
Tsukasa shrugs.
Sakuya glances at his other senior.
Keiichiro is being silent today.
And it feels foreboding.
It is better if the captain of their team, that very hot-blooded man, is angry at this situation.
Sakuya understands perfectly how Keiichiro feels right now. It is understandable if Keiichiro is in a rage. So, to see him so silent is actually scarier than him being angry.
“The three of you really don’t know how the phantom thieves are back?” Finally, Director Hilltop gives them the most daring question. It feels like a prelude to how their meeting with their superior later.
“Director Hilltop—you don’t accuse us of being their accomplice, right?” Sakuya feels wronged.
But, even though he feels hurt, he can understand if Director Hilltop thinks it that way.
“No, I don’t accuse you of anything, but the superintendent won’t think the same.” Hilltop sighs, he also has a serious expression on his face.
“The CCTV in Dogranio’s prison doesn’t show anything at all,” Jim pitches in. The robot doesn’t have expression, but based on his voice, he doesn’t sound excited as well. “But I suspected it must have been hijacked.”
“It must be Noel’s doing,” Tsukasa mutters with a flat expression.
“I see… Noel-san must have known everything…” Sakuya tries to chuckle, but it feels too bitter.
“Now, now, you three, please don’t look so down. I will try to talk to the superiors at lunch to ease their tension. It is better for you three to eat a good lunch as well,” Hilltop walks out from their room with a smile, trying to brighten up the mood.
“Thank you, Director Hilltop!” Sakuya bows at him as he exited the room. Then he turns at his two seniors. “Let’s eat lunch together, Keiichiro-sempai, Tsukasa-sempai!”
“Mulling about it won’t change anything, okay, let’s go,” Tsukasa nods, she doesn’t sound thrilled, but she smiles a little. “Come on, Keiichiro.”
Keiichiro is still sitting on his chair, his expression doesn’t change at all.
“Keiichiro,” Tsukasa calls him again. “Asaka Keiichiro.”
Keiichiro sighs and turns around. “Alright. Let’s go.” There is no smile on his face, but that is the normal thing for him. But, Sakuya can see how down Keiichiro is. Rather than his usual scary expression, it is clear that Keiichiro has a lot on his mind.
But, who is he kidding? All of them has a lot on their mind.
“I know a new cafe on the outskirt of the town, it is a bit far from here but I heard that the food is delicious. Let’s go there!” Sakuya wears his brightest smile, trying to uplift the cloudy mood. But his two seniors don’t give him any reaction.
So, Sakuya’s smile wavers.
Today will be a very long day huh? Sakuya just wants to go home already now.
0o0o0o0
“You all-“
“This is crazy.”
“Oh, my goodness…”
“You must be joking.”
Umika almost drops her tray. She is dumbfounded to see the three new customers.
It is just their luck that the Patrangers come to the cafe exactly at the same time Umika and Kairi are there too.
It is good that there are no other customers here.
“You—how--- how could you open a cafe when the three of you all wanted criminals!?” Tsukasa asks in disbelief tone.
Umika grimaces while hugging the tray in her hands.
“No, I don’t work here, I’m just hanging around here every now and then,” Kairi raises both of his hands in a surrender manner. “And she is just working part-time here,” he points at Umika.
Umika can’t exactly say that she is attending a local university with another alias, courtesy of Kogure.
And Tooma has a flat expression on his face, he is back working something behind the counter again.
“Still, it might have been a year, but the three of you all still wanted criminals!” Tsukasa looks like she is about to explode.
While Sakuya has a grimaced expression on his face, he is still waving at Umika with a small smile.
And Keiichiro has such a scary expression, scarier than usual if that is possible, that Umika doesn’t dare to look at his eyes directly.
“So, you want to capture us here now?” Kairi taunts them, offering his wrists as if asking them to handcuff him with a coy smile.
And then Keiichiro hits the wall so hard and so suddenly.
There is a deafening silence, Umika is so shocked that she stops breathing for a second.
“You—how could you—” Keiichiro looks angry. No, he is in a rage. He is trembling with anger to the point that he can’t speak coherently. Then he takes a deep breath.
One breath, two breaths.
“Urgh, damn it!” Keiichiro curses then he turns around and walks outside.
“Huh!? Keiichiro-sempai!?” Sakuya sounds surprised.
“Leave him be, Keiichiro needs to cool down alone,” Tsukasa says while she massages her own forehead.
“Ah… I see…,” Sakuya nods timidly.
And there is another heavy silence.
Umika wants to cry in her place, this is awkward and suffocating. Their reaction last night wasn’t this bad, Umika is sure that she saw three of them smile when they all met. But then their smile wiped off once they realized that Umika and the others become phantom thieves again.
Sakuya didn’t look like he took it that hard last night, he waved back to her when she waved at him.
But…
“Oh la la… you two are here too?”
All of the people in the cafe turn to see the new customer, of course, it is none other than Takao Noel. “It feels like a reunion, but where is Keiichiro-san?”
Umika is trying to explain without sound to Noel that the atmosphere inside the cafe is too serious to joke around. But of course, Noel doesn’t pay attention to her.
“Noel, you know everything right?” Tsukasa asks Noel in the most serious tone that even Umika wants to cower down. “Why didn’t you tell us anything? A little warning would be nice.”
Noel’s smile drops instantly and he looks around to check the atmosphere again.
“You know how I work, that is confidentiality-“
“Right, you will do anything to achieve both of your wishes, huh?” Tsukasa beats Noel before he can say anything more.
She has this hurt expression on her face. And Noel looks speechless to see it.
“How could you do this to us after you see everything we have done for this past year?” Tsukasa asks again. Then she closes her eyes and turns around.
She covers her face as if she is about to lose her cool there.
Umika is aching to go to her side, to comfort her. But she can't move at all, she is stunned in her place.
“I need to calm down as well,” Tsukasa finally says then she exits the cafe quickly.
“Ah! Tsukasa-sempai!” Sakuya is about to run to follow her before he stops awkwardly. Then he turns around to see Noel and then his eyes stop at Umika.
“You know, I… I feel really happy, really glad that all of you three are back, but…” Sakuya smiles then wavers as his eyes are filled with pain. “Oh my God, I don’t know what to say…” Sakuya covers his face with his hands. “Especially at you Noel-san, I just can’t…”
Sakuya shakes his head and then he turns around. “I’m sorry but I also have to go.”
And the last of the trio Patrangers leaves the cafe.
There is silence in the cafe again.
“What’s wrong with those three? Did they eat anything weird this morning?”
Umika turns around at Kairi, she can’t believe at what she just heard. But, that is Kairi for you. Even though he said something like that, Umika can see how Kairi has concerned eyes as he plays with his smartphone.
Umika hugs the tray close to her chest. “They must feel hurt… to know that we chose to be phantom thieves again.”
“It can’t be helped, we need to gather all Lupin Collection,” Tooma speaks up, he still looks unbothered, but Umika can tell that even he is shaken a little.
“The problem is, what are those three going to do to us now? This is going to be troublesome…” Kairi huffs.
Umika frows, she doesn’t want to imagine how she needs to run away from those three again, especially Sakuya. She thought that they have reached an agreement. They aren’t supposed to be enemies, their only enemies are Ganglars but…
“Noel-san…” Umika grimaces at her other comrade.
Because now, Noel looking up at the ceiling with far away expression on his face.
“I really didn’t think they would react that badly…” He mutters softly to himself. “Oh my, I really wronged them so badly this time…”
“But, they are all police, you can’t help it,” Tooma says. Umika nods along.
“The thing is…,” Noel takes a seat on an empty chair. “A lot has happened after you all got trapped inside Dogranio’s safe.”
Umika glances at Noel and then takes a seat beside him. “What do you mean?”
“The Global Special Police Organization wanted to take Dogranio down, that is the truth. But, those three, and me as well, refused to follow the order. Can you imagine that?” Noel has this small smile on his face.
“Those three disobeyed an order!? Impossible, if it is you and Sakuya-san then I can believe it, but Tsukasa-san and Keiichiro-san too?” Umika shouts in disbelief.
“Oui, I couldn’t believe it myself.” Noel flashes a smile when Tooma gives him a cup of tea without saying anything. “But those three fought harder than anyone to protect you all.”
“Unbelievable…” Kairi mutters with a sneer.
“It is the truth, Kairi-kun. It was the GSPO’s mission to protect the world’s peace from any threats, including Ganglars. So, it wasn’t easy for the four of us to persuade all of those troublesome and annoying superiors that want Dogranio’s death without caring about you three.” Noel takes a sip of his tea with a serious expression. “Prisoning Dogranio has the risk that Dogranio can escape and terrorize the world again, it was clear the GSPO against it. But at the same time, the GSPO needed Patrangers’ power to annihilate Dogranio efficiently.”
“It sounded… like a very tedious and exhausting fight…” Umika comments timidly. It must be far different than fighting any Ganglars, she can’t imagine it at all.
“Oui. Those three, and me as well, received various punishments, harassment, and pressure from the GSPO you see. If I’m not wrong, even Keiichiro-san got demoted two ranks from his position,” Noel sips the tea again and huffs.
“What? For protecting Dogranio and… us?” Tooma still sounds like he can’t believe it.
“I know it is hard to believe, but yes. Rather than risking world peace, of course, everyone else chose to sacrifice you three. Not to mention your status as phantom thieves are unfavorable as well, so what I could do was try to find the Jack Striker by forming a new group of phantom thieves. And Keiichiro-san and the others become the shield to protect you three.” Noel puts down the empty cup and then leans back on his chair. “Now that I said all of that, I really wronged them so badly… Urgh…” Noel covers his face with both of his hands in remorse.
Umika clenches her fists.
No wonder… No wonder Dogranio is being prisoned at the GSPO’s facility. If she thinks about it again, it does feel weird. The GSPO has been dying to capture the phantom thieves, so they won’t have any reason to spare the three of them if it means for the sake of the world’s peace.
Just how hard are those three to fight the organization they work for to make sure that the phantom thieves, that supposed to be their enemies, can come back safely?
“I’m not sorry to say this, but I didn’t ask for any of their help at all.”
Umika turns at Kairi, she can’t believe of what he just said. He sounds so cold. But that is so Kairi-like to say something like that.
“You are right, we went to Dogranio’s safe fully prepared to die there,” Tooma agrees along.
“But…” Umika whines a little. That is just so cold. “But I feel bad for them…”
“If you want to stop being phantom thieves for their sake, I won’t force you to stay,” Kairi adds with a cold expression.
“Please don’t say that… that’s not what I mean…” Umika sighs and slumps on her seat. Now, she can understand why the Patrangers have painful expressions on their face.
They must feel betrayed.
They must didn’t expect her and the others to become phantom thieves again after escaping from the abyss.
And they didn’t expect that they will be enemies, once again.
“I don’t want to fight them anymore…” Umika says honestly. The polices aren’t their enemies, especially those three. They have fought against each other but also with each other for one whole year. And to fight beside them, felt way better than when she has to fight against them.
Kairi shrugs and stands from his seat. Umika can see how he is seething with anger quietly. And then he leaves.
“I really hope all of us can become friends, genuinely,” Noel says with a solemn expression.
“It will be impossible because those three are the polices, they can’t befriend phantom thieves,” Tooma says the fact. “You are the exception.”
Noel just chuckles sadly.
Umika sighs and looks at the door of the cafe longingly.
If only they all can become friends…
0o0o0o0
“Keiichiro-san… I need to leave to charge my battery…”
“It is okay, Jim. You can leave.”
“Good night, Keiichiro-san. Don’t forget to get some sleep.”
Keiichiro is left alone in their office, with mountains of paper works on his table.
They got chewed up by their superiors. Of course, none of their bosses are happy to hear that the phantom thieves, not only come back alive but resuming their activity as phantom thieves again.
“You see that? None of them would be thankful to you. They don’t show remorse for their wrong past and they become phantom thieves again! Isn’t that what you all want!? They should be better dead along with that Ganglars boss but no, all of you refused to follow the order and look where we are now? I don’t care of what you think, but you all need to capture those damn phantom thieves now!”
Keiichiro hits the table with his fist, he is seething with anger but even he feels confused as to whom his anger is directed.
Their boss said that and yet they gave them a ton of paperwork to do, obviously harassing them for every chance they get.
“This isn’t even what tactical support should do,” Keiichiro tosses away the paperwork. It was a mountain of witnesses of Ganglars reporting for the past three months, he needs to track down whether it is only a prank or genuine witnessing.
But, who is he kidding? Tactical support becomes a unit where every other unit tosses unwanted work to. Sakuya even said that he heard other units call them ‘the trash can unit’. On the outside of the organization, Patrangers’ image might have been rising but they are branded as a rebellious unit on the inside.
Still, Keiichiro doesn’t think that he did the wrong thing. Just because the phantom thieves were branded as criminals, it didn’t mean it was okay to sacrifice them, especially because Dogranio is in his weakest state. There was a chance that they could find a way to save those three without killing them along with Dogranio.
And they did it, those three are alive now.
…and they become phantom thieves again now.
Keiichiro is about to reach another can of coffee only to notice that he is out. He tosses the empty cans into the trash can and leans back on his chair.
“Let’s buy more.”
If Tsukasa knows this, she will kick him for sure. But, Keiichiro doesn’t care. He needs to tackle those troublesome paper works before he can take a peaceful rest, unlike Tsukasa and Sakuya who decided to do them tomorrow and took a rest now.
Keiichiro can’t believe that the vending machine near the base is out of coffee.
And wondering if he is the one reason why. But that shouldn’t be possible. Police officers all love coffee, not only him.
So, Keiichiro ventures outside more, in the dead of night, to find more caffeine so he can continue to work.
He arrives at the vending machine near the park. He is about to insert some coins there before he hears a familiar voice.
“Here is an advance notice to you, Mr. Policeman. That vending machine has run out of coffee.”
Keiichiro turns around in shock and for sure, he sees Kairi stands not too far in front of him.
“Why are you here… at this hour?” Keiichiro asks in puzzlement. That isn’t what he wants to say to Kairi, actually, he has a ton of things to say to this phantom thief. But, his brain is fatigued from tackling all of those troublesome papers and the meeting with his bosses completely exhausted him too.
“I’m here because I have been waiting for you, Kei-chan.” Kairi is acting coy, like usual.
“You should be more careful, what if someone notices you.” Keiichiro sighs, he has no energy to handle Kairi’s coyness. He inserts the coins into the vending machine, and sure, just like what Kairi said, the coffee is out.
“Here you go.”
Keiichiro turns around and sees a can being thrown at him, Keiichiro is fumbling a little to catch it. It is a can of warm coffee.
Keiichiro looks up to Kairi, he can’t understand this man’s way of thinking sometimes.
“Say, why are you here?” Keiichiro asks again.
“Because I think Kei-chan might want to talk to me.”
This situation gives Keiichiro deja vu. It has happened before, this exact same scene.
“I heard from Noel of what you have done to save me and the others,” Kairi is wearing a cap so it is a bit hard to see his expression at night like this. But, his tone shows him how serious he is, there are no hints of his playfulness at all.
“I won’t say thank you for all you have done. I never asked for your help.”
Keiichiro is taken aback a little.
It is a lie if he says that those words don’t hurt him.
He clenches his fist.
What did he expect when he refused to follow the order to destroy Dogranio along with those three phantom thieves?
He did expect that those three can come back alive and live normally like common civilians.
…not like this.
It will be a lie if he says that he doesn’t feel betrayed.
But…
“I know. I didn’t do all of that to get your thanks. I did all of that for myself.”
Keiichiro talks more to himself than to Kairi.
Once again, it is hard to observe Kairi’s expression. But, at this point, Keiichiro doesn’t care because it won’t change anything.
“As a police officer, I know that I can’t save everyone. Police can’t save everyone.”
That is a bitter pill that Keiichiro has to swallow. He has accepted that.
“But, I want to save the ones that I can reach to. The ones that are in front of me. I won’t back down as long as there is a way to save them. Regardless of who they are, that isn’t important. That is what I do.”
Even criminals still have the right to live. That is what Keiichiro believes.
And more, for him, Kairi, and the others…
“So, I don’t need your thanks either.”
It is okay like this. At least, those three are alive and well. Dogranio is still being prisoned and the world isn’t doomed because of that.
It is worth it.
“Why can’t you just be angry at me like how you usually did to Lupin Red? Should I transform so you can be angry at me!?”
Keiichiro is shocked to see Kairi’s sudden outburst.
This is the second time Kairi did this in front of him. The usually collected coy man is dropping his guard and showing him his true color.
“If you said you feel angry about your powerlessness, I will hit you right in your face!” Kairi warns him before Keiichiro can say anything.
“Shouldn’t I be the one who is angry?” Keiichiro can’t believe this situation at all.
“I’m angry because you won’t be angry!” Kairi spits out again. “Why can’t you just be angry!? Hit me! Kick me! Capture me! Do whatever you should do!”
“Are you angry for my sake?” Keiichiro asks again.
“DID YOU LOSE YOUR MIND!?”
0o0o0o0
“Asaka Keiichiro? Yeah, I know him. He came to me and apologized because he couldn’t save you then he promised that he would find a way to bring you back. I even felt bad because I couldn’t say the truth. Keiichiro-san is a good policeman.”
That was what his brother said.
Kairi doesn’t even know why he feels angry.
He just feels totally angry with this dumb selfless policeman in front of him.
He is way too dumb to be a policeman and Kairi just can’t bear it.
Kairi never asked his help and yet this dumb policeman went his way to save him in his own way.
And for that, Kairi felt angry.
And he just wants Keiichiro to be angry, so that Kairi can feel better.
“Kairi-kun, it is late, you shouldn’t shout-”
“No matter what you said, I’m dead set on being a phantom thief.”
And that is what Kairi needs to tell Keiichiro.
He might owe, part of, his life to Keiichiro but he won’t stop being a phantom thief even if Keiichiro asks him to.
“You can’t stop me, Kei-chan.”
Or to be honest, Kairi doesn’t want Keiichiro to try to stop him.
Their dance at fighting each other is exhilarating but also tiring at the same time. Especially because he knows that Keiichiro is a good man and he never means bad. And sometimes, what Keiichiro has done and said to him makes Kairi wonders a lot.
Would anything change if he ever asked for Keiichiro’s help?
Would anything change if Keiichiro knows everything from the start?
Is he the stupid one because he never asked for the police’s help?
Kairi is sure, before, that even if he asked for the police’s help, they won’t help him. Police have a strict way to do their work and they won’t help someone like him.
But, Keiichiro and the other Patrangers are different.
They help him even when he didn’t ask them to.
And it frustrated him to get their help.
“I know, I can’t stop you.” Keiichiro sighs. “I want you to stop, but I know you won’t.”
Kairi wants to scoff at Keiichiro because even though Keiichiro thinks being phantom thieves and police are different, it isn’t that much different in Kairi’s opinion. At the end of the day, they both are fighting with their life on the line, even though their motives are different.
“I guess, because of that I feel slightly angry… at you and myself. But my anger won’t change anything, so I decided to not get angry over this.” Keiichiro has a solemn expression, as if he is regretting something and Kairi can tell that this dumb policeman must be regretting at how he can’t stop Kairi from being a phantom thief.
And just like that, Kairi’s anger evaporated away, leaving only a little bit of irk toward the policeman in front of him.
“I’m still deciding what I’m going to do at this point,” Keiichiro says honestly.
And Kairi understands what Keiichiro is trying to say.
Whether they will become foes or friends.
For Kairi himself, he is…
“You know what? I never said this before…” Kairi can’t be honest just like Umika. But, he did owe one to Keiichiro. “The reason why we can become the phantom thieves is because you and your comrades are there as the policeman.”
Keiichiro has a confused expression on his face and Kairi huffs a little.
“Because if you all aren’t there, then we will be too busy trying to save people from Ganglars and we can’t focus on retrieving Lupin Collection,” Kairi shakes his hand. At the end of the day, he and the other Lupinrangers aren’t cold-hearted bastards who can focus only to steal back Lupin Collection and let other people suffer. “It is exactly because the police are there then we can focus to do what we are supposed to do. And for that, arigachu.”
Keiichiro looks shocked for a while.
“Wait a minute, then is that also the reason why you all become phantom thieves again!?” Keiichiro asks with a horrified look.
Actually, not exactly like that, but Kairi doesn’t even want to imagine what will happen if Keiichiro and the others get replaced by other police officers. It won’t be fun anymore for sure, and… troublesome as well.
“You can say it like that because I can do what only I can do and Kei-chan can do what only you can do,” Kairi nods along and smirks.
Keiichiro is trembling with anger and Kairi wants to laugh to see that.
“And Mr. Policeman, whatever you want to do, I will still gather all the Lupin Collection for sure. See you!” Kairi turns around and walks away. Whether Keiichiro decides to be their friend or foe, that won’t change anything.
Because, whatever he decides, Kairi knows that he can believe in him, and he can rely on him when he needs to.
…
Maybe asking for his help as well.
Who knows. Though Kairi needs to learn how to ask for help first.
0o0o0o0
“So, what is that you want to talk about Keiichiro?”
To gather them inside their patrol car, it must be something that they need to talk in secret, that is what Tsukasa is thinking. And when Keiichiro is turning off the dashboard camera on their car, Tsukasa closes her eyes, reaches for her smartphone, and turns it off as well.
This must be very serious.
Sakuya turns off his phone as well with a scared expression.
“What is it, sempai?”
“I have decided what I’m going to do with the phantom thieves.”
“This fast?” Tsukasa is surprised. She thought they would need a few days to process everything before they can decide whether to follow their boss’s order or not.
“No, don’t say anything please, I don’t want to hear it!” Sakuya whines pitifully.
Keiichiro is giving him a look.
“We are going to do whatever we want.”
Tsukasa and Sakuya turn at Keiichiro with bewildered eyes.
“Huh!?”
Keiichiro turns around and faces forward with his arm folded. “To be honest, I can’t even think of the phantom thieves as criminals anymore. What they have been doing isn’t exactly right, but a desperate situation requires desperate measures. Taking away Lupin Collection from Ganglars is a way to defeat Ganglars, so I can’t say it is wrong anymore.”
Sakuya is blinking with a shocked face.
And Tsukasa starts to smile. “So, we are going to disobey our boss’s order again? At this point, I won’t be surprised if the military police will be involved to investigate us.” She is challenging Keiichiro about his decision.
What Keiichiro has decided will bring more miseries to their team, but funnily, Tsukasa doesn’t hate it at all.
“If that happens, for me, I will resign from the GSPO… And asked the phantom thieves to steal my VS changers.” Keiichiro says that with a flat expression.
“Sempai, are you serious!?” Sakuya looks at his senior with disbelief.
“That is the last resort, we need to do everything we can do so that won’t happen,” Keiichiro answers calmly.
“We are going to do whatever we want to do… then, we won’t capture the phantom thieves… and help them to retrieve the Lupin Collections?” Tsukasa elaborate further.
“We won’t actively steal Lupin Collection like them, but we will help them if they need help and stop Ganglars while they do their thing,” Keiichiro explains in more detail.
“That’s…” Sakuya mutters with a speechless face.
“Sounds good,” Tsukasa nods. “So, our motive isn’t to collect Lupin Collections but we are going to protect them and the people while they collect Lupin Collection.”
“That sounds awesome!” Sakuya sounds thrilled. “…actually, that’s what we have been doing, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but minus we won’t hinder the phantom thieves while they work,” Keiichiro says.
“No, Keiichiro. We are going to do this secretly, right?” Tsukasa is glancing at the turned-off dashboard camera. “Then we need to act like we are following the order, we need to act like we are still against the phantom thieves.”
“Oh, right, that will be better…” Keiichiro easily agrees.
“Oh my goodness, we are really rebelling against GSPO and trying to help phantom thieves, we are really becoming their accomplices, aren’t we?”
Tsukasa gives Sakuya a look and so does Keiichiro.
“The law isn’t always right… neither do the police. And when it is involving Ganglars that come from the other world, we can’t always apply human law to them,” Keiichiro answers calmly.
“Desperate situation requires desperate measures, huh? I agree completely,” Tsukasa nods along.
“I also agree! Wholeheartedly agree! So, now the phantom thieves aren’t our enemies, right? I’m so happy!” Sakuya smiles brightly.
“We are still going to act like they are our enemy,” Tsukasa reminds him.
“Don’t worry, that is Keiichiro-sempai’s job,” Sakuya replies with a grin.
Keiichiro gives him a look again. Sakuya is pretending to be dumb about it. And Tsukasa just shakes his head at them.
Like she thought, they need the phantom thieves to defeat Ganglars and phantom thieves need them to steal the Lupin Collections. They complete each other in a complex way.
From now on, their job will be interesting.
End
Epilogue
“Kei-chan… did you just cover me from that Ganglar’s attack?”
“You must be wrong, I was slipped.”
“Sakuya-san held down the Ganglar for me so that I could take away the Lupin Collection, right?”
“No way, that was me trying to defeat the Ganglar.”
Tsukasa is looking at the CCTV that is facing their battle place.
“Sakuya, shoot that.”
“Huh? Okay, Tsukasa-sempai!”
“Keiichiro, I will deduct that from your pay.”
“Wait, what!? … I understand.”
Kairi undoes his transformation and looks at the polices with a confused face.
“What’s up with you three?”
“We are just doing what we always have been doing.”
“Including shooting the CCTV?”
“Because of that we will pay it back, don’t worry.”
“Ah, they will be the death of me.” Kairi pulls down his hat to cover his grin.
“They suck at acting,” Tooma nods.
“Sakuya, stop waving like an idiot, we have to go back!”
“I will leave the writing report to you, Sakuya.”
“Huh!? Wait, what!? Why me—nooooo!”
“Bye, Sakuya-san!” Umika waves excitedly.
“…this isn’t exactly how I imagine how we will become… Oh well…” Kairi turns around and walks away. Tooma and Umika follow him right behind.
From now on, fighting Ganglars will be more interesting.