Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

"Kuroba Touichi?"

Upon hearing this name, Lin Xiu paused slightly in her chopsticks.

Isn't this the original Phantom Thief Kid, Kaito Kuroba's father?
The mysterious thief who stole jewels under the moonlight is now openly appearing on the festival stage in Osaka.

Almost subconsciously, Lin Xiuyi turned his probing gaze toward the side, to Tomizawa Chikage, who had been unusually quiet throughout the day.

"What are you looking at me for?"

Chikage Tomizawa immediately noticed his overly direct gaze and pouted slightly in displeasure.

"I have absolutely no interest in flashy magic tricks."

She's now preoccupied with finding evidence of the illegal activities of the owner behind the Sennichimae Department Store to help the victims of the fire ten years ago.

A heavy sense of mission weighed on her heart; how could she have the leisure to watch any magic show that was meant to please the audience?

Unlike Chikage Tomizawa, everyone else around her was clearly intrigued by the title of "genius magician".

Aoi Yoshida from Kyoto University clasped her hands together, her face full of anticipation.
"To be called a genius, one must be an extremely skilled magician! Since we don't have any specific plans for the future, why don't we all go and take a look?"

Reiko was the first to jump up and respond, grabbing Hayashi Shuichi's arm and shaking it repeatedly: "Onii-chan, come on, come on! I want to see magic!"

Kawada Yuko nodded excitedly, and Yukiko was also full of anticipation for the magic show.

Seeing this, no one else expressed any objection.

Hattori Heizo and Hayashi Hideyoshi exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of indifference and conformity in each other's eyes.

Hattori Heizo shrugged, a "If the girls like it, then go for it" expression on his dark face.

Lin Xiuyi nodded slightly. He had little interest in magic itself, but he was quite curious about Kuroba Toichi.

"Then it's settled," Ikeba Shizuka said with a smile, seeing that everyone's opinions were in agreement. "The magic show will be held in the theater next to the main stage of the festival. If we go there now, we can get a front-row seat."

Once the decision was made, everyone immediately sped up their eating. After wolfing down his own bowl of okonomiyaki, Kogoro Mori even snatched half a piece from Hideaki Hayashi's bowl.

After paying the bill, the group, led by Shizuka Ikenami, headed towards the theater.

The closer you get to the theater, the denser the pedestrian traffic becomes.

The initially relatively loose flow of people gradually became shoulder to shoulder, as if everyone was drawn by an invisible magnet, surging in the same direction.

The cacophony of laughter, vendors' calls, and the faint strains of music from the distant stage created the unique, boisterous backdrop of the celebration.

Clearly, Toichi Kuroba's reputation has attracted a large audience.

Despite Lin Xiuyi and the others quickening their pace, the scene before them when they arrived at the theater still surprised them.

The audience area, which can accommodate hundreds of people, was already packed to the brim, with crowds thronging the aisles.

They struggled forward, but eventually only found a few scattered positions in the relatively rear area, where the view was not very good.

"It seems we're still a step too late." Kawada Yuko stood on tiptoe and sighed with some disappointment.

The stage was exquisitely decorated, creating a striking contrast with the surrounding traditional celebratory atmosphere. The backdrop was a huge, mysterious ancient Egyptian mural depicting pharaohs, scarab beetles, sleeping coffins, and various seemingly impossible magical scenes.

Bathed in light, it exudes an exotic and ancient atmosphere, as if foreshadowing a miracle beyond common sense that is about to unfold.

At exactly three o'clock in the afternoon, accompanied by a clear chime, the stage lights suddenly went out, plunging the entire theater into a brief period of darkness.

The noise from the audience subsided, replaced by a quiet filled with anticipation.

A gentle, ethereal organ melody slowly rose, like a call from ancient times.

Immediately afterwards, a pure white, dazzling spotlight beam, like the light of heaven, suddenly shone on the center of the stage.

From within the beam of light, a man in a well-tailored, spotless white suit appeared out of thin air, walking out with elegance and composure.

Wearing his signature white top hat and sporting an elegant smile that blends approachability with mystery, he was none other than the star of the magic show, Toichi Kuroba.

"Good afternoon, everyone." Kuroba Toichi bowed slightly. "It is a pleasure to be here at the 400th anniversary celebration of Osaka Castle and to share this wonderful time with you all. Next, I will present a magic show that I have carefully prepared, and I hope it will bring you some surprises and joy."

After he finished speaking, he gently waved his magic wand, and the candlesticks on both sides of the stage suddenly went out with a "whoosh".

Immediately afterwards, countless fluorescent pigeons flew out from behind the stage, circled once above the audience seats, and landed precisely on the stage railing, eliciting gasps from the audience.

For the next hour, the magical domain completely fell under the control of Kuroba Toichi.

He effortlessly performed magic tricks of all sizes and types.

From time to time, he would take out doves, ribbons, and even lively rabbits from his empty top hat.

At times, the enormous, suspended Egyptian coffin would vanish without a trace right before everyone's eyes.

He can also accurately predict the cards randomly chosen by the audience, and even make the braziers on the edge of the stage go out instantly and then reignite with even more intense flames out of thin air.

Each magic trick was ingeniously conceived and executed flawlessly, creating an extremely stunning visual effect that drew deafening gasps, cheers, and thunderous applause from the audience.

The girls beside Lin Xiuyi, as well as the students from Kyoto University except for Hattori Heizo, were all completely mesmerized, immersed in the fantastical world created by magic, occasionally letting out soft gasps of amazement.

Even Eri Kisaki, who wasn't initially very interested in magic, occasionally showed a hint of surprise in her calm and rational eyes.

Tomizawa Chikage, who had initially been full of resistance, remained expressionless, but her gaze was unconsciously drawn to the changes on the stage, clearly captivated by the spectacle.

However, among the audience who were moved by the miracle, two people remained unusually clear-headed.

While watching the dazzling performance on stage, Lin Xiuyi and Hattori Heizo lowered their voices and analyzed the possible techniques behind each magic trick, seemingly oblivious to everyone else.

"The pigeon that disappeared just now must have used the principles of mirror reflection and black curtain. The key is the moment when he turned around and his arm covered it..." Hattori Heizo stroked his chin, his eyes sharp.

"The levitation technique's support point is likely at the waist. With the help of lighting and clothing, the light and shadow below him are subtly distorted when he moves."

Lin Xiuyi added that his gaze was so focused, as if he were investigating a crime scene.

"Card prediction is a combination of probability and psychological guidance; his seemingly meaningless shuffling actions were all preparation..." (End of Chapter)