Kawasaki had no choice. Harrison was right—Itō Itsuki was far more capable than Kameda.
As for Kameda and the other agents, they could only keep watch near the Ed Gold Vault.
"Director Harrison, then let Itō Itsuki go into the vault with you. I hope this time we can finally capture Kaitō Kid."
Harrison gave a flat response.
"Fine. I'll let Albert know."
Kawasaki took a deep breath and put the phone down, his expression grim.
Letting Itō Itsuki go in alone was still better than being completely shut out.
"Itō-kun, Harrison will only take you in."
"Please be careful. If Kaitō Kid shows up, you must be faster than Harrison and catch him first. We're counting on you."
Itō Itsuki narrowed his eyes, a cold gleam flashing in them.
As the sun dipped and dusk painted the sky crimson, Harrison arrived at the Ed Gold Vault as promised.
Kameda and Itō Itsuki had been waiting long before he came.
They'd arrived early, afraid Harrison might enter ahead of them and leave them stranded outside.
"Director Harrison!"
Kameda and the other agents stayed in the car. None of them followed Itō down—they weren't about to humiliate themselves.
Harrison, as always, was flanked by eight agents.
"Itō Itsuki?"
"Where's that fool Kameda?"
No Kameda in the vault? That alone put Harrison in a good mood.
Though both were from Japan, on this, Harrison and Itō had found rare agreement.
"He's not coming in. I'll go with you." Itō replied plainly.
There were only two kinds of people allowed in the Ed Gold Vault.
First, the staff.
Second, the clients.
No one else had access.
The Ed Gold Vault, one of Britain's top three vaults, was privately owned—it didn't fall under any government department.
That's why they didn't have to comply with MI5, let alone a foreign embassy like Japan's.
Albert personally escorted Harrison and Itō inside, handing each of them a yellow temporary pass, like a work badge, to be worn around their necks.
"Director Harrison, under no circumstances can you remove your badge."
"If you're seen without it, our people will take you down on sight."
The vault's guards were elite mercenaries from all over the world. Half the storage fees clients paid went into keeping these soldiers on staff.
The Ed Gold Vault building had six floors. The first was for reception, the second for administration.
From the third floor up, the vault's treasure troves began.
"Director Harrison, our sixth floor isn't in use yet. It's sealed off."
"Floors three, four, and five are fully operational, each with vaults labeled A, B, C, and D."
"Your temporary badges give you access only to floors three through five."
Not even the admin areas were open to them.
While Harrison and Itō followed Albert around, getting familiar with the vault's layout, crowds were gathering outside.
Soon, traffic at several intersections nearby came to a complete standstill.
"Oh! Harrison's already inside the vault!"
"But he hasn't started the live stream yet—are we going to miss tonight's big moment?"
"Kaitō Kid, we're with you forever—go get 'em!"
Outside the Ed Gold Vault, it was louder than a concert. People waved banners and glowsticks, camping out at the entrance.
Kameda sat in the car, staring at the sea of people, his head pounding.
"Baka yarō... These people are crazy!"
"Damn it! If Kaitō Kid hides in that crowd, we're in real trouble!"
If Kaitō Kid showed up, this crowd would definitely interfere with the capture.
They were supposed to be chasing a notorious phantom thief, but now it looked more like a fan convention.
But with so many people, Kameda didn't dare try to clear them out.
Those who couldn't make it to the Ed Gold Vault could only watch through someone else's livestream online.
[Oh my god! So many people showed up at the Ed Gold Vault!]
[Holy crap, I mean really, this has to be several hundred people at least, right?]
[Haha, look at all those people holding up glow signs for Kaitō Kid, dude's got a serious fanbase!]
[If I were in Britain, I'd totally go see Kaitō Kid in action too!]
[What's going on with Harrison? Why hasn't MI5 started their livestream yet?]
They definitely weren't getting into the Ed Gold Vault, and there was no chance they'd get near Kaitō Kid either.
So their only hope was Harrison's livestream.
The top four floors of the Ed Gold Vault had no windows.
Inside, the layout was a square looped hallway.
Vaults A, B, C, and D were each set in one corner at the center.
"Mr. Albert, is it true the only way in and out of the vault floors are those two stairwells and two elevators?" Harrison asked.
Albert nodded without hesitation.
"Yes, Director Harrison!"
"As you've seen, when the building was constructed, the vault floors were designed this way. There are no windows at all."
"And the entire structure is reinforced concrete. The outer walls are 36 centimeters thick, and the walls of Vaults A through D are lined with five-centimeter thick steel plates."
The Ed Gold Vault's security wasn't just for show.
Even if a missile hit, it'd leave little more than a dent on the outer walls.
As for the vault rooms themselves? Behind that concrete was solid steel.
After showing Harrison and the others around, Albert left them to move freely inside.
But the vault's mercenaries stayed on duty and wouldn't assist with the operation. They guarded their stations strictly.
Because the vault floor followed a square loop, each level only had twelve guards.
They could see the entire hallway at a glance—there was no way anyone could sneak in.
Since the Ed Gold Vault's founding, there had never been a theft. No thief had ever been foolish enough to try.
Once Albert left, Itō Itsuki turned to Harrison.
"Director Harrison, do you really think Kaitō Kid can get in here?"
The Ed Gold Vault's security was tight. Without a valid badge, all you could access was the lobby on the first floor.
To Itō, sneaking in under these conditions sounded like pure fantasy.
But Harrison wasn't about to underestimate Kaitō Kid anymore.
"Itō, don't get careless."
"Did you already forget the little surprise he gave you last night?"
Itō's eyes darkened, a cold snort escaping him.
This time, Harrison had royal permission to use firearms.
Though they were rubber bullets, they still packed a punch.
"If you see Kaitō Kid, don't hesitate. Take him down on the spot."
Harrison chambered a round in his pistol.
Against Kaitō Kid, he wasn't leaving anything to chance.
Because of the vault's strict confidentiality policy, Albert wouldn't allow any live broadcasting inside.
What Harrison didn't know was that his failure to open the livestream had caused nearly a thousand people to show up in person, completely surrounding the Ed Gold Vault.