Earthbound Spirit ②

"Take this!" Ai Haibara's gaze was firm as she held a talisman between two fingers. With a light pinch, the paper talisman instantly ignited, bursting into roaring flames. Without hesitation, Ai Haibara hurled the burning talisman at the earthbound spirit.

The earthbound spirit let out a shrill scream, black smoke immediately billowing from its body as though it had been scorched. "It worked!" Conan shouted excitedly, his face full of surprise and anticipation.

However, at that moment, the earthbound spirit suddenly became even more ferocious. It opened its gaping maw, baring sharp fangs as it viciously pounced on Ai Haibara.

Ai Haibara was startled, her expression changing sharply as she hurriedly dodged with agility. But the earthbound spirit was incredibly fast, swift as lightning, and was about to strike her.

At the critical moment, Ran Mouri reacted quickly. She stepped in front of Ai Haibara and kicked the earthbound spirit away with all her strength. After tumbling several times through the air, it crashed heavily onto the ground.

Though the earthbound spirit had not been seriously hurt by the kick, it had clearly been enraged. It quickly climbed back up, its eyes revealing fury and resentment.

"Damn humans!" the earthbound spirit roared, its voice filled with anger and unwillingness. It lunged at Ran Mouri again with unstoppable force.

Ran Mouri sidestepped the earthbound spirit's attack, her movements graceful and composed. Then she launched a flying kick like a bolt of lightning, striking the spirit squarely in the abdomen.

The earthbound spirit groaned in pain, its body twisting as it collapsed to the ground.

While the earthbound spirit was briefly weakened after being struck by Ran Mouri's karate, Akako Koizumi refused to be outdone. She immediately flew into the air on her broomstick and began chanting a mysterious spell. In an instant, dark clouds gathered overhead, as if a storm were about to break. Then, a dazzling bolt of lightning struck down, hitting the earthbound spirit with perfect accuracy.

As the lightning fell, the earthbound spirit let out a pained howl. Smoke began rising from its body, and its already hideous face twisted into something even more terrifying, as though it were enduring immense agony. Yet this did not make it retreat; instead, it stirred even greater fury within it.

Akako Koizumi pressed the advantage, continuing her chant and summoning more lightning. Thick bolts flashed down like silver serpents, repeatedly striking the earthbound spirit and leaving it unable to fight back. Each strike inflicted tremendous damage, gradually weakening its presence.

Under the powerful magical assault, the earthbound spirit finally could not hold on any longer. Its body slowly dispersed, ultimately turning into a wisp of black smoke that vanished into the air.

"Wonderful! We finally defeated it!" Inspector Megure cheered happily. This incident had truly overturned everything he believed in. Who would believe there were monsters in the world, and people who could fly through the sky on broomsticks, without seeing it firsthand?

Ai Haibara and Ran Mouri also breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged smiles.

However, Akako Koizumi frowned, a faint sense of unease rising in her heart. She felt that things were not so simple, and that the earthbound spirit might not have truly been destroyed.

Sure enough, just as everyone was celebrating, a thick fog suddenly appeared in front of a police officer and instantly swallowed him, leaving behind only his scream.

The others watched the scene in terror and hurriedly backed away. Waves of eerie laughter drifted out from the fog, sending chills down their spines.

"What's going on? Wasn't the earthbound spirit already destroyed?" Inspector Megure asked, his face pale.

Akako Koizumi said gravely, "I'm worried this is only one of the earthbound spirit's tricks. It may not be completely dead."

As soon as she finished speaking, a figure slowly emerged from the thick fog—it was the police officer who had been swallowed. But now his eyes glowed red, and a savage smile spread across his face. He had clearly lost his mind.

"Oh no, he's been possessed by the earthbound spirit!" Ran Mouri cried out.

Akako Koizumi hurriedly cast a spell, attempting to lift the curse on the officer. However, the earthbound spirit's power was too great, and her magic had no effect at all.

The possessed officer advanced toward them step by step. At some point, a handgun had appeared in his hand, aimed directly at everyone.