Earthbound Spirit ③

"Damn it, how dare you desecrate my men like this!"

Inspector Megure's eyes blazed with fury. He gripped his gun tightly and aimed it at the earthbound spirit. The spirit let out a chilling laugh, as though mocking Inspector Megure's helplessness.

"You bastard, get out of his body!" Inspector Megure shouted.

He pulled the trigger, and the bullet whistled toward the earthbound spirit. However, its body was like smoke; the bullet passed straight through without causing any harm.

Inspector Megure did not give up. He kept firing, trying to find the earthbound spirit's weakness. The spirit drifted around the room, evading the bullets.

Suddenly, the earthbound spirit stopped. Its eyes flickered with an eerie light. Inspector Megure's heart tightened as he sensed a powerful force radiating from it.

"Not good! Take cover!" Inspector Megure shouted.

His men scattered, but it was already too late. The earthbound spirit let out a shriek, and a powerful wave of energy erupted from its body, destroying everything in the room.

Inspector Megure and his men were struck by the energy wave and collapsed to the floor. Their bodies had been badly injured, leaving them unable to move.

The earthbound spirit looked at Inspector Megure lying on the ground and laughed triumphantly.

Just as the earthbound spirit was carried away with itself, a green beam shot from Ai Haibara's hand like lightning. She unleashed the power of the Horse Talisman, and its light fell over Inspector Megure and his men like sweet rain. The light contained incomparably powerful healing energy, rapidly repairing their wounded bodies.

Under the green glow, the injured people's wounds healed at a visible rate. Their pale faces gradually regained their color, and their spirits rose as well.

"How incredible!" Inspector Megure exclaimed. He felt his strength rapidly returning, while the pain in his body vanished without a trace.

The others also cried out in surprise, utterly stunned by this sudden miracle.

Sensing something was wrong, the earthbound spirit turned toward Ai Haibara, its eyes revealing a trace of surprise and anger. It had discovered that its attack had been easily neutralized—and that its opponent possessed such mysterious and powerful abilities.

"Damn human! You dare stop me?" The earthbound spirit roared as it charged forward, attempting to interrupt Ai Haibara's casting.

Yet Ai Haibara showed no hint of retreat in the face of the approaching earthbound spirit. She stood firmly where she was, her gaze resolute and focused, all her strength concentrated on the Horse Talisman in her hand.

As the earthbound spirit drew closer, only a few steps away, Ai Haibara's nerves stretched to the breaking point, but her face remained calm. Then she suddenly shouted, "Ran, now!"

Upon hearing Ai Haibara's call, Ran Mouri swiftly threw out a yellow talisman without hesitation. It traced an arc through the air, as if it had been given life, flying precisely toward the earthbound spirit.

The instant the talisman touched the earthbound spirit, it transformed into a dazzling golden light. Like a massive shackle, it bound the spirit tightly. The earthbound spirit struggled desperately, trying to break free from the talisman's restraint, but no matter how hard it fought, it could not escape its powerful binding.

Seizing this rare opportunity, Ai Haibara increased the Horse Talisman's output once more. A steady stream of energy surged from her hand like a warm flood, flowing into Inspector Megure and his men. As time passed, their injuries gradually healed, and their pain slowly faded away.

At last, after some effort, Ai Haibara successfully healed Inspector Megure and his men. One by one, they rose to their feet again, their bodies fully restored, their eyes shining with gratitude toward Ai Haibara and Conan.

"Thank you, Haibara. We have you to thank for helping us!" Inspector Megure said emotionally. "If it hadn't been for you, we probably wouldn't have escaped this disaster."

"You're welcome, Inspector Megure. It was what we should have done," Ai Haibara replied with a smile.