Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Kogoro Mouri was in a state of utter confusion, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

He struggled a few times, the rough rope digging deep into his wrists, bringing a piercing pain.

The kidnappers tied the ropes exceptionally tightly, with no sign of them loosening.

Kogoro Mouri's movements startled Haruko Iguchi, who was curled up in a ball.

The girl woke up with a start, her body trembling violently, her bloodshot eyes instantly filled with fear.

There was a noticeable bruise on her cheek, her lips were chapped and peeling, and there were traces of dried blood at the corner of her mouth.

Upon seeing Kogoro Mouri, the girl initially shrank back in fear, but then realized that he was a victim just like her. She let out a muffled sob and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Click——"

In the struggle, Kogoro Mouri's knee accidentally knocked over a rusty iron bowl.

The viscous liquid in the bowl spilled onto the ground, turning a nauseating grayish-green color, with a few moldy grains of rice floating on top; it must have been spoiled rice porridge.

The sound was particularly jarring in the deathly silent warehouse, startling both of them into freezing in place. They held their breath and listened intently to the commotion outside.

Kogoro Mouri could even clearly hear his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

After a long while, apart from the occasional sound of wind, there was no other movement outside the warehouse.

After confirming that no kidnappers had been attracted, Kogoro Mouri breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He gently nudged Haruko Iguchi with his shoulder, trying to offer some comfort.

The girl responded with a trembling voice, and tears finally streamed down her swollen eyes, leaving two clear tear tracks on her dirty face.

Although Haruko Iguchi looked miserable, at least she was still alive.

The other girl lying next to her, Mizuki Koi, was in a much worse condition.

Kogoro Mouri bumped her several times with his shoulder, but Mizuo Oi remained unresponsive, like a rag doll.

Almost no part of her exposed skin was intact; her swollen and deformed face was covered with dried blood and pus.

Could he be dead?
The moment the thought crossed his mind, Kogoro Mouri froze on the spot, a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

Fortunately, the whimpering of Haruko Iguchi nearby immediately brought him back to his senses.

Coming to his senses, Kogoro Mouri realized that if the perverted kidnapper returned and discovered that he was a man in drag, he would likely suffer even more cruel consequences than the two girls.

Cold sweat instantly soaked his back; he had to escape as quickly as possible!
But with his hands and feet tied, how could he escape?
Kogoro Mouri glanced at Haruko Iguchi beside him, and a thought suddenly struck him. He quickly and laboriously moved his body and brought his mouth to the girl's feet.

Haruko Iguchi was very clever. When she saw Kogoro Mouri pursing his lips to indicate that his mouth was gagged, and then pointing with his chin to the girl's feet, she immediately understood what he meant.

Although her ankles were tied and she couldn't move, the girl still tried her best to arch her instep and use her toes to hold the rag stuffed in Kogoro Mouri's mouth.

After much effort and numerous attempts and failures, the two finally managed to pull out the rag that was stuffing into Kogoro Mouri's mouth.

"Huh...huh..."

Kogoro Mori greedily took two breaths of the stale air in the warehouse. Although it still smelled bad, it gave him a long-lost sense of freedom.

He quickly raised his bound wrists to his mouth and desperately bit the knots with his teeth.

"Waaah!" Haruko Iguchi twisted her body forcefully.

Kogoro Mouri looked up and saw the girl with her chin raised, her eyes fixed on his gagged mouth. He immediately understood what she meant. He moved closer, bit down on the rag in her mouth, and pulled it out.

Haruko Iguchi gasped for breath, her chest heaving, and it took her a while to catch her breath: "...Th-thank you."

"Stop talking about that, hurry up and untie the ropes on your hands," Kogoro Mori urged anxiously, "The kidnappers could be back at any moment."

Haruko Iguchi quickly imitated Kogoro Mouri and started biting the knot in her hand.

Her movements were somewhat clumsy, and her teeth were not as strong as Kogoro Mouri's, but she still gritted her teeth and slowly worked on the knot.

Time passed by, and the only sounds in the warehouse were the faint rustling of teeth grinding against knots and the heavy breathing of the two men.

Finally, Kogoro Mouri felt his wrist loosen and the knot was untied!
The moment his hands were freed, he almost cried tears of joy.

After stretching his numb wrists, Kogoro Mouri quickly untied the ropes binding his feet.

Then, without even rubbing his aching limbs, he rushed to help Haruko Iguchi.

The girl's wrists were red, swollen, and purple from being strangled, covered with deep marks—a shocking sight.

After helping Haruko Iguchi gain her freedom, Kogoro Mouri immediately went to Mizuo Iguchi's side, squatted down, and with trembling fingers probed the girl's carotid artery, then pressed his ear against her chest.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment, and only his heavy breathing could be heard in the warehouse.

"How...how is she?" Haruko Iguchi struggled to move closer, her voice filled with worry. "She fainted the day before yesterday and hasn't woken up for two days. She hasn't eaten anything..."

"...She still has a faint heartbeat and is breathing!" Kogoro Mouri looked up in surprise. "If we get her to the hospital now, she might still be saved!"

As he spoke, he carefully picked up Xiaojing Ruixu.

The girl was as light as a feather, but her body was frighteningly hot, clearly running a high fever.

Haruko Iguchi also struggled to stand up, leaning against the wall, her legs trembling as she strained.

But she had been tied up for four whole days, and her legs were already numb and stiff. As soon as she stood up, she felt dizzy and fell heavily to the ground.

"you……"

Kogoro Mouri looked at the unconscious Mizuo Ii in his arms, then at Haruko Iguchi lying on the ground, wincing in pain, and was caught in a dilemma.

He couldn't possibly escape with two weak girls at the same time.

"I'm fine, you should take her away!"

Haruko Iguchi bit her chapped lips, seemingly making up her mind, and nudged Kogoro Mouri's leg.

"She probably won't last much longer. Take her away first, then come back to rescue me."

Kogoro Mouri's Adam's apple bobbed as he struggled internally.

In the end, he firmly shook his head.

"No, if we leave, the kidnappers will come back and find you alone, they'll definitely kill you to cover it up. It's too dangerous for you to stay here."

After saying that, he squatted down, holding Xiao Jingrui.

"Hold my shoulder, let's escape together!"

Seeing the determination in Kogoro Mouri's eyes, Haruko Iguchi was moved by his determination and nodded vigorously, her voice trembling slightly, "...Yes, let's escape together!" (End of Chapter)