Conan: Begins to collaborate with Miss Bayonetta and become famous

Baijiu's gaze was fixed on the small, relatively intact structure above his head—a metal bar base embedded in the carriage wall, the only hope for survival.

It is also the only exit.

He let out a low growl that sounded almost like a wild beast, his muscles tensed like iron, his core strength suddenly exploded, and he leaned upwards, his fingers gripping the edge of the bar tightly!

His immense weight and gravity pulled him wildly, but with astonishing arm strength, he managed to hang himself in mid-air, his body swaying dangerously due to inertia.

He struggled to turn half his body to the side and urgently shouted to Vermouth, who was clinging tightly to the handrail below, "Vermouth! Listen up! Next, you have to pull with me, I'll pull you up, and then..."

The words have not yet been spoken!

Vermouth has already answered with her actions.

Without any hesitation, she reached out with her free hand and quickly and firmly grasped the arm that was dangling in the air!

There was no doubt in her eyes, only absolute trust and unwavering determination.

However, at this very moment, disaster struck again!

The bottom of their carriage scraped violently against the rocks at the edge of the cliff! Rumble—!

The ear-piercing scraping sound was like the howl of a giant beast. The entire carriage shook violently, and a large amount of gravel and dust flew out from the gap between the carriage and the ground, and smoke filled the air!

In this sudden and violent shaking, far more intense than before, Vermouth's other handrail, which she had been clinging to and relying on for support, along with the piece of the vehicle that held it in place, completely detached with a tooth-grinding metallic tearing sound and plummeted downwards!

"!" Vermouth's body instantly lost a crucial point of support, and her entire weight and the force of the fall were entirely applied to the hand that was holding Baijiu's arm, as well as Baijiu's body hanging on one arm!

A tremendous pulling force suddenly came, and Baijiu's arm muscles stretched to their limit, his joints making a sound of being unable to bear the strain.

He groaned, gritted his teeth, and gripped the bar with his other hand, his fingernails almost snapping back, but he held on tightly!

click-

A chilling cracking sound came from above.

The bar armrest that Baijiu was clinging to tightly finally broke free of its screws after bearing the weight of the two people and the continuous impact. The entire structure popped out halfway and was about to collapse!

Every slight tremor was accompanied by the groaning of metal fatigue, as if it would completely detach at any moment.

The immense pulling force nearly tore Baijiu's arm apart; his entire weight, plus Vermouth's weight, hung precariously on this collapsing fulcrum.

His face was flushed red from the extreme exertion, and the veins on his forehead and neck bulged like writhing dragons. His breathing became extremely difficult, his vision began to blur, and dark circles appeared at the edges. Cold sweat soaked through his back.

“…It’s alright.” He gritted his teeth and squeezed out a low, hoarse word of comfort from deep in his throat, trying to convey a sense of calm to Vermouth, who was holding him tightly below.

But even he himself could barely hear the sound.

External deterioration will not stop because of willpower.

The last main chain connecting the carriages was about to snap completely after letting out one last piercing scream!

Like toppling the first domino, a chain reaction erupted instantly! The carriage lost its last stabilizing force, and the downward momentum suddenly intensified!

boom!

The armrest in Baijiu's hand shook violently again, another crucial fixing bolt came loose, and more of the metal bracket popped outwards!

He felt his fingers losing sensation, his knuckles groaning under the strain, slowly and irreversibly slipping off the cold metal surface...

Consciousness began to drift away, and past images flashed wildly in her mind like damaged film reels—fragmented memories, the faces of her comrades, Vermouth's eyes... Is this what a revolving lantern is like?

The chilling despair gradually devoured his last bit of strength.

Just as his fingertips were about to completely release their grip, and his body was preparing to embrace free fall—

A large hand, with undeniable strength, suddenly reached down from above and gripped his wrist firmly like an iron clamp!

The force was so powerful and stable that it instantly stopped his fall and even easily took over the heavy load.

In his blurred vision, Baijiu only managed to catch a glimpse of a black sleeve.

A mixture of sweat and blood trickled into his eyes, causing a stinging sensation. Bai Jiu squeezed his eyes hard, trying to shake off the blurry vision.

When his gaze finally refocused and he could clearly see the face above him, distorted by extreme force yet still recognizable, a moment of astonishment even overwhelmed the excruciating pain in his body.

It's Kiel.

The woman whose life he spared at the brink of death, for some complex consideration.

He had thought that debt had long been settled, or had simply been forgotten in the quagmire of conspiracy and betrayal.

At this moment, Kiel's hands, which usually appeared slender but were actually calloused from years of gunfighting, gripped his wrists like steel hoops.

Her knuckles turned white from the exertion, and the muscles in her arms were taut to the extreme.

Her teeth were clenched, her jawline was sharply defined, and her entire face looked ferocious and even somewhat deformed because of the weight of the two people falling. Her usual coldness and aloofness were completely gone.

"Ugh—!"

She let out a roar that was not human, pouring all her strength and even her will into her arms.

With her other hand, she suddenly reached up and gripped Baijiu's wrist tightly with both hands! Then, using her body as leverage, she unleashed astonishing power from her core, and her whole body leaned backward!

This is a near-self-destructive way of exerting force, using itself as an anchor point to engage in the most primitive struggle with gravity.

Bai Jiu and Vermouth's bodies were suddenly lifted upwards by this powerful force. In the rapid shift between life and death, the two looked at Gil's face, twisted with desperate struggle yet incredibly resolute, and a complex, indescribable emotion welled up in their hearts.

Kiel didn't look them in the eye; her entire focus was on the single thought of "pulling them up."

Sweat trickled down her temples and dripped onto Baijiu's face, carrying a warm, life-giving scent.

This "affection" that was once bestowed upon us was, in this countdown to destruction, returned in the most direct and brutal way.

As top-tier agents who had walked the line between life and death countless times, Baijiu and Vermouth instantly assessed the situation.

Kiel's rescue gave them a valuable opportunity, but it was by no means the time to take their time and do things meticulously.

This carriage was like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to collapse completely at any moment.

If Kiel were to pull the two of them up little by little, there simply wouldn't be enough time, and the likely outcome would be that all three of them would fall into the abyss together.

Every second counts!

Baijiu suddenly turned his head and met Vermouth's gaze, who was standing very close.

No words are needed; a single glance conveys all the decisions and instructions.

Let Vermouth go first!

Vermouth's eyes sharpened, and without the slightest hesitation or modesty, she immediately nodded.

In a life-or-death situation, the optimal solution takes precedence over all personal emotions.

She quickly and steadily pressed her hands on Baijiu's broad shoulders, then decisively pressed one hand on the side of his neck, where the veins were bulging from the exertion, to find the most stable point of leverage.

"Hmm!" Bai Jiu let out a suppressed groan. The pressure on his carotid artery made his vision go black for a moment, and his face turned red from congestion and extreme strain. But he gritted his teeth and his body remained as stable as a rock, providing Vermouth with the most crucial and dangerous support.

Vermouth lightly touched the swaying car wall with her toes, and using the reaction force from pressing down on Baijiu's neck, she exerted force from her waist and abdomen, and her body leaped upwards like a nimble cheetah!

Her movements were clean and efficient, without any unnecessary steps; every detail showcased her honed instincts.

Just as Vermouth's hand was about to reach Gil's outstretched hand—

Snap! Crack—Bang!

The metal at the connection point finally let out a final, desperate cry, and the fixed structure completely collapsed!

With a crisp yet loud cracking sound, the carriage they were clinging to, like a severed tail, abruptly separated from the main body and, carrying immense potential energy, accelerated its descent into the abyss below!