CHAPTER 199: CHAPTER 199- TOXIN

At the energy flow site, two figures were still locked in a fierce battle. Belle gripped her rifle tightly, firing precise shots toward Nia, who kept blinking out of sight and reappearing in flashes of light, dodging each bullet by a hair’s breadth. Sparks burst through the air every time Belle’s shots grazed the edges of Nia’s barrier.

Nia retaliated in kind, swinging her blade infused with pulsing energy, but Belle deflected the strike with the body of her rifle, sparks flying as metal clashed against crystallized mana. Both of them slid backward across the fractured floor, their boots scraping against stone.

Then, without warning, the ground trembled violently. Cracks spread beneath them, and a wave of crushing energy swept through the area, so powerful it made the air itself distort.

Nia froze for a moment, eyes widening as she looked up, sensing the source of that aura. A smile curled at the corner of her lips. "It seems my master has succeeded."

Belle steadied her aim again, breath steady despite the chaos. "Focus on your fight, not someone else’s."

Nia tilted her head slightly to the side, effortlessly dodging another bullet that whizzed past her cheek, the sound slicing through the tension. Her grin widened, and in the next instant, she vanished in a blink of light, appearing right in front of Belle with her blade already descending.

Nia smirked as their weapons clashed again, the shockwave rippling through the ruined hall. "Aren’t you worried about your friends?" she taunted, her tone almost playful. "They don’t stand a chance out there."

Belle didn’t even flinch. Her eyes stayed locked on Nia, her finger steady on the trigger. "I trust them," she said coolly, firing a shot straight toward Nia’s head.

The bullet tore through the air, but at the last instant, Nia blinked, vanishing in a flash of light. She reappeared above Belle, blade gleaming as she slashed downward. Belle twisted and raised her rifle just in time, the strike colliding with a sharp metallic clang.

Nia leaned closer, her voice dripping with mockery. "Trust means nothing... if they’re too weak to survive."

Belle pushed back, forcing Nia away, her expression unwavering. The heat from their clash shimmered in the air between them, trust and arrogance colliding as fiercely as their weapons.

Their duel raged on, echoing through the metallic corridors like thunder. Belle fired another round, her rifle glowing with residual heat. Nia blinked out of sight again, only to reappear behind her, slashing upward. Sparks flew as Belle twisted her rifle to parry the attack, the weapon’s reinforced barrel ringing like steel.

Nia grinned, her crimson eyes gleaming. "You’re sharp, I’ll give you that," she said, vanishing once more into a trail of light. "But you’re far too slow to touch me."

Belle didn’t respond. She adjusted her stance, breathing evenly, tracking Nia’s movement by the faint distortion in the air. The next moment, she spun and fired without hesitation, forcing Nia to blink away just a hair’s breadth before the bullet grazed her cheek.

"Tch," Nia clicked her tongue, wiping the thin line of blood with her thumb. "Still calm, even when you miss? You really are dull."

Belle’s tone stayed level, almost cold. "Talking won’t make you faster."

Nia’s smirk faltered for a second, then she lunged forward, her sword wreathed in violet energy. Their strikes met again and again, light and gunmetal clashing in a rhythm of precision and fury. Belle’s boots slid back across the floor, but her aim never wavered.

Each time Nia tried to break her composure, with feints, and with impossible speed, Belle countered with unshakable focus. Her trigger pulled at the perfect moment, every shot forcing Nia to move, to react, to blink.

Finally, Nia growled in frustration. "Why won’t you crack?"

Belle reloaded smoothly, eyes steady. "Because unlike you," she said quietly, chambering the next round, "I fight for something real."

And on the other side, in the medical ward, Clarissa slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was hazy at first, but she soon realized Celestia was sitting beside her, already treated and resting.

Celestia let out a quiet sigh of relief and said calmly, "You’re finally awake."

Clarissa blinked a few times, trying to recall what had happened before she lost consciousness. The last thing she remembered was her energy fading completely during the battle. Panic flickered across her face. "The others... how are they? Are they alright?" she asked, her tone filled with worry.

Celestia nodded gently. "Emma’s hurt too, but she’s unconscious, nothing life-threatening. Zoe is still out there, fighting on the front line."

Clarissa’s expression tightened. "And Julian? What about him? Is he safe?"

Celestia’s calm eyes darkened slightly. "He’s still fighting... against Leo. It seems Leo’s turned traitor."

The moment those words reached her, Clarissa tried to sit up, her voice trembling. "Then I have to go. I need to help them—"

Before she could move, a firm hand pressed on her shoulder. "Don’t even think about it," said Beatrix, her tone sharp but not unkind.

Clarissa blinked, startled. "Teacher...? Since when were you here?"

Beatrix sighed softly, adjusting her coat. "Of course I’m here. I am the medical division, after all."

Celestia smiled faintly and added, "You should listen to her, Clarissa. You’ve done more than enough already."

But Clarissa shook her head weakly, her eyes clouded with worry. "No... I can still fight. I can still help them..."

Celestia gently reached out and held Clarissa’s hand, stopping her from forcing herself to stand. "Your job right now is to rest," she said softly, her tone firm yet kind.

But as she spoke, Celestia winced suddenly. A sharp pain shot through her bandaged arm, and she instinctively clutched it.

Clarissa immediately noticed. "Celestia—! Are you alright?" she asked, alarmed by the sight.

Before Celestia could respond, Beatrix stepped in, crossing her arms. "I told her not to move that arm," she said sternly. "She was exposed to an unidentified toxin during the fight with that centipede creature."

Clarissa’s eyes widened. "A toxin? You mean... she’s been poisoned? Isn’t there an antidote?"

Beatrix shook her head, her expression grim. "I’ve never seen anything like it before. Without knowing the compound, I can’t craft a cure yet."

Celestia smiled faintly, trying to ease the tension despite the pain. "Don’t worry, Clarissa. I’ll be fine... it’s nothing serious."

But the slight tremor in her voice betrayed that she was forcing herself to stay calm.