Amidst the chaos, Navia, the only one unaffected by the poison, felt momentarily overwhelmed. But she quickly forced herself to remain calm. If even she lost her composure, who else could they rely on for salvation?
Navia took a deep breath. No enemies had appeared yet, and she wondered if they were unaware of the poisoning or were waiting to ensure complete success before making their move.
Realizing it was impossible to save everyone, Navia turned to Lofan and said with unwavering determination, "Teacher, I'm getting you out of here first!"
"You're talking nonsense! How could I possibly leave before everyone else?" Lofan protested.
"Navia, quickly check on the elderly and the wounded. Gather those who haven't been poisoned and get them out of here," he urged.
"I'm staying to face this with everyone!" Navia declared.
Lofan's words brought tears to the eyes of those lying on the ground. Even in this critical moment, his thoughts were for the elderly and wounded—what a noble quality!
This is the man I follow. Even if it means risking my life, I'll never regret it!
With this resolve, the group mustered their last reserves of strength to plead with Lofan.
"Monsieur Grett, you must escape!"
"Monsieur Grett, Fleuve Cendre can manage without us, but not without you!"
"Enough! I refuse to abandon them!" Lofan declared resolutely.
But just as he finished speaking, he felt himself being lifted off the ground.
"I'm sorry, Teacher. I'll get you to safety first, then come back to evacuate the others."
Without hesitation, Navia scooped Lofan into her arms and hurried toward the exit.
Watching this unfold, the others visibly relaxed, a collective sigh of relief escaping their lips.
Yes, as long as Monsieur Grett survives, what does it matter if we all perish here today? they thought. We firmly believe Lofan will avenge us in the end!
"L-let me go, Navia!" Lofan struggled. "Are you disobeying your teacher?!"
"You're truly the worst student I've ever taught!"
No matter what Lofan said, Navia refused to put him down.
She had made up her mind: after securing Lofan's safety, she would help evacuate the unpoisoned students, and then return to face her fate alongside the others.
Knowing this might be her last moments with Lofan, Navia forced herself to maintain a composed expression, refusing to let her anguish show.
"Teacher, you clearly said last time that I was the most talented student you'd ever taught." Navia gazed at Lofan, forcing a strained smile that only made her unwavering resolve all the more heartbreaking.
"And now you're the worst!" Lofan retorted.
The moment had arrived, yet Lofan hesitated at the last moment.
His hesitation didn't last long. Staring blankly at Navia's fragile yet resolute smile, he spoke.
"Navia, if you don't let go of me now, you'll regret it."
"Teacher, if I leave you here, I'll regret it for the rest of my life!" Navia declared firmly.
Hearing her unwavering words, Lofan shook his head and said softly, "No, you'll regret it."
His tone grew cold. The Pyro Vision at his waist began to glow brightly, unnoticed by Navia.
Just then, a black cat suddenly appeared before Navia, moving beneath a hat. She froze in surprise, startled by the cat's sudden shift in art style.
Even Lofan was stunned by the cat's unexpected appearance.
The black cat grinned at both of them, then unleashed a violent burst of Pyro energy. Alarmed, Navia immediately retreated, turning to shield Lofan from the blast with her own body.
Just then, a slender arm suddenly appeared beside Navia, grabbing her and pulling her back. Another hand, wielding a sword, lunged toward Lofan, whom she was cradling in her arms.
Enraged that their target was Lofan, Navia's Geo Vision blazed with brilliant light, and a powerful surge of Geo Elemental Power swept outward from her body.
But at that moment, ice began to form on the ground, spreading rapidly toward Navia's position.
Forced to retreat to avoid the ice, Navia carried Lofan backward, only to be struck by the shockwave of the explosion.
The instant the blast hit her, Navia's body absorbed the full force. Her grip on Lofan weakened slightly, and in that fleeting moment...
The figure who had been hiding in the shadows struck again, kicking Lofan with force.
Though Lofan raised his arm to block, the force sent him flying from Navia's arms. He immediately felt himself targeted by a poker card brimming with Pyro Elemental Power...
Boom!
Another violent explosion erupted, engulfing Lofan in flames.
"Teacher!" Navia cried out in panic, immediately trying to rush into the inferno. But a figure suddenly appeared before her.
"Miss Lynette?"
"You can't go there."
This time, Lynette didn't conceal herself. She appeared directly in front of Navia, stating her purpose.
Surprise and shock flashed in Navia's eyes, then understanding dawned. Her grip on her claymore tightened.
"So you were behind this all along!"
"Wait! You've got it wrong, Miss Navia!" Charlotte hurried over from a distance, gasping for breath.
Compared to Lyney and Lynette, Charlotte possessed a Vision but lacked the physical stamina to keep up. To avoid slowing them down, she had been pushing herself to her limits the entire way, leaving her utterly exhausted.
"Miss Charlotte?!"
Navia had raised her claymore, ready to strike Lynette, but Charlotte's sudden arrival made her hesitate.
Navia had initially suspected Lyney and Lynette of deceiving Charlotte, infiltrating Fleuve Cendre to poison everyone.
But Charlotte's sudden appearance cast doubt on her theory.
There was no question that Charlotte had attacked earlier; the lingering ice on the ground served as undeniable proof.
Yet Navia couldn't bring herself to believe Charlotte had ulterior motives. Charlotte had risked being wanted by the Court of Justice to help her, going into hiding for weeks afterward. Navia also knew about the Steam Bird newspaper being shut down, and Charlotte had even been personally recommended to her by Lofan himself.
Now, however, Charlotte was attacking her and her Teacher.
What was going on?!