The Doctor's Miscalculation - 79
Marc said nothing more. He simply stayed there, gently comforting her as she cried against him.
Even with a knife buried in his stomach, even while his own body trembled from the shock and fear, he held on to every bit of courage he had left.
Because right now, Nery needed someone to hold her.
And Marc wasn't going to let her face this alone.
…
Bell soon appeared. As he turned and noticed Marc being stabbed, his expression immediately changed.
"Marc!"
He rushed toward them, but as he drew closer, his eyes fell on Nery and the knife's position. It didn't take him long to piece together what had happened.
Before Bell could say anything, Marc spoke in a quiet, shaky voice. "It's... it's not her fault, Bell. The beeping only stops when..."
"I know," Bell interrupted gently. "It has something to do with the knife coming into contact with blood. That's how the beeping stopped. It's fine. I know it isn't her fault."
His gaze shifted to Nery, who was still trembling.
Bell slowly raised his hand toward her. Nery flinched, squeezing her eyes shut as she braced herself for what was coming. But instead of being hurt, she felt a gentle pat on her head.
"It's fine. You're safe now. Me and Brother Marc will keep you safe," Bell assured her with a smile.
Marc nodded in agreement.
With that, Bell turned his attention to the collar around Nery's neck. "Just as I observed from the people outside, these collars aren't particularly complex. This one was probably bought cheaply... All I need to do is..."
He focused his mana into his fingertips before carefully directing it toward the orb embedded in the collar. The orb began to glow, its light growing brighter and brighter as Bell continued pouring mana into it.
Then…
Pop!
The orb shattered like glass.
The collar loosened and slipped free of Nery's neck, finally releasing her from its restraints.
"Woah... Bell, you're amazing..." Marc exclaimed.
Bell glanced at him, a small smile forming on his face.
"You're the amazing one... To think you'd take a hit just for a child you'd only just met. And even after being stabbed, you're still directing mana toward the muscles in your stomach to keep the bleeding to a minimum..."
Bell let out a quiet sigh, his smile lingering.
"There. You're free now."
Nery stared at the broken collar in disbelief. For a moment, she couldn't seem to process what had happened. The thing that had kept her chained up, that had controlled her every movement, was finally gone.
"Than—…"
"Oh? What's this? Is this some kind of kids' party?"
A voice interrupted her.
Nery's body immediately began trembling again.
Bell and Marc turned toward the sound as a figure slowly emerged before them. It was the doctor, a man dressed in a black coat and white gloves. Even without knowing anything about him, there was something deeply unsettling about his presence.
Bell regarded him calmly before casually asking, "Are you the one behind making those disgusting blood vials?"
"Disgusting? DISGUSTING?!" the doctor erupted, his face twisting with outrage. "How dare a mere child use such filthy words to describe my creations!"
Bell paid little attention to his outburst. Instead, he quickly glanced at Marc and Nery before meeting Marc's eyes. Keeping his voice low, he muttered, "Go. Juro must be somewhere nearby. Just head down and find the other kids first."
Marc let out a strained groan, his face tightening with pain.
"Eurgh... But what about you, Bell...?"
Bell smiled. "You know me. I'll be fine."
The doctor immediately burst into laughter. "Ahahah! You? Fine? Oh boy, you're in for such a treat!"
Almost instantly, he raised a hand toward them and began to incant.
"Pyrini sfaira!"
A powerful burst of flame erupted from his palms, surging straight toward the two boys. Without hesitation, Bell stepped forward and casually muttered, "Megen."
A barrier appeared before him, blocking the fiery blast.
"The firepower... It's a bit stronger than usual. Is he simply a powerful mage, or is he using those vials?" Bell wondered as he held the barrier in place against the attack.
The doctor stared at him for a moment before his expression twisted into delight. "Oh? Looks like you aren't just some lost kids! Perfect! Your blood would taste wonderful!"
He quickly raised his hands again.
"Pyrini sfaira! Pyrini sfaira!"
Two more fire blast shot toward them.
"Marc, now!" Bell called.
He immediately raised both hands and incanted, "Jala Prahara!"
Two powerful spheres of water burst from his palms, hurtling toward the incoming flames. The attacks collided with a tremendous hiss, sending steam billowing through the room and obscuring the doctor's vision.
Marc seized the opportunity.
Imbuing mana throughout his body, he scooped Nery up and immediately began running, carrying her away from the battle.
Bell remained where he was, keeping the doctor occupied until the steam finally began to clear.
When the room came back into view, the doctor noticed that the other two children were gone.
Only Bell remained.
"Aww, what a shame," the doctor remarked.
Bell looked at him calmly. "Now that they're gone, I don't need to worry anymore."
The doctor's gaze lingered on the boy before him.
"This child... He not only blocked my attack, but immediately followed up with water magic to create steam and help his friend escape. He's clearly well-versed in magic... But..."
A smile slowly spread across the doctor's face.
"Say, child. I'll let those kids live, but on one condition." He spread his arms as though presenting an irresistible offer. "Become my apprentice! I'll teach you the ways of a blood alchemist. Just imagine it… your fame and power will grow beyond your wildest dreams!"
Bell tapped his shoe against the floor, considering the offer for a moment.
"Hmmm. That offer sounds... boring."
The doctor's smile faltered.
"Boring?"
"Yeah, boring," Bell repeated casually. "Blood alchemist, you say? Aren't you just doing some basic-grade stuff with human blood? I've seen better blood alchemists who don't even use human blood and still produce results twice as amazing as yours."
The doctor's expression darkened.
"Seen better blood alchemists?" he scoffed. "Child, you look like you're barely eleven! What gives you the right to say such things?!"
Bell tilted his head slightly.
"Ah, and this barely eleven-year-old kid could make a better blood potion or blood vial than you."
His tone was cold and flat, yet the confidence behind his words was unmistakable.
Silence filled the room.
Then..
The doctor burst into maniacal laughter.
"HAHAHAHA! YOU INSOLENT LITTLE BRAT!"
He raised his hands and incanted furiously, "Savili Tipi! Savili Tipi!"
Sharp blades of wind lunged toward Bell.
But Bell reacted immediately.
"Buona Velocita!"
His body glowed faintly for an instant as the magic took effect. He sprang toward a nearby wall, using it as a foothold before launching himself toward another, narrowly dodging the incoming wind slashes as he moved from wall to wall.
Then, while still airborne, Bell quickly incanted.
"Pyrini sfaira."
Three fireballs materialized beside him.
With a flick of his hands, he sent all three hurtling straight toward the doctor.
"What the—..?! Did he just incant once and summon three fire blast?!"
The doctor watched in disbelief as the three fire blast rushed toward him. He quickly raised his hands and incanted, "Megen!"
A barrier materialized before him just as the fireballs struck. The impact reverberated through the room, much more forcefully than he'd expected.
"No... I must've heard something wrong. Hahaha... This is probably just some side effect..."
He tried to dismiss what he'd witnessed, but Bell wasn't about to give him time to think. The moment Bell landed, he immediately incanted, "Savili Tipi!"
Two sharp wind slashes materialized beside him and shot toward the doctor's legs.
The doctor was genuinely shocked this time, but he reacted before the attacks could reach him.
"Megen! Megen!"
Two barriers appeared in quick succession, blocking both wind slashes.
But that was exactly what Bell had wanted.
While the doctor focused on defending against the wind magic, Bell had already closed the distance. He lunged forward, his right hand clenched into a fist, and drove it straight into the doctor's face.
THUD!
The punch sent the doctor stumbling backward.
Bell immediately twisted his body, following up with a powerful side kick to finish the combination. However, the doctor managed to incant just in time.
"Megen!"
A barrier appeared between them, stopping Bell's kick.
The moment his attack was blocked, the doctor thrust one hand toward him and incanted, "Pyrini sfaira! Harba Wuta!"
Two fire magics shot straight at Bell.
"Tsk."
Bell clicked his tongue, but a faint smile remained on his face.
"Jala Prahara!"
Two powerful blasts of water surged from his hands, colliding with the incoming fire magic. Steam erupted throughout the room, quickly spreading into a thick cloud that obscured their surroundings.
With the room already dim, the sudden haze made visibility even worse.
The doctor could barely make out anything around him.
Then.
A kick struck him from behind.
He stumbled forward, struggling to regain his balance as he tried to locate Bell through the steam. He couldn't tell where the next attack would come from.
As the mist slowly began to thin, a fist suddenly came flying straight toward his face.
The doctor barely managed to move aside, narrowly avoiding the punch. He staggered away before finally regaining his footing.
"You brat!"
Bell glanced around as if searching for whoever the doctor was talking to.
"Oh? Me?"
That only made the doctor angrier.
But beneath his irritation, he was beginning to understand something important.
He couldn't afford to be careless anymore.
The child standing before him wasn't ordinary. His magic was versatile, his reactions were sharp, and he knew how to combine magics with physical attacks. Every time the doctor thought he had an advantage, Bell found another way to turn the situation against him.
Then, the doctor remembered something.
A slow, cruel smile returned to his face.
"You should beg for forgiveness, you little brat! In case you've forgotten, I still control whether those children's heads explode! And I'm the only one who knows where the key to their collars is!"
Bell merely shrugged.
"Hm. So?"
The doctor's smile faltered. "So?! Do you not care what happens to those kids?!"
Bell stretched his arms casually, showing no sign of concern. "Remember when you got here? Didn't you notice there wasn't a collar around that little girl's neck?"
The moment Bell said those words, the doctor's eyes widened.
He replayed the moment he'd entered the room, recalling the two boys and the girl among them.
Nery hadn't been wearing her collar.
Slowly, his gaze drifted toward the floor.
There, lying among the debris, was the collar.
Its orb had been shattered into pieces.
For a moment, the doctor could only stare.
The very thing he'd been using to threaten Bell, the thing he'd believed gave him complete control over the children…had already been destroyed.
And Bell had been standing right in front of him the entire time.