The weaker demons were disintegrating into the air as the Custode wrenched his sword out of the demons body, leaving a large gash in its chest and splitting the impaled hand in half.
The demon roared and lunged forward, swinging its other arm, the Custode neatly side-stepped to evade it, swinging his sword as he did so, and the attacking arm detached from its body and flew off.
With another thrust, the demon's head was impaled, and it fell over.
"Get out of here!" The Custode shouted, wrenching his sword free and turning towards the portal, from where even more demons continuously emerged.
Place did not need to be ordered twice, he tugged on both his companions and began running in the other direction.
"Where are we heading?" Agne asked as people started to arrive.
"The main building!" Place replied as the noises of combat sounded behind them.
"That's the place for gathering in case of emergencies!"
The dim lights of the night had vanished, and every part of the academy was now lit up, somehow.
As they ran, scanning the roads and skies, other students also came into view, looking around confused.
"TO THE MAIN BUILDING!" Place shouted as they briefly paused to herd the clueless students.
"What's-" A student made to ask.
"WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!" Place cut him off.
The students looked at him with question, but Place had no patience for this.
"MOVE!"
Place commanding voice, along with his current armored state, made the students snap out and start moving.
"RUN!" Place barked out a last order, before running off, followed by Agne and Emilia.
Seeing Place sprint away made the students realize that something serious was happening.
"HEY! Wait!" Someone shouted as they all started to sprint after them.
"Somethings wrong!" Emilia suddenly exclaimed as they drew near their destination.
"What is it!" Place skid to a stop, and he and Agne brought up their weapons in a defensive stance while looking around.
"Demonic energy! It's coming from many directions!"
'Many directions? But that means!'
"More than one portal..." He muttered.
"Where did Kolid go?" He suddenly asked, jogging his memory.
"He headed west." He answered his own question as he turned to Emilia.
"It's coming from there." Emilia nodded.
"Damn it!" Place snapped as he started running again.
"Do you think the wards picked up on it?" Agne asked.
"Likely, and with the defensive wards, the teachers should have detected it as well."
"More than two!" Emilia gritted thorough as she tried to focus on the demonic energies.
"How many?"
"Four! Four!" She said, repeating to confirm her findings.
"No way that Kolid did all this alone." Place said as he slowed down, breathing heavily through his words.
His glanced around, some teachers were around the large opening casting protection spells, and some were bringing in students, herding them in groups.
Someone glanced over and jogged over to them.
"Demon hunters?" She asked, glancing over their equipment.
Place shook his helmeted head.
"Students." Agne growled. "We were the ones who set off the flares."
"I see, do you need healing?"
"No." Place looked around. "There are four portals, are they covered?"
None of the people he could see seemed injured, that was good.
"They are, well done." She gestured to a small open area. "Rest."
She jogged away, knowing that now was not the time for talk.
The three of them walked over to the indicated area, drawing curious looks from the students.
"Some of them have some sense." Emilia muttered as she looked around.
Some of the students had equipped themselves, and others had started to assist the teachers, casting protection spells, and a few had started to draw a formation in the middle of the area.
"Oh, those idiots!" She remarked and ran over to them, Agne and Place followed.
"What in the name of Alrid are you idiots doing?" She shouted, drawing quite a bit of attention.
The students drawing the formation looked up at her arrival.
"We're-WAIT!" The student who had made to explain shouted as Emilia kicked out a wave of magic and wiped away their formation.
"What are-"
"IDIOTS!" Emilia shouted again as a teacher drew close.
"This place is already filled with wards! Do you even know what that means?"
Place patted her shoulder.
"Not the time, we need to recover." He said softly and tugged her away as the teacher physically slapped the idiotic students.
They drew to the edge of the area and sat down against a plant divider.
"How much magic do you have?" Place asked as he removed his helmet.
"About half."
"80%"
"Your spell went to waste." Place remarked to Emilia, who just gave a shrug.
"Just most of it, it helped throwing the bombs."
"Want an elixir?"
"No, I'll be full in a minute."
"Alright, how are you feeling?" Place turned to Agne, who had reverted to pale blue.
"A bit strange," He admitted. "I finally understand what desperate strength is."
"Are any of your muscles injured?"
"I can feel a bit of a twinge, but I can't tell, and I don't want to waste a potion."
"Adrenaline." Place remarked, and brought out a a necklace and handed it to him.
"Minor restoration." He said as Agne looked it over.
"Restoration?" Agne slipped it on. "That's rare."
"Oooooh..." He let out a moan as he soothing effects washed through him.
"Oh that's good."
Emilia suddenly rocketed to her feet, grabbing Place's spear as she did so.
By the time that Place reacted, she hurled it towards a student, impaling her.
"What happened?" Place was beside her, and so was Agne, the momentary rest forgotten as screams went up at the sudden violence.
Place's question was answered as demonic energy streamed out the collapsed student.
"Oh dear."