// Yui's point of view

"Yukio actually gave you his blood. But why? Why did the academy allow it?" Bou whispered as she grabbed her hair with her bloody palm.

"No, I can't afford to make mistakes. She'll get mad." Bou said in a low tone. It looks like she's going to cry.

Who's she?

Sudden numerous footsteps were heard from the South. I looked back to sight the huge amount of exorcists on the way to enter the scene. In front of them was a noticeable exorcist with a white suit and blond hair. And one of my students, another blonde I know looks well and alive with her familiar on her shoulder. It was good to know that Shiemi looks fine.

I'm not quite sure how she's up but I might have an idea how she's awake. Her familiar might have something to do with it.

"You're surrounded, There's nowhere to escape." The long-haired blond spoke as he raised his sword at Bou. And the other dragoon pointed their gun at her.

Bou throw her hand in the air, and soon her familiars threw another round of poisoned needles. Before it could reach us, I pushed Rin to the ground to protect him. On the other hand, the exorcists seem ready for the attack as the Aria cast a protective barrier on all of the exorcists.

This further shook Bou. It's visible that Bou's distressed. It's the second time her actions were not in her favor.

But seconds later, her aura changed completely, and she laughed loudly as if she was trying to rip our ears out.

"You think you can catch me?" She said as she dropped a glass full of red liquid onto the ground. It smells like blood. When the blood scattered on the ground, I got a chance to glance at a trail of blood drops leading to Yukio's.

I tried to retaliate, firing my gun at Bou. Soon the exorcists tried to shoot her too. But the blood on the ground made her a barrier of blood that protects her.

What kind of spells is she doing? Can even exorcists do that?

"The seal has been broken, m'lady, please do as you desire." When Bou spoke, my amulet also glowed.

What is happening, why is my amulet glowing?

I tried to get Rin up. I told him to help get his brother and Shura.

The blood barrier that should be protecting Bou dropped on the ground. And she was nowhere to be 

The ground began to shake and cracks began to form. It seems that the demon familiars near the circle are moving forward on the protective circle over and over again. They're making sure that it is not working anymore.

"Yukio, wake up. Are you okay?" Rin asked as he used his blue flames to burn the snake familiar wrapped around his brother and Shura.

"Rin... I'm fine..." Yukio tried to speak. That line was a lie. His arm was visibly injured. There was blood scattered all over his sleeves and abdomen. 

Bou took that glass of blood from Yukio. To make some kind of spell that protects her. She hurt Yukio and my students. I'll never forgive her. If she got an issue with me. Take it out on me.

Shura is still unconscious. I hope she's not poisoned. We got Shura and Yukio to get up. But it's still a bit hard to move when the ground is still shaking.

"Everyone! Evacuate!!" An exorcist shouted out of fear. He seems shaken, he got on his knees, holding onto the paladin's clothes.

"What's gotten to you?"

"So- South- A demoness- It's Li-" Long before he could say any further, his body disintegrates into ashes.

The young paladin has looked at his hand full of the exorcist's ashes.

It wouldn't be a surprise if all of our eyes are focused on the Southern part of the academy. Since that was the direction where walls were destroyed by the demon familiars. 

The field of spring was easy to see. The rows of daisies were so pretty to sight on. But it will soon be blown away as ash.

In the middle of the fields was a figure that took the form of a woman, with black long clothes and eyes like an obsidian stone. Her long hair matched the flowers below her. The figure's skin looks pale as snow and the veins on her hands and face seem to pop at any moment. 

It seems the ashes slowly accompany her as she walked slowly toward the academy. And with every step she took, the poor daisies will come to meet their end.

"Evacuate everyone in this premise. Immediately." The paladin ordered the lower exorcists.

"And never let her see you." He said it specifically. The exorcists around us seem confused and scared of what's to come. 

"It's Lilith." The crowd becomes silent as if his words struck everyone like lightning. In just a split second everyone started backing up, running away. 

It can't be. For real? The real Lilith is here in the academy? 

No way, she can't be. 

There's one valid reason why she would be here. 

My hand shook as I try to clutch my amulet. 

The pure families have received death threats throughout the years and one by one, the families were slowly slaughtered by demons. True Cross Academy offered protection from the creatures of Gehenna and your father accepted it. 

If the protective circle is broken, there's nothing to protect me now. The exorcists are vulnerable to Lilith's power, once she finds something to admire, she can turn it into ashes.

I sighted Shiemi's familiar, nii-chan had tentacles hands, and what looks like needles, injecting the unconscious exorcists on the ground.

It's probably an antidote to the poison.

"Carry the unconscious exorcists out of here! Everyone evacuate!" The older exorcist ordered.

"Rin, let's get your brother and Shura in a safe place," I said as I tried to carry Shura despite the hole in my abdomen.

"Akashi-sensei, you're hurt. Let's heal it first." Shiemi hurried to our side. "No, it's fine, it'll heal on its own," I assured Shiemi who seems to be more confused than relieved. I won't blame them, they don't know my situation, but the cats are out of the bag now. 

"He-Heal?" Shiemi confusingly commented.

"I'll explain later, Help me carry Shura," I said as I wrapped Shura's arm around my neck to try and get her up.

Before we went far from the battlefield. The paladin greeted us before he bid us goodbye. 

"We're retreating. There's no benefit for us to battle Lilith here knowing the fact we might just be ash before we could even reach her." The paladin spoke which made Rin enraged.

"What are you talking about? What about my friends?" Rin spoke a little aggressively.

"We're responsible for the exwires and exorcists' well-being, we'll take them. But for you." The paladin looked straight into my eyes.

"Not just because we have a lot of things on our hands. But you, you're not a benefit to Exorcism, you're more of a fragile jewelry that Mephisto decided to treasure too much." The paladin said with conviction.

"Let me be clear, it's the academy who wants to protect you. Not the council. So don't expect us to die for you." He continued.

"I'm glad to hear that no one will die for my sake. Thank you." There was a surprised look on his face after I said my piece. 

"Please take care of the exwires." I said before my group moved forward. We need to find a safe place, preferably, as far away as possible so that Lilith can't sight us.

"We might not go far in this state. Let's look for shelter and treat them first so they can somehow stand on their feet." I suggested. Both of my two awake companions were looking around for a place to hide.

"Will there work?" Shiemi pointed out the True Cross Academy's cafeteria. 

"Yes, we can hide there for a while," I said as I opened the doors to the cafeteria.

"Yui, she'll find you here. Go to the inner part.. of the academy. The protective spell there should still be active." Yukio said as Rin sets him on the ground and Shiemi placed nii-chan near Yukio to help him heal.

"Yui, please run away from here. We- we'll be fine." He said as I set Shura next to him. I quickly went to my pocket and went to the nearest door.

"Please Yui, listen to me. Lilith will be... after you, I need you.. to run away from here." Yukio plead.

"I'm listening. You sure are talkable for someone who got squeezed by a demon familiar." I responded as I tried to look for door keys that we'll lead us to the inner part of the academy. Yukio had an intelligent guess that the inner part of the academy should still be active. We have to go there and check. "I'll leave here and I'm taking all of you with me," I said.

"Please make him shut up. He's loud." Shura whispered as she jump in and out of her consciousness.

"Yukio, don't talk too much, your side is still healing," Rin said gently to his brother.

My fingers toggled between the keys, trying each key. It seems the keys lost their magic when the protective spell is also down. There should be a key that still works. What caught my eye was the key with a darker shade of purple. 

The key to Mephisto's office. 

I held into the key and tried to open the door with it. Surprisingly, the doorknob twisted and the door wide opened. I checked inside if the coast is clear. 

A cup of tea was still steaming smoke, Mephisto probably didn't have the chance to finish it because of the chaos happening. 

"The room is clear, we'll move here," I said on my way back to the cafeteria. They both took our wounded friends separately, but Shiemi struggled to carry Shura. 

"Rin, help Shiemi, I'll carry Yukio." Rin obeyed without hesitation. 

The both of them slowly went for the door. Yukio, on the other hand, is holding his abdomen in pain. He was squeezed by that snake familiar, he probably broke some rib from that too.

"Yukio, let's move," I asked as I went down to my knee and wrap his arm around my neck. 

"Yui... are you... okay?" Yukio asked.

"Bou just... scratched me, I'll be fine, don't worry about it." He probably noticed the blood on my abdomen. I tried to keep my tone assured and perfectly fine. But I guess, I'm not the type who can act and wear a mask.

"I'm not talking about that." He replied. I had a feeling he was staring at me.

"Bou.. showed you something," He wasn't even asking, he was certain that Bou would show me something. Everything hits me all at once. All of the illusions that Bou showed me are coming back to me. I still don't know what to feel about it. I don't even know which one is true or if it's all just a dumb illusion.

I shooked my head to temporarily forget what I saw back there. I don't want to see these memories at the moment. I have... some other important things to do. 

"Yui..." Yukio called my name in a gentleness manner.

"Please let's... talk about it later, please. I want to put you to safety first." We both got up to our feet. And locked our sights on the door. 

But to our surprise, the door was nowhere to find. 

All that we can see is a pile of ashes on the ground.

"To think that I've destroyed all of the doors in this place, just to miss that one important purple door." A new voice came inside the cafeteria. 

We already know who came in.

"You can't run away from me now." The noise from her heel becomes louder and louder as she walks toward us. 

Her obsidian eyes were locked on us. As if we were the prey hunted by a predator.