Chapter 341: The Western Hallway: Part 1

"Let none pass," Olpi yelled out. She jumped in front of a Demi and blasted a line of demons with frost magic, adding another dozen statues along the west hallway that the enemy struggled to pass.

Menla slogged to her side and ushered the three exhausted Demis back through the classroom's gaping hole of a doorway: "Switch out." Turning to face the oncoming hordes of demons, she clicked her tongue, summoned a nominal amount of mana, and fired away. "What the hell is this? Did the demons manage to overrun the southern hallway? The Undead seemed better than that."

"I doubt it," Olpi said. "They seemed strong."

"The demons' numbers have gone up by three times ever since that loud crack," one of the Demis called out. He lay down on the desk drenched in his sweat and rung the demon blood out of his robe. "It's never ending."

"It doesn't matter," Olpi said. "We gave our word that we would defend this place until Cerlius came back and we will do just that. I may not have studied like the students but I still cultivated every single day for over a decade. Compound magic: Frosted Flames." She called upon her wellspring of mana and blue fire spewed forth, freezing the hallway's every surface. Most of the oncomers scrambled for footing, but only managed to skitter in place. Ice momentarily caught the fireborn beings unawares. Those that flew over the slippery ground were engulfed in blue flames that sprouted from the walls, fell, and shattered.

"You're hurt," one of the Demis gasped. Olpi's eyes went wide. There was so much blood dripping from the desk a Demi laid on.

"I know," the Demi in question, Gilly, whispered. His face paled. He tightened his robe around the deep gash along his broad dwarven chest. "I know it's a lot, but I didn't want to bother you guys and waste your mana." The other two Demis reached into their spatial ring but only pulled out empty spools and bandages. Menla and Olpi found the same within theirs. "Just save your mana," Gilly repeated. "We'll all die if you waste it on me."

"Like hell," Olpi said as she sent her mana through a magic circle that appeared above Gilly's chest. Everything blurred. She rubbed her eyes and blinked it away before sending mana through her magic circle. The wound froze in an instant, and a solid chunk of her remaining mana drained away. "We're all making it. I don't care what it takes."

"T-t-thank y-you," Gilly shivered and smiled. "S-s-so much."

"Need some help over here," Menla called out. Her mana condensed into a single point that expanded into a whirlpool as it shot forwards, sending demons crashing into the spiked walls or knocking the wind out of them.

"Right, sorry," Olpi said, stepping out of the classroom. She didn't look as she aimed another magic circle down the hallway. She wished she hadn't. The magic circle turned around the instant her mana touched it. Leaping out of the way, she was too slow, and frigid gale froze her leg solid. She spotted a shaman in the back, cackling. "You guys are so annoying," she complained. Five magic circles appeared around the shaman's head. She sent a surge of mana and riddled the demon with more icicles than it could reflect.

Olpi limped over to a wall and leaned against it for support. The freeze was faster than the pain but the area around the ice burned.

"Olpi!" others gasped.

"I'm fine," Olpi said as a heavy weight crashed into her back and wrestled for control on the ground. She ended up underneath it and staring into the demon's two red, slitted eyes. With a desperate shove the body slumped off of her and fell onto the several stone points piercing through its chest.

"You just need more awareness," Menla said as she helped Olpi up. Her gaze fell to the leg and she shook her head. "Olpi that's…"

"It's fine," Olpi said. "I can't feel it." She threw a hand over Menla's shoulder and froze a demon. Its looming axe halted inches from Menla's small back. "Worry about my leg later. We saw Cerlius repair his leg so he likely can do the same for me."

"But,"

"No buts. We can't afford to stop," Olpi flipped Menla around and gave her a light shove.

"Fine!" Menla snapped. "Compound magic: Sunken Graveyard." Her mana condensed into a single, wide-sweeping magic circle that spread along the hallway floor. With the water element she shifted solid stone to a murky mud that swallowed a squadron of demons, and with the earth element she solidified her victims in place. Arms, legs, and heads that jutted out of the ground flailed about and cursed before another wave of demons trampled them.

As the second wave approached, Menla raised her hands; a composer preparing for a song's climax. Her magic circle rose from the occupied ground to the barren stone ceiling, which fell like a beast's jaws around its prey's throat.

"Olpi, we're ready," the two Demis in reserve said as they stepped up to trade places. Gilly seemed to have passed out on a desk but his mana kept moving. It increased and decreased with the faint rise and fall of his ice-covered chest. "Watch that one," they said. "I think he's planning on moving."

The two friends fell back, melted on the few remaining desks, and downed the last few drops of their waterskins. The horrid stench of blood and sweat intensified without legions of blade-wielding demons to distract them. Olpi and Menla slowed their breathing and gathered what little mana they could.

"This is exhausting!" Menla blurted out. "How soon did Cerlius say he was getting back again?"

"He didn't," Olpi hesitated. "Now please focus. We'll need to switch soon."

"By the goddess," Menla sighed. "If it's this bad here, I dare to imagine what it is like in the mess hall." They both stole a glance at the classroom's backdoor.

With the strange, translucent crystal reduced to rubble, the old stone wall and the rickety wooden door became the only obstacle separating the Demis from the Mess Hall. Spell flashed from behind the cracks; a brilliant kaleidoscope of color, a booming blare of butchery. Demonic remains left bloody impressions. Fading bodies of Elemental summons gave their last, shrill cries. A deep, bellowing voice cried out as a white, thunderous flash drowned out the rainbow of color.

"Are you sure it isn't hurting?" Menla gestured to Olpi's frozen leg as if they hadn't both been staring at the back wall for the past few moments.

"I...may have spoken too soon," Olpi said. "But don't worry." She placed a hand on the border of frozen flesh and living flesh, where a burning pain ignited. 'I still can't feel it.'

The rest of the break was "silent". Neither talking, choosing instead to cultivate what they could.

"Switch out." The dreaded words finally arrived and they rose from their seats.

"These breaks are getting shorter and shorter," Menla complained.

'That's because they are,' Olpi thought. She and Menla took over and shot every demon in sight full of stone and ice.