323 Confusion through roof

Panic surged through my veins as I pushed past students and staff alike, making my way towards the surface. The corridors of Nexus Academy were swarming with low-level demons, their grotesque forms clashing with the familiar surroundings. Screams and shouts echoed off the stone walls, creating a cacophony of chaos that spurred me on.

I dodged a group of students huddled together, their faces pale with terror. My heart pounded in my chest, and the acrid smell of blood and magic filled the air. I forced myself to keep moving, to ignore the desperation and fear all around me. My only thought was to reach the surface, to find Blaze, to understand what was happening.

As I rounded a corner, my foot caught on something. I glanced down and my stomach churned even though I am used to these things. The lifeless body of a student lay sprawled on the ground, their eyes wide open in a frozen expression of horror. Swallowing the bile that rose in my throat, I pushed onward, my steps faltering only for a moment.

The further I went, the more bodies I saw. Most were students, but a few were adults--professors and staff who had tried to defend the academy. Their efforts had been in vain; the demons had overwhelmed them. The sight of their lifeless forms was a grim reminder of the academy's vulnerability.

Finally, I reached the main entrance through the staircase that led to the surface. The wooden doors, usually a symbol of security and sanctuary, were wide open, broken and splintered. I stepped through, emerging into the open air. The scene that greeted me was one of utter devastation.

Eshmera, the bustling city that surrounded Nexus Academy, was under siege. Demons of all shapes and sizes roamed the streets, attacking anyone they came across. The air was thick with smoke and the stench of burning buildings. The once vibrant and lively city was now a battlefield.

I stood there, frozen, as I took in the chaos. People ran in every direction, their faces masks of fear and desperation. Some tried to fight back, wielding makeshift weapons or casting spells, but their efforts were often futile. The demons were relentless, their eyes glowing with malevolent glee as they tore through the populace.

A group of common folk, their clothes tattered and dirty, tried to take refuge behind a toppled cart. A demon spotted them and lunged, its claws glinting in the dim light. Without thinking, I surged forward, drawing my blade and slicing through the demon before it could reach them. The creature disintegrated into a cloud of ash, and the people stared at me with a mixture of gratitude and horror.

I bought my sword from the system...

"Run!" I shouted at them, waving them away. They didn't need to be told twice, scrambling to their feet and fleeing into the relative safety of a nearby alley.

I turned my attention back to the streets, scanning for any sign of Blaze. The flood of demons seemed endless, a never-ending tide of destruction. My mind raced, trying to formulate a plan, but the sheer scale of the invasion made it difficult to think clearly.

A sudden roar drew my attention to the center of the square. A massive demon, easily twice the size of the others, was wreaking havoc, smashing through buildings and swatting away anyone who dared to oppose it. Its eyes glowed with an unholy light, and its movements were terrifyingly deliberate.

My heart pounded in my chest as I watched the beast. This was no ordinary attack; this was an orchestrated invasion. Someone or something had unleashed these demons upon Eshmera, and unless we found a way to stop them, the city would be lost.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. The academy was under attack, the city was in ruins, and demons roamed freely. But I couldn't afford to give in to despair. There were still people who needed help, still lives to be saved as they are somewhat needed for the story. Blaze and others were out there somewhere, and I had to find them.

Screech!!

"Shut the fuck up, I'm trying to focus!" I cursed as one of the demons lunged at me from behind. I twisted sharply, feeling the rush of air as its claws swiped just past my shoulder. In a swift motion, I turned and swung my hand with enough force to turn it into pulp immediately, the demon's head exploding in a shower of dark ichor.

In that moment, a very loud explosion happened. I turned my face and saw that Amrose stood in the distance. His figure was illuminated by the bright flash of his powerful magic, the ground around him scorched from the blast.

I never had a doubt about whether we'd survive this or not because Headmaster Amrose and Eldric could easily solo this many demons. The problem is, how and why are they here?

"Princess!"

Blaze's voice rang in my mind. I turned and saw that he was in the distance. Activating my elemental vision, I saw him flying towards me in his Winged Pardus form. His movements were swift and precise, each beat of his wings propelling him through the chaos with ease.

Blaze immediately dipped into the bush beneath him and then emerged in his cat form. I ran towards him, dashing past the hordes of demons. My feet pounded against the ground, my breaths coming in quick, sharp bursts as I pushed myself to move faster.

"Is this real?" I questioned myself. "I just... what the hell is this?"

"I would've loved to answer you, but it looks like I don't have any," Blaze said, just as shocked as me. "Hey, look there..." Blaze pointed with a paw.

I turned to see Erik being surrounded by a half-zombie-like demon that clutched his back while another one pressed on his throat. Erik's face was contorted in pain and fear, his hands scrabbling at the demon's claws.

I formed a fire bolt and sent it towards him. It went right past the head of the demon clutching his throat, narrowly missing Erik. The fire bolt hit its target with a sizzling impact, the demon shrieking as it was engulfed in flames.

Erik yelled at the top of his lungs, "W-what is this?!"

I didn't know how to answer him as I stared at the flood of demons that had infiltrated Eshmera.

"This is messed up."

"I know," replied Blaze, his eyes wide with alarm.

"Where were you all this time?" I questioned Blaze, my voice edged with frustration.

"Checking on the transportation circle that general of... whatever his name is was planning on. It's in the forest... about hundreds of them," he replied.

I looked at him, my mind racing. "You were destroying them?"

"No... Amrose and Eldric destroyed them already. Whatever demons you see here are all we need to fight," Blaze explained.

I stared ahead again. The number is in the few hundreds—in the Academy, there are some more, so maybe a thousand.

"I'll take Erik and the ones that are important. Other than those... everyone is on their own." I didn't want to fight these things. What I'm worried about is that I don't want the main cast to die.

"....Let's get Erik out of there," I said, determination hardening my voice as I dashed towards him.

Kicking the demon off and under him, I pulled him to stand.

"W-wha-what is happening?" He asked.

"I hope I could explain."

[After an hour.]

"...," I stared around the room.

Adam, Vexa, Aron, and Isolde...not a single scratch on them was to be seen. They sat around, the tension in the air palpable as we processed what had happened.

Can't be said the same about Erik, though. He was slumped in a chair, his face pale and his breathing labored.

"Ouch," he whimpered as Professor Night poured healing potion on his wound, the liquid sizzling slightly as it touched his skin.

I sighed as I dropped into my chair, once again questioning myself about what is happening.

I activated the curse panel, and it showed that it was now thirty-one percent.

The room was silent for a few minutes before Adam opened his mouth. "What was that?"

After I went to search for everyone, Isolde and Adam were busy saving the asses of the Nexus Institute's students, while Vexa was fighting off a giant that managed to get into the academy.

Aron was in his room, just like me but drunk. Professor Night was doing the same thing as Adam but somewhere else.

Erik panicked and fainted twice.

Amrose and Eldric were able to get control of the situation outside and kill the demons.

This was a tier seven attack, how'd I know? Because it contained low-level demons and some orcs, but other than that, no leaders, shape-shifters, or dark mages were included.

There are ten tiers of attacks that were shown in the game, and this was one of the lower ones.

Still, it felt like there was more to it, but since the transportation circles were destroyed, demons couldn't send anything more than some small units.

Demons rank themselves.

The demons that attacked Eshmera were nothing.

Demons have their own hierarchy, each reflecting the hierarchy of their kind. The majority were lesser demons—

imps and goblins—serving as expendable fodder. Among them were common demons, like orcs and minor succubi, stronger and more resilient. A few greater demons, such as dread knights, led the charge with strategic precision, their advanced combat skills evident. Fortunately, the attack lacked the terrifying presence of archdemons and the near-mythical demon lords, whose supreme power could have spelled doom for everyone. This was a tier seven assault, formidable yet manageable, a mere shadow of the true demonic threat.

...fuck the demonic threat, but why six months prior to the actual game timeline?

"I don't know... it was weird," replied Professor Night after such long pause but was stopped between her speech-

**Knock Knock.**

The sudden rap on the door shattered the tense silence that had settled in the room. All eyes turned toward the entrance, uncertain and wary.

"Don't worry, I'm not a threat," a voice called from the other side.

Vexa, the only one brave enough, stepped forward and approached the door. With a cautious hand, she turned the knob and swung the door open. Standing there was a figure draped in a flowing white robe, the hood pulled low to obscure their face.

What the fuck is he doing here!?

The hooded figure's gaze immediately fixed on me, piercing through the shadows of the hood.

Falco stood awkwardly in the doorway, his voice betraying his uncertainty. "I... I wanted to meet Adam Stales. I'm here to help you," he said, though his eyes never left mine.

How much worse was this situation going to get?