Chapter 220: Demons [3]

I kept cutting through the Mines as they swarmed toward us.

One after another, their twisted bodies lunged out of the darkness, claws snapping and screeching as they tried to tear us apart.

My sword moved almost on instinct now, slashing through their limbs and carapaces, but my arms were starting to feel unbearably heavy.

Then—

From the corner of my eye, something moved.

A Mine burst out from a blind spot I hadn’t noticed, its razor-sharp claws already swinging toward my head.

"Stop!"

Lisa’s voice rang out.

In the next instant, the Mine’s body froze mid-motion. A faint glow surrounded it—Lisa’s Magan locking the creature in place for just a second.

But that second was enough.

I stepped forward and drove my sword straight through its body.

"ARGH—!"

The creature shrieked as my blade cut through it, collapsing into a heap at my feet.

"Haa... haa..."

My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath.

I’m... at my limit.

My legs trembled, and the sword in my hand suddenly felt like it weighed a hundred kilograms. I tried to steady my breathing, but my vision kept blurring.

My body still hadn’t fully recovered.

If I had known things would turn out like this, I would’ve just stayed quietly in the hospital.

Honestly... why did I even bother checking out early only to end up in a situation like this?

For a moment, I just stood there, forcing myself to stay conscious.

Then I lifted my gaze.

Ahead of us was a steep hill, rising above the chaotic battlefield.

If we could just reach the top of that hill...

Anna was there.

And if we reached Anna, we’d finally be safe.

I exhaled slowly, staring up at the distance we still had to climb.

...But with the state I’m in now, that feels impossibly far.

Just as despair was starting to creep in—

"Louis! Lisa! Are you both alright?!"

A familiar voice echoed across the battlefield.

My head snapped up.

"Elena?!"

From the distance, a group of figures was rushing toward us.

The student council.

At the front of them was Elena, her blonde hair flashing under the sunlight as she cut through the attacking Mines with swift, decisive strikes.

The others followed closely behind her, moving like a well-trained unit.

Steel clashed. Monsters screeched.

Within seconds, the Mines surrounding us were being pushed back.

Their movements were sharp and efficient—completely different from the chaotic fighting Lisa and I had been struggling through.

Soon, Elena reached us.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked immediately, her eyes scanning us from head to toe.

"No," I replied, shaking my head weakly. "I’m fine... just completely out of mana."

Lisa nodded beside me, looking equally exhausted.

"Thank goodness," Elena murmured, visibly relieved.

For a moment, she looked like she wanted to say something more, but she quickly composed herself and turned back toward the battlefield.

"We’ll clear a path," she said firmly. "Follow us closely."

With that single command, she stepped forward again.

The student council members moved with her, forming a tight formation as they advanced.

Elena’s sword flashed.

One Mine fell.

Another.

And another.

The monsters that had nearly overwhelmed us moments ago were now being pushed aside with terrifying efficiency.

Watching them fight, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of relief.

Lisa and I exchanged a quick glance before slowly starting to move.

Step by step, dragging our exhausted bodies, we followed the path they were carving through the swarm.

The hill seemed a little closer now.

But my legs still felt like they might give out at any moment.

Elena glanced back briefly to make sure we were still behind them.

"Just a little further," she said.

Her voice was calm—but there was a clear urgency in it.

By the time we finally reached the top of the hill, my lungs were burning.

The climb hadn’t been long, but the chaos below had made every step feel heavier.

Thankfully, the situation here was different.

Dozens of students and academy staff had already gathered at the hilltop, hastily building barricades from overturned carts, wooden beams, and anything else they could find. Some stood guard with weapons drawn, scanning the distance nervously.

At the very least... this place felt defensible.

We’re safe now.

That thought had barely crossed my mind when Lisa and I stepped toward the entrance of the building behind the barricades.

"Wait!"

A sharp voice cut through the tense air.

Everyone turned at once.

A female student near the barricade was staring directly at us—no, not at us.

At Lisa.

"That person...!" she shouted, pointing a trembling finger. "Isn’t she a Demon?"

The moment her words fell, the atmosphere changed.

Dozens of gazes snapped toward Lisa.

And only then did I realize the problem.

Ah... right.

I’d been so focused on escaping that it hadn’t even crossed my mind.

Lisa now had horns growing from her head.

Lisa herself seemed to realize it a moment later. Her eyes widened, and she quickly raised both hands to cover her head.

But it was already too late.

Everyone had seen them.

Murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire.

"That’s definitely horns..."

"Is she one of them?"

"Why is a Demon here?!"

Several students instinctively stepped back, their hands tightening around their weapons. Others glared at Lisa as if they were ready to strike her down right then and there.

Lisa froze in place.

Her hands trembled as they pressed against her head, trying desperately to hide the horns that had already been exposed.

Her face had gone completely pale.

Anyone could see how this looked.

In the middle of a Demon invasion, a girl suddenly appeared with horns on her head.

It was the perfect recipe for a misunderstanding.

The tension in the air grew heavier by the second.

And then—

"It’s alright."

A calm voice cut through the chaos.

"Madam President!" someone shouted immediately. "It could be dangerous!"

But Anna didn’t stop.

She stepped forward without hesitation, positioning herself directly in front of Lisa.