The red butterfly frantically fluttered her wings for some moments, the archdemon observing without speaking.
Soon he glanced back at Cyril.
"...So, let's start anew. I am sure after talking for a bit more, you'll find out I am quite an upstanding guy."
"Move!"
With a flinch, the butterfly flew back in the air, her path somewhat wobbly. Her departure was completely ignored.
Cyril stood confused, vigilantly focused on his surroundings.
Is he toying with us?
"That's good, at least Morpho is fine!"
Cosmas sat down on the floor, cross-legged, his tuxedo messing up in the process.
"Come now, what's your name?"
Rose stared hatefully at the demon's actions before beginning to cast a healing spell.
Myra similarly began hastily casting some spell.
All ignored by Cosmas as he sat there with a relaxed smile.
What goes on in this demon's head?
"...Cyril."
"It's a good name!"
"What were you doing here?" Cyril asked while feeling the state of his body.
"Recovered to your peak condition!"
"Today was a good opportunity to visit the pillar of the Tower. So, I did."
Cosmas nodded, then covered his face with a palm and sighed deeply.
"But, unfortunately, there is a barrier around it, its strength as inexhaustible as its energy's source..."
Cyril put strength into his legs, planning to move and cast a spell.
However, he was unable to.
Suddenly, the world in his vision appeared as if cut in two by a blue line.
The ground trembled, and a loud swooshing sound came a second later.
Barely managing to stabilize his footing, Cyril observed the deep crack in the ground that suddenly appeared in the place Cosmas was sitting.
"A sneak attack! How disgraceful! Do knights have no shame?" The archdemon's distorted voice came from somewhere uncertain.
From the ceiling dropped a figure wearing plate armor, their face obscured by a helmet.
It was a lanky person. On their waist was a bulky sword sheath with crystal lining it from top to bottom. In their hands they were holding a single-edged blade with a long grip.
The figure silently glared at the demon, who was now standing in front of the glass wall. Despite their face being obscured, Cyril could feel the anger in that glare.
"Good for me it's just you, Butcher! You are a hundred years too early to battle me." Cosmas shrugged with a smirk on his face.
The knight only grunted before sheathing the blade.
Like that, they stood still in sword-drawing posture, the crystal on the sheath beginning to glow.
"Haha! Don't even try it!" Cosmas spread his hands, unconcerned.
"Your father was not enough to strike me down. How could you possibly think you will be? All you are really good for is stalling for time, I am afraid, and even that is only if I am in a good mood."
Just as Cosmas finished this sentence, a blue line cut the place he was standing, destroying everything around.
The glass wall was shattered, the cut only stopping at the pillar of magic behind it, failing to do any damage to it.
Cyril cautiously stared at the knight near him. The lanky figure was already standing in a slashing motion.
I didn't even notice him move.
He briefly wondered and moved to help Rose.
Rose absentmindedly observed the knight, only snapping out when Cyril supported her off the ground.
Silently they both ran up to Myra.
"Why is there an archdemon here?" Myra said with her eyes shaking.
You tell me. How should I know?
"Let's just get-"
A terrifying whistling from the side interrupted Cyril's words.
The knight swung his sword in the air, creating arcs of magic that flung into the demon, cutting everything in their way.
The group endured the trembling of the ground that followed.
With this the knight dashed forward, leaving only a blur.
"You are such a bore too." Cosmas mumbled, his distorted voice somehow spreading everywhere.
Immediately after came chaos as the arcs reached their destination.
Dust, metal shavings, and rubble flew everywhere as one blurred figure chased another one.
A stray arc of magic suddenly flew in the group's direction.
Cyril hastily grabbed onto Rose and Myra and jumped away, stumbling to the ground as a threatening cut went just past them.
"What-" Just as Myra was speaking, another arc of blue went in their direction.
With a whistle, the cut was right in front of them, too fast to dodge it.
Cyril shielded himself with his arms, with two people behind him, when a yellow barrier appeared in front of him, absorbing the blue arc.
A figure soon revealed itself as the blue light dimmed.
"This knight is a threat himself!" Richard said through gritted teeth, his right hand sustaining a magic circle.
"Professor!" Rose exclaimed with a bit of color returning to her face.
Richard went in front of the group. "Stay behind me and slowly head backwards!"
Cyril nodded and crouched in front of Myra, who struggled to get up on her own.
In one move he picked her up, carrying her in his arms.
Myra struggled for a moment but soon settled and stayed still.
"Your leg is broken."
Cyril whispered as the group slowly went backwards towards the wall, away from the fight near the pillar.
"Morpho, come here!"
The butterfly, evading all the debris, dashed inside of the barrier, landing on Cyril's shoulder.
Cosmas, appearing in random places, would taunt the knight, who vehemently pursued him, disregarding everything else around.
Many arcs of magic flew in their direction as a result.
On Richard's face sweat started flowing as he struggled to maintain the barrier.
Once the group reached the wall, he pointed his free hand at it and cast a spell.
Soon a chunk of metal obstructing their path quickly rusted before turning to dust, creating a hole.
"Go in!"
As the students disappeared inside one by one, Richard sent one last look at the fight, tsked, and went in himself.
"Now what?"
Cyril stood in some room with no exit in sight.
Richard quickly walked past him and created another hole with a spell.
"Let's head straight through."
The students observed as their professor burrowed through the walls at a fast pace before hastily running after him.