A/N: Sorry this is a shorter chapter but I kept my promise! The next chapter is done as well so I think I'll post it next Tuesday to allow editing time and get back into the grove of a regular update schedule. Thanks for reading!

When I burst into the master bedroom I'm extremely confused. I had expected something to be there attacking Sheimi. Some opportunistic demon, maybe one of the patrols or someone else from True Cross, something! Instead the room is nearly empty with only Sheimi occupying the room. She's plastered against the wall next to the door staring wide eyed at the windows along the opposite side. She's a bit pale and shaking, so clearly she saw something. My eyes do another sweep of the room and everything looks fine. The bed dominates the room with too many pillows with an open textbook sitting in the middle. The dresser sits past the foot of the bed covered with jewelry and various pieces to hold them. The nightstands sit on each side of the beds with lamps, one with an empty glass. The rug under the bed is even undisturbed, everything looks perfectly fine.

I stand up from my offensive stance and look over at Sheimi again. She notices me and points towards the windows.

"S-s-snake!" She stutters out just above a whisper.

A snake? Why on earth would a snake be here? I look back towards the windows just as a soft breeze tugs at the curtains. They billow away just enough to reveal crimson smears along the ledge, a small drip threatening to fall from the sill. Farther down along the wall are a couple more smears. Ok, something definitely got in here but it's obviously pretty badly hurt. I move slowly on my toes along the perimeter of the room around the bed. It's not until I'm moving between the bed and dresser that I see the creature.

It's laying in a crumpled heap, like it just fell onto itself as soon as it got enough of its length through the window. In fact, part of its tail is still pushed up against the wall. The white naga has its eyes closed and it isn't moving. I continue examining the creature and see it's badly injured. There's a clear bullet wound through it near the middle and blood is still oozing out of it. Other areas are slightly sunken and discolored as bruises bloom under the scales. I'm not totally sure what happened to cause those injuries but I'd be willing to bet things like pipes and other blunt object were used. Cuts litter the creature's body as well. Everything from little scrapes where the scales are ruffed up with pinpricks of blood seeping out from under them to a several inch gashes with surrounding chunks of skin exposed like the keratin plates had been ripped off. Blood and filth covers its once pristine scales in a garish mixture. Where blood drops and splatters end, mud and ash begin.

I hear heavy and rushed footsteps followed by various gasps and other surprised noises.

"What is that things?!" I can hear Shima scooting back after the question, trying to distance himself from the snake.

"How did it even get in here? We're on the third floor and there isn't a fire escape in this room." Izumo kneels next to me to get a better look but is still a fair distance away.

"It's Shura's familiar…" I recognize the huge snake now from the incident with Neuhaus and his wife. Upon hearing its mistress's name the serpent slowly opens one eye.

He's hurt really bad… Kuro has managed to squeeze through everyone and is now creeping up slowly to the head of it. Once he's close enough he reaches out and places a paw on the snake's nose. It still doesn't move, doesn't even acknowledge the demon cat touching him.

"Will he be ok? What can we do?" The question is directed at Kuro but I'm look at the snake again. "Can I understand him if he talks like I can with you?"

Kuro shakes his head and looks at me. He's a lower mid-level demon, anyone below midlevel isn't strong enough to talk to humans. Ms. Shura may be able to in some way though because he's her familiar.

I nod. "Makes sense. Can you talk to him? Ask what happened and how we can help?"

I'll try, but he's very weak.

"Yukio!" I whip around to look at everyone gathered behind me. Konekomaru is kneeling on the bed with Sheimi but she's slightly behind him, still rather pale. Shima is backed into the corner of the room also looking pale and nervous. Yukio though is right behind me. "You got all that right? Go get the medical bag!"

He jumps a bit at being the one getting a command but he turns to go get the supplies.

I slowly scoot forward a bit more and move my hand close to his nose. "We're going to help you ok? Just try to relax, you're safe now." The naga seems to understand me, or at least my tone, because I see his sides expand with a heavy sigh before his eye closes.

Yukio kneels next to me with the duffle a second later. He pauses for a moment but gives a sharp shake of his head before digging into the bag.

"So…care to explain what you guys said?" I look over at Shima who's come out of the corner a little bit. "We're human, we can't understand Kuro or that thing." He points over at the bleeding snake.

"Oh!" I had forgotten about that. "It's not much, the snake isn't a high enough level to talk with humans so Kuro may be able to get something."

Shima gives a nod and looks over at Konekomaru. His eyes widen a bit and he looks around. "Wait! Where's Bon!"

"I haven't seen him since he came out of the shower, that must have been hours ago." Konekomaru is sitting up more but he doesn't look too concerned. "Maybe he borrowed Teach's idea and went to the roof. He usually meditates, he's probably doing that."

"Just call me Yukio." His words are soft but I can still pick up the slightly defeated tone in his voice. "I'm not your teacher anymore and we're not at True Cross." His hands pause from pulling out wads of gauze. I see his shoulders have drooped a lot more, reflecting his tone. I can't see his face from this angle and I wish I could. "Just…stop calling me teacher. Yukio is fine."

I look back at Shima and Konekomaru. They both look a bit surprised, but I catch Sheimi's worried look. She understands. Being a teacher is part of his identity, he's been so proud of it.

We sit in silence for a while, just watching Yukio treat the injured demon snake. The naga hardly moves save for an occasional flinch when Yukio is working on a particularly gruesome spot. A few stiches here and there, pressure on the bullet hole to stop the bleeding, covering the sections where scales are missing, I know he had said he doesn't know how to treat demons but he seems to with how he's treating the naga. Yukio is running his fingers around a sunken area when Konekomaru finally voices what we all must be thinking.

"Ms. Shura got caught, didn't she?" No one responds but the serpent moves its head for the first time, turning it towards us. He slowly rises just a few inches but nods his head.

"She summoned and sent you to warn us, huh?" I ask. The demon again nods, but this time he sways a little, showing just how hurt and weak he is. "True Cross Exorcists did this to you?" Another nod. I almost don't want to ask the next question but we need to know. "Shura…did they hurt her too?" There's a pause but eventually the naga does one dip of its head. Sheimi lets out a choked sob.

I put my face in my hands. I had known it, expected it to be confirmed the moment I recognized the white demon snake but I still feel like I've taken a blow to my stomach. All the innocent people already decaying under the rubble and now Shura? She'd been trying to help us. I feel nausea bubble up and I think I might be sick. What did they do to her? What will they do to her? Surely they'll torture her for information. I try to block out the images of various methods they would use to find out where we ran to.

At that thought I jerk my head up. I know Shura won't give up the information easily, if it all, but we can't take that chance, we need to move.

"Guys." My tone is somber and I don't have to look back to know that I have everyone's attention. "We need to run, like as soon as possible."

"Where do we go?" Sheimi's voice is tiny.

"It doesn't matter, we just need to get out now." Izumo is already standing up. "We'll stick together for as long as we can. If we feel any pressure we'll split up again but we'll have another location to meet up planned by then. We still have several hours of light, if we run we should be able to get quite a few miles away before finding a place to camp." She reaches under the bed and pulls out her backpack.

She's right. Everyone starts to move to get their bags when we hear a commotion of clumsy, heavy steps and then the front door slamming open. Shima, being the only one standing, rushes to the doorway only to be nearly crushed by Suguro who skids to a stop in the hallway.

"Guys, we need to run! I was on the roof and I saw patrols crossing the bridge. It's way too early for them to be starting standard routes, something must-." Suguro notices that we're all crowded around the naga. "The hell is that and why-" He gets cut off a second time by Shima pushing him towards the other bedroom saying he'll explain as they pack.

All of us explode into motion after that, throwing the few things we had pulled out of our bags back in and yanking on proper shoes. It doesn't take long, we've got our stuff piled by the front door on under a minute. I'm about to throw my backpack on when I realize Kuro isn't here. I rush back into the master bedroom and see Kuro lying next to the serpent. He's completely covered in bandages, hardly any of his scales are visible now. The one over the bullet wound has a small spot of blood bleeding through but he otherwise seems to be ok, Yukio did a good job. I kneel down next to them and look at Kuro.

He wants to stay. His yellow eyes shift to me. I asked if he wanted to come with us, that you'll take good care of him and be nice. But he said he doesn't want to. He doesn't like being around humans that much. The snake then opens his eyes and flicks his forked tongue. He says thank you. Kuro translates.

"Will he be ok?"

Yeah, he just needs rest. He'll probably end up hiding in the rubble somewhere.

I nod in understanding before gesturing for Kuro to come. I hate leaving Shura's familiar behind but I'm not about to force a 7 foot demon snake to come with us. He gives one last flick of his tongue in our direction before we slip out the door.

We rush out of the apartment and start making our way down the street, away from the bridge towards True Cross. We try to run, but there's so much debris in the street we keep slipping. Sheimi slips and nearly falls with a squeak but Izumo grabs her arm in time. She pauses to allow her to get her footing but nearly drops her.

"Why on earth are you wearing your school uniform?!"

We all pause and look at Sheimi. Sure enough the blonde is in the short school skirt, blouse, and tie. None of us had even realized it earlier in our rush to get out.

Sheimi blushes and toes a piece of brick. "It's the only thing I have that isn't a kimono, and I don't have any shoes other than getas."

"Oh for the love of…" Izumo slaps her hand over her eyes and groans audibly. "We'll loot a clothing store later." She grabs Sheimi's hand and we start running again.

We keep up a harsh pace for well over an hour before we're forced to slow down. The shadows are lengthening to a concerning point and we're double checking each patch before crossing them. Izumo's pulled out her magic circle papers, Shima has is staff, and Yukio pulled out one of his guns. We've been heading north for the most part but we've cut west every few blocks so we're not moving in a straight line. It's worked to have more sunlight but now the light is just brushing the tops of the buildings and most of the streets have been overtaken by the darkness. We emerge from one of our westerly jogs only to find the street completely encased.

I feel like we haven't gotten far at all, everything looks the same. Rubble, collapsed buildings, fire consumed parks and gardens, there's nothing to tell us where we are in the city anymore. This area looks like it was once an open marketplace but I'm only guessing because there are individual piles of ash that could have once been stands. The buildings to the west are still standing causing the premature dusk. We all stand there for a second, straining our senses for any danger.

Yukio's the one who hears the snarl first and he yanks Konekomaru away from the wall. The snap of teeth echoes through the open area and we all stare at the creature. It's a dog, or at least it was a dog. It reeks of burning hair and flesh but it's clear why. The remaining fur is charred black and brittle, pieces falling off with even the slightest movement but there isn't much left. A majority of the poor creature's body is mottled red and white tissue from fire having stripped the animal of its protective coat. Bone is even visible in the tail and back legs from the flames consuming all the way to the core. What's even more unnerving though is the empty sockets staring back at us. How it's able to see us is beyond my guess but not something I ponder for long, I'm just trying to keep myself from vomiting at the smell. It's mouth is foaming as it growls at us from the edges of the shadows.

"There's probably more ghouls in there, we should back track and go around." Suguro suggests before turning back.

None of us disagree, there's no telling how many of them are in there and it would take longer to exorcise them than go around the area.

We round the corner of the block we had taken cling to the easternmost side of the street that is still bathed in sunlight.

"How much longer should we run, man? It doesn't even feel like we've gone that far." Well I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels like that.

Suguro slows to a stop and we follow suit. Yukio and I are fine, but Konekomaru and Sheimi are practically wheezing as they hunch over to catch their breath. Izumo drops her bag with a pained expression and rubs her shoulders. I catch a glimpse of very irritated skin under her shirt from where the straps have been rubbing.

Should I transform and carry them? Kuro asks. He's looking at Sheimi and Konekomaru with his head tilted to the side. They're not nearly as strong as the others.

"No." Yukio says before I can answer with a yes, appreciating the offer greatly. "Your other form is too big, it'll be easy to spot. You also won't be able to fly and your footsteps are too heavy when you run."

Damn, he's right.

I slip my bag off too but keep hold of my sword as I look around at the surrounding buildings. Most of them are still standing but fires went through here. Still, most of the buildings looks stable. I finally find one that's an actual apartment complex with balconies. It's only five stories tall, but the building next to it is six and I can make the jump. It's not the tallest building but it should work.

"Hey guys, I'm going to go up there and check things out."

I don't even wait for responses before I squat down and launch myself onto the first balcony. My landing is crap. I overshoot the railing and crash shoulder first into the wall. I'm really out of it, clearly. I'm not hurt, but I'm still a little embarrassed that everyone saw that. Whatever. I climb onto the railing and jump up, grabbing hold of the next floor's and pulling myself up. I work my way up the building until I'm on the last one where I launch myself onto the roof but land in a crouch. Fortunately the area is still bathed in sunlight and I stand up.

The sun is just brushing the horizon, painting the sky beautiful shades of pink and orange. A few windswept clouds linger but otherwise the sky is completely empty, I can't even spot a single bird. I turn to the south and see the towering structure that is True Cross Academy. We can't be more than a few miles away from the southern bridge at the base of it and I feel my stomach drop. We really haven't made much progress. I heave a disappointed sigh but I keep on scouting the area, looking for any signs of patrols, vehicles, really anything moving in this disaster zone. Nothing is obvious but I look to the west and see some colors sticking out of all this gray and black. Is that the edge of the portal's damage? I jump up to the next building that's another story taller to get a better look. Sure enough, the horizon is lined with reds, oranges, and yellows, a forest in the process of shifting to fall. I never thought I would see woods and think salvation.

I turn to yell the news of my discovery to my friends when I hear something scream past my ear.

I drop down immediately, turning to where I think the threat came from. My heart is racing and I can feel my hair standing on end. There, to the west! It's hard to see with the sun in my eyes but I catch the glint of a shiny metal sniper rifle pointed at me from a building only two blocks away.

Fuck! Shit!

I launch myself off the building, out of their line of sight just as I hear another bullet whiz past me.

"RUN! FUCKING RUN!"

I land on my feet and into a crouch with my hands catching me to stop my momentum. I don't think, I just swing my backpack on and grab Konekomaru who's still panting.

"Yukio! Grab Sheimi!" I don't even look back, I just swing Konekomaru around so he's essentially draped over my backpack and I've got a grip on his arms keeping him up. I'm sure he's going to have really bad bruises from my grip on him, especially his left arm since I'm still holding onto my sword but I have no idea how else to hold him while he's still wearing his pack. I know Suguro is in crazy good shape so I just hope that Izumo and Shima are ok and able to keep up.

I take the lead going west, towards the woods I saw. I know they're still many miles away, but I don't know where else to go. Suguro is right behind me but Izumo and Shima aren't far behind with Kuro in the middle. Yukio is at the back but I suspect it's mostly him wanting to keep an eye on everyone more than being awkward with his newfound strength and stamina. Sheimi is in his arms bridal style, her arms around his neck and his under her legs and supporting her pack.

"Okumura, what happened? What did you see?" Konekomaru panicked voice asks.

"Snipers, on the roof. They got two shots in before I jumped."

"WHAT?!" Suguro cries out. "How the hell did they find us?!" I hear him stumble and swear. "Actually...How did they know we would be there? This city is huge, there's no way that was pure chance…" I can hear fear in his voice and I shudder. He's right...how did they know we would be there? We didn't even know we were going to be there!

Fuck fuck fuck!

The sun has set now, taking the last pieces of light from us and the safety that came with it. Fortunately the moon is rapidly rising, bright and full near the center of sky providing us with some illumination. Still, it's not enough. I can hear the tittering of coal tars in the narrow alleys, the clumsy footsteps of ghouls, I even catch a glimpse of a goblin digging through a dumpster that had rolled out into the street.

We manage to be lucky for only a few minutes before I turn to go down a northern street and come face to face with a naberius. The sickly brown colored creature looks like a haphazard combination of rodents but is much too large to be one. A long rat like tail,short round ears, but three pairs of stumpy legs. Stitches cover its entire body except for the face. There it looks like they have ripped open to reveal the bloody skin and sharp teeth of its muzzle. The thing is sitting up on its furthest back legs and in the remaining four its grip what is unmistakably a human leg and hip. Chunks of flesh are already missing and I begin to wonder if the blood on the creature's face is it's own.

I manage to skid to a stop a decent distance away, but it's not enough to avoid detection. The thing turns away from its meal towards us, a single glowing eye fixed on us. I don't wait for the creature's reaction, I just turn and head west down the same street we'd been going down before.

It goes on like that for the better part of an hour. We would change paths when a mid level or group of low levels would appear, foregoing direction in favor of distance. A colony of hobgoblins, a pair of ghouls, too dense of a cloud of coal tars, we would simply turn left or right to avoid them and once we had to turn around completely.

I realize too late that we're being herded somewhere.

When we reach an area that's nothing but a crater we're moving too fast to slow down. I end up falling forward and sliding down to the bottom. Fortunately Konekomaru doesn't get hurt by being on my back but I've busted my chin open, bit my lip, and my shirt is shredded. Suguro, being right behind me, is surprised by the sudden crater too and lands next to me using his hands to catch himself. He hisses in pain and I can see his palms are cut up pretty badly before he even sits up. Shima stumbles his way down, Izumo slides gracefully, Kuro makes his way down slowly, and Yukio jumps down with Sheimi easily.

"You guys ok?" Yukio is leaning over us, a worried look on his face.

He doesn't get a chance to respond when the area is suddenly lit up with a blinding light. We all cry out in pain and squeeze our eyes shut. I can feel my eyes watering as my night vision is painfully ripped away. Even behind my lids I can still see the light. I hear a series of clicks and my stomach drops. If it weren't for my brother being a dragoon I'm not sure I would have recognized the sound but unfortunately I do. It's the sound of a large number of weapons having their safety clicked off.

I struggle to open my eyes, though I really don't want to, I don't want to be right. But I am. Along the ridge of this crater are construction spot lights shining down on us, at least twenty True Cross Exorcists pointing their guns at us, and another dozen of unknown Meister classes littered around them. What stands out the most though, is the person standing in the middle of them because he's the last person I expected to see and he stands out with his white lab coat.

"Well it's about bloody damn time, I reckoned the lot of ya somehow got lost despite our guides!"

Guess who's back! :D