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Pyre hung upside-down in the sky, held by one of Palan’s tails. They both floated in the air above the first sector. The two suns shone overhead, illuminating the buildings and roads along with the ant-like people traversing them. Beneath the duo, there were several destroyed buildings with dead and dying angels lying on the ground. The two had encountered yet another group of angels intent on stopping them, but they only succeeded in slowing them down for a bit.

“Didn’t you say the academy was really close by?” Palan asked. Blood dripped from his body onto the ground below. The blood wasn’t his.

“It’s that building over there,” Pyre said and pointed at the castle-like structure off in the distance.

Palan’s brow furrowed. “I can’t feel Raea,” he said. He had been trying to use Raea’s powers ever since he entered the first sector. “Are we still too far away?” He plummeted towards the ground, causing Pyre to drop his pipe and let out a yelp. A few angels on the ground screamed, but Palan ignored them and readied himself to leap towards Hailing Academy. His gut told him something was wrong, but the only thing he could do was continue forwards. If Raea wasn’t at Hailing, he’d have no idea where to find her.

“Pyre,” Palan said as the two got closer to the academy.

“Yes?”

“Is the academy normally on fire?” Palan asked. Black flames coated the roof of the building, and students were camping outside in tents.

“Well, I mean, it’s on fire more times than not,” Pyre said. He squinted his eyes and shielded them from the sun. “But those flames look very unnatural. It definitely wasn’t the headmaster’s doing. Maybe Raea performed a jailbreak?”

Palan grunted as he canceled his powers, causing them to accelerate towards the center of the tents in the yard. He landed like a meteor, causing a miniature crater to form beneath his feet. Pyre let out a groan. “I told you to stop doing that. I’m old,” Pyre said and rubbed his temples. “Jolts aren’t good for my health.” He glanced at the stunned students and teachers. “You should probably let me down.”

Palan released Pyre and crossed his arms over his chest. His torso-mouth opened and snapped shut as he glared at the faculty. “Where’s Raea?” he asked. His fingers were grinding against his palms, causing sparks to fall from his hands.

One of the teachers stepped forward. “W-who?” she asked. Her brow furrowed as she examined Pyre. “You look awfully familiar.”

“You don’t recognize your superior?” Pyre asked as he pulled a blindfold out of his bag and wrapped it over his eyes.

“Pyre?” the teacher asked and gasped. “Everyone thought you died! You’re alright, thank the Creator. Where have you been?”

“Where’s the headmaster?” Pyre asked, ignoring her question. “What happened to the school?”

“I don’t know what happened to the school,” the teacher said and shook her head. “We were told to evacuate to the yard and set up tents here. The headmaster is inside the building with another group of angels. They’re trying to remove the flames with charity orbs, but it’s a very slow process.”

Pyre nodded. “Alright,” he said as he began to walk towards the entrance and gestured for Palan to follow.

“Um, Pyre? This is?” the teacher asked while looking at Palan. “Is he the demon that the city’s on red alert for? He certainly fits the description.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Pyre said and waved his hand dismissively without turning around. “Everything’s under control.”

“Do you think Professor Khondra subdued the demon by himself?” a student whispered to his friend.

Palan snorted as he followed Pyre into the building. The roaring of the flames prevented him from hearing anything else. His nose wrinkled when he stepped inside. Nearly everything was charred or partially melted. The walls looked like mud, and the floor was scorched. The ceiling creaked every so often, and footsteps could be heard above them.

“This academy is really sturdy,” Pyre said and whistled. “I’m surprised it hasn’t collapsed given the state of the walls. Well, it was made with dwarven blueprints after all.”

Palan grunted. He wasn’t in the mood for words. His expression was dark, and his torso-mouth was constantly grinding its teeth together. Cracks formed on the floor as he walked because he did nothing to alleviate his weight. Pyre noticed. “Can you reduce the gravity on your body when we go to the second floor?” he asked when they reached the bottom of a stairwell. “You’re too heavy. The floor’s probably going to break.”

Palan snorted. “So much for dwarven technology,” he said. He stepped on a stair, causing it to creak and grown underneath him. His brow furrowed.

“Well, the dwarves never met someone like you, and they certainly didn’t plan to make the buildings elephant proof,” Pyre said. He proceeded up the stairs when a black glow enveloped Palan’s body. “Can you sense where they are?”

“Higher,” Palan said. The two proceeded to the fourth floor before Palan nodded. “They’re here.”

“And you still can’t use Raea’s powers?” Pyre asked. Palan shook his head. Pyre sighed and patted Palan’s shoulder, causing the demon to flinch. “Don’t be too discouraged and slaughter everyone if she’s not here, alright? Besides, it’s possible her powers are being suppressed, or she’s unconscious. There are plenty of reasons other than she’s not here.”

“I thought you enjoyed wanton slaughter,” Palan said and narrowed his eyes.

“Well, I do,” Pyre said and scratched his head. “But the headmaster’s like my father. I respect him a lot.”

“I thought you didn’t have any attachments,” Palan said as he left the stairwell and followed his electromagnetic sense towards the group of angels on the same floor. “Whether he dies or not … we’ll see.”

Pyre shrugged. “I suppose that’s the best I’ll get out of you,” he said. “But don’t destroy the building. My laboratory is here, and there may be some items that can help you. If you must, you can kill the headmaster, but leave my lab alone.”

Palan grunted.

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