Meanwhile, on Layla's perspective.
Layla was running alone on the road, not encountering any akumas. With fear and pressure on her, she keeps running towards the same direction, not knowing what might happen.
"That was another explosion earlier" Layla thought, "I guess that means Mr. Gin is ok... hopefully".
"Now, if Ray manages to tell them about Yuji and Elizabeth, I'm sure they'll be safe..." she thought, as doubts fill her head, she forces her self, "They'll be fine!".
As she kept running, after a few minutes, she saw multiple people from a distance, "people... vehicles...That's!" she said, as she smiled with relief.
After a short moment, soldiers came to her aid, taking her to a what seems to be a stand out in the middle of an open space, quickly right after seeing her from a distance.
The place seemed like a circular park, with no buildings near. It was surrounded with armored vehicles and soldiers, and has a few survivors in the middle. The buildings could be seen from a far distance, and passed the buildings is a complete open area, making it easy for them to see if something or someone is coming.
The soldiers took Layla to a chair, in the middle of the area, as one of the soldier said "take a rest, we'll talk to you later".
Layla stood up, "I'm fine! I can talk now" she said.
The soldier turned back at Layla and said "sit".
Layla sat down, as the soldier stood in front of her.
"That uniform, are you from New Gen Academy?" the soldier asked.
"Yes, and right now my friends need help" Layla said, with a slight desperate tone.
"calm down" the soldier said, "we are ordered here to stay until our capitain arives, or we leave if things get desperate".
"But we were separated from mister Gin!" Layla said, sounding more desperate, "he stayed behind to hold a high class, so we went forward and separated".
"Your story...it seems to match the other students there" said the soldier, as he pointed at their left.
Layla glanced and saw Ryan, Jaspher, and Jack walking from a distance.
Jaspher looked around and saw Layla.
"HEY!" Jaspher shouted, as he ran towards Layla with a smile.
Ryan and Jack noticed, and followed Jaspher.
As Jaspher got closer he looked around, as his smile slowly disappeared, "where's the others?" he said with a worried voice.
Layla talked about what had happened, and what situation Yuji and the others are in.
"We need to help..." Ryan said, "we have to help them right!?".
"I won't recommend it..." the soldier said, "the time is now critical, if you don't make it here when the captain is back, we're going to have to leave you behind".
"but we can't just stand here..." Ryan said.
"Don't be a fool!" said Jack, "your going to risk your life for a result that's almost impossible to achieve for someone like you!".
"but!" Ryan tried to counter.
Jack grabbed Ryan's shirt and pulled him close, "Are you going to let those sacrifices be in vain" Jack said, "can you even be sure you're not just going to die with them!?".
Layla suddenly realized something, "now that I think about it... weren't there four of you?"
Jack and Ryan both scowled and looked away.
Layla realized, as she looked down on the ground, "I see..." she said.
"DAMN IT!" Ryan shouted.
"If that's the case, how about I help" a young girl suddenly appeared, with long black hair, and was wearing a unique uniform, unlike the soldiers or the captains, she had what seems like a mechanical bag behind her, with a belt containing multiple small gadgets.
"Yukina..." the soldier said.

"Who's this beautiful woman..." Layla thought, "she has silky black hair, and she seems like she's the same age as us...".
"You can't, you know your job is to delay the arch demon if needed, once we start to depart" said the soldier.
"Delay the arch demon?" said Jack, "this girl is going to face an arch demon!?".
"Yeah, I've faced this arch demon before multiple times now" said Yukina, "anyways if what that girl said is true, then I can just hurry over there, then hurry back" she said with confidence.
"You can't... the orders was to stand by" said the soldier.
Yukina scowled, "I'll just hurry..." she repeated, but this time, she was being more hesitant.
"It's ok miss..." Layla said, "now that I've calmed down... the best thing to do is have faith in them" she said with a smile, yet it was obviously filled with worries.
"That's right" said the soldier, "just hope that they will cross paths with the captains, I'm sure they'll be fine if they do so" said the soldier.
Everyone looked down, as they felt powerless.
"I don't know if that person with no ability is still alive, but they should be fine if Ray manages to beat the akuma" said Jack.
"That's..." Layla said softly.
"Ray is a strong person, he'll survive, and he'll help everyone" Jack said, lessening Laylas worries, by a little.
Layla nodded, as she gripped her hands tightly.
"THE CAPTAIN IS COMING!" a soldier shouted taking everyones attention, "start up the engines! prepare to depart!".
"Looks like they're here" the soldier said, as they all rushed over to the front of the stand out.
multiple people can be seen running from a distance, with one person being carried by a student.
"one seems injured, aid them now!" the soldier ordered.
they aided the people and took them to the stand out.
Layla looked around, and saw the person who was being carried by a student, laying down on a stretcher.
"that's..." Layla said, as she falls down on her knees, holding back her tears.
The others looked at the person on the stretcher and...
"This is... Ray" said Ryan, with a low energy voice, as if he was whispering.
Jack let out a sigh of relief, "I knew he was going to make it... but too bad, if he's unconscious then..."
"Hey yo!" Jaspher called out someone from the crowd of the new arrivals.
"what is it kid" said Liz as she approached them.
"Ms. captain!" said Jaspher, "can you tell us what happened to him?".
"hmm, that's..." as Liz was about to give a reply, someone stepped beside her, shocking most of the students.
"I'm guessing he took a blow to be able to land one" said by the teacher beside Liz.
"Ying! oh yeah you were at the front when this guy's was found right?".
"TEACHER!" said Ryan, in complete shock.
"Hey, we meet again" said Ying, "anyways...".
She went back to explaining, as if it was nothing, as everyone had an awkward feeling, but just went with the flow.
"I bet, in order to land a killing blow to the Akuma he was facing, he took a blow from the Akuma himself" said Ying, "since what we saw was him slouching on the wall with cracks, as the Akuma was dead with half of it's head missing".
"So, when you saw him, he was already passed out" said Jaspher, as he looked down on the ground.
Liz made a confused face, wondering if they're relieved or downed.
"I just noticed..." said Ying, I know he's got a really low presence, but... where's the brown haired one?".
As Ying said that, some looked away and some looked down. Liz suddenly showed signs of slight nervousness, as she looked around.
"now that you mention it..." Liz said, "that person...Yuji... where is he?" she asked with a tense tone.
Layla answered "he's not here...".
"I see..." Ying said, "your sister doesn't seem to be here too... sorry".
"CRAP!" Liz shouted, "Yuji...this is bad...".
Jack was confused, "huh?, is he that important?" he thought, "that Gin guy earlier seemed to have faith in him earlier too...".
"Erina is going to be..." said Liz, suddenly Erina appeared behind her.
"I'm... what?" said Erina.
Liz turned around in shock.
"Aren't you a bit too surprised?" said Erina, "thought you got used to it by now...".
A drip of sweat fell from Liz's forehead, as Erina looked behind her.
"Oh everyone!" she said in a very lively voice.
Everyone stood silent, trying not to make eye contact with Erina.
"hmm? where... is Yuji..." Erina said, as her high pitched voice slowly lowered.
And with a blank expression on her face, she asked "where... is Yuji".
Layla stood up "miss. Erina..." she called, with teary eyes and a shaky voice, she explained.
hearing what happened from Layla, Erina turned around, with a blank expression and emotionless voice, she said "I need to go...".
Liz stood in front of Erina with a nervous expression, "you... can't" said Liz.
"And why not" Erina said, with an emotionless tone, while her face shows slight signs of anger.
"move..." Erina said, as if she was giving an order, as she moves closer to Liz.
Liz did not move a single muscle, and as Erina came closer, her legs started to shiver with an overwhelming presence dominating her.
"Stop it..." said Ying, as she grabbed Erina's shoulder "it took all this effort just to get you... there were sure to be sacrifices along the way".
Erina stood silent.
"Leaving now means all the deaths so far, and all the effort they put through pointless" said Ying.
"I... didn't ask for this" Erina said aggressively, as she removed Ying's hand from her shoulders.
CRASH*
suddenly, a loud sound of a crashing building emerged from a distance, as dust and smoke raised to the sky.
"It's here! we need to leave!" Liz shouted.
Erina grabbed a syringe from her pocket and removed the cover.
"NO!" Layla shouted, as she grabbed Erina's arm, which held the syringe.
"What are you doing!?" Erina said, loosing her composure, as she took back her arm and pushed Layla away.
Erina raised the syringe.
"STOP!" Ying said, as she grabbed both of Erina's arms, making Erina unable to inject herself, "did you not hear what I said!?".
"Let me go!" Erina shouted.
Layla stood back up and grabbed Erina's arm which held the syringe, "she's right! if you go right now... EVERYTHING WOULD BE POINTLESS!" she shouted.
"you... your sister is with Yuji right!?" Erina said, "I can save them both! with your sisters healing Yuji will be fine!".
CRASH*
Another building crashed, and this time it was right in front of the stand out, behind a few buildings.
"There's no time!" Liz shouted as she grabbed Erina's other arm.
"LET ME GO! I can save them... I" Erina shouted, as tears started to come out of her eyes.
"ITS TOO RISKY!" Liz said, as Erina struggles harder to break free.
"This woman! she's not even injected, yet she's this tough!" Ying thought.
"I! Have to save Yuji!" Erina shouted.
Suddenly, a syringe with different color slowly floated close to them and reached behind Erina's neck.
"What the? Ying thought, being confused.
The floating syringe injected Erina's neck.
"I...have...to save... Yu...ji" Erina said, as her voice slowly fades, with her eyes slowly closing, with tears coming out, falling from her cheeks, she losses consciousness.
"What..?" Layla questioned, being confused on what happened.
"It's a sleeping drug" Yukina said as the syringe floated it's way to her hand, as she was standing right behind everyone.
"I knew it..." said Liz, "what took you so long?".
"I went to find a sleeping drug at the medical supplies, it took me a while" Yukina replied.
CRASH*
A loud sound of something breaking and crashing emerged from a near distance.
"It's here!" Liz said "quick get Erina to a vehicle and step on it! we're leaving now!" Liz ordered the soldiers around, "same goes for you all!" said Liz pointing at everyone else on the area, "pick a vehicle and a get in!".
Everyone moved quickly and went inside the same vehicle, exept for Erina and Ray who were placed at the armored medical vehicle in the center.
As everyone got in the the vehicles, Yukina stayed outside and started stretching, as if she was warming up.
"Don't do anything too risky..." said Liz.
"Don't worry, I'm not planning on dying until I achieve my goal" said Yukina.
Liz walked away and got in a vehicle.
Yukina stood still in the area, looking at the place where the most recent crashing soud took place, as all the vehicles drove away.
"Now then" Yukina said, "delay the Akuma or lead it away, and if an unlikely case where I see the missing people still breathing occurred, I'm going to save them" "but most importantly... I need to survive this".
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Cover illustrated by: @s0ft.b0i.art -IG
@s_b_art- twitter
Author- @Ryk- Twitter
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