Two guards step forward, but there are no enemies to attack.

The enemy reinforcements will surely arrive soon. Until then, Marco waits.

The first marine will also wait from his firing position.

The captain steps forward a few paces and looks through the open right doors. "Cultists and demons in glass cages!"

He flings a javelin at one of the cultists. It misses.

A guard steps forward and shoots a crossbow bolt at the cultist. It tears into their chest, but they don't go down.

Oh. Oh no. They did this too fast, the cultists will release the daemon. And they have nothing which can scratch a daemon.

...daemons can't see through illusions any more than anyone else here can, and it can't like the cult much when they were sacrificing it and its siblings in their rituals. And that's where the fifth circle came from. If they leave it to fight the cultists, that's a success all around.

"If they're caged, they don't much like the cult! Stay back and let the demons kill them first, or retreat and let them come to us!"

She holds her Image. No need to break it yet, when there are still cultists to distract the daemon.

A cultist slams their scythe into the glass container sealing the daemon. It breaks instantly.

If they die releasing a great one of pestilence, they will surely be welcomed with great honors in the Bloodrot.

A horrible mangled thing, fourteen feet tall, emerges from the broken glass canister. Its magnificent black wings spread across the room. Its terrible presence fills the room and the room beyond it. Tencednil can almost feel her flesh already rotting away.

The daemon breathes, and an immense storm of flies pours from its mouth. The flesh of the cultists is stripped from their bones instantly. THE END COMES FOR ALL THINGS. The voice is acid in their minds.

Well that's delightful. One chance, and if she fails this all goes to Abaddon unless they are very lucky.

"Anyone have Align Weapon? We're going to need it..."

Hopefully they won't need it, but she definitely should not rely on that.

"I've got one!" The cleric of Sarenrae shouts.

The first marine moves out of the lesser globe of invulnerability and runs right to the edge of the open door. "Align our arrows once we all make it over here!"

Unholy reinforcements have arrived. The counter to a demon is an archon. Summon Monster 4 with the fast method of the Acadamae.

Two lantern archons appear from nothing in front of the right door.

"Demon! Kill it!"

Four beams of golden light streak at the daemon. Two sear into its flesh.

Quite a few guardsmen are currently terrified and are going to watch the other door through the illusory wall instead of looking at the daemon.

Navarro will also do this! He's only a little bit terrified. This was definitely the plan the entire time.

Garril is right behind him.

The second marine follows the first up to the edge of the open door.

Shadi finishes casting the silence. The rock in Tencednil's lantern now projects an aura of unnatural quiet, focused into a cone.

She runs forward past the door and flings a burst of radiance. The daemon is unaffected.

Rolth pushes the left door open and strides through the stinking cloud unaffected. "A wall of stone and a stinking cloud. Hold your breath!"

He sprints up the onto the railing and sees the formation, the dead cultists, the lantern archons, and the daemon. Shit. "The daemon is free! Retreat!"

The shadow sees a caster! It rotates its lantern, covering him in a Silence.

The guardsmen now have an enemy that isn't the terrifying daemon. They're going to attack him instead, thanks.

One runs up near Rolth and slices into him with their halberd. He screams silently.

Garril sprints through the illusory wall and slams Rolth with his warhammer. Ouch.

Navarro runs through the wall and lunges for Rolth. He strikes true!