Julie rushes ahead of Noir, cursed fire burning bright. Sometimes she twists mid-charge to send a lash of flame into a room as she goes, and the team passes the open door to see crumbling cinders and melting shadows. 

Mona zigs and zags as they go, scraping up any loot they can reach without getting far from the team.

And soon enough they're at the stairs down.

Noir's able to take the stairs down in a single leap per flight, her body as nimble as an acrobat's as she descends. She's never felt so free before. 

The rest of the team follows behind her, bounding downward and grinning. As they reach the ground floor, they're able to swiftly burn through the few shadows between them and the vent back to the gates. Soon enough they're alone in the vent room, door firmly shut behind them.

Noir stops by the vent. "I'll guard this end, everyone else out first. Julie and I will hold off any pursuit."

"Thanks, Noir." Skull drops down to offer a boost for Clover and Mona.

"After you, Clover."

Clover gives a worried look backward over her shoulder, but she goes.

Once Noir thinks everyone's free and clear, she follows. 

When she finally stands at the other end of the vent, she's overtaken by spell of intense dizziness, stumbles, and falls - 

- Right into Clover, who's waiting there to catch her. 

"Couldn't let the lady of the hour do a faceplant, now could I?" 

She holds Noir up as best she can. "Get us out of here." 

Noir drags her phone out of her pocket - it feels like it weighs ten pounds - and thumbs the navigator.

The castle disappears, replaced by Shujin Academy. 

Akira slumps into Ann, her mask gone.

Ryuji's pretty tired too, but he's still standing. "Shit, Akira, are you okay?"

"Post-awakening fatigue, just like after yours, Ryuji. She'll be fine once she's had some rest."

Akira can't seem to find any strength in her legs. She clings to Ann and barely keeps her feet, more out of instinct than any conscious thought.

"Help me with her other side, Ryuji? Let's get her -" Ann casts her gaze around. "Under that tree over there."

It's not a very long walk to the tree, but Akira's very heavy and only semi-lucid. Ann steers her along as best she can.

Ryuji helps. Doesn't matter how tired he is if his friends are in need. They get Akira safely to the tree and sit her down.

Akira slumps down in a loose pile at the bottom of the tree, and nearly conks her head on a knobby root. 

She breathes slow and ragged. Her entire body hurts like one enormous bruise.

Ann steadies Akira against the side of the tree so she can sit up, and sits next to her. 

"Okay," she says. "Uhhhhhhh..." 

She looks at Ryuji. "What do we do now? Akira's probably not going to be back on her feet for a while."

"Maybe get her back to her place?"

"Her guardian does know about all this now."

Ann blinks. "Her guardian what? - you know what never mind we can talk about that later. Do you really think we can get her onto the train, it's several blocks to the station -" 

"Dunno. It'd be hard, you're right. Maybe we could get her into the library, at least until she can carry some of her own weight?"

"Yeah, maybe. But I don't want anyone to see us hauling Akira around, that'll definitely raise questions. Maybe we should just let her rest under this tree for a bit."

She frowns. "I just don't know what we'll do if the real Kamoshida runs into us right now. It might be better to just haul her for the station and find a place for her away from the school."

Ryuji nods. "Further away we are, easier it is to avoid the bastard. We're not by the gym, so probably he won't come this way soon, but we shouldn't stay long. Maybe give her five minutes, see if she can manage to walk a few blocks leaning on one of us then?"