"Yep, gotta go on patrol!"  Saya was her usual chipper, gung-ho self.  "One time I rescued a cat from a tree."  She was happy to agree to the race, even if Nanami tended to win.  "Sure, let's go!"  

Saya took off at her own pace, though she's definitely going harder than Nanami's leisurely jog.  By the end of the race, she'd slowed down quite a bit, despite her best efforts.  Panting and clearly running out of steam, Saya finished a bit behind her friend.  "Jeez...I guess I'm still a little out of shape."  She paused to catch her breath, keeping a smile on her face.  It really wasn't about winning or losing.  And there was conveniently a bench to flop onto, right there.  
[hr]
Beneath the surface, the fighting continued.  It shouldn't have been possible for several reasons.  The Children of Chaos shouldn't have known this was happening, much less where.  And even then, there were wards in place that would serve to keep their dhoanoids out.  They must have some serious sorcerous support.  And more importantly, they were winning.  

There was no rushing a ritual, but this one was almost complete.  Monsters broke through, and rushed their way to the ritual site itself.  They didn't dare step foot inside the circle itself, for fear of their own lives, but it was still a simple matter to deal with those present.  Everyone involved was too exhausted and focused on the ritual to truly fight back.  The lead sorcerer was the last to die, and in his final moments, did his best to prevent the ritual from simply shattering.  

Maybe that was it.  Maybe it was that outside influence taking over, or at least trying to.  Whatever the case, the magical energy didn't immediately fizzle away.  Instead, it swirled, barely contained, and before long, burst upward.  Perhaps the beings that were called knew there was no one waiting for them.  Or they knew that some attempt at tampering was at work, and moved to escape it.  The truth was likely far simpler: unwitting and unprepared as they were, the two girls were within the circle.  Thus, they would be...considered.