The lore of the world was clear on one thing: Demonspawns were not animals. They were soldiers.
Unlike the mindless beasts of the Gate Worlds, Demonspawns were the vanguard of the Demon Lord, invaders from Akuma Island sent to sow chaos and weaken the realm's defenses. They possessed a terrifying trait known as Ethereal Resistance. A standard steel blade, swung by a standard Warrior, would pass through their smoky, fel-green flesh like a spoon through water, dealing negligible damage. To kill a Demon, one needed Mana. One needed attacks that struck the soul.
Percival knew this. And as he carried the bleeding Elise down the stairs, he knew something else:
One Demonspawn was an attack. Two was an ambush. Five was an outbreak.
But the screams outside suggested at least a dozen. That was a Migration.
