"Din!"
As she wandered with tired eyes through the hallways of Gria's royal castle, Din was suddenly wrapped in a tight embrace. Locks of raven hair danced playfully in her field of view as Larion shamelessly pushed their bodies together. Surprised at first, Din quickly began prying the needy queen's hands away with a bashful expression.
"Y-Your Majesty…" She struggled, "Someone will see us!"
"Allow me this much, at the very least." Larion requested, "I'm so happy you returned safely. How was the journey?"
"It was… interesting, I suppose." Din replied, "Now let go of me! We're really going to get in trouble!"
Sighing with discontent, Larion reluctantly loosened her grip and quickly began fixing her hair.
"Has Lady Dorma returned as well?" She asked.
"No." Din answered, "We travelled to Anjima, and on the way back, they decided it was too dangerous for someone like me. I was dropped off at the gates and they went on their way."
"They?" Larion repeated, "You were successful in locating Barion, then?"
"Uh…" She went silent, "No. Dorma managed to recruit another ally, but… well, she would be able to explain it better than I can."
"I see…"
"How have things been here?"
"Fruitful. Though, perhaps not in the manner we'd like…"
"Has something happened?"
"Come with me. I was just on my way to see His Majesty and the others in the grand hall." Larion beckoned, "You'll learn of everything that's transpired there."
Compared to the hustle and bustle the castle experienced on an ordinary day, the past few weeks had seen it comparatively deserted. In order to conceal crucial information that may have sown panic among the nobles, King Granda had postponed holding court for close to a month, leaving many of the kingdom's clerical issues unresolved. The grand hall was intended to receive the castle's guests, but in the wake of the Demon invasion, it had become a meeting place for the king and his most trusted advisors to make plans.
"The sceptre's barrier is only large enough to protect… I would say about four individuals at once--comfortably, I mean." As the two of them approached the hall, an echoing voice could be heard from the doorway, "As it stands, there's very little we can do besides observing the strange phenomenon below Branda. The barrier reflects magic on both sides, you see…"
Lotte and Yula, alongside King Granda, were in open discussion, surrounded by a group of dispersed sorcerers--the former commanders of the Anti-Demon Leagues prior to the sickness that had decimated their numbers. Upon the long table around which they stood, a large sheet of parchment was adorned with rough sketches depicting a hellish landscape. It was the chamber Larion and Lotte had unearthed during their delve into Kahrein-Du'em
"Even so, the implications of this-" King Granda began, but interrupted himself upon noticing Larion and Din entering the room, "Ah, Your Majesty. How kind of you to join us."
"Please excuse our intrusion." She apologised, "I suppose this is to do with the discovery at Kahrein-Du'em?"
"I must commend the bravery of yourself and Sir Lotte for undertaking such a dangerous task." He replied, "With this information, we can begin to form theories as to the origins of Demonkind, or at the very least understand just how they are created."
"If I may be so bold as to interrupt-" Yula spoke, "From the sheer concentration of Mu'un encountered by Her Majesty and Sir Lotte, I believe it would be fair to assume that it relates somehow to the birth of Demons."
"An interesting theory, Lady Yula." King Granda responded, "However, do you have any evidence to support this claim?"
"At my request, samples of flesh were severed from the corpses of Demons killed during the battle." She began, "Using the sphere we extracted from the Emitter, it was possible to observe the effects of Mu'un on Demons using a pocket dimension to isolate ourselves from the danger."
"Would Mu'un have any effect on the dead?"
"I believe so, but recall the fact that Demons are not truly killed unless they are touched by the legendary Hero's Sword of Light. As such, it would be more correct to label the samples of flesh as 'alive' for the purposes of our experiment."
"I see. Were you able to draw any useful conclusions?"
"Actually, the results were staggering in their implications." Yula continued, "-When exposed to high concentrations of Mu'un, Demonic flesh seems to undergo a kind of rapid mutation. The bonds of its muscles weaken, and connective tissue begins to break down on a microscopic scale, creating a kind of… well, 'slurry' would be an apt term, if ever-so-slightly crude."
"You mean to say they… dissolve?" Granda asked carefully.
"Yes, but that isn't the impressive part." She replied, "The flesh remains 'alive' even as it breaks down, and, given enough time, or when it's introduced to a fresh sample, it demonstrates the ability to reconstitute itself into a solidified form, taking on a wide variety of functions to suit different needs. It can become muscle, organs--even bone, if need be."
"How terrifying…" Larion commented, "Then, those pillars of… of flesh, that we witnessed in that cavern…"
Yula nodded, "You might call them the 'original form' of Demons. The Mu'un present within the subterranean lake reduces them to a single entity, then regurgitates the mass as columns capable of melding together at will."
"But… why pillars?" She asked.
"I think I may also have the answer to that question, as well." Yula continued, "It's well known at this point that Demons emerge from pits created in the ground. These sinkholes exude Mu'un, and based on your discovery, we can assume that they all lead to similar--or perhaps even the same, underground lake. You mentioned that the tips of the pillars were impossible to see, didn't you?"
"Yes. It was too dark in that chamber for either myself or Sir Lotte to see the ceiling."
"It may be that the pillars are an archaic form of 'readying' Demons to breach the surface." Yula theorised, "Imagine this scenario--the pillars grow to reach the cavern ceiling, and by utilising the adaptability of Mu'un-enriched flesh, a Demon is 'constructed' at the tip of the mass, before breaking off and tunnelling through the soil to reach the surface."
"I see… in that case, new Demons could be prepared as needed and sent into battle as quickly as possible." Larion placed a hand to her chest, "But, this theory--it would imply that Demonkind works as a whole, rather than individual creatures. And, not only that, they would need to be at least somewhat intelligent in order to adapt to existing tactics."
"Hm… they're certainly not 'intelligent' from what we've seen, but what you say is true." Yula considered the queen's words, "Perhaps there's some kind of controller entity?"
"Controller?"
"Yes. Think of a beehive, for instance." She elaborated, "Pheromones secreted by the Queen or workers can direct the entire swarm to ward off an intruder. It allows rather simple insects to rally against greater threats, or become passive when faced with an ally, such as the bond seen between a hive and its beekeeper."
"Then…" Larion was reluctant to finish her thought, "You would suggest that Demons have a 'leader' of some kind?"
"Isn't that exactly what the legend says?" Yula smiled, "The so-called Demon King."
"I see." King Granda closed his eyes in contemplation, "We would have certainly come full circle if your theory holds water, Lady Yula."
"Yes. And if the legend is to be believed, the Demon King can't even be approached without first dispatching the Four Heavenly Kings." She continued, "-And that can't be done without the Hero's Sword of Light."
"All the more important that Lady Dorma returns with him in tow, it seems." Granda concluded.
"Um-"
Timidly making herself known, Din spoke up from the group of observers, "I'm afraid… Barion won't be able to be of any help in that regard, Your Majesty."
"Hm?" Granda turned his head, "Lady Din? I was under the impression you departed with Dorma?"
"Actually, she was here about an hour or so ago." She answered, "She's currently on her way to the Henklomeon Steppe, and it was agreed upon that it would be too dangerous for me to accompany her, so I was returned here."
"I see. Does she believe the Hero can be found there?"
"Yes. She was certain of that to begin with." Din reported, "-However, we first made our way to Anjima. Dorma had someone she wished to meet before setting out to find Barion. When we met with him--an… old acquaintance of hers, you could say, he revealed that Barion had lost the power to materialise the Sword of Light."
"What?" The king blinked, "Is this true?"
"I can't say for myself, but Lady Dorma seemed convinced that he was telling the truth."
"This does not bode well…" He stroked his beard, "If the Hero is incapable of destroying the Four Heavenly Kings, then all hope will be lost."
"If I may interject-" Lotte spoke up, "We still have to determine whether Yula's theory is credible. Until then, we should continue to discuss methods by which we may broaden our understanding of Demonkind in the meantime."
"Yes… we mustn't stop until every possibility is exhausted." Granda replied, "In regards to this cavern, I'd like for those of you especially talented in the art of sorcery to develop the means to breach its impenetrable aura of Mu'un. Until Lady Dorma returns, we must understand everything there is to know about the origins of Demonkind."