Invasion

Everything was fine in Vancrest and Rosso Horizon, Airi had a feeling that the daemons had already invaded but for some reason. She couldn't feel them. Her power wasn't special by a long shot, most nations have about five trackers or more but hers was probably the one that had the highest range.

She could pinpoint a daemon at the outskirts of Rosso Horizon from Vancrest and although not special to only her, she could tell the number of humans the daemon has devoured effectively telling its class.

Daemons all start from tiger class, meaning no human has been devoured. Then they get to lion class when they devour about 13 or so humans, the rate depends on the amount of mana each of them had. They reach dragon class when eating about 30 humans in total and then after devouring about 45 they transform into a Titan class.

The transformation into titan class comes with a lot of benefits, they gain human physiology, gain the ability to shapeshift and all the strength they had in those husky bodies as dragon classes is doubled. Once they transform into Titan class all the mana they attained when in the earlier stages is lost. Meaning they have to devour humans to gain their mana all over again, which is why you can see titan classes with low mana pools. They transform into destroyer class when they've eaten about 60 humans in total, also counting the earlier stages. Become leviathan by 134, arch-fiend by 431and death god by 782. Of course, eating someone with a small amount of mana could make the journey longer and eating someone with a big mana pool could make it significantly shorter.

Daemons attained everything from the person they ate, gifts, elements, mana. However, only one daemon can seamlessly look into the memories of anybody he's devoured.

If a daemon was inside Vancrest, she should be able to track them. Unless. "No that's impossible." When a daemon shape-shifts tracking them would be much harder, when the genetic composition of a daemon changes into that of a human then she can't pinpoint the daemon anymore. "Fuck. Ten go to the zenloft and tell Liric that the daemons could be shape-shifted."

She had expected them to shapeshift and Flores who was below would have uncovered their identity but it would seem they either got past him, or they entered before the gate started being guarded.

"Alright," Ten jumped off the roof and ran toward the zenloft.

The matches had been going through quickly, the entirety of team (4) had won each of their matches and the last match of the day was finally upon them. Sven massaged Igor's shoulders. "You can take him,"

"Are you okay?" Igor looked at Sven. "Your arms and chest were pretty damaged."

"They still feel like they're cut but they're fine, the healing crew fixed me up good."

"We'll beat the shit out of him if we ever get the chance."

"Beat the shit out of Hex first, then Mael." Sven laughed. "Go get 'em!"

"Are both participants ready?" Val said looking at both Igor and Hex.

"Yes." They both said in Unison.

"Start!"

Igor charged at Hex, he learned a multitude of high-level spells from Liric but he would need to pick out his moment precisely. [Enchantment magic act three: Strengthen]. Igor swung his sword at Hex and before it made contact he increased the potency of the enchantment act. [Tenfold], he was already in motion with the sword but it almost weighed him down. Strengthen makes your weapon lighter and sharper with its Tenfold made in heavier while still being sharper.

"Black line." Hex swiftly dodged underneath the blade and immediately Igor dropped it onto the ground it made a thud which he fully utilized.

[Battle magic act three: Rhythm cut], Igor had gotten a gash and was bleeding but he didn't see Hex move except when he dodged. "Wind?" Igor thought. "No that couldn't be wind, I didn't feel a breeze."

"Sound." Raizel said then Vaneer chimed in.

"The Altrathor are a clan of greedy bastards, do you know how lit it would be to control sound!" Vaneer put his fist into the sky as if to say 'Curse you'

"Pairing sound with your ability would be a bit of an overkill don't you think? Yuki" Raizel looked at Yuki.

"What? Me. Yes, adding sound to his ability would make it considerably more dangerous."

"Shhh, the match's going on." Liric looked at Igor with stars in his eyes.

"I could easily heal this by putting a bit of mana there, but it would seem suspicious since I can't use healing magic." Igor thought to himself.

"Are you done?" Hex looked at Igor. "There's a time limit on the match, if you don't attack me and the match ends like this I win. However, that would not be a very pleasurable end."

"What?"

"What does he see in you?" Hex didn't like showing emotions during a battle but right now. Staring at the face of the chosen one made him angry. "WHAT DOES HE SEE IN YOU?"

"Who?"

"I've trained my entire life so that I could come to Vancrest and become Master Liric's disciple, what did you do? why did he pick you!. During the first exam, you could barely kill a lion class and he picked you."

"..." Igor looked at Hex, he could resonate with the boy but this wasn't time for that. They were in a battle and he needed to uncover the boy's magic.

"I'll take you down, so bad that he'll finally acknowledge me!" Hex jammed his sword into the ground. [Battle magic act three: Severing major].

Again Igor was slashed but he couldn't see what slashed him, if he was to get injured again Val might stop the match. "Think Igor think! what has happened before he casts a spell."

"The first time my sword fell into the ground and the second he jammed his sword into the ground. However, I don't think it has anything to do with the earth since the slashes are almost instant and invisible but not wind. What could it... Sound!"

"Knowing won't allow you to win!" Hex jammed his sword into the ground again and cast the same spell but to his surprise, Igor defended against it perfectly.

[Battle magic act three: Earth wall], the sound was defended and Igor's wound hurt more due to the mana he lost. "I'll have to end it with this next attack."

"Liric!." Ten barged into the room and spoke into Liric and Emirus's ears.

Emirus looked at Liric and their worst fear was realized. "Can you do it alone?"

"I'll try to hold him off, after the exams are over you guys should all come to Rosso Horizon."

"Gladius."

[Support magic act three: Portal], Gladius created a portal that sent Liric straight to Rosso Horizon.

"What's happening?" Vaneer asked, and Liric looked at Ten.

"Merlo's at Rosso Horizon." Ten spoke again.

"No fucking way, shouldn't we all go?" Vaneer looked at Emirus. "Liric can't take down that bastard alone.

"We have to solve a problem in Vancrest first, Liric just needs to hold him off a little bit." Emirus looked at the matches, this was the last one for the day. The reason no one else was told about the invasion was to limit any leak of information.

"Anyways Airi needs me. We have to watch over the gate." Ten ran out and Emirus looked at him, he had a sudden flash of deja vu but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Earlier in the day, Liric had confirmed that the invasion would happen today after 'torturing' the destroyer class that wreaked havoc in Bindspath. "Just trust me. Stay here and watch the match, however, be on your guard."

[Battle magic act four: Binding volume], using sound again Hex created two invisible walls that enclosed Igor. [Battle magic act three: Rhythm cut], slamming his sword into the ground he used the sound to slash at Igor.

[Battle magic act three: Full earth jacket], creating a body of earth that covered him like an armor Igor managed to block the slash.

"This will be the last one." Both Hex and Igor thought to themselves.

[Battle magic act eleven: Carnage: Severing flame bombs], [Battle magic act ten: Echo wolf], Several balls of fire were sent toward Hex but before they could reach the Altrathor created the jaws of the echo wolf which ate the attack.

"Emirus! where's Liric? never mind that, Airi says the daemons might be shapeshifting so she can't -" Ten burst into the zenloft and tried to warn Emirus but before he could finish his sentence, he felt a blade enter his torso.

"Thank you for your work Ten," Yuki said as she pulled the blade out of him. "I don't believe we've met before Emirus Halterglaide."

Emirus looked at Ten as he fell to the ground and everybody turned their eyes to them.

"My name is Osiris," The skin of Yuki, the woman he killed upon entering Vancrest melted off him revealing a green-haired man with unique clothes. "Let the invasion begin."