The first committed demon stepped fully onto Ouro's stone, and four more bodies followed through the route before the black seam could close.
Each body carried a complete core beneath its chest, making the five arrivals heavier than the crossing portions Cessy and Lucan had used.
Hajin kept five Rings turning around his arm while the returned sixth halo waited beyond the voluntary dissolution delay beneath the active route.
The pain from the clone still burned through his tattoo, though Vella's gold had confirmed the Sanctuary remained untouched behind the guarded bed.
The five demons did not spread randomly, since each one moved toward a person already identified by the foreign route.
The tallest carried a hooked arm toward Cessy, its black claws following the punishment lines under her skin while the foreign chain tightened.
A shorter demon with a split jaw reached for Lucan's throat, reading the severed pursuit line still scarred across his material body.
