Selene observed from atop the wall, her face a mask of concern as the last recruits disappeared into the sea of monsters.
Her frog summon perched on her shoulder, its large eyes scanning the horizon nervously. The air was charged with tension, as if the city itself held its breath.
When the alarm sounded that afternoon, Selene was already in motion.
The defenders lined up, their summons glowing with contained energy. The barrier flickered, and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still.
Three and a half seconds.
The roar of the Locus filled the air, but the wave wasn't as overwhelming as Selene had feared.
The defenders responded with precision, their coordinated attacks disintegrating the monsters before they could advance too far. Summons of all types - rabbits, frogs and even some swifts - worked in tandem with their human partners, their combined efforts a testament to the new system's effectiveness.
When the dust settled and the last Locus fell, Selene allowed herself a brief moment of relief. But the reality of the situation was quick to hit her.
The improvement wasn't a miracle.
"The absence of the recruits," she murmured to herself, her mind working quickly. "Even that small reduction in our population was enough to decrease the impact."
The joy from this small victory was short-lived.
Selene knew that the next day, with the constant birth rate, they would be back to 4 seconds. Or worse.
♢♢♢♢
Ten days later, the nightmare everyone feared became reality.
The alarm resonated through the city, its howl longer and more ominous than ever. Selene, atop the wall, felt her heart stop when she saw the barrier flicker and disappear. The seconds passed, and the barrier didn't reappear.
One second. Two. Three. Four. Five.
The roar of the Locus filled the air, a deafening cacophony that chilled the blood. An endless tide of monsters rushed towards the parapet, their twisted forms darkening the sky.
The surviving defenders retreated, forming a new defense line further back on the parapet. Here, those who still had mana could provide some coverage, while the exhausted were forced to fight with spears.
The battle became a desperate struggle for survival.
Every meter of the parapet was fiercely disputed, the ground slippery with the blood of the fallen.
Selene fought alongside her soldiers, her penguin already reduced to its smallest form by exhaustion. She used her sword to take down one Locus after another, her arms burning from the effort.
With one last desperate effort, the defenders managed to eliminate the remaining Locus on the parapet. The last monster fell with a shriek, and suddenly, silence took over the battlefield.
Selene looked around, her heart sinking at the devastation.
The parapet, once imposing and untouchable, was now covered in bodies.
The survivors were stunned, barely able to believe the battle was over. The few remaining summons huddled close to their masters, seeking comfort in their presence.
♢♢♢♢
The numbers came shortly after, and they were devastating.
Two thousand five hundred casualties.
Two thousand five hundred lives lost in a single day. Selene felt the weight of each of those deaths fall on her shoulders.
The next day brought an unexpected respite.
The barrier only failed for two seconds, and there were no casualties.
But no one dared to celebrate.
The relief on the soldiers' faces was mixed with palpable fear.
Everyone knew that in less than a month, the tragedy would repeat itself.
"Hurry, Elio," Selene murmured, her eyes fixed on the horizon. Her frog summon croaked softly, as if echoing her plea. The fate of the city hung in the balance, and time was running out.