"We can't retreat any further."
The brutal reality of their situation hit the group with crushing force. There was no more space to maneuver, no more ground to yield.
This was where they would make their last stand.
The attacks became frenzied, desperate. They could no longer afford the luxury of waiting for the perfect moment; every second of hesitation meant one more Locus closer, one more claw nearer to reaching them.
Carbon walls rose and fell in rapid succession, each barrier containing a new combo. But the mana cost was high, too high.
The numbers began to turn red in their minds. Each attack was a desperate calculation, a gamble against increasingly unfavorable odds. Efficiency, so crucial until now, began to give way to the pure need for survival.
The bearer of the Attack Emblem was the first to feel the weight of the battle.
"I'm almost dry," he announced, his voice barely audible over the roar of the Locus and the thunder of magical attacks.
The others looked at him, fear reflected in their eyes. They knew what it meant: they were losing one of their attackers.
"The spear," said the Power Emblem bearer. "Use it. We have no other choice."
With his back against the wall, he found a glimmer of hope. The tip of his spear managed to penetrate the Locus' carapace, causing real damage even if it was low... it wouldn't run out like mana.
His companions seized every opportunity, launching coordinated magical attacks or raising carbon walls to contain the explosions of their combos.
But their mana was also rapidly depleting. The situation was critical.
The Life Emblem bearer was the next to run out of magical energy.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward with his spear in hand, joining the Attack Emblem bearer on the front line. Although his blows failed to damage the Locus, his presence served as moral support.
For a brief moment, it seemed they could maintain this precarious defense. The tunnel filled with the sound of metal against monstrous flesh, interrupted only by the occasional burst of magic to support them.
But hope is fragile in the darkness of a besieged tunnel.
Before anyone could react, a Locus pounced on the Attack Emblem bearer.
Horror paralyzed the three survivors.
Not only had they lost another companion, but now they found themselves unarmed in front of an enemy they thought defeated. Without mana and without the Attack Emblem bearer, they had no way to damage the monster.
The Locus, as if savoring its victory, advanced slowly towards them. Its eyes, bright with malice, fixed on the Defense Emblem bearer.
In a quick movement, the monster caught one warrior between its claws. The other two watched helplessly, expecting to see their companion crushed.
But something unexpected happened.
The mortal squeeze they expected never came. The Defense Emblem bearer, though trapped, didn't seem to be suffering damage.
The realization hit them like lightning. His defense wasn't 12 like the others, but 24, doubled by the power of the emblem. The Locus' strength, though formidable, wasn't enough to pierce that protection.
However, the victory was ephemeral.
Although the warrior's body was safe, his neck remained vulnerable. With only 6 defense points in that area (12 thanks to the emblem), the monster's 15 strength would be more than enough to tear off his neck.
The Defense Emblem bearer, aware of his precarious situation, raised his free arms to protect his head. It was a temporary solution, but every second gained was one more second of life.
The Locus, frustrated by the unexpected resistance, increased the pressure.
The warrior felt as if his head was about to explode between his own arms. The pain was unbearable, the pressure increasing with each moment. His strength of 6 was no match for the monster's.
Just when it seemed all was lost, something extraordinary happened. The fallen Attack Emblem bearer's book began to glow with an intense light.
Suddenly, not only did the cores release in an explosion of energy, but the Attack Emblem itself emerged, floating in the air like a beacon of hope.
The tunnel filled with a blinding light.
The Life Emblem bearer leaped forward.
But before he could reach the emblem, the Power Emblem bearer beat him to it.