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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.

"Hold the line!" Selene shouted, her voice struggling to be heard over the chaos. Around her, the defenders prepared, their summons shining with blinding intensity.

The first wave of Locus crashed against the defenses like a tsunami. The front-line soldiers launched their attacks, their summons unleashing a hell of fire and ice.

Monsters fell by the dozens, but for each one that fell, two more took its place.

Selene moved from one side of the wall to the other, coordinating the defense and launching her own attacks. Her penguin worked tirelessly alongside her, its powerful control allowing her to strike at monsters from unexpected angles. But even as she fought, Selene knew it wouldn't be enough.

The battle dragged on.

The defenders fought with desperation.

Selene lost count of how many Locus she had taken down, her body moving on pure instinct and adrenaline. Her summon, exhausted, had shrunk to its smallest form, barely able to keep up with its master's frantic movements.

As time passed, the situation became increasingly desperate.

The Locus at the front were living shields for those behind, and the defenders were beginning to show signs of mana exhaustion.

"Don't yield!" Selene shouted, her voice hoarse from effort. "For the city!"

But even as she shouted, she could see that the defense line was beginning to falter. The Locus, sensing weakness, redoubled their efforts. At one point on the wall, they managed to overcome the first line of defense.

"Reinforce the eastern sector!" Selene ordered, running towards the breaking point.

But the damage was already done. With a breach in the defenses, the Locus began to flood the parapet.

Desperation seized the defenders. Many, in a last attempt to stop the monsters, launched all their magical arsenal at once and used their mana less efficiently.

They ran out of mana.

The soldiers were forced to fight hand-to-hand, their weapons clashing against the claws and fangs of the monsters. Their summons, drained of energy, could do little more than provide minimal support.

But the cost was high. Exhausted and without mana, many soldiers found themselves defenseless against the next line of Locus. Selene watched in horror as they fell, one after another, before the monsters.

"Fall back 2 meters!" Selene shouted, her heart breaking as she gave the order. She knew it meant abandoning those who had already fallen, but she had no choice.

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.