Minutes passed, and chaos erupted throughout the city. The streets were packed with people trying to reach the city center, moving slowly as the masses shuffled forward. Betty and Albert stood in line with other students from the lab, waiting to enter the massive stone dome that had been erected to protect the civilians. Guards patrolled the area, ensuring order, but the tension in the air was palpable.

On the horizon, dark specks appeared in the sky. A few people pointed them out, murmuring in fear as the shapes grew closer. As the figures became clearer, it was unmistakable: beasts with four legs and flaming wings galloped through the air, heading straight for the city. Panic seized the crowd.

Albert and Betty were jostled as the mob pressed together in fear. The guards shouted for order, but their commands were drowned out by the rising terror of the people. The flaming horses soared over the city walls just as a golden barrier surged outward from the center of the city, expanding rapidly and pushing the beasts back.

Only then did the crowd calm slightly, and the soldiers managed to restore some order. Slowly, everyone was herded into the safety of the dome, leaving only those preparing for the battle outside. The horses circled above the city, watching but not yet attacking, as if waiting for the rest of their army to arrive before making their move.

Soldiers and volunteers stood atop the city walls, nervously watching the horizon, while more defenses were hastily constructed below. Trenches were dug, and the tension was visible on everyone's faces. Every citizen above Rank 3 was expected to fight. Many were elderly, others had long since left combat behind, working as laborers or merchants. But now, they all had to stand and fight for their survival.

On the walls, soldiers with binoculars scanned the horizon. One soldier, upon seeing something, began to tremble. In the distance, a dark wave seemed to roll toward the city, consuming everything in its path. He rang the alarm bell with frantic urgency.

The sound echoed across the city, as bells in every district were rung in response. The time had come. The soldiers braced themselves, aligning war machines and aiming their weapons. The archers and mages on the walls took their positions, preparing their spells and arrows. All waited for the signal.

Suddenly, a glowing sign lit up in the sky. It was the signal they had been waiting for. The first barrage of arrows and magical projectiles flew across the sky, raining down on the approaching beasts. Explosions followed, but as the smoke cleared, they saw large basilisks at the front of the beast army, their stone shields raised to block the attacks.

Some of the defenders on the walls grew more nervous at the sight, but the experienced veterans knew this was just the beginning. The initial strike was to test the strength of the enemy. Moments later, massive meteors streaked through the air, crashing into the beasts with devastating force. Several monsters were obliterated, and the defenders looked up to see a man with six stars embroidered on his silken robe.

Another mage, clad in a robe adorned with dark clouds, summoned a storm. Black thunderclouds gathered in the sky, sending down lightning strikes that randomly struck the ground, causing further chaos among the beasts. Hope began to rise among the defenders, but their confidence was soon shaken as a massive fireball came hurtling toward the city. It slammed into the barrier, causing it to flicker and quake.

"Intercept the attacks!" one of the soldiers shouted as he launched a counterattack with his magic. The mages on the walls worked together to deflect the incoming projectiles, but the pressure was mounting. Soon, a portion of the beasts reached the city.

In the streets, the first defenders could see the creatures charging toward them. Leading the first wave was a massive tiger, surrounded by swirling winds that accelerated everything around it. A man, who looked like a simple craftsman but carried a massive hammer, stepped forward. With a powerful swing, he slammed his hammer into the ground, sending large chunks of rock flying toward the tiger and its companions.

The tiger dodged with ease, but the beasts beside it were impaled by the flying debris. Just as the tiger prepared to pounce, a short man with a battle axe leaped in front of it, clashing with the beast's claws. Sparks flew as the two opponents were knocked back.

"Are you alright?" the hammer-wielding craftsman asked.

"Of course, that was nothing!" the axe fighter grumbled, standing tall. "Worry about yourself."

More beasts poured through the gates, and the battle began to escalate. Above, a man flew over the battlefield, dropping spherical bombs that detonated on impact. A massive explosion tore through the enemy ranks, shredding several beasts to pieces. The tiger barely survived, only to be decapitated by the axe-wielding man as it tried to stand.

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It was a small victory, but the next wave of monsters was already approaching. The city lord stood atop the walls, watching the Fire Stallion. So far, it had only circled above, observing the battle as if searching for something. Faust stuck to his plan of holding back until the Stallion or the Water Gorilla attacked.

But one question plagued his mind: Where is that damn Mr. F?

The battle raged on, and despite a few losses, the defenders were holding their ground. However, things took a darker turn as the Rank 6 beasts made their entrance. A massive basilisk, larger than any they had seen, approached the city gates, flanked by a green wolf-like creature. The basilisk raised an enormous stone shield, blocking the defenders' view.

From behind the shield, gusts of wind surged forward, slicing through the air. Some were deflected, but others hit their mark, severing limbs from those unlucky enough to be caught in their path. Another wave of wind blades followed, and the defenders quickly found themselves overwhelmed as casualties began to rise.

The axe fighter jumped forward, determined to take on the beasts. The architect crafted small platforms of stone, which the axe fighter used to leap toward the monsters. More wind blades shot toward him, but explosions rocked the battlefield as objects fell from above, detonating just before the wind blades could reach the defender.

Dust and debris filled the air, blinding the wolf and dulling its senses. Unable to see or smell its attacker, the wolf was left vulnerable. The axe fighter seized the opportunity and struck, but his blow was partially deflected by a sudden stone barrier that formed around the wolf. The hit didn't land as deeply as he had hoped.

The wolf snapped at him, forcing the man to jump back. Wind blades followed, which he deflected with his weapon, but the fight was far from over. Seeing that he couldn't land a decisive blow, he retreated for the moment, returning to the architect's side.

"Damn beasts," he muttered.

The architect nodded grimly. "A dangerous combination. And the longer they hold us here, the harder they'll be to take down."

Time was running out, and if they didn't act soon, their chances of victory would slip away entirely.

Suddenly, a disturbance swept across the battlefield outside the city. A massive gorilla charged on all fours, heading straight for the main gate. The city lord, Faust, prepared to intercept the beast, but just as he moved, the Stallion made its move as well.

A gigantic fireball began forming in front of the Stallion's face, growing larger by the second before being launched at the city's barrier. Faust had no choice but to counter the attack. If he didn't block it, the barrier wouldn't last long under such force. As soon as Faust deflected the fireball, more attacks followed, pinning him down on the wall. He was torn—if he left to stop the gorilla, the entire city would be vulnerable to the Stallion's relentless assault. But if he stayed, the gorilla would wreak havoc once it broke through the gates.

With no better options, Faust chose to remain focused on the Stallion, hoping that Mr. F would honor the agreement and deal with the gorilla.

Meanwhile, the gorilla continued its rampage, barreling toward the gate and shrugging off every attack thrown its way. The defenders' magic and weapons barely scratched it, and its immense power made it nearly unstoppable.

Suddenly, a figure leaped down from the city walls, landing just outside the gates. The man wore a completely black cloak, his face obscured, making it impossible for anyone to identify him. The defenders stared in disbelief—who was this seemingly suicidal man, standing alone against the horde of monsters? But his actions spoke louder than words.

The mysterious man raised his hands and unleashed his magic upon the ground. The earth beneath the monsters began to shift, its color darkening until it resembled a thick, swamp-like mire. The beasts, including the gorilla, slowed down dramatically as they sank into the now treacherous terrain. Their movements became sluggish, and they struggled to lift their feet as if the ground itself was holding them down.

The sudden transformation in the battlefield brought the monster advance to a temporary halt, giving the defenders on the walls a crucial moment to strike. Arrows and spells rained down on the immobilized creatures, cutting down scores of them. For a brief moment, it seemed as though the tide of battle was turning in favor of the humans.

But the gorilla, enraged by the delay, beat its chest and let out a deafening roar. It stretched its arms outward, channeling magic into the swampy ground. Slowly, droplets of water began to gather, drawing moisture from the earth. In less than a minute, the once-soft ground hardened to stone, leaving the swamp dry. With immense strength, the gorilla wrenched its legs free from the earth, and the other beasts quickly followed suit, resuming their charge toward the city.

The gorilla's rage was palpable as it set its sights on the masked man. With terrifying speed, it lunged toward him. But the mysterious figure remained calm, casually tossing a small bonsai tree toward the charging gorilla before retreating back toward the gate.

The gorilla barely noticed the small tree as it soared through the air. But something strange began to happen. The bonsai tree started to grow, rapidly expanding until it reached the size of the gorilla itself. The astonished defenders watched as the tree continued to grow, its branches stretching skyward until it stood as tall as the city walls.

The sudden appearance of the colossal tree stunned everyone on the battlefield. Even the defenders momentarily halted their attacks, too shocked to continue. It wasn't until Faust's commanding shout echoed across the walls, ordering them to keep fighting, that they snapped out of their daze and resumed their assault on the beasts.

From his vantage point on the wall, Faust muttered under his breath, "So, you've finally shown up." He glanced at the Stallion, then spoke aloud to it. "Now I can focus all my attention on you." With that, he leaped forward, launching himself into the air and charging directly at the fiery beast.