Crimson Soil of the Battlefield

Rays of dawn shone upon those who had overcome the adversity of survival. It provided them solace during such a dire time. Their most important and difficult battle yet that would decide their fate.

Five days had passed, and the day had arrived on which an army of humans would face a horde of monsters for survival.

"There they are!" A woman dressed in a white top and black shorts announced as she noticed the arrival of the monsters. "I would estimate around an hour until they breach the borders. Dogs and wolves!"

Over five hundred humans stood near the borders of Vancouver through which the monsters would invade. They all carried solemn expressions and held weapons.

At the forefront were Alex, Maxwell, and Eric, who were the only people to possess mana. The three were also widely regarded as the strongest after the five-day training period, in which all three trained to no end.

The second line of defense included Eugene, Sarah, and two-hundred people who carried weapons that were provided by the djinn, Kyl.

Behind them was the third line of defense, consisting of those who had nearly no combat experience and carried weapons they had obtained by scouring the city. They were widely regarded as the weakest and were the last line of defense before the monsters entered the former metropolis city.

"The dust causes the monsters to be inconspicuous, even from such close proximity," Alex commented as he concentrated on the monsters, who approached them while tearing down roads and buildings.

"True," Maxwell agreed with the statement, as he also found it difficult to spot the monsters, even now. The woman who had located the monsters stood atop a rooftop, holding binoculars she had stolen from an apartment.

An hour passed in an instant, as the dogs and wolves came into view. The survivors braced themselves for an uncomfortable impact as they witnessed the deranged faces of the monsters, whose only thoughts were to kill.

"Get ready!" Alex shouted loud enough to reach the ears of everyone present on the battlefield. A couple of seconds later, the first monster reached within arm's length of Alex. The boy swung Durendal lightly, decapitating the dog in an instant.

Thud!

As the head of the first monster collided with the dry soil, the battle officially began. Several grunts emerged from those who had underestimated the monsters, while most dominated the dogs and wolves with relative ease.

Kang! Shing! Thud!

Alex decided to conserve his energy as he used pure swordsmanship to decapitate the monsters. Heads fell everywhere as humans rushed to gather Stones of Soma. Alex, along with many others, had prepared a bag in which they could store the Stones dropped by the monsters, and that they did.

"Maxwell! Behind you!" Eric yelled as Maxwell turned around, deflecting a fatal wound using the crimson sword Alex had lent him. He then swung diagonally, striking the snout of the wolf, who was quick enough to back off.

Maxwell sidestepped as the wolf lunged before piercing the latter's abdomen using the crimson blade.

Blood surrounded the battlefield, dying it in a deep shade of red. The soil absorbed the blood as if it were nutrition, causing the soil to become wet quickly.

Sarah grunted as she parried an incoming claw, gritting her teeth before kicking the snout of the dog she was facing into the soil. She swung her knife, ending the monster's life before collecting the Stones of Soma.

"The monsters are unusually stronger than usual," Sarah commented as she approached Eugene, striking a monster who was on his tail. "And you're slower than usual."

"Muscle soreness," Eugene responded plainly. "Plus, these things are definitely more powerful than previously."

The dogs and wolves that seemed to be extremely weak had suddenly become incredibly powerful, to the point where even killing a small number of them took tremendous effort. Eugene worried about the future of the battle when other, more powerful monsters begin appearing.

Such a case was inevitable, and the deaths of many were imminent. In such a predicament, all they could do was voraciously gather Stones of Soma in hopes that they could last until the end. They did not possess any leeway to try to develop their physique. At this point, the stones solely existed to treat wounds one might receive during battle.

The battle continued as the monsters poured into the battlefield as if there was no end. The humans began being pushed back by mere canines encompassed in darkness.

Under the previously sunny day which had now withered into a downpour of rain and monsters, the humans suffered their first casualty.

The wolf lunged as it bit the abdomen of a middle-aged man riddled with wounds. His soft flesh succumbed to the jaws of the monster as the man let out a blood-curdling scream that acted as his last words.

The atmosphere darkened instantly as many watched with widened eyes. The crackling of thunder and the ominous premonition delivered by a strike of lightning initiated the downfall of the motivation and morale that the humans previously possessed.

Due to witnessing one of their companions' deaths, many began questioning whether they could survive. During that process, many were wounded due to having lost their fighting spirit, resulting in careless actions.

Several casualties occurred in the blink of an eye as many canines razed through the first two lines of defense. The third line of defense, being the weakest, could not sustain the charge of so many monsters simultaneously.

Unfortunately for the humans, the monsters continued pouring in from the front, offering no leeway to the members of the first and second line of defense to assist the third, which was forced be self-sufficient with insufficient battle strength.

Rain poured down on the battlefield, resulting in the soil dampening considerably. This caused many monsters as well as humans to slip into their own demise if they weren't careful.

"Fuck! Can you guys manage without me? I'll go help!" Eugene announced as he prepared to leave his position.

"No," Alex refused. "Eric, it's time to use it."

Eric nodded solemnly as Eugene directed a glare towards the amethyst-eyed boy. "What do you mean? Why can't I go?"

"Because I'm going," Alex calmly stated. "Eric can maintain the first line of defense alongside Maxwell. I have replacements, but you don't."

Eugene, realizing that Alex's words made sense, grit his teeth in frustration before reluctantly returning to maintaining his position. Sarah patted his back sympathetically as she continued her assault on the monsters restlessly as if she were a predator.

Alex sighed as he prepared to delve into the third line of defense, hoping to lessen the casualties while suppressing their foes as much as possible. He nodded towards the others as an indication of his leave before shooting off into the distance.

"Just wait for me, mutts."