Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

As Adrian and the others rushed through the city gates, the massive doors groaned shut behind them with a resounding thud. Chains rattled and locks clicked into place, sealing off the entrance just as the chaos beyond the walls began to escalate. The gatekeepers, covered in sweat and grime, exhaled in relief. Everyone finally made it back, just in time.

Breathing heavily, Adrian glanced around. The tension was palpable—soldiers scrambled to their posts, barking orders and carrying weapons and supplies. The air hummed with urgency as they readied for the imminent siege. Above them, the sky buzzed with activity.

Adrian's gaze was drawn upwards, where the General and the city's flying units were already taking to the skies. Beasts with massive wings and flying ships powered by magic rose higher, heading towards the dark horizon, where the first shadows of the enemy flocks could be seen. A faint hum of distant screeches from wyverns filled the air even from afar.

"They're moving out fast," Aria muttered beside him, her eyes following the aerial units.

"That's good. The more they can take care of up there, the better," Aurelius added, his voice tense as he wiped sweat from his brow.

"Right, it's going to get messy down here soon," Claire said her eyes turning to the communication bracelet.

"Let's go, we have been assigned to a post," Ella ordered as she raised her head.

"Yes, Captain."

Adrian and his group moved swiftly toward the left side of the main gate walls. The battlements stretched wide, towering above the plains beyond. Soldiers lined up along the parapets, some armed with bows, others gripping spears and shields. The tension hung in the air like a storm about to break.

"Left side of the gate. That's where we're stationed," Ella called out, her voice calm but firm as she led the group forward. Her leadership was unquestioned, and even though the younger students were still adjusting to the intensity of battle, Ella moved with confidence, a veteran of such moments. She briefly turned, her sharp gaze scanning the horizon. "We don't let them through here. Understood?"

"Yes, Captain!" the group responded in unison.

Ceil, the leader of the second years, adjusted the straps on her armor, glancing at the lower battlements. " Senior Anthony and his team seem to be stationed on the right side," she said.

"That's right, the Unyielding Bastion will take the brunt of the force from the west." Claire chuckled as she followed Ella.

Adrian's eyes flicked to Aria, Aurelia, and Aurelius, who stood next to him. They reunited with Aurelia and Ardel on their way here.

There was a moment of shared understanding among them. This wasn't training or doing missions anymore.

Real lives were on the line.

Not only theirs but thousands, if not millions.

"Anthony Stonefist, huh," Aurelius muttered, his usual curiosity tempered by the gravity of the situation. He met that senior not long ago, and he had left the quiet impression on him.

"Nothing can get past that guy," Ardel muttered, still in awe of how tall and fit the guy was.

"Let's focus," Aurelia said sharply, though her own eyes betrayed a flicker of anxiety. "They are coming."

A distant rumble filled the air, low and ominous like the growl of a beast. Adrian looked out beyond the walls, his heart beginning to race. The horizon, once calm, was now alive with movement.

The werebeasts from the Platinum Tier Ruin, The Ruin of Red Moon, had arrived.

From atop the walls, the defenders could see the vast army surging towards them, a writhing mass of fur and muscle. Their numbers were staggering—easily more than six thousand, far larger than what any of the scouts had reported. The creatures ran on all fours, others upright with vicious, glinting eyes.

Their roars echoed across the plain, their speed frightening, leaving trails of dust in their wake.

"More than we were told to…" Ardel whispered, his voice barely audible over the rising tension. "...as always... Damn it."

Adrian swallowed hard, gripping his sword tighter. The enemy's speed was terrifying—they were closing the distance far quicker than any of them had expected.

"They're fast!" Ceil barked from her position.

Ella stepped forward, her presence commanding. She raised her staff high, the air crackling with magic as the elements gathered around her. "Mages, ready your spells!" she called. "Wait until they're within range. We need to hit them hard and fast."

Behind her, Claire, and other mages, raised their arms. The wind around her picked up, swirling in anticipation as she prepared to unleash a torrent of magic.

The werebeasts were close now, their snarls and guttural roars growing louder. They could see their sharp fangs glinting in the fading light, their hulking bodies barreling forward with frightening speed.

"Hold the line!" Ella shouted, her voice carrying over the roar of the approaching horde. "Mages, now!"

In unison, the city's mages unleashed their spells. Ella's hands crackled with lightning, bolts of electricity shooting forth from her palms, striking the ground in front of the charging beasts. The earth beneath their feet exploded as her lightning and earth magic combined, sending shockwaves through their ranks.

Claire followed suit, whipping up gusts of wind to disorient the werebeasts, while blasts of water struck the creatures with enough force to knock them back.

The first wave of monsters faltered, some of them crashing to the ground as the magic took hold. But there were too many. They kept coming, pushing through the destruction with terrifying persistence.

"Archers, fire!" A commander ordered.

A volley of arrows shot into the sky, arcing down onto the werebeasts below. The first row of beasts fell, pierced by the rain of arrows, but the others surged forward, undeterred. Their claws dug into the ground as they accelerated toward the city walls.

"They're still coming!" Aria shouted. "Don't stop."

The sheer number of enemies was overwhelming. The magic and arrows had barely slowed them down. The ground beneath the city walls trembled as the beasts collided with the outer defenses, slamming into the barriers with bone-crushing force. The sound of claws scraping against stone filled the air as the werebeasts began to scale the walls.

"They're climbing!" Aria's voice was edged with urgency as she took her position next to Adrian, picking a bow and quill in hand. "We need to stop them before they breach the walls!"

"Get ready!" Adrian shouted. "We hold the line here!"

Adrian, along with the others, the soldiers, rushed to the edge of the wall, weapons drawn. The soldiers around them readied their spears and shields, bracing themselves for the inevitable clash. The werebeasts' claws scraped against the stone, their eyes wild with fury as they hauled themselves upward, snarling and biting as they ascended.

"Don't let them through!" Aurelia said, unleashing a wave of light magic from her staff, blinding the climbing beasts.

Aurelius charged forward, swinging his sword down at a beast's head as it clawed its way to the top of the wall. The blade struck true, and the creature let out a pained howl before falling backward, crashing into the horde below.

Aria loosed arrow after arrow, each shot striking the climbing creatures with quite impressive precision despite her being a magic swordsman.

But for every werebeast they took down, two more took its place.

"They just keep coming!" Ardel shouted, his voice strained as he slashed at another beast trying to claw its way up. Blood splattered the stones as the creature fell, but the relentless assault continued.