In a room.
Individuals had gathered. The atmosphere was tense.
Minds were sharp, brains boiling.
A towering figure. A man with deep wrinkles.
He walked towards the whiteboard, then spoke.
His words resonated in the room, capturing everyone's attention.
"Dear colleagues, the situation is critical. As you already know, humanoid monsters have invaded the entire city of Damos for nearly three hours. We currently have the city police and emergency services working to protect civilians. Apart from the wardens already present in the city, we have deployed two additional teams. However, despite making progress in eradicating these abominable creatures, significant difficulties are to be deplored. Giant humanoid monsters, much stronger than their counterparts, possess an indefinite regeneration ability, and according to the latest report received, they would be capable of using ether, making their eradication extremely challenging."
A heavy silence fell in the room, everyone absorbing the information with a certain terror.
Eyes met, betraying the anxiety that engulfed each of the protagonists in this merciless struggle.
"How many of these giant humanoid monsters do we count?" asked one of the members.
"According to the reports we have obtained, there are nine of them, one of which has recently been defeated," replied the man with deep wrinkles in a grave voice.
A council member raised his hand.
"How was this giant humanoid monster defeated?" he inquired. "Didn't you just say they could regenerate indefinitely?"
Eyes converged towards the man with deep wrinkles.
He took a deep breath before responding. "Indeed. According to the reports received, we owe this victory to a group of wardens from the Faloo guild. One of them possesses a large-scale spell that would have overcome the monster. It is therefore suggested that it would be possible to defeat these monsters by completely annihilating them."
The man who had asked the question was about to speak again, but the man with deep wrinkles preempted him, sensing his thoughts.
"However," he continued, "I must inform you that the group in question is no longer in a state to fight. They have suffered heavy losses, and their resources are depleted."
A murmur of consternation ran through the assembly.
One of the members stood up.
"We already know how to get rid of them. Why don't the other wardens do the same?" questioned one member.
"We're talking about annihilation," retorted another member, finding his colleague's question foolish. "There aren't many capable of such spells, even among the mages of great guilds. What we need to do is send in the Senkaï to fight these monsters. They have the necessary power to act."
However, other council members vehemently opposed this idea.
"We must make do with what we have and act quickly. Bringing in new units would take too much time," argued one opponent.
"Furthermore, calling upon the Senkaï is premature. As far as I know, the only threat is these eight giant humanoid monsters. Deploying the Senkaï for this could risk reducing our overall defenses if it turns out to be just a ruse by enemies," added another opponent.
"Do you want us to abandon Damos then?!" exclaimed the member who had proposed the Senkaï intervention.
"Of course not," refuted the opponent who had raised the possibility of an enemy trap. "I'm just saying that we shouldn't risk weakening our overall defenses by trying to protect only one city."
Tension mounted in the room as another member grew frustrated with the inaction and nonchalance of the surveillance forces.
"How is it that our surveillance forces did not detect this threat earlier? This is an inexcusable failure!"
Discussions continued, each member expressing their frustration and growing concern.
Time was running out, the city was in danger, and they needed to find a solution quickly.
Finally, a member spoke up, thoughtful and resolute.
"My colleagues, we must face reality. As things stand, we can no longer continue to risk the lives of our citizens. We must consider evacuating the city and targeted bombings to contain the invasion. We cannot allow this scourge to spread to other parts of the country."
His speech was tinged with a certain sadness, a difficult concession to accept but necessary for everyone's survival.
Anxiety and uncertainty permeated the air in the room as each weighed the pros and cons of this decision with far-reaching consequences.
Some members, after a moment of silence, slowly acquiesced, recognizing the validity of his words.
It seemed to be the most prudent solution.
Although it would cost them a city, cities can be rebuilt, lives cannot.
However, before a decision could be made, a council member raised his hand, his face displaying a deep in thought expression.
"My dear colleagues, allow me to propose another path, a solution that could spare the lives of tens of thousands of our citizens as well as the city of Damos."
Silence fell, all eyes turning to this man who claimed to have a solution.
"I have been contacted by the Zion guild," he declared in a calm yet assured voice.
This unexpected suggestion sparked consternation among the council members.
A heavy silence filled the council chamber, broken only by the silent questions that could be read on the faces of each member.
Finally, a member spoke, a young woman, breaking the oppressive silence. "What exactly is this Zion guild? I've never heard of it."
Another, older member, smiled slightly. "You're new, so it's normal that you don't know about the Zion guild. To put it simply, it's a kind of clandestine guild that specializes in various tasks. Some states call upon them for extreme situations, extraordinary threats. However, they advocate neutrality, not intervening in political conflicts or wars."
The young woman raised an eyebrow.
"Mercenary mages?" she said in shock. "You want to entrust a crisis our country is facing to mere clandestine operatives? What can they even do in a situation that a country itself cannot handle?"
"Miss Hartley, you are mistaken," intervened another member. "It may seem absurd to you, but the Zion guild we're talking about has ample means to solve this problem. To make you understand, the higher echelons tend to refer to it as the 'Sixth Great Power'."
At these words, the young woman was astonished. She then looked at the rest of her colleagues as if to contradict these statements, but their silence further confirmed this truth.
"However, you didn't mention it from the beginning, Mr. Tish," said the member who had earlier suggested summoning the Senkaï. "Why?"
"It's obvious," interjected the one who had been angry with the surveillance forces. "What else if not the price. Isn't that right, Mr. Tish?"
"Indeed," added another member, the older one who had explained what the Zion agency was to the young woman, "We know that this guild does not act out of love for the country. They must certainly have exorbitant financial demands. Just out of curiosity, Mr. Tish, how much did they ask for?"
The man, Mr. Tish, nodded, understanding his peers' concerns. "I indeed refrained from speaking to you about them, hoping that we would find a more adequate solution. However, given the situation, it seemed right to mention it now."
He paused before continuing.
"As for the amount, it stands at 100 billion Jils."
It was complete chaos.