Paris was still rebuilding.
Scaffolding clung to half-broken buildings, cranes dotted the skyline, and the smell of dust and steel lingered in every street. Families lived in temporary shelters, trying to convince themselves that the worst had already passed.
But when the sky tore open again, hope shattered.
A rift widened above the Seine, its jagged edges glowing red. Screams broke the fragile calm as darkness poured down, staining the river black. The waters churned violently, as though something massive stirred beneath the surface.
---
The Demons of the River
Three forms emerged from the rift, their shadows stretching across the water.
Kroth, the Drowned (Low-Rank). A bloated corpse-like demon, his body dripping endlessly.
Skill: Flood Maw — unleashing torrents of corrupted water to drown his enemies.
Selith, the Leech Queen (Low-Rank). Her skin writhed with swarms of leeches, her eyes glowing sickly green.
Skill: Blood Drain — sending her swarms to latch onto aura and life alike.
Vhalor, the Abyssal Tyrant (Mid-Rank). A towering beast with fins like blades and a trident formed of bone.
Skill: Abyss Breaker — summoning tidal waves that crashed with crushing force.
They landed in the river with a roar, water surging into the streets, carrying cars and people in its wake.
---
Amélie Dufort – The Water Wielder
At the heart of the chaos, standing on the Pont Neuf, was a woman cloaked in blue. Her hands flowed like the current, streams of water coiling around her wrists and ankles. Her eyes were calm, but beneath that serenity was unshakable resolve.
Amélie Dufort.
She looked out across the Seine as the demons thrashed in the water. Her voice was quiet, yet it carried through the storm.
"This city has already bled once. It will not again."
---
The River Awakens
Kroth struck first, his bloated form splitting open.
"Flood Maw!"
A torrent of black water spewed from his jaws, racing across the bridge toward Amélie.
She lifted her hand.
"River's Guard."
The Seine itself rose to her call, walls of clean water colliding against the black torrent. The bridge shook, but the filth was washed aside, leaving her untouched.
Selith screeched, her body writhing as leeches poured forth in a crawling wave.
"Blood Drain!"
The swarm surged across the bridge, latching onto anything living, their teeth gleaming.
Amélie spread both arms.
"Purification Current!"
A flood burst outward from her body, sweeping the leeches into a whirlpool. They shrieked and dissolved, their corruption cleansed by her flowing aura.
Then the water split as Vhalor rose, towering with his trident gleaming.
"Abyss Breaker!"
He slammed the weapon into the Seine. The river convulsed, a tidal wave towering above the city. It threatened to drown half of Paris in one strike.
Amélie's eyes narrowed. She raised both hands high, her aura exploding.
"Ocean's Embrace!"
The tidal wave froze mid-air, seized by her will. For a moment, the river obeyed her alone. With a sharp gesture, she split it in two, diverting the flood away from the city. The wave crashed harmlessly into empty banks, leaving the streets trembling but intact.
---
The Dance of Water
Kroth lunged again, bloated arms reaching. Amélie spun gracefully, ribbons of water wrapping around his limbs.
"Serpent Stream!"
The ribbons twisted like constrictors, crushing his body until it burst in a spray of black ichor. His roar drowned beneath the current as his form dissolved.
Selith shrieked and leapt for her, claws flashing. Amélie met her mid-air, her movements fluid as a dance. Water surged from her palm.
"Hydro Lance!"
The spear pierced straight through the Leech Queen's chest. The swarms writhed one last time before evaporating into mist.
Only Vhalor remained.
---
Tyrant of the Abyss
Vhalor roared, his trident cleaving through the bridge.
"Abyss Breaker!"
Stone shattered, the Pont Neuf collapsing into the water. Civilians screamed as they clung to railings.
Amélie's aura surged brighter than ever. The Seine itself rose to catch the falling, streams of water hardening into platforms that carried people safely to the banks.
Her calm face hardened into steel.
"You will not take them."
She raised her arms, and the river erupted upward, forming a towering serpent of water. It coiled around her, eyes gleaming like sapphires.
"Leviathan's Wrath!"
The serpent lunged, crashing into Vhalor with unstoppable force. The Abyssal Tyrant fought, trident slashing, waves colliding—but the leviathan tightened, dragging him beneath the Seine.
The river churned violently, boiling with the clash. Then, with a deafening roar, the water exploded upward. When it calmed, only ash drifted to the surface.
---
Aftermath
Paris trembled, but it still stood. Civilians wept in relief as Amélie guided the river back into its banks. The bridge was gone, but the city was alive.
She stood silently, her aura dimming, her eyes fixed on the rift still pulsing above. For a moment, she felt the water whisper back—an echo of something deeper, darker.
"…The tide is rising," she murmured.
And far away, beyond mortal sight, the Upper Demons stirred in their slumber