A deep rumble shook the ruined city. Vastarael stumbled slightly. His essence reserves were entirely depleted, leaving him reliant on nothing but his sheer physical willpower. Yet even with his vision blurred and his muscles screaming for rest, he pushed forward.
Unrelenting waves of water surged toward the city from all directions. They looked like tsunamis as they swept through the ruined streets.
"So, this was your final attempt. A pathetic plan."
The man raised his hand and the air around him shimmered with heat, forming a shield of golden energy that the waves avoided, parting around him like a stone in a raging river.
The serpentine creatures and long-limbed humanoids that had surrounded him were not so fortunate. They were swept away. Some tried to fight but the water's force was insurmountable, dragging them into the abyss. Meanwhile, the city itself began to move.
The debris of shattered buildings floated upward as if guided by invisible hands. Stone blocks reassembled themselves brick by brick. Glass shards scattered across the streets flew back to their frames, rejoining as unbroken panes.
Entire structures rose from the rubble. The rising buildings groaned as they reclaimed their former height, reaching skyward like giants awakening from slumber. Vastarael didn't have time to marvel at the spectacle. A roaring torrent of water surged toward him and he reacted instinctively, pushing his battered body to its limits.
His feet pounded against the water-slick ground as he ran toward one of the rising buildings. The wave was relentless, threatening to swallow him whole. He leapt just as the water reached him. His boots hit the edge of a reassembling balcony which tilted precariously before snapping back into place as if welcoming him.
Vastarael leapt again, this time onto the skeletal remains of a spire that was still reconstructing itself. He timed his movements perfectly, jumping from one beam to another as the structure rebuilt itself beneath his feet. Each landing jarred his already strained body but he didn't stop.
"Run, little prince. Run as fast as you can. It won't save you. Nothing will."
Vastarael gritted his teeth, pushing forward with every ounce of strength he had left. The water surged below him, washing away what little remained of the monsters. Above him, the man hovered, surrounded by a presence of molten gold. As Vastarael reached the peak of a newly reformed building, he risked a glance upward. The man raised his hand and the air shimmered as a massive blast of golden light formed at his palm.
"I am tired of this game."
The blast surged forward, hurtling toward Vastarael with unrelenting speed.
Reacting on instinct, Vastarael hurled himself off the edge of the building just as the blast struck. The explosion behind him was deafening, shattering the newly reformed structure into pieces once again. He landed hard on the rooftop of another rising building. Pain shot through his knees but he kept moving, dashing across the unstable surface as it reassembled beneath him. The waves below continued to rise, crashing against the lower levels of the place and lifting debris with them. Vastarael leapt from one rooftop to another as the structures around him shifted and moved.
"Do you think this will save you, Vastarael? Do you think your pathetic mortal tricks can outwit me?! I am Stephos, Minor Deity of Flames! You will not escape me!"
Vastarael didn't respond. His mind was a blur of pain as he reached the edge of another building. He paused for a split second, scanning the rising chaos around him. The city was rebuilding but it was still incomplete. Below, the water churned. He took a deep breath, summoning what little strength he had left, and leapt once more. Vastarael plunged into the water with a soundless splash hundreds meters above it.
The muffled chaos of the world above faded into an eerie quiet as he sank beneath the surface. The once-burning city of Rise was now transformed into an underwater graveyard. Vastarael's golden eyes adjusted to the dim, rippling light. He stretched his limbs and took a slow breath. The water entered his lungs like air.
Breathing underwater was second nature to him.
His minor Divinity of water allowed him to breathe. He now realized how powerful a Divinity was and this was a minor one. The Minor Deity had one question that he said aloud.
"Seriously, how much Essence does he have to flood nine city blocks?"
Only three beings in all of Spheraphase could fully manipulate and create water on this scale and Vastarael was one of them. The realization spurred him into action and summoned massive fire blasts.
"Let's see how long he tries to dodge these!"
-----
Vastarael kicked off a piece of debris underwater. The water was his ally and he intended to use it to his full advantage. Around him, the corpses of the slain monsters began to float. Vastarael reached out and his Omniphage Tether instinctively activated. Tendrils of shimmering energy flowed into him, restoring his depleted reserves.
He stretched his hands out, channeling his renewed essence to manipulate the water around him. The currents obeyed his will, wrapping around his body like a second skin. He propelled himself forward to amplify his speed. The underwater hub blurred past him as he shot through the depths like a torpedo. Vastarael swam between the ruins of collapsed buildings and shattered spires.
Then came the fire.
Massive blasts of molten energy pierced the water. Their heat could be felt through the cold depths. Vastarael barely had time to react as the first explosion struck near him, sending a shockwave that rippled through the water and threw him off course. He twisted his body mid-motion, narrowly avoiding another fiery projectile that detonated with devastating force, vaporizing a section of the underwater ruins.
The blasts weren't precise. Stephos was toying with him. Vastarael clenched his teeth and surged forward, pushing himself to swim faster. The water bent around him, forming a protective vortex that allowed him to slice through the waves with ease. Vastarael winced but didn't slow down. He swam at top speed around the crumbling façade of a submerged building, using the cover to catch his breath. The ruins groaned and shifted as the relentless waves continued to press against them.
Another explosion hit the water, shattering the fragile structure he hid behind. Vastarael shot upward, narrowly escaping the collapsing debris. His mind raced as he tried to calculate his next move. The god's fire blasts were relentless and the underwater battlefield was rapidly becoming more treacherous.
He needed to turn the tides. Literally.
With a deep breath, Vastarael extended his arms, drawing upon the full force of his Essence. The water around him responded instantly, swirling into a powerful current that lifted him higher. He focused on the corpses of the fallen monsters. With Omniphage feeding him, his strength continued to build. He raised one hand and the water around him surged in response, forming a spiraling vortex. The vortex propelled him forward at an even greater speed, making him nearly impossible to target. Fire blasts rained down into the water but Vastarael dodged them with uncanny agility.
The barrier above them, which enclosed the entire city like a giant hemispherical aquarium, shimmered with Divine Energy. The Minor Deity had crafted it to trap them but now it served as a container, holding the vast ocean that had engulfed the upper city.
He knew the god was watching, waiting for him to surface. But Vastarael had no intention of giving him the satisfaction. At least, not yet.
°°°°°°
Now, the entire city was flooded.
Only the tallest buildings were standing like rocks on a raging ocean. And on top of them was Adelasta, who stood on the tallest spire, panting heavily.
"Is he trying to drown the Deity? That won't work—"
Then, she gasped when he saw the god summoning a white fireball on his hand. Adelasta's instincts told her to run.
"No way. Vastarael!"
But he couldn't hear her, not when he was deep underwater. She already knew what the Deity was planning to do. Whatever it was, it would kill Vastarael without knowing what happened to him.
But what could she do?
Stephos turned his head and saw Adelasta, who had a horrified expression on her face. He grinned and dropped the fireball as of it was a rock.
"Say goodbye to your Betrothed, special child of Viaca."
"NO!"
And then, seconds later, a massive explosion hit the water.