The streets of Rio de Janeiro were scarred from the last assault. Carnival floats lay burned, neon lights shattered, and the once-colorful avenues now echoed only with silence. But storms always returned to Rio, and tonight, one brewed again.
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Flashback – Maria's Awakening
Maria Torres had grown up on the edge of the favelas. The world had never been kind, but the skies had always spoken to her.
One night, when she was twelve, a storm swept across Rio. She and her cousins were caught outside, lightning crashing around them. When a bolt struck the ground just meters away, they screamed and fled—except Maria, who stood frozen.
The lightning leapt toward her. It should have killed her. Instead, it filled her veins with fire and thunder. Her eyes glowed storm-blue, and when her cousins looked back, Maria stood untouched, crackles dancing across her skin.
That was the night she awakened. Not by choice, but because the storm chose her.
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Present – Rio Under Siege
The rift split the sky above Rio once more, shadows pouring down.
Three demons emerged:
Zerath, the Crocodile Maw (Low-Rank). A reptilian beast with jaws wide enough to crush buses.
Skill: Death Roll — spinning through the battlefield like a hurricane of teeth.
Meyra, the Siren of Storms (Low-Rank). A winged demon who screamed thunder into being.
Skill: Shriek Tempest — sonic blasts that shattered buildings.
Drokhaal, the Sky Butcher (Mid-Rank). A massive demon armored in bone, wielding twin cleavers.
Skill: Sky Rend — tearing open the clouds themselves to summon meteor-like strikes.
The city shook as their combined aura spread.
Maria stepped into the street, lightning crackling across her body. Her storm-blue eyes gleamed, her voice sharp.
"You think this city is yours to ruin? Try surviving a storm."
---
Clash of the Storm
Zerath lunged first.
"Death Roll!"
The beast spun through cars and concrete, jaws snapping. Maria raised her arm, aura sparking.
"Tempest Barrier!"
A wall of wind and lightning formed, halting the demon mid-spin. She pointed upward.
"Thunder Spear!"
A bolt of lightning struck down, piercing Zerath clean through. The beast shrieked before collapsing into ash.
Meyra shrieked from above, sonic waves blasting windows apart. Maria clenched her fists.
"Too loud."
She stomped the ground.
"Storm Burst!"
A dome of wind exploded outward, the sonic blast scattering harmlessly. Lightning coiled around her arm as she hurled it skyward.
"Chain Lightning!"
The bolt split into six arcs, tearing through Meyra's wings. The Siren crashed to the ground, body dissolving into sparks and dust.
Only Drokhaal remained.
---
Duel with the Sky Butcher
The towering demon laughed, cleavers dripping with black aura.
"Sky Rend!"
He swung, ripping the clouds apart. Flaming projectiles rained from the heavens, meteor strikes slamming into the city.
Maria's aura surged higher.
"Tempest Spiral!"
Wind and lightning swirled around her, catching the meteors mid-fall. Each one shattered into harmless sparks before reaching the city.
But the strain was enormous. Blood dripped from her lip, her body trembling.
Drokhaal charged, cleavers raised. Maria met him head-on, her storm flaring brighter than ever.
Their clash lit the night sky like a thunderstorm.
---
The Call of the Wind
For a moment, Maria faltered. Drokhaal's strength pushed her back, his cleavers tearing through her aura barrier. She gritted her teeth.
I can't hold this city alone forever.
Her mind flickered to the other wielders. Amélie, gone. Sophia, gone. Dmitri, still standing but alone in Moscow.
She felt the storm whisper to her—
Find the wind. Together, storms become hurricanes.
Her eyes widened. A memory surfaced: Klaus Weber in Berlin, his aura like an endless gale, his calm voice before he leapt into battle.
"Yes," she whispered. "Wind and storm… together."
---
Aftermath
Maria thrust both hands skyward.
"Judgment Tempest!"
Lightning cascaded from the heavens, a barrage of endless strikes. Drokhaal roared as the storm consumed him, body exploding into ash beneath the torrent.
The clouds cleared. Rain began to fall, soft and cleansing.
Maria fell to her knees, panting, aura flickering faintly.
She raised her head toward the darkened sky, whispering, "Klaus… I'll find you. And when the time comes, we'll end this storm together."
The rift above pulsed darker. Somewhere, fate was already weaving their final battle.