Reincarnated as Itsuka Shido: Collecting Spirits as Lovers

"Demiurge is overpowering Shido?"

Aura spoke in a low voice, her surprise mixed with concern. She hadn't expected Demiurge to turn the tables, forcing Shido into a defensive stance.

"You're wrong, Aura."

"Eh? What do you mean, Albedo?"

Aura blinked in confusion, glancing at Albedo, unsure of what she was getting at. From Aura's perspective, Shido was clearly being pushed back, unable to counter Demiurge's relentless assault.

"Look carefully at where Demiurge's attacks are landing."

Though puzzled, Aura obeyed and focused her gaze on the spots where Demiurge's strikes connected. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she realized something was off.

"?!"

"You've seen it right?"

As a ranger, Aura's eyes were always sharp, so the moment Albedo hinted at it, she immediately noticed the small hexagon-shaped barriers appearing just before Demiurge's attacks could hit Shido.

A frown appeared on Albedo's beautiful face before it was replaced by small smile on her lips as she continued to watch the battle unfold.

"Every time Demiurge attacks, a small, condensed barrier appears, blocking the strike before it can reach Shido. But Demiurge hasn't noticed, caught up in his frenzy. I really wonder how Shido manages to create these barriers and position them so precisely, right where the attacks are about to land. That man… is truly amazing."

"…Yeah."

Albedo admired Shido's mastery over his barriers and his flawless perception of his surroundings. She thought that, much like themselves, beings with strange and unique skills bound to their existence, Shido must also possess something similar, considering he was a Player just like their Master.

Still, as she watched the clash between Demiurge and Shido, Albedo felt a heat rising within her seductive body. She couldn't help but grow excited watching the powerful exchange between the two. The way Shido's defense and tactics could render an opponent helpless stirred something inside her.

She also wanted to fight Shido someday, to test his defenses with her own strength and see how he would handle her assault.

But she was patient. She would wait for that chance to come.

"My darling is amazing, right~?"

Shalltear's eyes sparkled as she watched the battle, a strange glint in them as she gazed at Shido's handsome figure.

"…Your darling?"

Aura's lips twitched at Shalltear's shameless proclamation. She was tempted to rebuke her, but in the end, she held back. She knew that saying anything would just lead to another pointless bickering match.

"Hah? Got a problem with that, shorty?"

"…"

...

"Haaa!!!"

With a powerful blow, Demiurge struck Shido, sending him crashing into the arena wall. The impact shattered the structure, and the sheer force of the attack launched Shido out of the arena entirely.

But Demiurge didn't stop there.

While Shido was still mid-air, Demiurge unleashed a rapid barrage of attacks, chasing after him like a relentless predator. Then, with a burst of speed, Demiurge appeared above him and drove his knee upward, slamming it into Shido in his torso with crushing force. The blow rocketed Shido into the sky like a missile.

Demiurge also flew to the sky following closely behind.

"Follow them!"

Ainz swung his arm forward with command, his voice echoing through the arena. Without hesitation, he took to the air, ascending rapidly to pursue the escalating battle.

The rest of the Floor Guardians followed one after another, each using their own unique abilities to ascend.

Albedo unfurled her jet-black wings and launched herself into the air, swiftly soaring upward. Shalltear followed suit, gracefully rising with her innate flight ability, her crimson eyes fixed on the sky above.

Meanwhile, Aura summoned a massive dragon, its scales gleaming with magical energy. With a single leap, she landed on its back, quickly taking control of the majestic beast. Mare followed right after, landing softly behind his sister.

"Aura-sama, Mare-sama, may I request to join you?" Sebas asked politely, his tone respectful as always.

"Sure, sure, come aboard," Aura replied with a nod.

"I-I don't mind…" Mare added quietly.

In his human form, Sebas cannot fly and using his Dragonoid form was not a wise choice so Sebas decided to join Aura and Mare into the dragon's back.

As for Cocytus, he wasn't suitable in suitable in aerial battle so he chose to remain on the ground, observing the clash from below with his arms crossed and eyes sharp.

...

High above, the battle raged on.

Shido and Demiurge exchanged another flurry of blows, the force of their strikes echoing across the sky. Sparks flew as their attacks clashed, before both leapt backward to create distance once more, hovering opposite each other, their auras flaring.

One by one, Ainz and the Floor Guardians began arriving, taking their positions in the sky. They hovered roughly 200 meters away from the ongoing battle, careful not to interfere or distract the combatants. Each of them watched intently, their expressions ranging from awe to intrigue, as the fierce confrontation unfolded before them.

"Are you looking down on me?" Hovering in the sky parallel to Shido, Demiurge's expression began to darken as he recalled Shido's earlier actions.

Shido hadn't counter attack at all. He hadn't even dodged.

Instead, he stood still, allowing Demiurge's strikes to land, only for those attacks to be stopped by a fragmented, hexagonal barriers at the last possible moment.

To Demiurge, it felt like mockery. As if Shido was toying with him. As if he was being looked down upon.

Demiurge knew his place among the Guardians. He was aware that in terms of raw power, he was among the weaker ones. But his intelligence and brilliant planning and scheming skill compensated him of his lack of power. However, that didn't mean he would accept being treated as inferior. 

With his arrogance and pride, he wouldn't be able to take it, but he calmed himself and thought that Shido might be planning something.

"Looking down on you? I never look down on my enemies."

Shido responded calmly, shaking his head as he met Demiurge's intense gaze.

"Unlike you, who never even acknowledges those you deem beneath you, I never let my guard down against anyone, no matter how weak they appear or what race they belong to."

Demiurge's eyes narrowed as Shido spoke. For a moment, he remained silent.

"…I see."

Demiurge stared at Shido, and for the first time in a long while, he reflected on himself.Shido's words struck deeper than he expected.

He had always looked down on others, treating those weaker than him as nothing more than ants. In his eyes, superiority was natural, unquestioned. But that arrogance… it had also blinded him. Made him complacent.

Now, for the first time, he realized he had stopped growing because of that mindset.

Because in his eyes, there was never anyone worth learning from.

In that moment, Demiurge finally understood.

Though irritation still lingered, especially toward Shido's casual demeanor around their Master, he couldn't deny the truth. Shido had made him realize something crucial. Something he had ignored for far too long.

For that alone, Demiurge found himself feeling… thankful.

"You've opened my eyes," Demiurge said, his voice steady and sincere. "And for that, I commend you. As a token of gratitude… allow me to offer you a final gift."

Straightening his posture, Demiurge calmly adjusted his suit. With a graceful, gentlemanly bow, he lowered his head with rare humility, then rose, extending both arms toward the heavens, fingers pointed skyward like sharpened spears.

The space where Demiurge pointed his fingers suddenly shimmered, then ignited with crimson light. A massive red magic circle materialized above him, glowing ominously as it spun slowly in the air.

High above, the sky darkened. Clouds churned and twisted, pulled together by an unseen force, then, without warning, the heavens lit up with an intense, blinding brilliance.

"Rejoice," Demiurge declared, his voice echoing with solemn pride, "for you are the first to push me to this point."

"Tenth-tier magic, Meteor Fall."

From the blazing sky, a colossal meteor tore through the clouds, wreathed in hellish flame. It descended with terrifying speed, trailing an infernal haze that scorched the air itself. The sheer pressure alone felt like it could crush the world, an apocalyptic force meant to annihilate everything in its path.

"Some of my multi-layered barriers might be destroyed if that hits…" Shido said calmly, his gaze fixed on the falling meteor. "Though I'm confident it won't reach the final layer."

Despite the apocalyptic blaze descending from above, Shido remained composed. There was no panic in his voice, only calmly analysing how strong the attack would be.

He let out a quiet sigh, almost exasperated.

"Haaaa… Just in case, I should use that."

A small sigh escape Shido's mouth as he felt that it was too much to use it this early on. But he was also excited as it would be the first time he would be using it.

And part of him wanted to see just how far he had come.

Suddenly, his angel vanished into particles of light from his arms causing some exclamation to be heard among the Floor Guardians.

"What?! He unequipped his world item?"

"Huh?! Is he Crazy?! Does he think, he can came out unscratch facing Demiurge's attack?"

Albedo's voice rang out in disbelief, her eyes wide as she stared at Shido. It made no sense, removing a World Item at such a crucial moment was nothing short of madness.

At the same time, she felt that there was more then this.

"What is he thinking?"

Meanwhile, Aura while worried, Aura had confidence in Shido. Even so, she clenched her fists tightly, anxiety creeping in at the thought that he might still be hurt.

"...Onee-chan."

Mare felt strange seeing his sister acting like this, but he didn't put too much attention on it as the battle was on it's peak.

No one pay attention to Shalltear who was cursing and scolding Demiurge for unleashing a devastating attack.

Ainz raised a brow at Shido's unexpected move, but he remained silent. As a fellow Player, he knew, there was no way Shido would act recklessly without a plan.

Demiurge, too, felt something was off. Shido's action didn't make sense. Yet, despite the nagging feeling, he didn't halt his spell. The attack was already in motion, and besides, Shalltear's constant scolding from behind was beginning to get on his nerves.

The meteor continued to fall and in a few moments it was now just above Shido. Everyone was tense as they thought that Shido might be seriously injured if that meteor fall into him head on.

However, just the meteor engulf Shido entirely, everyone in place suddenly heard his deep voice resounding in the sky.

"Asura Hell."