Anime is an Outer God's Playground

Hiro scanned the arid landscape, his instincts on high alert. The oppressive heat pressed down on them, unrelenting and unnatural even for a desert. Although he kept his focus forward, the eerie stillness of the sands bothered him.

"This doesn't feel right," he muttered, his eyes narrowing. The air seemed dense, almost as if it were laden with an unseen tension.

Imina and Roberdyck exchanged glances, worry etched across their faces. "What do you mean?" Imina asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Something's guiding us," Hiro replied, his voice low. "We're being led somewhere."

Albedo's eyes flashed with caution as she scanned their surroundings, her usual confidence tempered by the unknown. "Could this be a trap?" she suggested, gripping her weapon a little tighter.

"Possibly." Hiro nodded, focusing. "But we have to stay on our guard. They're herding us—probably toward something dangerous."

The sands around them seemed to shift subtly, as if alive and moving beneath them. There were no creatures, no movement except the unsettling flicker of heat waves on the horizon. It was too quiet.

Then, without warning, a faint shimmer caught Hiro's eye. Glancing back at Albedo and his companions, he raised a hand. "Stay alert. We're not alone."

Just as he spoke, an indistinct ripple cut through the air in front of them, like light bending through water. Roberdyck took a step back, squinting. "An illusion?"

"Or a barrier," Hiro corrected. He cautiously stepped forward, reaching out to test the air. His hand met resistance—a barely visible wall, humming with magic. "They're closing us in," he muttered, frowning. "If they've gone to these lengths, then we're closer to their real objective."

Imina tensed, her hand on her bow. "Do you think they want us to break through?"

"They're counting on it," Albedo replied, her eyes gleaming. "But that's exactly what we'll do." She summoned a shield of dark energy, bracing herself for an attack.

Hiro nodded, bracing his katana. "Be ready for anything," he said, gripping the hilt tightly. With one swift slash, he broke through the illusion, sending cracks rippling through the shimmering wall, shattering it.

As the barrier fell away, the landscape revealed the entrance of the Sand Temple in the distance, its silhouette looming ominously ahead.

As the shimmering barrier shattered, the sands around them erupted in a storm of movement. Walls of sand rose, cutting off every possible escape route, creating a swirling vortex that enclosed Hiro and his companions within an ever-tightening prison.

"This was all a setup…" Hiro muttered, his gaze narrowing as the ground trembled beneath them.

Imina drew her bow, eyes wide. "We're completely surrounded!"

Roberdyck raised his staff, casting a defensive spell. "There's no escape—they're corralling us straight into their hands."

From the swirling sands, Demiurge's voice echoed, cool and calculating. "Welcome, Hiro. I trust the journey through the 8th floor has been… enlightening."

Hiro glared into the sandstorm, his grip tightening on his katana. "Show yourself, Demiurge!"

"Oh, I wouldn't miss this," Demiurge replied, his figure slowly forming out of the swirling dust. Beside him appeared Sebas, Aura, and the Pleiades, all watching their quarry with cold intensity.

"So this was your plan all along," Albedo said, her voice a mix of annoyance and respect. "Impressive, Demiurge."

Demiurge inclined his head slightly. "Only the best for our guest. Lord Ainz instructed us to prepare… something special."

Hiro's eyes flickered toward Albedo and his companions. The sandstorm was thickening around them, tightening the circle and sending grains whipping across their skin with a sting. "Everyone, stay close!" he called, raising his sword to ward off the encroaching sand.

"Indeed, it's futile to resist." Demiurge's smile widened as he raised a hand, causing the sands to shift and reform, gathering into monstrous, hulking figures around them—golems of sand, armed and ready.

Albedo, with a confident smirk, readied her axe. "If you think a few golems will hold us back, you underestimate our strength."

Demiurge's gaze remained calm, unfazed. "Strength, dear Albedo, is only one factor. And as you know, Nazarick's strength lies in its strategy."

Hiro steadied himself, his eyes narrowing as the towering sand golems closed in, each step sending vibrations through the heated ground beneath him. The swirling sands had transformed the once open desert into a claustrophobic arena, trapping them on all sides. The Pleiades and Sebas stood in disciplined formation behind Demiurge, their expressions as cold as the desert was hot. Aura observed silently, her gaze calculating as if anticipating every possible move Hiro might make.

Imina drew an arrow, her hands shaking slightly. "These things... they're massive."

"Stay focused," Roberdyck replied, chanting a protective spell to shield his allies from the scorching heat and cutting winds of the storm.

Hiro clenched his katana, raising it high. "If this is what Nazarick considers a trap, they're going to have to do better than sand puppets!" With a surge of energy, he slashed at the closest golem, a wave of energy slicing clean through its midsection. Sand poured from the wound, but just as it started to collapse, the golem exploded violently, sending chunks of sand and rock flying. As the dust settled, two new golems rose from the wreckage, each just as massive and relentless.

"Impressive," Demiurge noted with a smile, his voice carrying a tone of quiet amusement. "But these constructs are woven with Nazarick's magic. They are relentless and tireless… just as I am."

The golems lumbered forward, each swing of their massive arms sending arcs of sand spraying into the air. Hiro dodged swiftly, his blade flashing as he countered each attack. But with each golem he struck down, explosions filled the battlefield, scattering debris and birthing two more in their place.

From the sidelines, Albedo charged at one of the golems, her axe whistling through the air as she cleaved into its form, scattering sand in all directions. But even her tremendous strength barely slowed it; the golem exploded in a burst of sand, creating two more golems that immediately lunged forward with renewed fury.

"They're impossible to destroy!" Imina shouted, trying to find a weak point as she loosed arrow after arrow, each one sinking into sand but doing little to halt the monsters' advance.

Hiro gritted his teeth. "It's not about destroying them. We just need a way out of this sandstorm."

Demiurge's smile grew wider as if he could hear Hiro's thoughts. "That's exactly the idea," he said, raising his hand. The sandstorm intensified, growing darker and denser until it felt like they were standing in the eye of a sand cyclone. Each grain in the air pulsed with a faint, sinister energy, and the oppressive heat became almost unbearable. It was clear this storm was fatal, designed to trap and consume them if they couldn't escape quickly.

Sebas stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Hiro with quiet determination. "You've come far," he said calmly. "But this is where the test truly begins."

Without a word, Hiro met Sebas's charge. Sebas's fists moved with lightning speed, each blow landing with a force that cracked the ground beneath them. Hiro parried and countered, struggling to withstand Sebas's relentless handwork, the sheer power of each strike pushing him back.

Meanwhile, the golems closed in, making it harder to maneuver as the circle tightened. Albedo moved beside Hiro, her face set in fierce determination. "Hiro," she said, her voice steady, "we can't keep this up forever. We need a new strategy."

Hiro glanced around, calculating their options as Demiurge watched from afar, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction at the trap closing tighter.

But there was no hesitation in Hiro's resolve. "Then let's make our own way out." He lifted his katana high, and with a roar, summoned his Hypercharge, channeling all his energy into a single, blindingly powerful strike aimed at the heart of the storm.

The new strategy was indeed effective, allowing Hiro and his allies to evade the endlessly multiplying golems and shift focus onto Sebas and the Pleiades. With the sandstorm momentarily dispersed by Hiro's powerful strike, a calm settled over the battlefield. Roberdyck and Imina, shielded by Albedo, found a brief moment of relief, their eyes flickering with renewed hope as they regrouped.

But that hope was short-lived.

Demiurge's calculating laughter echoed across the desert floor, slicing through the silence. Standing tall amidst the chaos, his gaze sparkled with a dark satisfaction. With a raised hand, he signaled a new threat.

"Well done, Hiro," Demiurge called out, his voice dripping with mock admiration. "You've made this interesting. But you didn't think I'd rely on the same tricks, did you?"

The ground trembled violently as a low rumble echoed beneath them. Suddenly, the sands parted, revealing a towering figure emerging from the depths—a construct of dark metal, gears, and hissing steam. Its eyes glowed like burning coals, and every joint emitted rhythmic clicks as it moved with an eerie, mechanical grace.

"Meet my latest creation," Demiurge sneered, savoring their expressions. "The Clockwork Demon. Time itself bends at his command."

The Pleiades exchanged glances, grinning with confidence. "This won't take long," Shizu muttered, casting a dismissive glance at Hiro's team.

Hiro steadied his grip on his katana, his gaze unwavering. "Stay sharp. This one's different."

The Clockwork Demon stood tall, its body a fusion of polished brass and dark steel, adorned with whirring gears and hissing steam vents. Glowing red eyes burned with malevolence, and its limbs were armed with razor-sharp blades, ready to unleash chaos as it manipulated time with terrifying precision.

As the Clockwork Demon unleashed its power, time seemed to fracture around Hiro. Each second stretched agonizingly, allowing the demon to land fatal blows with relentless precision. Gears whirred and steam hissed violently from its joints as it charged a devastating attack, the air thick with tension and dread. Hiro's vision blurred with pain, but he fought to stay on his feet, refusing to yield to the demon's overwhelming might. Each strike felt like an eternity, pushing him closer to his limits as the demon reveled in its merciless assault.

As the Clockwork Demon loomed over Hiro, each second felt like an eternity, the air thick with tension. The demon's gears hissed and clanked, a mechanical symphony of destruction that reverberated throughout the arena.

"Time to face your end, little hero," the Clockwork Demon taunted, its voice a chilling blend of mechanical and sinister.

Hiro gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain his composure as wounds appeared on his skin with every second that passed. Suddenly, Sebas seized the moment, charging forward with deadly precision.

"Now, Hiro!" he bellowed, lunging in with incredible speed, his fists ready to strike.

Hiro barely had time to react as Sebas's powerful punch landed squarely on his chest, sending him crashing to the ground. The impact knocked the wind from Hiro's lungs, leaving him gasping for breath.

The Clockwork Demon loomed, steam hissing from its gears as it prepared to unleash a catastrophic attack. With a glimmering blade formed from time itself, it began to charge a lethal strike.

"Your efforts are futile!" Sebas shouted, a manic grin spreading across his face. "With the Clockwork Demon at our side, you're as good as defeated!"

Hiro, reeling from the combined assault, struggled to regain his footing as the clock ticked ominously, the demon preparing to deliver the final blow.

As Hiro struggled to regain his footing, pain radiating through his body from the onslaught, Demiurge's voice sliced through the chaos. "Pleiades, it's time to finish him!" His command echoed ominously across the battlefield, a signal that sent a jolt of excitement through the ranks of the Pleiades.

"Yes, Master!" Yuri Alpha, Lupusregina Beta, Shizu Delta, Entoma Zeta, and Solution Epsilon shouted in unison, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. They stepped forward, ready to execute Demiurge's orders, their expressions fierce and determined.

While the Pleiades advanced, Sebas turned his attention to Albedo, who had been struggling against the effects of the sandstorm. "Albedo," he called, rushing to her side, "It's over now. You will face the consequences of your treason." He said.

Albedo's expression shifted from frustration to grim determination. "I won't let you take him down. Hiro must not fall!" She struggled to rise, but the remnants of the storm had sapped much of her strength.

With Sebas securing Albedo, the Pleiades converged on Hiro, who was still trying to shake off the devastating effects of the Clockwork Demon's assault.

"Prepare to meet your end, hero!" Yuri Alpha yelled, her eyes ablaze with fervor. "We're going to crush you!"

Hiro, now barely on his feet, looked up at the advancing Pleiades, determination flickering in his gaze. "You won't—"

Hiro, feeling the weight of their expectations and the intensity of the battle around him, gritted his teeth and prepared for the fight of his life. The clash of allies and foes loomed just ahead, and victory felt tantalizingly close, yet shrouded in uncertainty.

This clash was ending. And the outcome was most unexpected.

As the Pleiades tightened their formation, ready to overwhelm Hiro and put an end to his defiance, the Clockwork Demon stepped forward, his mechanical frame gleaming ominously under the desert sun.

"Stand down," the Clockwork Demon commanded, his voice resonating with a metallic echo that silenced the Pleiades. "This is my target. I have a special spell prepared for him—'Time Cancel.'"

Hiro looked up, his heart pounding as the demon's presence loomed over him. "What is this…?" he muttered, sensing an ominous energy building around the demon.

"You've been a persistent thorn in our side, hero. But now, time itself shall become your enemy," he said, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

The air around Hiro began to shimmer, reality bending as if the very fabric of time was being manipulated. He could feel an overwhelming force closing in, and panic surged within him. "No… I won't let you!" he shouted, raising his katana in defiance.

Demiurge observed with satisfaction, a glint of approval in his eyes. "This is it, Hiro. Your struggle ends here. Watch as you are trapped in a moment, unable to escape."

The Clockwork Demon's spell reached its crescendo, the symbols igniting in a blinding flash. "Time Cancel!" he roared, unleashing the spell with a dramatic flourish.

As the spell hit Hiro, he felt a violent jolt coursing through his body, freezing him in place. The world around him slowed, the Pleiades moving in slow motion, their triumphant expressions now stretched in time, caught in the moment before they would strike.

"No!" Hiro struggled against the overwhelming force, but it was futile. The clockwork gears in the demon's body turned methodically, each tick echoing like a heartbeat.

"Now, finish him!" the Clockwork Demon commanded, reveling in the control he held over the battlefield.

Yuri Alpha and the others surged forward, weapons raised, ready to deliver the killing blow while Hiro remained ensnared in time's relentless grasp.

But deep within him, a flicker of resolve ignited. He could not let this be the end. "I will not be defeated!" he roared mentally, fighting against the spell's constraints, unwilling to accept his fate.

The battle was far from over, and as long as he drew breath, he would resist.

X―x―X—x—X―x―X

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