Reincarnated as Itsuka Shido: Collecting Spirits as Lovers

Aincrad, 41st Floor

"So you want to use your [Gravity Manipulation] to increase the gravity on our bodies as a way to train our endurance?" Frieren asked evenly, her eyes fixed on Shido, who looked rather confident in his idea.

"But wouldn't that make it harder for us to fight?" Rumia's voice carried a hint of worry, concern flickering in her eyes at the thought of their strength being diminished and the risk of injury rising.

However, Shido shook his head and said, "That might be true, but danger is also necessary if we want to grow. If we only face easy battles, we'll grow complacent, satisfied with the results we already have, and stop pushing ourselves to get stronger."

As Shido spoke, Frieren nodded her head as she herself understood what Shido's words implied. During her childhood, she might have also became a little conceited and look down on others especially demons. But everything changed when she met her master, a woman who became both a teacher and a mother figure to her, guiding her with wisdom and imparting not only knowledge of magic but also lessons that shaped who she was.

At that time she came to understand that there is always heaven beyond heaven.

Moreover, as a mage, their physical ability was mediocre and that was the one of the flaw of being a mage. To solve that, one a mage needs to train their body so that they can react well in a battle and most likely become a battle mage that is skilled in close combat magic battles.

Different from ordinary mages who attack from a distance, battle mages are close-quarters specialists. They use magic to strengthen themselves, enhancing their speed, power, and defense. Rather than casting spells from afar, they channel magic directly into their weapons, turning every strike into a seamless blend of martial skill and arcane force.

While Frieren like the idea, Rumia look worried, not out of fear for her own safety or from cowardice, but because she was worried that something unexpected might happen to either Shido or Rumia that might be more lethal than mere injuries.

Seeing the look on her face, Shido seemed to understand what she was thinking. He gently placed a hand on her head and ruffled her silky golden hair, catching her by surprise.

"S-Shido-san? What are you doing?" While she was confused, Rumia didn't remove or swept his hands from her head even though Shido's touch was a little rough, Rumia somehow felt it was oddly comforting.

Shido, however, didn't answer her question directly. Instead, he said, "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, I won't let anything happen to you or Frieren so don't be so nervous, alright?"

Shido's voice was deep yet soothing providing Rumia a sense of security while feeling his warm hands. She became slightly embarrassed but she raised her face to look at Shido and said with determination. "U-Un, I'll do my best!"

"Good!" Shido nodded, satisfied with her answer. Then he turned to both of them and asked.

"Now, are you ready?"

"Yes!" Rumia

"...Yesh... yawn~" Frieren

Shido glanced at her, momentarily at a loss for words. He couldn't help but wonder if she'd even be able to stay on her feet once he increased her gravity by 50x.

"...Then, let's begin. Our goal is to clear the 41st floor before lunch!"

"Shido, my Amazon-"

Frieren suddenly remembered she needed to receive her package, if she missed it, she'd have to wait another whole day. But before she could finish, Shido mercilessly cut her off.

"I'll reduce your allowance if you don't clear the objectives." Shido looked at Frieren with blank stare making Frieren who was listless feel scared and shudder.

"Let me destroy all those monster."

The moment Frieren heard her allowance was on the line, her eyes sharpened with sudden determination. She gripped her staff tightly, arcs of purple lightning crackling across its surface. Shido's threat had turned her listlessness into fiery resolve.

Yet, looking at how low Frieren became, Rumia couldn't help but sigh wryly at Frieren who would do anything to keep her allowance.

"That's the spirit. Now, let me increase your gravity by 20x."

Shido simply smile as he said that but before Rumia and Frieren could react both of them suddenly felt their body become extremely heavy. They even felt their organs, blood and every part of his body was as if being forced down by an invisible force.

A normal human could only endure up to about four and a half times the force of gravity, any more than that would crush them outright. But Rumia and Frieren were far from ordinary humans, and their bodies were capable of withstanding more than that.

As the pressure pressed on them, Rumia bent forward slightly, caught off guard by the sudden surge in gravity. Frieren, on the other hand, remained standing, though a faint frown crossed her beautiful face, showing that she also felt the change in the gravity, yet, other than that, Frieren could still move with ease.

Rumia gradually adjusted to the crushing weight around her, straightening her posture bit by bit as she worked to steady her balance.

"Are you okay, Rumia?"

Shido arrived in front of Rumia and supported her body. Although, Rumia seemed to be able to handle the current gravity, she was still struggling slightly.

"Un, I'm okay, Shido-san. I'm just surprised by the sudden pressure." Rumia revealed a bright smile towards Shido as she said that.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have increased the gravity on you so much." Shido said apologetically as he held Rumia in his arms.

"No, it's not you're fault Shido-san." she replied quickly, shaking her head.

However, Shido was being worried about Rumia, decided to lower her gravity which Rumia reluctantly nodded with Shido's concerned words. After all, she also wanted to show her abilities at Shido, but the current her was only good at magic and not physical ability.

"What about you, Frieren? Are you feeling okay, or is it too much for you as well?" Shido asked, turning to her. She didn't seem particularly bothered by the gravity.

"It's still a little light for me." Saying that, Frieren jumped several times, but when she landed, the ground cracked like a spiderweb showing that she was still under a 20x gravity.

"Then how about I increase it a little more?" Shido raised an eyebrow. Seeing Frieren's calm nod, he pushed the pressure up to 30x. The weight grew heavier on her body, yet it still wasn't enough. Without hesitation, Frieren nodded once again.

Shido didn't hesitate and increase the output again to 40x. At last, a bead of sweat formed and slid down Frieren's face. Yet she showed no hint of discomfort; instead, she closed her eyes, focusing on the sensation coursing through her body.

She inhaled deeply, then exhaled, repeating the steady rhythm for about two minutes before she finally opened her eyes and revealed a small smile towards Shido. This smile seemed to be the same as the one she usually show but he could sense that Frieren was satisfied with his the current pressure on her body.

"This feels great." Frieren stretched her arms and she could already feel some changes on her body. She believe that Shido'a ability would make them even more powerful and deadly mage.

Seeing Frieren could stand comfortably under 40x gravity, Rumia's eyes also turned determined and wanted to begin her training so that she would become much stronger and become a great helper for Shido.