"Alright, time to shine," Rimuru muttered to himself as he stepped off the bus and into the bustling metropolis.
The city's skyline stretched high above him, a mix of towering glass buildings and neon signs flashing every color imaginable.
With a brief glance around, he navigated through the crowded streets toward the studio, where he'd been invited to showcase his baking skills on a popular cooking show.
He filled out the necessary paperwork—name, birthday, all the usual stuff.
No need for anything unnecessary, just the basics.
The atmosphere was electric, contestants milling about, all preparing for the big show later that night.
As the clock ticked toward 9:00, the contestants were ushered to their stations.
Ingredients were set out, ready to be turned into something extraordinary.
Rimuru felt a surge of excitement. This was it.
His big chance to make a mark.
But just as he was about to settle into the flow of things, the ground beneath him trembled.
A low rumble.
The lights flickered.
And then, the walls shattered.
Screams echoed through the studio as monstrous, demon-like creatures flew through the gaping holes in the building.
Their grotesque wings beat the air, carrying them effortlessly above the panicked crowd.
They swooped down and grabbed civilians, hauling them into the sky with terrifying speed.
"Get down!" someone shouted, pushing past Rimuru in a mad scramble for safety.
Rimuru froze, his eyes widening as he watched the chaos unfold.
What... what are those? His mind raced, but he couldn't recall ever reading about such creatures.
His knowledge of Earth's history was limited to a mere two hundred years, but even that didn't explain these monsters. Were these... cosmic entities? Or something else?
But before his mind could wander further, his instincts kicked in.
Acting without hesitation, Rimuru ripped off his apron and summoned a mask out of thin air.
It wasn't just any mask. It was the one Shizue had left behind, a copy of it that he'd kept safe for occasions just like this.
He quickly donned the mask, concealing his identity, and his clothes shifted as if by magic—no one would know he was one of the contestants on the show.
The parademons—Rimuru recognized them now, thanks to Ciel's quick briefing—were carrying humans in their claws, lifting them higher and higher.
It was time to act.
With a swift motion, Rimuru bolted into action, weaving through the chaos and flying over the city.
Screams filled the air as civilians scattered, some hiding, others rushing toward exits in blind panic.
"Help!" A woman cried, clutching her child.
A parademon swooped down, aiming for them.
"No!" Rimuru roared, his eyes glowed a wild gold.
He reached out, a powerful burst of energy pulsing through his body.
In an instant, he appeared in front of the woman and child, his hand outstretched, and with a single swipe, the parademon was torn apart, its body disintegrating into smoke.
The woman stared at him, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
"Are you...?" she gasped, but before she could finish, Rimuru was already moving again.
He didn't have time to stop and explain.
He dashed through the streets, saving one civilian after another, teleporting between locations with ease, all while weaving barriers of light to shield them from the onslaught of flying monsters.
"Please, someone help us!" A man screamed, his voice cracking with panic as a parademon grabbed his wife and lifted her off the ground.
Rimuru was already there.
A flick of his wrist and the parademon was blasted into the side of a building, where it crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
"You're safe now," he said gently, his voice barely audible over the screams of others.
Civilians huddled together in the temporary shelters Rimuru conjured up—makeshift domes of energy that kept the creatures at bay.
It wasn't much, but it was enough to protect them, for now, not even plasma weapons or nuclear power can penetrate it so it was basically the strongest and safest places in this war zone for now.
"What the hell is going on?" someone shouted, eyes wide in disbelief. "What are these things?"
"Just Run," Rimuru told him, his voice grim as he looked toward the sky, watching more of the winged monsters swoop down in search of more victims.
"They'll take everyone if we don't stop them."
More parademons dove, but Rimuru wasn't having it.
His movements were a blur as he slaughtered the creatures one by one, each strike precise and lethal.
His mask concealed his identity, but there was no mistaking the skill and power that radiated from him.
People screamed as they scattered, but Rimuru kept his focus.
The monsters were relentless, but Rimuru was faster and stronger.
And as he eliminated the last of the parademons and looked around at the trembling civilians.
This is taking too long.
Skill Activated: Thought Acceleration
Then he began moving at light speed, instantly eliminating every threat on sight while saving civilians.
It's like flash was in the sky doing his job.
He was thinking of using megiddo. But the situation wasn't that dire anyway.
And he's not in rush.
By now 3 sec had passed and he has already saved a thousand and killed a hundred thousand. More than the flash could do in a short time.
In less than 30 sec. A huge portion of metropolis was saved from any parademons.