Reincarnated as Itsuka Shido: Collecting Spirits as Lovers

"Shido, are you alright?" Suddenly his earpiece rang with Kotori's worried voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How about you? I suddenly lost connection with Fraxinus." Shido replied, though his gaze remained locked onto Jessica's figure.

He had been wondering why Kotori had suddenly gone silent, but now it was clear that they were dealing with their own problems aboard Fraxinus.

"Yeah, we're blocked by a jamming signal causing the connection to be cut off, even the monitor was intercepted. Fortunately, we had made everything return back to normal." Kotori's voice was filled with frustration and tiredness when she talked about their situation.

"I see. You've worked hard. Thank you, Kotori."

Shido couldn't help but smile gently, knowing how much effort Kotori was putting into managing everything. He could hear the exhaustion in her voice, and he wanted to praise her hard work.

"..."

"Kotori?" Shido called out again, puzzled by her silence. When she still didn't respond, he tried once more, however, Kotori was flustered by his voice since she blanked out when she heard his praise.

"H-Hmmp! It's not like I did it for you!" Kotori suddenly blurted causing her voice to rise while she was blushing inside the Fraxinus. Unfortunately, Shido couldn't see her right now, otherwise, he would wonder why his sister could be this cute.

Shido was already accustomed to Kotori's Tsundere tendencies, so he simply chuckled at her reaction. However, his laughter faded when her tone suddenly softened.

"However… thank you…"

Her voice was quiet, almost inaudible, but Shido caught it nonetheless. A gentle smile formed on his lips as he thought to himself, she would be even cuter if she were just a little more honest.

"Still, do you need backup?"

Once the connection to Fraxinus was restored, they immediately saw the destruction of the city.

They couldn't help but wonder how such devastation had occurred in just a matter of minutes. However, seeing the Wizards from DEM that was led by Jessica arrogantly floating in the sky, Kotori knew they were responsible for this. Unlike AST, whose members would never dare cause this level of destruction for fear of reprimands from their superiors, DEM operated without such restraints.

Hearing Kotori's concerned voice, Shido wondered what kind of backup they had. However, after assessing the situation, he ultimately rejected her offer, since he was confident he could handle them.

"I see, then be careful," Kotori said, her voice laced with concern.

"Of course," Shido replied with a reassuring smile.

He couldn't help but feel a warmth in his chest. Even though Kotori knew he could heal from any wound, she still worried about him. That simple fact was enough to make him happy.

After ending the conversation, Kotori refocused on the holographic screen, keeping a close watch for any anomalies. Meanwhile, Shido turned his attention to the figures behind him.

"Don't leave the barrier, okay?" he said to Yoshino and Yoshinon, his gaze sweeping over the devastated surroundings.

"Shido-san..." Yoshino's voice was soft, laced with worry. She understood what Shido intended to do, and while part of her wanted to stop him, another part hesitated.

Her fear of losing control over her Reiryoku and of hurting other people kept her rooted in place. Even if she wanted to help, she was afraid of what might happen if her power went berserk again.

Just as Yoshino struggled to make decision, she suddenly felt a warm hand gently caressing her head. Shido's touch was steady and felt reassuring, and in that instant, all her worries seemed to melt away.

She lifted her gaze and met Shido's eyes. His face held a gentle, reassuring smile, one that silently conveyed a promise that everything would be alright.

"Don't worry, Yoshino. I'll handle the rest. Do you believe in me?" Shido's voice was calm and steady, carrying a warmth that instantly eased Yoshino's heart. His words were like magic, wrapping around her like a comforting embrace, filling her with complete trust in him.

"..." Kotori

"Un! I trust Shido-san." Yoshino nodded with determined eyes. Her reply caused a smile to light up on Shido's face. Then, shifting his gaze to Yoshinon, he gently asked, "Yoshinon, can I ask you to take care of her?"

"Aye, aye, Sir~!" Yoshinon responded playfully, raising her tiny arm in an attempt to salute like a soldier.

Shido chuckled at her antics, feeling a bit more at ease despite the situation.

Seeing this, Shido knew he didn't have to worry about them anymore. As long as they stayed within the barrier, they would be safe.

With a final reassuring glance at Yoshino and Yoshinon, he turned his attention back to the battlefield, his expression hardening as he prepared to face the enemy.

"Wonderful! This was the first time I had ever seen a male Spirit. Even though you are not my original target, I'm sure Director Wescott will be satisfied with you." 

Jessica laughed arrogantly while looking down at Shido. She believed that they could capture him easily with their abilities and CR-Units. However, she was bound to be disappointed since Shido had no intention of holding back. The fury from their ruthless barrage still burned within him, and this time, he would make sure they regretted it.

Shido was still glaring coldly at Jessica while listening to her nonsense yet somehow he felt her words were wrong causing his body to quiver.

'Can you at least not say something so misleading?! What the heck do you mean by Wescott will be satisfied with me?!' Shido couldn't help but scold her inside his mind as her words made his hair stand up.

Nevertheless, didn't say it out loud, instead, he activated his Scan skill to see Jessica's stats.

Ding!

[Scan Activated]

Target Status:

Name: Jessica Bailey

Level: 46

Age: 31

Height: 170 cm

Measurements (B/W/H): 88/56/86

Class: Wizard

STR: C++

VIT: D+

AGI: C

INT: C+++

CHA: C+

LUK: E+

Threat Level: C+

Affiliation: DEM (Deus Ex Machina)

Looking at her status, Shido had to admit that Jessica's stats were higher than Origami's. However, while Jessica might be stronger at this moment, he knew that Origami's potential far surpassed hers. 

Even Mana who was Shido's biological sister would be surpassed by Origami in the future, she just needed time to grow.

After going through her stats, Shido then turned his attention back to the stats that were not needed yet, could be deeply appreciated. Seeing those 'HUGE' numbers, even though he couldn't forgive her for almost hurting Yoshino, Shido had to admit that her assets were truly amazing.

He then looked up at Jessica, who was now staring back at him with a confused expression, clearly puzzled by the strange look on his face.

Shido then closed the system window when he finished identifying her stats. Even though Jessica had higher stats than him. Shido didn't believe that he would lose to her since he knew that everything was not all about stats.

"Sandalphon!"

Shido stomp his feet on the ground causing the earth to tremble and emit a purple light. In just a second, a magnificent throne emerged from the ground. At its center, a sword stood impaled at the top, radiating a brilliant, holy aura that seemed to ward off all evil.

Shido leaped lightly into the air, his fingers wrapping firmly around the hilt of the Angel. With a smooth motion, he drew the sword from the throne, its brilliance illuminating the battlefield. As he landed gracefully, his right foot rested on the seat of the throne.

If this was in Fate then, Shido's current pose was like Lancelot who had trampled over Arthur and disrespected him by stepping on his throne.

Everyone watched in awe as he summoned his Angel, his movements filled with the grace and nobility befitting a knight. Yet, despite the elegance of his form, the way he rested his foot upon the throne carried an air of disdain, as if he were challenging the very heavens themselves.

As they watched how the scene unfolded, Kusakabe who moved far away with her team suddenly asked a question.

"Say... Doesn't his Astral Dress and Angel look similar to Princess?" 

Hearing her words, her teammates stared at her in disbelief before shifting their attention back to Shido, who stood alone on the battlefield, facing the DEM Wizards.

They, too, began to notice the resemblance between him and Princess. Watching his noble bearing, they found themselves in dazed, unable to look away. Even though he was a Spirit, they had to admit that he was the most handsome man they had seen after Shadow. A faint blush crept onto their faces as they unknowingly found themselves mesmerized by the striking Spirit before them.

However, what they didn't know was that the Spirit in front of them and Shadow was the same person.

Even their captain, Kusakabe, found herself momentarily captivated by Shido's striking appearance. However, her experience and maturity allowed her to snap out of it faster than the others. 

When she turned to look at her subordinates, she nearly groaned. All of them were staring intently at Shido, their faces tinged with an unmistakable blush.

Kusakabe sighed, rubbing her temples. 

Watching their embarrassing reactions, Kusakabe couldn't help but internally scold them. 'Get a grip! We're in the middle of a mission!'.

Yet she ignored the fact that she too was also affected by Shido's charm earlier.

*Cough* *Cough*

Kusakabe coughed trying to wake up her colleague yet they didn't seem to hear her cough, instead they continued to watch Shido's figure. Some even unconsciously gulped, attempting to moisten their suddenly dry throats.

This left Kusakabe utterly speechless. She had trained her subordinates rigorously, expecting discipline and composure in the face of battle, yet here they were, openly gawking at an enemy Spirit like love-struck schoolgirls.

'Unbelievable…' she groaned internally, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose.

The moment those words left Kusakabe's lips, it was as if a spell had been broken. Her colleagues, who had been lost in their admiration of Shido, immediately snapped back to reality.

"E-Eh?! Wait, Captain, that's unfair!" one of them protested, their face still slightly flushed.

"Yeah! We were just... um, analyzing the enemy!" another quickly added, trying to sound professional despite the clear embarrassment in their voice.

Kusakabe crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Oh? Then answer my question. Doesn't his Astral Dress and Angel look similar to Princess?"

Now that they were forced to think, the group hesitated before nodding reluctantly. "Now that you mention it… yeah, it does."

Kusakabe sighed. "That's what I thought. Now stop gawking and focus. We're still in the middle of a battle, remember?"

Her words finally brought them back to their senses, though a few still stole occasional glances at Shido, unable to completely shake off the effect of his charm.

Origami, who had been silently observing the amusing scene, remained expressionless as always. She had long accepted how hopelessly dumb some of her colleagues could be, so their behaviour didn't surprise her in the slightest.

Instead, she said what's in her mind about the similarities between Shido and Princess.

"There's a chance that they are siblings." Origami said with a deadpan expression, yet she started to feel tired of making excuses all the time for Shido and Tohka.

Kusakabe and the others immediately stopped their chatter, turning their attention to Origami. Her unexpected statement made them pause and consider the possibility.

Who said that Spirits couldn't have siblings? 

"If that's the case, then that would explain a lot… their abilities feel similar, too."

While they thought deeply about Origami's words, Origami could finally breathe a sigh of relief since she managed to fool them.

However, what she didn't know was that she hit the nail on the head with her words.