Reincarnated as Itsuka Shido: Collecting Spirits as Lovers

Shido watched as Jessica and the remaining DEM Wizards plummeted from the sky. Meanwhile, Halvanhelev reverted to its original form, Sandalphon, allowing him to halt the massive drain on his Reiryoku and relieve the strain on his body.

With the battle concluded, Shido chose to unequip his Angel, causing it to vanish from his grasp.

Shido then gazed back at the Wizards, who were crashing to the ground.

Based on the current height they were at. If it was a normal person then they would turn into meat paste as soon as they made contact with the ground.

However, they are Wizards and their physical abilities were enhanced to a level where they could fight against Spirits.

Additionally, it seemed their Realizers had activated a self-defense mechanism, as Jessica and the other Wizards were now enveloped in protective Territories while they plummeted. With that safeguard in place, there was no way the fall would be fatal. Besides, Shido had no intention of following up with another attack.

His priority now was to reunite with Yoshino and leave this place as soon as possible.

On the other hand, Kasukabe lead her group to help those Wizards from DEM. While she didn't want to interfere as she was still pissed off by Jessica's arrogant remark, they couldn't just stand on the side while ignore them. 

If they left Jessica and her team unattended, the higher-ups would undoubtedly scold or even punish them.

Begrudgingly, she could only order her squad to provide aid.

Even Origami reluctantly followed Kusakabe to aid the fallen Wizards. As she flew away, she cast a quick side glance at Shido. In response, he simply smirked playfully at her, causing her face to flush with heat.

Watching her figure grow smaller in the distance, Shido let out a sigh. He understood all too well what that glance meant.

Either way, he decided to deal with her later, as there were still other matters he needed to attend to.

Shido turned his gaze toward the dark sky, where heavy rain continued to pour. He extended his hand, letting the cold droplets gather on his palm before trickling down his fingers. The chill seeped into his skin, yet he remained still, silently embracing the downpour.

Shido was lost in thought, gazing at the dark sky, feeling the cold raindrops against his skin causing him to momentarily let go of his guard.

Suddenly, a loud cry broke through the sound of the falling rain.

"Shido-san!" 

"Eh?"

Turning toward the voice, Shido spotted a small figure soaring toward him at an incredible speed.

However, he could still recognize that it was Yoshino. 

Despite his speed, Shido was too exhausted right now causing him to be sluggish and he wasn't able to react on time.

He could only helplessly grit his teeth and catch the incoming cannon ball rush at him.

"Shido-san!"

"Ugh!"

Yoshino crashed into him like a meteor, her head slamming straight into his solar plexus. The sheer force sent Shido flying back nearly 10 meters. Yet, Shido didn't utter a single word except for the grunt that escaped his lips.

"Uwaah! Shido-san!" Yoshino clung tightly to him, her small frame trembling as she buried her face against his armor.

Even though she was the one who came crashing at Shido, she wasn't hurt at all as Shido negated all the impact from Yoshino's crash.

Yoshino sobbed uncontrollably, her true emotions spilling out like the heavy rain around them. She had already lost her mother, she couldn't bear the thought of losing the one person who had shown her kindness and love.

So when she saw figures plummeting from the sky, something inside her snapped. Without thinking, she had abandoned the safety of the barrier and rushed into the sky, desperate to reach him.

As Yoshino sobbed, the rain also poured down heavily reflecting to her chaotic emotion.

Seeing her vulnerable state, the pain he felt from receiving Yoshino seemed to disappear in the air and he could only feel his heart ache seeing her cry.

"Don't cry, Yoshino. I'm not hurt so you don't have to worry." Shido's voice softened as he started consoling her sad heart.

He felt her grip tightened, he let out a soft chuckle and patted her head gently. 

Yoshino slowly lifted her face, her blue eyes glossy with unshed tears. "B-But... there was a big explosion, and then you disappeared, and then you were falling!"

"Yoshino. I'm fine, see?"

Shido gently took Yoshino's small hands and placed them against his face, letting her feel his warmth and presence. However, instead of just reassuring her, the gesture made Yoshino blush deeply, her sobs momentarily halting as flustered confusion took over.

Meanwhile, Yoshinon, who had been caught in Yoshino's grip, wiggled her tiny arms. "Geez, Shido-kun! You made Yoshino cry! You should have seen her, sooo worried!"

Yoshino's face turned even redder. "I-I was not going to cry!"

Shido let out a small laugh and held her closer. "Sorry for making you worry. But it's over now, so let's go back, okay?"

Yoshino nodded, still refusing to let go, biting her finger as she hiccuped between sobs, resembling a spoiled little princess. Seeing this, Shido smiled gently and continued to coax her, letting the rain drench them both.

Although Yoshino appeared as a little girl, she was actually much older than him. Yet, her mentality remained that of a child. Shido let out a deep sigh, realizing there was no point in dwelling on it.

Deciding it was best to leave before more trouble found them, he reached for his earpiece and called Kotori to arrange their transport back to Fraxinus.

...

When they arrived inside Fraxinus, Reine was there to welcome them, her expression as unreadable as ever.

She watched them with her usual drowsy yet observant gaze. Her eyes flickered to Shido, who smiled at her awkwardly, then shifted to Yoshino, who was still clinging tightly to his waist, refusing to let go.

Yoshino had finally stopped crying by the time they arrived, but her eyes remained red and puffy from her earlier sobs. As her emotions settled, embarrassment crept in, making her lower her gaze. However, instead of letting go, she only hugged Shido tighter, pressing her small, soaked body against him, as if afraid that releasing him would make him disappear.

"Welcome back, and good work out there," Reine said, her voice as monotone as ever. She held an iPad in one hand, her gaze briefly scanning Shido before shifting to Yoshino. Though her tone remained unchanged, her expression subtly softened.

In the original series, Yoshino was one of the Spirits Reine was closest to, often displaying a rare maternal side when interacting with her. That warmth was evident now as well, as she observed the petite girl still clinging to Shido.

Reine's eyes were filled with warmth as she gaze at Yoshino's adorable doll-like face. 

Reine's eyes held a rare warmth as she gazed at Yoshino's delicate, doll-like face. However, when she shifted her attention back to Shido, her expression darkened slightly, her usual sleepy eyes now carrying a hint of disapproval.

Clearly unhappy with causing Yoshino to worry and even make her drenched in rain.

Shido stiffened under her gaze, feeling the unspoken reprimand.

"...Thanks." Shido replied, letting out an awkward laugh.

"You haven't sealed her Reiryoku yet, have you?" Reine's expression returned to her usual deadpan look as she turned her gaze back to him.

"Not yet. I was busy calming her down from crying, so I didn't get the chance," Shido admitted.

"I see. Then you should do it now since you still need to change clothes," Reine said, glancing at their soaked bodies.

"...Right."