Reincarnated as Itsuka Shido: Collecting Spirits as Lovers

Just as Shido was feeling awkward about his interaction with Origami, an alarm suddenly resounded, cutting through the atmosphere with urgency.

"There have been precursory signs of an impending spatial quake in this area."

"This is not a drill."

"Please evacuate to the nearest shelter immediately."

Origami's expression immediately shifted to one of seriousness. "Something just came up. See you later," she said curtly before hurrying off without another word.

"Tobiichi..." Shido murmured, his eyes following her fleeting figure as she disappeared into the corner of the school.

Before he could dwell on it further, Kotori's voice buzzed in his earpiece, snapping him back to the present.

"Shido, it's a spatial quake. Come back to Fraxinus immediately."

"Which one is it?"

"The Princess."

The operator and siren took turns to urge everyone to proceed to the shelter. The people in the cars all stopped in designated areas and they got down to run towards the shelters near them.

The signs at the street, the billboards all changed into Spatial Quake warning signs and content.

The designated parking area suddenly descended into the ground as thick steel walls covered the ground. The pedestrians also headed into tunnels that seemed to lead underground, after all nearby pedestrians had entered, steel walls covered the opening and the tunnels all descended into the ground as well.

Those that haven't entered the shelters started running in an organized and deft manner that would suggest they are either trained or familiar to this occurrence. They also ignored the rapidly shifting appearance of the buildings nearby, adding to one's suspicion that they are too used and/or trained on a frequent basis with regards to Spatial Quake phenomena.

The whole city began to shift in response to the impending danger. Streets morphed as barriers rose, and the school became surrounded by layers of protective barricades, attempting to block something.

Meanwhile, inside the AST base, wizards hurriedly equipped their CR-Units, the mechanized armor gleaming under the sterile lights of the preparation room.

Origami entered the room with a focused expression, her movements brisk as she began changing into her battle suit.

"They're coming." said Captain Kusabe, her voice sharp as her eyes met Origami's.

"Roger." Origami replied flatly, already halfway through arming herself. Her movements were precise and methodical, showing no hesitation despite the growing tension.

Alarms blared through the base, and a holographic screen lit up in vivid red, displaying the rapidly expanding anomaly.

"The spatial quake has started!"

Outside, the sky distorted as if reality itself were tearing apart. A small, shimmering ripple appeared, warping the air and light around it.

Within moments, it surged outward, becoming a massive, swirling distortion that engulfed the entire school in a blinding flash of light.

...

The sun cast its orange and crimson hues over the sky as it sank below the horizon, painting the remains of the school in soft, warm light. After the spatial quake, the entire area lay in ruins. Rubble scattered everywhere, walls torn apart, and shattered glass glittering like tiny stars in the fading daylight.

Shido stood in front of the ruined school, his attention not on the crumbling structures but on the holographic panel floating before him.

His gaze, however, was fixed on the glowing system panel hovering in front of him.

[Ding New Quests Issued.]*

The notification startled him slightly, and a series of quests appeared before him:

[Quest 1: Seal Princess's Spirit Powers]

[Quest 2: Seal Hermit's Spirit Powers]

[Quest 3: Seal Nightmare's Spirit Powers]

Shido sighed, his expression weary.

"All of this at once... this is definitely going to take a while to complete."

"Thankfully there is no time limit."

His gaze lingered longer on the last one, he could already feel how troublesome this quest would be. 

Determined to prepare, Shido opened the system shop, navigating its selection of skills and find the skill that he wanted to buy.

Observation Haki: A form of Haki that grants the user an extrasensory sixth sense that allows them to sense the presence, strength, and emotions of others, as well as gain limited precognitive abilities

He studied the descriptions, each level of the skill offering heightened awareness, sharper senses, and unparalleled prediction of others' actions.

"This would be useful." Shido's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. The potential of this skill were endless, combat, understanding emotions, detecting enemies, and even predicting actions. After a moment's hesitation, he made his decision.

Observation Haki (Basic Level): 10,000 SP, (Intermediate Level): 30,000 SP, (Advanced Level): 100,000 SP, (Perfection Level): 200,000 SP, (Transcendent Level): 600,000 SP

"200,000 SP for the Perfection Level... It's pricy, but it's definitely worth it." Shido said firmly, his finger hovering over the buy button before pressing it.

Shido had chosen to buy the Perfection Level of Observation Haki since if he bought the Advanced Level then the cost that he will use to upgrade it to the next level will be much higher than the original price.

Plus, he had System Points to buy it, even thought it was worth 200,000 SP, he will still have at least 300,000 SP left on his balance.

With a soft chime, the system interface confirmed the purchase.

Ding!

[You have successfully purchased Observation Haki (Perfection Level).]

[200,000 SP has been deducted.]

A sudden surge of warmth coursed through his body as if something intangible melded seamlessly with his senses. His breath quickened as the skill took root in him.

Shido closed his eyes, experimenting with his newfound abilities.

In an instant, his awareness expanded beyond anything he thought possible. He could "see" without using his eyes, detecting presences, emotions, and even faint intentions radiating from living beings within range.

Just then, a sharp pang echoed in his chest, pulling his attention toward the rubbles. Among the chaos of the ruined school, he sensed someone, a presence saturated with loneliness and hostility.

"It's her..." Shido whispered. His heart ached as he recognized the feelings pouring from this entity. "Tohka..."

He muttered her name while clutching his chest. Her overwhelming loneliness and hostility weighed heavily on him, a reminder of the burden she bore and what lay ahead for him.

He extended his senses further, his focus shifting to the surrounding forest. There, amidst the dense foliage, several presences came into view in his mind's eye. Wizards, crouched and waiting, their intentions sharp and ready for confrontation.

Within their ranks, one aura burned brighter than the rest, a presence that carried cold determination and calm focus.

"Origami…" Shido whispered, recognizing her almost instantly. Her presence lingered on the edge of the battlefield, observing while waiting for orders.

Everything had fallen into place. Shido knew the fight was about to begin, but what mattered now was reaching Tohka before anything else. This wasn't just a quest anymore, it was personal.