Reincarnated as Itsuka Shido: Collecting Spirits as Lovers

The streets were eerily deserted as Shido wandered forward, the echoes of his footsteps bouncing off the silent buildings around him. He pulled out his phone, a small frown forming as he tracked Kotori's location.

According to the GPS, she was exactly where she said she'd be, the family restaurant. Or rather, more precisely, above it in the sky. Fraxinus, the ship where Kotori was stationed, was invisible to the naked eye, floating far above. A wry smile tugged at his lips as he considered the absurdity of her position.

After a moment of hesitation, he decided to use the Sharingan. While the Sharingan was known for detecting chakra flow, in his case, it allowed him to perceive reiryoku and maryoku, the spiritual energy that was so abundant in this world.

"Sharingan!" he whispered, the word cutting through the stillness of the air. His pupils shifted, deep crimson bleeding into his irises, and three tomoe materialized around his pupils.

Lifting his gaze, he scanned the area above the restaurant and immediately found her. Kotori's silhouette was unmistakable, outlined by the faint glow of reiryoku coursing through her. Yet, something seemed off. Her energy was so faint, almost ethereal, like a candle struggling against a gale.

He frowned in realization, this was the aftermath of him, or rather, the original Shido from the anime, sealing her power in the past.

What followed shocked him to his core.

Beside Kotori was an immeasurable source of reiryoku, a density of energy so overwhelming it left him briefly stunned.

His lips parted in disbelief as he tried to process the sheer enormity of it. What baffled him even more was that the reiryoku wasn't just an aura surrounding Kotori, it was coming from someone else entirely. And as the sensation washed over him, he felt an unexplainable pull, as though something from this person or rather, something tied to her was attracting him. His heart skipped a beat as the realization hit him.

"It's her..."

He was dumbfounded. He had nearly forgotten about her, but now that it hit him, the shock of the discovery lingered.

That's when it hit, a sharp, stinging pain surged through his eyes, forcing him to deactivate the Sharingan. Gasping, he rubbed his face, groaning softly as his vision blurred, and his mana reserves felt alarmingly depleted. "This drawback…" he muttered under his breath.

It was worse than he expected. Half his mana had been consumed for mere seconds of use, and the searing pain lingered despite the deactivation.

For a moment, Shido leaned against the cold wall of a nearby building, catching his breath as the world slowly came back into focus. "I can't use this recklessly," he reminded himself, swearing silently to reserve the Sharingan for life-or-death situations unless he found a way to counteract its side effects.

However, his recovery was short-lived. The ground suddenly began to rumble, a deafening roar splitting the sky. He barely had time to brace himself as the shockwave of a Spatial Quake nearly sent him sprawling. Wind tore through the deserted streets, rattling windows and sending debris flying.

Shido, still reeling from his discovery, couldn't help but feel a mix of amazement and excitement. The thought of her stirred something deep within him, a growing expectation to finally meet her.

But he shoved those thoughts to the back of his mind, forcing himself to focus on the task at hand. Whatever was about to unfold, he needed to be ready.

"It have begun" Shido murmured, instinctively straightening despite his throbbing headache. His feet carried him toward the epicenter, knowing full well what awaited him there. As he neared the crater caused by the quake, fragments of purple energy drifted in the air like ethereal embers. His steps slowed as his gaze locked onto the figure standing at the heart of the destruction.

There she was.

Princess

The Spirit who would change everything.

She stood in resplendent purple armor, her angelic dress adorned with intricate patterns that shimmered in the glow of her immense reiryoku. One foot was placed atop a throne that had materialized beside her, and on top of it was a sword.

The air around her crackled with energy, her every movement radiating both beauty and danger. "Tohka…" he breathed, the name escaping him in a whisper of awe and apprehension.

As he stepped closer, his nerves caught up to him. His palms were damp with sweat, and he couldn't shake the gnawing fear that she might strike him down before he got a chance to speak. His heart pounded as he gulped, each step bringing him closer to the unpredictable Spirit.

Then it happened.

Tohka's eyes glinted with steely resolve as she gripped her sword and swung, a crescent-shaped blast of purple reiryoku surging toward him.

Shido froze as the Spirit's attack narrowly missed him, slamming into a building behind him and reducing it to rubble. His legs trembled as he nearly collapsed to the ground, staring in shock at the devastation. Just as he struggled to process what had happened, a voice, calm yet tinged with coldness, cut through his stunned state.

"You too..." the girl said, stepping closer.

He blinked and found her standing mere meters away, her massive sword leveled at him. Her violet eyes glinted with suspicion, but beneath their steely resolve, Shido noticed something deeper, an emotion of sadness and pain.

"You're here to kill me too?"

Her words were firm, but the anguish in her tone betrayed her stoicism. Shido found himself staring, unable to tear his gaze away. Her question wasn't just defensive, it was laced with bitterness, as though she'd already resigned herself to being someone that the world wanted destroyed.

Tohka's chest tightened as an unfamiliar sensation spreading through her as she gazed at him. There was something about this boy that drew her in, a strange, irresistible pull she couldn't explain. For a fleeting moment, her heart yearned for something different.

She imagined forgetting the endless battles, the solitude, and the constant rejection. A part of her wanted nothing more than to step closer, to entrust him with her everything, and to let herself be accepted by him.

But the moment passed as quickly as it came. She gritted her teeth, pushing aside the those thoughts. No, she couldn't afford such weakness. Clutching her Angel tighter, she steadied her stance, forcing herself to ignore the confusing emotions swirling within her.

She pointed her blade unwaveringly at Shido, choosing to bury the strange feelings deep within her heart.

The weight of her sorrow struck him like a physical blow, and instinctively, he clutched his chest, as if to dull the ache he suddenly felt. Shido was still stunned by the intensity of the emotions radiating from her, but as the pain in his chest lingered, a strange courage began to bloom within him. The tension he'd felt only moments ago dissipated like fog in sunlight, replaced by an unexplainable resolve.

Tohka blinked in disbelief as Shido slowly closed the distance between them. Her grip tightened on her sword, but her mind faltered, torn between suspicion and confusion.

'Why wasn't he running?'

'What is this human doing?'

Before she could react, she felt it a gentle warmth pressing against her cheek. Shido's hand rested there, steady and unthreatening. Her violet eyes widened as her breath stopped, her entire body going rigid.

She looked up at him, still processing what had just happened. His touch wasn't filled with fear or malice. Instead, his gaze bore into hers, radiating a combination of pain and warmth. Her heartbeat quickened in her chest, a sensation she had never felt before.

Shido broke the silence first, his voice soft yet carrying an undeniable weight. "You've suffered too much..."

The sincerity in his words sent a ripple through Tohka's heart. Her sword wavered, her fingers trembling. She couldn't tear her gaze away from him, no matter how much she tried.

Her thoughts spiraled uncontrollably.

'What are you doing?'

'Why are your eyes filled with so much pain?'

'What is this feeling in my chest?'

The questions rattled her, making her feel strangely vulnerable. The foreign emotion clawing at her heart refused to subside, leaving her unsettled. Especially when she remembered the strange attraction she felt towards him earlier. Even so, the warmth from his touch and the look in his eyes were impossible to ignore.

But the moment shattered as missiles soared through the sky, the AST making their grand entrance.

Explosions rippled through the battlefield as Tohka instinctively erected a barrier. Frustration flickered in her eyes as she turned away from Shido, her focus now on the persistent attack. Without hesitation, she soared into the air, engaging the AST head-on.

Meanwhile, Shido hurriedly crouched behind the rubble, his mind racing.

Watching Tohka fight was both mesmerizing and terrifying. Her movements were fluid yet forceful, her Angel cutting through enemy projectiles with ease. Among the AST operatives, one figure stood out.

Tobiichi Origami.

Her advanced maneuvers and precision strikes showcased her skill, though Tohka countered her at every turn.

Origami eventually broke through, using her laser cannon to strike at Tohka from close range. Shido watched with anxious breath as Tohka blocked the powerful attack barehanded, a glowing barrier forming over her palm.

She retaliated by cutting Origami's weapon clean in half, forcing the AST operative to retreat and unequip her CR-Unit. To Shido's surprise, Origami landed near him.

Awkwardly, he cleared his throat. "Uh, nice clothes you're wearing," he joked weakly.

Origami turned her head towards him, her eyes wide in shock.

"Itsuka Shido," she muttered, her voice barely audible.

Before the awkward encounter could progress, a surge of energy forced them both to focus. Tohka was back, her Angel drawn, and Origami reacted by activating a laser sword. The two clashed in a duel that was nothing short of breathtaking. Shido watched as their swords met with blinding speed, energy rippling from each strike.

"If I could use the Sharingan, I could probably keep up with their movements" Shido thought grimly. But the memory of its painful effect kept him from activating it.

The battle escalated rapidly. Both Tohka and Origami condensed their respective powers into their weapons for a final clash. The air grew heavy with the buildup of energy, and Shido felt his heart in his throat.

Origami raised her laser sword, letting out a fierce "AHHHH!!!" as she swung it toward Tohka with all her might.

Tohka, unwavering, followed suit with a powerful "HAAAHH!!!" of her own, her Angel meeting Origami's in a deafening crash.

 When their attacks collided, the explosion was cataclysmic. A blinding light engulfed the battlefield, the shockwave knocking Shido off his feet as rubble and debris rained down.

"Oh no… I'm dead," Shido muttered as the force of the blast overtook him. The world around him faded into chaos, and everything went dark.