Reincarnated as Itsuka Shido: Collecting Spirits as Lovers

Kurumi commanded her clones to overwhelm him with relentless attacks while seeking an opportunity to bind him. At the same time, she spammed her first and seventh bullets with pinpoint precision.

Shido could hold his ground momentarily, but the sheer number of opponents was too overwhelming.

Fatigue began to weigh heavily on him as his body could no longer keep up with his Observation Haki, and his stamina was nearly depleted. His current appearance was miserable, visibly struggling as Kurumi toyed with him. Although he managed to kill some of her clones, many more continued to emerge, wave after wave.

His Reiryoku reserves were also running dangerously low. If he didn't escape soon, he would undoubtedly fall. The situation worsened when the one thing he dreaded most occurred.

The clone that he stationed at the Itsuka residence, relayed a message. Kotori and Ratatoskr were alarmed by the continuous outbursts of Reiryoku above the city, and even the AST was also fast approaching.

"Shit!" Shido cursed under his breath.

Desperate, he decided to seize an opportunity to use his fastest speed to escape Kurumi. He vowed to purchase a movement technique later to avoid being cornered like this again. For now, dividing his thoughts to buy a skill while enduring Kurumi's relentless assault was impossible.

...

Meanwhile, aboard Fraxinus, Kotori stormed into the control room with Shido's clone, her commanding presence evident. The Ratatoskr crew stood ready. Kannazuki Kyohei and Reine were already analyzing the situation.

"What's the status?" Kotori demanded in her commander mode.

"Commander." one of the Love Masters, Mikimoto, reported. "Two Spirits are engaged in combat above Tengu City. Their battle has caused significant damage to nearby buildings."

A holographic display of the battle flickered to life, showing a Gothic Lolita dressed Spirit wielding guns against another Spirit exuding a strange aura of holiness and malevolence. His armor was a striking combination of black and white, his long silver hair cascading gracefully, with a divine ring rotating ominously behind him.

"That's...?" Kotori's voice trailed off, her eyes widening with disbelief.

"The first Spirit is Nightmare, the one responsible for over 10,000 deaths." Kannazuki explained. He paused, his gaze shifting to the other Spirit. "As for the second... It's an unknown male Spirit."

The room collectively gasped. Spirits were traditionally female, but this male Spirit's appearance left them awestruck.

All of them were surprised by the other spirit because the other spirit facing Nightmare was a male! But there were two people inside the control room that wasn't surprised by this situation at all, one was Shido's clone which was looking away from Reine's curious gaze and the other was Reine herself as she had seen his Spirit form when he first awaken it.

Shido's clone avoided Reine's plain gaze with a hint of curiousity. Even though it was not her first time seeing this form of Shido, Reine had to admit his Spirit Form was incredibly handsome, causing an uncharacteristic blush to grace her cheeks.

Kotori and the rest of the crew were similarly mesmerized by his ethereal beauty.

Kotori shook herself from her daze and turned to Reine. "Why wasn't there a Spatial Quake alarm? How did they appear without one?"

Reine replied flatly, her voice calm despite the chaos. "There were no disruptions in Spirit wave numbers. Their appearance here is still a mystery."

Kotori frowned, her lollipop grinding between her teeth. "That's a male Spirit, right?"

Reine nodded. "One hundred percent male." she confirmed while she yawned and quietly moved closer to Shido's clone without anyone noticing.

"How did you do it?" she whispered.

Shido's clone feigned ignorance. "Do what?"

Her piercing gaze tightened, she pinched his waist hard enough to make him yelp. "You know exactly what I mean. How did you create a clone?"

He glared at her while holding the soft hands that pinched him on his waist. Nevertheless, Reine was suddenly in daze as she look the his hand that was holding hers. No one knew what she was thinking except for herself. Shido didn't bother with her action that much as her pinch was quite painful.

In the end, Shido reluctantly admitted, "It's an ability of my Angel."

Although Shido was forced to admit it, he didn't tell her the whole truth. 

Reine studied him intently but chose not to press further. She retreated to Kotori's side, leaving Shido muttering, "Women really are a pain in the ass." while rubbing his waist. However, Reine seemed to hear his whispering as she glared at him making him laugh bitterly.

Meanwhile, Kotori was still staring at the hologram in deep thought, her crimson eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to solve a difficult puzzle. She tapped the desk with her lollipop absentmindedly, her mind seemingly stuck on the image of the male Spirit fighting Nightmare.

"Why does it seem that I've seen that male Spirit before...?" she muttered to herself, her tone filled with both confusion and frustration.

Her words, though soft, were heard by both Reine and Shido's clone. Reine couldn't suppress a chuckle, her lips curving slightly at Kotori's obliviousness to the obvious truth.

On the other hand, Shido let out a bitter smile, trying his best to act naturally while avoiding direct eye contact with Kotori. Inwardly, he was already cursing his luck, dreading the moment Kotori's sharp instincts might finally connect the dots.

As the team observed the intense battle displayed on the hologram, they began noticing a subtle shift in the tide.

While it appeared that the male Spirit was at ease dodging and clashing with Nightmare, a closer examination revealed a different story.

The unending waves of Nightmare's clones and hails of bullets were gradually pushing him into a disadvantageous position.

"Those clones are relentless." Kotori muttered, leaning forward with her eyes fixed on the screen. Her attention suddenly focused on the sword the male Spirit was wielding. Its sharp gleam cut through the darkness, its strikes sure and powerful. She tilted her head, curiosity flashing across her expression.

"Is that his Angel?" she asked, pointing at the weapon.

Reine, standing to the side, gave a measured response, her tone tinged with doubt. "No, while it seems strong, it lacks the distinct presence of an Angel." She paused, her brows knitting together slightly.

The scene reminded her of Shido's inner world, at that time, he hadn't yet manifested his Angel, making her uncertain about what she was seeing. Casting a subtle glance at Shido's clone, she decided to seek his input.

"What do you think, Shin?" Reine asked calmly.

The question caused every pair of eyes in the room to swivel toward Shido. His lips twitched slightly, betraying his discomfort. He hadn't expected Reine to pass the question to him so abruptly, especially with such an audience. Rubbing the back of his head, he tried to maintain his composure.

"Well, if I had to guess..." he began, his voice measured as if weighing each word. "Then it should be his gauntlet. It has a unique presence that feels more akin to an Angel than the sword does."

The team turned their gaze toward the Spirit's gauntlet, an otherworldly piece of armor exuding a strange duality of purity and malice. Its design gave it an almost regal aura, and its movements seemed as calculated as the wielder's.

"Hmm? You might be right." Kotori acknowledged, chomping decisively on her lollipop.

Seeing her nonchalant munching despite the serious observation session, Shido couldn't help but berate her inwardly. 'It's the middle of the night, and you're still eating lollipops?! How are your teeth still intact, Kotori?!' he grumbled silently, his expression staying carefully neutral.

His inner rant was cut short by the calm yet firm voice of Minowa, the female Love Master of the Fraxinus.

"AST has arrived. Commencing attack," she announced.

Their attention snapped back to the hologram, which now displayed the arrival of the AST in formation. The squad had wasted no time, immediately opening fire with a barrage of energy shells aimed at the two battling Spirits.

The explosive bombardment illuminated the darkened landscape in flashes of light, painting a vivid scene of chaos as both Spirits reacted to the new threat.

Kotori leaned back in her chair, her tone laced with both annoyance and interest. "Things just got more complicated."