Reincarnated as Itsuka Shido: Collecting Spirits as Lovers

The night sky above Tenguu City became a center of chaos. Shido's heart pounded inside his chest as he tore through the sky while the wind lashing against him as he tried to evade Kurumi's pursuit.

Every instinct screamed at him to keep moving, but he knew it was only a matter of time before she caught up as her AGI was way above his.

Her playful and sinister laughter echoed through the night like a haunting melody. Kurumi's speed pushed her closer, her figure a silhouette of elegance and dread under the moonlight. The shadows around her writhed like serpents, ready to strike at his weakest moment.

Seeing this, Shido can only curse under his breath. "This is bad... How is she so relentless?!" he muttered, casting a glance over his shoulder.

Kurumi's crimson eye met his briefly, her smirk widening. Even at a distance, her predatory gaze was unnerving. Her aura was overwhelming, her power was oppressive, and the gap in their abilities was clearly evident.

His irritation flared as he recalled the careless moment when she'd shouted his name and this slip-up could have compromised everything.

Thankfully, only Origami had been close enough to hear it, and his earlier counterattack had bought him some distance from the AST. Though he have to come up of an explanation for Origami as he know that she will definitely confront him at school.

Still, the memory of Kurumi's teasing tone, dripping with amusement, set his nerves on edge.

"This is getting ridiculous," he thought, grinding his teeth. "If I don't stop her now, she'll chase me until I revert back to my human form."

A plan began to form in his mind, one that fraught with risk. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and he had one ace left to play.

"I didn't want to do this… But you leave me no choice." he muttered, slowing his pace and channeling the latent energy within him.

Shido closed his eyes for a fleeting moment, drawing a deep breath. When they snapped open, his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan burned to life, its eternal, intricate patterns glowing ominously in the dark. His Spirit form amplified its potency, the crimson orbs exuding an unearthly power.

"Tsukuyomi!"

His voice was firm, resonating with the authority of an unyielding resolve. The world around him seemed to shift unnaturally as his gaze locked onto Kurumi's eye.

Kurumi was caught off guard by this move and became trapped inside his Genjutsu.

The effect was immediate. Kurumi's smirk froze mid-expression, her graceful flight stuttering to an abrupt halt. Her body hovered motionlessly in the sky, her golden clock-like eye dimming as a hollow, blank stare replaced her lively expression.

Time itself seemed to stand still, a suffocating silence enveloping the battlefield. The relentless winds eased, the echoing noise of combat subsided, and for a fleeting moment, the chaos of the night paused.

Shido winced, a large amount of his mana was used to cast Tsukuyomi in addition to the previous mana he used during the earlier fight. The massive mana expenditure left him panting heavily, sweat dripping down his brow.

Tsukuyomi demanded an enormous toll on his mana, and though the Genjutsu was holding for now, he knew that this has still limitations.

"I did it…" Shido whispered in relief tinged with exhaustion.

Still, he couldn't afford to linger. 

He knew this attack would break almost immediately knowing Kurumi's monstrous stats. His expertise with the Sharingan was still lacking.

Initially, he had only awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan, and he only used it once.

However, the transformation into his Spirit Mode had elevated his eyes to the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, but the leap in power came without mastery. His knowledge of these abilities was superficial at best, leaving him uncertain about whether Tsukuyomi would even work considering who the enemy is.

For this reason, Shido refrained from attempting the technique earlier in the battle, fearing the consequences of failure.

But now that he was forced into a corner, it had become his last-ditch effort and his final gamble for survival. He hadn't wanted to rely on an ability he had no control over, but desperation left him with no other choice.

After one last look at Kurumi who lay motionless in the sky, Shido finally propelled himself forward with every ounce of strength he could muster, vanishing into the distant darkness like a shadow.

...

Inside Ratatoskr's command center, Kotori and her crew stared at the unfolding scene with wide-eyed disbelief.

"What…just happened?" Kotori's voice was unusually soft, betraying her unease as she watched the display. The hologram showed Kurumi suspended mid-air, her blank eyes and unmoving body, an eerie contrast to her previously twisted expression.

"It seems…to be his ability." Kannazuki murmured, adjusting his self as he observed the male Spirit's flight path on the screen. "To think Nightmare herself, who commands time, could be stopped like that…"

Kotori's brows furrowed as she clenched her fists in frustration. "Stopped by one of his powers? Just what kind of ability did he use?"

The weight of her words hung heavily in the air. While Shido had primarily relied on his blade during previous confrontations, this marked the first time he had revealed a power with such devastating potential.

The eerie stillness of Nightmare was unnerving, her once sinister expression was replaced with an unsettling blankness.

Reine's calm yet analytical voice broke the tension. "It might be some sort of powerful illusion technique." she speculated, her gaze fixed on the screen showing Kurumi's blank eyes. "Given her current state, there's a high chance that she's been trapped inside an illusion."

After saying that, she turned her gaze towards the person who caused all this trouble. Shido who was observing them silently couldn't help but bitterly smile at her deadpan gaze.

"Um... Reine-san, why are you staring at me?"

"Nothing."

Kotori only looked at them for a brief moments before she look back at the hologram. "An illusion strong enough to trap Nightmare... That's no ordinary ability. If this is part of his power set, even though he was forced to retreat, he might be even more dangerous than we thought."

The entire members of Fraxinus grew silent as the gravity of the situation dawned on everyone. This new revelation about the mysterious male Spirit added another layer of complexity to their mission.

Kannazuki shook his head, still captivated by the sheer audacity of what they had witnessed. "Whatever it is, it's clearly something extraordinary. A power capable of stopping even Nightmare in her pursuit… This is far more dangerous than we anticipated."

Kotori nodded, however after their discussion about the male Spirit, she couldn't resist her natural inclination for teasing when she thought of something.

She turned her sharp eyes to Shido with a smirk tugging at her lips. "Well, Shido, do you swing that way?" Her teasing voice was filled with amusement, clearly enjoying the opportunity to mess with her brother.

Shido's clone was visibly stunned at her words and was still processing but he immediately understood her meaning in a few seconds, a shudder running down his spine as he rebuked her absurd thining.

"What the heck are you saying, Kotori?! Even if the whole world gets destroyed by a Spatial Quake, I'd never kiss that guy! Don't compare me to Kannazuki-san!"

The very thought of such an action sent a wave of unease through him, and he clasped his head in exaggerated distress. It didn't matter if it was technically himself; the notion was beyond disturbing.

However, his words triggered an explosive reaction from Kannazuki, who suddenly stood, pointing dramatically.

"Don't slander me like that, Shido-kun! I don't swing that way either! My heart belongs solely to the Commande—!"

"Argh!"

Before Kannazuki could finish his declaration of devotion, a sharp kick from Kotori sent him flying backward. She didn't hold back, her expression cold and unyielding as though she were delivering judgment from on high.

Her fiery gaze bored into Kannazuki, who crumpled to the floor, clutching his stomach in pain yet wearing a bizarrely blissful smile.

"Disgusting," Kotori muttered, brushing off his dramatics as if they were an everyday annoyance. Shido's clone sighed. Despite the absurd exchange, Kotori's crew remained eerily unfazed by Kannazuki's antics, more focused on the hologram's strange developments.

The display left Shido completely speechless. 

Surprisingly, none of the other members of Ratatoskr seemed particularly fazed by the exchange. They carried on as if this was just another routine moment aboard Fraxinus.

Still processing the absurdity, Shido could only sigh, wondering how he always seemed to get stuck with such a peculiar group of people.

...

Far above Ratatoskr, Kurumi's body trembled faintly. A spark of golden light flickered in her crimson clock eye as her consciousness broke through the Genjutsu in just tens of seconds. Slowly, her blank expression gave way to awareness, her lips curving into a delighted grin.

"So, that's how it is…" she mused, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"It's a bit troublesome."

Her gaze flicked to the distant horizon where Shido had disappeared. Despite his clever escape, the thrill of the hunt burned brightly within her.

"Shido-san." she murmured, savoring his name like a rare delicacy. A fingertip traced her lips as she recalled the annoyed glare he had cast her way, a shiver of delight coursing through her body, making her moan.

"Mn~ How cute~" she chuckled softly, shadows gathering at her feet. Her voice dropped to a playful whisper, layered with dangerous intent. "Next time, you won't escape from me. We'll become one, Shido-san~."

Leaving those final words, her body dissolved into the swirling darkness below, leaving the battlefield devoid of her presence.

____________________________________

First lemon is near!🍋