Reincarnated as Itsuka Shido: Collecting Spirits as Lovers

"So it… was real?" he muttered faintly to himself, almost as if questioning his own sanity.

Reine watched him for a moment, her sleepy gaze lingering. "What do you mean?" she asked, though her voice carried little curiosity, as if she couldn't be bothered to dwell deeper.

Shido shook his head slightly.

"It's nothing." he replied quickly, turning his head to meet her eyes.

"You said I was brought here."

Shido grunted as he swung his legs off the bed, steadying himself for a moment before attempting to stand.

Just as he was about to stand, an idea struck him like lightning. His eyes lit up with a mischievous glint.

"Ah!" he exclaimed dramatically.

"Woah… careful!" Reine was startled, her voice carrying a bit of concern.

Shido pretended to stumble, hoping to catch himself by leaning against Reine for support.

A harmless yet clumsy act.

Or so he thought.

Unfortunately, he had miscalculated two things.

First is his weight and the other is...

Her lack of strength.

"Wha—!"

The next thing Shido knew, the two of them was falling. Reine let out a soft gasp as the two tumbled back onto the bed, limbs entangled. But that wasn't even the worst part.

Time seemed to freeze as Shido's lips accidentally pressed against her lips.

His eyes widened in pure astonishment, mirroring Reine's own stupefied expression.

'It's soft.'

That was the first, completely inappropriate thought that flash through Shido's chaotic mind.

'This is totally not what I had in mind!!'

His brain went into overdrive, sirens wailing as though he were in the middle of some cataclysmic event.

How did this even happen? What kind of rom-com cliché was he caught up in?

Pinned under him, Reine didn't move an inch. Her perpetually lazy eyes were now slightly wider, revealing disbelief, anger, and a hint of… helplessness?

And then, it happened.

The atmosphere around them changed as a crackling surge of energy swept through the air. Shido's pupils contracted when an ethereal light began swirling around Reine's body.

'No way—!'

The brilliant light intensified as Reine's Astral Dress manifested, her Spirit form emerging in a reflexive response.

In a flash, the transformation completed. Shido, still leaning above her, found himself utterly stunned.

The dress has a translucent color like water droplets and has a noticeable slit that shows off her left leg. The dress itself is decorated with flowers and golden jewelry. Large strands of fabric that are shaped like leaves can also be seen extending out from the Astral Dress. The dress had a daring slit down the left side, revealing her slender, pale leg in a way that exuded both power and grace.

For the brief moment, she was radiant, a Spirit of overwhelming beauty and elegance.

Shido's breath hitched as his eyes stayed locked on her. She was nothing short of stunning—otherworldly, even.

And then—

Whoosh.

Just as suddenly as it had appeared, her Astral Dress dissolved into particles of light, vanishing as though it had never been there.

"Ah." Shido blinked, his mouth agape.

His next thought was swiftly derailed when he noticed something else.

Reine was now completely naked!

Time seemed to stop once again.

Her pale, flawless skin caught the soft light in the room, enhancing her mature yet breathtakingly attractive figure. Her curves were well-defined, her slender legs elegant and long, lending her the grace of a model. Despite her sleep-deprived expression, Reine's body radiated a natural charm that left Shido stunned.

His gaze lingered involuntarily for a second too long before he realized what he was doing.

Reine, on the other hand, fixed him with her signature deadpan stare, unfazed yet somehow more intimidating than ever.

"Have you seen enough?" she asked flatly, her voice as monotone as always but now carrying a dangerous tone.

Shido, too overwhelmed to think clearly, nodded absently, still caught in his daze.

"…Pervert." Reine muttered without missing a beat, her tone laced with a mix of exasperation and mild scorn. She reached over and pulled the blanket from the bed to cover herself, shielding her body from view.

Shido snapped out of his stupor, his face erupting in slight shades of crimson.

He looked away in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish laugh.

"Will you believe me if I said that, that was an accident." he laugh awkwardly.

"No."

Her reply made Shido almost cover his face in embarrassment.

"Turn around." Reine instructed, her voice as even as ever but with the faintest edge of irritation.

Shido blinked, scratching the back of his head as a somewhat awkward chuckle escaped him.

"Yeah, of course."

He turned around swiftly, his ears reddening slightly.

Despite his attempt to appear composed, he couldn't help but feel the weight of the situation press down on him.

The sound of rustling fabric followed as Reine rummaged through the room for clothing and began dressing.

Still, Shido's heart couldn't calm down as his ears was perked up. The rustling of the clothes is a bit difficult to bear.

Imagining Reine who was changing clothes just a few meters away from him made his heart beat faster.

Shido's posture remained stiff, his hands resting awkwardly on his hips as he tried not to think too much about what happened or what he might have seen.

"All done." Reine said flatly, breaking the silence.

When Shido turned back around, he let out a small sigh of relief, his lips forming into a sheepish smile.

"Thank god, it's over." he muttered, though it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.

Reine raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms as she studied him. "Why do you seem disappointed instead?" she asked, her expression unreadable, yet somehow conveying a faint hint of amusement.

He met her stare evenly, his smile deepening just slightly. "Disappointed? Why would I be disappointed?" he asked, his voice was calm and just enough humor to diffuse the situation.

Her gaze remained steady, her eyes half-lidded as always.

"Mm. Okay then."

Her tone made Shido wonder for a moment whether she was genuinely curious or subtly teasing him in her own flat manner. Either way, he simply shrugged, maintaining his calm demeanor.

"Well, I told you."

Reine ignored his comment, though the corners of her lips seemed to twitch ever so slightly. "Did you know?"

"Know what?" Shido replied, his tone shifting back to something calmer, though a flicker of nervousness lingered in his eyes.

"That I'm a Spirit," she said without preamble, "and the Phantom at that."

Shido tensed briefly, but his awkwardness melted into something more subdued. "Yeah." he admitted quietly while meeting her gaze.

"I knew. I just didn't expect… all of this."

"And that doesn't bother you?" Reine asked, her voice carrying a note of curiosity as she observed his reaction.

"Why would it bother me?" Shido replied after a moment of thought, his voice calm but honest. He then added with a gentle smile, "I don't discriminate between human and spirit and you're beautiful so why would it bother me? Plus... I know you wouldn't harm me."

Reine blinked at his straightforward compliment, her gaze unreadable, though the smallest shift in her eyes hinted at mild surprise. After a brief pause, she sighed lightly.

"How are you so sure that I won't harm you?"

'How would I tell you that I know you care about Shido so much in the anime?' Shido thought to himself, his lips twitching slightly at the irony of the situation.

Scratching his cheek awkwardly, he avoided her gaze. "Well… during the whole ordeal inside my inner world, some fragments of your identity revealed themselves to me. It wasn't exactly subtle." His voice remained steady but carried a tinge of self-consciousness.