Sleep With Me

Shido watched his current form and revealed a satisfied smile. His transformation after using Spirit Integration looked really cool.

He resembled a male version of Tohka, donned in a regal set of knightly armor. Unlike his original Spirit Form, which drastically changed his appearance, this form only altered him subtly.

The only noticeable change was the addition of the purple armor and Tohka's Angel, Sandalphon. His aura, however, had grown significantly more intense and majestic.

Nevertheless, his black hair remained short, and his eyes remained the same; there was not a hint of drastic transformation like in his Spirit Form.

Yet, despite these outward appearances, Shido could feel something far more profound inside his body.

A surge of familiar Reiryoku circulated through his body. He could tell that the flow of energy came from his connection with Tohka.

Her Reiryoku was now intertwined with his own, strengthening and resonating inside of him.

He took a moment to examine his appearance further, but what truly caught his attention was the duration he could maintain using this form.

After thoroughly examining his appearance, Shido shifted his focus to the extent of this form. Based on his estimation, he could maintain Spirit Integration for at least three hours.

It was far more sustainable compared to when he was using his own Spirit Form, where the consumption of Reiryoku was staggering. In contrast, the Reiryoku expenditure in Spirit Integration was modest, an observation that made Shido nod in satisfaction. Once again, the system had proven its worth.

Curious about the temporary stat boosts granted during Spirit Integration, Shido opened his stats panel and carefully assessed the changes.

Name: Itsuka Shido

Level: 34

Race: Spirit (Unsealed)

Class: None

Attributes:STR: D++ → C++

VIT: D+ → C

AGI: D+ → C

INT: C+ → B+

Charm: E+ → D+

Luck: D → C

Looking at the stats, Shido couldn't help but nod with a smile. Although the attribute ranks were noticeably lower compared to his own Spirit Form, Shido thought that it was likely a measure to balance out the extended duration of Spirit Integration. Even if it left a slightly bitter taste in his mouth, the arrangement was logical, particularly for prolonged battles where endurance was critical.

"Amazing," Kotori commented, her earlier indecent thoughts swiftly shoved to the back of her mind.

She stepped closer to Shido, her eyes gleaming with intrigue as she examined the wisp of purple Reiryoku swirling subtly around his body.

Reine also approached him with her usual calm expression unwavering, though her observant eyes took in every detail of Shido's transformation.

Meanwhile, Tohka couldn't contain her excitement.

"Shido! You're incredible! You managed to make Adonai Melek and Sandalphon acknowledge you!" she exclaimed, her voice brimming with admiration and joy.

Shido chuckled softly at her enthusiasm.

Without a second thought, he reached out his arms and gently patted her head, his gesture warm and comforting.

Tohka's excitement seemed to double at the contact, and she leaned into his hand, letting out a sound that was somewhere between a giggle and a satisfied purr.

The sight made Shido smile again, his earlier tension melting away.

As he patted Tohka's head, Shido silently reflected that it was all thanks to the system.

The system was really omnipotent as it could make him utilize Tohka's Astral Dress and Angel without any drawbacks.

Kotori and Reine, on the other hand, seemed to maintain their focus. While Kotori bombarded him with questions about his transformation, which Shido answered truthfully. Reine diligently made notes on the observed changes, her pen moving swiftly across her clipboard.

Despite their seemingly analytical approach, Shido couldn't shake the feeling that he had become an exhibit for their amusement.

Their subtle smirks didn't escape his notice, and he revealed a wry smile at the irony.

Meanwhile, Tohka continued to beam at him, her sparkling eyes full of joy.

"You're so awesome, Shido! I knew you could do it!" she said with unrestrained excitement. Shido rubbed the back of his head, somewhat embarrassed by her praise but also pleased by her unwavering trust in him.

Watching the three girls' varied reactions, Shido finally let out a small sigh of relief.

At the very least, he had successfully diverted their attention from earlier awkward moments, or so he hoped.

He was thinking about this when he caught sight of Reine's tired eyes fixed on him with her usual expressionless face.

Despite her lack of outward emotion, something about her gaze felt intimidating, making Shido unconsciously straighten up.

She's not going to let me off the hook so easily,' Shido mused, his lips curving into a bitter smile.

He decided to speak with Reine in the evening, knowing full well that their awkward situation needed to be settled.

For now, however, he focused on the present, surrounded by the people who gave him strength.

...

During the night.

It was already 10 o'clock PM, and most people had now gone to sleep. 

Inside the Itsuka Residence, Shido was inside his room without any lights, lying flat on his bed while playing with his phone. 

He decided to visit Reine's room to talk to her after everyone else fell asleep. As for why Reine was sleeping here, it was because it became her habit to stay overnight in Itsuka Residence whenever she had some unfinished work.

Shido wanted to take this chance to have a talk with her and solve this awkward situation.

When the clock hit pass 10 PM Shido stopped playing on his phone and was about to walk out of his room when a silent knock sounded on his door.

Shido was surprised that someone would knock at his door this late at night. When he thought that it might be Reine taking the initiative to talk to him, Shido hurriedly opened the door.

"Reine-san, how come you-"

Before he could finish his words, a person suddenly leaped into his body and hugged him tightly. 

At first, he thought that it was Reine but when he looked down and stared at the face of the person that embraced him, he became surprised to see that it was Tohka.

Shido could feel her soft and warm body pressing against his making his body have some natural reaction.

"Tohka..."

When he called out her name softly, Tohka's lifted her face which she had buried on his chest earlier. Her eyes were glistening as she locked her gaze with Shido.

Though it was dark, Shido could tell that Tohka's face was blushing hard.

'Why are you even doing this when you're this embarrassed?'

Shido revealed a wry smile when he saw how red Tohka's face was from her absurd action.

"Sh-Shido!"

"Y-Yes?"

The sudden rise in her voice startled Shido out of his thoughts. At that moment, Tohka had both serious and embarrassed expressions, grabbing his arms while looking directly at his eyes.

"Sleep with me!"