SCIAW: Chapter 387/388

Chapter 387: Curse

In the guest room upstairs, a young girl lay quietly on the bed, eyes closed. Her entire body was covered by a purple kimono.

From the exposed area near her shoulders, it was clear she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

Her breathing was calm and even, indicating she was in a very stable condition.

Click.

The door opened.

Ren and Nagi stepped into the room. After closing the door behind them, they walked to the bedside where Saginomiya Isumi was resting.

Ren activated his spiritual vision and scanned Isumi's physical and spiritual condition.

He nodded slightly.

"Absorption was successful. Her spiritual body has strengthened by about 1.5 times. After taking in Kikyo's soul crystal, Miss Saginomiya will become significantly stronger in spell usage."

That priestess, Kikyo, was a famed miko from an ancient world ruled by demons. Her abilities were maximized in those dark environments, making her soul crystal an extraordinary artifact.

The soul crystal contained fragments of Kikyo's soul and spiritual essence. Originally designed for parasitic possession, it housed over 950 instances of Kikyo's magical experience.

The miko arts and spiritual spells capable of exorcising demons—those powers were inherited by Saginomiya Isumi through this crystal. But embedded within that power was also Kikyo's life itself.

This life force fragment could have easily disrupted the spirit of the shrine maiden receiving it. If the miko's soul couldn't withstand the pressure, it would scatter, allowing Kikyo's soul to fully possess the body—thus completing a ritual of reincarnation.

Of course, that scenario didn't apply here.

Ren had monitored the parasitic soul from the beginning. Before it could take effect, he forcibly extracted and purified it.

"Sorting through a soul fragment like that takes time. Absorbing someone's soul is like experiencing their entire life."

"Then wouldn't that influence Isumi's personality?"

"I considered that. That's why I crushed the fragment. I also added layered restrictions so Miss Saginomiya wouldn't live through that life—just observe it like watching a show."

"While that distinction may seem small, the psychological impact is completely different."

Nagi nodded.

Observing another's life without emotional immersion avoids personality entanglement. Isumi was simply witnessing events, not becoming Kikyo.

As if on cue, the girl lying there like a sleeping beauty slowly opened her eyes.

Gone was the usual innocence. Her gaze now held maturity and emotional depth. She looked up at the familiar ceiling and instinctively tried to sit up.

"Miss Saginomiya, you're not dressed."

"...!?"

Ren's voice froze her mid-movement.

She looked down, realizing her collarbone and shoulders were exposed.

Panicked, she yanked the blanket up to cover her upper body, only to expose her legs in the process.

Still, she'd rather her legs show than anything else.

Now decently covered, Isumi looked to the side and saw who was standing at her bedside.

"Nagi-chan… and Amamiya-sama…"

Embarrassed, she pulled her legs in slightly.

Ren closed his eyes, removed his coat, and gently placed it over her exposed legs.

"Don't worry, Miss Saginomiya. Miss Maria handled your clothing. No one saw anything."

Hearing his calm, gentlemanly tone, Isumi relaxed a little.

She knew Ren wouldn't behave improperly, but even so, she felt as though her soul had been seen through.

"Nagi, please help Miss Saginomiya get dressed. I need to perform a full scan of her spiritual condition."

"No, it's fine…"

Suppressing her shyness, Isumi knew now wasn't the time to retreat. A full check-up was necessary.

"You may proceed with the examination…"

Ren hesitated briefly, then opened his eyes and resumed the spiritual scan.

There were no signs of parasitic attachment in the spirit body.

No evidence of corruption in the mental body.

The etheric layer remained as stable as before the fusion.

No personality residue. No evidence of spiritual pollution.

"Perfect absorption. Kikyo's soul fragment caused no harm. The mental body is untainted. The spiritual body has grown by 1.5 times, just as predicted. Remarkable spiritual enhancement overall."

"However, Miss Saginomiya should refrain from performing exorcisms for the time being. The spike in spiritual power needs time to stabilize. Avoid accepting any inheritances or high-load spiritual tasks for at least a month. Otherwise, there could be significant strain."

With the scan complete, Ren closed his eyes again and turned away.

"Nagi, Miss Saginomiya will be physically weak for a while. Please help her get dressed. I'll wait outside."

There was no need for him to assist further. He left the room immediately.

Nagi, however, didn't leave.

She remained, seated on the bed, and gently helped Isumi sit up, allowing her to lean against her chest.

"Did he… see anything?"

Isumi asked timidly.

"Nagi…"

Of course she knew. Ren had seen it. But wasn't he pretending otherwise? Why did Nagi have to point it out?

"It's fine. He won't say anything. Even if he did see something, if he keeps quiet, isn't it the same as not seeing it?"

"It's not the same at all…"

Isumi's face turned bright red. Her head felt like it was going to steam from embarrassment.

"Would it be okay… if it were Ren who saw it?"

"N-no…"

The thought of being seen by Ren…

It was so embarrassing she could barely stay conscious.

But when Nagi softly asked, "Would it really be that bad?"—the painfully shy Saginomiya Isumi slowly, hesitantly, nodded.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 388: The Heartless Goddess

For Isumi, a girl with a rather classical temperament, modern clothing often felt too revealing.

Especially skirts. Wearing one felt to her like going out with just a strip of fabric around her waist, like walking around in underwear.

The hem of a skirt, made from light fluttery material, always seemed like it would lift with the slightest breeze.

In her view, such clothes were simply too exposed.

She still preferred the traditional kimono.

The hem of a kimono was thicker, not easily blown up by the wind, and even when running, there was no concern about accidental exposure.

Naturally, a girl so accustomed to traditional dress would also apply that mindset to other areas of life.

Being seen undressed was definitely something Saginomiya Isumi found difficult to accept.

However, exceptions existed. And when it came to this matter, there was one particular exception in her mind.

That exception was Ren.

She understood clearly that Ren had only been checking her condition. He had not done anything inappropriate.

Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't embarrassed.

Only after putting on the kimono again with Nagi's help did Saginomiya Isumi finally feel at ease.

"I heard from Ren that he turned the absorption of the soul fragment into something like watching TV. That way it won't affect your personality. How do you feel now?"

Nagi still cared a great deal about Isumi's well-being.

"Mm."

Saginomiya Isumi gently placed a hand on her chest.

"It was a very meaningful experience. That priestess, Kikyo, faced powerful demons using her own strength and always had the upper hand. If the demon hadn't transformed into her lover, she might not have died."

But when she recalled Kikyo's lover and her tragic ending, what she felt most was sorrow.

Even until her death, the miko had remained deceived, never realizing it was all a lie.

Love became a curse. It left even such a pure-hearted shrine maiden with only resentment in her final moments.

"The hatred Kikyo carried has been passed down through time. If not for his help, I might have been consumed by her emotions."

The hatred the miko bore before her death was unimaginable—stronger than any curse.

Had she been swept into that whirlpool, Isumi doubted she could have escaped.

She would've likely been possessed by the soul fragment of Kikyo.

Just thinking about that possibility sent a chill down her spine.

"Thankfully, Amamiya-sama was there to guide me."

"Ren really is too well-rounded when it comes to things like this."

Although Nagi didn't know the exact methods Ren had used, she could tell his hidden abilities ran deep.

"Other than the fact that he likes to sit back and watch instead of taking initiative, I don't think he has any other flaws."

"In short, he's overly cautious."

Isumi gently shook her head.

"Nagi-chan, some things do require caution. I used to think like you, but after seeing that miko's life, I think it's wise to act with a bit more care."

She believed that if Kikyo had been able to see clearly, she would've realized the deception.

But in that moment of emotional turmoil, she had failed to judge calmly, leading to her death.

In comparison, Ren's constant caution was the correct path.

Nagi looked at the emotion on Isumi's face and could imagine what the shrine maiden had experienced in that memory.

And judging by how highly Isumi now regarded Ren, it was likely the miko's tragedy had been far worse than she had described.

"But still… for some things, unless you talk to Ren directly, he won't act."

"I'm not referring to dangerous things requiring caution, but matters where he already has the situation under control. He's just too reserved."

After that thrilling weekend, this thought had begun to take root in Nagi's heart.

Maybe someone needed to gently push Ren forward. And that person would have to step forward first.

"Isumi, how's your condition? You should be able to join the birthday party later, right?"

Isumi gave a slight nod.

"I'm all right now."

Other than the initial weakness, her physical condition had largely returned to normal.

Though her spiritual power had increased drastically, requiring some adjustment to fully control, there were no limitations placed on her body.

She pushed herself up with both hands, rising from the bed.

Stretching lightly, Saginomiya Isumi checked her state and found no major discomfort.

"Let's go."

She took Nagi's hand and stepped out of the room.

But the moment she saw who was standing outside, she couldn't help but blush.

She took a deep breath and tried to appear composed.

"I've completed my adjustments."

"And the fusion of Kikyo's soul fragment… was only possible thanks to your help."

"Don't mention it. It was just a small assist."

Even without using spiritual vision, Ren could tell that Isumi's embarrassment level had reached its peak. So he refrained from doing anything that might agitate her further.

"Since you're fully recovered, Saginomiya, let's go down. The final guest arrived just as Nagi and I were leaving."

"The last guest?"

Isumi blinked in confusion. Nagi leaned in and nudged her with her elbow.

"Tachibana Wataru and his maid."

Only then did Isumi remember that no one in his family could drive. Of course he would be the last one to show up.

"You'd better be careful. If sees how you're reacting to Ren, he'll definitely cause a scene at the party."

"…Yeah, I'll be careful."

Isumi fell strangely silent, but eventually nodded.

She was well aware of Wataru's feelings for her. But she didn't feel the same.

She also knew Wataru had a narrow heart. If he witnessed how she looked at Ren, he would surely act irrationally.

So she had to stay composed, and make sure he didn't notice anything.

(To be continued.)