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.
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.
"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."
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."
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?"
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?"
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.