A sorcerer? I am a Warhammer psyker.

In addition, Chitanda's personality is quite gentle, and she is a social butterfly who is many times more amazing than Kenmei Isayama. She is very popular with both upperclassmen and lowerclassmen, and no one dislikes her.

To use a dead fish eye's words

That's definitely the epitome of a perfect socialite.

However, what Kenmei Isayama truly cared about was not her beauty, which was comparable to Asagi's, but what he saw from the perspective of a psychic.

Because he felt that there was always a dark aura surrounding the "curious child", he subconsciously asked Kenmei Isayama to cover his eyes with his spiritual energy.

I could tell something was wrong at a glance.

Chapter 10 A Corpse Buried Under the Cherry Blossom Tree

"Hmph, if my tongue is cut off, I can't sing, but it's okay, I can still dance."

The girl's ethereal voice echoed, and the mournful and desolate melody sent chills down one's spine.

"If my eyes are cut off, I won't be able to see, but it's okay, I can still dance."

In the crimson moonlight, the girl's singing, accompanied by a flurry of petals, created a unique and melancholic beauty.

Surrounded by the eerie singing, Kenmei Isayama felt it was absurd. If the girl's tongue had been cut out, then who was singing this song?

Isayama Kenmei had initially used his psychic powers to cover his eyes out of concern for his classmate, but unexpectedly ended up here. Now a pitiful bystander, he couldn't move at all.

Illuminated by countless burning torches was a cherry blossom tree so large that it would take fifty people holding hands to circle it, its massive trunk wrapped with red and white shimenawa (sacred rope).

These sacred objects, once symbols of holiness and blessings, seem to have become tainted with filth; their vibrant colors are gradually fading and turning ominous over time.

Beneath the enormous cherry blossom tree stood a towering, blood-red altar, and in the center of the altar, a pure white figure was dancing.

Wearing a pure white wedding kimono, the young girl, who bore a resemblance to Chitanda Eru, had exquisite makeup and was so beautiful that she seemed otherworldly.

Her eyes were closed as if she were asleep, and despite her petite stature, she possessed an undeniable noble and sacred aura.

Her long, white hair and flowing sleeves fluttered in the wind. In her hand, she held a dark golden Kagura bell, which rang out melodious and clear sounds as she danced.

Everything was so beautiful and sacred.

But as the girl danced, the huge cherry blossom tree behind the blood-red altar underwent a strange change, becoming alluring and as if it had come to life.

Beneath the surface, countless thick vines and roots, resembling dragons and snakes, emerged from the broken ground. These vines looked extremely terrifying, like skinned flesh with pulsating veins.

What surprised Kenmei Isayama even more was that he discovered that due to the rampage of the vines, things buried underground were also churned up.

It was only through this that Kenmei Isayama realized that the cherry blossom tree before him was not some sacred tree to be worshipped, but a monster of unknown and terrifying power that had been sealed away.

Each inch of the giant vine was attached to several white skulls, with holes in the heads from which trees grew. There were countless giant vines in front of us, and the white skulls were attached to them like eggs, densely packed together.

Kenmei Isayama felt a chill run down his spine.

How many lives did this enormous cherry blossom tree devour as it grew to such a size?

The blood-red altar was covered in cracks, but the pure white girl seemed oblivious and continued to dance.

Until a twisted vine shot out from the broken altar and pierced through the girl's shoulder, instantly staining her white shrine maiden robes with a bright red mark.

The girl looked extremely pained, but even with the hole piercing her shoulder, she still wanted to continue dancing, as if stopping the ritual would have terrible consequences.

The girl's blood flowed slowly down the vines, which greatly stimulated the other vines. As a result, more and more vines emerged from the ground. At first, they could still struggle, but in the end, they could not move at all.

The altar was torn open by vines, forming a huge gash. Then, the vines wrapped around the girl and slowly pulled her down, trying to devour her completely.

Although he didn't know him, it would be impossible to remain indifferent to such a tragic situation. Kenjiro Isayama pondered what to do, but he could only watch helplessly because he couldn't move.

As the girl lay dying, she slowly opened her eyes. Kenmei Isayama looked pained, realizing why she had been dancing with her eyes closed.

Because her eyes had already been cut off, leaving only empty eye sockets.

Moreover, a bloody vine had sprouted from the right eye of the girl who had been replaced. The tip of the vine, nourished by flesh and blood, blossomed into a bewitching pink cherry blossom, occupying the right eye socket and forming a stark contrast with the emptiness of the left eye.

The stunningly beautiful girl seemed to feel no pain at all, and instead raised her head to reveal...

She gave a bright smile.

Kenmei Isayama saw the girl open her mouth, as if trying to say something but unable to speak. Recalling the previous song, he figured her tongue had probably been cut off by someone long ago.

"soon..."

Kenmei Isayama could only vaguely decipher what the girl wanted to say by the movement of her mouth.

"I'll be coming to find you soon..."

Realizing what the girl was saying, Kenmei Isayama felt a sudden, violent twitch in his heart. The world before him, including the trunk of that terrifying cherry blossom tree, was suddenly covered with cracks like shards of glass, and then shattered completely.

Kenmei Isayama was plunged into utter darkness. A sharp pain shot through his head, and after an unknown amount of time, light returned to his vision.

Kenmei Isayama opened his eyes and found himself back in the classroom. The cherry blossom tree, the girl eaten by the tree, and her smile all assaulted Kenmei Isayama's senses like fragments of memory.

"what is this?"

Why do I want to cry...?

Kenmei Isayama looked at the blood-red tears dripping onto his palm, at a loss for words in the face of the sudden, indescribable sorrow rising in his heart.

Kenmei Isayama, a rational man from Naomura, realized that no one around him had noticed anything unusual about him, so a very short time must have passed.

Asagi-nee just put the book on the podium; the class meeting is about to begin.

No, that might be inappropriate.

Sensing that his emotions had been affected by something unknown and that he had suffered severe mental pollution, Kenmei Isayama took a deep breath and immediately activated an ancient incantation.

20 mana points deducted

As the spiritual energy cleansed him, Kenmei Isayama felt his consciousness gradually returning and the strange emotions gradually dissipating.

Psykers are constantly exploring the warp, and mental contamination is unavoidable. A qualified psyker must be constantly aware of their mental state.

Kenmei Isayama silently thanked his mentor, whom he had never met.

That inheritance naturally also included psychic spells to alleviate mental pollution. The name wasn't written down, but Kenmei Isayama simply called it the "Tranquility Mantra."

Once he regained his senses, Kenmei Isayama let out a long sigh of relief, his face turning extremely pale.

"This world is far more dangerous than I imagined..."

Without a guide, the inexperienced Kenmei Isayama had no reverence for the use of psychic energy, which gathered in his eyes—equivalent to the Eye of Insight.

The secret hidden within Chitanda Eru is beyond his current ability to handle.

Meanwhile, far away in Kamiyama City, within the territory of the Chitanda family, deep in an ancient mountain range, stood a rather enormous cherry blossom tree. If Kenmei Isayama were to see it, he would be quite surprised, because that cherry blossom tree was exactly the same as the one he had seen in his hallucination.

Despite the passage of time, this cherry blossom tree remains as beautiful and vibrant as ever, with countless petals fluttering in the wind.

Correspondingly, beneath the cherry blossom tree lies a vast black swamp formed by an abyss of evil cursed power, where countless terrifying, blood-red humanoid cursed spirits float and sink, resembling hell itself.

At the very top of the tree canopy, a girl dressed in a pure white shrine maiden's outfit was firmly imprisoned deep within the branches. Her pure white hair was adorned with scattered cherry blossom petals, and the girl with a serene sleeping face slowly opened her blood-red, amber-like eyes.

Chapter 11 The Shy Egg Tart Eater

"I will fulfill my sister's last wish and get into the law school at the University of Tokyo."

Kenmei Isayama spoke these words under the watchful eyes of the entire class, ignoring the resentful look from a chubby boy in the back row as he continued.

"So I will do my best in the next exam and correct my mistakes."

"Please keep a close eye on things in the days to come, and let me know immediately if anything is done incorrectly."

"above..."

After speaking, Kenmei Isayama bowed to everyone to show his sincerity.

"Slap, slap..."

Asagi, the homeroom teacher, was the first to clap, followed by class president Chitanda Eru, and then the clapping gradually spread to the entire class. Even the chubby boy who was on the verge of tears could only clap for Kenmei Isayama.

When Kenmei Isayama saw the look Asagi gave him, he nodded and turned to leave.

There was no other way; if he didn't set an example, he would be in the car. Asagi-nee's disappointed expression made it seem like she was about to bite him to death.

Therefore, Kenmei Isayama made this promise and reformed himself in front of the whole class.

Asagi reluctantly let it go, but warned Isayama Kenmei not to play tricks on her, otherwise he would have to bear the consequences if his grades didn't rank in the top fifty of the grade in the next exam.

Actually, the requirement of being in the top 50 in the grade is already quite lenient. There are only about 120 people in total, and 50 is only an above-average score, which is something that can be achieved with a little effort and perseverance.

Before stepping down from the podium, Kenmei Isayama looked up and saw Eru Chitanda staring at him with wide, curious eyes.

Especially when Kenmei Isayama met the girl's clear, violet eyes, the latter immediately blushed like a startled deer, lowering her head with a beautiful blush on her face.

Chitanda Eru acted like she was secretly peeking at someone but was caught, feeling embarrassed to the point of burying her head in the sand.

It's not something I'm faking; it's just my nature.

How unexpectedly innocent!

Kenmei Isayama found it amusing, but his doubts deepened.

The more innocent Chitanda Eru acted, the more curious he became about her relationship with the girl in the pure white shrine maiden's outfit that Isayama Kenmei had seen.

Why could experiencing just one fragment cause such intense mental pollution for Kenmei Isayama? And what exactly is the almost tangible black aura surrounding her?

As Kenmei Isayama gazed upon her, endless crimson mist emanated from her body, and an intensely dense, pitch-black curse power formed from her resentment surrounded the girl.

Kenmei Isayama immediately looked away, and the abnormality on Eru Chiyoda's body slowly disappeared.

If a curse attack were to occur at the school, Kenmei Isayama's sins would be grave, and no one but him would have the power to resist.

Aoyama Academy is an ordinary school for ordinary people, and there are many people here with very weak magical energy fluctuations.

There was no fluctuation of magical power on Asagi's body, but Kenmei Isayama still noticed several objects on her that emitted a purifying effect on "cursed spirits" and possessed a remarkable aura. These were probably amulets or similar items provided to Asagi's family; with these items, cursed spirits of level three or lower would not approach her.

Very peaceful

For a moment, Kenmei Isayama lowered his guard. Who the hell would have thought that there would be such a terrifying existence among his classmates?

Even just looking at him directly caused unknown changes that terrified Kenmei Isayama.

If the curse power level formed by the resentment of Isayama Kenmei's older sister, Isayama Sakura, is 10, then the overflowing curse power level that Isayama Kenmei saw on Chitanda Eru was at least 300, possibly more.

Because that was just an unconscious fluctuation emanating from Chitanda Eru, not a large-scale activation. The difference is that great; the quantity and level are not even in the same league.

If you were to put that Khorne collar, which is currently around Isayama Sakura's neck, on Chitanda Eru, it would probably break instantly with its durability reduced to zero.