How To Survive A Cute Ghost Yandere
Chapter 15: Stigmata Imprint

Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Stigmata Imprint

The very first thing Eiros did after leaving that tower was accept his reward. It turned out to be a card, showing nothing at all except a deep, empty shade of black.

There was no explanation of any kind for how to use it, or what he was even supposed to do with it. So, as Eiros walked along the edge of the garden holding that black card, trying to figure out how to activate it, the whole world suddenly filled up with system screens.

He wasn’t imagining it.

Every single student passing by him had a transparent blue screen flickering in Eiros’s field of vision.

"This...?"

They all kept moving, showing no awareness whatsoever that the system had appeared. Eiros couldn’t process what was happening, frozen in stunned silence.

[Stigmata Profile]

Name: Axe Born From Ash.

Activation: Comprehension.

Potential: Luminous [Tier Two]

[Stigmata Profile]

Name: Devouring Slime of Darkness.

Activation: Comprehension.

Potential: Awakened [Tier One]

[Stigmata Profile]

Name: Wail of the Moon Blade.

Activation: Death of Entire Family.

Potential: Transcendent [Tier Four]

Beyond that, there were countless more Stigmata profiles scattered everywhere he looked. Eiros guessed that each system screen reflected the exact Stigmata belonging to whoever it hovered over.

So, was this what Stigmata Imprint was actually for—letting him see someone’s Stigmata?

Was that really it?

Eiros felt his heart pound as a certain spark of excitement rose up in him.

’No.’

He wetted his own lips.

If the name meant anything at all, then Stigmata Imprint couldn’t be something this simple. Judging by the name, it had to do something more. But what, exactly?

His gaze locked onto a student whose Stigmata carried a genuinely extraordinary potential.

Wail of the Moon Blade.

Just the name alone said enough about how unique that Stigmata was. But Eiros, able to see its actual potential rating, felt even more astonished.

Because that was only one level below Sovereign. Even setting that aside, Transcendent tier alone was already a devastatingly lethal level of power.

[Would you like to use a Stigmata Card to copy that Stigmata and engrave it as your own?]

"...Huh?"

It had just been an idle thought. But the system seemed to have responded to it as something Eiros genuinely wanted—and of course he wanted something like that. Real power, strong enough to protect himself.

Still, he never could have guessed it would work like this. A nervous smile crept across his face as the realization sank in.

’Don’t tell me...’

Stigmata Imprint could actually copy someone else’s Stigmata for himself?

Eiros felt his heart pound harder and harder. How exactly did this work?

While everyone else in this world got a Stigmata purely down to luck, here was Eiros, holding a Stigmata that let him copy any Stigmata he wanted.

Wasn’t that basically cheating?

’This is insane.’

Surviving and escaping was no longer some faint, distant sliver of light. It genuinely felt like Eiros had finally found the right path, shattering that mirage and closing in on the real source of light at last.

A nervous smile spread across his face.

How exactly should he make the most of this one Stigmata Card?

The answer was painfully simple.

***

Monday had arrived.

This was the day of the final training session before the First-Semester Exams began. It was also something Erness had mentioned in passing before.

Once every student in the Other class had gathered out on the field, Eiros, surrounded by his classmates, could feel just how packed the field really was.

The morning weather was bright and clear, sunlight warm against his skin. A strong breeze blew through, carrying the sweet sound of birdsong somewhere in the distance. There was also a refreshing scent in the air, something distinct to this particular field, cool and invigorating.

Besides the Other class, every first-year student from every other class had also gathered on this field. Which meant Eiros might finally get the chance to lay eyes on this world’s actual protagonist.

Up until now, Eiros had never had the time to check in on how the protagonist was doing. So, having thought it over recently, all he could do was hope the plot wasn’t heading somewhere disastrous.

At the same time, Eiros also intended to make good use of today. His gaze swept across every student from every different class, his head throbbing from the sheer volume of Stigmata information flooding in, but it was all for his own sake, so he didn’t complain.

Over the past few days, on top of studying under Professor Liam’s strict guidance, Eiros had spent his time observing the Stigmata of any student he could get within range of.

During that stretch, Eiros also came to understand that most ordinary Stigmata required comprehension as their activation condition, while a rare few, carrying genuinely impressive potential, demanded something well beyond mere comprehension.

That wasn’t limited to environment, circumstance, or situation—it extended further, into specific objects, particular requirements, and all sorts of other conditions.

That wide variety of activation conditions left Eiros feeling increasingly troubled. Because the Stigmata he copied still had to be activated on its own terms afterward. Some demanded he do something outright impossible, like killing someone precious to him—which was a problem, since Eiros didn’t really have anyone like that.

At best, the only people who came close were this world’s protagonists, precious to him purely because they were the key to the world’s survival.

Well then—surely he didn’t have to kill them?

Hell no.

Eiros shook his head firmly. His gaze then drifted over to Leiden beside him, who looked absolutely pale.

"Ah, damn it... The first-semester exams are right around the corner, and I still haven’t made a lick of progress... Where the hell am I going wrong? I really thought I was so close...!"

His face was dark, drenched in cold sweat. Eiros could only look at him with pity, having already seen Leiden’s Stigmata profile.

[Stigmata Profile]

Name: Remnant of the Red Light.

Activation: Death.

Potential: Saint [Tier-??]

That potential sat at a level so high it wasn’t even labeled. Because of that, Eiros had felt genuinely startled, realizing that Leiden, who’d seemed like nothing more than a side character up until now, actually carried potential that extraordinary.

It made him reconsider Leiden entirely. That maybe, someday, this guy would get a spotlight all his own.

But that thought crumbled the moment he saw the activation requirement.

Death.

To activate his Stigmata, Leiden had to die first. His Stigmata would awaken after death—but would Leiden himself actually come back and live again afterward...?

Whatever the case, Eiros could only feel sorry for him.

Just as Eiros was about to say something to comfort Leiden, he suddenly felt a cold, gentle grip wrap around his waist, embracing him from behind.

That slender, delicate hand felt so soft against him, and Eiros flinched before he finally heard a familiar voice right behind him.

"So glad to see you’re doing well while I was gone."

A voice so soft and pleasant, yet laced through and through with thorns.

"How have you been, darling?"

Erness was here.

***