Why had she summoned Amiya?
No, summoned wasn't quite right. Judging by the Yan people's reactions, being received by her was a reward in itself—a coveted honor beyond their reach.
It wasn't as if she knew anything about Taoism.
Amiya murmured to herself.
She reached the very top and opened the outer hatch. Carefully, she made her way across the outside of Rhodes Island. The shell atop the ship was smoother than she'd imagined, which made walking especially treacherous.
She kept moving forward.
By chance, she glanced down. The crowds stretched like mountains and seas, utterly solemn in that moment. Only wisps of purple smoke rose slowly into the sky, seeming to join the clouds and form a pillar that held up heaven and earth.
She felt a little dizzy.
The closer she got to that person, the dizzier she felt. She could barely think.
Hoshino watched her discreetly, unable to suppress a flicker of delight. After waiting so long, the sharp-witted Amiya had finally suffered a brief mental shutdown. Now Hoshino could do as she pleased.
She said nothing. Releasing her umbrella, she raised both hands as if performing a ritual.
Maybe she should say something?
"Domain Expansion."
Hoshino didn't speak the words aloud. She only thought them.
In an instant, all of heaven and earth turned pure white. The sun and clouds became drifting ink paintings, everything seeming impossibly far away.
Those drawn into the domain included Hoshino herself, Rhodes Island, and the faithful below.
Could they be called the faithful?
Frowning, she looked down. Some people had fainted, not because they couldn't withstand the immense power, but because the shock of witnessing a divine manifestation in person had overwhelmed them. She breathed in the domain's icy air, then turned to Amiya.
"Come here."
Hoshino hadn't moved from