"Devotee." The maid guiding her stopped before a side hall and said coldly, "Please wait here. The cult leader is in secluded meditation. Without his personal summons, no one may approach the main hall, or it would be a grave affront to the gods. Please pray quietly here and await grace."
With that, the maid turned and left.
Kanae knelt on the tatami in the side hall. Around her were more than a dozen women waiting just as she was. Some wept softly as they spoke of their misfortunes, while others prayed with their eyes closed.
Kanae closed her eyes, outwardly praying, but in reality, she had pushed Total Concentration Breathing to its limit.
Time ticked by, and night fell.
The entire cult compound fell silent.
Kanae opened her eyes and silently rose while everyone around her slept soundly. Like a weightless butterfly, she slipped past the guards in the corridors and followed the faint scent of blood toward the deepest part of the compound.
The footwork of Flower Breathing won't make the slightest sound...
Kanae slipped through the shadows. She found that the farther she went, the stronger that strange chill became. A summer night should have been warm, but the air here was so cold that her breath turned to white mist.
At last, she arrived before a freestanding building in the center of an enormous artificial lotus pond.
The main hall.
There were no guards around it. It was as silent as a tomb.
Kanae gently pressed her hand against the umbrella's ribs, applying a little pressure with her fingers. With a soft click, the ribs came loose, revealing the pink Nichirin Blade inside, marked with a distinctive pattern.
She took a deep breath and gently pushed open the main hall's sliding door.
The room was dark,