Ren frowned slightly, looking at the crowds around them. Despite being a cult, the reputation of the Eternal Paradise Cult was extremely widespread.
Because of this, a vast number of followers and pilgrims traveled thousands of miles every day to pour out their hearts to Doma and pray for his protection, hoping to reach the Great Paradise.
Today was no exception. Many children who had lost their parents, women forcibly sold to brothels, parents abandoned by their children, and widows whose husbands had passed away came to the temple to worship, hoping Doma could guide them toward a future.
Little did they know that the moment they set foot here, they already had one foot in hell.
"That scum! To think he has so many followers... just how many people has that monster killed?"
Watching the people coming and going from the gates, Kocho Shinobu couldn't help but grit her teeth. Her face was a mask of fury, the anger in her heart like a reawakening volcano, ready to erupt at any moment.
Her small fists tightly clutched her haori. She wanted nothing more than to rush into the Eternal Paradise Cult right now, slay Doma, and avenge her sister.
"Don't be impulsive, Shinobu!"
Seeing that Kocho Shinobu's emotions were spiraling, Ren quickly grabbed her arm and patiently consoled her.
"Shinobu, there are too many people here. If we fight Doma now, we might accidentally hurt others. Let's head back for now and plan our next move carefully."
Although he felt that those who blindly believed in the Eternal Paradise Cult were a group of irredeemable fools, they were still miserable people at the end of the day. Unless it was absolutely necessary, Ren did not want to see them harmed.
"...You're right..."
Kocho Shinobu took several deep breaths to calm herself. She clicked her tongue in frustration. "It just infuriates me to think of that guy being worshipped like a god!"
"Heh, he won't live past tomorrow anyway. Let him enjoy his arrogance for a little longer. Ren, let's find an inn to rest first. We'll deal with him tonight."
"Yeah, I agree."
Ren nodded. He and Kocho Shinobu went to a nearby inn and ordered two lunches.
After lunch, Ren closed his eyes in his room to rest and prepare for the battle ahead.
Meanwhile, Kocho Shinobu was in her room fiddling with various poisons and reagents. Finally, she took out six syringes containing two different liquids—one blue and one red.
She picked up two of the syringes and looked at the medicine inside. A flash of confident zealotry flickered in her eyes as she murmured.
"With these two drugs, I can definitely defeat Doma. Sister, wait for me. I'll avenge you soon!"
After speaking, Kocho Shinobu placed the six syringes into the pockets on both sides of her uniform. She then looked out at the sky, quietly waiting for nightfall.
As time passed second by second, the sun slowly dipped below the horizon. The endless night sky draped over the world like a pitch-black curtain.
When the bright moon hung high in the sky, the two coincidentally stepped out of their rooms at the same time. After sharing a glance, they headed toward the Eternal Paradise Cult together.
They soon reached the main gate. Two followers were standing guard outside to prevent anyone from intruding.
However, to Ren and Kocho Shinobu, it was clear Doma only did this because he didn't want to be disturbed while 'eating.' After all, over ten years ago, he had been discovered by Inosuke's mother because of his gluttony.
"There are guards there, and they're just ordinary people. It looks like forcing our way in might be difficult?"
Kocho Shinobu frowned slightly, but Ren suddenly chuckled upon hearing her words.
"Not necessarily. They're just two ordinary men. Leave them to me!"
Before he even finished speaking, Ren rushed forward like a bolt of black lightning, using the pitch-black night as his perfect cover.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind the two guards and delivered two swift knife-hand strikes to their necks.
Even though he felt he had used very little strength, to the guards, it was no different from a heavy blow. Their vision went dark, and they collapsed into unconsciousness.
Ren then grabbed both of them and, in another flash, moved them to a safe place nearby, as the upcoming battle would likely catch them in the crossfire.
Having handled everything, Ren returned and grinned. "All done, Shinobu."
"You really are something..." Kocho Shinobu chuckled helplessly, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Sometimes I really feel like you're a monster. But fortunately, you're a monster on our side."
"Alright, now that the security is taken care of, let's head straight for the inner sanctum."
With that, the two charged into the Eternal Paradise Cult. Anyone who spotted them was instantly knocked unconscious by Ren.
In this manner, without alerting anyone, they successfully arrived before Doma's private chambers.
Inside the chambers, a young girl who looked no older than sixteen was staring at Doma in pure terror. She never imagined that the gentle cult leader's true form would be a berserk demon.
She wanted to scream, to beg for someone to save her, but the cloth gag in her mouth made it impossible. She could only watch as Doma approached her, tears streaming down her face.
"Ah! What a pitiful child. To think you were sold to the village bully by your parents at such a young age. You must be in so much pain, which is why you came here seeking my help..."
"Don't worry, child. Your suffering is about to end. I will take you to the Great Paradise!"
"There is no pain there, no sadness, no loss. There is only eternal joy. We will live forever together..."
As he spoke, Doma slowly opened his mouth, revealing sharp fangs. But just then, a loud bang echoed through the room.
CRASH!
The doors to the chambers were kicked open, and a sharp blade lunged fiercely toward Doma.
"Insect Breathing, Dance of the Piercing Fang: True Flutter!"
As the words fell, Doma saw a sharp Nichirin Sword whistling toward him, aimed straight for his eyes.
The sword light was as fast as lightning. Doma couldn't dodge in time and could only watch as the blade grew larger in his vision until it plunged into his eyeball with a squelch, spraying blood everywhere.
"Hehe, so it's you, the little girl who uses Insect Breathing..."
Despite having his eye pierced by the blade, Doma still wore a gentle smile on his face.
"Two great beauties at once? My luck tonight is quite good..."
"Oh my? It seems your toxin has already been broken down by me!"
In the time it took him to speak, the wound on Doma's face healed at a visible rate. The poison Kocho Shinobu had meticulously prepared was neutralized within seconds.
Just as Doma was about to mock her, a gust of wind whistled past. He saw Ren suddenly appear behind him.
But Ren didn't cut off his head. Instead, he grabbed the girl behind Doma and retreated to Shinobu's side.
"Oh? You didn't try to cut my head off? Why is that?"
Doma tapped his chin with his iron fan, looking puzzled. "If it were you, the battle should have ended in that instant."
"Doma, tonight is the night you die, but the one who defeats you won't be me!"
As he spoke, Ren untied the girl and told her to leave the Eternal Paradise Cult immediately.
Meanwhile, Kocho Shinobu gripped her Nichirin Sword and spoke slowly. "I am your opponent."
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]