The Side Hall of the Doll Temple was filled with dolls.
The exorcism ritual was about to begin tonight.
On the floor of the Side Hall, an array had been drawn with cinnabar.
Masame Kensuke sat in the middle of it.
Perhaps it was due to the bath and incense, but his complexion seemed much improved from when he'd first arrived.
Monk Ruhui and the three young monks of the temple were sitting about a meter apart at the four cardinal points around the array.
As for Kamiyagawa Kazu and Nagatomo Masao, who had been brought in to reinforce the effort, they were seated at two positions, one to the north and one to the south of the array's perimeter, following the novices' indications.
The kimono-clad doll that contained the vengeful spirit was placed on the altar table, directly in front of the cinnabar array.
The air inside the Side Hall was heavily fragranced with sandalwood.
And the lighting was very dim.
