Shade encountered no trouble on his return from Silver Cross Avenue to the warehouse. However, he did not have the coachman take him directly to the warehouse entrance. Instead, he got off on a nearby street and carried the cat the rest of the way on foot.
Only when he neared the warehouse did he realize that a battle was taking place in the courtyard, which had looked perfectly peaceful from afar. Looking more closely, he saw that Doctor Schneider, Luvia, and Dorothy were fighting two unfamiliar Eighth Ring Arcanists:
"More attackers?"
Shade was greatly alarmed and was about to join the battle when Doctor Schneider told him to hurry inside the warehouse instead:
"We're fine. Go inside—the Priest can't suppress it alone!"
"Got it. Diviner!"
In the foggy night, the glowing Black Key resembled a pure white seed. Shade tossed the key to Luvia, and once she caught it, the light had already extended into a staff. Though she had never seen this relic before, the instant she grasped the Yggdrasil Staff, she somehow completely understood what it was.
Shade did not explain. Carrying Mia, he charged into the warehouse. Purple light flared in Luvia's eyes as she gripped the staff and spun around. When the bottom of the staff struck the ground lightly, time, which had been flowing normally, became incomparably slow in her eyes.
"Priest, what's going on?"
After entering the warehouse, Shade saw Priest Augustus hurriedly scattering salt. The longsword placed atop the coffin clanged continuously as the coffin shook.
The Old Priest was already drenched in sweat:
"You're back? The two Eighth Ring Arcanists outside used some method that nearly caused the relic to lose control. The coffin lid actually sprang open a crack just now, but I suppressed it with that power. I can