Ince Zangwill's temples throbbed. The moment Klein raised his clenched fists, Ince's spirituality began sounding frantic warnings.
The hand he should have used to seize Dunn stopped in midair, missing its target.
In that instant of hesitation, Dunn and Leonard dropped into the shadows.
Then the warnings grew stronger.
Ince Zangwill instinctively stepped back and tried to stop Klein.
As he retreated, he reached out, and an invisible spirit seized Klein.
But that single step cost him his only chance to kill Klein.
"Furube, Yurayura."
"Eight-Handled Sword, Otherworldly Divine General, Mahoraga."
As the final words of the incantation left his mouth,
Klein, bearing the weight of both Dunn and Leonard, was dragged swiftly into the shadows despite the spirit's grip.
Normally, this was a drawback of the Ten Shadows Technique:
Though its user could store objects in their shadow, they still had to bear the weight of everything inside it.
This time, Klein used that drawback to pull himself down faster and harder.
"Damn it!" Ince Zangwill watched helplessly as Klein sank into the shadows.
A Shadow Ascetic? The Church of Evernight had really gone downhill. The Nighthawks even had a lunatic from the Shepherd Pathway.
The thought flashed through his mind.
Suddenly, the surroundings darkened.
A towering figure wrapped in layer upon layer of cocoon appeared near where Klein had stood.
Run!
Run, now!
Run with everything I've got!
One glance was enough for Ince Zangwill to know he was no match for it.
The thing that had appeared before him carried the threat of death.
But—
He could not bring himself to give up.
"This may be Ince Zangwill's last chance."
"To briefly hold back the unusual Mystery Pryer whom 008 cannot influence, Ince Zangwill infiltrated the Steam Church and obtained a special Sealed Artifact to trap him