Youhei went silent for a moment, ruminating on that particular revelation. Disappearances were hardly rare in the outer slums, but multiple instances of children going missing implied something more. He had heard rumours... Once, years ago he had helped bust a snuff ring in inner Tokyo and it had started the same way, with children disappearing in the night. None of the perpetrators had made it to court... he had seen to that. If the Invokers were running a similar operation here, then there was bloody work to be done.

A sense of revulsion came over him, quite apart from the sickening sensation his memories evoked; something else was coming. Youhei barely had time to leap back and draw his bilhook before the Shadows were upon them. He shot a glance toward Aera, deciding that between Cerberus and herself, she could handle her opponent. Of more concern was the mass forming before him, raising itself into an attack position. Normally he would greet the Shadow with 40mm of lead at close range, but he had just loaded explosive rounds... Instead he went immediately on the offensive, hacking and slashing with the bilhook, not giving the Shadow a chance to use magic. In the close confines of the old shack, even a weak Agi spell would destroy enough cover for that damn sniper to have a clear shot.