The expert assassin sensed it before he saw it. He turned his head slowly, just in time to see a gargantuan spider emerge from the Ascending Golden Rain.

Its body was a hunk of polished obsidian, and its eight eyes glowed more brilliantly than rubies. Its mouthparts were a jagged cluster of razor-sharp edges, the kind of sight that could paralyze a witness's courage in a heartbeat.

A figure sat cross-legged on its furry back. Before Amodo could even glimpse the rider's face, the Eight-Eyed Weaving Spider spat a torrent of silk that engulfed him instantly.

"Shattering Fang Pillar! Mechanical Mind! Earth Barrier!"

Amodo knew this was the threshold of death. He unleashed a flurry of defensive Miracles in a desperate attempt to buy a few more seconds...