In 2020, humanity is suddenly threatened by the presence of an alien race dubbed the Senseless. The Senseless have destroyed several civilizations and killed off nearly half the human population, devastating the planet. But when researchers discover that the invaders are vulnerable to loud sounds and vibrations, the United Nations decides to gather every musician in the world for help. This choice prompted the creation of an international organization called the Encore, where soldiers called Muses fight the Senseless with the power of music. Thirty years later, a cyborg named Jun Aihara travels to an island city near Japan called Utahoshi to join their Muse Division. Over there, he fights the Senseless and makes bonds with several people. However, Jun has a mission of his own: to find his parents and unravel the secrets of his past.
Characters
Jun Aihara: The main protagonist. He is an eighteen-year-old cyborg with dark blue hair and gold eyes. In the past, Jun was rendered mute as a baby and was given to a Muse by his mother after a Senseless attack. At the age of five, he was given a voice due to the efforts of Project Soprano, the Encore's top-secret experiment that turns the subject into a cyborg super-soldier, and has since traveled around the world fighting the Senseless anywhere he went. An independent risk-taker who is easily motivated, Jun also has a rebellious demeanor and tends to get restless when bored. Though he is usually a loner, he admires teamwork when fighting a Senseless. As a cyborg, he has enhanced speed, strength, and reflexes. His cybernetic enhancements also give him a "Killer Scream", which he can intensify by connecting himself with Vibe Gear, instrument-like weapons used by the Encore, via the five aux ports in the middle of his back. Jun is also armed with a microphone that can shoot sound waves. He travels to Utahoshi, a fictional island city near Japan, to join their Muse Division.
Kuro Hiragi: A young Muse Jun's age. He has disheveled light brown hair and brown eyes. Kuro is the first Muse that Jun encounters at the beginning of the story. He is an upbeat, humorous, and outgoing young man who enjoys rock music. However, his clumsiness is a byproduct of his cocky, stubborn, hotheaded, and reckless nature. Kuro's Vibe Gear is an electric guitar that he dubbed Kagetori, which can fire its riffs at a Senseless and is durable enough to be swung around. He is also perceptive, which helps him and his peers comprehend the movements of any Senseless he fights. Kuro became a Muse so he can avenge his older brother, who died at the hands of a Senseless long ago.
Xixi Kusakabe: A seventeen-year-old girl of mixed Chinese and Japanese ancestry. She has shoulder-length black hair with one side of her bangs hanging over the right side of her face and hot pink eyes. Having been born to two martial artists, Xixi grew up knowing karate and won many karate tournaments during her childhood. This feat, as well as her ability to play the flute, eventually brought her to the Encore. Xixi is brave and adaptable but tends to be peevish. Her Vibe Gear, a flute, is long enough to pose as a bo staff and is split in half; one side has a built-in retractable blade while the other acts like a blowgun that fires dart-like sound waves. Xixi is nicknamed "Shio" by Kuro, much to her annoyance.
Kenji Shindo: A nineteen-year-old young man with wavy teal hair that reaches his nape, slightly tanned skin, and mauve eyes. Kenji lost his ability to hear at the age of three but underwent special treatment for his hearing when he first registered as a Muse. He is level-headed, blunt, and acts as a brother figure to some, even though he rarely shows any emotion. Kenji wears a special headgear over his ears that not only helps him hear but assists him in detecting vibrations caused by movement from below. The glasses-like visor attached to said headgear helps him with accuracy when it comes to aerial Senseless. His Vibe Gear is a pair of drumsticks that can extend themselves into that of a pair of whips. Kenji is also an owner of the Ring Series Vibe Gear, which can summon a set of drums for him.
Nana Rose: A proud eighteen-year-old girl with back-length red hair and orange eyes whose father is the head of RoseCorp, America's top Vibe Gear manufacturing company. When Nana was younger, a Senseless attacked her mansion on the night of her eleventh birthday. During that time, she was saved by Jun, who inspired her to become a Muse herself. She is a courageous, optimistic, and confident young woman who also tends to be impatient, aggressive, and moody. Nana's Vibe Gear takes the appearance of a violin that stockpiles energy from striking a Senseless. Her violin's bow has an "Archery Mode" that fires soundwaves like arrows made from the energy provided by her violin.
Hotaru Hanazuki: A mysterious nineteen-year-old young woman with short purple hair and cyan eyes. Hotaru is a rogue Muse, or an Indie, who lives in the slums of Utahoshi. Over there, she is known as Firefly and is an enemy to several other Indies. Though she is ordinarily sullen, selfish, and indecisive, she can also be helpful, tenacious, nurturing, and sympathetic. Hotaru owns a pair of rings from the Ring Series that conjure a floating keyboard for her to shoot her opponents with. Her greatest feat is her sharp memory, which helps her memorize the attacks and movements of whoever she clashes with and will react before they can happen.
Preview
As his body leaned against the fence and his arms rested above it, Jun could only smile down at the view above one of Utahoshi's towers. Below him was a sea of lights and bustling people and cars. What relaxed him the most was the soft breeze that pushed against his face and blew through his hair. Inhaling from his nose, Jun released a sigh and uttered one word, "Beautiful."
Suddenly, his moment of serenity was disrupted when he heard an explosion from far away. Jun turned to his left and from afar, he spotted a large plume of smoke that rose into the air. He scowled, knowing that the explosion wasn't an ordinary one. He knew that it was done by the hands of a Beethoven-class Senseless. At this point, Jun had to act before that Senseless could do more damage. He knew he would be wasting time by taking the stairs down the tower, so he decided to take an alternate route by zipping down one of the tower's wires.
