Tells the story of Aruta Kuroyuki, a 19 year old guy who thinks life is boring with his monotone routine. He's just an ordinary person.
Or is he?
With something he hides in his past, and after his encounter with Noarin Otorii, who shares the same fa...
"Holders?" The woman tilted her head, her yellow hair catching the light as she scanned the room with keen eyes. Her gaze settled on our group, huddled near the corner like misplaced puzzle pieces in this high-tech facility.
"Ooh, new faces," she purred, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. She began to saunter towards us with the grace of a cat stalking its prey. "Who are they, Keller?"
Keller's voice carried a hint of exasperation, as if he were used to her antics. "They are people like you, Lyra. They possess supernatural powers."
The woman - Lyra - froze mid-step, her eyes widening with interest. "Is that so..." Her gaze locked onto me, piercing and analytical. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I nodded slowly, suddenly feeling like a specimen under a microscope.
For a heartbeat, Lyra remained motionless. Then, in a blur of motion that my eyes could barely track, she appears before me. A rapier materialized in her hand, its blade whistling through the air towards me. Pure instinct took over - my bow appeared in my hands, deflecting the strike with a resounding clang.
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The room erupted into chaos. Chairs scraped against the floor as people leapt to their feet. Noarin's sword materialized with a flash of light, its tip hovering mere inches from Lyra's throat. The tension in the room was palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife.
"I see," Lyra's face split into a wide grin, her rapier vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. "Sorry for startling you. You've got good reflexes there."
I felt my heart hammering in my chest as my bow dissipated. "Thanks...?" I managed, my voice coming out more like a question than a statement.
A deep sigh cut through the tension. The man with the headband approached us, his scarred face set in an expression of long-suffering patience. "Sorry," he rumbled, his voice deep and gravelly. "She likes to do flashy things." He bowed slightly. "My name is Darius Aogami. This reckless girl here is Lyra Celeste."
"Nice to meet you!" Lyra chirped, bowing with exaggerated formality, all traces of her earlier intensity gone.
I cleared my throat, willing my voice to steady. "Ah, right. Nice to meet you too. I'm Aruta Kuroyuki." I gestured to each of my companions in turn. "This is Noarin Otorii, Kai Yosuga, Rishia Ninomi, and... Saria."
Lyra and Darius's eyes locked onto Saria, who was sitting on my shoulder. Their expressions morphed from polite interest to utter bewilderment, eyebrows shooting up and jaws slackening.
Saria, clearly enjoying their reaction, decided to break the ice. "If you haven't gotten the hint yet, yes, I'm no ordinary cat," she said, her tiny voice dripping with amusement.
Lyra's face lit up like a child on Christmas morning. "Wow!" she gasped, leaning in so close I could see the flecks of gold in her bright eyes. "The cat can talk!"
