Orpheon fell to his knees, the cracked earth splitting beneath him as his colossal form collapsed back into a man. Coughing blood, he could barely force himself to rise.
Orpheon: "I… I can't stand back up…"
High above, Lyra descended onto the shattered rooftop of the navy headquarters, her boots barely making a sound. She fixed her gaze on Arata like a hunter spotting its prey.
Lyra: "He's mine… If you interfere, I will kill you too."
Narration: Admiral Lyra Solvane — The Starfall Huntress. Cursed Necklace: Helios Necklace — Model: Stellar Seraphim (Beyond Mythical). Threat level: Single‑target erasure.
A faint golden sigil blossomed on Arata's chest — a cold, small star burning against his skin.
Arata: "What's that!?"
Lyra extended a pale, steady finger toward him.
Lyra: "Solar Lock‑On."
In an instant, an almost invisible beam of concentrated sunlight tore from her fingertip. It found the golden mark and pierced through Arata's chest like a needle of pure heat.
Arata's eyes widened. He spat blood, a ragged sound ripped from his throat as his knees gave out. He fell to the ground, each breath harder than the last.
Arata (gasping): "Argh! Those guys… my body… there's not much time left."
Lyra's face was cold as marble.
Lyra: "And that's how you do the job. Failures."
The battlefield held its breath — the sun itself seemed complicit in her strike — while Arata lay there, wounded, the golden mark still faintly glowing as the seconds bled away.