"Yo."
When Chisato returned, Duanmu Huai greeted her. Chisato waved back with a grin, then looked toward the black-haired girl beside him. She studied her curiously before greeting her.
"Huh? A Lycoris?"
"That's right, Chisato."
Mika spoke up.
"This is the Lycoris I told you about before. Starting today, you two will be partners, so get along well."
"Huh!?"
Hearing Mika, Chisato immediately lit up like a puppy that had found a new toy. She rushed straight over to the black-haired girl and grabbed her hand.
"Nice to meet you, partner! I'm Chisato!"
"Ah, yes. I'm Inoue Takina..."
"Takina!? This is our first time meeting, right?"
"Ah, yes. I was transferred here from Kyoto just last year..."
This scene looked awfully familiar.
Watching Inoue Takina retreat step by step under Chisato's relentless advance, Duanmu Huai curled his lip. He felt as though he had seen a similar scene somewhere before—oh... right.
Ann and Gureiya, Anisphia and Euphilia—they were all like this. One lively and outgoing, the other quiet and introverted.
So now we have another pair of one airhead and one grump?
Why do I keep running into people like this? Even changing bodies doesn't let me escape them? Is this some kind of curse?
"By the way, what happened to your face?"
Chisato had now noticed the bandage stuck to Inoue Takina's face.
"Is that some kind of injury suffered in the line of duty?"
"No, this..."
Although Inoue Takina looked somewhat embarrassed, she obediently answered Chisato's question. In short, during a previous raid on an arms deal, one of the Lycorises had been captured. The opposing side took her hostage and demanded that the others surrender.
Because communications at the scene had been jammed and they could not receive orders from headquarters, Inoue Takina had made a shocking