*Thud*
"Ah! Why did you stop, you big oaf?" Mandy yelped, nearly falling on her butt if Fujin hadn't caught her. She had been running full tilt to keep up with Lyra, only to crash into her back when Lyra halted without warning.
"Damn it," Lyra muttered, looking up at the night sky as shattered fragments of the estate's protective array began to rain down. Her curse incarnations, sensing several hostile gazes aimed their way, searched the surroundings in alarm but couldn't locate the source.
Even Dee3 froze as the array burst apart, staring blankly at the falling shards.
Then, a crushing, suffocating pressure swept over them, snapping everyone out of their daze. Mandy collapsed, knocked out by the overwhelming force. At the same moment, Dee3, Lyra, and Lyra's curse incarnations finally pinpointed the origin of those unfriendly stares. Four figures slowly descended along with the falling debris, their faces emotionless, but a cold, superior gleam flickered in their eyes.
