“Huh? Possessed? What do you mean possessed?”

  While I was still trying to process her words, Haruka continued expining calmly:

  “That final attack it unched at you wasn’t meant to hurt you. In reality, it was trying to infect you.”

  “Infect me?”

  “It inserted a fragment of its soul inside you. Maybe you don’t notice it now, since it’s just a small piece, probably still without a will of its own... but over time, it will grow, strengthen, and try to take over your body.”

  I swallowed hard. My back tensed just imagining it.

  “But don’t worry, Mochi. I won’t let that happen.”

  “Phew, thank God… It’d be a shame for everything to end just now, right when I’ve been told something this exciting.”

  Haruka gave me a skeptical look. Then she sighed.

  “Haa… I’m gd you’re not too worried.”

  “Is there anything else?”

  “Yes. I need you to come with me to OHRA’s base here in the city.”

  “Yes, yes! Let’s go right now, Haruka!”

  My excitement spiked again. We walked through the streets together, led by Haruka. Inside, I couldn’t stop wondering what kind of pce this secret base would be. Obviously, it had to be hidden, disguised as something else… Maybe a regur office building? No, no, that would be too boring. An abandoned underground site? That’s it! Maybe something like an old train station sealed off to the public, but hiding a command center inside, filled with giant screens and maps of the world.

  My expectations grew wilder and wilder… until we left the city center and entered a slightly old residential area. The houses looked aged, with gray fa?ades and unkempt gardens.

  Eventually, I lost patience and asked:

  “Haruka… are you sure it’s this way?”

  She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she raised an eyebrow like my doubt was absurd, then pointed ahead.

  There stood an old Western-style church. The walls were yellowed with age, the stained gss dirty and some panes broken. The garden was overrun with weeds and overgrown grass.

  "Huh? This is it? But it looks completely abandoned!"

  "Come on, Mochi. They're waiting for us."

  Haruka stepped forward and, with both hands, pushed open the massive wooden doors, which creaked loudly as they swung inward.

  I hurried after her. The inside of the church wasn’t much different from the outside: a wide, dusty space with an altar at the far end, wooden pews stacked to the sides—many of them damaged or broken. Everything looked old and neglected.

  Definitely disappointing. Where were the data-filled monitors, the world maps lit with colorful lights, the hustle and bustle of a secret base like in the manga?

  We walked silently through the chapel until Haruka turned toward a side door. I followed her without hesitation.

  We continued down a narrow, dim hallway lined with several closed doors. As we walked, one of them suddenly opened and a man stepped into the corridor. He passed by us with an elegant and calm stride.

  He was tall and slim, with refined features. His long blond hair fell in soft waves to his shoulders, and his pointed ears betrayed his elven heritage. He wore a white suit with a red shirt underneath; the top buttons were undone, revealing part of his chest. He looked at us both with bright eyes and fshed a charming smile.

  "Let’s hurry, Mochi. It’s getting te. Ignore this guy," said Haruka dryly.

  Without waiting for a reply, she took my hand and quickened her pace. We passed him without stopping, while the elf watched us go with the same charming smile.

  His appearance reminded me of those "hosts" from nightclubs—the kind that dazzle girls into spending every st cent. Better follow Haruka’s advice and keep my distance.

  We finally arrived at a rge wooden door. Haruka knocked gently.

  "Come in," responded a female voice from the other side.

  We entered. The inside was an office, though a rather messy one. There were stacks of papers everywhere—some leaning, others on the verge of toppling over. In the center, an old, somewhat scratched wooden desk. Behind it sat a woman.

  She looked to be in her mid-thirties. Quite attractive, with a rough and carefree aura that I liked immediately. A charming tomboy style. Looking more closely, I noticed she wore an eyepatch over her right eye, and her left arm was a finely crafted metallic prosthetic.

  "You must be Noa. My name is Ophelia, and I'm one of the leaders of this OHRA branch," she said with a firm but kind voice.

  I gave her a small bow in greeting.

  "Haruka told me about your situation, and I must say, it's quite unusual."

  She then began to expin everything in more detail.

  According to Ophelia, there are three types of possessions by anomalies. Although each type has its particurities, the result is almost always the same: the anomaly takes control of the victim's body, and the person ends up dying.

  Type one possessions are the most direct. The anomaly enters and takes control immediately, devouring the person's consciousness in a matter of seconds.

  In the second type, the anomaly isn't strong enough at first to control the body. Instead, it infiltrates and remains dormant, gradually weakening the victim. As it grows, it begins to communicate with its host—whispering, showing visions, nightmares, mentally tormenting them until their will breaks. It's a slow but effective invasion.

  In my case, according to Ophelia, it was a type three possession. The rarest... and most unpredictable.

  This type occurs when the anomaly that enters the body is so weak it can’t even form a clear consciousness, communicate, or torment the host. It’s so weak that, in theory, it shouldn’t be able to begin a possession at all. The conditions for this to happen are very specific: the anomaly must have originally been powerful but now be so severely weakened that it can barely stay active. Exactly like in my case.

  The real problem is that no one can predict the outcome. That anomaly might remain dormant inside me for the rest of my life... or it could slowly recover and eventually become a type two possession.

  "Little Noa, we usually eliminate people in your situation. They pose a danger to society."

  Ophelia leaned over the desk, fixing her gaze on me. Her smile was wide… but there was something unsettling about it.

  "Eliminate...?" I instinctively took a step back.

  "Ophelia, please stop scaring Mochi," Haruka intervened in a tired tone as she approached me and gently patted my head.

  From the way they spoke to each other, it felt more like a conversation between friends than between a boss and her subordinate.

  "I'm not scared," I lied shamelessly.

  The truth was, I was terrified. How could I not be, after they had just told me that people in my situation are usually executed?

  "Sorry, sorry. You just look so cute I couldn’t resist teasing you a bit," she said with a cheeky smile. "But that would only apply in a normal case. You’re different, so I’m going to offer you another option."

  "Different? How am I different?"

  My mind started racing. I must have a special power! I always knew I was different. I felt it since I was little! I must be chosen! A destined heroine! I could feel my tail swaying excitedly from side to side. Huf, huf… breathe, Noa. Breathe. You mustn’t lose your composure right now.

  "It’s because you’re Haruka’s friend, and she vouched for you. We apply nepotism to the fullest here."

  I felt my tail droop immediately. Haruka, beside me, was barely holding back her ughter. That traitor. I curse my tail for betraying me so mercilessly.

  "Noa, join OHRA. The only one who can deal with your situation is you. We can train you, teach you spells. That way, you’ll have a good chance at controlling what’s inside you."

  "Yes, absolutely! I want to join!"

  "Good, I was hoping you'd say that. I’ve already ordered a special weapon to be made for you. It’ll be forged from the remains of the cat anomaly. Tomorrow, Saturday, Haruka will come pick you up and guide you on your first job. It’s better if you start as soon as possible."

  ***The next day, the doorbell rang. I had already been up for hours—ready, nervous, impatient.

  I ran to the door and opened it.

  There stood Haruka, in her pristine uniform and holding a small briefcase. Just seeing her made all of this feel real.

  "Haruka!" I greeted her enthusiastically. "Come in, come in!"

  "Mochi, are your parents home?"

  "No, no. They went out for a few hours..." I leaned toward her with a mischievous smile and a raised eyebrow. "So we can make all the noise we want."

  And to top it off, I winked at her.

  "Please don’t make those kinds of jokes!" —her voice rose in a higher pitch than usual as she awkwardly adjusted her gsses.

  I couldn’t help but burst into ughter at her reaction.

  "Sorry, sorry. Come in, come in. Let’s go to my room."

  Once there, we sat together on the edge of the bed. Haruka still had a faint blush on her face. Maybe I went a little too far with the joke... but I didn’t regret it. She let out a deep sigh before pcing the briefcase on her p and opening it.

  Inside rested a pair of brass knuckles. They were a deep, dark red—almost like blood. I was speechless. They emitted a faint glow, barely noticeable, but sinister enough to send a shiver down my spine. There was something strange about them... something I wasn’t sure if I found unsettling or alluring.

  Without realizing it, I reached out to touch them.

  But before I could even brush them, Haruka shut the case with a loud snap.

  "These are your new weapons," she said seriously. "They were made from the remains of the anomalous cat’s corpse. And… the results weren’t exactly what we expected."

  She paused for a moment, lowering her gaze.

  "Its will persists strongly, even after death. So you’ll have to be very careful when using them. I fear there’s a real danger that they could influence your will… or even your personality."