Chapter 94 - ERROR

  I cast my eyes across the vast, echoing coliseum, letting them linger on every detail—the towering steel walls, the cold, rigid pillars, the glint of overhead lights bouncing off metallic surfaces.

  The rows upon rows of audience seats stood mostly vacant, with only a sparse cluster of students—my classmates—filling about ten percent of the arena. The rest was silence and empty space. It was safe to say this place was a ghost town now.

  The last time I stepped foot in here was during the Licensure Examinations Tournament. Back then, I fought alongside Myrrh. Now, the thought that I’d be fighting her felt surreal, like a glitch in the story.

  I turned my gaze to my current opponent. Myrrh stood confidently, posture flawless, hands resting on her hips like she was born to dominate arenas. Her chin was tilted up, soaked in arrogance, and her eyes—icy blue and dancing with anticipation—sparkled like twin blades in the sun. Beside her, her support partner Kian, handsome and as smug as ever, wore a casual smile, like he already knew the outcome.

  “I’m sorry, darling,” Myrrh cooed, her voice dripping with smug superiority. “I’m pretty sure I’ve got this in the bag. But hey, if you want—I can give you a handicap. Want me to go easy?”

  Her cockiness scraped every nerve in my body raw. In that moment, the near-perfect image I had of her shattered into glass. I was such a fool for ever feeling even a flicker of infatuation for this smug little menace. I’d forgotten how much she infuriated me when she wasn’t on my side.

  “‘WaNt mE tO gO eAsY?’” I echoed, contorting her words with a mocking tone, practically spitting them back at her. “Please. This’ll be easy-peasy for me and Fei.”

  "Ohoho!" Myrrh laughed—softly, sweetly, like a proper lady at tea. It would’ve been charming if it didn’t sound so loaded. Behind that dainty chuckle, I could see it—her sharp, simmering intent. Her playful smile didn’t reach her eyes.

  “Alright then,” she said, the corners of her mouth curling. “Just remember—you asked for it. This’ll be your funeral.”

  “Oh, this will be a funeral, alright,” I snapped back, my voice low and sharp. “You’re going to die a second time.”

  Myrrh rolled her eyes and let out an exaggerated hmph, flicking her long greenish-blonde hair over her shoulder like a diva walking off a runway. “Beating up a hooligan like you?” she said, lips curling in a condescending smirk. “Please. That’s just a basic skill. Like breathing.”

  In the background, Fei and Kian—exchanged weary glances. Both wore the kind of stiff, polite smiles reserved for bystanders caught in a domestic disaster. I caught Fei muttering under her breath, barely audible.

  “I hope we’re not caught in the middle of their private love quarrel…”

  Kian gave a dry chuckle in response, murmuring just loud enough for me to hear, “Yeah. These two lovebirds seriously need to chill.”

  Lovebirds? The word hit me like a slap to the face. I wanted to scream, We are not lovers. Never were. Never will be. I’d rather be exiled to the moon than be romantically linked with Myrrh and her overinflated ego. No—what I wanted was simple: to see her pride shatter, to watch her crack, even just a little. Maybe cry. Maybe realize that she wasn’t untouchable.

  A sharp voice cut through the tension like a blade.

  “Okay, kids.” Professor Chaldeas strode forward, finally interrupting the silent war between me and Myrrh. His coffee cup was empty now—dangerous. His tone had gone from sleepy to fully caffeinated drill sergeant. “Now, WAIFUs, step up to the red starting line. Support Units, onto the platforms.”

  Without a word, Kian and I moved to our respective platforms. The metallic floor hummed beneath our boots as the lift mechanisms activated, carrying us thirty meters into the air. The wind rushed past as we ascended, giving the arena a sense of high-stakes finality.

  On the ground below, Myrrh and Fei faced off at the red line. The moment their boots touched the edge, both drew their morphers with crisp, practiced motions. Sparks of energy crackled at their fingertips. Their eyes locked—not a single word spoken, but a thousand intentions exchanged in that one, electric stare.

  “Show me what you got, Fei. I’ve been waiting so long to fight you,” Myrrh declared, her voice ringing with confident anticipation.

  Fei smiled and clenched her fist with a burst of energy. “Got it! I might not be as strong as you, but I’ll do my best!”

  Professor Chaldeas raised one hand into the air. His expression sharpened with caffeine-fueled alertness. Then, without warning, he brought the whistle to his lips and let out a piercing tweet that echoed across the coliseum.

  “Let the battle begin!”

  Both WAIFUs instantly raised their morphers to the sky, their bodies already surging with power.

  “Frame Unit, Awaken!” they shouted in perfect synchronization.

  In a flash of light, Fei was consumed in a swirl of orange and white. Energy spiraled around her like a vortex as her human form expanded and armored up, metal locking in with hydraulic precision. Her Frame Unit—twenty meters tall and glowing with sharp orange lines over sleek white plating—landed on the arena floor with a heavy, thunderous boom. Steam hissed from her leg vents. Her visor flickered on.

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  Myrrh followed suit—her body enveloped in radiant gold. Her Frame Unit emerged like a divine statue awakening, tall and majestic in polished white and gold. Filigree patterns pulsed along her limbs. The crown-shaped crest on her forehead gleamed as she extended her arms with a dramatic flair.

  Right then, I triggered my WEEB system.

  [Weaponry Enhancement Engineering Bios]

  [Clearance – Level 8]

  [Level 1 - Laser Sword]

  [Level 2 - Beam Rifle]

  [Level 3 - Light Shield]

  [Level 4 - Jetpack]

  [Level 5 - Ultimate]

  [Level 6 - Buster Sword]

  [Level 7 - Rail Cannon]

  [Level 8 - Rollerblade]

  As soon as the hologram interface flickered across my visor, a thunderous THUD followed by a sharp metallic CLANK snapped my attention back to the battlefield.

  I looked down—just in time to see Myrrh’s Frame Unit lashing out with a sudden, vicious roundhouse kick. Her white and gold mech twisted with frightening speed, leg slicing through the air like a guillotine.

  Fei barely managed to intercept the blow. She raised her reinforced left arm just in time—the impact sent sparks flying as steel collided with steel. The ground trembled beneath them, and a heavy clang echoed across the arena walls.

  Not bad.

  I hadn’t really fought alongside Fei before. But Myrrh? I’d fought her countless times. I knew her patterns, her arrogance, her speed. She was aggressive—fast, precise, and relentless. If Fei was going to survive this, we’d need to outmaneuver her, not overpower her.

  Time to compensate.

  I pressed my palm against the first weapon icon on my WEEB interface. Golden circuitry lit up across my skin, humming with raw energy.

  “Rollerblade, Equip!” I commanded.

  In response, a pair of sleek, motorized roller skates materialized onto Fei’s boots in a flash of light. The wheels spun to life with a mechanical whirrr, and Fei immediately dropped back, skating away in a burst of speed that kicked up dust and debris in her wake. Her Frame Unit skidded in a wide arc, creating distance while keeping her arms raised in defense.

  On the opposite platform, Kian’s voice rang out. “Beam Rifle, Equip!”

  His arm surged with glowing blue circuits as he selected the loadout. A cybernetic summoning circle formed in front of Myrrh’s Frame Unit, and a high-powered beam rifle constructed itself piece by piece from thin air, locking into her mech’s hands with a sharp click.

  Without hesitation, Myrrh raised the rifle and took aim—her targeting sensors flashing red as she tracked Fei’s evasive path.

  This was about to escalate—fast.

  Green lasers tore through the air, raining down on Fei like a deadly storm. But she held her ground—skating across the scorched soil with calculated finesse, every movement deliberate and razor-sharp. Her Frame Unit ducked, weaved, and glided just ahead of each searing beam, wheels hissing against the dirt.

  She was keeping her shit together. And damn, I was glad I invested in her mobility—because that was the one area where Myrrh used to dominate. Not today.

  But dodging wasn’t enough. I needed to hit back—hard.

  I tapped the next weapon on the WEEB interface. My hand lit up with golden circuits as I stretched it toward Fei.

  “Rail Cannon, Equip!”

  A massive cybernetic sigil appeared in front of her. From it, the colossal weapon emerged—twice as long as her own mech’s arm, humming with condensed kinetic power. Fei gripped the rail cannon with both hands, locked in her target: Myrrh, standing tall about sixty meters ahead.

  She was just about to fire—when Kian’s voice cut through the comms.

  “Light Shield, Equip!”

  A shimmering shield materialized in front of Myrrh’s Frame Unit, summoned from a gleaming blue circle. She grabbed it effortlessly, lifting it into position without breaking eye contact.

  And then—BOOM.

  The rail cannon fired, releasing a sonic boom that cracked through the sky. The slug tore through the battlefield in a blur of destructive force. But just in time, Myrrh angled her shield—not flat, but tilted just enough. The projectile slammed into it with a deafening crash, sparks and energy exploding outward.

  Rather than piercing through, the slug ricocheted—veering off-course and detonating against the ground beside her in a blast of earth and flame. The ground quaked beneath her, but she didn’t flinch. She stood there, gleaming, framed by fire and smoke like some invincible mech goddess.

  Typical Myrrh.

  I gritted my teeth. I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. She's too damn good at adapting under pressure. Fine. If she wanted serious—I’d give her serious.

  No more playing around.

  I slammed my hand down on the [Ultimate] icon of the WEEB System. Golden circuits flared across my arm, pulsating like a living thing. I aimed my glowing palm straight at Fei’s Frame Unit.

  “Divine Fist, Activate!” I shouted, thrusting my arm forward like I was casting a spell in some final battle.

  Fei kicked off with a burst of power, her rollerblades igniting the soil beneath her as she charged. With a sharp twist, she jettisoned her massive rail cannon behind her—letting it crash into the ground with a metallic clang. Her fists lit up, blazing with radiant gold. Energy surged through her arms like solar fire, her gauntlets glowing hotter with every second.

  She was ready to throw hands. Divine ones.

  “Then let’s answer an Ultimate with an Ultimate!” Kian roared, slamming the [Blade Wing] command on his HUD.

  But instead of activation—a giant red [ERROR] sign blinked across his WEEB System.

  “Huh?”

  “I’m not using it,” Myrrh said flatly, not even looking back at him.

  Kian blinked. “Wait—what? Is this some kind of glitch?” He tapped [Blade Wing] again. Another [ERROR] popped up.

  “I said I’m not using it,” Myrrh repeated, a little sharper this time—still calm, but with that unmistakable Myrrh-style bite in her voice. Irritated, but… weirdly cute.

  Kian frowned. “Why not? We could end this right now! What are you doing?!”

  “I told you I’m not using it right now!” she snapped.

  Then—BOOM.

  She stomped the ground with her Frame Unit’s massive foot, shaking the entire arena. A crater cracked beneath her, sending a gust of wind in every direction. Her body language screamed defiance. Her stance widened. Her hands clenched. She wasn’t bluffing.

  She was pissed—and more importantly, she was doing things her way.

  Hearing Myrrh’s tsundere voice again... God. I hated to admit it, but damn—I was so into it. There was something weirdly addictive about the way she sounded when she was just mildly pissed. That soft bite in her tone, that self-righteous pout woven into her words…

  Yeah. I think I was falling for her voice all over again.

  “I will not permit Blade Wing to be used, especially against Zaft!” Myrrh barked, crossing her arms in full-on dramatic fashion. Her Frame Unit’s visor even glowed a little brighter—probably from pride. “That Ultimate was my mother’s. I won’t let Zaft associate it with anything bad. Got it?! I’m planning to go easy on them anyway!”

  Oof. She really said that out loud. To the whole arena.

  Kian deflated visibly. “U-uhuh… Fine,” he mumbled, shoulders sagging like a kid who just got scolded by his older sister. Or girlfriend. Or terrifying tsundere war goddess. Honestly, all three.

  Myrrh planted her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. “Now go ahead and choose a different weapon, something less dramatic! We’re just here to beat them up, not annihilate—”

  “HOREYAAAAAAH!!”

  Fei’s war cry sliced through the air.

  Before Myrrh could even finish her sentence, Fei’s blazing golden fist exploded into a right hook—slamming straight into Myrrh’s metallic faceplate with bone-rattling force.