Chapter 96 - Forgotten Secret

  My shoulders slackened, the tension bleeding out of me the moment the announcement echoed through the arena. There was no denying it—Myrrh had won this Versus Battle Exam, fair and square. And I… I was the one left standing in defeat. I had thrown everything I had into this match, even technically cheating, hoping that—just this once—I could surpass her. But it still wasn’t enough.

  As the platform carrying us support units began to descend, soft mechanical hums accompanied the transformation of the Frame Units. Their battle-worn forms shimmered in radiant streams of light, gradually morphing back into their humanoid shapes—elegant, gleaming, and eerily calm after the storm of combat.

  Down on the ground, my partner Fei had collapsed to her knees, tears welling in her eyes as she let out a pitiful whimper. “Auuuu…”

  Myrrh walked toward her with the poise of a champion, her boots clicking gently against the metal floor. She extended her hand, her expression gentle. “That was a good fight, Fei.”

  “Really?” Fei looked up, sniffling, her voice fragile with disappointment.

  “Of course,” Myrrh said with a confident nod. “I think you’re just as strong as Michelle Gehabich from the third years. But naturally—” she placed a hand on her hip, flashing her signature smirk, “—I’m stronger than her. Everyone knows that. Still, with just a bit more practice, you could be nearly as perfect as me.”

  Fei blinked, then smiled through her tears, determination lighting up her eyes. “O-okay then! I’ll do my best—so I can be perfect like you!”

  With renewed energy, Fei jumped up, and the two girls clapped their hands together in a spirited double high-five. Their laughter rang out like little bells, light and sweet.

  And me? I just stood there—silent, stunned. Watching Myrrh, I couldn’t help but marvel at her. Even after pouring every ounce of power I had into the fight—even after calling upon the divine strength of the Machine God—she still held her ground, endured until the final moment, and struck back with a decisive, brutal counter. I had lost. And somehow, I didn’t even feel angry. Just… humbled.

  I glanced across the arena and found Kian, my former opponent, trying—unsuccessfully—to hide the strain on his face behind a forced smile. Technically, he had won his match. But the way his shoulders drooped and his eyes avoided the spotlight told another story. It was like watching someone who had secured a victory but lost something more personal in the process. Maybe he was disappointed that he never got the chance to trigger Myrrh’s Ultimate. I couldn’t blame him—there’s a certain sting to an incomplete battle.

  Then I felt it—someone watching me.

  I turned slightly, just enough to catch Myrrh staring at me from the corner of my eye. The moment our gazes nearly met, she snapped her head away with a dramatic “Hmph!” and folded her arms tight against her chest. Classic Myrrh. I bit back a sigh, forcing a smile and deciding to try the whole “gracious loser” thing.

  “Nice fight, Myrrh,” I said, stepping forward and offering her my hand.

  “Hmph!” She puffed her cheeks and pouted even harder. “I’m not talking to you!”

  “What?” I blinked, taken aback. Internally, I was already grinding my teeth—and if anyone looked closely, I bet they could see the veins pulsing at my temples. "The hell are you on to now?"

  “You’re a big, fat cheater!” she snapped, jabbing a finger at my chest. “That power—that thing—was supposed to be just between the two of us! How could you use it like that?!”

  “What are you talking about?! I never said I wouldn’t use it on other WAIFUs!” I shot back, voice rising with frustration. “Besides, you were the one who brought the handicap into this match! I never told you not to use Blade Wing!”

  “It doesn’t matter what you didn’t say!” Myrrh growled. “I’m done!”

  "Your mood swings are grinding my gears! You should switch your panty liner brand sooner or later, because your period reeks a lot of your putrid personality!" I roared.

  With a furious stomp that echoed sharply against the arena floor, she pivoted on her heel and stormed off, her greenish blonde ponytail swishing with every indignant step. All I could do was stand there, hand still half-raised, as the heat of the argument settled around me like smoke after a fire.

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  “Myrrh!” Kian called out, rushing after her in a panic, his boots clacking across the floor.

  But Myrrh spun on her heel with a ferocity that nearly froze him mid-step. Her eyes blazed like wildfire, and her voice thundered through the arena.

  “Get off me! Don’t follow me! Don’t come near me! Don’t even breathe the same air I breathe!”

  Each word hit like a slap, and Kian immediately shrank back, lifting his hands as though surrendering to an unseen force.

  “Y-yes ma’am... S-sorry, ma’am,” he stammered, retreating like a scolded puppy. His voice was barely above a whisper.

  And then… silence.

  The kind of awkward, heavy silence that hangs in the air when nobody knows what to say next. Fei, Kian, and I stood there, blinking, stuck in the emotional aftershock of Myrrh’s outburst. I knew her well enough—her temper flared bright and fast like a struck match. She had these explosive mood swings, sure, but they always burned out eventually. Still… that was one hell of a detonation.

  Just as the silence threatened to drag on forever, a familiar voice cut through it with biting sarcasm.

  “Well, now that the little soap opera’s over, would you kindly get your asses off the arena?” Professor Chaldeas’ voice rang out over the speaker system—perfectly polite, yet unmistakably laced with snark. “Some of us have other WAIFUs and support units waiting to take their Versus Battle Exams.”

  Without needing another prompt, the three of us scrambled off the platform, shuffling out like chastised students after detention. No one said anything. We didn’t have to. The whole arena had just witnessed one of those Myrrh moments, and all we could do now was clear the stage and brace for the aftermath.

  <><><>

  The rest of the day felt like I was walking through a minefield of glares—sharp, targeted, and inescapable. In every class, I could feel two sets of eyes drilling into me like laser scopes. The first came from Neil, who hadn’t said a word since forever, yet his cold, lingering stare clung to me with unsettling precision. He was still furious with Fei for reasons unknown—but somehow, his glare was locked on me.

  And it wasn’t just anger. There was something else behind those eyes... something that sent a chill crawling down my spine. Was he... into me? I tried to shake the thought, but it wouldn’t go away.

  The second glare—equally icy, though with a bit more fire—belonged to Myrrh. She didn’t even try to hide it most of the time. Whenever she had the chance to glance back at me, she took it. And when I caught her in the act? She’d immediately turn back around, flipping her ponytail with an exaggerated “I’m-so-over-it” energy, pretending like nothing happened.

  It was driving me insane.

  Two of my closest friends here at Orbital Tech were giving me the cold shoulder—and for reasons I couldn’t even fully grasp. The weight of their silent judgments, their refusal to talk to me, was eating at my nerves and bruising my ego. For the first time since I enrolled here, I wondered if I’d made the right choice. Maybe I didn’t belong at this university after all.

  In the middle of all this emotional turbulence, we found ourselves drifting through the dullest part of the day: history class. Our professor had apparently made it his life’s mission to bore us to death by reading the textbook word-for-word while scribbling bullet points onto the hologram board. His voice was monotone, like a sleep function being slowly activated in real time.

  Then I felt a light tap on my arm.

  “Um, Zaft? Can I ask you a question?” Fei whispered, her voice soft and hesitant.

  I blinked, pulled from my spiral of thoughts. “Shoot,” I replied under my breath.

  “Those weapons you used earlier… Shadow Curtain and Proton Slicer, right?” she asked, her golden eyes glimmering with curiosity.

  I froze.

  Those weapons. The WMD series. I had been using them without much thought for months now—unleashing them when needed, always keeping the deeper truth close to my chest. Back during the Licensure Examinations Tournament, I had even promised my team that I’d explain where they came from, what they really were. But that conversation had never happened.

  Fei, though—Fei was different. She wasn’t asking to pry or accuse. She was asking because she genuinely wanted to understand. She was my friend. My partner. And truth be told, those weapons reacted strongest when she was in danger.

  I gave her a slow nod. “Yeah,” I whispered. “Those are... part of something called the Weapons of Mass Destruction Series. WMD for short. They’re kind of my… special ability.”

  “Oooh,” Fei breathed, her eyes widening like a child peeking into a treasure chest. She nodded rapidly, her curiosity nearly bouncing off her in waves. “Did you install a cybernetic microchip in your brain? Or maybe your left arm? Or—wait! Did you just load the software directly into your WEEB unit?”

  I chuckled softly and leaned in. “Actually… it came from the Machine God,” I whispered, barely audible above the low murmur of the classroom. “No chips, no implants, no software. I can only activate it when my WAIFU partner’s in danger.”

  Fei’s lips parted slightly, and for a brief moment, a rosy flush crept across her cheeks. Her golden eyes sparkled with fascination. “That’s so cool…” she murmured, before quickly glancing left and right to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

  Satisfied we were still under the radar, she leaned in even closer—so close I could feel the warmth of her breath on my ear.

  “I have a favor to ask,” she whispered.

  I turned slightly, raising a brow with a smile. “Sure. What is it?”

  “Not now,” she replied, her voice barely above a breath. “Let’s talk after class. Tenth floor. Left wing. One of the vacant rooms.”

  There was a strange seriousness in her tone—like the faint tremble of anticipation. The way she said it, quiet and careful, made my heart beat just a little faster. For a second, it felt less like a favor… and more like something deeper. More personal. An impending confession, maybe.

  I nodded, trying not to let my thoughts run too far ahead of me. “Alright,” I said. “I’ll be there.”

  Fei gave me a small, knowing smile—just enough to make me wonder what was really on her mind.