Chapter 45 - Sophomore Boorang
Backstage, my friends and I crowded around the large screen, watching the battles unfold. The higher-year students displayed weapons I had never seen before, sleek and nacing, with designs that scread precision and devastation. Their Fra Units were equally awe-inspiring; so seniors maneuvered with such grace that the tallic bulk of their armors seed to vanish, leaving behind only fluid, deadly motion. The clang of tal against tal, punctuated by bursts of energy, filled the arena, a symphony of combat that held us spellbound.
Sowhere around the fifth or sixth match, I felt a soft nudge against my stomach, breaking my trance. I turned to see Myrrh, her li-blonde hair catching the backstage lights, holding up her phone as she glanced at .
“Hey, our match is next. Let’s head to the launch queue,” she said, her voice calm but her eyes gleaming with determination.
“Aight,” I replied, a faint grin tugging at my lips.
We waved goodbye to our friends and made our way to the east-side queue. The roar of the coliseum grew louder with every step. From the waiting area, we had an unfiltered view of the final monts of the ongoing match. A yellow Fra Unit, its sleek armor glinting under the arena lights, swung its beam saber in a brilliant arc, severing the head of a green Fra Unit. Sparks erupted from the defeated machine, marking the dramatic end of the match.
“And the winner for this match is Examinee Pair Number 41, baby!” The emcee, Miles, bood over the mic, his voice shaking the stands as the crowd erupted in cheers.
“Well, that was quick,” Myrrh muttered, her gaze lingering on the victorious Fra Unit before turning to with a confident smile. “Let’s do the sa thing, right, Zaft?”
“We’ll make it quick, but let’s make sure we win in the end,” I said, extending a fist toward Myrrh with a confident grin.
She smirked, tapping her knuckles against mine. “Who do you think I am, anyway? Just don’t ss up my mother’s teachings, got it?”
We both laughed, a brief mont of levity in the charged atmosphere.
The emcee’s voice echoed through the arena, booming with excitent. “And now, let’s welco our next Examinee Pairs—Number 11 and Number 14, baby!”
The spotlight hit the entryway, bathing the launch corridor in a stark, brilliant glow. Myrrh and I stepped forward, the roar of the crowd swelling around us like a tidal wave. My gaze drifted to Myrrh as she strutted with effortless swagger—her chest puffed, chin held high, and li-blonde hair flicking behind her with every deliberate step. Her walk oozed confidence, almost daring anyone to underestimate her.
Inspired, I tried to match her energy, straightening my back and stiffening my gait. Unfortunately, my attempt at "cool" swagger quickly devolved into a clunky, robotic march.
“What the hell are you doing, Zaft?” Myrrh hissed, her voice low but sharp with irritation.
“I don’t know! I’m trying to be cool!” I whispered back, my cheeks heating with embarrassnt.
“Just walk normally, idiot!” she snapped, her eyes narrowing before she turned her focus back to the arena.
Before I could adjust, an unfamiliar voice cut through our hushed argunt. Deep and dripping with condescension, the man’s words stopped us both in our tracks.
“So, you’re our first opponents, huh?” he said, stepping into the light. His dark uniform glead with a predatory edge, his presence commanding attention. “I can’t say I’m impressed. Freshn like you managing to pass the written exams is laughable—especially considering one of the subjects isn’t even part of your curriculum yet.”
Myrrh and I turned our attention to our opponents. The support unit, who had just delivered his snide remark, was a strikingly handso young man with chin-length blonde hair that seed to catch the arena lights perfectly. Beside him stood his WAIFU—a crimson-haired girl with a neatly tied ponytail, her face adorned with a constellation of freckles that softened her otherwise sharp expression.
My eyes caught the yellow armbands on their uniforms, marking them as sophomores of Orbital Tech. It was no surprise—there were only a handful of freshn like us who managed to pass the grueling written examinations. Still, the sight of those yellow bands brought a mix of relief and tension. We weren’t up against third years, at least not yet, but the uphill climb was starting here and now.
Myrrh placed her hands on her hips, glaring at the blonde support unit with a look that could lt steel. Her piercing blue eyes had a way of slicing through people, a weapon sharper than any beam saber. I knew that glare all too well—having been on the receiving end of it more tis than I cared to admit.
“Y-you’ll pay for looking down on , beansprouts!” the blonde sputtered, his composure cracking as he took a step forward.
“C-calm down, Nash!” his WAIFU, the freckled crimson-haired girl, said, her voice wavering as she tried to rein him in.
Nash clenched his fists and turned to her. “Let’s beat them down, Tina!”
I exchanged a glance with Myrrh, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. She t my gaze, her lips curling into a smug grin. For once, that cutting glare of hers wasn’t aid at but at our opponents. In this mont, her unshakable confidence felt like a shield, and I couldn’t help but feel lucky to have her as my partner in both combat and this unspoken ga of insults.
“Examinee WAIFUs, please step onto the red line. Examinee support units, proceed to the platform,” the emcee, Dianca, announced, her voice crisp and commanding over the coliseum’s speakers.
We followed the instructions without hesitation. As soon as I stepped onto the platform, it began to rise, floating upward like a sleek, futuristic elevator. Railings materialized around the edges, shimring into existence for our safety. As the platform ascended, the expansive view of the coliseum unfolded before —a vast arena packed with roaring spectators, their cheers echoing like a thunderstorm. From forty ters above ground, I could see it all: the flashing lights, the vibrant banners, and the combat field that would soon beco our battleground.
“Examination Battle will begin in three… two… one…” Dianca’s voice resonated through the speakers, her countdown building the tension. "Begin!"
“Fra Unit, Awaken!” Myrrh and the crimson-haired WAIFU, Tina, simultaneously raised their morphers high, the devices gleaming in the artificial light.
In an instant, twin pillars of light shot down from the heavens, engulfing the coliseum floor. From those radiant beams, their Fra Units began to take form, towering twenty-ter-tall chs shimring into existence like gods descending to the mortal plane. Our opponent’s ch erged first: a sleek, white machine adorned with blood-red plate armor, its green eyes glowing with a predatory intensity. But Myrrh’s Fra Unit stood firm against it—a formidable ch with sparking blue highlights, its polished surface catching the light as if daring anyone to challenge its might.
I activated my WEEB System, and a holographic display erupted around , presenting an array of weapon options for Myrrh’s support. As I studied the options, trying to strategize, I caught sight of Nash on the opposing platform. He was leaning casually against the railing, his smug grin practically daring to falter.
“Wow,” Nash drawled, his tone dripping with mockery. “You have so few options to win this fight. Pathetic. My Clearance Level is 17, by the way. You might as well give up now.”
His words hit like a taunt, but before I could stew on it, Myrrh’s voice cut through, sharp and steady.
“Don’t listen to that cockroach, Zaft. Focus on the fight.” Her calm confidence steadied my nerves as much as it fueled my resolve.
“Got it,” I replied, nodding as I tightened my focus on the hologram controls.
“Hey! Who are you calling a cockroach!?” Nash bellowed, stomping on the platform with enough force to make the railings vibrate. His face was a mix of indignation and determination as he jabbed at his holographic screen. “I’ll show you how advanced our weapons are!”
Nash tapped on an option, his hand glowing faintly with circuits as he pointed toward his partner, Tina.
“Blade Shield, Equip!”
In response, Tina’s Fra Unit materialized a massive kite-shaped shield, its edges lined with gleaming, serrated blades that seed to hum with latent energy. Without missing a beat, Tina surged forward, her shield leading the charge, its sharp edges slicing through the air with precision.
Myrrh stood her ground, unard but unfazed. I frantically tapped on my own hologram interface, my arm sparking with glowing blue circuits. “Beam Rifle, Equip!”
A sleek, futuristic rifle shimred into existence in Myrrh’s hands, and she imdiately opened fire. Precise beams of light shot toward Tina, cutting through the air with sharp, crackling sounds. But Tina’s shield proved its worth—she raised it effortlessly, deflecting the lasers as she closed the distance.
“Ha!” Nash’s voice bood across the coliseum, dripping with arrogant confidence. “That beam rifle is basic! Let show you what real firepower looks like!” His fingers danced over his hologram interface, activating a new weapon with a flourish. “Beam Tomahawk, Equip!”
Tina’s Fra Unit materialized a wicked-looking tomahawk, its blade glowing with a nacing green energy. Without slowing down, she cocked her arm back and hurled it forward with a fierce cry. “Yah!”
The beam tomahawk spun through the air, a whirling arc of destructive energy aid directly at Myrrh.
“Evade!” I shouted, but Myrrh was already moving. She leaned hard to her left, the beam tomahawk slicing past her with re centiters to spare before circling back toward Tina like a guided missile.
In the sa fluid motion, Myrrh tossed aside her beam rifle, the weapon vanishing into particles, and activated her thrusters. Blue flas erupted from her Fra Unit’s back as she launched herself forward, closing the gap between her and Tina with alarming speed.
“You’re underestimating by throwing your own weapon!” Tina roared, her voice echoing through the coliseum as her Fra Unit surged forward with a burst of fiery thrusters.
Closing the gap with remarkable speed, Tina swung her bladed shield in a brutal arc, aiming straight for Myrrh’s head. The sharp edges of the shield glead nacingly, promising a devastating impact.
But Myrrh was quicker. In the split second before the blades could connect, she leaned back, bending her ch’s upper body with precision and grace. The shield’s razor edges sliced through the air, missing her by a hair’s breadth.
With the sa fluid motion, Myrrh shifted her weight and engaged her thrusters. Blue flas flared from her right leg as she delivered a powerful kick aid squarely at Tina’s shield.
“Yaaaah!”
The impact was thunderous, sending a resounding clang through the arena. The force of the kick drove Tina’s shield slightly downward, its edge digging into the ground. But it wasn’t enough—there was no visible damage, only a slight dent where Myrrh’s foot had struck.
From above, Nash’s laughter rang out, smug and self-assured. “Did you know?” he taunted, his voice dripping with mockery. “One special feature of the beam tomahawk is that it doubles as a boorang. It always returns to its owner!”
My heart sank as I glanced at Myrrh, my stomach knotting with worry. “Oh shit!” I yelled, realizing what was about to happen.
Sure enough, the green beam tomahawk was hurtling back, its deadly energy blade spinning like a saw as it hod in on its target. It was moving too fast—there was no way Myrrh could react in ti.
Or so I thought.
Myrrh didn’t so much as flinch. It was as if she had anticipated the weapon’s trajectory from the mont it was thrown. With a sharp cry, she delivered another thunderous kick to Tina’s shield, forcing it downward once more. The sudden force destabilized Tina just enough for Myrrh to use the montum of her kick to propel herself backward into a perfectly tid backflip.
Her Fra Unit arced gracefully through the air, the thrusters on her back flaring brilliantly as she twisted out of the tomahawk’s path. The deadly weapon whizzed past her, narrowly missing her midair form, before returning to Tina’s outstretched hand.
The crowd erupted in cheers and gasps, the display of agility and foresight leaving everyone on the edge of their seats.
“Nice try,” Myrrh said, her tone as cold and sharp as the glare of her Fra Unit’s glowing eyes.
“What the—! How can you move so fast—?!” Tina’s startled cry was cut short as disaster struck.
The beam tomahawk, spinning with unrelenting energy, ca barreling back toward her Fra Unit. In her haste to intercept it, Tina misjudged the timing. The deadly weapon bypassed her grasp entirely, its glowing blade slashing cleanly through the neck of her ch. Sparks erupted like fireworks, and with a sickening tallic groan, the Fra Unit’s head toppled to the ground, crashing against the arena floor with a thunderous clang.
The crowd gasped collectively, the sound a mixture of shock and exhilaration.
For a mont, there was silence as Tina’s Fra Unit powered down, its hulking, decapitated form slumping forward in defeat.
“Ah! I lost my head there—literally!” Tina’s voice crackled through the comms, tinged with both embarrassnt and disbelief.
From the opposite platform, Nash stood frozen, his jaw hanging open as if he couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. “W-whaaaaaaaat…?” he stamred, his disbelief palpable.
The emcee’s cheerful voice broke through the stunned atmosphere. “Battle Over!” Dianca announced, her tone brimming with enthusiasm. “The winner of this match is Miss Myrrh Alicent—oops, pardon —Examinee Number 11!”
The coliseum erupted in cheers, the audience’s excitent shaking the very air.
Myrrh’s Fra Unit shimred and dissolved into light as she reverted to her human form, her expression as calm and composed as ever. Tina also returned to her human state, though her flushed cheeks betrayed her embarrassnt. anwhile, our support platforms descended back to ground level.
As we stepped off the platform, Myrrh wasted no ti striding over to Nash, her presence commanding attention. Standing before him, she let a confident grin spread across her face and flicked her li-blonde hair over her shoulder with theatrical flair.
“It’s just a basic skill,” she said with casual arrogance, her tone oozing with self-assurance.
For once, I didn’t mind her smug attitude. In fact, I couldn’t help but admire it. The way she handled herself—on and off the battlefield—made it clear she was soone to be reckoned with.
Nash, for his part, could only sputter, struggling to co up with a response as the crowd continued to cheer for the unexpected yet spectacular victory.
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