Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit

Chapter 17 - Hail Satan

Chapter 17 – Hail Satan

There was no time for celebrations after Myrrh's second Cosmic Beast kill; both of us knew the looming threat was still present. I pushed myself up from the rubble of a crumbled building, dust and smoke swirling around me, and squinted through the haze. About five hundred meters ahead, a shadowy silhouette emerged from the mist—a Frame Unit, standing ominously like a war-torn sentinel.

My Weaponry Enhancement Engineering Bios System flickered to life, projecting a holographic screen before my eyes, acting as a makeshift telescope scanner. I aligned it with the distant figure, and its features sharpened into view. The bulk Frame Unit's armor gleamed under the dim light, streaked with crimson and white. Half of its body was draped in a tattered cloak that fluttered in the wind, giving it a ghostly, battle-hardened appearance. Its crimson eyes glowed menacingly from the darkness, and it held a beam rifle, gripped tightly in its metallic hands.

Suddenly, a bright flash of green cut through my scanner, searing my vision.

"Watch out!" Myrrh's voice rang out, panic lacing her tone as she lunged forward. Her massive mechanical hands scooped me up in an instant, the weight of her steel fingers pressing me tightly against her chest.

A split second later, the ground where I had stood exploded in a brilliant flare of green light, debris flying in all directions. My pulse raced, my heart hammering in my chest. That beam had been meant for me. Death had grazed me, and I had narrowly escaped, all thanks to Myrrh.

"W-what the hell! Now she's aiming at me!" I gasped, still shaken.

Without a word, Myrrh gently placed me onto her towering mech shoulder. The cold metal pressed against me as she moved, seeking cover in the shadow of a nearby skyscraper. We vanished into the urban jungle, the towering buildings offering temporary refuge from our unseen attacker.

"That WAIFU... she's more of a threat than those rampaging Cosmic Beasts," Myrrh muttered under her breath, her mechanical voice tinged with frustration as she kept her eyes locked on the enemy Frame Unit.

"The way she collaborates with the Cosmic Beasts means one thing—she's a traitor to mankind," I replied, my voice edged with suspicion. "Or maybe just a terrorist who wants to watch the world burn."

"Either way, if we don't take her down, we're not getting out of here alive." Myrrh's tone turned sharp, her usual confidence now laced with urgency. "Zaft, do you still have those WMDs?"

"WMDs?" I blinked, momentarily caught off guard.

"Weapons of Mass Destruction, you buffoon!" Myrrh snapped, her annoyance palpable.

"Oh, right." I tapped on my System, and the [Weapons of Mass Destruction Series] menu appeared in a flash. "Yeah, still got 'em. You thinking of using the Particle Cannon again?"

"I'd rather take her alive if possible," Myrrh responded, her mechanical eyes narrowing with resolve.

"You know, that kind of overconfidence nearly got you killed last time," I retorted, giving her a skeptical look. The memory of her last near-fatal encounter still lingered.

"Fine!" she huffed, her irritation building. "What's your brilliant plan, then?"

"Simple—get close, disable her, and capture her alive. We'll interrogate her," I said with a shrug, as if it was the most obvious solution.

"That's literally what I suggested the first time!" Myrrh hollered, her voice crackling through the speakers. "Jeez, you're such a waste of time! Fine, I'll just charge in!"

Without waiting for a reply, Myrrh activated the thrusters on her legs and back, and in an instant, her massive Frame surged forward, cutting through the rubble-laden streets. Dust and debris scattered in her wake as she closed the gap between us and the enemy Frame Unit.