Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit

Chapter 56 - Lightning Crab

Chapter 56 - Lightning Crab

The opponent's support unit made the opening act, his movements sharp and deliberate. His fingers danced over the glowing hologram display projected within his HUD, and an intricate lattice of orange circuits illuminated his arm like molten veins.

"Lightning Rifle, Equip X2!" he commanded, his voice cutting through the tension.

Two shimmering cybernetic circles materialized on either side of the opponent's Frame Unit, crackling with energy. From them emerged a pair of futuristic rifles, their sleek white exteriors pulsing with electricity. Without hesitation, the towering orange mech gripped the weapons, arcs of lightning dancing along their barrels, and unleashed a volley of crackling bolts straight at Myrrh!

Myrrh's white-and-gold Frame Unit jolted into motion, her thrusters flaring as she sprinted in a wide semicircle. The lightning bolts struck the ground mere inches from her, each impact searing the air with the acrid scent of ozone. Her evasive maneuvers were desperate but precise, the bolts grazing her armor.

Sweat pricked my forehead as I realized she wouldn't last long without support. I slammed my hand against the [Light Shield] and [Beam Rifle] options in my WEEB System, circuits along my arm igniting in a brilliant blue glow.

"Light Shield, Beam Rifle, Equip!" I bellowed, channeling every ounce of urgency into my command.

In an instant, two luminous cybernetic circles materialized around Myrrh, and she summoned a radiant shield in one hand and a sleek rifle in the other. She raised the shield just in time to deflect a bolt of lightning, the impact sparking against its surface like a firework.

But then, a sharp, high-pitched buzz filled the air, followed by Myrrh's pained cry.

"Aaaah!" Her voice was strained, trembling with agony.

"Myrrh! What's happening?" I shouted, panic clawing at my chest.

The opponent's support unit sneered, tilting his head with an air of smug superiority. "Fools!" he jeered, his grin cutting like a knife. "The Lightning Rifle is the perfect counter to your precious Light Shield. That shield of yours is metal—highly conductive! Every bolt I fire will crawl through your Frame Unit's armor and fry you from the inside!"

The opponent Frame Unit unleashed another barrage of crackling lightning bolts from her twin Lightning Rifles, the air hissing with static energy. Myrrh darted to the side, her Frame Unit's thrusters sputtering as they struggled to keep up with her frantic maneuvers. The first shot scorched the ground just inches from her feet. The second grazed her shoulder, leaving a glowing streak of molten metal on her armor. The third left her no escape.

Cornered against the jagged remains of a blast wall, Myrrh had no choice. She raised her shield to block the incoming bolt, its surface flaring bright as it absorbed the energy.

"Kyah!" she cried, her voice trembling with pain as the electric current surged through her Frame Unit, sparking against the circuits.

"Hahahaha!" The opponent WAIFU's laughter rang out, mocking and triumphant. "So much for your arrogance! You're just a first-year wannabe!"

Her partner, the support unit, smirked, his cold gaze locking onto me. "Now then," he growled, his voice laced with menace. "Show me that mysterious power of yours, fourth place!"

His words weren't an insult—they were a calculated taunt. He wasn't just mocking my rank in the written exams; he was challenging me, daring me to reveal the trump card he suspected I had. My stomach churned as I realized his plan. He wanted me to lose control, to unleash my Weapons of Mass Destruction, to prove to everyone just how dangerous I could be.