Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit

Chapter 93 - Versus Battle Exam

Chapter 93 - Versus Battle Exam

Not all good things last forever. 

That truth hits me harder today, because it's Monday—just two days after the Xyraxis New Year—and the first day back to class. The holidays felt like a dream, especially with Myrrh by my side. Maybe I enjoyed her company a little too much, because this morning I can barely keep my eyes open.

I trudged out of the dormitory, my footsteps sluggish and my face stuck in a half-squint, half-scowl. The weight of reality—routine, lectures, discipline—settled on my shoulders like an invisible yoke. My mood soured not just from the lack of sleep but from the cruel end of total freedom. My limbs dragged, my mind fogged, and as I passed through the glass doors of the campus building, I yawned so wide it echoed in the lobby.

The corridors were already alive with chatter. Students traded stories about their holidays, laughter and excitement ricocheting off the walls. Most had gone back to Earth to see family or friends, but others—those who had already made Xyraxis their home—swapped tales of the local New Year festivals and fireworks that lit up the alien sky.

When I finally reached my classroom, I found it already buzzing with voices. Seats were mostly filled, the atmosphere light and cheerful, as if no one else had suffered the emotional hangover of returning to reality. My eyes scanned the room—then stopped.

There she was. Myrrh.

She was chatting animatedly with her new support unit, Kian, their conversation peppered with soft laughter. Her long greenish-blonde hair swayed as she turned her head, and her smile was radiant, unguarded. But the moment she caught me in her peripheral vision, she paused—then turned fully to look at me. Her eyes brightened. A delicate blush painted her cheeks.

"Oh! Good morning, darling!" she called out, waving cheerfully.

"Wah—" I choked on my own breath, my face flushing instantly. Being greeted by someone as gorgeous as Myrrh—especially with that affectionate term—hit me like a railgun to the heart.

Right. The act.

We were pretending to be a couple—this whole fake romance thing was meant to keep the other guys, especially Kian, from getting too close to her. I had agreed to it. Somehow.

"G-good m-m-morning..." I mumbled, eyes dodging hers as I offered a quick bow and shuffled toward my seat at the back of the room, trying to disappear into the furniture.

I couldn't believe how flustered I was. My jaw trembled uncontrollably, and my mind had gone completely blank. Normally, when Myrrh talked to me, I could keep my cool—feign indifference, brush her off with a casual grunt. But today? My body was betraying me. My chest felt tight. My heart was pounding as if I'd just sprinted across campus.

I collapsed into my seat with a gasp, as if I'd been holding my breath the whole walk in.

"What the hell..." I muttered under my breath, staring down at the desk like it owed me answers.

Was it just me, or did Myrrh look... even cuter than usual? No—beautiful. She'd always been beautiful, but this was different. Something about the way her eyes lit up when she smiled, the way her laughter seemed to tug at something deep inside me... It was messing with my head.

Back in high school, my feelings toward her were twisted—more lust than love. I used to fantasize about dominating her, about breaking that proud, perfect image of hers down to something trembling and undone. It was shameful. Ugly. A projection of my own degeneracy.

But now? Looking at her this morning, smiling and carefree, I felt something else entirely. A strange, overwhelming urge to protect that joy. To keep that smile from ever fading.