Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit

Chapter 100 - Grappling Hook

Chapter 100 - Grappling Hook

I feel hollow today. Not tired. Not sick. Just... empty. It's that kind of weightless nothing that makes even lifting a pencil feel like a chore. I'm not being lazy—it's deeper than that. 

The thought of going to Orbital Tech and sitting through another lecture feels like dragging myself through fog. This place, this school, was supposed to be exciting. A gateway to my dreams. Instead, it's become a carnival of stress, absurdity, and existential dread.

I signed up for Orbital Tech's Applied Kinetics University with the starry-eyed hope of becoming a reliable support unit for the WAIFUs. That was the plan. I never imagined I'd get swept up into a conspiracy involving terrorist cells, political intrigue, and worst of all... a love triangle that I am absolutely losing. There's no contest. I'm not the rival. I'm the comic relief on the sidelines, watching someone else win her heart.

And let's not even start on the Machine God—the cosmic enigma that decided to hand me cheat codes like I'm the chosen one in some overclocked JRPG. I didn't ask for divine hacks or to be branded as the user of the WMD series. These "blessings" have turned into burdens, and the glow of those so-called gifts now feels more like the spotlight in an execution chamber.

It's Monday. That means a new Weapons Clearance level. Ironically, the mystery of what new toy we'll unlock today is the only reason I bothered dragging myself to class. If I'm being honest, I was this close to skipping and blaming it on a system error. Maybe I still will. One more dull subject and I swear I'll bail.

We're standing in the simulations room now—me, the other support units, and our WAIFUs. The sterile hum of machinery, the faint buzz of anticipation in the air, and the ever-serious Professor Bao clicking away at her tablet.

"For today's activity and practical exam, I will now upgrade your clearances to Level 9," she announced, her tone as crisp as ever.

A familiar ping echoed as our WEEB Systems synced, and a glowing hologram flickered to life before our eyes. The HUD sprang up in pixelated glory.

[Clearance Level Up]
[New Weapon Unlocked]
[Level 9 – Grappling Hook]

"Um, Zaft?" Fei Xian's voice barely rose above a whisper as she leaned closer, her soft black hair brushing against her cheeks. Her eyes scanned my Bios nervously, fingers fidgeting with the hem of her uniform. "What's the next weapon?"

"Grappling Hook," I replied, my voice flat—cold, like frost biting at a windowpane.

"Oh."

Just that. One word, and then silence. She didn't press further. She didn't need to. We both knew where we stood now.

The weight of her confession still hung in the air like smoke after an explosion—unspoken but impossible to ignore. Fei Xian, my partner, my WAIFU... the Red Meteor. The girl behind the mask that shattered a hundred alliances and probably more hearts. I could tell she was trying to shrink herself, as if by standing quieter, she could vanish. 

The guilt lingered on her face—not loud or theatrical, but present. Real. And even though I could never be sure of what she truly felt, I sensed a kind of shame in her. Maybe it wasn't just betrayal she carried. Maybe it was regret. Not just for what she did to me, but for what she did to all of us.

At least she wasn't pretending. No fake smiles. No damage control. Just a quiet understanding that some wounds take time to stop bleeding.

Professor Bao, ever the no-nonsense anchor in this sea of chaos, tapped away at her tablet with practiced ease. "For today," she said, her voice slicing through the tension like a scalpel, "you WAIFUs and support units will learn to operate the Grappling Hook."