Chapter 11 - Archonlight Tower

“Mmmm! Sammelplatz Pizza is the best!” Myrrh giggled, her eyes sparkling with delight as she took a bite of the rich, savory pizza.

Strings of melted cheese stretched from her lips to the slice, long and glistening, refusing to snap until she slurped them up with a playful grin. The greasy sheen of the perfectly cooked ground beef gleamed on her lips, catching the soft light of the diner.

I had never seen Myrrh so animated, especially over something as simple as pizza. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and for a moment, the ever-perfect Mary Sue facade seemed to crack. It was only now that I learned Sammelplatz Pizza was her favorite, a small but crucial detail that opened a new dimension of understanding. Behind the flawless exterior, she had her own guilty pleasures, quirks, and cravings—just like anyone else. Just like any other girl.

My eyes drifted back to the table. Myrrh had ordered an entire Sammelplatz Pizza, with eight thick slices dripping in cheese and toppings, and didn’t hold back when it came to our meal. There were also two glistening blueberry cheesecakes waiting as dessert, and a couple of frosty club sodas to wash everything down. This pizza, generously sized to serve a family of four, seemed like no challenge to Myrrh. She was already halfway through it, her appetite insatiable, while I had only just managed to finish my first slice.

To be fair, the Sammelplatz Pizza was a culinary marvel, the kind of pie that redefined pizza for me. Every bite was a perfect harmony of gooey cheese, succulent meats, and a crust that was equal parts crispy and soft. The flavor was almost overwhelming, a savory explosion that left my taste buds craving more.

But as I wiped my fingers, slick with oil, I couldn’t help but think of the grease. I wondered if I was also indulging in a recipe for future hypertension. One slice was good—incredible even—but a second might have me seeing God.

“By the way…” Myrrh said, her voice slightly muffled as she chewed, still savoring the stringy cheese lingering in her mouth. “Why did you enroll in Orbital Tech?”

I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in conversation. “What? Is the university only for people like you—the daughter of a war heroine?” I shot back, half-joking, half-curious myself.

Myrrh paused, swallowing her bite before speaking again, her tone now more composed. “I’m just curious. Ever since the first day, I’ve wondered why someone like you—a hooligan—would choose to enroll in a prestigious school like Orbital Tech.”

“Sorry for tainting your school then.” I forced a smile, though it felt more like a mask than anything genuine. “But being a support unit for WAIFUs has always been my dream, ever since I was in kindergarten.”

“Why?” Myrrh tilted her head slightly, her bright eyes narrowing in curiosity.

I glanced at her, surprised by the sincerity in her gaze. She wasn’t just asking to be polite—she genuinely wanted to know. Oddly enough, I had never really shared the full story with anyone before. Sure, I’d mentioned my plan to my high school friends, telling them I wanted to enroll in Orbital Tech to work as a support unit, but most of them assumed it was just some surface-level admiration. A simple dream, born from a fan’s obsession.

But that wasn’t the case at all. In truth, the roots of my ambition went far deeper, back to when I was just a kid, barely four years old. I had idolized Mirana Alicent since that time. Looking at Myrrh now, with her genuine curiosity, it felt like she deserved to know the real story. But putting those feelings into words was harder than I thought. The last thing I wanted was for her to misunderstand or dismiss it.

“Well…” I muttered, feeling the heat rising in my cheeks as I awkwardly scratched at my blushing face. “I was saved by a WAIFU when I was little. Since then, I’ve had this childhood crush on the heroine who saved me. She became my inspiration and gave me the dream to work as a support engineer for the next generation of WAIFUs.”

“Hmmm... So that's how it is,” Myrrh mused, nodding slowly as she reached for her club soda. She took a long sip through the straw, seemingly processing what I had said. “This childhood WAIFU crush of yours... who is she?”

“Mirana Alicent,” I answered quietly, my voice carrying a reverence that I hadn’t intended.

“Oooh, Mirana Alicent,” Myrrh repeated, her tone still casual as she took another sip.

One. Two. Three. It took exactly three seconds before her brain caught up with her mouth. Her eyes flew wide open, and in the next moment, she was coughing, sending a spray of club soda everywhere in a dramatic spit-take. The carbonation hit the air with a sharp fizz as she choked out a shocked gasp.

Luckily, my reflexes kicked in just in time. I dove beneath the table, narrowly avoiding the unexpected soda shower.

“What the fucking fudge!” I yelped as I emerged, shaking droplets off my sleeve and settling back into my seat.

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Myrrh coughed a few more times, the fizz of the soda lingering in her throat. She hurriedly wiped the residue from her lips and nose, her face flushed with a mix of surprise and embarrassment.

“Mi-mi-mi-mi… Mirana Alicent!?” Myrrh gasped, her voice trembling with a mix of astonishment and disbelief. “T-that’s my mother, you know!”

“I-I know,” I stammered, forcing a smile that felt more like a grimace. “I figured you’d react like this, so go ahead—feel free to laugh at my childhood dream.”

Myrrh took a deep breath, placing a hand over her chest as she tried to steady herself. After a moment of calming down, she opened her eyes just enough to give me a stern, thoughtful look. Her expression softened, though there was a flicker of serious contemplation in her gaze.

“I’m not going to laugh at your childhood dream,” she said, her voice steadying. “You’re connected to my mother’s legacy. Laughing would be like laughing at her. I can’t do that.”

“Good point,” I replied, nodding in understanding. “But speaking of legacies, why did you choose to have your genetic code modified into a WAIFU?”

Myrrh leaned back slightly, flicking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She rested her chin on her hand, her posture exuding a blend of thoughtfulness and determination. “For the same reason you did—admiration to my mother,” she said, her eyes meeting mine with a serious glint. “I wanted to follow in my mother’s footsteps, to live up to her legacy as the great war heroine. I’m doing this both for her and for myself.”

“Ooooh,” I murmured, feeling a deeper appreciation for her motives. I had suspected as much, but hearing her articulate it herself added a layer of authenticity to her story. “I’d really like to meet your mother someday and get her autograph.”

Myrrh studied me intently, her gaze lingering for a full second before she let out a resigned sigh. Her eyes narrowed slightly, though her expression softened quickly into a more thoughtful look. “Are you still free after this?”

“Well, yeah,” I replied, taking a leisurely sip of my club soda. “I don’t have any plans back at the dorms. We don’t have curfews on weekends, right?”

Myrrh’s face brightened with a smile. “Great. Let’s visit her after this.”

I glanced at the remnants of the pizza on the table. Despite Myrrh’s ravenous appetite, she decided to box up two slices to take with us. Given that we were heading to see her mother, it seemed clear that the slices were intended as a gift.

<><><>

The city was already cloaked in the deep blues and blacks of evening, but the cyberpunk metropolis below us buzzed with life. Neon lights flickered, casting a vibrant glow over the throngs of young adults partying in the bars. I noticed a few students from Orbital Tech among the revelers, their laughter and chatter blending into the city’s energetic pulse.

We navigated past the festivities and made our way to a footbridge offering a panoramic view of the cityscape. There, I spotted an otherworldly lighthouse, a breathtaking spiral structure rising proudly at the heart of the metropolis. Its alien design seemed to stretch upwards for hundreds of floors, illuminated by a soft, white circuit-like glow that reminded me of the Frame Units.

“That is the Archonlight Tower,” Myrrh said with the air of a seasoned tour guide. “It emits an invisible shield that protects the metropolis from the Cosmic Beasts that come from space. The reason Xyraxis has never fallen is because of this defense system.”

“I’ve read about it online,” I said, my voice tinged with awe. “But seeing it in person, it’s even more imposing than I imagined…”

“It’s a technological marvel,” Myrrh remarked, her voice tinged with admiration. “I’ve heard that there are plans to build Archonlight Towers for Earth in the future, but I’m not sure what’s holding them back.”

I chuckled and turned to Myrrh with a playful grin. “You seem to know a lot about Xyraxis. Why don’t you become a tour guide instead of pursuing your dream of becoming a full-fledged WAIFU?”

Myrrh’s lips curled into a smirk. “I became a WAIFU to fight for justice and keep an eye on delinquent goons like you.”

Her response was so unexpectedly intense that I was left momentarily speechless. The idea of her becoming a WAIFU just to act as a sort of high-tech police officer seemed a bit extreme, but it fit perfectly with Myrrh’s larger-than-life sense of justice.

“No smart comeback?” Myrrh teased, her expression smug. “Let’s get going, then.”

<><><>

We walked in silence for the next few minutes, the lively atmosphere of the city gradually fading away as we approached a tall, rectangular building emblazoned with the sign “Xyraxis General Hospital.” The starkness of the sign and the imposing structure made it clear that something serious was about to unfold. The mood between us shifted to something more somber, and I kept my snarky remarks to myself.

We entered the hospital and took the elevator in silence. The metallic hum of the elevator and the soft, almost eerie glow of its lights accentuated the heaviness of the moment. It was just the two of us in the small, confined space. I glanced at Myrrh, who wore a tired, wistful smile. When she caught me staring, she adjusted her smile, trying to appear reassuring.

“My mother…” Myrrh began, her voice soft and reflective. “She’s become something of a shadow of her former self, so try to keep your expectations in check. As the saying goes, ‘never meet your heroes.’ But in this case, it’s for a completely different reason.”

“I don’t mind,” I said with a shrug, deciding to lighten the mood with a joke. “So, is your mom single?”

Myrrh’s eyes flashed with annoyance as she rolled her eyes dramatically. “I’ll make sure to shove my single foot up your ass if you keep it up,” she retorted with a smirk.

The elevator doors chimed open, and we stepped out into the dimly lit corridor of the hospital. The sterile scent of antiseptic filled the air as we walked towards the end of the hall. Myrrh led the way, her steps echoing softly on the polished floor. She pushed open the door to the room, and what lay beyond was a poignant contrast to the heroic image I had always held in my mind.

There, lying in the hospital bed, was Mirana Alicent—the legendary heroine of my youth. But the sight was far from what I had imagined. The vibrant energy that once defined her was now replaced with a frail, almost ghostly presence. She had lost her right eye, covered with bandages, and her once-powerful frame was now gaunt and frail. Despite her condition, she managed a warm, if somewhat weary, smile as she saw us enter.

“Oh, Myrrh,” she greeted, her voice soft yet tinged with surprise. “I thought you were coming to visit tomorrow.”

“I wanted to visit you tonight, Mother,” Myrrh replied with a gentle smile. “And my partner here—” she gestured towards me, “—he’s been eager to get your autograph.”

As Myrrh introduced me, I noticed a flicker of shock pass across Mirana’s face. Her eyes widened, and she seemed momentarily taken aback by my presence.