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.

Suddenly, a searing green beam shot towards us, cutting through the air with deadly precision. Myrrh reacted instantly, veering left, the beam missing by inches. The enemy fired again, another beam of green light crackling toward us. Myrrh swerved right, diving into the shadow of a towering avenue skyscraper, the beam slicing through where we had been just moments before.

“We’re not getting many more chances!” I shouted over the roaring of her thrusters.

“Then let’s make this one count!” she barked back, determination burning through her words as she surged forward, ready for the final confrontation.

Myrrh was closing in fast. The ground trembled beneath her massive feet as she tore through the battlefield, reducing the gap between her and the enemy Frame Unit to just three hundred meters. Her thrusters flared, deftly maneuvering around every blast of the enemy’s long-range attacks. The world blurred as she surged forward, a force of steel and precision.

But then, in a sudden motion, the enemy Frame Unit discarded its beam rifle, the weapon clattering to the ground with a heavy thud. A cybernetic circle flickered into existence on its right side, humming with eerie energy. From the circle, a colossal twin-barreled gatling gun materialized, its size almost as large as the enemy's frame itself. The weapon gleamed, a monstrous apparatus of destruction, now clutched tightly in both of the WAIFU’s hands.

“I don’t think I can dodge that thing!” Myrrh’s panicked voice crackled through the comms as she instinctively slowed her advance. “Do your magic, Zaft!”

I couldn’t resist a sarcastic grin, even in the heat of the moment. “Abra kadabra alakazam!” I mockingly chanted, my fingers dancing over the controls of the WEEB System. In an instant, the familiar display of the [Weapons of Mass Destruction Series] filled my vision.

[Weapons of Mass Destruction Series]

[Clearance Level 3]

[Level 1 - Particle Cannon]

[Level 2 - Uranium Blade]

[Level 3 - Shadow Curtain]

I selected [Shadow Curtain], my heart racing with anticipation. A surge of energy coursed through me as my left arm glowed with intricate, pinkish-crimson circuits, flickering like veins of power beneath my skin. I reached out, placing my hand firmly against the back of Myrrh’s Frame Unit neck, feeling the cold metal pulse beneath my touch. The activation code transferred seamlessly.

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“Shadow Curtain, activate!” I commanded, my voice steady.

In response, Myrrh’s entire mechanical body ignited with glowing crimson circuits, illuminating the darkness around her. The light pulsed through every joint and panel of her frame, radiating an eerie, dangerous beauty. Her once-steel armor shimmered as it transformed into a sleek, glossy black, as if darkness itself had coated her in its protective embrace.

At that moment, the enemy Frame Unit locked onto us, its twin-barreled gatling gun humming with lethal intent. Without hesitation, it unleashed a torrent of bullets—a barrage so dense, it was as if a storm of lead rained down upon us. But in the blink of an eye, a shimmering obsidian hologram shield materialized around us, deflecting the onslaught. The bullets ricocheted off the barrier like tiny stars sparking against a midnight sky, leaving us unharmed.

We were closing in fast. The gap between Myrrh and the enemy shrank to a mere hundred meters. The enemy Frame Unit, sensing the impending danger, abandoned its massive gatling gun with a loud metallic clang. It stepped backward, firing up the thrusters on its legs, desperately trying to gain distance. But we weren’t about to let it escape.

I quickly accessed the WEEB System once more, this time navigating to the [Weapons] option and selecting the [Laser Sword]. As soon as I confirmed the command, blue circuits of energy lit up my left arm, coursing like electric rivers. I reached out and touched Myrrh’s neck again, transferring the new code.

“Laser Sword, Equip!” I shouted, my voice ringing out above the din of battle.

A cybernetic circle appeared in midair, sparking to life with blue light. From it, a gleaming laser sword materialized, glowing with intense energy. Myrrh reached out with her enormous hand and grabbed the weapon, her movements quick and fluid despite her size. In a graceful, almost dance-like motion, she propelled herself forward, pushing off the ground with a powerful leap, her thrusters blazing behind her.

“You won’t escape!” Myrrh bellowed, her voice filled with determination as she brought the laser sword down in a brilliant arc, aiming for the enemy Frame Unit.

The blade made contact, but only sliced through the right shoulder of the chonky crimson and white Frame Unit. Sparks erupted from the severed armor, but before Myrrh could strike again, the enemy retaliated. With a swift, almost mocking gesture, it threw its tattered cloak at us, the ragged fabric unfurling like a shadow descending upon us. Everything went dark.

“Gah! I can’t see!” Myrrh cried out, her voice laced with frustration. She swung her laser sword wildly, slashing through the cloak in a desperate attempt to clear our vision.

The darkness fell away in shredded pieces, but when our sight returned, the enemy was gone. The mysterious Frame Unit had vanished without a trace. Myrrh and I frantically scanned the area, searching left and right, but there were no signs of our adversary.

“Where is she?” Myrrh asked, her voice tense.

I shifted my gaze downward, my eyes catching sight of movement far below. In the streets beneath us, civilians were fleeing in a panicked swarm, scurrying like rats through the rubble-strewn avenues. The area must have been some kind of evacuation center—a fragile sanctuary now shattered by the battle that had unfolded above them.

“She transformed back to her human form,” I muttered under my breath, watching the chaotic streets below where she had disappeared.

Myrrh let out a resigned sigh. “There’s no way we can track her now—not if she’s already blended in with the civilians. Clever move on her part.” Her voice carried a mix of frustration and reluctant admiration. “It would be foolish to keep chasing her like this. Let’s just let her go… for now.”

With that, Myrrh reached up to lift me from her shoulder. Her mechanical hands, which had once held the power to crush steel, gently lowered me to the ground with surprising care. I barely had time to catch my breath before Myrrh began to deactivate her transformation. The massive frame of her mech shimmered and shrank, her armor plates folding away like pieces of a puzzle. In an instant, she returned to her human form, her morpher in hand, the cool metal glinting in the fading light.

I couldn’t believe I was thinking this, but seeing Myrrh, perfectly intact and alive, filled me with unexpected relief. As she sauntered toward me, her movements effortlessly graceful, her long lime-blonde hair flowing behind her like silk in the breeze, a smile tugged at my lips. It was impossible not to feel happy in that moment.

“Zaft…” she murmured, her voice soft, her cheeks slightly flushed as she smiled at me.

“Myrrh…” I smiled back, feeling the warmth of the moment between us.

She picked up her pace, and my heart leaped. She was going to hug me—no doubt about it. After everything we’d been through, it felt like the perfect reward. And honestly, even if it was Myrrh, I wasn’t going to complain about feeling her perfect, curvy body in a warm embrace. I spread my arms wide, eager for the incoming hug.

“Zaft!” Her voice rang out again, this time louder, more enthusiastic.

“Myrrh!” I called back, my grin widening.

But as we closed the distance, something changed. Her expression shifted from joy to anger, her brow furrowed, and her eyes narrowed with a sudden, fiery intensity. Her arms, which I thought were reaching out for a hug, arched back instead—ready to strike!

“Zaft!” she growled, her tone now sharp, like a predator stalking its prey. The warmth in her voice was gone, replaced with a simmering rage.

“Myrrh!” I squeaked, the smile vanishing from my face as panic set in.

In that split second, I realized that this wasn’t the hug I had been hoping for—but something much more dangerous.

And then, without warning, I was met with a punch square in the stomach. It wasn’t as powerful as it could’ve been—Myrrh was clearly holding back—but it still knocked the wind out of me. I doubled over, curling up like an armadillo, desperately trying to stifle my groan of pain.

“Ow! W-what the hell!” I gasped, clutching my stomach.

Myrrh stood over me, hands on her hips, eyes blazing with frustration. “Why did you accept the deal with that mysterious... thing, huh?” Her voice was sharp, almost scolding. “You don’t know anything about that ‘being’! For all we know, it could be an evil god, a devil, or some alien trying to mess with us! Why would you agree to a contract with something like that? What if you had to sell your soul just to bring me back? Did you even think about the consequences? What if your soul ends up rotting in hell for eternity? What then, Zaft? What would you do?!”

Her words hit harder than her punch, each one piercing through my chest. The memory of the Machine God flooded my mind—its planetary-scale robotic skeleton looming in the void, a sight that would haunt me forever. It was the most terrifying moment of my life, a vision straight out of a nightmare. But I knew why I accepted the contract. I didn’t have a choice. Not if it meant saving her.

Myrrh had every right to be furious with me. Maybe I did act recklessly, letting my emotions take over. Perhaps I had made a deal with a devil, or an Outer God, or something far worse. It had called me the Apostle of the Machine God, whatever that meant, but I didn’t have the slightest idea what being an apostle entailed, nor what would happen next.

I scratched my head, lost for words, feeling utterly defeated. All I could muster was a weak, awkward laugh. “Ahaha… Hail Satan, then.”

For a moment, silence hung between us, heavy and uncertain. Myrrh puffed her cheeks, her annoyance still clear, but then—unexpectedly—she softened. Without warning, she pulled me into a warm embrace. Her body, soft yet strong, pressed against mine, and I could feel the heat radiating from her. The sudden shift in mood left me breathless, as if her warmth melted away the tension that had built between us.

She leaned in close, her breath brushing against my ear as she whispered, her voice no longer angry, but gentle and full of gratitude. “But... thank you, Zaft. Thank you for saving me.”

Her words wrapped around me like a blanket on a cold night, and for a moment, everything else—the danger, the unknown consequences of the deal—faded into the background. All that mattered was that Myrrh was alive, and she was here, in my arms.