Chapter 24 – Against a Rocket Agent

Myrrh and I trailed behind the pink-haired agent from a bizarrely-named bureau. Her strides were quick, purposeful, leading us past the towering faculty building, its windows reflecting the overcast sky. At last, we arrived at KAWAII headquarters—a small, unimposing structure of just two stories, its dull exterior betraying the curious name it bore.

But it wasn't our first stop. The agent ushered us further into an expansive, open hangar that stretched out like a cavernous mouth. The emptiness inside was unsettling, the echo of our footsteps swallowed by the thick, oppressive silence. Not a soul in sight. A chill crawled up my spine as if the very air had grown heavy with anticipation.

Agent Feena Arcaliburn halted abruptly in the center of the hangar, her vibrant hair catching a sliver of pale light filtering in through the high windows. She stood tall, pulling out a strange device—a sleek morpher adorned in white, pink, and black. Her emerald eyes gleamed with a barely contained excitement, and a confident, almost mischievous smile tugged at the corners of her lips. My suspicions were confirmed: this secret agent was indeed a WAIFU.

"I think this spot will do just fine. Mister Callahan, please step back," she commanded, her tone casual yet authoritative.

I exchanged a glance with Myrrh, who responded with a small nod, her face steeled in agreement. Reluctantly, I took several cautious steps back, ensuring I was far enough to avoid any collateral damage—just in case these two transformed into something monstrous, like towering mechs. As I distanced myself, the weight of the moment began to sink in. I stood at least ten meters away when Agent Feena's voice cut through the silence again.

"Remember, no half measures. Fight me with everything you've got, daughter of the heroine. Fight as if you're facing the Cosmic Beasts again, just like that night."

My heart skipped a beat, and I could see the surprise flicker in Myrrh's eyes as well.

With a low growl of frustration, Myrrh brandished her own morpher, her grip tight and knuckles white. She had no choice but to comply. We didn't know what Feena was capable of, but this challenge was clear—there was no avoiding the sparring match.

The WAIFUs stood back-to-back, tension crackling in the air between them. With synchronized precision, they each took twenty-five deliberate paces forward, their footsteps echoing in the vast hangar. As they turned to face each other once again, both lifted their morphers high, their movements sharp and purposeful.

"Frame Unit, Awaken!" they shouted in unison, their voices ringing with authority.

In an instant, twin pillars of radiant light engulfed the women, shimmering and pulsating with power. Myrrh's transformation was swift and familiar—her body encased in sleek white and gold armor, the signature mech she wielded in countless battles. Opposite her, Agent Feena emerged from the glow, her Frame Unit a striking contrast—pink armor with white and black plating that gleamed under the hangar lights. Veins of green circuitry coursed through the gaps in her armor, pulsing like a heartbeat, and her emerald eyes burned with fierce intensity behind the mech's visor.

Both Frame Units shifted into fighting stances, metallic limbs adjusting, engines humming with energy. Myrrh, true to her hot-headed nature, launched the first attack. Her leg thrusters ignited with a fiery burst, propelling her forward in a blur of motion.

"Hraaaaaah!" Myrrh roared as she spun in the air, her leg outstretched in a deadly arc aimed straight at Feena's mech.

The force of the kick was explosive, but Agent Feena reacted swiftly, raising her left mechanical arm just in time to block the strike. Metal met metal with a deafening clang, and fragments of armor chipped away from both mechs. Despite the damage, Feena stood her ground, the block absorbing the brunt of Myrrh's attack.

"Not bad," Feena remarked coolly, her voice edged with approval. Without missing a beat, she launched her counterattack—three lightning-fast jabs aimed directly at Myrrh's mech head. Each blow landed with precision, forcing Myrrh back, her Frame Unit staggering under the assault.

Seizing the moment, Feena's thrusters flared, and she leaped into the air, delivering a powerful kick straight to Myrrh's head.

"Gah!" Myrrh grunted as her mech crashed to the ground with a resounding boom, the impact sending tremors through the hangar floor, as if the earth itself shuddered from the blow.

"Not bad," Agent Feena remarked, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "I haven't seen a First Year WAIFU handle her Frame Unit with such fluid control, like it's an extension of her own body. I bet you're just as agile in your human form. But..." Her emerald eyes glinted with anticipation as she took a step forward, "that's not what I'm after. Show me the power—the particle beam of light."

Myrrh, still groaning from the impact, forced herself to her feet. "Zaft!" she called out, her voice filled with urgency. "Do it!"

Since Agent Feena had clearly witnessed the events of that night, there was no use holding back. I glanced down at the device on my arm, fingers hovering above the interface. The system hummed to life, flickering to reveal the familiar screen.

[Weaponry Enhancement Engineering Bios]

[Clearance – Level 4]

[Level 1 - Laser Sword]

[Level 2 - Beam Rifle]

[Level 3 - Light Shield]

[Level 4 – Jetpack]

I scrolled through the options, frustration bubbling up inside me. There was no sign of the WMD series anywhere. I still hadn't figured out the trigger for it. Maybe a voice command? That seemed plausible.

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"System! Unlock Weapon of Mass Destruction Series!" I shouted, my voice echoing in the vast hangar.

Nothing.

I frowned. Maybe it needed more... enthusiasm?

Drawing in a deep breath, I unleashed a barrage of iconic phrases, each more impassioned than the last:

"Leeroy Jenkins! Shazam! Avengers, Assemble! Henshin! Kamehameha! Bankai! Plus Ultra! Gear Second! Water Breathing: First Form! Domain Expansion! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! Za Warudo!"

The silence that followed was deafening. Not even a flicker of activation. My face flushed with embarrassment.

"What the hell are you doing, Zaft!?" Myrrh hissed through gritted teeth, eyes darting nervously towards Agent Feena. "You're embarrassing me in front of a KAWAII Agent!"

I winced. Yeah, I was definitely not winning any points here. Not even a power-up.

"I don't know how to activate it! I have no fucking idea!" I threw my hands up in frustration, helplessly shrugging my shoulders.

Myrrh, equally exasperated, glanced at me before turning toward the pink mech agent, mimicking my shrug with a look of pure disbelief. "I don't know him. Please, don't mind. Just pretend he's a cockroach scuttling by."

"Oh..." Agent Feena's eyes lit up with realization. "So the power you used back then came from your partner, huh?"

Before we could fully register what she'd said, Agent Feena shifted back into her fighting stance. To both Myrrh's and my surprise, her thrusters roared to life, mechanical legs and elbows blazing as she launched herself toward us with terrifying speed.

"I'll just have to force it out of you two!" she declared, her voice laced with determination.

"What the—" Myrrh gasped, completely off-guard as Agent Feena's right arm swung forward in a brutal lariat. The impact slammed into Myrrh's torso, sending her sprawling to the ground yet again. "Gah!"

Without missing a beat, Feena's leg boosters fired, propelling her into the air in a graceful arc. Her form twisted, and she raised her right leg for a devastating axe kick aimed straight at Myrrh's head. The blow came down like a meteor, and in a split second, Myrrh rolled to her left, barely escaping the deadly strike. The impact of Feena's kick left a crater in the hangar floor, a testament to the force behind it.

"She's getting serious!" Myrrh yelped, scrambling back to her feet.

But there was no time to rest—Feena surged forward again, this time her right fist alight with a blinding flame as all of her thrusters ignited at once. It was a flaming rocket punch, hurtling toward Myrrh's already battered frame with terrifying precision.

My pulse raced. If I didn't act now, Myrrh was done for. Without thinking, I jabbed my finger onto the [Light Shield] option on my arm device, the command activating instantly. My left arm began to glow as energy surged through the Frame Unit.

"Light Shield, Equip!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the chaos as I pointed my glowing arm at Myrrh.

A diamond-shaped steel shield materialized on Myrrh's right arm, shimmering for a moment before she braced herself against the incoming blow. Agent Feena's flaming fist collided with the shield in a violent burst of sparks and force. The impact was overwhelming—the shield shattered into countless fragments, scattering like shattered glass across the hangar. Thin smoke curled from the remnants of the blow, enveloping the area in a hazy cloud.

Myrrh, reacting with the instincts of a seasoned fighter, used the momentum from the punch to spring backward, creating some distance between herself and Agent Feena. Her thrusters hummed to life, propelling her into a retreat.

"That punch..." Myrrh muttered under her breath, her voice tinged with awe and excitement. "It blasted right through my shield! Professional WAIFUs are on a whole other level!"

Her eyes gleamed with thrill, the sheer strength of her opponent igniting a competitive fire inside her. We both knew the truth—our opponent was an agent, a fully-fledged WAIFU who had already graduated from Orbital Tech. Against her, we didn't stand a chance. Even if we fought in perfect synchronization, the gap in experience and power was too wide. But that didn't seem to matter to Myrrh. The challenge of facing an unbeatable enemy only fueled her excitement.

"Zaft!" Myrrh called out, her voice sharp with urgency. "We can take the advantage from range!"

I didn't need any further explanation—I knew exactly what she was planning. My fingers flew across the Bios interface, quickly selecting the options she needed.

"Beam Rifle, Equip! Jetpack, Equip!" I commanded, my left hand glowing as the system responded.

In an instant, cybernetic circles formed around Myrrh's right hand and back. From the glowing energy, a sleek beam rifle materialized in her grip, while a winged jetpack manifested on her back, its thrusters flickering to life. Myrrh wasted no time, launching herself into the air with a burst of speed. She hovered above, the thrusters from her jetpack stabilizing her as she took aim, her beam rifle trained on Agent Feena.

With precise movements, Myrrh fired, rapid laser beams cutting through the smoky air toward her opponent.

But Agent Feena was faster—far faster than I anticipated. Her thrusters ignited, sending her darting forward with incredible agility. Each beam Myrrh fired was effortlessly dodged, Feena twisting and maneuvering as though she could predict the trajectory of the shots before Myrrh even pulled the trigger. It was as if she was one step ahead in every movement, her evasive maneuvers almost too fluid to follow.

With a surge of momentum, Agent Feena rocketed upward, using the thrusters in her legs to propel herself high into the air, matching Myrrh's altitude with ease. Her movements were fluid, almost effortless, as her rocket boosters flared to life once more, this time blazing on her arms. She was ready to deliver another devastating punch—this time with Myrrh fully in her sights.

"Zaft!" Myrrh's voice cracked through the comms, a desperate plea for assistance.

Agent Feena was closing in fast, leaving Myrrh with little choice but to prepare for close-quarters combat. Her ranged attacks had all missed their mark, and now she had to rely on her last resort. Without hesitation, I quickly tapped on the [Laser Sword] option, my fingers moving with urgency.

"Laser Sword, Equip!" I commanded, sending a pulse of energy toward Myrrh.

In an instant, a glowing beam saber materialized in her left hand. With a determined cry, Myrrh slashed sideways with a swift, precise arc. "I got you!"

But in the final moment, Agent Feena's boosters cut out. Her rocket punch was canceled mid-flight, and with stunning agility, she twisted her body in an acrobatic spin, her thrusters on her legs flaring as she adjusted her trajectory midair. A burst of jet flames propelled her right leg downward in a devastating axe kick aimed at Myrrh's left shoulder.

"Kyaaah!" Myrrh cried as the impact sent her crashing to the ground with a deafening thud.

The force of the blow scattered metal debris across the hangar floor, the sound of ripping and shattering steel echoing through the vast space. Myrrh's jetpack wings were bent and fractured, barely holding together. Her beam rifle and laser sword were flung from her grasp, disarmed and skidding across the floor. Worst of all, her left shoulder was brutally damaged—the entire mechanical arm torn away in the wreckage.

"Myrrh!" I shouted, my heart pounding in my chest. "Are you okay?!"

But there was no response. Myrrh lay still, her Frame Unit silent. A cold fear gripped me. Was she... dead?

Suddenly, a sharp jolt of pain shot through my skull like a lightning bolt. It was brief but intense, and in that instant, the holographic display on my Bios flickered. The screen turned red, and new text scrolled across it.

[Weapon of Mass Destruction Series Unlocked]