Chapter 8 – Balloon Popping Test

For the Weaponry Basics class, our instructor is Professor Bang. He’s a middle-aged man with a white, scarred face, giving him a rough, battle-hardened look. His brown hair is styled into a sharp mohawk, and a neatly groomed, suave mustache rests above his lips. Like us, he wears the standard military uniform, but the medals gleaming on his chest set him apart, marking him as a seasoned war veteran.

We support students gathered in a neat row on the blue line, while our WAIFUs stood ready on the red line across from us. Professor Bang raised his megaphone to amplify his already booming voice, making sure no one could miss a word.

“Listen up, maggots! Today, I’m going to teach you the basics of weapons! You support students have unlocked your WEEBs at Level 3! We’ll be using those weapons for this class. But first, WAIFU maggots, transform into your Frame Unit Mode!”

“R-roger!” the WAIFU students responded with crisp salutes. They lifted their morphers high into the sky, their voices in unison as they called out, “Frame Unit, Awaken!”

In an instant, towering beams of light surrounded the girls, and they transformed into massive, gleaming mechas, each one ready for the next command.

“Now, support maggots, activate your WEEB and materialize the Beam Rifle!” Professor Bang barked.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Myrrh’s enormous mech form staring at me, her glowing blue eyes fixed on me like twin spotlights. She was probably dreading that I might summon the wrong weapon again, like I did yesterday. I just shrugged and gave her a casual smile, hoping it would make her a little more nervous.

But unlike what Myrrh might be thinking, I was ready to take things more seriously this time. I tapped the [Weapons] option on my bios display and selected [Beam Rifle].

“Beam Rifle, Equip!” we all called out as we pointed our hands toward our partner Frame Units. In response, each mecha’s dominant arm materialized a sleek beam rifle, the weapon humming to life.

Professor Bang’s voice boomed again, “Now, WAIFU maggots, you’ll see the number ‘30’ on your beam rifles. That’s how many shots you’ve got. When that number hits zero, you’ll be out of ammo, and your beam rifle is done for—so don’t waste it.” Without skipping a beat, he continued, “Now, support maggots, spawn laser swords for your partners!”

We quickly switched to the [Laser Sword] option, and once again, we aimed at our Frame Units. “Laser Sword, Equip!”

In an instant, each mecha had a laser sword hilt appear at their waist, though it remained inactive, waiting for a command to ignite.

Professor Bang gave us a stern reminder, “Listen up, support maggots! You can summon as many weapons as you want for your partners, but there’s a catch. Every extra weapon adds weight, slowing them down. Worse, you could cause them to injure themselves if they’re overloaded. It all comes down to your timing. You need to think before you spawn anything!”

His words weighed heavy as we realized how crucial our decisions were in battle.

Professor Bang grabbed his tablet from the table, tapping a button with a quick motion. Suddenly, balloons began popping up all over the area, floating and bobbing unpredictably.

“Now, WAIFU maggots, pop as many balloons as possible using any weapon or method you can! Support maggots, keep track of the ammo and hit ‘reload’ when needed. You’ve got sixty seconds! Timer starts… now!”

Balloons rained down endlessly in the WAIFUs' zone, creating a chaotic but colorful battlefield. I fixed my eyes on Myrrh, who was aiming at balloons that floated high in the air, some fifty meters above the ground.

The beam rifles fired relentlessly, turning the skies into a dazzling display of laser beams. Myrrh’s accuracy was near perfect—each blast she fired managed to hit at least two balloons, her focus unbroken as she cleared the targets with precision.

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“Zaft! Reload!” Myrrh’s voice came through, sharp and urgent.

“R-right!” I stammered, quickly navigating the bios and pressing the [Reload] button. The empty magazine from her beam rifle dropped to the ground, vanishing as a fresh clip materialized with another thirty shots ready to go. Without missing a beat, Myrrh started firing again.

Pew! Pew! Pew! The seconds ticked by, and after twenty more, Myrrh had already exhausted her second magazine. I moved to reload her weapon again, but before I could tap the button, Myrrh let the beam rifle fall from her hand.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked, confused as Myrrh tossed aside her beam rifle.

"Forget it! Reloading takes too much time!" Myrrh snapped back, pulling the laser sword from her waist with a quick, determined motion. Without hesitation, she charged toward the floating balloons.

With every swing of her laser sword, Myrrh sliced through at least five balloons, the blade humming as it cut the air. Her thrusters ignited, and she launched herself into the air, slashing at the balloons that were floating higher, her movements fluid and precise. Her new approach was even more effective—balloons were popping left and right, far faster than before.

Thirty seconds remained. I glanced at the WEEB and had a sudden idea. "What if I launch another laser sword without canceling the first one?" I whispered to myself.

Without overthinking it, I embraced a “fuck it, we ball” mindset and pressed the [Laser Sword] option again. I raised my hand toward Myrrh, feeling the adrenaline rush.

"Second Laser Sword, Equip!" I shouted.

A second laser sword materialized in Myrrh’s left hand, and she immediately began slashing with both hands, wielding the dual swords like a pro. Balloons popped twice as fast now, her speed and precision doubling. She seemed to be having a blast, cutting through the floating targets effortlessly.

Just as the action reached its peak, a sharp whistle cut through the air.

"Exam is over, maggots!" Professor Bang bellowed through the megaphone. In an instant, all the Frame Units shifted back into their humanoid forms, the training session finally coming to an end.

Professor Bang strode over with a smile, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Myrrh. "Miss Myrrh Alicent, your balloon-popping skills are remarkable. You scored the highest in this class."

Myrrh flicked her hair back, her voice cool. "It's just a basic skill."

"And you," Professor Bang said, turning his proud gaze toward me, "you broke the system of this test. Good job."

"T-thank you, Professor," I stammered, feeling the warmth of praise I wasn’t used to. I wasn’t sure how to react, and my voice faltered under the unexpected compliment.

The professor raised his megaphone once more. "Listen up, maggots! You may have noticed during the test that reloading has a time lag. Some of you caught onto that and switched to using your laser swords to pop the balloons. Remember this: switching to your sword is always faster than reloading. Class dismissed!"

Finally, the second day of classes had ended, and it was time to head home. As the students gathered and chatted with their partners, I noticed Myrrh being surrounded by a group of excited WAIFUs.

“That was incredible, Miss Alicent! Please teach us how to aim with those heavy beam rifles!”

“Miss Myrrh! You were amazing with those laser swords! I didn’t know you could dual wield like that!”

“I love you, Miss Myrrh Alicent! Please make me your wife and give me babies!” one of them cried out, her face flushed with admiration.

Myrrh seemed to take it all in stride, basking in the attention as her fellow WAIFUs practically worshipped her for her stellar performance.

I couldn't tell exactly who said that last line about babies, but I was sure it was a girl based on the voice. I guess even lesbian WAIFUs aren't immune to Myrrh’s charm.

On another note, Myrrh was definitely soaking up the attention for her impressive performance. Even though she’s technically my enemy, I couldn’t deny how impressive she always is. She’s earned the nickname “Mary Sue,” even if the title is thrown around a bit too casually.

“Hey, bro,” someone tapped my left shoulder, snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned to see my brown-haired classmate. I remembered him well since he sat in front of me during our first-period classes on the fourth floor. “You were pretty awesome there too,” he said with a grin. “How did you figure out we could spawn two of the same weapon?”

“Just curiosity, I guess,” I replied with a sheepish smile, scratching my cheek.

“Man, you and Myrrh make quite the team. You two seem to know each other already,” he said, looking impressed.

“You could say that,” I shrugged, “but we’re not friends.”

“Are you two lovers?” a new voice chimed in. It was his partner WAIFU, a stunning girl with pearl-colored skin, long silky-smooth hair, and golden eyes.

“Hell no!” I blurted out, my face heating up instantly.

“Oh, I thought you two were lovers because I always hear you having a spat every now and then,” the jade beauty said with a playful glint in her golden eyes. “Or maybe that’s just your love language—playing hard to get?”

“Believe me, we just genuinely hate each other,” I replied with a sigh.

“Hahaha, I don’t know about that,” Neil said with a chuckle. “Oh, where are my manners? I should introduce myself. I’m Neil Orbeus, and this is my WAIFU partner, Fei Xian. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you both. I’m Zaft Callahan,” I said, shaking Neil’s hand.

Fei Xian gave a polite bow. “I hope we can get along well throughout the school year.”

I couldn’t help but think how much more pleasant things would be if Myrrh had Fei Xian’s charm. Not only was she cute and beautiful, but she was also genuinely polite and friendly.