Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit
Chapter 102 – To Gamble Everything

Chapter 102 - To Gamble Everything

This was my very first time stepping foot onto the university’s rooftop. Normally, it was off-limits—locked behind a heavy steel door with a bold red sign that screamed Authorized Personnel Only. But today, for reasons I hadn’t bothered to question, it stood wide open, like an invitation.

The view was something else. From up here, I could see the entire campus sprawled below like a model diorama—buildings cast long shadows in the afternoon sun, walkways stitched between them like silver threads. Beyond the perimeter, the towering skyscrapers of the metropolis pierced the sky, their glass facades reflecting the sun like distant mirrors. Even the megamall was visible, a colorful monolith nestled in the cityscape. The breeze was cool and persistent, curling around my neck and ruffling my hair. The sunlight dipped everything in a soft orange hue, as if the whole world had been gently toasted.

“This is quite a view,” I said, unable to hold back a grin. “Since when did they unlock the rooftops?”

“Just today,” Myrrh answered, strolling with a light, girlish sway, her hands clasped behind her back. Her voice had a singsong quality to it, but there was a wistful edge. “I saw the student council clean this place earlier. So it’s not as private as I hoped.”

“Hey, you can’t hoard all the awesome rooftops for yourself, you selfish woman,” I said, nudging her with a teasing smirk.

“Fine. I still have the hospital rooftop anyway,” she replied, flashing a mischievous grin.

We wandered slowly along the rooftop’s perimeter, the soles of our shoes tapping softly against the textured concrete. Eventually, we found a quiet corner by the edge. Myrrh stepped forward and gripped the railing, leaning over to peer down at the shrinking campus below. I leaned back against the railing beside her, arms crossed, letting my eyes drift toward her.

“So... what are you planning to talk about?” I asked.

Her cheeks colored with a faint blush. She glanced at me, flustered, then quickly turned her gaze away.

“You really should learn to beat around the bush a little, you know?” she muttered, flicking her hair off her shoulder in an exaggerated motion. Then she took a breath and stood straighter.

“Ahem. Apologize.”

“Huh?” I blinked, my brain filled with question marks.

“I said apologize.” Myrrh’s voice held its usual sass, but there was something pointed in it now, something deliberate. “If you say you’re sorry about last time, I might—might—forgive you immediately.”

“Last time?” I tilted my head, feigning confusion, though I had a vague idea where this was going.

Myrrh’s lips puffed into a pout, her eyes narrowing with theatrical offense. “The Versus Battle Examinations. You betrayed me, remember?”

“Oh, that,” I said, scoffing as a crooked smile played on my lips. “Betray you how?”

“I went out of my way to give you a handicap,” she snapped, twirling a strand of her long, lime-blonde hair around her finger, a habit she only slipped into when she was annoyed but trying not to show it too much. “I didn’t even use my Ultimate against you and Fei. But you—you went full war mode. Pulling out WMD series weaponry just to scrape out a win. Lucky for me, I knew the weak spots in your loadout, and boom, I turned your flashy secrets into scrap metal. All it took was a basic skill. Talk about anticlimactic.”

“But I never agreed to that handicap,” I said, leaning in with a teasing glint in my eyes.

Myrrh huffed, flicking her hair with exaggerated drama. “Would it kill you to admit you were wrong and say sorry—just once?”

I shrugged, the smirk never leaving my face. “But I wasn’t wrong.”

“Haaah…” Myrrh let out a dramatic groan, tilting her head back like she was asking the sky for patience. “F-Fine, I’ll accept your apology—even though you’re clearly not sorry at all, you immature goon.”

“I said, I’m not apologizing,” I replied with a devilish grin, stoking the fire. “In fact, it seems you’re the one who should be saying sorry—for that bloody outburst last time. Honestly, you should be grateful I understood it was… y’know… that time of the month, or else—”

“Or else what?” Myrrh interrupted, flashing me a bright, plasticky smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Her tone was syrupy sweet, but her posture was pure murder. She was one step away from launching herself at me like a missile.

“N-nothing. I’m sorry!” I squeaked, throwing my hands up in mock surrender, backing away just enough to be out of swinging range.

She scoffed, but there was a smile tugging at the edge of her lips. Then, her gaze softened. “Let’s get a move on,” she said, turning slightly. After a moment, she looked back at me, her tone quieter. “By the way… are you avoiding me?”

That question hit like a dart to the chest.

I froze. My grin faltered as the memory surfaced—Ephraim’s messages, the careful words he’d sent me, the heavy reason behind my decision to take a step back. I hadn’t realized it until now, but yeah… I had been avoiding her.

I didn’t answer immediately. I stared past her, trying to come up with something—anything—that wouldn’t sound like a confession.

“I usually catch you staring at me from afar,” Myrrh said, her voice more pointed now. “It’s kinda creepy, honestly. But this morning… the way you treated me like I wasn’t even there—that was worse.” Her brow furrowed, and she set her hands on her hips. “What’s going on?”

“N-nothing,” I muttered, unable to meet her eyes.

“Did I offend you in any way?” Myrrh asked softly, her voice trembling as she looked up at me, her blue eyes shimmering with the threat of tears.

No—no, don’t look at me like that.

She hadn’t done anything wrong. Not a single thing. But my heart felt like it was being squeezed by invisible hands. There was too much swirling inside me—too much chaos to explain in just a few words.

First, the looming danger of Fei and the Neo Terrestrial Reich—the NTR’s shadow spreading wider by the day, pulling strings I couldn’t see. Then there was Ephraim, who had messaged me with his decision to transfer here next school year. That changed everything.

I loved being with Myrrh. I really did. Her laugh, her sass, her unshakable presence—it grounded me in a way nothing else could. But the more she stayed near, the more I felt like I was dragging her closer to a cliff's edge.

If she remained involved with me, there was a real chance she could get hurt… or worse—die again.

And if I gave in to the NTR’s demands… she could be implicated in something far more horrifying. A terrorist scandal. One that could ruin her life. One that would destroy everything she had worked for. I couldn’t let that happen. Not to her.

But I knew Myrrh. She didn’t let go of the things she cared about. She would cling on, fight, insist—until she got her way. That was her nature. The only way to truly protect her was to sever the thread myself.

I looked down, my voice barely above a whisper. “Let’s end this charade, Myrrh.”

She blinked, stunned. “What?”

“Your debt’s been repaid,” I said more firmly, though my chest ached with every syllable. “Those three dates—we’re done. You don’t have to tag along with me anymore. Especially now that I’m no longer your support unit.”

Her lips parted slightly, her breath catching. “Z-Zaft… W-what are you talking about?”

Her eyes—those beautiful, stubborn blue eyes—shook, filled with confusion, fear, and the pain of sudden rejection. She looked like she’d just been slapped.

“Did I… did I do something wrong?” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I—I’m sorry, okay? W-whatever I did wrong, I-”

I clenched my fists so tightly my knuckles ached, then turned my back to her. The words tasted bitter before they even left my tongue.

“You don’t have to involve yourself with me anymore,” I said, my voice low and flat. “You can stop pretending I’m your boyfriend… and drop the whole fake couple act.”

There was a pause—like time held its breath.

“But… you said you’d pretend to be my boyfriend until the mess with Fei and Neil cleared up,” Myrrh said, her voice shaking just slightly. “What happened to that?”

“I figured it out already,” I replied curtly. “So you don’t need to worry about it anymore. I realized I never needed you to fix my problems in the first place.”

“Oh.” Her reply came out like a breath, barely audible.

Then she gave a soft, defeated smile—one that didn’t reach her eyes. “Pretending to be my fake boyfriend must’ve been exhausting for you, huh?”

“Yeah,” I said, forcing the word out like it was the final nail in something sacred. “And I want you to understand… I’m not Ephraim’s replacement. Going out with you—it was fun. But we’re not going to grow if we keep clinging to something that’s not real. That’s why… we have to end this charade.”

There was a long silence. The wind tugged at our clothes and hair, but neither of us moved.

“If that’s what you want,” Myrrh said finally, her tone flat—cold in a way I’d never heard from her before. “Then okay. I respect your decision.”

She turned away slightly, her expression unreadable. 

“And I’m sorry… for troubling you. It was fun while it lasted.”

“Yeah,” I muttered.

I couldn’t say anything else. I didn’t dare.

“Goodbye.”

She bowed her head, silent, her long hair falling forward like a curtain to shield whatever she was feeling. I didn’t have the strength to look at her face. I knew—I knew—if I saw even a hint of a frown, or a single tear clinging to her lashes, I would falter. I would take it all back. And I couldn’t afford that—not if I wanted to keep her safe.

So I turned away, willing my legs to carry me forward and not back.

This is for the best, I told myself.

I would throw away every feeling I had for her. Even if it hurt. Even if it meant she’d never know how much she meant to me. I had to do the right thing.

It’s better this way.

Better to lose her like this—on our own terms, with a clean cut and a proper goodbye. No explosions. No screaming. No messy aftermath of regrets. Just a moment sealed in silence, where she walked one way and I walked the other.

We gave it an ending. That’s more than most people get.

But even so… it still hurts. More than I want to admit.

I have to believe it was worth it—to protect her, to shield her from the shadows I’m about to step into. And if this is the price of keeping her safe, then I’ll pay it again and again.

Because now, there’s nothing left to lose.

No safety net. No heart to spare. Just me and the path ahead.

Now that I can no longer lose anything…

I’m going to gamble everything on my next move.