Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit
Chapter 103 – F@ck  Them Up

Chapter 103 - F@ck  Them Up

It had been a long, brutal day — the kind that drained every last drop of energy from your bones. I spent the last flicker of my strength delivering a half-hearted monologue last chapter, and by the time it was over, I stumbled back to my dorm room like a ghost. 

As soon as I hit the mattress, I sprawled out face-up, barely conscious of anything but the numbing fatigue pressing down on me. Even the thought of boiling some instant noodles made my stomach turn. My appetite was gone, swallowed by a hollow ache I couldn't explain. Not even the idea of killing time with a mindless mobile game could spark any interest.

I let out a heavy, shuddering sigh. What the hell am I doing? The thought gnawed at me. Deep down, I knew — knew — I would regret what I did to Myrrh. For days, I’d wrestled with my feelings for her, caught in a never-ending tug-of-war. And now that I had finally shoved her away, every word I’d hurled felt like a shard lodged in my throat, too late to take back.

I threw my arm over my face, shielding my stinging eyes from the dim ceiling light. Damn it, I wanted to cry. I didn't even know why exactly — whether it was guilt, anger, or just the crushing loneliness. Either way, the lump in my throat was real.

"I'm a man, damn it..." I muttered bitterly to myself, as if saying it aloud would somehow stop the hurt.

Suddenly, a sharp knock echoed from the door. I flinched, pulling my arm away from my face and blinking toward the source. A second series of knocks followed, a little more insistent this time. Curiosity and a low, rising dread tangled in my gut as I dragged myself up from the bed and crossed the room.

When I cracked the door open, I froze.

Standing there in the narrow hallway was someone I hadn't seen at my doorstep for months — Neil. His wavy brown hair was messier than usual, and his skin looked even paler under the corridor’s cold fluorescent lights. He gave me a lopsided, almost painful smile.

"Hey," Neil said, his voice rough around the edges.

Without thinking, I slammed the door shut. My heart thudded in my ears as I leaned against the door, crossing my arms tightly. What the hell? Neil hadn’t visited me in ages. Not once. And now, of all times, here he was. Something was definitely wrong.

Suddenly, three harsh, rapid knocks rattled my door, loud enough to make me jump.

"Zaft! Open up! That was seriously rude of you!" Neil’s voice rang out, half-angry, half-desperate. "I just wanted to have a talk!"

I sucked in a deep, weary breath and cracked the door open just a sliver. Before I could think to close it again, Neil shoved his shoe into the gap, jamming the door with a stubborn thud.

"Oh, Neil... what is it now?" I muttered in a groggy, gravelly voice, the exhaustion bleeding through every word. "There’s a lot going on in my head right now. It's really not a good time."

I tried nudging the door closed again, but Neil’s foot stayed wedged stubbornly in place. He wasn’t letting me off that easily.

"Wait! Before you shut me out, just look at this!" Neil exclaimed, his voice a strange mix of urgency and mischief.

He fished out a crumpled sheet of coupon bond paper from behind his back and held it up like it was some holy relic. On it was a crudely drawn sketch: two stick figures, one awkwardly bent over while the other stood suspiciously close behind. Scrawled above them in big, childish letters were the ominous initials — NTR. It looked exactly like the kind of vulgar doodles we used to giggle over back in second grade.

I blinked, stunned for a second, then blurted out, "The fuck is this?!"

Neil smirked, waving the paper lightly. "Come on. Just tell me what’s going on in this picture."

"It's a drawing of two stickmen doing doggy style," I said flatly, my voice dripping with disbelief. "Listen, whatever gayshit you’re trying to pull, I’m not interested. I don’t swing your way, Neil."

Neil raised his hands defensively, looking exasperated. "Wait, just hear me out first," he insisted, jabbing his finger at the upright stickman on the page. "This guy? That’s me. And the one bent over?" He grinned wickedly. "That’s NTR. The Neo Terrestrial Reich."

I stared at him, deadpan. "Your point being?"

Neil’s grin widened into something fierce. "I want to fuck them up. Hard."

For a moment, I just sat there, blinking dumbly at him — and then, almost against my will, something kindled deep in my chest. A glimmer of reckless, dangerous hope.

For days, I’d been stewing in isolation, turning over plans to go after the Neo Terrestrial Reich myself — no backup, no asking favors, and definitely no dragging Myrrh into the crossfire. I didn't want her caught up in my mess. I wanted to shoulder the burden alone.

But now here Neil was, barging into my crumbling little world, offering something so insane — so stupid — that I couldn't even bring myself to say no.

Without another word, I stepped aside and opened the door wider. Neil grinned victoriously and sauntered in, casually dropping himself onto my bed like he owned the place.

I, not particularly keen on sitting next to him — especially after that drawing — plopped down into the creaky desk chair across from him.

A heavy, awkward silence settled between us. Neil fidgeted for a moment, probably noticing the gap I was purposefully keeping. He clicked his tongue a few times, an old nervous habit of his, before finally breaking the ice.

"It's been a long time since we talked like this, huh?" he said, his voice softer now, almost nostalgic. "I'm sorry... for ignoring you. And Remuel. And Myrrh. And, well... everybody."

Something clicked deep inside my mind, like a puzzle piece finally snapping into place.

Neil hadn't been threatening Fei because she was in love with me — no. It was because she was trying to recruit me into the Neo Terrestrial Reich.

Come to think of it, that was the only explanation that made any real sense. Neil had been against Fei clinging to me from the very beginning, almost irrationally so.

"Was it because Fei’s trying to recruit me into the NTR?" I asked carefully, my voice low and cautious.

Neil let out a silent scoff, his lips curling into a sly, knowing smile.

"So," he said, leaning back slightly, "she finally confessed her true colors, huh?"

Before I could react, something strange happened.

Neil’s eyes — normally a soft brown — flickered to life, blazing with an eerie, white-blue neon glow. Instantly, the lights in my room sputtered and flickered, casting jittery shadows across the walls. A second later, intricate patterns of glowing circuitry began to spread across every surface — the floor, the ceiling, even the edges of my bed and desk — like a living web of cyberpunk veins.

My heart jumped into my throat.

I recognized this phenomenon.

It was the same cybernetic interference Ismail Arondight had demonstrated back at the casino — a high-level hacking ability that twisted reality itself with pure data manipulation.

"N-Neil, you..." I stammered, backing away slightly without even realizing it.

Neil tilted his head slightly, the blue light from his eyes throwing sharp, surreal shadows across his face.

"I’ve hacked into the dormitory interframe," he said calmly, as if he were telling me the time. "Muted all the audio recording devices. The dorm systems. Your phone. Even your WEEB System. Right now, we’re in a dead zone." He gave a small, humorless smile. "Nobody can hear us."

A cold shiver ran down my spine. My instincts screamed at me that I was trapped, alone in a cage of glowing circuits.

"W-What are you planning to do to me?" I croaked, my throat dry.

Neil’s expression softened, almost... regretful.

"I have to confess something too," he said quietly. "I am—"

Panic seized me before he could finish.

"I'm sorry!" I blurted out, throwing my hands up like a surrendering criminal. "I'm in love with Myrrh! And I don't do homosexual stuff!"

"What—?" Neil's words stumbled mid-sentence.

"What?" I echoed dumbly, blinking at him.

Neil crossed his arms and puffed out his cheeks, pouting like a kid denied a candy bar. "I just noticed you’ve been treating me weird lately," he grumbled. "Yeah, sure, I might’ve mistreated you for a few months... but I think I at least deserve to know why you’re acting like that."

I scratched my cheek awkwardly, forcing a crooked, sheepish smile. "Well... Remuel and I kinda had this theory that you might be, uh... gay. And he said that you might be into me."

"H-Huuuuuh!?" Neil's voice cracked in disbelief, his cheeks instantly flushing — not with embarrassment, but with raw, sputtering rage. "What the hell?! I’m not gay! I’m just as much of a man as you are, damn it! How the hell did you two even come up with that bullshit!?"

"It’s a long story," I said with a laugh, waving my hand dismissively. "But honestly, since you clearly have a very different reason for ignoring us... please, continue your confession.

And, uh, seriously... it’s a huge relief to hear you say that out loud." I wiped an invisible bead of sweat from my forehead for emphasis.

Neil shot me a deadly glare, his fists tightening at his sides, his whole body trembling with the effort not to explode on the spot. After a few seconds, he exhaled sharply through gritted teeth, calming himself down.

"Fine," he growled. "Let’s get to the elephant in the damn room."

He straightened his posture, looking me dead in the eye, the neon circuits still humming faintly around us.

"The truth is... I was a member of the Neo Terrestrial Reich," Neil said quietly. "Was. Past tense. I already cut ties with them five months ago."

The words hung heavy in the glowing air between us.

I felt my shoulders sag in mixed relief and realization. Everything was starting to piece together now.

"So that’s why you hate Fei so much," I said, rubbing my chin thoughtfully.

"Fei..." Neil muttered, his voice low and heavy with conflicting emotions. "She’s in a different position than we thought. She’s not technically part of the NTR. Her family, the Xian Clan, operates as an independent contractor, specializing in the subtle, shadowy art of espionage."

He let out a sharp breath, running a hand through his tousled hair. "I used to hate Fei — hated her for cozying up to you, trying to win you over so you’d join the NTR. I thought she was just another manipulator. But these past few days..." His voice softened, almost breaking. "I've realized my hatred for her was misplaced."

"Why is that?" I asked, my curiosity sharpening at the edges of my voice.

Neil scratched his cheek, his gaze drifting to the floor as if the truth itself embarrassed him. "Well, you see," he said slowly, "Fei was never trying to recruit you... She was actually hired by the NTR to keep me safe. To them, I'm not just another soldier — I’m a critical asset."

He forced a chuckle, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Because I’m a Hybrid Utility Sentinel Battle Augmented Neutralizing Defense Operator." He looked up at me with a bittersweet grin. "A HUSBANDO."

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