Chapter 185: A Different Kind of Battlefield
Fuyuki City, Homurahara Academy.
The scent of old wood, chalk dust, and the faint, sweet smell of cherry blossoms drifted through the open window. It was a stark, peaceful contrast to the sterile, metallic tang of the Stellaron Hunters' ship.
"From today, Orion and Firefly are new members of our class. Everyone, please get along well!"
The teacher's voice was a cheerful, welcoming drone. Amidst the polite applause and the scrape of chairs, you and Firefly stood on the podium, feeling utterly out of place. This was your first day.
You had used a simple glamour charm, provided by Kafka, to hide your Foxian features. To the thirty-odd curious teenagers looking at you, you were just a strikingly handsome transfer student.
For you, with your fractured memories, the entire scene was surreal. A classroom. Uniforms. These... children. They were soft, their faces unblemished by the kind of horror you vaguely remembered.
For Firefly, it was pure, unadulterated terror.
She stood beside you, rigid as a soldier at attention, her hands clenched so tightly at her sides that her knuckles were white. She had faced Abominations of Abundance and Borisin warlords. This was worse.
These "fragile" and "innocent" students were an unknown, unpredictable variable. She didn't know the rules of engagement.
The morning was an agony for her. The sudden, shrill ringing of the class bell made her jump, her hand instinctively twitching for a weapon that wasn't there.
In the crowded hallways between classes, she acted like a shy tiger, sticking so closely behind you that she nearly stepped on your heels, using your back as a moving shield.
You found the entire situation baffling. The girl who piloted a three-meter-tall engine of destruction was terrified of teenagers.
When the lunch break finally arrived, the cafeteria's chaotic noise was the final straw.
"Orion," she tugged sharply at your sleeve, her voice barely a whisper over the din. "Are we... are we really going to eat lunch with them?"
You looked over to where a few friendly classmates were enthusiastically waving you both over. "This is the quickest way to integrate," you replied, your voice low.
"But..." Firefly whispered, her voice strained with difficulty. "I... I'm not good at... this." She looked at the laughing, chattering students. "They're so... normal. I don't know how to do 'normal'. What if I say the wrong thing?"
The usually aggressive girl who always chased you around the training room now looked like a startled small animal. This contrast was... truly, deeply amusing.
A mischievous thought took root.
"But what?" you deliberately leaned closer, a small smirk playing on your lips. "What's wrong? Is our famous Stellaron Hunter, the pilot of SAM, actually afraid of a few ordinary high school students?"
"I-I am not afraid!" she retorted, her cheeks instantly flushing a bright, defensive pink.
"Oh? Then why are you hiding behind me?" you chuckled. "And your voice is about three octaves higher than usual."
"I am not hiding!" she hissed, though she made no move to step out from behind you. "I'm... conducting tactical observation from a covered position!"
"Right. Tactical observation."
"You—!" She could only glare at you, puffing out her cheeks. Seeing her adorable, frustrated appearance, you decided to stop teasing her.
"Alright, let's go." Before Firefly could protest or retreat, you naturally reached out and took her hand.
Her hand was small and soft, as the text said, but also cold and slightly damp with nervous sweat. The moment your fingers laced with hers, she jolted, as if hit by a shock-baton, and froze completely.
"What are you doing! L-let go!" She shyly tried to pull her hand back, her voice a mortified squeak.
"Don't move, everyone is already watching us," you said calmly, starting to walk and pulling her with you. "If you start struggling, they'll just think we're a couple who just had an argument. That will attract even more attention. You don't want that, do you?"
"Who... who's a couple with you!" she retorted, but the strength of her struggle lessened, and she reluctantly allowed herself to be led.
At first, Firefly was completely reserved, staring intently at her food as if it held the secrets of the universe. But the classmates were intensely curious.
"Orion-kun, Firefly-chan, where did you two transfer from?"
"You two are so good-looking! Are you models?"
"Firefly-chan, your hair is so pretty! Orion-kun, are you two dating? You were holding hands!"
Faced with this barrage, Firefly's face went from pink to a deep crimson, and she looked like she was about to summon SAM right in the cafeteria. You quickly stepped in.
"We're just childhood friends," you said smoothly. "She's just a little shy in new places."
"Aww, childhood friends! So, Firefly, what kind of boys do you like?"
You saw the panic in her eyes and intervened again, skillfully diverting the topic to the local arcade. Gradually, under your guidance, Firefly began to relax, even managing a few shy nods and single-word answers.
After school, the group, now thoroughly charmed, insisted you both join them for shopping and karaoke.
In the noisy, flashing lights of the karaoke booth, you watched Firefly. She was actually holding the microphone, her voice small and hesitant, but she was singing. A shy, genuine smile touched her lips. You smiled, feeling a sense of relief.
Her gaze met yours across the room, and she blushed, quickly looking away.
[Firefly's Inner Monologue]: He... he's been protecting me all day. He didn't make fun of me (much) and... he deflected all those questions. He doesn't seem as unreliable as I imagined. He's actually... quite nice...
The thought alone made her blush all over again.
That evening, the setting sun dyed the school rooftop a warm, vibrant orange.
"It's really nice..." Firefly closed her eyes, leaning against the chain-link fence, a satisfied, peaceful smile on her face. "So, this is what an ordinary person's school life is like. No alarms, no battles... just... peace. Every day is so happy."
She sighed, her voice soft. "It feels like... the life of a Stellaron Hunter is from another lifetime."
You looked at her profile, silhouetted against the sinking sun. Your heart stirred. As an amnesiac, you felt a strange kinship with someone whose life was defined by a past she couldn't escape.
"Firefly," you couldn't help but ask, "before you were a Stellaron Hunter, what were you doing?"
The peaceful smile on her face didn't just freeze; it shattered and fell away. "Me?" Her voice was suddenly hollow, and she turned away from the beautiful view. "I wasn't 'doing' anything. I'm just... a weapon. Born in a test tube, raised for combat. Just a tool that constantly fights to survive."
Seeing her mood darken, you quickly changed the subject, though your heart sank. You had asked the wrong question. "By the way... back on the ship, you mentioned 'Entropic Decay.' What is that?"
"Entropic Decay, huh..." she said, looking down at her own hands. "It's a genetic flaw. A side effect of... my creation. Simply put, my body is slowly... disappearing."
[Inorin's Note: Entropic Decay is a congenital condition unique to Firefly, causing her to experience slowed sensory perception and gradual physical dissolution.]
Your heart sank even further. Damn, I asked another wrong question.
She noticed your somber expression and forced a bright, brittle smile. "Hey, don't look at me like that," she tried to comfort you. "See? Aren't I perfectly fine now?"
She stood up and stretched, deliberately trying to lighten the mood. "Class time! If we don't leave, the disciplinary committee will get angry! Let's go!"
She practically skipped to the rooftop door, her cheerfulness painfully forced. You couldn't smile.
At that moment, looking at her back, you felt a powerful, unfamiliar urge to protect this girl who always tried so damn hard to be strong.