Two days have passed since Alice hung out with other kids.
After that day, she spent her time training with others.
But, since there were only four of them for now, most activities were watered down to physical training followed by light sparring.
But today was different.
Alice was eating at the cafeteria. She had woken early today and was the only person there, except for the robot staff.
While she enjoyed her food, the cafeteria's main door opened with a mechanical hiss. She didn't look at who entered, assuming it was either one of the three or a staff.
But when the noise of footsteps got louder and louder as they approached, she stopped eating.
"Good morning." Said a recognizable voice.
She turned towards it. It was Leonhard.
"Good morning,"
Leonhard gestured to the chair in front of Alice with his hand. "May I sit for a minute?"
"Yeah, that won't be an issue." Alice nodded, putting her silverware on the table.
Ever since the feast, she was more wary of Leonhard.
"So, what is the purpose of your visit?" Alice asked.
"I was going to ask how you were doing and also wanted to give you the information I promised." He put an old-timey flash drive on the table.
Alice looked at it and grabbed it. "What is this?"
"A flash drive is a rather old method of carrying data, but it is mostly secure. Inside is information about that pesky development company bothering your island by abusing holes in the law and unrightfully expanding their business to your waters."
She looked at Leonhard in awe. "What information?"
Leonhard's usually fake businessman smile turned into something more sinister. His eyes are wide open, teeth showing. "Let's just say some people will suddenly decide they don't want to live anymore if it's leaked."
Alice put the flash drive down. "I can't accept this. My father won't do such things."
Leonhard nodded. "Wiseblade is an honorable man. He won't leak information himself. But he is also smart and has people who will do the dirty work for him. Call your father, tell him about it. Please."
Alice pulled out her phone and put in her father's number but stopped and looked at Leonhard. "How did you even get this?"
"I was absent for the last two days, wasn't I? Just say I helped some birds chirp."
Alice felt a shiver down her spine but still called her father.
Galahad opened her phone rather quickly.
"Alice, dear, did something happen?" He said, his voice loud enough to be heard by Leonhard.
"Dad, calm down, please. Nothing happened."
"Oh, thank heavens, I was scared since you called me this early. So, what happened? Is everything good?"
"I have some information about a company that was bothering us."
"You mean Medittarian Development Group? Yeah, they are trying to abuse our non-country status, but what information." His tone was suddenly serious.
"I don't know."
"Stolen funds, tax evasion, dirt left behind by executives, under-the-table deals, and some instances of human and drug trafficking, and so much more," Leonhard spoke.
Alice glanced at the flash drive. "Am I doing something I shouldn't?" She questioned herself.
Galahad pinched his temple. "Alice, what sort of people you found there," He sighed. "And who is your source? Give him the phone."
Alice did as her father told her.
Leonhard grabbed the phone. "I am speaking with Galahad Ardenblade, right?"
"Yes, and who am I speaking with?" He asked.
"Leonhard Clock. You may remember me from your meeting with him back in 2040."
"Of all people, you had to cross paths with his pupil," He murmured. "And may I ask your intentions by giving me this information?"
Leonhard chuckled. "Thank your daughter for that. I asked her for a duel to test some new products. She saw right through me and put a price tag on her skills. Also, it benefits us since Grey Corp. is waiting to strike M.D.G anyways."
"I hope you don't have ulterior motives, like your teacher. But, if it's business you want to have, talk with me, not my daughter."
"I am sorry if it will be a personal question, but will you shield the future heir from everything?" Leonhard suddenly asked.
Galahad opened his mouth but didn't talk. He was right. As much as he hated it, Alice needed to learn the dark side of the world.
"We will talk later. I will contact you."
Leonhard smiled. "Alright." He offered Alice's phone back. "Here you go."
"Dad?" Alice quickly asked.
"You did a good job and saved me from trouble," Galahad said. "But try to be more careful from now on. You have to deal with likes of him in the future, hostile ones." He closed the phone.
"Then only the duel remains."
Leonhard nodded. "We can have it today if it fits with your schedule."
Alice glanced at her hands and clenched her fist. She looked at Leonhard right through the eyes, her eyes burning with determination. "Today is good. In three hours, don't make me wait!"
Leonhard got up. "All right, and before I go. Don't hold back." He said as he left the room.
"I will not."
***
When the time for the duel arrived, Alice wore her armor and moved to the training grounds.
Inside was more crowded than Alice expected.
Jin, Yulia, and Jonathan were there as expected, but almost all the advisors and staff also had gathered.
"What crowd." The sword said, suddenly appearing next to her.
"Yeah," Alice looked at her opponent.
Leonhard was standing on the opposite of the arena. He wore an armored skin-tight suit, commonly used by mech-pilots.
Behind him was an army of combat machines.
Half a dozen humanoid sentries, colored with grey and black and armed with rifles, were lightly armored.
Two walking tanks with silhouettes like hermit crabs without a shell followed them. Each one was armed with an auto-cannon and a missile launch system.
And the main dish. A mech suit about three and a half meters long. It was human-shaped, but its upper body resembled a gorilla.
The suit was heavily armored and had a white and blue digital camo adorned with the white hare emblem placed on the machines around the facility.
"So all of those armed robots were his." Alice thought.
"He went all out on us, didn't he," She said jokingly.
"Yes, and just a warning, I want you to experience this battle yourself. No help from me."
Alice grabbed the sword. "Good for me."
When she stepped onto the arena, Leonhard greeted her with a bow. "I am happy you arrived."
"You came with an army," Alice said, half-joking.
"I am not a combat type. And I think this much shouldn't overwhelm you." He said as he climbed to the mech suit back.
Alice looked at all the machines. "It really shouldn't be." She changed the sword into a long sword.
When Leonhard entered, the mech suit's back closed with a loud hydraulic noise. Then, the machine started, its head and chest glowing blue.
"We start then," Leonhard said, his voice enhanced by the suit's speakers.
"Yeah!" Alice shouted.
And after a count down from, the match began.
Unlike others, Leonhard didn't speak and ordered his robots to fire.
"So he's using every advantage," Alice thought, bracing as the projectiles hit.
She was suddenly overwhelmed by the swarm of bullets coming her way. Quickly, she stabbed her sword into the ground and focused her aura in front of her, forming a protective shield. Each projectile exploded on impact, making the shield vibrate violently and filling the air with a thick wall of black smoke.
"Just hang out a little more, Alice. They will empty themselves anytime."
When machines stopped to reload, she quickly drew her sword and dashed forward, dispersing the smoke.
"Just you know, it is rude to attack so suddenly." She said as she approached Leonhard's backline.
"I guess so, but we can't expect all enemies to be kind, right?" He answered before blocking her way with his mecha suit.
He swung a fist towards Alice.
She narrowly dodged the attack that shattered the ground, but Mecha was more agile than she expected and quickly threw a second punch at her.
She blocked the attack with her sword, but it shook her bones. "Damn."
"That armor is quite strong." She commented, trying to keep a smile on her face.
"Thanks, not my best, but one of my favorites," Leonhard said as he backed away to open space for the backline that finished reloading.
"So that is his tactic. Wore me down with ranged attacks and block me when robots reload."
Alice took a risk. Instead of defending, she pushed forward.
"Can't let him do that!"
Leonhard charged at her. His suit shook the ground with each of its giant steps.
"Sorry, won't let you do it twice!" Alice loaded her sword with aura and unleashed a golden explosive attack at the mech suit.
It wasn't enough to damage it, but it wasn't her intention. The attack pushed Leonhard back and gave Alice enough time to dash past him.
Her eyes locked on the walking tank, her path blocked by three sentries.
Not slowing down, Alice loaded her sword with more aura, its blade glowing like magma.
She slashed her sword in a curve towards the first and effortlessly cleaved the machine into two.
The sentry fell, its machinery and cables exposed.
Not stopping, she attacked the other one, stabbed it in the chest, exploded it with her aura, scattering molten metal to the field, and crushed the last one's head with her bare hands.
She wasn't stopped but lost momentum.
The walking tank locked on her and unleashed a swarm of micro missiles, each whistling towards her.
"Can't lose any more momentum." Alice gathered energy in her sword and shot an explosive aura beam forward.
She destroyed most of the missiles but got hit by the rest.
Her armor and aura stopped any critical damage, but she still stumbled. "Fuck." She accidently cursed.
Alice leaped out of the explosion and reached the walking tank.
"Its back is large and armored, either has ammo or fuel." She pumped aura to her legs and jumped incredibly high, then used an aura explosion to push herself towards the robot before thrusting her sword into its energy cell.
The machine exploded, scattering burned metal around the field.
"Now to the other half," Alice said before taking cover behind the remaining parts of the tank.
"Will you hide for a while?" Leonhard teased.
"No, not really." Alice stabbed the remains of the tank with her sword, her body glowing with aura. "I was just thinking of how to recycle this!" She threw it towards the other tank.
The giant scrap body moved faster than anticipated and hit its still-working twin.
The crash knocked the destroyed body of the machine away. It tried to open its missile pods or move its turret but stopped all movement when a fire started on it.
"Crude, but effective." Leonhard clapped.
"Thank you." Alice jokingly bowed before going back to battle.
She quickly overwhelmed the remaining sentries and turned the battle into a duel.
"Now the battlefield is even." She looked at Leonhard.
"It is." The mech suddenly dropped its hands, revealing giant electrified blades on their places and its back deformed, exposing jet engines.
Leonhard took a stance, blades forward. The jet engines roared loud enough that the spectators had to close their ears.
When he launched forward, he left a small trench behind, scorched by the long flames coming from its back.
Alice changed her sword again, this time to a massive hunk of metal, and clashed head-on.
"Nice... trick." She said, struggling to hold the machine back.
"It is," Leonhard said, his voice calm, but sparks coming from all sides of the mech suit.
Both sides finally gave up and pushed each other back.
Alice took a deep breath. Her eyes burned with excitement. "What is this feeling? My heart pumps fast, sweat covers my face, and my muscles burn, but I am not scared or tired."
She smiled and shouted. "Be ready because I am the one attacking this time!"
Her sword pointed forward, glowing with a heavenly golden light brighter than any she made. Her armor shone despite all the smoke, dust, and sand, and Alice stood straight, filled with confidence.