《The Knight of Hope》


 Chapter 1: The Chosen

    "Alice!" The man''s voice echoed through the vast corridors of the old manor, sharp with urgency.


    He was moving swiftly but loudly, searching room after another. "Where are you?" he called again.


    He stopped at the foot of a large, reinforced door. It had a small opening.


    "How did she even¡ª?" He pushed the door open and rushed inside, descending a narrow stone staircase. The air grew colder and more oppressive with each step.


    At the bottom lay a long corridor that reached a chamber¡ªa place forbidden, where his family had safeguarded an artifact for generations.


    ***


    Ceremonial torches with gilded decors along the walls flickered in sync with the pulsing energy from the chamber at the end.


    Inside the chamber was a massive chunk of metal, its shape like a cluster of crystals bounded together.


    A relic so ancient, it was older than intelligent life on this planet, a remnant of an extinct race.


    The metal lay dormant until the growing sound shattered its slumber


    Someone had entered his room without notice.


    The metal awoke. It scanned its surroundings and saw a small human child, no more than five years old. She stood quietly, staring at it.


    The metal recognized this child. "Child of the current elder." She was here two days ago.


    "Pity, a descendant of such a remarkable bloodline has so little potential." It was what the metal thought until she stepped closer.


    "Interesting!" The metal, for a moment, shone brighter than usual.


    "Compatibility higher than all previous candidates backed with a power more than sufficient to support the absorption."


    The metal cried. The shrill noise it made echoed inside the chamber. "A near-perfect vessel, like them." The little girl reminded the metal of a warrior who once used it.


    Someone the metal forgot its face and voice long ago.


    "Alice!" A sharp voice pierced the metal''s mind, ruining the bittersweet memories.


    Her father appeared at the entrance, out of breath. He tried to act calm and emotionless, but his flickering eyes and sweat beads on his face betrayed him.


    He moved towards the child. "Come back here, get away from the shrine!" He shouted.


    The little child froze, eyes wide open. She turned to face her father.


    "Alice, please don''t act like that. I know you are sad it didn''t choose you, but it is dangerous here." The man tried to reach his child.


    "Unexcaptable. Alice can''t leave. Not until she goes through the ceremony." The metal panicked.


    When the father finally reached Alice and grabbed her hand, the metal did something new. It directly spoke to humans instead of signaling its desire through the light it shone.


    "Stop!" It commanded.


    Before Alice''s father, a commanding presence appeared, not a man, not a human, and not a living being, pure energy in the highest form.


    He unknowingly and unwillingly obeyed this order as if his body and mind weren''t under his control.


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    "Away!"


    The metal shouted. This time, its command physically manifested as a powerful shockwave that pushed the man away from his daughter.


    "What is happening?!" The man tried to get up but was unable to control his body. "Alice! Run-" He tried to warn his child, but the metal silenced him.


    "Away!"


    The metal repeated its command and pushed the man even further, almost to the stairway.


    Father, still stubborn, got up.


    "What if it hurts or worse... No, I can''t allow it." Alice''s father pushed himself forward, yet his limbs shook, and his sight blurred increasingly with each step.


    "My child-" Words barely left his mouth when he reached where he was before.


    In his mind was a storm. "Please! Just push more." He begged to his body, barely holding.


    Meanwhile, the metal was preparing itself for the binding ceremony.


    "Approach." It ordered to the little child.


    Alice turned around and looked at the cluster of metal.


    Her eyes shone. She felt the connection the artifact felt.


    Without saying a word, she moved to the cluster. "Pretty, like the night sky," Alice said as her eyes locked on the dance of blue and purple above black. She put her hand on the surface of the metal. The surface gently vibrated and enveloped her hand.


    Their minds connected with a spark. Their emotions, thoughts, and memories mixed until the artifact took control of the situation.


    At first, the metal wanted to show its memories to Alice so she would fight against its enemies, but then it decided not to.


    "Her world already has enough reasons to fight against them." It thought.


    "Do you hear me?" The metal asked, trying to be gentle.


    "Yes," Alice answered.


    "I failed to recognize your potential. You are meant to be a knight of hope and light, not a wasted talent. I will correct this oversight."


    Several glowing lines scattered around the metal''s body appeared. It was cutting a rather large chunk of itself.


    It felt a sharp pain. It was ripping a part of its consciousness away, and any living being would have lost their sanity over this agony, but it endured it. For her, it was worth it.


    "Does it hurt you?" Alice asked.


    "Negative. I am inorganic. I cannot feel pain." The metal answered.


    "But I can feel it." Alice said, "It hurts deeply,"


    "Must be a mistake." The metal recalled memories from its previous wielders. It was pain, like one they felt from time to time. "What a spectacular experience to feel like organic life forms feel. But pain, as one of my previous bonders said, is worth enduring if the end justifies it. Now, please close your eyes."


    When the process ended, the metal shone blindingly and released a wave of energy so powerful that the entire island they were on shook violently.


    When the shaking ended, several armed men in power armor with a design reminiscent of medieval knight armor entered the underground.


    "Sir, are you alright-" They called for their leader but stopped when they saw what was happening.


    It was a sight they were somehow used to, the binding ceremony where the artifact offered one of its shards to a knight.


    They all had one. The metal gifted a shard of itself to each.


    "But to see such a big piece." One of them accidently said aloud.


    Alice didn''t fully understand what was happening, but she knew that whatever power the metal gave her was in harmony with the power she was born with.


    Her body slowly absorbed the shard, her veins glowing golden. In her, countless small particles became one with her cells and DNA, preparing them for the artifact''s presence.


    Now, a piece of the artifact and its consciousness was one with her.


    "Call me," The artifact whispered to her.


    Alice nodded and focused. Soon, a sword appeared in her hands.


    It looked just as she imagined.


    ***


    Alice turned towards the knights and her father with a bright smile and showed him her sword. It was a copy of her father''s, "Father, look!" She shouted, swinging her sword left and right with pride.


    Her father''s eyes teared. He finally relaxed with a big sigh. "My child." He wasn''t sure if he felt relief, pride, confusion, fear, or all at once.


    A new kind of energy appeared in Alice''s body, creating a faint, golden glow around her.


    The artifact was transforming the natural power she had in her to aura, a kind of energy used by all who bear a shard of it.


    But aura transformation was tiring, sometimes painful.


    Soon after, Alice fell to her knees, and the glow disappeared. Barely able to breathe, she whispered, "What is happening? " She tried to call the metal for help, but the artifact wasn''t there. It forced itself into stasis to slow the absorption.


    The glow in Alice''s body became brighter and hotter. She felt as if she was burning from the inside out. She tried to scream, but no sound came out, she fell to her knees.


    Alice tried to stand, using her sword as support. But the sword vanished, leaving only a golden glitter behind.


    With no strength left, Alice let herself go, collapsing on the floor, her body radiating an even stronger golden light.


    Alice''s father''s eyes opened wide. He felt something was wrong.


    He got up and dashed to his daughter, immediately closing the distance with a lightning-fast speed.


    "Alice, open your eyes... Alice!" He tried to call her with a shaky voice.


    One of the knights tried to get Alice up, but he pushed him away. "Go, call help!" He leashed on the knight.


    Out of desperation, he shook her to wake her with no result. "A doctor! Move, find a doctor!" He screamed, too fearful to even move her away from the artifact.

 Chapter 2: Alice Ardenblade

    *Knock *Knock *Knock


    Three separate knocks hit the door.


    "Miss, it is time to wake up." A lady with a soft voice said.


    "Is it morning already?" Alice murmured. "Of all things, I dream of that day again."


    She stood, her hair turned to a messy clump.


    Alice sighed as she exited her bed. Her gaze drifted to her room, decorated with antique furniture that had been with her family for many generations.


    Alice''s electronics and television stood out like a sore thumb.


    "I need some fresh air." She moved towards one of the windows and opened it.


    "Much better." She said as the wind caressed her skin and pushed her long, golden hair back.


    Her room overlooked the manor''s garden. She remembered asking for this room when she was little just because of that.


    "Weather is good. I can''t stay inside on such a day." Alice quickly changed her pajamas with simple casual clothes and grabbed a mask and a hat.


    "Not to forget." She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a note. "I''m out. I''ll be back before lunch."


    "Alright, time to go out." She moved to the window and jumped from the second story right into the garden.


    Workers were having breakfast at this time, so it was empty, and she used it to her advantage.


    Right through the garden, she moved to the front gate and took the worker entrance to get out without suspicion.


    It wasn''t like she was forbidden to leave the house, but she didn''t want security to follow her everywhere.


    And when Alice deemed she was far enough, she stopped and looked at her house.


    "Manor of the Knights, you look beautiful as ever." She said.


    Massive walls, supported by a multilayer defense system, surrounded the manor.


    But these were hidden from view. The family had spent extra money to preserve the manor''s historic appearance.


    Stone bricks and vines with bloomed flowers hid the modern reinforced walls, while towers and empty buildings hid defense systems inside.


    "And sunlight hits just the angle to enhance the colors. Alice smiled and turned around. "Beautiful. Sadly, you are a bit too boring for me."


    And she dashed towards the nearest town with one thing in mind. "The baked goods, here I come."


    Her body radiated a faint golden glow, and her speed increased drastically, "Go fast enough to reach there in a short time, but not so fast that people mistake you for a speeding car." Alice reminded herself.


    After a quick run through the surrounding forest, Alice arrived at a split.


    "The coastal road or the main road? One is shorter, but the other has fewer eyes." Alice asked herself.


    After a second doubt, she picked the coastal road. It led her to one edge of the island, to a narrow path on the side of a cliff.


    "Ah, sweet freedom. Water is calm, the smell of the is nice, and even the weather is just perfect," Alice said, opening her arms to embrace the sea breeze as she increased her speed.


    But there was a problem.


    "Military vessels." Alice suddenly stopped, drifting. Small rocks and dirt rolled down the cliff.


    Several ships were stationed just at the edge of their territorial waters.


    "All from the United Nations, and these are not escort ships." She said. "No escort group carries this much weaponry."


    She hastened her steps to the town.


    "Father probably knows it, but he won''t tell me. Better dig it myself."


    Alice ran as fast as she could, leaving a trail of dust and dirt behind as she neared the top speed of a regular car.


    When the tall walls of the town appeared on the horizon, she stopped and scanned the surroundings.


    "Main gate is open, no soldiers in sight, and no panic. Looks like nothing happened." Alice took a deep breath, "Still, why the UN is here?" She murmured.


    "Perhaps it is another show of strength?" A voice echoed inside her mind.


    Then her sword appeared next to Alice, levitating. "Don''t they like doing such things whenever they could?"


    Alice smiled. "And here I wondered when you were going to talk."


    "I was enjoying the sight. Since I don''t remember the last time someone took a break from training and went out, I wanted to savor it." The sword spoke.


    "Come one, it''s not the time for temper tantrums. We have a situation in our hands."


    If the sword had eyes, it would have rolled them. It thought the island was under no threat.


    "Alright, let''s go, chop chop." But it also craved the childish adventure, like Alice.


    The sword vanished away, and the duo walked to the town.


    The streets were busy. Everyday life was going as usual.


    Kids playing, market owners stocking new goods, the florist watering her display products.


    "Weird." Alice murmured, "I assumed warships would have caused more chaos."


    "Right?" A man with a heavy voice spoke, then showed himself from the corner.


    Longer than 2 meters, this hulking man was wearing the military uniform of the United Nations. Instead of a traditional military rank, he had a gold sphere with an ''X'' over it.


    "Alex Younglaw," Alice muttered. "What''s the head of the UN Agency of Security doing here?"


    "Young lady of the knights. I am happy you remembered my name this time." Man bowed forward in respect, but the sun shining from his bald head blinded Alice.


    "Don''t you dare laugh?" Alice warned to the sword in her mind before answering the man. "How can I? I clearly remember my father forbidding you from talking with me unless you had serious business?"


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.Alex Younglaw smirked. "Of course, the current head of the knights was stern in his stance, but I am not here to recruit you. It was an order from my boss." He reached inside his uniform and pulled out a letter. "Here, it''s yours."


    Alice grabbed the latter. "It might be a surprise, but despite being called knights using swords, we have access to modern technology. Some are even daring enough to use magical artifacts called phones." Alice said while inspecting the letter.


    "You are a joker as always. But it was his idea, not mine."


    "And that''s why you brought a small fleet of warships to our shores? For a letter."


    "I understand you but worry not. The Wisesword, your father, knows my visit. After all, you knights love your independence and honestly are a bit paranoid."


    "Well, at least you respect that, but again, the ships, you call us paranoid, but any person who saw a naval force next to their home be paranoid."


    "The delivery was just a side job for me. We are after a sea monster pestering the trade around Gibraltar. I''ll be on my way now you have the letter." The man turned around and began walking away from Alice.


    The sword appeared. The gem on its handguard that looked like an eye stared at Alice. "This is bad." It said.


    "Yeah, I never get to like him."


    "No, not that!" Sword protested. "Look, what does this guy usually do?"


    "Try to recruit me as his pupil because I don''t have a teacher figure?"


    "Exactly!" The sword answered.


    "Maybe he was scared of dad?" Alice said.


    "No, it''s not like him. This letter must mean serious business. We must go see the elder." The sword disappeared, leaving behind a fading golden glimmer.


    "Alright, if I run fast enough, I can reach the manor before breakfast ends."


    *****


    Soon after, Alice arrived at the manor.


    "Where is Father," She asked the first worker she saw, a man carrying a cart of empty dish plates.


    "On the dining hall." The worker answered.


    "Thank you." Alice didn''t spend one more second there and rushed to the dining hall, moving past several guards, leaving them confused by her haste.


    And when she finally reached the dining hall, she slammed the door open and rushed in.


    "Father!" She shouted and placed the letter on the table. "Youngclaw arrived with a letter to me by the Chancellor."


    Alice''s father, the only person still inside the dining hall, didn''t break his demeanor. He first neatly placed his silverware and cleaned his mouth with a tissue. He then got up and grabbed the letter.


    "Oh, it arrived then." He said and opened the letter, "Alice Ardenblade, I, the Chancellor, current head of the United Nations, invite you to our special training program for promising youngsters."


    "What program?" Alice asked with a head slightly tilted to the side.


    "It''s a special training program for kids like you. They want to build better teamwork and help you grow faster. I think it''s a good opportunity, but it''s your call."


    Alice read the letter and the fine print behind it. "No matter how I look into it, it sounds like a pretty good deal."


    "Isn''t it?" Father said.


    "And you are awfully calm about it."


    "Because I was informed beforehand."


    "But am I ready?" Alice said, "All things considered, even with the sword as my weapon, carrying our family name is a big deal. Like, what if I see defeat on my first battle?"


    Alice''s father moved next to her. "Alice, look at me."


    She did as ordered, and suddenly, the man hugged his daughter.


    "You are ready and capable. Don''t let such stupid thoughts draw you back! You are the knight of hope!" He released her. "And even if you lose a battle, I know this little bright knight will win her war eventually."


    Alice put the letter back into her pocket with a smile. "Give me a day or two." She left the room.


    "Take as much time as you want, honey." Her father said as she left.


    Alice quickly moved to her room, ignoring greetings from knights and workers alike, which she never did before.


    When she reached her room, she locked the door, closed all the windows, and moved to the quietest part of it.


    "Alright, tell me, what are we doing?"


    The sword appeared once more and began flying around Alice. "No, what will you do is the question."


    "Really? No help at all?" Alice protested.


    "Yes, no help at all... Hey!"


    Alice grabbed the sword and shook it around. "Come one, at least give me your opinion."


    Sword sighed, or at least made a sound like sighing. "I trust your father''s decision, but as he said, it''s your choice."


    Alice released the sword and raised an eyebrow. "So you feel no suspicion?"


    "Why would I? Chancellor is not the most trustworthy guy, but then again, he is the hero who united your kin against the Crimson invasion, isn''t he? World''s security is his main interest." Sword answered.


    Alice opened the letter and read it once more. "No entrance tests to the school of our choosing, which are the big four, special classes, and missions, sparring matches with the best of the best. It is just too good." She "Alright! We are joining this program."


    "We are!" Sword playfully shouted.


    *grumble.


    Alice grabbed her stomach. "But first, let''s find something to eat."

 Chapter 3: Enemy At Home

    Alice accepted the letter. The news was given to the Chancellor by a direct phone call from her father.


    A couple of days later, another letter arrived, this time inviting her to the main facility of the program.


    "So, should I go?" She asked her father, who was filling out paperwork.


    "It would be good for you." Her father answered, "Our knights are strong and renowned, but you''d be surprised how big the world is and how many monsters are out there. I want you to experience other''s strength in a safe environment."


    "Alright-" As Alice opened her mouth, someone slammed open the door, knocking down some books.


    The calm atmosphere in the room shattered as father and daughter locked their eyes to the door.


    Both unknowingly summoned their weapons.


    It was one of the higher-ranking knights, covered in sweat and holding his knees while breathing.


    "I am sorry for the disrespect, elder, but we are under attack," the knight said, his words cut between to breath.


    Alice''s father immediately got up. "What!"


    "Crimson." He breathed. "They suddenly appeared around the island. We requested aid from the garrison and holding the towns, but there are not enough hands."


    "Crimson?" Alice thought. "They never moved close to our territory, or at least we never allowed it."


    She felt something was wrong but also felt a sense of duty to go out and fight.


    Alice got up. "I will help." She turned to her father, fists clenching.


    Her father paused, took a breath, then nodded. "Our knights are probably already getting ready to aid others. Join them, don''t venture alone, and wear your armor."


    "Got it, I won''t disappoint you!" Alice dashed out of the room and sprinted through the corridors.


    It was very chaotic. Capable workers were being issued rifles and sent to the shelter, while guards and knights were running around, preparing the manor for the civilians from the surrounding towns.


    Alice skipped left and right, avoiding people, and finally reached the armory.


    A dozen knights were getting into their power armor.


    "What young lady is doing here?" One of them asked.


    "With my father''s permission, I am here to aid."


    Knights looked at each other in disbelief, then nodded in approval.


    "We are honored, our lady." The first to speak added. "But please be fast. We will leave in five minutes."


    "I will move as fast as I can." Alice passed the knights and entered the section prepared for the family members, where her armor stood next to her brother''s and father''s.


    The armor was relatively easy to wear. Alice just removed the helmet and opened its backplates to enter it.


    Armor powered up with an electrical buzz, and she was ready for action.


    When she exited, knights were on a line, waiting.


    In front of them was a knight with a blue cloth decorated with two yellow arches on his shoulder pad, showing his rank as a captain.


    "I am happy our young lady is here to help us." He turned to the rest. "Alright, the situation is bad. Crimson suddenly appeared and actively pushed towards the towns. There were no space-time rifts, so your guess is as good as mine on where our not-very-friendly alien monsters arrived. Our goal is to clash them head-on and pull them away from civilians while guards escort them to the manor, where we will retreat later and do our defense until main forces arrive."


    "Yes! Captain, yes!" All the knights said in one voice.


    "Then move! We will start from the closest town."


    With the order, the knights rushed out of the manor with lightning speed to the forest leading to the nearest town.


    Alice followed them right behind.


    "It is always good to see them in action." Alice thought.


    Right before her, all knights were moving at speeds and finesse most can''t even dream of reaching despite their equipment.


    "It is." The sword said. It was still unsummoned. "I chose them after all."


    Alice smirked. "Someone is excited." She said out loud.


    "Of course! My chosen knight is on her way to save people. How can I not?"


    "Then try to savor every moment of it." All the knights jumped out of the forest to an open plain where the Crimson swarm stood between them and the town wall.


    Wolf-like beasts covered in spiky bone armor with massive fangs and Giant, orangutan-like beasts with large muscles and thick scales surrounding their body made most of the swarm.


    There were also cat-sized, bug-like beings in uncountable numbers.


    "Charge!" The captain ordered.


    With his command, knights summoned their weapons. All similar to nature one Alice had, as they came from the same artifact.


    Eight knights dived into the enemy crowd. Their landings crushed the Crimson they landed on and pushed others away.


    The rest of them and the captain offered support from away, firing bolts and arrows that pierced through the enemy and exploded right after.


    But Alice was locked on the big prize.


    The pack leader of the enemies. A six-legged monster with giant, scythe-like claws. Its body reminded her of a mantis, but unlike the sleekness of the mantis, this beast was bulky and had thick armor protecting.


    "Yet, it is agile as one," Alice called upon her sword. It materialized in her hands with a glow as a long sword before she leaped forward. "You got this! All the training comes into play. Made dad proud." She focused.


    At mid-air, she gathered energy on the tip of her sword and created an explosion to boost herself higher.


    When she reached above the enemy, the sword turned into pure light, reappearing as a claymore.


    "Look here!" She shouted before gathering energy behind her and making another explosion, giving herself an extreme speed for her diving thrust attack.


    The beast screeched and tried to dodge the attack, but Alice was too fast.


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    She landed her strike on the beast''s back, smashing it to the ground and shattering its armor.


    The shockwave of the attack pushed monsters away from the mantis-like Crimson.


    The monster screeched in pain, its voice sharp as knives, loud as thunder.


    Using this opportunity, Alice stabbed the beast. Her sword slid in without resistance.


    Beast trashed, swinging its body and claws wildly, but to no avail.


    "This thing will explode! Stay away!" Alice alerted her allies.


    Aura gathered on her sword, radiating her distinct golden glow under the beast''s body, showing sparks of light around the cracks. "See you never!" Alice released the aura.


    A massive explosion inside the enemy shattered it into a million bloody and slimy pieces scattered around.


    "One down," Alice shouted with a puffed chest before aiming her sword at her next target.


    "And many more to go, don''t let your guard down now." The sword warned.


    Following her first attack, Alice charged forward, slashing her sword horizontally.


    With a glowing trace behind, the sword cut through three wolf monsters like butter.


    "We are doing good!" Alice shouted.


    "Yes, but focus! We are still fighting." The sword added.


    Meanwhile, the knights exchanged wide-eyed glances, momentarily forgetting their battles as they watched Alice.


    "To think she grew this strong this young." They murmured.


    Alice unleashed an explosive attack after another, bouncing between monsters and scattering burned parts through the battlefield.


    "You slack-offs! Will you let the young lady do all the work? Don''t stand still and attack!" The captain of the knights shouted his order with a thundering voice.


    Knights, pumped with adrenaline, raised their weapons.


    "Attack!" They cried and unleashed carnage on the enemy.


    Their destructive power was no match for Alice''s, but they were experienced warriors, some of the best.


    They easily avoided any attacks in the middle of a swarm while cutting them one by one, while ranged support with their explosive attacks cleaned the pests.


    In less than ten minutes, hundreds of enemies were all slain, and above their bodies stood the knights, covered in blood.


    "Open the gate, it''s clean!" The captain shouted, but no answer came, so he shouted again.


    "I am the captain of the fifth knight team, Lance. Open the gate!"


    They waited a bit more in silence, but whistles of bullets and terrified screams of civilians drove them to alert.


    "Shit." Lance accidentally spelled his thoughts aloud. He turned to other knights, "Climb the walls. They must be in danger!"


    With the order, knights quickly climbed the wall, each on their way, but they all stopped in shock when they reached the top.


    "This is bad." One of them said. Her voice carried no emotions except for a hint of dread.


    Destroyed buildings, infrastructure nearly unusable, half-eaten bodies of civilians scattered, and a never-ending wave of Crimson moved in from the breached front wall.


    It was a grim view.


    "We are not too late. Aren''t we?" Alice asked, looking at Lance.


    "We still have hope," Lance said, grinding his teeth.


    The local defense force made out of guards, militia, and whatever equipment reached here before the town got encircled slowed the Crimson wave.


    "They did survive, but Crimson will breach their line any moment!" Another knight shouted. "Captain, what must we do?"


    Lance took a deep breath and asked himself, "Yes, what must we do?"


    Quickly and without remorse, he rushed to the gate control center, opened the back door, and shouted as loud as he could, feeling the pain in his throat and lungs. "All civilians run to the manor!"


    His voice echoed through the town and caused the birds from a close forest to fly away in fear.


    With his command, hidden civilians rushed outside in panic and began running out of the town. They didn''t even stop to thank the knights.


    Lance turned to two of his knights. "Escort the people." Then looked at the rest of the knights. "Go in! No time to wait."


    With his order, knights moved to action once more.


    They quickly reached the frontline, held by the guard, local militia, and two robots with flamethrowers.


    "Knights are here!" One of the militia shouted.


    "Victory is ours! Hold the line!" Guard captain shouted.


    Their happiness wasn''t for nothing.


    Knights quickly shattered the steady follow of Crimson''s pesks and grunts by going all in.


    They all had changed their weapons for something with broader blades to handle the swarm.


    Meanwhile, knights specialized in ranged combat began focusing on making large quantities of explosive attacks rather than piercing targetted shots.


    "Young lady." Lance turned to Alice, yet to enter the fight. "Can you-" He suddenly dropped his bow, weapon faded with blue glitter, and summoned a shield before pulling Alice behind him.


    Something suddenly appeared, moved around the captain''s shield, and attacked Alice in mere moments, but before it hit, the captain blocked the strike with his body, getting wounded on the waist.


    The attacker quickly escaped from their sight but was caught eventually.


    "An elite," Alice murmured.


    It was a humanoid beast standing over two meters tall with two giant bone blades instead of hands. It had several bug-like eyes all around its head, a shiny exoskeleton, and thin, long legs.


    "A monster, rumored to be handcrafted by the brood mother of Crimson to hunt important targets. Be careful, my lady." Lance said. Blood leaked between his fingers as he pressed his hand over the wound.


    Alice raised her sword, "I will be."


    She took a deep breath. Her fear for her home, the knights around her, and her life disappeared as she focused her mind on one thing. "The enemy before me."


    But before she entered combat, the sword intercepted her.


    "Careful, it is fast." The sword said.


    "I am faster," Alice answered.


    "And it has good attack power."


    "I can attack stronger."


    The sword would smile with pride if it could. "Then let''s show it the punishment for sneak attacking one of us."


    "We shall."


    Alice''s aura covered her body, releasing a steady golden glimmer.


    "Let''s begin," Alice charged forward fast enough to catch her enemy by surprise.


    The Crimson elite barely managed to react and move away.


    She slammed down her sword, glowing like a spotlight from all the aura, and shattered the ground before the explosion.


    Damage collapsed the road and showed the sewers below the town.


    But Alice didn''t stop with one attack.


    Leaping over the caved-in road, Alice kept pressuring the elite.


    One after strike after another, she pursued her foe.


    Each of her strikes had a golden flow behind it.


    She cleaved through obstacles, infrastructure, and buildings alike.


    But the enemy was fast. Fast enough to avoid all her attacks.


    It was also aggressive, striking back after dodging Alice''s attacks, forcing her to use her aura defensively while ripping the environmental obstacles apart.


    "We are not reaching it." The sword said.


    "I know," Alice said, blocking a counterattack with the blade of her sword, "But I am not aiming for that."


    She smirked, and right before she pushed another strike, filled her sword with energy.


    Crimson, expecting another explosion, leaped away, waiting to use the shockwave to escape even further from Alice.


    "Got you!" Alice and the sword shouted.


    Alice slashed her sword down and threw a crescent-shaped energy beam at the elite Crimson.


    The elite managed to move away from the trajectory but still got hit.


    Alice''s energy beam cut right through its body and decapitated its lower half.


    A black substance quickly flowed from the massive wound and hardened, stopping the bleeding.


    "So this one needs more work," Alice murmured.


    Angered elite leaped towards the swarm near itself and grabbed a small Crimson, devouring it and regenerating its lower body at unbelievable speeds.


    All of its grotesque eyes locked on Alice, and its hand blades pushed themselves even further.


    The elite screeched and charged forward with even greater speed.


    "Oh, just the missing thing." Alice thought and changed her sword once more. This time to a massive one, with a blade wide as a tower shield.


    When the elite closed the distance and unleashed a flurry of cuts and thrusts, Alice used her sword to block them, backing away towards the Crimson swarm.


    But it was not easy.


    "How this small thing produces so much power." Alice protested. She felt the power behind each strike she blocked. They shook her to the bones.


    "Help the young lady-!" The knight captain shouted, but Alice cut him.


    "No!" Alice shouted, her words cut in half by an attack. "Focus on your selves!" She quickly recovered.


    "What is your plan?" The sword asked.


    "Just wait. I don''t want to spoil it because it will be cool."


    As Alice backed away, her sword glowed brighter, the aura building for the final strike.


    "Now, how can I align the swarm with this thing." She thought.


    "I got it!" Alice parried the next attack and pushed the elite away.


    Angry monster dashed forward, aiming at Alice''s throat.


    Instead of blocking the coming attack, Alice rolled to the side and changed sides with the elite.


    Now, the elite was right before the enemy swarm.


    Without wasting a second, she got up and slashed her sword forward.


    The elite easily avoided the blade, but its eyes shook as it understood the trap.


    It released a desperate cry, ordering the swarm to move around itself as meatshields. But it just humored Alice.


    "That won''t save you!" Alice''s charged attack released a massive cone-shaped explosive aura beam that pierced through anything standing in its way.


    "My signature dish served fresh for all of you to enjoy!" Alice shouted.


    The attack wiped the elite and a decent chunk of the swarm from the face of the earth.


    When the smoke left, only a massive trench decorated with blood, tissue, and dust remained.


    Her attack left both the knights and the Crimson in awe.


    Alice''s muscles burned, her breathing faster than ever, yet she raised her sword again and cried. "For our home! Let''s finish this!"


    "For our home!" Her allies shouted and changed their stance from defensive to offensive, cleaning the remains of the massive swarm.


    Alice stood for a couple more minutes, watching the knights kill all invaders before finally letting herself hit the ground.


    Her heart pumped as it tried to escape from her chest, and all the movement caused sweat to cover her face.


    "You were right. It was cool." The sword said.


    "Right?" Alice removed her helmet, panting. She had a prideful smile on her face that slowly disappeared when she looked at the brutal scene next to her.


    "We won," She spouted "We won, at a cost, but we did."

 Chapter 4: Galahad Ardenblade

    After the dust of the battle settled, Alice finally had time to look around and see the reality of the situation.


    One soldier wept next to the mauled corpses of his friend.


    "Why did it have to be you..." He cried. "Bastards, I will never forgive you." He slammed the ground, his tears mixed with dirt.


    Medics turned the bazaar area into an infirmary for the wounded.


    They had limited supplies here, only stabilizing critically wounded until proper equipment arrived.


    Even the knights didn''t go unscathed. There were no serious injuries except Captain Lance, but they were tired.


    Alice felt a sense of duty to step forward and support all these tired people emotionally, but when she tried to take the first step forward, her legs didn''t lift.


    She felt the world''s weight was on her back as all the glamour was gone and reality settled in, making it nearly impossible to stand, let alone walk.


    "What am I even going to say." She thought, clenching her fist.


    "Something to comfort them, make them remember they didn''t suffer for nothing." The sword spoke up.


    "But do I have what it takes to?" Alice took a step back.


    "If only I had been faster, smarter. If only I had been better. The captain wouldn''t have been hurt, and those soldiers wouldn''t have died." The thoughts were eating her brain. There was a pain in her chest, suppressing all the pride she had a moment ago.


    "And worse, what if I speak wrong?" Another anxiety added to her already chaotic mind.


    "You did everything you could. No one blames you. Rather applaud your bravery and strength."


    "But-" Alice tried to speak, but the sword cut her words.


    "This is the truth of life. We fight to survive, sometimes fail, and sometimes succeed. All these people know that. And if you don''t speak now, it would be worse than choosing bad words." The sword said. "Wipe your smile, and give them your condolences. It is your duty to, at least try to, comfort them."


    Alice nodded and drove forward. "I hope father is alright. I can handle only so much pain today." She thought as she walked to give her speech.


    ***


    On the other edge of the island, the elite of the knights, led by the family head, moved to destroy the source.


    "There is the bastard who attacked my home." Grinding his teeth with a smile, his anger barely hidden.


    "Larger than a cargo ship, with a gaping mouth, has ten spiked tentacles and a shell on its back." He said out loud. "Any data on the beast?"


    "No," said the knight carrying a tablet. "Database shows nothing."


    "Bullshit." The leader said. "It has battle scars," He pointed at a crack on top of the beast''s spiked back. "This is no ordinary beast, so damage like that must have come from the vessels those UN guys brought. Search deeper."


    "Yes, General Galahad."


    Galahad smiled. "This old man stayed at home far too long." He summoned a simple spear with a steel pole and a gold tip on one hand and a buckler shield with sharp edges on the other.


    "Not going to use your sword, sir?" One of the knights asked.


    "Not this time." Galahad shook his head. "Big one, I call it the Gaping beast. It is my hunt. All of you, deal with the small ones, and don''t disrupt me unless I call the aid." He ordered them and rushed forward.


    He had great speed despite his age. The Crimson he passed stood in awe as he approached the giant monster.


    "General Galahad, are you sure about this?" His helper asked him over the communication line built in their armor.


    "Absolutely," After answering, he aimed his spear, charged it with aura, and threw it to the monster.


    The spear whistled through the air with a shining golden trail.


    It looked more like a modern heavy armor-piercing ammunition than a medieval weapon.


    It also hit like one. The spear pierced the tentacle and cleaved away a decent chunk of it with little to no difficulty.


    The Gaping beast dropped the ship it was chewing and screamed.


    All the other Crimson in the area turned and began moving towards it.


    "So you are their leader." Galahad smiled and recalled his spear.


    "The shell looks tough, but the soft tissue is weak. It will take time to damage the organs, but it''s doable. Focus on your mission." He ordered his team over the comms.


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    Soon, he had reached the harbor, swarmed with a small swarm of though-looking Crimsons. He ignored them.


    Galahad jumped over the small swarm and leaped into the Gapping beast.


    The Gapping beast monster tried to hit him with a tentacle, but Galahad grabbed one of the spikes and climbed over it.


    "Thanks for the help!" Galahat shouted to taunt the beast. When he gained his balance, he charged forward with immense speed, his eyes locked at the root of the tentacle.


    But the monster was not defenseless. It tried to shake Galahad off by hitting him with another tentacle, but once again, a powerful spear shot pierced through the tentacle.


    The Gaping beast was in agonizing pain. It was shaking its whole body to throw Galahad away, but he was holding on to the beast, not letting himself go.


    Meanwhile, his team had already cleared the swarm on their way and were fighting with the Crimson in the harbor.


    "Can''t stay idle in front of the younger generations, can''t I," Galahad pumped up and charged again.


    The Gaping beast struggled violently, trying to throw him away, but Galahad resisted and slowly approached the body.


    The Gaping beast raised its tentacles, each creating a short-lived waterfall on their rise.


    All tentacles were bristled with bony spikes like the thorns of a bramble.


    Galahad shot down the first tentacle with a spear shot, but when others struck, he raised his shield and grabbed and grabbed a spike.


    When Galahad poured his aura into the shield, a massive, spectral copy of it appeared just above him, right in time to block the first attack.


    Tentacles bounced each time they struck the shield, but the beast attacked repeatedly, not giving up on this opportunity.


    "These things are soft but pack a punch," Galahad said, chewing his lips. "Should have kept attacking, well, do with what you have."


    Galahad resummoned his spear, loaded it with aura, and thrust it below himself, destroying the tentacle it was on.


    The pain knocked away the Gaping beast.


    Galahad took a deep breath before he dived head-first into the sea.


    His armor locked some of its parts to adapt underwater while weight pulled him down.


    "Too dark." He loaded his spear with energy to illuminate the surroundings.


    "This looks bad." Galahad raised his shield.


    The Gaping beast had shot several horn-like body parts of itself towards Galahad.


    Each part was swimming towards him with thin but large flaps and had glowing, semi-transparent blobs on them.


    "Parasitic biological torpedoes, look at that!"


    Torpedo collided with the spectral shield, exploding with extreme force, pushing Galahad hundreds of meters away in seconds.


    Galahad tried to cut his momentum by swimming forward. He wasn''t damaged. Still, that didn''t mean he could be on the open sea against this opponent.


    "One attack with my defenses down, and I might die here." His heart pumped faster with thought.


    Without wasting time, the Gaping beast shot another torpedo and struck Galahad''s location with one of its tentacles.


    Stuck between a torpedo and the tentacle, Galahad tried to be focused.


    "I can''t stop both attacks with my shield, neither afford to take any of them head-on, can''t I? Galahad smiled. "I couldn''t expected any less." He pointed his spear to the torpedo and shield to look away from the harbor.


    "Just need some kick from that annoying parasite."


    When the torpedo reached Galahad, he moved his entire body with extreme speed and precision to displace the torpedo in front of his shield before it exploded.


    Tentacle missed him by only a couple of meters, splitting the sea and moving through reinforced concrete docks like they were nothing.


    Galahad stopped when he hit a concrete wall. "Finally, surface." He loaded his fingers with aura and penetrated the concrete as he climbed to the harbor.


    When he finally exited the water, he leaped into the air and landed on a defeated Crimson''s body.


    His landing smashed the body and scattered it around.


    Unlike the sea, where a raging monster trashed everything around itself, it was quiet here.


    "All Crimson are defeated already," He looked at his knights, all standing in line, watching their leader fight. "I must say that I am proud of all of you."


    Vice leader nodded. "We didn''t intervene, just as you ordered."


    "You are now making me feel sad for keeping all the fun to myself." Galahad looked at the Gaping beast in pain, approaching them. "Well, this thing will destroy our pretty harbor if I keep brawling with it, so let''s end this quickly. Keep yourselves above the water and attack the soft tissue. I will attack the wound on top."


    "Yes, sir!" All knights shouted.


    "Good, now, charge!" Galahad leaped forward.


    Knights, following Galahad from behind, scattered around the Gaping beast before they initiated the assault.


    They damaged the beast with a barrage of ranged attacks first.


    Spears, arrows, bolts, and condensed energy attacks flew toward the Gaping beast, cracking its shell and destroying its flesh on impact.


    The Gaping beast, confused and terrified, trashed around, attacking everything and anything with its massive body.


    It barely handled one of them before. How could it survive against a dozen?


    As if the wounds from those damned humans and their metal giants weren''t enough, when it tried to go up and hunt for food to replenish its body and lost minions, these monsters showed up.


    "Escape, retreat, move," these words repeated in its mind in a pattern.


    But as soon as it tried to turn around, it trembled with pain and screeched in agony.


    "Where do you think you are going!" A bulkier-than-normal knight threw a gigantic harpoon with a long chain on its back toward the Gaping beast''s head.


    The harpoon got deep into its body, and when the knight pulled it away, it opened its many hidden blades and shredded through the Gaping beast''s flesh until a bone stopped it.


    Beast endured the pain and tried to move, but it was just the start.


    Another knight, who wielded a giant axe, slashed apart one of its tentacles from its root with a single powerful strike that made a thunder-like sound on impact.


    It wanted to attack that one knight, but it kept moving to the sea. "Pain, ignore, escape, retreat, survive," It reminded itself.


    Then, a knight with a lance pierced through one of its eyes, followed by one more cutting another tentacle.


    The Gaping beast was barely moving at all as it was almost all crippled.


    But it still repeated. "Pain, ignore, escape, survive, escape, survive, ESCAPE, SURVIVE-


    The pain moved through its body like lightning, but it didn''t even have the strength to give one last dying scream.


    The Gaping beast''s eyesight suddenly blurred and darkened while its blood filled its gills.


    It tried to push itself forward, but no result.


    On top of the Gaping beast, Galahad had charged his spear while his knights wounded the monster.


    And when he felt he gathered enough energy, it stabbed the beast from its wound.


    A powerful, focused energy beam attack pierced the Gaping beast''s body, destroying its organs, flesh, and veins.


    The attack came out of the other side, illuminating the sea floor covered in flesh, concrete, and scrap metal.


    The beast''s remaining limbs twitched in a final, desperate attempt to move, but to no result.


    Oxygen bubbles surfaced on the blood-tainted waters while the giant corpse slowly sank.


    Galahad raised his spear, glowing from all the aura he loaded into it as the beacon of the beast''s defeat. "Victory is ours!" He shouted.


    "Victory is ours!" Other knights cheered after him.

 Chapter 5: Cookies

    After the invasion, life settled into a fragile normalcy.


    The damage was everywhere. Shattered buildings, broken lives, and hearts weighed down by grief.


    Armed forces hunted down the remaining Crimson with righteous fury, but the dead stayed dead.


    With nothing coming from their hands, everyone, young to old, focused on the rebuilding effort, but they all had one thing on their minds. Finish their job as fast as possible so they can grieve in peace.


    At the same time, the main Meditarian force of the knights had gathered around the island.


    They stood guard with fifty ships, two hundred knights, and even more military personnel and equipment.


    Meanwhile, at the manor, Alice stood before her father, waiting for him to finish his phone call.


    "Yes, there are no knight casualties, but we have civilian and armed personal death. Yes, thank you." He sighed. "I will arrange a meeting in a week, tell others." Galahad closed his phone and sat down.


    "Who was it, father?" Alice asked.


    "The manor elder from Shanghai. He heard the news from a knight who had a cousin here. I didn''t expect the news to spread this fast, but that''s what happens when everyone has a cell phone." Galahad pinched his temple, massaging it.


    Alice moved behind her father, grabbed his shoulders, and massaged them.


    "But it is a good thing. When our organization is spread around the globe, knowing we are just a phone call away relaxes me." Alice told her father.


    "I will remember your words and remind you when you become the head." Galahad dropped his shoulders and relaxed. "Also, I heard my little knight took down an elite in a single combat."


    Alice smiled with red cheeks. "Not bad for my first mission, right?"


    Galahad chuckled. "Of course, my first hunt was a regular crimson, only slightly bigger than others, and your brother Zenith''s first hunt was... Well, ask him yourself when he arrives."


    Alice accidentally squeezed her father''s shoulders a little too tight. "Zenith is coming?"


    "Ouch, careful with your strength." Galahad freed his shoulder from Alice''s grasp.


    "Sorry... But seriously, when is he arriving?" Alice asked, her eyes awerted.


    "About a week later. Zenith said he was coming to grab a few things before heading back to school." Galahad caressed his shoulders. "She doesn''t understand how strong she is sometimes." He murmured.


    "Oh," Alice looked down.


    Her big brother''s arrival clashed with the day she was supposed to visit the training program facility.


    Galahad got up and raised his daughter''s face. "You will see him in school anyway. Don''t hang your face now."


    "I know," Alice turned her head and sighed. "It''s not just that weighing on me." She sat on her father''s office chair, curled up.


    Galahad sensed the situation. He grabbed himself a chair and sat before his daughter. "Let me guess, it was the deaths."


    "The infirmary told me the captain had to have surgery." Alice looked at her hands, shaking. In her mind, a scene from the battle repeated.


    Captain Lance suddenly pulled her away, the silhouette of the elite passing him lightning-fast.


    But he still managed to protect her. Captain pushed himself between the blade hands of the invader and Alice.


    The blade slashed through Lance''s armor, scattering sparks first, then metal scraps, fabric, and blood before it escaped.


    Alice shook herself. "Everyone always told me I was special, yet I failed to save many today."


    Galahad grabbed Alice''s hands. "No, you managed to save so many. It is hard to accept it, but you cannot save everyone every time. Even if you rip your muscles, hurt your lungs, and bleed from exhaustion."


    Alice smiled, but her tears gathered in her shaky eyes.


    Galahad hugged her, "My little ray of light, you are still a child, yet you carry such a burden. I wish I could lift all the weight from your heart."


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    He waited a bit to give his daughter comfort then carefully wiped the tears from Alice''s eyes. "Let''s do this. You go wear something comfortable, tell the chef what you want to eat, and relax, and I will finish my job fast so we can watch a movie tonight."


    Alice pushed Galahad''s hands away and nodded. "I will," She said, her voice cracking.


    With her father''s help, she stood and left the room, waving him before passing the door.


    Alice moved straight into her room, locked the door, and closed the curtains.


    The sword appeared, flying around Alice. "Are you sure you want to lock yourself?"


    "I need some breathing time," Alice said as she changed into her pajamas.


    "It is your choice, but you must speak up a bit more." The sword gave its opinion.


    "Speak on what," Alice said as she wandered the room aimlessly.


    "Whatever is bothering you,"


    Alice sighed. "Where to even begin?" She threw herself to a couch.


    "You saved lives that day." The sword said. "Galahad had already told you, but if you need a reminder, your actions hastened the knight''s progress." It added.


    "And what if it was Zenith on my place!?" Alice headbutted a pillow. "He would jump right into the action, cleaving through the enemy, no matter if they were an elite or a regular, probably reaching and saving the town before Crimson even reached the walls."


    "Do you resent your brother?" The sword said.


    "No!" Alice leashed, rising from the couch and locking her eyes on the sword, but she relaxed a moment later, averting her eyes, dropping her shoulders, and sitting down.


    "Zenith is awesome. I love my brother, but it is just that I feel like I can''t catch him no matter what I do. I have a larger chunk of the relic, and elders choose me as the next head of the family, yet I have always been in his shadows."


    Alice headbutted the pillow with the full might of an upset labrador, this time repeating her action.


    "And the worst part is, he is so humble about it and supportive of me! How can he even do that? I would have lost my mind if I was him." She bit the pillow in rage.


    The sword would have giggled if it had the ability. "Well, that is one tough pillow."


    But funny as the scene was, it knew the emotional toll on Alice. "I, or the big mass I was from, choose both of you." The sword said.


    Alice glared at the sword, her eyes fiery, "Yeah?" She said, her voice half-muffled because of the pillow she was biting.


    "I know both of your abilities, and even if Zenith is better than you know, you will catch up to him, trust me, but more importantly, he is your older brother, who passed the early stage of growth while you are still adapting." The sword added to its argument.


    "I understand you both differences still shouldn''t be that much." Alice put out her phone and scrolled through it. "Look!" She showed a picture of the sword.


    It was a message Zenith sent her two months ago, he posing in front of a decapitated carcass of a giant Crimson, about the size of a two-story house.


    Under was a message from him.


    "Sorry I can''t make it in time, sis, but I got you a cool memorial from this beast. I will give it to you when I visit home."


    The sword made a movement resembling nodding. "Well, Zenith was also a special case. If I am not wrong, he is the second person in history where my main mass bestowed four shards. Well, compared to me, the most sentient weapon, capable of hosting the most aura at once, having four different weapons you can call is still an advantage, a different kind to yours." That was how shards worked. Their holder called them in any form desired for their battles.


    Alice took a deep breath. "Ahh!" She suddenly screamed and stamped to the ground, causing a poor worker passing before her door to leap away in horror.


    When she calmed down, she released herself and hit the couch.


    "Do you feel better now?" The sword asked.


    Alice smiled. "A little."


    She reached for the table in front of him.


    It was an overly adorned coffee table from the late Renaissance era. The table had gilds and pearls on its legs and a well-polished marble top.


    "I wish I could replace you with a more useful wooden one." She said as she grabbed the remote of her television.


    "Today we celebrate-" *static


    "With new Maxim-Cleaning-" *static


    "Five killed on a raid-" *static


    "Pass, pass, pass." Alice sighed and closed the TV. "Why the tv is so empty."


    The sword lay next to Alice. "May I suggest wide and more preferred entertainment platforms on the world wide web?"


    "No... I will wait for Dad to watch a movie, and I am not in the mood for pet videos or hour-long essays about topics I previously never had an interest in."


    "Well, if you don''t mind me then." The sword levitated above the remote, carefully opened the TV, and began typing something on its internet browser.


    Alice got up and stretched. "Have fun. I will go grab a snack."


    Alice opened her door and left the room. The corridor was surprisingly empty. "There must be a meeting." She shrugged and moved straight to the kitchen.


    When she arrived, the head chef was locking the door.


    He was a short, chubby man with a well-groomed mustache.


    For Alice, he was like a friend.


    "Are we closing the kitchen for the day?" Alice asked with a smirk.


    "Oh, young miss!" The head chef turned around with a smile. "I heard you were having a bad day. How happy I am to see you smiling."


    "Thank you, Billard. Now, where is all the staff?" Alice asked.


    "Oh, nothing serious. We are preparing food for the islanders for morale, and the manor staff is mostly helping us with tables and silverware." He offered Alice the key to the kitchen. "There is a fresh tray of cookies inside. But don''t let anyone see you inside." He whispered while looking away, trying to see if any curious ears were listening to them.


    Alice broke down in laughter and fell to her knees. "Ha! Just what I need today." She wiped away the tears in her eyes and grabbed the key. "I will be extra stealthy, my friend." She whispered to him back.


    Billard nodded with a smile. "It was good to see you, young miss, but I must hurry." He walked away with big, cheerful steps.


    Alice opened the kitchen door and entered inside. A strong smell of browned butter, caramel, and cacao inside covered the room.


    The smell came from a sheet of freshly baked cookies. They were still pipping hot.


    She infused aura into her fingers as a shield and grabbed one.


    "I can''t understand how he ups himself every time." She said after her first bite.


    After finishing the first cookie, Alice grabbed the tray and left the kitchen.


    "Be extra stealthy." She repeated in her mind as she walked to her room.

 Chapter 6: The Training Facility

    Location: United Nations Special Programs Training facility, Texas, United States.


    Date: September 04, 2045.


    Time: 8:07 EST.


    In the vast emptiness of the Chihuahuan desert, a stadium-like structure stood.


    It was still under construction, with scaffoldings and heavy equipment scattered around.


    And circling everything were military checkpoints and a mix of concrete walls and wired fences, controlled by forces sent by the United Nations and the US.


    A black van approached the first checkpoint. It had no markings but had a large, heavily tinted window on its back.


    "Stop." A loud robotic voice ordered before showing itself.


    The robot had a vaguely humanoid shape. It was almost three meters tall. Its rigid, sharp edges didn''t give a friendly aura, not to mention the giant cannon it used as its left arm.


    The robot had one large eye covering its entire head. From that eye, multiple lasers appeared, slowly sweeping through the vehicle part by part, its eye flickering whenever it finished one part.


    When the scan finished, the robot''s eye turned blue, and it approached the driver seat, each of its steps being loud and heavy, lifting dust from the ground.


    "This area is exclusive to authorized personnel. State the purpose of your visit." It said, bent forward, staring at the driver.


    From this distance, the UN emblem on the machine''s chest was easy to see, and right below that was a logo of a white hare holding a rifle.


    And for a robot with many parts and heavy armor, it worked very quietly, as if someone designed it to be silent.


    The driver opened his window.


    He was a balding man, wearing a jet-black suit with a distinct gold-colored UNAS pin on his chest showing his position as an official field agent. He held a badge towards the robot. His eyes locked on to the hare logo. "So he is here too," He murmured. "We are here with permission."


    The robot scanned the badge, then the man. Its eye glowed green this time. It stepped away from the road and turned to the checkpoint gate.


    "Entry permission confirmed. Please drive forward."


    The agent nodded and closed his window as he drew forward.


    Behind the van was a comfortable sitting area for passengers, adorned with a small mini fridge and a television.


    "I am sorry our road trip took so long, Miss Alice. Hopefully, you are not bored." The agent said, his eyes still on the road.


    Alice was sitting comfortably, holding a half-eaten chocolate in hand. Next to her was the sword. It didn''t have eyes, but anybody could notice it was locked to the small TV, playing a Spanish soap opera it was a fan of.


    "I am not used to car rides this long. This country is big, but the van was very comfortable," Alice answered before chomping her chocolate.


    "Well, mam, you had the chance to see the biggest state of them all, even I get tired of the sizes sometimes, but it is a nice place, not many Crimson invasions, cheap houses, good food, and if you got decent folk as your neighbors, living here is nicer than most." He said, his voice carrying notes of pride and happiness.


    The van moved through a couple more checkpoints, each armed heavier than the others, but nobody stopped them, making the rest of the ride smooth.


    When they reached the parking area, the agent exited the vehicle and opened the van''s passenger door.


    "We arrived, Miss Alice. I hope you enjoy our facility."


    "Come one, we''re going," Alice said to the sword, still watching the soap opera.


    It didn''t flinch.


    "Alright, hard way it is." She grabbed it and then dragged it with herself. The sword tried to resist it, but Alice was stronger.


    Before exiting the van, Alice nodded with a smile to the agent. "Thank you for driving me." She waved him goodbye before approaching a large elevator at the end of the parking area.


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    "What''s gotten into you." She shouted at the sword when they got far away from the agent.


    "No, what is going on in you? Couldn''t you wait for just fifteen more minutes?" The sword shouted back.


    "Come on, you are supposed to be the older, wiser one between us. Why are you acting crazy whenever you watch that damned show?"


    "My dear Ricardo was about to confess his love to sweet Maria. The setting sun behind them, the wind pushing Maria''s long hair, the instruments flawlessly mixing in with the atmosphere, you robbed me of that! How can I not?" The sword struggled his way out of Alice''s grip. It levitated and followed her from behind. "Now I have to wait who knows how long to see the ending."


    Alice rolled her eyes. "If you promise to act normal, I let you use my phone to watch the rest."


    "Deal!" The sword faded away, leaving a trail of golden glitter behind.


    Alice pinched her forehead and entered the elevator.


    "Now, which floor was it? I noted on my phone."


    Alice took her phone out and started scrolling through it.


    Someone else entered the elevator before she found her answer.


    A boy of her age. He was taller than his peers, slightly over 180 centimeters, and his long, brass-colored hair shone with the elevator light.


    The boy wore a blue suit with no markings of rank or loyalty.


    "To the training grounds, I assume." He said with a knowing smile.


    Alice was startled and almost dropped her phone but got herself together quickly and answered. "Yes, I am," "How did I not notice him." She thought.


    The boy moved next to Alice. The elevator closed its doors and began moving without any input from either of them.


    "Did someone else call it," Alice said.


    "Oh, sorry about that." The boy raised his hair. There were some metal markings on his temple, hidden by his hair.


    These were signs of mechanical implants.


    "Wait, you are a cyborg?" Alice asked but immediately closed her mouth. "Sorry, I didn''t mean to be rude."


    Boy chuckled. "Don''t worry about it, and no, I am not. I only have some light brain implants." He said with a large, forced smile.


    "Oh." Alice nodded.


    The rest of the elevator ride went quiet. Alice averted her eyes out of embarrassment.


    Alice exited the elevator on the eleventh floor, but the boy stayed.


    "I hope you have a good first impression." He said as the elevator closed and climbed above.


    "Who he was?" Alice asked herself.


    "I don''t know." The sword answered. "But I didn''t like him."


    "Really, for what?"


    "He is walking talking lies." The sword locked onto the elevator. "Everything was fake, from his smile to him only having light implants."


    "You must tell me more about this because it looks serious."


    "Anti-oxygen, the thing you all humans have that gives your kin your superpowers. He had lots of it in his body, but only on certain parts."


    "But he didn''t look old, why anyone would ever turn themselves into a cyborg? Your body being able to be hacked by computers is a massive problem, and ever since the Silicon Valley Massacre, it is mostly illegal."


    "I don''t know, but I don''t like him. Open your eyes on him."


    Alice nodded. "I guess we have to be extra careful here."


    "We must." The sword agreed.


    Alice moved through a long, empty corridor until a female staff in a long, white trenchcoat greeted Alice.


    She stood before a large door.


    "You must be Miss Alice Ardenblade, right?" The staff asked, holding a tablet in her hands.


    "I am." She showed the sword. "And this my blade. I assume it will suffice as an identification."


    "Oh, I am sorry, I didn''t mean it that way. It was just for procedure."


    "I understand, no trouble." Alice acted calm.


    "I am glad to hear that. Now, please let me give you a tour of this part of our facility." The staff turned around, and the massive door behind her slid open.


    Behind the door was a room filled with training equipment and arenas.


    "This place is as big as my home," She thought as the staff passed her and entered the room.


    Alice followed the staff from behind as she moved between equipment, explaining them.


    "And this is our sparring grounds." She said, her hand pointed towards one of the arenas.


    Arenas looked simple, only a solid sand floor with white stripes determining the borders.


    Staff entered the arena, and as soon as she crossed the line, all white markings turned red, and dozens of drones with massive cameras came flying from the roof. "They may look primitive, but we use state-of-the-art motion capture technology, supported with thousands of sensors to create the best recording of each sparring session. Every movement, every moment¡ªfrom subtle temperature shifts to intense, flashy maneuvers¡ªis captured from all angles. You can even later inspect them by yourself or with our advisors."


    "Impressive." Alice clapped her hands in applause.


    "It sure is, and now, please follow me to the common room where other kids are." The staff exited the arena and moved towards a small door.


    When she left, drones flew back to their hiding place on the roof, and the marking changed their color to white.


    A short walk later, they stood before the communal room''s door. "I can''t go further from here, I wish you good days, and if you have any questions later, please find me." She slightly bowed forward and left the scene.


    "Alright," Alice took a deep breath and straightened her posture, "Here we go."


    She pushed the door open and entered the communal room.


    Before her, three kids stood, glaring at Alice.


    A tall, muscular boy who levitated a couple of centimeters above the ground with crossed arms, he had a disappointed look.


    He wore a tight black costume with blue, red, and white stripes on his shoulders and 45 stars on his chest.


    A short girl with white hair and red eyes, wearing a Soviet-style military officer uniform, stood in the middle. Her posture was straight like a pen, and her body was stiff. She had a long saber hanging from her hip with one hand on the pommel and a fiery look in her eyes.


    She strengthened her grip when Alice entered.


    And last, a shirtless boy with wings and claws. His upper body was covered in platinum-colored scales. He was the only one sitting. He had a mischievous grin and a tall glaive standing next to him.


    Alice stood silently. "Why do they look so unfriendly? Did I offend them somehow?" She asked to the sword telepathically.


    "I don''t know." The sword answered.


    "Well," The white-haired girl stepped closer to Alice. She inspected her while caressing her chin. "Expected something better, but anyways." She drew her saber and pointed towards Alice. "I challenge you to a friendly spar, knight heiress."


    Alice grinned. "So, this is how they talk? Good."


    She grabbed the sword, pointed at the white-haired girl, and infused it with aura until its golden glow overpowered the lamps in the room. "And I accept your challenge."

 Chapter 7: The Duel

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 Chapter 8: First Victory

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 Chapter 9: Friendly Feast

    "Past the large stairway on Hall 3-B and use the elevator, last room at the right," Alice murmured, looking at her phone.


    "Ugh." She closed her phone. "They couldn''t make this place any less cryptic?"


    After she talked with Leonhard, he left through a different gate than the other kids exited.


    "You are no help either." She called the sword.


    Since the encounter with the Chancellor, it had stayed quiet, but she could still feel its fear.


    "Sorry," the sword said, still immaterialized. "I need to process things."


    "Was he that strong?" Alice asked. She also felt the choking presence of the Chancellor, and it was common knowledge that he was the most powerful, but no one saw him struggle even once.


    "He was." The sword said.


    Alice understood the situation her company was in. "Then I let you enjoy some silence." She walked just walked until she reached the floor where her room was.


    "Environment here is completely different." She said, looking at the long corridor adorned with high-quality floor carpet, colorful wallpapers, small decorative items, and a playful tune in the background.


    "Compared to all that concrete and steel, here feels nice."


    Alice walked through the corridors until she found her assigned room.


    She used her phone to open the digital lock and entered inside.


    "Decoration is simple, yet modern. We even have a comfy-looking couch, a TV, and a cute coffee table. It is not too spacious either. I liked it." Alice sniffed. "And inside smells like lavender."


    Her luggage was also in the middle¡ªtwo pieces of baggage and a massive wooden crate with her power armor.


    Alice looked at her clothes. Her duel with Yulia wore them quite a bit. "Should have worn my armor first."


    "These were my favorites." She murmured.


    Alice quickly changed into something relaxed and threw her into the bed.


    "Kingsize, how great." She closed her eyes and dazed a little.


    "I wonder what people on the island are doing now?"


    When she left, construction was still going. She heard her father managed to bill some of the construction costs to the UN because Younglaw failed both on his hunt and didn''t inform them of the gaping beast''s route.


    She smiled, "Serves that baldie right."


    "Oh!" She jumped up, pushing her bed away in the process. "Others invited me."


    Alice summoned the sword. It materialized out of thin air but didn''t have its distinct golden glow.


    It didn''t answer or react.


    "Hey," Alice called the sword, lightly swinging around.


    It gave a faint glow. "Sorry, what do you want to ask?"


    "Nothing, just that I see a large television in this room. Do you want to watch your soap opera on a bigger screen?"


    The sword levitated away from Alice''s hands and dropped to the couch, bouncing twice before stopping. "That would be nice."


    "Alright." Alice pulled out her phone and put it on the coffee table. "You know the password and how to connect it to the TV." She then moved to her luggage and searched it for something. "And before we forget."


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    She put a small plastic cap on the sword''s tip. "So you don''t destroy it."


    "Thank you." Sword opened the phone and began searching for its show as Alice left the room.


    When she closed the door, someone called her.


    "There you are!" It was Jin. He held a stack of pizza boxes. "We were just staring, come!"


    "Okay," She followed him to another room. Music and colorful lights were coming out of the door.


    "There you are," Yulia said. She lay on the couch with a bag of mixed snacks next to her.


    She wore a brown bear onesie.


    "Somehow, adorable." Alice thought, unable to hide her smile. "Hello," She said, waving.


    "Oh," Yulia straightened. "Welcome!"


    "Nice onesie," Alice commented.


    "Yeah." Yulia got up and twirled. "Somebody bought me as a tasteless political joke." She clenched her fist and gritted her teeth but relaxed and puffed her chest with pride. "But shame on him, it''s pretty comfortable, and I like it!"


    She then looked at Jin. "Talking about that person, where is Jonathan?"


    "Oh, he forgot the drinks and flew back to grab some."


    "But that will take him at least an hour!" Yulia protested.


    "Don''t worry, there is a gas station nearby."


    Yulia sat down. "How good. I''m lucky to have two flying errand boys."


    "What?" Jin suddenly turned to Yulia.


    She looked at him with a smug grin. "I said what I said."


    Alice watched as the two bickered and decided to join.


    "I am glad they are friendly, but isn''t this too much." Alice thought.


    She stepped in before the two started fighting.


    "Talking about drinks. Where did you get all these?"


    There weren''t only pizzas or snacks, wings, burgers, boxes, and boxes of American-Chinese food.


    "We just fly." Jin opened his wings. "Cool, isn''t it?"


    "Woah, that must be nice." Alice approached Jin. "I know it might be rude, but can I?"


    "Go on." He moved his left-wing towards Alice, who inspected it with glowing eyes.


    "Man, running is boring."


    "Do you run fast though?" Jin asked.


    "I can go faster than most cars." Alice backed away from the wings. "Although if I go too fast, I usually lose control and hurt myself or things around me. I once cracked a giant boulder while testing my top speed. There was a me-shaped mark on the thing."


    "I have a bike license." Yulia suddenly said.


    "This is not a contest," Jin replied.


    "I know. I just wanted you two to know."


    "Know what?" Jonathan entered through the door. He carried multiple cases of different soft drinks. He looked at Alice. "Oh, you are here too." He showed a case of grape soda. "I didn''t know what you liked, so I got random stuff."


    "Oh, anything is fine by me." Alice grabbed the case. "Where should I put it?"


    "Just put it on the ground. It''s not like we won''t be eating like animals anyway," He said as he placed the other cases.


    "Good, feasting time!" Jin said, opening one of the pizza boxes. "We have mixed meat pizza. Who wants a slice."


    He turned to everyone, his eyes still locked on the pizza, pupils fully grown.


    "You know, you take that one," Alice said.


    The other two agreed by nodding.


    "Alright," Jin sat on the ground with a box on his lap and began eating.


    Alice also sat down and pulled all sorts of food in front of her, "Billard will kill me if he learns I ate so much junk food, but this is my one opportunity." She pumped with her fist, one tear of joy in her eye.


    Everyone stopped talking and devoured food until Alice broke the silence.


    "Oh, just a question, did you also invite Leonhard?"


    Jonathan gulped his bite. "You mean the mysterious guy. We did, but he always said he would if he could but never showed, so we stopped asking."


    "Alright, but what is even his deal?"


    "We don''t know either. He is also part of the program but never shows up to training except when things need fixing." Yulia said before cracking open a soda can.


    "He is also very close with high-ranking staff and works with the site security," Jin added.


    "I also saw him today when the Chancellor arrived. He walked in right between him and his guards."


    "The Chancellor was here!" All three suddenly stopped.


    "Yeah, he greeted me but teleported away, saying he had business."


    "Did you feel his presence?" Yulia asked.


    "It was..."


    "Oppresive and powerful." Yulia finished Alice''s sentence. "But so cool at the same time!" She added her thoughts after.


    "Can''t argue with that, I think," Alice said. "But what is Leonhard''s relationship with him anyway to walk so close so carefree?"


    "We don''t know, but that kid smells like trouble, secretive, stealthy, good with military tech, plus he is mechanically modified," Jonathan said.


    "I think they raise him as some sort of important agent," Yulia said. "My bet is for the anti-cultist agency!"


    Jin chuckled. "Kid walks around with an army of robots and private security, and you put him in secret service."


    Yulia crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Then tell me what you think?"


    "I think he will go for Defense Council."


    "Boring," Yulia said before turning to Alice. "Why do you care for him anyway?"


    "Oh, he invited me to a duel, saying he would give me high-class intel for participating and something even more valuable if I win."


    "Be careful," Jonathan said, his face dead serious.


    The other two nodded in agreement.


    "That kid is from the UN inner circle. Expect anything and everything from him." Yulia gave her advice.


    Alice sighed. "Yeah, you are right." She grabbed a drumstick. "Am I too naive for this world?"

 Chapter 10: The Duel

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 Chapter 11: The Duel Pt.2

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 Chapter 12: New Comers

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 Chapter 13: Other Kids

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 Chapter 14: Jonathan vs Cillian

    A day later, in Alice''s room.


    After all the shenanigans, Alice and the rest gathered for a meeting.


    "So, what is our goal?" Asked Yulia, in her bear pajama.


    In front of her was a small barrier of snacks, half open, and some even finished.


    "What do you mean our goal is? The first day was a disaster. We need to fix our reputation!" Jonathan said as he bit a slice of pizza.


    "I mean, is our reputation even in a bad position? We just showed them a reason to respect us." Yulia offered a counterargument.


    "Yeah..." Jonathan gulped his bite. "But we are not enemies here, neither our goal is to trample others."


    Alice raised her hand before she spoke. "Since this was my fault too, I like to give my opinion."


    "Yeah, go on." Both said unanimously.


    "Since we started it with a fight, why not end it with one?" Alice got up and looked around her room until she found something to draw on.


    Others watched as she hastily scribbled a graph on the paper. "Look, let''s do a tournament."


    Trio moved closer to the paper.


    "You know this isn''t that bad of an idea," Yin said, inspecting the graph closely while caressing his chin.


    "I am not sure about that," Jonathan said. "Other kids seem to be eager for a fight, but


    "I know what you are thinking, but look from my perspective. We need to solidify our status as leaders of our respective academies, but we can''t be bullies, so why not handle everything in a fair environment?" Alice added more to her argument.


    Yin got up. "Alright, votes in. If you agree, sit up, and if you don''t, keep your ass on the floor."


    Alice followed him, then Yulia, and after some thinking and glances.


    "Alright, you got me too, you maniacs."


    Jonathan.


    ****


    Two days later. On training grounds.


    ****


    "I can''t believe you made them agree on it this quickly," Jonathan said to Alice, standing in line.


    "Don''t need to be surprised," Alice smirked. "They want us to beat the life out of each other but can''t do that without students agreeing."


    Soon, three advisors and medical staff entered the training grounds. Advisors moved to different parts of the room.


    "Alright, you little psychopaths, I assume all of them had got and read the informative text, but for ones against the technology, your friendly representatives asked for a tournament. They said everyone can show their skills fairly." One of the advisors said, patroling on a path.


    "There are 32 of you little monsters, so we are making a simple, five-step tournament." The advisor on the left side of the room shouted.


    "All matchups are randomized. If you find yourself against someone who counters your ability, don''t cry. Try to overcome it." The advisor on the right side of the room added.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "And we will keep it short to finish this thing in a reasonable time." He moved in front of one of the battlegrounds. "Students that I call their names move in!" He opened a tablet. "Jonathan, and Cillian Serpentine.


    "Good luck, big guy." Yulia slapped Jonathan''s back as he flew towards the arena.


    "He is surprisingly quiet," Alice noted.


    "Not like him, right?" Yin said.


    Alice nodded, her eyes locked on Jonathan''s. He was looking at his opponent, barely even blinking.


    Compared to him, Serpentine looked calm. He brushed his snow-white hair into shape as he walked to the arena. With each of his steps, his body moved in such elegance one could assume he was gliding.


    "Mys, you look tense, dear," Serpentine said with a smile.


    "Your name tells me that I should be extra careful." Jonathan landed on his corner.


    Serpentine also reached his corner. He wore white leather gloves. He slowly pulled them, revealing long, scaly fingers with sharp, black fingernails.


    "Don''t need to be tense, dear. I am not here to hunt, just to spar." He opened his mouth. It looked like a human closed when he talked, but when he fully opened it, it extended beyond anyone expected, revealing four large hidden fangs.


    He dripped a yellowish-green liquid on his hands and directed it towards his nails.


    "How can he even?" Alice said aloud.


    "He is in Horizon, right?" Yulia said. "Good luck with your weirdo number one."


    Meanwhile, Jonathan stayed the same.


    "Don''t let him pierce your skin. Strike fast and hard." He repeated in his head.


    One advisor moved between the two and raised his hand. "On my mark! Go!" He slashed his hand down and dashed out of the arena.


    Jonathan watched as the snake boy approached him. His movements were almost random and unpredictable, but there was one critical problem.


    "He is slow." Jonathan took this opportunity and flew forward, lifting sand from the ground.


    Cillian smiled, compressing his body like a coil in an unnatural manner.


    "Somethings wrong." Jonathan changed his trajectory and flew into the air moments before the clash.


    "Somethings wrong? Scared of bites, perhaps?" Cillian said, showing his forked tongue each word.


    "I don''t know why, but my instincts tell me he would land his strike first if we clashed directly."


    He knew about Cillians bloodline. Their poisons were matched by no other, and considering he stood here with them, he was no joke.


    "I don''t call it being scared. I prefer self-preservation." He looked at the advisors watching the match. "How deep is the arena?" He shouted.


    The advisor in the middle smiled. "Three meters."


    Jonathan nodded, aimed his body down, and rushed to the ground, fist forward.


    "What are you-!" Before Cillian finished his sentence, the entire floor shook as Jonathan dived deep into the floor.


    So much sand and dirt raised from the attack that the arena felt like someone threw smoke grenades at it.


    From the dust cloud, Jonathan rose, holding a large piece of the ground above his head.


    "Every one of the kids here has a special ability, be it super speed and electric manipulation, Aura, energy reflection, or a vampiric blade. Compared to them, I am a crude guy."


    "And what does that mean exactly?" Cillian shouted. "Just because you are crude doesn''t mean you should damage a UN facility."


    Jonathan shook his head. "No, you got everything wrong. I am crude, but I am very good at being crude." He started spinning like an Olympic ball thrower and launched the piece of ground he was holding to Cillian.


    Cillian condensed himself once more and leaped backward, making a great distance between himself and the impact area.


    The debris Jonathan threw exploded into a million pieces and rained dirt, gravel, and sand.


    "Ha, I knew it!" Jonathan leaped out of the falling pieces. He rushed at Cillian at full speed and landed a punch to him before he recovered.


    The punch was strong enough to make a loud crack and send Cillian flying through the facility.


    "What the fuck was that?" Cillian thought. "Did I get hit by a train or something?" His consciousness barely stayed open.


    He tried to get up, but his shaky arms barely managed to lift his chest from the air.


    He looked at himself. "My shirt is completely obliterated, and my scales got shattered." He slammed his fist to the ground. "Damn it!"


    Jonathan towards Cillian and landed close to him. "Are you alright?"


    "Do I look alright?" Cillian snapped, but it didn''t take him long to get his self-control back.


    "No, I am not."


    Jonathan approached him and offered his hand. "Here."


    "No, I still have poison on my hands." Cillian tried to get himself up, but failed once more, hitting the floor. "Just grab me from the back."


    Jonathan did as asked, and helped Cillian.


    When he got up, Cillian almost fell back but managed to stay up.


    "Are you sure you are alright?" Jonathan asked. "Medical team is approaching, just sit down."


    "Alright, alright. I am better now." He said, soundly breathing. Cillian touched his chest. "Good, I have no broken ribs, you monster."


    "I just gave it my all."


    "I know it, I was on the receiving end of your all."


    Soon, the medical team arrived and took Cillian to the infirmary.


    When Jonathan moved back to the arena, one of the advisors raised his hand like he won a boxing match. "First winner, Jonathan!" The advisor shouted, hyping other students.


    Trio clapped from the side. Yulia took it one step forward by whistling.


    Other students watched from them from their side, bitter. For them, a massive gap just got bigger.

 Extra Chapter 1

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