When the two swordswomen clashed, their blow erupted the sand beneath them, creating a thick veil that blocked all outside vision.

Inside the sand cloud, their blades locked, grinding together with a shower of sparks.

Soon, all movement died, and they stared at each other momentarily until one dropped their weapon and fell to the ground, pushing the remaining sand cloud away.

Drones recording the battle backed away into their nest, and the stripes on the floor turned back to white.

Alice still stood, hands on knees, her muscles tense, burning. She panted, each of her breaths loud and inducing a sharp pain in her lungs and throat.

"I won," she said. "I won!"

Alice's grip on her sword weakened, and it slipped from her hands.

"Don't waste your strength on me. Focus on recovering your stamina." The sword told Alice as it faded away with a golden glitter behind it.

Alice straightened herself and pushed the sweat away.

"This was hard."

From the sides, sounds of clapping raised.

She turned to the source of the noise. It was the other two guys in the common rooms.

Alice gave a soft nod towards them and moved forward.

Yulia was still on the ground, trying to get up. Her hands shook and gave out when she tried to push herself.

"Need help?" Alice asked, offering her hand.

Yulia looked away, then turned around, her eyes still avoiding Alice. "I guess it would be nice."

"Here." Alice grabbed Yulia's arm and lifted her.

They wobbled a bit until they managed to balance each other.

Medical staff rushed to the field.

"I have no damage, thank you." Alice declined the help.

"Yeah, me too... Uhg." Yulia grabbed her arm. "Maybe a little help."

One of the staff members put his medical bag on the ground and pulled out a blood bag.

"Here you go, miss Zimnyaya." Staff offered the bag to Yulia.

She quickly grabbed it, tore it with her teeth, and poured the contents into her mouth.

"Why do her teeth look like fangs?" Alice was shocked by the sight.

"Much better." Yulia threw the empty blood bag away. White vapor appeared from her wounds and bruises, quickly healing them, but not all the way.

Yulia looked at Alice. "That aura shield of yours." She clenched her teeth and pointed to her. "It made a fool of me this time, but just you know, I won't be tricked by it next time!"

"I will be waiting for our rematch then."

"The trick is on the sword! Did what you did, and don't get hit by it, and she'd be on the ground again!" The levitating boy shouted.

Yulia turned towards him, her confident grin back. "Oh, someone is still sad they lost?"

He flew towards her and landed two steps before. "At least I didn't talk trash."

Yulia took a step forward. "Or did I beat you so hard, you couldn't even, Jonathan."

Jonathan stepped back, lowering himself until he was at eye level with Yulia.

Yulia tilted her head to the right, confused, "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, it is hard to take you seriously when all I see is a tiny screaming hat."

Yulia clenched her fists and stomped. "You damned!" She dashed back to the arena, picked up her saber, and slashed toward Jonathan, who dodged the attack by flying away, leaving dust on his trail.

"Come back here!" She shouted to Jonathan, swinging her sword towards him.

Jonathan smiled. "Make me then."

While the two bickered, a boy with scales approached Alice.

"My favorite part of the day." He said, his eyes locked on Jonathan teasing Yulia by narrowly escaping her attacks.

He then turned to Alice and offered his hand. "By the way, my name's Jin Qiang, but just call me Jin."

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Alice unknowingly stared at Jin's hands. "Scales covered his hands up to the wrists, ending in clawed fingertips."

"Hello?" Jin waved his hands.

Alice gasped. "Oh, I am sorry, it was just-"

"Weird? Yeah, don't worry about that. I am used to it."

"No, not weird, more like unorthodox." Alice offered her hand in an attempt to fix her rudeness. "Alice Ardenblade, and sorry."

Jin shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, but seriously, I don't mind it. Just don't repeat it, or at least ask for permission."

Alice rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, sorry about that. It won't happen again."

"Also, my power is energy absorption and deflection." Jin suddenly said.

"Huh?" Alice slipped out, shocked. "Why are you telling me that? Like thank you, but?"

"I just prefer having equal fights, that's all." Jin pointed at Yulia. "Also, her powers are, as you saw, healing through blood consumption or empowering through blood sacrifice, while if you get hit by her sword, it temporarily drains your strength and gives it to her. That's how our muscle head lost his fight, and talking about him, he doesn't have any other tricks, just super strength, durability, speed, and flying."

Alice, feeling like returning the favor, summoned the sword in her signature form, a massive tipless blade wide as a tower shield.

She grabbed it with both hands and loaded it with aura.

"Think it as returning the favor. This sword means I will be destroying something in a large vicinity."

Jin smiled. "May I touch the blade?"

Alice nodded. "Go on."

He grabbed the blade, feeling the aura flow inside of it. "This raw power, like a massive dam on full capacity, ready to burst out." Jin's smile grew uncontrollably large, his scales shining a faint glow.

"Magnificent." He said to Alice, his eyes still locked to the blade. "Please tell me when you fully recover. I want to test myself against you."

"That'd be my pleasure."

***

**

When Yulia calmed down, all the kids left the training ground. "You won't come with us?" Jin asked.

"I will, but I need some time first."

"Alright, we will order food tonight, so find us." They left.

Now, only Alice was left behind. She sat down and recalled the fight. "I need to focus more." She murmured.

When her meditation ended, Alice got up, dusted her clothes, and moved to the exit, but a familiar person blocked her path.

"Younglaw. What do you want?" She took a step back from the door.

Younglaw entered the training grounds. He wore the same uniform when he visited Knighthood home island but had a navy blue and white leather hat with a globe pin this time.

He greeted Alice with the tip of his hat. "Miss Alice. I hope you enjoyed your first day here."

"I did, until now at least." Alice crossed her arms and sighed. "What you are here for?"

"I am with someone you will show some respect." Alex Younglaw moved to the side and kneeled towards the door.

A very tall man, almost reaching three meters in height, entered. He had to bend half of his body to enter the training grounds.

The man had long, straight golden hair, shiny ruby eyes, and an olive complexion with no defects but a long scar on his chiseled jaw. He wore only simple black pants and a white shirt below a special-cut gray trench coat adorned with a pin of United Nations emblem.

"It is him." Alice bowed forward, one hand on her chest.

Right behind him, the cyborg kid Alice saw today entered. He smiled at Alice and waved.

Half a dozen humans in jet-black suits followed them. All had massive, black, angelic wings on their backs and entered the training grounds.

"Hello, Miss Alice. Nice to meet you." Chancellor said. He had a friendly smile and no aggression in his composure, yet his presence was choking.

The sword was vibrating violently. "How can a human have so much anti-oxygen? It is just ridiculous!"

Alice unsummoned the sword. "Try to keep calm. I am in no easy position either. His passive power leak is enough to overpower me." She told it.

"Father always said to never fully trust him, but always show the utmost respect. I understand him now." Alice recalled some advice. "I greet the Chancellor," she shouted.

"Oh, don't do that, raise your head." The Chancellor said. "No need to be so formal with me, please, I insist."

Alice stood straight, her hand still on her chest. She felt her heart pumping. "Thank you, sir. But what brings you here?"

"Oh, I wanted to greet you since I was around here. You know your father and I are associates."

Alice finally let her chest go and relaxed a bit. "Keep calm. No matter how pressuring he is, he is an ally, or at least not an enemy."

"Thank you, sir. I must say I enjoyed my time here so far."

"Delightful!" The Chancellor clapped, making a noise as loud as a bullet firing and releasing a small shockwave.

The Chancellor then turned towards the brass-haired boy. "I assume you two met before."

Leonhard nodded. "We did."

Alice nodded. "It was short, but yeah."

"Good," He pulled out his phone, and his smile disappeared. "Now I have to escape. Duty calls, but we will talk later when I have time." The Chancellor clapped his hands, and a red thunderbolt fell on him, Younglaw, and winged people, teleporting them away.

"What the-" Alice stepped back. "Where did that lightning even come from? We have a roof here!?"

Meanwhile, Leonhard stepped forward. "Miss Alice, good to formally meet you. I am Leonhard Clock. I hope you enjoyed the arena we provided."

"It was decent. I first need to see the recordings your people praised so much."

Leonhard nodded. "You are right. That's the main selling point, but to keep my words short and you not busy, can we schedule a friendly duel."

"Only if you stop acting so stiff. Be relaxed, I won't bite."

Leonhard nodded. "Sorry, me. I didn't know how to approach you. Now, Alice, if you allow me to call you that?"

Alice nodded. "That won't be a problem."

"I am happy to hear that. I am not a fighter, but I will call myself a good inventor and engineer. I have some machines I wanted to test, and you lit the fighting spirit in me with your last match."

"Alice, this a good opportunity. Deny him." The sword shouted in her mind.

"What?" Alice answered.

"Just do it! Call you already made a promise and have no intentions of showing your power for free."

Alice shook her head. "Sorry, but I already promised someone else, and I have no plans on being someone's test dummy."

Leonhard smiled. "Fair enough. Then what is your price? What can I do in exchange for a battle against you?"

Alice stopped for a moment and thought. "Leonhard was awfully close to the Chancellor, wasn't he?" "You, what is your relationship with the Chancellor?" She asked.

Leonhard shook his head. "I am sorry, but I can't tell you that, but let's do this. I will give intel your father would find valuable, and if you defeat me in the match, I will tell you my relationship with the Chancellor." He offered his hand. "Deal?"

"That's my girl, go for it!" The sword spoke.

Alice shook Leonhard's hand and sealed the deal. "Deal."