After finishing their meal, Alice pays the bill and leaves the restaurant accompanied by Arthur. They walk through the streets lit by the faint light of street lamps, observing the brutal contrast between the upscale neighborhoods and the decaying areas of the city. It was impossible to ignore the inequality, but there wasn't much they could do at that moment.
"So... are we sleeping on the street?" Arthur asks, crossing his arms.
"Of course not, genius. Do you really think I came here unprepared?" Alice rolls her eyes. "I bought a house around here some time ago, with the money I've been saving."
They enter a narrow, poorly lit street, completely deserted. The silence was almost suffocating, broken only by the sound of their own footsteps.
"I have a bad feeling about this street..." Arthur comments, stopping in the middle of the path.
"What? Are you scared, princess?" Alice teases, laughing mockingly. "Relax... your prince charming is here to protect you."
Arthur sighs and flashes a smile, but the unease still lingers.
Five minutes pass. The tension doesn't ease, but Alice tries to distract him.
"When we get there, we can play something... or maybe I can teach you some moves," she says, giving him a light tap on the shoulder.
"That sounds interesting..." Arthur replies, forcing a lighter tone. But before they can take another step, they see a figure standing in the middle of the street.
The person wore a hooded coat, their face shadowed. They remained motionless, as if waiting for them.
Alice instinctively reaches for the hilt of her katana. Her eyes never leave the figure.
"Hand him over. That way, we avoid problems..." the stranger says, pointing directly at Arthur.
"Oh, no. I think I'll have to disagree with you," Alice replies, positioning herself in front of Arthur with a challenging smile.
"So be it," the figure retorts, before advancing.
Alice charges without hesitation. When her katana collides with the opponent's arm, something unexpected happens: a metal blade emerges from the stranger's arm, easily blocking the strike.
"What...?" Arthur takes a step back. "This looks like something from Humans Upper..."
Alice jumps back, keeping a defensive stance. The woman before them pulls a machete from her own arm, as if the metal was hidden beneath her skin. The opening immediately closes.
"It can only be from Humans Upper... they're the only ones with this kind of weirdness," Alice says, spinning the katana firmly before launching another attack.
She delivers a vertical cut. The opponent blocks it with the machete and jumps over her, landing a precise strike to Alice's neck. Alice stumbles, disoriented. The attacker uses the opportunity to advance toward Arthur.
But Alice recovers quickly. Without thinking, she throws her katana with force.
"Desperate?" the figure says, catching the katana in mid-air.
But Alice had already disappeared from view. When the enemy instinctively turns around, it's too late: Alice immobilizes her from behind with a rear choke, wrapping her legs around the woman's waist.
"Damn it! Let me go!!" the woman screams, struggling with fury.
"Arthur! Now! Knock her out!" Alice shouts, tightening the choke.
Blades extend from the enemy's back, wounding Alice in the abdomen.
"NOW, ARTHUR!" she yells again.
Without hesitation, Arthur runs to them, aims for the woman's face, and delivers a punch with all his strength. The woman faints instantly.
Alice releases the hold and steps back, panting.
"Are you okay...?" Arthur asks, approaching her. "That cut doesn't look shallow."
"It's superficial... I can handle it," she replies, though her voice betrays the effort she's making. "Let's take this woman to my house. We'll tie her up and interrogate her there."
Arthur nods and lifts her over his shoulder. They continue walking in silence.
A few minutes later, they arrive at the house. As soon as they enter, Alice pulls the woman off Arthur's shoulder and throws her roughly to the floor. She then removes the enemy's hood, revealing a girl with short silver hair and a scar marking the corner of her mouth.
Arthur grabs some chains and begins to carefully and firmly bind the woman's arms and legs.
"She generates blades from her own body... so ropes wouldn't work," he comments.
"You're less dumb than I thought," Alice admits with a half-smile.
Suddenly, she staggers. Her expression changes, and sweat drips down her forehead. Then, she collapses.
Arthur rushes to catch her and realizes the abdominal wound is deeper than she had admitted.
"Damn it, Alice... you tried to act tough, but this is bad. Stay calm, I'll take care of it."
He carries her to the couch, searches the house for medical supplies, and after finding a kit, begins to clean and treat the wound carefully. Then, he carries her in his arms to the bedroom, lays her on the bed, and covers her with a blanket.
"You need to rest... I'll keep an eye on that girl," he whispers, placing a kiss on her forehead before leaving and carefully closing the door.