It was evident that the army sent by the Royal Court of Astralis had studied Alice’s personality and background beforehand.
They didn’t try to deceive the girl as if she were just an ordinary high school student, nor did they immediately resort to explicit threats.
Throughout the conversation, ambiguous expressions such as “clarifying misunderstandings” and “guaranteeing with one’s own honor” were used, which became the main tone of the negotiation. Even the words projected in the sky were carefully tinted pink.
To be honest, if it hadn’t been for the attack by the men in black, the warnings left by her father in the research notes, and the explosion that injured Nisha moments ago, an eleven-year-old girl like Alice might have seriously considered those gentle words, similar to a teacher advising a student.
At least, she would have hesitated to act harshly.
But in this world, there is no such thing as "what if."
In the present moment, with the light of explosions illuminating three floating battleships and three beams of light shining down, the girl's reaction had already been decided, and there was only one:
Run! Escape immediately, fighting back while fleeing!
Without hesitation, Alice ordered Nisha to run into the dense fields and forests. She didn’t believe a single word of the imperial army.
Guaranteeing with honor? Not using violence?
Hours ago, those agents had shot at her without hesitation.
Seconds ago, the explosion of the floating train had taken the lives of all the passengers except Alice. And now, this so-called "commander" was spouting these pathetic lies? Did they think a high school student lacked intelligence?
Having already witnessed bloodshed, Alice had not become a sadist, but at least she had gained some experience. Under the pressure of a life-or-death crisis, she was mentally prepared.
She didn’t want to die without understanding, and certainly not be captured and taken to a lab.
With that in mind...
“Nisha, go! Run to the distant city and destroy anyone who tries to stop us!”
Clenching her small white fists, Alice gave the order to the phantom. Despite the tension, her mind was clearer than ever, and in moments, she had mapped out a complete escape route.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
She knew she was in the middle of the floating train’s path. The imperial army had most likely rushed from the neighboring city’s port.
Considering the train's stops, it wasn’t hard to deduce that this not-so-dense forest was close to the city of Flaren. Moreover, under the light of the two moons in the sky, Alice could vaguely see the outline of the city on the distant horizon.
She needed to get to Flaren. There, she could blend into the crowd and find safety and resources. Even without the floating train, as long as she had Nisha, her speed would be no slower than an anti-gravity motorcycle.
Even if an entire imperial army tried to block the way, Nisha’s terrifying strength would quickly show them what it meant to try to stop a locomotive with bare hands.
“Stop! This is the last warning!”
Seeing the girl about to vanish into the forest without even listening, the soldiers who had surrounded the area could not remain indifferent.
Although they had been informed that the “target” was extraordinary, to ordinary eyes, Alice was simply “flying.”
"Capturing a little girl who can fly? I’m wearing the latest metal alloy exoskeleton armor of the Empire!"
That’s probably what the brave soldiers thought as they blocked her way.
Thus, five or six of them, covered in mechanical armor, rushed directly at Alice, trying to capture her.
However…
“Kill them, Nisha!”
Without further hesitation, Alice stopped hiding her intentions. The more she thought about her father’s warnings regarding the "Idealist Limiter," she knew she couldn’t waste time dealing with “various soldiers.”
Before the three “iron cans” running toward her could even open their capture devices, Alice had already given her order, and the obedient Nisha swung her blade at them.
Clang, clang!
Two sharp metallic sounds echoed, followed by two cross-shaped slashes. Amid a burst of bright blood, three imperial soldiers and their weapons were sliced into four pieces. By the time Nisha, speeding up even more, passed by, only pieces of meat, occasionally sparking with mechanical sparks, remained on the ground.
“...”
[“Attention, all units: the target is using force to escape the encirclement. Repeat, the target is using force to escape. In accordance with the Holy War Laws of Astralis, all units must immediately activate the emotional control module implanted in the brain... Imperial soldiers, in the name of the ‘Falcon’ operation commander, I order you to forget fear and fatigue, and fight to capture the target alive whenever possible, for the glory of the Royal Court of Astralis!”]
Showing no anger over the massacre of his men, the commander, noticing that Alice had fled into the forest, issued cold orders, like a machine.
Perhaps because he wasn’t on the front lines, he broadcasted his commands widely, and the results were clear.
The “Emotional Control Module” — as the name suggests, was a technology that, through brain-implanted chips, freely controlled the emotions of soldiers.
It was standard equipment among the Empire’s elite troops.
Normally, after watching their comrades reduced to chunks, any normal person would feel fear and hesitation. But under the control of the module, the soldiers, clad in exoskeleton armor, showed no signs of fear or shock.
At this moment, they were warriors as loyal as robots. Both the elite troops, piloting floating warships, and the infantry units on the ground obeyed with precision.
Upon receiving the commander’s order, this well-organized little army quickly pursued Alice into the dense forest, while the three triangular warships in the sky began to gather bright energy spheres at their main cannons.
Although it was called a “pursuit,” in practice, this could already be called a full-fledged “war.”
