CHAPTER 7
She leaned against the wall, hands in her pockets, aura suppressed with Zetsu. No need to show what she had—not yet.
Five minutes passed , then joined them another ten .
Then, footsteps echoed on the floor,not rushed ,Not heavy ,Calm and deliberate.
A man stepped into view from the far end of the alley. He was tall and lean, dressed in a dark coat and gloves, face hidden beneath a wide hat. She couldn't make out his eyes, but she could feel them on her—measuring, dissecting. He moved like someone who didn't need to look over his shoulder.
He stopped a few feet away and looked her up and down.
"You're the one who's been leaving gifts," he said.
His voice was low and neutral. stripped of any feelings.
Alicia didn't flinch. "You got the note to me. So you already know I'm not stupid."
He tilted his head slightly, just enough to suggest amusement. "Not stupid, but reckless. You're what—eight? Nine?"
"Closer to ten."
"That makes it better?"
"It makes it true."
There was a pause.
"Why?" he asked.
Alicia raised an eyebrow. "Why what?"
"Why you're here. Why you followed the courier. Why you want in."
She didn't hesitate. "Because I'm good at surviving. And you pay people like that."
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took a slow step forward and crouched to her level. His gloved hand pulled something from his coat—a folded cloth. Inside it, a knife.
He set it between them on the concrete. Then pulled out a pack of cards and laid it beside the blade.
"You get one choice," he said. "Take the knife, and I'll test you. It won't be easy, and it won't be quick. You'll bleed, and you might not make it. But if you pass, we'll call you one of ours."
Alicia stared at him. "And the cards?"
He tapped them lightly.
"Take those, and you leave. We forget you were ever here. You go back to picking pockets and sleeping under stairwells. Or you don't. I don't care. But we won't come looking."
"A test or A trap ? " she questioned "Maybe both"
But Alicia didn't waver , She reached out and took the knife.
' there's no backing down now ' she smiled
The man didn't smile, but she saw the shift in his posture—approval, perhaps, or interest. He stood, returned the cards to his coat, then turned and began walking.
"Follow me."
And so she did.
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟
He led her through side streets and back corridors, through an unmarked door into a basement that smelled of dust and rusted metal. Inside were three other men, each seated at a table. One had a notepad. Another held a tablet. The third cleaned a pistol, slowly.
"This is the kid?" the one with the gun asked, barely looking up.
"She chose the knife," the tall man said.
That was enough ,they asked no more questions.
Instead, she was taken to a smaller room. Concrete walls, a drain in the floor, a cracked sink in the corner. An older girl about 17 was already inside—taller, bruised, her wrists bandaged.
"We're testing both of you," one of the men said.
Alicia understood immediately.
It was a fight , a test to determine their capabilities.
The door locked behind them as the other men left, leaving only one to watch.
She didn't want to kill her, I mean she would if it meant survival , but she'll think about it later
The other girl gripped her knife with practiced ease. Her stance was confident, almost relaxed.
" oh ? You should never underestimate your opponent young lady, that's a first"
Alicia mocked in her head
She stood quietly with her blade low, eyes locked onto her opponent's chest. She didn't fidget , She didn't speak , She just waited for the signal .
A sharp whistle rang out—start.
The older girl charged first, knife flashing under the dim overhead lights. The younger girl merely dodged to the side the blade grazing her sleeve, tearing fabric but not skin .
She pivoted fast, dancing away before the older girl could spin and strike again.
"You're fast, kid," the older one muttered, circling. "But that won't save you."
" girl that was so arrogant of you ! I'm kinda offended" Alicia replied playfully , she considered this a mere game as the difference between nen users and non nen users was vast .
She waited for her next move , her stance relaxed and it came—fast and brutal , A wide slash aimed at her ribs.
She dropped, rolled forward, and slashed upward in one smooth motion. Her knife bit into the older girl's thigh. A sharp cry soon followed.
The older girl stumbled, but recovered quickly, lashing out with fury. Blood ran down her leg. Every strike after that was wild, desperate, full of anger. But the smaller girl didn't care in the slightest.
She slipped past defenses, cutting shallow, precise wounds: arm, side, shoulder.
The older girl was clearly slowing from blood loss.
Then came the end. The curly haired girl ducked a final wild swing, stepped in, and drove her blade into the taller girl's side—deep, and deliberate.
The older girl dropped, breath caught in her throat. The knife clattered from her hand.
The younger girl stood over her, breathing steadily , blood on her hands , she felt kinda guilty but if she didn't attack her , her opponent would've killed her
She casted a last glance at the body laying on the ground then turned and walked away without a word.
She had won .
The door opened.
No words. Just a nod.
Alicia was led out, cleaned up, and given dry clothes.
"Congratulations," the man watching earlier said as he handed her a cup of bitter tea. "You belong to the Lowtown branch now. No real name , No history. Just your code."
"Code?" she asked.
"You'll get it when you're useful."
That night, Alicia slept on a real bed for the first time in 2 weeks , it was warm , she could finally rest in peace .
Or just for a moment , she sighed .