Chapter 76: Amazon Tournament
Alicia eyed the shirt suspiciously, wondering what Scar’s true intentions were. "Okay," she finally said. Then she pointed a finger toward a nearby side table. "You can leave it over there."
Scar walked over and placed the oversized shirt down gently.
"If that’s all..." Alicia continued, pointing toward the escalator, "...the exit’s that way."
Scar exhaled, turning back to face her. "Actually, I still have some things I want to say."
Alicia didn’t say a word. She simply leaned against her workbench, keeping her arms crossed, and stared at him, waiting.
Scar took a deep breath, physically steadying himself for the emotional vulnerability he was about to engage in. It was blatantly obvious he was entirely out of his depth since the moment he walked into the lab.
"Thanks," he said simply.
Alicia raised a skeptical eyebrow. "That’s it?" She scoffed.
Scar’s defensive instincts instantly flared. "Well, what else do you want me to say?"
Alicia shook her head, gesturing wildly at the air. "I don’t know. Thanks for what? The shirt? Or for saving your life?"
Scar sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Both," he said. "Thank you for saving my life, Alicia. I wouldn’t be in one piece today if it wasn’t for you. And... it wasn’t fair of me to speak to you the way I did. You practically lost your best friend, and I guess I didn’t consider what you might be going through. I was just really mad that you were blackmailing me, and I let that anger get the better of me. So... I’m sorry."
Alicia stared at him, completely stunned. She didn’t expect him to say those words. The silence between them stretched for three agonizing seconds. Then, a small smile cracked across her face, followed by a giggle. Suddenly, she threw her head back and burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! Did you just apologize?" She doubled over, bracing herself against the table. "I can’t believe you just apologized!"
She clearly took the whole thing as an elaborate joke.
Scar frowned, getting slightly annoyed. "That was really hard for me to say."
"I know!" Alicia laughed harder. "That’s what makes it even funnier! The big, bad Scar, coming down to my lab to apologize to me? Are you even being serious right now? I can’t tell if you’re joking or not, but it’s just so hilarious."
Scar watched her laugh, already deeply regretting his decision to attempt diplomacy. "I’m glad you found my heartfelt apology amusing."
Alicia finally stopped laughing. She stood up straight, letting out a sharp scoff. "Heartfelt? You actually expect me to believe that all what you just said was sincere?"
Scar shrugged, his expression returning to its cold baseline. "I don’t expect you to believe anything," he said calmly. "You and I both know that the second I started talking, you already scanned my brainwaves and monitored my heartbeat to see if I was telling the truth."
Alicia didn’t deny it. "You’re right. I did," she said.
"And?" Scar asked smoothly.
Alicia sighed, her posture dropping. "You were being honest. Surprisingly honest," she admitted quietly. "I was just... too shocked to believe that you would actually say something like that and mean it."
Scar chuckled softly. "Well, I have my moments."
Alicia exhaled a long breath and pulled her pink safety goggles off her face, letting them hang around her neck.
It was the first time Scar had ever seen her without her thick glasses or goggles. He was momentarily mesmerized. Without the heavy frames hiding her features, her bright, intelligent eyes stood out sharply. She was even more beautiful than he had calculated
She walked forward, closing the distance between them.
"I’m sorry too," Alicia finally said, her voice dropping its sarcastic edge. "For laughing. For hurling that shield at you. For blackmailing you. And for everything else. I was just... so angry that you took his place. Maybe I should have confronted you without the threats. Without being... hostile." She looked down at the floor. "But let’s be honest, Roy. If I did that, you probably would have killed me."
Scar didn’t say anything. He didn’t deny it.
"Cause, why not?" Alicia continued, looking back up into his eyes. "I knew your secret. I knew you weren’t really Henry. I knew everything. It would only make sense for you to get rid of me. And... that’s why I did what I did. I needed leverage to stay alive. And I’m really sorry. It is unlike me to do such a thing. I was just angry, and stupid, and scared."
Scar exhaled, the last bit of tension leaving his shoulders. "It’s okay. I understand. I would be scared of me too." He offered a genuine, rare smile. "And to be honest... I was also scared of you."
Alicia chuckled, genuinely surprised. "Really?"
"Yeah," Scar said matter-of-factly. "You could stop my heart or give me a seizure if you wanted to. It would be foolish of me not to be terrified."
Alicia laughed, a warm, bright sound. "Yeah, you should be," she joked. "But... I’m not really a fighter. I don’t like using my powers for combat. I prefer using it to build things and understand the world. Not destroy it." Then her expression turned apologetic. "That’s why It really bothered me that I used it on you. I don’t know what came over me that day." She chuckled darkly. "It’s the reason I would constantly come to you and act like we were friends—because I felt bad and hoped that you wouldn’t hate me. I see now that it was a terrible idea."
Scar nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it really was."
They both laughed, the heavy, oppressive air between them finally clearing.
"So," Scar said, tilting his head. "Does this mean you’re not mad anymore?"
Alicia shook her head firmly. "I was never mad." She claimed.
Scar snickered. "Just five minutes ago, you literally tried to decapitate me with a shield."
Alicia offered a wry, unapologetic grin. "Okay, maybe I was a little mad," she admitted. "But I’m not mad anymore. I’m cool now." She looked at him. "’We’re’ cool now. Right?"
Scar chuckled. "Yeah. I guess."
Alicia exhaled, leaning back against the edge of a console. Her expression was a mix of joy and something close to relief. "I know you might find it hard to trust me... especially after what I did," she whispered, her voice carrying a hint of guilt. "...but ever since you told me that you reincarnated from another world, I have been really... curious about you. I want to know more about you and your Henry." She gestured around the laboratory. "All my life I’ve studied science. I’ve spent years trying to understand how the universe works. And I thought I did." She looked at him again. "But then you show up, and suddenly reincarnation is real." She chuckled softly. "I felt that maybe I could get close to you and try to help you navigate this new world, while also scientifically learning about how you were able to be transmigrated into a new body." Her shoulders dropped. "But... I ruined that chance. And you probably hate me now."
Scar gave a small smile. "I don’t hate you," he said. "Well, at first I kinda did. You were annoying, obnoxious, and I wanted to hurt you really bad." He stared flatly. "But then I realized you were probably acting that way because you were grieving. And... I know what it’s like to grieve, and to want to take that pain out on someone else. So, I decided to come here today. In hopes that maybe you still wanted us to be friends."
Alicia raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "So, you’re not mad that I threatened and blackmailed you?"
"I was," Scar admitted. "But I’m not anymore. A wise woman told me it was far better to make you my ally rather than my enemy. And seeing this place in person, I think she might have been onto something."
Alicia chuckled, a knowing glint in her eye. "Let me guess. This ’wise woman’ was incredibly powerful and had really long snowy hair?"
Scar let out a chuckle. "Yeah," he admitted.
Alicia laughed, instantly connecting the dots. "Roy, be honest. Did you come here to apologize simply because your mom told you to?" she asked with a chuckle, not even upset in the slightest.
Scar was stunned by the pinpoint accuracy of her deduction. He sighed in defeat. "At first, yes. I was only going to come because she suggested it. But after giving it much thought, I decided it was far more logical if we worked things out and helped each other instead."
Alicia raised an eyebrow. "Help each other how?"
Scar took a step forward, crossing his arms. "You wanted me to get faster for a reason, right? Can you finally tell me what that is?" he asked.
Alicia hesitated for a moment. She looked away, biting her lip. Then she sighed. "Promise you won’t laugh or get upset."
Scar furrowed his brow. "Why would I get upset?"
Alicia suddenly looked incredibly nervous, fidgeting with the hem of her open shirt. "Well, the thing is... I made a deal with my cousin."
"What deal?" Scar asked, suddenly getting curious.
"Okay," Alicia exhaled, speaking quickly. "So there’s this dress my grandma has. It’s a really beautiful, ceremonial dress made of a completely indestructible quantum-weave material. Mum says the dress is more than a thousand years old, but it still looks brand new. Anyway, my cousin and I were promised the dress as an inheritance, but obviously, only one person can have it. So, we decided to bet on it."
Scar raised a brow. "What was the wager?"
Alicia sighed heavily. "Whoever wins the Amazon Tournament this year gets it."
Scar raised a brow. But he didn’t say anything yet. He just kept listening.
"But I’m not a fighter," Alicia continued, rushing to explain. "And certain abilities—like inner machine—are strictly prohibited in the tournament rules, so I can’t just seizure my way to the top. I needed a proxy. A representative."
Scar was completely stunned. "So... you chose me?"