Chapter 20: Unexpected Encounter

(Dante POV)

As I stroll through the Commercial District at night, the vibrant glow of flickering lights illuminates the streets.

Signboards kept flashing enticingly, painting the scene with a kaleidoscope of colors.

The hum of activity buzzes around me as shops and cafes beckon with their warm, inviting glows, creating a lively and enchanting atmosphere.

"Even though the Academic City is mostly made up of students, there's still a lively nightlife, huh?" I muttered as I saw students wearing school uniforms wander around as they came in and out of shops.

As my stroll continued, my pockets began to bulge, slowly filling up with crisp ¥10,000 bills from the various luxurious-looking companies I passed by.

'¥10,000 is close to $75ish dollars. Surely the companies running shit won't bother about the disappearing money.' With a shrug, I entered the fast food place named MgRonald.

'MgRonald, huh? It's like a scene straight out of 'Hataraku Maou-sama!' I wonder if we'll have a character from there pop up in our chat someday.' Lost in thought, I approached the counter.

"I'll take a whopping 100 orders of Big Macs, 100 Large Twister Fries, 100 rounds of 20-piece McNuggets, and to top it off, 100 McFlurries," I declared boldly, causing the poor lady behind the counter to look like she'd just witnessed a UFO land in the parking lot.

"Uhm, are you serious, sir?" she asked, clearly taken aback from hearing such a big order.

"Absolutely. It's for take-out. Having a little shindig with friends, you see? Hope it's not too much trouble to handle," I reassured her, conjuring up a reason for my supersized order as I flashed a stack of crisp bills to prove I meant business.

"Ah, I see! No problem at all, sir. Your total comes to ¥205,000," the lady stated as she finished typing on the cash register.

"Aight, here," I said, handing over the appropriate amount.

"Alright, sir. If you'd like, feel free to take a seat while we get everything sorted for you. Just give us a moment to prepare your order, and we'll have it ready in no time. Thank you for choosing MgRonald's!" she added, her smile appearing somewhat forced.

'Kek, if I were someone working with minimum wage, I too would not be happy having to handle such an order,' I chuckled to myself, understanding the potential stress it could cause.

As I glanced over at the seating area, I was surprised to spot a duo I hadn't expected to find inside a MgRonald.

Just as I noticed them, it seemed they had also spotted me, perhaps even before I entered the store.

"Yo!" I exclaimed, waving at the duo.

As I took a seat right beside Kanzaki, I casually asked, "You two into burgers?"

"Oh wait," I said, before taking out the fake mustache and placing it on my face.

Kanzaki remained silent, her gaze shifting towards me as she stared into my eyes with a deadpan expression.

"Is this the individual you were referring to, Kanzaki?" The redhead with a barcode in his face, Stiyl asked.

"Why are you two giving me that look? I'm just a regular guy with a mustache," I commented casually, reaching out to steal one of Kanzaki's fries.

"You should give the Teriyaki sauce a try with these seasoned fries. They're a whole new experience when dipped," I suggested, savoring the fry as I locked eyes with Kanzaki.

Stiyl, observing the interaction between Kanzaki and me, chuckled lightly before taking a bite of his Big Mac with amusement.

After a few moments of Kanzaki's intense gaze, her expression remaining stoic as ever, she let out a defeated sigh and asked, "Who sent you? Are you also after Index?"

With a casual shrug, I offered a response, "Funny thing, I'm actually a local around here. And about Index? Sure, she's got her charm, but she's not exactly my cup of tea. Frankly, I find myself drawn to someone more like you than Index."

As my mouth raised into a smile, I winked at Kanzaki.

'While Kanzaki is also not much of my type, She is indeed better than Index.' My mind raced with mischievous thoughts of teasing the Saintess, simply because I am bored and got nothing better to do.

Upon hearing my attempt at flirting with the Saintess, Stiyl cleared his throat with a sip of coke before emitting a whistle.

With a defeated expression, Kanzaki started taking bites of her Big Mac.

"My poor heart. Rejected by such an icy beauty. Ah, the woes of love," I exclaimed theatrically, with a playful grin, as I reached out for another fry.

As I was planning to continue my theatrical play, I saw the lady on the register waving at me.

"Ah, my icy saint. I shall embark on a journey of repentance until our paths cross once more!" With a dramatic intonation, I rose from my seat, gave Kanzaki a theatrical bow, and then made my way to the counter.

"I don't understand what's the deal with that guy," Kanzaki remarked to Stiyl, who watched my departure with an amused expression.

"At least for the time being, he isn't an adversary. Based on your description, I doubt we would emerge victorious if we were to confront him directly," Stiyl stated with a tone reflecting caution.

Standing in front of the counter, the lady said, "Do you have anyone to assist you, do you need help in delivering the food items?"

"Just bring em out, I have my ways." I replied confidently.

As the servers brought out several trays of food, I halted their efforts to bag it up.

With a deft motion, I conjured a translucent aura around the food, feigning the act of storing it through space manipulation.

Meanwhile, my other hand discreetly accessed the chat's inventory and directly transferred the food items into storage.

After receiving my rations, I cast one final glance at the duo, offering a smile and a wave to Kanzaki before teleporting a few times toward the dorm.