After walking in 'Food Heaven' street for a while, Rai and Ami decided to stop at one restaurant located a bit deserted from the street.
The sign caught their attention, especially Rai, as the tiny restaurant seemed to serve fresh vegetables and real lamb chop. The restaurant's name was 'Pirr's Rest.'
'That's a delicacy even back on my Earth!'
Entering the restaurant, Rai looked around. The interior was simple, with a wooden seat and a counter instead of steel, one often used in this world.
The restaurant had an orange and warm ambiance and an inked menu, reminding him of a traditional Chinese restaurant.
"Welcome!"
A middle-aged man in a white chef outfit behind the counter shouted loudly. He was moving at a fast pace, preparing food in the small kitchen.
There were two other customers dressed in black on the corner. One was a tall man with dark skin with green eyes, while the other was a girl with red eyes with similarly colored skin. The man wore a full hoodie with skull paint on his upper left arm. Their hair color was black.
For some reason, the man only watched the girl eat while he stayed silent. A bit strange for a couple.
They got Rai's attention for a second before he sat on the seat a bit away from them, and Ami sat beside him. People did have preferences, and he wouldn't bother the couple. He was here to eat.
"Take your time! The menu is written on the plank hanging on the wall over there."
Rai nodded at the sole person who tended to this restaurant and looked at the menu. They weren't coded like in the mall; the menu was written using an actual dish's name!
"It's a bit strange, but I can explain the dish to you if you want to." The chef quickly added with a laugh. "All of them are made using fresh vegetables and real meat."
'No worries, I know all the dishes.' Rai thought in his mind.
They were all familiar Chinese food names back on his Earth. And he also thought they might be the same dish if what the girl beside him ate was indeed fried rice.
"I'll take chicken soup dumplings."
After deciding, he decided his order and turned to Ami.
"What about you?"
"Cabbage rolls and Peking duck, please," Ami replied, looking at the chef.
"Alright! It will be done in minutes!"
While waiting for his food, he decided to ask Ami about something.
"Why did you train so hard?"
It was a normal question that other people probably asked a lot. But Ami frowned at his question and simply replied,
"No reason. Just to get stronger."
That was obviously a lie. It might be related to her reason for entering the Evil Organization instead of the Guardian School.
"Revenge?" Rai guessed, and he got a reaction from Ami.
Her face twitched slightly before she huffed.
"Not your business."
'That's probably it.'
Putting on an indifferent face, Rai turned his attention to the chef. The middle-aged man began to put a finishing touch on their orders.
"Well, that's your business, indeed." Rai agreed. "But do invite me if you need my help."
Ami didn't change her expression and only nodded slightly. She knew that she wouldn't be able to do anything alone.
'He's stronger than me. I don't mind getting help.' Ami thought.
Besides, the boy before her was her partner in crime. She didn't know anything yet about him, but he seemed to be a person who enjoyed some fights.
'If I get to his good side…'
Before she finished her thought, a loud voice interrupted.
"Thanks for waiting!" The chef put the order on the counter with a big smile on his face. "Enjoy it!"
Looking at the food in front of him, which released steam, Rai smiled radiantly.
"This is what I call food!" He took the spoon on the plate's side and began eating. His stomach was rumbling with appetite, and he instantly devoured the food.
Ami shook her head, throwing away all thoughts in her head.
'No, I must think of him as my partner. He's the Leader's special subordinate. If I do anything strange to him, I won't be forgiven easily. Yes, I will get along with him.'
And so she began to eat. The food was delicious, and they couldn't stop. The chef somehow had a proud look on his face before he resumed his preparation for the next customer, if there was any.
*Clang!*
"Hmm! That was delicious." The other customer, the girl with dark skin, exclaimed as she rubbed her belly. "How much do I owe you, chef?"
"One fried rice is 100 Grind." The chef replied. "I accept cash or e-money. Either one."
"Alright!" The girl chirped happily and stood up. "Brother, pay him."
The dark-skinned man nodded and stood up. Rai was a bit surprised when he glanced at him out of curiosity. That man made the girl, who was as tall as him and Ami, like a little child. She didn't even reach his shoulder.
The girl's brother extended his left arm, making the sleeve that covered his arm got pulled slightly. That was when Rai got a glimpse of a metallic arm, something he had never seen before.
'A cyborg?' He guessed.
He didn't look at him that long. It was surprising and rare, but that didn't mean no one had replaced their body's part with a robot one, considering how many robots were on the street.
Still, for Rai, something like that was still cool.
'Maybe that's why he didn't talk much.'
Both the siblings then walked out while the girl talked with her brother. Rai couldn't really get what they were talking about, but Ami suddenly stopped moving and only turned toward the door when they left.
With a dumpling in his mouth, Rai asked, "What's wrong? Gulp."
"The girl said something to the man," Ami replied, returning to her food. She spoke in a hushed voice, and the chef couldn't hear her due to his business in the kitchen. "She said about destroying something."
"Huh?" Rai stopped moving his spoon before he took his last dumpling. "What do you mean?"
"As I sa–"
*Boom!*
A loud explosion boomed from outside, interrupting Ami's voice. The ground reverberated, the glass shattered, and the alarm blared loudly. Rai immediately stood up with a smile. It seemed like that explosion answered his previous question.
"Ami." He called out to his partner and ran outside. The girl followed behind him without any hesitation, ignoring the chef's shout.
"Hey! You haven't paid yet!"
"Later!" Rai replied loudly from outside.
He stood in front of the restaurant and looked at the black cloud rising toward the sky.
The explosion seemed to happen far from Food Heaven Street. However, judging from the sound and shockwave that reached this place, it was quite huge. And from its direction, it came from the Alpha Mall.
With a grin on his face, Rai looked at his partner, who stood at his side.
"Ami, you're permitted to use the transformation application if you need it."
"Really?" She asked.
"Yes." He confirmed with a nod. "I will stop you if you are rampaging. Trust me."
"Alright." The dark-haired girl had an excited smile on her face. "So we are going there?"
"Naturally."
The errand Ossa asked him needed him to go to the mall. If he didn't go there, then how could he finish that small errand?
Besides…
'I want to see Ami's transformation. If she rampaged, I would extract her Magicule until she calms down.'
There was no way Rai would miss this chance.