The Lux Valley was always crowded: it was a large three-story establishment that stretched from one corner of the street to almost a quarter of the block. It was made of black bricks, with flowering trees on the sidewalks.
The three large doors on the first floor were open, revealing dozens of tables filled with people of all kinds inside.
At the entrance were three people dressed in black uniforms guarding the establishment.
One of them was a burly man with two large pointed horns on his head and a gold ring in his nose. He was the man guarding the central door.
On either side were two men who looked very similar—surely twins.
Both had blond, tousled, very long hair. Both had thin tails, the fur at the tips messy and unkempt. Their eyes showed an unnatural ferocity.
'Look at that… a den of drunks.'
It was. Was a place like this really so bad? Come on, people gather in bars to hang out and escape their busy, stressful lives. It can't just be a "cave" of drunk people.
In any case, Nova would end up just like them.
He approached the central door after seeing the sign on the street. The place was crowded, no doubt, but those with a high-priority reservation could skip the line.
The man with the horns looked at Nova and recognized him immediately.
"Oh, boy. What's up? Do you have your reservation?"
He was very friendly, despite his large stature and a face that looked like it was always one second away from punching something.
"Miyu Hoshino is already inside. She's supposed to be the one with the reservation."
"Oh, of course, that loud girl. You're right. Go on in and have fun."
"Sure. Thanks, man."
Despite the man's intimidating appearance, his unexpected friendliness put Nova at ease.
He had been to this place many times before. From time to time, he would meet up with his friends to celebrate and have a good time.
The interior was spacious. The interior walls were made of dark, round stones with various patterns that matched well with the yellow color of the columns. The ceramic floor gleamed white, and the tables and chairs that stretched across the place contrasted the whiteness of the floor with the blackness of the Dark Tree wood.
As soon as he entered, someone appeared and grabbed his hand tightly. It was Miyu, obviously.
"You took too long, Nova! I was about to get drunk all by myself."
She complained with an adorable expression of puffed cheeks. It reminded Nova of a small animal from the Calem mountain ranges that hoarded fruit for the winter.
'Yes... Now that I think about it, she's always been like that,' he thought with a slight, relaxed smile.
Then, walking towards one of the tables, he said teasingly:
"Getting drunk all by yourself? How sad..."
"It's sadder that you're late, blockhead."
Nova sighed inwardly. Trying to win an argument against a woman would be like finding a Category 0 Aberration in the corner of the bathroom—it was theoretically impossible.
Besides, he glanced at the time on his communicator. It was seven o'clock, damn it! That was the agreed-upon time! Nova was always on time, and if he wasn't, it was because something had surely killed him.
But apparently, Miyu didn't care.
'I don't want to be so childish. I'll let it go.'
Coming from the guy who once drew all over his friend's face with a marker as payback…
People weren't wrong when they said Nova was weird. He is. Very much so. He almost always seems extremely calm. Even if someone is torn to pieces in front of his eyes, he will remain cold and serene as always.
That was the downside of the emotion that ruled his heart.
Even though Nova's Spectrum is Serenity, which causes him to always be calm, he was also capable of feeling other emotions to a lesser extent, although he learned this over time.
That was what made this boy so strange. Something that would be very funny or tragic for someone else would be no big deal for Nova.
"It doesn't matter anymore. Come on, let's go!" Miyu said as she dragged Nova along.
"It's okay, calm down a little."
"I am calm, young master."
Nova sighed, letting himself be led away by this girl.
'What a terrifying woman.'
They finally arrived at one of the tables for four people furthest from the door. Nova took a seat and Miyu followed him, sitting down next to him.
"All set. Now we just need Elara. Shall we order something until she arrives?"
Keeping his cool, Nova looked at Miyu as she held the menu with a cheerful expression.
'And as always, her mood is as changeable as the weather,' he thought, too tired to run away, too calm to complain.
"Well, I'll have a Dark Flare, how about you?" said Nova, with the confidence of someone who knew his way around alcohol.
Miyu bit her finger with her fangs as she looked at the menu. After a few seconds, she tapped the card lightly with her fingernail.
"Here it is. I'll have a Scarlet Flower to start. I'd like to order the same as you, but the Dark Flame is too much for me."
"Okay. That's everything then. Let's wait for the waiter."
After a few minutes, Elara arrived in a bit of a hurry, as she was running late.
The most striking thing about her arrival was her outfit. She wore a long, elegant black dress with a low neckline and a white coat over her shoulders to cover it. She also wore heels, which made her even taller.
On the team, Elara was the tallest and also the most gifted. With wide hips and a pronounced bust, her curvy body was always hidden behind the plates of her heavy, sturdy armor.
However, when she decided to dress for the occasion, her mere presence attracted the attention of many people, even in the restaurant.
On the other hand, Miyu frowned.
"Vain," she muttered when she saw the beautiful lady.
But she was the one who told Elara to bring nice clothes. The blonde girl was simply dusting off a dress she had in her closet.
Nova raised his eyebrows slightly, surprised.
'Wow. She looks great. Approved.'
Putting aside that slightly out-of-place thought from a very strange guy, Elara took a chair and sat down while apologizing.
"Good evening. I'm a little late, I'm sorry. I had to drop my sister off at home after picking her up from school."
Miyu shook her head, swallowing her envy. Nova noticed this but decided to ignore it, hoping the cat girl wouldn't notice his gaze.
"It's okay. I'm sure you were busy with your family. It's normal. Don't be embarrassed about being a little late," Miyu said.
A vein bulged in Nova's forehead. What this cat girl was saying made no sense at all.
'What...? What about me?! Can't I be late or early?!'
There had always been a clear difference in how men and women thought. Even after the Impact, women remain the greatest mystery humanity has ever known.
'Sometimes I don't know what to think of her...'
Miyu is... strange, but she's a great childhood friend. Seeing her talking to Elara, for a moment Nova looked at the little girl he met many years ago in elementary school.
He rested his chin on his hand, his elbow on the table, feeling a little moved by the sudden memory.
'Yes... Some things just never change.'
He closed his eyes, wanting to relax for a while, but suddenly he heard Elara's voice.
"Nova?"
He opened his eyes and replied:
"I'm here. I'm not distracted this time."
"Did what I said to you earlier in the Long district stick in your mind?" Miyu asked with an evil smile. "I didn't know you could be intimidated by the words of a pretty girl. Am I your one weakness?"
"No. My weakness is Grilled Killer Squid."
Elara laughed modestly at the comment, and Miyu, offended, crossed her arms and tried to look away.