CHAPTER 301: A WASTE OF TIME.

Dante left the Triple Jackpot in a much worse mood than when he went in. It was a story as old as time. Greedy people with too much power, and too much time decided to ruin the lives of countless people just so they could have more than they already have. It’s a never-ending cycle, one that has been pushing humanity toward the edge.

[Sometimes, I feel like I will never understand humans.] Volcan said.

’Don’t try, it’s a waste of time.’ Dante said.

[Understood.]

There were countless stories about AI attempting to understand humanity, only to realize they’re better off dead. The last thing he wanted to do was push his resident AI toward that.

Property prices won’t drop overnight, and from the look of it, the gangs aren’t being paid to cause big problems right away. That meant there was some time to counter what was happening and ensure no one got caught in the crossfire.

Pulling his bike to a stop, Dante removed his helmet and looked up. The old sign above his favorite noodle shop was still turned off. After eating there the first few times, he stopped paying attention to it all that much. Looking at it now brought back memories of those times. They were far from the most pleasant of times, but he was glad that he got to live through them.

Making his way to the shop, Dante pulled the door open and stepped in. He held back on calling the way he usually does. It was lunch rush at the moment, so the shop was practically full, making him want to avoid drawing attention to himself.

Nobara happened to be at the counter. Their eyes met, making Dante smile, but just as he was about to walk over, he noticed that the old cook had gone pale with surprise, and she instantly turned away, running to the kitchen.

"SUZUKA!!!"

The reaction was far too extreme, startling everyone in the shop. Dante was hit with a strong wave of confusion, and just as he realized the old cook had called someone’s name, the entire shop suddenly brightened.

"Wai- grandma! What are y- hold on! I told you I don’t want to work the front!!!"

Considering who owned the shop, it was rare to see someone taller than the counter walk out of the kitchen door. Not that she had much going in terms of height. She was dressed in a dark blue yukata with a flower pattern, mostly white lilies, and had the sleeves pulled back with a black sash. Her figure was normal, close to the natural proportions of eastern women.

The first thing to note about her was probably her hair, which had a cyan shade of blue, and was gathered in a bun on the back of her head, but it was her face that drew the most attention.

A true beauty had just graced the old noodle shop with her presence.

"Whoa..." a gasp of admiration echoed through the silence, and the next instant, it was completely shattered. "WHAAAAT!!?"

"Who is that!!?"

"Eh? Eh!? EEEEEEH!!?"

"My eyes aren’t tricking me... right?"

"You’re seeing her, too?"

"Wait, she’s real!!?"

"No way!!!"

The noodle shop was instantly abuzz, excitement hitting the ceiling as everyone realized their eyes weren’t playing tricks on them. Beautiful women were never rare, and that goes twice for today’s day and age. With enough cosmetic enhancements, practically anyone can look beautiful, but even with that being the case, the girl standing at the counter far exceeded the artificial beauty that had become common these days. Because of that, it was only natural that the customers would lose it at her sight.

Jumping onto her stool, Nobara slammed the counter.

"SHUT UP! DIDN’T BRING HER HERE FOR YOU TO OGLE, DAMN IT!!!"

Her angry shouting forced silence back into the dining area, but the excitement remained. Whipping her head in Dante’s direction, the old cook glared at him for a moment, then the corners of her mouth slowly rose.

"You aren’t escaping this time, boy!" She announced.

Staring back at her, Dante smiled.

"Of course not. I skipped breakfast, you know." Walking over to the counter, he turned his gaze to the blonde-haired girl. "So, I she the granddaughter you’ve been talking about?"

"Of course she is!" Nobara replied. "Gorgeous, isn’t she?"

Dante bumped fists with Jonah and took his seat.

"No doubt about that." He said. "You weren’t exaggerating at all."

"Of course not! She got my blood, you know?"

"C’mon now, you seriously want me to believe you looked this good?"

"And without a single touch of makeup!" Nobara replied.

Letting out a performative sigh, Dante shrugged his shoulders.

"Guess I was born a few decades too late he said." He said, placing his arms on the counter. "Can I have the usual? It’s really cold today."

Every pair of eyes in the shop turned to him at once.

"Boy, are you messing with me right now?" Nobara wiped the smile off her face. "Is that all you got to say?

"What were you expecting?"

"I was expecting you to drop to your knees and propose!"

"C’mon, grandma, I do like your cooking, but we’re too far apart."

"Not me, you idiot! HER!"

Ignoring the laughter behind him, Dante turned to the granddaughter.

"Hey there." He said, smiling. "Your grandma has been bragging about you at every chance she gets."

The girl stared at him in silence, then her expression softened, a small smile playing on her lips.

"I hope she didn’t say anything weird." She said.

"Only that you look exactly like her back in the day." Dante chuckled. "Still, it’s nice to finally meet you..."

"Kurosaki Suzuka."

"Suzuka, huh?" He at the old cook. "For some reason, this is the first time I’m learning your name."

"That’s cause you never asked." Nobara crossed her arms, once again grinning.

Returning the grin, he turned back to the girl.

"I’m Dante, by the way."

"I have guessed as much." She said. Grandma mentions you at least five times whenever I visit."

"I hope she didn’t say anything weird."

"Only that you get injured a lot."

"Well, at least it’s the truth."

"Look at you. You’re already hitting it off." Nobara let out a chuckle as she turned around. "I will handle the kitchen."

Though he wanted to complain about the awkward situation she had placed him in, Dante held back, only shaking his head. He wanted to let her have this. It was a meeting she had been looking forward to, so it wouldn’t hurt to converse with the girl a little.

Just a he made up his mind, Volcan spoke up.

[Dante, there is something you should know.] He said. [This girl is the one you encountered at the Pit.]

’... You serious?’