Chương 77: Nine vol.2

"Naturally, it was love at first sight really. Seeing you walking and glaring right after being sent through a skyscraper's window. . .now that's something," The individual said, "What? Don't believe me?"

Rose stared at the figure with clear confusion. At the very least, she recognized the person's words but it was almost as if she couldn't process them. She knew what a 'crush' was, but. . .there had never been a time she thought about the idea of love. Not least someone liking her.

In the end, she merely scoffed.

"I don't believe nonsense. You hardly know me as well. Love? I don't have time for that," She said as she brought out her pad, "But I won't bite the hand that helps me."

The individual laughed.

"See? You're so cute!"

Rose narrowed her eyes through her helmet.

"Your pad?"

Though they had stopped for a moment, right now, her mind still lingered on a future where she would cease to exist. The clock was ticking and time was not something that she could throw away, she had to find a way to save herself. If the individual wished to linger on unneeded woes, she would rather run to her destination—it wasn't as if physical activity could tire her.

"How crass," The individual linked their wrist with her own, pads connecting, "But that part of you is still cute."

The girl spun her head back around and twisted the handles of her bike. As always, even though it was still floating above ground—the wheels yet to have been released—it made the revving noise that was clearly more for fashion than necessity.

"Hold me tight."

Rose hugged the body before her as the vehicle began its run. There were times that, though she couldn't, she wished she could fall asleep and dream. At least humans had a period of pure rest where worries and thoughts didn't cling to their consciousness. For her, there was no such thing.

She sighed as the world blurred by and they rode above asphalt roads.

"Tch, red light ahead," The figure muttered and drove her handles up, "Up we go."

Then the bike transitioned up into the first layer of flying vehicles. Though Bianca had said an A.I controlled all legal in-air travel, the girl before her still handled her motorcycle herself. Clearly, she was operating illegally as they weaved between cars, motors, and buildings and soon found themselves floating back down towards a rectangular, two-story building.

It was a crude thing etched besides other structures like it. Some reached higher, others were squatter than even it. Going from skyscrapers to this section of the city, this suburban-like place, the divide between Alos's classes was clear.

The bike stopped beside the sidewalk. Floating above a calm, narrow, road where few vehicles traveled and houses aligned.

"An apartment huh," The figure muttered.

"Hmm? Oh." Rose glanced up from her thinking and looked at the place. "I see."

At that moment, a door opened from the edge of the second floor and a figure ran down the length of the left stairway attached to the building. The sound of slippers hitting metal rang before Elsa jumped down the last three steps and made her way straight for them.

The girl was dressed very lightly; a sports bra and shorts over her person.

Rose took off her helmet, handing it to the figure, and climbed off the motorcycle.

"That was fast," Elsa said immediately, her well-toned arms crossing at her chest.

Rose looked her over and furrowed her brows. "Won't you catch a cold dressed like that while outside?"

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Are you telling me or yourself that?"

Rose blinked her eyes. Indeed, she had to admit, her attire was still in tatters from her clash with her creator. Then again, she was a homunculus, so she doubted whether something like a cold could affect her. It wasn't the same.

"That's a sweet bike but. . .who's this?" Elsa narrowed her eyes, head turning to the still-seated individual.

"Hmm?" Rose turned her head to her helper.

The helmet of the individual lifted. The first thing she noticed was the paleness of the figure; the sun almost reflected off of the girl's skin. Her eyes were lavender, rounded off by red mascara that made a ring around them, and her two horns, the color of her skin—as if piercing through that outer layer of hers—poked out from her short head of glistering, black hair.

She smiled at them and Rose thought she was a beauty. Dressed in that black attire, she was a certain type of unique beauty.

"I'm just someone with a case of love at first sight," Her voice, now unhindered by the removal of her helmet, leaked out like a siren's call as her lips moved to show two protruding fangs. "Don't mind me. . ."

"Elsa," Elsa said as she glanced over her, brows furrowed, "Elsa Mont. . .and you are?.

"The name's Lisa Lite," She winked at a Rose whose expression didn't change as she placed her helmet back on. The girl laughed and turned to the handles of her bike. She twisted them, the useless noise of the vehicle revving up resounding. "If we meet again, you owe me a date, Rose. That's a lovely name, you know?"

The motorcycle began its motion with those words filled with laughter, shooting forward into the distance.

". . ." Rose blinked her eyes. She figured the person had gotten her name from the call she had shared with Elsa.

"What the heck?" Elsa spouted then looked down at her companion with confusion. "A date?"

Rose raised a brow. "I have no plans to keep a promise I never made. I'm not going on a date with her."

"R—right. . ." Elsa muttered, "That's good."

". . .why are you grinning?"

"I'm not."

Elsa turned around with a huff and Rose followed behind her. As they climbed the stairway, Elsa spoke first.

"Lilias and I rented this one-bedroom apartment. but we basically just got here." She coughed. "Hell, actually, she rented it mostly. Can you believe it costs 20K lixels a month? For a single hecking room? A shack in the slums was only two thousand! Forget entering the academy, we're going to need to get jobs before we can do anything here unless we wanna get booted."

Rose nodded. Twenty thousand lixels was an amount equal to 25 days of her life. And with the injuries she had just sustained, she currently only had 7 mana orbs in her satchel, enough only for 35 days if she factored in the energy required for both her core and its barrier.

Though her mind was half-part on her situation, she also agreed that they would need money if anything's to be done. Alos's Magic Academy? It would be an interesting place to start to seek a solution to the sword hanging over her.

Thoughts collected within the instance of a split moment, she asked, "And what job do you have in mind?"

This wasn't the slums, this was Alos, one of the great cities. They couldn't just go raid a transporter. And, as far as she knew, none of them exactly had any decent background enough to get what would be considered normal jobs. Though Rose could learn fast, she doubted the other two would be able to keep up.

Elsa, on the other hand, smirked as she opened the door.

"The fastest and most profitable job of course. . ."

There was a certain hint of excitement to her voice.

"Dungeon diving."