"Alright, we have finally arrived."
"Whoa..."
The long ride has finally reached its end and the three girls -one Nephilim, one Valkyrie, and one human- finally descended from the car.
"Welcome to the first district of the first human settlement." Sara spoke with a smile. "As the name suggests, this is the first city that was built after the war started. You could say it's as close to the old world as it gets, in terms of appearance, at least."
"Ingrid! Look! Look! It's a skyscraper!" Juni said excitedly.
"Stop shaking me." Ingrid replied, though she wore a huge grin as well.
"It's just like in the movies!"
For a city built during the apocalypse, the First Settlement looked like a normal concrete jungle of a city, complete with thousands of buildings separated into blocks. Still, despite it resembling the cities of old, the post-apocalyptic city seemed strangely alive, lacking the depressing air one would expect from the gray constructs.
"Strange..." Juni said as she looked around them. "It feels kinda... empty..."
"Hm? What makes you think so?" The reporter asked.
"I don't know. It's just... ah!" Looking up with a start, the Valkyrie turned to the car they arrived in. "There are no cars! In the movies, the roads are always full of cars!"
Ingris raised her eyebrows a little as she understood what her friend meant.
"The air is clean, too. I thought we wouldn't be able to breathe."
It was then that she noticed that the girls were gone, and a shock of panic hit her immediately after.
"Old man! Give us two of these!"
"Old man!" A gruff laugh resounded. "Guess I do look old."
Relief spread through her chest when she spotted the two suspicious figures a few meters down the street. While she was deep in thought, the girls made their way to a small shop near the corner and were already in the process of ordering.
"Anyway, that's quite the strange getup you got there." The shop owner spoke while working on his utensils. "You trying to stay low, or stand out?"
The two girls glanced a each other for a second before Ingrid answered.
"Well, let's just say we're too cute for this world."
The old man gave them an incredulous look before laughing a couple of seconds later.
"Hahaha! Too cute, huh? I believe you, alright? I believe you!"
He grabbed a large ladle and began pulling out something that's been in the large pot for some time now. Bite-sized golden orbs, deep-fried to perfection. The surface of each is delicately textured, showcasing a slightly crunchy crust that hides a pillowy interior.
The round shape and uniform golden hue create a visually pleasing treat that tempts the senses, and as the middle aged shop owner placed them into two small paper boxes, the girls couldn't help but swallow.
"Well then, here you do!" He said, handing them the white containers, a sweet fragrance wafting in the surroundings. "For my extremely cute customers, this serving is on the house!"
"Eh!?" Ingrid looked up from her box. "Are you sure, old man?"
"As long as you promise to come again." The man gave them a knowing smile. "I hope to see your cute faces next time."