L'Étoile Noir was exactly the kind of place Akira despised.
It was located on the top floor of a sleek glass skyscraper in the commercial district. The lighting was impossibly dim, the jazz music was irritatingly subtle, and every single patron looked like they were silently calculating how much money the person at the next table made.
Akira stepped out of the elevator wearing a sharp, dark suit he had bought specifically for occasions he couldn't control. He adjusted his cuffs and approached the maître d'.
"Kanzaki," Akira said smoothly. "I'm expected in a private room."
The host didn't even check his ledger. "Of course, Kanzaki-sama. Right this way. Ashford-sama is waiting for you."
Akira followed the man through the maze of candlelit tables, his senses operating on maximum overdrive. He didn't activate his Essence Cloak. Tonight, he wanted Valerius to feel exactly how dense his energy was.
