Chapter 107.
"I still can't believe Tadokoro Megumi took first place in Block B!"
"Who would have thought the dead-last failure of the first year could evolve to this level?"
"That's it, I'm applying to the Chinese Cuisine Research Society tomorrow!"
"Count me in!"
As the contestants began filing out of the arena, the massive crowd in the stands remained glued to their seats, buzzing with electric excitement.
While Tadokoro Megumi and Hojo Miyoko were undeniably the breakout stars of Block B, the true subject of everyone's awe was Shijun. His Research Society had suddenly become the most coveted faction in Totsuki. Dozens of elite students were already plotting to abandon their specialties just to learn Chinese cuisine under him.
Shijun, naturally, didn't care. His society only recruited absolute elites; the entrance exam was a crucible that very few could survive.
Stepping out of the VIP auditorium, Shijun spotted Megumi in the main hall, surrounded by her tearful, overjoyed hometown supporters.
The moment she saw him, she broke away and trotted over.
"President Shijun..."
"You've already said thank you." Shijun interrupted gently, offering an encouraging smile. "Save your energy. You have to keep working hard for the main tournament."
He knew exactly what she wanted to say, and he wasn't going to let her overwhelm herself again.
"Mmhmm!"
Megumi nodded frantically, though fresh tears still threatened to spill over. Today was the greatest, most validating day of her entire life.
"Congratulations, Megumi." Miyoko said, striding over with her long legs. Despite her pride, a hint of fierce, competitive frustration colored her tone. "But I absolutely will not lose to you in the knockout rounds."
"I... I just got really lucky, Miyoko."
Megumi replied, reverting to her usual, staggering humility.
"God! Why did you two get first and second place in Block B, while I got eliminated?!"
The Block A preliminaries had also concluded, and Mito Ikumi came jogging over, whining loudly. Her aggressive, bouncing arrival naturally caused a brief commotion in the hall.
"Whose fault is it that you lost focus during my special training and slacked off during the regular sessions?"
Shijun scolded mercilessly.
He was genuinely speechless. The 'Meat General' had actually failed to crack the top four in Block A.
"..."
Ikumi wilted instantly, her usual fiery bravado collapsing like a deflated balloon. She had endured the lion's share of Shijun's screaming during the three-day hell camp.
I worked so hard! I just didn't have enough raw talent for that curry theme... she wailed internally, though she didn't dare say it out loud.
Truthfully, Shijun wasn't entirely disappointed. The Chinese Cuisine Research Society had fielded three members, and two had advanced to the elite Top 8. That was a completely unprecedented victory rate for a single society.
The official results for Block A had finally dropped: Akira Hayama took first place, Yukihira Soma claimed second, Kurokiba Ryo secured third, and Subaru Mimasaka scraped in at fourth.
Those four, combined with the four victors from Block B, would clash in the one-on-one main tournament.
Just then, Eizan Etsuya strolled out of the arena alongside the five judges.
Spotting Shijun, the 9th Seat offered a remarkably polite, genial smile. If someone didn't know about their vicious political rivalry, they would have assumed the two Elites were close friends.
Shijun practically sneered, entirely ignoring Eizan's fake olive branch. He was mildly surprised the 'Alchemist' hadn't attempted to sabotage the preliminary scores, but it made sense: judges of Sendawara Orie and Kita Shuji's caliber were independently wealthy and possessed monstrous egos. Bribing them in a public setting would have been a suicidal career move.
But the one-on-one knockout rounds? That was a different battlefield entirely.
—
Two weeks later.
Inside the Chinese Cuisine Research Society clubroom, Shijun was staring at a photograph of a massive, heavily tattooed student.
"This Subaru Mimasaka guy... he looks a bit familiar. Is he famous around campus?"
Shijun muttered. In his past life, when he had read the manga, he had primarily paid attention to the female cast. He rarely committed the hulking male side characters to memory.
"He's known as the 'Perfect Tracker'."
Yoshino Yuki explained, her expression unusually grim. She and Sakaki Ryoko had come down to the society room to help Megumi strategize.
"Despite his massive size, his mind is terrifyingly delicate and analytical. He specializes in perfectly mimicking his opponent's signature dishes, and then elevating them just enough to crush them."
"I can't believe Megumi drew him for the very first round—"
Yuki sighed.
The main tournament bracket had finally been drawn, with matchups and themes announced exactly one day in advance. Megumi had traveled to the Operations Headquarters that morning to pull her slip, only to find herself matched against the giant.
"I've heard rumors about him." Ryoko added, her voice trembling slightly with anger. "He will use absolutely any underhanded psychological tactic to break his opponents. He essentially treats Shokugeki as a hunting game. He steals their favorite kitchen utensils and completely tramples on their pride as chefs."
Ryoko was particularly bitter because Mimasaka had recently crushed Zenji Marui—another resident of the Polar Star Dormitory—in a private Shokugeki, stealing his prized kitchen knife.
Because Shijun's intervention had radically altered the timeline, Yukihira Soma hadn't yet crossed paths with Mimasaka in a formal duel.
"Imitation and mimicry? How interesting." Shijun chuckled darkly. "Is this the cheap trick megane-kun is relying on?"
Since Yuki had mentioned that Mimasaka was Eizan's personal attack dog, it didn't take a genius to figure out the lottery draw had been rigged. Eizan was clearly using the Tracker to eliminate Megumi.
But Shijun wasn't worried. The Tadokoro Megumi of today was a fundamentally different beast. After two more weeks of Shijun's brutal, accelerated training, her culinary parameters had evolved yet again.
Meanwhile, inside a luxurious office at the Autumn Election Operations Headquarters.
"You can handle this matchup, right?"
Eizan Etsuya sneered, looking over the first-round bracket.
"If her skill level has remained static since the preliminaries—there will be no issue."
Subaru Mimasaka replied, his massive frame unusually tense.
Mimasaka was highly motivated. Eizan provided him with unlimited ingredients and state-of-the-art kitchen facilities to practice his mimicry. Furthermore, he desperately wanted to avoid crossing the terrifying monster known as Shijun.
Since enrolling in Totsuki, Mimasaka boasted a flawless record: 100 Shokugeki victories, 100 stolen kitchen utensils.
Yet, he had absolutely zero intention of ever challenging Shijun.
While Mimasaka deeply coveted Shijun's legendary kitchen knives, his primal instincts—sharpened by years of stalking prey—screamed at him to stay away. He had once attempted to stalk Shijun to analyze his cooking.
But the moment he crept within twenty meters of the 8th Seat and directed even a sliver of hostility toward him—Mimasaka had frozen.
It was as if he had accidentally locked eyes with an ancient, apex predator. A suffocating chill had paralyzed his entire body. At that moment, the 'Tracker' realized he had stumbled into the hunting grounds of a true demon, and he hadn't dared to take a single step closer.
He had learned his lesson: he would only stalk Tadokoro Megumi when she was completely alone, far away from her terrifying President.
While Mimasaka was terrified of Shijun, this was an official tournament. The Top 8 were destined to clash regardless. He wasn't afraid of the timid Megumi.
Eizan understood the dynamic perfectly. He was completely out of options when it came to directly countering the invincible Shijun. Rigging the bracket to feed Megumi to Mimasaka in the very first round was his only play. He needed to expel the rising star of the Polar Star Dormitory as quickly as possible.
Since Megumi had shocked the administration by winning Block B, the Board of Directors was suddenly paying close attention to her. If she advanced any further, utilizing her as political leverage to demolish the Polar Star Dormitory would become significantly more difficult.