At this moment, someone began introducing the white-haired girl onstage.
"That's Alice. She used to be a student at Moon Academy Junior High."
"No, I've already graduated," Alice corrected calmly. "I'm a first-year high school student now."
"When she was in junior high, Alice's performance was leagues above everyone else."
The man suddenly paused as a realization struck him.
"...Could it be...?"
"What is it?" someone beside him asked.
"Could it be that Alice, right after entering high school, challenged one of the Top Ten... and won? Is that why she's here now?"
The Top Ten had undergone a reshuffle.
While the public knew about the formal Top Ten Challenge, there were other internal channels at Moon Academy that allowed students to rise through the ranks—more private, less publicized.
Alice quietly walked to the last vacant seat among the Top Ten and stood there, calm and composed.
The spectators weren't the only ones turning their attention to her. Even the other Nine Elites were eyeing her with interest.
As Kaizen watched her, Alice's gaze drifted in his direction.
Their eyes met.
Kaizen tapped his chin, thoughtful.
Alice instinctively straightened—then suddenly turned away, cheeks slightly flushed.
Kaizen blinked. Weird.
...
The arena was massive. The elevated main stage was located on the north end, with the audience seats fanned around it.
There were seats in the auditorium, but not that many.
After all, most viewers relied on the floating screens above the arena.
The broadcast reached even outside this region, much like Heavens Arena.
But unlike Heavens Arena matches, which usually required payment to watch, the Top Ten Challenge was broadcast for free throughout Gourmet Paradise.
Rebroadcasting, however, was strictly prohibited.
...
More figures stepped onto the stage—but these weren't students. These were the judges.
Unlike the transfer test, where faculty sometimes acted as referees, these judges were all professionals—top-tier chefs and respected gourmets.
There were five of them, an odd number to ensure there would always be a decisive result.
Soon, the screen above displayed names and detailed information on dozens of students.
"Alice... Ten out of ten... First-year high school student."
Kaizen instinctively looked over to where Mike and Tatsumi were seated.
Both were already considered standouts among the recent batch of transfer students. Passing the entrance exams was no easy feat—it required a great deal of skill and talent.
But Alice... was on another level.
She had just entered high school and already secured a place among the Top Ten.
The rest of the Top Ten were either sophomores or seniors. Only three were in their second year.
Six were already in their final year.
...
"It's really her..." Tatsumi muttered. "She's incredible."
"First year and already in the top ten. That's never happened in the history of Moon Academy."
Tatsumi looked at Alice, feeling a wave of discouragement wash over him. Compared to her, his hard-won admission to Moon Academy felt like nothing.
Meanwhile, Mike clenched his fists.
"If she can do it, so can I. One day, I'll be one of the Top Ten too!"
They were both inspired by the same person—but their responses were different.
Kaizen, however, wasn't fazed.
He had seen it all before.
People are just built differently. Some are born with everything; others have to fight for scraps.
It's like the Hunter Exam.
Ponzu trained endlessly to pass and become a Hunter.
But for people like Hisoka, Kaizen, or even Illumi, it was just another stepping stone.
Hisoka and Illumi were older than Ponzu.
But Kaizen—he was younger.
...
"Alice must be related to Rindai-sama," someone said quietly. "Maybe a descendant."
A teacher stepped into the center of the stage, microphone in hand.
"I now declare the Top Ten Challenge officially open!"
"Students who wish to challenge, please submit your applications."
"Challenge order will follow submission order."
"Begin!"
...
The audience immediately erupted.
Everyone wanted a chance—even if the odds weren't in their favor.
Even if the gap in ability was obvious, they still wanted to try.
Because if you don't try, you'll never know how far off you really are.
And sometimes, facing overwhelming pressure is when true potential emerges.
That's the beauty of competition.
Just like in Heavens Arena, where fighters break through limits during battle, this was a chance to grow.
A large stack of applications quickly formed in the teachers' hands.
And unsurprisingly, the one most frequently challenged... was the newly-promoted Alice.
"She's a genius, sure," one student muttered, "but she just graduated from junior high."
"The others have at least one or two years of experience over her."
"This is when we grow the most. If anyone's beatable—it's her."
"I mean, come on. I'm a third-year. If I can't beat a first-year, then what does that say about me?"
...
In contrast, Alice wasn't flustered in the slightest.
She even smiled a little, confident and poised.
Kaizen couldn't see the specifics of her cooking yet—he wasn't watching her hands.
But what he could sense... was her aura.
Among the Top Ten, the eighth and ninth seats hadn't begun Nen training yet.
From the seventh seat onward, everyone had already begun learning Nen.
Especially the top two—they had already reached B-Rank level aura.
Alice, however, was beyond even that.
She had surpassed B-Rank.
She was closer to Kaizen's own level.
...
A challenger stepped onto the stage, taking the stove next to Alice.
Alice pulled out her chef's uniform, unfolding it with a graceful flick.
Kaizen's eyes widened.
Something about her in that uniform felt familiar—uncannily so.
Like... another Alice.
From a different world.
Halberd Eater Spirit.
Nakiri Alice.
It wasn't just a resemblance.
It was an exact match.
...
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)