“He’s here! He’s here!”
“It’s the ninth seat of the Ten Masters, Eizan Tsukasa!”
“They say he’s incredibly skilled in cooking, known as the ‘Alchemist’, and he’s also a formidable Gourmet Hunter, almost reaching Silver-level, on par with Bronze-level hunters.”
“Not only that, Senior Eizan Tsukasa is also a business genius, controlling many restaurants. He earns a total of 1 billion yen in annual revenue!”
The bustling crowd of students and teachers automatically parted, creating a path for Eizan Tsukasa.
Eizan Tsukasa, with his hands in his pockets, wearing rimless glasses, and sporting a slicked-back hairstyle, exuded an arrogant aura, like he was coming to collect a debt.
Behind him, he carried a gigantic metal cabinet, resembling a coffin.
It was unclear what was inside.
With a loud “thump”, Eizan Tsukasa dropped the heavy metal cabinet, causing a slight tremor in the hard ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
He raised a foot, adorned with a polished leather shoe, and placed it on top of the silvery white metal cabinet. He extended his right index finger, pushing up his glasses with it, and looked around.
“Where is Hong Yi?”
“That damn newbie, why isn’t he here yet!”
“Was he scared off by me?”
Eizan Tsukasa’s lackeys immediately echoed his words, “Hong Yi, come out!”
“That arrogant punk, he dares to challenge one of the Ten Masters, the Alchemist. He’s asking for death.”
“Hahaha, he probably ran away already!”
“That’s right. He’s just a newbie, how could he possibly be a match for our boss.”
“Ridiculous, ridiculous.”
The other students and teachers, influenced by their words, followed suit.
“Ah? He wouldn’t really run away, would he?”
“Yeah, a newbie challenging a Ten Master, he’s probably gotten a little too cocky.”
“Ugh, what a letdown. I was looking forward to the Ten Master’s position change battle.”
薙切绘里奈, with her beautiful eyebrows furrowed, stood alone on an empty spot, with the students staying far away from her.
Shiomi Saeki whispered, “Big Sis, that newbie, Hong Yi, wouldn’t really have run away, would he?”
薙切绘里奈 shook her head, “He wouldn’t.”
“I know Eizan Tsukasa. His true strength is weaker than someone like the mysterious Tsukishima Sen, or the silent Saito Sōmei.”
“Eizan Tsukasa is best at bluffing.”
“His strength isn’t much stronger than Hong Yi’s.”
“But…”
薙切绘里奈 looked at the huge silvery white metal cabinet that Eizan Tsukasa had carried in and was now stepping on.
She felt a sense of unease about the contents of that metal cabinet.
Within the crowd.
Eizan Tsukasa glanced at his watch and said loudly, “It’s almost nine o’clock. If you don’t show up, Hong Yi, you’ll automatically forfeit, and your challenge will be a failure!”
“Why are you shouting? It’s still a few minutes before nine, the agreed time, right?”
“Or… are you, the ninth seat, already afraid? Are you trying to make me lose the Shokugeki by using some petty trick like being late?”
A voice, booming like a bell, loud and thunderous, echoed in everyone’s ears, like a thunderbolt from the heavens.
In the sky?
The students and teachers of Totsuki Academy were startled and immediately looked up.
Under the clear blue sky, with bright sunlight pouring down, the light was blinding.
There was a black dot in the middle of the dazzling sun.
Then.
The black dot grew larger as it descended rapidly, finally crashing onto the wall of the Ninth Garden, standing tall and proud.
It was Hong Yi, who had rushed over from the shopping mall!
And the petite and adorable Akiyama Takumi, who was being held in his arms.
He was holding Akiyama Takumi.
Akiyama Takumi was holding a plush bear.
The image was strangely adorable.
“It’s… it’s the fourth seat of the Ten Masters, Akiyama Takumi!”
“Whoa, this newbie, Hong Yi, isn’t he… the partner of Mido Ikumi? Why is he holding Akiyama Takumi?”
“I’m so envious. Why is the newbie holding Senior Akiyama, I want to hold her too!”
“Cut it out. I envy Akiyama Takumi! I want to be held by Hong Yi!”
Hong Yi’s entrance immediately created a huge stir in the crowd.
“Huh?”
“Pri… Princess carry!!”
薙切绘里奈’s beautiful eyes widened, filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred as she looked at Akiyama Takumi.
Secretary Koizumi said calmly, “Big Sis, it’s just a princess carry, there’s no need to be surprised.”
“Th… this is the kind of princess carry you see in shoujo manga.”
薙切绘里奈’s vision was instantly clouded by a romantic shoujo manga filter:
【Hong Yi, biting on a rose, holds the petite and adorable Akiyama Takumi, dressed in a princess dress, in his arms.】
Damn it.
薙切绘里奈 covered her forehead with her hand.
If she had known he’d be carrying someone like that, she would have put aside her pride and gone shopping for clothes with Hong Yi.
“That annoying guy!”
“He stole everyone’s attention the moment he appeared.”
Looking up at Hong Yi, who stood on top of the wall, Eizan Tsukasa bit his lip, his feet stepping on the metal cabinet, his eyes behind his glasses flashed with coldness and jealousy.
On top of the defensive barrier.
Akiyama Takumi, curled up like a cat, said in a voice as thin as a mosquito, “Hong-kun, please… put me down.”
“Okay.”
Hong Yi took Akiyama Takumi out of his arms and placed her on top of the wall, revealing the pattern on his t-shirt.
“Pfft!”
“Hahahaha…”
The arrogant 薙切绘里奈 burst into laughter, her bright beautiful eyes rolling with tears.
“This… what kind of pattern is that?”
“Akiyama Takumi’s taste is really strange.”
It was clear to see that Hong Yi was wearing a short-sleeved shirt with a pink plush teddy bear pattern on the front.
Without a doubt.
It must have been chosen by Akiyama Takumi!
“Puahahaha, I… I should have chosen clothes for Hong-kun!”
薙切绘里奈 placed one hand on Shiomi Saeki’s shoulder and laughed as she said this.
Shiomi Saeki looked at her Big Sis in surprise.
She had never seen 薙切绘里奈 laugh so happily before.
“Now that you’re here, don’t waste time, let’s start the Shokugeki!”
Eizan Tsukasa, with the silvery white metal cabinet on his back, took confident strides with his long legs, crossing through the opened steel gate of the defensive barrier, officially entering the Ninth Garden.
“Heh.”
“Then I’ll go first.”
Standing on the wall, Hong Yi jumped down from a height of twenty meters, landing smoothly. In an instant, he transformed into a swift and fierce cheetah, charging towards the depths of the Ninth Garden.
Although he didn’t know where the Rainbow Fruit had been transplanted.
He could be sure it wouldn’t be in the edge area of the Ninth Garden.
“Buzz.”
After Hong Yi and Eizan Tsukasa left, several drones, equipped with ultra-high-definition cameras, immediately took off, flying into the air and filming the two of them from above.
These images would be broadcast online.
The students and teachers of Totsuki Academy could watch on their phones, or on the giant screens hung on the outer wall of the defensive barrier.