Nene Kinokuni...
Satoshi Isshiki's childhood friend.
While the two were in a state of subtle estrangement, it was inevitable that they still cared for one another.
Did he use that connection to help me arrange a match with her...?
He's really hanging his childhood friend out to dry...
After all, Satoshi Isshiki knew his own strength surpassed the Seventh Seat, yet he had still lost to me. That meant...
The thought stopped there.
Lexon didn't care what the smiling Satoshi Isshiki was thinking and didn't dwell on it.
For him, obtaining a seat was all that mattered.
At the very least, a seat would provide significant leverage when negotiating Shokugeki terms with the other members of the Elite Ten Council.
He would no longer have to rely solely on simple provocation to secure a Shokugeki.
"When is it, Senior Isshiki?" Lexon asked.
"Tomorrow at noon, at the Moon Heaven Hall," Satoshi Isshiki replied.
The Moon Heaven Hall was a vital location within Totsuki Academy; historically significant Shokugekis and competitions were held there.
Just like the upcoming Autumn Elections, which would also be held at the Moon Heaven Hall.
"Alright, I'll be there on time," Lexon said, turning to leave.
"Oh, right." Satoshi Isshiki suddenly remembered something and stopped Lexon. "You've been selected as a participant for the Autumn Elections."
"The Autumn Elections?" Lexon repeated.
"Yes," Satoshi Isshiki nodded.
"Can I opt out?" Lexon asked.
He wasn't surprised at being chosen for the Autumn Elections.
Given his performance during the training camp, it would have been stranger if he hadn't been selected.
It was just that he truly had no interest in it.
The Autumn Elections served as a platform for students to showcase their skills and boost their reputations; the next generation of the Elite Ten was usually decided among the top performers there.
However, now that Lexon had the chance to seize a seat through a Shokugeki with the Sixth Seat, he didn't care about those future prospects.
"Oh? You're planning not to participate, Lexon?" Satoshi Isshiki seemed somewhat surprised.
Students who performed exceptionally well in the Autumn Elections could gain the favor of many famous figures in the culinary world. It was a golden opportunity to expand one's network and pave the way for a bright future... it should have been an opportunity that no one aspiring to a career in the culinary arts would ever miss...
'Why is Lexon refusing...?'
Satoshi Isshiki felt a sense of oddity alongside his surprise.
"Because I'm not interested," Lexon said with a smile. "The only thing I'm interested in is the seat itself. Since I can get the Sixth Seat's position now, there's no need for me to show my face at the Autumn Elections."
"How confident, Lexon," Satoshi Isshiki replied with a smile. "But you should be careful. Nene is quite strong..."
"The current me won't lose."
Though his tone was flat, he exuded an aura that was difficult to refute.
'It sounds like... he's even confident in defeating the First Seat...'
This thought suddenly occurred to Satoshi Isshiki.
"It seems that in the few days you spent with Mr. Joichiro Yukihira, your level has skyrocketed once again..." he guessed.
Lexon smiled and didn't respond.
"I'll report your refusal to participate in the Autumn Elections to the Elite Ten Council."
"Thanks."
Their conversation ended there, and they went their separate ways.
...
Inside the Moon Heaven Hall the following day.
There were very few people there.
The audience was sparse.
This was because no one had been notified that a Shokugeki for an Elite Ten seat was about to take place.
Thus, even in the Moon Heaven Hall, there were only a handful of spectators.
On stage, three judges sent by the Shokugeki Administration sat quietly at the judges' table, waiting for the match to begin.
"Where is Satoshi?" asked a girl standing opposite Lexon. She wore glasses, her blue hair was in braids, and her eyes were red.
"Senior Isshiki intended to come and watch, but he apparently had something come up suddenly today, so he couldn't make it," Lexon replied flatly.
"Tch." The girl opposite him, Nene Kinokuni, clicked her tongue slightly and continued, "What I really want to know is why I'm having a Shokugeki with a first-year freshman like you..."
"Because I'm the one who suggested it to Senior Isshiki," Lexon answered.
"You suggested it to Satoshi?" Nene Kinokuni frowned slightly.
She recognized the handsome guy in front of her.
He was a freshman who had become famous shortly after entering Totsuki.
At the entrance ceremony, he had made bold claims... he had achieved an overwhelming victory in a Shokugeki against Ikumi Mito, a subordinate of the Elite Ten's bottom seat, Erina Nakiri... earned excellent grades in class... and delivered an incomparable performance during the training camp...
There was no doubt that this transfer student named Lexon would be a figure who stirred up a storm in Totsuki.
In fact... there was a high probability he would hold a seat in the next Elite Ten Council.
Based on Lexon's performance, that was what Nene Kinokuni believed.
However, Nene Kinokuni didn't think that these achievements alone gave him the ability to challenge her.
Which member of the Elite Ten didn't have similar feats when they were first-years?
In her eyes, this wasn't anything worth noting.
"Yeah, it took 'a bit' of effort to get Senior Isshiki to agree," Lexon said gently.
"I don't know what method you used to get Satoshi to agree to your request... but..." Nene's eyes fixed on Lexon, radiating a sharp gaze that was hard to look at
directly. She advised, "Give up... it's impossible for you to defeat me."
"Actually, I'm destined to win," Lexon replied.
He was clearly smiling gently, yet his eyes, as flat as stagnant water, made Nene's heart tighten involuntarily.
She quickly shook her head slightly to calm her mind.
"Since you want this, I won't stop you. What's the theme?" Nene Kinokuni asked.
"Isn't it chosen by the one accepting the Shokugeki?" Lexon asked in confusion.
"Satoshi's conditions included the challenger proposing the theme," Nene explained.
It was unclear what conditions Satoshi Isshiki and Nene Kinokuni had agreed upon.
It had led Nene Kinokuni to even throw away the advantage of choosing the theme.
"Then let's go with..." Hearing her words, Lexon trailed off before continuing with a smile, "...Soba noodles, your specialty, Senior."
Soba noodles...
'Am I being looked down upon...?'
Veins seemed to pop on Nene Kinokuni's forehead. Her glasses reflected the light, making it impossible to see her eyes.
However, anyone standing nearby could easily feel that the girl was fuming.
She didn't say anything at that moment, simply walking quietly behind her cooking station and picking up her tools.
Only then did she speak.
"Freshman, I'll make you regret this."
Her chilling words fell alongside an incredibly cold gaze.
'Since you, a freshman, want to seek death and taste the flavor of defeat... I will use all my strength to make you understand clearly...'
'I'll give you a lesson so profound it will be engraved into your soul... one you will never forget.'
'I just hope you don't lose your spirit because of it.'
In Nene Kinokuni's heart, these thoughts settled.
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