"What's all that noise over there...?" Lexon wondered from the stage, having already secured his victory, as he looked toward the spectator stands with a puzzled expression.
The commotion over there piqued his interest slightly.
"You're truly unstoppable, Junior..."
Rindou Kobayashi, sitting in the front row of the stands, seemed flushed from the aroma of the previous dish, and her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
"At this rate, I feel like even I might lose to you..."
Rindou teased.
"It was just a simple Shokugeki. It didn't involve a seat like the one with Senior Tsukasa, so there's no need to overthink it," Lexon replied, sounding completely confident.
"Haha, you're quite sure of yourself, Junior," Rindou laughed before adding a warning, "But Eishi will be incredibly serious... after all, both the seat and the meaning behind this Shokugeki are at stake..."
"I understand."
"See you tomorrow then." With that, Rindou Kobayashi waved and departed.
"You're a powerful opponent. I lost—completely." Megishima, the defeated opponent, approached Lexon and extended his hand for a friendly handshake.
'Ah... a check-in opportunity delivered right to me...'
Lexon naturally smiled and accepted the handshake.
Although the man's skill was far below his own, there was no reason to turn down a gift like this.
...
Day five.
Today was the day of the Shokugeki against Rindou Kobayashi.
It was also the first time Eishi Tsukasa had come to watch a Shokugeki.
Furthermore... he wasn't the only one who showed up...
There was also a tall man with a gloomy aura, wearing a black overcoat, his black hair marked by a single white streak.
Azami Nakiri.
That was the man's identity.
Lexon watched as Azami Nakiri took his seat at the judges' table, right next to a visibly displeased Senzaemon Nakiri.
'It seems the next Shokugeki is truly vital... even Senzaemon made an exception to allow this man, who was banished from Totsuki, to set foot here again...'
Lexon thought to himself.
"Come, let me taste your cooking... Nakiri Lexon..." After sitting down and greeting Senzaemon, Azami extended a hand toward Lexon and dropped a revelation that sent shockwaves through the Moon Heaven Hall.
"Lexon is actually a Nakiri???"
"His real name is Nakiri Lexon?"
"No wonder he's such a genius; he has the Nakiri bloodline!"
"Then what's his relationship with Lady Erina?"
"There were some rumors... are they cousins?"
"This is explosive news!"
"By the way, who is that new judge? I haven't seen him these past few days."
"That's Azami Nakiri! He was a legendary genius at Totsuki who used his peerless talent and strength to marry the Director's daughter and enter the Nakiri family, fathering Lady Erina!"
"Then why is the Director's attitude a bit..."
"Because Azami Nakiri committed many outrages and his philosophy was incomprehensible, so he was banished from Totsuki!"
Instantly, the crowd erupted in a cacophony of voices sparked by Azami's words.
Lexon didn't react to Azami's words. He merely gave the man a flat look before stepping up to his cooking station.
"Father, this child of the Nakiri family doesn't seem to have much respect for me," Azami said to Senzaemon with a smile.
"Hmph..." Senzaemon snorted coldly, his arms crossed over his chest.
He looked utterly disdainful of Azami.
"I wonder where Erina is... is she watching?" Azami appeared entirely unbothered by being ignored as he scanned the audience for his daughter's presence.
"You bastard! I won't let you near Erina again!" Senzaemon, provoked by Azami's actions, slammed his hand on the table and stood up.
He would never allow this man to get close to Erina again.
He wouldn't let him use the 'God's Tongue' to treat his daughter like a mere tool or brainwash her with his twisted ideals!
"I only want to see my daughter, Father," Azami said, waving a hand dismissively.
As he spoke, his voice grew lower. "And... Father... don't forget... if you lose this time, Totsuki will no longer be under your control..."
At those words, Senzaemon's expression turned grim.
What Azami said was true. If Eishi Tsukasa, the First Seat, won tomorrow's Shokugeki, the wavering Elite Ten would pivot completely to Azami's side.
Then Azami would impeach Senzaemon as Director and seize control of all Totsuki.
In truth, without Lexon's intervention, Totsuki would have been slowly hollowed out from within, just as in the original story.
However, Lexon's presence had given Senzaemon a chance to prepare...
Yet by the time they realized it, Azami's plans were already well underway...
To thwart Azami's conspiracy—and because Azami knew he'd been discovered and wanted to crush all resistance—the two sides had reached a tacit agreement: each would field a student representative for a Shokugeki.
That was the origin of the Shokugeki between Lexon and the First Seat.
It aligned perfectly with Lexon's own goals...
Choked with indignation, Senzaemon could only sit back down.
He was currently in a weak position and lacked the leverage to trade words with the man.
Although he placed great expectations on Lexon...
Until victory was secured, words were meaningless.
"Father..." Suddenly, a trembling voice came from below the stage.
It was Erina Nakiri.
She looked terrified, her hands trembling, her pupils dilated, and her body swaying...
Clearly, the shadow cast by this 'Demon Father' was far too deep.
"Erina..." Azami looked over, wearing a smile that appeared perfectly kind. "Come here."
It was a command that brooked no argument.
'Go...'
'Father wants me to go over...'
'Father's commands and requirements are absolute...'
Unconsciously, Erina Nakiri began to take a step forward.
"Don't go." A flat voice rang out.
'That's... Lexon... my cousin's voice...'
Erina's body stiffened, and she came to a halt.
She didn't understand why she was disobeying her father, yet she did so anyway.
The moment she heard Lexon's voice, her mind flashed back to the spiritual sensation she felt when she ate his dish during that Shokugeki...
It was as if many people were standing behind her... including that god-like figure...
Drawing strength from them, Erina found a faint glimmer of courage to refuse.
"Erina, come here!" Seeing Erina stop because of a single word from Lexon, Azami's voice dropped to a menacingly low tone, his narrow eyes boring into her with a terrifying pressure.
"Don't go." The voice remained calm and flat.
Erina stayed where she was, her head bowed.
Clearly, she had rejected her father's command once more.
"Tsk..." Azami clicked his tongue, scowling at Lexon with a dark expression. "What is the meaning of this, you...?"
The thing he could least tolerate was Erina slipping out of his control.
His blueprint for the future of the culinary world was dependent on Erina's 'God's Tongue'.
But faced with Azami's anger, Lexon didn't even spare him a glance.
He ignored him completely.
'What a loathsome guy...'
And just like that, Azami Nakiri's first impression of Lexon was set in stone.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]