5-0.
The scoreboard in Moon Heaven Hall displayed those familiar numbers.
It was an outcome anyone could have easily predicted.
The winner was clear just by looking at the judges' reactions.
"I didn't expect this... I still lost... even after all that time I spent researching with Eishi... You're really something." Stripped down to her underwear and revealing her curvaceous figure, Rindou Kobayashi praised Lexon without a hint of bashfulness.
"I'd suggest you put some clothes on first, Senior," Lexon advised, ignoring the Main God's cold voice announcing his progress in the hidden world mission.
"Hahaha, it's fine, it's fine!" Despite her loss, Rindou didn't look discouraged at all as she let out a boisterous laugh.
Lexon gave her a polite smile.
All that was left... was the First Seat...
As the thought occurred to him, Lexon subconsciously glanced toward the audience at Eishi Tsukasa, who was also down to his underwear.
When Eishi sensed Lexon's gaze on him, he said something that even Lexon found unexpected.
"Looking at it this way... I wouldn't be able to win either... So let's just leave it at that," Eishi said gently.
?
Lexon was puzzled.
Did he mean he was just surrendering?
But the Main God hadn't given a notification yet...
[SYSTEM: MAIN MISSION "SEIZE THE FIRST SEAT OF THE ELITE TEN" COMPLETED]
[SYSTEM: HIDDEN WORLD MISSION "DEFEAT THE ELITE TEN" COMPLETED]
[SYSTEM: WOULD YOU LIKE TO RETURN? IF THE REINCARNATOR CHOOSES NOT TO RETURN, A THREE-DAY GRACE PERIOD WILL BE GRANTED.]
Just as the doubt surfaced, the Main God's cold, mechanical voice arrived.
[SYSTEM: DO NOT RETURN]
Lexon spoke the command directly in his mind.
So he was serious...
Then, Lexon looked at Eishi with confusion.
Based on his portrayal in the original story, Eishi Tsukasa was extremely confident in his cooking. He shouldn't be the type to surrender voluntarily.
It didn't fit his personality...
Could someone have possessed him in this gourmet world?
"No need to be so confused, Junior." Sensing Lexon's bewilderment, Eishi scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "As Rindou said, Lord Azami demanded that she and I work together to research her dish with everything we had. It was our most satisfying result."
"The goal was to stop you here and indirectly raise our status... Though I wasn't entirely keen on it, Lord Azami insisted, so I had no choice. Essentially, you were facing a two-on-one."
"And even then, we lost to you. If I were to Shokugeki you now, the result would be the same."
So that was it...
Lexon's confusion cleared slightly.
After a crushing defeat in a two-on-one, the outcome of another match was obvious.
Even if the next Shokugeki's theme was French cuisine, Eishi's specialty...
But then again, a chef like Eishi had no weaknesses; his "specialty" was only relative.
There was no generational gap between a specialty and general mastery...
But looking at the reaction to Rindou's collaborative dish versus Lexon's, the difference... was already on a completely different level.
Eishi was extremely arrogant about his cooking.
But he wasn't stupid.
Who would want to walk into a 5-0 beatdown if they didn't have to?
By surrendering now, he could still claim later, 'Maybe if I had stepped up, I would've only lost 3-2 in a close match.'
"Won't your side's Azami Nakiri want to kill you for doing this?" Lexon asked Eishi.
"I believe Lord Azami will understand." Eishi gave a gentlemanly smile.
It looked decidedly out of place given he was still only wearing his underwear...
"Nakiri Lexon, is it... Hmph, what a loathsome fellow. But I must admit, I lost this time."
Speak of the devil; just as Lexon mentioned him, Azami Nakiri's voice drifted over from the side.
His words signaled his acceptance of Eishi's surrender and his decision to abandon his schemes.
Then, Azami brushed past Lexon, his tall figure walking toward the exit of Moon Heaven Hall.
So, could you please just put some clothes on...
Lexon watched the departing figure, speechless.
Did most people in this world have a hidden exhibitionist trait?
Before Lexon could think further, his friends from the Polar Star Dormitory rushed onto the stage, seemingly wanting to celebrate his victory over the Elite Ten and his ascent to the First Seat...
They looked ready to toss him into the air in celebration!
"Stop." Lexon raised a hand to halt his scantily-clad friends. "Please, put your clothes on."
It really had to be said.
The guys didn't matter, but the women were a bit too distracting...
Reminded of their state, Megumi Tadokoro, Ryoko Sakaki, and the others snapped out of their excitement, shrieked in embarrassment, and ran off to find something to cover themselves with.
"You're amazing, Lexon!" Soma Yukihira didn't care about his own appearance, walking over to clap Lexon on the shoulder with a grin.
"How did things go on your end?" Lexon recalled that today was also Soma's Shokugeki with an Elite Ten member and asked for an update.
"A 3-2 victory... barely..." Soma replied sheepishly.
Although he had won his Shokugeki much sooner than in the original timeline...
It was only for the Eighth Seat... and a victory won by the skin of his teeth.
Compared to Lexon's track record, Soma felt it wasn't even worth mentioning.
He even felt a bit ashamed.
They were supposed to reach the top of Totsuki together... yet his friend was already invincible.
He had only barely defeated the Eighth Seat... and he'd only gotten the chance because his friend had vouched for him.
It was hard not to feel inadequate.
"That's pretty good," Lexon praised him briefly.
After a bit more small talk, the group prepared to head back to the dormitory.
However, before they could leave, Senzaemon Nakiri called out to Lexon, wanting a private word.
Lexon also had something to say to him, so he stayed behind.
The audience had cleared out, leaving only Lexon and Senzaemon on the stage.
"Were you holding back before?" Senzaemon asked first. "Your cooking has improved more than just a little... the jump is honestly absurd..."
Lexon understood what he meant.
Previously, his level was based on extreme spice usage, the overlap of God's Tongue and God's Nose, the combined skills of Soma, Satoshi Isshiki, and the rest of Polar Star, plus snippets from Kojiro Shinomiya, Joichiro Yukihira, and Gin Dojima...
He had been on the same level as Eishi and Rindou—stronger, but not by an overwhelming margin.
That was why Senzaemon's confidence had wavered after tasting Eishi and Rindou's collaborative dish.
But...
This was after his Stagiaire...
Things were completely different now.
Victory was an absolute certainty.
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