"3:0
The winner is ~ Hoshino Sora!
So far, this is Hoshino Sora's 19th Food War victory! Is there no one who can stop him?!"
Kawashima Rei hosted the match with a clear, slightly provocative, and excited voice. Unfortunately, there weren't many spectators because the challengers were all minor characters.
Although Hoshino Sora was a big fish, his frequent appearances had made everyone accustomed to him, and over time, the audience became smaller and smaller.
"Yeah!" * 2
With excited expressions, Tadokoro Megumi and Alice Nakiri, sitting next to each other, simultaneously cheered as they watched Hoshino Sora easily win. They raised their hands and high-fived.
Only 100 prestige points added? It's getting less and less...
Leaving the competition venue, Hoshino Sora muttered softly as he walked away. The first senior who challenged him, Kabayama Tetsuji, had given him a full 1000 prestige points.
After that, he participated in more than a dozen matches, but he only accumulated 6000 prestige points in total. Adding the original 3300 prestige points, he hadn't even reached 10000 points.
The prestige points gained from recent matches were pitifully small. A single match would take him two or three hours, but all that effort only yielded 100 prestige points.
The key was that he couldn't ignore it. After all, 100 prestige points was still a lot. Using the Prestige Store to exchange for high-grade beef could directly get him one hundred catties of top-grade Kobe beef.
Besides that, the Prestige Store could exchange for all sorts of ingredients, whether available on the market or not.
Of course, the Prestige Store's function was far more than just this. For example, the "Reaction Capsule" that Hoshino Sora gave Tadokoro Megumi last time was just a common item in the Prestige Store.
The specific mysteries still awaited discovery.
"You two as well, aren't you tired of watching such boring matches one after another? You don't need to come cheer me on every time. I can't possibly lose against these minor characters."
Looking at Tadokoro Megumi and Alice Nakiri, who had arrived early and were waiting for him at the entrance, Hoshino Sora naturally put his arms around their waists and chatted. This was already a very common sight at Far Moon.
Although it caused a lot of complaints at first, everyone had become accustomed to it later, and all that remained in their eyes was envy.
Leaving Tadokoro Megumi aside for now, Alice's popularity in this school was truly high.
Snow-white hair, fair skin, captivating red eyes, a foreign appearance, a delicate body, soft and well-endowed, and with Eri Nai International behind her—a very typical super rich, beautiful, and privileged young woman!
Marrying her would directly save him a lifetime of struggle!
How many people wouldn't like a girl like that?
At least Hoshino Sora liked her very much. Alice Nakiri, being embraced by him, was also very lively. She then said, "But I want to see your valiant figure defeating opponents on the Food Battle stage."
"I... I do too!"
Hearing Alice's words, Tadokoro Megumi immediately added, her small face flushed.
After walking a couple of steps, Hoshino Sora released his arms from around the two of them, as walking like that made it easy to trip. He had only done it earlier to touch their waists.
Don't ask, the answer is lust.
"Speaking of which, it seems like the last event of autumn is almost here."
Touching her chin, Alice Nakiri spoke suggestively.
"You mean that, right..."
Hearing Alice's words, Tadokoro Megumi immediately responded excitedly.
"Can you two stop being riddlers? What is it, exactly?"
Seeing that the two of them didn't reveal the answer in the end, just kept 'exchanging secret signals,' Hoshino Sora couldn't help but feel a little frantic. What on earth were they talking about?
Wait, the Autumn Elections, the plot after the practical training, it seems to be the restaurant opening competition...
"Far Moon Academy's School Festival~" * 2
Seeing Hoshino Sora's thoughtful expression, Tadokoro Megumi and Alice said in unison. After speaking, they exchanged glances and smiled, looking perfectly in sync.
Of course, their relationship wasn't this good from the start.
The story goes back to a week ago when Hoshino Sora introduced them. When Hoshino Sora said that Tadokoro Megumi had also become his girlfriend, Alice immediately threw a tantrum.
After all, she had only met Tadokoro Megumi a few times, and Hoshino Sora suddenly told her, 'You two are good sisters from now on, so get along well.' Who could accept that?
So she was very displeased and sulked for two days. During that time, she constantly sniped at Hoshino Sora and even confronted him in practical cooking class, but he didn't give up partnering with her because of it.
He just kept looking for opportunities to seek her forgiveness and tried all sorts of ways to please her, taking meticulous care of her. It could be said that he had done everything to the extreme.
Alice also knew that she couldn't keep sulking, as that would only push Hoshino Sora towards others, which she definitely didn't want to see.
So, she was waiting for an opening.
In fact, she got it.
A challenge from Tadokoro Megumi.
If Tadokoro Megumi won, then the three of them would get along well and be united. If she won, Tadokoro Megumi would have to stay far away from Hoshino Sora and not cross the line.
Of course, the two of them didn't go the route of a Food Battle; it was a verbal agreement, with Hoshino Sora, Tadokoro Megumi, and Alice Nakiri serving as judges.
The location was Alice Nakiri's home.
Originally, Alice Nakiri wanted to win easily and then show her magnanimous spirit, allowing Tadokoro Megumi to continue being with Hoshino Sora, which is why she didn't propose a Food Battle.
As for Tadokoro Megumi? Her impression of her was that she was eliminated in the first round of the Autumn Elections, a mediocre contestant who barely qualified for the main competition. She never thought she would lose to such an opponent.
However, what she didn't expect was that the girl whose strength she had underestimated actually defeated her in cooking.
The theme they drew was vegetables. She made a vegetable mousse using molecular reconstruction, originally thinking she could win easily, but instead encountered unprecedented resistance.
She secretly glanced at the smiling Tadokoro Megumi beside her out of the corner of her eye, then looked at Hoshino Sora, her cheeks subtly puffed out, feeling inexplicably annoyed.
Where did this guy find such a good girl? Not only is she gentle, pure-looking, and a great cook, but how did such an excellent child fall for him?
After the intense match a few days ago, Alice's attitude towards Tadokoro Megumi underwent a huge change, from being somewhat resistant to gradually becoming in sync.
Of course, what truly changed her was Hoshino Sora's overwhelming combat power.
He's too much of a beast!
"Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora!"
Thinking of this, Alice finally couldn't help but raise her hand and start doing cat punches near Hoshino Sora's shoulder.
"What's up?" Hoshino Sora turned to ask.
"Nothing, just purely want to hit you."
"Uh... alright, as long as you're happy."
Hearing Alice's reply, Hoshino Sora's expression was helpless. Worried that she couldn't reach his shoulder, he considerately bent down, and all of this was seen by Tadokoro Megumi.
She didn't speak, feeling that the atmosphere was very good.
"Speaking of the School Festival, Far Moon's School Festival seems to be called Moon something?"
"Hmm, it's called the Moon Feast Festival. You can freely participate in setting up stalls as a group or an individual."
Hearing Hoshino Sora's question, Tadokoro Megumi naturally took over the conversation and gently explained to him.
"Right! That's it. A few days ago, Yukihira Soma seemed to say he wanted to challenge the Elite Ten. Kuga Terunori said he would accept a Food Battle challenge as long as someone defeated him in a certain aspect."
The flag has been set, now it's just a matter of making it happen.
Yukihira Soma wasn't the only one who wanted to challenge the Elite Ten; Hoshino Sora also had the idea, but he was more reserved and didn't openly say it in front of so many people.
"What, Sora-kun also has an idea? Then I'll have to explain the various rules of the Moon Feast Festival to you here."
"The Moon Feast Festival will not only occupy a part of the school as competition space, but the store opening areas are divided into three major sections, each with its own characteristics. Finding an area that aligns with your cooking philosophy is quite important.
First is the most popular 'Main Boulevard Area,' which extends directly from the main gate onto the boulevard. The unit price is around 500 to 1000 yen. Because it's more affordable, there's a lot of foot traffic.
Then there's the 'Central Area,' where the teaching buildings are concentrated. This is where specialty dishes and shops requiring special equipment are located. People who want to eat truly gourmet food generally come here, and as a result, the prices are higher than in the 'Main Boulevard Area,' with unit prices around 1000 to 5000 yen.
Finally, there's the 'High Platform Area,' where most of the Elite Ten choose to set up shop every year. It has the feel of a high-end restaurant hidden from the world. The unit price is at least 5000 yen, with no upper limit. It's an area where chefs without reputation generally can't attract customers.
However, since Sora-kun is participating, Xiao Hui and I will definitely be with you, so you have to consider us too.
By the way, Kuga-senpai should be setting up a shop in the 'Central Area,' because the Central Area allows for flexible adjustment of shop size. To maximize the advantage of the Chinese Cuisine Research Society's large number of members, I think he will choose that location."
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Alice Nakiri spoke voluminously, also including her own insights. But on second thought, the other party really seemed to have the strength of an Elite Ten...
"Hoshino-kun also wants to become an Elite Ten?" Tadokoro Megumi asked curiously.
"That's right, I want to become an Elite Ten! I'll be counting on you two then."
"Leave it to us!" * 2
Hoshino Sora nodded. He wanted to become an Elite Ten.
Of course, his reason for wanting to become an Elite Ten wasn't because the Elite Ten held supreme power at Far Moon. He was more interested in the system's generous rewards.
Although the system hadn't issued a quest yet, Hoshino Sora had a premonition that as long as he successfully became an Elite Ten, the system would definitely give him fantastic rewards!
Just like the Gourmet Manor rewarded in the Autumn Elections finals.
It's worth mentioning that the Gourmet Manor has the ability to accelerate crop growth. The vegetables planted half a month ago were already ready for harvest, and he had also picked and tasted them.
The taste was better than all similar types of fruits and vegetables on the market! There was no doubt that they had reached the best quality.
Among them, a mutated species also appeared: spicy tomatoes...
It sounded a bit like Dark Cuisine, but it was unexpectedly delicious. It tasted sweet with a hint of spice, and was full of juice. Eating it directly would be a bit too much for some, but cooked into a vegetable dish, it was incredibly delicious.
Whether used as a vegetable or a seasoning, it was very suitable and retained the rich flavor of tomatoes themselves.
It was a brand new taste experience!
He could guarantee that if such spicy tomatoes were introduced to the culinary world, they would surely trigger a new culinary revolution!
And this was merely the beginning of the Gourmet Manor.
— — — — — — — — — —
"The Moon Feast Festival lasts for five days. Each day, the sales figures of each shop will be publicly announced. It's like a competition, I'm starting to feel a bit excited."
In the evening, at Yōbi Dormitory, everyone gathered to chat.
"What, Hoshino, are you also opening a shop? Then I'll have to go and taste it when the time comes."
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Kobayashi Rindo's face showed curiosity. As she spoke, she stood up and came behind him, skillfully pressing against him.
"You're also opening a shop... I was still thinking of asking you for help."
Akikubo Momo also added from the side, a look of disappointment on her face. The Buchi in her hand seemed to sense its owner's emotions and lowered its head as well.
"I'm sorry, Akikubo-senpai, but I want to surpass Kuga-senpai in sales at the Moon Feast Festival and challenge him to earn the Elite Ten qualification."
"Challenging Kuga? How courageous. If you succeed, you'll be able to attend events with us in the future. Although little Kuga will become very pitiful then, he only just managed to become an Elite Ten, he might even cry secretly under his covers.
Pfft, pfft, pfft.
Speaking of which, you all seem to like Chinese Cuisine, and you're all good at Sichuan Cuisine. I must say, it's quite a fate.
But you didn't join his club, did you? So who taught you this Sichuan Cuisine?"
Pressing Hoshino Sora's shoulder with her elbow, Kobayashi Rindo's words carried a hint of doubt. So he wasn't a member of Kuga's club? Then who taught him this impressive Sichuan Cuisine?
"Someone a thousand times better than Kuga-senpai. To be precise, he's better than everyone I've met so far, judging by the strength he's shown me."
A rare hint of pride was revealed in his tone. Thinking of Mao Jinyu and his return-to-basics cooking, Hoshino Sora felt completely confident.
"Eh, Hoshino, you have such a high evaluation of the master who taught you Sichuan Cuisine? Then I'm starting to get curious about what kind of person he is?"
Hearing the pride in Hoshino Sora's tone, Kobayashi Rindo couldn't help but let out a long 'eh.' As a fellow Totsuki Ten Elite, she had a clear understanding of Kuga Terunori's strength.
Although he only specialized in Sichuan Cuisine within Chinese Cuisine, he was extremely proficient. If he weren't only good at Sichuan Cuisine, his ranking might even be higher.
"I'll introduce you two if there's a chance, but he's already returned to China and probably won't be back anytime soon.
In any case, I have to give my all at the School Festival!"
Hoshino Sora said, stretching vigorously. His eyes were filled with anticipation. It was a super-large marketplace with over 500,000 people attending!
From business magnates to ordinary citizens, all sorts of people from society would gather there.
"I don't think you've quite grasped the situation."
Looking at the passionate Hoshino Sora, Kobayashi Rindo suddenly poured cold water on him.
"Kuga's formidable nature isn't about him as an individual, but about his team. The Chinese Cuisine Research Society is his base, with over a hundred members.
They are well-trained and can produce dishes of the same quality in a short amount of time. This is Kuga Terunori's killing move.
This year, the Chinese Cuisine Research Society recruited new members and received intense training from Kuga. Their intensity and combat power are definitely not comparable to last year."
Kobayashi Rindo spoke with conviction. Kuga Terunori alone wasn't formidable, but if you included the team behind him, it couldn't be described with a simple 'formidable.'
"Tsk..."
Hearing Kobayashi Rindo's words, Hoshino Sora lowered his head in thought. She was right; Kuga Terunori's formidable aspect lay in the Chinese Cuisine Research Society behind him.
And his team, even including Tadokoro Megumi and Alice, only had three people.
"I'll help you, Sora."
The voice came from across the dining table. He looked up and saw Shiina Mashiro's innocent face.
"I'll help you too." Shiina Mahiru had long been unable to hold back, and after hearing her sister speak, she quickly raised her hand.
"Count me in."
Mito Ikumi lightly coughed twice, then also raised her hand.
"Isn't this interesting? Count me in too. Challenging the Elite Ten feels like it will be very fun!"
Yumeko Jabami opened her palm and put it to her mouth, her face filled with excitement, and a faint red glow lit up in her eyes.
"Everyone..."
His expression was a bit surprised. Hearing everyone's continuous responses at the dining table, Hoshino Sora was momentarily at a loss for words, so he could only stand up and bow seriously.
"Thank you all!"
"I... I still have members of the dessert research society, so I can't be with you all."
Akikubo Momo's face showed a struggling and hesitant expression. As the head of a society, she really couldn't abandon the members of the dessert research society to help Hoshino Sora.
"It's okay, Akikubo-senpai, we will do our best!"
Looking at the familiar faces in front of him, Hoshino Sora's heart was filled with confidence. Although Kuga Terunori had a numerical advantage, he also had strong individuals on his side!
In terms of quality, his side was clearly superior, right?
"But then again, Hoshino, have you thought about what kind of dish you want to make?"
Kobayashi Rindo asked curiously.
"Dishes, well, of course..."
----------
A few days later.
Moon Feast Festival shop application reception.
"Yo, Soma Yukihira, what a coincidence to meet you here."
"It really is a coincidence. Are you also planning to open a shop at the Moon Feast Festival?"
Soma Yukihira raised his hand to greet Hoshino Sora and said with a smile.
"Isn't that obvious? It's a rare opportunity to challenge the Elite Ten, and I think I still want to give it a try."
Hoshino Sora spread his hands and said naturally. He said these words to give Soma Yukihira a warning, telling him that he was also participating in this battle.
"Tch, just as I thought. It seems before I can defeat Kuga-senpai, I'll have to defeat you first!"
Soma Yukihira's voice showed no surprise at all. Instead, he felt that this was the correct development. The Hoshino Sora he knew would do this. This competition was really getting more and more interesting!
"Maybe I'm even harder to deal with than Kuga-senpai."
Hoshino Sora said jokingly. As they talked, he had already walked to the office for handling shop application procedures. He turned to Soma Yukihira and said, "You go first."
"Are you free now? I'm counting on you."
Nodding to Hoshino Sora, Soma Yukihira handed over the filled shop application form, his expression calm, his eyes revealing determination.
"You... you really want to choose that location!?"
Looking at the location on the shop application form, the staff member's expression was a bit surprised.
"This place... it's directly opposite the Chinese Cuisine Research Society, isn't it!?"
"That's right, is it still available?" Soma Yukihira asked in return.
"Ah... After all, the Chinese Cuisine Research Society is a powerful force, and everyone is unwilling to open a shop near them..."
The staff member's expression was a bit disbelieving, looking at Soma Yukihira as if he were an idiot.
"Is that so? Oh, that's great, that's great.
Also, for the type of cuisine, it's decided to be 'Chinese Cuisine'! Hoshino, it's your turn next. What location will you choose? What kind of dish will you make?"
Soma Yukihira said with a confident smile, then moved aside, turning his gaze to the bitter-smiling Hoshino Sora next to him.
"I'm impressed. Then my location will be next to the Chinese Cuisine Research Society and Soma Yukihira's, and the theme is also 'Chinese Cuisine', or more precisely, 'Sichuan Cuisine' within 'Chinese Cuisine'."
Hoshino Sora glanced at Soma Yukihira and handed his shop application form to the office, while also stating his request. It was also near Kuga Terunori, and also Chinese Cuisine.
These two really coincided in a strange way.
"What?! You also want to open a Chinese restaurant in that location!? This is no joke."
Upon hearing Hoshino Sora's request, the person at the office slightly widened their mouth, their eyes filled with shock. Are Far Moon students so bold these days?!
"I never said I was joking."
Hoshino Sora said coldly, then changed the location on the application form from opposite the Chinese Cuisine Research Society to next to it. This way, they would truly form a three-way standoff.
"Hoshino, it seems our ideas are the same."
He glanced at Hoshino Sora's application form; it was not exactly the same as his, but about eighty percent similar. It seemed they had both thought of the same thing: the customer traffic brought by the reputation of the Chinese Cuisine Research Society.
"It really is surprisingly consistent."
Hoshino Sora hadn't expected that Soma Yukihira would have the same idea as him, a hundred percent similarity. However, this made it even clearer who would win and who would lose.
After all, with the three shops opened together, it was practically a chaotic start!
"All right, your applications have been processed."
Seeing that Hoshino Sora and Soma Yukihira had no intention of withdrawing their applications, the person at the office stopped persuading them, picked up the stamp, and pressed it down. At this point, the dust settled.
Moon Feast Festival, Hoshino Sora is here!
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