"Megumi, you're here. We called you over because there's something really important." Erina Nakiri's expression was unusually serious.
"Wh-what… what important thing?"
Seeing both Alice Nakiri and Erina looking that grave, Megumi Tadokoro froze up on the spot, her voice trembling.
"You saw what happened today, right? That woman called Bunnyhair completely surrendered on the spot. She listens to Kael like he's the law. Whatever he says, she just does it. That is not good for us."
Alice leaned in, her tone heavy. Megumi fell silent. She really had felt a sense of crisis after today… just not as strong as Erina and Alice.
The reason was simple: Megumi never fights for anything. She's always been the "go with the flow" type, especially compared to Erina and Alice.
Just like in the original story—Megumi also liked Soma Yukihira. But she never took initiative, so in the end Soma ended up with Erina, while Megumi returned to her quiet life and later went to intern at Inui Hinako's shop, Kiriuya.
Because she never competes, she's naturally at a disadvantage. So her sense of danger was always the smallest.
"Megumi, let me be straight. Erina and I may be rivals, but at least the two of us have backup plans…"
Alice then explained to Megumi the arrangements the Nakiri family had for them.
"Wh… what? You… both of you?!"
Megumi was stunned. Her face flushed red instantly—so red it spread all the way to her ears. Just imagining the two Nakiri girls planning to marry the same man short-circuited her brain.
"It sounds unbelievable, right? But this kind of thing isn't rare in the culinary world. In powerful families, heirs often have more than one partner."
"This kind of thing is normal for big families. But in our Nakiri family, no one is forcing Erina or me to marry Kael."
"We're doing this because we like him. So right now we're rivals. Originally we wanted to settle the outcome between us slowly."
"But things have changed. Those outsiders—once they join the competition, the two of us alone might not be able to hold our ground. That's why we came to you, Megumi. We want to form an alliance!"
Alice laid everything out clearly. She knew exactly how shocking this was for Megumi—these "family rules" weren't something Megumi could easily accept.
"I… I don't know!" Megumi's voice tightened.
The truth was, when Alice first suggested an alliance, Megumi had been tempted.
She knew perfectly well she could never beat the Nakiri sisters—not in looks, not in initiative, and certainly not in family backing.
Megumi had only ever been passive. For the first time, she really did feel shaken.
But the values she grew up with wouldn't let her take that step so easily.
"This really is a lot for you to process, Megumi. Take your time. Think it over slowly."
Alice didn't push. Trying to change someone like Megumi could only be done slowly.
Megumi drifted back to her room in a daze.
The thought of the three of them possibly marrying Kael together felt like someone had dropped a hydrogen bomb inside her mind—she couldn't think straight.
And imagining herself spending the rest of her life with Kael… Megumi's face heated again, her head dizzy. She looked exactly like someone seconds away from fainting from embarrassment.
"Do you think Megumi will agree?" Erina asked.
"She probably will," Alice said. "Megumi really likes Kael. And Erina, we've already compromised. She won't just give up—unless she wants to quit entirely. And that's impossible. You know how irresistible Kael is."
The two chatted for a while longer, then went back to their routines.
Later that evening, they asked Kael about that insane display with the cow. None of them expected him to butcher an entire cow so effortlessly.
"That technique is called Raging Bull Azure Dragon Slash. It's a special cooking technique, but using it requires incredibly high knife skills and very strong physical strength. Even now, I can barely manage it—and I still can't do the complete form."
Kael didn't hide anything. Even if he spread the secret, no one else in this world could use it.
"'Raging Bull Azure Dragon Slash'… the name definitely fits. But that wasn't even the complete version? You did it in seconds!"
Erina continued, "Mito-san took the leftover meat back with her. She told me the quality was unbelievably high."
Even though the cow had already been butchered after the match, the meat quality was still far above the Mito family's own wagyu. Mito Ikumi immediately told Hisako, who told Erina.
Erina had assumed Kael simply butchered the cow skillfully… not that his technique could improve the meat itself. That wasn't a skill at all—more like a miracle.
"It's not complete. The full Azure Dragon Slash doesn't take seconds. It takes… a single instant."
Kael spoke calmly. Alice and Erina were stunned all over again.
They were tempted to learn the technique, but after thinking about Kael's monstrous strength—drawing a Two-Stone Bow like it was a rubber band—they immediately gave up.
If even Kael wasn't physically qualified yet, the rest of them had zero chance.
They didn't even bother asking where he learned it.
After chatting a bit more, the topic shifted to their upcoming on-site training.
"On-site training is almost here. I wonder what kind of restaurant we'll end up with. Please don't let it be a place with an angry head chef…" Yuki Yoshino groaned.
These places were different from the bar they worked at before.
The worst possible assignment was a restaurant run by a hot-tempered head chef.
Those chefs weren't struggling financially—the problem was their impossible personalities. Their kitchens were warzones, and out of desperation they turned to Totsuki for help.
Students dreaded those assignments. Those chefs were stubborn like rocks—loud, rude, and uncooperative. Success rates for rescuing those restaurants were the lowest.
"You guys probably won't get those. Those restaurants are assigned only to students with status and a strong presence. Perfect for Erina and me." Alice said it casually.
It wasn't that Polar Star Dorm students lacked skill—it was about background and personality. Dealing with arrogant chefs required being even more domineering.
And Polar Star just didn't fit that category.
Originally, those problem restaurants weren't even part of Totsuki's standard on-site training—it was only when they begged for help that Totsuki started sending its most forceful students to fix them.
"I'm so jealous of Kael. He doesn't even have to go."
Yuki sighed dramatically.
"If you're jealous, go fight those Midnight Chefs. Kael only got exempted because he has to deal with them."
Ryoko Sakaki teased her. Senzaemon himself decided Kael didn't need on-site training—he'd gain nothing from it anyway. Better to let him keep fighting the Midnight Chefs.
There were no quotas or requirements for him. No "defeat three Midnight Chefs" or anything like that.
Kael was essentially free-range now. No one at Totsuki was qualified to control an Eight-Star Chef.
"You can forget it," Yuki said.
"Those Midnight Chefs would wipe the floor with me. And even if I wanted to challenge them, they'd ignore me. I heard they've been doing a bunch of Shokugeki matches recently… too bad we'll be busy with training and won't get to watch."
"Don't worry," Alice grinned.
"The Shokugeki Bureau will have recorded backups. Others can't get them, but we can."
Being a Nakiri had perks.
The next few days were filled with everyone training hard, reviewing past case files, and preparing for every possible scenario in on-site training.
Kael, meanwhile, kept sorting through the pile of challenge letters from the Midnight Chefs. Some even delivered their letters through Bunnyhair now that she had basically become his follower.
Bunnyhair always asked Kael's permission before handing them over.
"Bunnyhair, which one should I pick this time?" Kael asked. She knew the Midnight Chefs better than anyone.
"This one."
Bunnyhair handed him a letter along with the challenger's info.
Kael glanced at it—and his expression turned strange.
It was from Sarge.
Sarge was another girl with a dominant "queen" aura. Kael had already heard about the rivalry between her and Bunnyhair—they were known as the two "goddesses" of the new generation of Midnight Chefs.
"Sarge's cooking is about the same level as mine. And her wager is huge," Bunnyhair said.
Kael looked at the wager and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Sarge had put an entire company—one worth a fortune—on the line.
"That's a bold move. She can just throw around a company like that?"
"For her, it's nothing. Her Special Ability is Weaponized Cooking. Her Chef's Heart is domination. Her dishes can charm people into obeying her. She has an enormous following."
Bunnyhair explained. Chef's Hearts could be incredibly influential—Kael's own had unintentionally made her surrender, after all.
Sarge's charm combined with her beauty naturally made her the queen of "instant submission" opponents.