"Erina-sama, Hoshino-kun, I love you, I love you the most…"
Saliva slightly trickled from the corner of her mouth, tears stained her eyes, and she softly murmured incoherent dreams, a smile seemingly on her face. As she spoke, her hands tightly embraced Hoshino Sora's body.
Her long-cherished wish had finally come true. From today onwards, she was Hoshino Sora's girlfriend, and she could be with Erina-sama forever!
Feeling their body temperatures intertwined, sunlight streamed into the room through the window. Hoshino Sora opened his eyes and was about to stretch, but the softness beside him made him pause.
He frowned slightly, then quickly remembered his current situation. Looking to his left was Erina Nakiri, and to his right was Hisako Arato.
And he now seemed to have become their personal pillow, his thick, strong arms filled with softness.
Feeling the touch and warmth on his arm, Hoshino Sora wanted to endure, but seeing the sweet faces of Erina and Hisako, and their slightly parted lips, he couldn't hold back anymore.
After a moment of thought, Hoshino Sora no longer held back and acted directly, because the Elite Ten selection tournament was coming soon, and it was time to get up.
As for how they would be woken up, that was beyond his control.
"Ugh, don't move around! Idiot."
Opening her eyes groggily, feeling the movement from under the covers, Erina Nakiri was stunned for a moment, then cursed angrily and shamefully, but Hoshino Sora clearly had no intention of letting her go.
Seeing this situation, Erina Nakairi initially wanted to resist out of embarrassment, but she quickly realized that the little strength she gained from Hoshino Sora's body was completely unable to stop him.
Instead, it seemed to make him even more excited!
So, going with the flow, the two had another morning exercise.
In the middle, the commotion was so loud that it woke up Hisako Arato next to them. Then, seeing such a cute Erina-sama, she couldn't help but join in.
Thus, the two-person activity quickly turned into a threesome.
— — — — — — — — — —
"Honestly! We have a competition later, Hoshino-kun really doesn't know what's important!"
Forcefully buttoning her clothes, Hisako Arato stood by the bed and complained, but judging by the upward curve of her lips, her true feelings were clearly not so.
"I couldn't help it, it was still early then, and you two were lying next to me, so tempting, and hugging me. In that situation, if I could still hold back, I wouldn't be a man!
Besides, weren't you two quite satisfied in the end? Later on, you were basically the ones initiating, even performing many combination moves that I never expected."
"Stop talking! Pervert!"
Hoshino Sora spoke pointedly, his half-smiling expression making Erina Nakiri's face turn crimson. In the end, she could only angrily clench her fists and hit the young man's arm a few times.
He was right, they were indeed very engrossed in the later stages, somewhat forgetting themselves, but wasn't that because it felt too good? Doing that felt happier than all other forms of entertainment in the world.
Thinking of this, Erina Nakiri's face flushed even more. That word "pervert," rather than scolding Hoshino Sora, was more like scolding herself, scolding the shameless her from a few hours ago.
What noblewoman's etiquette? What a girl's modesty? In that extreme pleasure, she completely forgot all her identities, only knowing to shout passionately to vent her emotions.
Hisako Arato, who was by the bed, seemed as usual, and her attitude towards her had not changed due to the morning's impropriety.
While breathing a sigh of relief, Erina Nakiri also got up and put on her clothes.
Her own set of underwear was definitely unusable, so she borrowed Hoshino Sora's.
"Why the look of disgust? These have all been washed!"
Looking at Erina Nakiri, who was holding a pair of boxer briefs with a subtle expression, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but say shyly.
"Hmph, I didn't say I was disgusted."
With a disdainful snort, Erina Nakiri hesitated before putting on the boxer briefs and then her school uniform, which she had borrowed from Hisako Arato.
She didn't know why, but she felt a slight tightness in her chest.
Frowning, she couldn't figure out why for a moment, so she simply stopped thinking about it.
She looked up and gave Hisako Arato a look to signal action, and the two left the room first.
A crisp closing sound of the door was left behind.
"Erina, I don't know why, but I feel great today!
My body feels like it has endless strength!"
On the way downstairs, Hisako Arato suddenly clenched her fists and said, her tone revealing a hint of excitement.
She hadn't been in such good spirits for many years.
Could it be because she was nourished by love?
Does doing that kind of thing have such an effect?
If she were to say what was different about her yesterday compared to usual, it would probably only be that she did that kind of thing.
"Well, that's because..."
Hearing Hisako Arato's words, Erina slowly explained, and Hisako Arato's face visibly reddened upon learning that this was a favor from Hoshino Sora, and she felt a surge of gratitude.
"So that's how it is."
Nodding, after hearing the explanation, Hisako Arato finally understood how precious the power within her body was.
It not only allowed her to be full of energy but also enhanced her five senses and raised her potential.
Becoming stronger by eating Gourmet Cell, it was no wonder that Hoshino Sora could leap four or five meters high and fight ten people that day.
She herself already felt like a sports expert just by receiving Gourmet Cell.
For some reason, Hisako Arato suddenly felt like she had gotten a huge advantage.
With Hoshino Sora's ability, if word got out, there would definitely be a flood of girls throwing themselves at him.
There would be as many as he wanted, like her, but even so, he still chose her.
They...
She silently added the last two words in her heart.
Let it be them.
Anyway, with Hoshino Sora's ability, none of them could take him on alone, so having more people was actually better for them.
They went to the restroom to wash up, then to the dining room for breakfast.
After breakfast, the group from Yōbi Dormitory set off for their destination, Tsukiten Space.
Soon, the group arrived at the venue.
Occupying a corner of Tsukiten Space, next to them were the members of Polar Star Dormitory.
The two sides appeared independent but subtly seemed to be forming an alliance, as Tadokoro Megumi was chatting with Shiina Mahiru.
Yukihira Soma also started talking to Hoshino Sora.
The two groups were very close.
"It's amazing how you came up with this move.
Not only did you save everyone's dorms, but you also completely stripped the Central Gourmet Organization of its initiative.
Now, as long as everyone doesn't easily accept Food Wars, they can calmly continue their research as before, and the new director has no way to break through this barrier."
"This was a last resort, forced by circumstances."
Standing beside Hoshino Sora with his arms crossed, Yukihira Soma slowly recounted what had happened during this period.
Ever since Hoshino Sora defeated Eizan Etsuya, the Central Gourmet Organization had suddenly gone silent, like a gun that had misfired.
The original directive to disband all research clubs, project groups, and other organizations ultimately fell through due to the overwhelming resistance from everyone.
After all, if they really angered people, there was a real possibility that they could unite and replace him as director.
After weighing the pros and cons, Azami Nakiri decided to temporarily shelve the matter.
During this time, he focused all his energy on recruiting people into the Central Gourmet Organization, and by offering substantial benefits, he managed to gather a group of elites to become his loyal followers in just one week.
However, more than half of the students remained neutral.
After all, most of the students who could come here came from families involved in the gourmet industry, or at least related to it.
Their alignment at Far Moon could easily affect their family businesses.
As the saying goes, one wrong move, and the whole game is lost.
Before determining who the true master of Far Moon was, it was incredibly difficult to make them take sides, unless extraordinary benefits were offered.
Hoshino Sora knew this, which was why he confidently took his harem out for special training.
Otherwise, if his home base was taken over by Azami Nakiri after one trip, the loss would be too great.
"Hello everyone, I am Azami Nakiri."
As he pondered, the lights on the podium lit up, and Azami Nakiri's figure appeared in the center of the podium.
He first introduced himself, drawing everyone's attention.
"By decision of the Elite Ten Council, the new Elite Ten selection competition will commence today, open to all registered students.
This competition will select ten individuals from nearly five hundred registered students for a ranking battle, and they will be granted elite ten seats corresponding to their rankings.
The rules are as follows: each person has two chances.
The first round of competition will determine the winner's bracket and the loser's bracket.
In the second round, if a player from the winner's bracket loses, they will fall into the loser's bracket, and so on.
Ultimately, eight players will be selected from the winner's bracket and two players from the loser's bracket to participate in the Elite Ten ranking competition!"
Without much unnecessary talk, Azami Nakiri immediately announced the rules upon stepping onto the stage.
After speaking, he turned and left.
In his current situation, he still had to rely on strength to speak; no amount of empty words would be useful if he lacked strength.
"So everyone, the competition will now proceed simultaneously in four venues: A, B, C, and D.
Please collect your draw tickets and proceed to your designated areas.
Furthermore, those who rank high in this competition will also receive an invitation from the Central Gourmet Organization.
Here, Kawashima Rei wishes everyone good luck and success in their endeavors!"
"Oh!"
As Azami Nakiri stepped down, Kawashima Rei took the microphone and walked up, simply announcing the next steps, followed by words of encouragement.
Afterward, she made an incredibly cute and charming gesture.
For a moment, the boys in the audience were as if injected with adrenaline, cheering loudly.
Meanwhile, the girls next to the boys looked on with disgust and jealousy, which had become a very famous sight at Far Moon.
"I'm in Venue A for the first round.
What about you guys?"
Showing his number tag, Hoshino Sora curiously looked at the others.
"I'm D."
"Xiao Hui and I are both C."
"B."
Erina Nakiri, Alice Nakiri, Mito Ikumi, and Yumeko Jabami were in Venue D; Shiina Mahiru, Hisako Arato, and Tadokoro Megumi were in Venue C; and Shiina Mashiro was in Venue B.
Seeing everyone's number tags, Hoshino Sora breathed a sigh of relief but also felt a little regretful.
It seemed he would have to fight alone this time.
Fortunately, he wouldn't be pitted against his wives.
This drawing could be said to be a huge advantage for them.
After all, their high-level combatants were dispersed, and there was no situation where they were crowded together and fighting each other, which was a blessing in disguise.
"Well, let's go!"
Looking at the crowd that had unknowingly dispersed around him, Hoshino Sora turned his gaze towards the large gate of Tsukiten Space, where people were now bustling.
Because people from all three grades were gathered together, the entire venue was incredibly crowded, and even with continuous departures, it would take some time to clear out.
Among them, the number of first-year students was much greater than the combined total of second and third-year students, which was the extremely terrifying competition system of Far Moon.
At the same time, this was also the fundamental reason why some people defected to Azami Nakiri.
They didn't want to be easily expelled.
To gain the support of the students for Erina Nakiri, this terrifying elimination rate had to be brought down.
— — — — — — — — — —
Venue A.
"Hello everyone~ I'm your favorite Kawashima Rei, and I'll be doing the live commentary for Venue A!"
"Oh, Kawashima Rei! The cutest Kawashima Rei in the world!"
As Kawashima Rei appeared on the stage, the boys in the audience immediately cheered, drawing many eye rolls from the surrounding girls.
"First, I'd like to introduce our judges for today: the WGO's Second-Class Executive Officer, Akame!
And her younger sister, the WGO's Third-Class Executive Officer, Kurome!
And finally, another WGO Third-Class Executive Officer, Rin!"
The flashlights at the scene began to flicker, first landing on Akame, who was in the middle, then on Kurome next to her, and finally on Rin on the other side.
Akame and Kurome, needless to say, Hoshino Sora was very familiar with them.
This was the first time he had seen Rin, who had light green hair, a ponytail, and glasses, looking like an earnest woman.
"At the same time! Venue A has also gathered four of the former Elite Ten!
It has clearly become the most brutal venue in this new Elite Ten selection competition!
They are the former First Seat, Senior Eishi Tsukasa!"
When Eishi Tsukasa was mentioned, the venue suddenly fell silent.
Everyone's gaze turned to Eishi Tsukasa, who was slowly entering from the VIP entrance.
It seemed that one spot in Venue A was already confirmed.
"The former Fourth Seat, Senior Akikubo Momo!"
"Akikubo will advance smoothly."
Holding Buchi, Akikubo Momo also walked out from the VIP passage, then Domineering declared her victory.
"The former Seventh Seat, Senior Kuga Terunori!"
"Eishi, we can duel again."
Kuga Terunori then appeared, looking at Eishi Tsukasa, who was shining under the spotlight, with surging battle intent on his face.
"Former Elite Ten Ninth Seat, Hoshino Sora!"
Hearing Kawashima Rei's voice on stage, Hoshino Sora, who was sitting in the audience, couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
Oh right, through that Food War, it seemed he had already taken Senior Eizan's seat.
But why were all these guys using the VIP passage?!
This was making him feel awkward.
As the spotlight moved around the venue, it finally gathered on Hoshino Sora in the audience.
Everyone's gaze followed, their eyes filled with admiration.
Facing everyone's respectful gazes, Hoshino Sora could only give an awkward laugh.
If it were cold glares and ridicule, he could easily retort, but such admiring gazes truly made one feel a bit shy.
"So, the new Elite Ten selection competition, A-block competition officially begins.
This block has 97 contestants.
The first round will be an elimination round, where the 16 contestants with the highest scores out of 97 will proceed to the elimination round."
As soon as this was said, the scene instantly erupted.
They had thought the elimination rate for the first round would be high, but they hadn't expected it to be so high, immediately eliminating about five-sixths of the contestants.
This felt very similar to the Autumn Elections, and because of the inclusion of the Elite Ten and upperclassmen, the standard of each venue reached a higher level than the Autumn Elections.
"The theme for the first round of the competition will now be drawn."
As Kawashima Rei's words fell, the large screen above the competition venue began to flicker, finally settling on the image.
Theme: Cold Dishes
Time: 2 hours
Hint: There is a thirty-minute preparation time before the competition begins.
During this period, you can bring your own ingredients or take them from the ingredient library next to you.
As long as they are not particularly rare ingredients, the ingredient library will have them.
Looking at the competition rules above and the contestants rushing out of Venue A, Hoshino Sora's expression remained calm.
He sat in the audience, contemplating the dish he wanted to make.
There were simply too many cold dishes that could be made in Sichuan Cuisine, which made him a bit indecisive for a moment, but in terms of taste and popularity, he definitely had to choose that one.
Glancing at Akame and Kurome in the judges' seats, Hoshino Sora had an answer in his heart.
The two on stage were indeed gluttons, people who couldn't go without meat.
Catering to the judges' preferences to achieve better results was nothing to be ashamed of.
Getting up and leaving Venue A, he noticed that Eishi Tsukasa and the other two had not moved when he exited.
Feeling a little puzzled but not saying much, Hoshino Sora quickly arrived at the entrance of Venue A's ingredient library, which was already packed with people.
Looking around, a dazzling array of vegetables came into view.
Hoshino Sora didn't say a word, just moved through the gaps in the crowd, observing his surroundings.
He quickly found all the ingredients he needed.
However, given the chaotic situation inside, it was clearly unrealistic for others to find all the ingredients they needed.
He relied on his special skill, Spice Inequality, and his strong physique to clear a path, allowing him to find the ingredients he needed most among so many.
This was him.
For many ordinary students, finding the ingredients they needed in such a crowded situation would undoubtedly be very difficult.
In this situation...
Tadokoro Megumi's figure suddenly appeared in Hoshino Sora's mind.
He wondered how that girl was doing now?
Had she managed to get the ingredients she needed?
"Excuse me, sorry, excuse me."
Relying on the powerful physique brought by Gourmet Cell, Tadokoro Megumi moved very agilely through the C-block ingredient library, apologizing while forcefully pushing aside those around her.
Knowing how important this Elite Ten selection competition was to Hoshino Sora, Tadokoro Megumi was very serious.
She wanted to be useful, to help him, to become a usable trump card in his hand.
That way, she wouldn't let down his cultivation of her.
"Finished!"
Putting the last ingredient, lettuce, into the basket, Tadokoro Megumi breathed a sigh of relief, then quickly returned to the venue.
So far, everything had gone smoothly, but there were two very noteworthy individuals in the C-block.
Kobayashi Rindo and Eizan Etsuya.
In addition, there were also two heavyweight first-year students, Kurokiba Ryo and Hayama Akira.
"Let's go back."
In District D, Erina Nakiri, who had gathered all the necessary ingredients, spoke to the person beside her.
Also in District D, among the Elite Ten members were Saito Somei and Nene Kinokuni.
In District B, the former Elite Ten members were Isshiki Satoshi and Nukishima Tsubusu.
Besides them, there were also formidable individuals like Soma Yukihira and Lixin, making it the most competitive district outside of the A-block.
Carrying his ingredients back to the A-block, Hoshino Sora let out a long sigh of relief. The countdown on the large screen overhead showed less than ten minutes until the competition began.
However, at this point, fewer than ten contestants had returned with their ingredients.
It seemed the selection had already begun subtly. It was worth noting that while Tsukasa-senpai and the others hadn't gone to pick ingredients, their tables were already full of them, likely because they had someone fetch them.
This phenomenon was quite common at Far Moon.
Soon, the countdown above reached 0, and Kawashima Rei picked up the microphone the moment the bell rang: "Alright, the first round of the Elite Ten Selection Tournament now begins!"
Immediately, the competition venue was filled only with the sounds of knives hitting cutting boards and pots being rinsed and washed.
Hoshino Sora also began to act at this moment; he was going to make Fuqi Feipian (Couple's Lung Slices).
The first step was to blanch the prepared beef tripe, beef bones for the braising liquid, beef, beef tongue, and beef heart. Place them in cold water, bring to a boil, then remove, rinse off scum in clean water, and set aside.
He gently sniffed, then elegantly selected Sichuan peppercorns, cumin, black cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, and other spices from a nearby assortment, placing them into a spice bag.
After the water in the braising pot boiled, he added the spice bag, ginger, beef bones, salt, and cooking wine, and simmered for half an hour. A rich aroma rose the moment the water boiled, creating its own domain within the competition arena.
He uncovered the pot, added the beef tripe, beef, beef tongue, beef heart, and beef scalp, then reduced the heat to medium-low and slowly braised, turning with chopsticks.
"What a wonderful aroma."
Sniffing the air, the aroma above each person in the venue formed a special domain, and just then, a smoky scent drifted to the noses of the three judges.
"Smoked? Using smoking to make a cold dish is quite rare, but it feels very promising."
The rich aroma made Black Eyes salivate, and she chattered incessantly beside her sister, while her sister, Red Eyes, maintained a cold expression, though her slightly flickering eyes told everyone she was also looking forward to it.
"Is that venison they're preparing over there?" Lin, one of the three, suddenly asked.
"Based on the color of the meat, it should be correct. The vein patterns also match up well; it's venison."
As a great meat gourmand, Red Eyes had reached the point where she could distinguish what kind of meat it was just by its color, so she could easily answer Lin's question.
"I see. Senior is amazing."
Lin looked at Red Eyes with worship in her eyes. Although the person in front of her was younger, in terms of culinary experience, she was definitely far inferior to her, so calling her 'Senior' was not an exaggeration.
"Sister, look at that person over there."
Scanning the contestants, Black Eyes keenly spotted Hoshino Sora in the crowd, and her calm face showed some changes in expression.
Red Eyes followed the direction she pointed, coincidentally meeting Hoshino Sora's gaze as he looked up at them. He gave her a warm smile.
-----------------------------
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