Afterward, Satou and the others each walked to their cooking stations, ready to prepare their dishes.
"This Elite Ten seat, I'm determined to get it!" Yukihira Soma tied a white bandana around his forehead, his fighting spirit high.
"Uh, you can forget about it; it's definitely mine anyway," Ryo said with a sneer.
Looking at this pair of friends, Satou was quite speechless. He ignored them and began to think about what kind of dish he should prepare.
"Tch, first-year brats." A disdainful voice came from beside him. It was a tall man with long golden hair combed back, presumably a second-year student.
Yukihira Soma and Ryo both paused, turning their heads to look.
"Hey, who are you calling a brat?" Ryo's expression darkened, and he looked at him with hostile eyes.
"Be careful, this guy is Shiratsu Jurio from the second year. He comes from the prestigious Shiratsu family, who have been making dishes for the Italian consulate for generations," Hayama Akira warned from the side.
"A prestigious family, huh?" Yukihira Soma muttered, stroking his chin.
"Tch! Listen up, the Elite Ten position is definitely mine!" Shiratsu Jurio looked at them disdainfully, clearly not putting these first-year students in his eyes.
"That... Satou once defeated Eizan Etsuya and Nene Kinokuni of the Elite Ten; he's very strong. It's better to be careful," Next to him, Kaburagi Shoko, also a second-year student, kindly reminded him, not underestimating Satou among the first-years.
"As a descendant of a prestigious family, Nene Kinokuni actually lost to a first-year brat. Either she was careless, or she's complacent, and her strength has clearly declined," Shiratsu Jurio didn't take this reminder to heart. "This Elite Ten seat, I'm determined to get it."
In his opinion, if Isshiki Satoshi and Nene Kinokuni, also descendants of prestigious families, could become Elite Ten members, then he certainly couldn't fall behind.
At this moment, all the Elite Ten members except Nagi-no-ki Touko had already taken their seats on the judging panel, ready to evaluate the dishes of these people and select the most suitable Elite Ten candidate.
"Has Kobayashi Rindo not returned yet?"
Azami Nakiri glanced at the empty seat and asked.
"Ah, Rindo just landed, so she should be here very soon."
Eishi Tsukasa said with some regret, "I just don't know if she'll make it in time."
"In that case, let me take her place."
Azami Nakiri said with a smile, then sat down in Kobayashi Rindo's seat.
"Head Chef, are you personally going to be in charge of the Elite Ten?"
Nene Kinokuni was stunned for a moment.
"That's right. After all, the Elite Ten represents the standard of cuisine, and as the Head Chef, I should naturally pay close attention to it."
Azami Nakiri said with a beaming smile, looking like a very kind and approachable elder.
He rested his chin on his hand, thought for a moment, and then suddenly smiled and said, "Oh, I've thought about it carefully. If the cooking theme isn't restricted, considering the differences in ingredients, it might cause difficulties for the judging. How about we specify a certain ingredient?"
"Hmm, that makes sense."
Eishi Tsukasa nodded.
"Then, the theme will be... eel."
Azami Nakiri smiled as he designated the theme.
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