The cooking competition had started, Haru who watched both Erina and Eizan had to admit that their level didn't lose to the level of the chef in Toriko's world.
Eizan, who was cooking his dish boiled satsuma jidori (which is a type of high-quality poultry), softened it, then stir-fried the chicken skin until the chicken oil was released.
Using that oil, he started to fry garlic, ginger, and jasmine rice.
*Sizzle!* *Sizzle!*
The aroma permeated the entire banquet hall making everyone gulp.
Erina ignored all the things that had happened and focussed on her dish. She brought a piece of venison meat which was marinated by a special blend before putting it into an oven then she put the bone of the venison into a large pot to make a broth.
The whole cooking process was really smooth and beautiful, wearing her white chef's uniform, her expression was indifferent as if she was a queen in this place.
---
Ritsu who was watching among the crowd wouldn't expect the cooking match would be this interesting since she felt that she was reading shounen manga.
Haru who watched their match felt quite complicated since he had received a bribe from Eizan. He had a feeling before, but he didn't expect that Eizan would fight against Erina. He could only laugh bitterly in this situation.
On the other side, Alice came to the competition venue, leaning on the wall of the corridor, and a touch of rosy still remained on her pretty white face. Her red eyes stared fiercely at Haru and cursed him.
'This bastard!!!!!'
Because she didn't know how powerful the drug was, she and Erina poured quite a lot of powder into the dish, and also added a side dish that could increase the absorption rate on the body.
That was why she felt the drug immediately even though she only took a bite of curry.
In that luxurious room, Alice, who laid weakly on the carpet, needed to go to the bathroom five times!
Alice, who had recovered, needed a full ten minutes before she could stand up once again slowly, however, until now, her legs were still soft from the drug earlier.
'I need revenge!!!!!'
Alice thought inside her heart.
---
At this time, the competition was about to end, Eizan finished the cooking first, and came along with the staff and brought five dishes in front of the judges.
"Please enjoy it, Hainanese Chicken Rice."
Eizan bowed his head slightly and made a humble gesture, but his gloomy expression and the sneer that appeared on the corner of his mouth showed his real thoughts about this competition. He glanced at the five judges, and finally stopped at Haru.
Haru noticed Eizan's gaze and gave him a reassuring smile.
Eizan smiled brightly.
Sitting in the middle, Dojima Gin who served as the main commentator said, "Let's eat while it is hot."
Haru scooped a spoonful of rice and chicken into his mouth, chewed it gently, and then it tasted like a firework exploded on the tip of his tongue. He tried another one and this time he put in a sauce.
"The taste is very delicate, but it is also very strong like a calm sea before a storm. The chicken is very tender, juicy, and very meaty, making it impossible to stop eating! It is very delicious!"
Haru thought that Eizan's food was good, but he also knew that this guy could do better if this guy didn't use a bribe. He sighed at Eizan's talent and wondered whether he could put him straight.
But for sure that this food was very good and he cleaned the food on his plate while wiping the sweat on his forehead. He could see that Ritsu was staring at him instantly and could only smile at her.
Then he looked at Erina and felt slightly worried, although, this girl was Tsudure, very hard to get honest, and quite proud, he could see that it was used to hide her weakness. He felt that this girl was quite lonely and it might be hard to accept if she lost the match, however, he wouldn't show his mercy if the food that was cooked by Erina was bad.
"Dirty trick."
When Eizan passed Erina, she snorted softly.
"Did you notice?"
Eizan smiled and said, "Let me teach you a lesson today. The essence of cooking is strategy! If you don't have a strategy then you won't be able to win!" The Hainanese Chicken Rice that he had prepared had another purpose, and that was to give the full feeling to the judges.
The rice could give a people feeling of full on the stomach, the chicken was full of fat, and it would make people reluctant to eat more food since they were afraid to get fat.
Eizan deliberately put his dish first so it would lower the expectation of the judge on the next dish.
It was his strategy to win this competition!
"So how can you win against me?"
Eizan opened his arms wide and smiled as if the victory had been grasped into his hands.
"Then, you wait, I'll shatter your arrogance using my food!"
Erina turned and continued with her final preparation.
"Hmm? You haven't given up yet? Haven't you seen the satisfaction on the judge's face?"
"Just wait."
Erina finished her final preparation, put five dishes on the tray, turned her beautiful buttocks gently, striding confidently, and slowly walking toward the judges' seat.
When Erina passed Eizan, he smelled the fragrance that came from the dish and couldn't help but frown.
"This scent..."
Eizan knew that this missy was a very hard opponent.
Erina put the dishes one by one in front of the judges, but when it was Haru's turn, she stiffened.
In her mind, she recalled the previous conversation, and her body shuddered again because of her embarrassment.
"Nakiri, you don't want me to taste your food?"
Looking at Erina's shy and embarrassing expression, Haru found that it was very interesting, and he couldn't help but tease her.
"Hmph!"
Erina snorted angrily, her purple-pinkish eyes stared directly, and then she put the porcelain plate in front of Haru, but it might be because she put too much force, that the plate was broken when it touched the table.
*Shatter!*
"....."
A deadly silence filled the entire banquet hall.
Everyone stopped talking, only a tickling sound coming from the sauce dripped from the table could be heard.
*Drip!* *Drip!* *Drip!*
In the room, watching the scene through the big screen, Senzaemon stood up, and Alice who was leaning in the corridor couldn't help but cover her mouth.
No one would imagine such an accident would occur in such an important match.
Erina's face was paler. She had only roasted five pieces of venison, and it would be late if she wanted to make another one!
More importantly, as a chef, doing such a thing is undoubtedly a failure and it is a rude act toward the guest.
It wouldn't be weird if Haru judged her failure.
Erina knew that the outcome of this match was in Haru's hands.
If Haru would forgive her with it then she had a chance to win the food of the other's four judges, however, if Haru didn't forgive her then she would lose directly.
It is like when you go to the restaurant for dinner, and when the chef serves the food, he smashed the plate directly in front of you, if that really happens will you come to the restaurant again?
Everyone's focussed on Haru, who was looking at the broken plate in front of him without saying anything.
It might be their imagination, but Haru was sitting on the stage giving them a nervous feeling for some reason.
However, Haru even talked, and Eizan who was by the side started to chirp. His tone was very happy and said, "Dear judges, why should we continue the game? Miss Nakiri who has made such a big mistake, can't even be called a chef!" He knew that he had won the match since he had bribed Haru with money.
"What are you talking about?"
Just then, Haru who was silent suddenly spoke. He had thought to give Eizan a lesson somehow.
Eizan, who had thought that his win had been decided, felt that he was dreaming.
"The chef's job is to cook, and serving the plate is waiter's job, so let's just put this matter to an end, and the result of this match hasn't been decided yet."
"Kasugano-san, do you know what are you doing?"
Eizan stared at Haru with a dark face, reminding him not to forget his position since he had to spend three million yen to bribe him.
"I know exactly what I'm doing."
Haru replied to Eizan, smiled, and then looked at Erina who was looking at him with a surprise expression. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and put the dish away, you're a chef, you should know what you should do now."
"Yes!"
Erina sighed slightly in relief, before quickly taking the dinner plate again then put the venison on the new plate while giving it sauce again. Her mood was very complex at this moment, glanced at him secretly, then quickly looked away, and whispered, "Please...."
---
"Well... I'll forgive him this time..." Alice nodded and sighed in relief.
"Just three million yen to buy him? You're dreaming, Etsuya Eizan...."
Senzaemon sat down once again and nodded at his grandson-in-law.
---
"This bastard...."
Compared to the relief of Senzaemon and Alice, Eizan was very angry and the veins on his forehead were showing since he was about to explode because of the anger. The opportunity was right in front of him, and he was about to win, but this bastard was confused by Erina's beauty and took his money for nothing.
Eizan really wanted to strangle Haru at this moment.
"Since Haru feels there isn't a problem, let's start to taste the food," Dojima said.
At this time, Eizan, who was under the stage, knew that Erina's food was dangerous. From the scene before, he knew that the sauce that was prepared by Erina contained a variety of acidic fruits.
The acidity of fruit can neutralize the fat, and the acidity can also increase the appetite.
And what he was most afraid of really happened since he saw that all the judges had eaten all the food clean from the plate.
However, there was an exception.
That is Haru.
Although Erina had prepared another sauce for his dish, it was no longer the same dish and the taste of the venison that had dropped on the table would change.
Eizan was confident that his dish was better than Erina, or even if each judge had similar judgment, however, he believed that the dish that Erina had served to Haru was inferior to his dish.
If Haru really dares to say that Erina's dish is more delicious then he has a reason to reject his judgment!
And in this way, Haru who had made an unfair judgment would be cast aside by everyone, and the victory would be in his hands.
"Since everyone has eaten, let's make a review now."
Dojima Gin who was in the middle said, "Everyone has two plates in front of you, and put your spoon on your favorite dish."
After speaking, Dojima put his own spoon on Erina's plate.
Roland Chapelle also placed his spoon on Erina's plate.
Erina showed a happy expression, however, Eizan was full of anger.
However, the next two judges from outside the school all voted for Eizan.
The score for both sides has become a draw with two points on both sides.
Haru looked at Eizan who had a gloomy expression, looked at Erina who was nervous, and smiled at her before putting his spoon on Erina's plate.
"This is unfair!!!!"
Eizan stood up, shouting loudly on the spot!