"Hey, hey, wait for me!" Clearly, Miku Izayoi had seen what was happening and hurried to catch up with Inverse Tohka. She had also noticed Tohka's expression earlier—clearly disdainful but surprisingly obedient in her actions.
"Um, miss, are you sure you want to register? You should know there's an entry fee." The staff member at the counter looked a bit hesitant as he eyed Tohka's slender figure. She wasn't wearing anything particularly form-fitting, but he could still tell: "You have to pay the fee, and besides, you…"
This wasn't random nonsense. From years of experience, he knew people built like Tohka usually couldn't eat much—otherwise, how could they keep such a figure?
"Hmph." But before he could finish, Inverse Tohka let out a cold snort and slapped her palm onto the counter, leaving a clearly visible handprint. She spoke disdainfully: "I told you to register me. What's with all the yapping?"
"All right, all right—just head on in and don't waste any time." The man was obviously intimidated by her aura—and by the handprint embedded in solid marble—so he didn't dare argue. He quickly scooped up the money she'd slapped on the counter, filled out the form, and let her through.
No helping it—this was marble. How strong did you have to be to leave such a clean handprint? But then again, this was the Marvel universe—strange things were hardly rare. He had already guessed who she was. Anyway, maybe she was just here to have a little fun.
"Hey—forget it, I'll just go inside and watch." Miku Izayoi finally caught up, but by then, Tohka had already gone in. She could only head for the spectator seats—after all, unlike Tohka, she wasn't about to join a contest that was basically self-sabotage.
"Time's up. Now, let's begin…" It didn't take long before the host came out from backstage. The audience watched as servers carried out huge trays piled with hamburgers and other food, setting them all out on a massive table. Clearly, this was the meal everyone would be tackling.
"Is that all? Will it even be enough for Tohka?" Miku Izayoi twitched at the corner of her mouth, looking at the small mountain of burgers.
To normal people, that was a lot. But after spending so long with Tohka, she knew better—this was nothing. Tohka's appetite could be big or small; how much she ate always depended on her mood. Miku still didn't know how she could eat so much—or what her true limit was.
"What are you wasting time for? Start already." Just as the host was enthusiastically introducing the rules and contestants, an inappropriate voice cut in.
Miku Izayoi, her face dark, watched as Tohka calmly walked out from backstage. She ignored all the stunned looks, picked a seat, and sat down as if ready to start eating right that second.
"Uh…well, okay…since the young lady says so, I'll just end the introductions here. Everyone, please take your positions." The host, sweat trickling down his face, knew better than to argue. This young lady was not someone they could afford to cross. Rules? Whatever—whoever ate the most would win. After years in this business, he wasn't optimistic about her, though. He could only hope she'd eat a little and then leave.
"Ahahaha…is this really okay…" The host looked like he'd just invited in a Plague God, and even Miku Izayoi was too speechless to comment.
Munch, munch, munch. Once the contest began, everyone but Tohka looked absolutely pathetic—eating as fast as they could under the time limit.
"Hmph." But Inverse Tohka was completely different. Not only did she eat without a shred of messiness, she finished every bite with meticulous care. The problem was—her speed was also the fastest. Before anyone even knew what was happening, the little mountain of burgers in front of her was already gone.
"Weren't you hosting a contest? Hurry up and bring me more. Is that all you've got?" Casually polishing off another burger without leaving a crumb, she glanced at the dumbfounded host and barked the order. He'd seen big eaters before—but never anyone like this. How much time had even passed? But he didn't dare say anything. "Hurry up and bring more."
"Hmph." Satisfied with the new pile of food in front of her, Tohka started again. As the timer kept ticking down, the host began to panic. This was only the first round, and she was already about to eat through all their supplies.
"The contest is over—let's proceed straight to the next round." The host suddenly announced the end of the round. He had no choice—there was nothing left.
"All right, everyone follow me. We'll begin the next round…"
…..
"Hmm, not bad. That restaurant was quite hospitable."
Flicking away a toothpick, Inverse Tohka stepped out of the shop looking satisfied. In her hand was a big plaque and a stack of coupons—all prizes she'd won. She didn't really care about them, so she handed everything straight to Miku Izayoi.
"Hey hey, don't you think that was a bit too much..."
Accepting the loot with a blank stare, Miku was still in total disbelief. This girl had single-handedly devoured almost the entire stock while looking completely disdainful. She could still picture the pained expression on the owner's face as he handed over the award.
"Hmph. The food itself was average—but at least there was plenty." Ignoring Miku's protests, Tohka calmly gave her verdict on the place.
"Mm…damn." But just then, Inverse Tohka felt a wave of dizziness. She staggered, her body swaying as she started to collapse to the side.
"Hey—are you okay?" Miku Izayoi jumped in alarm and rushed to support her so she wouldn't fall.
"It's nothing…just a bit dizzy." Inverse Tohka knew it was Tohka's consciousness starting to reassert itself. After all, she wasn't the primary personality, and her time was limited. If Tohka hadn't been holding back, she would have been forced back already.