Nakiri Erina, only six years old, walked forward with an air of confidence and superiority, her long honey-blonde hair flowing behind her. Her purple-pink eyes scanned the room as though she were royalty entering her court.
Erina stepped up to the podium, her expression haughty as she looked down at the contestants, who stared up at her in awe. She cleared her throat and spoke with a tone that, despite her young age, carried the weight of authority far beyond her years.
"I don't care what you make. As long as you create a dish that satisfies my palate, you win," she said with confidence and authority in her voice.
A wave of murmurs spread through the crowd.
"…Is that really her?"
"Why is she here?"
"No one told me she was going to be a judge!"
Both the audience and the contestants appeared panicked, clearly caught off guard by her unexpected presence.
"Is it just me, or does everyone seem like they weren't expecting her? Was no one informed about this beforehand?" Akira thought, observing the shock and surprise on the faces around him. "Looks like no one knew."
Erina's lips curled into a grin. "Also, within one minute from now, I'll allow you to withdraw from this competition," she added, her tone cold.
"Withdraw?"
"One minute"
"HAAAAAA", As soon as she said that, more than half of the contestants bolted from the arena screaming.
"Why did they ran away?"
"What is happening?"
While few of the audience seems shocked by the turn of events most of them seems to be expecting this situation.
"Wait, can she even do that? She's only six," Akira wondered. He knew her character from the anime, where she pulled similar stunts, but in the anime, she was an adult or at least a high school student. Could a six-year-old really wield that kind of authority?
With a condescending sigh, Erina turned and walked to her seat without saying anything more.
"Oh, Erina-chan, good to see you! You're super angry, as usual!" Leonora said cheerfully as Erina sat next to her.
"I just don't want to taste bad food," Erina replied calmly.
Inside the VIP room, Erika was shocked to see so many contestants fleeing the competition. She turned to Yuki for clarification.
"Yuki-san, why did half of them leave just now?" Erika asked, her confusion evident.
"Well, I heard it's because of her God Tongue. She has an exceptional talent for tasting food and has been asked to judge dishes at top Japanese restaurants since she was very young. The leaders in the culinary world all know about her ability. If she declares that someone lacks talent or their dish is bad, it can end their future as a chef," Yuki explained with a serious tone.
"But they don't realize that running away in front of so many people only makes them look worse, as if they know their cooking isn't up to par," she concluded.
"That seems unfair," Erika said softly. She felt a pang of sadness and couldn't understand why someone's future could be decided by one person and a single dish.
"Life is never fair, sister. The winner takes all while the loser loses everything," a voice said from behind.
Erika turned to see her older brother, Sendo Iori, entering the room with Ryuji.
"So, how did the meeting go?" Yuki asked.
"It went well, except for the little stunt our son pulled," Ryuji replied with a sigh.
"Was it a problem?" Yuki asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
"No, quite the opposite. If he wins this, Senzaemon-san will almost certainly agree to our deal. But can he win?" Ryuji asked, uncertainty creeping into his voice. Despite his confidence in his son, he couldn't help but feel a little unsure.
"Who knows? But either way, it'll be fun to watch," Yuki said with a smile.
Erika wondered what deal they were discussing, but knowing it was likely business-related, she turned her attention back to the competition, focusing on Akira.
"Worried about your friend, little sister?" Iori asked with a teasing smile.
"Yes, a little," Erika admitted, her voice soft with concern, though she didn't turn to face her brother.
"I see," Iori replied warmly, smiling to himself, pleased that his sister had made her first friend.
Meanwhile, the audience and the announcer were still taken aback by the sudden departure of so many contestants. After a brief conversation with Senzaemon, the staff decided to proceed with the competition using the remaining participants.
"Well, despite the unexpected situation, the competition will continue as planned. I'll now explain the rules," the announcer said, trying to restore a sense of normalcy with a smile.
"As stated in the letters you received, the theme is fast food. You have 60 minutes to prepare your dish using only the ingredients provided. Each judge will give a score out of 100 points, and the winners will be determined by their total points," she explained.
"The top three contestants will not only receive prizes, but anyone who demonstrates exceptional talent and potential today could earn a scholarship to study at Totsuki Culinary Institute! That's right, win or lose, if you impress our esteemed judges, you might be offered a place at one of the most prestigious culinary schools in the world."
With a broad smile, she concluded, "And with that, the Totsuki Junior Master Chef begins! Your time starts now!"