The night before the entertainment competition began... or rather, at midnight, an unknown transaction took place inside the dark Tracen Academy.
"Are you here?"
"Yes."
"Where are the goods?"
"They're all here." She patted the metal briefcase in her hand.
"Good, no one saw you, right?"
"Of course, who do you take me for?"
"Well done, here's your payment."
"OK, find me again next time you need something~"
"I definitely will."
Naturally, it wasn't some shady deal; it was just Absolute Zero delivering a briefcase full of candied carrots to the Student Council, and Maruzensky was in charge of receiving the goods on behalf of the Student Council.
In fact, as a member of the Student Council, she could have handled it herself, but Maruzensky was feeling playful and wanted to stage this scene. Everyone indulged her, hoping it would keep her quiet for a while.
It's unclear if this was something she saw in a spy movie, and Absolute Zero had to admit that Maruzensky's acting skills were quite good; she played the part perfectly.
Of course, this still didn't hide the fact that she was a comedian.
Since it was a cooking competition, the Tracen Academy would arrange ingredients for fairness. A portion of these ingredients was provided by Absolute Zero, and some of these candied carrots would be used as prepared ingredients, while the rest would be awarded as prizes.
Thanks to Absolute Zero's connections, the Tracen Academy could afford to be so extravagant; buying these would have cost an unknown amount of money.
But it didn't matter; everything was ready now, just waiting for the competition to begin.
Hmm? Absolute Zero?
Her cooking skills were too strong, so she was banned from competing. She was the host for this entertainment competition.
By the way, Symboli Rudolf was the one who suggested her ban. She made a note of this grudge.
This competition also featured live broadcasts and was open to the public, making it a great opportunity to promote Tracen Academy. Coupled with the previous VTR, it would surely attract more students for next year's enrollment, right?
Amidst the busy preparations, the entertainment competition officially began.
"A clear Sky, a gentle autumn breeze, and the aroma of food wafting through the air—it's truly the autumn of appetite! Welcome everyone to the Tracen Academy Entertainment Competition's cooking showdown! Ah, I can't wait to taste the food from all the contestants, can you, Hayakawa Tazuna?"
"Hehe, Alice Digital is very energetic, but indeed, I hope everyone enjoys a wonderful competition." Hayakawa Tazuna maintained her smiling expression.
"The competition is about to begin. I, Alice Digital, will do my best to bring you an exciting live broadcast, allowing everyone to better appreciate the wonderful qualities of the Uma Musume present! This is Alice Digital!"
"This is Hayakawa Tazuna, and I'd also like to thank everyone who came to watch and those watching on television."
"Now, let's turn to our host, and currently active Absolute Ruler, Absolute Zero."
"Alright, this is your host, Absolute Zero. Thank you all for coming to watch this competition. I will keep you updated on all the exciting moments throughout the event." Absolute Zero held the microphone and waved to everyone.
"Well then, without further ado, please have our host introduce the rules of this competition."
"Alright, this competition will be a two-person team format. Ingredients will be uniformly placed in the center of the venue for contestants to take as needed. One special ingredient will also be provided, and each team can only take one portion of the special ingredient. The competition allows for bringing some personal ingredients and seasonings, but any illegal ingredients or seasonings will result in immediate disqualification. Also, participants cannot complete their dishes using only their self-prepared ingredients. During the competition, interaction between different teams is prohibited, as is trading ingredients. Finally, judges will score the dishes, and the team with the higher score wins."
"Alright, thank you for the explanation, Z-chan. Now, let's introduce our judges."
"Alright, first, of course, are us, the commentators! The thought of personally tasting the dishes lovingly prepared by all the adorable Uma Musume made me unhesitatingly choose to be on this commentary panel! You all understand, don't you? That's..."
"*Cough*, Digital-chan? Please introduce the judges." Hayakawa Tazuna, with a smile, reminded Alice Digital that she was getting off-topic.
"Eeek! Okay, I know I made a mistake, Hayakawa Tazuna! So, please welcome our first judge—Oguri Cap, known as the 'Buffet Destroyer'!"
The camera also focused on Oguri Cap, who was currently eating a large bowl of tonkotsu ramen, with toppings piled even higher than herself.
"Ah, Oguri Cap said she needed to warm up to better taste the food, so I made her a bowl of ramen in advance." Absolute Zero suddenly spoke up from the side.
"...As expected of Oguri Cap. Can you spare a word?" Hayakawa Tazuna couldn't help but wipe her brow.
"Mmm... (swallows), if you're not confident in your skills, you can win by quantity, you know?"
There's no way anyone can win by quantity!? Everyone present thought to themselves.
"Now, for the second one, naturally, it's the Student Council President of Tracen Academy, the one known as the Emperor, Symboli Rudolf!"
The camera quickly cut to the Emperor. There was no helping it; Oguri Cap was eating so deliciously that everyone was getting hungry just watching.
"As a judge, I will certainly provide a fair and just verdict for everyone, and I hope you all have a pleasant day." Rudolph's face held a smile, and in the audience, comments like "Ah! President is so handsome!" could be heard.
"And finally, our last one is naturally the founder of Tracen Academy, our beloved Chairman Akikawa Yayoi!"
The camera showed the Chairman. The cat that usually sat on her head was now held in her arms.
"Passion! This competition will be a passionate struggle for the contestants! And when you apply next year, choose Tracen Academy!"
"Please don't advertise at a time like this, Chairman!" Hayakawa Tazuna couldn't hold back at this point.
Should it be said that it was very much her style? Absolute Zero covered her face while the camera wasn't on her.
"Thank you to all the judges for your remarks. Now, I will introduce all the contestants." Seeing the subtle trend of awkward silence, Absolute Zero quickly redirected everyone's attention back to the competition.
"The first team is the 'Dorm Leader Squad', consisting of Student Council members Fuji Kiseki (or Fuji Kiseki) and Hishi Amazon!" Absolute Zero almost couldn't hold back when reading the team name.
As it was a major event, everyone present was wearing their racing outfits, and Hishi Amazon's smile was rather strained at this moment.
"So what kind of name is this anyway (whispers)!" Hishi Amazon complained softly.
"Isn't it quite fitting?" Fuji Kiseki blinked, drawing a lot of cheers from the audience.
As Dorm Leaders, both of them were naturally good at taking care of people, including cooking and other matters, so their participation in this competition was not surprising.
"Do you want to make a pre-competition declaration?" Absolute Zero handed over the microphone.
"Of course, my dear fillies, if you want to eat then, you're welcome to come find us anytime, okay?"
"Big Sister will take good care of you!"
The opening salvo from the handsome woman in men's clothing and the Big Sister received quite a lot of cheers.
"Now for the second team, the 'First-Class Taste' team, consisting of the prestigious Seiun Sky and Kawakami Princess!"
"As prestigious names, our cuisine will also be first-class! Oh~ ho ho ho!" The two young ladies simultaneously let out standard laughs.
Although it was unclear where they got their confidence, at least they wouldn't create anything like dark cuisine.
By the third team, Absolute Zero's eyes twitched slightly.
"The third team is the 'Essence of the World' team, consisting of the mad scientist Air Groove and the psychic Uma Musume Manchester Cafe!"
Wait, if I remember correctly, you don't know how to cook, do you!? Realizing something, Absolute Zero immediately questioned her with her gaze.
It's fine, I'm just the assistant, the main chef is Chaza, okay? Air Groove responded with her gaze as well.
Chaza, huh... That's good then, at least her coffee is like Suko's black tea... Never mind, her coffee is trustworthy.
She had experienced the sleeping black tea herself.
"Now for the fourth team, the 'Ramen and Truth' team, consisting of the ramen-loving Bimyo Shisei and the theoretical master Air Groove!"
"Z-chan, you absolutely *must* make me a bowl of ramen like Oguri Cap-senpai's later!" Bimyo Shisei's eyes sparkled as she looked at Absolute Zero.
"Hey, say some strong pre-competition words!" Air Groove grimaced and covered her face.
"The fifth team is the 'Kansai Edo Team' of the White Lightning Tamamo Cross and one of the Three Greats, Inari One... Also, next time you can't think of a team name, please don't include 'Team' in the name, Xiao Tamamo?"
"Why do you only criticize my team name when there are so many other questionable ones, kora!" Tamamo roared in anger.
"Hahaha, it's alright, Tamamo-senpai. Anyway, we're just here to make everyone happy this time." Inari One, on the other hand, laughed indifferently.
The two equally petite Uma Musume, along with Absolute Zero, who was almost their height, formed a trio of lolis that sparked unprecedented cheers.
"Alright, I hope the security personnel can catch everyone who was just making a ruckus and throw them in jail. Next up is the last team, the 'Mature Charm' team, consisting of the senior Maruzensky and the former team member, one of the Three Greats, Super Creek!"
"You don't have to specifically mention 'senior', Z-chan, do you?" Maruzensky had a dangerous smile on her face.
"Well, she's just being playful, senpai, no need to take it too seriously~" Super Creek comforted her from the side.
This team was even more heavyweight, but Absolute Zero was inexplicably worried, though she didn't know why.
"Now that the contestants have been introduced, and time is almost up, please, Chairman, announce the theme of this competition."
With a snap, the Chairman opened her fan.
"Warmth! The cooling autumn weather can still make some people uncomfortable. At this moment, warm food is essential! Making dishes that warm both body and soul is naturally the top priority!" As Chairman Akikawa announced, the large screen displayed the big words 'Warmth'.
"Alright, thank you for your statement, Chairman. The contestants are all ready in their respective positions, and the ingredients are prepared. At this..."
"Let the competition begin!"
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