Jaden had assumed that since Erina was the one who suggested asking him for help, she must have already thought everything through.
At the very least, there should have been a plan.
In reality-
"Let's have a Shokugeki!"
Those were the words Erina said after only a brief exchange with the manager, right after she and Jaden stepped into the bar called O-uchu.
Jaden paused.
At first, he had thought that in this world-one that felt familiar yet clearly different from his past life-a Shokugeki carried far more weight than he originally imagined.
It seemed capable of deciding almost anything.
But then-
"Who wants to play house with that sort of thing-since you Nakiri are challenging us directly..."
A middle-aged man, clearly tipsy, wore a relaxed smile.
But his eyes sharpened without warning.
"Let's have a Kengan match."
Huh!?
Jaden froze.
He genuinely did not understand what the man was talking about.
Erina, however, did.
And judging from her reaction, this was not unexpected.
She simply sighed.
"I'm only borrowing it for one day," Erina said calmly. "And I'll immediately revitalize this bar of yours, which is struggling near the Totsuki Resort. That should be far more beneficial to your business, shouldn't it?"
"The Nakiri family cares about my business?"
The president of the investing company behind O-uchu, Ginokuniya Bookstore, laughed.
Ohya Ken.
A middle-aged man whose face carried the relaxed confidence of someone used to being in control.
"You don't need to worry about that," he said casually. "If your Nakiri family wants a Kengan match, then fight one. If not, please leave."
That was all.
After leaving those words behind, Ohya Ken turned away.
Erina said she would consider it.
Then she pulled Jaden out of O-uchu for the time being.
Only after they were outside did Jaden finally speak.
"Nakiri," he said, "I know what a Shokugeki is. But what exactly is Kengan?"
Erina wasn't surprised by the question.
She closed her eyes.
Then, slowly, she began to explain.
"Kengan is too troublesome to explain properly, and its history is far too long," she said. "In short, just know this-what he means by Kengan is a type of martial arts competition. Each side sends a representative to fight, and the side whose representative wins gets their condition fulfilled."
"I see," Jaden replied. "So the nature is similar to a Shokugeki, except instead of comparing cooking skills, it compares fighting ability."
Erina sighed when she heard that.
"That's exactly it," she said. "But I didn't expect them to propose a Kengan match so directly."
As she spoke, Erina slowly opened her eyes.
Then, as if recalling something unpleasant, her gaze flickered for a brief moment.
Her expression remained calm as she continued.
"...No. I should have expected this from the beginning."
Hmm?
Jaden noticed her hesitation.
But Erina didn't elaborate.
She simply let out a long sigh.
"There's nothing we can do," she said. "If this could be resolved with a Shokugeki, everything would be simple. But a Kengan match is beyond what we can handle."
There was disappointment in her voice.
But it wasn't dramatic.
It was controlled.
Resigned.
"-We'll have to give up this opportunity for now and look for other solutions."
Even now, Erina didn't complain.
Aside from when dealing with her father, she was far more composed than most people realized.
Still-
Jaden blinked.
The system panel that only he could see remained quietly in his vision.
Ten percent.
That was the degree to which he had merged with Jack Hanma's template.
Objectively speaking, even ten percent of Jack Hanma was already an absurd existence compared to ordinary fighters.
On top of that, he had the skill "Curse."
Up until now, he had only used it on cooking.
But the description was clear.
Using it on food was merely an Easter egg.
The skill's real purpose was meant for people.
So-
"There's no need to give up."
Hmm?
Erina froze.
She turned to look at him.
Then she saw that familiar expression.
The one she was starting to recognize.
The seemingly harmless smile.
Honest.
Guileless.
And deeply unpleasant when paired with his actions.
"Since they want a Kengan match," Jaden said lightly, "then let's fight one with them~"
...
The employee break room of O-uchu.
Ryo Himura sat with his arms crossed.
A well-built man with short silver hair, he was the representative fighter of Ginokuniya Bookstore.
Across from him was Ohya Ken, still slightly tipsy, still wearing that relaxed smile.
"So," Ryo asked, "are we really going to have a Kengan match with Totsuki?"
Ohya Ken laughed foolishly.
"That's what they're saying," he replied. "But this time, it might not be such a serious matter."
Hmm?
Ryo frowned slightly.
He still remembered Totsuki's fighter.
The opponent didn't seem like someone who could be handled easily.
Ukigumo.
The Floating Cloud.
Hatsumi Sen.
It was rumored that even the legendary fighter known as the Wild Tiger-Takeshi Wakatsuki, whose physique was naturally dozens of times stronger than an ordinary person-had once been defeated by him.
However-
So what?
Ryo Himura's lips curled upward.
He was a monster in his own right.
Relying on his Jeet Kune Do, he had been judged capable of contending with powerful fighters after only a handful of Kengan matches.
A Super Rookie.
That was what they called him.
Floating Cloud.
Wild Tiger.
Even the Fang of Metsudo.
Who was stronger?
You wouldn't know without fighting.
As that thought crossed his mind, the fighting spirit in Ryo Himura's eyes ignited.
Seeing his expression, Ohya Ken sighed.
"Don't get so excited," he said. "Your hypothetical opponent-the Floating Cloud who's been fighting Kengan matches for Totsuki since his debut-seems to be having some problems lately."
Ryo's eyes sharpened.
"Oh?"
"It's not completely confirmed yet," Ohya Ken continued. "But before their last Kengan match, Totsuki chose to hire a killer from the Kure Clan as their representative."
Ryo's expression shifted slightly.
"And there's also news that Hatsumi Sen has transferred."
At that point, Ohya Ken slowly narrowed his eyes.
"Not long ago, Toyo Electric challenged Totsuki to a Kengan match. Totsuki has been stalling that challenge again and again."
Ohya Ken's eyes gradually closed.
The foolish smile returned to his face.
"Although they can't stall much longer, I'm still curious about Hatsumi Sen. If possible, knowing the situation in advance would satisfy my curiosity."
He paused.
"Besides, the location of O-uchu isn't great. If we can win a Kengan match against Totsuki, this bar will have a better chance of surviving."
Then-
His expression grew serious.
"Himura," Ohya Ken said slowly, "if we're particularly unlucky, then when this Kengan match begins, you might end up facing that Floating Cloud-or a member of the Kure Clan."
He stopped there.
As the head of a major publishing company, Ohya Ken's sense of timing was impeccable.
Ryo Himura laughed.
"It doesn't matter."
At this point, Ryo had not yet encountered Kaneda Suekichi.
He wasn't arrogant.
But as a Super Rookie who had yet to face a true powerhouse, his confidence in his own strength was absolute.
So-
"No matter who the opponent is," Ryo said, "I'll win."
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