Anime Collector: Starting With the Malevolent Shrine-Chapter 206 ⟴ The Measurement That Shocks Anyone

"Alice, why are you here?" Erina's composure crumbled instantly.

Alice lived in Denmark, so she shouldn't have known the Chiba family. Their long-standing conflict meant they could barely tolerate each other's presence, and this encounter was no different.

The smug smile on Alice's face gave Erina an ominous feeling — she was surely plotting something.

"Hmph, do I need to report my whereabouts to you?"

Alice's defiant response made Nene adjust her round glasses, though the Dragon Lord she'd anticipated wasn't present.

Sonoka stepped between them with an awkward smile to defuse the tension, "Haruno, where's Daiki-kun?"

"Daiki is discussing business matters with mother. She asked me to bring Yukino and the others here first; he'll be here shortly."

Haruno and Yukino seemed unconcerned, while Sonoka nodded with understanding, letting out a small sigh of relief.

"Daiki... the Dragon Lord's name... I see... Kikuchi-senpai, it seems we really can't underestimate you!" Though Nene appeared focused on her soba preparation, her thoughts dwelled on Sonoka, her eyes hidden behind reflective glasses.

A tug at her sleeve made her turn.

"You've been tense since earlier." Momo said.

Startled by these words, Nene knew she couldn't hide it anymore.

"We underestimated our senior." She whispered, "The Yukinoshita family — doesn't that name sound familiar? How could an ordinary family have such status in Chiba?"

Momo and the eavesdropping Rindō's eyes widened in disbelief as they looked toward Haruno.

Chiba, one of Japan's few safe zones, had seen its real estate prices soaring steadily. Such rising property values would normally attract various financial groups and companies, yet one family maintained dominance.

With the Sankō Shrine and the Mountains located in Chiba, Momo and Rindō finally grasped the significance.

They glanced at Hisako and Erina, who remained oblivious, their attention still fixed on Alice.

Wait, Alice?

"..."

"As expected of a culinary dynasty that monopolizes the gourmet world, the Dragon Lord's methods and keen sense are simply..." Nene sighed helplessly.

While she remained fixated on the culinary selection, Alice had already moved ahead of them all — and even Erina was unaware.

Of course, this couldn't be helped — Daiki's livestreams and photos circulated exclusively among top financial groups and the Jujutsu World. The Kinokuni family had expended considerable effort just to obtain a name and half a snapshot — breaking through class barriers wasn't easy.

Momo and Rindō finally understood why Nene was giving her all in cooking — this was truly an opportunity!

Rindō, slow to catch on, looked at Sonoka with new eyes. She had always admired her senpai's pure spirit in cooking, but now she found herself speechless — no wonder Sonoka hadn't participated in the culinary selection.

Direct contact with the Dragon Lord was indeed the perfect shortcut!

Without another word, she retrieved carefully packaged chilies from her backpack, the vibrant peppers flickering like flames.

This special ingredient she had discovered possessed extraordinary spiciness that could maximize the umami of rare ingredients. Though originally planned for the culinary selection, this opportunity demanded she challenge the Dragon Lord's palate directly.

After all, participating in the culinary selection meant her dishes would pass through multiple judges before reaching him. With the competition from former seniors, she might not advance far enough to earn an audience.

Boom!

The flames surged upward as she dumped a lethal amount of chilies into the iron pot.

An intense aroma erupted, blanketing the entire venue. Even the usually inattentive Itsuki and others stood dumbfounded — the spiciness reached extreme levels yet produced no unpleasant effects.

'Is... is this the true worth of the Elite Ten?' Alice, who had been arguing with Erina, fell silent. For the first time, she recognized the gap between herself and the Elite Ten, evident just from the aroma.

Nene's mouth twitched as she realized her earlier words had backfired — the other party was about to reveal their true strength.

"Lady Erina, Kobayashi-senpai's culinary skills..." Hisako clenched her small fist.

The dominating culinary aroma completely overwhelmed her senses — revealing an overwhelming difference in ability.

After a moment, Momo also held nothing back; Nene was already giving it her all, just waiting for the cooking to finish.

"This is quite intense!" Haruno remarked meaningfully, likely understanding what these people had realized, given that everyone present had even more prestigious backgrounds than her.

If not for Daiki's appearance, she might never have had the chance to stand with them, let alone take the lead now.

'Hmm, how should I thank Daiki-kun later!' She pressed her finger to the corner of her mouth, appearing deep in thought, her fox-like cunning eyes occasionally glancing at Sonoka.

Though confident in her charm, she stood alone — facing her were either quintuplets or twins.

'Ah, Yukino, your sister has gone to great lengths for your safety.' Haruno glanced helplessly at her sister's face.

The latter kept her head down, seemingly troubled by matters of social class.

Looking at Itsuki, the girl's eyes were warily fixed on Sonoka — it was hard to imagine how anyone could be so well-endowed. Even Haruno or Erina couldn't compare to that woman in this regard. Itsuki stood there measuring with her fingers — four hands couldn't fully encompass it. This was her formidable enemy... her number one rival!

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Haruno led the others to sit in the living room, and moments later, Daiki returned to the hall with Mrs. Yukinoshita.

Just then, Rindō and the others finished their dishes, and the rich aromas of meat, desserts, and medicinal herbs filled the entire hall.

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