As they entered the next room, Éclair made sure to keep close to her partner. She held onto the back of his shirt like a shy kid and her father. She looked past the man and glanced around the room. "Toriko, I really don't like this." "Welcome to the Underground VIP Area. Where only the elite of the VIP's are allowed to come. Of course you fit the bill." Livebearer smiled. The blond girl shook her head, "This guy is a freak show." A noise filled her ears and weighed down her heart. It was a man screaming and begging for more food. He was like a fiend wanting another taste of an ingredient. The girl clenched even tighter onto his shirt as another man ran over to Livebearer. He pulled on the man's shirt and pleaded, "Please! Let me have them back! My Food History!" The girl sighed as she looked up at her partner, "I guess this isn't a kid's game, is it Toriko. I better toughen up."
Coco frowned, "So the rumors are true. People in the casinos bet their food records, or Food History." Livebearer once again smiled, "Just what I'd expect from Heavenly King Coco. You are quite knowledgeable." "I've been to Jidar before in search of information of an ingredient." The creepy man's smile became more sinister, "Oh, and what ingredient is that?" "Atom, the drink on Bishokushin Acacia's full course menu. I plan to have it on my menu as well." Livebearer nodded, "I see. You might be able to find a hint from someone's memories in this casino." Before anyone could continue the conversation, The screams of another man could be heard. This time it wasn't lust or desire, it was agony. He screamed for his memories not to be taken away. Right before his eyes, his most fond memories were drifting out of his head. "No! Not my daughter's birthday!" Éclair looked up at her partner, "Can't we do anything?" She released from the man as Toriko advanced toward the victim. Coco put a hand on the man's shoulder, "Don't, it could be dangerous." Livebearer agreed, "Yes, you could risk destroying his spirit." She watched as the man finally passed out once it was over. Éclair pointed at the Underground Boss. "You're a terrible person. How can you smile when someone just got their memories taken away, such fond memories!" "He tried his luck on a game here and lost. He knew the risk."
Match frowned, "So his memories now belong to you? And I'm guessing you transfer them through that thing on the back of your head?" The man nodded, "Exactly. Memories are just signals sent to the brain. It's possible to restore many ingredients using them. Even narcotic ingredients from the past." Match grabbed his sword, "You bastard!" Before anything could happen, Livebearer's men came rushing in with their weapons. The man grinned, "So, do you have what it takes to bet your precious memories?" Toriko nodded, "Meteor Garlic. You have that as a prize correct." Livebearer nodded, "I do. It's in my memory." Toriko smirked, "Alright then, let's play." The blond girl pulled down on the man's arm, "Toriko are you crazy! What about our food history?" The Underground Boss turned from the group, "It's too late to quit. The dice has been thrown." The floor started to go down and Éclair clasped her hands, 'I hope he's making the right choice.'
They made it to another room once again, and Livebearer started, "Welcome to the Gourmet Tasting Area. It's a simple card game really. It's like concentration. You must find 2 matching cards, and whatever the ingredient is on that card, you must eat. If you pick 2 different cards, then your turn switches to your opponent. There is a limit of 3 consecutive turns if you match them correctly. And if you fail to eat the ingredient, the points go to your opponent. You can only give up twice, or you lose. If you finish the food, you get the number of points that is said on the card. The person with the most points wins." Toriko nodded, "How many ingredients are there?" "There are 28 ingredients." Toriko rolled his eyes and Livebearer shook his head, "Don't write them off too quickly. Amongst the cards are joker ingredients. They can be the key to changing the game around. The person who eats the joker ingredient has the power to switch a low point card for their opponent's high point card. They must still eat the ingredient of course." Also, it goes by difficulty. For the information you're requesting, that is the highest level." He snapped his fingers and one of the men brought out the cards on a cart. Match folded his arms, "Wait a minute, how do we know those cards aren't going to give you an advantage?" The boss shook his head, "I can't prove it. However, I am a chef, casino owner, and dealer. I have my pride, I wouldn't do something low like that."
Éclair raised an eyebrow, "Yeah right." Her attention turned to her partner, "Toriko, I don't want to do this. Our memories are on the line. If I lost my memory, I would die. There is nothing anyone could bribe me with to take back even a second of what we've been through. My memories with you are things that I treasure every day. We aren't just gambling with our memories, we're gambling with my life." The man knelt to her eye level, "Éclair, the past doesn't matter really. It's all about what's in the future. That's what I'm looking forward to. We can't lose. ~That's why I'm trusting you Coco." The black haired man's face fell flat, "Huh? How can you put this on me after what you just said?" Livebearer shrugged, "I don't care if you all play." "Then allow me to play as the dealer." Éclair cracked a smile, "Well if Match is going to deal, than I will do what I'm best at, cooking! I will prep and cook the foods we hit!" Toriko smiled, "That's the spirit Éclair. I will do the eating and Coco will do the guessing." Coco nodded, "Yes, I will be drawing the cards." Livebearer laughed, "Yes, all of you come at me and let's get this game started."
A live announcer spoke, "Alright, the game is underway. Livebearer-sama is being challenged by Heavenly Kings Toriko and Coco as well as Chef Éclair." Toriko looked at the boss, "Livebearer, you're okay with playing by yourself?" The man nodded, "Of course. I always do. I have a consecutive 214 wins and 0 losses. All of my opponents have left here with an empty mind." Coco narrowed his eyes at the man, "A word of advice. You shouldn't group us up with the other guests you've previously had." Match took out a coin, "We'll decide who starts with a coin toss. Heads or tails?" Livebearer peered at the coin, "I'll go with tails, being from the Underworld, it seems right." Match looked over at Coco, "So you're okay with heads?" The man shook his head, "No. Neither heads or tails is what I choose." The coin flipped in the air and Éclair inched her way toward Toriko, "Is that a legal guess." The bluenette shrugged, "I guess so." They watched as the coin rolled on the table. It was getting ready to fall down on a side and Éclair crossed her fingers. Just like Coco predicted, the coin was neither heads or tails. The girl smiled, "Okay, not only is that the first time I've ever seen that prediction come to fruition, I've never even seen that happen with a coin in general."
The blond man looked at Coco, "Alright, pick 2 cards please." The man nodded, "I'll go with 8." The card flipped over and Éclair gasped, "That's a high class cherry ingredient! What a hit!" Coco listened to all of the doubtful people in the room before he picked the next number. "29." The girl's eyes amplified, "The Cherrapple again? No way! What are the odds of that happening?" A man wheeled out the Cherrapple and brought it to the man, "Please eat it all." The girl bit her bottom lip, "I wish I could eat it too. Hurry up and eat it Toriko, before I get us disqualifi~" "That was so good!" She looked at the blue haired glutton, "Are you kidding me? How did you eat it that fast? I didn't even get to see your face when you took a bite." She looked back at Coco, "Well anyway, you still did a good job Coco. I think we actually have a chance at winning this if you keep picking like that."
The game continued, and once again, Coco hit with the Watermelon Clam allowing them to gain 10 more points. The Smashroom was facing upside and all Coco had to do was match that card. Although he'd gotten the first 2 right, Éclair was still nervous when it came to pairing up the right cards. In the back of her mind, she thought of all the memories that were on the line. She meant what she said about gambling with her life. "Card 55." Coco spoke calmly. As the card was flipped over, she bit her bottom lip and anticipated the worst. The announcer spoke, "That's a 20 point hit. Toriko will have to eat the Smashroom in the allotted time." Éclair smiled, "Phew. I think we can all see why I don't gamble. My poker face is crap. Get your stomach ready Toriko, I'm gonna serve you up the meal of a lifetime." She took the mushroom and tapped its center to unlock the flavor. "Sauteed Smashroom seems best." She went back into the kitchen and cooked the ingredient. The girl looked around, 'There sure are a lot of camera's in here. Probably so they know we're not cheating and we know they're not cheating. Though I still get a bad vibe from Livebearer. He might be one of the top chef's in the world, but he has clearly proven that he plays dirty by taking people's memories away.' "Looks like it's done." She walked out of the kitchen and placed the dish in front of Toriko, "Enjoy Toriko." She smiled as he dug into the dish she made. 20 points were added to their total score and they were in the lead. ~It was too soon to get happy though. The turn switched to Livebearer, and there was no telling what tricks he had up his sleeve.
The Underground boss smiled, "Impressive Heavenly King. That was no accident. The odds of getting 3 consecutive hits among 56 cards is 1 in 148,665." Éclair nodded, "That answers my question." She looked over at Livebearer, "Didn't you know? Coco isn't 1 in 148,665. He's one of a kind, just like us all. So don't get your hopes up for our demise." "Looks like a have a great opponent on my hands. ~Dealer, number 32 and 16." The cards flipped over and it was a 50 point Intestine Worm. Everyone was shocked as the game would be turned around by just one card. The food was rolled out and Livebearer happily went to get it. Match looked at the man "My subordinates are watching you very closely. When we find out whatever trick you are using, we'll deal with it appropriately." "Be my guest." The man shrugged it off without a care in the world and made his way into the kitchen. Éclair paced around, "That Livebearer is a bastard. How in the world did he know how to turn the game around with just one damn card? I suppose he hasn't done anything shady, but it's still really annoying." Match looked at the girl, "Don't worry, like I said, my guys are watching him very closely." She sighed, "I trust them, and I trust you, but I don't trust him. I just feel like there is something happening right under our noses and we're all too blind to see it." She looked up at her partner, "I will play by his rules for the sake of the Meteor Garlic, but I'm not gonna be very happy doing it." The large chef finished cooking and eating his ingredient and was back into the game. "I'd like to go with number for ~and 36." It was a 70 point Human-Faced King Trumpet Mushroom. The announcer spoke, "The 70 point big hit ingredient! Livebearer-sama will have 70 minutes to cook and eat the mushroom."
Éclair frowned, "70 minutes to cook a Human-Faced King Trumpet Mushroom. I'd say that truly is a big hit ingredient." Toriko nodded, "Yes, so among the joker ingredients, there are bit hit ingredients too." Livebearer nodded, "Oh yes, and with the big hit ingredients, there are big miss ingredients." He went back into the kitchen to cook his food and the girl's face frowned, "I don't like the sound of that. So a big hit would be a high point ingredient with more time given to cook it. ~And I assume a big miss is the complete opposite. This game just got a bit more interesting." She stared down Livebearer as he came back into the room. 'Why would he hive up a piece of information that vital? If I was him and I really wanted to win, I wouldn't tell my opponent about big miss ingredients. Does he really have nothing to fear?' The man wiped his mouth, "That was delicious. Looks like it's my last turn. Hmm, 37 and 3 please." It was a 100 point Melon Egg, a big hit ingredient. They watched as he easily downed his ingredient and gained a total 190 point lead on them. Éclair began scratch her arms and Toriko looked at the girl, "Something wrong Éclair?" She shook her head, "It's a nervous tick. I just feel strange about this entire game, like bad things are going to happen."
"Don't worry." He swayed his attention, "Coco, we're counting on you." The black haired man stared at the cards for a minute as if he was in his own world. He turned back to the two, "I am the one relying on you guys. ~Please find a way to finish these ingredients. Numbers 23 and 44." The cards flipped over and it was a 150 point Pudding Mountain. Éclair smiled, "Finally we get a big hit ingredient!" Coco shook his head, "I wouldn't be so sure." The bottom of floor lifted up a giant plate, and the top of the dome opened. Down dropped exactly what was said, a mountain of pudding. Éclair looked at Toriko, "I know you have a bottomless pit of a stomach, but I think this thing might find its way." Livebearer chuckled, "I wonder if you can eat it all. Will you use a give up? You know you can only use it twice in a row or you lose." The blond girl pat Toriko's back, "You got this Toriko. As your partner it is my job to believe in you. As we say, Itadakimasu." Toriko turned to Livebearer, "Don't be stupid, I love pudding. I can't wait to get my hands on this thing."
He started to eat the gigantic dessert and Éclair waved her hands like a worried mother, "I know you only have 150 minutes, but pace yourself!" "Yummy! It's so good and sugary!" The girl folded her arms, "You aren't listening at all. ~Hmm, I've got it." She headed to the kitchen and grabbed some custard. "Okay, vinegar helps break down sugar. It's gonna taste too bitter if I put it directly on the pudding, so if I mix it with the custard, it should be okay. ~I don't think that's just it. I've gotta cut the taste with other ingredients that won't affect the taste negatively, and it will break down the sugar still. How about Almond Cabbage?" She ran back out, "Toriko, I'm gonna put some of this on the pudding so it can break down the sugar of this pudding and you won't get sick. This way you can eat as much as you want without feeling under par. Now eat up." The man slurped up the custard, "Mmm! It's got a sweet and sour taste to it! It goes really well with the pudding. Great thinking!" She was in just as much shock as everyone else about him devouring the food. Although she said she had complete faith in him, she still questioned if he could do it or not. The man slurped up the last bit of the pudding and fell over on his back. Éclair ran to the man and rubbed his tummy, "You did great Toriko. That must have been record time too. You only took 30 minutes to finish all that." Coco smiled, "Alright then, we shall continue. Numbers 38 and 2." The cards flipped over and it was a 50 point Summer Whiskey.
As the bottle got wheeled out, the two stared at it. "It's also known as Sun Liquor. 83% alcohol." Éclair nodded, "Yup, guaranteed to leave even the heaviest drinker wasted." She put up a finger, "Hey, hold on a sec. I'm gonna go get something really quick." She headed to the kitchen again and looked at the fridge, "I now I saw some in here before. ~Aha, Cheese Napa Cabbage. This'll help." She up the cabbage and headed back to her partner. "Eat some of these snacks. It'll help you with the liquor." The man ate the cabbage and smiled, "Mmm, this is good." She nodded, "Yeah, it's a nice little snack to have when drinking." The bottle was finished and Toriko laughed, "I want another one!" Éclair shook her head, "You don't have to. You already finished what you set out to do. It was Coco's turn to pick the numbers again. "Number's 7 and 49 please." Match flipped over the cards, and it was the 70 point Bullet Acorns. The tree rolled out and she sighed, "Be safe Toriko. Bullet Acorns are highly dangerous. If you don't catch them before they become lodged into the ground, they'll become poisonous." The man nodded, "I've got it." The girl watched as the acorns shot at the man. It was a flurry of them headed straight for the man. She couldn't see exactly what was going on, but she hoped for the best.
The bluenette looked at the girl, "This okay Éclair?" She looked at the acorns in his hand and exhaled, "It's perfect." Once again, she was back in the kitchen. "Hmm, looks like I'll be using most of the time for this. The shell needs to soften, ~or." ~She brought the plate to Toriko, "Honey roasted Bullet Acorns. That's why they took so long." The man ate the acorns, and Éclair looked at the score board. "We've got the lead now, and it feels damn good." She may have felt good now, but she knew that this was still only the beginning of the game. Things were about to get ugly, and the game was getting ready to really begin.