As the girl jumped into the water, she didn't disappoint. Her swimming skills were quite impressive. She was no Granny Setsu, but if she started when everyone else did, she would certainly be in the top 30. Her waiting until the allotted time was for good reason. The last time she swam with food still in her stomach, she nearly drowned from a cramp. As she swam, she could only think of the bike ride ahead of her. It scared her to death. Biking was something she never feared until today. She already looked like a 5 year old's Halloween mistake. Her next fear was that she would look like an idiot on a bike. Finally, she swam around the small island and was on her way back to the shore. If there was something she was good at besides singing and cooking, it was swimming. The girl's arms began to get tired, but she refused to stop swimming. She would be exhausted by the time she reached the shore, but it was still less of a problem than riding a bicycle.
It didn't take her long, and she finally reached the shore. The girl panted as she walked back onto the sand rice. "Time to pull ahead! This is going to be my worst event, so I'll have to~ Whoa!" She stopped thinking out loud as a flurry of rice flew at her face. The girl picked out the grains out of her hair, "What the hell!?' Her eyes scanned to see one of the greatest chefs in the world in her presence. She wasn't even upset about rice in her hair anymore. "No way. There's no freaking way! You're Brunch right!? I can't believe you're actually here! I'm so honored to be in your presence!" The man looked back at the starstruck girl, "Yeah, who're you?" "Éclair." The man stopped in his tracks, "Éclair?" She nodded, "Yep, like the pastry." "Éclair!? You're the Éclair everyone got their panties in a twist about!?" "Yeah right. No one makes that big of a fuss about me." He towered over the girl as yelled, "I thought you'd be some gargantuan lady." She shook her head, "Nope, that would be my sister. I wasn't blessed with height." "You're Toriko's combo partner and you're dead last!?" She shrugged, "I plan on catching up. I wouldn't call it DEAD last." The man began to walk away, "A pipsqueak like you won't even be a challenge. I'm outta here."
The girl sighed, "My confidence is bleeding. Anyway, I'm getting ready to catch up, so enjoy the view of my backside Mr. Brunch." She pranced ahead until she reached the ingredients. "Look at you precious ingredients." "Precious? No! We got stuck with the cruddy ingredients." She shook her head, " I must admit, I was so excited to work with high class ingredients, but these are great too! Mmm, the idea's in my head are flowing!" The girl paused for a moment, "That melody was beautiful. ~Thank you. I wish I could take you all with me." She hummed the melody, "Don't worry. I'll relay your message." The red man looked at the girl, "Let's do it! Let's take every last one of them." Éclair smiled, "You mean it?" The man loaded up and tied the remaining ingredients to each of their bikes. He looked over at her, "Alright get ready to pull ahead of the pack!" She nodded with much confidence. She put her foot on one of the pedals and her heart raced in fear, "I think I'll just walk the bike. That seems most safe."
She walked alongside her bike and pushed it along. Brunch looked back at the girl "Are you kidding me? You can't ride a bike!? ~And why are you dressed like that?" "Nope, I never learned to ride a bike. ~And my sister thought it would be funny if I dressed like an idiot in front of the world." He waited for the girl to catch up to him before pointing at the seat. "Sit on the bike rabbit girl. My method will allow us to beat the others." She did as told and shrugged, "This didn't help! My ass hurts from the seat, and I still don't know what I'm doing." "Hang on." He grabbed the girl's bike handle and sped off. "Holy crap! What the hell is wrong with you speed demon!?" Her eyes watered as she sped ahead. Her hands were clenched onto her bicycle handles in fear of flying away in the wind. It was both an exhilarating and frightening experience for her. The man was going so fast that they were actually catching up to some of the other chefs. Éclair smiled, "Look! We're actually making headway!" "Outta my way you bastards!" Brunch shouted as he sped past the competition. The girl looked ahead and saw the bridge. "Mr. Bunch, please slow down on the bridge! Please stop! Stop!" She closed her eyes and felt the force of the air stop. She exhaled, "Thank you." She let go of the handles on her bike and caught her breath, "I never thought I would be tired from not doing any work at all." She put her hands back on the handles and grinned evilly, "Alright Mr. Brunch! Let's go! We already got ahead of a lot of the chefs. If we keep going, we can at least place in the top 20!" The man looked at the competition as they rode on the bridge. "Oops my foot slipped!" The man lifted his foot and slammed it back on the ground. The impact was far greater than anticipated.
With his 'slip of the foot' many of the competitors fell down into the crevasse. The girl pouted, "Hey! That wasn't very nice! ~I must admit I am impressed~ But still! I want to play a clean game Mr. Brunch. We've gotta play fair!" He rolled his eyes, "Well, I guess I did just pretend my foot slipped. Next time I'll just push them off myself. In a fair way!" "That's not what I meant!" The sped ahead again as he spoke to the girl, "You're being serious?" She nodded, "Of course I am. Listen Mr. Brunch, I do agree that we should play to our strengths, but that doesn't mean cheating." He began to speed off faster, "Why do you keep calling me 'Mr.' anyway? I'm not some geezer!" "Because you're the coolest Chef I ever met! You have a cool face, and I am super infatuated with the way you can go unnatural speeds!" He shrugged, "Don't get starstruck kid." She shook her head, "I'm not. I admit that you are cool, but I'm not so starstruck that I can't tell you when you're being an ass, ya know?" The girl pointed, "Look! We're coming up on Konpeitou Ridge! This is my event! This is where I planned on catching up to the pack. Thanks to you I can take a leisurely stroll." The two stopped their bikes and began to strap the ingredients to their backs. As Éclair put the food onto her back, she fell face first into the ground. "Ouchie! Did I say leisurely stroll? I meant crawl."
Brunch sighed, "Really?" Her voice was muffled underneath her ingredients, "Don't worry. I'll get to the finish line." He picked up the girl and held her in his arms, "Let's go rabbit girl!" As the man carried her, in a way she was relieved that she wouldn't have to crawl to the finish line. On the other hand, she always did hate it when she couldn't carry her own weight. They were already in the top 5, so she didn't understand why he was racing so hard. In a way she admired his determination. He didn't want to settle for being 4th and 5th place, though she knew that's what they would be anyway. Not only that, why was he being so generous to her she wondered. Of course the words he spoke weren't always the kindest, but it was strange that he would help her finish this race. It was a competition after all. The two were coming up on the utensil station, and the girl pointed, "Cool! We get to grab our favorite stuff!" "Make it quick kid! We aren't stopping for very long." She rolled her eyes, "Whatever." She went around and picked some of the things she wanted to cook with. She rubbed her chin, "To be fair, if I did the race on my own, I wouldn't have had all these choices. My knife would definitely be long gone. ~Ooh, these pots would be gone for sure. ~This pan would be gone~~" Brunch rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, all the good stuff would have been gone before you got here. Now get your ass in gear." She began grabbed one last item and was ready to go. Before she fell on her face again from the heavy objects, Brunch caught her. "Got everything?" "Yes! Let's go!"
They continued on, to finish the race. It was kind of a mystery how Brunch was able to hold his ingredients, her ingredients, her person, the utensils they just picked up, and run at a high speed. She didn't question it, but really just went along for the ride. She pointed, "We're so close! Look, it's the Cooking Stadium! Mr. Brunch, you amaze me beyond words! Now remember, 4th and 5th place isn't bad okay? For this to be my first time at the Cooking Fest, I'd say this is really good actually." He smirked, "Say what you want, but first is all I have in mind!" It seemed like he got a boost of energy from his own words. He truly believed that they were going to beat the top three. The loud cheers of the crowd were getting closer and closer until they were physically in the stadium. There they were, the top 3, and they hadn't crossed the finish line yet. Éclair's was surprised by the sight in front of her. The beautiful, uncut, white ribbon was still intact. Not only that, it was getting closer and closer. Things ran in slow motion. Yuda was passed, Zaus was passed, and next Setsuno. He set the girl down and she fell on her back. She screamed out, "No way! Did we win!?"
Munageh yelled into the microphone, "It's Brunch and Chef Éclair! They are the first to reach the goal!" The girl unstrapped the ingredients from her back, "We did it Mr. Brunch! ~more like you did it~ But I'm here too, so we both did it!" Setsuno looked at the man, "Looks like the problem child decided to join the race." He looked at the three, "I'm gonna give you elderly problems a coupe de grace." The three began to argue with the man and Éclair shook her head, "Mr. Brunch! What the hell man!? You can't just say that! Remember when I said I'd tell you when you're being an ass? Well you're being an ass!" As the argument was going to continue, Munageh continued to announce. "Alright! So the competitors have been cut down to 85 now! Dare I say the real Triathlon Cooking has yet to begin! The competitors will take the ingredients they picked up on Rice Beach and cook them on the competition stage to be judged by G7. This is where the 85 competitors will shrink to 50! First up we have chef Éclair Reinbou!" The girl began to take the stage. 'How many times do I have to remind myself to breathe? Wait a second, am I breathing right now? No you idiot! You aren't breathing! Do it! Breathe! You know, in through the nose and out through the mouth!' The girl gasped for air as she finally exited her own mind. 'Ahhh, air is nice. ~Oh yeah, I forgot!' She walked up the steps and made her way to the center stage. "Chef Éclair will now start her cooking. According to the records, the tool that was left for her at the utensil station was~ Incredible! A Melk Knife made by the great Melk the Second! Will we now be able to feast our eyes on that knife Cooking Stadium!?"
The girl unfolded the cloth and revealed the ordinary kitchen knife. Brunch yelled out, "What!? What the hell are you doing!?" She looked back at the man and smiled, "Please don't say anything bad about this knife. It's magnificent. Though I'm certain it would have been my only choice if you hadn't helped me the entire race. Now stand back Mr. Brunch, I have a crowd to impress." The man rolled his eyes, "You really put the dumb in dumbass rabbit girl." She winked, "And you put the ass in asshole Mr. Brunch. ~Now please. I know you want me to preform well, so just let me do it in my own way. I'm not an idiot. I know what I'm doing. So just sit back and watch the show." She dug in her pocket and took out the Amplifier Stone. 'Thanks Nilly. Still gonna kill you for this damn bunny suit, but thanks for this.' She put the stone around her neck and spoke, "Excuse me everyone. I uh~ I know it sounds strange, but ever since I was at the starting line these ingredients have been singing me a melody that I'd like to share with you." She pulled down her hood and her long pigtails sprang up. It was a way to show the crowd who she truly is.
The crowd cheered as she was preparing herself to cook. Singing was something she did quite often. She sang in her kitchen, she sang with her staff, she sang nearly every time she cooked. However, she never sang for a crowd so big before. It was more scary than anything, and this was a song she thought everyone should hear. It was a part of the way she cooked. If she wasn't singing, she most likely wasn't cooking. The crowds loud screams and yells died down with the first note that released from her throat. As she picked up the knife she couldn't help but feel amazed by how nicely kept it was. It may have been generic, but then again, so was her knife before Melk turned it into a masterpiece. The woman put on the show of a lifetime as she sang. She was in a zone of her own. All she could imagine was her in an empty room filled with ingredients. It was the most blissful moment to entertain a group of people while at the same time feeling all alone. She continued the song "All we have is this moment! Tomorrow's unspoken! Yesterday is history! So why don't you be here with me!" At long last the food was done. It was served and she was a nervous wreck again. She didn't even want to look at the panel anymore. She couldn't bear to. She put the bunny hood back on and waited to be judged. She took off the amplifier stone and put it back in her pocket.
All of the judges sat before such a simple dish. It was a regular bowl of stir fry on top of steamed rice. She twiddled her thumbs as she looked down. It was a gamble, this stir fry. She used ingredients that weren't normally used in the recipe. She put her hands over her face and breathed heavily. 'If they don't like it, I don't know what I'll do. I guess the best thing to do would be to support the rest of the competitors. It was nice to compete while it lasted I guess. Maybe I should put a brave face on. Just look at the judges. You can do it! Look at them Éclair!' The girl smiled, "Please enjoy." Patch looked the girl, "You used rice from Rice Beach?" She nodded, "Yes, was I not allowed to? Am I disqualified? I'm so sorry!" The man shook his head, "No, it's allowed. But it's interesting that you used such common rice." "Well, to be honest most rice is common. A wonderful chef taught me how to make the flavor exude. ~Exotic as she calls it." She looked at her sister in the crowd, "It's a shame she couldn't compete. ~She's one of the greatest chef's I know." "Well it certainly was a fun and exciting dish." Now was the time for the waiting period. She watched as all of the chef's prepared their dishes. It was the most exuberant sight. In the back of her mind she couldn't help but feel like this is where she would be eliminated.
"It is now time to announce the successful chefs." She stood there with her head held high. ~Only because she had to keep reminding herself to do so. It didn't matter if she moved on or not. She had a good time, and as Toriko said, she should just have fun. "First! The Living National Treasure Setsuno! Chef Zaus, Yuda, Brunch~ Chiru, Livebearer, Wabutora." Éclair cheered for those who's names were called. She graciously shook the hands of Chiru and Livebearer, "It's been an honor to compete with you guys. Give em hell guys." Chiru looked at the girl, "Don't give up hope Éclair. You're a wonderful chef too." She shrugged, "Let's be honest, a chef like me never had a chance in this competition." "And last but certainly not least~ Chef Éclair!" The girl fanned herself, "Really!? Please tell me I'm the Éclair they're talking about! No one else in the competition's name is Éclair right!?" Chiru pat the girl's shoulder, "That's you!" "I can't believe it! I made it to the second round! Bring it on Cooking Festival! Bring~ it~ on!"
Munageh pointed to the center of the stadium, "Now then! On to the next round!" ~It was just in the blink of an eye and they were onto the next stage. Since she was competing against her opponent in the center stage, she kept the amplifier stone in her pocket. She didn't want to do anything distracting or unfair. She stood opposite Chef Wabutora and all she could do was be thankful for her situation. She looked at the man and smiled, "Good luck!" "Likewise." The competition started and Chef Wabutora seemed to get his dishes out as soon as Munageh said go. It was a bit devastating to the girl's confidence. She couldn't get the food out that quickly. She began to panic as she was lowered closer to the flame. She didn't know what to make. He was so quick. It was like he had multiple hands. How in the world was he cooking this fast. He'd already got several plates out and she didn't even know what to cook yet. She was on the verge of a panic attack honestly. She just wanted an idea to come to mind, anything. The heat began to get more intense and the world seemed to start spinning. She looked out at the crowd and saw all of the people she would disappoint. Her eyes connected with her partner and he gave her a quick nod. It was all she needed. She hated that she had to constantly lean on him for support, but that's what he was there for. Her side lowered again, and the girl smiled, "Perfect."
She moved everything out of the way and set all of the meat on the ground. Grilling the food was her plan. She sprinkled seasonings over them and turned them over. She hummed along as she enjoyed cooking the food. She didn't normally grill food, but this was the only way to 'mass produce.' Finally the ideas were flowing. There was so much she would do with grilled food. She got out the plates and set the food on them. It was pull apart delicious and she couldn't wait to serve it to everyone. As the servings came out, everyone moved to her food and fawned over the mouth watering goodness. Chef Wabutora looked over, "Barbecue? You had this in mind the whole time?" She shook her head, "No, but my back was against the wall and I had to do some quick thinking. ~The first meal I ever had with Toriko was Garara Gator that we grilled. Looking at him reminded me how delicious that was. There's no way I could have made this without a huge flame beneath me though. It would take too long."
It was judging time once again. Éclair looked over at Chef Wabutora. "I just want to tell you that I've had the time of my life competing with you. I am honored that you used the Mors Oil in this competition. I used it too but not too much. I used just enough to get the meat crisp but keep it juicy on the inside. Ya know, even if I don't win~" "Trying to get good out too fast." He cut off the girl, "That was the reason for my defeat." "Defeat? It's not over." The man nodded, "Like any gracious competitor, I can admit when I have lost. ~You are an excellent chef Éclair. Sunny was right about you. You are far too modest for a chef with your skill." He reached out for a handshake, "If you don't win this I'll never forgive you." She shook his hand and smiled, "You have my word that I'll give it my all."