A decade

" Big brother, have you ever heard of a dish called Rice and Curry?" Kenji asked with high expectations.

" Rice and Curry huh?" The man looked to go into a deep thought as he placed his hand on his chin," No little brother, I don't think that I have heard of such a dish before. Is it the dish that you want to prepare for master Fubara?" He asked with a questioning gaze.

Kenji nodded his head slightly as he smiled. It seemed that the meal hasn't been heard of in this world.

" Well, I hope you have the best of luck little brother, by the way, my name is Raphael Brimate," the man said while introducing himself.

" Makoto Kenji," Kenji responded with a slight nod.

" Well little brother Kenji, we're here," Raphael said as he pointed at a restaurant by the other side of the street.

Kenji smiled and walked in front of the group, as he scurried towards the restaurant in full spirit.

" Calm down little brother, it's not much farther away," the man said, as he shook his head with a smile.

As the arrived in front of the restaurant, the doors were suddenly flung open and a young looking man was thrown out!

" Trash! How dare you disrespect master Fubara by your simplistic meal? Get out of here before we humiliate you some more," one of the two men who had thrown the young man said, as the two burst out into laughter and went back into the restaurant.

•Gulp•

Ethan swallowed a mouthful of saliva as he witnessed the scene. It seems the competition is much more tougher than he had expected.

" Little brother, are you sure you want to go through with this?" Raphael asked with concern on his face. He didn't know why he felt worried for someone he had just met a few minutes ago, but he felt some kind of connection with him, one that he just couldn't explain.

" Don't worry, I'll be fine. All you need to do is watch me win this competition!" Kenji said with a smile, as he walked into the restaurant.

~whoo! ~

~whistle!~

~that smells delicious!~

Noise came from all corners of the restaurant, as the wafting aroma of delicious culinary food roamed the restaurant like a stain that won't leave a shirt.

" Oh my gosh, this place is huge!" Kenji exclaimed, as he looked at the grandeur of the restaurant and couldn't help but open his mouth wide.

It looked so much bigger from the outside, and that wasn't an exaggeration. It was like a palace for a king was hidden inside the house of a commoner, it was just too unbelievable.

" Well little brother, I think it's time for us to separate," the man said with a smile.

" Alright big brother Raphael, then this is where we shall separate," Kenji responded with another smile.

With that, the group separated from Kenji and headed over to the spectator stand.

Kenji looked around for a while and spotted a line," that's probably where the participants are lining up,"

Kenji then walked over there and joined the line.

There was about fifty people on this line. It seemed a lot of people were hoping to display their culinary skills and win the competition.

" Well no matter what, I have to win this," Kenji said with determination filling his voice.

A lot of other people came into to participate, and so did a lot get thrown out or stepped on after failing to meet the expectation of the master chef.

After about three hours more, it was finally Kenji's turn.

He stepped up to the already prepared kitchen and went in. Inside, he saw a man on a throne with the engravings of spoons and forks.

The man wore a complete white and orange shef uniform, as his auburn hair slipped out of his chef hat. He had a young and handsome looking face, but his eyes. His eyes showed that of an old timers who had seen everything. Those eyes made him look so wise, that he seemed like he had lived over a thousand years. But that isn't possible...right?

" I know what you're thinking about, and let me warn you, I Fubara am not gay," he said plainly.

" Whhaatt??!!" Kenji suddenly shouted out loud as he heard those words," gay?! I'm not gay!" He said, trying to clarify the confusion, was he staring that much?

Master Fubara smiled at Kenji's comedic exppression," calm down young man, I was just joking," he said with a faint smile.

Hearing his words, Kenji heaved out a sigh of relief as he heard those words, but then his body froze once more, as he herd master Fubara's next words.

" Whatever you are going to cook for me today, know that once you lose, a decade of your life would be extracted from you,"

A decade! Extracted life! What the F!

" What do you mean a decade would be extracted?!" Kenji said, hoping his ears had failed him at that second.

" You heard me. The reason is, if you come here for me to taste a meal that I've seen and tasted before, then you just came to waste my time and hold me from finding my disciple. So to compensate me for the time lost, a decade of your life would be given to me to increase my level due to the fact that I've been stuck in the same level for so long," master Fubara said with a smile.

* What the fuck is wrong with the logic of people in this world?! Just because you would be given a meal you've ate before, doesn't mean you should take away the life span of a human!*

" I don't care what you think, and I'm not ready to care, but since you've entered into this kitchen, then all you can do is either cook and win, or lose and let your life be taken away from you," he said with a calm smile.

" What if I decide not to cook anymore," that's right, he has to back off. Losing a life isn't worth any of this, not to mention a decade!

" If you want to forfeit, then you would have to pay a hundred years of your life,"

" A hundred what?!!"