Both Mutou Judai and Erina treated each other as family, or rather as family members who could help them—that's why after Mutou Judai encountered the Wu Clan, he came back and directly told Erina about it, and why after hearing Mutou Judai mention the Wu Clan, Erina continued to talk about the Tiger matter.
—My business is your business, your business is my business.
Although it would still be too difficult to get these two awkward people to verbally acknowledge this relationship, they had actually tacitly accepted the birth of this relationship.
Mutou Judai was a calm, trouble-averse, lazy guy.
Even when Shinomiya offered one-tenth of his assets to invite him to do troublesome work, he wouldn't do it.
But just because Korakuen could slightly relieve Erina's pressure, he went to help.
And Erina, who appeared proud to outsiders but was actually awkward and had some psychological trauma, could only open her heart to Mutou Judai.
This was their relationship.
So after Erina made her request, she told Mutou Judai the whole story.
"The reason Toyo Electric is targeting Totsuki and Korakuen is entirely because Hayami Katsumasa plans to launch a competition called the Kengan Annihilation Tournament in the near future."
"The competition will be participated in by Kengan Association members—and whoever wins the championship will become the chairman of the Kengan Association."
Hearing this, Mutou Judai basically understood.
Since he was someone who liked using various methods to achieve goals, by putting himself in their shoes, he understood the thinking of Toyo Electric's big boss, Hayami Katsumasa.
"—So the opponent plans to directly target enterprises qualified to participate in Kengan matches before the Kengan Annihilation Tournament begins, then spend assets to find fighters, and try to get as many of their people as possible to participate in the competition when joining the Kengan tournament, increasing the possibility of victory, right?"
"Exactly."
Erina nodded.
"And our Totsuki is originally a leading food enterprise, plus if I use my God's Tongue to judge, just one word of 'disgusting' from me could completely destroy some restaurants... So Toyo Electric probably plans to use my God's Tongue to target more food enterprises and gain as many 'allies' as possible."
"Regarding this point, Toyo Electric is basically attacking from three directions simultaneously."
Erina raised her finger.
"First is targeting Korakuen, which was the previous Kengan match—then targeting Totsuki, which is the Kengan match seven days from now. During this process, Toyo Electric found a very skilled chef from somewhere and has been continuously challenging Totsuki to Shokugeki..."
When saying this, Erina smiled.
"But previously we had to guard against Toyo Electric possibly suddenly seizing opportunities to launch Kengan against Totsuki, guard against that guy who kept coming for Shokugeki, and suspected there might be an inside traitor leaking information... It was really overwhelming at that time."
"Fortunately, Judai, you helped share part of the pressure, and if it's you, then I feel the other Tiger isn't much pressure anymore..."
Hearing Erina say this, Mutou Judai casually waved his hand.
"I can't help with inside traitors, but regarding that chef who actively seeks Shokugeki with Totsuki, do you need me to..."
Mutou Judai stopped talking here.
Although he felt that if he had a Shokugeki with others, he would probably win.
But Totsuki was after all the leading enterprise in the food industry—losing at Kengan wasn't shameful, but for Shokugeki matters, they might not necessarily be willing to let him help.
And that was indeed the case.
"This matter doesn't need you to act yet, Judai—that Tiger is still somewhat difficult to deal with. During this time, you should prepare for this Kengan match and Wu Clan matters."
"As for Shokugeki..."
Erina smiled.
"Our Totsuki is this country's leading food enterprise!"
...
'Ah... I shouldn't have boasted!'
Early the next morning, after seeing even Dojima Gin lose to the opponent in Shokugeki, Erina blinked with a somewhat empty mind.
The chef named Saiba Asahi on the opposite side took his spoils—Dojima Gin's kitchen knife—with an expression of poor hospitality.
Seeing the opponent like this, Erina, who was following Nakiri Senzaemon, sighed slightly.
Senzaemon saw Erina's reaction and slowly smiled.
"Don't worry, Erina—that Shura will return tomorrow..."
Shura!?
Hearing Senzaemon say this, the image of that man appeared in Erina's mind.
But this time, after hearing Shura's name, she no longer had that fluttering feeling, just simply nodded and thought—he should probably win when he comes back.
As for the original excitement about his cooking—now such emotions had all been placed on Mutou Judai by Erina.
And Mutou Judai...
While Totsuki was rushing to have Shokugeki with people early in the morning, he was once again awakened by the sign-in system.
"Sign in..."
Jack Hanma's template merged from 40% to 50%, then Mutou Judai clicked sign-in.
[Sign-in Reward—Purity Enhancement Card]
Hm?
What was this thing?
Mutou Judai was stunned. After sitting up and reading the description, he understood.
This was actually an item that enhanced bloodline potential.
And it couldn't exceed limits.
It was roughly like, if you originally inherited a powerful bloodline but couldn't bring out the power within this bloodline yourself, then using this card could excavate the power in your bloodline.
However, this enhancement was to potential and future, not to current strength.
Unless you were a Saiyan and your bloodline enhancement could upgrade you from ordinary Saiyan to legendary Super Saiyan or something, otherwise it was enhancement to potential and temporarily giving you some amplification after potential enhancement, mainly investment in the future.
Seeing such a thing, Mutou Judai directly used it.
Then after the card turned into flowing light, a choice appeared before Mutou Judai.
"I actually have two bloodlines that can be strengthened..."
First was his Hanma Blood, second was the bloodline that old man Mutou Yugi had mentioned before—his original bloodline, though this bloodline wasn't called Oukawa Blood, but was called...
—Royal Blood.
After seeing these two things, Mutou Judai basically didn't hesitate and directly used this card to strengthen Hanma Blood.
After all, this was the bloodline of Hanma aliens. Compared to those unknown bloodlines, strengthening this was more meaningful.
He just didn't know if after strengthening this bloodline, would that Royal Blood be diluted by Hanma Blood.
Mutou Judai thought this way, but actually after he finished strengthening, he discovered—bloodlines were like game items to him.
After this strengthening of his Hanma Blood, he felt his strength and constitution had increased somewhat, and the display behind Hanma Blood also showed (Pure Blood Hanma, Hanma Yujiro's potential level).
But his Royal Blood still existed, and the parentheses behind it showed—(Pure Blood Royal).
This...
"I can actually possess two pure bloodlines... Could it be that because of the system, my body has a bug?"
Shouldn't it be that the purer one becomes, the rarer the other becomes...
—This isn't scientific!
Mutou Judai thought about this, but finally shook his head and stopped thinking about it—because he realized he had already transmigrated, so looking for science in such places... heh, he felt like an idiot.
He wasn't even a scientist, what science did he understand!
"But after Hanma Blood was strengthened to Hanma Yujiro's level, the strength of limbs and body's sturdiness obviously improved..."
"Seven days... oh no, six days later, the battle with Tiger..."
By then, he would have curses, Jack Hanma's template merged to 100%, plus the enhancement of Hanma Blood. Tiger—what would he use to beat me!
...