"So, you're both chefs traveling and honing your skills, with the dream of becoming Special-Grade Chefs," Li Xuan said, arms crossed. After listening to the two Familiars' self-introductions, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was witnessing a classic trope. This gives off a déjà vu feeling of watching Cooking Master Boy — are you guys Liu Maoxing or something? Well, I guess he's already a Super Chef anyway.
"Mm-hm, that's right! I'll definitely become a Special-Grade Chef, woof!" Pretty, the dog-eared girl, puffed out her chest (though it was flat) and declared with unwavering confidence.
"Hmph! A stupid dog's ice cubes dare to dream of Special-Grade cuisine? Pathetic~" Avia, the rabbit-eared girl, glanced at Pretty, her eyes narrowed and her tone dismissive.
"It's not ice cubes! It's ice cream, you dead rabbit!" Pretty retorted, her face flushed with anger.
"Alright, alright. You're both here to compete and see whose cooking is tastier, right?!" Li Xuan interjected hastily, stopping the two Familiars from squaring off for a fight once again.
"That's right! We'll settle this with our cooking and defeat this shameless rabbit (stupid dog)!" The two Familiars glared at each other, their gazes sparking with animosity.
"A cooking competition! Who can make the tastier dish?!" Kiana's eyes sparkled as she stared at the two three-inch-tall Familiars, her face beaming with a smile. It was clear her foodie spirit had ignited once again.
"I think you'll need a food critic to judge which dish is more delicious, right?" Kiana flashed a honeyed smile that resembled an old man trying to lure a little girl to look at goldfish.
'Heh, you just want to eat other people's cooking for free, don't you?!' Li Xuan thought silently, having long seen through Kiana's true nature as a glutton. After all, every meal she devoured like a hungry tiger descending from the mountain, making her seem like a burly man in a beautiful girl's skin... Hmm! That actually explained some of Kiana's behavior perfectly.
"A judge!" The two Familiars exchanged glances and nodded in agreement with Kiana's suggestion. "But... we don't know who could be the judge?" they said. After a moment's thought, they pointed at Kiana, the one who had proposed the idea. "Why don't you do it?!"
"Heh heh~" Kiana smirked, her face radiating smug satisfaction. "Of course, there's no problem at all!" She gave a thumbs-up, sealing her promise.
"Since we have judges, Contestant Avia and that dumb dog will use the giant squid, the closest ingredient, to create a dish that will capture their hearts!" Avia, the rabbit-eared girl, declared. Li Xuan, standing nearby, silently wondered, 'Can you even eat something contaminated with Honkai Energy?'
"I told you I'm not a dumb dog! I'm a wolf! You damn rabbit!" Pretty, the dog-eared girl, bit her handkerchief, letting out muffled whimpers.
Meanwhile, Kiana had no time to notice the two Familiars' escalating tension. She stared blankly at the giant squid in the distance. 'Using a Honkai-infected squid as an ingredient... Dad, can my stomach even digest that?!' Kiana thought, her stomach churning. 'No way! I have to find a way to escape. I absolutely cannot be a judge!'
"Ahem, um... I suddenly have a stomachache. I need to go to the restroom," Kiana blurted out without hesitation, employing the classic "bathroom escape" strategy.
The two Familiars stopped arguing and silently stared at Kiana, slowly advancing toward her. Kiana suddenly felt a surge of alarm. Mjolnir materialized in her hand, and she raised the weapon, ready to threaten the Familiars and force them to back off. But before she could do anything, Contestant Avia executed a flawless teleportation and a swift hand chop, effortlessly resolving the entire situation.
"Why did you force this humble one to act?" Contestant Avia, the bunny-eared girl, stood on Kiana's body, calmly wiping her hands with a handkerchief while her eyes fixed on Li Xuan and the others.
'What should we do?' Li Xuan communicated with Raiden Mei through eye contact.
'I don't think I can beat that rabbit. She's too fast... Bronya, what do you think?' Mei replied with her eyes, then turned to Bronya for her opinion.
'Bronya's calculations indicate only a 1% chance of the opponent intending to harm Kiana. Kiana should be safe,' Bronya replied with precise eye contact.
'Then let's hold back for now,' the three of them silently agreed through their gaze.
And so, Kiana remained unconscious while the others silently watched.