Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

※Corrected typos on 2015/11/9.

※This is a bit long.

This is Satou. There are many words with "eternal" attached, aren't there? "Eternal love" sounds good, but I definitely want to avoid phrases like "eternal farewell."

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"—The winner is Lulu Watari! Lady Lulu Watari, disciple of the miracle chef, has claimed the top prize!"

Called by the host, Lulu, looking nervous, stepped onto the stage.

An attendant came to summon me, who was seated among the special judges.

I was to present the trophy to the champion.

Since a family member was participating, I only gave brief comments and did not score.

"You did well, Lulu. Congratulations on your victory."

"Thank you very much!"

As Lulu received the trophy, a wave of applause swept through the venue.

Thanks to the massive theater screen installed by the Echigoya Trading Company, even those in the arena seats could clearly see the scene.

Perhaps because delicious-looking dishes had been displayed throughout the matches, many spectators were buying snacks.

"Up next, the runner-up is Mr. X, the chef from Echigoya Trading Company!"

Dressed in a black robe, with his skin concealed by bandages and even wearing sunglasses.

Only Arisa and I know the true identity of the mysterious chef Mr. X here.

"Although narrowly defeated by Lady Lulu Watari in the finals, his overwhelming victories in previous rounds prove his culinary skills are miraculous! We expect that, together with Lady Lulu Watari, they will push the Shiga Kingdom’s cuisine into uncharted territories!"

The host praised Mr. X in an unusually passionate tone.

When I handed over the slightly smaller trophy, a warmer applause exploded from the judges’ seats more than from the audience.

Mr. X’s seasoning, tailored to the judges’ palates rather than ours or our comrades’, likely earned him higher marks.

If Lulu hadn’t noticed that in the final, she might not have won.

"—Ah, um! Mr. X!"

"Yes, Lady Lulu?"

As Mr. X was about to leave the stage after receiving his trophy, Lulu called out to him.

"Thank you for pointing out what I lacked!"

"Hmph, it was you who realized it yourself."

"No! If you hadn’t asked me, ‘Who are you cooking for?’ I might have kept making one-sided dishes, mistaken all along."

"Once you understand that, your cooking will become even better. I look forward to the day we meet again."

"Yes! Next time, I won’t lose!"

Raising one arm, Mr. X left, while victorious Lulu declared like a challenger.

After seeing them off, I passed participation medals and brief comments to the other contestants who ranked third and below.

The six other chefs’ dishes were also delicious, but Lulu’s skills stood out among them.

It seemed I was right to provide a rival, so she wouldn’t become complacent.

"Lulu! Congratulations on winning!"

"Congratulations~"

"Wonderful indeed!"

"Yes, well done!"

Lulu’s comrades showered her with congratulations as she returned to the waiting room.

Suddenly, stomachs rumbled loudly.

While Tama and Pochi held by Liza made the loudest noises, my eavesdropping skill also caught the stomachs of Liza and Miss Karina rumbling.

"Since it’s far to go eat out, how about borrowing cooking utensils from the tournament committee and making something here?"

"““Yay!””"

"So happy!"

Tama was so delighted that she split into five copies and danced around.

One of them remained cradled in Liza’s arms.

Not like the shadow clones from ninja manga, it must be a type of magic.

I should learn from Tama-sensei and seriously try ninja skills.

By the way, what was meant as a light lunch among friends somehow escalated into a barbecue party involving the whole venue.

Having drunk a "digestive aid" magic potion during the tournament and eaten lots of dishes, I was tasked with grilling skewers, but since everyone was happy, it was fine.

Controlling the Satou doll remotely as Mr. X playing two roles alone was quite a challenge, so I plan to find another method before rematching Lulu.

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"We award Lady Lulu Watari the Noren of 'Top-Class Chef of Duke Oyugok’s Territory' and a supplementary prize."