At Totsuki, Erina had already heard about the Shokugeki between her aide and Soma Yukihira.
If this were the original timeline's Erina, she would've been thrilled for Mito Ikumi to accept the match. She had a huge problem with Soma back then—she would've loved to kick him out of Totsuki as soon as possible.
Now, she still didn't want someone like Soma staying at Totsuki... but she had much bigger things to consider.
She knew about Divine Hearing. She knew it might be the only way to save the God's Tongue.
And right now, Kael—the one with Divine Hearing—and Soma were living in the same dorm. Both were transfer students. Who knew if they'd end up becoming close?
Erina didn't dare gamble on that. If Ikumi won the Shokugeki and Soma got expelled, that would cause problems. Erina had seen Soma cook before; Ikumi might not actually beat him.
But what if she did? What if Soma really was Kael's friend? If she kicked his friend out of Totsuki and then still expected Kael to help her, that would be ridiculous.
She was still trying to figure out how to get closer to Kael. Alice had a good relationship with him, but that was Alice—Erina couldn't rely on her cousin for everything.
So now, even the slightest chance of offending Kael was something she refused to risk.
"Hisako, contact Mito Ikumi. Cancel the Shokugeki."
Since Ikumi had submitted the challenge to Erina first, and Erina approved it before it went to the Shokugeki Bureau, she had full authority to retract it now.
"I understand. Then... what about the Donburi Research Society?" Hisako Arato asked. That society was one of the ones Erina previously wanted eliminated.
"No need. Skip Donburi this time. And tell everyone: don't provoke anyone from the Polar Star Dormitory. If any of them show up during operations, cancel everything immediately."
Erina didn't want to cause trouble for Polar Star anymore. So she issued the order.
Hisako immediately contacted Ikumi and conveyed Erina's decision.
"What? The operation is canceled? And we're not allowed to deal with the Donburi Research Society either? Why would Erina-sama give an order like this?"
Ikumi was baffled. This wasn't Erina's usual style at all. Normally, Erina encouraged her to challenge anyone via Shokugeki.
"You don't need to know the reason," Hisako said. "Just remember this is Erina-sama's decision. I'll send a file in the group chat. Memorize everyone listed. If any of them interfere, cancel all operations."
Hisako didn't waste words. She might seem gentle and obedient around Erina, doing whatever she was told without question, but when dealing with others, she was sharp and decisive. There was a reason Erina's entire schedule ran like a perfectly oiled machine.
"I... I understand, Hisako-sama!"
Ikumi didn't dare argue. Everyone under Erina knew exactly what Hisako's position was. Disobeying her was unthinkable.
Soon after, Hisako sent the file to the group—detailed information on Polar Star Dormitory and Erina's formal orders.
People were confused, but they understood one thing: they just needed to follow orders.
Meanwhile, Soma naturally received the news too.
"The Shokugeki is canceled? And they're leaving the Donburi Society alone? Did they suddenly grow a conscience...?" Soma felt completely lost after getting the call from the Donburi side.
"That's not conscience. It's because of Kael," Alice said before anyone else could speak.
Everyone except Kael stared at her, confused.
"What does this have to do with Kael?" Megumi asked. "Wasn't this between Mito-san and Soma?"
"Of course it's related," Alice said. "With Erina's personality, she would never cancel a Shokugeki over something like this. Even if Ikumi couldn't do it, she'd just send someone else to challenge Soma."
Alice knew Erina far too well.
"Then why give up this time?" Ryoko Sakaki asked, frowning. "It's the complete opposite of how she usually acts."
"That's because of Kael's Special Ability," Alice said. "His ability is extremely strong—so strong that outsiders call it something rivaling the God's Tongue."
She paused, then added quietly:
"And the God's Tongue... isn't as glamorous as everyone thinks."
Alice went on to explain the curse behind the God's Tongue, the tragic fates of its holders, and the childhood events involving Mana Nakiri and Erina.
She wasn't revealing family secrets because she was careless—she was deliberately helping Erina earn goodwill.
Alice and Erina didn't get along on the surface, but that was mostly pride. Deep down, Alice had always cared a lot. In the original story, when Erina was broken and lost, it was Alice who hid her in the Polar Star Dormitory to keep her safe.
Even though Azami still found her, at least Erina had peace for a little while—and the time she spent at Polar Star changed her.
Now that everyone was confused about Erina's behavior, Alice stepped in to help her cousin's reputation.
But while she did it, she felt exhausted.
To her, Erina's actions were pointless.
Erina canceled the Shokugeki because she didn't want to provoke Polar Star, because she wanted to look good to Kael.
But if she wanted Kael to notice, she had to show it clearly. Simply canceling a Shokugeki did nothing. Without knowing the truth, people might even think she was scared.
And that thought alone made Alice sigh.