"Okay, it's my turn. How do the Exos eat?"

"This is top-secret." Jayden skillfully grabbed his chopsticks and slid the ramen into his mouth. Willow leaned forward and tried to get a better look at the orchestration of the mechanisms.

"But how do you manage to do that?" The Hunter took a huge bite as well. "You don't have lips! How do you suck up the noodles? And where does it go next?"

"Talk less, you're falling behind." The Titan placed the empty bowl at the top of his pile.

His opponent hurriedly swallowed the remaining vegetables from hers and scored another point.

"Three bowls against two," Zara said. "Jayden is in the lead. I've known you in better shape, Willow."

"You could participate instead of just putting on your big airs."

The Arcanist shrugged: "I know how to recognize a lost fight in advance."

"We can always count on you for encouragement..."

A waiter brought them two new bowls. Zara had not yet finished hers.

"You're still a point ahead, big guy." Willow dipped her chopsticks into the mix. "Tell us a bit about how you left the Sunbreakers."

"I didn't leave them. I just stopped hanging out with them and accepting their contracts."

"Where we come from, it means leaving."

"It's..." Jayden swallowed a huge piece of meat. The Hunter was almost finished with her bowl. "Zara, explain to her."

"I don't play. It's up to you to talk."

The Exo sighed and put his bowl back, still half full. Willow put hers on her pile and took a new one.

"The Sunbreakers stay between them. I met Zara, and we formed a team. She wasn't part of the order, I was. End of story."

Jayden drank the rest of the broth without spilling a drop, which earned him another intrigued look from Willow.

"Okay, you're ahead, now it's my turn." Jayden grabbed another bowl and wrapped a handful of noodles on his chopsticks. "Are you in love with Cayde?"

Willow almost spit out her ramens, and immediately began to devour the contents of her bowl, her face turned peony red.

"Hey, you have to answer the question before continuing, that's the rule!"

The face of the Hunter was hidden by the large bowl, and all they heard was a gurgling sound as a response.

"I think you've lost her," said Zara. "You'd better follow her, or she's going to beat you at the post."

Both opponents began to gobble up as much food as possible, with the cooks doing their best to keep up the pace. One of the waiters put down two new bowls and leaned over to Zara:

"Didn't you say this duel of questions would slow them down?"

"Yes, I did. But it seems that following the rules doesn't matter when honor is at stake." Zara rolled her eyes. "I'll pay the extras. Sorry for the inconvenience..."

" Actually, your friends are quite popular."

Intrigued, Zara looked up and saw that a small group of spectators had gathered to watch the competition. Exchanges of Glimmer were already taking place as the bowls continued to pile up.

When Zara's warning sounded the end of the competition, the opponents slumped down on their stools with heavy breath.

The Warlock stood up and counted the bowls, to the impatient exclamations of the audience. She then turned with a theatrical gesture towards her friends:

"Willow: Twelve bowls. Jayden... Sixteen and a half."

The Titan shouted a cry of victory and leapt from his chair, cheered by the spectators. Willow collapsed on the table, face against the wood and hands on her stomach.

"Damn it..." The Hunter moaned and turned her head to the side, facing Zara. "How does he eat so fast?"

"He has several centuries of experience."

"You bet. It's not like he could enter an eating contest during the Dark Age..."

The winner returned to sit with the Guardians. "You did well, kiddo. Maybe next time."

Willow straightened herself up with a grimace. Jayden did not seem to be suffering from the same stomach pain as her.

"Not until I let Zara dissect you. You must have a Braytech material compressor in there, or something like that..."

"I'll tell you my secret the day you tell me yours," replied the Titan with a mocking smile.

"In your dreams!"