"This is not the cuisine of a pampered noble…" Feeling the tremor that surged from the depths of his body, Senzaemon Nakiri murmured to himself, "This is the taste of struggling for survival on the edge of life and death."
He looked up. Deep in the grasslands, the eyes of a wolf pack glinted green in the darkness.
But the blood sausage in his hand gave him the strength and courage to face anything.
Next would come the contest between life and death!
"An excellent dish!"
Beside him, as the food entered his mouth, Li Wuque slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, his murky eyes flashing with a brilliant light. This dish allowed him to experience the sensation of hovering between life and death.
For an old man at death's door, a dish that could make him feel the will to live in the face of death was, without a doubt, a huge bonus.
"With cow's heart blood as the base, supplemented by beef liver for aroma, beef tallow for richness, and beef skin gelatin for thickness, then seared on a stone slab, it's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, a perfect balance of all five flavors!"
He paused, his voice hoarse yet full of power. "What's even more remarkable is the unyielding will contained within this dish. It's the desire to survive in a desperate situation, the resolve to fight with all one's might even when surrounded by darkness. It's truly stunning, and the sense of release after victory is utterly soul-stirring!"
Gongsun Yu slowly put down his chopsticks, a complex expression on his face. "Indeed… this dish has already transcended the realm of taste. It tells a story—about survival, about dignity, about the persistence of looking up at the stars even while stuck in the mud. It fills my heart with surging passion."
He turned to look at Lan Kexin's steamed garlic beef tongue. "Kexin's culinary technique is exquisite, and the flavor profile is very rich, truly a superior creation. However… "For one, after steaming the beef tongue, you didn't drain the excess broth from the bowl, which resulted in the final product having a subtle, lingering gaminess. Secondly, the entire artistic conception of your dish was completely crushed by Qingfeng's cuisine…"
The three judges exchanged a quick glance.
As the host, Senzaemon Nakiri slowly rose to his feet, his voice steady and powerful. "By our unanimous decision, the winner of this Shokugeki is—From the Dark Culinary World, Qingfeng!"
The entire hall was in an uproar!
Although they had been mentally prepared, the moment they heard the verdict, the surrounding audience couldn't help but look at each other, feeling a strange mix of emotions. After all, they considered themselves members of the World of Light. Seeing the Dark Culinary World win the match left a sour taste in their mouths.
Upon hearing the result, Lan Kexin staggered back a step, her face deathly pale. "Impossible… How could I lose to this kind of…"
"Kexin."
Seeing the disbelief written all over his daughter's face, Lan Tianqiu had appeared by her side at some point, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "You didn't lose in skill, but in the heart you poured into your cooking."
He gazed in Qingfeng's direction, his eyes profound. "Your dish was made for victory. His dish, however, was made for survival."
"The gap between the two was the key to this outcome. A challenger, even if they lose, has a comprehensive support system to ensure they don't die. A survivor in the wild, if they fail during a hunt, will die instantly."
Lan Tianqiu said with a solemn expression. As expected, a flower raised in a greenhouse could never compare to a great tree that had grown in a desperate environment.
Two chefs who possess the Heart of a Chef will infuse their emotions into their cooking, allowing those who taste it to feel the conviction in their hearts as they cooked.
The desire to win and receive the cheers of the crowd, versus the desperate struggle to stay alive—the feelings these two motivations bring are completely different.
As is the joy that follows.
The feeling brought by the latter was undoubtedly more profound.
Lan Tianqiu had walked over to the stone slab at some point, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and placed a perfectly cooked slice of blood sausage into his mouth, closing his eyes to savor it.
"With Chinese cuisine at its core, integrated with elements of Italian and German cooking… Young man from the darkness, your skills should have already reached the Special-Grade level, haven't they?"
Opening his eyes, Lan Tianqiu looked at Qingfeng, who always had a smile on his face. Speaking of which, this guy was incredibly tall; humans over two meters were a rare sight.
"I have yet to pass the Lin Chef examination, but I am confident I will become a Lin Chef this year. As for the victory in this first match, I will gladly accept it!"
There was a clear smile in Qingfeng's eyes, yet it didn't reach their depths. He wasn't particularly happy about winning this match.
After all, how could a match he was one hundred percent certain to win stir any emotion in him?
He was different from these people from the World of Light.
As a member of the Dark Culinary World, failure was not an option. The moment he failed, he would be mercilessly cast aside, plunging into an endless abyss.
He had to keep climbing, higher than everyone else, farther than everyone else. Only then could he obtain everything he desired.
"But…"
Lan Kexin bit her lip, wanting to say more, but Lan Tianqiu cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Say no more. Go back and think carefully about why you lost."
"The second match will begin immediately. The theme for this round is 'Create an appetizer and a main course using the same main ingredient, with no communication allowed whatsoever.' The time limit is one hour and fifteen minutes. Dishes can only be served after both sides have completed their cooking!"
Because the contestants were not finalized until yesterday, the theme for this round was announced on the spot. Even the Dark Culinary World only learned of the theme's content the moment he announced it, thus placing both sides on a relatively fair starting line.
"Create an appetizer and a main course with the same main ingredient?!"
"No communication allowed whatsoever?!"
Hearing the theme announced by Lan Tianqiu, both Okabe and Erina Nakiri's faces showed expressions of shock. This was the first time they had encountered a theme of this type.
An appetizer is the first course of a formal meal, served before the main course. It serves to whet the appetite and pass the time, characterized by small portions and a unique flavor.
Common examples include salads, cured meats, seafood, and fried foods.
The main course, on the other hand, is the center and star of the meal. It is usually the most time-consuming and uses the most exquisite ingredients, and it's the part customers anticipate the most.
They are typically centered around a primary protein source, paired with starches and vegetables to form a complete plate. The core purpose is to ensure the guests eat well and are satisfied.
Its flavor isn't as sharp as an appetizer's, but it's richer and more profound, ensuring one doesn't get tired of it and can't stop eating bite after bite.
In other words, the real difficulty of this theme was: Can the teammates truly understand each other's thoughts, allowing their dishes to resonate and ultimately achieve a sublime flavor that surpasses what the two dishes could present individually?
"Isn't a theme like this a bit too tricky? Especially the part about not allowing communication during cooking. There's no way a temporary team could pull it off!"
Lan Kexin couldn't help but complain, her gaze shifting to Lan Tianqiu in the distance. She noticed him observing the reactions of Erina Nakiri and Okabe from the corner of his eye, his expression serious and tinged with an unreadable emotion. Her heart jolted.
According to their prior agreement, the themes for the first two rounds of the Shokugeki were to be decided by Lan Tianqiu. In other words, this theme was the deliberate result of her father's planning.
But why?
Was it to test Okabe and Erina Nakiri?
But before this, wasn't Lan Tianqiu a complete stranger to these two? He had just acted as if he didn't know them at all…
At this moment, Lan Kexin briefly forgot the pain of losing the match. Looking at the three of them, her mind raced.
She was never a fool. Her father's uncharacteristic behavior surely meant he was plotting something.
She had to find a chance to ask him clearly!
"How are we supposed to compete with a theme like this?"
"Even though we have good synergy, it's not on this level…"
Erina Nakiri couldn't help but voice her complaint. Compared to others, her coordination with Okabe was indeed better, but not to this extent!
Damn that Dark Culinary World, coming up with such a difficult theme to torment people! Could it be that her and Okabe's first time teaming up was doomed to end in a tragic defeat?
That would be way too embarrassing…
"This theme."
"It's practically tailor-made for us."
In contrast to the worried and defeated expressions on Okabe and Erina Nakiri's faces, Qingfeng's teammates behind him, Kannoyama Hikorintarou and Himeshima Kou, were all smiles.
As siblings who grew up together in an orphanage, they had been through all sorts of things together. Though not related by blood, they had long since developed a deep, unspoken connection.
Just like the Carp Baked Noodles they had previously made for Zhu Shiyi.
Without any discussion, they could instantly grasp each other's thoughts and then cooperate with all their might.
"I have a bad feeling about this. Have you thought of what ingredient to use?"
"No clue yet, but given the situation, it seems the only ingredient available is the beef. Are we supposed to make another beef dish?"
As they spoke, Erina Nakiri and Okabe looked towards the beef covered by the parasol. It seemed to be the only thing available for use on site.
"Heave-ho!"
Just as they were thinking this, a sharp cry sounded from nearby. Immediately after, a team appeared in everyone's line of sight. The first thing they saw was a row of gray-blue masks. Beside them were all sorts of fruits and vegetables, as well as slaughtered poultry, fish, and beasts.
"These are the ingredients I might use in the upcoming match. If you haven't prepared any, we don't mind lending you some."
Seeing that he had everyone's attention, Qingfeng spoke to Okabe and the rest of the audience with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Because it was a surprise attack, they had considered that the Nakiri family wouldn't be able to gather so many ingredients on short notice, so they had prepared them in advance.
"That won't be necessary. The Nakiri family has already prepared everything."
The one who spoke was Senzaemon Nakiri. After saying this, he clapped his hands, and immediately, people began carrying out ingredients that had long been prepared from the storerooms. In no time, they covered the entire courtyard, the variety being even more comprehensive than what the Dark Culinary World had gathered.
He had prepared this yesterday upon learning that the Dark Culinary World would be holding a Shokugeki at the Nakiri estate, precisely so that Erina Nakiri and Okabe wouldn't be stressed about ingredients.
After all, the moment he learned that Lan Tianqiu and Zhu Shiyi had arranged a Shokugeki, he knew Erina Nakiri would definitely be invited to compete. This was a way to gauge the Nakiri family's foundation and remind them which side to take.
He just didn't expect Erina Nakiri to call on Okabe as well. But what's done is done. He could only take it one step at a time.
"Go on. All the ingredients here are available. Go choose what you need, and then win this match beautifully!"
Senzaemon Nakiri looked at Okabe and Erina Nakiri, spreading his arms wide and gesturing for them to find the ingredients they needed for this dish.
"Then, without further ado, let the match begin! According to the rules, from this moment on, both sides are prohibited from speaking during the cooking process. You may only communicate through body language and your usual rapport."
Seeing that both sides had prepared ingredients for their teams, the corner of Lan Tianqiu's mouth curved up imperceptibly. He then announced the start of the match with a resonant voice.
"Start? We're starting now? We haven't even discussed who's making the appetizer and who's making the main course!"
Hearing Lan Tianqiu's words, Okabe couldn't help but complain in his head. This guy was in too much of a hurry, as if he was afraid they'd discuss things beforehand.
Erina Nakiri had clearly realized this as well, looking at Okabe beside her, a hint of bewilderment in her eyes.
'No matter what, let's decide on a dish first.'
The match was only an hour and fifteen minutes long. Instead of standing around in a daze, it was better to head to the ingredient area and choose what they needed.
Perhaps inspiration would strike while they were looking.
With that thought, Okabe grabbed Erina Nakiri's hand.
'Huh?'
Feeling the warmth from her hand, Erina Nakiri's pupils trembled slightly, clearly a bit flustered.
However, she didn't dwell on this state for long, because under Okabe's lead, she had already arrived in front of the ingredients prepared by the Nakiri family.
As far as the eye could see, it was a dazzling array. Things that flew in the sky, walked on the ground, swam in the water, and grew in the soil—every kind of ingredient imaginable was there.
Okabe led Erina Nakiri through the piles of ingredients. Looking at the various items, his gustatory imaging simulation began to run on its own.
One dish after another appeared in his mind, only to be rejected, in an endless cycle with no definitive answer.
It was the same for Erina Nakiri. Her mind was a jumble of ideas for both appetizers and main courses, but she couldn't make an immediate decision.
Because she didn't know what Okabe was thinking, she couldn't guarantee they were on the same wavelength. It would be disastrous if they presented completely contradictory dishes.
And so, the two of them wandered in front of the ingredients for a long time without making a selection.
In stark contrast.
The pair on the other side seemed much more relaxed.
Kannoyama Hikorintarou held a basket while Himeshima Kou selected ingredients beside him, even humming a cheerful tune.
Their expressions and movements were surprisingly synchronized. Though they looked nothing alike, anyone watching would immediately realize they were siblings.
Suddenly, Himeshima Kou tilted her head towards Kannoyama Hikorintarou in a gesture.
Without even looking, Kannoyama Hikorintarou directly reached out and lifted the ingredient basket in front of him, clearing a path. Their coordination was so perfect it was as if they were one person.
'This can't go on.'
'We'll definitely lose if this continues.'
This thought surfaced in Okabe's mind. He glanced down at Erina Nakiri beside him and found her looking up at him as well.
Looking into each other's eyes, they both understood what the other was thinking.
'But using the same ingredient to make both an appetizer and a main course without the flavors clashing… just thinking about it feels astronomically difficult.'
'What's more, we can't communicate at all, and neither of us knows what the other is thinking. In that case, the first step to breaking this deadlock is to understand each other.'
'Compared to the main course, the appetizer has a smaller portion and a stronger, more impactful flavor. In theory, it's more suited for Erina. She has the God's Tongue and can masterfully tame intense flavors, making them gentle.'
Thinking this, Okabe couldn't help but wink at Erina Nakiri.
'Hmm?'
Erina Nakiri tilted her head, looking at Okabe's expression, thinking his eye was bothering him.
'She completely doesn't get it!'
Seeing this, Okabe lowered his head in resignation.
'You, first. Me, second.'
Suddenly, as if he'd thought of something, he remembered Lan Tianqiu saying they could use hand gestures. So, he pointed at Erina Nakiri and made a forward motion with his hand.
'Okay.'
Erina Nakiri nodded firmly.
If this were home cooking, she might have fought for the right to make the main course. But this was a competition, and in terms of raw power, Okabe was significantly stronger than her. Following the principle of the weaker obeying the stronger, she decided to follow his lead.
'Using meat for both the appetizer and main course can easily lead to palate fatigue, while vegetables would be too light in flavor. In that case, perhaps seafood is the best choice.'
Seafood has a relatively light taste and is highly versatile. With different seasonings and cooking methods, seafood can present completely different flavors and textures.
However, since they would be using the same ingredient, there would still be a connection in the overall flavor profile—seemingly separate, yet inextricably linked.
'My strengths are stir-frying and noodle dishes, and my knife skills are decent too.'
'For handling seafood, good knife skills should be a bonus. Now, the question is what kind of seafood to choose for today's dishes.'
Thinking this, Okabe squeezed Erina Nakiri's hand and led her to a box of seafood in the distance, which was filled with all sorts of options.
Sea bream, whitefish, sea bass, yellowtail, eel, horsehair crab, green shrimp, sea urchin, some clams, and some other seafood he couldn't quite name.
He couldn't help it. For three years, he had been at Ryōzanpaku, and even when he was at the Nakiri estate, he rarely bothered to identify these things, only recognizing the more common types.
Inside the foam box, apart from abalone, there were several portions of each type of seafood, all in-season for summer and of superior quality, much better than what the Dark Culinary World had brought.
'As expected of the local powerhouse in Japan. With partnerships with numerous suppliers, there's no reason they wouldn't be better than the hastily gathered ingredients of the Dark Culinary World.'
Watching the fish swimming in the foam box, Okabe couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.
Seeing him arrive at the seafood section, Erina Nakiri immediately understood his intention.
"They've started!"
"Did they really decide on their dish so quickly? It hasn't even been ten minutes since they started looking for ingredients, has it? Is this the synergy between siblings…?"
However, just as Okabe and Erina Nakiri were contemplating which seafood to choose, a sudden commotion from afar drew their attention.
Turning their heads to look.
It turned out that Kannoyama Hikorintarou and Himeshima Kou had already chosen their ingredients, lit their stoves, and were about to start cooking.
"Are they planning to use chicken and fruits? I wonder what kind of dish they'll make. I'm kind of looking forward to it!"
A short young man in the crowd spoke up.
"Idiot, they're from the Dark Culinary World! If they win one more round, we lose! What are you looking forward to?!"
Beside him, a bearded man shot him a dissatisfied look after hearing his words.
"That may be true, but even if they're from the Dark Culinary World, if they can create a perfect dish, isn't that something worth praising…?"
The short young man muttered under his breath, his eyes fixed on Himeshima Kou, shimmering with excitement.
The crowd buzzed with discussion, the sounds clearly reaching Erina Nakiri's ears, causing her expression to turn ugly. Her head was slightly lowered, lost in thought.
'Relax.'
Feeling the pressure from her hand, Okabe looked at Erina Nakiri and saw that she was biting her lower lip, a distinct red mark forming where she hadn't even noticed. Clearly, this competition was not easy for her.
Thinking about it, it was quite normal.
After all, this match was very important, involving a Legendary Cooking Utensil. And the two of them still had no idea what to do, while their opponents had already started cooking…
As a nine-year-old child, the fact that she could withstand the pressure and stand here was already remarkable.
'Don't overthink it. Trust me!'
'Mmm…'
Unable to speak, Okabe could only reach out and turn her head to face him. Their eyes met, and he used the determination in his gaze to boost Erina Nakiri's confidence.
This method, though somewhat childish, was surprisingly effective.
Under Okabe's intense gaze and feeling the warmth from his hand, Erina Nakiri's tense heart gradually relaxed, and she regained her usual composure.
'I trust you.'
Ever since they were children, Okabe had never let her down. Erina Nakiri looked into his eyes, and though she said nothing, the relieved smile on her face said it all.
Okabe nodded slightly in response and continued to observe the contents of the foam box. His mind ran through his own strengths and Erina Nakiri's advantages.
In a doubles cooking match, they had to bring out both of their strengths. Otherwise, if the dish they presented together was worse than what one person could make, it would be a failure.
'I choose you, Mr. Sea Bream!'
Looking at the sea bream swimming cheerfully in the large foam box, an image of Liu Mao Xing and Lei En's Divine Knife Skill Showdown flashed through Okabe's mind.
Sea Bream.
Known as the king of fish in Japanese cuisine, its flesh is elegant and its taste is fresh and sweet. It's suitable for various cooking methods and has incredibly high versatility!
Furthermore, Okabe suddenly realized something.
The theme didn't strictly require them to make one dish each. This meant that they could work together on both the appetizer and the main course.
When his knife skills and creativity were combined with Erina Nakiri's seasoning, which was two or three levels above that of an ordinary person…
'We can win!'
A slight smile touched the corners of Okabe's lips, a surge of heroic passion welling up in his heart. He then reached out and threw the sea bream from the foam box high into the air.
And in his hand appeared the Seven-Star Knife: Wu Qu.
____
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