This...
At first, when Erina saw Jaden hand her a cup of tea, she was wondering what kind of change drinking it would bring.
Solving the curse of the God's Tongue.
Her thoughts were completely different from those of her grandfather and father. Erina knew that since Jaden said it, it had to be true. That part never worried her.
What she couldn't be certain about was the method.
Would her tongue return to that of an ordinary person?
Or would the sensitivity of her taste buds be forcibly limited to a certain range?
She considered many possibilities.
Even so, Erina still smiled at Jaden and picked up the teacup.
She had already made her decision.
It didn't matter if her taste perception became worse.
Could it be that without the God's Tongue, she wouldn't be able to become an outstanding chef?
If that were true, then it would only prove one thing.
That she wasn't much of a chef to begin with.
She was Erina Nakiri.
Not a tool named the God's Tongue.
So-
She didn't mind.
With that thought, Erina calmly and steadily drank the tea.
And the change came immediately.
Her God's Tongue responded.
But not in the way she had imagined.
It was no longer forcefully magnifying every flaw in the flavor.
Instead, a deep and subtle sensation spread through her perception.
The moment she tasted something, she could choose.
She could adjust her focus.
She could decide-
Whether to magnify the good flavors.
Or the bad ones.
And to what degree they should be magnified.
Only then did Erina fully understand.
...the method Jaden mentioned wasn't to weaken her God's Tongue.
It was to evolve it.
And not just slightly.
This was a qualitative leap.
Erina froze.
She stared at Jaden blankly, unable to react for a moment.
At the same time, Senzaemon Nakiri and Nakamura Azami were both on edge.
"Erina, how does it feel now?"
When Senzaemon asked, Erina blinked and came back to herself.
"Grandfather... the problem is solved."
"I can freely control my God's Tongue now. I can choose whether to amplify the good or bad parts of a flavor... and the degree of amplification is also decided by me."
"The curse... it's been resolved."
As she spoke, Senzaemon Nakiri slowly turned his gaze toward Jaden again.
"Jaden... do you happen to have more of what you just gave Erina?"
Jaden was briefly stunned.
Then he understood immediately.
"Oh... Erina's mother needs it too, right? I still have one more."
He took out the item.
Senzaemon Nakiri accepted it with extreme care, as if he were holding a priceless treasure. After thanking Jaden, he quickly left.
As for Nakamura Azami-
After confirming that the problem which had haunted him for so many years was truly gone, his expression went through several changes in quick succession.
Disbelief.
Anger.
Laughter.
Sadness.
And finally-
Nothing.
His face went blank, as if his soul had been hollowed out.
That reaction was understandable.
This obsession had been the last thing propping up his empty life. The only remaining meaning for a man driven away by his family, who had lost his idol and his goal.
Now, even that was gone.
Perhaps even he himself didn't know whether he felt relieved, furious, or lost.
In the end, Nakamura Azami was dragged away by Senzaemon Nakiri.
The room fell quiet.
Only Erina and Jaden remained.
Erina looked at Jaden, who was sitting beside her, her gaze unfocused, as if she were still processing everything.
Jaden noticed her staring and smiled slowly.
"Since the problem's solved, it looks like it's time to congratulate you."
"The new boss~"
Jaden had already acknowledged his identity as Totsuki's representative combatant.
Now that Erina had officially become the head of the Totsuki Group, she really was his boss.
Hearing his teasing tone, Erina didn't back down.
"Being sarcastic toward your superior isn't a good habit, Jaden."
"Aren't you afraid I'll make things difficult for you..."
She paused deliberately.
"...for example, by serving you an all-vegetable feast for three straight days?"
Jaden liked seafood.
Meat came next.
He ate vegetables, but he definitely wasn't enthusiastic about them.
Still, when he heard Erina's "threat," he laughed and raised his hand in surrender.
"Spare me that~"
"But if you really insist on cooking it, then an all-vegetable feast made by you probably won't be bad."
"Hmph~"
Erina snorted softly.
Then, the two of them looked at each other.
And laughed.
After all, with today's events-
Nakamura Azami's issue.
Erina's psychological trauma.
And Erina officially becoming the head of the Totsuki Group.
Three major problems had been resolved in one go.
The Kengan Annihilation Tournament was only a few days away.
Now, Erina and Jaden stood on different but parallel battlefields.
Side by side.
And this tournament-
Would be their debut.
...
Silver Gym.
Julius looked at Machio Naruzo, who had visibly "shrunk" after putting on his tracksuit, and raised an eyebrow.
"It doesn't matter how many times I see it."
"Someone who can achieve muscle control at your level is a monster."
"If you were participating in the Kengan Annihilation Tournament, you'd be a serious threat to me."
Machio Naruzo maintained his cheerful smile.
"Don't say that."
"I'm different from you. I have no intention of putting my energy into anything other than bodybuilding."
"And I won't turn it into techniques resembling martial arts like you do."
Julius shook his head.
"That's a shame."
"Still, I'll be troubling you for the next few days."
"I have some ideas regarding muscle control and Blast Core, but if I want to complete it in this short time, I'll need your help."
Machio smiled.
"No problem. We run a gym, after all~"
Julius nodded.
Despite his appearance, he was nothing like the simple-minded muscleheads people imagined.
To reach this level, he had relied not only on an indomitable will-one that allowed him to resist drugs and modifications, repeatedly hovering on the brink of death without giving up-
But also on a sharp mind.
He had studied multiple disciplines to fully utilize this body.
Strength and intellect coexisted.
That was Julius Reinhold.
After watching the match between Jaden and Takeshi Wakatsuki, he had understood something clearly.
If he didn't possess a technique like Blast Core-or something equivalent-
Then fighting Wakatsuki would already be dangerous.
Let alone Jaden, who had fought that monster and emerged completely unscathed.
He had always been a proponent of pure physical strength.
He believed techniques were useless.
But he wasn't rigid.
He wouldn't learn martial arts, but he didn't mind learning methods of force application and more efficient use of his body.
So-
Julius thought of Jaden.
And smiled slowly.
"If the Jaden I face in the Annihilation Tournament is still at your previous level..."
"Then you're going to lose, Jaden~"
...
While Julius was immersed in his research-
Jaden went to bed early.
When the Sign-in System woke him the next morning, Julius was still studying Machio Naruzo's muscle control and Takeshi Wakatsuki's Blast Core. He had made progress, but hadn't finished.
Jaden casually tapped the system interface.
[Sign-in Reward: Rokushiki · Paper Arts]
Hmm...
No doubt about it.
Jaden had grown stronger again.
...
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