All the instructors and alumni of Tōtsuki listened closely to the final performance reports of the students. These data would be crucial in determining the level of difficulty for the final exam—and possibly in separating true geniuses from the merely talented.
Dojima crossed his arms, eyes half-closed as he stared at the papers in front of him. After a few seconds of silence, he murmured with a surprised smile,
"Huh... This kid really thinks fast."
Fuyumi Mizuhara, ever calm, commented in a soft voice,
"By comparison, there are students with both eyes open who still..." She smiled. "I met Isshiki Satoshi today. He received a lot of praise—and deservedly so. He made a pizza with the soul of a risotto. Honestly, it was surprising."
"Kinokuni Nene stood out as well," Fuyumi added. "She doesn't seem like a freshman at all. She works with poise, and her technical base is solid. You can tell she's dedicated."
Inui, with his usual enthusiasm, nodded vigorously,
"That girl is amazing. The idea of serving a special cold soba with shrimp? Impeccable texture, balanced flavor... an elegant and refined combination. Seriously, I was impressed."
"Not just her. Terunori Kuga and Shoko Kaburagi also presented excellent dishes," Inui continued. "And on my side, there's Etsuya Eizan. His skills are far above average."
He paused, seemingly thinking of more names, but Dojima raised a hand to interrupt him.
"I get it. A lot of promising talents... maybe even one or two monsters among them." He smiled slightly. "Raising the difficulty might be a good idea."
"I agree," said Chappelle. "But there's a wide disparity among the students. We could raise the level moderately... maybe by increasing the evaluation time and the number of orders?"
Dojima pondered for a moment.
"How many orders are we talking?"
"Three hundred and fifty... or even four hundred and fifty. I believe that would be challenging enough."
"But that will require more customers. We can't settle for just suppliers and staff."
"I agree. We'll temporarily open the reservation channel to the public."
"Starting tomorrow, before nine in the morning, we'll open reservations for hotel, buffet, and transportation. The public will be able to pay a 3,000 yen fee to experience the breakfast prepared by the students. That should ensure enough traffic."
Dojima nodded, though his expression hardened slightly.
"If someone can't handle that pressure... maybe their talent is nothing but mediocrity."
"Right. We'll announce the final exam theme soon. The kitchen will temporarily open at 1:30 AM."
---
Philadelphia, USA
Jotaro Kujo, dressed in his white coat adorned with chains and golden insignias, sat at the wooden desk of a discreet hotel—the kind of place chosen by someone who preferred not to be noticed. He remained at the desk, examining a dossier with an unchanged expression. Beside it lay an envelope bearing the Speedwagon Foundation seal and a Japanese passport.
The phone rang. Without a hint of surprise, he answered on the first ring.
"Jotaro speaking."
"Yo, Jojo! Still up?"
It was Rindō Kobayashi, her familiar, energetic voice echoing across the world.
"Tch... It's only 10 PM here. You're calling from Totsuki?"
"Yeah. After finishing the most important paperwork, I finally had some time to call you."
"I see. Why are you calling me at this hour?"
"You didn't forget about the breakfast challenge tomorrow, right?"
"Hmph. Of course not. I already have the ticket. Thanks to the Speedwagon Foundation, I got the perfect official excuse to be there."
"Knew you wouldn't screw up," she said, with an audible grin.
"But just to remind you—this is going to be your first time meeting Damian, right?"
"Yes," Jotaro answered calmly, eyes half-lidded.
"But Killer Queen has already shown itself to you, hasn't it?"
"Several times. But only to slice vegetables or turn pages in a cookbook. The only explosions I've seen were him blowing up some trash bags."
Jotaro leaned back in the chair, gaze steady.
"Rindō, Yoshikage Kira also seemed harmless..."
"Tch, always with that suspicious charm of yours," she laughed.
"Damian isn't Yoshikage Kira. He doesn't hide a murderous desire—just perfectionism. He's direct, playful, sometimes even more serious than you. And..."
She paused, then let out a mischievous laugh.
"You know, I think if you two ever traded punches... he'd win."
"...Hmph." Jotaro turned toward the window, eyes narrowing. "He'd have to be really fast."
"He is. And insanely precise. But instead of using that to kill, he uses it to cook dishes that make me feel like I'm chewing on some kind of gourmet lightning bolt from another realm."
"Still... he has Killer Queen," Jotaro said more seriously.
"I need to confirm if that ability is unstable—even if he seems in control."
"Alright. Just don't treat him like a student who needs to be tested. I'm sure you'll be surprised when you meet him face to face."
Silence for a second. Jotaro nodded to himself.
"Understood."
"Okay, I'm hanging up now. And remember to bring an empty stomach. You'll need it."
"Yare yare daze..."
He hung up, took his hat and placed it back on his head with a slight motion. His footsteps echoed in the room as he prepared to leave the hotel.
He wanted to see this Damian with his own eyes—the one who possessed a Stand identical to Killer Queen.
---
Most students already had an idea of what was coming. After the day's evaluation, many returned to their dorms to rest. The routine was predictable: dinner, shower, and a brief moment of relaxation before sleep.
"Hey! You did great again today!" said one student, patting another on the shoulder.
"Of course! But the exam room I was in was hell. Time flew by and... bam! Test over. A bunch of people got eliminated just for not being able to finish their dishes."
"Our room had soup as the theme," commented Isshiki with his usual gentle smile. "It was interesting. We had to calculate the exact boiling time. Ah... I didn't see Damian-kun or Nene-san in the cafeteria today. They must have finished early and left."
"Makes sense. Damian is a monster, and Nene... well, she hates noisy places. Probably ate in their rooms."
Isshiki was about to comment when Dojima's voice echoed through the building's PA system:
"Attention students. In one hour, at 9:40 PM, everyone must gather in the banquet hall wearing their school uniforms."
"Uh... that doesn't sound good," said a student, frowning.
"Hmph... Another trial. Just when I was going to take a long bath..." grumbled another.
---
Elsewhere in the resort, Damian lay on a lounge chair, staring at the ceiling in boredom. Upon hearing the announcement, he sighed and picked up his phone. He hesitated for a moment before calling Nene.
Meanwhile, Nene Kinokuni lay in bed, hugging her pillow to her face, cheeks slightly flushed.
"Idiot... stupid Damian-kun..." she murmured, hiding under the blanket.
The phone's ringtone snapped her out of her thoughts. She blinked, surprised, and saw Damian's name on the screen. Her face turned even redder.
"H-Hello? Damian-kun?"
"Idiot! Of course I'm not asleep!" she answered, trying to hide the tremble in her voice. "I can't sleep, and it's your fault, you know?!"
She listened to his instructions carefully and replied with a huff:
"Got it... banquet hall at 9:40 PM, right? Tch... like I care! Idiot!"
She abruptly hung up, still red-faced, and muttered to herself:
"Seriously... Damian-kun..."
Then she jumped out of bed, ran to wash her face, and quickly put on her uniform. Even though she tried to regain her usual cold expression, her red ears betrayed her.
---
In the main building's kitchen, Erina was savoring a dish with a satisfied expression.
"Hmm... it's delicious. As expected of me," she said naturally, tasting the seafood seasoned with chopped ginger, basil, and thyme.
"This dish is amazing, Erina-sama!" praised Hisako. "I tasted cumin too. Was that intentional?"
"Of course. It's one of my secret spices." She smiled confidently. "With it, I'll challenge the Tenth Seat of the Elite Ten."
Hisako opened her mouth to respond, but a soft, lazy voice echoed through the kitchen:
"Hm...? Clams and caraway? Heh... curious combo..."
Erina's eyes widened, and she quickly turned—but saw no one at the door. Only footsteps retreating down the hall.
"That..." she murmured, narrowing her eyes.
Before Hisako could say anything, Erina was already running toward the door. A tall boy in casual clothes was disappearing at the end of the hallway.
"Wait!"
The voice echoed through the silent test kitchen corridor, making Damian stop instantly. He turned slowly and saw a blonde girl, impeccably elegant, standing at the entrance.
She wore the Tōtsuki school uniform and radiated noble presence. Even without knowing her personally, Damian instantly realized she wasn't just anyone. Must be from the 91st generation... So this is...
"Nakiri Erina?" he muttered, raising an eyebrow in mild surprise.
Erina seemed equally surprised to recognize him. "Gray-senpai?!"
Damian blinked. "Senpai? You know me?"
She walked confidently toward him and nodded. "I'm Nakiri Erina, third-year of Middle School. I was listening during the opening ceremony... your name came up a few times."
"Ah, I see," Damian said with a faint smile. "So, Miss Nakiri, is everything alright? Did you come to talk to me for a reason?"
Before she could answer, a pink-haired girl hurried over.
"Erina-sama! You—eh? Gray-senpai?!"
Damian chuckled softly. "I guess I'm becoming famous around here."
The girl blushed and gave a quick bow. "Sorry for the informality—I'm Arato Hisako, personal secretary to Erina-sama."
"A pleasure," Damian replied with a nod. "But... you two shouldn't be here. This part of the training is exclusive to the High School division, right?"
"That doesn't matter now!" Erina interrupted, eyes narrowing. "Senpai, what did you say earlier? Caraway?!"
"Yes... Mussels, caraway, cumin, ginger, thyme, basil... Want me to go on?"
"Wait!" Erina exclaimed, visibly shocked. "How did you know exactly what spices were in my dish?!"
"I smelled it."
"Huh?!" both Erina and Hisako said in unison.
They stared at him like he'd just claimed he could see through walls.
"You... identified all that just by the aroma?" Erina swallowed hard in disbelief.
Damian shrugged calmly. "A lot of people confuse cumin, dill, and caraway, but caraway has a subtle sweetness with a hint of freshness. It's quite distinct—if you pay attention."
"In fact, it's often used to finish dishes, especially in the West. Cheeses, roasts, sauces... very versatile."
Erina was stunned. She had deliberately used caraway instead of cumin precisely for that reason—for the more refined flavor. It was her secret weapon.
"You... just smelled it and knew?" she whispered.
"It's still cooking, so it's even easier to tell," he answered calmly. "But you're doing well. Keep it up, Nakiri-san."
He glanced at the clock and then said gently, "I recommend getting some rest. Staying up late isn't good—especially for young ladies."
Damian turned to leave, but Erina's voice stopped him once more.
"Gray-senpai! Wait!"
He stopped, turning with a faint smile. "You're not going to silence me for cracking your recipe, are you?"
"N-Not at all!" she replied quickly, cheeks flushed. "Don't be scary all of a sudden!"
Damian chuckled. "Just joking. What is it?"
Erina hesitated for a moment. "You said my dish was incomplete... could you show me what's missing?"
"Are you sure? What if I steal your idea?"
She crossed her arms confidently. "You already figured out the ingredients just by the smell. I have nothing to hide."
Damian raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Well… in that case, it'll be an honor."
Hisako watched everything with wide eyes. The way Erina spoke to Damian… it was different. No excessive pride, no superiority. There was respect there. And… curiosity.
"So, what do you think?" Erina asked, offering a small portion of her dish with her chopsticks.
Damian tasted it calmly, savoring in silence. Then, he crossed his arms and took a deep breath.
"Do you want the truth or a gentle lie?"
"Of course I want the truth!"
"Alright then: the lettuce needs to cook a little longer. That way it absorbs the flavor better. Now, about the octopus… I'd recommend marinating it in grapefruit vinegar with shallots. That would enhance the texture and bring freshness to the dish."
"Hmm…"
"And more: lemon, for balance. The mussels are good, but the caraway is too shy. And you're missing two ingredients: broth… and white wine."
Erina and Hisako were left speechless.
Erina took another bite and, with a soft sigh, murmured, "Gray-senpai… you're right."
"I tested it with broth before, but it didn't turn out the way I wanted… You really are amazing."
Damian smiled gently. "It's all good. Your dish is already excellent. With a few tweaks, it'll be even better."
(End of the chapter)
Give me some power stones there you go~😉