The meal ended quickly for Mana and the others—not because the food wasn't delicious, but because they were far too full to keep going.
"This kind of appetite... it's really enviable," Mana sighed, eyeing Zed and his companions with a mixture of awe and disbelief. "To enjoy so much food without a single complaint from your stomach..."
Everyone else nodded in agreement. For them, just a few extra bites meant hitting their limit. But for Zed's group? Their stomachs seemed like bottomless pits. Mountains of food vanished before them, and not even a bulge appeared on their abdomens.
Mana and Senzaemon were both well aware that this was thanks to their Gourmet Cells—a gift beyond reach for now.
The group remained in the Shokugeki world for a few more days, enjoying the calm and comfort. A week later, they returned to the Fairy Tail world.
Erina and the others had already spent quality time with their loved ones, so now it was Mirajane's turn.
As for Rukia, she had no real relatives to visit. Though she belonged to the Kuchiki Clan, she never truly felt any familial warmth from them.
She respected Byakuya Kuchiki, of course—he had given her a stable life—but being brought into a noble family as a commoner had placed tremendous pressure on him. The elders in the clan had always scrutinized that decision.
Rukia wasn't blind to it. She understood the heavy silence behind Byakuya's cold exterior.
And in truth, she had very little tying her to the world of the dead. Her only real bond there had been with Renji Abarai, but he had long surpassed her in both strength and talent.
That's why, during her "vacation," Rukia continued to train—often under Zed's direct guidance.
Now with a physical body and Gourmet Cells, her growth was astonishing. At this pace, her Bankai wouldn't be far off.
Her Bankai—Hakka no Togame—was dangerous and powerful. Zed even believed that among the ice-type Zanpakutō, it might eventually outshine Hyorinmaru. Although both Rukia and Tōshirō had struggled to control their Bankai upon awakening it, the sheer destructive potential of Rukia's ability was many times stronger.
Once she truly mastered it, who could say which was stronger?
Still, her understanding of spiritual energy was shallow. Despite her decades as a Shinigami, her development had been slow. Unlike Ichigo Kurosaki, who bulldozed through limitations with raw force and endless miracles, Rukia had to earn every step.
But the fusion of Gourmet Cells had changed that. Under Zed's instruction, she was evolving at a speed unthinkable in the Soul Society.
Back in the Fairy Tail world, aside from giving Mirajane time with Lisanna and Elfman, another goal awaited: the development of magic.
Everyone had awakened their own magic, and there was no better place to sharpen it than here.
"You want to improve your magic?" Makarov rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "In that case, I'll call on an old senior to help you."
"Old senior?" Mirajane blinked. "But in terms of magic, Master, there aren't many who surpass you."
Makarov chuckled. "The one I'm calling is Warrod Sequen—the fourth-ranked among the Ten Wizard Saints, and one of the founding members of Fairy Tail."
Mirajane's eyes widened. "One of the founders of Fairy Tail… and a Wizard Saint?!"
"Exactly. But don't go blabbering to the others. You know how these brats are."
"Don't worry, Master, my lips are sealed!"
It was true—Fairy Tail's most persistent headache across generations wasn't their enemies, but the collateral damage caused by their own members. Whether it was heated battles or reckless behavior, the guild had a long reputation of destruction.
Soon after, Makarov contacted Warrod. With his magic, he could likely arrive within the day.
Fairy Tail's magic system was unique—versatile and magical, but with relatively low raw destructive power. For example, Warrod could instantly teleport Natsu and others across thousands of kilometers, and Irene Belserion could reshape the geography of an entire kingdom.
But when compared to the Gourmet World, the difference in destructive capability was clear.
The Food World didn't offer as many magical effects—but every technique there could level cities. The Four Beast incident alone was proof. Their avatars nearly wiped out humanity. Had the true bodies acted directly, the devastation would've been unimaginable.
"Master Makarov, I'd like to ask you for a favor."
Zed's voice was serious.
"Say the word," Makarov nodded. "Whatever it is, if I can help, I will."
Zed had saved Mirajane's life, rescued Lisanna, and helped end the interdimensional war. Makarov owed him deeply.
"It's simple," Zed said. "Find a place and hit me with your strongest magic."
"…Huh?"
"I want to test my magic resistance."
Zed's Gourmet Cells had fused with magic. He wanted to know how far that had developed.
After all, in the Fairy Tail world, magic resistance could make all the difference. Dragons were the prime example—conventional magic barely affected them.
The strongest, Acnologia, endured a full-force Roar from Igneel without so much as a scratch.
Makarov frowned. "Are you sure? As one of the Ten Wizard Saints, my full-power spell might cause… quite a scene."
"Don't worry," Zed said, and teleported them all to an uninhabited island overseas with his space magic.
Here, they wouldn't have to hold back.
Zed's teleportation magic had come a long way. As long as the destination was within his perception range, transport was nearly instant. With this, he no longer had to fear random encounters in the Gourmet World, where danger lurked in every direction and levels were meaningless. Even Eight Kings could appear out of nowhere.
This was why Zed had delayed entering the Gourmet World—until after the Four Beast event. The meat from those monsters alone would give him a significant power-up.
But now, with teleportation magic, escape was always an option.
"Alright then," Makarov said. "Let's start simple. If it becomes too much, say so immediately."
Golden magic flared from his body. The ground cracked beneath his feet from the sheer magical pressure.
In his palm, a golden orb of light formed—Light Magic—and he hurled it at Zed in a shimmering shockwave.
Zed didn't dodge.
He took it head-on.
The impact roared through the island. The ground split open in jagged lines—but Zed stood unharmed.
"Master, go all out. Give me your strongest offensive magic."
"…That'd be Fairy Law," Makarov replied with a grimace. "But I can't use that on you. That spell only activates on those one considers enemies."
He shook his head. "Even if I forced myself to think of you as one, it wouldn't work. The spell sees through the soul."
Zed nodded. "Then use your strongest conventional magic."
"Alright."
Makarov's body expanded—Titan Magic—growing hundreds of meters tall, golden light gathering around his massive fist.
While it looked like pure physical force, Titan Magic was imbued with enormous magical energy. Combined with Light Magic, this was Makarov's strongest offensive move outside of Fairy Law.