"Did you hear? Today's Shokugeki!"
"The Mad Dog and Hoshino Sora, that most arrogant transfer student from the entrance ceremony!"
"Why another transfer student? Didn't Meat Eater lose to Soma Yukihira a few days ago? A completely unexpected outcome, it was truly astonishing!"
"Isn't it? That transfer student was just lucky, by chance… Eh?"
"What did you say, lucky?"
"I'm so sorry!"
Feeling the gaze from behind, the person who was speaking couldn't help but shiver. She turned her head slightly and saw Mito Ikumi glaring at her with an incredibly cold gaze.
And behind her, a group of female students followed.
Shinohiru, Shiina Mashiro, Kobayashi Rindo, Akikubo Momo, and Yumeko Jabami, making six of them in total, were currently on their way to Starry Sky.
That was where ordinary students settled disputes.
Below the stage, the contestants waited in the preparation aisle. Alice Nakiri jogged from the other side of the passage, looking at Hoshino Sora, who was pushing a cart of items and standing at the passage entrance, her expression subtle.
"What's wrong? Not going to accompany your Ryo-kun anymore?"
"Your words are full of gunpowder."
"Not at all. I just feel that you're no longer my maid, so there's no reason for you to stay by my side."
Hoshino Sora stretched lazily, asking tentatively.
"That's hard to say. If you happen to win, won't I have to be your maid for another year? Besides that, aren't we also friends? Don't you consider me a friend…?"
Alice Nakiri's last sentence was very soft, as if she was talking to herself, but Hoshino Sora, with his exceptional hearing, still caught it.
"If I didn't consider you a friend, I wouldn't have taught you so diligently. When I win, you can be my maid for another year, and remember to call me Master."
"Hmph, it's not certain who will win yet. Maybe you'll become my butler! Then I'll make you wash my feet and give me foot massages every day. Don't you love feet the most?"
"Then I thank you in advance."
Hoshino Sora smiled confidently, then slowly moved forward as the signal to enter the arena was given.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
"The Food War Management Bureau has approved this special Food War! And the master of ceremonies is still me, Kawashima Rei, a first-year high school student!"
"Super cute Rei-chan!"
"Hello everyone!"
A cute-looking girl spoke energetically on the stage, and the audience, wearing cheering headbands, immediately waved their cheering sticks vigorously, creating a huge momentum.
The girls behind them, however, had gloomy expressions.
"So many people, more than twice the number of people at Mito's match."
In the audience, Yumeko Jabami's expression was excited; seeing the bustling scene, she fantasized that she was the contestant on stage, about to embark on an incredibly passionate duel.
"Hoshino-kun really offended quite a few people at the entrance ceremony. An Elite Ten duel would probably be at this level."
Shiina Shinohiru looked at the crowd in surprise. The scale was undoubtedly huge, with almost no empty seats. She could even see many second-year students among them.
"Then, please, both parties enter from their respective entrances!"
"First to enter is~"
"The Mad Dog, Kurokiba Ryo!"
As the arm pointed south, four large characters flashed across the screen in the sky: Kurokiba Ryo! Below it, a cheap flame effect also appeared.
"Defeat him! Let that transfer student see how formidable we are!"
"Give that arrogant transfer student a good lesson!"
"Shut up."
Kurokiba Ryo coldly glanced at the noisy audience. His voice was loud, causing the people cheering for him to pause and look at each other.
"Next to make an appearance is~"
With a high-pitched voice and a cute pose, Kawashima Rei pointed to the other side of the competition area, and three large characters appeared on the screen.
Hoshino Sora, also with a cheap flame effect.
"Go to hell!"
"Don't underestimate us!"
"Bastard transfer student!"
"At the entrance ceremony, you said many disrespectful things!"
A chorus of boos came from the audience, but Hoshino Sora, wearing headphones and a hat, was completely unaffected.
"The currently highly anticipated transfer student, Hoshino Sora."
Hearing the voices from below, Kawashima Rei's expression was subtle. Although it was negative popularity, it was truly impressive to attract so many people. She had hosted so many matches, and today was the most attended.
"Then, let me confirm again: there are three judges, the theme is 'Soup,' and the main ingredients are not limited. This Food War can be said to be the most special Food War in history because there is no wager!"
"Then let's bet on a boy's spirit!"
Kawashima Rei added.
"I won't go easy."
"My pleasure."
Taking off his headphones and putting them in his pocket, Hoshino Sora looked at Kurokiba Ryo, who was staring at him, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
"Hey, look over there."
"It's Eri Nai Nakiri…"
"Miss Eri Nai…"
With Eri Nai Nakiri's entrance, the atmosphere of the venue changed.
In the independent viewing stand in the audience, Eri Nai Nakiri's figure appeared, accompanied by Hisako Arato.
"Hmph, what a grand entrance."
Seeing the newcomers and hearing the commotion below, Alice Nakiri, waiting below the stage, said with displeasure, clearly dissatisfied with her cousin's haughty, queen-like demeanor.
"Look, look, that's Elite Ten Second Seat Kobayashi Rindo!"
"Besides her, there's also Elite Ten Fourth Seat Akikubo Momo! Why are these two here?"
Shortly after Eri Nai Nakiri's appearance, she was followed by Kobayashi Rindo and Akikubo Momo, who were also Elite Ten members.
As Elite Ten members, they naturally couldn't sit among the ordinary students. They looked down from above, surveying the 'mortal' world with the absolute posture of kings.
Their appearance turned the already surprised audience into shock, and the atmosphere in the venue once again became noisy, filled with chatter and confusion.
"Greetings, Kobayashi-senpai, Akikubo-senpai."
Eri Nai Nakiri was also somewhat confused as to why Kobayashi Rindo and Akikubo Momo were here, but proper etiquette could not be lost. Just as she was about to sit down, she rose and approached the two, gracefully bowing, fully displaying her upbringing as a young lady.
"It's true, why?"
In the audience, Yoshino Yuki's expression was shocked, and a cold sweat appeared on her face.
"Just a childish prank among first-years, and it actually managed to alarm three Elite Ten members simultaneously. This is too incredible!"
Pushing up his glasses, Marui Zenji said in disbelief, "Those are Elite Ten members! Elite Ten members who have countless things to do every day, and now three of them have come at once!"
"Shouldn't the Elite Ten all be very busy? Soma Yukihira never got this kind of treatment during his matches. Hoshino-kun… is he okay?"
A hint of worry appeared in Tadokoro Megumi's eyes. Looking at the grand scene, she said while drawing the character for 'person' on her hand. Even though she wasn't on the stage, she was breaking out in a cold sweat for him at this moment.
"Then, let's begin. Both parties, take your positions at the cooking stations!"
"The loser will lose everything. A desperate battle on the tongue, Food War… commence!"
Holding the microphone, her voice was excited, and the thrilling Food War duel began! The digital screen above also displayed the four large characters 'Food War Commence,' accompanied by a cheap flame effect.
Everyone present hoped for Hoshino Sora's defeat, hoping that Kurokiba Ryo could regain face for them, the internal transferees, as Mito Ikumi's loss had truly had a huge impact.
It was practically a resounding slap in the face for them, the internal transferees!
"Then let's begin, Kurokiba!"
"Hmph, no need for words."
Upon hearing the command to start, Hoshino Sora poured out the ingredients from his shopping bag: a fresh, lively crucian carp.
"This guy isn't just going to make fish soup, is he? There are so few ingredients on his cooking station."
Looking at Hoshino Sora, who was cleaning the fish at his cooking station, the audience below was stunned. Although the theme was soup, and fish soup is delicious, in a school like theirs, would serving only a bowl of fish soup in a Food War duel be a bit too underwhelming?
"Indeed, the method is also a very traditional crucian carp soup."
"Look at Kurokiba!"
Suddenly, a gasp of surprise, and everyone's attention turned to Kurokiba Ryo's cooking station. At this moment, Kurokiba had already untied the headband (seal) wrapped around his hand, and his entire being was boiling with passion.
"He's transforming! He's transforming! Kurokiba after transforming is super strong, his aura has completely changed!"
"Crush him, Kurokiba."
"Kurokiba, Kurokiba!"
"Shut up, just watch me cook!"
Facing the cheers from the audience, Kurokiba Ryo cast a cold glance, then, finding it a bit noisy, he sharply rebuked them before beginning to cook with great ferocity.
"Oh, oh, he's using fish bones and shrimp shells. Just looking at it, it already seems incredibly delicious!"
In the judges' seats, a middle-aged man, Nobuyuki Yamashita, the owner of a seafood market, approved of Kurokiba Ryo, who was constantly taking out high-end ingredients, cutting, and cooking them. He had tasted countless rare seafoods and eaten countless seafood dishes prepared in various ways.
"It's simply a dimensionality reduction attack. How could a seafood broth cooked with so many kinds of umami ingredients possibly lose to a small crucian carp?"
Looking at the ingredients used by both sides, Nishikigami Takashi, the judge on the right, spoke sharply, with a hint of disdain in his eyes. He was the host of a recently popular general food program and had been invited to Far Moon to conduct evaluations.
"You can't say that. Anyway, I'm quite optimistic about that handsome young man next to him."
Licking her fingers, a woman with large breasts, Kiyohime Koi, looked at the handsome Hoshino Sora with a doting smile. She was a top wealthy woman who loved to taste delicious food and even more loved handsome men.
"Kiyohime, this is not the place for you to be so flirtatious!"
"What do you mean, saying that about me? That night you clearly called me 'Little Kiyohime.' You men change your minds so quickly."
"This is a public place, please don't talk nonsense!"
Hearing Kiyohime's words, Nishikigami Takashi next to him gave him a strange look, and Nobuyuki Yamashita immediately retorted with a flushed face, but whether it was true or not remained unknown.
"The young man is really handsome. I'll ask him later if he wants to be my exclusive chef."
She looked at Hoshino Sora with a craving expression. His perfect body proportions, handsome face, and incredibly elegant cooking techniques made her feel he would be a super wonderful child!
"It feels good."
Looking at the milky white fish soup in the pot, Hoshino Sora's expression was excited. Under intense heat, the crucian carp in the pot had long since stewed to tenderness, and all its umami flavor had been released by the high heat.
He started another pot, adding fresh goat meat that had just been soaked in salt water. This meat had been butchered at dawn and air-freighted here in the middle of the night. As for how it was done, Hoshino Sora could only reply, "Money power."
Of course, he used Kobayashi-senpai's channels.
He added ginger slices and continued to stir-fry, which helps to bring out the fresh aroma during stewing. Then, he filtered out the fish residue and bones, poured the stir-fried lamb into it, brought it to a boil, and then simmered it slowly over low heat, adding a slice of angelica and a few peppercorns.
"Simple seasonings are the best for bringing out the true flavor of ingredients."
One side was violent, the other peaceful; the cooking styles on both sides were completely different, forming a clear battlefield. Kurokiba Ryo was like a berserker, while Hoshino Sora was like an elegant swordsman.
He added goji berries to balance the heat of the lamb.
After a strong initial boil, it was slowly simmered over low heat. The mixture of fish and lamb was all about freshness. However, perfectly blending the umami flavors of these two ingredients was not an easy task.
A slight mistake could make it a mess, requiring constant attention to the heat to maintain a relatively stable state.
Fortunately, Hoshino Sora had a talent for sensing temperature.
Time was passing on the stage, and Hoshino Sora had stopped moving. He had already done everything he needed to do; now he just needed to wait for the right moment.
He turned his gaze to Kurokiba Ryo behind him. Compared to his peacefulness, the other party's performance clearly attracted more attention from the audience.
Bold and sweeping, with roughness mixed with delicacy, and delicacy mixed with roughness, he finally presented a pot of rich soup emitting a faint reddish glow, exuding a strong, fresh aroma.
"It seems Kurokiba-senpai is the first to finish!"
As the fish soup was completed, Kawashima Rei immediately announced the result, her voice filled with excitement and joy.
"Eat it quickly, 'Crimson French Fish Soup'."
He divided the fish soup into three portions and placed them in front of the three judges, his eyes seemingly carrying a killing intent, urging the chatting judges to eat his dish.
"Don't use such a rude tone with women, little brother, you won't find a girlfriend that way."
"Do you have any opinions? About my cooking!"
Raising an eyebrow, Kurokiba Ryo looked at the woman in front of him, who was leaning her chest on the table, and pushed the dish on the table forward, his words carrying a hint of arrogance.
"No… no."
Looking at the crimson dish in front of her, Kiyohime Koi's eyes instantly straightened. Her mouth salivated profusely, and her heart rate subtly quickened. A strong desire emerged from the depths of her heart.
"Gulp."
"Such a violent taste, it's simply the aesthetics of brutality. Oh no, my consciousness is about to be swept away!"
The rich umami flavor exploded in his mouth. Nishikigami Takashi's expression changed, and he nearly fainted, rolling his eyes. This domineering taste was simply the aesthetics of violence!
"This umami flavor, is it from dried shrimp shells whose flavor has doubled?"
Nobuyuki Yamashita said, narrowing his eyes. As the owner of a seafood market, he naturally knew what this taste was, and a look of immense pleasure appeared on his face.
"Did you finally discover it? This soup has a large amount of lobster powder added from top to bottom. The umami essence contained in shrimp comes from glycine, arginine, and proline. The essence content of crustaceans is undoubtedly the highest among seafood."
Reaching out and clenching his hand in the air, Kurokiba Ryo's face was filled with passion. Looking at the judges who were about to be overwhelmed by the soup's umami, his face was full of self-satisfaction.
"It feels like… being pressed onto a large bed and brutally ravaged! I'm going to…!"
Kiyohime Koi's face was flushed, and even her voice changed noticeably. The rich shrimp flavor exploded in her mouth, a taste world she had never experienced before!
"How amazing! To make the judges look like this, that transfer student is definitely going to lose this round!"
"Exactly, they're both fish soups, but how can such a simple method compare to Kurokiba's refined masterpiece!"
As the judges gave extremely high praise, the audience below immediately erupted, all feeling that this round was a sure win. For a moment, cheers were incessant, causing the Yōbi Dormitory residents to show worried expressions.
"Hmph, using shrimp shells to enhance the soup's aroma. The aroma of this soup has already reached its peak. Hoshino-kun, what will you use to defeat this guy?"
Alice Nakiri leaned back, her black silk-clad legs subtly concealing her sacred zone, and murmured as she watched the judges completely conquered by Kurokiba Ryo's soup: "Honestly, that guy's strength is impressive!"
"That's interesting. I really want to try that soup. It must be very fresh and delicious."
Kobayashi Rindo pinched her chin, looking at the French fish soup below. She swallowed, and her stomach rumbled. By her reckoning, it was about time for lunch.
"Thank you for waiting! Fish and Lamb Freshness, please enjoy!"
Subtly golden in its whiteness, Hoshino Sora's soup, compared to the strong, aggressive aroma of the French fish soup, smelled relatively mild—a long-lasting, clear fragrance.
This aroma seemed to tell them to eat without worrying about a sudden impact, but when they actually held the bowl, its rich texture still made them swallow.
"This is..."
"We simmer lamb in fish broth, allowing the fresh flavors of both to blend perfectly, combining the tastes of two culinary worlds—land and sea. The aroma is elegant and clear, a complete opposite to Kurokiba's. Gulp."
As he spoke, Nobuyuki Yamashita swallowed, his hand uncontrollably reaching for the seemingly plain soup, which actually concealed profound depths of rich umami.
"Fish and Lamb Freshness, truly fresh! In Chinese characters, 'fish' and 'lamb' combine to form the character for 'fresh.' Just how fresh will this soup be?"
Looking at the Fish and Lamb Freshness displayed on the large screen, everyone in the venue swallowed. The subtle aroma wasn't strong, but it precisely and irresistibly awakened everyone's cravings.
"I can't take it anymore!"
Looking at the milky-white soup with a faint golden glow in front of her, Kiyohime Koi once again lost control. She picked up the bowl and gulped down the soup, expecting a strong impact.
However, even after drinking all the soup, her body showed no strange reactions.
"Eh..."
Just as Kiyohime Koi was wondering, a rich umami mixed with an unprecedented sensation exploded in her mouth!
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