After obtaining the Soul-Calming Secret Art and the White Luo Serpent Coil, Kael headed straight for the kitchen. He couldn't wait to try them out.
The kitchen they were using now was no longer the old one at the Polar Star Dormitory. It was part of a new building Erina Nakiri had rushed to have constructed.
With enough money, construction speed naturally skyrocketed—and quality didn't suffer for it. Since the building wasn't very tall to begin with, it had been completed quickly.
Erina had commissioned the building as a sort of perk for Polar Star. The number of floors and kitchens matched the number of dorm rooms.
Even she knew Polar Star would never take in that many residents, not even after the current group graduated. Unless Fumio Daimido stepped down as dorm mother, Polar Star would always prioritize quality over quantity.
Still, when Erina spent money, she didn't do things halfway. She built according to the dorm's full capacity for one simple reason: she could afford it.
When Kael entered the kitchen, everyone else grew curious. After all, he rarely came here.
With access to the Dark Cooking Society's techniques, Kael didn't need to practice in the normal world. There was no need for excuses, either. His status as a Nine-Star Chef was already shocking enough on its own.
So even if he never practiced openly, no one found it strange that his skills kept improving.
Curiosity got the better of them, and the others followed Kael into the kitchen.
"What do you think he's going to make this time?" Alice Nakiri asked, eyes sparkling.
Every dish Kael made was unforgettable, so whenever he cooked, expectations ran high.
"He's using flour," Erina said, puzzled. "Is he making something with dough?"
Kael didn't cook often to begin with, and when he did, it was usually hot dishes. Erina couldn't recall ever seeing him make noodles or pastries.
The others felt the same. They'd seen him handle dough before—but only a handful of times.
There wasn't a single true flour-based cuisine chef at Polar Star. Everyone had some basic knowledge, but no one specialized in it.
Before they could speculate further, Kael began cooking in a way that completely defied their understanding.
Normally, kneading dough meant adding water little by little and working it by hand.
Kael did none of that.
He poured in the water, then stirred once with the rolling pin in his hand.
The next instant, he lifted his arm.
Flour and water shot into the air—and fused mid-flight.
In the blink of an eye, they formed a smooth lump of dough. Then the dough stretched, elongating until it resembled a white serpent.
The dough-serpent coiled around the rolling pin, spinning continuously.
The sight left everyone stunned.
Almost instinctively, they recalled the scene of Kael dissecting an entire cow in seconds.
This was bizarre—but it was clearly the same kind of technique.
A secret art that went far beyond ordinary human understanding.
"I've never seen anyone knead dough like that," Megumi Tadokoro said, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.
The others could only stare in awe.
"I guess it really is Kael" "Only he could pull off something this outrageous."
At this point, they were almost getting used to it.
The dough-serpent kept stretching, longer and longer, until it finally dropped straight into the pot as a single noodle.
If Kael hadn't deliberately cut it several times, it might've ended up as one endless strand.
Before long, the noodles were cooked.
Kael didn't prepare any elaborate broth. He kept it simple—bare noodles, lifted from the pot and placed into bowls.
Besides his own, he prepared a bowl for everyone present. They'd followed him in, after all. There was no way he'd ignore them.
"What are you all staring at?" Kael said. "Come try this Soul-Calming Noodles."
Everyone snapped back to reality and gathered around.
"Wait—Soul-Calming Noodles?" someone asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
The bowl of noodles looked almost absurdly plain.
No toppings. No complex broth. Just noodles—firm to an almost extreme degree.
Even with that unbelievable technique earlier, skill alone couldn't magically make a dish delicious… right?
And the name made it sound even more mystical.
"Just taste it," Kael said calmly. "You'll understand."
He started eating his own bowl.
There was no explosive flavor. Nothing overwhelming.
But the texture was flawless—better than any noodles he'd ever had.
Then, a gentle ripple spread through his body.
His mind settled.
His thoughts quieted.
A deep sense of calm washed over him.
The others felt it too.
One by one, they sat down wherever they could, expressions peaceful and relaxed.
That was the effect of the Soul-Calming Noodles.
Even without a rich broth, the Soul-Calming Secret Art alone was enough to make the dish extraordinary.
"How is this possible?" Ryoko Sakaki asked softly. "After eating this, I feel completely at ease. I was nervous about the Moon banquet Festival, but now… it's all gone."
Moments ago, she'd been worrying about whether her food would sell.
Now, those worries felt distant—almost meaningless.
"That's what 'soul-calming' means," Kael said. "It quiets the heart."
He'd only just begun to grasp the Soul-Calming Secret Art. But he knew what it could become.
At its peak, it was said to influence even nature itself.
Long ago, an ancestor of the White Luo family had used it to quell the raging waters of a river.
That alone spoke volumes about its power.
"I see… so it's because of the technique you used earlier?" Erina asked.
"That's not wrong," Kael replied. "The kneading technique is called the White Luo Serpent Coil. As for why it's called that—well, you saw it yourselves."
Everyone nodded.
They weren't blind. The image of a white serpent spiraling around the rolling pin was still burned into their minds.
Kael didn't elaborate on the White Luo family or the deeper origins of the Soul-Calming Secret Art.
This was the World of Food Wars. Those concepts didn't truly exist here.
He'd gained the Soul-Calming Secret Art through the Dark Cooking Society's inheritance. While it could be passed on, he was only at the entry level—and the art itself was incredibly difficult to learn.
He had no intention of teaching it lightly.
Once again, Kael's cooking left everyone shaken.
He even set aside portions for those who weren't present. After tasting it, they, too, were left speechless.
But since it was Kael who'd made it, no one found it strange.
Soon, the Moon Banquet Festival arrived.
The Polar Star Dormitory members gathered at their assigned area—the Polar Star Grand Hotel.
Despite the name, it was really just a collection of small stalls.
Each person ran one.
Variety was the theme, and flavor was the weapon.
Seeing Polar Star grouped together, students in the surrounding stalls looked miserable.
"This is the worst," someone groaned. "Why did we get placed next to them? We're going to go bankrupt on day one."
To them, this Festival was the hardest one yet.
The Main Street had Polar Star.
The Central Area had the Chinese Cuisine Research Society.
And the High Platform Area?
That place wasn't even an option for them.
No matter where they went, danger lurked.
All they could do was gamble on luck—hope that random placement spared them.
Clearly, these students had lost that gamble.
Nearby, the Chinese Cuisine Research Society was bustling with activity.
Thanks to Kael, many members had stayed on, making this year's setup even grander than before.
With an Elite Ten member like Terunori Kuga backing them, resources weren't an issue.
Add Hojo Miyoko to the mix, and their firepower was obvious.
Students placed nearby wore expressions of utter despair.
The only ones truly relieved were the third-years in the High Platform Area.
They were grateful Kael wasn't participating.
Other Elite Ten members were one thing—but Kael was on a completely different level.
If he'd opened a stall, it would've been in the High Platform Area, and customers would've flooded to him nonstop.
Unless he used a reservation system, no one else would've stood a chance.
After all, this was a chance to eat food made by a Nine-Star Chef.
Even internationally, very few such chefs cooked personally.
And their restaurants required reservations booked years in advance.
At that moment, Kael was wandering the Main Street, arms full of tickets.
Since making change was inconvenient, visitors exchanged cash for festival tickets upon entering Totsuki.
There were three denominations, all prices were whole numbers, and accounting stayed simple.
Kael exchanged a large amount without hesitation.
Over the next few days, he planned to taste as much as possible.
Even if these were student dishes, experiencing different flavors still had value.
Since Area Three hadn't fully opened yet, Kael stood out as a lone customer wandering around.
When students recognized him, they nearly froze in place.
After all, Kael wasn't just another student.
He was a publicly acknowledged Nine-Star Chef.
And in truth, he'd already surpassed that level—reaching Special Grade Chef territory.
In the World of Food Wars, chefs at that level could be counted on hand.
"Ka—Kael-sama, what would you like to order?" a student stammered.
Excitement and terror mixed together until they could barely speak.
Kael could only sigh.
He'd tried reassuring them, but it rarely worked.
Calming someone like this wasn't something words alone could fix.
After making a full round and eating his fill, Kael headed to the Central Area.
He couldn't help but feel a little envious.
No matter how much his appetite had grown, it still had limits.
Unlike the people from the world of Toriko—those with Gourmet Cells could eat endlessly.
If Kael had even a fraction of that ability, he'd be unstoppable here.
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*The Bonus Chapter*