"The winner of this match is, Okabe!"
A cheerful voice came from Alice Nakiri, who at some point had produced a small, handmade wooden sign with a stick figure of Okabe drawn on it.
Raising signs at the same time were Hisako Arato and Leonora Nakiri.
"Wait, Alice, Aunt Leonora, Hisako, are you all supporting Okabe!?"
Seeing the three of them raise their signs in unison without a shred of hesitation, Erina Nakiri couldn't help but feel her composure crack.
She hadn't felt too strongly about losing to Okabe in the Shokugeki, since it was just a replica of her father's dish.
But to be defeated this time, when her opponent hadn't even used his best skill, stir-frying, and had beaten her with just a simple dish—this was something she found truly hard to accept.
"I'm sorry, Lady Erina. But Okabe-kun's Iced Water Shrimp Slices were indeed more delicious."
"The shrimp slices were sweet, salty, and savory, with a texture that was refreshing, crisp, and springy. Although there weren't many cooking steps, the inherent flavor of the shrimp itself was fully brought out!"
As she spoke, Hisako Arato picked up another slice of the Iced Water Shrimp. Facing Erina Nakiri's disbelieving gaze with a twinge of guilt for her betrayal, her eyes nonetheless narrowed in bliss the moment the shrimp entered her mouth.
"The surface of the shrimp was rubbed with baking soda and salt, forming an extremely smooth and lustrous thin film."
"Coupled with the high quality of the shrimp itself, which must have still been alive in the kitchen, simply bringing out its original flavor was enough to create a wonderful dish."
Leonora Nakiri also had a look of bliss on her face.
After a simple treatment with iced water, the rich texture of the black tiger prawns was fully brought out.
This deliciousness wasn't from heavy oils and rich sauces, but from the clarity and brightness gained by soaking in iced water and then in scallion-ginger salt water for forty minutes. The shrimp's original flavor became the absolute star, utterly pure, without the slightest hint of any interfering taste.
Looking at the translucent shrimp slice on her chopsticks, Leonora Nakiri closed her eyes. In that moment, it was as if she were naked at the bottom of the deep sea, surrounded by swaying corals and glowing jellyfish, gently held aloft by the cool ocean currents.
The utterly pure umami of the black tiger prawns transformed into ribbons of silvery-white light, elegantly weaving and dancing around her.
This deliciousness was transparent, yet incredibly powerful, continuously bombarding her brain.
"Another match!"
Hearing the assessments from Hisako Arato and Leonora Nakiri, Erina Nakiri bared her small canine teeth, her voice filled with intense unwillingness to concede.
"Sure. Whether it's one match, ten, or a hundred, I'll take you on."
Seeing Erina Nakiri's annoyed expression, the corner of Okabe's mouth curled up slightly as he stood and looked down at her.
"Damn you! Don't be so arrogant! I am the God's Tongue! Even if I'm a little weaker now, I'll definitely be stronger than you in the future!"
Erina Nakiri clenched her small fists. Seeing Okabe's smiling face and hearing his reply, she felt wildly provoked.
"Yes, yes. Then please, Lady Erina, who is des-tined to be bet-ter than me in the fu-ture, make a dish that will impress me now."
"Simple shrimp tempura won't be enough to beat me, you know."
Okabe deliberately emphasized the phrase "destined to be better than me in the future."
He suddenly discovered that teasing the little girl—watching her get anxious and angry but be unable to do anything about it—was surprisingly fun.
No wonder adults like to tease children. It turns out that when you're powerless, even your anger is just seen as cute.
"Aargh, just you wait!"
Erina Nakiri stomped her foot and then strode towards the kitchen.
She had to prove it—prove the power of the God's Tongue.
At this moment, she had no time to be sad about her mother's departure. Her only thought was to defeat Okabe and make him admit he was inferior to her!
"Count me in for the next match, too."
"I also want to see just how strong the invincible God's Tongue of the future is now. With a dish of that level, I feel like I might have a chance of winning too."
Just then, Alice Nakiri's voice rang out, her eyes burning with a fierce fighting spirit.
"Alright, let's have a three-way battle then!"
Hearing Alice Nakiri's words, Okabe clapped his hands lightly, his voice tinged with anticipation.
"Bring it on! I don't think I'll lose to you."
Erina Nakiri's voice came from the kitchen.
"Ooh, such youthful energy."
Watching the three of them scrambling to work in the kitchen, Leonora Nakiri remarked with emotion as she savored the few remaining Iced Water Shrimp Slices.
·
·
Moonlight streamed into the room.
Senzaemon Nakiri was seated in a Totsuki pavilion, waiting for an old friend.
"Have some tea."
A gentle breeze blew, and a tall, imposing figure appeared on the previously empty stone bench. He was a full two meters tall, with bulging muscles, looking like an enlarged version of Senzaemon Nakiri.
"It's been a long time, Nakiri. This place of yours is as grand as ever."
Taking the teacup handed to him by Senzaemon Nakiri with tongs, Hayato Fūrinji took a sip, then couldn't help but remark on the quiet elegance of the surroundings.
"If you wanted to make money, you could easily build a courtyard ten times grander than this one."
Facing his old friend's teasing words, Senzaemon Nakiri unhurriedly poured himself a cup of tea and then said, "You're here for Okabe, aren't you."
"That's right. It seems you've already guessed. Someone asked me to come and take him as my disciple when he turns five."
Hayato Fūrinji put down his teacup, his gaze as sharp as lightning.
"It seems his parents have already paved the way for him. You can take the boy, but I hope you'll use a gentler approach. He is just a child, after all. Suddenly placing him in an unfamiliar environment could easily make him feel suppressed, or even anxious."
Thinking of Erina Nakiri's recent ordeal, Senzaemon Nakiri couldn't help but offer this reminder.
"I understand that much. But what about your granddaughters?"
"If needed, I can train them together. I guarantee I'll return two physically strong granddaughters to you."
Hayato Fūrinji nodded slightly, then asked about Erina Nakiri and Alice Nakiri, seeking Senzaemon Nakiri's opinion.
"Erina's parents have both left, so it wouldn't be impossible for her to go with you."
"But Alice is going to Northern Europe with her parents in a while. If possible, I'd prefer she live under her parents' wings."
"After all, it's never too late to start on the path of a chef, but the time spent surrounded by family affection during childhood is precious."
"Of course, I will let them decide for themselves."
After a moment of contemplation, Senzaemon Nakiri gave his answer.
Compared to studying abroad, it was clearly more suitable for children to stay with their parents during their childhood, which would be of great benefit to their physical and mental development.
"Letting them decide for themselves is for the best. Martial arts training isn't something that can be accomplished overnight. If one lacks strong willpower, it will only be an agonizing experience."
Hayato Fūrinji looked up at the moon in the sky.
Accepting a disciple was a matter of great caution for him. No one wants a disciple who is lazy and inconsistent; it would be tiring for the student to learn and even more tiring for them to teach.
Martial arts tempers the body; cooking tempers the heart.
By combining martial arts and cooking, integrating body and heart, one can go further down the path of a chef.
A powerful martial artist is not necessarily a chef, but a great chef is definitely a martial artist.
Without training the body to perfection, how can one swing a ten-jin iron wok? How can one have the stamina to handle massive ingredients weighing hundreds of jin? A chef who gets out of breath after just a few dishes, who waves their hand in defeat after a few steps, can never reach the pinnacle!
____
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