"Poison Cuisine, huh? Using toxins to make food more delicious—and even turning those poisons into beneficial effects, like Medicinal Cuisine… In all my years, I've never heard of such a chef!"
Senzaemon Nakiri was stunned for a moment before speaking again. He'd seen plenty of chefs work with poisonous ingredients before, but they always focused on removing the toxins, never embracing them.
Who would even think of using poison as a nutritional additive? Certainly not him.
Then again, it wasn't his fault. Even in worlds as wild as Chuuka Ichiban! or Toriko, chefs who mastered Poison Cuisine were vanishingly rare.
"I've never heard of it either," Erina Nakiri admitted. "I've seen references to the Inky Cap Mushroom before, but it's known to be poisonous. I never would've thought someone could turn that into something healthy."
The mention of Medicinal Cuisine reminded her of her own aide, Hisako Arato, who specialized in that very field.
"That's exactly why I told you to get checked, Grandpa," Alice Nakiri said quickly. "Even if they claim the toxins were converted into something harmless, who can guarantee that a hundred percent?"
Her reasoning was sound, and both Senzaemon and Erina nodded. No one could ever be entirely sure. What if some trace poison still remained?
"Grandpa, let's head back," Erina said suddenly. "Now I really want to taste that dish for myself."
Originally, her interest in Kael had been simple curiosity. But after seeing her grandfather's reaction during the Shokugeki, that curiosity had intensified tenfold.
He'd wanted her to taste the Mapo Tofu earlier, but Alice's sudden warning about poison had interrupted. Now, though? Erina's intrigue had reached its peak.
Her grandfather's health check had come back perfectly fine, meaning whatever toxins were in the dish had likely been neutralized or transformed. It should be safe—so she was determined to experience it for herself.
"In that case," Senzaemon said, smiling faintly, "let's go back."
The three returned to the room at the Moon Banquet Hall, where the Mapo Tofu had been reheated on Senzaemon's orders.
If Kael were present, he'd probably be speechless. After all, the dish had contained poison. Sure, Senzaemon hadn't been poisoned the first time—but reheating a toxin-based dish could've been catastrophic.
Some poisons reactivated with heat, or even transformed into new, more dangerous compounds. Luckily for them, Kael's Compound Poison had already been fully stabilized.
When the tofu was ready, Erina stepped forward and took a bite. Alice didn't compete for it—there wasn't much left, and besides, she didn't have the God's Tongue. Better to let Erina analyze it.
As for herself, she figured she could just build a better connection with Kael later. They were classmates and teammates, after all. There'd be plenty of chances to try his Poison Cuisine again.
"How is it?" Alice asked eagerly. "Can you tell what's in it?"
"Wait," Erina murmured, closing her eyes. "The flavor's… strange. I need another taste."
She took a second bite, her expression shifting from surprise to concentration.
That first bite had nearly stunned her—the sheer depth of flavor had distracted her completely from analysis. Even after being reheated, the dish was unbelievably delicious.
The richness, the silkiness, the perfect balance—it overwhelmed her senses. All the God's Tongue had registered at first was ecstasy.
Only on the second taste did she focus on breaking it down: identifying the ingredients, mapping the spices, analyzing every subtle layer of flavor.
But then she hit a wall.
There were several components she couldn't identify at all.
Not because the God's Tongue had failed—it simply didn't recognize them.
Her ability wasn't magic. It relied on a mental "database" of flavors she'd encountered before. The more ingredients she'd tasted and studied, the more accurately she could identify them later.
But in this case, she was drawing blanks.
Those unknown elements were Kael's poisons—the ones he'd refined into edible forms. Erina had never consumed a toxin before, so her tongue had no reference point.
"I can't," she said finally, setting the spoon down. "I've never tasted anything like these flavors. I can't analyze what they are."
"That's fine," Senzaemon said calmly. "The fact that you can't identify them only proves one thing—that the dish truly contained poison."
He chuckled softly. "You've tasted nearly every ingredient and seasoning in existence. If you can't recognize something, then it's something entirely new—and in this case, it must be the toxins he used."
Far from being disappointed, Senzaemon actually looked pleased. Kael's mystery only deepened in his mind.
"Grandpa," Alice said suddenly, "do you think Kael's Poison Cuisine might actually be some kind of Special Ability?"
It wasn't an unreasonable question. Before Kael, no one had ever heard of a chef manipulating poison like this—and in a world where cooking talents could manifest as supernatural powers, it seemed possible.
"That's very likely," Senzaemon agreed. "If it's truly an ability, then we have nothing to worry about. Even if the dishes contain poison, the ability itself would neutralize the danger. I doubt he'd ever deliberately harm anyone."
He smiled faintly, recalling the strange variety of powers that existed in Totsuki. "After all, there's already a student who can literally talk to ingredients. Nothing about these abilities surprises me anymore."
Erina, however, wasn't so quick to attribute everything to supernatural power. "Maybe so," she said quietly. "But don't forget—his technique isn't just ability. His fundamentals are terrifyingly strong."
She remembered his knife work during the Shokugeki—precise, lightning-fast, completely natural.
Whether poison or not, Kael's skill was no fluke.