Food Wars: Taste Reversal

The score on the big screen was displayed as 3:0 even before the two players finished presenting their dishes. Normally, Ikumi Mito would have expressed her disagreement, but there was no movement at the competition table. Upon closer inspection, one could see Ikumi Mito kneeling in front of the cooking table, drenched in sweat. It was clear that she was too overwhelmed to pay attention to what was happening at the judges' bench.

As the first person hit by this overwhelming aroma, Ikumi Mito had already reached her limit.

In her perception, the two unknown ingredients seemed to wage a battle within her body. The sensations of ice and fire surged through her, consuming her senses like a relentless tide. She had barely managed to finish her dish under such intense pressure—it was the very limit of what a chef could endure.

That guy... the transfer student's cooking... It's so strong it's incomprehensible!

"Whew... whew..."

Weakly leaning against the cooking table, Ikumi Mito glanced at her hot pot before reluctantly turning her gaze to the judges' table. To her shock, the three judges had abandoned all pretense of composure in their feast.

"This... this rich, spicy flavor! Combined with the fragrant fruit, it's like a symphony in the mouth! Both the meat rolls and the vegetables are cooked to perfection! This is the most... ahhh!!"

Kuragi Zino, the sole woman among the three judges, flushed bright red as she savored the lingering taste in her mouth. Just as she was immersed in the dish, the previously mild spice exploded, sweeping through her throat and enveloping her in a sauna-like heat. Though it was hot, her body involuntarily relaxed as though her very bones were being steamed into softness.

As Shiraki had theorized, the two ingredients that were usually incompatible had achieved a strange harmony during the cooking process. At first bite, the fruity aroma dominated, but as one chewed, the hidden devil chili peppers unleashed their full intensity, leaving diners helpless. Shiraki had mused about reversing the flavors to test the effects.

After experimenting extensively with the system's "Eye of Insight," Shiraki deduced that L-grade cuisine was equivalent to SSS+ in system evaluations, while L- corresponded to SSSS+. The highest-grade cuisine he'd encountered at Totsuki Resort was SS-grade, and anything higher was prohibitively expensive, inaccessible even with money. As such, Shiraki had yet to taste SSS-grade dishes.

Lost in his thoughts, Shiraki was startled when one of the judges suddenly roared and stood up. His bloodshot eyes made him resemble an enraged gorilla, startling Urara Kawashima, who was seated nearby.

"It's hot! It's hot! I feel invigorated! I need to move!"

The judge then lifted the small hot pot from the table and poured its contents directly into his mouth, as if making a toast. Urara Kawashima, stunned and drooling, secretly lamented that she was the host and not a judge.

The judges' decision to press Shiraki's button early had clearly been correct. Judging by their current state, none of them were in the mood to score or comment. With their faces buried in their hot pots, they hardly resembled the dignified judges they were supposed to be.

At this point, if someone dared to remove the hot pots in front of them, everyone suspected the judges might fight back.

The previously lively venue had fallen silent. All the students stared at the big screen, watching the judges devour the food with no concern for decorum. The "Shokugeki" of Totsuki Culinary Academy was a frequent occurrence, ranging from small duels to large-scale battles attended by the entire grade. It was a well-established way to resolve disputes.

However, in all their experiences, students had never seen judges behave like this. Typically, judges were critical, analyzing and commenting on every dish. Defective dishes were immediately called out, and only flawless creations could win. These judges were renowned gourmands, accustomed to the world's finest cuisine, yet here they were, eating with reckless abandon.

In past matches, students had anxiously awaited the judges' verdicts. But with Shiraki, the judges seemed like monkeys, entirely consumed by the food in front of them. The exaggerated eating, devoid of any poise, made the young man standing before the judges seem almost menacing.

So this... this is the strength of the transfer student?

Terrified, everyone turned their gaze to Ikumi Mito, who had collapsed like a defeated dog at her cooking station.

They had witnessed countless one-sided "Shokugekis," but never one where the disparity was this extreme. Although Ikumi Mito hadn't yet presented her dish, it was clear to anyone with common sense that a comeback was impossible.

Ikumi Mito, the renowned "Meat Master," hadn't even served her dish yet and had already suffered such a crushing defeat.

If it were me...

None of the students dared to imagine facing Shiraki. They suddenly realized—challenging this transfer student to a "Shokugeki" took more courage than they could ever muster.