Because she was good friends with Eishi Tsukasa and lived for whatever she found interesting, Rindou Kobayashi had joined Azami Nakiri's faction, which was why Azami gave her that order.
"Alright, alright..." Rindou Kobayashi replied playfully. She turned to Lexon and said, "Junior, did you hear that? Orders from the top. I won't be holding back. I'm going all out!"
"No problem," Lexon replied with a smile.
He didn't harbor any ill will toward the woman.
Perhaps it was just one chaos-lover recognizing another.
Rindou Kobayashi's dish was the first to be served.
"Please enjoy: Rare King Cobra's Kiss."
The snake meat was split open and laid out. Its terrifying head remained on the edge of the plate, looking as if it were still alive and spying on the world. With its various garnishes, it possessed a gaudy yet eerie beauty.
It had to be said, Rindou Kobayashi was incredibly bold.
To use a rare King Cobra as an ingredient in a Shokugeki!
But this was the ultimate specialty dish Rindou Kobayashi had created with everything she had as a member of the Elite Ten Council.
On the judges' panel, everyone except Senzaemon and Azami Nakiri looked a bit timid, unsure if they should even try it.
They knew the theme was wild game, but they had assumed it would be something like wild rabbit or boar. They never expected someone to bring this kind of ingredient to a Shokugeki.
While they were still hesitating, Senzaemon Nakiri and Azami Nakiri had already made their move.
They picked up the snake meat and put it in their mouths.
Suddenly, Senzaemon and Azami Nakiri's clothes burst open simultaneously!
A visible shockwave even radiated from the two of them, causing the clothes of the surrounding judges to burst as well!
It was absurd, absolutely absurd!
"It's the Clothes Bursting Pulse! The Clothes Bursting Pulse!"
"It's an ancestral talent of the Nakiri family! It's a reaction to the food being too delicious! It can even blow the clothes off the people nearby!"
An audience member explained the ridiculous phenomenon.
"But isn't Azami Nakiri just a son-in-law?"
"Maybe you get the talent when you marry into the family!"
After the initial shock of losing their clothes without realizing it, the other three judges couldn't contain their curiosity and put the snake meat into their mouths.
In the next instant, the judges' table was filled with various inexplicable cries.
After the five judges calmed their minds...
"Perfect! Rindou! This dish is nothing short of perfection! No dish could possibly defeat you!" Azami Nakiri was the first to speak excitedly. "This is what people should truly be tasting! Those dishes that aren't delicious enough should be eliminated! All chefs should strive for this standard!"
In his excitement, he even revealed his future goal.
To completely destroy all unworthy cuisine and force the culinary world to adhere to a single standard, producing only the most suitable dishes!
Senzaemon remained silent. He found it hard to believe a student possessed this level of power.
This culinary intent... this deliciousness...
It couldn't help but shake the heartstrings of his normally confident self.
The other three judges were just like Azami Nakiri, completely unstinting with their praise and compliments.
Their words were filled with nothing but admiration.
"Next is my dish." While the judges were slightly reining in their praise, Lexon served his dish.
Once Lexon's dish was on the table...
Azami Nakiri couldn't help but laugh. "What is this? Is it even prepared?"
In the dish Lexon served, there was only a mass of unknown white meat that looked as if it hadn't been roasted. It was no wonder he said that.
The other three judges also burst into laughter.
Even Senzaemon frowned slightly.
This didn't seem like Lexon's usual style. The dish lacked the enchanting aroma that had defined his previous Shokugeki...
Had he abandoned the use of spices, which was his greatest strength?
Senzaemon was filled with doubt.
Even though this was just a Shokugeki with the Second Seat, Rindou Kobayashi, and didn't involve their agreement, if he couldn't even beat Rindou... then he would have no chance against Eishi Tsukasa.
"There's still one last step... what's the rush?" As Lexon spoke, he pulled out a heating tool. As the flame flared out, he swept it across the white meat on the plate.
The moment he finished, an incredibly thick aroma instantly blanketed the entire Moon Heaven Hall.
Everyone in the venue couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
A powerful, primal urge to eat surged in everyone's hearts.
"Please enjoy: Charcoal-Grilled Crocodile." Lexon simply stated the name of his dish.
Crocodile meat...
When the ingredient was first brought out, it was just a piece of white meat. How could they have known what it was?
Now that Lexon had said it, they were shocked.
Rindou Kobayashi had brought King Cobra... and Lexon had brought crocodile...
It was truly a clash of titans.
"This kind of dish..." Azami Nakiri's voice trailed off as he tried to find the words to criticize the crocodile meat, which had turned from white to a slight golden yellow.
He thought for a long time, but not a single word came out.
His heart as a master chef prevented him from uttering any disparaging remarks.
The only thing he could potentially criticize was the overly simple appearance.
It looked like the crocodile meat had just been lightly grilled...
But that intense aroma made him realize clearly that the preparation was definitely not that simple!
While he was still trying to think of how to talk some trash, the other judges had already picked up their forks and put the food in their mouths.
He stopped overthinking and followed suit, picking up a piece of meat and placing it in his mouth.
BOOM!!!
Suddenly, a powerful drumming sound that echoed throughout Moon Heaven Hall erupted from the judges' table.
"What was that sound?!"
In the next moment of surprise, he suddenly felt a chill all over his body.
Looking down, he realized with a start that his clothes were gone!
He looked around and saw it wasn't just him...
Everyone in the audience was the same!
Their clothes had all burst apart, leaving only their underwear!
If they hadn't still been wearing their underwear... the scene would have immediately become inappropriate for minors.
"Aaaaaah!!"
"What's happening?! No! Stop!"
"My clothes! My clothes burst!"
Standing on the stage, Lexon looked at Senzaemon and Azami Nakiri, who were devouring the food and constantly emitting shockwaves, and felt the chill on his own body... He was a bit speechless.
This was absolutely insane.
It was a bit too ridiculous...
'Wait, what? The original series had scenes like this too?'
'Never mind then.'
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]