Chapter 70: The True Worth of Talent
The cooking competition hosted by the WGO—commonly known as BLUE.
It was the highest stage for young chefs under thirty-five. Winning it guaranteed worldwide honor and fame. It was a dream tournament for any chef.
Naturally, an invitation had also been sent to Totsuki Academy, Japan's premier culinary school. There were three participation slots available. In other words, three chefs from Totsuki could compete in BLUE.
The issue was how to decide who those participants would be. Some voices suggested selecting from the top students—the Council of Ten—but the current headmaster, Nakiri Erina, judged that doing so would lack fairness, given Totsuki's emphasis on constant self-improvement.
Not by status, but by true ability.
To select chefs worthy of carrying the academy's name, Erina proposed a competition that would involve all students who met certain criteria and wished to participate in BLUE.
The Blue Preliminaries.
With the Autumn Selection approaching, the academy didn't have time to waste. Everyone agreed that a clear, straightforward method was best, and so a cooking competition to judge all applicants at once was organized.
The theme dish was Soup.
It would be judged by 100 reviewers of all ages and genders, each giving up to 10 points. With a maximum total of 1,000 points, it was a large-scale event.
Participants were free to use any ingredients. They had to complete their dish within the time limit and present it to the judges.
The preparation period was only three days, but that too was meant to test the caliber of the chefs. Anyone who complained about a lack of time had no right to challenge the world.
The hopeful participants polished their skills and arrived on the day of the event. Over thirty people were taking part, and every single one stood in the kitchen burning with fighting spirit.
"Then, I wish you all the best of luck. Cooking begins now!!"
At Headmaster Erina's declaration, the chefs sprang into action like released springs.
Since only second- and third-years were participating, the level of the dishes lined up was exceptionally high. The judges' bodies trembled with every taste, and they lavished praise on the flavors. Almost every participant scored over 900 points, proving that Totsuki's students were undeniably powerful.
However, among the clashing "gems," there was one existence that stood out as completely different.
A chef who remained completely unaffected by the fighting spirit around him, simply facing the soup before him. He wore a childlike smile, looking exactly like a kid who had been given a new toy.
The Second Seat of the Council of Ten, and the overwhelming favorite to win.
Santoku Shogo presented his dish.
"'Reincarnation Soup — Century Style.' Please enjoy."
He had served it right before the time limit expired.
Shogo had strained the soup over and over again for as long as time allowed. The liquid poured into the bowl had an almost non-existent transparency, appearing before the judges as if it were barely there at all.
The moment the dish was served, every sound in the venue vanished.
The judges, the chefs, and the audience—all of them froze and were captivated by the soup Shogo had presented. A transparent liquid in a white soup bowl had almost no visual impact by itself. Yet every single person who perceived it was instantly enchanted. It wasn't the appearance, nor was it the taste. The greatest feature of this soup was its aroma.
"W-what is this…?"
"I haven't even eaten it yet… but just the smell…"
"Just how many ingredients… how much umami is packed into this…?"
Even the battle-hardened judges were completely subdued by nothing but the fragrance.
Meat, fish, vegetables—countless unimaginable ingredients combined with an equally unimaginable number of seasonings, all brought together through perfect technique. Not a single trace of scum could be seen in the soup. It was pure white, crystal clear, and endlessly beautiful.
One by one, with trembling hands, the judges were drawn to the soup. Every single one of them became completely absorbed in eating, and some even had their cheeks slacken from the overwhelming deliciousness.
Once all the chefs had been judged, the final results were announced.
Third Place: Tadokoro Megumi — 960 points.
Second Place: Yukihira Soma — 975 points.
Two members of the Council of Ten had consecutively entered the top three and secured their spots in BLUE. Only one slot remained.
Yet even at this final climax, every single person in the venue was certain—had been made certain—of exactly who would claim first place.
First Place: Santoku Shogo — 1000 points.
The three participants for BLUE were decided by the First, Second, and Tenth Seats of the Council of Ten.
With no complaints from anyone, the Blue Preliminaries came to a close.
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After the Blue Preliminaries ended, I had safely secured my entry into BLUE. I hadn't needed to hold back at all, so the result was a perfect-score overwhelming victory.
I had also successfully recreated a dish that had appeared in that other manga, so it was a very satisfying day. Even the coffee I drank while sitting in a chair and looking up at the starry night sky tasted better.
Well, to begin with, I had already received a personal invitation from the WGO just like Erina, so I could have participated in BLUE without using one of Totsuki's slots.
The reason I still joined the Blue Preliminaries was to demonstrate my ability to those around me once again. I planned to go on a rampage in BLUE like never before, so it was best to lay the groundwork as solidly as possible.
"…Still, I actually managed to do it. So as long as I can picture the dish, I can recreate it to some extent. That's terrifying."
I reevaluated my own talent as if it belonged to someone else.
I had believed there was nothing I couldn't do when it came to cooking, but I never imagined I could recreate dishes whose cooking methods I didn't even know.
Since the ingredients I used were different from the original, there was naturally a huge gap compared to the real thing. The copy I made today probably tasted about one-thousandth of the original. Even so, in this world, that flavor was more than dangerous enough. If I carefully selected ingredients and focused solely on cooking for two or three years, I might be able to reach one-hundredth of the original taste. My cheat ability was powerful enough to make me believe that. It was so dangerous that it could probably start wars, which is exactly why I had no plans to ever make the real thing.
"…Nngooooh!!!"
"—…Aaaah!!!"
While I was reflecting on the power of my cooking talent, two lewd voices came from the bed. I set my coffee down on the table, stood up from the chair, and walked over to the bed.
There, two women were tied up with their legs spread open. Rotors and vibrators were attached to their nipples and secret places, forcing them to cum helplessly. The blindfolds and ball gags added a nice touch, making the sight enjoyable to watch.
"Aah, you came at the same time again. That's a draw. Shall we have one more round, Hisako, Miyoko?"
"~~~!!?"
Hisako and Miyoko let out groans of despair.
Since I hadn't gotten to see them in swimsuits during the end-of-term exam, I had dressed them in erotic bikinis full of holes for humiliation. We had been having an orgasm competition where the first to cum would get my cock, but it ended in a draw. Without mercy, I increased the strength of the rotors and vibrators by one level and restarted the match.
"Nguh, ngoh! …I-I'm cumming…!!"
"Ooooh!! ...…Nnaaaah!!"
These two really did look perfect in this state. Until one of them reached the next climax… probably another five minutes. If it was another draw, I'd shove my cock into both their holes.
I had already spent the night fucking Berta and Sheila without sleep, yet my libido was still shockingly insatiable. They had said such cute things like "We want Shogo-kun's babies too," which made calming them down quite the task. After all, those two were still only fifteen, so I couldn't get them pregnant.
"The day after tomorrow is the long-awaited BLUE… If I'm going to devour my final prey, tomorrow would be the perfect time."
To focus fully on BLUE, I needed to release as much of my sexual desire as possible beforehand. Fortunately, my final prey was someone from the WGO. They would be coming to Japan for the event, so the timing couldn't be better.
"Now then, shall we have some fun?"
While checking the photo of my prey on my smartphone, my heart raced with excitement for the final hunt I would carry out before laying my hands on Erina.
***
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