"Incredible!"
"The appearance of this dish is stunning, but the taste is even better!"
"It seems simple, yet the precise balance of each ingredient is just perfect."
"Inside the dumplings, it's like a perfect world filled with simple yet abundant flavors."
"Truly, it is a dish that's indescribable!"
The director, Erina, and Hisako marveled at the Ascending Dragon Dumplings, their exclamations filling the tavern.
Senzaemon Nakiri, renowned for his ability to burst his own clothes when tasting extraordinary cuisine, had once again succumbed to this peculiar trait. In the Food Wars world, where most individuals relied on skill and technique alone, there existed a rare few who possessed "special abilities"—and Senzaemon's unique talent was one such ability.
Very few chefs in the world had ever managed to elicit such a reaction from him. Even among Totsuki Academy's elite, only the most exceptional talents had ever succeeded.
If the students of Totsuki knew that a mere tavern owner had made the Director's clothes explode from sheer culinary brilliance with something as simple as shrimp dumplings… they would be utterly ashamed!
By the time they finished marveling, the entire steamer of dumplings had been devoured. The biggest surprise? Erina had eaten the most—thirty dumplings in one go!
"So satisfying!" she sighed, rubbing her slightly swollen stomach.
"Truly, only Zane's cooking is consistently delicious!" Hisako added, her gaze lingering on the empty steamer with reluctant longing.
Everything about the dish—from temperature and seasoning to presentation and cost-effectiveness—was flawless.
Yet, what astonished Erina the most was not just the technical perfection. It was the vision behind the dish.
"Zane, can you tell me the name of this dumpling dish?" she asked.
"Ascending Dragon Dumplings," Zane replied casually.
"A dragon ascending… an elegant and fitting name," Erina mused, nodding in appreciation. Then, after a brief pause, her golden eyes sharpened. "So tell me—what's the principle behind the dumplings flying?"
Zane smirked. "Huh? You don't know?"
"What? I—" Erina's expression froze.
"I thought with your God Tongue, you'd have already figured it out," Zane teased lightly.
Erina clenched her fists. He wasn't mocking her this time—he was serious.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
"Why? Why can't I see through his dishes?"
She almost wished she had Sun Wukong's Fiery Eyes, able to pierce through illusions and uncover the truth behind Zane's impossible techniques. But she didn't have that ability. No matter how much she analyzed, she couldn't fully grasp the mystery behind his cooking.
And that terrified her.
This wasn't the first time Zane had done something that defied logic. The Western fast food dishes, the miraculous feast made from scraps, the Reincarnated Spring Rolls that preserved the freshness of red snapper using heat—each time, he had shattered her understanding of cooking.
Now, these dumplings had done the same.
She clenched her chopsticks tightly.
"If I, with my God Tongue, am a knight fighting my way to the culinary summit… then Zane is a deity, standing at the peak, looking down on all of us."
Indeed—Zane was an insurmountable barrier.
For Erina, a true chef must possess both vast knowledge and the courage to innovate. Following textbooks alone would never lead to perfection.
Zane embodied that philosophy.
The past two days at the tavern had only given her a glimpse of his abilities, but after tonight, she was certain—his talent was beyond anything she had ever encountered.
Most chefs needed grand stages to showcase their skills. Totsuki students competed fiercely for the right to stand at the top.
But Zane…
He didn't need any of that.
Even in a small, ordinary tavern, his culinary skills flourished.
"If given a larger platform, he would soar like an eagle breaking free from a cage!"
"Grandfather, what do you think?" Erina asked, her voice steady despite the storm in her heart.
Senzaemon had already replaced his shirt, but the look in his eyes had changed.
"His cooking is… extraordinary," he admitted.
"Take this Ascending Dragon Dumpling, for example—it's truly one of the most perfect dishes this old man has ever encountered."
He took a slow sip of sake, deep in thought.
Throughout his life, Senzaemon had seen countless geniuses. In Totsuki Academy, talent was abundant—so much so that a natural-born prodigy like Erina only ranked tenth among the Elite Ten.
And yet…
Even the strongest he had ever seen, Jōichirō Saiba, couldn't compare to Zane.
As night deepened, the city thrived with activity.
Some took peaceful walks in the park. Others gathered in cafés or bars, seeking escape from the burdens of life.
But here, in this small, unassuming tavern, Senzaemon had witnessed something far more remarkable.
He took another sip of sake, savoring the delicate balance of fruit and rice aroma.
Then, suddenly, he sighed.
"With his skill, Zane should be standing at the very top of the culinary world."
"If not for Erina, I likely would never have had the chance to meet him…"
He placed his cup down and met Zane's gaze.
"Zane, with your talent, why settle for running a tavern?" he asked.
"If you joined a five-star hotel, you'd be a head chef commanding millions of yen per year.
If you became a professor at Totsuki Academy, your salary and influence would far surpass what you have now.
Why choose this path?"
Though unspoken, the implication was clear—you're wasting your potential.
Zane smiled faintly, as if he had heard this question a hundred times before.
"To be honest, I was a head chef at a five-star hotel when I was young," he said.
Senzaemon's eyes narrowed.
"I wasn't the best in the world, but I was one of the top among my peers. Yet, I saw too many 'geniuses'—arrogant, hungry for power, blinded by ambition.
In the end… they all paid the price for it."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Senzaemon exhaled deeply, memories flashing through his mind.
Jōichirō Saiba.
Totsuki's strongest student in its 69th generation. A true genius who could craft legendary dishes with nothing but scraps.
But even he…
In the end, the weight of expectations crushed him.
Despite being undefeated, despite winning 50 consecutive battles… he lost sight of himself.
The burden shattered his spirit.
Right before the BLUE competition finals, he disappeared.
It was one of the greatest tragedies in Totsuki's history.
"If only he had realized this earlier," Senzaemon muttered. "If only he had been able to let go…"
He took another sip of sake, trying to wash away the regret in his heart.
Geniuses came and went.
But Zane…
He was different.
Unlike Erina, who pursued the pinnacle of haute cuisine… Unlike Jōichirō, who collapsed under the pressure of his own genius…
Zane remained true to cooking itself.
Senzaemon watched him carefully.
"Maybe he's the kind of chef Totsuki has been missing all along."
"Zane," he said, setting down his cup.
"You may want nothing more than to run this tavern. But if you ever considered passing on your skills… imagine how many young chefs could shine under your guidance."
He leaned forward slightly.
"If you became a teacher at Totsuki Academy… you could change the academy's future."
A heavy silence filled the air.
For the first time since they met—Zane did not immediately have an answer.