Multiverse Gourmet Hunter

The two-hour cooking period passed quickly.

Kawashima Urara’s voice rang throughout the arena.

”Time’s up! Cooking is over!”

Eizan Etsuya glanced toward Haruto, a faint smile of certain victory tugging at his lips.

He picked up the plates he had already finished arranging and carried them toward the judges’ table.

Setting three exquisitely presented portions before the judges, Eizan announced confidently,

”Please enjoy my creation—Mint Mist Nut Mousse Cake.”

Each plate held a triangular slice whose clean cross-section displayed four distinct layers.

At the very top sat a translucent emerald-green mint jelly, gleaming softly beneath the lights like polished glass, its surface smooth enough to reflect the room around it.

The second and fourth layers were deep-brown chocolate sponge, while a thick layer of pale-brown nut mousse rested between them.

The three judges picked up their forks and took their first bites.

The mint jelly touched their tongues first.

The moment its cool, silky texture melted, an exceptionally pure mint fragrance swept through their mouths like morning mist rolling down a mountain.

There was none of the harsh, piercing chill that excessive mint could produce. Instead, it carried the fresh vitality of grass after rainfall, spreading from the tongue down the throat and even leaving the nasal passages pleasantly cool.

A faint sweetness accompanied it, awakening the palate and making every breath feel lighter.

Then came the soft, moist chocolate sponge.

It dissolved gently between their teeth, bringing with it a perfectly controlled roasted cocoa aroma and a delicate bitterness.

That richer flavor provided a warm foundation beneath the freshness of the mint, giving substance to what might otherwise have felt too light.

Sweetness and bitterness, coolness and warmth—all of them met in an exquisite balance.

Finally came the nut mousse, silky enough to resemble melting ice cream.

The roasted hazelnuts, almonds, and cashews had been ground into an exceptionally smooth paste. Their deep toasted fragrance blended seamlessly with milk, cream, and dark chocolate, while the natural richness of the nuts slowly spread across the palate.

Its mellow fullness softened the sharp freshness of the mint, ensuring that the dessert never became too thin or fleeting.

Every bite progressed through clearly defined layers of flavor.

The bright, cooling mint formed the main theme, while rich nuts and cocoa provided the foundation.

Freshness and indulgence restrained and complemented one another.

Nakiri Senzaemon’s clothes slipped from his shoulders, exposing his muscular upper body.

Eizan’s smile immediately widened.

It had not triggered Gifting, but this reaction was more than enough.

Once Senzaemon had restored his clothing, Haruto carried his own plates toward the judges at an unhurried pace.

He placed them down gently, and a warm fruity fragrance immediately drifted through the air.

”This is my dish—Yellow Peach French Tart.”

Haruto paused before adding,

”For the first bite, make sure you eat it together with the red sauce.”

The three judges nodded.

They lifted their forks, cut through the portion topped with red sauce, and placed it into their mouths.

The instant they tasted it, all three frowned slightly.

Their expressions became strangely complicated.

Seeing that reaction, Eizan’s face broke into a triumphant grin.

”Heh. Do you still think you have any chance of winning?”

He turned toward Haruto.

”You might as well accept reality now. There’s absolutely no way you can defeat me.”

”Want to know why?”

Haruto looked at him calmly and said nothing.

Eizan did not care.

He was already savoring the feeling of his scheme succeeding and eagerly continued explaining.

”You thought the mint jelly in my cake was only there for flavor? How naive.”

”Mint contains menthol, which can numb the nerves.”

”In small quantities, it simply feels refreshing and invigorating. But consume enough of it, and it can interfere with the sensory receptors responsible for taste, temporarily dulling the palate.”

”The effect doesn’t last long, but for this situation, it lasts more than long enough.”

Eizan’s grin grew wider.

”The judges just finished eating my dessert. Right now, their palates are still numbed.”

”No matter how delicious your tart actually is, they won’t be able to taste it properly. To them, it’ll come across as bland and flat.”

”You’ve already lost.”

Eizan was convinced he had completely eliminated Haruto’s chances of victory.

Haruto, however, remained perfectly composed.

”Instead of explaining all that to me, why don’t you look at the judges first?”

Eizan’s brow tightened.

For some reason, a trace of unease suddenly rose inside him.

He snorted and turned toward the judges’ table.

”They’re obviously going to think your dessert is bland and—”

His words died in his throat.

The smug smile froze on his face.

His pupils contracted as he stared in disbelief.

At the judges’ table, all three judges had experienced a clothing burst.

Even Roland Chapelle wore an expression of pure satisfaction.

”H-How is that possible...?”

Eizan’s voice trembled as a chill crawled up his back.

He had already numbed their palates with mint.

How could Haruto’s dish possibly produce a reaction this intense?

How could his entire strategy have failed?

”There’s nothing impossible about it.”

Haruto looked at Eizan’s stunned expression and replied casually,

”I just used a little chili sauce.”

”Spiciness isn’t a taste. It’s pain.”

”And that stimulation can jolt the senses awake, allowing the palate to recover its sensitivity much faster.”

Haruto had expected from the beginning that Eizan would never rely solely on the quality of his cooking.

Tampering with the judges’ perception and interfering with his opponent through tricks like this was far more in line with Eizan’s style.

And if Haruto had been willing to accept the Food War, naturally he had prepared for such possibilities.

He claimed the chili sauce was the solution.

In truth, however, Haruto had also infused an extremely faint trace of Nen into his dish.

That was the real key.

At the judges’ table, Anne hurriedly straightened her clothes before looking toward Haruto with undisguised amazement.

”What an extraordinary dessert!”

”To think you would incorporate chili sauce into a French tart.”

”The very first instant it touches the tongue, that tiny flash of fresh heat takes command and immediately awakens the palate. It feels as though every sense in the body suddenly snaps back to life.”

”Then the sweetness of the white chocolate quickly softens the heat, leaving behind only the faintest stimulating aftertaste without overpowering the dessert itself.”

”As the spice fades, the rich yellow-peach filling opens across the palate. Its clean, fragrant sweetness spreads everywhere, while the crisp caramel tuile and pieces of fresh peach provide constant changes in texture.”

”The tart shell at the bottom is equally accomplished. It has structure without becoming hard.”

”Its delicate crumble releases a deep roasted-butter fragrance as you chew, along with the aroma of toasted nuts, giving the dessert enough weight to balance the freshness of the fruit.”

”It possesses the light, refreshing quality of a fruit dessert while maintaining the depth and richness expected of French pastry.”

”Every bite offers something unexpected.”

”It’s a magnificent dish.”

Once Anne finished speaking, Urara—who had also been caught in the effects of the clothing burst—hurriedly straightened herself before stepping beside the judges’ table and lifting her microphone.

”The tasting is complete!”

”And now, it’s time to find out who will win this Food War!”

The arena fell silent.

Even the audience seemed afraid to breathe too loudly.

Every pair of eyes turned toward the judges.

The three judges considered their decision carefully.

On one side was Eizan’s Mint Mist Nut Mousse Cake, precise in its balance, refreshing yet rich.

On the other stood Haruto’s Yellow Peach French Tart, an unconventional creation filled with striking layers and unexpected contrasts.

The two desserts were completely different in style, yet both had left a powerful impression.

After a moment, the judges reached their decisions.

Each picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and solemnly wrote a name on the white sheet placed before them.

The instant Urara saw what all three had written, her breath caught.

Then she raised the microphone and shouted with all her strength,

”UNANIMOUS DECISION!”

”The winner of this Food War is—SUZUKI HARUTO!!”

For one second, the entire arena was dead silent.

Then cheers, screams, and applause erupted all at once, nearly blowing the roof off the building.

”He won! Haruto actually won!”

”He defeated Eizan Etsuya of the Elite Ten!”

”We’re getting a new Elite Ten member!”

Once the uproar finally died down enough for her to speak again, Urara raised the microphone with a solemn expression.

”According to the terms agreed upon for this Food War, effective immediately—”

”Suzuki Haruto will officially replace Eizan Etsuya as the Ninth Seat of Totsuki Academy’s Elite Ten!”

The arena exploded for a second time.

Haruto had defeated a sitting member of the Elite Ten while still only a first-year and claimed the seat for himself.

He had even risen above Nakiri Erina, another first-year member of the Elite Ten.