"Akira Hayama, huh?"
Tsunozaki looked at Hayama, who had started preparing the ingredients on his countertop, and mumbled, "So he's the Aroma King?"
"That's right. Most might not know this, but he's the strongest candidate for the Elite Ten Council after Erina Nakiri, back when he was in middle school," Inui softly chuckled while looking at Hayama.
The other judges were also quite familiar with Hayama, as they actively participated in student education at the academy despite being busy with their own businesses.
"He's indeed one of the best talents we've seen in Totsuki," Gin nodded, silently adding in his mind, "I wonder if their talent would be as good as Tsuna's."
He might have been the most active among the other alumni of Totsuki Culinary Academy in student education, considering his position at the Totsuki Group.
But he had never truly tried their best craft yet, which made him feel slightly hopeful about their talent. This might just be...
Totsuki's Golden Generation!
Gin then glanced at where Tsuna was standing with the principal.
Tsuna and Senzaemon seemed to be amicably discussing something.
"Huh?"
Gin blinked, noticing the principal's expression contorted with a weird smile as his hands made a gesture as if explaining something massive.
"What's going on over there?"
Gin wondered aloud, shaking his head before turning his attention back to the arena.
"But..."
Then, he looked at Ryo, who put on his bandana.
His presence suddenly changed, and the whole arena's atmosphere turned heavy with tension, surprising many who came to watch.
Even the judges couldn't help but turn their attention to Ryo, intrigued by the shift in energy.
However, this didn't seem to surprise Gin. His lips slightly curled up into a smile as he mumbled, "Ryo Kurokiba is also quite an interesting talent. He might give us a surprise this time..."
Moving his knife with such vigor that it left an intense impression on anyone watching, Ryo finished cutting the eel. He then started marinating it in a mixture of red wine, cinnamon, and a bouquet garni.
Slowly, the strong aroma of the spices and wine filled the air as the eel absorbed the flavors.
However, he seemed dissatisfied with something as he turned to Hayama and scoffed, "You're such a boring person, Akira Hayama. I don't like it. You really don't have a fire in you at all..."
Compared to him, whose movements seemed fiery, Hayama was all chill and relaxed, which prickled Ryo's nerves.
"Hmm...?"
"This is a battlefield, Hayama! If you don't have it in you, get the fuck out of my sight..."
Hayama slightly turned his head to see his opponent as he calmly replied, "That's true, but to be honest, I'm not even obsessed with winning like you are..."
His hand didn't even pause during the exchange as he carefully scored the skin of the duck breast, ensuring even cooking and a crispy finish. Hayama then seasoned the duck with a blend of salt and pepper before setting it aside to rest.
"The reason is pretty simple, and I'm sure a simpleton like you could understand..."
"What did you say, bastard...!"
Veins bulged out of Ryo's forehead at those words as he narrowed his eyes sharply at Hayama.
The guy didn't seem to care as he turned his attention to the spices he had ground into a fine powder.
It was a combination of coriander, fennel, oregano, marjoram, allspice, cumin, cloves, and cilantro.
"With my nose..."
Hayama heated a cast-iron skillet until it was smoking hot, then carefully placed the duck breast, skin side down, into the pan.
The sizzle of the meat hitting the hot surface was like music in the quiet arena where everyone sat in silence.
"...it'll be impossible for you to beat me."
Hayama coated the duck with sticky honey before ending his speech with a sprinkle of the spice combination.
BOOM!
The resulting aroma billowed forth, creating an explosion of scent that filled the arena, captivating everyone present.
"T-this smell...!"
Everyone couldn't help but feel their mouths salivating at the aroma as they all sharply turned to Hayama's workstation in shock.
The combination of the rich, savory duck and the sweet, sticky honey created an intoxicating aroma that filled the air.
"...!"
At the explosion of aromas, Ryo felt a heavy pressure suddenly wash over him. He noticed that the aroma even dominated his own workstation, which stood face to face with Hayama's.
He gritted his teeth, "You fucker..."
Instead of dimming in defeat, his eyes were set ablaze!
Ryo then heated a large skillet and placed the marinated eel inside, letting it simmer slowly in the red wine mixture.
"You think I'd just let you fucking win it easily!?"
The kitchen was soon filled with the heady aroma of wine and spices, creating an intoxicating scent that drew the attention of everyone in the arena.
"E-even the other guy as well!?"
The new wave of aromas sent an uproar among the students as everyone started pointing fingers toward Ryo.
"...Ah, that guy can actually go toe to toe with Hayama?"
Yoshino muttered in surprise, mirroring the astonishment of the other students from the Polar Star Dormitory.
Well...
Everyone except Soma, who just scratched his head in confusion and asked, "Is Hayama really that good?"
"...?"
Everyone turned to Soma, their expressions reflecting a mix of disbelief and exasperation. Sakaki sighed at his ignorance.
Marui adjusted his glasses before commenting, "Most might not know this, but to the top-performing students in Totsuki, Hayama has been known to be comparable to Erina Nakiri. That pretty much speaks volumes about his strength as a cook..."
"Ahh? He's really good then, hahaha!"
Soma couldn't help but chuckle at the revelation, causing the Polar Star Dormitory students to shake their heads.
Megumi awkwardly smiled and mumbled, "Soma-kun is just being Soma-kun, I guess..."
Soma didn't seem to mind his friends' gazes as he glanced at Hayama before turning to Ryo, his lips curling up in a smile.
He always knew Hayama was strong, but he also knew Ryo was equally formidable as he silently mumbled, "That's why I wanted to face them as well..."
"Oh?"
This time, the judges were the most impressed as they all looked at Ryo with newfound respect.
It seemed that this round wouldn't be boring at all as both participants stared each other down, the tension simmering heavily between them. Everyone watching was on edge, drawn to the electric atmosphere and feeling excited for the showdown.
Meanwhile...
In a certain part of the arena...
"I-I see, as expected of a fellow comrade..."
Tsuna felt slightly taken aback by how openly the principal expressed himself. He couldn't help but offer his hand for a handshake, his eyes filled with respect, "Seems like you're a fun guy, Principal..."
"Ohoho!"
The principal laughed heartily as he firmly shook Tsuna's hand.
Then, his eyes narrowed mischievously, "So, since you like them big, what do you think of my granddaughters?"
"Granddaughter? Which one?"
Tsuna blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question.
"Of course, both ohohoho!"
Senzaimon chuckled, seemingly serious about wanting Tsuna to be his grandson-in-law. He gestured with his hands again, his expression unchanged, "They both have big hearts, absolutely your type..."
"...Right," Tsuna felt his lips twitching at this, then sighed.
However, he quickly regained his composure and grinned widely, "How about your daughter, though?"
"Huh? But my daughter is married though?"
"But she's about to get a divorce soon, no?"
"Hmm?"
"...?"
They paused for a moment, blinking at each other, before their expressions lit up with smiles and they burst into hearty laughter as if they were old friends.
"Ahahaha, you seem like fun to be around!"
They both completely disregarded the first round of the semi-finals, lost in their amusing banter.