"Hmm..."
All the judges closed their eyes as they savored the aroma of Soma's dish.
The rich, savory scent of the simmering broth was layered with hints of umami from the kombu and fish sauce, the warmth of garlic and ginger, and a subtle sweetness from the mirin.
While Tsuna's dish had a dominant and tantalizing aroma, Soma's creation evoked a different response.
The gentle, comforting fragrance enveloped the senses, making mouths water and stomachs growl in anticipation.
"His improvement is quite astounding..." Tsuna muttered, watching the scene with a nod of acknowledgment.
Soma had made plenty of mistakes in the past, but with just a few simple tips, he had managed to improvise and perfect his technique remarkably quickly.
Tsuna could see why Soma was the protagonist in the original.
Despite being a genius himself, Tsuna understood that his talent mostly came from his deep understanding and vast experience traveling the world in his previous life.
Witnessing Soma's crazy improvement in just a few days was truly ridiculous.
"I know he's Joichiro's son, but it seems like he's more ridiculous than the father..."
Gin muttered.
He himself was quite surprised.
Gin looked at Soma briefly before taking a closer look at the bowl in front of him.
He already had high expectations for Soma, considering his performance back at the Training Camp and his familiarity with Soma's father.
He peered into the broth, a golden, translucent liquid shimmering invitingly in the pot.
"This is beyond my expectation!"
The other judges were similarly impressed, especially Inui and Mizuhara, who had personally seen Soma's performance back at the Training Camp.
Both of them looked at the student in shock.
"He improved so much from the last time we met," Inui remarked, her eyes wide with astonishment.
"...It's truly surprising," Mizuhara agreed, nodding.
They both turned to their bowls.
A variety of colors were displayed as the assorted vegetables—crimson carrots, emerald napa cabbage, and deep green spinach—danced around the bubbling surface.
The tender slices of marinated chicken, beef, and pork were interspersed with plump shrimp and delicate tofu cubes, all arranged artfully in the broth.
The noodles, soft and translucent, intertwined with the other ingredients, adding an element of comfort and satisfaction.
Gulp!
The judges couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva as they picked up their spoons. Moving their hands over to the bowls, they scooped up the broth and gave it a taste.
"...!"
Instantly, their eyes lit up. The broth was a perfect blend of savory, sweet, and umami flavors.
Then, they picked up their chopsticks and started to taste the rest of the dish. Their palates were greeted with a warm and comforting flavor, slowly enveloping their senses as they picked up the pace and began devouring the entire bowl.
Meanwhile, Soma slowly walked up to Tsuna with another bowl and spoke, "Here's another bowl for you, let me know what you think..."
"..."
Grabbing the bowl in his hand, Tsuna could immediately feel the warmth of the hotpot. He looked at the simple presentation of the dish, which was completely in tune with the comforting feeling he got from smelling the hotpot.
"Let's see what you've got," Tsuna said, taking a spoonful of the broth first.
He closed his eyes to savor the flavor, then nodded at Soma.
"That was really good, Soma. Well done."
"Thanks but..."
Soma, eyeing the trolley in front of Tsuna, asked, "Where's my portion?"
"Pay up first."
"...Right," Soma almost facepalmed at these words.
He took out his wallet, his face slowly morphing into a frown as he realized something.
Turning to Tsuna, he asked, "Can I pay it in installments?"
"...Sure."
Tsuna sighed as Soma handed over 1,000 yen begrudgingly.
He shrugged in response seeing Soma's annoyed expression before gesturing to one of the bowls on the trolley, "That's yours. Go grab it fast, they've already finished your food."
The judges slowly leaned back in satisfaction, feeling like they had just eaten one of the best hotpots of their lives.
They exchanged glances, clearly impressed.
Tsunozaki was still taken aback despite her satisfaction, mumbled, "I thought the last round was the peak, but this one is honestly better..."
"Mhm... If I had tasted this before, I-I might not have been indecisive..." Sonoka said, trying to convince herself that she could do a better job as a judge.
These opinions seemed to be shared among the judges, who nodded in agreement.
"Hmph..." Erina scoffed, while Isshiki's squinted eyes opened slightly as he looked at Soma.
"Seems like you've improved well, Soma-kun," he muttered.
"Soma Yukihira, huh? Interesting..."
Eizan's interest was piqued, realizing that these statements essentially meant Hayama and Ryo's dishes were lacking in comparison.
However...
"...!"
The buzzing arena suddenly grew silent as Soma opened his portion that he bought from Tsuna. Instantly, an explosive aroma dominated the entire space.
Contrary to its initial aggressiveness, the scent was comforting.
"What a soothing aroma..."
"...It feels like a quiet evening at home."
The crowd was transported to a time when they returned from school, their mother cooking something delicious while they played in the kitchen.
"..."
Even Soma was stunned speechless. Tsuna quietly placed the bowls in front of the judges one by one. Within the silence, his slight movements created an ambient sound, gradually bringing everyone back to reality.
Isshiki inhaled deeply, his eyes widening. "This aroma... it's so inviting."
"..."
Erina fell into a quiet frown, then scoffed and looked away, refusing to acknowledge that Tsuna had made something great this time.
On the side, Eizan narrowed his eyes at Tsuna. "This fellow..."
He was aware of Tsuna's impressive skills, knowing that he had managed to outdo Mimasaka's Perfect Trace.
Still, seeing the judges' reactions on this stage was something else. Even as they regained their composure, the surprise on their faces was undeniable.
They all stared at the bowls in front of them.
Yet...
They couldn't say a thing; they could only look at Tsuna's nonchalant expression in shock.
His presence was almost nonexistent, making everyone fully focus on the dish. This subtleness impressed the judges the most, especially those who had just met Tsuna.
Normally, when someone cooked something great, everyone would praise them for their creation.
But this time, the judges noticed an anomaly.
"A cook who fully committed himself to the cause and let the people remember nothing but his creation..." Gin felt a lump in his throat. If he wasn't a judge, he might have forgotten the creator behind this beautiful bowl of hotpot in front of him.
"So this is it..." Alice softly mumbled to herself, her shocked expression mirroring the crowd's awe.
Even when he was cooking against her, Tsuna didn't truly feel like this.
Only when he was cooking in his restaurant did she sense something was off. But this time, for the first time, on such a stage, in front of so many people, Tsuna exuded a similar presence.
"No, he doesn't let out any presence at all, as if he wasn't even there..."
She tightly gripped her fist as she realized this.
Alice didn't understand how Tsuna was able to pull it off, but one thing was certain, and it was frustrating to her.
She gritted her teeth, "He takes Soma seriously this time..."
But not her!
Soma was looking at Tsuna in disbelief. He felt his words get stuck in his throat.
He couldn't help but opened his mouth to say somethting, then closed it again as he met Tsuna's cold gaze.
"Soma, plot armor or not, I will win this..."
"Y-you bastard..."
Soma didn't really understand what Tsuna meant, but he couldn't help letting out a nervous smile as he felt sweat rolling down his forehead.