When the final result was announced, the conference hall fell into a stunned silence. No one could believe their ears.
"Did Kinokuni-senpai actually lose?"
"Is this real?"
"Could that transfer student really be this good? Even better than Miss Erina?"
The disbelief spread through the audience as students whispered among themselves, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Even Nene stood frozen in shock, clearly not expecting to lose.
"Sui won!" Megumi exclaimed, her voice trembling with joy, almost moved to tears.
"Yeah, and now we can collect the spoils!" Yoshino added, though her eagerness betrayed her true thoughts.
"No way! Sui actually beat that menopausal hag?" Kuga Teruki blurted out, equally surprised.
"Oh my, first-year students these days are really something," Eishi Tsukasa sighed, speaking softly.
"Huh? Tsukasa-senpai, when did you get here?" Kuga, Megumi, and the others asked, startled.
"I've been here the whole time. Didn't you notice?" Eishi Tsukasa replied with a faint smile.
There was a moment of awkward silence—they genuinely hadn't noticed his presence.
"How can this be? How could your cooking surpass mine?" Nene questioned, still unable to process her defeat.
"Why not try it for yourself?" Sui said with a slight smile, handing her a piece of his buckwheat pancake.
Though hesitant, Nene eventually took a bite. The rich, earthy flavor of buckwheat exploded in her mouth, and in a daze, she found herself envisioning wide, harmonious fields, rustic farmhouses, and warm sunshine.
The taste was completely different from the refined and sophisticated soba dishes she had always championed. It was simple, natural, and full-bodied.
"How does it taste, senpai?" Sui asked with a grin.
"It's… it's okay," Nene muttered, blushing slightly as she averted her eyes.
"Buckwheat cuisine is not limited to soba noodles," Nakiri Senzaemon interjected, his deep voice resonating throughout the hall. "While the Kinokuni family has perfected the art of soba, their narrow focus has limited their vision."
"Understood, Chef Marshal," Nene quickly responded, bowing slightly in acknowledgment.
She then turned to Sui, conceding gracefully, "You win. You can take any prize you want from the Soba Research Society."
"Oh, Sui, you did it! You beat this irritating woman," Kuga crowed, sauntering over with pride.
"What do you want, you shorty?" Nene snapped back, clearly annoyed.
"Who are you calling short, you yellow-faced bookworm?" Kuga retorted without hesitation.
As the two bickered, Sui shook his head and walked away, feeling somewhat helpless.
"Sui, let's go claim our spoils!" Yoshino shouted eagerly, her eyes practically glowing with excitement.
"Go ahead," Sui replied, sighing.
"Let's go, everyone!" Yoshino led the charge, with Soma, Subaru, and the others following, all just as eager to pick out their prizes.
After the group left, Sui quietly returned to the activity room alone.
Suddenly, a system message appeared: 'The host has completed the mission of defeating ten research societies and has been rewarded with a piece of mysterious kitchenware.'
A kitchen knife, shimmering with a faint cold light, materialized in Sui's hand. The blade itself is long, with a smooth, gleaming surface that gives off a subtle, almost otherworldly glow. Its edge is razor-sharp, honed to perfection, capable of cutting through even the hardest of materials with ease. Without even testing it, Sui could tell the blade was exceptionally keen.
He glanced at the description:
—Derous Knife
—Features: Sharp, never dulls.
—Origin: Toriko
Sui's eyes lit up with excitement as he read the features. With the emergence of more high-end fantasy ingredients, some would be incredibly tough to handle. But with this knife, he could easily overcome those challenges. He recalled how, the last time he tried to cut through the bones of a red-haired pig, he broke several of Erina's expensive knives.
At that moment, Yoshino and the others returned, each carrying large bundles. Their loot was impressive.
Yoshino looked like a bandit, with a pot lid on her head, spatulas tucked into her belt, and a few boxes of valuable lacquerware clutched in her hands. Meanwhile, Soma, Ryoko, and others happily slurped soba noodles.
Sui's eyes twitched at the sight. "Did they clean out the entire Soba Research Society?"
Across the way, Nene returned to her own activity room. Though she had lost, she wasn't overly dejected—there were still lessons to be learned.
"At least the campus will be quieter now," she sighed. But as she surveyed the room, she froze.
"Wait… where's everything?"
The once-filled activity room was now barren.
"Did I walk into the wrong room?" she asked, bewildered. "Where is all the equipment?"
"They took it all!" one of her fellow research members cried out, despondent.
"Our funding for this month won't cover the cost of replacing everything!"
Nene was silent for a moment before her expression darkened. "Then we'll just have to steal it from another research society!"
Her gaze sharpened. "And the first target is… the Chinese Cuisine Research Society!"
Meanwhile, Sui and his friends had relocated to a new, larger activity room—previously occupied by the Italian Cuisine Research Society. The spacious room was a welcome upgrade.
"Kinokuni-senpai must be relieved now," Sui mused. "She finally has some peace and quiet."
Just as he finished speaking, a sudden commotion erupted outside.
"Kuga! I challenged you to Shokugeki!"
"Chinese Cuisine Research Society, come out here!"
Sui raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What's happening out there?"
"Oh, someone's causing trouble for a research society," Yoshino replied nonchalantly while continuing to eat her soba noodles.
"Which society would be so bold? Don't they fear Kinokuni-senpai?" Sui asked, bewildered.
"It seems to be the Soba Research Society," Miyoko informed them as she walked in.
Sui: "..."
He had thought the conflict between research societies would die down after this, but it seemed to be escalating instead.
That night, Sui slept in his own room, as Tsundere was occupied elsewhere. The next morning, as he stepped out of bed, his foot landed on something soft.