Chapter 28: Rainbow Seasoning
The moment Haru took his first bite, he immediately sensed something unusual.
The table before him was laden with an impressive spread of dishes, all meticulously prepared by Menchi. Vibrant and aromatic, the dishes ranged from meats to vegetables, and even flowers—culinary creations unique to the Hunter world that Haru couldn't even begin to recognize. Menchi's skills as a chef, renowned to the point where Ginta admitted no one could surpass her in culinary mastery, were on full display. Even something as humble as cabbage melted in the mouth under her magic, and the simplest fish became a delicacy worth savoring.
But that wasn't the point.
The moment Haru took a bite of the fish, he felt a sudden surge of warmth within him.
The heat spread through his body, as if unblocking hidden channels and reinvigorating every pore. Most notably, his depleted Nen reserves—diminished after a day of rigorous training—were now recovering at an astonishing rate. It was as if the very essence of the meal had infused his aura, boosting both his energy and stamina in an almost miraculous way.
Haru didn't say a word. He simply grabbed his chopsticks and began devouring the dishes at lightning speed.
Though he remained silent, Menchi could tell from the look on his face and the sheer enthusiasm in his eating that her efforts had been a resounding success. She beamed with pride, straightening her posture and summoning a container into her hand through a swirl of aura.
"Rainbow Seasoning! This is the Nen ability I've developed!" Menchi twirled the container in her hand with flair. Haru, though absorbed in the food, was listening. For a chef, his voracious appetite was the highest compliment, and Menchi was basking in her triumph. With dramatic emphasis, she explained, "Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet—seven colors, seven functions! The Nen-infused seasoning in this meal? Let me demonstrate…"
She gave the container a shake, and green flecks shimmered out, glowing faintly with vibrant energy. It seemed to radiate life itself.
"Green for recovery!"
Haru blinked. Did she develop this ability because my recovery speed irritated her so much? He glanced at Ginta, who was calmly eating. For all the brilliance of Menchi's Rainbow Seasoning ability, Haru suspected it came with some limitations.
Menchi, as if reading his mind, proudly declared, "I'm a chef, so I can't lie to myself—if the dish isn't perfect, this ability won't work! Only meals I consider worthy can activate the Rainbow Seasoning!"
Though this self-imposed rule might seem restrictive, Menchi treated it as a badge of honor, a testament to her skills as a chef.
Clutching her seasoning container, her eyes gleamed with the excitement of discovery. "Nen is just… so fascinating! Heehee!"
Haru, now curious, asked, "So if green is for recovery, what do the other colors do?"
"Red is for combat~" Menchi teased with a mischievous grin. She dematerialized the container with a flourish. "As for the others? That's a secret!"
Haru chuckled. "Good. If you told me everything, I'd feel obligated to explain my abilities in return. And that'd be—"
"Orange is—"
"Wait, why are you pulling out your knife?!"
Their usual bickering filled the air, though Ginta paid no mind, calmly finishing his plate. Wasting such exquisite food would be a crime, after all.
And so, the new year began with a full belly and plenty of laughs.
---
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye, bringing the calendar to January 10, 1995.
Haru did a quick mental calculation: it had been nearly twenty days since he arrived in this Hunter's world, and over half a month since he began his Nen training. Every single day, he gave it his all.
…Even when his "all" was an autopilot grind courtesy of his star-marked self-training system.
Yet as time passed, Haru relied less on the star mark to train. The rigorous discipline of daily practice had hardened his resolve, enabling him to push through grueling routines entirely on his own. The results of his efforts were unmistakable.
In just over two weeks, he had built a solid foundation in the four basic principles of Nen—Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu. His mastery of advanced applications like Gyo, Ken, Shu, and Ko was enough to earn Ginta's quiet approval.
His progress in the Enhancement category was particularly impressive. He could now unleash aura bullets of considerable power with ease. His ultimate move, Flicker Finger Shot, no longer required extensive charging and could deliver devastating results with minimal preparation.
As for Manipulation…
Haru, deep in meditation, maintained a Ken for over an hour without breaking a sweat. Even as he trained, his mind was busy exploring a new application of his abilities.
This new ability was a development of his Manipulation-based Song of Earth.
Unlike the star mark, this was a "moon mark." Haru glanced at his palm, where a dark gray crescent-shaped mark shimmered faintly.
The idea for this ability came from the mental link he had previously established with his star-marked creatures. By isolating and refining the "communication" aspect of his powers, he had created the Crescent Moon Mark.
In his vision, this was the second piece of a larger "Sun, Moon, and Stars" system of marks. If he ever developed a "sun mark," it would need a more elegant name to match. For now, the Crescent Moon Mark—or simply Lunar Mark—was designed purely for telepathic communication.
As for the range of this mental link? That was a question for future experiments.
The most tangible result of his training, however, was the exponential growth of his aura reserves.
When he first started, his total aura capacity barely reached 100 units. Back then, creating just one star mark left him completely drained.
Now…
After holding a Ken for over an hour, Haru wasn't even close to running out of stamina. He had tested himself with a timer earlier—if he pushed to his limits, he could now maintain a Ken for a staggering 100 minutes.
His total aura capacity? 6,000 units! This meant he could now deploy nearly 100 star marks in quick succession without exhausting himself.
In raw aura reserves, Haru had already doubled the combined average capacity of Gon and Killua by the end of the Greed Island arc.
---
"You're still at it? You're insane…"
Menchi's voice snapped him out of his meditation. She approached, holding a plate of stir-fried pork. With a flick of her hand, she conjured a sprinkle of green Rainbow Seasoning over the dish.
"Have you heard about the new commotion in town? Apparently, Blanchett Corporation finally received official clearance from Kakin Kingdom. They're allowing Oichem officials to investigate the protected zone. Seems like they're recruiting help—whether civilian or professional."
"Are you interested?" Menchi handed him the plate, grinning. "I'm thinking of joining. Or are you planning to scam more tourists with your street act?"
Haru took the plate, savoring a bite of pork as his aura reserves rapidly replenished. He smirked. "Why not? I think it's time to step out of training and recruit a teammate of my own."
(Chapter end)