Shirou's Thirty Million Avatars

"So what if we're exposed? Once we share our strength, you'll be the strongest—the kind who can casually destroy a planet. What's there to fear from exposure?"

"Humans are ultimately social creatures. No matter how transcendent I become, I can't exist completely apart from the group."

"Makes sense!"

Several of the Shirous seemed to like his last line, nodding in agreement one after another.

Seeing this, Sakurai Shirou breathed a quiet sigh of relief:

The most dangerous moment had finally passed.

Chapter 53: I Agree to Close the Door

"By the way, why didn't Black Dragon show up today?" Mizukage Shirou asked curiously. "With his strength, he shouldn't be in any danger, right?"

"Black Dragon took leave yesterday. Said he was going to the Dominator of Specters Guild to settle a score. Won't be coming in for the next few days," Celestial Dragon Shirou said casually.

"So he went off to bully some kids."

Mizukage Shirou chuckled lightly, clasping hands with Celestial Dragon Shirou. Then he paused, a hint of surprise flickering across his face.

"Why does everyone love picking on kids so much? Kaido just had an arm torn off by you? For him, that's a total disaster out of nowhere."

"Aren't you the same? You went to Konoha to bully the Nine-Tails. Such a tiny little fox, and you mercilessly chopped off all nine tails. How cruel!"

"Well... we're all the same, haha..."

Sakurai Shirou watched them calmly, analyzing their personalities in his mind.

Looks like these two Shirous aren't exactly good people either. If they're like this, they probably won't be dissatisfied with what I've done, right?

No, you can never be sure about that. Even if they were originally the same person, different experiences lead to vastly different personalities.

"Do you gather here at this time every day?"

"That's right." Celestial Dragon Shirou glanced toward the treasury and smiled. "Over there are some treasures we've each collected. Feel free to use anything that isn't particularly important."

"May I ask, what exactly qualifies as 'particularly important'?"

"Good question! Things that are non-renewable resources. For example, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit—that's a one-of-a-kind treasure. If you want it, at the very least, you should give me a heads-up first, right?"

Celestial Dragon Shirou paused, then added:

"As for gold, healing potions, and other renewable resources you can have as much of as you want—help yourselves. As long as you don't take it all at once, no one here will care."

Sakurai Shirou nodded thoughtfully, confirming once again:

Sure enough, the Shirous here all have mental states leaning toward my younger self, never caring about material possessions.

"How long do the gatherings usually last? When do they end?"

"Anywhere from half an hour to two hours. If something urgent comes up, just leave. After all, we're all the same person—there's no superior-subordinate relationship here."

"Then... I'll head out first?"

"Go ahead. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah."

After Sakurai Shirou left, the others also departed from the White Mist Space one after another.

Food Wars World.

"Damn it! What should I do? If I handle this wrong, my golden finger might turn into a death warrant."

Just then, a knock came from outside the office door.

"Come in."

The door slowly opened, and a young woman in an OL outfit with a fiery figure walked in, head lowered.

"Boss, I'm sorry. The matter... didn't go through."

"And you still have the nerve to see me? What, you want me to teach you how to do your job?"

"No, I... I just..."

"Spit it out. What happened?"

"There's a small restaurant called Yukihira's. Their cooking is amazing. I got carried away and agreed to their condition of settling things with a cooking duel."

"Is your brain located below your neck? Just looking at you, I can guess how it went down."

At that moment, Sakurai Shirou suddenly realized something.

Yukihira? That surname sounds familiar.

"Yaeko, the one who challenged you to a cooking duel—was it a red-haired brat?"

"Yes, a male high school student. Does Boss already know?"

So it's him!

If I remember correctly, that guy Yukihira Soma also ran into trouble with the young lady of Totsuki during his entrance exam.

But the difference was that he had connections and a network, easily passing that hurdle.

I, on the other hand, got stuck at the first step and walked down a path of no return.

"I'll handle this personally. Also, since you failed, you should accept punishment, right?"

"Yes, I accept."

"Come here."

"Yes."

That morning, Yukihira Soma was researching a new dish when a commotion suddenly erupted outside.

"What's going on? It's so noisy out there!"

He didn't want to bother with them at first, but the noise grew louder and louder, forcing Soma to step out of the kitchen.

The moment he opened the shop door, he froze in place.

In front of the shop, a crowd of familiar neighbors were shouting, brandishing kitchen knives, rolling pins, mops, and the like.

And ahead of them, the woman who had come to cause trouble yesterday and been driven off by his cooking stood respectfully behind a fat man.

"What do you want now?"

Minezaki Yaeko leaned close to Sakurai Shirou and whispered:

"Boss, it's him. He drove me off with cooking yesterday."

"Useless. Just cooking, huh..."

Sakurai Shirou waved his hand, and the residents behind him started yelling:

"Close down! Close down!!"

"Soma, hurry up and shut down the Yukihira diner. Don't get in the way of us making big money."

"Yukihira, don't be stubborn. You're closing today whether you like it or not."

This scene left Yukihira Soma dumbfounded.

The neighbors who had stood with him against the enemy yesterday—why were they all backing that construction businessman today?

And they were all glaring at him angrily, as if he had done something wrong.

"What's going on? Uncle Yamazaki, weren't you telling me just the day before yesterday that you'd never close down? Aunt Fujii, how come you changed your mind too..."

"Cut the crap! Close down now!"

"Yeah, yeah! Don't drag us down with you if you're being stubborn."

Yukihira Soma took a deep breath and said loudly:

"Dad's not here, so I'm in charge. I will never close down!"

With that, he turned to Sakurai Shirou:

"You're the one behind this, aren't you? Dare to have a cooking match with me? If I win, you leave this street alone."

Sakurai Shirou didn't reply, just sneered and waved his hand again.

This time, all the residents charged forward aggressively.

"Close down! Close down now!!"

Facing this situation, Yukihira Soma felt a flicker of fear inside, but thinking of the shop behind him and the memories tied to it, his expression gradually hardened.

"Never! No matter what you say, I will never close down. Coward, you fat bastard, you don't even dare to face me in a match."

"Is that so... Then I won't hold back."

Sakurai Shirou snapped his fingers.

The next moment, Soma's neighbor, his childhood friend's father, suddenly charged forward with a kitchen knife.

In Soma's terrified gaze, he stabbed it into his own shoulder. Blood splattered across Soma's face.

"Close down now, Soma. Or I'll die right in front of you."

This scene left Yukihira Soma frozen, standing there stupidly, completely unable to move.

After a long pause, he asked in a hoarse voice:

"Why? Just to make me close down, you'd go this far? How much did he promise you?"

"Close down!"

The blade was pulled out and stabbed into the other shoulder.

It wasn't just piercing his body—it was piercing Yukihira Soma's heart.

"I... I agree to close down."

Chapter 54: There Are Too Many Unreasonable Chefs in This World

Section 54: Chapter 54: There Are Too Many Unreasonable Chefs in This World

With a grimace, Yukihira Soma spoke those words, then glared at Sakurai Shirou and ground out through clenched teeth:

"But I'm demanding a match with you! After it's over, win or lose, I'll close up shop."

"No need for that. Just shut down now."

Sakurai Shirou waved a hand and turned to leave.

"Coward! I've already agreed to close, and you still don't dare to compete?"

Seeing that the other man didn't look back and didn't even slow his steps, Yukihira Soma's face twisted with rage as he roared:

"Scared of losing that badly, you fat bastard? Coward! You lard-ass..."

Amid the barrage of insults, Sakurai Shirou stopped, turned his head, and let out a sneer:

"Kid, don't think the whole world is your parents, obligated to indulge you. A match? If you can jump off a hundred-story building, I'll agree to it."

"You fat bastard! You're just scared of losing..."

Sakurai Shirou said nothing, shifting his gaze to the father of Yukihira Soma's childhood friend, and lightly raised his hand.

In that instant, Minezaki Yaeko sensed trouble and quickly stepped forward to grab his arm, forcing a smile:

"Boss, how about teaching him a lesson?"

"Oh...? You're taking his side?" Sakurai Shirou turned, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he looked at her.

"No... I... I just..."

"Add ten years."

"I..."

"Not willing? I see, the contract's up in three years. Throw away your freedom to help a stranger... Hah."