Shirou's Thirty Million Avatars

"It's not that exaggerated, but it's close."

"This..."

"Do you want to know the grudge between our Nakiri family and him?"

"Yes."

"It started thirteen years ago. Managi had the same God Tongue as you, and her personality in her youth was very similar to yours."

Nakiri Senzaemon paused, then sighed.

"Because of the God Tongue, her palate gradually became more demanding, and after marriage, her temper grew worse."

"Thirteen years ago, when she served as an entrance examiner at Totsuki Academy, she scolded away every single applicant without exception."

"And Sakurai was one of them."

"That... shouldn't be enough to make him hold a grudge to this day, should it?" Nakiri Erina asked hesitantly.

She had done something similar herself, hadn't she? No, she had always spoken honestly and never deliberately made things difficult for others. If it passed, it passed; if not, it didn't.

"It's not just that. A few months later, Managi went to a small restaurant that had rave reviews. She overreacted, and her review caused that place to shut down overnight."

"This..." Nakiri Erina's expression wavered.

Nakiri Senzaemon deliberately glanced at his granddaughter before continuing.

"Sakurai came from a single-parent family. His mother was originally a bar hostess. Saving up enough to open that restaurant must have been incredibly hard."

"After the restaurant closed, his mother fell ill and never recovered. Not long after, she passed away."

"According to my investigation, the main causes were long-term overwork and a broken heart."

Nakiri Erina fell silent, feeling a suffocating weight pressing down on her.

From her mother's perspective, she probably didn't think she had done anything wrong.

After all, having tasted countless exquisite dishes, her palate had become impossibly refined. An ordinary little restaurant could hardly satisfy her.

To her, it might have just been speaking the truth.

But she had underestimated her own influence.

"Then... how did Mr. Sakurai become what he is now? Thirteen years ago, he should have just been a high school student, right?"

"Maybe that's just talent." Nakiri Senzaemon looked up at the sky, his voice full of emotion. "Just like the God Tongue, he has a similar gift for business."

Nakiri Erina was silent for a few seconds before asking, "So, all the recent problems at Totsuki Academy were his doing?"

"Yes. But since he's willing to use fair competition, there's no need to worry too much."

"Really... no need to worry?"

Chapter 60: It's Just a Means

Section 60, Chapter 60: It's Just a Means

About an hour later, Yukihira Joichiro walked into the dining room carrying a dish.

"This is my signature work, made with a lot of effort. Please, enjoy!"

The moment he lifted the lid, the aroma burst forth, instantly filling the entire room.

On the plate sat a whole roasted turkey, with a special sauce on the side.

"I can see you really put a lot of effort into this." Shirou glanced at Yukihira Joichiro.

"So? Ready to admit defeat?" Yukihira Joichiro let out a light laugh.

"No, you've already lost."

If he used something like hypnosis magic, the other party wouldn't be genuinely convinced when they thought back on it later.

So, at a time like this, the best move was to repeat the same trick.

Shirou picked up a dinner knife, reinforced it with Armament Haki, then opened his mouth and lightly ran the blade across his tongue.

Suppressing his body's automatic regeneration, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with a napkin, then shifted his gaze back to Yukihira Joichiro.

This time, the man's face was completely frozen, unable to muster a smile.

He clenched his fist, then released it again. After a few seconds of silence, he asked in a hoarse voice, "Was it necessary to go this far? A single street should be pocket change to you."

"Even if you refused to admit it, I could understand. A chef is supposed to speak through their cooking."

"But this... what is this supposed to be?"

Shirou let out a scoff and spoke slowly. "I think you might be misunderstanding. My recovery is excellent. This is only a temporary loss of taste."

"I see. So that's your weapon?" Yukihira Joichiro frowned, then gave a slight nod, acknowledging Shirou's explanation.

"You could say that."

At first, he had cut his tongue and severed his taste nerves simply because he hated those few seconds of losing control over his mind whenever he ate delicious food.

But now, having gained power from another world, this was just a means to win—no different from magic.

Moreover, compared to Hypnosis Magic, which was hard for people to understand and came with many lingering risks, this method was far more likely to leave others convinced and accepting of defeat.

Shirou used the knife that had just cut his tongue to slice off a piece of turkey, put it in his mouth, then spat it out without changing his expression.

"Then, you lose."

"Yeah, I lose." Yukihira Joichiro let out a long sigh. "No wonder Soma lost the shop. Against an unreasonable opponent like you, I don't think there's a chef in the world who could win."

"I see..."

Shirou turned his gaze toward Nakiri Erina, who stood nearby with a look of fear, and reminded her, "Miss Erina, Yukihira Joichiro lost. The money you promised to lend him..."

"No." Yukihira Joichiro suddenly spoke up. "I'll handle it myself. This is my Shokugeki. I'll pay back the money I lost as soon as I can."

"Oh...? I don't really mind. Can you pay it back within three days?"

"I can't! But I can repay it another way."

Shirou looked him up and down, then said thoughtfully, "In that case, I'm planning to open a Chef Academy soon, to go head-to-head with Totsuki. Are you interested?"

"Sure! Soma is yours from now on." Yukihira Joichiro answered without hesitation.

Shirou stared at him speechlessly, saying nothing.

Seeing this, Yukihira Joichiro knew he couldn't play dumb anymore, and his expression gradually turned serious.

"Soma has a high talent for cooking. I believe he'll surpass me one day."

"Since you're starting an academy, isn't the student more important than the teacher?"

"Or do you think Soma's talent isn't worth that street?"

After saying this, Yukihira Joichiro's gaze unconsciously shifted to the side, as if he dared not meet Shirou's eyes.

He genuinely believed Soma had talent, but surpassing him was just empty talk.

As for being worth a street, that was pure boasting.

Still, in negotiations, it all came down to momentum.

"Your words carry a father's subjective view of his son, but I'll agree. Use your son to settle the debt."

Yukihira Joichiro was startled inwardly, thinking:

He actually agreed! Could it be that Soma really has some talent I don't know about?

Maybe I should test the waters.

"Wait. Besides the debt, I want that street too!"

"Oh...?" Shirou paused for a few seconds, then nodded slightly. "Fine."

Trading a street, plus money equal to that street, for Yukihira Soma—it was a good deal.

After all, he was the protagonist of a Gourmet Anime. He was worth that price. No loss.

Yukihira Joichiro rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought:

What's going on here? That kid Soma only has decent perseverance. Nothing else special about him.

Well, whatever! If I can get the street back by trading him, Soma will be happy when he finds out.

"Then it's settled. But Soma has been locked in his room since yesterday afternoon. No matter what I say, he won't come out. You might have to go see him yourself."

"You sure?"

"I'm counting on you!"

"Alright, then I won't hold back."

A faint smile curled at the corner of Shirou's mouth as he thought:

Crushing young chefs—that's what I do best.

Just as he was about to stand and leave, Nakiri Erina couldn't help asking, "Wait! Why did you cut your tongue? Why go that far just to win? Is victory really that important to you?"

Shirou stopped, turned back to look at her, and said in a low voice, "That's right. Exactly that. This is a world where everything is decided by the outcome of a Shokugeki. Since I can't be a chef, I naturally have to use other means to increase my chances of winning."

As Shirou reached the door, Nakiri Erina suddenly took a deep breath and said loudly, "I... I will definitely make a dish that moves you."

Shirou turned back again and let out a scoff. "Then I'll be waiting for you to make a dish that even someone without taste buds can cheer for."

A room, its doors and windows shut tight, curtains drawn completely to block out every sliver of light, leaving the space in total darkness.

In the corner of the room, Yukihira Soma lay motionless on the bed, the events of yesterday afternoon replaying endlessly in his mind.

It was something that had utterly shattered his worldview, leaving him with an indescribable sense of confusion and helplessness.

In his ingrained understanding, everything could be settled with a Shokugeki.

He had encountered plenty of troublesome customers growing up, but every time, Dad would drive them off with his cooking.

Even those who came specifically to pick a fight would be won over after tasting Dad's dishes.

That scene was just too cool.

So, he had done the same.

But even though the steps were identical, the outcome was worlds apart.

His friend's father getting hurt—he couldn't escape the blame for that.

If he had asked a few more questions when that woman came the day before yesterday, maybe he wouldn't have been left helpless, watching it all unfold when they returned yesterday.

Back then, when the knife stabbed into his shoulder, his eyes were full of pleading, the hand gripping the blade trembling nonstop, and his voice and expression were just like those desperate, cornered people you see on TV.

He didn't know what had happened to him, but it was clear that fat merchant had used some despicable method to push him to the edge.

"What would Dad do?"

Chapter 61: At Least Trust Me a Little

Section 61, Chapter 61: At Least Trust Me a Little

"Is there a perfect solution? Or should I have agreed to transfer the restaurant on the first day?"

"If I had, then none of what happened the next day would have occurred."