Gift

Chapter 311

"What was that smell…?"

The domineering fragrance that filled Inui Hinako’s nose made her feel as though all the restraints on her body had instantly been blown away by the aroma, leaving her flushed with heat.

It was merely seared sashimi, and made from freshwater salmon, an ingredient unsuitable for sashimi. How could it possibly produce such a fragrance?!

Unable to control herself, Inui Hinako tremblingly picked up a slice of sashimi, cut to the perfect thickness and size, and placed it in her mouth.

Smack~

A live fish flicked its tail and launched itself from the water onto the shore, its tail slapping hard across Inui Hinako’s face.

Yet as the live fish struck her, Inui Hinako experienced an ultimate sensation of luxurious tenderness and freshness. As she swallowed the sashimi, a huge school of fish leaped out of the water after it, burying her as her pure body mingled with those delicious fish…

What incredible deliciousness!

Ultimate freshness and ultimate fragrance blended together, creating this absolute feast for the palate.

After much difficulty, Inui Hinako returned from the fantasy of her mental world. Looking at the dish before her, she could hardly believe it.

She was no ordinary judge. She had once been a culinary genius who held the second seat of the Elite Ten Council!

An utterly ordinary sashimi dish had reached such an unimaginable level that she did not even know how to describe it.

Closing her eyes and savoring it for a long while, Inui Hinako slowly let out a breath, seemingly reluctant to part with the sashimi’s fresh deliciousness still lingering in her mouth.

"The violent fragrance and the violent freshness have fused into one. Though it clearly lacks the heart of its own dish and the soul of its own dish, its domineering flavor alone is enough to meet my standards. Congratulations, you pass."

The soft, sweet smile was no longer on Inui Hinako’s face. Instead, she revealed a trace of emotion.

At that point, no one cared anymore about the outcome of Yukihira Soma’s battle against Takumi.

They all stared fixedly at the sashimi dish still giving off its mouthwatering fragrance.

He had made sashimi from freshwater salmon, and it had even received such high praise for its taste!

It was unbelievable. They simply could not understand how he had done it.

Every chef nearby, including Yukihira Soma and Takumi, felt the crushing dominance of that fragrance.

That fragrance alone was enough to completely rival the dishes made by Yukihira Soma and Takumi!

Combined with the fresh, delicious taste that the instructor said was no weaker than its fragrance, it was impossible to imagine what it actually tasted like…

Inui Hinako’s words also made Xu Yue feel that she truly deserved to be a graduate who had held the Elite Ten’s second seat!

Xu Yue himself knew his shortcomings quite well.

Relying on the brute force of the Mystical Palm Technique and Yang Release Chakra, the freshness of this fish had absolutely surpassed salmon’s limits and peak. Combined with the spice arrangement, the grilling method forcefully brought out the spices’ aroma. In terms of sensory enjoyment, it had already reached the pinnacle of sashimi dishes.

But…

When Xu Yue ate this dish, it possessed only the most basic effects of "refreshed spirit" and "Glowing Cuisine."

What he lacked was…

A chef’s soul, as well as the heart of a true chef!

Still, after spending some time with Yukihira Soma, the man who loved cooking most, he had begun to gain a faint sense of it and find a path forward.

With the Sharingan’s suggestion and hypnosis as support while practicing in front of a mirror, he was confident he could unlock both abilities before this Punishment mission ended.

For now, however, relying purely on violent fragrance, violent freshness, and copied absolute techniques was more than enough to handle some of the hurdles before reaching the Elite Ten.

Even Inui Hinako could not go against her conscience and claim that his dish was unqualified.

After all, she differed in personality from that young lady with the "God Tongue." Because of his earlier "provocation," she could raise the difficulty for him, but she would not reject him endlessly.

If nothing unexpected happened, once time ran out, she would most likely declare all three of them qualified even if he could not produce this dish. They simply should not bring up Food Wars! again.

But now, he had pried open her mouth with brute force, so she…

"Ah~ As for any Food Wars!, I’ll decide on that another day~"

Completely ignoring both Yukihira Soma and Takumi’s evaluation results, as well as the words Xu Yue was about to say, Inui Hinako merrily ran out of the room in an instant.

"…This class is now over. Everyone, get on the bus quickly and line up one by one~"

She directly left behind Yukihira Soma and Takumi, whose contest had yet to be decided, as well as Xu Yue, whom she had originally agreed to face in a Food Wars!. Inui Hinako departed without the slightest burden.

Yukihira Soma and Takumi were both left utterly dumbfounded.

Even Xu Yue wore a pleasant smile.

"As expected of an old-generation Elite Ten graduate. In every respect, she’s beyond comparison to the current Elite Ten…"

Xu Yue had never intended to settle everything at once. He already had his foot in the door; it only depended on whether he could find another opportunity next time…

Yet just then, Xu Yue felt his neck tighten as someone forcefully grabbed him from behind in a chokehold. At the same time, he was fiercely embraced.

He had nearly instinctively deployed his AT Field to retaliate. Fortunately, he did not feel the slightest threat, and his own will forcefully suppressed the reaction, avoiding a point deduction.

"Xu Yue! We’re truly incredibly grateful this time!"

"You were seriously amazing! You gave us hope in those final two minutes!"

Blondie and Glasses clung tightly to Xu Yue from the front and back, their faces filled with excitement and exhilaration.

They had already given up hope, feeling that this was the greatest hurdle of the Punishment mission, that the natives had deliberately targeted the two of them.

Who could have imagined that, in the final two minutes, he would turn things around with strength beyond anything they could imagine?

A benefactor!

A savior!

He had allowed the two of them to stay alive and given them a chance to recover their losses!

If not for him, all their earlier efforts would have gone down the drain, and they would have left burdened with debts from several B-rank missions.

Even Xu Yue, who always put his own goals first and generally did not care much about the means he used, could not help finding their gratitude and tearful words a little strange.

If you got expelled now and waited outside until the mission ended before going home, you would at least only owe several B-rank missions.

But if you stayed on, and kept taking out "loans" from the space, ahem…

"Keep it up. I believe in you."

Xu Yue turned back and gave the two of them a heartwarming smile and an encouraging look…