"What?!—"
Ten minutes later, Roka Maniwa and Koharu Kurama stared blankly at Erina and Momo Akanegakubo as they descended before them.
"Good day. I am Erina Nakiri, and I also serve as the Commander's personal chef."
"Mm... It seems the two of you run this confectionery shop. In that case, how about we play a little game between chefs?"
"Huh? What kind of game?"
"A culinary duel using desserts?!"
It was the first time Roka and Koharu had ever heard of a duel between chefs.
"Yes. We'll compete using the desserts each of us specializes in most."
Erina smiled.
"Should you win, you may make a wish of the Starsea Empire. We can grant nearly any wish, even if you ask for a star."
"But should you lose... How about obediently agreeing to our request?"
"What?"
Roka froze.
She had originally been worried that if she truly wanted nothing more than to remain at Tashinoya and idle away her days in Hoori, the other party might become angry and resort to coercion.
Yet instead, they had sent two chefs to play a game with her?
"Uh... Is this a culinary duel with our futures at stake?"
"The two of you possess some talent in confectionery. Leaving you in this little town would be rather wasteful."
Erina spoke with a smile.
"Come to the Starsea Empire. We will show you a much broader world, and your skills will be able to advance much further in the future."
"Huh?"
While Roka was still hesitating, Murasame, who had been watching the excitement, was the first to start making a fuss.
"A dessert duel? Wonderful!"
"I want to watch! I want to watch! Roka, just agree to it!"
"The Commander is really amazing. You won't lose out regardless of whether you win or lose, really!"
The little blade merely wanted to eat more desserts, so she decisively stepped forward to fan the flames.
"Huh? Even Lady Murasame says so..."
Faced with a request from Hoori's guardian deity, Roka felt she had no way to refuse.
She considered it for a moment.
Her pride as Tashinoya's successor began to burn fiercely.
Had the competition involved combat, magic, or anything else, Roka would have surrendered on the spot. However, when it came to desserts, she also wanted to witness the standards of that legendary interstellar empire.
"All right. I accept."
She nodded.
"What are the rules?"
"We will hold a two-versus-two Food War. Each team will work together to create a dessert set and present it to the judges for evaluation. They will determine the winner."
"As for the ingredients... We can borrow Tashinoya's supplies, can't we? Or should you prefer higher-quality ingredients, you may obtain some from the Astral Express."
As she spoke, Erina looked toward Setsuna.
"Commander, who should serve as the judges?..."
"That's easy. Just choose locals."
Setsuna patted Yoshino, Mako, and the little blade.
"Would the three of you have any objections to serving as judges?"
"No objections! I will absolutely evaluate everyone's dishes fairly!"
The little blade agreed without the slightest hesitation.
"Oh, but Master has to feed me."
"Huh?"
Yoshino Tomotake was startled.
"Me?"
"Of course. You're the princess of the Tomotake family, so you're perfectly suitable, aren't you?"
"Mm..."
After thinking for a moment, she also agreed.
"All right. I... I will also judge both teams' creations fairly."
"Since both Lady Murasame and Lady Yoshino have agreed..."
Having Yoshino Tomotake and Murasame, the two most respected figures in Hoori Town, serve as judges greatly reassured Roka.
"All right. I'll do my best!"
"Ohhhhh—"
The entire Astral Express crew gathered to watch the excitement.
"Is this the first interdimensional Food War? Erina Nakiri and Momo Akanegakubo versus Roka Maniwa and Koharu Kurama."
"Ah, professionals against amateurs. This feels a little cruel."
...
Bang—clatter!
The two teams of chefs busied themselves in Tashinoya's kitchen.
"This appears to be a small, family-run confectionery shop. In that case, why don't we prepare something more homestyle? What do you think?"
Erina asked while working.
"Up to you. You wouldn't lose even if you competed alone, would you? No, wait. If we lose, I'm the one who'll suffer. The Commander would never punish you..."
Momo Akanegakubo hugged her stuffed toy and narrowed her eyes as she spoke.
"So fast!"
From the very beginning, Roka and Koharu felt immense pressure.
Their opponents moved with effortless fluidity, mixing batter, whipping egg whites, and blending ingredients at dazzling speed.
With only a glance, they could select the highest-quality item among the available ingredients.
The techniques of Totsuki chefs were unlike anything they had ever seen. It was as though they treated the kitchen as a stage, freely displaying their exceptional culinary skills.
Hoori Town's local confectioners could not understand why they performed each step that way or what effect those methods would produce.
"Amazing..."
Roka stared in a daze and unconsciously sighed in admiration.
"Erina, remember to make some extra. Everyone is waiting to eat."
Gudako waved.
"Usually, only the Commander regularly gets to eat your cooking. Since we finally have an opportunity, let us try some too."
"Certainly."
Without pausing her movements, she poured the custard mixture into molds before cooking it in a frying pan to create thick pancakes. Momo Akanegakubo had already prepared the decorative syrup and carefully drizzled it over the top.
The two worked together seamlessly, every movement and procedure complementing the other perfectly.
"Mm—"
Half an hour later.
"Finished."
Both teams completed their creations one after the other.
Yoshino, Mako, and the little blade sat at the table, feeling both nervous and expectant.
"Ahem. We will first evaluate the creations of Roka Maniwa and Koharu Kurama."
Roka and Koharu served several plates of exquisite sweets.
"This is our newly improved matcha-flavored crystal shaved ice, along with a dessert combining fruit and coffee..."
"Lady Yoshino, Lady Murasame, please enjoy."
"Mmm!"
The little blade used Setsuna's finger to taste a bite, savoring it carefully for quite some time.
"Delicious! As expected of Roka!"
Yoshino and Mako praised it at the same time. In Hoori Town, Tashinoya was the finest confectionery shop in the entire town.
Even after eating there for so many years, its flavors remained exactly as wonderful as ever.
Every resident had nothing but praise for Roka and Koharu's skills.
Then...
Whoosh—
When Erina and Momo Akanegakubo presented their creation...
"Ah..."
The mere fragrance caused Mako and Yoshino to experience strange physical reactions.
Their faces flushed as they twisted restlessly in their seats.
What is this? Did they drug the food?!
Could it contain some prohibited substance or magical potion?!
Shiro complained furiously inside her mind.
"Standard behavior from Totsuki chefs. There's no need to make such a fuss."
"This is Soufflé Léger de Grâce, one of the Commander's favorite after-dinner desserts."
Erina announced a long name that no one could understand.
"...It's magnificent."
Yoshino examined it.
Judging by appearance alone, the professional chefs were clearly far beyond Roka and Koharu.
The thick pancakes were stacked on the plate like a tiny castle, covered in a thin layer of refined fruit syrup and shaved ice. Their presentation was both beautiful and extraordinary.
It was the sort of creation one could normally see only on television or in certain food anime.
"Then, thank you for the food..."
Everyone simultaneously cut off a small piece and placed it in their mouths.
The next instant...
"Mmm!!—"
Boom!
An indescribable flavor exploded across their tongues. Golden light radiated in every direction while majestic background music rang in their ears.
"Ah—"
Everyone inside Tashinoya simultaneously released a soft moan.
Riiip!
Merely from smelling the fragrance, the clothes covering Roka and Koharu burst apart.
Bang!
Yoshino and Mako felt an incomparably powerful energy erupt within their bodies, instantly reducing every piece of clothing they wore to dust.
All that remained before Setsuna's eyes were patches of snowy white skin.
Mm. They did not look particularly impressive while clothed, but aside from the little blade and Koharu, everyone was actually quite well endowed.
Secretly enormous breasts were a signature feature of Yuzusoft.
"Th-This flavor... What kind of delicacy is this? My goodness!"
Yoshino could not describe what she had tasted with words. While Roka's cooking belonged within the category of "delicious," Totsuki's chefs had already reached the domain of "divine."
The overwhelming flavor blossomed inside her mouth, and she seemed to enter a hallucination. She found herself standing within a beautiful forest where the fresh fragrances of wild fruit, flowers, and leaves mingled in the air. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy in scattered beams, casting patches of golden light upon the ground.
Every chew and every breath felt like a purification of the soul. Her heart and mind became refreshed, and all her worries drifted away with the fragrant air.
"Hah... Hah..."
By the time she regained her senses, she and Mako were sprawled over the table, completely drained and panting heavily, as though they had spent several days at an orgy.
"My goodness... That flavor..."
Yoshino pressed a hand to her chest as she savored the lingering taste in her mouth.
It was unparalleled.
Although it felt somewhat rude and unfair to Roka, the two sides simply did not exist within the same dimension.
The difference was obvious at a glance.
"Hm?"
She felt as though something was missing from her body. When she lowered her head to look, she suddenly screamed.
"Ah!!—My clothes!!!"
"Aaaaaah!—"
Mako, Roka, and the others returned to their senses and hurriedly covered themselves. Unfortunately, their figures were too conspicuous. Covering one place left another exposed, and no matter where they placed their hands, it was never enough.
"W-W-W-W-What is going on?!"
"This is the innate skill of Totsuki chefs, clothes bursting apart. Isn't it perfectly normal for your clothes to explode when you eat delicious food?"
Setsuna admired the young women for a moment and laughed.
"Ah—"
"How is that normal?!"
The natives' faces grew redder one after another.
"Commander, did you do this on purpose?!"
"There are no outsiders here. Don't worry."
"Oh, thank you... Wait, no! That's not the problem!!"
The girls wailed.
"Haven't you been staring at us this entire time?!"