The sauce slowly seeped into the fish as it roasted, burning away little by little. Kael watched the state of the fish, then pushed it deeper into the flames.
A few minutes later, the sauce had finally burned off completely. With nothing left shielding the fish, the fire kissed the skin directly, releasing a wave of aroma that spread across the hall.
The smell was even more overpowering than the one Kael used back in the Autumn Elections prelims. It swept through the entire venue; most students instantly started swallowing hard.
A few with weaker self-control even had drool dripping straight down.
"It smells amazing… and the char on the fish skin… looks like this dish is already finished."
As Kael pulled out all three fish, everyone could see how different they now looked. The skins were obviously cooked through.
He placed each fish on a separate plate and sprinkled a fine powder over the surface. Instantly, the aroma grew even stronger.
The hall fell silent—everyone was too busy swallowing their own saliva.
If any of them opened their mouths now, they'd probably start drooling.
Kael didn't bother paying attention. This time the cooking itself was simple—mixing the sauce, coating the fish, then roasting it.
By the time he was finished, Megumi Tadokoro had only just finished prepping her ingredients.
"It really is a plain dish… nothing but fish!"
When Kael placed the three plates before the judges, Senzaemon Nakiri and the others were speechless. They'd evaluated countless Shokugeki dishes, but never something this bare.
The plate held only a single fish. No garnish, no decoration—if they judged plating alone, it was zero points.
But taste was what mattered, unless the two dishes ended in a tie.
The judges were curious, so they immediately separated the fish meat with their chopsticks.
The moment the outer layer parted, white steam poured out. The inside was clearly cooked through—still piping hot.
But what shocked them was how unbelievably tender the meat looked. They didn't hesitate to take a bite.
The moment it touched their tongues, the flavor hit them like a shockwave.
"—Hiss… It's hot! But this taste…! The fish looks completely normal, yet the flavor is on a whole other level… and you didn't season the inside at all. What in the world did you do?"
Senzaemon drew in a sharp breath—then his shirt detonated again. This time it didn't merely tear loose; it literally exploded.
The entire hall gasped.
"I seasoned it at the very start. Even though I didn't score the fish or stuff anything into the belly, the sauce seeps inward while burning. The heat and flavor concentrate deeper and deeper.
Once the fish is fully cooked, the outer sauce layer burns off, leaving only the finished crust."
Kael didn't hide anything. The method was simple—the key was the sauce.The formula for that sauce, however, was something he had no intention of revealing.
"No wonder you dared use such a strong open flame… most chefs wouldn't risk that."
Hearing Kael's explanation, the judges finally understood. The main factor was the sauce.
Of course, Kael's precise timing was just as crucial. Even if someone else had the same sauce, they'd likely ruin the fish.
Precision fire control was not easy.
Kael could do it because of his Divine Touch and Divine Sight, adjusting the fish with perfect accuracy as it cooked.
That allowed him to use such intense flames without burning anything.
And the sauce itself required high heat to activate. If the flames were weaker, it would still work—but the effect would be heavily reduced, and the cooking time much longer.
Once Kael's dish was finished, it was only a matter of waiting for Megumi's.
Megumi didn't give up, but the outcome was obvious to everyone.
Her dish received plenty of praise when it was done—but the winner, of course, was Kael.
"Kael, don't leave yet. Come with us to the office. There's something we need to discuss."
Just as Kael was about to leave with Megumi, Senzaemon called out.
"…Something to discuss? Got it. Megumi, go ahead with the others. I'll be there later."
Megumi nodded obediently and hurried off. Kael followed Senzaemon and the others to the backstage office.
Inside were Senzaemon, Leonora Nakiri, Gin Dojima… and Alice Nakiri.
Alice being here was no mystery—her mother was present. Even with their video calls, it wasn't the same as actually being by her side. Alice was only sixteen—of course she wanted time with her mother.
"This concerns two matters. First—your culinary ranking. You'll need to make a trip to WGO headquarters for an assessment.
There have been constant rumors outside about you. I know you don't care about that, but getting your Eight-Star Chef certification isn't troublesome."
Kael immediately understood. If Senzaemon was saying this directly, then Mana Nakiri was clearly behind it as well.
Mana wanting him at the WGO was no surprise—Kael's talent and potential were more than enough for Mana to place her hopes on him.
Mana had already sent him plenty of material to supplement his knowledge, so Kael had no intention of refusing.
"Since you agree, then you'll go with Erina."
At that, Kael and Alice reacted at the same time.
"Erina-san is going too?"
"Erina is going!?"
Kael was surprised because, in the original story, Mana refused to meet Erina until the THE BLUE competition forced her hand. But now she was voluntarily calling her to WGO headquarters—that was unexpected.
Alice, however, was shocked for a very different reason.
There was still Megumi in the dorm she hadn't dealt with—and now her cousin Erina would be going with Kael?
Absolutely not. Alice's sense of danger spiked instantly.
From the beginning, the Nakiri side had warned Kael about Erina's God's Tongue.
Her sensitivity made things complicated—so complicated that approaching anyone was hard for her.
And Erina herself had always been proud, reserved, impossible to get close to.
Until Kael appeared.
Curiosity pulled Erina in, little by little, and before anyone realized it, her attitude toward him had changed. Even now, Erina might not notice it herself—but Alice saw it clearly.
Alice felt a storm incoming.
"I—I'm going too!"
Driven by pure survival instinct, Alice shot up.
"You want to go as well?" Leonora raised an eyebrow.
She knew her daughter better than anyone. Alice acted silly sometimes, but the creation of Nakiri International owed plenty to her intelligence.
"Yeah! Nothing interesting is happening at Totsuki right now. And I wanna see WGO headquarters."
It was a clumsy excuse. Everyone, including Kael, immediately understood her motive.
"Very well. I'll have someone arrange your itinerary."
Senzaemon continued.
"Now onto the second matter."
He placed a stack of letters on the table.
"What's this?"
Kael asked as Gin Dojima pushed them toward him.
"Challenge letters. They're from the Midnight Chefs who've shown up at Totsuki recently. And the one they want to challenge… is you."
"The Midnight Chefs? They've already shown up here?"
Kael wasn't shocked. In manga, protagonists never know about villain groups until the plot demands it—but this world followed reality. Anyone in the culinary world knew about the Midnight Chefs.
And with Kael's growing fame, it was only natural they'd surface.
"That's right," Senzaemon said. "But don't worry. We screened them. The problematic ones never made it here. Those who did—and sent you challenge letters—are the more acceptable group."
"They're impulsive, yes, and reckless, but at least they challenge people through cooking rather than dirty tricks. You can accept their Shokugeki if you want. If you'd rather avoid involvement, I can send them away."
He personally hoped Kael would accept—so long as the stakes weren't outrageous. These people were excellent experience fodder, after all.
Even Gin Dojima didn't have confidence beating Kael now, let alone Seven-Star or below chefs.
Only Eight-Star and above could even try—which meant these challengers were all young Midnight Chefs.
Kael picked up the letters.
"And here's their profile information."
Dojima handed over another stack. Alice leaned in beside Kael, curious.
"…Why are they all so weird-looking? What's with these outfits?"
She flipped through photos—mad scientists, clowns, cutesy mascots, people dressed like they came from some underground torture dungeon…
Not a single normal person in sight.
"They're definitely unusual… Alice, which one do you think I should accept if I pick one?"
Kael asked casually.
Alice tapped one profile. "This one—Bunny Hair. She looks cute. Her ability is weird, her tools are weird, but her Shokugeki condition is really good."
Bunny Hair looked soft and harmless—a beautiful girl dressed like a gentle rabbit. But her Special Ability was "Brutal Cuisine."
Her tools were miniature torture instruments.
Her wager was simple: if Kael lost, he'd pay one yen.If she lost, she'd give him a villa overseas.
He could sell it for a fortune.
This batch of Midnight Chefs wasn't stupid—they knew Kael wouldn't accept outrageous wagers, so they deliberately lowered the stakes. Bunny Hair's one-yen offer was shamelessly tempting.
Beat Kael, and they'd be famous worldwide.
"She's easy to read," Dojima said. "Her chef rank is Seven-Star, far below you. She's clearly hoping her Special Ability will catch you off guard."
"Too bad Kael has a Special Ability too," Alice said proudly. "She has no idea she already lost."