Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 457 - 456: The Unsolvable Situation

Chapter 457: Chapter 456: The Unsolvable Situation

"Shokugeki, shall we continue?"

"Continue!"

Sekiya Takashi wiped his sweat and put away his handkerchief.

He turned around to see Kasuga Shigeru and Kikuchi Musashi looking at him, their eyes clearly reflecting gravity.

No unnecessary words were exchanged.

However, within the heart of the antagonistic head, the initial confidence of certain victory undoubtedly showed signs of collapse.

Even Sekiya Takashi felt his own chances of winning were in freefall.

"Then, Mr. Sekiya, let’s hurry up and get started."

Xia Yu went to wash his hands thoroughly, still wearing his apron, which he hadn’t taken off.

While Sekiya Takashi was thinking, Xia Yu quietly waited.

He glanced at the dining table with its bowls and chopsticks, and the half-eaten ’Bamboo Grove Seven Sages Curry Tofu’, the corners of his lips imperceptibly curling upward.

’Bamboo Grove Seven Sages Curry Tofu’ may certainly not match the extreme flavor creation of ’must-kill’ dishes like ’Seven-colored Sea’ and ’Peacock Dance’, but Xia Yu’s full purple frame rating, near-golden frame ’Bursting Flame’, and the evolved purple ’Inequality of Spices’ endowed the dish with an incredible, enchanting quality.

When ’Bursting Flame’ first advanced to the purple frame, it was enough to frighten Smith and Lancelot into disorientation, causing them to retreat in defeat.

Now, the near-golden frame ’Bursting Flame’ was undoubtedly capable of subduing top-specialized chefs.

If a chef’s kitchen heart wasn’t strong enough, Xia Yu could knock out a top chef just by seasoning alone. He had a clear understanding of his own strength. After all, Yuchuan Ayaka had been working at Xia’s shop for a month, and the two often locked themselves in the kitchen for in-depth exchanges.

Time ticked by.

"Time’s up!"

The Shokugeki supervisor, Keiru Kuushou, checked his watch and said sternly, "One hour of thinking time has passed, Mr. Sekiya, please begin the cooking instruction phase!"

Xia Yu was already waiting in the fully transparent glass kitchen.

"Mr. Sekiya, please go ahead."

"What should I do first?"

"Follow the normal steps, turn on the heat, add broth!" Sekiya Takashi said with a tight face.

"How much broth?"

"One liter!"

"Next, dice the pumpkin, 300 grams, coconut milk, 100 milliliters..."

Sweat began to form on Sekiya Takashi’s forehead.

Xia Yu did as he was told, without cutting corners on any step, sincerely completing each one, exerting his due strength.

This was the most basic integrity. If even this bit of integrity was lost, then there was no point in being a chef at all.

Furthermore.

He looked outside.

Around the glass kitchen, multiple cameras had been set up, all focused intently on this area.

With the recording, if there were suspicions about the chef’s conduct, one could simply review the video for evidence.

Outside.

"Sekiya seems to be struggling!"

Antagonistic leaders were whispering with unease.

"It seems that so far, the amount of ingredients and the process are exactly the same as the original recipe," one leader shook his head.

"The next step is the crucial spice pairing phase."

"If there can’t be any substantial modifications in this phase, this Shokugeki, I’m afraid..."

"Shut up!"

Kikuchi Musashi turned his head to stop the buzzing sounds from behind.

Kasuga Shigeru was silent, but his face was already as grave as still water.

"Stop!"

Suddenly, Sekiya Takashi’s trembling voice emerged from the glass room, cheering everyone up, including Xia Yu, who showed an interested expression.

"First, add cilantro seeds, but decrease the amount by 5 grams!"

As expected!

Hearing this, Xia Yu smiled.

With no way to start with fire control, knife skills, or ingredients.

Sekiya Takashi could only make modifications to the spice framework.

This was also an act of desperation, blindly reaching out to fight based solely on rich experience and instinct.

"And then?" As there were no further instructions, Xia Yu, who was in the process of sautéing the cilantro seeds, couldn’t help but hesitate slightly with his spatula.

Biting his teeth, Sekiya Takashi said in one breath, "Mustard seeds, aniseed, cut the quantity of each in half, just use 15 grams! Moreover, eliminate grains of "paradise, "amomum," and "dried tangerine peel," from the spices. Turmeric, cumin, and pepper powder, a third of the original amount..."

Eh!

While busy, Xia Yu glanced over at Sekiya Takashi with the corner of his eye, who was sweating profusely.

The tycoons really do have a profound foundation.

With just that one command, Xia Yu could roughly deduce Sekiya Takashi’s thoughts.

The original ’Bamboo Grove Seven Sages Curry Tofu’ had too many types of spices; it appeared complicated and heavy, and the quantity of each spice was also too generous, overall giving a strong-tasting combination.

Reducing some spices and their quantities was undoubtedly a move towards a fresher flavor.

"Mint leaves, 50 grams!"

The next words from Sekiya Takashi confirmed Xia Yu’s speculation.

Xia Yu’s lips moved slightly, whispering at a volume he could hear, "What comes next, is probably adding more spices that give a fresh flavor, right? There’s mint already, so include lemongrass, about 30 grams should do... Lemon leaves as well, with their hint of bitterness, yet they add variety to the texture, 20 to 30 grams... Then, hmm, let’s not forget about dill, another fragrant spice, what else?"

He thought while it didn’t stop him from following Sekiya Takashi’s instructions to cook the dish.

"Lemongrass, 30 grams, lemon leaves, 20 grams!"

"Dill, 10 grams!"

Sekiya Takashi didn’t know that, in the unseen tracks above, there were eyes that saw everything, who could dictate his every move.

"Sekiya has lost..."

Tiqie Xianzuowen suddenly spoke.

"Lip-reading?"

Eriina also noticed Xia Yu muttering to himself, but she couldn’t catch any useful information.

Upon hearing this.

Dojima Yin and Tiqie Zongwei exchanged a look.

"What a terrifying kid!" Tiqie Zongwei’s back was covered in cold sweat, "Sekiya is being toyed with in his palm!"

Kikuchi Musashi kept muttering to himself, "Came prepared, came prepared..."

Kasuga Shigeru sighed deeply, a hint of regret in his heart.

If he had just relaxed for the first Shokugeki theme, using each other’s recipes to cook, perhaps Sekiya Takashi wouldn’t be in such a sorry state.

But the second Shokugeki theme, modifying each other’s recipes and giving guidance, using the guided dishes to compete...

Now, it was a checkmate!

"Unless..."

Kasuga Shigeru’s eyes flashed, "Unless the recipe brought out by Sekiya could also stump him, then everyone would end up at a draw!"

An hour later.

The extensively modified ’Bamboo Grove Seven Sages Curry Tofu,’ having undergone a transformative spice framework, was put on the dining table.

The original dish left with less than half of its tofu and sauce, was placed beside the freshly made modified version.

Let’s talk about the visual comparison.

Not considering ’Shuangjiang Tofu,’ but in terms of curry sauce’s color and aroma, that is ’color’ and ’scent,’ Sekiya Takashi’s guided modified version was utterly defeated.

"The gap is somewhat obvious, huh."

Someone said, dropping the comment in the silent kitchen.

"One side flaunts flames of orange, radiant and profound."

"And the other side is..."

Eriina stopped herself, her eyes filled with irony.

"Well, let’s taste before we pass judgment, shall I test the poison?"

After all, having cooked both dishes himself, Xia Yu stepped forward, scooped up a piece of tofu with some dark red sauce, tasted it, then shook his head, "The original Spice Kingdom has collapsed, but no new order has been established."

"A failed dish."

He said.

Sekiya Takashi’s face turned pale; he also took a spoon to taste.

"Why is it like this..."

He staggered back two steps, "This fresh flavor spice framework, I’ve mastered it for a long time, it shouldn’t collapse! Fresh, paired with ’Shuangjiang Tofu,’ isn’t it the perfect match?"

Xia Yu watched him quietly, with nothing but pity in his eyes.

Only when Sekiya Takashi stopped talking to himself did he slowly utter a specific term, "Indra Moon Orange!"

"Thud!"

As if struck by lightning, Sekiya Takashi was dumbfounded.

The spice framework built by the [Spice Inequality] along with the latest Fantasy Spices formed an unsolvable deathblow for Sekiya Takashi.

Only a very few knew that Xia Yu had a recipe in his mind that made active use of the "Indra Moon Orange."