Multiverse Gourmet Hunter

Standing in the middle of the arena, Eizan Etsuya looked as though every ounce of strength had been drained from his body.

He trembled uncontrollably. His normally immaculate hair was now plastered against his cheeks by the cold sweat pouring from his forehead.

Large beads of perspiration ran down his jaw and struck the floor, yet he did not even seem to notice.

His throat felt as though it had been stuffed with burning cotton.

He wanted to speak.

He wanted to question the result, to argue, to say anything at all.

But every word remained trapped in his throat.

The bewilderment on his face gradually twisted into uncontrollable fury, only for that rage to be swallowed almost immediately by an even deeper panic.

His Elite Ten seat...

It was gone.

The position that had secured his standing at Totsuki and supported the expansion of his business empire had disappeared just like that.

Every scheme he had so carefully constructed, every calculation he had taken pride in, had ultimately been destroyed by a single drop of chili sauce.

Watching Eizan’s face cycle through one expression after another only improved Haruto’s mood.

Unfortunately, before he could enjoy the spectacle for much longer, the residents of Polar Star came charging toward him with cheers and surrounded him in an instant.

"Haruto! That was amazing!"

Soma slapped him hard on the shoulder, his eyes blazing with excitement.

"You actually became one of the Elite Ten before I did!"

Megumi’s eyes were red with emotion, and she was stumbling over her words.

"T-That was incredible, Haruto! I was so nervous I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest!"

Yuki, Ryoko, and the others crowded around him as well, talking over one another as they celebrated his victory.

At the judges’ table, Nakiri Senzaemon watched Haruto standing in the middle of his friends, a trace of satisfaction appearing in his eyes.

In his view, Haruto was already a gemstone that had been polished nearly to completion.

He possessed extraordinary creativity, flawless fundamentals, and the composure to remain steady even under intense pressure.

Having a student like him at Totsuki could only be a good thing.

Senzaemon eventually shifted his gaze toward the devastated Eizan.

A faint trace of regret entered his eyes as he spoke seriously.

"Eizan, it’s time you started putting your attention back where it belongs—on your cooking."

In Senzaemon’s opinion, Eizan’s culinary talent had always ranked among the best of his generation.

In fact, without exceptional skill as a chef, Eizan never could have designed successful business strategies for so many restaurants while ensuring that each of them turned substantial profits.

Unfortunately, Eizan had spent far too much of his time on business schemes, manipulation, and power plays.

He saw nothing but profit and had long since forgotten what cooking itself meant.

His culinary ability had not truly advanced in a very long time.

Eizan did not take a single word of Senzaemon’s warning to heart.

To him, cooking had never been some dream worth devoting his life to.

It was merely a tool.

A tool for making money.

A tool for climbing higher.

He had not enrolled at Totsuki because he wanted to become a better chef.

He had come because the academy could offer him a larger stage, greater profits, and a higher position.

And now, he had lost the Elite Ten seat that served as the most important piece on his board.

He needed to find a solution immediately.

Without his position among the Elite Ten, many of his existing partnerships and long-term plans would suffer serious consequences.

...

Back at Polar Star Dormitory, everyone piled into Marui Zenji’s room and began celebrating Haruto’s promotion to the Elite Ten.

Laughter filled the room. Cups clinked together beneath everyone’s cheers, washing away the tension that had lingered from the Food War.

Looking at the smiling faces around him, Haruto’s own expression softened.

While Polar Star was celebrating, however, the atmosphere inside a luxury apartment near Totsuki Academy could not have been more different.

Eizan sat on a leather sofa, gripping his phone so tightly that his knuckles had turned pale.

Neon light from outside streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting shifting shadows across his face, yet none of it reached the resentment and gloom in his eyes.

Nakiri Azami’s voice came through the phone, heavy with sarcasm and displeasure.

"Eizan Etsuya, you actually lost to a first-year student?"

"You do understand what that means, don’t you?"

Eizan understood perfectly.

By losing the Ninth Seat, he had completely ruined Azami’s arrangement.

Naturally, everything Azami had previously promised him was now in jeopardy as well.

"Because of your mistake, my original plan has to be delayed. I’ll need to find another way to bring additional members of the Elite Ten over to my side."

Azami was clearly in a foul mood.

He had originally intended to begin putting his plan into motion during the Moon Festival.

Instead, this unexpected problem had appeared before he could even get started.

If things dragged on until the third-years graduated, the entire plan could collapse outright.

That was unacceptable to him.

Eizan’s face shifted between red and white as his hand trembled around the phone.

He wanted to defend himself, but every excuse died beneath Azami’s cold tone.

More importantly, Eizan knew exactly what would happen once he lost his usefulness.

Azami would discard him without hesitation.

After a long silence, Eizan forced down his anger and humiliation.

"It was my mistake. I disappointed you."

"But you can rest assured—I’m not letting this end here."

"My Elite Ten seat..."

"I’ll take back everything I lost!"

"I’ll make Haruto pay for this and teach him that stealing what belongs to me was the biggest mistake of his life!"

"But I’ll need support."

"I need enough leverage to challenge him to another Food War for the Elite Ten seat."

The other end of the call fell silent for a long time.

Only the faint hiss of the connection remained.

Eventually, Azami spoke again, his voice completely devoid of warmth.

"I’ll consider it."

It was neither agreement nor refusal.

Just a few casual words.

Yet they were enough to make the tension in Eizan’s body ease.

His grip loosened around the phone, and he released a long breath as hope returned to his eyes.

As long as Azami was willing to consider it...

As long as he could secure the necessary support...

Then he would have enough leverage to challenge Haruto to a true revenge match.

He would personally drag Haruto back down from the Elite Ten.

What Eizan failed to realize was that, on the other end of the line, Azami was leaning back in a leather chair and lightly tapping his fingers against the desk.

His gaze rested on the documents spread out before him.

They were Haruto’s files.

Azami’s expression gradually became serious.

"Special ingredients that have never appeared anywhere before... enough skill to make Eizan stumble... and even capable of triggering Gifting."

"Interesting."

"It seems I should meet this new member of the Elite Ten personally."

"Perhaps he’ll introduce a few unexpected changes."

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