Only Hoshino, Aka-ri, and Tohru remained. Tohru was currently devouring her meal, with three Golden-tier Xianxia Chunshun Lion Heads in front of her, her face filled with happiness.
"Exquisite! Exquisite! It's truly too delicious! This dish tastes even better than yesterday's squirrel mandarin fish, and by a lot! It feels like a qualitative leap!"
Because she lacked vocabulary, Tohru couldn't think of suitable adjectives, so she could only continuously praise the deliciousness and amazingness of the dish. If nothing else, this was definitely the best thing she had ever eaten in her life!
This also meant that while she used to gobble down her food, now she chewed slowly and carefully. She simply couldn't bear to swallow such a delicious meal in one bite, and savoring it in small bites had become a habit.
Compared to her, Hoshino Sora seemed much more normal over the three days. He ate at a moderate pace, chatting as he went, looking quite cheerful.
"Ding, ding, ding."
However, just as the four of them were having their late-night snack, the wind chimes at the entrance gently swayed, producing a jingling sound. Hoshino Sora instinctively looked up and saw a young girl wearing a Butterfly Ninja haori.
The girl had beautiful, fine black hair, with the ends of her bangs in front being purple. She wore her hair in a night-party style, and if let down, it would reach approximately her collarbone.
"Excuse me, can I still order now?"
Looking at Hoshino Sora and the others seated together, Butterfly Ninja stepped forward, her gaze fixed on the young man sitting among the girls, her voice soft and exceptionally gentle.
"Yes, you can. I recommend the Xianxia Chunshun Lion Head, which is the same dish as this one. Besides that, there's also squirrel mandarin fish, Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, and more…"
Looking at the heroic face so close to him, Hoshino Sora was a little surprised. He hadn't expected to be in the Demon Slayer World again, only this time the guest had changed from Kanroji Mitsuri to Butterfly Ninja.
The young girl in front of him had purple pupils and wore a butterfly hair ornament at the back of her hair. This ornament was primarily mint green with deep purple edges.
She was dressed in a Demon Slayer Corps uniform, over which she wore a haori with a butterfly wing pattern. If he remembered correctly, this haori was a memento from her deceased elder sister, Kanae Kocho. When the haori spread in the air, its shape resembled a butterfly.
Looking at the haori on the young girl, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but guess the timeline of Demon Slayer in his mind. At this stage, he didn't know if Tanjiro had graduated yet.
"Okay, do you have any ginger-pickled vegetables here? And some congee."
"Not at the moment, but if you come often in the future, I can prepare some for you."
"Thank you."
Forget it, this wasn't something he should be worrying about.
Looking at the bowing young girl in front of him, Hoshino Sora thought, his main job was to wholeheartedly serve delicious food.
Consider it a reward for her efforts in slaying demons.
So, Hoshino Sora returned to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, the young man's movements were skilled. In no time, he had all the dishes prepared, brought them out on a large plate, and then went straight to Butterfly Ninja's side.
"This is the Xianxia Chunshun Lion Head, and this is a jar of ginger-pickled vegetables. It will be ready to eat in about three or four hours. You can take it with you or leave it here.
This here is Brown Sugar Glutinous Rice Cake. It's steaming hot, so I recommend taking a bite first. It tastes best right out of the pot, and it definitely won't disappoint you!"
Besides the Xianxia Chunshun Lion Head prepared for her, the plate also thoughtfully included a jar of Hoshino's secret recipe ginger-pickled vegetables, and freshly fried Brown Sugar Glutinous Rice Cake.
Speaking of the Brown Sugar Glutinous Rice Cake, it looked sticky before frying, but after frying, it became golden and crispy. Then, drizzled with a spoonful of hot liquid brown sugar, it was simply perfect!
"Thank you, I'll dig in."
Looking at the ginger-pickled vegetables in front of her, a hint of brightness appeared in Butterfly Ninja's eyes, but she didn't rush to taste them. Instead, she first ate the dish Hoshino Sora recommended.
That Brown Sugar Glutinous Rice Cake.
This was out of respect for the other party's recommendation.
It exuded the unique aroma of brown sugar—rich, sweet, and the distinct sticky rice fragrance of the glutinous rice cake. Especially after being completely soaked in brown sugar, the aroma became exceptionally pronounced.
The taste should be quite good too.
With this thought, Butterfly Ninja picked up her chopsticks and took a piece of Brown Sugar Glutinous Rice Cake. As the chopsticks touched the glutinous rice cake, it immediately dented, and both sides were squeezed open.
This also allowed it to pick up more brown sugar, sending a dual storm of stickiness and sweetness into her mouth.
As she chewed, Butterfly Ninja's eyes grew brighter and brighter, because this stuff became more delicious with every bite. It not only had brown sugar but also bean flour! Paired with the crispy glutinous rice cake, the deliciousness doubled!
Before tasting it, Butterfly Ninja would never have imagined that such an ordinary-looking Brown Sugar Glutinous Rice Cake could be so delicious. She couldn't stop eating it, bite after bite.
"A little full…"
In an instant, a large plate of Brown Sugar Glutinous Rice Cake was cleared, and Butterfly Ninja's small belly bulged. Her appetite was not large to begin with, so eating such a large plate of food made her feel full, which was normal.
Even so, Butterfly Ninja still didn't put down her chopsticks. Instead, she turned her gaze to the coconut pot in front of her. The rich, fresh aroma made her mouth water. For the first time, she truly understood what gourmet food was.
That's right, Hoshino Sora's cooking was enough to overturn all her perceptions of gourmet food, especially this dish in front of her. Just looking at it made one's appetite increase manifold!
Large meatballs paired with caviar, garnished with a green leaf, and the accompanying chicken soup emitted an enticing freshness. Taking a sip first, it was the ultimate in umami.
Her brows involuntarily twitched. Then, using her chopsticks, she broke open the meatball, picked up a small piece, and put it into her mouth. A refreshing coolness spread from the dish, soothing her heart.
This coolness didn't come from a physiological sensation, but from something deeper, from the soul, like the comfort of drinking a cold soda on a scorching summer day.
Closing her eyes and savoring the taste, Butterfly Ninja didn't react as exaggeratedly as others, but her hair, moving without wind, clearly indicated the deliciousness of the dish.
One bite, two bites, three bites—Butterfly Ninja could maintain a relaxed demeanor at first, but as the dish entered her mouth, her composure quickly crumbled.
Eventually, she swallowed the remaining quarter of the meatball in one go. It was hard to imagine such a small mouth could open so wide, making Hoshino Sora have some unhealthy thoughts.
However, thoughts are thoughts; showing them on one's face is hooliganism. To outsiders, Hoshino Sora still appeared to be a refined gentleman, neatly dressed, exuding an elegant aura from head to toe.
"How was it? How was today's recommended dish from our restaurant?"
Looking at Butterfly Ninja, who had a satisfied expression but remained silent, Hoshino Sora asked with a smile, eagerly anticipating her praise.
"Extremely delicious."
Looking at Hoshino Sora, who was eagerly awaiting praise, Butterfly Ninja nodded at him, smiled slightly, and made a polite gesture, but offered no further comments.
"I'll come again next time."
After saying this, Butterfly Ninja stood up and reached for her purse to pay, but Hoshino Sora stopped her, accidentally touching her hand in the process.
But Butterfly Ninja didn't mind. Instead, she looked at Hoshino Sora's face with a puzzled expression, somewhat unsure of what he was doing.
"No need. My ancestor once said that if someone carrying this style of knife came to dine, they should be served for free, as a small token of goodwill. I have always kept this teaching in mind."
Because he didn't know if accepting money from people from the original world would still grant him rewards, or what extent it would affect them, Hoshino Sora quickly fabricated a reason, hoping to bluff his way through.
"But it's only right to pay for a meal. I'm already very satisfied that you let me eat such delicious food."
Saying this, Butterfly Ninja placed the money on the table. Then, after leaving this remark, she quickly departed the restaurant. She had come with a mission, and this was just a temporary energy replenishment.
However, she seemed to have replenished a bit too much by accident.
Touching her noticeably larger belly, Butterfly Ninja gave a wry smile. She could only blame the restaurant's food for being too delicious, making her unable to stop once she started eating.
On the other side.
[Congratulations, Host, for successfully hosting Butterfly Ninja. You have gained the skill: Toxin Extraction]
Upon hearing the system's prompt, Hoshino Sora was stunned, a bit confused about the situation. Was this telling him to poison the customers' food?!
This system definitely had a rebellious streak!
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