"I've made up my mind. I must defeat that guy with my own hands." Tendo suddenly stood up, stating his intention with extreme resolve.
Before leaving, he said to Raven, "Jyuka will be in your care for a little longer."
With that, Tendo headed straight for the hospital to find the old butler lying in his ward.
"Please, I beg you, train me starting from the very basics." Tendo was determined.
"Are you saying that even if what lies ahead is hell, you are fearless?" the old butler asked Tendo.
"Yes," Tendo answered firmly.
Seeing his sincerity, the old butler eventually sighed softly. He pulled out a prepared letter of introduction from his bedside. "Take this. I knew this day would come sooner or later, so I prepared this in advance."
Tendo looked at the letter in his hand, feeling confused. The old butler explained, "There is a little-known training ground for culinary skills in this world..."
Just like that, Tendo left the hospital and quickly rushed to the destination: a remote, isolated deep mountain. Inside a small wooden cabin lived an old man who looked exactly like the butler—his twin brother. Tendo began training rigorously under him for several days.
Meanwhile, Raven, accompanied by Hiyori and Kagami, tracked down Ichiro Ikesu at three different restaurants where he was issuing challenges, ready to put an end to the farce.
"Oh, it's you guys again." Ichiro Ikesu looked at Kagami and Hiyori dismissively, recognizing them from the restaurant he had challenged earlier.
"Let me be your opponent," Raven said calmly, looking at the Worm.
"No matter who the opponent is, I will never lose," Ichiro Ikesu declared confidently. He accepted every challenge that came his way.
And so, they all returned to Hiyori's workplace.
"Tell me what you want to compete on," Ichiro Ikesu said, still allowing his opponent to choose any dish, just as before.
"Let's compete with your best dish," Raven said with a slight smile. Since his cooking skills were maxed out, he knew that if he put his full effort into a dish, he would have no rival in this world. Even the cheating Worm in front of him was no exception, because Raven's "cheat" had never been turned off.
"Then let's compete with the most simple and fundamental dish: fried rice." Ichiro Ikesu looked at Raven with interest.
Thus, the two entered the kitchen simultaneously and began their fried rice contest.
To achieve the most perfect state of fried rice, Ichiro Ikesu employed countless techniques, meticulously controlling the moisture content of every single grain of rice and the number of times he tossed the wok. Finally, a dish he considered nearly perfect was finished.
In contrast, Raven's side showed no dramatic movements or complex techniques. He simply prepared a plate of fried rice normally and quickly finished it.
When plated, Raven's dish was in stark contrast to Ichiro Ikesu's, making the latter's lips curl up. He seemed certain the victory was secured.
Kagami could no longer restrain himself. The aroma of the fried rice had awakened the glutton in his stomach. He first tasted Ichiro Ikesu's plate.
Just as he expected, after the first bite, Kagami once again transformed into an angel, about to fly away. It was that exaggerated.
"I'm so happy..." Kagami said.
"Kagami, whose side are you on...?" Hiyori couldn't stand seeing Kagami giving such ridiculously exaggerated praise to their opponent every time.
"He's merely expressing his true feelings," Ichiro Ikesu said confidently. This was why he never cared who the judge was; even if they had a bias, a person's emotions and expressions couldn't lie. Every person who ate his cooking reacted this way.
Next, it was time for Raven's fried rice.
Visually, though the grains were plump and even, it looked like the most ordinary and simple fried rice.
"..."
Kagami took a bite, but he didn't immediately show any reaction. He continued to eat several more bites... remaining silent and not offering a comment... before finally bursting into tears.
"Is it really so awful that it makes you cry?" Ichiro Ikesu asked.
"It's... it's too delicious..." Kagami wore an expression of rapture.
"What?" Ichiro Ikesu, seeing this, took a taste himself out of disbelief. His expression immediately froze.
"Impossible..."
Then, tears began to stream down his face. This was delicious enough to make one cry. Unlike the pleasure that sent one to heaven, this was a sadness—a fear, after the first bite, that he would never be able to eat it again. That's why he couldn't stop the tears.
"I... I lost... No, impossible!" Tasting his first defeat in cuisine, Ichiro Ikesu completely broke down.
He eventually recovered from his emotional state and looked at Raven with cold, murderous intent.
"In that case, I'll just have to eliminate you."
Ichiro Ikesu's body immediately began to change, transforming into a fully molted Mosquito Worm!
"What!?" Kagami was startled.
Hiyori looked on with a strange expression. The chef who had been challenging restaurants everywhere was actually a transformed Worm.
"What, sore loser?" Raven stood there unhurriedly, mockingly addressing Ichiro Ikesu.
"I will become the strongest chef and rule this world in my own way!"
"No one is allowed to be better than me!" The Mosquito Worm's intent to kill Raven was absolute.
It was about to rush forward and attack, but Raven stepped forward, suppressed it with one hand, grabbed it, and bolted out the door.
Kagami immediately gave chase.
With a trademark Toei scene transition, Raven brought the Mosquito Worm to an empty stadium. Unbeknownst to them, many young Worms had gathered there. Every molted Worm can forcibly summon nearby young Worms.
And where there are Worms, Tsurugi Kamishiro naturally appears.
Having just finished a delivery, he was chasing a few Worms and arrived at the stadium, where he met up with Kagami, who had transformed into Gatack.
"Tsurugi... you."
Seeing Tsurugi come to his rescue and mercilessly slaughter the Worms, Kagami's internal conflict grew deeper. No matter how he looked at him, Tsurugi didn't seem like a Worm. He still retained a human heart and was completely unaware that he himself was a Worm.