"Deliciousness never loses its luster because of waiting."
Balancing the flat wooden board steadily in his hand, Okabe met Adana's gaze with a calm look.
Subsequently, he noticed the deep pot in Cato's hand. Although sealed with thick banana leaves and vines, it still radiated an astonishing heat, and a rich aroma was seeping out from within.
Okabe shrugged his nose tip and said, "The dinner you served is curry? I see. Among the three items you carried, there must be spices for making curry."
As this mysterious Sequence 5 had never appeared publicly at Tōtsuki, Okabe knew very little about her, only that she came from Indonesia and excelled in various Indonesian cuisines.
However, he truly hadn't expected the opponent to serve curry in the first day's assessment.
It wasn't that there was anything wrong with curry. Rather, on this remote and strange small island, finding all the raw ingredients to make curry was extremely difficult.
Even if Adana was a native of this kind of deserted island, it would be impossible to find all the necessary spices in such a short time, let alone the fact that she was also an outsider. The only possibility was that she brought the spices with her.
"Smart. I utilized my own secret curry blend, paired with some ingredients found locally, to process the curry with an island style."
Hearing Okabe's words, Adana snapped her fingers with some delight.
She looked at the man in front of her, the inquiry in her eyes turning into provocation: "On the other hand, you came over holding a broken wooden board, specifically covered with leaves, and so far, not a single scent has emerged from it.
Could it be that you didn't have enough ingredients to make a good dish, so you brought a failed product just to make up the numbers?
Well, it makes sense. The wild is not a comfort zone for a chef like you who lives in a 'kitchen where all ingredients are available'. Even the super-powerful Sequence 1 would only be stretched to the limit in this situation, right!"
After saying this, Adana sighed with pretended pity, then patted Okabe's shoulder with great 'understanding' to tell him that this wasn't his fault.
"That doesn't require your concern. I know the state of my cuisine well enough. As for you, occupying the advantage of favorable timing and location, if you still can't make a dish better than mine, it will be very embarrassing when the time comes."
Feeling the weight on his shoulder and hearing Adana's presumptive words, Okabe did not get angry. He simply carried the wooden tray and strode toward the judging panel.
Seeing this scene, Soma Yukihira and the others standing behind him tacitly remained silent, merely confronting Cato and the others with calm gazes.
Their dish would become their most powerful rebuttal! This was what they had spent the entire afternoon researching—the best cuisine for island survival!
When Okabe and the others approached the judges' table, a group of people was already gathered there; they were students whose dishes had already been evaluated.
At this moment, watching a dish being praised repeatedly by Gin Dojima and even given a high score of ninety, they couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"This is a bit too exaggerated!"
"Those guys can actually make a dish that the judges sincerely praise under such harsh conditions. Is this the strength of the Top 10 Sequence!?"
"Exactly. I only got seventy points; I'm not even in the same weight class as them!"
Okabe leaned his body closer to observe, and subsequently discovered with surprise that the ones being fawned over in the center of the crowd were precisely the Nakiri Team led by Erina Nakiri.
What they served was a medicinal herbal stew pot. Inside were wild yams cut into diamond shapes, unknown gray-brown mushrooms with thick caps, several segments of pale yellow plant rhizomes, and a few dark green leaves with serrated edges, all bobbing slightly as they floated in the soup.
Aside from that, there was the protagonist of this stew pot: pheasant.
"Medicinal Herbal Stewed Chicken? Impressive that you guys could catch a pheasant; I didn't even see one on my side."
While speaking, Okabe had already arrived beside Erina Nakiri. Looking at the medicinal herbal stew pot with little left in front of Gin Dojima, a look of realization appeared on his face.
This stew pot was an item carried by Hisako Arato. As for the medicinal herbs in the stew pot, Okabe could recognize two of them.
One was Night-blooming Jasmine, which has a calming effect and is common by the river. The other was Island Ginseng, which has the effect of replenishing Qi. However, calling it ginseng is actually a eulogism; its true face is actually the enlarged rhizome of a Pueraria plant, which is a different variety of kudzu root.
"It was also our good luck. We encountered a pheasant being preyed upon by a weasel. When it ran in front of us, it happened to be at a stage of exhaustion.
We chased it for a bit and caught it smoothly. As for that weasel, seeing our superior numbers, it ran away while we were chasing the pheasant."
Hearing the familiar voice, Hisako Arato turned around. After seeing the newcomer was Okabe, she was first delighted, then explained softly.
Beside her, Alice Nakiri also looked over, eyeing the wooden tray with a face full of curiosity: "Yo, Okabe-kun, long time no see. What cuisine have you prepared?"
"We've only been separated for a few hours..." Okabe couldn't help but retort.
Subsequently, he placed the wooden board he had been holding up for a long time in front of the judging table and uncovered the small banana leaves that were covering it to prevent dust from falling.
The surrounding people, hearing their conversation, also cast their gazes over. They were all very curious: what kind of cuisine would this young man, who had defeated Natsuo in a Shokugeki, serve at this moment?
It definitely wouldn't be weaker than the previous team, right! This was the thought in their hearts.
"Sashimi? It is unexpectedly simple."
Looking at the monotonous raw fish on the wooden board, Gin Dojima's expression became subtle. Then he looked up at Okabe and the others, asking the question that puzzled everyone present.
Serving sashimi on an island was indeed a very suitable dish. A group had done so earlier; freshly caught sea fish had excellent texture, and slicing it immediately to serve was also a decent dish.
But he had given them sixty-two points.
The advantage lay in the freshness of the sea fish and decent knife skills. The disadvantage lay in the fact that they spent all their time fishing and didn't allocate anyone to search for seasonings. They only used seawater, stream water, and wood ash to make a little sea salt for seasoning. The final flavor presented was very monotonous, and the degree of completion was extremely low.
He had asked that group of students who served sashimi. They said that after separating from the main group, they followed the seawater east and found a dwarf bamboo forest.
So, using the needles and thread they carried, they made a simple fishing rod with thin bamboo. Using earthworms in the soil as bait, five people worked hard for half a day to catch just one fish.
As for the production of sea salt, it was mainly because there was a girl in the team whose family ran a salt industry company, so she was specifically responsible for refining sea salt.
"That's right, this is our dish. However, it hasn't reached its complete form yet. Just because making it at the camp and moving it here would cause a loss of flavor, we came here a step early to complete it here."
Okabe wore a gentle smile on his face, then nodded to Megumi Tadokoro and Soma Yukihira standing behind him.
Megumi Tadokoro and Soma Yukihira noticed Okabe's movement and silently walked out from the end of the line. Others also cast their gazes toward them.
"Playing tricks."
Adana, Cato, and the others had followed Okabe and his group when they walked toward the judges' table. seeing Okabe's posturing scene, they immediately revealed expressions of ridicule.
However, words aside, when they truly saw Okabe's appearance of having a well-thought-out plan, a trace of panic uncontrollably arose in their hearts; they were just trying their best to maintain stability.
It's fine. It's just ordinary sashimi. Without careful cooking, he can't win no matter what he does. Lady Adana's curry is invincible!
Feeling the heavy weight in his hands, such a thought surfaced in Cato's mind, his gaze staring tightly at the hand Okabe extended toward the wooden tray in front of Megumi Tadokoro.
He lifted the small banana leaf, and the things contained on the wooden tray were exposed to everyone's eyes.
They were brown-black crushed Mountain Litsea, fresh Mountain Litsea with branches, and tender leaves of an aquatic plant possessing a minty aroma. At this moment, they were arranged neatly on top.
Okabe first placed the fresh Mountain Litsea with branches on the fish, then layered the brown-black Mountain Litsea crumbs and aquatic plant fragments, allowing both to fall evenly on the sashimi.
After finishing, he continued to sprinkle a layer of light saltwater.
"I see. You actually found Mountain Litsea. No wonder a delightful smell has been faintly permeating the air since just now."
Looking at the Mountain Litsea Okabe sprinkled on the sashimi, Gin Dojima revealed a look of realization. "And you didn't use it directly after obtaining it, but roasted it in an iron pot.
The heat drove away part of its 'rushing' dryness, stimulating its steadier woody fragrance and citrus-like undertones. At the same time, the pepper bodies lost moisture during the roasting process and became crispy, allowing them to fuse better with the fish meat."
One portion of fresh Mountain Litsea, one portion simply roasted—the flavors provided by the two were completely different tastes to those who didn't know the truth.
"Exactly so. Roasting can effectively balance the aroma of the Mountain Litsea while producing some beneficial effects. This was also my initial concept.
However, because there were too few spices, just one layer of taste appeared overly monotonous, so I presented the fresh Mountain Litsea with branches along with it."
Hearing Gin Dojima's commentary, Okabe revealed an expression of having found a kindred spirit. Subsequently, he bent down and opened the wooden bucket Soma had placed at his feet.
Calling it a round bucket, it was actually just a section of a log with the middle dug out by a hand axe, leaving a base. What truly attracted attention was the charred charcoal inside, glowing with sparks.
"It's actually crude charcoal."
In the crowd, Shun Ibusaki had arrived at the scene at some point. Seeing the charcoal strips at Okabe's feet, he opened his eyes and spoke softly.
The so-called charcoal is the product of wood being heated and smoldered under oxygen-deficient conditions. The highest temperature its combustion can reach is much higher than ordinary wood.
And the so-called crude charcoal is charcoal made with imperfect craftsmanship. These few pieces Soma Yukihira and the others took out were formed during the burning of the bonfire; the outer layer underwent complete combustion, while the inner layer formed crude charcoal due to lack of oxygen.
Its temperature was higher than ordinary wood, but inferior to charcoal smoldered in the proper way. However, placed here, it was enough to use.
"Next, admire their transformation!"
Okabe picked up two wooden strips the thickness of thumbs to act as chopsticks. With finger strength, he picked the red-hot charcoal out of the bucket, shaking it gently to knock off the surface dust, while simultaneously wrapping it with internal force to make its temperature output relatively uniform.
Then he lifted the wooden strips, and the red-hot charcoal block hovered above the fish meat.
With a slight rotation of his wrist, the charcoal block tilted slightly. The next moment, a few tiny, bright orange sparks drifted down, sprinkling exactly onto the fresh Mountain Litsea with branches.
Sizzle—
A slight scorching sound rang out, and the branches and leaves of the Mountain Litsea were instantly curled by the high-temperature roasting.
A sharper, more domineering spicy aroma, simultaneously carrying a smoky scent, erupted like a beast awakened from a slumber of many years!
The surrounding students closed their eyes one after another.
The moist soil in the depths of the rainforest, berries bursting under the sunlight, wood crackling beside a bonfire... This was merely the feeling the fragrance brought them.
Not just the Mountain Litsea, but also the top-tier flavor radiating from the sashimi under the charcoal roasting!
The steady woody scent of the crushed Mountain Litsea, the clear minty sensation of the aquatic plant, and the watermelon fruit fragrance brought by the sashimi itself.
These several scents intertwined, collided, and fused together the instant they made contact.
The light saltwater evaporated slightly when the sparks fell, bringing up a wisp of almost invisible humid white steam, bonding all the scent molecules more tightly to the surface of the fish meat.
Gin Dojima's eyes suddenly lit up.
He leaned his body forward slightly, his nostrils flaring. He no longer spoke, but just stared tightly at those slices of raw fish that had been baptized by smoke and fire, and swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
This was vastly different from the sashimi he imagined!
Behind Okabe, as the fragrance wafted out, the ridicule on Adana's face froze. As a master of spices, her sensitivity to scents far exceeded that of ordinary people.
That complex and layered composite aroma, instantly triggered by the flame, was definitely not something as simple as 'sprinkling a few spices'.
That was an exquisite control of heat and timing that was almost harsh—a technique that roughly yet harmoniously twisted 'wildness' and 'refinement' together! Is this the true strength of Sequence 1?!
Truly terrifying to such an extent!
"Mountain Litsea? This mixed taste of lemongrass and citrus is truly mesmerizing. A smart person indeed, knowing to use fire to stimulate its fragrance."
A voice carrying an evaluation drifted over from the distance. Akira Hayama appeared at the scene with his team. After seeing the dish Okabe served, he revealed a look of appreciation.
However, if it were him, with such good spices, he would definitely use them to make Sour Soup Fish slices; dissolving in the soup is the best destination for Mountain Litsea!
"Please taste, Honorable Examiner."
Okabe ignored the complaint coming from afar. He threw the charcoal back into the wooden bucket, then pushed the roasted sashimi forward, a smile of inevitable victory on his face.
Gin Dojima took a breath. The composite aroma in the air seemed to have a life of its own, constantly drilling into his nasal cavity, causing him to secrete a large amount of saliva.
He didn't move his chopsticks immediately but observed carefully.
The fish meat was cut into thin slices of uniform size and thickness; the knife work was even superior to chefs in large hotels. The fish slices were arranged evenly on the slightly rough wooden board.
The roasted Mountain Litsea had been crushed into powder by Okabe's fingers, falling flutteringly onto the fish slices, dotted with emerald green aquatic plant fragments in between.
As for those few branches of Mountain Litsea instantly roasted by the charcoal sparks, the leaves curled slightly, and their surface color turned into a deeper dark green.
"The watermelon scent of the Sweetfish itself is held up by the citrusy woody notes of the Mountain Litsea. The coolness of the aquatic plant weaves through it, and the charcoal roasting makes this dish come alive!"
Gin Dojima muttered to himself in a low voice. Finally, he extended his chopsticks and picked up a slice of fish closest to him; its surface carried a faint charred brown.
This was the 'flaw' brought by the sparks falling on the fish slice.
He placed the fish slice carrying the charred brown into his mouth.
Tender. Extremely tender. This was the first sensation of the fish slice entering the mouth.
Closely following that, a surging, highly aggressive composite aroma exploded in his mouth!
What rushed up first was the extremely brief smoky charred fragrance endowed by those few sparks, dragging him directly to a bonfire in the rainforest, displaying a wild charm.
But this feeling was fleeting. Immediately after—it was the Mountain Litsea.
The roasted Mountain Litsea crumbs provided a solid base carrying roasted nuts and a steady woody sense, holding up everything steadily like the earth.
And the fresh Mountain Litsea with branches that was singed by the charcoal fire in that instant completely released its soul under the direct touch of the sparks.
Spicy, stimulating, yet not choking at all. Instead, it burst forth with an extremely bright, nearly explosive citrus fragrance, mixed with a trace of the sweet and sour taste of wild berries.
This feeling was as if tropical sunlight had penetrated the thick shade of the rainforest, warmly wrapping around the taste buds!
Gin Dojima silently closed his eyes.
The next thing to strike was that unknown aquatic plant. The leaves mixed with stems brought a numbing sensation and a trace amount of bitterness, diluting the spiciness of the Mountain Litsea.
If using one kind of spice unilaterally was excessive, then after adding other spices, the taste emitted by the other spices could often neutralize the other just right.
Before his eyes was such a situation.
That unknown aquatic plant; its faint bitterness set off the deliciousness of the fish meat to the fullest extent, simultaneously neutralizing the numbing sensation brought by the spiciness. It could be called the finishing touch!
To describe it simply:
It was like the first thunder of the Awakening of Insects splitting open the stagnant rainforest. The tropical monsoon, wrapped in the whispers of the forest, river, and fire, boomed to life on the tip of the tongue!
"Amazing. To reach this level using only two spices and a portion of sashimi—truly utilizing all ingredients to the extreme. As expected of Sequence Rank 1."
Gin Dojima opened his eyes and praised Okabe without sparing any effort in front of everyone. One could imagine how much of a surprise this roasted sashimi brought him.
One must know this was merely the first day. Under conditions where ingredients were extremely limited. As expected of the man Senzaemon Nakiri regarded so highly!
"This..."
"Incredible. The contestant from the previous group who served sashimi was scolded bloody by Examiner Dojima, and was only allowed to pass at the cutoff line at the very end."
"Is there such a big gap just by adding a little spice and roasting the surface with fire?"
"Not exactly. I feel that being able to obtain such a high evaluation from Examiner Dojima lies more in Okabe and his team's understanding of the cuisine itself."
As Gin Dojima's voice fell, a discussion erupted at the scene that was even more intense than when evaluating Erina Nakiri's team earlier. Everyone's face carried excitement.
There was no helping it. Being exiled to the island, their mobile phones had absolutely no signal aside from dialing emergency contact numbers. Their only entertainment activities remained survival, appreciating other students' cuisine, and attempting to learn survival experience.
This was not a dull and tedious matter. Because in this process, they could witness one whimsical idea after another that suited each team's situation. This was also a kind of help for their future cooking.
After all, having adapted to the most extreme environment, what else could they not adapt to next?!
"Chief Officer, or rather, Honorable Judge. I have a duel with Student Okabe that concerns where we will live next. Can you serve as the judge and determine whose cuisine is better between the two of us?"
Just as everyone was discussing, Adana's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting the noise at the scene and making the situation silent enough to hear a pin drop again.
Almost everyone looked at her in surprise, amazed that she still expressed the desire to duel with him after witnessing Okabe's cuisine. Was she that confident?
"I know her."
In the crowd, a boy wearing glasses and sporting a center-part hairstyle whispered to his companion beside him. "She is an exchange student from Indonesia, Sequence 5's Adana Valianti.
It is said her family owns plantations in the Spice Islands. She has dealt with various spices since childhood. I wonder what kind of cuisine she will serve..."
"No wonder..." The companion suddenly realized. "But even so, with Okabe's Roasted Sashimi having such a high degree of completion, on what basis is she so confident?"
Everyone's gazes moved back and forth between Okabe and Adana. Even Gin Dojima raised his eyebrows, revealing a look of interest.
"Oh? You had an agreement in private?"
"Yes." Adana took a step forward, steadily placing the curry pot she had been holding all along onto the judging table.
"We agreed to decide the winner with tonight's cuisine. The victor can obtain the residency rights to the middle section of the forest river. This is the cuisine I am using for the duel—"
"Island Breeze Mixed Curry!"
Adana's voice fell, and a sharp knife instantly slit open the banana leaves and the vines binding the curry pot.
A rich aroma, distinct from Okabe's roasted sashimi but equally full of impact, erupted like a dormant volcano, drifting to the tips of everyone's noses!
That was a strong, complex, layer-upon-layer spicy storm.
What rushed into the nasal cavity first was the deep and aggressive base aroma released by classic spices in the curry base—cumin, turmeric, coriander seeds—after being fully stewed.
But above this aroma, countless 'wild tastes' belonging to this island were entwined.
The nutty charred fragrance and unique oily scent brought by roasted Candlenuts, the spicy vitality of wild ginger, the fresh citrus flavor bursting after lemongrass leaves were torn...
These scents were not a simple mixture but permeated and blended with each other during the stewing, forming a heavy yet distinctly layered complex body.
However, this was not all. When Gin Dojima's gaze fell upon the golden, thick curry sauce in the pot, his pupils contracted slightly.
In the curry sauce, apart from the bobbing root vegetables and vague chunks of meat, there were some translucent, small white cylinders coated in golden curry sauce floating.
"This is... Bee Pupae? A gentle sweet fragrance is radiating from inside; you added wild honey to the curry?"
Gin Dojima's voice carried surprise. Using bee pupae in dishes wasn't rare, but it was his first time seeing them put into curry. Just how confident was this fellow in herself?
"That's right. Because of the diverse nectar sources, the flavor of wild honey is more unique than honey produced by domestic bees, and it can bring more layers."
Adana responded with a light tone. While speaking, she picked up a wooden stick and quickly stirred the curry in the pot.
As her movements landed, an even richer aroma rose up. That natural sweet fragrance unique to honey, carrying the complex breath of floral sources, fused perfectly with the spicy heaviness of the curry at this moment.
"Try it, Honorable Examiner."
Withdrawing the wooden stick from the pot, the curry gradually stabilized. Adana pushed the pot forward, her eyes full of anticipation; she couldn't wait to see the image of her victory!
Gin Dojima picked up a spoon and scooped up a spoonful of curry to observe. There happened to be two intact bee pupae in the spoon, dyed pale gold by the curry, looking exceptionally tempting.
"Bee pupae release a specific savory flavor of protein and a unique, cream-like delicate oily sensation during high-temperature stewing.
This oily sensation can make the texture of the curry become incomparably rich and smooth. At the same time, adding fried bee pupae can bring an extremely strong sense of satiety and satisfaction; there is no problem even using it directly as dinner!"
Watching Gin Dojima's action of scooping up the curry and his appearance of suddenly stopping to observe, Adana explained softly from the side.
"However, adding bee pupae makes the taste of the curry excessively heavy, like a soup covered in grease.
To balance this excessive heaviness, we specially found Wild Cili Fruit in the forest. Because they weren't fully mature, they really tasted very sour when eaten!"
While speaking, she pointed again to the pale yellow tiny fruit granules mixed in the curry.
"This extreme sourness is like adding the pupil to the dragon's eye; it can instantly light up all the taste layers, making their flavors become more lively and three-dimensional, preventing them from being overwhelmed by the thickness."
After listening to Adana's narration, Gin Dojima hesitated no longer. He sent the mixture in the spoon—containing curry, vegetables, and two intact bee pupae—into his mouth in one go.
The next moment—
Boom!
He widened his eyes. His taste buds seemed to be swept by a tropical storm!
What occupied the senses first was the domineering and mellow spicy fragrance of the curry. Adana's specially blended spice ratio was simply exquisite.
The personalities of various spices didn't completely disappear during the stewing process but were perfectly harmonized in this process, forming a deep, warm, complex base flavor full of power.
Immediately after, the complex sweetness of the wild honey quietly seeped in.
It wasn't a cloying sweetness that usurped the host's role, but rather wrapped around the spiciness like velvet, finally presenting a sweet and spicy flavor. Plus the Cili fruit added later to break the heaviness of the curry...
This curry simultaneously possessed three flavors: sweet, spicy, and sour.
Then came the bee pupae. This ingredient that ordinary people found hard to accept.
Teeth gently bit through the outer skin of the bee pupa, and the delicate, nearly cream-like paste inside instantly melted on the tip of the tongue, bursting with an extremely rich savory flavor and a unique, wild oily sensation.
This subtle texture combined with the thick curry liquid produced an astonishing 'sense of satisfaction'.
And just when this heaviness and richness were about to reach the peak, the sharp, bright sourness of the Wild Cili Fruit flashed suddenly like lightning tearing through the night sky!
This bit of acid pierced through the mellow wrapping just right.
All the piled-up tastes were invigorated, becoming clear and full of vitality. After the sourness passed, the spicy taste of the curry's spices themselves, the lingering sweetness of the honey, and the savory mellowness of the bee pupae surfaced again, layer upon layer, endless and continuous, as if they could cycle forever.
Gin Dojima looked up at the starry sky.
He felt he wasn't tasting a bowl of curry, but experiencing a rainforest adventure. That pleasure of wandering between life and death, full of unknown surprises, caused a smile to uncontrollably surface on his face.
He lowered his head. His gaze wandered between the two dishes.
The bonfire danced in Gin Dojima's pupils, reflecting a rare hesitation.
"These two dishes..."
Silent for a moment, he finally spoke, his voice exceptionally clear in the quiet night: "To be honest, both far exceeded my expectations for the 'First Day Assessment'."
He first looked at Adana's curry pot.
"Student Adana's Island Breeze Mixed Curry has an extremely high degree of completion. She perfectly integrated the limited resources on the island into the cuisine system she excels at most.
Her skill in spice blending is profound, the use of bee pupae is bold and precise, and the sourness of the Cili fruit is a stroke of genius. This is not a simple 'wilderness survival meal', but a high-level dish with a complete concept, strong style, and full adaptation to the environment."
As Gin Dojima's voice fell, the corners of Adana's mouth rose slightly, and looks of joy appeared on the faces of Cato and the others.
But he quickly changed the subject.
"However..."
Gin Dojima turned to the wooden board presented by Okabe, on which a few slices of roasted sashimi still remained, causing him to subconsciously swallow saliva, yet he did not pick them up:
"Student Okabe's 'Smoke-Fire Seared Aromatic Sashimi' took another path."
"He didn't attempt to conquer the environment or use complex cooking to integrate all ingredients. On the contrary, he chose to conform."
"Conforming to the freshness of the fish, conforming to the wildness of the Mountain Litsea, conforming to the intensity of the flame, and even conforming to time."
Gin Dojima looked around at everyone. Many students shook their heads in confusion subconsciously; only a small portion nodded slightly, seeing the difference after his prompt.
"From the moment he served the raw fish, to sprinkling spices like Mountain Litsea, and finally to searing it with the sparks of the charcoal fire, these were all completed before my eyes.
He deliberately controlled the rhythm of the presentation, performing the final step only when he was in front of me, allowing the cuisine to reach the peak of flavor at the instant most suitable for eating."
"He didn't carry complex spices, but simply used two plants found on the island. Through different processing methods, he created distinct layers of aroma.
Flame was not only a heating tool but served as a seasoning in his hand, endowing this sashimi with a soul-like smoky aura and that trace of fleeting charred fragrance."
"Not anxious about the scarcity of ingredients, not blindly following complex cooking, but calmly observing and utilizing every resource at hand. At the most appropriate moment, in the most precise way, stimulating their most extreme brilliance."
Gin Dojima's gaze fell back onto the two dishes. The scene fell into silence once again.
The night wind blew through the camp, bringing a salty, humid sea smell mixed with the grassy woody scent unique to the rainforest.
"Therefore, as the judge for you two tonight, my evaluation is——"
Adana unconsciously clenched her fists. The palms of Cato and the others behind her were also full of sweat, and the body of the tall, thin boy, Long, was even trembling slightly from excitement.
On the other side, Okabe's expression was calm, his eyes looking at Gin Dojima with focus, waiting for his answer.
The other teammates were the same. This dish had cost them a lot of painstaking effort and was the best choice under the current conditions. Regardless of winning or losing, they had worked hard, so they could accept it...
_____
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