"I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid. We were comrades, after all."
The other members of the Five Ten-Shells cooks watched Asarudy leave, clearly sensing something was off about him. His state didn't look right. If things went south, he might end up like the other Food Spirits.
But no matter what happened, it wasn't their place to interfere. This was Asarudy's own choice.
Kael glanced in the direction Asarudy had gone. In the world of Toriko, Asarudy's love story with his partner was one of the rare romances—and honestly, it wasn't a bad one.
Even though Asarudy had lost his memories after returning to this world, something deep in his subconscious still drove him to come back. He didn't even know why—he just knew he had to.
As for losing his memories, that wasn't his fault. Not everyone could cheat like Kael. If others stayed too long in the World of Souls, the same thing would happen to them.
Now that Ichiryu was still alive, who knew what would happen to Asarudy's original body? Would another Food Spirit take it over?
In the end, none of that really mattered.
What mattered now was ANOTHER.
Kael took out two full ANOTHER fish. He handed one to Ichiryu and the other to the Blue Grill group.
Ichiryu had personally escorted him here. A whole ANOTHER was only fair. As for Blue Grill, they'd helped him too, so giving them one was perfectly reasonable.
Later, he planned to set aside portions for Granny Setsuno and Master Jiro as well. One was his teacher. The other had guided him like one, even if there was no formal title between them.
"This is far too valuable. I only need a small portion."
Ichiryu shook his head at the sight of the massive fish. He intended to keep his share, along with portions for Midora, Starjun, and the Four Heavenly Kings. As for the rest of the Biotope 0 members, he couldn't worry about that.
In his view, simply escorting Kael didn't justify such a reward.
"President Ichiryu, please don't refuse. You brought me here safely. Besides, I caught quite a few ANOTHER. Giving you one isn't a problem."
Kael smiled. Building a good relationship with Ichiryu was only smart. Setting aside the man's excellent character, his strength alone made it worthwhile.
If not for the White Demon inside Toriko, as long as Ichiryu didn't get nerfed by the plot, he would absolutely be the strongest in existence.
After some back-and-forth—plus a little persuasion from Don Slime—Ichiryu finally accepted the fish.
Over on Blue Grill's side, Don Slime didn't bother with formalities. He took the ANOTHER without hesitation.
After that, Kael brought out several portions of ANOTHER meat.
This kind of ingredient only mattered once it was eaten.
He didn't forget the others at the table either. Even though they'd already received their shares, this was a gathering, and ANOTHER was plentiful enough. He simply prepared a serving for everyone.
Soon, they were all seated around the table, eyes on Kael. He had captured the ingredient, so naturally they waited for him to speak first.
"No need to hold back. Go ahead."
That was all it took.
Everyone picked up their portions.
The moment the fish touched their tongues, an overwhelming flood of memories surged into the minds of the living.
Long-forgotten memories.
Memories buried since the moment their consciousness first formed.
Kael felt it too. Fragments of his past resurfaced, vivid and sharp. It was an indescribable sensation.
At the same time, a wave of fragrance filled his senses.
He opened his eyes—
The world had changed.
Everything around him shimmered with deliciousness. The air itself carried aroma. The ground, the trees, the walls—everything radiated the scent of ingredients. It was as if the world itself had become a kitchen.
Then, just as quickly, it faded.
Reality returned.
Kael understood immediately.
ANOTHER didn't just restore forgotten memories.
It unlocked an entirely new sense of taste.
And that was crucial.
Only those who had eaten ANOTHER could truly savor the remaining ingredients of the Full Course. The flavors of the later dishes transcended ordinary human taste.
Human taste wasn't universal. Just like how dogs enjoyed things humans wouldn't touch, different species perceived flavors differently.
But once this new sense awakened, humanity could taste what was previously beyond them.
With it, even dirt and stones could become exquisite delicacies.
Of course, actually eating dirt or stone would require teeth and a digestive system strong enough to handle it. Otherwise, it would just break your teeth and sit undigested in your stomach.
Still, a new sense of taste was nothing but a blessing. It allowed them to experience flavors no human had ever known.
"This is incredible. With this new sense of taste, everything feels like an ingredient—even humans."
As they spoke, their tongues began to change.
Aside from cases like the Five Ten-Shells, who were Food Spirits inhabiting other bodies, or special situations like Jiji, anyone with Gourmet Cells awakened something new.
Their tongues transformed into the tongues of their Gourmet Demons.
For a split second, Kael's tongue turned into that of the Red Demon before returning to normal. He had complete control over his Gourmet Demon, so there was no risk of losing himself.
Others weren't so lucky.
Even Ichiryu couldn't fully suppress it.
He and Don Slime were close friends—but they weren't master and subordinate. Don Slime was willing to lend him power, but Ichiryu couldn't dominate him entirely.
That was the difference between a being with its own will and one without.
After finishing their meal, Ichiryu stood.
He needed to bring the ANOTHER back.
Kael, however, wasn't leaving. There were still other ingredients to capture, so there was no point returning just yet.