Chapter 56: The Strength of Conviction (Part 2)
At the emcee's declaration, the chefs at each station began to move.
Since my cheat was extremely unsuited for teamwork and I couldn't participate in the unique support aspect of the Regimental Shokugeki, I was once again fighting as a solo player. Mimasaka was supporting Kuga-senpai, so I cheered for them from the bottom of my heart. Sorry for being the only one who could only do solo play.
"Are you looking away? If you don't focus on your own cooking… you will regret it."
Saito called out to me from across the stations. Chefs in this world really like talking while cooking. As he himself said, he should just focus on his own dish.
Next to me, Kuga-senpai and Mimasaka were displaying splendid teamwork, helping each other with their cooking. From the perspective of someone who couldn't participate, it felt a bit lonely. It was like being the only one who didn't know the song everyone else was singing at karaoke.
"Ohh! He's splitting the massive tuna with an equally massive knife in a single stroke! What a magnificent dissection! As expected of Totsuki's proud sushi chef, Saito-senpai! The 4th Seat of the Council of Ten is no joke!"
Saito Somei. Unlike the other Council of Ten members, I actually knew this man.
Of course, not from the original story, but from this second life of mine.
Saito's family ran a small sushi restaurant. It was a beloved local establishment. It was perhaps inevitable that Saito, who had grown up watching his mother's back as a sushi chef, would aim to become one himself. The rumor of the young sushi prodigy had reached my ears, and I had visited the restaurant once to try their sushi.
The skill level was still lacking, but I clearly remembered sensing strong potential. The flavor carried a conviction that he would devote everything to making the best sushi possible. His mother was as skilled as her reputation suggested, so I naturally tried to scout her. She politely declined, of course.
The sushi had been more delicious than I expected, so I visited a second time purely for the food. That was probably when I became a fan of the Saito family's sushi. I had looked into the Saito family quite thoroughly, wondering if there was any chance to scout them. As a result, I knew quite a bit about the circumstances of the man named Saito Sōmei.
"Saito-senpai. How is your family's sushi restaurant doing? Is your mother still running it as the master?"
"…How do you know that?"
"I visited twice to eat there. I also tried your sushi, Saito-senpai. It was still a bit lacking compared to the master's, though."
"…Fufu, of course it was. This is good news. In this match, I shall serve you sushi that will make you revise that opinion!"
I seemed to have been skillfully redirected, but I saw his expression stiffen. That was the face of someone whose sore spot had been hit. As expected, talking about his mother was a landmine.
The reason Saito, who valued the way of the samurai, had followed Azami and joined the Central Gastronomy Agency all came down to this landmine.
It had all started when his mother, whom he admired, went to train at a long-established sushi restaurant. In an old-fashioned, male-dominated work environment, she exhausted both body and soul and eventually collapsed from overwork. That experience changed Saito, and he began moving with the belief that he would prevent others from suffering the same fate. He would polish his skills and carve his own path with his own power. It was truly the spirit of bushido.
The desire to protect the weak was admirable, but I didn't like his methods. I also didn't like that he had abandoned his conviction to become the greatest sushi chef by devoting everything to it.
Joining a group that sought to shut down restaurants across the country that didn't meet their definition of gourmet while suppressing his true self… As a fan, I couldn't bear to watch it.
"Oh? You're making sushi as well. Interesting! A serious contest is exactly what I desire!"
He must have noticed that I had started dissecting tuna as well. I liked fighting on the opponent's turf, but this time it wasn't for fun. I had chosen sushi to make him realize just how foolish he was being.
"We live and die by freshness! I shall sharpen my blade with my soul and show you a strike with all my being!"
"I was about to say the same thing. …Don't worry. I won't fall behind either."
After finishing the dissection, we arranged the parts and applied the appropriate techniques to each.
Akami, chūtoro, ōtoro, cheek meat, collar. We cut each part into its best possible state and transformed them into the finest sushi.
We took the shari, placed the neta on top, and shaped the sushi. Even though I had never practiced it before, my movements were laughably efficient. I gave thanks to my annoying cheat and completed a set of seven pieces of sushi.
"—Sorry to keep you waiting!!"
"Same here."
We presented our plates to the judges almost simultaneously. The sushi on the tables gleamed with a divine beauty under the lights.
While my sushi consisted of seven pieces, Saito's had ten. The number didn't decide the evaluation, but the satisfaction level was probably higher on his side.
"'Ten Pieces of Tuna ~ Small Jewel Ruby Sushi.' Please enjoy."
"I didn't give it a special name. Please eat."
Perhaps because there were more pieces, the judges reached for Saito's dish first. They were captivated by the jewel-like crimson color as they ate.
It was obviously delicious. Naturally, a storm of praise followed. Something about melting on the tongue, lingering aftertaste—I wasn't really paying attention, but I'm sure that's the kind of thing they said.
"Now, as promised, I have prepared yours as well. Taste the flavor I aimed for in my younger days and revise your opinion!"
"…Itadakimasu."
Prompted, I also brought a piece of sushi to my mouth. It was delicious. So delicious that no other impression came to mind. —But it was only delicious.
"…Just as I thought. So this is it."
"…What? Santoku, what did you just say?"
"I said it was exactly the flavor I expected. Saito-senpai."
When I told the truth, he glared at me fiercely. It couldn't be helped—I had expected exactly this.
"Does my sushi look familiar to you?"
"Familiar…? …! Th-This is…!"
"Yes. It's the sushi you used to make back then."
The sushi I had served was the tuna sushi that Saito had made when he was around elementary school age. The reason it was seven pieces instead of ten was probably because that was the best he could do at the time. I had recreated the sushi I had eaten back then, with some adjustments, of course.
"What is the meaning of this? This is something I thought of when I was a child. It lacks the sharpness to compete with the current me."
"You'll understand once you eat it. Judges, please evaluate my dish next. —Saito-senpai, you should eat as well."
"…What can such a dull blade possibly do?"
Saito didn't doubt it. Because he himself hadn't realized it yet.
That the current him was inferior even to his past self—a dull blade.
"…This is…! The flavor I was aiming for back then…!"
Unlike the judges who were lost in the world of flavor, Saito showed visible agitation. The hand holding the sushi was trembling, as if rejecting the reality being forced upon him.
I looked up at the electronic board to check the judges' verdict on my dish first.
Saito Somei [0] – [3] Santoku Shogo
A complete victory, as always.
The cooking level I had set with my cheat was around "6" out of 10, but against a student-level Council of Ten member, that was apparently enough for a total win. I had gained some valuable data—better remember that.
"Do you understand now? Which blade… is the one that has rusted?"
"…!"
"Don't you get it? Even while following the Central Gastronomy Agency, you couldn't accept what you were doing. Your twisted conviction, which you had bent over to Azami's sweet words, continued to burn inside your chest."
Doubt is poison.
It dulls your hands, your thoughts, your resolve, and prevents you from displaying your true strength no matter what you do. A chef ruled by doubt is as good as dead. That is by no means an exaggeration.
"Wake up, Saito Sōmei. Your sharpness exists for you. Not for anyone else. It's for you to rise higher. You have the strength to do that, don't you?"
"…I have no words to reply with."
I knew I was being meddlesome, but I ended up lecturing him on impulse and momentum. It seemed I liked the Saito family's sushi more than I realized. Well, I'm Japanese after all—some things can't be helped. Honestly, I still hadn't completely given up on scouting them.
"You are… strong. The current me could never defeat you."
"Of course not. —There's no way a man who would bend his conviction for any reason other than himself… could ever defeat me."
I had prepared with everything I had to realize the ambition I had set for myself. Our resolve is on completely different levels.
"…Fufu, so it was never even a contest from the start. An unwavering way of being… I am completely defeated. Well done, Santoku Shogo."
"On that note, would you like me to scout you? The Santoku family is always welcoming. Sushi has high evaluation from overseas customers, so it's a fighting force I really want to obtain."
"Fuhaha! How greedily insatiable! …I shall discuss it with my mother."
"I'll be looking forward to a positive reply."
And so the 2nd Bout came to an end.
I was the only one who won; Kuga-senpai and Mimasaka were defeated. The result was 2-1, which was still better than the original story's complete loss. This left the other side with four members remaining. In contrast, we still had six. We were overwhelmingly ahead.
"As expected, Shogo-kun. …That was incredible."
"You really are amazing! Nice! Shogo!"
"Y-You did it! Santoku-kun!"
Welcomed by Erina and the others, the tension left my shoulders.
If things continued like this, we would undoubtedly win the Regimental Shokugeki. It was going smoothly—almost too smoothly.
"…You think it'll end just like this? Poisonous parent."
While finding Azami's unusual silence suspicious, the first day of the full-scale confrontation came to a close.
The second day of the Regimental Shokugeki. The 3rd Bout.
Since it was the third round, the matchups were decided smoothly.
1st Card — Tsukasa Eishi vs Isshiki Satoshi, Theme Ingredient: Potato
2nd Card — Akanegakubo Momo vs Santoku Shogo, Theme Ingredient: Chocolate
3rd Card — Eizan Etsuya vs Yukihira Soma, Theme Ingredient: Pork
Both sides were fully assembled and ready.
I would be participating in three consecutive bouts, but that was no problem. My opponent was the 3rd Seat, Akanegakubo Momo. Starting with Nene's 6th Seat, then 5th, 4th, and now 3rd—it was turning into a systematic conquest in order.
Everything was going smoothly, according to plan.
No one stood in our way.
Or so I thought.
"—Shogo-sama!!"
A woman burst into the venue. It was Minegazaki Yaeko, my secretary.
Running desperately in high heels, her face pale, she rushed over to me and, still gasping for breath, shouted her message.
"The Santoku Group's overseas bases… are under attack by an unknown force!!"
Nakiri Azami seemed to be laughing.
***
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