Genji Heavy Industries.
In a traditional, elegantly decorated tea room, a young girl in miko robes skillfully prepared tea. Her fingers moved with practiced grace as she lifted the teapot, pouring steaming water into the cups before gently sliding one toward the presence sitting across from her.
Having finished, she quickly scribbled several characters on a notepad and handed it to the boy beside her, Lu Mingfei.
"Thank you, Teacher Tso Lan," Lu Mingfei said.
Opposite him, Zoran appeared exactly as the boy remembered him. Zoran shook his head slightly. "We made a deal, didn't we? This is simply part of the transaction. You should thank yourself."
Lu Mingfei's eyes flickered. He had long since realized that Zoran was not a being of this world. Zoran's power exceeded any logic Lu Mingfei possessed, and his shadow had been behind everything that transpired in Tokyo yesterday, from the motorcycle to that specific song.
But regardless of what kind of entity Zoran truly was, one thing remained unchanged in Lu Mingfei's heart: he was, without question, a reliable adult.
"You are the proxy of my brother in this world," Zoran said with a smile. "A weak proxy is of no use."
"I understand," Lu Mingfei nodded. "This power..." He looked at his palm, curiosity getting the better of him. "If I had failed to use it, just like before... what would have happened?"
Zoran lowered his gaze, reflecting for a moment. "Have you ever heard of gravity?"
Lu Mingfei nodded.
"Good. Then I likely would have tossed you into outer space and picked a new proxy."
Lu Mingfei froze, awkwardly scratching his head. "I guess I made the right choice then." He let out a long sigh of relief.
"But Lu Mingfei, you can never go back to the life you dreamed of," Zoran added. "You must act in Shendu's stead, gathering all that this world has to offer under His shadow."
"I understand," Lu Mingfei replied.
He had a very clear grasp of his role now. Especially after leaving the scene yesterday; when he had pressed play on that recorder again, it no longer played music. Instead, it played the memoirs of a man named Valmont. It was like a textbook prepared specifically for him. He wasn't stupid, at least, not anymore.
Actually, he had wanted to invite the Little Devil, Lu Mingze, to join them for tea. But since yesterday, Lu Mingze had been unresponsive, acting like a child playing hide-and-seek.
Lu Mingfei looked at Zoran and had a fair idea why.
"Are you... leaving?" Lu Mingfei finally asked.
Zoran nodded, his form beginning to drift upward in the tea room. "Just like you, everyone has choices they must fulfill. I am no exception."
"Furthermore, I have already gifted this world to my brother..."
"Will you come back?" Lu Mingfei asked urgently.
A brilliant golden portal opened, and Zoran's figure drifted into it without hesitation. He left as he always did, decisively. His response echoed from within the gateway.
"Perhaps. Perhaps not."
The portal closed, and the world vanished behind Zoran's silhouette.
…
Zoran returned to Shendu's super-mansion.
Shendu had arrived a step ahead of him. In the Dragon's own words, the proxy had proven himself qualified; the rest was merely a matter of experience. Young people needed time to adjust.
On the open ground outside the mansion, Po Kong sat like a mountain, devouring the insects being fed to her by humans. When she saw Zoran appear, a flash of joy crossed her eyes. Though she was desperate to go to the world Zoran had described, she knew he was busy, and she knew better than to be impatient.
Now that he had finished dealing with the trouble in the other world alongside Shendu, he had returned quickly. Their elder brother was always dependable. Having regained her wisdom, she understood Zoran's goal: to send the rescued brothers and sisters to other worlds, thereby escaping the cycle of their current reality. Once they were gone, let the floods consume what remained.
Zoran looked at Shendu. "That world belongs to you now. I likely won't be returning."
"Understood," Shendu bowed his head slightly.
Zoran had personally written the ending he desired for that world; there was no need for further postscripts. In the vast multiverse, there were too many stories to be confined to one small place.
"Let's go," Zoran commanded. He had grown accustomed to saying those words.
Po Kong rose with excitement, the ground trembling beneath her weight. A massive, brilliant golden portal opened before her, and Zoran stepped directly into it. Po Kong followed him through. Unlike Shendu, she had no anchors in other worlds and had to follow in Zoran's footsteps.
"Po Kong is going to eat!" Her joy was irrepressible.
The portal closed before Shendu, only to slowly open in a different universe.
…
Earth, Human World.
Zoran and Po Kong arrived in their true forms. Upon arrival, Po Kong clapped her hands in excitement, her eyes darting around at her new surroundings.
"So much food!" she marveled.
Massive shadows swam beneath the river's surface, giant birds glided through the sky, and an ancient, primal aura drifted from the forests. This was a world where everything could be called an ingredient!
There was no place better suited for Po Kong than this. Even with her insatiable appetite, she could eat for an eternity and never finish this world. Her hunger would finally be satisfied here.
This was the Gourmet Age!
A world filled with incredible ingredients: vegetables that reached the clouds, beasts the size of mountain ranges, everything, provided one had the strength, could become a dish on the table. This was the world of Toriko.
Zoran looked at Po Kong. In this world, there existed beings known as Gourmet Hunters, who took it upon themselves to hunt rare ingredients. Most Gourmet Hunters possessed supernatural abilities derived from one vital source:
Gourmet Cells!
Those with Gourmet Cells can absorb energy through eating, stimulating the human body's latent potential. In short: the more you eat, the better, and the stronger you become. One could even grow to a planet-busting level or higher.
This unparalleled potential for growth was a match made in heaven for Po Kong!
If he recalled correctly, Gourmet Cells could be transplanted. If an individual's appetite was strong enough, they could even manifest a Gourmet Cell Demon.
Zoran was eager to see what kind of Gourmet Cell Demon Po Kong would manifest. When it came to appetite, he had never seen anyone who could rival his sister.
However, seeing Po Kong looking longingly at the various ingredients nearby, Zoran smiled helplessly. He held out his hand, the small cauldron hovering in his palm.
Since they were here, he'd let her have a taste first.
Step one: Open the furnace!
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