Chapter 81: Any publicity is good publicity

Tsuna had made everyone nervous with his earlier stunt.

The staff rushed to check on Mimasaka, ensuring he was unharmed and warning Tsuna about the danger of his actions.

Tsuna simply shrugged off their concerns, ignoring their reprimands.

As the chaotic atmosphere slowly calmed down, Senzaimon stepped forward and cleared his throat, "Ahem..."

"Now that both participants are ready, let's get this sorted immediately," he announced, his voice commanding attention.

His eyes narrowed sharply as he declared, "The theme for this food war is barbecue, and you both have 3 hours starting from now!"

"Whoa! Let's go!"

The announcement electrified the atmosphere.

Cheers erupted from the crowd, filling the arena with excitement as both Tsuna and Mimasaka began working.

"Don't let me catch you lacking, Tsuna!"

"You got this!"

"Go beat that gorilla!"

Alice and the Polar Star Dormitory members were getting swept up in the heat of the moment, their cheers echoing through the arena.

Tsuna blinked, momentarily confused by their sudden excitement, but quickly shrugged it off and continued preparing the meat.

With swift, precise cuts, Tsuna expertly trimmed the beef short ribs, each slice as smooth as silk.

"His cutting technique is certainly impressive..."

"And he's using a standard knife as well. I think that is quite remarkable..."

The judges watched were visibly impressed.

Two of the judges commented, their admiration evident.

Senzaimon nodded in agreement.

Though surprised, he wasn't entirely caught off guard. He vividly recalled Tsuna's cooking during the transfer exam and had high expectations from the beginning.

Tsuna continued to work with a focused intensity, the cheers and comments fading into the background as he immersed himself in the task at hand.

"Hmph, it's natural. It's Ma—Mhmm..."

"...Shut your mouth, Orie."

Senzaimon blinked in surprise at the two additional judges who had willingly come despite their busy schedules, Orie and Natsume Sendawara.

He shook his head, noticing that they seemed well acquainted with Tsuna as he narrowed his eyes while asking, "You both seem familiar with Tsunayoshi Ito. Is that why you willingly came over here?"

Though he respected them, he wouldn't allow partiality in judging the participants' cooking.

"..."

Orie clicked her tongue in annoyance before looking away, too irritated to respond.

Natsume shook her head and spoke, "Don't worry about that. Let's just say we both happened to witness a series from an early episode, and we can't miss the rest..."

"...From an early episode?"

Senzaimon raised his eyebrows at this unexpected answer.

He looked at them both silently for a moment before turning his attention back to the participants, who moved with identical precision.

He mumbled to himself, "Hmm, I guess that makes sense..."

Senzaimon's mind raced as he quickly pieced together the situation between the two contestants. He glanced at Mimasaka with a deep frown, then turned to Tsuna, who seemed unfazed by the unfolding events.

However, the atmosphere in the arena shifted as the students watching began to murmur.

"Wait... do you see this?"

"Huh? That guy suddenly moved differently, what happened?"

The students who came to watch raised doubtful glances at Mimasaka, who had been mirroring Tsuna's movements until now. Suddenly, he changed his course of action, pulling out a massive machine they were all familiar with.

"Sous vide machine?"

A faint mumble echoed across the VIP boxes in the hall where the Elite Ten Council members were watching.

"This is his way of elevating the recipe," Eizan chuckled as if he had expected this.

Erina frowned at those words and scoffed, "I could tell just by watching..."

"..."

Eizan adjusted his glasses, ignoring her casual dismissal, and shook his head slightly.

He was well aware of Erina's personality and decided to focus on the arena. His eyes were fixed on Mimasaka as he silently thought, "Subaru Mimasaka always researches his opponent thoroughly..."

That meant Mimasaka knew exactly what his opponent was about to make, how he made it, and, more importantly, how he could use that knowledge to add his own touch and elevate it higher.

"You're in quite a pinch this time around, Tsunayoshi Ito," Eizan quietly chuckled, amused by the unfolding drama.

Tsuna, however, seemed unfazed.

He continued mixing soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, water, grated Asian pear, grated onion, minced garlic, sesame oil, sesame seeds, finely chopped green onions, black pepper, and grated ginger. His hands moved with precision, blending the ingredients into a rich, aromatic marinade.

"You know..."

Just then, Mimasaka spoke, breaking the tension. 

"I've noticed how precise you are with everything. You even went as far as slaughtering your own cow to get the perfect pieces of beef ribs..."

Mimasaka knew Tsuna was the toughest opponent he had ever faced.

Utilizing Perfect Trace on Tsuna was nearly impossible due to his unpredictable nature and meticulousness.

His muscles and body were still sore from the grueling preparation, but he smiled through the discomfort.

"You are a man of focus, commitment, and sheer fucking will--!"

"Are you still going to talk?"

Tsuna's movements didn't falter as he placed the beef into a resealable bag and poured the marinade over it.

"..."

Mimasaka's mouth twitched, recalling what had happened earlier as he shook his head before saying, "...Sorry, just a few more words, please?"

His request was almost honest, contrasting with his usual demeanor.

Tsuna was slightly amused at this, and gestured for him to continue, "Don't overdo it."

"Ahem... So what I was saying is, I'm grateful to you."

Mimasaka's sneer returned as he preheated the grill, mimicking Tsuna's actions.

His eyes twinkled with thoughts as he glanced at his sous vide machine, and he declared, "Using your creation, Korean Galbi BBQ, I added a little bit of my touch. With this..."

"I will create the best dish ever seen in an election! That's how good you are! And that's how grateful I am, Tsunayoshi Ito! Your glory shall become mine! Hahaha!"

He couldn't hold back his laughter, his confidence in his victory evident.

He spread his arms and narrowed his eyes sharply at Tsuna, whose expression was hidden in shadow.

"..."

The crowd, hearing this, gripped their fists in annoyance. Such behavior was disgraceful in their eyes, and they glared at Mimasaka with disdain.

Meanwhile, Mimasaka seemed to revel in the hateful glares, enjoying the attention.

"Principal, how could you allow this?"

"That's right, it's unethical!"

The two judges complained loudly while Senzaimon just shook his head, his stance firm. "They are chefs. They speak with their dishes, not words. This is the responsibility they have to live with."

The other judges didn't seem satisfied with this answer and glared at Mimasaka with annoyance.

Senzaimon, however, quietly muttered, "Besides..."

He turned to look at Tsuna, who had begun grilling the meat.

Tsuna was completely undeterred by any of Mimasaka's bravado. More importantly, although it wasn't quite clear, Senzaimon, with his wealth of experience, could see it...

...an amusement within those clear eyes, as if Tsuna was looking at a fool who wasn't even worth his time.

"It could be arrogance or confidence, but either way, it's quite rare to see such composure in someone so young," Senzaimon mused.

His lips curled up in anticipation as he looked forward to seeing the dish Tsuna would create. "Tsunayoshi Ito, huh? Such a terrifying little guy."

After a while, the aroma from the grilling meat started billowing out from both workstations, completely engulfing the arena with a mouthwatering scent.

The judges watched with anticipation as both competitors finished grilling, plated their meat, and brought their dishes forward.

The presentation was almost identical, surprising the judges.

However, something peculiar caught their eyes.

"Huh? A mug? Why is there a mug there?"

"And what is that logo? It even has an address on it?"

The judges looked at the mugs beside Tsuna's plate in confusion.

Tsuna shamelessly explained, "It's my restaurant. Feel free to come if you want to taste something otherworldly..."

"...?"