Chapter 45: Shokugeki (3)

"Damn it. The overpowering stench of Nao Sadatsuka's salted fish really left a lingering blockade on our taste buds," thought Erina, her palms damp with cold sweat. She couldn't help but worry for Sui. "It's like a fortress of taste…"

Eizan chuckled darkly, the light reflecting off his glasses. "Heh, that's why you're my favorite, Nao. Let's crush this ignorant fool beneath us."

But Sui remained calm and collected. He presented his dish to the judges with a steady voice, "Please, have a taste. It's pork ribs stewed in milk."

The milky white broth exuded a rich aroma of pork and milk, topped with blanched cabbage that gave the dish a fresh and inviting appearance. Sui had masterfully incorporated three types of rare ingredients—cream matsutake, fresh milk, and tender almond cabbage—to create this stew. 

"Hmm? What an incredible fragrance!" Isshiki breathed in deeply, surprise flashing across his face. After enduring the foul stench earlier, this delightful aroma was like a breath of fresh air.

"Pork ribs stewed in milk? There's no way this can break through the 'taste fortress' left by Nao Sadatsuka," Eizan said with a smirk.

"Looks like the transfer student is about to lose," some students murmured in the audience.

"That's what you get for challenging Eizan-senpai. You're asking for it!"

"He's always so arrogant in class. It's about time someone knocked him down a peg!" 

Many students watched eagerly, filled with schadenfreude. Sui's constant string of top grades had stirred jealousy among some of his peers.

"How can you be so sure when you haven't even tasted it yet?" Erina snapped, gritting her teeth.

Isshiki, always composed, added with a smile, "Indeed. Let's taste it before we pass judgment. I have a feeling this dish is quite good."

"Hah! Fine, let's taste it. Not that it will change anything." Eizan's sneer remained intact as he picked up his spoon and took a sip of the creamy soup.

But the moment the thick, velvety broth hit his tongue, Eizan's expression shifted entirely. The rich essence of the pork ribs, infused with the smoothness of the milk, slid down his throat like silk, enveloping him in a sensation of warmth and comfort.

"This… this dish!" Eizan's face flushed with astonishment.

It was as though his entire body had been wrapped in the softest, most delicate silk. The silky texture made him feel as though every inch of his skin was being caressed, sending waves of pleasure through him.

"It must be the milk…" Erina mused aloud, her cheeks tinged with pink. "The milk creates a smooth, rich broth, turning it a milky white. It's so creamy and velvety that it feels like my whole body is being gently wrapped in silk."

Her voice was slightly breathy, a faint, involuntary sound escaping her lips as she continued to savor the dish. 

"The blanched cabbage adds a crisp sweetness that enhances the freshness of the soup," Isshiki said, his own expression intoxicated by the dish's refreshing yet complex flavors. "It's like being bathed in a warm spring breeze."

Around them, the crowd of students looked on in stunned silence. 

"What's happening? Why do the judges look like that?"

"Can the transfer student's dish really be that good?"

Nao Sadatsuka, too, was wide-eyed with disbelief. "No way… how? My stench should have completely blocked their taste buds…"

If Nao's cooking was like heavy chains, binding the judges with its overpowering stench, then Sui's dish was like soft silk, gently and elegantly wrapping itself around them, breaking free of the chains and embracing their senses.

"They've… finished the whole thing!" Megumi exclaimed.

Indeed, the entire bowl of Sui's creamy pork rib stew had been completely devoured by the three judges, down to the last piece of cabbage. Meanwhile, only half of Nao's dish had been eaten.

Erina gently set down her bowl, her face still flushed with lingering embarrassment from her earlier reaction. 

Isshiki let out a contented sigh. "Well then, it's time to announce the winner."

Eizan's face was clouded with frustration as he spoke sharply, "The winner is Nao Sadatsuka."

Isshiki frowned at the blatant unfairness of Eizan's declaration. "Eizan, that's hardly appropriate."

Everyone could clearly taste that Sui's dish had far surpassed Nao's.

Even Erina's dissatisfaction showed as she glared at Eizan. "Eizan-senpai, that's unfair!"

Eizan responded with a mocking smile. "Unfair? I simply believe Nao's dish was better. Is that a problem?"

Isshiki and Erina fell silent for a moment, unable to counter his deliberate obstinance.

"Wow… that's so shameless!" Yoshino shouted angrily.

"This is outright cheating!" Megumi added, his face red with indignation.

Even the students who had sided with Eizan earlier fell quiet, now uneasy with his blatant bias.

But Eizan was unaffected. He glanced smugly at Sui, the silent message in his gaze clear: I'm doing this on purpose, and there's nothing you can do about it.

Just then, Erina spoke up again, her voice firm. "I think the winner is Sui."

"I agree," Isshiki nodded.

With both of them voting in Sui's favor, even if Eizan insisted on supporting Nao, the outcome was clear. The final decision rested with Sui.

"Thank goodness for Isshiki-senpai and Erina-san!" Megumi sighed in relief.

"I… I lost? In front of Erina-sama?" Nao Sadatsuka's voice wavered as she covered her face and burst into tears.

"Tch," Eizan clicked his tongue in annoyance, clearly displeased with the outcome. He was about to stand up and leave when Sui's voice rang out across the hall.

"Hey, Eizan-senpai. I'm very interested in your Ninth Seat. Keep it safe for me—I'll be taking it soon."

The room fell into stunned silence. Had Sui just openly challenged Eizan, one of the Ten Elites?

The audacity was unbelievable. No one had ever dared to speak to a member of the Elite Ten like that!

Even Erina, Megumi, and the others were taken aback by his bold declaration.