[234] A Shokugeki With No Discernible Winner

Chapter 234: A Shokugeki With No Discernible Winner

"Fully infused with the distinctive salty and savory essence of Jinhua ham, the shark fin creates an entirely new texture alongside the crisp bamboo shoot threads!" Donato reiterated, "And the addition of garlic, oyster sauce, and clear vinegar to the sauce contributes a marvelous flavor.

"Impressive indeed, Hikigaya-kun," Dojima praised after tasting.

After encountering the gustatory storm akin to a tornado, he grasped Hachiman's intention.

The intense gustatory storm immediately wiped away the taste memory of the previous two dishes. If they were to vote now, determining the result would likely be challenging.

However, this also evoked memories for Dojima because he had witnessed a similar technique before. A man in Totsuki's history known as the "Demon," Joichiro Saiba, had forcibly dispersed the taste memory of an opponent's dish with an unparalleled taste.

"Now that Hikigaya-kun's dish has been tasted, everyone can assess the dishes of Tadokoro and Kojiro." Dojima said, taking out a few coins.

"One coin represents one vote. Each of the three judges gets one coin. Vote for the person whose dish you think is the most delicious. Let the voting begin."

However, long after his words fell, none of the three judges made a move.

Witnessing this scene, Soma and Megumi found it peculiar. But Shinomiya was directly irritated and spoke up.

"What are you waiting for? Can't you distinguish the gap between my cooking and hers? Just vote for me."

Hearing this, Soma naturally displayed a face of discontent.

Clearly, this dish was crafted through his and Megumi's effort, yet it seemed unbearable in his mouth.

Just as he was about to react, Donato spoke up with a somewhat strange expression.

"Shinomiya, it's not that we don't want to vote, but we can't remember the taste of your dish, so we can't make a judgment for now."

"Hah, what are you saying? You just ate it, and now you can't remember the taste. Could it be an issue with your taste buds!" Shinomiya looked at the three of them with a sympathetic gaze.

At this moment, Dojima spoke, "It's not an issue with their taste buds; it's due to Hikigaya-kun's dish." He pointed to the sausage on the plate.

"Huh? This..." The several graduated students looked at each other in confusion.

"Dojima-senpai, I admit that Hikigaya-kun's dish is very delicious, but what does that have to do with us not remembering the taste of Shinomiya-senpai and Megumi dish?" Hinako spoke uncertainly.

Dojima didn't directly answer. Instead, he pushed over the remaining cabbage rolls from earlier. "Shinomiya, taste your own dish first."

Upon hearing this, Shinomiya picked up a piece of the remaining cabbage roll and put it in his mouth.

The anticipated deliciousness spread in his mouth.

"Clearly, there's an issue with your taste buds. Isn't this delicious enough?" Shinomiya said.

Dojima remained silent and then pushed Hachiman's dish over. "Now, try Hikigaya-kun's dish."

Although a bit puzzled, Shinomiya still picked up a piece of the sausage with his fork and put it in his mouth.

In the moment his teeth pierced the casing, his eyes widened, and the muscles on the sides of his cheeks couldn't help but tremble.

"This is..."

"Yes, you feel it too, right? That unparalleled delicious tornado that swept through your entire oral cavity like a force of nature." Dojima nodded.

"Can you recall the taste of your dish now?"

Upon hearing this, Shinomiya thought for a moment and then looked surprised.

"How could this be..."

He wasn't willing to give up, closed his eyes to carefully recollect, but unfortunately, after a moment, he reopened his eyes with a despondent expression.

"It's truly gone. I can't recall a bit of the taste."

"That's it. The intense gustatory storm directly destroyed their taste memory of the flavors of both your and Tadokoro's dishes. So, it's like they never ate both of your dishes." Dojima explained.

"If they haven't tasted them, how can they judge the difference?"

Hinako found this somewhat fantastical explanation hard to believe.

"Dojima-senpai, can you really achieve such a level? Completely destroying the taste of the opponent's dish?"

"Of course, it's possible. Because I've seen someone do it before. In a Shokugeki, he used this unreasonable method to defeat opponents, even when outnumbered. It's quite easy to win." Dojima's expression carried a nostalgic look as he turned to Hachiman.

"I never expected Hikigaya-kun to achieve this level. Impressive."

Hachiman just smiled faintly, "Thanks for the compliment, Dojima-senpai."

He was well aware that the person Dojima referred to was Joichiro Yukihira, who, during their student days, set an unbeaten record of fifty consecutive victories in Shokugeki.

"Well, Dojima-senpai, how should we judge the outcome of this Shokugeki?" Donato asked uncertainly.

"Since we can't make a judgment, let's consider it a draw," Dojima said calmly.

Of course, Shinomiya was dissatisfied with this result.

"Hah, Dojima-senpai, what kind of joke is this? You actually want to declare a draw between me and this little devil. In any case, it should be my victory."

"Since the three of them can't make a judgment, it's natural to declare it a draw. After all, in this situation, if we hastily declare your victory, it would be unfair," Dojima explained, glancing towards Erina, who served as the notary.

"And our notary wouldn't agree to that either."

"That's right. If we were to announce one side's victory in a situation where we can't determine the outcome, as the notary, I would declare this Shokugeki invalid," Erina nodded.

Upon hearing this, Shinomiya felt a bit irritated. But before he could react, Dojima spoke again.

"There's also your own reason in this, Shinomiya. If you hadn't held back your true strength, you might have been able to leave a trace in the gustatory storm. As long as there's a lingering taste, we could have declared your victory on the spot."

Indeed, Hachiman's dish, the "Tornado Sausage," didn't showcase his full capabilities, at most reaching an early level five.

If Shinomiya had used his full power at the peak of level four, he might have been able to leave some impression. Tadokoro's dish, just reaching level four, would undoubtedly have been obliterated under the "tornado." In that case, Shinomiya could have secured an easy victory.

Unfortunately, he didn't exert his full strength, presenting only a mid-level four dish. Under Hachiman's "tornado," it also turned to ashes, leading to a situation where both Shinomiya and the girl faced the same fate.