Chapter 148: All Hail Tentacles-sama!

Tsuna had finally set up a gate to this world, linking it to his small restaurant back in his original world.

To everyone else, it just seemed like he lived next door in an empty apartment. The gate was hidden there, but thankfully, the system only allowed him to pass through it. To the people of this world, the gate appeared as just another apartment room.

He had already found the core ingredient that might help with his main mission for Korosensei, but he was still working on the right recipe. And now, looking at the unconscious figures sprawled across the apartment floor, Tsuna felt at a loss.

"I thought it would taste good..." he muttered, picking up a slice of what looked like a sushi roll. He gulped it down in one bite. His eyes went wide as he immediately spat it out, letting out a small laugh, "Keke, it tastes awful..."

"I think I named this wrong," he sighed, glancing at the transparent container in his hand. "Maybe I should call it 'Gaebul Disaster Roll' instead."

The original name had been "Gaebul Heavenly Roll." He had mixed thinly sliced gaebul with caramelized soy sauce and some kimchi-flavored rice.

Tsuna frowned, staring at the bright orange and red mess of soggy rice bleeding into the container. The ingredients didn't seem like the problem. Maybe it was the wasabi-infused mayo or the lemon zest.

He probably added too much of those.

"Hmm, let's get them inside first..."

Tsuna dragged both King and Genos into the room, placing them on the floor beside the TV. He went back for the others, even though he didn't know who they were. It was more convenient to have them all in one place for when they woke up.

After all, he still had a few more recipes to try. "Kekeke..."

"Tsuna, y-you bastard..."

Tsuna blinked, turning around to see the bald hero struggling to get on his feet, only to collapse onto the floor again. Tsuna's eyes wandered to Saitama's hoodie, admiring the "oppai" print on it.

"Where did you get that hoodie? I want one," Tsuna asked, completely ignoring the state Saitama was in.

"What did you do to me?" Saitama's whole body felt strange, wobbly, like he had just survived something out of a forbidden video. He, the hero who could punch anyone into oblivion with a single blow, was now at the mercy of whatever devious thing Tsuna had made him eat.

"I gave you a taste of heaven, Saitama," Tsuna said, his face suddenly turned stony.

He watched as Saitama's face twisted in pure disgust, as if he had just eaten something vile, "N-No, no way, right? Those... feelings I had when I ate that...?"

"...Yes, Saitama. You're now completely tainted by Tentacles-sama..."

"....!"

Saitama's eyes rolled back, and he passed out immediately. His soul seemed to leave his body as Tsuna waved a casual goodbye, chuckling as if sending a friend off to the afterlife.

Though Tsuna was speechless at how even his terrible recipe could affect someone practically invincible, he couldn't resist testing one more thing. He channeled his energy into his chopstick, transforming it into a knife, and stabbed it straight into Saitama's bald head.

A loud metallic cling echoed through the room as the knife shattered.

"He's still invincible, though..." Tsuna mumbled, staring at the broken pieces in his hand.

Just as he was about to toss his failed recipe in frustration, a sudden gust of wind swept through the room, tousling his hair. He turned to see a figure standing at the far end. The guy wore tight spandex and had a zesty pose.

"I have journeyed through many obstacles and spent countless resources to get here," the newcomer declared, his voice formal, almost like someone from a different era. The guy was looking at Saitama before his sharp gaze turned to Tsuna, "But now... the one I sought to face lies defeated."

"What the fuck?" Tsuna blinked, completely baffled.

Sonic's eyes narrowed. "Is it you who defeated him?"

"Defeat? Nah, I'd be dead in one punch..." Tsuna replied casually, stating the obvious.

But for some reason, his words only seemed to infuriate Sonic more.

"This dishonor shall not go unanswered," Sonic declared, his voice rising. "You shall bear the weight of my blade, as the heavens decree!"

"What the hell are you yapping about?" Tsuna stared at him, speechless. He shook his head. "Anyway, this isn't Murim, hello? Why are you talking like that?"

Tsuna paused his hand that was about to threw away the disaster roll.

He sighed, waving his hand as the broken knife twirled and transformed back into a pair of chopsticks, "Why do you have a problem with me all of a sudden? You can touch your bald dude later, okay?"

"Silence, wretch!" Sonic snarled, drawing his blade out. "You interfered with my prey, and for that, you must pay! You've stolen my honor, and now you shall fall!"

Tsuna was unimpressed. He twirled the chopsticks in his hand. "Look, if you wanna fight that bad, Saitama's going to wake up soon. He's indestructible, remember? You're wasting your time with me."

"Honestly, this is way too much drama for nothing." His eyes narrowed, energy swirling subtly around the room. Tsuna then slammed his chopstick-wielding hand down as he stated, "But since you insist, I guess you're interested in meeting Tentacles-sama too, huh?"

"Wha—?"

Sonic's eyes widened in shock. He tried to leap away, to put distance between them, but his body wouldn't respond. It felt heavy, as if a crushing force was holding him down.

The air around him grew thick, suffocating. Before he could react, his whole body slammed into the floor, hard enough to create small craters beneath him.

He struggled to lift his head, glaring at Tsuna. "Y-you bastard, what did you do to me?"

Tsuna watched him with intrigue, twirling the chopsticks again. "Hmm. I'm surprised you're not out cold. That was about thirty times Earth's gravity."

"G-Gravity?"

"N-no way..." Sonic's eyes widened in shock. He looked at Tsuna again, eyes narrowing as realization dawned on him. "Y-you... you're the Catastrophe Crusher!?"

"Why do you people always figure it out after the fight? Am I secretly in Murim right now?"

Tsuna blinked, then sighed in exasperation.

He shook his head as a grin spreading across his face. He then stepped closer to Sonic, casually picking up one of the rolls with his chopsticks. "Well, whatever. Now that we're here... you might as well taste what put Saitama out of commission."

'Food? Saitama lost because of... food?'

Sonic's heart raced as he stared at the blurry, twisted thing Tsuna held. His instincts screamed danger.

He had faced countless threats in his life, but nothing made his blood run cold like this. 

The sight of the roll made his spine tingle with dread. For the first time in his life, his survival instincts screamed at him to beg. "Please... It's my fault, okay? Just... spare me."

But Tsuna didn't stop. He drew closer and closer, and Sonic could feel the crushing weight of his impending doom.

'Am I... going to die?'

A guttural, soul-wrenching sound echoed through the apartment, sending shivers down anyone's spine who could hear it. The noise was strange, almost inappropriate, and then... silence.

"Hmm," Tsuna muttered, glancing down at Sonic's limp body sprawled on the floor. He shook his head. "Looks like Tentacles-sama really got to him. Poor guy didn't stand a chance."

Tsuna scratched his head, thinking aloud. "Let's tie him up and wait for the others to wake up. We'll figure out what to do with him then."