The first round.
When the combination and the designated dish was announced, the expression on their faces was a smile.

"That's great, honey. It looks like you've been reading our list of matches.

"Of course. I knew you'd play it strange and give it your all from the start. So you'd be the spearhead yourself. But I have to admit, I was a little outsmarted when it came to the entrees.

Oh, my goodness.　As for the food, though, I tried to take the high road,

The gaze of the two men is one of respect between a pure fighter and a man who recognizes each other's abilities.
These two men are not free, after all.

"Now let's talk about the rules again.

Then the gourmet master, who would be the judge of this year's contest, will explain the rules.

First, your opponent will be announced and the designated dish will be revealed. Then you have three days to prepare the designated dish. Three days after the announcement, you have three days to prepare your opponent's dish and start the cooking battle again here. This process is repeated until one of the two teams has won three times. If either team wins the battle by three wins, the winner will be decided at that point. The subsequent cooking battles shall be conducted only if both teams wish to continue to the end. Any objections?

No.

It's good enough for us, too.

Father and mother, both agreed and the gourmet master nodded quietly.

Good. Three days from now, we will have a match-up between Himuro-Keiji and "The Devil King" Favnir. The dish will be mapo tofu. This cooking battle is not about taste, but about how well you prepare the designated dish, or how you demonstrate your own unique persistence. Such techniques, originality, or pride as a chef are all criteria for judging. Therefore, both sides must give everything they can. That is what we expect.

With the end of the gourmet master's declaration, the first round of the cooking battle had already begun quietly.






I was surprised to see my mother as the spearhead, but I also didn't expect her to choose mapo tofu. In this world, Chinese food is not very popular, is it?

"Well, yeah. But you know what? My mom was your birth mother, and she was with me in Japan for a while, you know?　I mean, I've had a lot of earthly food in my mouth at that time,

"Oh, I see.

I've come to think of it. Does that mean she could cross over to earth?
Maybe she just went along with my dad.

But you're still very confident. Isn't mapo tofu one of my dad's signature dishes?

Yes, my father, Himuro Keiji's specialty is Chinese food. Among them, mapo tofu is his signature dish.
In fact, that's how I lost to my father in the finals of the last big cook-off, and I think that the taste of mapo tofu at that time is so good that even today I would have a hard time winning.

Yeah, I was surprised about that. "Yeah, I'm surprised about that, because when I started cooking on Earth, it was the first thing he taught me," he said.

Oh, I didn't know that. I've never heard how my parents got together or anything like that, so this is new to me.

He was always such a quick learner. Especially his cooking skills were truly prodigious. He mastered all the Chinese food I taught him, and there was a time when he was more popular as a manager. But he got tired of it and quit soon after.

"So you're saying that in summary, your mother is as good a Chinese cook as your father?

"I don't know how much he's evolved in his skills now. But he must have a lot of confidence in himself when he chooses Mapo Tofu.

There was an unusual, somewhat shaky tone to his words, but I soon realized it was not fear, but rather excitement from a warrior's trembling in anticipation of battle.

This is getting interesting. Let's get ready too. Fortunately, the right ingredients are almost ready to be harvested.

You know, my dad is growing vegetables in a garden somewhere, just like me, right?　You're going to go get it now?

"Oh, you want to come and see it?

I, as well as the other members who had been listening in the background to my father's invitation, announced that they would be looking in.

"'Yes!






"Holy shit, it's a real vegetable farm.

There was a garden where various vegetables were being grown.
There was a cabbage field, of course, and a wide range of vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, peppers, and even fruits such as apples and grapes.

Well, a whole range of vegetables have been successfully grown in this way. Well, a whole range of vegetables have been successfully grown in this way. I'm proud to say that my farm is the only one that grows vegetables at this point in time, although I've already sold some to the market. If you want, you can take some of them if you like.

"Are you sure?　Father

"Oooh, no problem. Especially the cuties, you can take as much as you want.

Phytis and Mina leaned forward to answer my dad's suggestion and promptly gathered some vegetables from the ground.
I'm going to get some later, but right now there's something else I'm more concerned about.

So, what exactly are you going to use in your showdown with Mom?

At my question, my father smiled wryly and said "follow me" as he walked to the back of the room, as if he was waiting for me.


He walked for a while in the fruit zone, where he was fascinated by all kinds of fruit, but then he stopped at a certain point.

I'll take this one.

"This guy is ...... dad, the next designated dish is Mapo Tofu!　Are you out of your mind?

I doubt my father's sanity as he points to something that even I hadn't thought of.
But he confidently answers, holding it in his hand as if enjoying my reaction.

You'll find out soon enough. Well, have fun.






Then, three days after the announcement of the designated dish, the appointment was made. It is believed that both parties are ready for the designated dish.

Of course, it's done.

"Hey, I'm ready to go, too.

It's been three days since my father took me to his vegetable farm.
My father didn't tell us what he was going to do with it, and it was time to play.
But we knew from the way he was acting that he didn't choose it for his own sake.
We were just curious to see what else they would serve.

Good. Now let's have the first round of the Demon King cooking battle. Himuro-Keiji versus "The Demon King" Favnir. The designated dish, Mapo Tofu-- let's go!

With a word from the gourmet master, the father and mother, both of them simultaneously grab their catch and start cooking!