Marvel: Beginning with the Collection of Shinra Tensei

No one spoke up to interrupt or voice their thoughts—it would be disrespectful to the temporary judges and could disrupt the competition. Judging by the presentation of the two dishes and the expressions of Ultron and his group as they tasted them, it was clear both dishes were exceptional. Determining a winner was no easy task.

After a brief moment, Pietro moved first. He pushed forward a plate—it was Han Yu's!

Han Yu scored one point!

A few seconds later, Wanda made her decision. She pushed forward a plate—it was Erina's!

Erina scored one point!

"It's a tie so far. The final vote is crucial."

The atmosphere in the room grew tense. Someone muttered under their breath, and all eyes turned to Ultron.

Every food duel, whether for the contestants or the temporary judges, was taken seriously. The dishes presented weren't casually thrown together; they were labors of love, crafted with care and dedication. To judge them responsibly was a matter of respect—no one treated these culinary battles as trivial games.

A soft sigh broke the silence. Ultron calmly pushed forward the plate of the dish he found most delicious. The room was immediately filled with gasps of astonishment.

It was... Erina's dish. She had won!

Sixteen defeats and finally, one victory!

Cheers erupted in the room as everyone celebrated Erina's triumph. Even though this was Han Yu's home turf, the crowd's admiration for Erina overshadowed everything else.

Han Yu let out a long exhale and approached Erina. With a genuine smile, he said, "This time, you've won. I lost."

Even someone as composed as Erina was momentarily stunned. She stared blankly at the table, where two plates belonged to her and one to Han Yu. Hearing his words, she could only nod in a daze.

It wasn't until she saw people coming up to her, praising her earnestly, their faces full of genuine happiness for her, that she snapped out of it. "I won... I actually won!"

A surge of excitement, unlike anything she had ever felt before, welled up inside her. For the first time, Erina beamed with the joy of a little girl. After the match ended, she hurriedly brought out the dishes she had prepared in the kitchen, offering them to others and eagerly sharing her thoughts and creative process behind each dish.

Watching Erina, now lively and cheerful like a young girl, Senzaemon walked over to Han Yu and said, "Manager Han, thank you so much for this. Allowing Erina to win this round and seeing her so happy truly means a lot. It's been a long time since I've seen her smile like this."

Han Yu chuckled lightly and replied, "I didn't let her win. She truly beat me this time. As her opponent, I can confidently say she's incredibly talented."

In terms of culinary skills, Han Yu himself didn't consider his expertise particularly advanced. What allowed his dishes to taste so extraordinary was his precise mental control—his mastery over timing and ingredient proportions, accurate to decimal points. It was this precision that made his food incredibly flavorful.

But Erina was different. She was an ordinary human, albeit with her "God Tongue" that allowed her to discern flavors with unparalleled precision. Despite her advantage in tasting, she was still fundamentally mortal. If Han Yu fully devoted himself to culinary mastery, he would likely be unmatched.

Senzaemon raised an eyebrow, glancing at Han Yu, who was smiling at Erina, and then at Erina, who was brimming with excitement. He chuckled softly and joined Erina to share in her joy.

As everyone savored the dishes created by Han Yu and Erina, something unexpected happened. One by one, people's clothes began to tear apart dramatically—one, two, three...

Han Yu turned his head with a resigned expression and looked at one person in particular: Erina's grandfather, Senzaemon. "Sir, could you please mind your table manners?" he said with a sigh.

This "exploding clothes" phenomenon came from Senzaemon. It wasn't a superpower per se but a peculiar effect unique to their world—when food was so delicious, it triggered a literal "clothing explosion."

Senzaemon, in particular, had a knack for dragging others into his explosions, causing those nearby to experience the same effect.

This happened every time Senzaemon visited, so Han Yu always felt compelled to remind him.

Senzaemon laughed heartily, saying, "Your food is simply too good! I couldn't help myself!"

Han Yu could only sigh helplessly at the situation. Thankfully, the "exploding clothes" effect wasn't total—at least one piece of undergarment remained for modesty. If it had gone all the way, especially with women present in the restaurant, Han Yu might have been forced to take the rather awkward step of isolating Senzaemon.

Though Han Yu didn't mind seeing beautiful women in such a predicament, it wasn't something he wanted happening every time—especially with so many people watching.

"What kind of bizarre ability is this?!"

Pietro stared at the scene in disbelief. This ability was... something else. It even made him consider learning to cook in Erina's world just to experience it firsthand.

"Boss, if we'd known you had this kind of skill, why would we even order takeout? Eating your food every day would be way better!"

Pietro lamented, clearly awestruck. This cooking duel had completely shattered his understanding of the culinary world. In comparison, the food from their own world seemed laughably inferior—like comparing a masterpiece to something unworthy of being stepped on.

"Do you think these dishes are easy to make? Ingredients imbued with life aren't something you can pick up at a corner store. If you want fresh ones, you'll have to venture into other worlds to gather them. My stock is already depleted, and I need to restock. How about you help me out?"

The moment Han Yu said this, Pietro lowered his head and focused on scooping food into his mouth. Han Yu rolled his eyes at him. This guy's useless for everything except eating.

"A fine dish deserves fine wine! Tonight, eat and drink to your heart's content. It's on me! Let's go big—Monkey Wine aged three thousand years. Drink as much as you like!"

Despite losing the match, Han Yu didn't appear downhearted. Instead, he brought out a jar of rare, ancient wine for everyone to enjoy.

When they realized Han Yu had brought out Monkey Wine, those who knew its value, like Tang San and Xiao Yan, couldn't help but cheer.

Monkey Wine was said to be brewed in nature, created when monkeys in the mountains gathered fruits and left them to ferment in hollow tree trunks by chance. Even ordinary Monkey Wine was a rare treasure, let alone this three-thousand-year-old batch. It must have been sealed under special conditions to preserve it for so long.

Just a single small cup of Monkey Wine was priceless. Yet Han Yu had brought out an entire jar—though small, it held at least five kilograms of the liquid gold.

A mere ounce of this potent wine could knock out a burly adult man for three days and nights. Even after waking up, they'd remain groggy. The sheer potency of the wine was unmatched.

"Pour me a glass already—I'm dying to try it!"

Even for formidable individuals like Xiao Yan and Tang San, impatience showed on their faces. This was a rare delicacy, and although they had purchased wine from Han Yu before, such exceptional brews were limited. Han Yu typically sold them in milliliters, and the prices started in the millions. It was outrageous!

"Haha! Drink your fill tonight! But take it slow—don't knock yourselves out before you've even savored the taste!"

Laughing, Han Yu poured everyone a glass. Each serving was just about two ounces, but even this small amount required individuals like Tang San and Xiao Yan to sip carefully, savoring it over two mouthfuls to fully appreciate its flavor.

Want to read the chapters in Advance? Join my Patreon

https://patreon.com/Glimmer09