Anime Collector: Starting With the Malevolent Shrine

"Ugh... isn't this a bit too mystical? It's just a bowl of egg fried rice, yet the cooking process needs to be precise down to the second." The adorable Iroha blinked her beautiful eyes, muttering as she gazed at the visually appealing, fragrant, and delicious egg fried rice before her.

She had never visited this secluded commercial street before. Rumor had it that local real estate developers were acquiring the area. Some shops had already reached agreements with the developers and left. The usual browsers here were typically regular customers and nearby residents.

Iroha had come here planning to go shopping with a female classmate. She'd intended to walk slowly to the train station to maintain her figure, but halfway there, a delicious aroma caught her attention. Unable to resist, she walked in and unexpectedly discovered her senior, Daiki.

With no extra seats nearby, rather than sharing a table with strangers, she decided to join her second-year senior, feeling more at ease. However, the conversation between Daiki and Soma made her feel as if she were listening to a tall tale.

Who would use such a complicated process for making egg fried rice? Could timing to the second really make a qualitative difference in the dish's taste? Isn't cooking just throwing ingredients into a pan and adding seasonings?

Iroha's head was spinning. She scooped up a spoonful of egg fried rice and put it in her mouth. The moment her teeth touched the rice grains, she froze.

The soft egg liquid evenly coated the springy rice grains, while the fragrance of green onions was like a stroke of genius, accentuating the rice's aroma. It was unlike any egg fried rice she had eaten before.

"Uh, do you really not understand culinary arts?" Soma asked, staring blankly at Daiki.

It was hard to imagine that someone who hadn't studied Culinary Arts could have such a keen sense of taste. He could even deduce the chef's basic skills just by tasting the dish.

"Uh... what was your name again?" Soma suddenly pointed at him, thinking hard before speaking.

"Daiki Tsukasa."

"Right, Daiki, let's have a competition! We'll compete with egg fried rice!" Soma's eyes blazed with excitement.

Iroha subtly shifted away. She couldn't help but wonder if this red-haired chef was entirely sane.

But wait — could Daiki-senpai actually be a skilled cook?

From her first taste of the egg fried rice, she had recognized the restaurant's culinary prowess. It was nothing short of perfection! For Daiki-senpai to spot flaws in such a delicious dish — if anyone claimed he didn't understand Culinary Arts, she'd be the first to object.

"Daiki, don't hesitate. Consider it payment for that knife."

At the mention of the broken knife, Daiki knew there was no backing out. Though to Soma, that knife was nearly worthless, he had still taken it.

"Alright, the broken knife will be the stake."

"Huh? Forget the knife — keep it if you want. Just compete with me, and give it your all. Don't hold back!"

Finally encountering a chef his own age, Soma could barely contain his excitement. He swiftly made room for Daiki and graciously provided cooking utensils.

Jōichirō crossed his arms, observing the impending competition with keen interest.

"Soma, are you competing with your old man again? Aren't you just going to lose like usual?"

"No, didn't you see? Soma's competing with another young man."

"Young man, give it your all! Soma's culinary skills are extraordinary — you'll need to work hard to beat him!"

"..."

The customers at Restaurant Yukihira cheered for Daiki.

It wasn't because they disliked Soma, but because they knew his abilities. Although he had never beaten Jōichirō, the young boy's culinary skills had already won over these regular patrons.

"Senpai, do your best!"

As a student of Sobu High, Iroha naturally cheered for her senior.

"Oh my, young man, don't lose! Your little girlfriend is watching!"

Hearing this, Iroha quickly stood up, flustered. She waved her hands frantically, saying, "No, I'm just Daiki-senpai's junior classmate."

"Ah, Daiki, my boy, that won't do. To capture a girl's heart, you must first capture her stomach. This is your moment!"

However, her explanation not only failed to calm the excitement but made things even more heated.

Though she knew the customers were just teasing, she couldn't bear to hear such things. She quickly lowered her head with a whimper, no longer trying to explain.

Seeing this, the customers stopped joking and turned their attention to the kitchen stove.

Iroha, noticing the situation ease, also looked towards the kitchen.

"I'll definitely win!" Soma shouted boldly, turning to look at Daiki beside him. But his words died on his lips as he witnessed his terrifying knife skills.

In mere moments, Daiki had reduced all the ingredients on the chopping board to perfectly sized pieces. His cold demeanor as he wielded the knife was reminiscent of a seasoned butcher, honed by years of practice.

Even Jōichirō, once known as the "Asura", couldn't help but furrow his brows, his heart racing. How could one describe that posture, that aura, as Daiki held the knife?

It was as if he could dissect anything on that chopping board — be it vegetable or creature — without so much as blinking.

"Daiki, didn't you say you don't know culinary arts? How are your knife skills so incredible?" Soma, momentarily stunned, suddenly felt he'd been deceived. Yet his eyes sparkled with undeniable excitement.

"Hm? It's just natural strength. I'm strong, so I'm fast. Isn't that normal?" Daiki replied with a straight face, his words clearly nonsensical.

Jōichirō and the onlooking customers couldn't help but twitch their mouths at this response.

"Oh yeah? Then what about your skilled pan-tossing?" Soma's eyes widened as he pointed at his stance.

They watched as Daiki effortlessly maneuvered the iron wok with one hand. The scarlet flames danced like fire spirits summoned by a master magician, bending to his will.

"Great strength produces miracles!"

The restaurant fell silent. Whether it could truly produce miracles remained to be seen, but Daiki's strength was undeniable. As he tossed the wok, a rich aroma of egg fried rice began to permeate the air.

"Wow, this smell... it's even more enticing than the previous egg fried rice."

"No way, is Soma actually going to lose?"

"He's lost to his old man hundreds of times, and now he might lose to this guy who claims he doesn't understand culinary arts? That's rough."

"Hold on — you call this not understanding culinary arts? Is it really possible to do all this just because you're strong?"

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