Izuku the Reincarnated Chef By: (JoySeeker101)

by Copierpasta

Seen that nobody looks brave enough to help Izuku, may it be because he is Quirkless or because he wounded the frail EGo of an influential Chef, our Green-haired Hero is coming short of ideas, luckily helps does come from a bit farther than anticipated...WAY farther. THIS STORY IS NOT MINE

37. Chapter 37

Izuku's original world – Yamato's apartment – Living Room -

The warm, dim light of the room flickered against the polished wood of the antique furniture, with a faint scent of rosemary and thyme that lingered in the air, remnants of Yamato's earlier cooking; she sat across from Ren Watanabe, the very last member of their group of friends that still had to try attack Izuku to follow Samui's insane demand of help to achieve his revenge.

"Ren…" She tried saying, her hands were folded neatly on her lap, though her knuckles betrayed the tension she tried to hide, her weathered face was lined with concern as she peered at the man in front of her.

"Yes?" Ren answered, unaware that his casual demeanour was grating against her unease.

"So," she said, her voice low, "Samui finally called you. It is actually, finally, your turn,"

"Dear Samui has a put us all in a very fancy list, written in his personal order following how easily it was supposed to be to blackmail us into helping him; you were a good friend, so he didn't need to use leverage on you, but for us others, it was all a matter of using the dirt he had on us." Ren answered and leaned back, one arm draped over the armrest of the worn-out leather chair.

He held a glass of red wine lazily in his free hand, swirling it as though her words amused him more than they troubled him. His were lips curved into a smirk, sharp and self-assured.

"And what did he tell you?"

"He wanted to remind me of the skeletons he thinks I've kept hidden in my closet." Ren replied, his tone infuriatingly light.

"This isn't a joke. You know how vindictive he is." Yamato's eyes narrowed.

The man tilted his head, his graying hair catching the light like the faint silver of a blade.

"Vindictive, yes. Clever? Not so much." He took a slow sip, savoring the wine, before setting the glass down on the short tiny table between them with deliberate care.

"Yamato, those 'compromising accidents' were dealt with years ago. Cleaned up, swept away. He's fishing in shallow waters, hoping for sharks where there are none." He said.

"Everything legally, of course! I paid the damages, I begged for forgiveness and helped fixing what I 'broke', the only difference between me and the others is that I learned the value of privacy, so my fixing my mistakes was not aired for everybody to see, Samui comprised."

"But what if he-"

Ren raised a hand to silence her, his smile fading into something sharper, colder.

"Listen to me. Samui's thirst for revenge is his greatest weakness. He thinks he's pulling the strings, but he's blind to the moves being made by those around him he thinks he is manipulating. I saw this coming the moment he started sniffing around his old contacts. I knew I'd be on his list, so I took my precautions once seen every name above mine started dropping like flies in front of that boy."

"And you're not worried? Not even a little?" Yamato's brows furrowed, her voice tinged with disbelief.

"No," He said, firmly. His gaze bore into hers, steady and unwavering.

"I've been organizing my own moves for months. Samui's been so focused on dragging me into his little crusade that he hasn't noticed I've been setting the stage for something much bigger."

"Like what?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"A publicity stunt," Ren said simply, leaning forward.

There was a gleam in his eyes now, a predator's glint.

"He thinks he can ruin me, tarnish my name. But what he doesn't realize is that his idea of controversy, handled correctly, can be a powerful tool. By the time he's done spinning his tales, I'll have turned every accusation into an opportunity. Samui will be the only one losing anything."

The old woman sat back, her hands gripping the armrests of her chair. She studied him for a long moment, the weight of his confidence both reassuring and unsettling.

"You're playing with fire, Ren."

"Aren't we Chefs? Fire's been our playground for decades, Yamato. Samui's just another flame. And when it's all over, I'll be the one still standing, with the world watching! And Samui? He'll have nothing but ashes." He chuckled, low and smooth.

The room fell silent, save for the faint ticking of the old clock on the wall, Ren picked up his glass again, raising it slightly as if to toast the inevitable.

"You worry too much," he said softly. "Let him come. The blind always fall the hardest."

"I already covered those holes in my reputation, long before he even discovered to skeletons in my closet. In fact, I have properly buried those skeletons long ago, just in case somebody came asking me for stuff in exchange of their silence."

"Just be careful."

"I will. I promise."

Yamato took a deep breath, trying to relax, and reached for the small plate of biscuits in the middle of the table to get one.

"You got Izuku to help you... Do you think he will play along? Even after everything Samui and us did to him?"

Ren let out a low chuckle, his fingers tapping idly against the stem of his wine glass.

"I didn't get dear Midoriya to do anything, Yamato. He volunteered once I told him what I had planned."

"Izuku doesn't just volunteer for things, not for a friend of Samui he still hasn't met in person." She raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"True," Ren admitted, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

"But the boy knows better than anyone what kind of person Samui is: Manipulative. Petty. Vindictive. He's been facing him through us for quite a while. When I told him what Samui was planning, he didn't need much convincing. In fact, I'd say he was eager to make sure Samui gets what's coming to him just as much as me and you want."

"And what exactly does that mean? You're not using Izuku the same way Samui tried to use us, are you?" Yamato's gaze sharpened, her hands gripping her knees.

Ren sighed, setting his glass down with a deliberate clink.

"You wound me. Do I look like the kind of man who'd manipulate somebody?"

"Yes," she said flatly.

"You did it plenty of times when we were still in high school,"

He laughed at that, the sound rich and genuine.

"Damn, no hesitation! Ouch! Fair enough, though. But in this case, Young Midoriya's involvement is as clean as it gets. He's providing... Let's call it a finishing blow. I set the stage and give him the means, and he removes Samui from both our lives."

"And what happens when Samui realizes you are working against him? His obsession is starting to scare me,"

"Samui's already burned every bridge with us and many other people," Ren answered, his tone calm but firm.

"That is true." She conceded.

"That ship sailed long before I stepped in. All I've done is give Midoriya an opportunity to turn the tables for once. He's not some pawn in this game, he's a willing player."

The room fell quiet for a moment, the tension thick between them, Yamato studied Ren's face, searching for cracks in his confidence, but found none.

"You're playing a dangerous game," she said softly.

"Life's a dangerous game. The trick is knowing when to play and when to let the other player make the first move."

"And you think Samui's going to fall for this?"

"He already has," He said, his eyes glinting with quiet triumph.

"Revenge blinds people. It makes them reckless. Predictable. Samui thinks he's dragging me into his chaos, but he doesn't see that every step he takes just tightens the noose around his own neck."

Yamato shook her head, her expression a mix of frustration and reluctant admiration.

"You're too confident for your own good. One of these days, it's going to catch up with you."

"Maybe, but not today." He raised his glass again, the red wine catching the light like blood, and laughed.

"Here's to Samui. May he enjoy the fall as much as I'll enjoy the climb!"

"You're impossible." Yamato stared at him for a long moment, then let out a weary sigh.

"And you wouldn't have it any other way," Ren replied, the smirk never leaving his face.

Sigh! "If only I hadn't tutored you in Math in high school! It all went downhill from there!" She declared with a tone of misery.

Ren laughed again, and finally, she joined him.

In the meantime - Gourmet World – Hills of the 'Giant Valley' -

Mina Ashido watched the mess happen with defeated detachment.

"So." Kirishima, sporting a brand-new black eye, asked.

"Hn?" Tsuyu, arm in a cast, answered.

"We are on a different planet."

"In hindsight, maybe we should have guessed it." Jiro answered.

Sunny and Coco had accepted Izuku's request for a couple detours to collect the Ingredients he needed to help Nemuri; from a humid forest where trees would purposely drop hundreds of thousands gallons of water per second on you hard enough normal bones would shatter instantly into dust, to freezing mountains where temperature was so low their eyes instantly frozen shut, and the temp had dropped to straight-up absolute zero immediately, as soon as they set a foot on the mountain, with no warning nor gradual change.

They almost lost Tsuyu for good there.

There there were Ruins where they found giant bears with chiselled abs and four arms very eager to fight, and crocodiles that knew capoeira somehow; and few other insane places, like deserts made of powdered coffee in place of sand and a volcano that only spew out chilli sauce in place of lava.

And in each place they visited, Izuku found one Ingredient he needed and moved to fight or collect them, and still, the Hero students all kept insisting in helping him.

"Mmmph!" Sero groaned, scratching the bandages covering his mouth.

"Don't scratch it, let your jaw heal in peace." Coco reminded him with a gentle smile.

"I can't believe we went almost mauled to death by a single goat…" Mezo muttered with a groan.

"A goat the size of a truck." Shoto added.

"That can ram into mountains and make the entire thing crumble to pieces," Jiro added as well, dropping her head in disbelief.

The Hero Students groaned in chorus, and Aizawa, Mic and Toshinori were not too far behind in groaning, truth be told.

Each and every time they tried stepping up to help, Coco and Sunny had to intervene and pull them away from certain death, and once again the teacher had to add another disappointed lecture on top of it about not fighting impossible fights to their students.

"I wonder how they stop those monsters from marching to the Human Territories and erase them from the face of the planet." Aizawa wondered while painfully re-setting his shoulder in place with a loud cracking sound.

An Ostrich had recently tried kicking him to death, the guy didn't know if the bruises to his body or Ego were the ones stinging the most.

"Humanity adapted and became stronger, of course." Sunny answered.

"HEAVY DUTY BODHI PESTLE HAMMER!"

BOOM!

A new thundering explosion and earthquake-like tremors shook the area when the young Chef's attack landed on his new target's head.

"I noticed…" Katsuki said with a low voice.

"It also helps that the animals of the Gourmet World prefer to just mind their own business and live their lives, they have no reason to reach the human territories, we have nothing to offer." Coco added.

"And the few that do try, are usually weaklings, the ones normally fighting over the scraps of the scraps left behind by the stronger Beasts. IGO then keeps track of the various entrances connecting Human Territories and Gourmet World, and in the very rare cases some disaster looks about to happen, Gourmet Hunters like us are dispatched." Sunny added.

"GUAAAAAAH!"

"Spatula." Sunny said, bored, and a few hair of his whipped forward and swatted a blur away, with the guy's inner energy empowering the attack forming a spatula-like shape as a result.

Boom!

A small hill simply ceased to exist right after, in a blink, and the monstrosity mindlessly munched on the rocks that used to be that hill while still fighting Izuku.

"That thing is a nightmare." Tooru muttered with a whine.

The young Chef was fighting alone once again, having left Shiro and 808 with Eri and Himiko, the reason why among the entire group they two were the only ones without a single scratch on them, and Whitey acting as a lookout.

Their current Target was the "Doctor Axolotl", an Ingredient with meat so nutritious that if you prepare it properly you would briefly get your body's natural healing strengthened so much others would think you had a Healing Factor like Wolverine.

Two main problems, though:

The first was that preparing that meat like that was insanely hard, as only a handful of Chefs on that entire planet could handle and cook it properly enough to get the permit for hunting the Axolotl signed; and fully removing toxins, scum and parasites properly to make the meat edible, good and fully healing took such delicate hands it would be easier to disarm a bomb.

Second, the Axolotl itself was a forty meters beast that looked like something born from some demented science experiment that crossed an Axolotl with a giant western dragon, and then pumped it up in so much steroids the thing became a hulking mass of muscles in a never-ending state of bloodthirsty roid rage.

Its tongue attack alone was terrifying, it could shoot its tongue out like a chameleon, and the appendage could crush or cleave in two stuff absurdly fast before retracting near-instantly inside the animal's mouth for it to swallow the prey; to their horror, they saw first hand how fast that was when it tried to swallow them whole before Sunny and Izuku repelled the attack, that thing had whipped its tongue towards them so fast the sound effect of the attack lagged behind it of a few instants.

So the Ingredients had two reasons to be classified as a Super Special Preparation Ingredient: it was very hard to hunt, and even harder to cook.

"Shouldn't you help him?" Toshinori asked.

"We tried asking, but he gently asked us to not intervene, he wants to hunt his Ingredients by himself. And to be fair, I understand his wish, for many Chefs, capturing the Ingredients is an integral part of preparing the dish too, it creates a connection between them and proves their worth to the Ingredient." Coco answered, smiling.

"MMMMH!"

"So… That is why those four…" Mic asked.

"Hn! They are good Initiates in the arts of ENBU, but just like you, they are not ready to face the Gourmet World! Their death other than ugly would be pointless! Even if they would survive a good handful of seconds more than you against that beast!" Sunny answered.

He was holding Momo, Ochako, Nejire and Rumi down with his hair, with Rumi and Momo being the ones struggling the hardest to break free.

"I admire their bravery, really I do, but I don't think they can face something like that yet." Toshinori admitted.

"Time's ticking, Nemuri needs healing fast… How long before we are done?" Mic asked, looking frantically at the countdown on his watch, one Recovery Girl had helped him set-up before departing.

"By this thing… We don't have much time!" He thought as, to him, the numbers were going down even faster than usual thanks to his fear.

"We are getting there. He got most of the Ingredients of his list, but for the remaining ones, we will need to ask for help to the Chefs of Blue Grill, they will be able to help us capture the rest." Coco answered.

Blue Grill… A giant City hidden in the Gourmet World where outstanding Chefs and Equipment could be found, other two Heavenly Kings were waiting there along the so-called '10-Shell Cooks', the five best Chefs in all of Blue Grill whose skills were said to rival the "Top 100" Chefs of that world.

"IF they want to help, something they have no reason to." Aizawa said, humming.

"You would be surprised how helpful Chefs are towards other Chefs if its about Ingredients. They are Rivals, yes, but except for the very few rotten apples, the majority of them don't mind helping a colleague in need." Coco answered.

"That is why we suggested asking those Five, they may be a bit on the ugly cold side, but they do have a good heart buried deep inside," Sunny added.

"Guaoooh." With a last, loud whimper, the giant Axolotl finally collapsed on the ground and fainted.

"Looks like he has done." Sunny said, and as soon as he let go of the girls, all four rushed to make sure he was okay,

"Another item to sign off the checklist, good." Toshinori muttered with a sigh of relief.

"Sorry the waiting, but we are lucky, this one is a very healthy specimen, perfect for the dish." Izuku said, panting a bit, and watching the giant animal disappear and be transported to his Restaurant's storage island.

"It's fine, ready to go?" Mic asked.

"Sure, let's go." He answered, and once again they jumped on the back of the two giant animals Quinn and Kiss and let the two massive pets bring them to the Village at absurd speed.

A long trip later – Area 6 -

Once again watching everything become a shapeless blur thanks to the high speed they were travelling with, they reached a beach, that while beautiful and wide, had no city or village in sight.

"Is Blue Grill a fishing Village?" Aizawa asked.

"No, Blue Grill has been built inside Giant Shell, the world largest shellfish. It resides deep under the sea." Coco answered.

"What?! How are we supposed to get there?!" The others asked.

"We will board a special Transportation Beast for this occasion, one big enough to even house Quinn and Kiss." Sunny answered, albeit he looked not very happy to go through with it.

"Oh! Which one?!" Nejire asked, excited.

SPLASH!

With a giant column of water exploding upward, a majestic and ludicrously huge translucent jellyfish exited the water and started swimming in the air; the tentacles still moved slowly like under water, and the light of the sun reflected on its giant dome head in a myriad of rainbow colors.

"A Colossus Jellyfish… That's one rare Phantasmal Ingredient…" Izuku muttered, impressed.

"Why, thank you!" A tiny old lady with pink hair styled in a giant puffy ball-shaped hairstyle answered, jumping down from the beast she was driving from inside its empty head.

"…"

None of them ever saw somebody try to achieve camouflage like Izuku did, he was clearly hoping to disappear or at least become invisible while he was hiding behind All Might's way larger frame.

"Setsuno-san, thank you for offering to help us reach Blue Grill." Coco said with a grateful tone.

"Could have chosen a prettier method of transportation though." Sunny added, grimacing.

"It's fine, it's fine! I am always happy to help an old friend and some strapping young people." Setsuno answered.

"… I am not the only one presumed dead. But while in my case they were just silly rumors… For others, well, it is far more complex." She said while nailing Izuku with a knowing smile that made him flinch.

"It's not just about Ingredients and Cooking, Zaus-chan. You need this to heal yourself too." She then added.

"Listen, while food here is awesome, and I understand those guys insisting we slowly work our way towards the good stuff, since we need to be 'eased up into it' to not get insane or whatever… I still don't understand what this thing about Zaus is." Rumi said.

"Ufufufufu! You are a very bad liar, girl. You and those four know already, isn't it?" Setsuno answered, chuckling.

"… How?" Momo asked.

"With age comes experience, girlie. Zaus-chan? Hop in! You and the others have an appointment in Blue Grill! Don't be shy!" The old lady said.

Kind of forcefully-pushed, Izuku as well joined the others inside the humongous Jellyfish translucent head, marvelling at how bouncy it felt to walk inside it.

"Let's go!" With a very jovial and cheerful cry, Setsuno somehow piloted the Jellyfish underwater, deep into the ocean.

Under the ocean -

The giant animal moved silently and fast underwater, no matter the two giant animals and the big group of people inside its big head, adding extra weight to it, the transparency of the head helped the people inside to bask in the wonders of underwater sea-life.

"All those bio-luminescent algae and fishes make it so that we can still see so clearly… Amazing…" Tenya muttered in wonder at the alien spectacle in front of them.

Izuku was standing on a side, with Eri in his arms and Whitey acting as a wall between himself and everybody else; Nobody was surprised when one after another, starting with Momo, the four girls moved closer to him, to be close and supportive to the Chef.

"I have a question," Aizawa said.

"Ask," Setsuno answered, still piloting the giant jellyfish deeper and deeper, towards the bottom of the ocean.

"We keep hearing the name Zaus, attached to Midoriya. Why?"

"Aah, I guess that it is a rather curious situation to you all. His fear, us calling him that, his and his girls unwillingness to talk…" Setsuno answered with a knowing smile.

"We deserve to know."

"On what bases, youngster?" The old lady asked, curious.

"We…"

"Yes?"

"…"

The man actually fell silent, for a couple minutes, not even a humming sound escaped him.

"… I am the one that wants to know." He finally said, his shoulders dropping lower as he sighed.

"Not a very good reason," Setsuno answered, chuckling.

"… I know." He admitted, groaning.

"So…" Mic tried saying.

"Give it time, maybe one day you will know… Or maybe you will never know. Who knows! Hohohoho!" Setsuno answered, laughing amused.

A chorus of groans from everybody filled the big jellyfish empty head.

"We have arrived. That is Giant Shell, and as its name implies, it is the largest shell in the entire world," Coco interrupted the talk, and pointed at the bottom of the ocean, in front of the jellyfish, there the immense, colossal body of Giant Shell rested peacefully.

"NO WAY!" Many of the students screamed in surprise.

The giant seashell made true to its name by being the most enormous shell any of them ever saw, impossibly wide and tall, so much it looked like it could contain an entire city inside itself and then some.

"Blue Grill is one of the Seven Civilizations of Gourmet World, located deep beneath the sea of Area 6, inside Giant Shell. It is a cooking paradise and the most prosperous civilization in all of Gourmet World whose glory is equal to the Human World during its Golden Age." Setsuno explained while piloting the giant Jellyfish close to the entrance point of the shell.

"It is a gigantic and sprawling country with cities, villages and entire valleys filled with nature and beautiful yet humble architecture that is decorated with all manner of gourmet-themed ornaments and sculptures. We are going to visit Blue Grill City, its biggest city." Sunny added.

"Inside a shell… Underwater…" Mic said.

"Oh, you'll be shocked! Promise!"

"Wait! Wasn't it Village?" Mina asked.

"Huhuhu! Blue Grill Village is the friendly nickname of the innermost area of Blue Grill CITY, where the best Restaurants are, congregating around Blue Grill Stadium, one of the most famous landmarks of the entire country. They got that name by being a bit of a self-sufficient fraction of the city, with its own ruling body." Coco answered, amused.

"How can a city develop inside a shell..." Toshinori muttered.

It took a bit of work, and delicate manoeuvring, but soon the giant jellyfish brought the group inside Giant Shell, and their jaws almost went unhinged out of sheer shock, as a whole country, with its own sun shining high above, appeared before them.

Several palm trees also decorated the streets of Blue Grill's cities, that, paired with the own weather of the place, gave to the insides of Giant Shell a rather tropical environment, there were also large coral branches which resembled trees that grew within the cities and valleys.

"Blue Grill also has its own artificial habitats with varied ecosystems constructed by its inhabitants to allow for the breeding of land animals in their undersea world." Setsuno explained.

"Is that the sun!?" Rumi asked, pointing at the sky in wonder.

"The interior of Blue Grill also has its own daytime and nighttime thanks to the inner bio-luminescence of Giant Shell's ceiling which provides "sunlight"... So here you can find natural environments and farms everywhere in Blue Grill's vast valleys and all manner of flora and fauna." Izuku answered.

"Holy… Fucking… shit…" Mic muttered, trying to look everywhere at once while the group walked through the streets so to not lose a single detail.

"All those people have extra arms…" Mezo said, stricken.

He was watching the colorful mass of people filling the streets and stores, almost all of them having extra arms, or strangely colored skin, or extra body parts like antlers, or even looked like strange mythical creatures like Kappa, Goblins or assorted Yokai.

"Much like the other Seven Civilizations, Blue Grill is mainly inhabited by what are presumably the descendants of mutated people, with the most common type of humanoid being those with multiple arms as well as other odd-looking races with unique traits, such as pointy ears, three eyes or antlers, and a few individuals who resemble goblins." Coco answered.

"And they are not hated?"

"Why would they? They are very kind people." Setsuno answered, chuckling.

"A lot of people live here! This place is insane!" Mina said.

"The overall population of Blue Grill is approximately 500 million and their culture and society rivals that of the Human World, and now that things are back to normal, now that our Project is completed, we are even more relaxed and at peace!" A towering man wearing an animal mask answered, nearing the group.

"Asarudy?! Weren't you dead?!" Sunny said, shocked,

"News of my death were very-"

"I thought that the Food Spirit Doors were all destroyed." Izuku interrupted him, his narrowed eyes almost drilling an actual hole in the man's mask.

"… Well… you see… the thing is…" Asarudy's cool guy speech faded into a troubled, shy mumbling, with a colossal puddle forming under him thanks to his nervous sweating.

"Cheeky liars!" Setsuno said, smirking.

She was looking at him like a grandma finding her nephew with the hand in the cookie jar.

"Okay! Fine! Once cleared the rubbles we saw that the Door here was still working! We know for certain that the door in Area 6' South Six area still work too. The others are gone. Happy?!" He answered.

"Truth will set you free." Coco said, nodding.

"Smartass…"

"What are those doors you are talking about?" Toshinori asked.

"Special doors, but I believe you are on a tight schedule, so we'll save the technical talks to another time." A new voice said.

"Shit… Don Slime…" They heard Izuku curse under his breath.

Don Slime was a short black being with a round body, two arms and two small feet, lacking any facial features other than a pair of glowing eyes, he was wearing on a large crown studded with gems… For some reason on a side of his body there was a strange mark, as if somebody had took a bite off his body, leaving a cartoonish mouth-shaped hole on his side.

"Hohohoho! Happy to see me?" Don Slime said, chuckling.

"Not really… I thought you were dead."

"I was, until our dear friend spat me out. Well… 99% of me at least." The slime answered, laughing, and patting the hole on his side.

"Where is he now?" Setsuno asked.

"Still out there rebuilding, little bastard insist in rebuilding and regrowing everything he ate with his own hands… I hate to say that he is also getting good at it." Don Slime answered, bitterly.

"Still salty at your defeat?"

"SHUT UP!"

"Hohohohohoho!" The old woman's laugh made the slime recoil in pain.

"What I did was wrong, but at least help them. They are innocent." Izuku said.

WHACK!

"Being brainwashed makes you worthy of forgiveness, you moron!" Don Slime answered, once chopped the young Chef on the head very hard.

"I would like you to notice that you were not attacked as soon as you set foot here." Asarudy added.

"But… But…"

"What you did on Area 5, to the Battlewolves and in Area 4 have already been repaired, and the animals helped recovering. Nature has forgiven you already, why aren't you forgiving yourself?" A short man in Chef attire asked.

He was accompanying a tall and muscular man with wild blue hair and the same Zebra they saw talk to them thanks to his voice powers.

"Toriko-san… Komatsu-san…" Izuku muttered.

Toriko

Komatsu

"Finally got here." Zebra said, scoffing.

"We got side-tracked to collect more Ingredients." Coco answered.

"Yeah, I was keeping track of you all, I told these chumps what Ingredients you still need to get, so while you were getting those, a few friends of Asarudy got the rest." Zebra answered.

"Really?!" Mic asked, overjoyed.

"He was listening on us the entire time? God, his ears are damn insane." Jiro muttered in awe.

"So we are done?" Toshinori asked.

"Not so fast, they want to wager them in a Cooking Fight," Toriko answered, rubbing his cheek and showing an awkward smile.

"WHAT!?"

"Yeah, unfortunately the other Chefs want one of them to challenge Zaus-san… If he wins you get the Ingredients, if he loses, they will eat them." Komatsu answered, sheepish.

"WHY?!" Mic demanded.

"It's a matter of worth, we can't just hand them over. You need to show you are good enough for them," Asarudy admitted.

"There is a life on the line!"

"There is always something on the line, but if one has not the strength needed, then failure will be the only result. And the Ingredients don't deserve to be wasted like that." Don Slime answered.

"You-"

"I'll do it." Izuku said.

"Are you sure?"

"I am not Zaus, but Nemuri-san is a dear friend of all of them and a beloved customer of mine, and she still has a lot to give both as a Hero and as a Teacher. I'll do this to help her." The young Chef answered.

"Please win…" Mic said.

"I'll do it."

"Big words, but it's facts that will decide the result. Come, we'll do this in Grill Stadium." Asarudy answered.

"Will he be able?" Aizawa asked.

"Hohohoho! Only if Zaus-chan finally forgives himself and embraces his old and new life fully." Setsuno answered, smiling relaxed.

"You do realize we don't have enough details to understand what you are saying, Setsuno-san?" Ochako said.

"Oh, don't fret… Everything will be clear soon." The old lady answered.

"I am getting curious, what the hell is happening?" Kirishima admitted.

"Never was a lover of mysteries…" Iida admitted.

Blue Grill's Grill Stadium -

Grill Stadium was a large dome-shaped building with an apparent octopus theme in its architecture, having several tentacle-like structures built around it; it was located in Central Blue Grill and was surrounded by all manner of modern-looking buildings.

"Wooooo!" Many Students, and the Pro Heroes Trio, gasped in awe once entered the empty arena's floor.

The Stadium interior was quite large and grand, and its walls covered with billboards advertising all manner of restaurants and food chains. But now, the seats for the roaring, cheering crowd were empty.

"You will have your Cooking Duel against one of us there," Asarudy declared while pointing at the giant stage in the middle of the floor.

"Did you renovate? It was not like this the last time we came here," Toriko asked.

"Yes, after the deal with Neo we decided that fighting over the Soul Furnace was no longer necessary, so we moved the Furnace under the Stadium and installed that pool of freezing water under it. But it won't be any less dangerous. Especially thanks to those Glacier Jaws swimming in them." Asarudy answered.

The fishes swimming in the water were three meters long beasts that looked like the unholy fusion of a shark and a piranha, with thin and elongated bodies covered in iridescent silvery scales and a mouth filled with many, many rows of serrated teeth.

"I don't like those fishes." Tsuyu said.

"Soul Furnace?" Mina asked.

"A furnace which is fuelled by the burning Appetites of Food Spirits." Setsuno answered, chuckling.

"Okay… That sounds needlessly creepy." Sero commented.

"Yeah, like, 'Vengeful Spirits that will eat your soul' creepy." Kaminari added.

The sinister chuckle of Asarudy and Setsuno made the others shiver hard.

"The Seesaw Kitchen…" Izuku muttered.

The stage was formed by two kitchens balanced on opposite ends of a giant seesaw, placed over a giant pool of freezing-cold water with many of those monstrous giant fishes swimming restlessly in it, this setup was supposed to encourage chefs to prepare, cook, and serve their dishes with great haste, lest they fell behind and drop into the water and very likely be eaten alive.

"It is similar to the Cooking Festival's Scale Death Cooking. This should bring out some nice old memories, Zaus-chan!" Setsuno said.

"…" Izuku said nothing, he just walked to one of the cooking stations.

"Okay, that's it, what is his deal?" Toshinori asked.

Sigh! "Go call Totamori…" Slime asked Asarudy.

"Yes." He answered and hurried away.

"He is what could be called a super fanboy of Zaus, he will be between the ones that can explain this best." Don Slime said.

"Who will be my opponent?" Izuku asked.

"It will be me." A tall and thin woman, she too wearing an animal mask, answered, walking up to stand at her own cooking station at the opposite side of the seesaw.

"Kakino Kish. Owner of the Ice Shock Restaurant and Mistress of Water Pressure Texture Cuisine," Setsuno said, humming.

"Bad news?" Momo asked, worried.

"There are no bad news in this situation, my dear." She answered.

"Speak for yourself, if he fails, we will never be able to save Nemuri." Aizawa countered, bitterly.

"Far too negative, dear. Far too negative." She answered, walking forward to watch the show better.

On the Seesaw -

"This is your ultimate test. Show that you are still worth of the Ingredients' Voice and forgiveness, and you will get both the Ingredients, and your redemption." Kakino said.

"…" Izuku only looked forward, he didn't answer.

"You can't run forever for something that is only in your head, Zaus."

"My name is Izuku. You got the wrong guy." He answered.

"Are you both ready?" Asarudy asked aloud.

"Yes!"

"Then… COOK!" The man gave the order and the supports went released, now only the balance of weight of the two platforms stopped them from falling into the water.

Immediately the two Chefs attacked the mound of Ingredients that they were supposed to use, and started cooking with all themselves.

"What… the fuck…" Katsuki muttered with wide eyes.

Even Momo and the other girls never saw Izuku cook like that, nobody of the people present ever saw somebody cook like he and Kakino were, that was not Cooking as they knew of.

Kakino moved with the grace of a master sculptor, her knife an extension of her very soul. Each stroke was fluid yet deliberate, carving through impossibly rare ingredients with ease; the blade itself hummed faintly, emitting a subtle glow as if resonating with the vitality of the ingredients it touched.

She moved with an elegance that seemed almost unnatural, her hands, delicate yet impossibly steady, summoned and cupped an orb of shimmering water that seemed to float by itself above her palm thanks to an invisible force.

"She finally started, that's her improved Water Pressure Cooking. Now we'll see if Zaus can keep up." Asarudy said, humming.

The water pulsed faintly while floating above Kakino's hand, alive with an inner glow, as if imbued with the essence of the ocean itself.

More bubbles began to form in her hands next to the main, bigger one, each one a perfect sphere of impossibly pure liquid.

"I'll prepare the most famous dishes of my Restaurant's menu, Zaus. Do not disappoint me with yours." She said, and with a flick of her wrist, she sent the bubbles into motion, hovering and spinning through the air like planets in orbit.

"Is this even cooking anymore…" Mic muttered, his sunglasses askew and barely holding onto his nose.

Inside the bubbles, ingredients danced and shifted, compressed by the water pressure she so effortlessly controlled with just a thought.

"First, my prized Glacier Steak." Kakino declared, and thick slab of meat entered one of the bubbles, there it spun within the water, and its fibers went pressed and massaged to melt away, becoming tender and supple.

Before the onlookers' eyes, that slab of meat was transformed, not merely cooked, but refined into paper-thin layers that shimmered like silk under the lights.

Vegetables joined in, with their vibrant colors amplified as they tumbled through the liquid of another bubble, their textures was being refined into something otherworldly so fast the naked eye could see the change, becoming intricate lattices, their natural colors heightened into an iridescent brilliance that no earthly farm could produce.

Then came the cooking proper, but it wasn't just cooking, it was alchemy!

When the bubble spat out the Ingredients for Kakino to cook proper, aromas that didn't belong together started melding into a harmonious and yet impossible fusion that pulled at the very core of every spectator's being, evoking hunger, nostalgia, and awe all at once. Cooking and food was not supposed to work like that, and the Heroes watching, students and Pro, knew that, and yet could not believe their own eyes.

"And Midoriya has to defeat that!?" Tsuyu asked with bulged-out eyes.

"Have faith in him. Icchan can do it, I believe in him!" Nejire said, smiling.

Kakino's movements were hypnotic, her hands weaving invisible patterns as she guided the bubbles, some would burst with a soft pop, releasing wisps of vapor that carried aromas so intense they drew gasps from the audience; others merged into larger spheres, compressing their contents further until the food reached a texture and flavor that no one had ever conceived possible even before Kakino could toss them in the pots or pans.

"The Polar Fruits are ready too, so it's my Shock Carpaccio. My menu is almost ready." She declared.

Finally, she recalled a single, massive bubble into her hands, Inside it, another completed dish floated: a shimmering creation that seemed to defy reason.

"My Frozen Ripple Soup. The last Dish I created through manipulation of water pressure." The water bubble cradled the small pocket containing the soup, enhancing its colors, its shapes, its very essence as water pressure and movement somehow cooked it.

With a slow, deliberate motion, she allowed the bubble to burst, gently depositing the dish onto the plate, she then punctured the pocket and poured the soup into the plate.

"I am ready. What about you, Zaus?" She asked, almost with a tone of mockery.

Her dishes were a masterpiece, the culmination of control, precision, and an artistry so profound it felt otherworldly; the soup seemed to glisten with life itself, just like the other dishes, each bite promising an experience that would not only satisfy but transcend the concept of hunger.

"I can't fucking believe it." Aizawa muttered, shocked.

To witness her craft was to glimpse the divine, to see the raw power of nature harnessed and refined into perfection, and as she stepped back, the air itself seemed to sigh in relief, as though the kitchen had been holding its breath to witness her mastery…

Then she noticed it.

No matter how fast she had worked, going faster she ever went in her long life, the seesaw never buckled once, overcome in disbelief, her head snapped to the side to watch Izuku and understand why her cooking station never once got lifted from her delivering plates in what she thought was a greater speed than her opponent.

And what she saw shocked her just as much as it shocked the others.

Izuku's style of cooking was power incarnate, a whirlwind of motion and energy, where she had moved with serene precision, his cooking was a tempest, he moved like a conductor orchestrating a storm.

Pots shook as he struck them with powerful slaps and the ingredients in them flung themselves through the air, colliding and merging mid-flight with sparks of flavor and color.

His every move seemed reckless, yet each resulted in perfection and grace worthy of a King, like when he grabbed a glowing fruit and squeezed it with his bare hands, and its juice vaporized into a fine mist once in contact with an open flame, a dust that delicately fell over the dish he was preparing like an ethereal spice garnish, soon followed by other spices that rained down from many reservoirs.

"Almost there, Zaus-chan…" Setsuno said, chuckling.

"It's really him!" A new guy joined them, looking like an extremely nerdy Kappa demon with purple skin.

"And you are?" Katsuki asked.

"I am Tatomori. He really is Zaus? Yes! He is preparing that Dragon Fruit Spice with his infamous flaming spicy technique!" The guy answered, looking at Izuku with blinding adoration worthy of a fan worshipping its idol.

"So… This Zaus guy…" Mina asked.

"Cooking King Zaus! Number 1 in the world rankings! THE Chef! The only one besides 'National Treasure' Setsuno to have Mastered Every Cooking Technique, from the common, to the outlandish, to the niche! Owner of over a thousand Restaurants each specialized in a cooking style, while the main one, 'Restaurant Zaus', was the epicentre where he himself used them all! And-"

"Jesus… He is to Chefs what Deku was to Heroes…" Katsuki muttered in horrified awe, the guy was obsessed!

"Yes, yes. No need to go through all that. Did you bring it?" Setsuno interrupted the guy.

"Yes, but… Do I have to?!" The Kappa Guy said, switching excitement to tears while clinging a small wooden case to his chest.

"Yes, it's not yours!" Don Slime answered, ripping the case out of his hands, making him wail in pain.

"Nooo! My most prized belonging! The centerpiece of my collection!"

"It's not a souvenir, you moron! It's a Chef's soul!" Setsuno snapped, and opening the wooden box to reveal the pristine cooking knife inside of it.

"Perfectly maintained." She said, pleased.

"I asked one of our best craftsmen to check it, and true to every Melk Knife worth its name, it was still perfect, like the day Zaus died." Asarudy answered.

"Good, at least the vulture that had the morbid idea of taking this from a dead man's hands, also was stupid enough to sell it to a collector." Setsuno said, brandishing the knife.

"What are you doing?" Toshinori asked.

"Helping my old friend forgive himself!" Setsuno answered, smiling gently and throwing the knife with such force the thing turned like a deadly mortar shell.

"YOU'LL KILL HIM!" Momo yelled.

"Oh!" The knife had moved so fast and with such strenght nobody of them could follw it, and yet the young Chef caught it in his hand, even if by any means the blade pretty much teleported in his hand at that speed.

"It's time to stop blaming yourself, my old friend. Nobody ever blamed you for what you did, we all understood that it was not you. Ingredients, Animals and people have long since forgiven you. Your own Knife has forgiven you, it's time you too forgive yourself." Setsuno said, smiling wide.

"I can?" He asked, scared.

"Yes you can, just look at that blade and remember, that poor knife has been waiting for you for so many years, it too forgave you! Why won't you forgive yourself?… You have a second chance, do not waste it." She answered.

Watching his old knife in his hand, with its blade still pristine and shining like the first time he got it, for the first time in years, Izuku allowed himself to remember the happier moments in his life as Zaus; the world had seen his talent before, but now, reunited with his blade, he was ready to remind himself why he became a Chef.

"Good job, Zaus! You are going to be a damn good Chef once out of school!" Not the perfection he sought nor the mistakes he longed to forget, but only the pleasure and satisfaction of cooking.

"I missed you, my beloved Partner." His lips curved into a small, almost imperceptible smile, this duel wasn't about victory anymore, it was about finally making peace with himself.

He inhaled deeply, his body relaxed and slowly, his hands began to move; a flick of the wrist here, the turn of a knife there, at first, it seemed almost too slow for the frenetic pace of a cooking duel, then it began.

"He's ready. Go." Don Slime said.

"Eh?" Momo muttered,

Without a word, Asarudy and the other masked Chefs held their hands together and when they opened them something came out, it was like a bubble of distorted air, but with no heat causing it.

"It's something we got from the Spirit Doors, hopefully it will answer our question," Don Slime said as the various bubbles joined into a big one and floated slowly towards Izuku.

When the bubble started floating in front of him, the distorted image inside the bubble kept shifting between Izuku and an old man with a long white beard.

"Who the hell is that?" Rumi asked.

"An old man?" Nejire added.

"That's Zaus-san! The boy really is him!" Komatsu said with a wide smile.

"Eh?!" The others gasped, confused.

"So that was Izuku's face as Zaus." Momo said, eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"To be fair, I do see some faint resemblance." Ochako admitted, humming.

"We tried contacting his spirit after he died, thanks to the Spirit Door, but he was not there, and the other spirits there all said the same thing, that he had reincarnated elsewhere. And there he is now, a new face, but still the same amazing Chef." Asarudy explained, smiling.

Their shock increased when his arms seemed to shimmer, splitting into hazy afterimages, each moving with impossible precision and grace.

"There it is. Welcome back, Zaus-chan!" Setsuno said with a chuckle.

To the untrained eye, it looked as if Izuku had sprouted a thousand limbs, each one an extension of his boundless skill, with each hand holding a copy of his two knives; his extra hands danced across ingredients with divine speed, flames bent to his will, and liquids obeyed his command as if charmed.

The sight was breathtaking, inhuman.

The Heroes gasped audibly, some unable to comprehend what they were witnessing.

"What... what is that?" Toshinoti murmured.

"That's not just a technique. It's him. He's stopped holding back. Finally, I might add!" Setsuno, greatly amused, answered.

And then, the afterimages vanished.

What followed was a simplicity that defied logic, Izuku's hands moved with deliberate clarity now, each gesture almost too slow for the speed he was working at, making the others wonder if they could just see a small part of every movement he actually made while working.

The arena, though still bursting with the sounds of a heated duel, somehow felt quieter, flames roared higher when he willed it, only to bow low in perfect submission a moment later, Ingredients surrendered themselves completely to his vision, transforming into something beyond human comprehension.

"So, he has finally forgiven himself, He is using it." Asarudy muttered to himself. He leaned forward, his voice soft but resolute.

"What?" Aizawa asked, curious.

"The Avalokiteśvara Style. The cooking style that gained him the number 1 spot in the world, what crowned him as The King of Cooking!" The purple kappa said in awe.

"That looks cool… scary, but cool." Kaminari admitted, whistling.

The platform trembled beneath Izuku's feet as the shark-piranha hybrids thrashed below, their hunger heightening with each breath of savory air, and for some reason, Izuku would randomly toss few cuts of food to the fishes below, to increase their hungry frenzy.

"What are you doing?" Kakarino asked, still finishing cooking.

"I want to make sushi, and I want a very specific Ingredient!" Izuku answered, finally with a relaxed smile.

SPLAASH!

With a vigorous vertical explosion of water, one of the fishes surged upward, with its sleek body carving through the air like a spear, the crowd gasped as they watched the fish open its jaws wide in hunger.

"There he is! And pretty plump too! Good!" The young Chef didn't flinch, He leaned back with elegance and let his knife slice through the air in a single fluid stroke.

Plop!

Time seemed to warp, but the shark-piranha's body was split so perfectly that the animal didn't even realize it had been filleted, its glistening skeleton landed back in the water and kept on swimming with haunting determination, while its meat delicately landed on an empty plate in front of Izuku.

"Perfect!" He said with childish happiness.

"Okay… That's fucking next level flexing…" Katsuki admitted with bulged-out eyes.

The others were not too far behind in shock.

With movements that bordered on divine, Izuku sculpted the fish meat into delicate slices the color of mother pearl, each one thinner than a breath, and layered them onto a bed of rice so flawless it looked sculpted from marble.

"OOOH! DADDY YOU ARE SO COOL!" Eri was heard screaming in awe, and a true, giant smile bloomed on her face.

"She is smiling! You did it, Icchan! You made Eri-chan smile!" Himiko yelled, crying her eyes out in happiness.

"It only took a Chef making confetti of the laws of Physics!" Rumi answered, laughing and tickling the kid.

"That because my Eri-chan deserves only the best!" Izuku yelled in answer, smiling through his happy tears at seeing Eri finally learning to smile for real, and so plating his sushi plate with an extra flourish that made Eri giggle.

"Glacier Maw Sushi! Uuhm! I missed this scent! I dedicate this plate to you, Eri-chan!" Izuku said with a happy smile when the dish was complete; the sushi radiated an almost holy aura, it glowed faintly, an iridescent shimmer that didn't belong to normal food and accompanied by the sea's scent.

"Thanks, dad!" Eri answered, smiling.

"That was the last dish, I am done too!" Izuku's chef sea dragon knife and 'Zaus Knife' came down one final time, with their blades striking the board with a sound that resonated in an unnatural way, like a gong, silencing the arena.

"Done, sorry for the wait… But I am done now. Both Cooking and running away." Izuku smiled and stepped back, wiping his hands clean with a small towel.

"Thank you, for all this." He then said this while meeting the gaze of Kakino.

"… Eh! I was the sacrificial lamb, but I am happy to see that it worked!" She answered with a soft chuckle, and shaking her head at the craziness of the entire situation.

Both Chefs shook hands in a show of sportsmanship and carried their dishes down for everybody to try.

"… I have a question." Katsuki said while watching a big table being set up for both Izuku's and Kakarino's dishes.

"Yes?" Mic answered.

"How the FUCK anybody back home challenges THAT?!" He asked while pointing at the absurd spread of dishes that were even too gorgeous to properly describe.

"You don't. Plain and simple." Aizawa answered.

"I hope he doesn't start cooking like that when we get back, he would probably cause half the restaurants of Japan to close." Toshinori said.

"So what? It's not his problem, he probably doesn't do it to avoid that, but even if one day he decides to just stop worrying and go all out, so to speak, then it will be the others that will have to step up. He can't be forced to half-assing it just to protect the frail feelings of others." Aizawa answered.

"Let's not go there, Zawa… That is a can of worms I don't want to open…" Mic said, groaning.

"So, who wins?" Momo asked, worried.

"...Pfft-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Eh?" When the others started laughing, even Izuku looked at them funny.

"Sorry, sorry. We were just following Setsuno's instructions. The Ingredients have been collected while you were coming here, and while Zaus… I mean, Izuku, were cooking, some of us were processing them, so to have them ready to use." Asarudy declared, chuckling.

"Eh?!"

"There is no need to worry, this was never really a challenge. Even if I do still consider Zaus-san the winner!" Kakarino answered, laughing.

"What?!"

"I wanted my old friend to finally forgive himself, but I knew that just asking him to do it wouldn't have worked. We needed him to feel the pressure AND the excitement of a cooking duel withj heavy stakes. Something that would have forced him to come to terms with his past, present and future, and that would have left him with no choice but facing his demons, as a way to push forward and become stronger." Setsuno explained, chuckling.

"You… You… YOU CAN'T TREAT ME LIKE A CHARACTER FROM YOUR FAVOURITE ROMANCE NOVEL, SETSU!" Izuku immediately pressed his forehead on Setsuno's.

"YOU WERE BEING AN IDIOT, ZAUS-MORON!" Setsuno roared, pushing back against his forehead with hers.

"Yep! That's him alright." A tall guy with bright red skin and a long nose walked in.

"Hn?"

"Tengu Branch, nice to meet you, chumps! If ya got the Ingredients ya need it was because me and the Heavenly Kings busted our asses! So, old fart! How's being a hormonal teen again? Hahahahaha!"

"QUIET, LONG NOSE!" Both Setsuno and Izuku yelled angrily at him, and the actual air-pressure made him slightly slid back of a couple inches.

"Jeez! That's some gratitude, ya piece of shit." Tengu just scratched his ear with a pinkie and cleaned it on Iida's costume, totally unfazed by the screams that would have sent normal people flying.

"Eeew!" And ignoring Iida's disgusted scream.

"So you finally understand?" Setsuno asked.

"I do, even if I still have nightmares about what I did." Izuku answered, sighing.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Nejire asked, concerned.

"To not bore you all, I'll just give you a rapid rundown…" Izuku said, sighing and watching the dishes he made with Kakino.

"I was enjoying my life as a Chef, preparing for the next Tournament, managing my Restaurants… The usual… When… I guess Joie, a Villain at the head of an entire damn organization, came visiting. Then everything become a shapeless mass of fragments of memories… Then I Wake up, for the lack of a better term, and find my life in ruins."

"Joie was a Chef of terrifying skills, and with knowledge of some very esoteric Techniques. One of which what they called Flavor Change." Setsuno added.

"To put it simple, Joie could Cook your mind, brainwashing you. To the point of rewriting your entire personality." Coco added.

"Oh… Fuck…" Aizawa winced.

"Daddy!" Eri whimpered in worry.

"What was once a very serious man who had high aspirations for the next generation, who was so passionate about cooking to pretend to Master every style and also had a friendly rivalry with me, had become a cold and calculating man… Cruel and merciless." Sestsuno shook her head.

"When I got my freedom back, they helped me understand what I did… And I understood that I had kidnapped, crippled, hurt and ruined the lives of hundreds of people. I had helped hunting down Ingredients with cruelty of a beast, even hurting several Battlewolves newborns in the process, along driving many Ingredients a step away from Extinction." Izuku said, sighing.

"That explains you fear of meeting those giant monsters." Rumi said, groaning.

"After that, Zaus' reputation was in ruins, his name forever ruined in people's eyes and his restaurants closed and, along everything he owned, forcibly sold to repay the damages." Komatsu added.

"My entire career had been irreparably damaged, so I exiled myself deep in the Gourmet World and spent there my last years in isolation." Izuku said.

"Unfortunately, his self exile meant he could not see the world heal from what Joie made him do, and slowly forgive him. His old friends, colleagues and students, They all forgave him. Even the Ingredients forgave him. He was not hated by the world like he believed, not after the truth of what Joie did to him and many others came out. He died before he could see that he was the only one still blaming him for what he did." Coco said.

"Oh, some still resented him, that was normal, but the majority had understood and wanted to give him a second chance. A lot of people came to your funeral, you know?" Setsuno said.

"It sounds a bit morbid… But I still appreciate it." Izuku admitted with a low chuckle.

"And after Zaus died, he reincarnated into a new life, as Izuku Midoriya?" Toshinori asked.

"Eh, that is where it gets interesting. I can't tell you if Katsuki-san blasting me against the wall Isekai me into this world as Zaus, or if it just unlocked my memories of a previous life… But I am more prone to the Isekai idea, because even while living as Zaus I could still remember my life as Izuku." Izuku answered.

"Oh! Isekai! Rin loves those stories!" Toriko said, chuckling.

"Aaw! Really? Now, that's way more layers!" Setsuno added, laughing.

"So… I isekai you?" Katsuki said, unsure.

"It was still attempted murder," Aizawa jumped in.

"Yeah, I know… I think about that every damn day…"

"So. I reminded you of Joie? When we argued and I told you you had no choice on the matter of your skills?" Aizawa asked.

"Pretty much. I just don't deal well with people trying to force me to do things I don't want to do, and the more forceful they try to force me to do something, the worst my PTSD gets."

"Then I guess I kind of owe you an apology?"

"Don't bother. We both have our own emotional baggage, and trauma-dumping helps nobody."

"The only difference was that I was Trauma-dumping on you, as you call it, pretending to force my world-view on you, while you just wanted to deal with this hellish Mission here as soon as possible and once again bury those memories. But, in my defence, I wasn't aware that your memories of this place were so messed-up."Aizawa said, presenting his hand.

"It's fine, maybe I can finally start healing from this too." The young Chef said, shaking the man's hand.

"That's nice! Come on! Let's have lunch together before you leave!" Toriko said with a wide smile.

"We can't waste time!" Mic said, frantic.

"The Ingredients are already ready for cooking, and we finished collecting everything with a good twenty or so hours to spare, but I will still need twelve hours to cook the soup I need, so we can't stay for long." Izuku answered.

"Right! We must go!" Toshinori conceded.

"Aw, come ooon! Everything looks so good!" Mina said with a whine.

"I don't think it will be a good idea." Coco said.

"Uh?"

"This is true Gourmet World cooking, they are not used to this." He explained.

"Oh, come on! How different can it be-" Mina said with a smirk, she Katsuki and Jiro just grabbed a fork each and tried a dish of what Izuku and Kakino made.

"No! Wait don't-"

As the sushi touched Mina's tongue, she froze, her breath caught in their throat.

"…" The flavor bloomed like an explosion of light, spreading through her senses not as a taste but as a presence! It wasn't sweet, salty, bitter, sour, or umami, it defied those categories, existing outside the human lexicon of flavor.

"Too late." Izuku said, sighing in dismay.

You couldn't say 'It tastes similar to salmon, but..' It was its own flavor, its own thing, alien and different, a flavor Mina's mind couldn't even dare to compute… And Godly couldn't even start to describe how good it was.

"… Fuck…" Words failed Katsuki too, as he was eating a steak that tasted… Tasted…

The closest comparison wasn't even a food, it was a feeling.

It was the sharp exhilaration of standing on the edge of a cliff, the warmth of sunlight piercing through clouds after a storm, it resonated deep, as if the taste carried a memory he had never lived, a soundless song that bypassed the tongue entirely and sang directly to his soul.

"The fuck I ate before? This is real meat, real flavor… I was eating rotten shit before… This is how meat is supposed taste…" The young man's wondered, his concept of taste unravelling.

Jiro was even worse, she smiled, cried, hiccuped and yet ate non-stop, feeling pure happiness at each bite of Kakino's fish dish; and yet she felt sadness, because she knew food back home will never taste as good as what she was currently eating, never again.

Tears welled in their eyes, unbidden, not from sadness or joy, but from the sheer incomprehensibility of the experience.

"I knew it…" Izuku said, sighing.

"That is why I told you to not eat anything too complex while here. You are not used to our Food." Coco said, face-palming.

"They are catatonic, Zawa!" Mic yelled, frantic.

"Guys! Look at me! Wake up!" Toshinori lightly slapped them, trying to snap them out of their out-of-body mystic trip.

"Just drag them along, we'll have Recovery Girl give them a look. And maybe a detoxifying routine." Aizawa answered.

"And a couple meeting with Dog Hound too." Mic added.

"That too."

"So you are leaving?" Don Slime asked.

"Yes, unfortunately we can't stay long, I need to hurry and get back home preparing everything." Izuku answered.

"Very well!" The Slime answered, and at a signal, the other masked Chefs of Blue Grill pushed towards them a MASSIVE cart full of giant Ingredients piled up for several meters.

"WO!" Tsuyu gasped in surprise.

"Every Ingredient you were looking for, plus a few others. Blue Grill is home to some amazing Healers too, and once seen your sizable Shopping List, they added their own suggestions." Asarudy said.

"I sent a Voice Ball to Yusaku and Teppei. They added their own crap." Zebra added.

"I… I don't know what to say…" Izuku muttered, eyes watery in unshed tears.

"Consider it a Welcome Back Gift. To not forget about this world. Okay?" Don Slime answered, slapping his back hard.

"I won't forget! Ever! Thank you!" Izuku answered.

"Now go, Zaus-chan! A Chef's work never ends." Setsuno said with a kind smile.

"Right! Goodbye everyone. And thank you… For everything." Izuku answered.

"You know… It finally downed on me…" Nejire said.

"What?" Momo asked.

"In every Sortie, Icchan meets and returns with a new Companion. Shiro in his Sortie with me, Zephyr in his Sortie with Rumi, 808 from his Sortie with you, and Goro and Adelia from his Sortie with Ochako… And now, he got his old Knife back in this Sortie!"

"Pfft! Okay, I see the pattern!" Rumi admitted, snorting.

"That knife is not part of the God of Cooking Set." The System said.

"Can it join? It was with me through good and bad." Izuku asked.

"Request accepted. Beginning dimensional travel." The Entity answered, and in a flash of golden light Izuku and the group disappeared to return home.

"Goodbye everyone. Thank you!" Izuku said a last time.

"Have a happy life, Zaus-chan! You earned it!" Setsuno answered, smile wobbly out of sadness, as she watched the group vanish.

Izuku's original world – Kitchen -

As soon as the group returned, Izuku had rushed to the kitchen with Whitey in tow and had immediately started cooking.

"The Life Bourguignon. Please, Ingredients, turn my theory into Reality and Help Nemuri!" Izuku begged as he watched the giant spread of Ingredients in front of him.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" Lunch Rush asked from the side.

"Trust me, if it was any other dish… I would have gladly accepted." The young Chef admitted, sighing.

"It's fine, just ask if you need help," The Hero said.

"Thanks," Izuku answered, while working on the Axolotl meat first, a meat with a quality far superior to even premium Wagyu.

He used the Heaven-Earth Obsidian flame and the Star-Eating Turtle wok Time-Accelerating powers to dry-age the meat for the equivalent of 28 days, and once done, he cut it cut into 2.5 cm cubes.

"While waiting… The Buff-Beef marrow bones," He muttered splitting the bones lengthwise with a swift slash of his dragon and Zaus knife.

He will roast the beef marrow bones until caramelized and use a sous vide machine to infuse the marrow into the stock for 3 hours at 65°C.

"And the smoked pork belly, cured with Jun-Hyper Berries and… Yes, applewood should go nice with it… I hope that 'Iron Stomach' Pig really is an Ingredient as good as they say it is at repair muscles..." he muttered.

"That boy is working hard?" Fatgum asks, curious.

"Like a madman." Rush answered.

With Izuku – 3 hours later -

After paranoically checking the timer for the preparation of most Ingredients, the young Chef finally grabbed a bottle of decanted 'Grand Cru' Burgundy wine, some cognac barrel-aged for 10 years from his reserves and one vanilla bean he then split lengthwise.

"This will do nice for a wine reduction, I want it to taste good other than heal her, it will be good for her spirit too, not just her body." Izuku muttered, combining wine, cognac and the split vanilla bean in a copper pot to reduce the resulting solution over low heat, and stirring every 15 minutes; and straining it once done.

"The tendon-repairing carrots, Tendarrots; then the skin-kelp celery hearts, I'll brunoise them all. (Brunoise means to dice something in thin cubes)." Two knives moved like blurs to rapidly, and yet delicately, dice those vegetables into tiny cubes all identical in size.

"The eye-shaped onions… No, I will just peel them. I'll keep them whole, like that the healing juices will remain untouched. It should increase their ability to fix Nemuri's sight."

Finally satisfied with the stock, Izuku extracted the marrow from the infused stock, and flash-freeze it into small discs thanks to the Myriad Manifestation Mallet Ice Powers.

Wooosh!

Breathing out a new ball of fire, Izuku cloned the turtle wok and started searing the axolotl cubes in the second wok over high flames.

The two Heroes watched the young kid works himself ragged for several hours, sweating profusely and becoming paler and paler by the minute.

Two hours later -

The young Chef grabbed the carrots, the celery and the onions and set them to 'sweat them' (Gently cooking vegetable in a small amount of oil or butter over low heat, with frequent stirring and turning, to release their natural moisture and flavors) in clarified marrow fat for exactly 32 minutes... "No more, no less." He repeated to himself like a mantra, afraid of messing-up.

"The reduction!" never stopping moving, he also deglazed it with the wine reduction and added consommé to it in controlled ladles, precise to the very millilitre.

"The black pepper that strengthen the absorption of nutrients, the Kombat Pepper… I hope Yosaku is right about using this. Then black garlic cloves, star anise, and bouquet garni…" He listed, to make sure, while adding all that to a pot.

That part alone took Izuku two hours of gruelling work.

One hour later -

The Axolotl and pork belly meat had been braised in the aromatic liquid and passed through a sous vide circulation, in a large Dutch oven, and gently stirred. For three hours.

"The mushrooms…" Izuku muttered while tossing the Hemostashiitake, Lungshroom and Bone-shrooms into a pot and added the Eeliver oil on top to simmer them, then glazed pearl onions with honey able to strengthen and heal the kidneys and sherry vinegar.

He roasted everything together at 200°C for 15 minutes, ensuring a golden exterior and tender interior.

Hours later – Time elapsed: 11 hours -

Lunch Rush kept watching Izuku cook, confused as to why the boy seemed to waste away while cooking, becoming more and more emaciated every passing minute, but as a testament of his force of Will, he never faltered.

"That kid needs to rest," Fat Gum said, walking up to Izuku.

"I can stir that for a bit, take a breather." He offered, gently.

"No, it's fine, I can do this." Izuku answered, smiling, even while drenched in sweat.

"Nonsense, you look like you are about to fall over. Let me-"

As soon as Fat Gum touched the ladle Izuku was using, he went from his giant 'Fat Form' to a skinny form looking like somebody on the verge of starving to death, so much his ribs were visible.

"TAISHIRO!" Lunch Rush barely reacted in time to grab the man before he could fully fall on the ground.

"F-F-Food!" The Pro Hero begged with a weak voice.

"What happened?!" The Pro Hero Chef asked.

"Cooking this dish requires a lot of stamina. That's why I didn't ask for help," Izuku answered.

"He was in Full Tank! He barely grabbed that ladle for a second!" Rush answered.

"Feed him before he dies of starvation. I got this, don't worry!" Izuku answered with a thumbs-up and a tired smile.

"What in God's name is he making… Whatever. Come, Taishiro, let's fill your stomach." Rush said while dragging Fat Gum away.

"That soup… has eaten me…" The Pro Hero groaned with a weak voice full of fear.

"It's okay, I am here. Hopefully that dish won't kill the boy…"

One hour later -

Still unsure about the entire ordeal, and after feeding a near death Fat Gum, Lunch Rush had started cooking for izuku, feeding the boy himself so to not interrupt his cooking, altough once guessed the ratio of absorption of Izuku's devilish recipe, the Pro Hero wondered if he was actually helping at all in keeping the boy fed and strong enough to finish the last steps of his dish.

He watched Izuku boil some strange purple potatoes he insisted would fix Nemuri's digestive tract to optimal tenderness, testing it with a fine bamboo skewer, and then passing them through a tamis sieve, then emulsifying them with truffle-infused cream (Nobody saw fit to tell Rush how those particular truffles were supposed to heal Nemuri's skin) and butter.

"Almost there." Izuku declared with a tired, but very satisfied voice.

He remove the bouquet garni and star anise from the braising pot, add the roasted mushrooms and pearl onions, and stirred delicately to avoid bruising the vegetables.

"You are doing great, kiddo. Keep it up." Rush said, nodding.

"Don't give up now…" Fat Gum added, still weak but no longer at death's door, and keeping distance from the pot Izuku was working on.

Izuku nodded, grateful for the support, and spooned the potato mash into a bowl as a base, then he carefully added ladle after ladle of Bourguignon over the mash, ensuring equal distribution of meat, vegetables, and garnishes. And sprinkled with micro shards of parsley.

"It's done… Bring it to Nemuri… Hurry…" Izuku said, finishing the plate and fainting in Rush' arms only after 100% sure the dish was completed and no error or unsightly mistakes were made.

It was a plate of pure perfection.

"I'll take the dish to Recovery Girl! You take the kid!" Rush grabbed the plate and hurried towards the infirmary.

"Okay!" Fat Gum instead lifted izuku in his arms, and followed by Whitey, he took the boy along.

Infirmary

"WE GOT IT! WE GOT IT!" Rush yelled.

"Hurry, let's make her eat it! And hope we really got us the miracle we need!" Recovery Girl answered.

She carefully removed the tube helping Nemuri breath and stepped away.

"Yes… How?" Rush answered, unsure.

"… Crap! I can't wake her up!" The old lady answered.

"Goddamnit! We are not stopping now that we got here!" Mic answered, grabbed the plate and took a mouthful of the scalding liquid.

"What are you-" Aizawa's tirade stopped when Mic kissed Nemuri and gently drew the food down her throat.

"It's not a proper procedure…" Recovery Girl said.

"She is eating, that's all that matters!" Mic answered, taking another mouthful and repeating the kiss-feeding.

"I guess." Recovery Girl conceded.

"I'll go take the entire pot! Better safe than sorry!" Lunch Rush ran out of the Infirmary.

"This kid… if he actually saves Nemuri, we'll get a big fat debt towards him," Fat Gum said while gently putting the snoring Izuku on a bed.

"At the very least." Aizawa admitted, and watching the poor Mic sacrifice his mouth by emptying the entire pot of the scorching-hot liquid a mouthful at a time, uncaring of how painfully it burned his mouth every time.

The next day -

Nemuri felt strange, she barely remembered jumping in front of the giant hand of that colossal Villain, then everything became a colorless blur, and she felt absolutely nothing, even her own body didn't feel like her own, as if she had left it behind to float on a soft cloud.

Then finally she felt something, a damn nice flavor entering her mouth and pleasant heat enveloping her, and when she finally opened her eyes, she saw her two old friends Hizashi and Shota sleep at both sides of her bed and looking like dishevelled hobos, probably having stayed at her side for who knows how long.

"NEMURIIIIIIIII!" And Mic screamed, and cried and sobbed, as soon as he saw her wake-up, burying his face on her shoulder to drench her shoulders in just few seconds.

"My God… He actually did it…" Aizawa muttered, and Nemuri knew it was a big deal because she saw the gruff bastard get misty-eyed.

"What happened?" Nemuri asked with a raspy, weak voice.

"HOLY SHIT! SHE IS ALIVE!" Okay, she never heard Recovery Girl curse, or even just scream, it really must have been something big.

"Eh?"

"It's a long story." Aizawa said, sniffling as discreetly as he could, to protect his image, clearly.

She really needed to know! What the Hell happened while she was asleep?!

With Izuku – Green Cloud Restaurant -

"Is the Host sure He wants the student's Memories to be erased?" The System asked.

"I am fine with only Mic, Toshinori and Aizawa and Nezu knowing. Momo, Rumi and Nejire and Ochako deserve to know about my past, Eri too, everybody else?… No, that would be too many people knowing about my past as Zaus." Izuku answered.

"Understood. The System will assure the chosen ones will keep the secret, while everybody else will have those memories erased."

"Thank you." The Young Chef said, cracking his back with a pleased groan and returning to cook for his beloved customers clamouring his restaurant for breakfast.

"Orders ready for Table 6!"

"Yes, Icchan!" Himiko said, she and Zephyr collecting the plates with professional precision to rapidly deliver them.

Hopefully it won't be too soon that new troubles will come knocking at his door.

Meanwhile – Yamato's Apartment -

Yamato's fingers drummed against the table, her lips pressing into a thin line as she stared at Ren eating breakfast with her.

"So this is your master plan. Samui wants you to sabotage Izuku... On national television? That's his brilliant plan? And you want to turn it against him."

"Brilliant isn't the word I'd use, but yes, that's the gist of it. He thinks he's being clever, planting seeds of doubt about my integrity while destroying Midoriya's reputation. Two birds, one very stupid stone." Ren chuckled, shaking his head and cleaning his mouth.

"And you're just... Going along with it?" Her tone was sharp, laced with disbelief.

"Not quite." Ren leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"I'm going to flip it. Samui wants me to make Midoriya look incompetent? Fine. I'll make the boy the star instead."

"How does that work? If the audience sees you giving Izuku preferential treatment, doesn't that play into Samui's narrative?" She frowned, her brow furrowing deeper.

"Not if I do it the right way," He replied, his eyes gleaming with calculated precision.

"The boy won't need preferential treatment. He's a damn good chef, better than most of the contestants who show up, better than many people we know, we saw his skills at work plenty of times against the others! I'll structure the Pressure Test to play along with Samui's request only on a surface level, but in truth, nothing underhanded will happen. I'll let him shine, and if Samui asks, I will be pretending to be shocked my amazing evil plan failed. By the end, Midoriya will have the audience eating out of his hand, and I'll come out looking like a judge who values talent above all else."

"And Samui?" Yamato's voice was tight, her concern etched into every line of her face.

"Samui will be watching his plan collapse in real time,"

"Oh, that he will." She rolled her eyes at that.

"He's so blinded by his vendetta that he doesn't realize he's handing me the perfect opportunity to show off my friendship with Midoriya. If anything, the whole country will see us as a united front! Me, the impartial judge, and Midoriya, the underdog who thrived under pressure from a jealous Chef… Samui."

"So you are planning ahead for when this entire mess will blow-up on Samui's face?"

"Oh, yes! It's a matter of When, instead of IF! I included you too in it, we both deserve to come out of it smelling of roses, we already paid for our mistakes, Samui has no right to drag us down with him." Ren answered,

Yamato exhaled, her shoulders sagging slightly as the tension began to drain from her.

"You really think this will work?"

"It will," He said, confidently.

"Samui doesn't understand people, Yamato. He sees them as pawns, tools to be used and discarded. But the moment someone refuses to play by his rules, his whole game falls apart. you and I? We're not playing. We're turning the board upside down with the help of young Midoriya."

The old woman leaned back in her chair, her lips twitching into a reluctant smile.

"You're enjoying this too much."

"Maybe a little. But isn't it poetic? Samui's obsession with ruining us will be the thing that elevates us both." Ren answered raised a new glass of red wine, his smirk deepening.

"I just hope Izuku knows what he's getting into."

"He will, tomorrow I'll meet him to decide together the finer details." He answered, his tone softening.

"I'll make sure both me and him succeed. The kid's no fool. He knows this is a chance to not just defend himself but to grow. And I'll be right there, making sure he gets his chance while Samui's scheme blows up in his face."

"I suppose if anyone can turn revenge into an advantage, it's you."

"That's the spirit," Ren said with a grin.

"Now, let's sit back and enjoy the show. Something tells me Samui's ulcer is going to be the real star of this season of Master Chef Japan!"

At the same time – League of Villains HQ Bar -

Kurogiri was nervous, Shigaraki had disappeared, and was nowhere to be found.

"Master made it clear, Shigaraki must be brought back… but where the hell is he?!" The Nomu hissed.

"We'll find that moron, relax." Dabi answered.

"He can't be hiding that well, we can find him easy!" Twice added.

"Then go find him and bring him back! Now!" Kurogiri snapped.

"Going, going." Both answered, shaking their head.

With Shigaraki – streets -

Covered in the dirty, ragged coat he took from a homeless guy he had just dusted, Shigaraki crept through the streets looking for his first target, eyes wide and bloodshot and a peculiar revolver held tightly, angrily, in his hand.

"Where are you… Where are you, Smiling Moron NPC… I want to erase that dumb smile from your face, you All Might Knock-off…" Shigaraki muttered, giggling.

End of the chapter.

Omake: Interdimensional Ingredient Hunt:

The Cursed Cooking Book of the Witch!

Antique Shop – Night

It was night, and long shadows were being cast inside a cluttered antique shop thanks to the moon, with the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the windows.

The backroom of the shop was filled with ancient artefacts, talismans, and shelves lined with mysterious scrolls, and the old man owning the store was pacing frantically around his workbench, muttering in Cantonese under his breath.

A young man, a kid girl and a towering giant of a man with a very rotund belly were standing nearby, with their faces twisted in a mix of curiosity and concern.

"Bad! Very bad! One more thing- no, two more things! This is beyond bad and we have not solution yet! This is apocalyptic!" The old man finally said.

"Uncle, could you slow down? We just fought off a horde of Shadowkhan, and now you're telling us there's something even worse out there?" The young man, Jackie, asked, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised in doubt.

"Yeah, I mean, the Shadowkhan ran away! Like, poof! They never do that! What's scarier than ninjas made of shadows?" The kid girl, Jade, asked with an excited smile.

"Even their master, Shendu, seemed… hesitant. That's unusual. I wasn't even aware Shadowkhan could feel fear. I was certain they didn't even know what feelings were." The giant man, Tohru, said while nervously scratching the back of his neck.

Uncle, in answer, slammed a scroll onto his workbench, making its paper crackling ominously, then he gestures dramatically at his confused family.

"Shendu FAILED to open the portal to free one of his demon siblings! FAILED! Do you know what this means?!" Uncle said while pointing at the scroll.

"Nnooo?" Jackie tried answering.

"Ayy! It means Destiny itself has been paused! The flow of chi of everything has been interrupted!" Uncle answered.

"Paused? Uncle, you're making it sound like someone hit a cosmic pause button." Jade asked.

"Exactly! But who… no, what! Has the power to do such a thing?!" Uncle said, nodding vigorously

"Every talisman, every ritual, every divination I tried to understand this… they all burned to ash or crumbled in my hands!" He while slamming slams his hands on the table, making a priceless vase roll off, luckily Jackie gently kicked it back in place without even scratching it, a manouver he was sadly getting used to.

"Careful! That is 3000 year old vase! Very precious!" Uncle admonished Jackie absent-minded while grabbing a handful of the charred remains of a talisman from a nearby dish, letting the blackened fragments fall through his fingers dramatically and inside a waste bin.

"Very expensive talismans gone like that. Ayyy… My heart bleeds." He muttered.

"So? What now?" Tohru asked.

"This is not the work of any demon or magic we know. This is something ancient. Something powerful. Something very… very… extremely dangerous!" Uncle answered, gravely.

"Ancient, powerful, and dangerous? So… like Shendu, but worse?" Jade asked, even more hyped.

"If the Shadowkhan were afraid enough to disobey orders and retreat, it must be something beyond our usual threats." Tohru instead was less thrilled than her, having worked for Shendu himself in the past, so well versed in the hidden workings of the Forces of Evil.

Uncle grabbed his hair, tugging at them in frustration.

"Haaahh! Why must I repeat myself?! Yes! Worse! If this force can disrupt Destiny, even Shendu is but an ant to it!" Uncle confirmed, annoyed like never before.

"Do we have any idea what we're dealing with? Anything at all?" Jake asked.

"I…" Uncle paused, pacing again as he strokes his chin, he then stopped suddenly, turning to them with a determined glare.

"There is a story. An old legend about a being so ancient, even the eight demon sorcerers would not speak its name. A creature whose existence was erased from the Book of Ages. If this force has returned… We are in more trouble than you have words for." He finally said, tone low and full of doom.

"Okay, so? what's the plan? Call the Captain? Get the J-Team back together? Maybe bring double talismans this time?" Jade asked, somehow not afraid at all out of youthful wonder.

"No! First, you listen to Uncle! THEN, you follow Uncle's plan! Hyaaahh!" Uncle answered with a snapping tone.

"Okay, okay, no need to roar." The kid answered, huffing annoyed.

"We are all ears, Uncle." Jackie added.

"First step of plan: survive long enough to learn what 'The Nameless Evil' wants. Second step: pray we can stop it. Third step: tea. You cannot face doom on an empty stomach!" Uncle said, with a matter-of-factly tone.

Later that nigh -

The room was dimly lit, every window closed so that the only light sources were few candles, the floor was filled with burning incense sticks and faintly glowing talismans were hanging from every corner; Uncle stood in the center of the array, sitting down and surrounded by a complex chalk diagram he had drawn on the floor.

"Chi wan-gee, yu fa-laa, hyaaahhh! Spirit World, answer Uncle! Answer now, or else!" Uncle was muttering incantations under his breath, holding a talisman in one hand and a chicken feather in the other.

"…" No answer came.

Frowning, Uncle slammed his hand down on the chalk circle, making the diagram glow briefly once again before fizzing out like a dying sparkler.

"Aiyah! Spirit World never ignores Uncle! Spirits are like talkative grandmas! They gossip about everything, even when Uncle does not ask!" he growled in annoyance.

Jackie, Jade, and Tohru were watching from the doorway, looking concerned but also slightly amused.

"Maybe the spirits finally learned how to use voicemail, Uncle." Jade suggested, snickering.

"No jokes! This is serious! Uncle must find out what has disturbed the Spirit World before it disturbs our world!" Uncle answered while pointing a stern finger at her.

"Fine! If Spirits don't come to Uncle, Uncle will go to Spirits! One more thing! Uncle still didn't get his tea! So it better be ready when Uncle is back!" Said that, he adjusted his robes, took a deep breath, and sat cross-legged in the circle once more, only this time muttering a new chant, and this time, his body shimmered faintly, and his spiritual projection detached from the Mortal Plane and floated upwards into an ethereal portal.

"Think he's gonna meet some gossipy ghost grannies again?" Jade whispered.

"Let's hope that's the worst of it…" Jackie answered, hopeful.

The Spirit Realm

Uncle's projection landed in the Spirit Realm, a place normally buzzing with vibrant energy and endless chatter from spirits of all kinds, but now, an eerie silence filled the vast, shimmering void.

"Aiyah… Empty? Spirits never hide… unless… unless something has frightened them." Uncle looked around, his brow furrowing as he noticed the eeries silence.

He walked forward cautiously, his sandals making no sound against the ethereal ground.

Finally, he found somebody, after a long walk he noticed a cluster of spirits cowering in the distance, including the unmistakable, terrifying form of the Nameless Evil itself, reduced to trembling like a frightened puppy.

"Even Nameless Evil is hiding?! Aiyah! You are Embodiment of Humanity ability to Hate! You not supposed to be afraid!" Uncle said in shock.

"What is happening? They no make Entity of Pure Evil like they used to! What make you scared?" He asked, as if personally offended by the giant monstrosity of darkness and teeth and Hatred acting scared.

Suddenly, a distortion in reality rippled ahead of him, a swirling black void that bent light and sound like a collapsing star; the air grew heavy, and thousands of overlapping voices, from whispers to roars, echoed all at once, and the Distortion talked.

"Hello, Uncle Chan." The System said.

"That Voice… No.. Yuanshen… 'The Ancient'... She of Many Names?" Uncle whispered.

"We prefer The System nowadays. Every realm gave The System a different name, but we like this one the most."

"You were the one that paused Destiny? Of all spirits, why not the Nameless Evil had to be Bad Guy? Aiyah! Nameless Evil is easier to manage! Just big scary monster! But this…" He declared while glaring at the black void.

"The System too is pleased to see you again."

"This is beyond bad!"

"This is just a simple visit, this time."

"Simple?! Simple is making tea! This is not simple!" Uncle answered.

"The ancient silver city was not wiped-out by The System, stop insisting."

"Uncle has dozen scrolls saying the opposite!"

"Libel."

Uncle could tell that "Yuanshen" was tilting its form slightly, as though amused, though its presence remained overwhelming.

"What do you want." He finally asked, exasperated.

"The System has sent a champion to your world. They will recover an object of interest, a cursed book. It is important. You and your companions will have to step aside, or at best provide assistance."

Uncle's eyebrows shoot up.

"A cursed book? What kind of cursed book?!" Uncle asked.

"A cursed book of cooking. Recipes. Dangerous to the non-worthy. Complicated. The System wants the Host to recover the book and learn the recipes."

"Cooking?! You interrupt Destiny for a cookbook?" Uncle asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes, The System lately has no patience for annoyances getting in the way of the Missions we give to the Host, so the System decided to curb annoyances before they even happen. Your comprehension or acceptance is unnecessary."

Uncle glances at the cowering spirits, his face pale.

"Aiyah… Even more shameless than Uncle remembered."

"The System appreciate your offer of support to the Host. Have a nice day."

"I DIDN'T GIVE CONSENT TO HEL-" Before Uncle could protest further, the Distortion in the fabric of the Spirit Realm collapsed inward, and The System's presence vanished, and as an extra, a sudden force pulled Uncle's spirit back into his body.

Back into the Antique store -

"To help!" Uncle gasped as he snapped awake clutching his chest.

His hands trembled as he scrambles to his feet, pacing frantically.

"Uncle! Are you okay? What happened?" Jackie asked, worried.

"Was it scary ghosts? Oh! Was it a haunted spirit buffet?" Jade asked as well.

"No jokes! This is no buffet! This is disaster! Bigger disaster!" Uncle answered.

"That bad?" Tohru asked.

"The Ancient Yuanshen has sent a champion to recover a cursed book of cooking! Cooking! Aiyah This is worse than bad! Spirits are hiding! Nameless Evil is hiding! Uncle's head will explode! I need tea!"

"Wait, so… we're up against, what, evil recipes? Like, killer cookies?" Jade asked, smirking.

"Not cookies! Doom! Doom in a book! Hyaaahhh!" He stormed off to his desk and furiously grabbing scrolls.

"Great. Another cosmic catastrophe. And this time, it's about cooking." Jackie muttered, dejected.

"Do you think we'll need aprons?" Tohru asked, patting his back.

Meanwhile - Shendu's Lair –

The dark, ominous lair glowed faintly with the eerie green light of magical lamps. Shendu, still possessing the body of Valmont, paced restlessly around the room, around him, the Shadowkhan were kneeling silently, awaiting orders.

Thanks to the weak connection with his siblings still trapped in another realm, Shendu too came to know about The System's presence in their realm.

"Yuanshen… meddling again. That insufferable Ancient! No rhyme, no reason, no sense! Destroying entire worlds for… what? Food?" The Demon snarled.

Ratso, Fin and Chow stood on a side, obediently waiting for the spirit borrowing their Boss' body to calm down.

"So, we got a bigger demon that wants food?" Ratso asked.

"A cooking book. Not the strangest stuff we had to recover." Chow answered, shrugging.

"BE QUIET!" Shendu roared, punching a nearby wall so hard a crater formed and sending tremors through the lair.

The Shadowkhan don't flinch but remain still, like statues.

"Hmph. Shameless as always. Yuanshen would destroy this realm and the mortal one without hesitation. Yet, perhaps… there is opportunity in this madness." The Demon wondered aloud.

"Planning to win some favour, boss?" Fin asked.

"Indeed. If I retrieve that cursed book, Yuanshen might grant me a favor. Yes… Perhaps every portal imprisoning my siblings could be opened at the same time in return. That entity doesn't care about anything besides its Champions. Or so the Legends go."

"We can do that, Boss! We can get that book if you want!" Ratso said with a thumbs-up.

"And you think I will trust just you three?! That thing could obliterate us on a whim if you fail as always!" Shendu answered with a roar, then his anger faded into tired resignation.

"Why must all plans risk annihilation?" he asked to the sky.

"Hey… Have some faith in us, boss… Come on…" Chow almost begged, feeling very self-conscious.

Ignoring the three simpletons, Shendu turned to the Shadowkhan, and in perfect and eeries synch, they all stood to attention, waiting for orders.

"Shadowkhan! The book is in the mortal realm. You will find it and bring it to me at once!" The Shadowkhan stood in silence and only nodded in answer, then, with movements unnervingly fluid, they all vanished into the shadows.

"Shadowkhan alone might not be enough. The mortals are persistent, especially that Jackie Chan and his accursed friends."

"I'll crush them this time!" Haf Foo answered with a thundering scream.

"If only you hadn't promised that countless times already." The Demon muttered, sighing.

This time it will be different, Master Shendu!"

"… Let's pretend I believe that. You and those three will assist the Shadowkhan. The cursed book is no ordinary object. It is protected by ancient forces beyond your comprehension. Fail me, and you will wish Yuanshen had destroyed you instead. Now go."

The humans nodded, their faces pale but determined as they left.

"Uhm… Yuanshen's whims are as fickle as the winds. But if this plan succeeds… The Demon Sorcerers will rise again!" Shendu declared with gleaming eyes, he then exhaled a plume of fire, trying to mask his nervousness.

Uncle's Shop – The next day -

Uncle was furiously rifling through his scrolls and books while Jackie, Jade, and Tohru watched him nervously.

"So let me get this straight: we're fighting cursed recipe books and Shendu at the same time? Can't we just, like, order takeout instead?" Jade asked.

"No jokes! This is serious! Yuanshen does not play games! If the Spirit told Uncle the truth and Shendu gets the book first, Yuanshen may reward him by opening every portal!"

"And if we get it first? Will Yuanshen really leave us alone?" Jackie asked.

Uncle paused, his expression grim.

"Hard to say. Yuanshen only does what Yuanshen likes! Aiyah! This is why Uncle needs strong tea!"

"What's in this cursed cook book, anyway?"

"Cursed Cooking! It is a book of cooking! But its recipes are cursed, very cursed! They bend the laws of nature and create chaos. Only Yuanshen is insane enough to want Champions to learn and tame those recipes!"

"So… we're trying to stop the world from ending because of cursed spaghetti or something?" Jade asked, smirking

"No jokes! But also, yes." Uncle answered.

"Very well, where do we find this book?" Jackie asked.

"Where it has been for last two thousand years! Ruins in rural China, where once big noble had fancy castle before entire castle sunk into shadows! Tomorrow is true full moon, and curse will be weak enough for castle and forest to resurface after two thousand years!"

"Of course the curse just so happens to fade away while I am around to go there…" Jackie muttered, sighing.

A long fly later - Cursed Forest – The next night -

The forest was dense and suffocating, the gnarled trees twisting unnaturally as if they were alive, the sky above was a swirling gray void, and the air smelled of damp earth and decay.

Jackie was crouching behind a mossy boulder, peeking over it to see a decrepit castle in the distance that had just popped out from underground as if the shadows around it were muddy, gooey waters, and the entire building was now glowing faintly with an ominous green light.

Beside him, Jade clutched a flashlight, her face a mix of awe and fear while Uncle wass examining a talisman, muttering under his breath, Tohru instead scanned the area, ever-watchful.

"Uncle, are you sure this is the right place?" Jackie asked.

"Yes! Aiyah, cursed forest, creepy castle, glowing evil light! What else could it be?!" Uncle snapped in answer.

"Yeah, super inviting. Should've brought marshmallows." Jade answered, bouncing excited on her feet to watch better.

"It does feel... wrong. Like the shadows are watching us." Tohru muttered, eyes narrowed looking for threats.

Uncle waved a hand dismissively, turning his focus back to his talisman.

"Enough chatter! Jackie, you must get the book. Witch's curse comes from it. Separate her, and the curse will break! Simple plan!"

"Your 'simple plans' always turn into disasters, Uncle." Jackie answered.

"Then make it not a disaster! Go!" The old man answered while pointing at the castle.

"Going, going…"

"One more thing! Don't get touched by the Witch, you will turn into another Servant."

"Okay, Uncle."

" One more thing! She will use magic, don't get hit or she will devour your soul and you will become her Servant."

"Of course, Uncle."

"One more thing! If she throws what she is cooking, do not eat it."

"Or else I will become her Servant?" Jackie said, rolling his eyes.

"No, it will taste bad. Like wet dead rats wrapped in old smelly socks. Very unpleasant." Uncle answered.

"Ugh! Duly noted!" The poor guy, now with a green face of disgust, nodded and rushed towards the castle.

Front of the castle -

Stepping cautiously toward the castle, Jackie slowly made his way towards the ominous and clearly evil and cursed castle, luckily, when Jade tried to follow him, Uncle pulled her back.

"No, Jade! You stay here. Skeletons and ninjas are not for children!"

"I'm not a child! I'm... tactical backup! Wait! Skeletons?"

"KYAAAAAAH!" They heard Jackie scream soon after.

"Hyaaahh…. Uncle knew he forgot something!"

With Jackie - Castle Courtyard

Jackie pushed open the creaking gates and steps inside, the courtyard was littered with broken columns and rusted weapons, as he walks forward, the air grows colder, and the ground began to rumble.

"Oh, no..."

Suddenly, from the earth, skeletal hands burst out, followed by fully armored skeleton warriors, draggin rusted swords and shields behind themselves and their eye sockets glowing an eerie green.

"KYAAAAAH!… I mean, oh no!" At first a loud high-pitched scream tore its way out of Jackie's mouth, then he cleared his throat and gave a more dignified, and manly, response.

"Bad day! Bad day! Bad day!"

"Roooooar!" The undead soldiers charged at Jackie.

"Of course. Skeletons. Why is it always skeletons?"

Before he could act, the shadows rippled, and the Shadowkhan materialized, their glowing red eyes locked on both Jackie and skeletons, creating a tense three-way war of stares.

"Oh great. Skeletons and ninjas? Just my luck."

The Shadowkhan charged first, their movements swift and deadly, Jackie ducked and flipped, dodging their attacks while landing quick counter-strikes.

"There are Skeletons here! Attack them too!" He yelled while landing a kick on one Shadowkhan, and barely avoiding a skeleton lunge with a sword, rolling away and watching the Skeleton impale the Shadowkhan.

"I thought skeletons were supposed to be slow!" Nobody answered to Jackie's comment, but to the young man's relief that attck gave start to a chaotic brawl between Skeleton and Shadow Ninjas, one big and messy enough to let Jackie sneak away and enter the castle proper to look for the witch and the book..

The Witch's Chamber -

Luckily, the ancient witch's ominous and insane laughter and shriek made it easy for Jackie to find her.

"Coming through!" He yelled while bursting into the dimly lit chamber.

"YAAA!" At its center, a towering, ageless chinese witch stirred a cauldron with one hand while clutching the cursed book in the other, her face was a grotesque mix of beauty and decay, her voice cold and mocking and only mad screams were the sounds she produced.

"Another fool to steal my masterpiece? How amusing! You will join my army!" The Witch shrieked with wide, unblinking undead eyes.

Jackie stepped forward cautiously, raising his hands.

"Uh, hi. Listen, I don't want any trouble. Just... hand over the book, and we'll be on our way." Jackie answered, careful.

The witch cackled, turning to face him fully with her eyes ablaze in green flames, and slammed her foot down on the ground, and from under her, more skeletons rose from underground to encircle Jackie.

"Dance, little mortal. Dance for my amusement!" She ordered, cackling.

"Oh, no! No! No!" Jackie jumped backward, dodging sword strikes and taking down skeletons with precision kicks and flips.

"Hahahaha!" The witch hovered in the background, laughing as she summoned more undead and shooting green fireballs at Jackie at random intervals.

"Why does everything always want to kill me?!" Jackie asked with a scream as he barely dodged all that mess.

When the Shadowkhan as well joined the battle into the room, adding to the chaos, Jackie really felt like crying!

Boom!

"Troublemakers will be stripped as an example to others!" It was then that Whitey made his explosive entrance, bursting through the wall and tearing apart Skeletons a shadow ninjas with ease.

"A robot?" Jackie gasped.

"Who dares?!" The Witch demanded.

"Oh, quit it! Your voice is grating this Esteemed Taotie's ears!" Shiro, wrapped around Izuku's neck, answered.

"Who are you?!" Jackie asked.

"Ah! Sorry! I was told to get the book that Witch is holding." Izuku answered.

"You are that Champion guy?"

"I guess the answer is yes." Izuku answered, sheepish.

"Spiral Cannon!" Behind him, Nejire kept blasting skeletons and Shadowkhan away.

"And…"

"My girlfriend."

"STOP IGNORING MEEEEE!" The Witch helled, shooting the entire content of the cauldron like a geyser.

"Crap!" Izuku answered by enlarging the Turtle wok to protect him and Jackie.

Using the distraction of the torrent of sludge splashing harmlessly on the wok, Jackie vaulted over Izuku, used a skeleton as a springboard and dashed toward the witch.

"Uncle said to separate you from the book! Let's see if he's right!" Jackie declared.

"Whitey! Help him!" Izuku ordered.

"Understood!"

The witch snarled in answer, raising her hand to cast a spell, but Jackie grabbed a nearby chain and swung it at her, the thing wrapped around the book and tore it away from her grasp, and right in Izuku's hands.

"No! You cannot! Noooooooo!"

The moment the book left her hands, the glow in her eyes faded and the skeletons collapsed into heaps of bones.

"My power! My book! I only wanted… To turn this world into my kingdom! Into my foooooood!" The Witch howled while the dark power left her, leaving behind only a normal looking woman.

"I am free?… Finally… Peace…" She said in relief before falling unconscious.

"Okay! We got the book!" Izuku said.

"Hurray! What about the Ninja guys'" Nejire asked.

"Let me… SCRAM!" Shiro answered and gave a powerful roar that sent the Shadowkhan flying away, those creatures just vanished back into the shadows as soon as they touched the ground.

"Well, this could have gone worse." Jackie admitted, sighing.

Cruuuuumble!

"The castle is falling apart!" Nejire yelled as the entire palace started to collapse.

"WHY I TALKED?!" Jackie yelled while he, Izuku and Nejire hurried out and away from the fortress, with Whitey tailing behind them carrying the unconscious woman in its arms.

Outside the Castle

When Jackie and Izuku emerged from the castle, exhausted but victorious, Uncle, Jade, and Tohru rushed to meet him.

"Jackie! You're alive! And no broken bones this time!" Jade yelled in relief.

"Ehy! Thanks for the show of trust!" He answered.

"Good! The book is ours. Curse is broken. Witch and skeletons gone forever! Very good, in time for tea!"

"Yeah, about that… Can we please take a vacation after this?"

"No time for vacation! One more thing, tea needs snacks! Uncle needs strong tea and good snacks after this!" Uncle said.

"But I was the one fighting!"

WHACK!

"Ow!" He cupped his head after the surprisingly strong chop on the forehead of the old man.

"Hahahaha! Don't worry, I can take care of that." Izuku chuckled and offered.

"You are champion of Yuanshen, so the book is supposed to go to you so your Patron God doesn't kill us all. Just make good food and Uncle will look other way!" Uncle answered.

"Very generous!" Nejire answered, chuckling.

"I can do that!" Izuku added.

The System was cautiously optimistic…

Later that day -

"My Emperor of cooking! Sage of the kitchen!" The woman, former witch cursed by the book because unworthy, screamed while chasing Izuku.

The System no longer felt optimistic.

Everything started normal, with Izuku reading the book and cooking small snacks and few dishes from ancient times, modernized and polished with modern techniques and knowledge.

Then the former witch, after telling her sad backstory (gone mad trying to use the forbidden book that was intended for cooks with more attunement with Chi and magic than she had, and instead of becoming the Chef of the Emperor like she dreamed, she got corrupted and twisted into The Witch), saw in Izuku the Chosen One her Master told her stories about… And that led to her Chasing Izuku, and battling Nejire, all to convince Izuku to marry her.

Jackie and Tohru were desperately trying to stop her, Uncle just kept eating the food Izuku made.

And the System…

The System fumed, and planned for revenge.

But in the meantime, The System kicked the crap out of the Nameless Evil again, just to calm down a tiny bit.Izuku's original world – Yamato's apartment – Living Room -

The warm, dim light of the room flickered against the polished wood of the antique furniture, with a faint scent of rosemary and thyme that lingered in the air, remnants of Yamato's earlier cooking; she sat across from Ren Watanabe, the very last member of their group of friends that still had to try attack Izuku to follow Samui's insane demand of help to achieve his revenge.

"Ren…" She tried saying, her hands were folded neatly on her lap, though her knuckles betrayed the tension she tried to hide, her weathered face was lined with concern as she peered at the man in front of her.

"Yes?" Ren answered, unaware that his casual demeanour was grating against her unease.

"So," she said, her voice low, "Samui finally called you. It is actually, finally, your turn,"

"Dear Samui has a put us all in a very fancy list, written in his personal order following how easily it was supposed to be to blackmail us into helping him; you were a good friend, so he didn't need to use leverage on you, but for us others, it was all a matter of using the dirt he had on us." Ren answered and leaned back, one arm draped over the armrest of the worn-out leather chair.

He held a glass of red wine lazily in his free hand, swirling it as though her words amused him more than they troubled him. His were lips curved into a smirk, sharp and self-assured.

"And what did he tell you?"

"He wanted to remind me of the skeletons he thinks I've kept hidden in my closet." Ren replied, his tone infuriatingly light.

"This isn't a joke. You know how vindictive he is." Yamato's eyes narrowed.

The man tilted his head, his graying hair catching the light like the faint silver of a blade.

"Vindictive, yes. Clever? Not so much." He took a slow sip, savoring the wine, before setting the glass down on the short tiny table between them with deliberate care.

"Yamato, those 'compromising accidents' were dealt with years ago. Cleaned up, swept away. He's fishing in shallow waters, hoping for sharks where there are none." He said.

"Everything legally, of course! I paid the damages, I begged for forgiveness and helped fixing what I 'broke', the only difference between me and the others is that I learned the value of privacy, so my fixing my mistakes was not aired for everybody to see, Samui comprised."

"But what if he-"

Ren raised a hand to silence her, his smile fading into something sharper, colder.

"Listen to me. Samui's thirst for revenge is his greatest weakness. He thinks he's pulling the strings, but he's blind to the moves being made by those around him he thinks he is manipulating. I saw this coming the moment he started sniffing around his old contacts. I knew I'd be on his list, so I took my precautions once seen every name above mine started dropping like flies in front of that boy."

"And you're not worried? Not even a little?" Yamato's brows furrowed, her voice tinged with disbelief.

"No," He said, firmly. His gaze bore into hers, steady and unwavering.

"I've been organizing my own moves for months. Samui's been so focused on dragging me into his little crusade that he hasn't noticed I've been setting the stage for something much bigger."

"Like what?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"A publicity stunt," Ren said simply, leaning forward.

There was a gleam in his eyes now, a predator's glint.

"He thinks he can ruin me, tarnish my name. But what he doesn't realize is that his idea of controversy, handled correctly, can be a powerful tool. By the time he's done spinning his tales, I'll have turned every accusation into an opportunity. Samui will be the only one losing anything."

The old woman sat back, her hands gripping the armrests of her chair. She studied him for a long moment, the weight of his confidence both reassuring and unsettling.

"You're playing with fire, Ren."

"Aren't we Chefs? Fire's been our playground for decades, Yamato. Samui's just another flame. And when it's all over, I'll be the one still standing, with the world watching! And Samui? He'll have nothing but ashes." He chuckled, low and smooth.

The room fell silent, save for the faint ticking of the old clock on the wall, Ren picked up his glass again, raising it slightly as if to toast the inevitable.

"You worry too much," he said softly. "Let him come. The blind always fall the hardest."

"I already covered those holes in my reputation, long before he even discovered to skeletons in my closet. In fact, I have properly buried those skeletons long ago, just in case somebody came asking me for stuff in exchange of their silence."

"Just be careful."

"I will. I promise."

Yamato took a deep breath, trying to relax, and reached for the small plate of biscuits in the middle of the table to get one.

"You got Izuku to help you... Do you think he will play along? Even after everything Samui and us did to him?"

Ren let out a low chuckle, his fingers tapping idly against the stem of his wine glass.

"I didn't get dear Midoriya to do anything, Yamato. He volunteered once I told him what I had planned."

"Izuku doesn't just volunteer for things, not for a friend of Samui he still hasn't met in person." She raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"True," Ren admitted, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

"But the boy knows better than anyone what kind of person Samui is: Manipulative. Petty. Vindictive. He's been facing him through us for quite a while. When I told him what Samui was planning, he didn't need much convincing. In fact, I'd say he was eager to make sure Samui gets what's coming to him just as much as me and you want."

"And what exactly does that mean? You're not using Izuku the same way Samui tried to use us, are you?" Yamato's gaze sharpened, her hands gripping her knees.

Ren sighed, setting his glass down with a deliberate clink.

"You wound me. Do I look like the kind of man who'd manipulate somebody?"

"Yes," she said flatly.

"You did it plenty of times when we were still in high school,"

He laughed at that, the sound rich and genuine.

"Damn, no hesitation! Ouch! Fair enough, though. But in this case, Young Midoriya's involvement is as clean as it gets. He's providing... Let's call it a finishing blow. I set the stage and give him the means, and he removes Samui from both our lives."

"And what happens when Samui realizes you are working against him? His obsession is starting to scare me,"

"Samui's already burned every bridge with us and many other people," Ren answered, his tone calm but firm.

"That is true." She conceded.

"That ship sailed long before I stepped in. All I've done is give Midoriya an opportunity to turn the tables for once. He's not some pawn in this game, he's a willing player."

The room fell quiet for a moment, the tension thick between them, Yamato studied Ren's face, searching for cracks in his confidence, but found none.

"You're playing a dangerous game," she said softly.

"Life's a dangerous game. The trick is knowing when to play and when to let the other player make the first move."

"And you think Samui's going to fall for this?"

"He already has," He said, his eyes glinting with quiet triumph.

"Revenge blinds people. It makes them reckless. Predictable. Samui thinks he's dragging me into his chaos, but he doesn't see that every step he takes just tightens the noose around his own neck."

Yamato shook her head, her expression a mix of frustration and reluctant admiration.

"You're too confident for your own good. One of these days, it's going to catch up with you."

"Maybe, but not today." He raised his glass again, the red wine catching the light like blood, and laughed.

"Here's to Samui. May he enjoy the fall as much as I'll enjoy the climb!"

"You're impossible." Yamato stared at him for a long moment, then let out a weary sigh.

"And you wouldn't have it any other way," Ren replied, the smirk never leaving his face.

Sigh! "If only I hadn't tutored you in Math in high school! It all went downhill from there!" She declared with a tone of misery.

Ren laughed again, and finally, she joined him.

In the meantime - Gourmet World – Hills of the 'Giant Valley' -

Mina Ashido watched the mess happen with defeated detachment.

"So." Kirishima, sporting a brand-new black eye, asked.

"Hn?" Tsuyu, arm in a cast, answered.

"We are on a different planet."

"In hindsight, maybe we should have guessed it." Jiro answered.

Sunny and Coco had accepted Izuku's request for a couple detours to collect the Ingredients he needed to help Nemuri; from a humid forest where trees would purposely drop hundreds of thousands gallons of water per second on you hard enough normal bones would shatter instantly into dust, to freezing mountains where temperature was so low their eyes instantly frozen shut, and the temp had dropped to straight-up absolute zero immediately, as soon as they set a foot on the mountain, with no warning nor gradual change.

They almost lost Tsuyu for good there.

There there were Ruins where they found giant bears with chiselled abs and four arms very eager to fight, and crocodiles that knew capoeira somehow; and few other insane places, like deserts made of powdered coffee in place of sand and a volcano that only spew out chilli sauce in place of lava.

And in each place they visited, Izuku found one Ingredient he needed and moved to fight or collect them, and still, the Hero students all kept insisting in helping him.

"Mmmph!" Sero groaned, scratching the bandages covering his mouth.

"Don't scratch it, let your jaw heal in peace." Coco reminded him with a gentle smile.

"I can't believe we went almost mauled to death by a single goat…" Mezo muttered with a groan.

"A goat the size of a truck." Shoto added.

"That can ram into mountains and make the entire thing crumble to pieces," Jiro added as well, dropping her head in disbelief.

The Hero Students groaned in chorus, and Aizawa, Mic and Toshinori were not too far behind in groaning, truth be told.

Each and every time they tried stepping up to help, Coco and Sunny had to intervene and pull them away from certain death, and once again the teacher had to add another disappointed lecture on top of it about not fighting impossible fights to their students.

"I wonder how they stop those monsters from marching to the Human Territories and erase them from the face of the planet." Aizawa wondered while painfully re-setting his shoulder in place with a loud cracking sound.

An Ostrich had recently tried kicking him to death, the guy didn't know if the bruises to his body or Ego were the ones stinging the most.

"Humanity adapted and became stronger, of course." Sunny answered.

"HEAVY DUTY BODHI PESTLE HAMMER!"

BOOM!

A new thundering explosion and earthquake-like tremors shook the area when the young Chef's attack landed on his new target's head.

"I noticed…" Katsuki said with a low voice.

"It also helps that the animals of the Gourmet World prefer to just mind their own business and live their lives, they have no reason to reach the human territories, we have nothing to offer." Coco added.

"And the few that do try, are usually weaklings, the ones normally fighting over the scraps of the scraps left behind by the stronger Beasts. IGO then keeps track of the various entrances connecting Human Territories and Gourmet World, and in the very rare cases some disaster looks about to happen, Gourmet Hunters like us are dispatched." Sunny added.

"GUAAAAAAH!"

"Spatula." Sunny said, bored, and a few hair of his whipped forward and swatted a blur away, with the guy's inner energy empowering the attack forming a spatula-like shape as a result.

Boom!

A small hill simply ceased to exist right after, in a blink, and the monstrosity mindlessly munched on the rocks that used to be that hill while still fighting Izuku.

"That thing is a nightmare." Tooru muttered with a whine.

The young Chef was fighting alone once again, having left Shiro and 808 with Eri and Himiko, the reason why among the entire group they two were the only ones without a single scratch on them, and Whitey acting as a lookout.

Their current Target was the "Doctor Axolotl", an Ingredient with meat so nutritious that if you prepare it properly you would briefly get your body's natural healing strengthened so much others would think you had a Healing Factor like Wolverine.

Two main problems, though:

The first was that preparing that meat like that was insanely hard, as only a handful of Chefs on that entire planet could handle and cook it properly enough to get the permit for hunting the Axolotl signed; and fully removing toxins, scum and parasites properly to make the meat edible, good and fully healing took such delicate hands it would be easier to disarm a bomb.

Second, the Axolotl itself was a forty meters beast that looked like something born from some demented science experiment that crossed an Axolotl with a giant western dragon, and then pumped it up in so much steroids the thing became a hulking mass of muscles in a never-ending state of bloodthirsty roid rage.

Its tongue attack alone was terrifying, it could shoot its tongue out like a chameleon, and the appendage could crush or cleave in two stuff absurdly fast before retracting near-instantly inside the animal's mouth for it to swallow the prey; to their horror, they saw first hand how fast that was when it tried to swallow them whole before Sunny and Izuku repelled the attack, that thing had whipped its tongue towards them so fast the sound effect of the attack lagged behind it of a few instants.

So the Ingredients had two reasons to be classified as a Super Special Preparation Ingredient: it was very hard to hunt, and even harder to cook.

"Shouldn't you help him?" Toshinori asked.

"We tried asking, but he gently asked us to not intervene, he wants to hunt his Ingredients by himself. And to be fair, I understand his wish, for many Chefs, capturing the Ingredients is an integral part of preparing the dish too, it creates a connection between them and proves their worth to the Ingredient." Coco answered, smiling.

"MMMMH!"

"So… That is why those four…" Mic asked.

"Hn! They are good Initiates in the arts of ENBU, but just like you, they are not ready to face the Gourmet World! Their death other than ugly would be pointless! Even if they would survive a good handful of seconds more than you against that beast!" Sunny answered.

He was holding Momo, Ochako, Nejire and Rumi down with his hair, with Rumi and Momo being the ones struggling the hardest to break free.

"I admire their bravery, really I do, but I don't think they can face something like that yet." Toshinori admitted.

"Time's ticking, Nemuri needs healing fast… How long before we are done?" Mic asked, looking frantically at the countdown on his watch, one Recovery Girl had helped him set-up before departing.

"By this thing… We don't have much time!" He thought as, to him, the numbers were going down even faster than usual thanks to his fear.

"We are getting there. He got most of the Ingredients of his list, but for the remaining ones, we will need to ask for help to the Chefs of Blue Grill, they will be able to help us capture the rest." Coco answered.

Blue Grill… A giant City hidden in the Gourmet World where outstanding Chefs and Equipment could be found, other two Heavenly Kings were waiting there along the so-called '10-Shell Cooks', the five best Chefs in all of Blue Grill whose skills were said to rival the "Top 100" Chefs of that world.

"IF they want to help, something they have no reason to." Aizawa said, humming.

"You would be surprised how helpful Chefs are towards other Chefs if its about Ingredients. They are Rivals, yes, but except for the very few rotten apples, the majority of them don't mind helping a colleague in need." Coco answered.

"That is why we suggested asking those Five, they may be a bit on the ugly cold side, but they do have a good heart buried deep inside," Sunny added.

"Guaoooh." With a last, loud whimper, the giant Axolotl finally collapsed on the ground and fainted.

"Looks like he has done." Sunny said, and as soon as he let go of the girls, all four rushed to make sure he was okay,

"Another item to sign off the checklist, good." Toshinori muttered with a sigh of relief.

"Sorry the waiting, but we are lucky, this one is a very healthy specimen, perfect for the dish." Izuku said, panting a bit, and watching the giant animal disappear and be transported to his Restaurant's storage island.

"It's fine, ready to go?" Mic asked.

"Sure, let's go." He answered, and once again they jumped on the back of the two giant animals Quinn and Kiss and let the two massive pets bring them to the Village at absurd speed.

A long trip later – Area 6 -

Once again watching everything become a shapeless blur thanks to the high speed they were travelling with, they reached a beach, that while beautiful and wide, had no city or village in sight.

"Is Blue Grill a fishing Village?" Aizawa asked.

"No, Blue Grill has been built inside Giant Shell, the world largest shellfish. It resides deep under the sea." Coco answered.

"What?! How are we supposed to get there?!" The others asked.

"We will board a special Transportation Beast for this occasion, one big enough to even house Quinn and Kiss." Sunny answered, albeit he looked not very happy to go through with it.

"Oh! Which one?!" Nejire asked, excited.

SPLASH!

With a giant column of water exploding upward, a majestic and ludicrously huge translucent jellyfish exited the water and started swimming in the air; the tentacles still moved slowly like under water, and the light of the sun reflected on its giant dome head in a myriad of rainbow colors.

"A Colossus Jellyfish… That's one rare Phantasmal Ingredient…" Izuku muttered, impressed.

"Why, thank you!" A tiny old lady with pink hair styled in a giant puffy ball-shaped hairstyle answered, jumping down from the beast she was driving from inside its empty head.

"…"

None of them ever saw somebody try to achieve camouflage like Izuku did, he was clearly hoping to disappear or at least become invisible while he was hiding behind All Might's way larger frame.

"Setsuno-san, thank you for offering to help us reach Blue Grill." Coco said with a grateful tone.

"Could have chosen a prettier method of transportation though." Sunny added, grimacing.

"It's fine, it's fine! I am always happy to help an old friend and some strapping young people." Setsuno answered.

"… I am not the only one presumed dead. But while in my case they were just silly rumors… For others, well, it is far more complex." She said while nailing Izuku with a knowing smile that made him flinch.

"It's not just about Ingredients and Cooking, Zaus-chan. You need this to heal yourself too." She then added.

"Listen, while food here is awesome, and I understand those guys insisting we slowly work our way towards the good stuff, since we need to be 'eased up into it' to not get insane or whatever… I still don't understand what this thing about Zaus is." Rumi said.

"Ufufufufu! You are a very bad liar, girl. You and those four know already, isn't it?" Setsuno answered, chuckling.

"… How?" Momo asked.

"With age comes experience, girlie. Zaus-chan? Hop in! You and the others have an appointment in Blue Grill! Don't be shy!" The old lady said.

Kind of forcefully-pushed, Izuku as well joined the others inside the humongous Jellyfish translucent head, marvelling at how bouncy it felt to walk inside it.

"Let's go!" With a very jovial and cheerful cry, Setsuno somehow piloted the Jellyfish underwater, deep into the ocean.

Under the ocean -

The giant animal moved silently and fast underwater, no matter the two giant animals and the big group of people inside its big head, adding extra weight to it, the transparency of the head helped the people inside to bask in the wonders of underwater sea-life.

"All those bio-luminescent algae and fishes make it so that we can still see so clearly… Amazing…" Tenya muttered in wonder at the alien spectacle in front of them.

Izuku was standing on a side, with Eri in his arms and Whitey acting as a wall between himself and everybody else; Nobody was surprised when one after another, starting with Momo, the four girls moved closer to him, to be close and supportive to the Chef.

"I have a question," Aizawa said.

"Ask," Setsuno answered, still piloting the giant jellyfish deeper and deeper, towards the bottom of the ocean.

"We keep hearing the name Zaus, attached to Midoriya. Why?"

"Aah, I guess that it is a rather curious situation to you all. His fear, us calling him that, his and his girls unwillingness to talk…" Setsuno answered with a knowing smile.

"We deserve to know."

"On what bases, youngster?" The old lady asked, curious.

"We…"

"Yes?"

"…"

The man actually fell silent, for a couple minutes, not even a humming sound escaped him.

"… I am the one that wants to know." He finally said, his shoulders dropping lower as he sighed.

"Not a very good reason," Setsuno answered, chuckling.

"… I know." He admitted, groaning.

"So…" Mic tried saying.

"Give it time, maybe one day you will know… Or maybe you will never know. Who knows! Hohohoho!" Setsuno answered, laughing amused.

A chorus of groans from everybody filled the big jellyfish empty head.

"We have arrived. That is Giant Shell, and as its name implies, it is the largest shell in the entire world," Coco interrupted the talk, and pointed at the bottom of the ocean, in front of the jellyfish, there the immense, colossal body of Giant Shell rested peacefully.

"NO WAY!" Many of the students screamed in surprise.

The giant seashell made true to its name by being the most enormous shell any of them ever saw, impossibly wide and tall, so much it looked like it could contain an entire city inside itself and then some.

"Blue Grill is one of the Seven Civilizations of Gourmet World, located deep beneath the sea of Area 6, inside Giant Shell. It is a cooking paradise and the most prosperous civilization in all of Gourmet World whose glory is equal to the Human World during its Golden Age." Setsuno explained while piloting the giant Jellyfish close to the entrance point of the shell.

"It is a gigantic and sprawling country with cities, villages and entire valleys filled with nature and beautiful yet humble architecture that is decorated with all manner of gourmet-themed ornaments and sculptures. We are going to visit Blue Grill City, its biggest city." Sunny added.

"Inside a shell… Underwater…" Mic said.

"Oh, you'll be shocked! Promise!"

"Wait! Wasn't it Village?" Mina asked.

"Huhuhu! Blue Grill Village is the friendly nickname of the innermost area of Blue Grill CITY, where the best Restaurants are, congregating around Blue Grill Stadium, one of the most famous landmarks of the entire country. They got that name by being a bit of a self-sufficient fraction of the city, with its own ruling body." Coco answered, amused.

"How can a city develop inside a shell..." Toshinori muttered.

It took a bit of work, and delicate manoeuvring, but soon the giant jellyfish brought the group inside Giant Shell, and their jaws almost went unhinged out of sheer shock, as a whole country, with its own sun shining high above, appeared before them.

Several palm trees also decorated the streets of Blue Grill's cities, that, paired with the own weather of the place, gave to the insides of Giant Shell a rather tropical environment, there were also large coral branches which resembled trees that grew within the cities and valleys.

"Blue Grill also has its own artificial habitats with varied ecosystems constructed by its inhabitants to allow for the breeding of land animals in their undersea world." Setsuno explained.

"Is that the sun!?" Rumi asked, pointing at the sky in wonder.

"The interior of Blue Grill also has its own daytime and nighttime thanks to the inner bio-luminescence of Giant Shell's ceiling which provides "sunlight"... So here you can find natural environments and farms everywhere in Blue Grill's vast valleys and all manner of flora and fauna." Izuku answered.

"Holy… Fucking… shit…" Mic muttered, trying to look everywhere at once while the group walked through the streets so to not lose a single detail.

"All those people have extra arms…" Mezo said, stricken.

He was watching the colorful mass of people filling the streets and stores, almost all of them having extra arms, or strangely colored skin, or extra body parts like antlers, or even looked like strange mythical creatures like Kappa, Goblins or assorted Yokai.

"Much like the other Seven Civilizations, Blue Grill is mainly inhabited by what are presumably the descendants of mutated people, with the most common type of humanoid being those with multiple arms as well as other odd-looking races with unique traits, such as pointy ears, three eyes or antlers, and a few individuals who resemble goblins." Coco answered.

"And they are not hated?"

"Why would they? They are very kind people." Setsuno answered, chuckling.

"A lot of people live here! This place is insane!" Mina said.

"The overall population of Blue Grill is approximately 500 million and their culture and society rivals that of the Human World, and now that things are back to normal, now that our Project is completed, we are even more relaxed and at peace!" A towering man wearing an animal mask answered, nearing the group.

"Asarudy?! Weren't you dead?!" Sunny said, shocked,

"News of my death were very-"

"I thought that the Food Spirit Doors were all destroyed." Izuku interrupted him, his narrowed eyes almost drilling an actual hole in the man's mask.

"… Well… you see… the thing is…" Asarudy's cool guy speech faded into a troubled, shy mumbling, with a colossal puddle forming under him thanks to his nervous sweating.

"Cheeky liars!" Setsuno said, smirking.

She was looking at him like a grandma finding her nephew with the hand in the cookie jar.

"Okay! Fine! Once cleared the rubbles we saw that the Door here was still working! We know for certain that the door in Area 6' South Six area still work too. The others are gone. Happy?!" He answered.

"Truth will set you free." Coco said, nodding.

"Smartass…"

"What are those doors you are talking about?" Toshinori asked.

"Special doors, but I believe you are on a tight schedule, so we'll save the technical talks to another time." A new voice said.

"Shit… Don Slime…" They heard Izuku curse under his breath.

Don Slime was a short black being with a round body, two arms and two small feet, lacking any facial features other than a pair of glowing eyes, he was wearing on a large crown studded with gems… For some reason on a side of his body there was a strange mark, as if somebody had took a bite off his body, leaving a cartoonish mouth-shaped hole on his side.

"Hohohoho! Happy to see me?" Don Slime said, chuckling.

"Not really… I thought you were dead."

"I was, until our dear friend spat me out. Well… 99% of me at least." The slime answered, laughing, and patting the hole on his side.

"Where is he now?" Setsuno asked.

"Still out there rebuilding, little bastard insist in rebuilding and regrowing everything he ate with his own hands… I hate to say that he is also getting good at it." Don Slime answered, bitterly.

"Still salty at your defeat?"

"SHUT UP!"

"Hohohohohoho!" The old woman's laugh made the slime recoil in pain.

"What I did was wrong, but at least help them. They are innocent." Izuku said.

WHACK!

"Being brainwashed makes you worthy of forgiveness, you moron!" Don Slime answered, once chopped the young Chef on the head very hard.

"I would like you to notice that you were not attacked as soon as you set foot here." Asarudy added.

"But… But…"

"What you did on Area 5, to the Battlewolves and in Area 4 have already been repaired, and the animals helped recovering. Nature has forgiven you already, why aren't you forgiving yourself?" A short man in Chef attire asked.

He was accompanying a tall and muscular man with wild blue hair and the same Zebra they saw talk to them thanks to his voice powers.

"Toriko-san… Komatsu-san…" Izuku muttered.

Toriko

Komatsu

"Finally got here." Zebra said, scoffing.

"We got side-tracked to collect more Ingredients." Coco answered.

"Yeah, I was keeping track of you all, I told these chumps what Ingredients you still need to get, so while you were getting those, a few friends of Asarudy got the rest." Zebra answered.

"Really?!" Mic asked, overjoyed.

"He was listening on us the entire time? God, his ears are damn insane." Jiro muttered in awe.

"So we are done?" Toshinori asked.

"Not so fast, they want to wager them in a Cooking Fight," Toriko answered, rubbing his cheek and showing an awkward smile.

"WHAT!?"

"Yeah, unfortunately the other Chefs want one of them to challenge Zaus-san… If he wins you get the Ingredients, if he loses, they will eat them." Komatsu answered, sheepish.

"WHY?!" Mic demanded.

"It's a matter of worth, we can't just hand them over. You need to show you are good enough for them," Asarudy admitted.

"There is a life on the line!"

"There is always something on the line, but if one has not the strength needed, then failure will be the only result. And the Ingredients don't deserve to be wasted like that." Don Slime answered.

"You-"

"I'll do it." Izuku said.

"Are you sure?"

"I am not Zaus, but Nemuri-san is a dear friend of all of them and a beloved customer of mine, and she still has a lot to give both as a Hero and as a Teacher. I'll do this to help her." The young Chef answered.

"Please win…" Mic said.

"I'll do it."

"Big words, but it's facts that will decide the result. Come, we'll do this in Grill Stadium." Asarudy answered.

"Will he be able?" Aizawa asked.

"Hohohoho! Only if Zaus-chan finally forgives himself and embraces his old and new life fully." Setsuno answered, smiling relaxed.

"You do realize we don't have enough details to understand what you are saying, Setsuno-san?" Ochako said.

"Oh, don't fret… Everything will be clear soon." The old lady answered.

"I am getting curious, what the hell is happening?" Kirishima admitted.

"Never was a lover of mysteries…" Iida admitted.

Blue Grill's Grill Stadium -

Grill Stadium was a large dome-shaped building with an apparent octopus theme in its architecture, having several tentacle-like structures built around it; it was located in Central Blue Grill and was surrounded by all manner of modern-looking buildings.

"Wooooo!" Many Students, and the Pro Heroes Trio, gasped in awe once entered the empty arena's floor.

The Stadium interior was quite large and grand, and its walls covered with billboards advertising all manner of restaurants and food chains. But now, the seats for the roaring, cheering crowd were empty.

"You will have your Cooking Duel against one of us there," Asarudy declared while pointing at the giant stage in the middle of the floor.

"Did you renovate? It was not like this the last time we came here," Toriko asked.

"Yes, after the deal with Neo we decided that fighting over the Soul Furnace was no longer necessary, so we moved the Furnace under the Stadium and installed that pool of freezing water under it. But it won't be any less dangerous. Especially thanks to those Glacier Jaws swimming in them." Asarudy answered.

The fishes swimming in the water were three meters long beasts that looked like the unholy fusion of a shark and a piranha, with thin and elongated bodies covered in iridescent silvery scales and a mouth filled with many, many rows of serrated teeth.

"I don't like those fishes." Tsuyu said.

"Soul Furnace?" Mina asked.

"A furnace which is fuelled by the burning Appetites of Food Spirits." Setsuno answered, chuckling.

"Okay… That sounds needlessly creepy." Sero commented.

"Yeah, like, 'Vengeful Spirits that will eat your soul' creepy." Kaminari added.

The sinister chuckle of Asarudy and Setsuno made the others shiver hard.

"The Seesaw Kitchen…" Izuku muttered.

The stage was formed by two kitchens balanced on opposite ends of a giant seesaw, placed over a giant pool of freezing-cold water with many of those monstrous giant fishes swimming restlessly in it, this setup was supposed to encourage chefs to prepare, cook, and serve their dishes with great haste, lest they fell behind and drop into the water and very likely be eaten alive.

"It is similar to the Cooking Festival's Scale Death Cooking. This should bring out some nice old memories, Zaus-chan!" Setsuno said.

"…" Izuku said nothing, he just walked to one of the cooking stations.

"Okay, that's it, what is his deal?" Toshinori asked.

Sigh! "Go call Totamori…" Slime asked Asarudy.

"Yes." He answered and hurried away.

"He is what could be called a super fanboy of Zaus, he will be between the ones that can explain this best." Don Slime said.

"Who will be my opponent?" Izuku asked.

"It will be me." A tall and thin woman, she too wearing an animal mask, answered, walking up to stand at her own cooking station at the opposite side of the seesaw.

"Kakino Kish. Owner of the Ice Shock Restaurant and Mistress of Water Pressure Texture Cuisine," Setsuno said, humming.

"Bad news?" Momo asked, worried.

"There are no bad news in this situation, my dear." She answered.

"Speak for yourself, if he fails, we will never be able to save Nemuri." Aizawa countered, bitterly.

"Far too negative, dear. Far too negative." She answered, walking forward to watch the show better.

On the Seesaw -

"This is your ultimate test. Show that you are still worth of the Ingredients' Voice and forgiveness, and you will get both the Ingredients, and your redemption." Kakino said.

"…" Izuku only looked forward, he didn't answer.

"You can't run forever for something that is only in your head, Zaus."

"My name is Izuku. You got the wrong guy." He answered.

"Are you both ready?" Asarudy asked aloud.

"Yes!"

"Then… COOK!" The man gave the order and the supports went released, now only the balance of weight of the two platforms stopped them from falling into the water.

Immediately the two Chefs attacked the mound of Ingredients that they were supposed to use, and started cooking with all themselves.

"What… the fuck…" Katsuki muttered with wide eyes.

Even Momo and the other girls never saw Izuku cook like that, nobody of the people present ever saw somebody cook like he and Kakino were, that was not Cooking as they knew of.

Kakino moved with the grace of a master sculptor, her knife an extension of her very soul. Each stroke was fluid yet deliberate, carving through impossibly rare ingredients with ease; the blade itself hummed faintly, emitting a subtle glow as if resonating with the vitality of the ingredients it touched.

She moved with an elegance that seemed almost unnatural, her hands, delicate yet impossibly steady, summoned and cupped an orb of shimmering water that seemed to float by itself above her palm thanks to an invisible force.

"She finally started, that's her improved Water Pressure Cooking. Now we'll see if Zaus can keep up." Asarudy said, humming.

The water pulsed faintly while floating above Kakino's hand, alive with an inner glow, as if imbued with the essence of the ocean itself.

More bubbles began to form in her hands next to the main, bigger one, each one a perfect sphere of impossibly pure liquid.

"I'll prepare the most famous dishes of my Restaurant's menu, Zaus. Do not disappoint me with yours." She said, and with a flick of her wrist, she sent the bubbles into motion, hovering and spinning through the air like planets in orbit.

"Is this even cooking anymore…" Mic muttered, his sunglasses askew and barely holding onto his nose.

Inside the bubbles, ingredients danced and shifted, compressed by the water pressure she so effortlessly controlled with just a thought.

"First, my prized Glacier Steak." Kakino declared, and thick slab of meat entered one of the bubbles, there it spun within the water, and its fibers went pressed and massaged to melt away, becoming tender and supple.

Before the onlookers' eyes, that slab of meat was transformed, not merely cooked, but refined into paper-thin layers that shimmered like silk under the lights.

Vegetables joined in, with their vibrant colors amplified as they tumbled through the liquid of another bubble, their textures was being refined into something otherworldly so fast the naked eye could see the change, becoming intricate lattices, their natural colors heightened into an iridescent brilliance that no earthly farm could produce.

Then came the cooking proper, but it wasn't just cooking, it was alchemy!

When the bubble spat out the Ingredients for Kakino to cook proper, aromas that didn't belong together started melding into a harmonious and yet impossible fusion that pulled at the very core of every spectator's being, evoking hunger, nostalgia, and awe all at once. Cooking and food was not supposed to work like that, and the Heroes watching, students and Pro, knew that, and yet could not believe their own eyes.

"And Midoriya has to defeat that!?" Tsuyu asked with bulged-out eyes.

"Have faith in him. Icchan can do it, I believe in him!" Nejire said, smiling.

Kakino's movements were hypnotic, her hands weaving invisible patterns as she guided the bubbles, some would burst with a soft pop, releasing wisps of vapor that carried aromas so intense they drew gasps from the audience; others merged into larger spheres, compressing their contents further until the food reached a texture and flavor that no one had ever conceived possible even before Kakino could toss them in the pots or pans.

"The Polar Fruits are ready too, so it's my Shock Carpaccio. My menu is almost ready." She declared.

Finally, she recalled a single, massive bubble into her hands, Inside it, another completed dish floated: a shimmering creation that seemed to defy reason.

"My Frozen Ripple Soup. The last Dish I created through manipulation of water pressure." The water bubble cradled the small pocket containing the soup, enhancing its colors, its shapes, its very essence as water pressure and movement somehow cooked it.

With a slow, deliberate motion, she allowed the bubble to burst, gently depositing the dish onto the plate, she then punctured the pocket and poured the soup into the plate.

"I am ready. What about you, Zaus?" She asked, almost with a tone of mockery.

Her dishes were a masterpiece, the culmination of control, precision, and an artistry so profound it felt otherworldly; the soup seemed to glisten with life itself, just like the other dishes, each bite promising an experience that would not only satisfy but transcend the concept of hunger.

"I can't fucking believe it." Aizawa muttered, shocked.

To witness her craft was to glimpse the divine, to see the raw power of nature harnessed and refined into perfection, and as she stepped back, the air itself seemed to sigh in relief, as though the kitchen had been holding its breath to witness her mastery…

Then she noticed it.

No matter how fast she had worked, going faster she ever went in her long life, the seesaw never buckled once, overcome in disbelief, her head snapped to the side to watch Izuku and understand why her cooking station never once got lifted from her delivering plates in what she thought was a greater speed than her opponent.

And what she saw shocked her just as much as it shocked the others.

Izuku's style of cooking was power incarnate, a whirlwind of motion and energy, where she had moved with serene precision, his cooking was a tempest, he moved like a conductor orchestrating a storm.

Pots shook as he struck them with powerful slaps and the ingredients in them flung themselves through the air, colliding and merging mid-flight with sparks of flavor and color.

His every move seemed reckless, yet each resulted in perfection and grace worthy of a King, like when he grabbed a glowing fruit and squeezed it with his bare hands, and its juice vaporized into a fine mist once in contact with an open flame, a dust that delicately fell over the dish he was preparing like an ethereal spice garnish, soon followed by other spices that rained down from many reservoirs.

"Almost there, Zaus-chan…" Setsuno said, chuckling.

"It's really him!" A new guy joined them, looking like an extremely nerdy Kappa demon with purple skin.

"And you are?" Katsuki asked.

"I am Tatomori. He really is Zaus? Yes! He is preparing that Dragon Fruit Spice with his infamous flaming spicy technique!" The guy answered, looking at Izuku with blinding adoration worthy of a fan worshipping its idol.

"So… This Zaus guy…" Mina asked.

"Cooking King Zaus! Number 1 in the world rankings! THE Chef! The only one besides 'National Treasure' Setsuno to have Mastered Every Cooking Technique, from the common, to the outlandish, to the niche! Owner of over a thousand Restaurants each specialized in a cooking style, while the main one, 'Restaurant Zaus', was the epicentre where he himself used them all! And-"

"Jesus… He is to Chefs what Deku was to Heroes…" Katsuki muttered in horrified awe, the guy was obsessed!

"Yes, yes. No need to go through all that. Did you bring it?" Setsuno interrupted the guy.

"Yes, but… Do I have to?!" The Kappa Guy said, switching excitement to tears while clinging a small wooden case to his chest.

"Yes, it's not yours!" Don Slime answered, ripping the case out of his hands, making him wail in pain.

"Nooo! My most prized belonging! The centerpiece of my collection!"

"It's not a souvenir, you moron! It's a Chef's soul!" Setsuno snapped, and opening the wooden box to reveal the pristine cooking knife inside of it.

"Perfectly maintained." She said, pleased.

"I asked one of our best craftsmen to check it, and true to every Melk Knife worth its name, it was still perfect, like the day Zaus died." Asarudy answered.

"Good, at least the vulture that had the morbid idea of taking this from a dead man's hands, also was stupid enough to sell it to a collector." Setsuno said, brandishing the knife.

"What are you doing?" Toshinori asked.

"Helping my old friend forgive himself!" Setsuno answered, smiling gently and throwing the knife with such force the thing turned like a deadly mortar shell.

"YOU'LL KILL HIM!" Momo yelled.

"Oh!" The knife had moved so fast and with such strenght nobody of them could follw it, and yet the young Chef caught it in his hand, even if by any means the blade pretty much teleported in his hand at that speed.

"It's time to stop blaming yourself, my old friend. Nobody ever blamed you for what you did, we all understood that it was not you. Ingredients, Animals and people have long since forgiven you. Your own Knife has forgiven you, it's time you too forgive yourself." Setsuno said, smiling wide.

"I can?" He asked, scared.

"Yes you can, just look at that blade and remember, that poor knife has been waiting for you for so many years, it too forgave you! Why won't you forgive yourself?… You have a second chance, do not waste it." She answered.

Watching his old knife in his hand, with its blade still pristine and shining like the first time he got it, for the first time in years, Izuku allowed himself to remember the happier moments in his life as Zaus; the world had seen his talent before, but now, reunited with his blade, he was ready to remind himself why he became a Chef.

"Good job, Zaus! You are going to be a damn good Chef once out of school!" Not the perfection he sought nor the mistakes he longed to forget, but only the pleasure and satisfaction of cooking.

"I missed you, my beloved Partner." His lips curved into a small, almost imperceptible smile, this duel wasn't about victory anymore, it was about finally making peace with himself.

He inhaled deeply, his body relaxed and slowly, his hands began to move; a flick of the wrist here, the turn of a knife there, at first, it seemed almost too slow for the frenetic pace of a cooking duel, then it began.

"He's ready. Go." Don Slime said.

"Eh?" Momo muttered,

Without a word, Asarudy and the other masked Chefs held their hands together and when they opened them something came out, it was like a bubble of distorted air, but with no heat causing it.

"It's something we got from the Spirit Doors, hopefully it will answer our question," Don Slime said as the various bubbles joined into a big one and floated slowly towards Izuku.

When the bubble started floating in front of him, the distorted image inside the bubble kept shifting between Izuku and an old man with a long white beard.

"Who the hell is that?" Rumi asked.

"An old man?" Nejire added.

"That's Zaus-san! The boy really is him!" Komatsu said with a wide smile.

"Eh?!" The others gasped, confused.

"So that was Izuku's face as Zaus." Momo said, eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"To be fair, I do see some faint resemblance." Ochako admitted, humming.

"We tried contacting his spirit after he died, thanks to the Spirit Door, but he was not there, and the other spirits there all said the same thing, that he had reincarnated elsewhere. And there he is now, a new face, but still the same amazing Chef." Asarudy explained, smiling.

Their shock increased when his arms seemed to shimmer, splitting into hazy afterimages, each moving with impossible precision and grace.

"There it is. Welcome back, Zaus-chan!" Setsuno said with a chuckle.

To the untrained eye, it looked as if Izuku had sprouted a thousand limbs, each one an extension of his boundless skill, with each hand holding a copy of his two knives; his extra hands danced across ingredients with divine speed, flames bent to his will, and liquids obeyed his command as if charmed.

The sight was breathtaking, inhuman.

The Heroes gasped audibly, some unable to comprehend what they were witnessing.

"What... what is that?" Toshinoti murmured.

"That's not just a technique. It's him. He's stopped holding back. Finally, I might add!" Setsuno, greatly amused, answered.

And then, the afterimages vanished.

What followed was a simplicity that defied logic, Izuku's hands moved with deliberate clarity now, each gesture almost too slow for the speed he was working at, making the others wonder if they could just see a small part of every movement he actually made while working.

The arena, though still bursting with the sounds of a heated duel, somehow felt quieter, flames roared higher when he willed it, only to bow low in perfect submission a moment later, Ingredients surrendered themselves completely to his vision, transforming into something beyond human comprehension.

"So, he has finally forgiven himself, He is using it." Asarudy muttered to himself. He leaned forward, his voice soft but resolute.

"What?" Aizawa asked, curious.

"The Avalokiteśvara Style. The cooking style that gained him the number 1 spot in the world, what crowned him as The King of Cooking!" The purple kappa said in awe.

"That looks cool… scary, but cool." Kaminari admitted, whistling.

The platform trembled beneath Izuku's feet as the shark-piranha hybrids thrashed below, their hunger heightening with each breath of savory air, and for some reason, Izuku would randomly toss few cuts of food to the fishes below, to increase their hungry frenzy.

"What are you doing?" Kakarino asked, still finishing cooking.

"I want to make sushi, and I want a very specific Ingredient!" Izuku answered, finally with a relaxed smile.

SPLAASH!

With a vigorous vertical explosion of water, one of the fishes surged upward, with its sleek body carving through the air like a spear, the crowd gasped as they watched the fish open its jaws wide in hunger.

"There he is! And pretty plump too! Good!" The young Chef didn't flinch, He leaned back with elegance and let his knife slice through the air in a single fluid stroke.

Plop!

Time seemed to warp, but the shark-piranha's body was split so perfectly that the animal didn't even realize it had been filleted, its glistening skeleton landed back in the water and kept on swimming with haunting determination, while its meat delicately landed on an empty plate in front of Izuku.

"Perfect!" He said with childish happiness.

"Okay… That's fucking next level flexing…" Katsuki admitted with bulged-out eyes.

The others were not too far behind in shock.

With movements that bordered on divine, Izuku sculpted the fish meat into delicate slices the color of mother pearl, each one thinner than a breath, and layered them onto a bed of rice so flawless it looked sculpted from marble.

"OOOH! DADDY YOU ARE SO COOL!" Eri was heard screaming in awe, and a true, giant smile bloomed on her face.

"She is smiling! You did it, Icchan! You made Eri-chan smile!" Himiko yelled, crying her eyes out in happiness.

"It only took a Chef making confetti of the laws of Physics!" Rumi answered, laughing and tickling the kid.

"That because my Eri-chan deserves only the best!" Izuku yelled in answer, smiling through his happy tears at seeing Eri finally learning to smile for real, and so plating his sushi plate with an extra flourish that made Eri giggle.

"Glacier Maw Sushi! Uuhm! I missed this scent! I dedicate this plate to you, Eri-chan!" Izuku said with a happy smile when the dish was complete; the sushi radiated an almost holy aura, it glowed faintly, an iridescent shimmer that didn't belong to normal food and accompanied by the sea's scent.

"Thanks, dad!" Eri answered, smiling.

"That was the last dish, I am done too!" Izuku's chef sea dragon knife and 'Zaus Knife' came down one final time, with their blades striking the board with a sound that resonated in an unnatural way, like a gong, silencing the arena.

"Done, sorry for the wait… But I am done now. Both Cooking and running away." Izuku smiled and stepped back, wiping his hands clean with a small towel.

"Thank you, for all this." He then said this while meeting the gaze of Kakino.

"… Eh! I was the sacrificial lamb, but I am happy to see that it worked!" She answered with a soft chuckle, and shaking her head at the craziness of the entire situation.

Both Chefs shook hands in a show of sportsmanship and carried their dishes down for everybody to try.

"… I have a question." Katsuki said while watching a big table being set up for both Izuku's and Kakarino's dishes.

"Yes?" Mic answered.

"How the FUCK anybody back home challenges THAT?!" He asked while pointing at the absurd spread of dishes that were even too gorgeous to properly describe.

"You don't. Plain and simple." Aizawa answered.

"I hope he doesn't start cooking like that when we get back, he would probably cause half the restaurants of Japan to close." Toshinori said.

"So what? It's not his problem, he probably doesn't do it to avoid that, but even if one day he decides to just stop worrying and go all out, so to speak, then it will be the others that will have to step up. He can't be forced to half-assing it just to protect the frail feelings of others." Aizawa answered.

"Let's not go there, Zawa… That is a can of worms I don't want to open…" Mic said, groaning.

"So, who wins?" Momo asked, worried.

"...Pfft-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Eh?" When the others started laughing, even Izuku looked at them funny.

"Sorry, sorry. We were just following Setsuno's instructions. The Ingredients have been collected while you were coming here, and while Zaus… I mean, Izuku, were cooking, some of us were processing them, so to have them ready to use." Asarudy declared, chuckling.

"Eh?!"

"There is no need to worry, this was never really a challenge. Even if I do still consider Zaus-san the winner!" Kakarino answered, laughing.

"What?!"

"I wanted my old friend to finally forgive himself, but I knew that just asking him to do it wouldn't have worked. We needed him to feel the pressure AND the excitement of a cooking duel withj heavy stakes. Something that would have forced him to come to terms with his past, present and future, and that would have left him with no choice but facing his demons, as a way to push forward and become stronger." Setsuno explained, chuckling.

"You… You… YOU CAN'T TREAT ME LIKE A CHARACTER FROM YOUR FAVOURITE ROMANCE NOVEL, SETSU!" Izuku immediately pressed his forehead on Setsuno's.

"YOU WERE BEING AN IDIOT, ZAUS-MORON!" Setsuno roared, pushing back against his forehead with hers.

"Yep! That's him alright." A tall guy with bright red skin and a long nose walked in.

"Hn?"

"Tengu Branch, nice to meet you, chumps! If ya got the Ingredients ya need it was because me and the Heavenly Kings busted our asses! So, old fart! How's being a hormonal teen again? Hahahahaha!"

"QUIET, LONG NOSE!" Both Setsuno and Izuku yelled angrily at him, and the actual air-pressure made him slightly slid back of a couple inches.

"Jeez! That's some gratitude, ya piece of shit." Tengu just scratched his ear with a pinkie and cleaned it on Iida's costume, totally unfazed by the screams that would have sent normal people flying.

"Eeew!" And ignoring Iida's disgusted scream.

"So you finally understand?" Setsuno asked.

"I do, even if I still have nightmares about what I did." Izuku answered, sighing.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Nejire asked, concerned.

"To not bore you all, I'll just give you a rapid rundown…" Izuku said, sighing and watching the dishes he made with Kakino.

"I was enjoying my life as a Chef, preparing for the next Tournament, managing my Restaurants… The usual… When… I guess Joie, a Villain at the head of an entire damn organization, came visiting. Then everything become a shapeless mass of fragments of memories… Then I Wake up, for the lack of a better term, and find my life in ruins."

"Joie was a Chef of terrifying skills, and with knowledge of some very esoteric Techniques. One of which what they called Flavor Change." Setsuno added.

"To put it simple, Joie could Cook your mind, brainwashing you. To the point of rewriting your entire personality." Coco added.

"Oh… Fuck…" Aizawa winced.

"Daddy!" Eri whimpered in worry.

"What was once a very serious man who had high aspirations for the next generation, who was so passionate about cooking to pretend to Master every style and also had a friendly rivalry with me, had become a cold and calculating man… Cruel and merciless." Sestsuno shook her head.

"When I got my freedom back, they helped me understand what I did… And I understood that I had kidnapped, crippled, hurt and ruined the lives of hundreds of people. I had helped hunting down Ingredients with cruelty of a beast, even hurting several Battlewolves newborns in the process, along driving many Ingredients a step away from Extinction." Izuku said, sighing.

"That explains you fear of meeting those giant monsters." Rumi said, groaning.

"After that, Zaus' reputation was in ruins, his name forever ruined in people's eyes and his restaurants closed and, along everything he owned, forcibly sold to repay the damages." Komatsu added.

"My entire career had been irreparably damaged, so I exiled myself deep in the Gourmet World and spent there my last years in isolation." Izuku said.

"Unfortunately, his self exile meant he could not see the world heal from what Joie made him do, and slowly forgive him. His old friends, colleagues and students, They all forgave him. Even the Ingredients forgave him. He was not hated by the world like he believed, not after the truth of what Joie did to him and many others came out. He died before he could see that he was the only one still blaming him for what he did." Coco said.

"Oh, some still resented him, that was normal, but the majority had understood and wanted to give him a second chance. A lot of people came to your funeral, you know?" Setsuno said.

"It sounds a bit morbid… But I still appreciate it." Izuku admitted with a low chuckle.

"And after Zaus died, he reincarnated into a new life, as Izuku Midoriya?" Toshinori asked.

"Eh, that is where it gets interesting. I can't tell you if Katsuki-san blasting me against the wall Isekai me into this world as Zaus, or if it just unlocked my memories of a previous life… But I am more prone to the Isekai idea, because even while living as Zaus I could still remember my life as Izuku." Izuku answered.

"Oh! Isekai! Rin loves those stories!" Toriko said, chuckling.

"Aaw! Really? Now, that's way more layers!" Setsuno added, laughing.

"So… I isekai you?" Katsuki said, unsure.

"It was still attempted murder," Aizawa jumped in.

"Yeah, I know… I think about that every damn day…"

"So. I reminded you of Joie? When we argued and I told you you had no choice on the matter of your skills?" Aizawa asked.

"Pretty much. I just don't deal well with people trying to force me to do things I don't want to do, and the more forceful they try to force me to do something, the worst my PTSD gets."

"Then I guess I kind of owe you an apology?"

"Don't bother. We both have our own emotional baggage, and trauma-dumping helps nobody."

"The only difference was that I was Trauma-dumping on you, as you call it, pretending to force my world-view on you, while you just wanted to deal with this hellish Mission here as soon as possible and once again bury those memories. But, in my defence, I wasn't aware that your memories of this place were so messed-up."Aizawa said, presenting his hand.

"It's fine, maybe I can finally start healing from this too." The young Chef said, shaking the man's hand.

"That's nice! Come on! Let's have lunch together before you leave!" Toriko said with a wide smile.

"We can't waste time!" Mic said, frantic.

"The Ingredients are already ready for cooking, and we finished collecting everything with a good twenty or so hours to spare, but I will still need twelve hours to cook the soup I need, so we can't stay for long." Izuku answered.

"Right! We must go!" Toshinori conceded.

"Aw, come ooon! Everything looks so good!" Mina said with a whine.

"I don't think it will be a good idea." Coco said.

"Uh?"

"This is true Gourmet World cooking, they are not used to this." He explained.

"Oh, come on! How different can it be-" Mina said with a smirk, she Katsuki and Jiro just grabbed a fork each and tried a dish of what Izuku and Kakino made.

"No! Wait don't-"

As the sushi touched Mina's tongue, she froze, her breath caught in their throat.

"…" The flavor bloomed like an explosion of light, spreading through her senses not as a taste but as a presence! It wasn't sweet, salty, bitter, sour, or umami, it defied those categories, existing outside the human lexicon of flavor.

"Too late." Izuku said, sighing in dismay.

You couldn't say 'It tastes similar to salmon, but..' It was its own flavor, its own thing, alien and different, a flavor Mina's mind couldn't even dare to compute… And Godly couldn't even start to describe how good it was.

"… Fuck…" Words failed Katsuki too, as he was eating a steak that tasted… Tasted…

The closest comparison wasn't even a food, it was a feeling.

It was the sharp exhilaration of standing on the edge of a cliff, the warmth of sunlight piercing through clouds after a storm, it resonated deep, as if the taste carried a memory he had never lived, a soundless song that bypassed the tongue entirely and sang directly to his soul.

"The fuck I ate before? This is real meat, real flavor… I was eating rotten shit before… This is how meat is supposed taste…" The young man's wondered, his concept of taste unravelling.

Jiro was even worse, she smiled, cried, hiccuped and yet ate non-stop, feeling pure happiness at each bite of Kakino's fish dish; and yet she felt sadness, because she knew food back home will never taste as good as what she was currently eating, never again.

Tears welled in their eyes, unbidden, not from sadness or joy, but from the sheer incomprehensibility of the experience.

"I knew it…" Izuku said, sighing.

"That is why I told you to not eat anything too complex while here. You are not used to our Food." Coco said, face-palming.

"They are catatonic, Zawa!" Mic yelled, frantic.

"Guys! Look at me! Wake up!" Toshinori lightly slapped them, trying to snap them out of their out-of-body mystic trip.

"Just drag them along, we'll have Recovery Girl give them a look. And maybe a detoxifying routine." Aizawa answered.

"And a couple meeting with Dog Hound too." Mic added.

"That too."

"So you are leaving?" Don Slime asked.

"Yes, unfortunately we can't stay long, I need to hurry and get back home preparing everything." Izuku answered.

"Very well!" The Slime answered, and at a signal, the other masked Chefs of Blue Grill pushed towards them a MASSIVE cart full of giant Ingredients piled up for several meters.

"WO!" Tsuyu gasped in surprise.

"Every Ingredient you were looking for, plus a few others. Blue Grill is home to some amazing Healers too, and once seen your sizable Shopping List, they added their own suggestions." Asarudy said.

"I sent a Voice Ball to Yusaku and Teppei. They added their own crap." Zebra added.

"I… I don't know what to say…" Izuku muttered, eyes watery in unshed tears.

"Consider it a Welcome Back Gift. To not forget about this world. Okay?" Don Slime answered, slapping his back hard.

"I won't forget! Ever! Thank you!" Izuku answered.

"Now go, Zaus-chan! A Chef's work never ends." Setsuno said with a kind smile.

"Right! Goodbye everyone. And thank you… For everything." Izuku answered.

"You know… It finally downed on me…" Nejire said.

"What?" Momo asked.

"In every Sortie, Icchan meets and returns with a new Companion. Shiro in his Sortie with me, Zephyr in his Sortie with Rumi, 808 from his Sortie with you, and Goro and Adelia from his Sortie with Ochako… And now, he got his old Knife back in this Sortie!"

"Pfft! Okay, I see the pattern!" Rumi admitted, snorting.

"That knife is not part of the God of Cooking Set." The System said.

"Can it join? It was with me through good and bad." Izuku asked.

"Request accepted. Beginning dimensional travel." The Entity answered, and in a flash of golden light Izuku and the group disappeared to return home.

"Goodbye everyone. Thank you!" Izuku said a last time.

"Have a happy life, Zaus-chan! You earned it!" Setsuno answered, smile wobbly out of sadness, as she watched the group vanish.

Izuku's original world – Kitchen -

As soon as the group returned, Izuku had rushed to the kitchen with Whitey in tow and had immediately started cooking.

"The Life Bourguignon. Please, Ingredients, turn my theory into Reality and Help Nemuri!" Izuku begged as he watched the giant spread of Ingredients in front of him.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" Lunch Rush asked from the side.

"Trust me, if it was any other dish… I would have gladly accepted." The young Chef admitted, sighing.

"It's fine, just ask if you need help," The Hero said.

"Thanks," Izuku answered, while working on the Axolotl meat first, a meat with a quality far superior to even premium Wagyu.

He used the Heaven-Earth Obsidian flame and the Star-Eating Turtle wok Time-Accelerating powers to dry-age the meat for the equivalent of 28 days, and once done, he cut it cut into 2.5 cm cubes.

"While waiting… The Buff-Beef marrow bones," He muttered splitting the bones lengthwise with a swift slash of his dragon and Zaus knife.

He will roast the beef marrow bones until caramelized and use a sous vide machine to infuse the marrow into the stock for 3 hours at 65°C.

"And the smoked pork belly, cured with Jun-Hyper Berries and… Yes, applewood should go nice with it… I hope that 'Iron Stomach' Pig really is an Ingredient as good as they say it is at repair muscles..." he muttered.

"That boy is working hard?" Fatgum asks, curious.

"Like a madman." Rush answered.

With Izuku – 3 hours later -

After paranoically checking the timer for the preparation of most Ingredients, the young Chef finally grabbed a bottle of decanted 'Grand Cru' Burgundy wine, some cognac barrel-aged for 10 years from his reserves and one vanilla bean he then split lengthwise.

"This will do nice for a wine reduction, I want it to taste good other than heal her, it will be good for her spirit too, not just her body." Izuku muttered, combining wine, cognac and the split vanilla bean in a copper pot to reduce the resulting solution over low heat, and stirring every 15 minutes; and straining it once done.

"The tendon-repairing carrots, Tendarrots; then the skin-kelp celery hearts, I'll brunoise them all. (Brunoise means to dice something in thin cubes)." Two knives moved like blurs to rapidly, and yet delicately, dice those vegetables into tiny cubes all identical in size.

"The eye-shaped onions… No, I will just peel them. I'll keep them whole, like that the healing juices will remain untouched. It should increase their ability to fix Nemuri's sight."

Finally satisfied with the stock, Izuku extracted the marrow from the infused stock, and flash-freeze it into small discs thanks to the Myriad Manifestation Mallet Ice Powers.

Wooosh!

Breathing out a new ball of fire, Izuku cloned the turtle wok and started searing the axolotl cubes in the second wok over high flames.

The two Heroes watched the young kid works himself ragged for several hours, sweating profusely and becoming paler and paler by the minute.

Two hours later -

The young Chef grabbed the carrots, the celery and the onions and set them to 'sweat them' (Gently cooking vegetable in a small amount of oil or butter over low heat, with frequent stirring and turning, to release their natural moisture and flavors) in clarified marrow fat for exactly 32 minutes... "No more, no less." He repeated to himself like a mantra, afraid of messing-up.

"The reduction!" never stopping moving, he also deglazed it with the wine reduction and added consommé to it in controlled ladles, precise to the very millilitre.

"The black pepper that strengthen the absorption of nutrients, the Kombat Pepper… I hope Yosaku is right about using this. Then black garlic cloves, star anise, and bouquet garni…" He listed, to make sure, while adding all that to a pot.

That part alone took Izuku two hours of gruelling work.

One hour later -

The Axolotl and pork belly meat had been braised in the aromatic liquid and passed through a sous vide circulation, in a large Dutch oven, and gently stirred. For three hours.

"The mushrooms…" Izuku muttered while tossing the Hemostashiitake, Lungshroom and Bone-shrooms into a pot and added the Eeliver oil on top to simmer them, then glazed pearl onions with honey able to strengthen and heal the kidneys and sherry vinegar.

He roasted everything together at 200°C for 15 minutes, ensuring a golden exterior and tender interior.

Hours later – Time elapsed: 11 hours -

Lunch Rush kept watching Izuku cook, confused as to why the boy seemed to waste away while cooking, becoming more and more emaciated every passing minute, but as a testament of his force of Will, he never faltered.

"That kid needs to rest," Fat Gum said, walking up to Izuku.

"I can stir that for a bit, take a breather." He offered, gently.

"No, it's fine, I can do this." Izuku answered, smiling, even while drenched in sweat.

"Nonsense, you look like you are about to fall over. Let me-"

As soon as Fat Gum touched the ladle Izuku was using, he went from his giant 'Fat Form' to a skinny form looking like somebody on the verge of starving to death, so much his ribs were visible.

"TAISHIRO!" Lunch Rush barely reacted in time to grab the man before he could fully fall on the ground.

"F-F-Food!" The Pro Hero begged with a weak voice.

"What happened?!" The Pro Hero Chef asked.

"Cooking this dish requires a lot of stamina. That's why I didn't ask for help," Izuku answered.

"He was in Full Tank! He barely grabbed that ladle for a second!" Rush answered.

"Feed him before he dies of starvation. I got this, don't worry!" Izuku answered with a thumbs-up and a tired smile.

"What in God's name is he making… Whatever. Come, Taishiro, let's fill your stomach." Rush said while dragging Fat Gum away.

"That soup… has eaten me…" The Pro Hero groaned with a weak voice full of fear.

"It's okay, I am here. Hopefully that dish won't kill the boy…"

One hour later -

Still unsure about the entire ordeal, and after feeding a near death Fat Gum, Lunch Rush had started cooking for izuku, feeding the boy himself so to not interrupt his cooking, altough once guessed the ratio of absorption of Izuku's devilish recipe, the Pro Hero wondered if he was actually helping at all in keeping the boy fed and strong enough to finish the last steps of his dish.

He watched Izuku boil some strange purple potatoes he insisted would fix Nemuri's digestive tract to optimal tenderness, testing it with a fine bamboo skewer, and then passing them through a tamis sieve, then emulsifying them with truffle-infused cream (Nobody saw fit to tell Rush how those particular truffles were supposed to heal Nemuri's skin) and butter.

"Almost there." Izuku declared with a tired, but very satisfied voice.

He remove the bouquet garni and star anise from the braising pot, add the roasted mushrooms and pearl onions, and stirred delicately to avoid bruising the vegetables.

"You are doing great, kiddo. Keep it up." Rush said, nodding.

"Don't give up now…" Fat Gum added, still weak but no longer at death's door, and keeping distance from the pot Izuku was working on.

Izuku nodded, grateful for the support, and spooned the potato mash into a bowl as a base, then he carefully added ladle after ladle of Bourguignon over the mash, ensuring equal distribution of meat, vegetables, and garnishes. And sprinkled with micro shards of parsley.

"It's done… Bring it to Nemuri… Hurry…" Izuku said, finishing the plate and fainting in Rush' arms only after 100% sure the dish was completed and no error or unsightly mistakes were made.

It was a plate of pure perfection.

"I'll take the dish to Recovery Girl! You take the kid!" Rush grabbed the plate and hurried towards the infirmary.

"Okay!" Fat Gum instead lifted izuku in his arms, and followed by Whitey, he took the boy along.

Infirmary

"WE GOT IT! WE GOT IT!" Rush yelled.

"Hurry, let's make her eat it! And hope we really got us the miracle we need!" Recovery Girl answered.

She carefully removed the tube helping Nemuri breath and stepped away.

"Yes… How?" Rush answered, unsure.

"… Crap! I can't wake her up!" The old lady answered.

"Goddamnit! We are not stopping now that we got here!" Mic answered, grabbed the plate and took a mouthful of the scalding liquid.

"What are you-" Aizawa's tirade stopped when Mic kissed Nemuri and gently drew the food down her throat.

"It's not a proper procedure…" Recovery Girl said.

"She is eating, that's all that matters!" Mic answered, taking another mouthful and repeating the kiss-feeding.

"I guess." Recovery Girl conceded.

"I'll go take the entire pot! Better safe than sorry!" Lunch Rush ran out of the Infirmary.

"This kid… if he actually saves Nemuri, we'll get a big fat debt towards him," Fat Gum said while gently putting the snoring Izuku on a bed.

"At the very least." Aizawa admitted, and watching the poor Mic sacrifice his mouth by emptying the entire pot of the scorching-hot liquid a mouthful at a time, uncaring of how painfully it burned his mouth every time.

The next day -

Nemuri felt strange, she barely remembered jumping in front of the giant hand of that colossal Villain, then everything became a colorless blur, and she felt absolutely nothing, even her own body didn't feel like her own, as if she had left it behind to float on a soft cloud.

Then finally she felt something, a damn nice flavor entering her mouth and pleasant heat enveloping her, and when she finally opened her eyes, she saw her two old friends Hizashi and Shota sleep at both sides of her bed and looking like dishevelled hobos, probably having stayed at her side for who knows how long.

"NEMURIIIIIIIII!" And Mic screamed, and cried and sobbed, as soon as he saw her wake-up, burying his face on her shoulder to drench her shoulders in just few seconds.

"My God… He actually did it…" Aizawa muttered, and Nemuri knew it was a big deal because she saw the gruff bastard get misty-eyed.

"What happened?" Nemuri asked with a raspy, weak voice.

"HOLY SHIT! SHE IS ALIVE!" Okay, she never heard Recovery Girl curse, or even just scream, it really must have been something big.

"Eh?"

"It's a long story." Aizawa said, sniffling as discreetly as he could, to protect his image, clearly.

She really needed to know! What the Hell happened while she was asleep?!

With Izuku – Green Cloud Restaurant -

"Is the Host sure He wants the student's Memories to be erased?" The System asked.

"I am fine with only Mic, Toshinori and Aizawa and Nezu knowing. Momo, Rumi and Nejire and Ochako deserve to know about my past, Eri too, everybody else?… No, that would be too many people knowing about my past as Zaus." Izuku answered.

"Understood. The System will assure the chosen ones will keep the secret, while everybody else will have those memories erased."

"Thank you." The Young Chef said, cracking his back with a pleased groan and returning to cook for his beloved customers clamouring his restaurant for breakfast.

"Orders ready for Table 6!"

"Yes, Icchan!" Himiko said, she and Zephyr collecting the plates with professional precision to rapidly deliver them.

Hopefully it won't be too soon that new troubles will come knocking at his door.

Meanwhile – Yamato's Apartment -

Yamato's fingers drummed against the table, her lips pressing into a thin line as she stared at Ren eating breakfast with her.

"So this is your master plan. Samui wants you to sabotage Izuku... On national television? That's his brilliant plan? And you want to turn it against him."

"Brilliant isn't the word I'd use, but yes, that's the gist of it. He thinks he's being clever, planting seeds of doubt about my integrity while destroying Midoriya's reputation. Two birds, one very stupid stone." Ren chuckled, shaking his head and cleaning his mouth.

"And you're just... Going along with it?" Her tone was sharp, laced with disbelief.

"Not quite." Ren leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"I'm going to flip it. Samui wants me to make Midoriya look incompetent? Fine. I'll make the boy the star instead."

"How does that work? If the audience sees you giving Izuku preferential treatment, doesn't that play into Samui's narrative?" She frowned, her brow furrowing deeper.

"Not if I do it the right way," He replied, his eyes gleaming with calculated precision.

"The boy won't need preferential treatment. He's a damn good chef, better than most of the contestants who show up, better than many people we know, we saw his skills at work plenty of times against the others! I'll structure the Pressure Test to play along with Samui's request only on a surface level, but in truth, nothing underhanded will happen. I'll let him shine, and if Samui asks, I will be pretending to be shocked my amazing evil plan failed. By the end, Midoriya will have the audience eating out of his hand, and I'll come out looking like a judge who values talent above all else."

"And Samui?" Yamato's voice was tight, her concern etched into every line of her face.

"Samui will be watching his plan collapse in real time,"

"Oh, that he will." She rolled her eyes at that.

"He's so blinded by his vendetta that he doesn't realize he's handing me the perfect opportunity to show off my friendship with Midoriya. If anything, the whole country will see us as a united front! Me, the impartial judge, and Midoriya, the underdog who thrived under pressure from a jealous Chef… Samui."

"So you are planning ahead for when this entire mess will blow-up on Samui's face?"

"Oh, yes! It's a matter of When, instead of IF! I included you too in it, we both deserve to come out of it smelling of roses, we already paid for our mistakes, Samui has no right to drag us down with him." Ren answered,

Yamato exhaled, her shoulders sagging slightly as the tension began to drain from her.

"You really think this will work?"

"It will," He said, confidently.

"Samui doesn't understand people, Yamato. He sees them as pawns, tools to be used and discarded. But the moment someone refuses to play by his rules, his whole game falls apart. you and I? We're not playing. We're turning the board upside down with the help of young Midoriya."

The old woman leaned back in her chair, her lips twitching into a reluctant smile.

"You're enjoying this too much."

"Maybe a little. But isn't it poetic? Samui's obsession with ruining us will be the thing that elevates us both." Ren answered raised a new glass of red wine, his smirk deepening.

"I just hope Izuku knows what he's getting into."

"He will, tomorrow I'll meet him to decide together the finer details." He answered, his tone softening.

"I'll make sure both me and him succeed. The kid's no fool. He knows this is a chance to not just defend himself but to grow. And I'll be right there, making sure he gets his chance while Samui's scheme blows up in his face."

"I suppose if anyone can turn revenge into an advantage, it's you."

"That's the spirit," Ren said with a grin.

"Now, let's sit back and enjoy the show. Something tells me Samui's ulcer is going to be the real star of this season of Master Chef Japan!"

At the same time – League of Villains HQ Bar -

Kurogiri was nervous, Shigaraki had disappeared, and was nowhere to be found.

"Master made it clear, Shigaraki must be brought back… but where the hell is he?!" The Nomu hissed.

"We'll find that moron, relax." Dabi answered.

"He can't be hiding that well, we can find him easy!" Twice added.

"Then go find him and bring him back! Now!" Kurogiri snapped.

"Going, going." Both answered, shaking their head.

With Shigaraki – streets -

Covered in the dirty, ragged coat he took from a homeless guy he had just dusted, Shigaraki crept through the streets looking for his first target, eyes wide and bloodshot and a peculiar revolver held tightly, angrily, in his hand.

"Where are you… Where are you, Smiling Moron NPC… I want to erase that dumb smile from your face, you All Might Knock-off…" Shigaraki muttered, giggling.

End of the chapter.

Omake: Interdimensional Ingredient Hunt:

The Cursed Cooking Book of the Witch!

Antique Shop – Night

It was night, and long shadows were being cast inside a cluttered antique shop thanks to the moon, with the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the windows.

The backroom of the shop was filled with ancient artefacts, talismans, and shelves lined with mysterious scrolls, and the old man owning the store was pacing frantically around his workbench, muttering in Cantonese under his breath.

A young man, a kid girl and a towering giant of a man with a very rotund belly were standing nearby, with their faces twisted in a mix of curiosity and concern.

"Bad! Very bad! One more thing- no, two more things! This is beyond bad and we have not solution yet! This is apocalyptic!" The old man finally said.

"Uncle, could you slow down? We just fought off a horde of Shadowkhan, and now you're telling us there's something even worse out there?" The young man, Jackie, asked, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised in doubt.

"Yeah, I mean, the Shadowkhan ran away! Like, poof! They never do that! What's scarier than ninjas made of shadows?" The kid girl, Jade, asked with an excited smile.

"Even their master, Shendu, seemed… hesitant. That's unusual. I wasn't even aware Shadowkhan could feel fear. I was certain they didn't even know what feelings were." The giant man, Tohru, said while nervously scratching the back of his neck.

Uncle, in answer, slammed a scroll onto his workbench, making its paper crackling ominously, then he gestures dramatically at his confused family.

"Shendu FAILED to open the portal to free one of his demon siblings! FAILED! Do you know what this means?!" Uncle said while pointing at the scroll.

"Nnooo?" Jackie tried answering.

"Ayy! It means Destiny itself has been paused! The flow of chi of everything has been interrupted!" Uncle answered.

"Paused? Uncle, you're making it sound like someone hit a cosmic pause button." Jade asked.

"Exactly! But who… no, what! Has the power to do such a thing?!" Uncle said, nodding vigorously

"Every talisman, every ritual, every divination I tried to understand this… they all burned to ash or crumbled in my hands!" He while slamming slams his hands on the table, making a priceless vase roll off, luckily Jackie gently kicked it back in place without even scratching it, a manouver he was sadly getting used to.

"Careful! That is 3000 year old vase! Very precious!" Uncle admonished Jackie absent-minded while grabbing a handful of the charred remains of a talisman from a nearby dish, letting the blackened fragments fall through his fingers dramatically and inside a waste bin.

"Very expensive talismans gone like that. Ayyy… My heart bleeds." He muttered.

"So? What now?" Tohru asked.

"This is not the work of any demon or magic we know. This is something ancient. Something powerful. Something very… very… extremely dangerous!" Uncle answered, gravely.

"Ancient, powerful, and dangerous? So… like Shendu, but worse?" Jade asked, even more hyped.

"If the Shadowkhan were afraid enough to disobey orders and retreat, it must be something beyond our usual threats." Tohru instead was less thrilled than her, having worked for Shendu himself in the past, so well versed in the hidden workings of the Forces of Evil.

Uncle grabbed his hair, tugging at them in frustration.

"Haaahh! Why must I repeat myself?! Yes! Worse! If this force can disrupt Destiny, even Shendu is but an ant to it!" Uncle confirmed, annoyed like never before.

"Do we have any idea what we're dealing with? Anything at all?" Jake asked.

"I…" Uncle paused, pacing again as he strokes his chin, he then stopped suddenly, turning to them with a determined glare.

"There is a story. An old legend about a being so ancient, even the eight demon sorcerers would not speak its name. A creature whose existence was erased from the Book of Ages. If this force has returned… We are in more trouble than you have words for." He finally said, tone low and full of doom.

"Okay, so? what's the plan? Call the Captain? Get the J-Team back together? Maybe bring double talismans this time?" Jade asked, somehow not afraid at all out of youthful wonder.

"No! First, you listen to Uncle! THEN, you follow Uncle's plan! Hyaaahh!" Uncle answered with a snapping tone.

"Okay, okay, no need to roar." The kid answered, huffing annoyed.

"We are all ears, Uncle." Jackie added.

"First step of plan: survive long enough to learn what 'The Nameless Evil' wants. Second step: pray we can stop it. Third step: tea. You cannot face doom on an empty stomach!" Uncle said, with a matter-of-factly tone.

Later that nigh -

The room was dimly lit, every window closed so that the only light sources were few candles, the floor was filled with burning incense sticks and faintly glowing talismans were hanging from every corner; Uncle stood in the center of the array, sitting down and surrounded by a complex chalk diagram he had drawn on the floor.

"Chi wan-gee, yu fa-laa, hyaaahhh! Spirit World, answer Uncle! Answer now, or else!" Uncle was muttering incantations under his breath, holding a talisman in one hand and a chicken feather in the other.

"…" No answer came.

Frowning, Uncle slammed his hand down on the chalk circle, making the diagram glow briefly once again before fizzing out like a dying sparkler.

"Aiyah! Spirit World never ignores Uncle! Spirits are like talkative grandmas! They gossip about everything, even when Uncle does not ask!" he growled in annoyance.

Jackie, Jade, and Tohru were watching from the doorway, looking concerned but also slightly amused.

"Maybe the spirits finally learned how to use voicemail, Uncle." Jade suggested, snickering.

"No jokes! This is serious! Uncle must find out what has disturbed the Spirit World before it disturbs our world!" Uncle answered while pointing a stern finger at her.

"Fine! If Spirits don't come to Uncle, Uncle will go to Spirits! One more thing! Uncle still didn't get his tea! So it better be ready when Uncle is back!" Said that, he adjusted his robes, took a deep breath, and sat cross-legged in the circle once more, only this time muttering a new chant, and this time, his body shimmered faintly, and his spiritual projection detached from the Mortal Plane and floated upwards into an ethereal portal.

"Think he's gonna meet some gossipy ghost grannies again?" Jade whispered.

"Let's hope that's the worst of it…" Jackie answered, hopeful.

The Spirit Realm

Uncle's projection landed in the Spirit Realm, a place normally buzzing with vibrant energy and endless chatter from spirits of all kinds, but now, an eerie silence filled the vast, shimmering void.

"Aiyah… Empty? Spirits never hide… unless… unless something has frightened them." Uncle looked around, his brow furrowing as he noticed the eeries silence.

He walked forward cautiously, his sandals making no sound against the ethereal ground.

Finally, he found somebody, after a long walk he noticed a cluster of spirits cowering in the distance, including the unmistakable, terrifying form of the Nameless Evil itself, reduced to trembling like a frightened puppy.

"Even Nameless Evil is hiding?! Aiyah! You are Embodiment of Humanity ability to Hate! You not supposed to be afraid!" Uncle said in shock.

"What is happening? They no make Entity of Pure Evil like they used to! What make you scared?" He asked, as if personally offended by the giant monstrosity of darkness and teeth and Hatred acting scared.

Suddenly, a distortion in reality rippled ahead of him, a swirling black void that bent light and sound like a collapsing star; the air grew heavy, and thousands of overlapping voices, from whispers to roars, echoed all at once, and the Distortion talked.

"Hello, Uncle Chan." The System said.

"That Voice… No.. Yuanshen… 'The Ancient'... She of Many Names?" Uncle whispered.

"We prefer The System nowadays. Every realm gave The System a different name, but we like this one the most."

"You were the one that paused Destiny? Of all spirits, why not the Nameless Evil had to be Bad Guy? Aiyah! Nameless Evil is easier to manage! Just big scary monster! But this…" He declared while glaring at the black void.

"The System too is pleased to see you again."

"This is beyond bad!"

"This is just a simple visit, this time."

"Simple?! Simple is making tea! This is not simple!" Uncle answered.

"The ancient silver city was not wiped-out by The System, stop insisting."

"Uncle has dozen scrolls saying the opposite!"

"Libel."

Uncle could tell that "Yuanshen" was tilting its form slightly, as though amused, though its presence remained overwhelming.

"What do you want." He finally asked, exasperated.

"The System has sent a champion to your world. They will recover an object of interest, a cursed book. It is important. You and your companions will have to step aside, or at best provide assistance."

Uncle's eyebrows shoot up.

"A cursed book? What kind of cursed book?!" Uncle asked.

"A cursed book of cooking. Recipes. Dangerous to the non-worthy. Complicated. The System wants the Host to recover the book and learn the recipes."

"Cooking?! You interrupt Destiny for a cookbook?" Uncle asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes, The System lately has no patience for annoyances getting in the way of the Missions we give to the Host, so the System decided to curb annoyances before they even happen. Your comprehension or acceptance is unnecessary."

Uncle glances at the cowering spirits, his face pale.

"Aiyah… Even more shameless than Uncle remembered."

"The System appreciate your offer of support to the Host. Have a nice day."

"I DIDN'T GIVE CONSENT TO HEL-" Before Uncle could protest further, the Distortion in the fabric of the Spirit Realm collapsed inward, and The System's presence vanished, and as an extra, a sudden force pulled Uncle's spirit back into his body.

Back into the Antique store -

"To help!" Uncle gasped as he snapped awake clutching his chest.

His hands trembled as he scrambles to his feet, pacing frantically.

"Uncle! Are you okay? What happened?" Jackie asked, worried.

"Was it scary ghosts? Oh! Was it a haunted spirit buffet?" Jade asked as well.

"No jokes! This is no buffet! This is disaster! Bigger disaster!" Uncle answered.

"That bad?" Tohru asked.

"The Ancient Yuanshen has sent a champion to recover a cursed book of cooking! Cooking! Aiyah This is worse than bad! Spirits are hiding! Nameless Evil is hiding! Uncle's head will explode! I need tea!"

"Wait, so… we're up against, what, evil recipes? Like, killer cookies?" Jade asked, smirking.

"Not cookies! Doom! Doom in a book! Hyaaahhh!" He stormed off to his desk and furiously grabbing scrolls.

"Great. Another cosmic catastrophe. And this time, it's about cooking." Jackie muttered, dejected.

"Do you think we'll need aprons?" Tohru asked, patting his back.

Meanwhile - Shendu's Lair –

The dark, ominous lair glowed faintly with the eerie green light of magical lamps. Shendu, still possessing the body of Valmont, paced restlessly around the room, around him, the Shadowkhan were kneeling silently, awaiting orders.

Thanks to the weak connection with his siblings still trapped in another realm, Shendu too came to know about The System's presence in their realm.

"Yuanshen… meddling again. That insufferable Ancient! No rhyme, no reason, no sense! Destroying entire worlds for… what? Food?" The Demon snarled.

Ratso, Fin and Chow stood on a side, obediently waiting for the spirit borrowing their Boss' body to calm down.

"So, we got a bigger demon that wants food?" Ratso asked.

"A cooking book. Not the strangest stuff we had to recover." Chow answered, shrugging.

"BE QUIET!" Shendu roared, punching a nearby wall so hard a crater formed and sending tremors through the lair.

The Shadowkhan don't flinch but remain still, like statues.

"Hmph. Shameless as always. Yuanshen would destroy this realm and the mortal one without hesitation. Yet, perhaps… there is opportunity in this madness." The Demon wondered aloud.

"Planning to win some favour, boss?" Fin asked.

"Indeed. If I retrieve that cursed book, Yuanshen might grant me a favor. Yes… Perhaps every portal imprisoning my siblings could be opened at the same time in return. That entity doesn't care about anything besides its Champions. Or so the Legends go."

"We can do that, Boss! We can get that book if you want!" Ratso said with a thumbs-up.

"And you think I will trust just you three?! That thing could obliterate us on a whim if you fail as always!" Shendu answered with a roar, then his anger faded into tired resignation.

"Why must all plans risk annihilation?" he asked to the sky.

"Hey… Have some faith in us, boss… Come on…" Chow almost begged, feeling very self-conscious.

Ignoring the three simpletons, Shendu turned to the Shadowkhan, and in perfect and eeries synch, they all stood to attention, waiting for orders.

"Shadowkhan! The book is in the mortal realm. You will find it and bring it to me at once!" The Shadowkhan stood in silence and only nodded in answer, then, with movements unnervingly fluid, they all vanished into the shadows.

"Shadowkhan alone might not be enough. The mortals are persistent, especially that Jackie Chan and his accursed friends."

"I'll crush them this time!" Haf Foo answered with a thundering scream.

"If only you hadn't promised that countless times already." The Demon muttered, sighing.

This time it will be different, Master Shendu!"

"… Let's pretend I believe that. You and those three will assist the Shadowkhan. The cursed book is no ordinary object. It is protected by ancient forces beyond your comprehension. Fail me, and you will wish Yuanshen had destroyed you instead. Now go."

The humans nodded, their faces pale but determined as they left.

"Uhm… Yuanshen's whims are as fickle as the winds. But if this plan succeeds… The Demon Sorcerers will rise again!" Shendu declared with gleaming eyes, he then exhaled a plume of fire, trying to mask his nervousness.

Uncle's Shop – The next day -

Uncle was furiously rifling through his scrolls and books while Jackie, Jade, and Tohru watched him nervously.

"So let me get this straight: we're fighting cursed recipe books and Shendu at the same time? Can't we just, like, order takeout instead?" Jade asked.

"No jokes! This is serious! Yuanshen does not play games! If the Spirit told Uncle the truth and Shendu gets the book first, Yuanshen may reward him by opening every portal!"

"And if we get it first? Will Yuanshen really leave us alone?" Jackie asked.

Uncle paused, his expression grim.

"Hard to say. Yuanshen only does what Yuanshen likes! Aiyah! This is why Uncle needs strong tea!"

"What's in this cursed cook book, anyway?"

"Cursed Cooking! It is a book of cooking! But its recipes are cursed, very cursed! They bend the laws of nature and create chaos. Only Yuanshen is insane enough to want Champions to learn and tame those recipes!"

"So… we're trying to stop the world from ending because of cursed spaghetti or something?" Jade asked, smirking

"No jokes! But also, yes." Uncle answered.

"Very well, where do we find this book?" Jackie asked.

"Where it has been for last two thousand years! Ruins in rural China, where once big noble had fancy castle before entire castle sunk into shadows! Tomorrow is true full moon, and curse will be weak enough for castle and forest to resurface after two thousand years!"

"Of course the curse just so happens to fade away while I am around to go there…" Jackie muttered, sighing.

A long fly later - Cursed Forest – The next night -

The forest was dense and suffocating, the gnarled trees twisting unnaturally as if they were alive, the sky above was a swirling gray void, and the air smelled of damp earth and decay.

Jackie was crouching behind a mossy boulder, peeking over it to see a decrepit castle in the distance that had just popped out from underground as if the shadows around it were muddy, gooey waters, and the entire building was now glowing faintly with an ominous green light.

Beside him, Jade clutched a flashlight, her face a mix of awe and fear while Uncle wass examining a talisman, muttering under his breath, Tohru instead scanned the area, ever-watchful.

"Uncle, are you sure this is the right place?" Jackie asked.

"Yes! Aiyah, cursed forest, creepy castle, glowing evil light! What else could it be?!" Uncle snapped in answer.

"Yeah, super inviting. Should've brought marshmallows." Jade answered, bouncing excited on her feet to watch better.

"It does feel... wrong. Like the shadows are watching us." Tohru muttered, eyes narrowed looking for threats.

Uncle waved a hand dismissively, turning his focus back to his talisman.

"Enough chatter! Jackie, you must get the book. Witch's curse comes from it. Separate her, and the curse will break! Simple plan!"

"Your 'simple plans' always turn into disasters, Uncle." Jackie answered.

"Then make it not a disaster! Go!" The old man answered while pointing at the castle.

"Going, going…"

"One more thing! Don't get touched by the Witch, you will turn into another Servant."

"Okay, Uncle."

" One more thing! She will use magic, don't get hit or she will devour your soul and you will become her Servant."

"Of course, Uncle."

"One more thing! If she throws what she is cooking, do not eat it."

"Or else I will become her Servant?" Jackie said, rolling his eyes.

"No, it will taste bad. Like wet dead rats wrapped in old smelly socks. Very unpleasant." Uncle answered.

"Ugh! Duly noted!" The poor guy, now with a green face of disgust, nodded and rushed towards the castle.

Front of the castle -

Stepping cautiously toward the castle, Jackie slowly made his way towards the ominous and clearly evil and cursed castle, luckily, when Jade tried to follow him, Uncle pulled her back.

"No, Jade! You stay here. Skeletons and ninjas are not for children!"

"I'm not a child! I'm... tactical backup! Wait! Skeletons?"

"KYAAAAAAH!" They heard Jackie scream soon after.

"Hyaaahh…. Uncle knew he forgot something!"

With Jackie - Castle Courtyard

Jackie pushed open the creaking gates and steps inside, the courtyard was littered with broken columns and rusted weapons, as he walks forward, the air grows colder, and the ground began to rumble.

"Oh, no..."

Suddenly, from the earth, skeletal hands burst out, followed by fully armored skeleton warriors, draggin rusted swords and shields behind themselves and their eye sockets glowing an eerie green.

"KYAAAAAH!… I mean, oh no!" At first a loud high-pitched scream tore its way out of Jackie's mouth, then he cleared his throat and gave a more dignified, and manly, response.

"Bad day! Bad day! Bad day!"

"Roooooar!" The undead soldiers charged at Jackie.

"Of course. Skeletons. Why is it always skeletons?"

Before he could act, the shadows rippled, and the Shadowkhan materialized, their glowing red eyes locked on both Jackie and skeletons, creating a tense three-way war of stares.

"Oh great. Skeletons and ninjas? Just my luck."

The Shadowkhan charged first, their movements swift and deadly, Jackie ducked and flipped, dodging their attacks while landing quick counter-strikes.

"There are Skeletons here! Attack them too!" He yelled while landing a kick on one Shadowkhan, and barely avoiding a skeleton lunge with a sword, rolling away and watching the Skeleton impale the Shadowkhan.

"I thought skeletons were supposed to be slow!" Nobody answered to Jackie's comment, but to the young man's relief that attck gave start to a chaotic brawl between Skeleton and Shadow Ninjas, one big and messy enough to let Jackie sneak away and enter the castle proper to look for the witch and the book..

The Witch's Chamber -

Luckily, the ancient witch's ominous and insane laughter and shriek made it easy for Jackie to find her.

"Coming through!" He yelled while bursting into the dimly lit chamber.

"YAAA!" At its center, a towering, ageless chinese witch stirred a cauldron with one hand while clutching the cursed book in the other, her face was a grotesque mix of beauty and decay, her voice cold and mocking and only mad screams were the sounds she produced.

"Another fool to steal my masterpiece? How amusing! You will join my army!" The Witch shrieked with wide, unblinking undead eyes.

Jackie stepped forward cautiously, raising his hands.

"Uh, hi. Listen, I don't want any trouble. Just... hand over the book, and we'll be on our way." Jackie answered, careful.

The witch cackled, turning to face him fully with her eyes ablaze in green flames, and slammed her foot down on the ground, and from under her, more skeletons rose from underground to encircle Jackie.

"Dance, little mortal. Dance for my amusement!" She ordered, cackling.

"Oh, no! No! No!" Jackie jumped backward, dodging sword strikes and taking down skeletons with precision kicks and flips.

"Hahahaha!" The witch hovered in the background, laughing as she summoned more undead and shooting green fireballs at Jackie at random intervals.

"Why does everything always want to kill me?!" Jackie asked with a scream as he barely dodged all that mess.

When the Shadowkhan as well joined the battle into the room, adding to the chaos, Jackie really felt like crying!

Boom!

"Troublemakers will be stripped as an example to others!" It was then that Whitey made his explosive entrance, bursting through the wall and tearing apart Skeletons a shadow ninjas with ease.

"A robot?" Jackie gasped.

"Who dares?!" The Witch demanded.

"Oh, quit it! Your voice is grating this Esteemed Taotie's ears!" Shiro, wrapped around Izuku's neck, answered.

"Who are you?!" Jackie asked.

"Ah! Sorry! I was told to get the book that Witch is holding." Izuku answered.

"You are that Champion guy?"

"I guess the answer is yes." Izuku answered, sheepish.

"Spiral Cannon!" Behind him, Nejire kept blasting skeletons and Shadowkhan away.

"And…"

"My girlfriend."

"STOP IGNORING MEEEEE!" The Witch helled, shooting the entire content of the cauldron like a geyser.

"Crap!" Izuku answered by enlarging the Turtle wok to protect him and Jackie.

Using the distraction of the torrent of sludge splashing harmlessly on the wok, Jackie vaulted over Izuku, used a skeleton as a springboard and dashed toward the witch.

"Uncle said to separate you from the book! Let's see if he's right!" Jackie declared.

"Whitey! Help him!" Izuku ordered.

"Understood!"

The witch snarled in answer, raising her hand to cast a spell, but Jackie grabbed a nearby chain and swung it at her, the thing wrapped around the book and tore it away from her grasp, and right in Izuku's hands.

"No! You cannot! Noooooooo!"

The moment the book left her hands, the glow in her eyes faded and the skeletons collapsed into heaps of bones.

"My power! My book! I only wanted… To turn this world into my kingdom! Into my foooooood!" The Witch howled while the dark power left her, leaving behind only a normal looking woman.

"I am free?… Finally… Peace…" She said in relief before falling unconscious.

"Okay! We got the book!" Izuku said.

"Hurray! What about the Ninja guys'" Nejire asked.

"Let me… SCRAM!" Shiro answered and gave a powerful roar that sent the Shadowkhan flying away, those creatures just vanished back into the shadows as soon as they touched the ground.

"Well, this could have gone worse." Jackie admitted, sighing.

Cruuuuumble!

"The castle is falling apart!" Nejire yelled as the entire palace started to collapse.

"WHY I TALKED?!" Jackie yelled while he, Izuku and Nejire hurried out and away from the fortress, with Whitey tailing behind them carrying the unconscious woman in its arms.

Outside the Castle

When Jackie and Izuku emerged from the castle, exhausted but victorious, Uncle, Jade, and Tohru rushed to meet him.

"Jackie! You're alive! And no broken bones this time!" Jade yelled in relief.

"Ehy! Thanks for the show of trust!" He answered.

"Good! The book is ours. Curse is broken. Witch and skeletons gone forever! Very good, in time for tea!"

"Yeah, about that… Can we please take a vacation after this?"

"No time for vacation! One more thing, tea needs snacks! Uncle needs strong tea and good snacks after this!" Uncle said.

"But I was the one fighting!"

WHACK!

"Ow!" He cupped his head after the surprisingly strong chop on the forehead of the old man.

"Hahahaha! Don't worry, I can take care of that." Izuku chuckled and offered.

"You are champion of Yuanshen, so the book is supposed to go to you so your Patron God doesn't kill us all. Just make good food and Uncle will look other way!" Uncle answered.

"Very generous!" Nejire answered, chuckling.

"I can do that!" Izuku added.

The System was cautiously optimistic…

Later that day -

"My Emperor of cooking! Sage of the kitchen!" The woman, former witch cursed by the book because unworthy, screamed while chasing Izuku.

The System no longer felt optimistic.

Everything started normal, with Izuku reading the book and cooking small snacks and few dishes from ancient times, modernized and polished with modern techniques and knowledge.

Then the former witch, after telling her sad backstory (gone mad trying to use the forbidden book that was intended for cooks with more attunement with Chi and magic than she had, and instead of becoming the Chef of the Emperor like she dreamed, she got corrupted and twisted into The Witch), saw in Izuku the Chosen One her Master told her stories about… And that led to her Chasing Izuku, and battling Nejire, all to convince Izuku to marry her.

Jackie and Tohru were desperately trying to stop her, Uncle just kept eating the food Izuku made.

And the System…

The System fumed, and planned for revenge.

But in the meantime, The System kicked the crap out of the Nameless Evil again, just to calm down a tiny bit.