Reincarnated in a depressing erotic world but living a normal life (right?) Bonus: The Symphony of Steel and Flavor

(SHING! SHING! SHING!)

The air in the kitchen was no longer air; it was a dense mixture of pressurized steam and spice particles that made the oxygen almost flammable.

(TOC-TOC-TOC-TOC-TOC-TOC-TOC!)

In the center of that controlled chaos, the young traveler and lioris moved like interlaced shadows in a dance of steel.

"What speed!"

"Tsk... So he was holding back."

"To be able to match the Master's rhythm..."

The speed was such that, to the eyes of the kneeling cooks, their hands seed to multiply, creating a visual effect of afterimages over the cutting boards.

"Faster... even faster!"

The young traveler didn't use a stopwatch; his pulse was the rhythm.

"Oh, not bad at all~"

And with an imperceptible flick of the wrist, he tossed a row of vegetables into the air.

(SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!)

An action praised by lioris just before the pieces touched the surface and the dark knife transford them into slices so thin they were translucent, keeping every fiber intact to preserve the flow of flavor.

"But that won't be enough to win!"

lioris, for her part, didn't seem to be breaking a sweat, which made her performance even more terrifying.

"Impressive!"

"Just as expected from the Master!"

"Please step on , oink!!"

Ignoring the cries of the trio of cooks, she held a cast-iron skillet heavy enough to break a table, yet in her hands, it moved with the lightness of a feather.

(VROOOOOM!)

Wielding it with dexterity as if it were another limb, she tilted the pan toward the open fla, causing a tongue of blue-green fire to envelop the ingredients. This triggered an instant Maillard reaction that caralized the at's surface in milliseconds, sealing the juices in a prison of absolute flavor.

(CLANG! CLANG!)

In this way, the clash of ladles against tal resonated like war bells.

"This is the true frequency of fire!"

However, refusing to back down, the young traveler poured an extract of fernted roots that, upon contact with the heat, released an aromatic shockwave that made the gems of the chandeliers vibrate.

"Gulp... I must admit it looks appetizing..."

"Not as much as the Master's feet."

"... Hey, you've gotten a bit creepy lately..."

The young traveler wasn't just cooking; he was manipulating the molecular structure of the food.

"....."

His concentration was such that he ignored any external sound, keeping his amber eyes fixed on the center of his pan, predicting the movent of every oil bubble, every burst of steam.

(TSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!)

The sound was deafening.

"That's it... This is what makes it worth it~!"

But that was precisely what lioris was looking for. As she added a pinch of golden powder drawn from her dinsional pocket, the rhythm of her cooking shifted imdiately.

(ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ)

The vibrations in the air beca harmonic, as if space-ti itself were surrendering to the perfection of her technique.

"I can hear your rhythm, little one~!"

Both reached the climax of their preparation at the exact sa ti.

(FWOOSH!!)

As a result, the heat in the room rose so high that the altar's marble began to emit a faint whitish glow.

"HERE IT IS!"

"LET'S GO~!"

It wasn't a simple competition; it was a clash of worlds where steel, fire, and absolute will were forging sothing that Ky'lar had never witnessed before.

"That is...!"

"DIVINE!"

"I think I can see under her skirt!!"

However, to understand how things had escalated to such a point, ti must go back to the cooking evaluation between the young traveling cook and the trio of chefs.

"Mmm-mmm~!"

At that ti, after lioris appeared to serve as the judge of the culinary duel in the restaurant, right before the eyes of the public...

"Let's see..."

lioris approached the two plates resting on the marble, inhaling deeply while closing her eyes.

(Tsss...)

In that mont, the silence in the dining room was so absolute that one could hear the sizzle of the cooling oil.

"Bon appétit~"

First, she reached out toward the young traveler's "Roar of the Spice Dragon."

(CRUNCH!)

And at the first bite, an expression of surprise crossed lioris's face.

"Ohhh! This is... violent."

In response to her reaction, the perception of those present suddenly seed to alter.

"This is—?!"

"Oooh?!"

"?!"

The impact of flavors was such that lioris, unable to resist the reaction, projected into the minds of everyone present all sorts of scenes and images that never actually happened...

"Hehehe... What do you think!"

The young man, still without fully understanding what he had actually done, made use of a gastronomic technique that should not exist in the world of Ky'lar, applying "Dual-Phase Thermal Vibration."

(Ba-dump!)

By searing the at at a temperature bordering the tal's ignition point and then plunging it into a room-temperature reduction of fernted wine, he had created a molecular fracture in the at's fibers.

"Ah...! The aroma envelops ... it's as if my body is lting under this warmth. I can't... I can't stop eating."

The spices weren't "on" the at; they were trapped in micro-cracks created by the thermal shock.

(BOM! BOM!)

Every ti lioris chewed, the flavor capsules exploded like grenades on her palate, releasing currents of heat that mimicked the beat of a wild heart.

"Nngh! This explosion of flavor...!"

The young traveler had managed to give an inanimate ingredient a "pulse."

"I see... you used the rhythm of fire to synchronize the flavor with the diner’s bloodstream. It is a technique of pure frequency that would only be possible through magic..."

However, despite that, lioris regained her composure with overwhelming speed after a brief "exhibition" of weakness...

"I think I’ve just awakened to sothing..."

"Are you serious?"

"What a coincidence... too..."

An exhibition that left indelible marks on the palate and sexuality of those present.

(Impressive, she recovered in an instant!)

Except for the young traveling cook, who admired the strength she showed by resisting the fierce impact of his dish.

(This is exciting!!)

Such a feat had never occurred in the young cook’s career; he was always capable of knocking out anyone who consud his dishes using techniques far ahead of his universe’s era. Through magic and thods that replaced technology—rely through his creativity—he had reached his current level.

"So you analyzed my food, huh...?"

He was a true monster.

"It was magnificent... Now, the next dish~!"

Undeterred and proceeding with the duel, lioris turned toward the sacred cooks' dish: the "Ethereal Dawn Delight."

"Good bite~!"

But before tasting it, she let out a small giggle.

"You used blessed oils and prayers... you thought faith was a substitute for pressure... I will 'educate' you better later."

"Haaaa..."

She simply sighed.

"It is a pity."

The dish was perfect in traditional technique: an emulsion of animal fats and flower extracts that created a protective layer on the tongue.

"Your dish is a shield trying to protect the diner, but this boy's cooking... is a sword seeking to conquer them!"

It was relaxing, it was divine... but it was dead.

"The dish has certainly improved greatly in such a short ti..."

It was at that precise mont, while the cooks of the Sacred Kingdom fell to their knees in technical humiliation, that lioris's eyes snapped wide open.

"But sothing is missing! The ultimate harmony is missing!"

Without warning, lioris jumped onto the table and grabbed the young man by the collar of his jacket, pulling him close to her face.

"You have the fire, but you don't have the score."

She didn't wait for an answer.

(ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ)

Feeling the pulse brewing within her, lioris dragged him back to the stoves while the Archbishop of Greed, using the Goddess's body, watched from the rooftop outside.

"Now what is she supposed to be doing..."

Not understanding the reason for the situation, he decided to stay out of it, waiting for a result.

"As a master, I must defend the honor of my disciples! So, I shall face you!"

And so, the duel turned into a forced collaboration, raising the temperature in the kitchen to levels that defied the physics of the Sacred Kingdom.

(CLINK!)

Finally, the sound of porcelain clashing against marble resonated through the electric silence of the shop, like the starting shot of an execution.

(Fshhhhh~) As the steam slowly dissipated, it revealed the two creations now resting face to face...

"....."

The young traveler, his white headband soaked in sweat and his amber eyes fixed on lioris's dish, took the first step.

(My body... is it trembling...?)

Before him lay not a stew, but what appeared to be a nebula contained within a glass bowl: "Symphony of the Stellar Void."

(SHHHUUUU!)

As he brought his spoon closer, the young man noticed that the air around the dish was strangely cold, even though the bottom of the container emitted a volcanic heat.

"Hey, hey... This... makes no sense."

But despite his words, as he took a portion to his mouth with a smile...

(BOOOOOOOOM!!!)

He experienced a violent impact, while his pupils contracted until they beca re dots.

"¡¿?!"

It wasn't an explosion of heat, but an implosion of textures. lioris had used "Spatial Flavor Compression."

"Being you... tell , what do you think...?"

Upon tasting it, the young man felt his tongue transported through different layers of reality: first, the freshness of an eternal glacier, followed instantly by the density of a spice that expanded in his lungs as if it were pure oxygen.

"You've... you've captured the concept of distance. You aren't cooking ingredients; you're cooking the journey between them. It’s a technique that ignores the palate's resistance..."

He lowered the spoon; his hand was trembling slightly. He had discovered a wall that his fire could not lt: the lack of a structure that went beyond the physical.

"Now it's my turn~"

In turn, lioris, with a smile that revealed her fangs, leaned over the young man's dish: the "Crimson Nova Core."

"Today, I truly must give thanks..."

It was a piece of at that still emitted small arcs of static electricity due to the friction of the high-speed slicing.

(CHOMP!)

Chewing slowly, lioris displayed her analysis while slightly releasing her aura around her in an attempt to resist.

"Mmm... a molecular structure reinforced by rhythmic impact. You used the knife's strike not to cut, but to massage the tissue at a frequency that prevents the flavor from escaping, even under ten atmospheres of pressure."

She swallowed, feeling the heat rise through her throat—not like a fire that burns, but like an energy that reconstructed her own senses.

"Your technique is impeccable, little mortal. You have made inanimate matter scream with pleasure before being consud. But... you are limited by your tools. Your steel is too slow... So..."

Both looked at each other across the table, completely ignoring the clerics and paladins who watched the scene with their jaws dropped.

"What is your na?"

In that exchange of glances, the presentation ended, and mutual respect was sealed in the air.

"My na is Lionel..."

Recognizing one another...

"I am lioris~"

Both at the sa ti, in that place and before the crowd:

"It's a pleasure to et you! Master!!"

"The pleasure is all mine."

A new bond was born.

(CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP!)

At the sa ti, the atmosphere in the restaurant was electric. The paladins and clerics, unable to contain themselves before the magnitude of what they had witnessed, erupted in thunderous applause that shook the marble foundations.

"Why...?"

The "Goddess," having watched the entire series of events from a shadowed corner on the rooftop with a mix of confusion and suspicion, murmured through the deity's lips without looking away: "What was the point of all this unnecessary display?"

(¡SHING!)

"It was a predestined encounter~"

She imdiately received her answer as a whisper in her ear from lioris, who had slipped up behind her.

"I see... Then... what are you aiming for now?"

In response, the Archbishop within the Goddess's body turned to look lioris in the eye with curiosity, while the latter gestured with her hands toward the Goddess, wiggling her fingers in a way that demanded sothing tangible.

"Mmm... think about it. With this, the gastronomy of the Sacred Kingdom has just evolved a thousand years in a single afternoon... which ans I have contributed greatly, as you will reap many benefits!"

At that point, lioris narrowed her eyes, and her tone turned rcantile.

"And therefore... I want paynt for my work. I don't work for free, to quote your own words, dear 'Goddess'."

Upon hearing this, the Archbishop finally understood the nature of recent events and how he had been outplayed.

"Very well..."

After bringing a hand to his forehead and letting out a sigh of resignation filled with amusent, he added: "I don't like being in debt either, least of all to soone like you. What is it you desire? Gold? Land? So forbidden relic?"

lioris smiled innocently at the question.

"I want nothing more than five specific people and the permission to start a little cult!"

Thus, achieving her goal.