Chapter 171: Take It Away, It’s Draining Me Dry!!

Takumi stuffed all of his Authority into the weapon in his hands.

Only after completing the final sealing process

did he finally consider the weapon finished.

Staring at it, a slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

With a thought, the weapon transformed into the form of the Void Archives.

Then it shifted again—into various other God Keys.

It even morphed into a Kamen Rider belt.

As long as the data was recorded, it could take any form of weapon imaginable.

"You crammed all your Authority cores into that thing?"

Velvie couldn't help leaning in.

Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the weapon.

In her eyes, it was nothing short of perfection.

She was practically drooling.

( ˘‿˘) Want!!

This weapon was simply too amazing.

"A weapon that can bear all my Authority."

"No one else can use it."

"Don't believe me? See for yourself."

Takumi handed the weapon to Velvie.

Curious, she took it—

and instantly dropped it.

"ノ(＾□＾)/"

"Who could possibly handle this?!"

Just holding it drained a tenth of her Honkai energy?

She wouldn't last more than a few seconds before being completely wrung out!

Takumi retrieved the weapon and grinned:

"After all, this thing contains all my Authority."

With that, he put it away.

Maybe someday, he'd embed a sentient cute girl inside.

Or toss Prometheus in there.

Then she'd essentially wield his full power.

A pseudo-Herrscher of the End.

Totally doable.

But Prometheus had other tasks.

Better to find a girl who could become a weapon herself.

Someone like Esther or Restia.

We'll see if the opportunity comes.

If not, he'd just keep using it like this.

Takumi stowed the weapon.

Then his eyes turned to Toriko.

"Huh? Toriko and Komatsu?"

"So people from the other world are showing up already?"

Seeing Mobius bring them in,

Takumi was surprised.

Toriko had already appeared?

"They suddenly manifested along with an island."

"I needed to study Gourmet Cells,"

"and he conveniently had them. So I brought him along."

Mobius explained with a cheery smile.

Takumi nodded.

Makes sense.

To Mobius, Toriko was prime research material.

A lab rat!

"Toriko, Komatsu, good to meet you."

"I assume they've already explained this world to you?"

Takumi greeted them.

Toriko looked at the man before him.

Honestly, that weapon from earlier had already shaken him.

He'd never seen something so terrifying.

Even the Gourmet God might kneel before this guy.

"H-Hello!"

Toriko was visibly tense.

Who wouldn't be?

This was his first time facing such an overwhelming powerhouse.

If it were someone he could eventually catch up to,

he wouldn't feel nervous.

But his instincts told him—

this man was someone he could never reach,

not even in a lifetime.

Which made facing him even more daunting.

"You've realized this is another world, right?"

Hearing the question, Toriko and Komatsu nodded.

"Miss Klein explained everything when we arrived."

"So we understand the current situation."

As he said this, Toriko felt a bit helpless.

He never imagined their worlds would merge.

"Since you get it, I won't repeat myself."

"We need to study the nature of Gourmet Cells."

"So, Mr. Toriko, I'll need your cooperation shortly."

Takumi turned serious.

Now he understood why Mobius brought Toriko back.

Having someone with Gourmet Cells

would make her research a lot more efficient.

"Alright."

He had no intention of refusing.

So all he could do now was obediently comply.

"I need more equipment!"

"Get it ready now. I'll take him for blood tests."

Mobius immediately turned to Takumi with demands.

He shook his head.

"No rush."

"Let's eat first."

"The food's already prepared."

"And now that Toriko and Komatsu are here,"

"they should get a taste of this world's culinary skills."

"This world has plenty of cooking competitions too..."

"Though it's different from yours, it's still impressive."

One world was a normal Earth,

the other, a paradise of top-tier ingredients.

They were different,

but there was overlap.

Maybe they could exchange culinary knowledge.

Who knows?

He might even find some top-tier chefs here.

Mobius, thinking it over, agreed.

Let's eat first.

She was curious about the special ingredients too.

Takumi invited Toriko and Komatsu to join.

Seeing the dishes prepared, Toriko looked surprised.

They were beautifully crafted.

But upon smelling them, he raised an eyebrow.

Most were made from ordinary ingredients.

Only a few came from his world.

"Grilled Garlic Bird?"

"And that's Almond Cabbage?"

"Looks decent, though the seasoning could use work."

With just a whiff, Toriko understood the menu.

Alice knew Toriko came from another world,

and took his judgment seriously.

"Toriko-san, I look forward to learning from you."

"And Komatsu-san as well."

Toriko was a Gourmet Hunter,

but his sense of smell was absurdly sharp.

And he'd eaten countless ingredients.

This feast might not mean much to him,

but Alice still hoped to learn.

The world had changed drastically.

Perhaps a new era of gourmet cooking was dawning.

Hearing Alice, Komatsu quickly spoke up:

"N-No need to be so formal!"

"Let's just share culinary ideas."

"From the looks of it, everyone put a lot of heart into this meal."

As a Six-Star Chef,

Komatsu's skills were extraordinary.

But he never looked down on others.

Especially not in a different world.

Since cooking was respected here too,

it had to have its own merits.

Maybe this was a place for him to learn and grow.

"Komatsu is a Six-Star Chef in their world,"

"and a formidable one."

"If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask."

Takumi reminded everyone at the table.