ARIFURETA: Cooking to be the Strongest?

Shin finally snapped out of his deep thoughts, courtesy of a well-placed hand chop to his head from Shizuku.

"Ouch," Shin grumbled, rubbing the spot.

"Hou, as expected of Akiha-nee's teaching," Shizuku commented with a satisfied smile, clearly pleased to have dragged him back to reality. "It sure is effective."

Hearing that, a wave of nostalgia washed over Shin, bringing him back to his orphanage days. Akiha-oba— no, Akiha-neesan—had always used that exact hand chop in the kitchen whenever he zoned out.

"Tch, why did she blabber that out?" Shin muttered, his usual aloof demeanor giving way to a rarely seen annoyed expression. Seeing this, Shizuku's satisfaction deepened even further. She hadn't realized this particular technique would be so effective until now.

"Now, do you feel like talking and answering my questions?" Shizuku asked, her smile holding a subtly threatening edge, her hand already poised for another chop.

With no other choice, Shin began to recount his and Hajime's special training regimen, explaining why they only did the bare minimum during their daily sessions with the instructors and then retired early.

He described the relentless repetition of actions, the constant refining and optimizing of skills, and the most efficient—and as Hajime had dubbed it, "torturous"—unconventional training they underwent.

Shizuku, still harboring a degree of doubt, cast a look at Hajime, who had now joined them. Hajime, though reluctant, offered a confirming nod.

Hearing this, Kouki felt a surge of motivation. He eagerly asked Shin if he could train them like that, believing that if the whole class trained in such a manner, they could also attain similar mastery and become much stronger.

Shin looked at Kouki with a strange expression. "That's too troublesome," he stated flatly, "and it would be disrespectful to our current training instructors."

Kouki, not one to give up easily, insisted, "But Shin, we need it! It could help everyone get stronger faster! We're all in this together, aren't we?"

Shin rebutted. "While I can design training regimens, it requires immense time and a complete understanding of the individual's skills. And while I could design a hellis— ahem, a specialized regimen for you, Shizuku, and Kaori, and I believe you three would push through it, I simply don't have time to spare for others. Especially those I'm not even close to."

His gaze swept over the wider group of students, causing a ripple of unease.

"You should know me the most, Kouki. I'm indeed hardworking, but it's only for those who truly matter to me. That includes my friends, my hobbies, my interests, and my family. The others... they don't matter to me at all."

A profound silence descended upon the training ground. The surrounding classmates froze at Shin's stark statement, a collective realization dawning on them.

They remembered how, back at school, most of them had never truly interacted with Shin, instead lumping him together with Hajime as just another otaku or weirdo. A few muttered indignantly, but none dared to challenge Shin's cold honesty. 

Chop!

"Ouch! Stop doing that, Shizuku!" Shin complained, instinctively shielding his head again from Shizuku's hand chop. His previous serious tone melted back into annoyance aimed squarely at her.

"Hoh! It's really effective, isn't it?" Shizuku chuckled, a satisfied smirk playing on her lips.

"So, serious talk aside, you mean you can make a training regimen for us three, right? A specialized one, perhaps?" she asked calmly, eyes twinkling as she emphasized the word Shin had almost used.

Hajime, witnessing Shizuku's unique method of calming Shin, made a mental note of this "hand chop" technique for future use against his friend. Useful information, he thought dryly.

Shin, still rubbing his head, replied,

"Well, if I get permission from Commander Meld, I don't see any problem.""You heard him, Kouki, so don't make that sulking face anymore," Shizuku said, turning to Kouki, who looked like he was about to protest again.

"Shin's not being difficult, Kouki. His methods are... unconventional and incredibly demanding. It's not something you can just apply to a lot people overnight. It requires personal attention that he simply doesn't have the time or frankly, the inclination, to give to everyone."

Kouki, frustrated, finally relented. "Fine," he mumbled, his shoulders slumping.

Yet, for one last time, he asked, "But... what about Ryuutarou? Can you at least design something for him?"

Ryuutarou's eyes lit up with expectation.

But Shin replied, "I don't know much about Ryuutarou personally, so that would be asking the impossible. Designing proper training method means knowing weaknesses, strengths, and how their body moves."

With that, Ryuutarou's spirits visibly deflated. But Shin again interjected,

"Though, if it's pointers on what to focus on, I can certainly give those. And if you show promise, maybe we can consider more later."This instantly brightened Ryuutarou's mood once more.

With the conversation winding down, Kouki took it upon himself, on behalf of the Hero Party, to convince Commander Meld regarding the special training Shin would give them. The discussion wasn't entirely smooth.

"Commander, with all due respect, allowing this kind of unorthodox training outside of our established curriculum sets a dangerous precedent!" the Vice Commander argued, his voice firm.

"We cannot have the summoned Apostles to simply picking and choosing their training methods, especially for the Heroes!"

However, Commander Meld, deep in thought and having personally witnessed the capabilities of the "non-combatant" Hajime and Shin—who, through their unique training, had managed to catch up to the Heroes not with stats, but with complete mastery of their skills—made a firm decision.

"Silence, Vice Commander," Meld stated, his gaze unwavering.

"What I witnessed today was an unprecedented display of skill. If two 'non-combatants' can achieve such heights, simply by refining their capabilities, then it is our duty to explore this path. We need every advantage." He looked directly at Kouki and then at Shin.

"Therefore, I declare that Shin and Hajime, along with Kouki, Shizuku, and Kaori, will be exempted from the daily required training to concentrate on the special regimen Shin will provide." He paused, then added,

"As for the King's permission, I will secure it personally. We already plan to let the Summoned Apostles delve into and explore the Orcus Labyrinth in a few weeks anyway. The stronger they are, the better."

With this, Kouki was satisfied. Meld then relayed the status plates of Shin and Hajime to Kouki, to be returned to their owners. It was thus decided that the core Hero Party would now join training with the "non-combatants'" special regimen. This made the Hero Party members happy, their faces alight with renewed purpose.

For some reason, however, the other classmates seemed dejected.

"Unbelievable!" one of the background classmates muttered, loud enough to be heard.

"So just because they're good, they get special treatment? What about the rest of us?"

Hiyama, on the other hand, felt a mix of anger and bewilderment. He couldn't grasp it. His hands clenched. This shouldn't be how things turned out! That two are getting all the attention! It's not fair! he fumed internally.

With that, the combat practice for the day was dismissed.

_____________________

With the new training arrangement decided, the rest of the day passed quickly. Shin, Hajime, and the core members of the Hero Party — Kouki, Shizuku, and Kaori — gathered, with the latter three demonstrating their current capabilities for Shin's assessment.

Having known Kouki, Shizuku, and Kaori for a long time, much like he knew Hajime, Shin quickly managed to draft personalized training regimens for each of them.

For Kouki, the focus was on refining his immense strength and, crucially, removing his ingrained habit of making flashy, overly dramatic moves that left him vulnerable.

Shizuku, on the other hand, would concentrate on capitalizing on her already impressive speed, while simultaneously increasing the raw power behind her precise slashes.

Kaori, as a Saint class, would focus on mastering her healing arts and light-based offensive spells. Her regimen would include drastically reducing her casting time, increasing the effective range of her divine magic, and, if possible, even exploring multi-limb casting similar to how Hajime utilized his innate talents.

For Ryuutarou, while Shin couldn't design a full regimen due to limited personal knowledge, he managed to give him essential pointers. These focused on optimizing his punching speed and ensuring proper form to efficiently utilize his power while expending less energy.

Ryuutarou eagerly absorbed every word, already picturing his fists moving with newfound precision.

Night fell quickly after the intense day of assessment.

Before Shin retired to his room after dinner, he stepped outside, drawn by the unusual sky. He gazed upwards, the moon hanging larger than any he had ever seen back on his old world.

Its sheer size was another undeniable confirmation that he was truly in another world, not just dreaming.

But as he stared, something uncanny occurred. His vision suddenly glitched. The moon's normal, comforting whitish-blue glow abruptly turned a stark, unnatural gold.

A sharp, searing headache momentarily attacked Shin's head, as if something violently snapped behind his eyes, then vanished as quickly as it came.

"That's weird," Shin muttered, a deep sense of disgruntlement settling over him. He rubbed his temples.

"Maybe I'm just too tired today."

Dismissing the strange incident, he went back to his room, retiring for the night much earlier than usual.

____________________

Shin retired to a deep slumber, seeking refuge from the day's events. Yet, sleep offered no ordinary respite.

He woke again to a strange yet familiar place. His vision, as always here, remained hazy, but he could clearly discern his surroundings.

He'd been in this ethereal space before.

At its center, the familiar mirror frame still stood, now orbited by numerous shard fragments of mirrors, each gleaming with a different color.

Shin hovered closer to them. If he remembered correctly, the reflections in most of these mirrors had been hazy during his last visit, with the exception of the largest, golden one.

Now, that golden mirror was different.

It fully displayed the clear reflection of a golden knife, simple yet elegantly designed. What truly captured his gaze were the eternally shifting runes adorning both its handle and blade, moving as if the knife itself were alive, breathing.

The second mirror shard, glowing with a serene blue, now revealed its contents. It reflected a book with a blue cover, rimmed with gold and embedded with gems. At the center of each cover, a large, intricate eye was designed.

The book itself seemed to be flipping continuously, as if it contained an infinite amount of pages, knowledge flowing without end.

The third mirror, a humble green shard, showed a glove that resembled a simple farming glove. Yet, embroidered upon it in golden threads were various shapes of farming tools—a miniature shovel on one finger, a tiny rake on another—each one exquisitely detailed. The back of the palm held a bright green gem, pulsating with a soft, earthy light.

Finally, the fourth mirror, shimmering with a cool silver light, offered the most profound reflection. It showed a blade, simplest in design on its handle, but its surface, instead of reflecting his own form, reflected the cosmos itself.

Stars, galaxies, nebulae—all swirled within its depths, as if the blade itself was carved not from metal, but from the very fabric of the universe.

Shin was mesmerized by each shard's display, but for some reason, he felt a distinct tug, a pull, from the golden shard.

He hovered nearer to it and cautiously extended his fingertips. Unlike the last time, the shard now did not resist; it allowed Shin to touch its reflective surface.

From that moment, Shin's vision was engulfed, then changed, shifting to a magnificent, unknown view.

He now stood in a vast, unknown space. Before him hung an incredibly large golden moon, not orbited by debris, but by bubbles of entire universes. As he watched, the colossal moon began to shrink and condense.

Simultaneously, all the swirling bubbles of universes also condensed, transforming into intricate runes that embedded themselves onto the moon's surface. It continued to shrink, becoming smaller and smaller, until it showed the very reflection of the golden shard fragment he'd just touched—the golden knife.

It hovered, impossibly detailed and luminous, directly in front of Shin. He instinctively reached out to take hold of the knife when, abruptly, a cacophony of voices echoed directly inside his head.

"It's not time yet, do not touch it!!" one voice boomed.

"Oi, are you trying to kill yourself?!" another shouted, laced with urgency.

"Warning! Do not touch the primordial tool, your vessel cannot take it yet," a calm, almost robotic voice intoned.

"Oi, Gold! Why are you letting this kid touch Ai####?! Are you trying to burden the current incarnation?!" a final, distinctly familiar voice yelled.

The voices reverberated in Shin's head, then a final, commanding voice cut through the chaos.

"It's not time yet. Return to your usual slumber, Glass, or should I call you Shin, my current incarnation."

With that, Shin returned to his deep slumber without making contact with the golden knife.

_______________

"Oi, Gold! Why did you let that kid enter your fragment? Are you trying to kill him, or are you intending to take over and manifest?!" Silver angrily demanded, its light flaring.

"Affirmative on Silver," a calm, mechanical voice, clearly belonging to Blue, warned.

"Gold, even if you succeeded in manifesting, you would end up destroying the current physical vessel of this incarnation. The current vessel won't be able to contain the Golden Blade's primordial energy and may end up not only engulfing him but the whole dimension he's currently living in."

"What are you thinking, Gold?" Green calmly yet sternly interjected, its soft glow pulsating.

"I thought you already gave up on returning and carving your way to the Outerworld, declaring war and revenge again? And I told you, though the current vessel is a blank slate, you can't just hijack it and merge with it. Remember, our time has already passed."

"I have no intention of manifesting or doing any of your claims," Gold retorted, its golden light shimmering in indignation.

"It's just that the blade began resonating with this current incarnation. Even I didn't manage to control it."

"Then that means this kid can potentially house and manifest our tools?" Silver scoffed, its light flickering with disbelief.

"But that's impossible! In the multiple times our soul went through the cycle of incarnation, there has always been a unique tool bound to our soul. Never before have we seen the potential for more!"

"But thinking about it," Green mused, its tone shifting to observation, "it should be time the current incarnation manifests one." Green gestured towards the main mirror frame, where one reflection still remained blank, unformed.

"Shut up, you two, we'll talk about this next time," Gold said with a commanding voice, halting Silver's rebuttal and Green's speculation. Its gaze, if one could call it that, shifted to Blue.

"And Blue, what is the status of the current vessel? Any damage report?"

"Checking. For now, there are no abnormalities, and it looks like the current incarnation is not affected," Blue responded in its usual mechanical tone.

"Hmm. Then how about the last time, the foreign entity that tried to pry our soul's information?" Gold pressed, a hint of concern in its voice.

"It was already mitigated on the very first scan," Blue confirmed.

"It appears it's not an Outerworld system, but a Lowerworld tool composed of complex magic, including one that can interact with a soul. For now, to avoid suspicion, I fed it with toned-down information, but this won't halt some of the current incarnation's growth since full mitigation is still in progress, though close to completion."

Gold nodded with satisfaction at Blue's report.

"Looks like it's not a system again, thank goodness," Silver added, a note of relief in its voice.

"I've had my fill of dealing with those, especially the last one. It was certainly crafty, managing to tempt many of our incarnations."

"Hmm, the Outer Gods sure are having a hard time locating our soul this time," Green mused, its light pulsing thoughtfully.

"Maybe they didn't factor in that we're in the Lower Worlds, gahaha," Silver scoffed, a flicker of mischievousness in its reflection.

"With their haughty attitude, I know they're too prideful to come down to the Lower Worlds to check."

With that, the conversation between the shards continued, their ancient voices debating in the void, as Shin faded deeper into his slumber, unaware of the profound discussions taking place within his very soul.