It was a little past midnight.

An ominous electronic sound echoed through Kujō Hibiki’s tower apartment, which had turned into a battlefield due to moving preparations.

Ping-pong, ping-pong, ping-pong!!

The intercom was being hammered repeatedly.

The number of presses was abnormal.

It wasn’t a delivery, nor a newspaper solicitor.

It was clearly a rhythm signaling an emergency situation.

“…Enemy attack.”

Yū, who had been assembling cardboard boxes in the living room, opened her vacant eyes wide and swiftly opened her laptop.

Her fingers struck the keyboard as she broke into the apartment’s entrance security system.

“…Checking monitor. One target. Female. Estimated to be in an excited state.”

“A suspicious person!”

Her twin younger brother, Ai, grabbed a cleaning mop and flipped his skirt as he dashed toward the front door.

His adorable face brimmed with the resolve of a knight protecting his master.

“I will eliminate her. I will not let her lay a single finger on my master.”

Meanwhile, Saotome, who had been standing by in the corner of the room, rose silently.

In her hand was a flashlight serving as a makeshift baton.

Her eyes shone with the cold light of full elimination mode.

“…Wait, wait, you three.”

I hurriedly stopped them.

Holding a strip of packing tape, I let out a sigh and headed for the entrance.

“Look at the monitor. That’s not a suspicious person. She’s a much more troublesome ‘client.’”

When I pointed at the monitor, it showed a familiar woman in a flashy dress, shaking her hair wildly as she pressed her face close to the intercom camera.

“Jō-sama! Please open up! It’s me! Sumeragi Reiko, you know!”

A deafening voice blasted from the speaker.

It was Sumeragi Reiko, president of Sumeragi Foods.

As expected, she wasn’t the type to stay quiet after seeing that broadcast.

“…I’m opening it. Put your weapons away.”

The moment I unlocked the door and opened it.

“Jō-samaaaaa!!”

Along with the scent of perfume, a blond tornado rushed in.

She tried to leap into my chest—only to be stopped at the last second by Saotome and Ai, coming to a dead halt.

“…That’s far enough.”

“Jumping onto my master is forbidden!”

“Mmph… As always, your guard is tight.”

Reiko puffed out her cheeks in displeasure, but immediately looked up at me with a radiant smile.

“I saw it! On TV! It was magnificent! That rampage, that arrogance! I was so excited I crushed a wineglass in my hand!”

Her hand was wrapped in bandages.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

“…So why are you here at this hour? If you need treatment, go to a hospital.”

“This is no time for that! Strike while the iron is hot!”

Reiko barged in—nimbly avoiding the mountain of scattered cardboard boxes that left barely any room to step—and invaded the living room.

She plopped herself atop a stack of books and snapped her fan open with a crack.

“I’ll be blunt. Let’s start ‘SheTube’ immediately.”

Her eyes were bloodshot.

Her instincts as a businesswoman were telling her this was the biggest make-or-break moment.

“After the broadcast ended, the internet is in flames… no, in a full-blown explosion. Women all over the world are craving the powerful drug called ‘Akutsu Jō.’”

Reiko launched into an impassioned speech.

“Release a video right now, at this very moment! Not just the ‘Demon King’ you showed on television, but your true forte—the ‘chef’! Do that and your dominance will be unshakable!”

“…I see.”

I crossed my arms.

She had a point.

Television hype is fleeting.

If we don’t press the attack now, I could end up as nothing more than a one-hit wonder.

And with renovations on the new place and everything else coming up, money will be needed.

There’s nothing wrong with earning while you can.

“Alright. I’ll do it.”

When I answered immediately, Reiko beamed and praised my decisiveness, but soon looked around and frowned.

“But… where will we film? In this state…”

Her gaze fell on the living room and kitchen, which had become pure chaos from moving preparations.

It was in no condition for filming.

“The new kitchen isn’t renovated yet either. Contractors don’t start until next week.”

When I shrugged, Reiko gave a daring grin.

“Then there’s only one place.”

With her fan, she pointed out the window toward the city center.

“The heart of our company… please use the ‘Headquarters Test Kitchen.’”

A spark lit in my eyes.

That place, huh.

The kitchen where I’d previously done a fried rice tasting and demonstration.

An industrial high-calorie burner.

Vast stainless-steel worktables.

State-of-the-art ovens.

A theme park for chefs.

“…You sure? I’ll basically privatize it.”

“That’s fine! Rather, it’s practically already Jō-sama’s castle!”

Reiko stood up.

“It’s settled then! Let’s film first thing tomorrow morning! As for staff—”

“We’ll do it ourselves.”

Hibiki came out from the back.

She was also in jersey wear from moving, but her eyes burned with a creator’s fire.

“I’ll handle the filming. I’ll generously put a world-class director’s camera work to use.”

“I’ll do lighting and sound!”

Karen raised her hand.

“I’ll handle editing. I’ll make the most viral thumbnail.”

Yū nodded, hugging her PC.

“Then I’ll be the assistant! Leave the ingredients prep to me!”

Ai stood up clutching an apron.

“…Heh, what a perfect lineup.”

Reiko nodded in satisfaction.

“Then tomorrow at 9 a.m. at headquarters! …This is the beginning of a legend!”

* * *

The next morning.

The test kitchen on the top floor of the Sumeragi Foods headquarters building.

Bathed in the morning sun streaming into the vast kitchen, we were there.

Unlike yesterday’s TV appearance, we weren’t dressed formally.

Just my usual black T-shirt and a salon apron worn only from the waist down—a casual style.

Yet that very casualness emphasized the thick muscles and veins in my arms.

“Camera rolling. Three, two, one, action.”

At Hibiki’s cue, the red light came on.

I fixed my gaze on the camera lens.

On TV yesterday, I leaned back and played the Demon King.

I was expected to be curt and arrogant.

But this is my arena.

In front of food, I don’t want to lie or put on airs.

“…I’m Akutsu Jō.”

I introduced myself briefly and placed my hands on the ingredients lined up before me—a block of pork belly, long green onions, ginger and a massive amount of cabbage.

“Today, as a sort of self-introduction, I’ll make what I like most. Twice-cooked pork.”

I picked up the knife.

At that moment, a switch flipped inside me.

The mask of the taciturn man fell away and the soul of a cooking otaku overflowed.

“Listen closely. Twice-cooked pork isn’t just some ‘meat and vegetable stir-fry.’”

I slammed the pork belly block onto the cutting board.

“It literally means meat that’s ‘returned’ to the ‘pot.’ You boil the meat once, then put it back in the wok to stir-fry again. This ‘extra step’ is what creates the ultimate texture.”

My mouth began to run smoothly.

My usual gruff manner vanished, replaced by my bad habit of getting fast-tongued when it comes to culinary theory.

“First, parboil it. Overcook it here and the meat gets tough. Just until the surface changes color is enough. Factor in the residual heat. Alright, this is good.”

I lifted the meat from the hot water and brought the knife down.

Slice, slice, slice.

With rhythmic sounds, uniform five-millimeter slices took shape.

“Next, the vegetables. Tear the cabbage by hand. The uneven edges grab the sauce better than a clean knife cut. Cut the green peppers against the grain. It suppresses bitterness and brings out sweetness.”

I could tell Hibiki behind the camera was staring wide-eyed in surprise.

I was talking far more fluently than she’d ever seen from me.

But I couldn’t stop.

“And now comes the real deal. I’ll show you heat.”

I opened the valve of the industrial high-calorie burner all the way.

Whoooom!!

With an explosive roar, a bluish-white flame shot up.

I set the wok on the trivet and poured in oil.

“With a home stove, the temperature always drops. Moisture comes out of the vegetables and you end up with a soggy mess. But with this heat, it’s different.”

Once the wok was hot enough to smoke, I threw in the meat and vegetables all at once.

JAAAAAAAH!!

A tremendous sound echoed through the kitchen.

The hiss of evaporating moisture.

The crackle of bursting oil.

A violent, appetite-stimulating sound, like artillery on a battlefield.

“Coat the vegetables in oil before they lose their moisture! Feel the temperature of the wok! Don’t miss the moment when the ingredients inside scream, ‘Now!’”

I swung the wok.

The four-kilogram iron pan moved as if it were part of my arm.

Cabbage and meat flew through the air.

Flames licked into the wok, caressing the ingredients.

“Now! Sweet wheat paste, chili bean paste and the secret ingredient—fermented rice!”

I poured in the combined seasonings.

The aroma of scorched miso exploded outward.

“Bring out the fragrance! Trap the most aromatic moment, right before it burns! Hesitate and the flavor dies!”

I shouted at the camera.

It was less an explanation for viewers and more a rallying cry to myself—and to the ingredients.

“Cooking is a combat sport! You tame the beast called heat and draw out the opponent ingredient’s potential to the absolute limit! It’s a serious match where a moment’s hesitation is fatal!”

Clang! Clang!

The final toss.

The sauce coated everything, giving off a glossy sheen.

“…Done.”

I turned off the heat and plated the dish.

Steam rose along with an intense, mouthwatering aroma.

I wiped the sweat from my brow and glared at the camera.

“This is my twice-cooked pork. Don’t argue, just eat it. You’ll fly so far you won’t be able to come back.”

“…Cut!!”

Hibiki’s voice rang out.

The moment she said it, applause erupted in the studio.

“A-amazing, Master! You were like a flame mage!”

Assistant Ai ran up, eyes sparkling.

“…Got a great shot. Jō’s ‘heat’ comes through even on screen.”

Yū checked the monitor, clearly excited.

And Reiko, who had watched everything, was pressing a handkerchief to her eyes.

“Wonderful… Absolutely wonderful, Jō-sama!”

She spoke, deeply moved.

“The earnest passion for cooking that’s the complete opposite of yesterday’s cold ‘Demon King’! The overflowing love! And that boyish innocence when you rattle off technical terms at high speed!”

Taking my hand, Reiko spoke fervently.

“This ‘gap’ is the ultimate weapon! A man who looks scary, but becomes unstoppable when it comes to cooking… show that talkative side and no woman’s maternal instincts will survive!”

“…Is that so? Just sounded like an otaku rambling.”

“That’s exactly what’s good! A tiny opening shown by an otherwise perfect man. With this, women all over the world will never escape your swamp again.”

Reiko gave a daring smile and immediately ordered the video to be uploaded.

“The title shall be… yes, ‘The Demon King’s Cooking Classroom: Flame-Born Twice-Cooked Pork’! And the thumbnail will be a close-up of Jō-sama tossing the wok against a backdrop of flames!”

* * *

A few minutes later.

A single video was dropped onto the world’s largest video site, SheTube.

Amid glittering videos of cross-dressing women singing and dancing, it stood out as a jet-black thumbnail.

Yet within just a few hours of release, it would surpass one million views.

The comments section was flooded with screams and praise.

What are those arms!? The muscles are moving!
His delivery is way too intense lol but he’s cool!
His eyes when he’s cooking are way too serious…
I want to become that twice-cooked pork.
That final “just eat it” killed me.

With both the cold Demon King from television and the hot-blooded chef from video now revealed,

Akutsu Jō had begun to transcend the level of a mere trend.