Chapter 2347: The Best Meal Ever

Strangely enough, Amaterasu could cook, and she was extremely good at it. For eons, she had learned to cook by practice, having picked up skills and techniques from billions of worlds. Countless worlds, races, countries, and kingdoms from all development stages have all enjoyed the blessing of the stars, and Amaterasu had carefully observed them all. From a caveman grilling a large and tough piece of meat on open flames while spicing it with wild herbs and fruits to a scientifically advanced two-headed half-demon cooking with instruments that would make Arad’s head spin.

"What’s this soup?" Arad asked as the bowl in front of him looked to contain only clear water. The bowl was white, so Arad could see the bottom, and even with his terrifying eyes, he couldn’t see a single speck of impurities.

"Clear fish soup. Oysters, anchovies, spices, and special water that I picked up from one of the worlds. After cooking everything, I strained it through a fine mesh and separated the layers with gravity. The result is a sweet and savory soup." Amaterasu explained with a smile. "I usually cook large batches of it so some of my Archons can take it with them as rations."

Taking a sip from the bowl, Arad blinked several times. It was terrifyingly good, to a level that he didn’t think could be matched. "This is... amazing." It was as clear and light as water, yet carried enough flavor to outshine almost anything that he had tasted before.

"I’m glad you liked it. I do cook daily, so feel free to visit at any time. You can even bring your wives and maids; I’ll teach them how to cook." Amaterasu smiled as she sent a message back to her Archons in her heaven, ordering them to start making preparations.

Arad then threw a glance at the kitchen. "How... did you even cook. Time is stopped, so the stove shouldn’t work." He was right, and Amaterasu quickly showed him the stove. Instead of flames, twenty-four tiny roaring suns were burning where the flame should’ve been, and using their heat, she was able to cook.

"You’re cooking on stars?" Arad sighed, and she giggled. "Why shouldn’t I? Since I can control them, they make controlling the heat much easier." She then walked back to the counter and pushed the next plates to Arad.

"Grilled chicken, and not just any chicken. Black Feather Roosters from a world called Alarania. They have a strong flavor, soft meat, and have been bred and raised for the sole reason of being a meat source. After marinating them for a while, I grilled them while basting them with a special sauce. Also, I only cooked them halfway through. While that is dangerous to regular humans, I believe that won’t be a problem for you."

As Arad took a bite, he found the meat to be stupidly soft and full of flavor. He could taste the rich meat, the sharp spices, the herbs, and the fat she used all separately. None of them overpowered the other, and they all worked together.

As he was eating, she poured him a large mug of wine, and not just any wine. The bottle she pulled had been stored in her heaven for over a million years, probably one of the oldest surviving bottles in all of existence. It was a special kind of rice wine, and one that she brewed herself.

It wasn’t that strong, but it had a sweet and clean taste that contrasted the rich meat well.

"The greens are pickled radish and cucumbers with a bit of lemon and herbs." She pushed another bowl toward him. "I also added a bit of truffle oil that I squeezed myself. Those truffles were picked fresh from Merida’s Abyss Layer. It should be light, slightly sour, and earthy."

As Arad was eating that, she pulled a large bowl of white rice and topped it with a heavy, thick gravy with meat, potatoes, and carrot. "And this is a hot curry, and I made it extra hot. Red Dragon meat, several spices, and..." She sighed, pulled a paper and looked at it. "As the people of its world named it, Satan’s Dick chili. It’s almost ten times hotter than the hottest pepper in the mortal world. A single drop of its paste is enough to kill a demon."

As Arad tasted it, his eyes opened wide. It was indeed far spicier than anything he had ever tasted. But to him, it was still mild, as he could probably chew on a small star and still think it’s cold.

It didn’t take long for Arad to finish the entire bowl, and Amaterasu slipped him the last of the plates, a tiny one with several pink balls. "Rice cake called mochi; every one of them has a different filling, but all of them are sweet."

As Arad ate them, Amaterasu watched him for a few moments before shifting her attention back to Asmodeus. "Hell should be able to sustain the Lord’s Left Forearm with ease. Let it grow all the way down to the Ninth Layer and then escort it lower into the black cells." She then shifted her gaze to Tiamat. "And you’ll be the one to guard it from here to the Ninth Layer."

"The preparations are ready for Mira." The Mother of All Life spoke before Amaterasu could even look at her, and Yog laughed. "I got the way under control. We should have a bit of time before Nyar dares attack again. I’ll make sure that everything goes down smoothly."

Amaterasu turned toward them, nodded, and then looked at Maharaja. "Take care of Agnar and make sure he isn’t hurt. You’re his Patron, so keep that in mind."

Maharaja, who was busy munching on meat, just nodded and kept eating.

Amaterasu quickly shifted her attention back to Arad, who had just finished his meal, and smiled. "Did you like it?"

Arad smiled, even though no face could be seen underneath his hood. "Very much. This was probably the best meal I tasted so far." Hearing that, she giggled. "Well, not counting size, I assume. You could probably eat far more than this."

He stood. "Sadly, I cannot eat that much now. My body is evolving, so digesting food is hard." He looked at her face for a second, and she could see the two white dots shaking. "This entire universe rests on your shoulders. A divine who stepped up and took the throne when no one dared to, and you’ve even managed to maintain the universe for such a long time. You’ve done such a good job."

The moment Arad finished speaking, he disappeared, and Pin was back where she stood before, up in her room. Amaterasu gasped as if reaching to catch him, but then sighed. "What was that about?" She threw a glance at Yog. "He isn’t aware that he is AO, right?"

Yog shrugged. "Who knows? I cannot see or control him that well. He could’ve been aware as AO from the start and just playing dumb, for all I know." She stood and cracked her neck. "He is the one who taught me omniscience, so there is no way I can beat him at it."

Amaterasu sighed and shook her head. "Fine, I’ll check later on my own. For now." She looked at everyone else. "Make sure everything is going according to the plan." She then disappeared with Yog, and everyone else dispersed as well, only leaving Tiamat in the tavern as time resumed.

****

Amaterasu landed in her heaven and looked around at the golden palace. "For now..." But not a second after she landed there, her vision went dark, and she fell to her knees, feeling as if her skull was splitting apart from the inside out.