Even if you were told to run away, you still remained close to the bottomless hole where Coco disappeared into with Grinpatch. You couldn't actually believe he would do something like that. Something so...risky. But perhaps it was payback for all the times you nearly threw away your life?

Your cheeks felt wet as a lone tear fell on the ground. You couldn't find the will to stand up while the battle between chefs and Gourmet Corp. continued on.

"What do we have here?" a voice murmured, landing behind you quietly. "Not a strong, savory taste...However, the flavor is beyond exquisite"

"...E-Eh?..." you trembled, slowly looking over your shoulder to see someone draped in a large, black cloak.

It felt familiar, somewhat, the two golden pools in the darkness of its hood staring right back at you. You recognized the other man next to it as Teppei. The Saiseiya once came to your restaurant to have a taste of Komatsu's Century Soup. But why was he with this...man?

"Ah...I see" it spoke numbly. "You're just like me"

"W-Who are you? W-What do you want?!" you demanded, your face pale like a sheet when Teppei started to advance in your direction.

"GOD needs its songbird. I will have to mince you up a bit, but nothing too difficult. And serve your head on a silver platter"

You gaped in horror while roots sprung out of the ground and encircled around you. One closed on your mouth to keep you from screaming, and another tied up your wrists in front of you. Tears gathered in your eyes at the suffocating feeling as the roots constricted your waist and chest. You prayed for someone out there to help and save you, but no one was in sight.

"Now, now. No need to cry. When the time will come, I will make it quick..." continued the cloaked man, words not reassuring you one bit.

A loud roar shook the whole stadium, stopping everyone in their track. The ground trembled under your feet as lightnings struck and grazed the dark sky. The two men barely had the time to register what was happening when a large form hovered them. A flash of blue, and both avoided the thunderstrike that could have costed them their lives.

The roots recoiled, freeing you from their deadly trap as you fell forward. Only to be caught by feathered wings, and the familiar eyes of your dearest pet gazing down at you:

"Dino!" you shouted in relief.

The Thunderous Wyvern snarled at the two men, releasing a shrill scream that could pierce ears. You were lifted at the same time on his back, the wyvern readying himself to take flight immediately after. However, he was stopped short by more roots coming from the ground, attaching themselves on his lower legs. Dino roared one time, and opened his mouth in the direction of Teppei. The possessed Saiseiya dodged to the right, bending down to avoid a beam of lightning.

"The blood of the Lost King...It seems bringing you with us will end up a lot harder than I first thought" murmured the cloaked man, a tinge of annoyance laced in his voice. "No matter. We will have more opportunities in the future"

A shadow formed under his feet while Teppei returned to his master's side. The shadow transformed into a long snake that took off in the sky, leaving you and Dino alone in the mist of the battlefield. The roots completely disappeared, and you released a breath of relief that was caught in your throat. The stadium rumbled once more under the attack of the wild beasts and Gourmet Corp. You turned your head in the direction of the hole:

"Dino...We have to help Coco!" you said, urging the wyvern forward.

Dino released a cry of affirmation, and crawled his way into the hole. He didn't dive right in with the gravity and pressure, moving as slow as possible by digging his claws in safe areas of the earth. There was no telling of deep it was, and yet you already feel like you're approaching the planet's core. Darkness surrounded you, the raged breathes and grunts of the Thunderous Wyvern being the only thing breaking the silence.

"Come on...Where are you?" you thought helplessly.

More importantly, you hoped you wouldn't encounter that Gourmet Corp. guy instead of your partner. This place was creepy enough as it was, you didn't need a creepy guy chasing you, too. Your eyes widened when Dino suddenly landed on a hard surface, something that you thought it was impossible in the first place. A growl left the wyvern's mouth, shooting lightning to create some light momentarily in the dark hole.

It was strange, but you thought this place was much more deep than Heavy Hole, the world's deepest place in the Human World. Whatever happened, it was obvious they continued their fight and dug even more. Still, you wouldn't let it deteriorate your morale. You called his name a few times while Dino continued to crawl in the tunnels under the stadium. Your heart dropped, thinking of the worst case of scenarios.

"Please...Be safe...."

Then, you heard a faint sound in the distance. Someone...coughing? Your whole body was filled with adrenaline as you urged Dino to search for Coco in this direction. You turned a corner, and strangely it reminded you of that time when you first went hunting with the Heavenly King along with Komatsu and Toriko. Hoping that when they turned that corner, they would find you safe and sound with your friend. And you did find him, laying on his back among the rubble of the aftercare of a violent fight. There was no sign of Grinpatch, and you could care less about that man as you jumped from Dino's back and ran straight for the fortune teller.

"COCO!" you yelled, kneeling by his side.

"...(y/n)...?" the Heavenly King breathed hard, his dark eyes opening to stare in your owns.

"I'm pulling you out of there...Stay still just for a second..." you murmured.

With Dino's help, you removed the broken parts that trapped your partner. And once he was freed, you threw your arms around him. A hug that he returned eagerly while wrapping his limbs around your waist.

"I thought it was the end for me..." Coco breathed, nuzzling his face in your collarbone.

"As if I would let you leave me alone..." you sniffed, pouting as he let out a soft laugh. "Where is he, now? Grinpatch, that is"

"All I know is that he seems to have lost his mind when he ate my Gourmet Cells' poison. He started to blow his bazooka breath, and bored out thousands of meters in the earth"

"..."

"(y/n)...Can you feel this energy?" he suddenly asked out of the blue.

"Energy?" you repeated, a bit confused.

"We need to leave. Right away" Coco narrowed his eyes in the darkness.

The earth pulsed and rumbled once more, and you helped Coco to stand up. You led him to Dino, but not before he leaned down to grab some rock along with him. You didn't dare question him and instead climbed on top of the wyvern. The three of you quickly left the hole, returning to the surface without a second look behind.

When you got back, it was the end of an age. Chaos...Destruction...Starvation...Something that seemed impossible in this era, unless you were from poorer countries. The boss of Gourmet Corp. unleashed an immensely powerful barrage of energy meteors called Meteor Spice upon the Human World, for the sole purpose of annihilating it and all its inhabitants.

Everything was destroyed in Gourmet Town, leaving a land of misery and emptiness. Thanks to the network of defenses Ichiryu prepared, the sacrifice of human lives was kept to a minimum. The number of victims was 25 billion world-wide, more than 80% of this total world population. More than 100 countries faced the collapse of critical systems.

The land fell to ruin and caused economic loss that could not even be expressed in numbers, and worst of all was the fear of food supplies being exhausted. It led to something people hadn't had to fear before. And so, the bountiful platter called the Age of Gourmet...silently shattered.

You were one of the few chefs in the world who didn't get captured by Gourmet Corp. After the attack, you were called upon to assist the others in preserving and cooking the ingredients that weren't hit by the Meteor Spice. An entire mountain of ice, easily 500 meters tall, of frozen ingredients. With this much food, the people of the world won't starve...for the moment.

You reached inside a cupboard to pull out a few utensils. Ever since this chaotic event, you were restless. Worried for your friends in other countries. You didn't have any news of your family, either. You were also preoccupied about Komatsu's condition, right after you learned that he was taken by Gourmet Corp. Something that hit Toriko hard, and left him in a state of depression.

"(y/n). You should go back to sleep"

Coco was leaning against the doorway of the kitchen, watching you in worry. It wasn't easy for anyone, as your partner learned of his foster parent's death. Ichiryu led a great fight against Midora, even if the results were catastrophic. Surprisingly, you hadn't seen him cry about the matter. Not even once. Perhaps he wanted to keep this pain to himself, which you were a bit against.

"It's too hard" you frowned in tears, whipping your head in his direction. "Komatsu got captured...Toriko doesn't want help from others...It's..."

You sighed, letting your head drop. Just a few days ago, everything was as normal as it could be. The restaurant always filled with clients, Toriko finishing meals prepared by Komatsu one after the other, Sunny and Zebra bickering among each other because of the latter's way of eating unbeautifully. All gone in a single day, and now you have to pick up the shattered pieces.

"A good night of sleep should clear your head a bit" Coco continued, grabbing your hands. "Besides, I know a way to lull you into a deep slumber..."

"Do you now, old man?"

It's only when you were back home that you noticed about Coco's hair: completely white. He told you the reason why was because he used too much poison, resulting in a temporary loss of colors. His hair should return to the way it was in a few days. Still, it didn't stop you in teasing the hell out of him. Coco didn't retort anything back, and simply lifted you over his shoulder while you giggled slightly. All was a question of time, unaware that something big was going on in the Gourmet World.