The Dragon Emperor's aura froze the battlefield. Ignisia dropped her skewer. "Father! I can explain—"
"Silence!" His claw pointed at Leon's apron, embroidered with *"BBQ Messiah"* in glowing dragon runes. "You desecrated our sacred flames to… to make *sauce*?"
Leon flipped a wyrm steak calmly. "Try it before judging. It's **Hellfire Glaze**—secret recipe."
"You dare mock me?!" The Emperor's breath ignited, but paused as a spicy aroma hit his nostrils. His tail twitched. "...What's that scent?"
"Hell peppers from the Ninth Abyss," Leon said, sprinkling crimson powder. "Grown in my mining tunnel's VIP厕所."
The Emperor's claw snatched the steak. He bit into it.
*Crackle.*
Golden flames erupted from his scales. "**BY THE ETERNAL FURNACE!**" The ground split as his voice boomed. "This… this *tingling* sensation! Is this… *flavor*?!"
Ignisia facepalmed. "Father, you're drooling."
The System pinged:
*"Ding! Dragon Emperor's Favorability +50. Unlocked [Hell's Kitchen] expansion. New Quest: Host a Cross-Realm BBQ Contest (Tax-deductible!)."*
Leon grinned. "Want the recipe? It'll cost you."
The Emperor's eyes narrowed. "Name your price."
"Cancel the 'Vault Thief' charges."
"Impossible!" The Emperor slammed his tail, then hesitated. "Unless… you join my **Great Calorie War**."
"Calorie War?"
A scroll materialized, showing a bloated cosmic serpent. "The Gluttony Wyrm devoured three star systems," the Emperor growled. "My royal dietitian says I must burn 10 million calories to defeat it."
Leon stared. "So you sent shadow wyrms to force me to cook diet meals?"
"**WRONG!**" The Emperor's scales flushed pink. "I sent them to… to confiscate your illegal condiments!"
The System interrupted:
*"Ding! IRS (Interdimensional Revenue Service) Alert: Unpaid BBQ Tax Detected. Penalty: 500,000 spirit stones or 10% equity in [Celestial KFC]."*
"What's Celestial KFC?" Leon muttered.
*Boom!*
A portal spat out a suit-wearing kobold. "Kentucky Fried Cultivators, yes?" It adjusted its tiny tie. "Your unauthorized multiverse franchise owes back taxes. Pay now or face **Realm Repossession**."
Ignisia grabbed the kobold. "You're auditing us *now*?!"
"Standard procedure!" The kobold squeaked. "Per Multiverse Code 666, all apocalypse-themed businesses must—"
Leon tossed it a wyrm nugget. "Free sample. Now scram."
The kobold sniffed, then devoured it. "...Approved! Tax waived for… *product testing*!" It vanished with a burp.
The Emperor stared. "Mortal, you baffle me. But this 'Hellfire Glaze'…" He licked his claws. "Teach me. I'll pardon your crimes."
"Deal." Leon handed him a **[Rusty Spatula]**. "First lesson: Flip with your soul, not your claws."
As the Emperor fumbled, the System flashed red:
*"Warning! Celestial Vault Layer 4 Unlocked. Detected: [Tax Dragon Nest]. Suggested action: Declare bankruptcy."