Chapter 21: No Pain, No Gain
Chandra's Hall
"Will contestant Hisako Arato please present your dish?" the announcer asked. The pink hair girl slowly made her way to the judges.
"Honorable judges, I present to you my dish. Sweat and Sour Chicken Ramen" Hisako calmly stated.
"Oh, what an mellow but enticing smell. It makes my mouth water" one of the judges said, "And the dashi has a beautiful red color. I think we should try the soup first!" The judges grabbed a spoonful of the soup.
HMM! In a moment's notice, the judges were swooshed away to a psychological but pleasant dream-scape. The judges passed around a tunnel shape glass, breathing in the fresh aroma.
"What a splendid flavor, leaves a refreshing taste in my mouth" one of the judges said.
"And the aroma is hypnotic and pleasant. Now, how about the noodles?" another judge said.
Slurp
"Ah, the thin noodles are perfectly cooked. Just as I expected" the judge stated after eating some of the noodles.
"Yes, but the key competent to this dish is the fried chicken coated in cayenne pepper, flour, and salt. Gives the ramen dish it's deep and meaty flavor" a stripped Senzaemon noted.
"And her other toppings are in harmony with the rest of the dish. I really like the broiled egg with garlic" a fourth judge praised.
"The dish represents pure balance and leaves my mind at ease. From the aesthetic standpoint, the ramen is bright and colorful like a tie-dye print" a fifth judge said, "The use of Goji Berries was a remarkable choice."
"Heh, in a way, I guess you can call her a guru" another judge commented. The judges imaged Hisako wearing typical hippie attire while meditating over a bowl of ramen, a Ramen Guru.
"Woah, she's getting remarkable views from the judges" an audience member shouted.
"Yeah, I can only image what kind of ramen she cooked up" a couple said loudly.
"Nay!" Senzaemon spoke up, "Only those that have eaten this dish can know the true experience of this fine ramen. Miss Arato, I'm pleased with the fact you displayed your knowledge in regards to Goji Berries and gave us this psychedelic experience."
"Thank you, director" Hisako politely said with a bow. As she walked back to her station, she flashed Soma a dirty look.
"So Yukihira, do you really think you can beat Erina's aide?" Hisako haughtily asked. Turning to her before picking up his dishes, he displayed a smile of confidence.
"Of course, I always come in with a winning mindset" Soma calmly replied, "By the way, I had leftover ingredients so I made a portion of my dish just for you." As Soma gathered his dishes, Hisako noticed the bowl on her station. As she approached the bowl, the strong smell of the ramen tickled her nose.
"What?" was the only thing Hisako could say before she heard Soma begin to present his dish.
"Today I present my ramen dish: Soma's Special Ramen. Sorry for the wait!" Soma said as he placed the bowls in front of the judges.
"Well...that's an uninformative name, but how does it taste?" a judge thought.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! With one bite, all 5 five judges stood on their feat, looking younger and ready to get into a fight. The mens' yukatas melted into Gis and they began fighting through the food, metaphorically speaking.
"This dashi... is purely made from shitake mushrooms, kombu, and Astragalus Root" Senzaemon said as his "Gi" began to rip into pieces while making way through the ramen bowl.
"A...A dashi not using meat?" a few audience members cried out. Sweat began to drip from Hisako's brow, understanding the properties of Astragalus Root.
"He added...Astragalus Root. In Chinese medicine, it's used to strengthen Qi, boost the immune system, and strengthen the lungs and heart" Hisako stammered in her head. She bit her thumb down, wanting to resit the urge to eat her portion.
"Not only do I feel energized, but the willow bark in the Rayu and Shiro Miso sauce removes any pain I felt before" another judge said as he moved to the meat portions
"That's correct. And since the stock and sauce are vegetable based, I used two different types of meat as toppings: Fried Calamari and Braised Chashu. And instead of using thin noodles, I chose thick, flat noodles" Soma said. His smile grew bigger once he heard eating noises behind him.
"Tch! Danm it, where did he get this idea from?" Hisako blurted out. Soma turned to face his opponent, wearing his trademark smile.
"It's an idea inspired by my last match with my father. A breakfast ramen that maximizes you, rejuvenating the soul and relaxing the body" Soma lectured. Hisako remained speechless as she was being absorbed into her thoughts.
"...I can't lose...to this man..." Hisako mentally struggled. But she realized the more she ate, the more she was being stripped down.
"Your toppings were cooked individually as to create a unique contrast to the dashi. You grilled your beans sprouts and leeks over your shichirin. The leeks are cooked in a plum sauce in effort to leave a refreshing aftertaste, correct?" a stripped Senzaemon asked.
"Correct, but I also considered the digestive properties of the plum. It helps create the desire to eat more" Soma replied.
"And the green onions were cooked along side the chashu" one of the judges pointed out.
"The ramen...is the flavor of a skilled martial artist" another judge thought. To them, Soma became a teacher of ramen.
"The verdict is clear!" Senzaemon spoke up before reaching for the oversized brush, "Soma Yukihira is the winner of this round!"
"It wasn't much!" Soma exclaimed as he pulled his headband off.
"I can't believe it...the transfer student beat Erina's aide!" a few audience members shouted.
"Hmm, so it looks like little Hishoko wasn't a match to Soma. How interesting" Alice thought.
"Hey Hisako, that was a fu-uh, where did she go?" Soma said. In the place where Hisako stood was an outline of her body.
"Wait, nobody saw her leave the building?" Megumi questioned, "And, um, where did Trina go?" Just like Hisako, Trina disappeared with only her outline remaining.
"Oh, she said need to go as soon as the match was over" Alice nonchalantly stated. All the members of the Polar Star Dormitory stared at the silver haired princess.
8)?
"...I wished she wouldn't leave without saying something" Megumi thought.
Outside of Chandra's Hall
"Yawn, what an eventful day. Good to know two polar star members will advance to the semifinals" Trina said to herself, "Man, Soma's special ramen made me really hungry for it. Maybe I will steal his recipe." As Trina pulled out her car keys, she heard footsteps racing towards her direction.
"Huh? Why is someone run-"
Thud! Before Trina could finish her sentence, she immediately found herself tasting asphalt.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry Trina" Hisako called out as she held out her hand. Trina grabbed her hand and pulled herself up.
"It's alright, I'm perfectly fine" Trina said, "You, however, look like a deer in front of headlights. Why are you running away in fear?"
"Ican'tbenexttoheranymoreohmygodourfriendshipisovershethinksIamtrashmycareerasachefisover" Hisako hysterically said.
"...Hisako, can you put your hands together?" Trina asked.
"Huh...I...guess?" Hisako said. She slowly put her hands together as instructed.
Thwack!
"OW! What the hell was that for Trina?" the pink haired girl cried.
"You were acting hysterically, so I needed to calm you down. What is wrong?" Trina asked once more.
"I can't face her anymore...not after to losing to that man" Hisako mumbled.
"My cousin? Why?" Trina questioned.
"Because Lady Erina can't be near-" Hisako began to say before being interrupted by a yell in the distance.
"Hisako! Please wait and here me out!" the voice of Erina called out. The voice rattled Hisako.
"Sorry Trina, I need to go now and take a trip. Bye!" Hisako yelled before sprinting off in no particular direction. Before Trina could stop her, the heavy breathing of Erina grabbed her attention.
"No...Please...Don't...Go" Erina panted.
"I'm not sure she's in the right condition to listen to reason" Trina nonchalantly said. Erina looked down at her shoes.
"I just wanted to tell her...my opinion" Erina admitted. Trina place on her cousin's shoulder.
"I think its best that she does some soul searching for right now. She just lost to Soma, a man her best friend despises. The shock must be really hard on her" Trina dryly said. Erina just stared into her cousin's eyes.
"What do you mean by that?" Erina asked.
"What I'm saying is the person you call "best friend" really lives in your shadow. She wants to be your number 2...that is a poor mentality to have. Soma doesn't have that mentality, in fact he aims to surpass something far greater than himself. True friendship is walking side-by-side. Once she changes her mentality, then your friendship shall become real" Trina lectured.
"Do you speak from experience?" Erina asked. Trina furrowed her eyebrows at the question.
"I've had only a few people who walked by my side, but never for long periods of time. In some way, I actually envy you that you had a long term friendship" Trina bitterly replied, "Everyone else were just cowards."
"I see... so then-" Erina managed to say before a ringtone went off.
Deutschland, Deutschland uber alles... Trina's cellphone began ringing.
"Er, hold on a minute" Trina sheepishly said to Erina. Erina just waited for her cousin while she was on the phone.
"Hello?" Trina said in German.
"Good Day, my dearest daughter. How have you been?" Martel answered.
"Papa! Long time, no talk. I'm just talking with my cousin outside of the cooking arena" Trina said.
"I see. Have you gotten her to try a Hofbrau Special?" Martel asked.
"Haha, not yet. I plan to show her that true gourmet food can be cooked for under 20 dollars someday. I did have her eat mama's frittata recipe" Trina replied.
"Oi, you made that to make fun of her didn't you? That was a recipe I beat when I first cooked off with your mother. Caviar and lobster frittata don't hold a match to my special surf and turf breakfast enchiladas" Martel bragged.
"Of course, I figured mama's "Midus Frittata" was a perfect dish for the Queen of Haute Cuisine" Trina chortled as she heard Erina sneeze loudly, "You still need to show me how to make that dish."
"No way, Jose'. I still need to keep a few secrets if I ever want to beat my own daughter at cooking again. Besides, there's one ingredient in that dish you can't simply buy. Maybe you will find that special ingredient one day. Anyway, there's something I need to tell you" Martel said. Trina adjusted her stance and held a look of curiosity.
"Oh, what is it old man?" Trina asked.
"Remember that one guest who nearly spazzed out when she found out your full name?" Martel asked.
"Yeah, it was a few months before I flew out to Japan. Why you ask?" Trina questioned.
"Well, a week later she arrived to personally hand deliver an invitation to you to rub shoulders with some of the greatest names in cooking. Since the annual event occurs at the White House in September, invitations are sent out months in advance" Martel answered.
"Let me guess, you told her that I wouldn't be available that time which then lead to you going in my place?" Trina said.
"Haha, you really intuitive like your mother. Basically, being your father and my relationship to your mother allowed me to take the invitation. Anyway, while I was at the gathering I ran into a unique individual...a man who claimed to be your uncle" Martel said.
"Uncle Natsu?" Trina questioned. Her mother gave her the basic rundown of the Nakiri family: Senzaemon, Leonora, Natsu, Erina, Alice, Ragyo, and herself.
"No, no, no. He said his name was Azami Nakiri" Martel stated.
"Azami Nakiri? Mother never told me of a man known as Azami Nakiri" Trina replied. Did her mother forget to mention his name?
"Yeah, he was a polite man. Sleek black hair with a white bang and looked sharp in his outfit. We talked for awhile, particularly about philosophy and the difficulties of being a father. When I told him about you, he became very interested" Martel said.
"Oh, like what?" Trina asked.
"Oh, he seemed to appreciate the fact you were highly disciplined as a chef and was curious about your 'Devil's Tongue'. He laughed at the stories I told about you throwing food in the bin because you didn't like it" Martel said with a sigh, "Before he left, he told me he wished to meet you."
"Is that so? Well, I would like to meet this 'Azami Nakiri' as well. Anyway, is there anything else you wanted to tell me?" Trina asked.
"Nope, I have nothing" Martel said.
"Alright, I will talk to you later, okay Papa?" Trina said.
"Ok, love you my daughter" Martel said before hanging up the phone. Trina sighed and put her phone away before turning back to Erina.
"Sorry about that, father called" Trina said to Erina.
"Um, what was...that about?" Erina blurted out. As she didn't speak German, she really couldn't follow what was being said. However, she heard her father's name a few times which caused her to shake a bit.
"Uh, not much. Just some chatter about meeting a uncle of mine" Trina politely said, "I'm about to head out and my car is over there, want a ride back to the mansion?"
"Uh, sure. That will be ok I guess" Erina blankly said.
Trina continued to walk ahead of Erina, only stopping 20 meters ahead when she noticed that Erina wasn't following.
"What are you standing there for?" Trina asked.
"Oh, uh, Sorry. I just got lost in a thought" Erina stuttered. Trina raised an eyebrow at her cousin before shrugging and moving forward.
"I don't understand...why did I see an image of my father walking next to Trina?" Erina thought. Shaking her head, she ignored the unpleasant image as she caught up to her cousin.
Omake: Eating ICE Cream
Middle of a City
Step. Step. Step. Siiighhhh. Trina sighed loudly. She was in the middle of city she didn't recognize.
"How did I end up here? This place looks like something from Feudal Europe" Trina groaned, drawing some attention to her. Those who noticed her immediately turned away, frighten by the woman's presence.
"I guess if I'm here, I should pick up groceries. But first, I need to find out the currency system...Maybe that Ice cream parlor will know" Trina thought before heading into the ice cream shop. Unbeknownst to her, a blonde-haired woman hightailed it on the rooftop.
"There you are! You're head is mine!" Leone thought as she ran off to the source of power...until she felt the source of power approaching to the ice cream shop from the other direction.
"Wha? I thought I sensed her enter the ice cream shop already" Leone thought in shock, "Why did I feel her aura twice?" The source of the second powerful aura was the Empire's infamous General Esdeath. She was in town today in attempt to draw out night raid, using the ice cream parlor as her camp point.
""Hmm, I wonder what type of ice cream I should get?" Esdeath thought. The moment she walked in, she felt a powerful and dark aura inside the room. It came from the tall, white haired woman with demon looking eyes and wore what appeared to be a chef's uniform of sorts.
"Gold pieces authorized by the Empire huh?" Trina said to the man, "Um, do you have a place for currency exchange? The only things I got are a few gold nuggets that I found by the river."
"Uh..Uh...Uh a-a gold-nugget-will-do, I guess" the man stuttered. He was already shaken by the woman's presence, mistaking her for General Esdeath. But now the real Esdeath was in his parlor.
"Really? Thanks!" Trina said with a polite smile. She moved to the side so the next patron could order their ice cream.
"One scoop vanilla, One Scoop Mint" Esdeath said.
"Y-Yes, General Esdeath" the another worker said.
"So you're the General Esdeath that these fellows assumed I was" Trina calmly replied. Personally, she didn't expect to run into someone with a similar aura to hers in a foreign land. Maybe she should challenge her to a fight?
"That I am. Although I never seen you before. Are you a foreigner?" Esdeath asked.
"I believe so... I'm not entirely sure where I am" Trina admitted, "You aura is very powerful. I assume you would put up one hell of fight." Esdeath just smirked at the woman, she liked where this conversation is going.
"I'm the strongest warrior in the land. I live to fight, since only the weak die" Esdeath replied.
"Fufufu, it's so refreshing to talk to someone with the same ideology, regardless of what battlefield you fight on" Trina chuckled.
"Here's your ice cream, ladies" the man said.
"Thanks!" Trina replied.
"I'm bit intrigued by you, do you mind sitting with me for a while?" Esdeath asked.
"Sure, not I have anything better to do other to think of new experiments to torture people with. Oh by the way, My name is Trina Furman-Nakiri" Trina said while extending her hand out.
"A pleasure" Esdeath replied while shaking the woman's hand. The two made their way outside and sat on the bench.
"By your attire, I assume you're a chef, correct?" Esdeath asked. Trina took a few licks of her ice cream before answering.
"That's correct. More importantly, a head chef. I guess you can say I'm a general in my kitchen" Trina chuckled.
"That's one way of putting it. Say, you mentioned something about torture and creating new torture methods" Esdeath inquired.
"Yes, my food experiments. I like creating weird, but interesting food combinations and having my friends eat it. Mostly for the joy of watching their reactions" Trina replied with a devilish smile. As the two chatted, Leone looked upon them in total fear.
"Shit, I didn't expect this at all. Not only is Esdeath's aura heavy and purposefully trying to lure me, but the other girl's aura is equally heavy" Leone thought bitterly. Esdeath was a known threat, the most powerful one to boot. The white haired girl? Well, she was a mystery and could be unexpected threat. In either case, it was best for Leone to retreat and not face the wrath of these two cruel, sadistic women.
"Aw, I was hoping the stalker would come out and play. I haven't had a good brawl in a while" Trina said with mock disappointment. Esdeath got a slight chuckle at the statement, amused at the woman next to her. It was weird, Trina and her shared similar ideals but held two different professions. She would love to have this woman fighting for the empire...maybe she could one day.
"Oh, it looks I need to head out and find a way back to my home. Maybe next time we meet we can hold a 1 on 1 duel?" Trina said as she stretched her arms out.
"That's sounds like a thrilling prospect, but now I must leave as well" Esdeath said as she stood up and walked to the west side.
"Alright, till next time" Trina said as she stood up and walked in the opposite direction.
"Esdeath" Trina thought
"Trina Furman-Nakiri" Esdeath thought.
"I look forward to asserting my dominance over you the next time we meet" both thought in unison.
A/N: Anyway, thanks for the continued support of this fic. I...Yes, Trina?
Trina: Since this Omake places me with the General Esdeath (who was a partial inspiration for my design), can you have me fight her in the next omake?
Author: No.
Trina: Why not?
Author: Because without drinking the blood of an ultra class Danger Beast, you will lose to Esdeath easily.
Trina: Then have me drink a whole pitcher of this "Danger Beast" blood.
Author: ...And where do you suppose I retrieve it? It's not like there's any of that in the SnS universe to begin with. I would have to pull something out of my ass to write to the omake
Trina: Or...I could head off to the AgK world and find a solution myself! Runs off
Author: Hey! Come back here you sadistic psychopath! … Sigh, I guess I will see you next time, folks. Right now I need to retrieve Trina before she sets a world aflame. Tchau!