After the exciting quarterfinal with Alice, Souma was now looking forward to watching the one with Akira Hayama. Among all the participants he was most interested in Akira and Alice. He had no doubt that it would most likely be those two for the finals. However, before his match was the 2nd quarterfinal between Megumi and Kurokiba. Souma was slightly interested in how Megumi would match up to Kurokiba, and it would be a lie if he said he didn't find Kurokiba interesting. He was already thinking about how the boy's personality change when cooking could scare his enemy. Megumi was already too nervous and that could just do it. He just hoped the girl didn't faint from that.
As he made his way to the match, he saw Aldini brothers. It was Isami who noticed him and called out to him. Souma went over and greeted them before he took a seat beside them. As the contestants were getting ready, Souma had started a conversation with the two brothers.
"So Takumi-san, Isami-san, who do you think will win?" Souma asked, curious of what they thought. Isami took a thinking pose before he started talking.
"I mean no offense to Megumi-san, but I believe Kurokiba Ryo will win this." Isami said. Souma nodded at that. Soon enough, the two contestants were called out. From one side was the lazy looking Kurokiba, and the other side was a very nervous looking Megumi.
Megumi seemed to have calmed down a little as soon as they were told to start. Megumi got to work fast. However, most of the audience was focused on Kurokiba, who had his bandana on. Most hadn't seen the whole personality change and were looking in fear and amusement. Megumi was either ignoring the whispers, or was too focused on her cooking to notice Kurokiba's change.
After some time, the two finished their dish. Megumi was first to present her Kozuyu Chicken Soy Sauce Ramen. Just from the looks of it, it was beautiful. As the judges proceeded to take bite, they found that it's beauty wasn't everything. It had a strong flavor from the usage of Kozuyu. The best way the judges could describe the dish was as elegant but strong. Megumi was happy to see their satisfied reactions and went back. Then it was Kurokiba's turn, his dish was also beautiful. One could just get hungry by looking at it. The judges all took a bite, and without much delay, Senzaemon had stripped.
The fight between the two dish was like an all out brawl to the death. The judges were the excited audience, wanting to see some fun end. It wasn't by that large of a margin, but Kurokiba won this fight. After some discussion with the judges, they showed the winner.
'Kurokiba Ryo-3 Megumi Tadokoro-0'
After seeing the results, Kurokiba took his bandana off, satisfied with the result. Megumi also looked satisfied, even though she had lost, just making it to the quarterfinals had satisfied her already. This served as a learning experience for her. Kurokiba then approached her as he extended his arm for a shake. Megumi accepted it before thanking him. With that done, the two went separate ways.
"It seems like you had the right prediction, Isami-san. Anyways see you next time, I can't wait for the other matches." Souma said as he waved the two brothers bye. Finally, the time had come for the match with Akira. Souma was so looking forward to it. Deep inside he was slightly wishing to have a match with the boy himself, but he waved off that desire.
At the dorm, Souma was with his friends, celebrating.
"Even though, you two didn't make it, it is still an achievement to go to the quarterfinal." Isshiki said with his apron only outfit on. Yuki was also cheering beside him. Megumi and Zenji both thanked him for it. Souma smiled as he saw the interaction. With all the cheers and such, another night passed by in the dorm.
[Next day]
Souma had met Alice on his way to the match with Akira. She had told him to follow her and that was what he was doing right now. As they walked, Souma noticed that the area they were in was mostly vip. Souma then looked at Alice questionably, but Alice just smirked in response. As they approached a door, Alice opened without any knocking. Inside was Erina, sitting alone. Souma looked at the front and saw that this area gave an amazing view of the match. Erina of course was bothered by the intrusion.
"Alice, what do you think you are doing?" Erina asked with a little tick mark.
"Calm down, Erina. We just came to watch the match, right Yukihira-kun?" Alice said. Souma nodded at the them, while Erina could only sigh at that.
"Whatever, as long as you don't disturb me. Watch all you like." Erina said as she regained her composure and looked out at the match. Souma then took a seat at the corner, however he was soon pushed by Alice.
"Move some more Yukihira-kun" Alice said as she pushed Souma to the center. Now Souma was between Erina and Alice. Erina was blushing at their closeness, and was about to say something. Alice, of course interrupted her.
"Shh, the match is now starting" Alice said as she just acted like nothing happened. Souma and Erina both then forgot about it and started watching the match.
The two that were competing now were, Akira and Hisako. Erina was obviously betting her aide to win, and Souma on the other hand was rooting or more like guessing that Akira would win. The theme for their match was burger. Souma was interested in seeing how Akira would make use of spices in his cooking. The match began soon, and both got to work. They were very skillful in preparing their ingredients as they worked swift and smoothly.
After they finished, Akira was first to go present. His burger looked amazing. The judges were already gulping as they were presented the dish. As they took a bite, the impact was immediate. The juices of the burger was spilling in their mouth, and before they realized they had finished eating it. All the while their fantasies were strong and clear. The taste was so amazing that after they finished, they looked like they had lost something important. Everyone at the audience was whispering things around, amazed at the burger. Meanwhile at the top, Alice, Souma and Erina were all looking with interested faces.
"Wow, isn't that amazing. Even I could tell that was a high level dish." Alice said as she kept looking at the dish. Souma nodded at her words and Erina also internally agreed.
Below, after Akira, Hisako made her way to the judges. Her patty was shinning and the whole burger looked really fresh. The sauce trickling down it also added to its beauty. The judges then proceeded to take a bite as they were thrust into a fantasy. They were all riding a turtle, exploring underwater. After their fantasies was over, the discussion started. This time though, it took some time before the winner was announced.
'Akira Hayama-3 Hisako Arato-0'
Souma was impressed by Hisako, as he had expected Akira to win by a landslide. However, he could tell that the win wasn't that significant as Hisako's dish was close. Erina, also didn't seem as disappointed as Souma expected. In fact, she even had a small smile for a second. However, Alice didn't read the mood in the room as she spoke up.
"Looks like my aide made it through, but yours didn't, bleh bakarina." Alice said as she started teasing Erina. Erina glared at Alice, and left without saying anything.
"Tch, she didn't even respond. Anyways, let's go Yukihira-kun, we still have one more match today. I have to see who my enemy will be." Alice said as she pulled Souma by his hand. Souma now was slightly starting to see why Erina was annoyed with Alice.
On the other end, with Erina. She had gone to meet with Hisako. As she saw her, she called out to her. Hisako, then noticed her as she quickly made her way to Erina.
"I apologize, Erina-sama. I have failed you." Hisako said sadly. She was expecting Erina to fire her or something because she had lost, but she got the opposite.
"It's fine, Hisako. I watched your match, it was amazing. You did your best and fought back more than my expectations." Erina said as she smiled at Hisako. Hisako, hearing that just got teary as she looked away before wiping her eyes.
"I'm glad, Erina-sama. I promise you, I won't disappoint again." Hisako said as she looked at Erina with new found determination. Erina nodded at that as they walked away.
The final match for the quarterfinals was between Takumi Aldini and Subaru Mimasaka. From what Souma had heard, Subaru was a copy chef. Souma was now getting even more excited for the match, wanting to see how it would turn out. The most well known thing about Subaru was his 99 consecutive wins in shokugekis.
As Souma and Alice made their way to the shokugeki area, they saw Kurokiba. Alice then went to him, with Souma behind her. Souma greeted Kurokiba and congratulated him on his win. Kurokiba said a little thanks before focusing on the area. The announcer then called out the two.
The Aldini was looking confident and had his personal cooking tool with him. On the other side was Subaru, who looked kind of rough. There was some kind of shelve behind him. After the two were face to face, an announcement was made.
"This match will not only determine the one to move into the semifinals, but it is an official shokugeki" the announcer said, shocking everyone. Souma raised an eyebrow at this but continued to listen on.
"Takumi Aldini will bet his personal cooking tool, and Subaru Mimasaka will bet all the tools he has won so far." the announcer said pointing at the large shelve. As soon as that was said, the crowd burst into whispers. Souma was now even more interested, he was waiting to see Subaru's copy skill and how the shokugeki would end. After all a personal cooking tool was an important thing for the chef, and Souma doubted Takumi blindly accepted the duel.
After that surprise announcement, the match started. Subaru didn't do anything as he looked at Takumi. Takumi on the other hand wasn't affected as he just continued. After some time, Subaru got a smirk as he started his cooking. After about 30 minutes, the dish was finished.
Takumi went ahead to present his dessert. It had layers, and the lemon looked juicy. The judges took a bite and were soon in their fantasies, it was as if they were splashed with cool water on a very hot day. The dish was fresh and just tasted amazing. They didn't want their fantasy to end, but as soon as the dish did, so did their fantasies. After him, Subaru went ahead, with a smirk. Looking at the dish, it was very similar to Takumi's. Of course, that raised some whispers. Souma also looked at it and saw that it was just like takumi's just with some modifications. However, he was wondering if that could beat the original. Once the judges took a bite, just like with Takumi, they were in a similar fantasy.
After a few seconds, the fantasies and the dish finished. Subaru went back, obviously proud of his work. He smirked at Takumi as both waited for the decision. Since it was a shokugeki, judges individually decided and no agreement on the winner would be made. Soon the results were up.
'Takumi Aldini-2 Subaru Mimasaka-1'
The one who was shocked at the result the most was Subaru himself. He was wide eyed as he questioned how in his mind. Takumi decided to answer his unvoiced question as he spoke.
"I did some research on you too. I had already heard of your copy skills, as such I simply had to find a way to do things internally that you couldn't copy. This dish had olive oil, the mysterious fourth layer was the reason you lost." Takumi said with his arms crossed. Subaru kept on looking shocked as he realized his loss.
"I won't be taking the knives, in fact everyone here who has lost their knives to him, you can take it back." Takumi announced and soon many students came rushing. All of them thanked Takumi, some with tears in their eyes. Souma who was watching, just smiled at this moment. He wasn't expecting such a turn of events and he wasn't sad about it.
"Oh boy, looks like I have a hard opponent for the semifinal." Alice said as she stretched. She then bid Souma farewell as Kurokiba followed behind her. Souma had enjoyed today's event and so he decided to head back. Watching Takumi's dish had given him even more ideas. With a low chuckle, he left the area, ready for tomorrow's semifinals.
[The next day]
Even though, Takumi had recently had a match. He was already into another against Nakiri Alice. All the audience were waiting for the two to show up. The theme was stew and Souma was wondering how Alice would handle this. She had probably gone and trained a bit, but he wondered if it would be enough.
Soon the two came out, and both looked confident. Alice then looked around the audience and noticed Souma's group. He was with his dorm mates. She then read his lips as he said 'good luck' with a smile at the end. That alone was enough to somehow boost her confidence. She didn't know why, but having Souma say that just made her feel better. The two then were instructed to begin cooking.
Alice had seen Takumi's match yesterday and she was impressed by it. So after that, she thought a lot about ways she could beat him. If he could bring in surprises, then all she had to do was bring an even bigger surprise. With that thought, she continued working. The two soon finished as Takumi went ahead and presented his dish. The smell was strong and inviting. As one of the judges touched it with their spoon, they could tell how tender and good it was. Soon, the judges took their bites, and were in their fantasies. It was like they had no worries in the world, as they enjoyed the stew. Takumi got some praises along the way as they ate.
To be honest, Alice was feeling kind of nervous on the inside. She then looked around for Souma, hoping to calm down. She had realized that watching the boy would calm her down. As she found the boy, he was smiling at her. She was then called in as she made her way to the judges with the dish. As she lifted the top, the smell bombarded the whole room. The judges didn't hesitate to take a bite. In their fantasies, they were riding a never ending roller coaster. The dish was full of surprises, as everything just felt new and well put together. Alice smiled at their reaction as she headed back. The decision was soon made.
'Alice Nakiri-3 Takumi Aldini-0'
Alice let out a sigh she was holding in. She felt extremely happy with this. She was now just one step away from winning it all. Alice then approached Takumi as she praised him and shook his hand. Takumi seemed happy at getting those praises from a Nakiri and thanked her. Souma taking that as a cue to leave, went ahead to get ready for the Kurokiba vs Akira match.
Souma was checking his phone, and bumped into Alice. She was expecting him as she greeted him.
"So, how did I do?" Alice asked with a smile.
"It was amazing Alice-san, as expected. I was about to go watch the other match, we can go together, if you don't mind." Souma said as he suggested the idea. Alice nodded and walked beside him. She then seemed to have realized something as she spoke.
"Oh ye, Yukihira-kun. We haven't exchanged contacts yet." Alice said as she took out her phone.
"I suppose we can, let me add you." Souma said as they quickly changed info. Unknown to Souma, Alice saved him under Souma-kun with a heart at the end. Alice herself wasn't sure as to why she did it, but she didn't bother changing it. As they made their way to the hall, Alice and Souma took a seat, waiting for the match to start.
The two boys appeared soon, and the announcement was made like many times before. The theme was western cuisine. Alice was very interested in Akira's cooking style as she knew about Ryo's. She was sure this match could help her in the finals. As soon as the two were instructed to start cooking, Kurokiba declared that he would win and got to work fast.
Akira was putting up an amusing show for everyone with his spice and knowledge. Looking at the two, no one could tell who was better. As the cooking finished, Kurokiba went ahead. The judges looked over his eel dish as they proceeded to take a bite. The flavor soon exploded in their mouth. The dish had made them submit to their desires as they just continued to eat it like a wild animal. Soon after the dish was finished, Akira went ahead and presented his. His dish had duck meat as it glistened. The judges took a bite and were bombarded with all the different spices. Just eating the dish made them think of Akira as the Spice King. Both dishes were amazing and it would be very hard to decide between the two.
The discussion seemed to never end. However, all of a sudden Erina, Isshiki and Etsuya Eizan appeared.
"Since the decision can't be made, This year's final will be a three way between Nakiri Alice, Kurokiba Ryo and Hayama Akira." Isshiki announced shocking everyone. Even Alice went wide eyed at the revelation. Souma could only smirk at this. The election was surely turning into something even more amazing. With that short announcement made, everyone dispersed.
"Looks like the finals will be harder for you Alice-san, well good luck." Souma said as he looked at Alice.
"Haha, I wasn't expecting this. But thanks that good luck will help me like always." Alice said, whispering the last part. The two soon parted ways as Souma was walking, he received a text. It was from Alice.
'Got any advice for me?' Alice had texted. While Souma was wondering why she didn't ask directly. He was thinking for a while before replying.
'You shouldn't worry about the looks, instead focus on the inside quality. I'm sure with your knowledge you can use that as a surprise mechanic' Souma texted back as he got a thanks in reply. Souma sighed as he continued heading back. His training with Alice and Erina was getting closer and closer as he began thinking on how he could reveal it.