Fen: WE LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!
AQ: My fault people, me and King were going through some terrible times and it severely delayed this fic. We apologize greatly.
Fen: You and me both. Last year was definitely a difficult time for both us.
AQ: Now onto the chapter, I got a date with a killer! Time to kill an immortal zombie.
Fen: Let's go!
Disclaimer: Same thing.
It was deeper into the night as Kurogasa was in his room on his laptop having a video chat with his Shishou.
"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU THINKING, SHISHOU?!" Kurogasa yelled comically.
["I have my own life, you know."] The man said while eating a piece of salmon.
"But why are you coming to the Autumn Election preliminaries?!"
["To judge your friends. Don't be alarmed, I'll go easy on them."]
"Besides the obvious! And that's not the point!" Kurogasa snapped comically, having sharp teeth and soulless eyes.
["It's to see if you're fine against the competition, I don't want you to have a panic attack. I do care about your well-being."] Tendou said setting his chopsticks to the side. ["Besides, you're dealing with an Indian dish, and they were pretty vague about the topic."]
"Ugh… don't remind me…" Kurogasa groaned, slamming his head on the table. "Rice with curry is one thing, but the whole thing in general is completely different."
["Remember my lessons Kurogasa…"]
"Hai, hai…"
Suddenly music started playing as Kurogasa wonder if Jun was nearby… "Speaking of… what's with Jun-senpai being all lovey-dovey with you?"
Kurogasa never thought one thing in his life… seeing Tendou coughing from drinking his tea.
["*COUGH~!* Jun-Jun is there?"] Tendou asked slightly paling at the name.
"Yeah. She's a teacher at the school, head of the Shiomi Seminar…" Kurogasa raised an eyebrow.
["T-To answer your question Soma's father was… allowing Jun to try some of his food-"]
"Yeah, she told me as much… that's why she hit Soma's face from three different camera angles…" Kurogasa deadpanned.
["I felt bad and gave her mine… and it led to her stalking me a bit."] Tendou coughed into his hand while slightly blushing.
"Really…" Kurogasa said, before his eyes widened, "Masaka! Moshikashite-"
["Finish that sentence, and no God alive will fix you after I'm done!"]
…
…
…
"Hai… sumimasen…" Kurogasa muttered.
["So how are things? My sister is upset that I didn't make you see her."]
"Which one are we talking about? Hiyori-san or Jyuka-chan…"
["Does it matter?"] The man said smirking.
"Well, it's either one or the other. You tell me." Kurogasa deadpanned.
["Sigh…"] The man shook his head at the obvious joke he was trying to make.
"Sorry… stressed out." Kurogasa sighed too. "Anyways, I'm doing fine and I'll make it up to them someday. By the way, you set up that whole thing with Shiro didn't you…"
["Probably…"] The man smiled as he looked away, ["Looks I need to cut this short. Be well and I hope that your studies are going well."]
"Yappari na. You-"
*CLICK!*
"Ugh… and he hung up on me." Kurogasa grumbled.
*RING, RING*
"Hm?" Kurogasa blinked before looking to his phone to see that Erina was calling, before answering, "Na-chan?"
["H-Hey, Ku-kun, are you still up?"]
"Yeah, what's up?"
["N-Nothing. Just… thought I wanted to say good night."]
"Well that's rare of you to do that over the phone." He chuckled.
["It's just I feel that I should tell you good luck…"]
"I know." He smiled. "Saito-senpai's teaching in my rice cooking boosted my confidence for sure. I'll be fine, Na-chan. Don't worry."
["Ok… still, good luck and… I love you."]
"Love you too, Na-chan." He said, before hanging up.
(Cue Rough Diamonds by SCREEN MODE)
(Instrumental) The first three beats of the instrumental show Soma and Kurogasa in poses before the song starts picking up at the fast pace. The two boys glowed golden surrounded by fire as various pieces of food flew upwards before the flames covered the screen, changing to a scene of the 92nd Generation Prodigies in silhouettes, walking towards the camera as the title card appeared for a moment before the flames overwhelmed the screen and changed scenery.
(Omoi egaiteru IMEEJI yori haruka~ mukou~ gawa e~) The scene shows various screen shots of Soma, Joichiro, Erina, Megumi, Alice, Ryo, Marui, Shun, Yuki, and Ryoko all looking at the camera with various experessions on their faces.
(Tsukuri agete yuku shinjitsu wa mada tooku~ hatena~i tabiji~) The next scene then showed various screenshots of Takumi, Isami, Hisako, Mito, Akira, Jun, Isshiki, Eizan, Shiki, Beatrix, Tendou, and Kurogasa all doing the same thing as the first batch.
(Tagai no PURAIDO wo togi sumaseyou ze) The next scene then changed to show various characters in the form of alumni, teachers, other support characters, and the headmaster of Tōtsuki Academy.
(Kotoba nante kazari wa hadakesaserya ii) The scene then changes to four women alumni of Tōtsuki Academy before changing to Erina who looks to the sky with a look of content on her face.
(Butsukariai, migakareteiku~ Rolling Stone~) On each beat of the music, we see various scenes of the cast and the various events that happened during their time at the Academy before it switched to Soma and Kurogasa who had their backs towards each other surrounded by various chef students ready to take them down, but they smirked at each other before they charged at them ready to take the challenge.
(Deai wa SHOCKWAVE! SHOCKWAVE! Mada shiranai sekai e~)The next scene then shows various students standing on top of floating kitchen knives in the sky, that were all pointed towards the sun.
(Aruki hajimeta, mubou na chousensha sa) Soma, Megumi, Shun, Ryoko, Marui, and Yuki stood on their kitchen knives on one side while Ryo, Takumi, Alice, Hisako, Shiki, and Beatrix were opposite of them and the two lines of knives clashed and parried against each other,
(Te ni shita yaiba de ashita wo kirihirakeba iin darou?) Akira stood on top of a large cinnamon stick and waved his hand forward and golden beams of light shot of the cinnamon sticks striking the other kitchen knives down.
(Dareka no mono ja nai… jibun dake no STORY) But Soma's and Ryo's survive as they flew towards Akira's cinnamon stick and clashed. Soma, Ryo, and Akira then noticed one more kitchen knife floating in the sky, showing Kurogasa standing on it with Erina looking on at him.
(Cause we're still ROUGH DIAMONDS on the ro~ad!) Kurogasa then jumped off doing a corkscrew flip then pivoted his body to dive down for a flying kick. As he dived down, a faint image of a certain red-armored beetle warrior overlaps him as he kicks the screen causing it to turn white and the screen shattered into pieces revealing a group shot of silhouetted members of the Elite Ten with a dark figure towering over them with a sinister smile before the scene changed to a group shot of the 92nd Generation Prodigies to end the song.
Dish 14: Chicken Curry with Coconut Rice
It was now finally the day of the 43rd annual Autumn Elections. After many weeks of preparation for this day, it has finally come. All of the students all gathered at the Autumn Elections hall, where normally the finals would begin. However, for now, it will be used as a meeting place for said contestants. As everyone walked on their way towards the main hall, Kurogasa had met up with Mito, Nao, and Miyoko, Shiki, and Bea.
"This is it, guys." Kurogasa grinned dangerously. "You all ready for this?"
"Yeah." Shiki nodded.
"Hopefully." Beatrix admitted.
"What do you mean by that? You were all confident that you somehow mixed curry with your desserts on the video chat."
"It works but against five amazing people and Tendou? Sigh hopefully I'll do better the side characters…"
"Wha?" Kurogasa blinked owlishly.
"Nothing," Beatrix waved off.
"I know I'm ready." Mito grinned. "I got the perfect Don I'll be making."
"And hopefully impress Soma with?" Kurogasa teased.
"S-Shut up~!" She growled at the male.
"I-I…" Nao stuttered.
"Doushita, Nao-chan?" Kurogasa asked.
"I… I might have resorted back to my old ways for my curry…" She admitted.
"You wha?" Kurogasa gawked. "W-Why? I thought my food-"
"I-I know, but for me to make good grade I have to use my old ways, my new aromatic and sweet smelling ways aren't polished enough to be used yet."
"I… I see… just please don't turn back to the Boiling Witch you were back then…" He shuddered. "I'd rather not remember that."
"I-I won't, i-it's just for today!" Nao shouted with a blush.
"Good."
"I know my curry dish is gonna dominate the competition for sure." Miyoko smirked.
"Still having that kind of mentality, huh Hojo?" He sweat dropped.
"Hey you promised that I can still work on what I use for my cooking." The girl said with a confident smirk.
"True, just try not to outdo everyone."
"No promises."
Soon, the group arrived at the Autumn Elections Hall where all the competitors were there. Inside was a huge stage in the middle of the floor with a table on there, surrounding the floor were the bleachers resembling to that of a sumo dojo and upstairs were the VIP seats. And above that, were portraits of all the First Seats of each generation since its founding. "Whoa… this is huge." He said, looking around before seeing the photos. "Whoa, there's Gin-senpai, and there's Shinomiya-senpai's too! Ah! And there's Shishou's!"
"Yo!" Soma's voice called out, as Kurogasa turned around to see Soma, Megumi, Yuki, Ryoko, Shun, and Marui.
"Hey, Soma, Megumi-chan, Minna." Kurogasa said. "You guys ready for this?"
"N-No!" Megumi cried as she saw Tendou sitting in his chair. "Y-Your teacher is here!"
"Wait, what?" Soma blinked, before turning to Tendou, "Oh hey, what's up?" He waved, being his carefree self.
"S-Soma-kun!" Megumi panicked.
"Soma… is your father still impulsive?" Tendou answered without turning his head.
"Hehehehe, oh c'mon you know how he is." Soma laughed, waving it off like it was nothing.
"Sad to say that is true…" The male said as he noticed a short woman holding a large banner that said 'TENDOU-CHAN IS NUMBER 1!' "Oh dear…"
"Is that Jun-senpai?" Kurogasa mumbled.
"I better get going." Tendou said, before briskly walking away, hoping to avoid Jun. "I hope I will safely reach my judging seat without getting attacked…"
"Yukihira! Kururugi!" A new voice called out, as they turned to see Takumi and… someone they almost didn't recognize as he was thin but the brown hair and blue eyes look familiar. "Today, we're gonna see who-"
"Huh? Is that you, Isami?" Kurogasa interrupted.
"EHHHH?!" Everyone else asked shocked. The thin man next to Takumi was Isami? But they were so used to his heavyset persona.
"Don't ignore me!" Takumi said comically.
"Yo skinny!" Beatrix patted the boy. "Your metabolism back up?"
"Uh-huh." Isami nodded.
"Lies! It's all lies!" Soma cried out comically, pointing at Isami accusingly. "There's no way that's Isami!"
"Must be nice to be ignorant." The girl said with a soft smile. "Guys, this really is Isami. He loses weight around the summertime. So this is perfectly normal."
"Yeah, don't worry. I'll be back to my normal weight come fall and winter." Isami assured.
"Huh…" Soma simply said. "Well that explains it."
"You just now realized that?" Kurogasa sweat dropped.
"KUROOOOOO~!"
*POW!*
"Ooft!" Kurogasa was pounced again by a familiar white-haired girl. "Ow, nandayo Ali-chan…"
"Hello lover~!"
"Na-chan's still my girlfriend." He sweat dropped.
"Must I break the puppy eyes?"
"No ma'am…" He admitted, before they got up. "So, you're in the same group as me?"
"Nope, but Ryo-kun is!" Alice chirped, gesturing to him.
"Sup?" Ryo said lazily.
"H-Hey." Kurogasa laughed nervously.
Ryo just blink blankly as he nodded.
"Well, Kurogasa-kun, how nice to see you." Hisako's voice said, as she approached him.
"H-Hisako-san." Kurogasa laughed nervously. "So, you're in the Autumn Elections, huh?"
"Of course I am. And I intend to make Erina-sama proud." Hisako said, before leaning towards him dangerously with a threatening look. "This also gives me the chance of possibly defeating you in the main tournament if and when that happens." She muttered darkly.
"You're still that protective over Na-chan?" Kurogasa sweat dropped.
"Of course, I have been her steward since I was a young girl!"
"That doesn't mean you have to follow her all around all the time. It'll make even Nao in her Boiling Witch persona look decent."
"I promise myself I would always be by her side, because she is my most precious person." Hisako said sweetly.
"Why do I get the feeling you put that in the wrong context?" He sweat dropped larger.
Suddenly, the light went out with the stage only for the lights to be shining on the stage. "Everyone, eyes on the stage!" Urara announced. "We'll now have the opening speech by the current director of Totsuki Academy, Senzaemon Nakiri!" At the point, the old man, came to the center stage, with his stern authoritative look.
He took a whiff of air, before suddenly choking and coughing, "Excuse me. Sorry, I choked on something." He said, before clearing his throat.
"Ha the old man…" Kurogasa joked.
"When I breathe the air here, I can feel the energy coursing through me, body and soul." Senzaemon began. "This is the Hall of Heaven and Moon! Under ordinary circumstances, only the Elite Ten may use this space to challenge each other in Shokugekis! To show our respect to the countless victors who have won the first seat, it is tradition to display their portraits!" He said, as the lights shone on the pictures. "Countless unforgettable battles have been fought, and countless specialties have been born here! That is why the memory of the neverending battles fought here hang in the air like fog!"
"Even though he kinda coughed." Yuki quipped.
"Shh!" Ryoko shushed.
"And this is also where the main tournament for the Autumn Elections will be held!" Senzaemon continued.
"So in other words, only the students who pass the prelims…" Marui began.
"Right. Only they can stand on this stage to fight." Shun nodded.
"You will all make a new mark on history here!" Senzaemon declared. "Let us meet here again, chefs of the 92nd class of Totsuki Academy!" That made the students cheer loudly before he left the stage.
"We'll now explain the rules for the preliminaries!" Urara said, "As indicated in our written notice, the topic is a curry dish. You have two hours. Out of the sixty candidates in the preliminaries, only eight total may advance to the main tournament. In other words, only four from each group."
"Before you all start… those who don't have at least 35 points… will be automatically expelled." Tendou announced from his pedestal, surprising the students. "Also, let's make this interesting. Let's make ten total advance to the main tournament. Five from each group."
"S-Shishou?!" Kurogasa gawked.
"Can he do that?"
"No way, he can't!"
"Why would he?"
"O-Oi, you can't-"
"APPROVED!" The headmaster yelled.
"WHAT?!" Everyone asked shocked.
"Oh no…" Kurogasa deadpanned. "Shishou's lost it…"
"W-Well… anyways, candidates please proceed to your group's designated spaces! The preliminaries will begin at 11 o'clock!" Urara stated. No less than what the girl was said… the students flipped out and went crazy! It looks like the new rules caused others to become loose in the head! And they all went out of the Hall to go to their places.
"Welp, this should be interesting!" Soma grinned.
"I really hate your teacher now…!" Beatrix grumbled.
"Don't look at me!" Kurogasa defended, raising his hands. "Wait, shouldn't you be happy that he increased the odds of people entering the main tournament?"
"No, because I could fail!"
"Okay, okay, my bad." Kurogasa raised his hands in defense.
"Yukihira! Kururugi!" Takumi said, pointing at the two. "You two better not lose!"
"Heh, I should say the same for you." Kurogasa smirked.
"Yeah, you got it." Soma grinned widely.
At exactly 11:00…
"CHOURI! KAISHIN!"
And so the cooking had begun and the competitors had set to work in preparing their ingredients as the crowd cheered. From off on one side, came a beautiful woman with a well endowed body figure, a buxom bust and curvy hips. Her eyes are noticeably sharper and she has long and wavy hair, separated into two sections at the roots, which fall to either side of her face. There is a beauty mark on her right cheek and her clothing is a high profile, silky dress.
"Oh great, it's them…" Tendou sighed.
"Welcome." Eizan greeted as he was overseeing as a host for the judges. "I believe we informed you that we would begin at eleven, Miss Natsume Sendawara?"
"Are you saying that, knowing full well how difficult it is to free even one minute of my schedule?" Natsume asked.
"No way! That's Natsume Sendawara!" One student cried out.
"The CEO of Haubi Foods?!"
"She has a monopoly on the curry business in Japan! She's the Queen of Curry!"
"And if we're getting her, that means Hall B is getting her twin, Orie!"
"Eizan-kun talked me into this." Natsume sighed as she sat down, "But can mere students manage to entertain me?"
"That and with him." The yankee pointed his thumb at Tendou who was desperately not trying to Clock Up at this moment.
"Ara, is that you Tendou-kun?" Natsume asked.
"Hello Natsume…" Tendou cleared his throat. "It's been some time."
"Hey what's that dust cloud?" Shiki said pointing a large dust cloud, "Wait… is that a woman?"
"TENDOU-SAMA~!"
"Isn't that- oh crap!" Tendou said kicking his chair over so he dodged a woman tackling his previous spot. The person in question possesses a well endowed body figure, with a buxom bust. Her eyes are much softer than her twin sister's, allowing her to charm men with her sweet personality and innocent appearance. Her hair is a blonde, straight, hime-style haircut and she possesses a beauty mark on her left cheek. Unlike her sister, Orie dresses much more modestly via a simple blouse. This was Orie Sendawara. "That was close…" Tendou sighed as he sat in his chair, even though he was now horizontal on the ground.
"Orie, what are you doing here?!" Natsume huffed. "Shouldn't you be at the other hall?"
"Shut up Onee-san, I want to be here with Tendou-sama~!" Orie demanded with a pout, "I won't judge otherwise, I won't let Onee-san win!"
"Hell no, I got lucky, so respect it!" The older sister yelled back not noticing Tendou crawling away from them.
"This is the reason why I don't judge here." He grumbled for once.
"And just where do you think you're going?!" Natsume and Orie shouted at the same time at Tendou.
"…I wonder if it's too late to become a Dark Rider…?" Tendou mused, "Certainly can live with it… but the others will hunt me… hmm…"
"Shishou, no. Just… no." Kurogasa shook his head.
"Fine, old man, I demand that all the students are under one battle arena! Hall A and B will be eaten alternatively. Unless you want them…" Tendou throws his thumb behind him to show comical dust fight between the Curry Sisters. "To mess up this fun time… please say no…"
"Hmmm… a very complicated situation indeed." Senzaemon pondered. "And the other hall have just started cooking as well."
"They didn't." Orie replied as she had her sister in a headlock… before punching her head.
"Ow!"
"Very well. Bring the contestants of Hall B in here!" Senzaemon ordered.
"Whoo-hoo!" Orie cheered… before punching her sister again.
"WILL YOU STOP THAT?!" Natsume shouted.
"Hehehehe…"
And so the members of Hall B moved to Hall A and the clock was reset ready to cook at 12 noon.
"So we're all together." Beatrix smiled as she looked to Megumi and Shiki.
"Yep. Heard that Tendou's got the curry sisters all crazy." Shiki chuckled.
"It seems Tendou-san definitely earned his rank." Megumi said softly.
"That's the understatement of the century." Shiki scoffed.
"Hey guys!" Alice said walking towards them.
"Ali-chan?" Kurogasa blinked.
"Yo~!"
"So I'm guessing you have something figured out for your curry recipe?" he asked.
"Yu~p, and no one is going to come close to beating it~!" The whitette said with a cute smile. "Maybe except you, Koko~!"
"Oi, Ali-chan…" Kurogasa blushed.
"Koko?" Megumi blinked.
"Dude, you have some explaining to do." Shiki deadpanned.
"Why should I?" Kurogasa huffed. "She's my childhood friend like Erina."
"Then that's fine, just try not to cheat." Shiki said with a frown. "That's not fair, okay?"
"I'm always faithful to Erina!" Kurogasa snapped comically.
"J-Just saying."
"So we meet again, Kurogasa." Hisako said.
"H-Hisako-san…" Kurogasa said nervously. "I hope you won't try to kill me during this whole cook-off."
"I won't, but I vow that I will get a better score than you." She warned with a smile, it wasn't threatening rather it was a bit competitive.
"We'll see about that." Kurogasa smirked a bit.
At exactly 12:00…
"CHOURI! KAISHIN!"
And so the cooking had begun yet again and the competitors had set to work in preparing their ingredients as the crowd cheered. Kurogasa watch as his friends and rivals all work seriously on their dishes almost like this was life or death… He saw Beatrix cutting chocolate into small pieces as she ate them, shaking her head each time when tasting her curry. The young girl has place some place some chicken breasts into the pot as she added some of the chocolate shavings. She then went to take out some flour and other ingredients before starting to make a pastry of some sort. The young sweets master carefully mix it as she slowly added more flours, salt, pepper, and others to make sure it was perfect to her.
"What is she doing?" Natsume asked. "Clearly curry and sweets don't together, the curry will overpower the sweets."
"That is where you are wrong." Tendou said, as he pointed at Shiki, "Look at the boy, he is too also doing the same thing."
The man pointed at Shiki who crack apart a bar of chocolate to drop a bigger half of it into his curry mixture before adding some pink dust and other species. He smiled before going to mixing bowl and like his friend started to make a pastry base when using eggs, flours and other basic baking ingredients.
"So what?" Orie asked with a pout.
"Watch and you'll see." Tendou said.
"Hmmmm…" Orie pouted, before noticing Takumi. "Takumi Aldini… he's from Italy isn't he? It looks like he's making fond from beef shank and chicken bones. It's nothing new."
"His younger brother's the one next to him." Another judge said, he is an elegant gentleman in his 30's and wears a professional suit and rectangular glasses. His name is Shingo Ando, one of the best food critics.
"That is correct, I have dined in their restaurant many times." Tendou said drinking some water.
"Isami Aldini… He's covered the bottom of his pot with tomatoes." Ando added.
"Tomatoes are a staple in Italian cuisine isn't it? I'm sure he knows all about it." Orie said, before she took a whiff from another station. In this case, it was from Yuki's station. "Hm, this peculiar, insistent fragrance… it must be from spices being sauteed in duck fat!"
"Keep it up! Yoshino!" Daigo and Shoji cheered from the sidelines, waving the Polar Star flag. Yuki smiled at them giving a peace sign.
"Oh, look there. What is she making?" One judge asked, looking at Hisako's cooking. He was an obese businessman with a bald head and a beard around his chin. This was Osaji Kita, a renowned entrepreneur and a founder of his own Gastronomy Club. His reputation in both his wealth and influence has made him a celebrity in the cooking industry. "Even though spices are supposed to be sauteed in fat, in theory, she just threw them into water!"
"Hey look! Alice Nakiri's doing something totally different from the rest!" One audience member said, as Alice was stirring something in her bowl. "A quick-freeze machine and a centrifuge? I have no idea what kind of dish she'll be making!"
"She seems to be having fun…" Kurogasa said. "Oi, Ali-chan! I hope you're not playing with your food over there just because of your toys!"
"I'm no~t!" She waved back to him sweetly, "I'll make some leftovers for you~!"
Meanwhile, on another part, Nao had started stirring her black roux in a large pot.
"Oh no, don't tell me the Boiling Witch is back!" One panicked.
"No, not the smell! It's not cooking, it's black magic!"
"Bleh…" The cooker said to herself, "I can't believe I actually like cooking this way." She stuck her tongue cutely as she continued onwards. Meanwhile, Miyoko chopped a pineapple in half and her expertise in Chinese cuisine, cooking her rice with heat added onto it.
"That's the heir to Hojo-ro, a famous restaurant in Yokohama's Chinatown." Ando said. "Many of the spices used in Chinese cuisine can be used in curry."
"It'll be interesting to see how she'll finish up her dish." Kita replied.
"It's true there are some students who look interesting… but I'm not sure about that girl with two braids." She said, pointing to Megumi who was suddenly panicking.
"Oh boy…" Kurogasa sweat dropped. "She's totally losing it… Oi, Megumi-chan! Get it together!"
Shiki turn his head to looked at Megumi, "Come Megumi-san, you can do it!"
"H-Hai!"
Meanwhile, Mito was searing a huge slab of meat and used hua jiao, a spice that can remove gaminess from the meat and she only ground it coarsely so it retains its rich fragrance. And of course, Kon'nishi was acting like a father attending her daughter's sports festival, which irked Mito a bit, but ignored him anyways.
"Yosh… all the prep work is done…" Ryo said lazily, before he took out his red bandanna. Upon wearing it… "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" He yelled, suddenly grabbing a knife and a boiled lobster and started slicing like a mad man.
"What the-!" Kurogasa gawked. "Oi, Ali-chan, why did Ryo go 180 on the personality?!"
"That's how I train him, don't worry, it's totally canon~!" She said with an ok hand sign.
"Don't break the fourth wall! That's Bea's job!"
"No it isn't!" The sweets lover threw a ladle at Kurogasa which comically hit his head and return to Beatrix.
"ITE!" Kurogasa cringed before sighing, "Ugh… why me?" He groaned, before starting his own work.
First he melted butter in a medium saucepan over high heat. He then added the onion and cooked for about 2 minutes until it was soft. Then he added the rice and stirred to coat the grains in the butter. Next, he added the coconut milk, salt, pepper and 1 cup of water before bringing it to a boil. He stirred once, then covered the rice, and reduce the heat to medium-low, letting it cook for about 16 minutes until it was tender.
Next he preheated the oven to 300 degrees F.
One that was done, he spread the cashews on a baking sheet and let it toast in the oven for about 8 minutes until it was lightly golden brown. Once it was done, he let cool and then finely chopped in a food processor.
Then he removed the rice from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. He then removed the lid, and fluff the rice with a fork, folding in the green onions and half of the cashews. He then let it sit 5 minutes more. As it sat more, the fragrance of the rice hit the judges' noses.
"Oh my… this mellow scent, it's…" Orie moaned.
"As I thought he chose that route, good if it pays off my young student." Tendou said with a warm but accepting smile.
"Hm, I guess I would be entertained a little." Natsume smirked, "So Eizan-kun, who's your pick?"
"Hmmm…" Eizan pondered. "It's hard to tell from all these competitors, however, there are two people who I wish to assess in full." He added, glaring at Soma and Kurogasa.
"Yosh… this should be good." Kurogasa said to himself, as he looked over to his fellow classmates. "They seem to be doing well…" He added, before looking to Soma who was… sleeping?! What the heck was he doing?! "OI! Soma, wake up! This is no time to be sleeping!"
"Ah right we're in a battle!" The boy said waking up from his slumber. "And besides, this is done." He said, as he lifted up the lid of his pot and a strong fragrance came out of it. Akira caught the scent and was surprised at what he was smelling.
"Hey look!" One student noticed, seeing what Soma was simmering in the pot. "It's rice! He's cooking rice with the vegetables and spices!"
"Soma, you…" Kurogasa muttered with surprise, noticing the smell too.
"Your pot…" Akira began. "You've added a paste of apples, bananas, and carrots, making the rice creamy, and similar to a risotto."
"Heh, spot on. I knew your nose would catch on to that." Soma grinned.
'No… there's something else, some other secret. There's something behind this complex fragrance, even though he's not using anything special for spices.'
"Well wait and see, Akira, because my cooking is just getting started." Soma smirked competitively.
"Hey look some dude is presenting his dish!" Beatrix points her chocolate covered knife forward to see a teen no one in their group seen before.
"Wait, he's already done with his dish?" Shiki got out.
"Ohh, he's fucked sideways." Alice giggled.
"Oi, Ali-chan, language!" Kurogasa scolded. "I thought your mom taught you better than that!"
"She did, that's why I know it~!" The albino girl winked at her crush.
"That's not the answer I'm looking for!"
"Tee-hee~!"
"UWHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOA~!" The audience suddenly cried out in shock. The contestants looked confused as to why they were aweing. When they turned to the source, they knew the reason why. Megumi had unleashed her secret weapon: a monkfish.
"That's a monkfish!"
"Is that girl crazy?!"
"What's she gonna do with it?"
"She's gonna prepare that?!"
"M-Megumi-chan?" Kurogasa gasped with complete utter shock.
"Kurogasa, work on your things, Megumi can handle herself. If she brought it out, then it means she can do it!" Shiki yelled to the boy as he kneaded some large amounts of dough.
"She's gotta be crazy…" Hojo muttered in surprise. "It takes significant skill to butcher an entire monkfish while it's hanging and unstable. Can she really do it?"
Megumi placed her hands together in prayer, praying that she would be able to do this right. 'Kurogasa and Soma-kun have always been positive no matter the situation. They've always helped me. Right now, they're fighting their own battles. I don't know if I can do this on my own, but I want both of their courage today.'
Shiki smiled as he glanced up before seasoning his dough once more, "Knock them dead Megumi…"
When she was done praying, she lifted up her head and opened her eyes, filled with determination before she put on the gloves and grabbed the knife.
BGM: The Secret Ingredient Called Victory
And just like that, she started cutting that monkfish like a professional. First she cut the skin off the monkfish before peeling all of it off. She then opened up its belly side letting the blood drip out of the bucket that was below before taking out all of its innards one-by-one with expert precision before cutting up the rest of the meat, leaving no scraps behind. This shocked everyone in the audience, including the judges. Heck, even Tendou was impressed.
"Such skill in such a tiny girl." The beetle rider chuckled at the determine look from the braided girl. "And they say big things come in small packages, she's the definition of that with her cooking."
"Megumi-chan…" Kurogasa muttered in awe, before he started chuckling, and then turned into a laughter, having a wide smile on his face. "Yooooosh! Now I'm fired up! Ikuze! Clock up!" He shouted, before he became a blur.
"Heh, copying my skill rather well…" Tendou said before looking at the nameless student that walked to him. "Instant 0."
"WHAT?!"
The competition continued on and at Kurogasa's station, he heated a small sauté pan over low heat. After it heated up, he added the allspice, cloves and fennel and toasted them, shaking the pan occasionally, for five minutes until he could smell the spices. Then he removed from the heat to let it cool slightly. Once they were cool enough, he transferred the spices to a coffee grinder and finely grinded it until it was fine enough to combine the ground spices with the curry powder in a small bowl.
Once that was done, he heated the oil in the large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it began shimmering. He then seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper and then 1 tablespoon of the curry spices, tapping off any excess before putting them in the oven. He made sure to brown the chicken on all sides for 8 minutes before removing them to a plate.
Now for the complex part. First he added the onion to the Dutch oven and cooked for four minutes until it was soft, then he added the ginger and cooked for another 30 seconds, then added the remaining curry spices and cooked it for 1 minute. Then he added the tomato paste to cook for another minute.
Next he added chicken stock, coconut milk, salt and pepper, cooking it for ten minutes until it was slightly reduced, before adding the cinnamon sticks and mango, cooking for another ten minutes until slightly reduced again. Now he turned down the heat to low to add the chicken, cooking it for about 15 minutes until it was tender. Once he poked the chicken with a thermometer, seeing it was the right temperature, he removed the chicken to a bowl and discarded the cinnamon stick and mango pieces.
For the final steps, he added the dried coconut and the remaining 1/2 cup of cashews cooking it for ten more minutes until it slightly thickened. He then removed them from the heat, returned the chicken to the pot and folded in the green onions, cilantro and mint and, seasoning with salt, pepper and honey.
*DING DING DING!*
"And stop your cooking! Step away from your stations!" Urara announced, as the competitors did so.
End BGM
"Whew! What a rush!" Soma grinned to himself.
"Hmph…" Shiki grunted as he looked at his uncooked dough, "Perfect."
"I just want to get this over with…" Beatrix groaned.
"As I said before…" Tendou voice boomed into the room scaring everyone from the power in his tone, "Those that have less than 35, are automatically expelled. Now…" A cruel smile was on his face as he took his seat, "Let's begin the game…"
"Oi, shishou…" Kurogasa sweat dropped.
"We'll now enter the judging phase!" Urara announced. "We have ten judges. Each will have ten points, so each dish will be assessed out of hundred potential points. And as Tendou-senpai has said, only ten candidates can advance to the main tournament!"
"You should consider this an honor that I'd be eating your dishes. And once I finish, I can put you to shame." Tendou said.
"Hawawawawawawawawawa!" Megumi freaked out. 'Why does he have to be scary like Shinomiya-senpai?!'
"Oi, Shishou!" Kurogasa snapped. "Stop scaring everybody!"
"Who cares about some no named chef!?" A prideful student cried before he was silenced by the twin's stare at the poor fool.
"Now then… let's begin."
And so the judging the went on, and sad to say, the first few students couldn't even get past the 40's.
"33! Fail! You're expelled!"
"28! Fail! You're expelled!"
"31! Fail! You're expelled!"
"6! Fail! You're expelled!"
"Dammit, Shishou's being relentless…" Kurogasa groaned, his eye twitching.
"Tendou-sama~!" The twins sighed dreamingly as Tendou looked down on the students from his literal high chair.
"The harsh scores continue to rock the arena!" Urara said, "Up next…" She began, but before she could say anything else, a very pungent smell rose through the entire area. "MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMPH!" Urara muffled out, covering her nose.
"Ahhhhhhhhh! What's this stench?!" Orie cried out, covering her nose.
"Where's this horrible smell coming from?!" Natsume groaned, covering her nose too.
"Looks like Nao's up next." Kurogasa cringed, trying his best not to puke as Nao came up to present her dishes. "Ali-chan! Mask! Quick!"
"Gah~!" Nao made a disgusted face as she looked extremely guilty, "I swear, this is my last stinky dish!" She said, before presenting the said dish. "H-Here it is, my jet-black curry laksa."
"AHHHHHHH! She's back! The Boiling Witch is back!" Urara cried out. "We have Hell on Earth erupting here in the arena!"
"Laksa…" Ando got out, covering his nose with his handkerchief. "A Southeast Asian dish known for its exceptionally slippery noodles. The black color of the roux may be from squid ink, but…"
"This overpowering odor… could it be?!" Kita freaked out.
"It's kusaya…" Nao said timidly.
"Yappari ka!" Kita snapped comically. "How dare you use such a thing in curry?!"
"Kusaya…" Ando went on. "A famous dried fish from the Izu islands. Saltwater in which dried fish has been submerged for decades, a brining solution known as kusaya is used to flavor blueback fish such as sardines and the fish are then dried in the sun. It's very pungent…"
"I-I used flying fish, mahimahi, and the kusaya brining solution that I've cultivated carefully for a long time while I was… the Boiling Witch." Nao explained.
"Zero points! Zero!" Kita shouted, "I've eaten all kinds of delicacies, but this-" He then stopped when he saw Orie taking her chopsticks. "L-Lady Orie, are you serious?!"
"You can't be!" Even her older sister Natsume was shocked. "It smells like an unscrubbed toilet with the bitter acidity and fishiness!"
"I'm merely fulfilling my obligations." Orie gulped. She fought the urge to puke, but she bravely slurped in the noodles, chewed it thoroughly, and swallowed it. "Huh?! It's delicious?!"
"HUH?!" All the judges looked shocked.
"But it reeks! It stinks to high heaven! But I can't stop!" Orie cried out as she slurped more noodles. "It's somehow delicious!"
"No way, there's just no way!" Natsume said, before she started tasting her own bowl of noodles. "What in- this is…" She got out.
"I see." Tendou nodded, after tasting it. "This is not so different from using fermented shrimp paste, kapi. By using kusaya, which is far more pungent than kapi, she deepened the flavor. It also pairs very well with laksa, which uses fish stock."
"Oh my…" Kita got out, as he ate his portion. "The umami of all the seafood fills my entire mouth- how delicious! The more I eat, the more pleasant this odor actually is!"
"And the use of coconut milk and spices like lemongrass has broadened its flavor!" Ando added. "By highlighting kusaya as the main ingredient, she has strengthened the umami of the curry many times over!"
"I'm a prisoner of this smell! I can't stop!" Orie cried out, slurping more of her noodles.
"And boom goes the dynamite." Tendou sighed as they others reached their climax…
"That was… rather disturbing…" Kurogasa shuddered.
"I don't feel proud from this…" Nao sighed at her old style getting praise.
After their… experience… the judges typed in their scores…
Judge 1: 10
Judge 2: 8
Judge 3: 10
Makito: 9
Shingenoshin: 8
Orie: 10
Natsume: 8
Ando: 8
Kita: 8
Tendou: 5
Nao Sadatsuka: 84 Points
"W-What?" Nao stuttered in shock as was everyone.
"Whoa… she actually scored pretty good." Alice blinked.
"You get to stay." Tendou said with a small smile.
"T-Thank you…" Nao said.
"O-Okay, while we have the ventilation system at full blast, will the next contestant please come forward?" Urara said, as Hisako now walked forward.
"P-Please… cure them…" Nao begged Hisako.
"Because you changed for the better… I will." Hisako said, before she presented her dish to the judges. "Please enjoy."
"Hmmm… the roux isn't very thick, and there's lot of it. Is it something like a soup curry?" Orie commented.
"The meat is mutton." Kita noticed. "It has a stronger flavor than lamb. I guess the spices have removed the gamey odor. Well let's try this." He said, before the judges started eating it. However upon tasting it, Ando suddenly stiffened. "Ando-sensei, what's the matter?"
"Hoo…"
"Hoo?" Natsume raised an eyebrow. And then it happened. With a loud roar, Ando's body suddenly buffed up, ripping all of his clothes on top, and showing a very muscular body!
"UWHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOA!" Ando roared.
"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" Everyone cried out in shock.
"Nani?!" Kita shouted in surprise. "Ando-sensei's normally a dried-out stick- you can barely understand anything he's mumbling! I don't understand what just happened, but he's all energized- he could star in a kung fu movie now!"
"Whoa…" Tendou said as he was also surprised at the ripped man. it reminded him of Haruto with that Excite Ring.
"This distant fragrance…" Ando said, as he moved his arms in a Tai-chi way. "It's based on four medicinal plants: dongdanggui, Szechuan lovage, dihuang, and peony root."
"Wait, those spices… Masaka…" Kurogasa said, in shock, looking to Hisako. "You made the Four Substance Decoction!"
"Medical cuisine is my family's roots." She said with a kind smile. "In addition to the four herbs, I added kyo'o, daikyo, and shouikyo, to create an original medicinal spice mix. I steeped these spices for approximately an hour to extract their active ingredients. I then added vegetables and mutton, and simmered them until tender. Finally, I added Shaoxing wine and coriander to heighten the fragrance."
"Turmeric, Star Anise, and Fennel." Tendou noted. "All are essential in curry. You decided to capitalize on it by connecting medicinal cuisine with curry. A Four Substance Decoction Mutton Curry. Not bad at all." He smirked. "After eating this dish, Nao's dish was just mere crude shock to the senses. No offense."
"N-None taken…" Nao mumbled.
Judge 1: 9
Judge 2: 9
Judge 3: 9
Makito: 10
Shingenoshin: 10
Orie: 10
Natsume: 10
Ando: 10
Kita: 10
Tendou: 5
Hisako Arata: 92 Points
"Whoooooooa! Look at that!" One student shouted.
"A score that's finally in the 90's!"
"No small wonder, since she's been acknowledged by Erina-sama as a chef!"
"She surpassed Sadatsuka's score with ease!"
As Hisako walked towards her station, she glanced at Nao who bowed deeply at her, "T-Thank you!"
"Of course." Hisako smiled kindly.
"Now then will the next contestant please come forward!" Urara announced. The next contestant to come up was Ryo Kurokiba. He prepared for the judges French Curry Lobster Rice with Cognac.
Tendou smiled at the food, "It looks rather well."
"Ah…" Koda said. "The contrast between the flame red color of the lobster and the vibrant yellow of the saffron rice is beautiful. The lobster's immaculate, with no damage to the legs and antennae."
"Indeed." Makito added. "This delicate and elegant plating is surprising, given his dynamic cooking style."
"This flavor…" Natsume said, after tasting it. "It's like… I'm in a deep forest. The base is Sauce Americane, a French sauce made with the shells of crustaceans. This deep fragrance of trees… is coming from Cognac!"
"Isn't that some kind of high-quality brandy in France, shishou?" Kurogasa asked.
"Yes. I tried it on a regular basis for social events."
"I'm surprised you haven't gone drunk from it." He deadpanned.
"I always drink with modesty." Tendou said. "Still… this cognac, he used the best one, a Napoleon cognac. Not bad."
"W-Well, I suppose it's not bad. It's worth scoring." Natsume said.
"Ah, hold on…" Ryo said lazily as he checked his pockets before finding his red bandanna. The moment he put on, his personality took a 180. "It's not over yet! The tasting is not over yet!" He said, before presenting a tray of droppers. "These droppers contain more cognac! There's a part of the lobster you haven't tasted, it's what in the lobester's "head"- the tomalley!"
"Reminds me of a certain Gamer rider…" Tendou deadpanned witnessing the personality change.
"Put a few drops of this inside the shell, then slurp up the tomalley! Then… stuff your face with the roux and saffron rice! That's the best way to eat it!"
"W-What?" Natsume look appalled. "You would have me slurp in such a crude manner?!"
"Why the posturing?" Ryo cackled softly. "Just let your true nature show. Admit it… you want to slurp it down right this second! Come on~ do i~t! It'll taste even better~!"
Natsume and the other judges tried to restrain themselves, but the way he was tempting them to do it, made it that much harder, and so the judges did as told, putting a few drops of Cognac on the tomalley, slurped it up, and stuffed their faces with saffron rice.
Tendou already finished his dish without anyone looking at him, "Delicious."
Judge 1: 9
Judge 2: 9
Judge 3: 10
Makito: 10
Shingenoshin: 10
Orie: 10
Natsume: 10
Ando: 10
Kita: 10
Tendou: 5
Ryo Kurokiba: 93 Points
"No way!" Kurogasa gasped. Even Erina who was watching from the VIP box looked shocked.
"Alice… you…" Erina got out.
"Look at that!"
"It's one point above Hisako's score!"
"What a dark horse candidate!"
"My servant wins~!" The white haired girl sang out.
"The kitchen has been my battlefield for as long as I can remember!" Ryo cackled. "This is nothing!" He said, turning to the other competitors. Soma and Kurogasa looked dead serious at Ryo. This was real competition they were facing. The seafood specialist then took off his bandanna and went back to his dull self. "Whew… I'm done…" He said softly, walking past the others.
"What a high score! Now will the next candidate please come up!" Urara said. This time Mito presented her dish and it shocked the judges except for Tendou at what kind it was.
"I-It was an ambush…" Natsume got out, "I didn't expect such an amazing dish…" By the time Mito presented hers, she looked surprised. "Wha-"
"Saa… enjoy my curry dish." Mito said sensually. "Dongpo Pork Curry Don!"
"O-Oi, Mito…" Kurogasa gulped.
"Your tent is up." Tendou pointed at his student.
"Urusei, shishou!" Kurogasa snapped comically.
"Dongpo pork is a dish where pork belly is braised with soy sauce. But just look at the beauty of this meat! It's glistening!" Makito said."
"Because the meat and the fat layers alternate to form three layers, this cut is sometimes called, "three-layer meat"." Koda added. "Even the slightest touch on the plate sends the meat trembling! It has retained its shape despite becoming so tender. That shows great skill in controlling the temperature during cooking."
"Nice one, Nikumi." Soma said impressed. "That thick cut of meat soaked up a lot of the tasty broth."
'W-Wait, I'm… still recovering from that last dish, but now I have to eat this?!' Natsume thought.
"What's wrong?" Mito asked Natsume, while chuckling. "Savor the meat in all of its ultimate glory."
Kurogasa nose was causally leaking blood as he sighed, "Phrasing."
The judges have eaten their share and they noticed that the meat was so tender and the gaminess of the meat was negated by the spices.
"It's easy to eat without much difficulty. The rice that contained a small amount of rock salt and tengjiao oil." Tendou said. "I see. After parboiling the pork belly, she browned the surface, then braised it with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and Shaoxing wine. And she used star anise, ginger, and huajiao for spices. You are worthy of the title, "Meat General"."
Judge 1: 10
Judge 2: 10
Judge 3: 10
Makito: 9
Shingenoshin: 9
Orie: 9
Natsume: 9
Ando: 9
Kita: 9
Tendou: 5
Mito Ikumi: 86 Points
"Crap, I didn't get in the 90's!" Mito gritted.
"I don't think your seducing would get you any extra points for that matter either…" Kurogasa deadpanned after wiping his nose.
"It worked on you." His shishou stated.
"Wow, nice going Nikumi!" Soma grinned stupidly. "Didn't think you'd actually take my lessons about the don to heart!"
She smiled kindly, "Hey it was good advice- oi don't call me that!"
"Too late for that," Soma snickered.
"S-Shut up Yukihira!"
And so the next contestants came up with their dishes. First was Hojo Miyoko who made a Pineapple Fried Curry Rice. Unlike any other fried rice, it uses the pineapple crown as design and the flesh is used as extra ingredients for the fried rice. A fragment of this dish is so good as it would make you think that it is an art itself! For that…
Judge 1: 10
Judge 2: 10
Judge 3: 10
Makito: 9
Shingenoshin: 9
Orie: 10
Natsume: 9
Ando: 9
Kita: 9
Tendou: 5
Miyoko Hojo: 87 Points
"Look at that! 87 points, Miyoko Hojo has taken a lead above Mito!" Urara announced making the crowd cheer.
"Fragrant with spices and spices, her Boluo Gali Chaofan is something I can't forget!" Orie said. "The sweetness of the fruit and the saltiness of the stir-fried rice fill your mouth. It's not dissimilar to sweet and sour pork, another Chinese dish made using pineapples."
"She finished the dish by putting the stir-fried rice into a hollowed pineapple, sealing it with a rind "lid," then baking it in the oven." Ando added. "She salted the sides of the pineapple dish in contact with the rice to control how sweet the rice would become."
"So that allowed her to transfer just the refreshing fragrance of the rice and prevent the rice from drying out." Tendou smirked. "Invincible and indominatiable… a kung fu master cloaked in a dragon of flame. An Iron Dragon Flame Girl. Heh… much like Ryuki."
"Hmph. It was nothing." Hojo smirked.
"You still haven't really beaten Ryo's score." Kurogasa mentioned.
"Don't make me choke you…" Hojo threatened.
"Hai…"
Next up was Yuki. Her dish was Duck Cutlet Curry. This dish combines the mouthwatering goodness of duck with the tempering influence of turmeric and orange. The judges enjoyed the flavorful wild game without being overpowered by the gamey smell! For her score:
Judge 1: 10
Judge 2: 10
Judge 3: 10
Makito: 9
Shingenoshin: 9
Orie: 9
Natsume: 9
Ando: 9
Kita: 9
Tendou: 5
Yuki Yoshino: 86 Points
"Yatta! I got a good score!" Yuki cheered.
"Wow, I must say!" Kita laughed heartily, after finishing his dish, "Your Wild Game Curry was delicious beyond my wildest dreams!"
"Thank you!" Yuki smiled brightly.
"From the fond you made from sauteing spices in duck fat, duck was everywhere in your dish! It'd usually make the dish way too gamy, but somehow you made it very fresh! And yet, it's full of unique wild flavor! And to top it all, you gave us a fried duck cutlet!"
"The gaminess has been well-countered by turmeric and orange. In French cuisine, it's traditional to pair duck with orange sauce." Tendou said. "So you used orange fruit and zest into the roux, and it paired well with a custom garam masala mix that she made herself. Nicely done." He smirked. "Your cheerful, open smile attracts everyone, and your cooking pierces right through people's hearts. I shall give you the title, "Little Red Riding Hood of the Forest of Wild Beasts"."
"Alright, this competition is heating up, will the next candidate please step forward!" Urara said. Following next was Ryoko. Her dish was Curry Soy-Natto Rice.
"Hm… it's dal… also called lentil curry." Makito said. "It's similar to chana masala. Wait, what's this 'slime'?"
"It's natto!" Koda noticed.
"The viscosity and umamu are coating my mouth." Natsume said, upon tasting it.
"No, it's not just any natto." Makito said.
"It's natto made over a charcoal flame: charcoal fermented natto." Tendou said. "She kept a charcoal fire burning in an underground chamber to maintain optimal temperature and humidity while soybeans were with the natto spore for several dozen hours. Am I right?"
"Hai. I used my summer break to make it." Ryoko nodded. "And the deep flavor you're tasting is my secret ingredient: soy sauce rice malt, a condiment."
"I see. And it has ten times more glumatic acid than salted rice malt. That's how you could add more umami without it being eclipsed by the strong curry flavor." Tendou nodded. "Otsukare, Ane-san."
Judge 1: 10
Judge 2: 10
Judge 3: 10
Makito: 9
Shingenoshin: 9
Orie: 9
Natsume: 9
Ando: 9
Kita: 9
Tendou: 5
Ryoko Sakaki: 86 Points
"Alright, Sakaki!" Shoji cheered.
"You tied with Mito and Yuki!" Daigo added.
"Mmmmm…" Ryoko frowned in disappointment.
"You okay Ryoko?" Kurogasa asked worried.
"Just a bit… disappointed that I didn't make it any higher."
"Hey it's fine. You did great." Kurogasa smiled kindly. "You should have me try it sometime."
"Y-Yeah, sure" Ryoko smiled back.
Next up was Marui and he presented White Potage Curry Udon, a curry using rich roux with the consistency of a vichyssoise. this curry is like a tranquil pond that can completely immerse people into its shallows.
"The noodles are udon. They've been kneaded with cumin. So this is your version of curry udon." Koda said.
"Hm… it's quite beautiful. Kurokiba-kun's dish was tumult of color, while this dish is like a tranquil lake." Makito said, before they all started tasting the dish and kept slurping and slurping and slurping.
"Wow… a plumped poached egg, creamy mashed potatoes, a generous amount of piping hot, melted cheese… this roux is like a vichyssoise!" Koda commented.
"Even though it seems thick and heavy, you can just keep going!" Makito said.
"And the udon's light because of the coriander, isn't it?" Natsume smiled. "It's known for its mild overtones, reminiscent of citrus, and its faint spiciness. The synergy between it and the cumin in the noodles is enhancing the fragrance of both."
"I also included dill," Marui said. "By roasting the seeds of dill and cumin together, you made a very fragrant soup. 'I don't have a keen sense for cooking. I get tired faster than normal people. That's all the more reason why I consumed as much knowledge as I could. I'm mediocre, but I've set my sights on reaching the geniuses!'
Judge 1: 10
Judge 2: 10
Judge 3: 10
Makito: 10
Shingenoshin: 9
Orie: 9
Natsume: 10
Ando: 9
Kita: 9
Tendou: 5
Marui Zenji: 88 Points
"Oh yeah!" Shoji cheered.
"Polar Star is taking over the high scores!" Daigo cheered as well.
"Well done, Professor of Taste." Tendou smirked.
"Okay, now it's time for the showoff between the Aldini Brothers!" Urara announced. "First up, Isami Aldini!"
"Guess I'm first." Isami smirked.
"Yeah." Takumi nodded as his younger brother went to present his dish.
"Please, eat this before it gets cold." Isami advised.
"It's a calzone. A pizza dough folded in half and stuffed with filling. A typical Italian dish." Ando said.
"Whoa, look there's curry inside!" Kita said, upon breaking it. "This must be a Italian version of curry bread!" All the judges took a bite of it and the taste of tomatoes suddenly hit their mouth.
"The curry's overflowing with the rich, juicy flavor of tomatoes!" Orie cried out.
"Inside is curry made only using the liquid from the tomatoes themselves." Isami said. "And I didn't add any other liquid. If you add tomatoes tightly packed together at the bottom of the pan, they release a surprising amount of liquid. I added a special spice mix that pairs well with the tomatoes' acidity and it resulted in a rich curry full of the tomato's umami. As for the dough, I used the yeast we have at home."
"The surface is crisp, and yet when you bite into it, it's chewy and sweet." Tendou said. "Incorporating the Japanese curry bread concept into Italian Cuisine to make totally soemthing new. I give you the title of "Adventurer in New Culinary Horizons."."
Judge 1: 10
Judge 2: 10
Judge 3: 10
Makito: 9
Shingenoshin: 9
Orie: 10
Natsume: 9
Ando: 9
Kita: 9
Tendou: 5
Isami Aldini: 87 Points
"What a tight race!" Urara announced. "How fitting for a gourmet festival!"
"Nice job little brother." Takumi smirked. "But now it's my turn." He said as he went to present his dish. "Buon appetito!"
"A pasta dish, hm?" Tendou examined. "There's bacon, green bell peppers, and mushrooms. The toppings indicate spaghetti Napolitan, but he used curry instead of ketchup. And the pasta's shaped like fettuccine." The judges then proceeded to taste Takumi's dish.
"What the-! What's this deep rich flavor?!" Kita gasped.
"The stock's made from beef flank and chicken, and seasoned with fennel and green cardamom. The curry sauce is wonderful in the way it tickles your nostrils!" Ando said. "And it coats the noodles well! Wait, this flavor, this secret ingredient is tamari soy sauce! It's more concentrated than normal soy sauce, and known for having a sweet, mellow flavor!"
"I'm also tasting a mild cheese flavor." Tendou noticed.
"Allow me to explain." Takumi said. "Observe the cross-section of the pasta. There's three layers in the pasta. I incorporated turmeric in the outer layers and Parmesan cheese in the middle layer."
"I see. The tamari soy sauce and the Parmesan combined to create this much depth. Still, with the cheese in the dough…" Tendou said, before he struck of chord of realization. "Of course, by sandwiching the cheese layer between two layers, you prevented the cheese from melting and leaking out. You're a true "Pioneer in the World of Food"."
Judge 1: 10
Judge 2: 10
Judge 3: 10
Makito: 10
Shingenoshin: 9
Orie: 9
Natsume: 9
Ando: 9
Kita: 9
Tendou: 5
Takumi Aldini: 90 Points
"Look at that! A score in the 90's!"
"We have a tight competition!"
"He surpassed the ones that are in the 80's!"
"Grazie!" Takumi smirked.
"We've seen one high score after the other!" Urara announced. "Just how many more dishes must be tasted?! Will this trend continue?"
At this point, Shun went to present his dish. "Please, enjoy my special Smoked Curry." He said.
"The toppings are smoked bacon, smoked potatoes, and… smoked eggs?!" Shoji gawked.
"You can't just smoke everything and call it a day, Ibusaki!" Daigo cried out, but the smell was getting to them. "But it smells good though…"
"D-Don't forget the theme is curry! You can't just smoke everything and overwhelm the spices." Natsume said, before the judges tasted said curry.
"The dish was finished with coarsely ground cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, and cloves." Koda said.
"And apple wood chips were used to cure these ingredients, too." Makito added. "That's how he managed to avoid eclipsing the spices, and instead enhanced them."
"These coarsely-ground spices were also added to saumur liquid, which is used to brine the ingredients before they are smoked." Shun explained. "This was to infuse the ingredients with curry flavor."
"But how did you achieve cohesion between all the different ingredients?" Makito asked.
"He used smoked salt in the spice mix." Tendou said.
"What?!" The judges asked shocked.
"More specifically, he used seaweed salt. It's made by burning seaweed with high sodium content, dissolving it in water, then boiling down the supernatant. That's why the flavor is so rounded and mild." Tendou said, before saying to the boy, "Well done, Prince of Smoke."
Judge 1: 10
Judge 2: 10
Judge 3: 10
Makito: 10
Shingenoshin: 9
Orie: 9
Natsume: 10
Ando: 9
Kita: 9
Tendou: 5
Shun Ibusaki: 88 Points
"Good job, you two!" Soma said impressed.
"I've never seen the two of them like this." Ryoko smiled.
"So you finally show your true colors in front of everyone else." Shun said.
"Hmph. Look who's talking." Marui scoffed with a smirk as he adjusted his glasses. "You're the one who keeps his secrets close."
"I guess." Shun shrugged.
"Now then, let's have the next candidate present their dish!" Urara said.
Beatrix stepped up as she presented her dishes to them. The girl smiled as the judges had comical faces… totally blank. Why?
Pie…
A pie was staring at them…
"Pie?" Tendou raised an eyebrow. "Well that's certainly different. You do realize that the theme is curry right?"
"I know sir… but I heard that as long it's curry… it's allowed." she stated kindly.
"I see. Very well." Tendou as the judges used their spoons to open up the pie.
"W-What is this?" Kita got out.
"There's… curry inside the pie?" Natsume questioned.
"What is this filling here?" Orie asked.
"Thai green curry." Beatrix stated, "But the rice is under it, but the proper way of eating it is taking some rice, curry and crust in one bite."
"Thai green curry." Ando said. "Its name derives from the color of the dish, which comes from green chillies. It's based on using coconut milk and fresh green chillies, and the color comes out creamy mild green."
"And it's usually consists of fish, fish balls, or meat, added together with green curry paste, palm sugar, and fish sauce. Even Thai eggplant, pea aubergine, or other green or whitish vegetables and even fruit are often included." Koda said.
"Correct…" She chuckled, "But I used caviar for the meat and frog legs!"
"Frog legs?!" Yuki gawked.
"Caviar?!" Mito added.
"And here I thought Nao was weird during her time as a Boiling Witch…" Hisako deadpanned.
"These frogs are from France, made to be eaten in 5 star restaurants. The meat is more lean and juicy when made into a curry." She explained her reasoning for her choice.
"But… where's your sweet aspect?" Kurogasa asked. "You make sweets after all."
"Eat and you'll find out!" She smiled for once looking earnest in her cooking. The judges all looked at each other before looking back at their pies. They then took their spoonfuls of rice, curry, and pie crust and put them in their mouths. And just like that, they all had shocked looks on their faces. Even Tendou himself had to stop himself for a moment to figure this kind of taste.
"Are… they okay?" Megumi asked.
"Well Tendou? Stumped?" Beatrix giggled good naturedly.
"Obaa-chan ga iteita: It's fun to add a secret flavor so that no one knows. But… it's more fun to find it."
"So you know… then tell us." She smiled at the man who nodded.
"Coconut milk and Mexican chocolate."
"Mexican chocolate?" Orie gasped.
"Yes. After all, chocolate originated in Mexico dating back to the Olmecs in 1900 BCE."
"Yes, but why Mexican chocolate?" The other sister asked.
"Using coconut milk made the dough more smooth and also add a nice flavor, which complements the unique flavor profile to it. The sweet spot is the dough that the milk and chocolate curbs the heat and spiciness of the curry. Yin and Yang."
"I see. That would explain how it complimented the creaminess of the curry." Makito nodded with a smile. "You have truly made something unique making curry into a dessert! Very creative!"
"I have to admit… even I wouldn't be able to think of something like this." Tendou smirked.
Beatrix bowed respectfully at the judges. "Thank you."
After that, the judges put in their scores and…
Judge 1: 10
Judge 2: 10
Judge 3: 10
Makito: 10
Shingenoshin: 9
Orie: 9
Natsume: 10
Ando: 9
Kita: 9
Tendou: 5
Beatrix Altair: 88 Points
"Wow… I thought I scored lower…" the sweets maker stated.
"That was… actually pretty good Bea." Kurogasa blinked.
"The competition is starting to go into the final stretch! Who's left?!" Urara said.
"Ha~i! Here you go!" Alice said.
"Don't just serve them without permission!" Urara comically snapped.
"Sorry, I got tired of waiting." Alice sighed with a slight pout while having one eye closed. The audience looked amazed at what she presented.
The curry she made was a Thermal Sense Curry, but… well how could they describe it? It was too artistic!
"Ali-chan… is that… really curry?" Kurogasa asked.
"Of course it is!" Alice chirped. "Everything in that dish is curry!"
The judges all tasted the curry and-
"!" Everyone suddenly froze on the spot! The only one who's only able to move was Tendou who just blinked at the taste.
"S-Shishou? Are you okay?" Kurogasa asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Tendou said, clearing his throat.
"What's going on?" He asked, as the judges were still stunned. "They're frozen in place! Ali-chan, what did you do to them?!"
"Oh relax, this happens all the time."
"THIS IS NOT NORMAL!"
"Um… I am not sure how to describe this…" Ando began. "There's warmth… and something cold…"
"The veterans of gourmet are all tongue-tied." Hisako said. "Does that mean that this dish is beyond even their comprehension?"
"The curry sauce is foamy and ever so slightly warm." Kita said. "It melts in your mouth… the tomato mousse is c-cold, and…"
"I added spices." Alice interrupted. "And solidified it with sodium alginate."
"Huh?"
"There's a mousse made from turmeric and frozen powdered foie gras. The white object in the center is a puree of potatoes and six types of cheese. Its ingredients have been flash-frozen, so it will melt in your mouth. Once you feel its coldness inside your mouth, enjoy the flaky pie crust. Flavored with coriander and other spices, the pie crust will cleanse your palate. It's thermal sense. One of the principles in molecular gastronomy, where you create a dish from components that consist of different temperatures."
"Molecular Gastronomy?" Kurogasa gasped.
"I see. No wonder I was left speechless." Tendou said.
"So… does it taste good?" Urara asked.
"It's delicious! But… I can't describe how delicious it tastes in full!" Ando cried out. This caused murmur amongst the crowd. Not even a gifted writer can describe how it tasted?!
"With spices at the core, this dish manipulates texture and temperature and makes them shine. It revolutionizes the entire field of cooking!" Orie said. "She would be a Global Innovator!"
Judge 1: 10
Judge 2: 10
Judge 3: 10
Makito: 10
Shingenoshin: 10
Orie: 10
Natsume: 10
Ando: 10
Kita: 10
Tendou: 5
Alice Nakiri: 95 Points
"Uwhooooooooooooooooooooooa!" The crowd said amazed.
"95 points?!"
"That's the highest score in this competition!"
"This is incredible!"
"A-Ali-chan…" Kurogasa muttered in surprise.
"Ah mou~ Tendou, why didn't you give me the full 10 points?! I was about to get 100!" Alice comically whined throwing a comical fit.
"My highest score would always be five," Tendou stated. "Or did you not hear me the first time before this competition started?"
"Puku~!" Alice puffed her cheeks in annoyance.
"Oi, Oi, Ali-chan…" Kurogasa sweatdropped.
"Kuro! Try it!" Alice said, presenting him an extra Thermal Sense Curry.
"Eh?"
"See if this is worth ten points!"
"Wait, you… made this for me?"
Nodding sweetly she smile, "Of course, I can't let my husband starve."
"You're reading into this way too far…" He muttered. "But okay…" He said before taking the plate and setting it down. Grabbing a clean fork, he took the square piece and put it in his mouth. "MMMMMPH!" He muffled out before dropping his fork and stepping back. He panted heavily as he was blushing. "W-What the-!"
"Ah… I thought I tasted aphrodisiac." Tendou said with a smirk.
"W-What is this feeling? This… taste…" Kurogasa got out. "It's so… good… I haven't felt like this since… my first kiss with Na-chan…"
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH?!" Erina gawked in comical shock.
"Ufufu… so what do you think, darling? Think it's worth ten points?" Alice asked.
"I…"
"ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE!" Everyone looked to one side of the arena to see a blur of honey-blonde rushing towards Alice who then jumped up, ready to pounce her with her nails 'sharpened'. "STAY AWAY FROM KU-KUN!" Erina shrieked before-
*POW! BAM! SMACK! WAPOW! BOOM!*
The Nakiri cousins suddenly have a comical dust fight with stars, swirls, and body parts sticking out of the dust cloud.
"Hah…" Tendou simply mouth before looking at the meal. "Dinner and a show."
"Na-chan!" Kurogasa got out as he and Hisako got in there and pulled her away from Alice who Ryo held the latter back.
"Erina-sama, get a hold of yourself!" Hisako said.
"Ojou-san, that's not nice of you…" Ryo said lazily.
"No…" Beatrix stated, "Let them tire each other out. Maybe we get some side boobs…"
"No Bea… just no…" Shiki shook his head.
At that point, Senzaemon had showed up. "I'll take it from here." He said before hoisting Erina over his shoulders.
"Ojii-sama! Put me down! I need to maul and scratch Alice's face beyond recognition!" Erina shouted, flailing about while trying to free herself from her grandfather's clutches, but Senzaemon kept his hold on her.
"Now, now, she didn't mean anything by it."
"I did!"
"And wasn't trying to steal Kurogasa away."
"Yes I was."
"You see?! Put me down! She needs to be punished!"
"Should I bring a whip?!" Beatrix asked.
"I give up." Shiki walked away.
"Perhaps you two need to be more disciplined." Senzaemon said before taking Alice off of Ryo's hands and hoisted her over his over shoulder and walked off.
"PUT US DOWN OJII-SAMA!" Erina and Alice shouted, but their grandfather tuned them out completely and walked them off with them in tow before finally putting them back in the VIP box, taping Alice to the couch with duct tape while letting go of Erina, but staying between the cousins to make sure they don't catfight again. The crowd could only look in disbelief and blank looks in their faces.
"Well… that was awkward. And funny." Soma snickered.
"Soma… not now…" Kurogasa muttered, after recovering from his… episode.
"S-Saa… will the next candidate please come forward!" Urara said, after that fiasco and Megumi timidly went to present her dish.
"Yoooooooosh! It's Megumi's turn!" A voice shouted. Megumi looked surprised as she turned to see the old fishermen from her hometown with a huge banner being waved, and they were all cheering for her.
"Minna!" Megumi gasped. "What are you all doing here?"
"We left the fishing to the young'uns so we can cheer you on!" The head fishermen said. "We wanted to see you up on the big stage! You can do it, Megumi! We believe in you! Show 'em!"
Megumi looked surprised, but now she has a little bit of more confidence to see this preliminary competition through to the end. "Un!" She then looked back to the judges and presented her dish to them. "It's… Monkfish dobu-jiru curry!"
"It's a hot pot dish where monkfish is the main ingredient, right?" Kita asked.
"Yes. A dish passed down by fishermen in Ibaraki and Fukushima prefectures for generations." Ando said, cleaning his glasses.
"A monkfish in curry. Just what is she thinking?" Orie muttered before they all tasted it. Upon tasting the food, all of them sighed in content.
"I see. So this is why you used monkfish…" Kita sighed happily. "The main characteristic of dobu-jiru hot pot is that monkfish liver is sauteed, then slowly dissolved! Miso and sake are added to the dissolved liver to form the base of the broth, but… this girl added spices to that mix, effectively creating a liver curry miso paste!"
"How addicting… the unctuous, deep flavor of the liver is a surprisingly good complement to the spices!" Orie added.
"Still, I must say… after the previous dish, it's all the more apparent to me that… how do I say it? It's a very "human" dish."
"The ingredients are monkfish meat, skin, and fin, and… hm? Kogiku pumpkin, Tachikawa burdock root, and Akasuji daikon!" Ando noticed.
"H-Hai! They're all ingredients that are local to my hometown." Megumi said. "I wanted to highlight their strengths, so I've been experimenting a lot. Curry is very assertive, so it was difficult to make it work with the sweetness and bitterness of other vegetables. But I realized I could use dobu-jiru monkfish liver, to take advantage of the spices and use the broth to bridge the gap between them and the flavor of the vegetables. I wanted to make the kind of curry where you can almost grasp how it feels to be in my hometown!"
"I see…" Tendou smiled. "Tadokoro…"
"H-Hai?"
"Your hospitality truly is special." Tendou complimented as the judges were putting in their scores. "Your kindness and your consideration for others are what truly make you shine. Like my student said during your battle with Shinomiya, 'No matter what condiment… what ingredient… there is something greater: the love of the person cooking.' You may feel that you're out of place, but you truly belong in the cooking world. Your time is now. It's time for you to leave the tiny world you first started in… and fly into the sky.
Judge 1: 10
Judge 2: 10
Judge 3: 10
Makito: 10
Shingenoshin: 9
Orie: 10
Natsume: 10
Ando: 9
Kita: 9
Tendou: 5
Megumi Tadokoro: 89 Points
"YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The old fishermen cheered.
"No way, she beat Hojo?!"
"She passed the prelims!"
"What an upset!"
"Heh… well done, Megumi." Shiki smiled.
"Yooooooooooooosh! Yatta ze, Megumi-chan!" Kurogasa cheered.
"ME-GU-MI! ME-GU-MI! ME-GU-MI! ME-GU-MI!" The fishermen cheered as Tadokoro smiled with joy while tears fell from her eyes.
"Hmph…" Hojo smirked, as she looked at the blue-haired girl. "I thought my only choice was to shut the men up by force. But thanks to my battle with Kurogasa… and what Megumi showed now… I think it's time I changed my ways."
"Now let's continue on with the judging! Who's next!" Urara announced.
Shiki was next up and walked up to the judges to present his dish to the judges.
Now once more… they had blank looks as they had a white ball of dough in front of them. Orie touched it and saw it bounce back almost comically. "Eek!"
"What… is this?" Natsume asked.
"I still haven't cook it." Shiki started with a calm and lovely smile. "If possible may I do it? I didn't want to get it cold before severing you."
"But you had all the time to-"
"No, he has a point." Tendou said. "By the time he served it to us, it would've been really cold for us to eat since it would have been sitting there for so long. Go on. But make it quick, there are others that need to serve theirs."
"Already prepped it." Shiki said as he had large vat of oil next to him, crackling with hot boiling bubbles showing to the judges.
"Are you going to put those balls of dough into the hot oil?" Koda asked.
"Of course…" Shiki said placing a finger on his lips. "It's part of the aesthetics."
"GO MY SWEETIE!"
"Dad…" The teen groaned before placing each dough into the pot and quickly pull them out to show golden crispy buns. "Curry Buns!"
"Curry Buns?" The judges parroted.
"Yes. Please be careful though, it's hot." Shiki placing the now cooked buns back on their plates. The judges then used their knives to open it up and they seemed to shine from the cut before the curry started pouring out from inside.
"There is curry inside the bun!" Kita said.
"How is this possible?" Ando asked.
"I made the curry warm then wrap the dough into balls, making sure that it would pop when being fried." Shiki explained.
"But what kind of curry that is filled in the bun is the question." Tendou said.
"Normal… with dark chocolate." The lazy chef said with a smirk.
"Dark chocolate?" Natsume gasped. "In curry?"
"You and Bea are giving us the craziest things ever." Kurogasa said. "But wait… where's the alcohol in all of it?"
"No alcohol, just chocolate. It was impossible to incorporate in this meal. And to answer your question, cocoa is used in India as legitimate spice."
"From the cacao bean." Tendou said. "When it's fruit is ripe and ready, that's when it can be turned to cocoa powder."
"Right… and its flavor profile gives a rich and deep depth to curry."
Shiki stated and bowed, "I hope you all like it."
"Yes… we did." Tendou said before the judges put in their scores.
Judge 1: 9
Judge 2: 9
Judge 3: 9
Makito: 10
Shingenoshin: 10
Orie: 10
Natsume: 10
Ando: 10
Kita: 10
Tendou: 5
Shiki Kishi: 92 Points
"Whoa! Another score in the 90's!"
"Tied with that medicinal girl…" Shiki murmured as Beatrix hugged him.
"YOU DID IT!"
"Honestly I thought I was gonna score lower." Shiki shrugged.
"You don't want to compete in the main tournament?" Kurogasa asked confused.
"I pull that food out of my ass. It was a last ditch idea." Shiki shrugged, "Was passing not competing. But oh well…"
"Now then the next candidate is Akira Hayama!" Urara said as he came up to the judges and presented his curry dish. However… it was not what they expected. It looked like some form of cupcake, but it wasn't even a cupcake to begin with. And the "lid" looks to be naan.
"I made enough for you and Kurogasa." Akira said, as he threw two spoons at them to which they caught.
"Heh~ what a coincidence. Same here." Soma grinned.
"Looks like I'm not the only one." Kurogasa said.
"Enjoy, and be careful, it's hot." Akira advised.
Kurogasa and Soma looked at each other before going to their respective portion of Akira's dish. The moment they and the judges cracked open the lid with their spoons, a huge explosive wave of fragrance suddenly came rushing out, covering the entire area.
"What the-!" Kurogasa got out.
"It's a fragrance bomb!" Soma said.
"Ho~?" Tendou raised an eyebrow.
"Contained by the "lid" is a luxurious curry full of umami from the kama!" Koda said, before taking a spoonful and tasted it. "No words can describe it!"
"His fragrance is his weapon, and he scored a direct hit with the judges, using it to full effect!" Mito gritted.
"I can detect cinnamon, fennel, and lemon grass." Makito said. "Wait, there's something else that unites them… what lies at the center of this fragrance?"
"Masaka… it's holy basil!" Natsume realized in surprise. "It's a fresh one!"
"What?!" Kurogasa gawked. "That's a spice that's considered an elixir of life to those in India! But fresh ones are nearly impossible to find in Japan!" He then turned to Akira. "How did you-" He then realized how. "Of course, you grew them at Shiomi Lab."
"Eh?!" Natusme gasped. "Shiomi… as in Jun Shiomi, an authority in spices?!"
"Hawawawawawawawa…" Jun suddenly shivered, not wanting to stand out in the crowd.
"Mattaku… no wonder." Tendou scoffed.
"The cultivation method is an industry secret, so I can't disclose that to you unfortunately." Akira said.
"It's a strong fragrance that really makes you want more." Soma said as he tasted his portion. "But that's not his only trick."
"What is this flavor that-" Kurogasa said, after tasting it. "Wait a minute, yogurt?"
"That's right, Kururugi." Akira said, making Kurogasa and Soma turn to him. "With a single misstep, holy basil can overwhelm over spices, but the yogurt mellows it out."
"Not to mention, the curcumin compound in spices aid the liver's detox functions." Hisako added. "When ingested with lactobacillus, in yogurt for instance, curcumin is more easily absorbed. He's truly thought of the nutrional aspect of it as well. A fearsome opponent indeed."
"Now then, will the judges please score!" Urara said. The judges did as told and the score was.
Judge 1: 9
Judge 2: 10
Judge 3: 10
Makito: 10
Shingenoshin: 10
Orie: 10
Natsume: 10
Ando: 10
Kita: 10
Tendou: 5
Akira Hayama: 94 Points
"UWHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAA!" the crowd shouted in surprise.
"94 Points!"
"That's the second highest score just below Alice!"
"This is unbelievable!"
"Akira…" Kurogasa said wide-eyed. "You'd really go that far?"
"I fight for Jun. That's all there is to it." Akira said.
"The arena's still feverish from excitement, but now it's time for Soma Yukihira to present his dish!" Urara said as Soma went up to the judges and presented them albeit covered at first. After that, he gave the two extra ones to Akira and Kurogasa.
"Here you go. Eat up." Soma grinned.
"Uh… thanks." Kurogasa said, taking the dish.
"What's with that look on your face?" Akira asked suspiciously.
"Oh, I was just thinking how my idea wasn't so bad, after all." Soma grinned wider. He then took the lid off both plates to reveal…
"An omelette?" Akira asked.
"Wait, weren't you making a riso-" Kurogasa began, but then his eyes widened in realization. "Wait a minute, did you-"
"Dig in. Fragrance bomb, take two!" Soma shouted, cutting the omelettes in half and the judges did so as well and another huge fragrance bomb hit the entire arena.
"Oh! There's a risotto inside the omelette!" Koda cried out.
"The trapped fragrance's been released in an explosive burst!" Natsume cried out.
"You had the same idea as me?" Akira gritted.
"Yup, at least up to this point." Soma smirked. "This is my Curry Risotto Omelette Rice!"
"The rice enclosed by the egg is glistening!" Mito said.
"Just like my Golden Fried Rice with Fried Ribeye Steak Strips dipped in Shiitake Mushrooms!" he then looked to Soma with wide eyes and small pupils. "Soma, what are you-"
"What a rich fragrance! It makes you just smile without thinking!" Ryoko sighed happily.
"It makes you expect a flavor just as great as Hayama-kun's curry!" Makito said. The judges then proceeded to eat the risotto from inside the omelette and upon tasting it, they were hit with such an impactful taste! "What a striking impact! I taste a rich bouillon made from chicken bones and beef tendon. Umami from the ground beef and onions, sauteed in butter, suffuses the rice."
"The creamy risotto is in perfect harmony with the perfectly cooked egg…" Koda said happily.
"It seems this sauce is the clincher." Natsume said. "Based on oyster sauce, it's accented with honey. The mild acidity has quite the effect, making it a rich sauce. The sauce and the risotto create two layers of flavor!"
"As Hayama's fragrance bomb came out of nowhere, this one is an induced fragrance bomb. The outer and inner fragrances are mingling intermittently." Tendou said.
"But that's not the only source of the depth of this dish. This fragrance and faint bitterness comes from cumin and cardamom…" Akira said as he tasted his omelette. "And cloves, which cause a faint tingle on the tongue. My nose is only scratching the surface. But what's the secret to this depth of flavor?"
"Mango chutney…" Kurogasa realized.
"Mango chutney?!" Natusme gasped.
"Chutney is a paste, right?" Isami asked.
"It's a condiment made by mashing up spices with fruits and vegetables, then simmering the mixture down." Takumi explained.
"There are many variations across Asia, depending on the combinations used. Some are sweet or spicy, while others use mint." Jun added. "But…"
"This is my house blend mango chutney." Soma said, holding a jar of the said paste. "I added it when I simmered the rice. The mango ties all the spices' individual flavors together, and provides an even deeper depth of flavor to the dish. You could say it's an applied technique for spicing dishes!"
"Hmph… you've really grown up considerably." Tendou smirked.
Judge 1: 10
Judge 2: 10
Judge 3: 10
Makito: 10
Shingenoshin: 10
Orie: 10
Natsume: 10
Ando: 10
Kita: 10
Tendou: 3
Soma Yukihira: 93 Points
"But you're still a brat."
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH?!" Soma gawked. "Oi! How come you gave me a 3?! You gave everyone else a 5 other than Kurogasa, but you gave me a 3! What the hell?!"
"It's your unpredictability. Honestly I thought you were going to give the judges an outlier just like your father."
"Oh c'mon! I'm not that bad!" Soma said.
"Don't try to lie your way out of this one. You're just as bad as Mr. Joe." Kurogasa deadpanned. "Remember that one time you gave Megumi-chan calamari mixed with yogurt?"
"Like father like son." Tendou quipped.
"Hey!"
"!" Akira looked at Soma in shock as he continued arguing with Tendou.
"I guess he really can't exactly cut it." Ryoko smiled sheepishly.
"But look at the scores." Mito said, "Soma has more scores of tens than Akira. If this had followed the rules of a Shokugeki, Akira would've lost."
"Soma-kun…" Megumi murmured in surprise.
"Now let's continue with the judging!" Urara announced. "Will the next candidate please step forward!"
It was now Kurogasa's turn to present his dish. He hoped that his dishes for the judges weren't too cold for them to eat since he had been waiting the longest.
"Look it's him."
"The Conquering Sushi Shogun."
"But he didn't serve any sushi."
"He still has rice as his main forte."
"Here you go. Please enjoy. Chicken Curry with Coconut Rice." Kurogasa said, placing the plates in front of the judges.
"Hmmmm… it's not impactful as the rest." Kita noticed.
"It's rather simple." Ando added. "A common delicacy in Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, as well as in the Caribbean specifically in Trinidad."
"But… that mellow fragrance from the rice…" Orie moaned, taking a whiff of it.
"I used Basmati Rice."
"Basmati Rice?" Orie gasped. "That's like the king of all rice!"
"That's right. I used three cardamom pods and pierced them and also added two star anise to give it a fragrant smell. And once it fluffed after cooking, I removed the spices and added the green onions and cashews."
"Impressive." Tendou nodded. The judges then took a spoonful of the rice and chicken before putting them in their mouths. The moment they did they had shocked looked on their faces, frozen in place.
"Um…" Urara said. "How's the taste?"
"This mellow yet invigorating taste… it is beyond words to describe!" Ando said.
"The zest of the cilantro, the coolness of the mint, and the sweetness of the honey, it is blending this dish altogether!" Koda added.
"The crunchiness of the cashews and the sweetness of the mango also enhances the spiciness of the curry itself." Kita said.
"And the chicken is very tender!" Makito said.
"Thank you."
"However, while this is delicious, it's not as impactful as the other two." Natsume said.
"Why is that?" Kurogasa frowned.
"Sometimes the most subtle things can be just as impactful." Tendou said. Some of the other judges nodded at this saying. "And need I remind you Natsume that he has been raised humbly and only wants to be earnest in his cooking. He shows nothing but honesty in his dishes. Your expectations should not overshadow his abilities as a chef."
Natsume looked a bit surprised at that before relenting. "V-Very well. Let's judge shall we?"
Judge 1: 9
Judge 2: 9
Judge 3: 9
Makito: 10
Shingenoshin: 10
Orie: 9
Natsume: 9
Ando: 9
Kita: 9
"Oh no…" Megumi said worried.
"Most of the judges are all giving him 9's." Shun said.
"Right now it's only 83 points." Marui said.
"Everything falls on his teacher." Ryoko added.
"But what score will be give him?" Yuki asked.
"…" Tendou score was the only that wasn't lit as he stayed silent for a while before he nodded… "10…"
Tendou: 10
"With ten that means Kurogasa's score is now…" Shiki started as Bea smiled.
"Tied with Soma."
Kurogasa Kururugi: 93 Points
"!" Akira looked at Kurogasa in surprise.
"Heh… looks like I'm still in this." Kurogasa sighed in relief with a smile, before pointing at the judges, "Welcome to Paradise!"
"Tendou-sama, not to sound like well… a bitch, you never went higher than a 5. Are you sure that your score wasn't because of his status as your student?" Natsume asked her crush as the man shook his head.
"Of course not. I judged him fairly like the rest." Tendou explained. "He has used what he has learned from me, his training is paying off, and is merely collecting his dues."
"Okay…" She started before twirling her hair. "Want to-"
"No." The man said with a deadpan expression.
"Okay…" Natsume said with dejected smile while crying waterfall tears.
"Well whaddya know? You actually tied with me." Soma grinned.
"I'm not gonna lose to you or Akira." Kurogasa smirked. "This battle's gotten real interesting."
"I'll admit, I'm bit relieved that you didn't beat me. I felt like I would lose some of my pride if that happened." The dark skinned man said to the teen.
"Nothing wrong with being humble." Kurogasa smirked, before extending a hand. "Besides, this is just to get into the main tournament. And I'll gladly take you on when that happens."
"Hmph, likewise." Akira smirked, shaking his hand.
"Man I thought I was least going to beat you~" Soma chuckled with a kind smile, "But great job overall man."
"Thanks."
"Hehhhhhhhhhh… damn it." Shiki sighed.
"What's wrong with you?" Soma asked, "Aren't you glad you're in the main tournament?"
"Well I am, but I didn't mean to kick Bea out from her spot…" The sweet's master and Drunken expert admitted. "Now I have to put a fight for her sake as well."
"Well, we know you'll do good." Kurogasa said, before he looked up to the VIP box where Erina was. He smiled widely while shooting her a thumbs-up.
She waved to him with a cheery smile, ecstatic that he earned his place in the rankings.
And so after the preliminaries have ended, the Polar Star students all came back to dorm and from there, they had a huge bbq feast on the balcony. Even the Aldini Brothers, Nao, Mito, and Hojo were invited to attend.
"KANPAI~!" They cheered, clinking their glasses together.
"Hmm…" Beatrix sighed with a sad smile. "Sucks that I couldn't enter the tournament…"
"But you did great out there!" Yuki assured. "I mean look at me and Ryoko, we couldn't get in either."
"Yeah but at least Shiki's going ahead… and Megumi too."
"Hey, c'mon now! Don't get all mopey! We're supposed to have a fun time!" Yuki smiled.
"Alright…"
"Speaking of, I'm impressed Megumi." Hojo said. "You managed to gut the monkfish perfectly."
"Yeah, me too. I was so impressed, it got me fired up." Kurogasa chuckled.
"Hehehe thanks, although Nero's curry buns were amazing." She said as the boy in question smiled bashfully.
"It was nothing really." Shiki said. "Just some of my old sweets style with my drunken."
"Wohoo! Pass the Amazaki around!" Daigo called out.
"Yeah! Drinks for all of us!" Shoji cheered.
"Please drink responsibly." Shiki chuckled softly losing his usual flair.
"Hahhhhhhhhhhhh… I didn't make it…" Marui groaned. "Shun, pour me another."
"I don't think-" Shun began softly.
"I SAID POUR ME ANOTHER ONE DAMMIT!"
"Hahaha…" Shiki chuckled softly as he poured the teen the drink he wanted. "There you go, I got ya."
"Ahhhh, youth…" Isshiki sighed happily to himself. "It's such a glorious day that my kouhais are moving up in the world. And for that, I will show you my third form!" He said, taking off his loincloth to reveal… he was in a speedo swimsuit!
"What the-!" Mito got out.
"He's done it! He's in his third form!" Daigo laughed.
"Oh dear…" Shiki covered Megumi's eyes, "That's not right…"
"S-Shiki-kun, what are you doing?! I can't see!" Megumi comically panicked.
"A good thing…" Beatrix said, paling at the sight. "Be glad…"
"D-Does this always happen Kurogasa-kun?" Nao stuttered.
"This is the first time I've seen Isshiki-senpai do this." Kurogasa sweat dropped.
"And it's horrifying…" Beatrix announced.
"I guess he does this when he's really happy." Ryoko sweat dropped too.
"Yu~p…" Shiki said still covering Megumi's eyes.
"Shiki-kun, take your hands off me! I can't see!" Megumi cried out.
"I'm protecting your innocence!"
"You should be taking it~"
"Shut it Bea!"
*BONK!*
"Ow~!"
"Come on let's enjoy this!" Soma roared.
"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
And so the party went on and as everyone was having a good time, Kurogasa decided to take a break from the party and went back inside, he then opened up his cell phone and dialed a number.
["Moushimoushi?"]
"Hey Na-chan, it's me." Kurogasa smiled.
["Hey are you okay?"]
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just having a party at the dorm. You should've come."
["Well if you want you can come over?"]
"Thanks for the offer, but… I think I'm good for tonight." Kurogasa smiled as he looked over at the window to see Soma and the others having a great time, even Soma having Megumi try a piece of calamari dipped in yogurt. "So how did I do Na-chan?"
["Great, I'm glad that Tendou gave you the only one with 10 points, although I wish you beat that guy."]
"Heh, yeah me too, but I can't win them all. Besides, this is all just to get to the main tournament. I know I'll definitely win it… for you, Na-chan."
["Don't do it for me, do it for you Ku-kun."]
"I can't do that." Kurogasa chuckled. "I have to devote all of my cooking to you if I'm going to be a good chef. And I'm doing it because I love you."
["Thank you, but remember I don't want you to always think of me. I want you to beat them with your own feelings into it."]
"Na-chan…" Kurogasa muttered, before chuckling. "You always were thoughtful of others behind that princess persona of yours."
["Thank you Ku-kun, but right I'm celebrating with Hisako and Alice right now, is it alright to cut this short?"]
"Sure. You have fun with them." Kurogasa smiled. "I love you."
["I will, goodnight!"]
With that he hung up, as he looked to the night sky with the full moon from above. "One heck of a year we're having."
Fen: Oh yeah! The entire first season is done!
AQ: Finally!
Fen: Yep! Since this chapter took forever, it's only natural that this chapter is long too! And that's just the first Main Course! We got more plates to serve!
AQ: Sadly true, but things will get interesting!
Fen: Yep! The battles in this Autumn Elections is only just beginning! So stayed tune, you don't want to miss this!
Both: See you on the next Main Course!