Chapter 37 - The Price of Greatness is Responsibility

"I may be a criminal, selling out private info and all that jazz. But at least I didn't murder my own wife just so people can see~ me~ in a croooooown~"

Knock Knock Knock

Satoshi jolted from his musings. The memory of his encounter with the arrested information broker the other day continued to plague him relentlessly. If walking past that man's temporary holding cell was always going to be on the way to visit Eizan-kun, then he might want to reduce his visiting hours for the sake of saving himself from the taunts of Orihara Izaya. He was sure Eizan-kun would understand.

"Come in" he said.

A man stepped in. "Isshiki-san, Azami-dono has requested a meeting with you in ten minutes"

Satoshi gave a curt nod with a tight smile. He wouldn't acknowledge the messenger with his words. Anyone under Azami-dono didn't deserve it. He didn't even know who that man was, only that he was part of the Third Reich which Azami-dono had unleashed upon the school to enforce his terror. They all looked the same to him. Flat countenance, rigid postures, simple black suits, shades and sticks up their arses. They weren't teachers, professors, chefs, office workers or anything. Just men whom students felt unsafe around.

The former seventh seater knocked back two tablets as soon as the office doors closed. He rarely took headache medicine but this definitely called for it. He didn't even bother waiting to be kicked off the Elite Ten Council. He resigned from his position with his head held high. He really couldn't care less about the money and grants. It wasn't like he really spent it on much. He was a bit irked that he had to give up access privileges and authority. Not because he was so used to being entitled, it was because it made his investigations into Nakiri Nadeshiko's death a lot harder. But that was okay, he had other means to make ends meet.

'Good thing I've always been resourceful'

Satoshi finished packing his various bits of personal stationary into his cardboard box. It was probably as big as a milk crate. He didn't have much to take back with him. Just a pot plant, stapler, photo of his family, pens, pencils and a terracotta pencil cup his Ojii-san gave him. The pencil cup was probably the only thing that meant something to him which he kept at his office desk. Even his family photo didn't evoke many fond memories. He just put it on the right-hand side of his desk like an obligatory ornament, gathering dust over time.

So stereotypical of a salary man being laid off work.

Speaking about being fired…

Most of Tootsuki's staff had been fired and was replaced by Azami-dono's people. Of course they were given a redundancy package as compensation to try to smooth the ripping displeasure, but a fat lot it did. This include the Tootsuki IT department. Satoshi was glad that he managed to corner Morimoto Mouza, the head of the department just before he left. If he remembered correctly, he was packing his things much in the same way Satoshi was now, albeit more angrily. Luckily Morimoto-san's user login and administration privileges hadn't been rescinded straight away and he was able to log into the server to do one last favour for Satoshi as an employee of Tootsuki, in the name of thwarting Nakiri Azami's tyranny.

'Good thing I got him to delete and replace the surveillance footage of Nakiri-kun's escape in time'

Indeed, if anyone found out, he would be expelled.

The Southern-most forest on the Tootsuki Academy property had a back-gate that was almost never used. It lead down the mountain-side onto the road which then merged to the Great Western Highway. All exits from and entries to Tootsuki, no matter whether it was used or not had surveillance cameras. Initially Satoshi had his reservations about whether Arato-san's plan was going to work. The Nakiri Cousins and their aides had escaped Tootsuki to a 'safe house' of some sort to hide out there for a number of days while Polar Star dorms would pretend to hide them there. The only final touch was to re-lock the gate after their escape. Thankfully, Fumio-san had copies of the key for the huge padlock. Apparently, she confiscated those copies from Joichirou-senpai, Souma-kun's father, back in the day when he was a trouble maker, coping keys for his own trouble-making antics and such. He remembered that Arato-san was very adamant to keep the location of the 'safe house' and the person helping them in that 'safe house' anonymous. For that, Satoshi agreed it was best that nobody was allowed in on such information, including him.

Souma-kun took a shine to Arato-san's plan immediately and was more than determined to see it through, just as Satoshi expected. However his exuberance and determination for justice wasn't contagious enough as the rest of the Polar Star students remained highly skeptical and wary to lend aide. They were already branded the Rebel Alliance, and didn't need to have 'kidnapping' added to their list of charges. Especially for a conceited, rude, arrogant, rich and stuck up girl who wouldn't deign them her attention if she could help it. So both he and Arato-san had no choice but to reveal the whole truth of Nakiri Erina's horrid past. It did the trick and they welcomed the plan with open arms, but he wished it didn't have to come to that. Fumio-san, Tadokoro-kun, Ibusaki-kun, Marui-kun, Yoshino-kun, Sakaki-kun Aoki-kun and Satou-kun now saw Nakiri Erina in a new but false light. Satoshi only wished their change in heart and perspective wasn't because of knowing her history.

'If they didn't know about her abuse… would they have still helped her in the end?'

It troubled him to know that his Dormitory was reluctant to help out of the goodness of their own heart, and needed a 'reason' that painted Nakiri Erina in a pitiful light, in order for them to decide it was worth it to help her. He hoped Nakiri Erina would forgive him for placing a label on her. The poor girl who was abused by her dad.

It didn't matter now. Polar Star agreed to pretend to be hiding Nakiri Erina to focus all the scrutiny on them while she was safe elsewhere.

'It isn't just Polar Star Dormitory caught up in this…'

To think that Nakiri Alice had convinced her 'friend' Kuchiyose-san to risk his safety to pick the lock, trespass, and transport them using his getaway car to Kami-sama knew where. They had no right to taint the hands of innocent bystanders, like Kuchiyose-san, Morimoto-san, and Arato-san's mysterious contact and involve them in this. People who had absolutely nothing to do with their sordid mess and now have selflessly given their services to helping the Rebel Alliance with no regard to their own safety.

'We owe these people so much'

Satoshi couldn't even begin to think how much gratitude they would bestow on them if they ever made it out of this nightmare unscathed.

The sun was still bright amongst the lightly clouded sky. The leaves glistened like drops of gold and citrine crystals against the beautiful red, orange and yellow hues as the hours rolled to five-thirty in the late afternoon. Such as the way of summer. Longer days meant more work could be done, and sleep was for the weak. More work was exactly what Satoshi did. Tootsuki was in a crisis and he wasn't going to sit on his hands like his fellow former seaters did.

He reached for the last item in his desk drawer which was a small memory stick.

He held it in his calloused palms and stared at it for a few moments. The documents he copied over with Senzaemon-dono's permission had haunted him for days. He'd been reading report after report of Nadeshiko-sama's hospital stay and the autopsy. From what he gleaned, the attending physician and the hospital multi-disciplinary team couldn't make heads or tails over what was going on with her and neither did the physician conducting the autopsy. A strong and healthy woman such as the Lady of the Nakiri Family didn't just suddenly experience a central nervous system breakdown like that. Especially when her past medical history was as clean as a whistle and not to mention she had a healthy birth. She was as healthy as healthy could be and in a blink of an eye she was on death's door. He didn't want to think there was something unnatural about her death, but the inkling gnawed at him until it became unbearable. Sixteen years after her death was the perfect amount of time to fly by for the event to be buried deep enough, that the small, but significant details became too hazy and vague to refute against the Nakiri Azami's favour.

'Or maybe that information broker wanted to plant a seed into my head for his own amusement. If I hadn't visited Eizan-kun this week, I wouldn't have walked past Orihara's detention cell and listened to him… then I wouldn't be obsessing over this'

That was the thing. He couldn't trust Orihara Izaya the underground information broker from Shinjuku… could he? He was sitting in jail, waiting to be transferred to a maximum security prison, while his client, Nakiri Azami, was barely touched by the police. Surely he held Azami-dono in contempt, that's why he was willing to spill a dangerous secret about that man to Satoshi, when he got the chance for revenge! But if Azami-dono truly did have a hand in his wife's death… uncovering that could dethrone him.

'I don't have any preliminary evidence for the police to open a new investigation. I have no choice but to do this myself'

Him and Polar Star Dorm. Senzaemon-dono was too grief-stricken to take action.

Satoshi tucked the memory stick into his inner blazer pocket. He carefully folded the lid and tucked it under one arm. He made his way to the door and only stopped short once he realised how cold he felt. It was really happening. For a whole one-and-a-half year he'd kept his seat and position. A place he worked tremendously hard to get, despite popular belief that he was purely talented enough to be given the seat on a silver platter. The auburn haired student straightened his tie and turned his head a bit, only enough to glimpse at the vast arching windows and the silhouette of the long and luxurious oak desk dominating the centre. For a split second he envisaged himself sitting in that tall plush arm chair, with his fingers laced in front of his mouth, his elbows propped on the smooth surface. He wondered if the students who came to see him thought he looked intimidating behind that desk. Did they think he looked too important? Did they think he was so far above them? Did they think he had the power to end their career at Tootsuki?

A small part of him was glad he was no longer on the council. At least now, he didn't have to feel ashamed to be put on a pedestal. He could walk amongst the students and be an equal.

He turned back around resolutely and forced himself to step over the threshold and pulled the door handle closed. The resounding boom of the large opulent door signaled the final closing of his chapter as seventh seater of a once proud school. It reverberated in his chest, almost goading him that he could have it again, if only he submitted to the new Director. A smile crept across Satoshi's thin lips. Not a chance.

"Ah… I need to have these delivered to Polar Star Dorm first" he muttered to himself.

Satoshi quickly found the Internal Courier Service Room located in the fifth corridor and provided the instructions to the officer there to send his things to Fumio-san to hold for him. Tootsuki was so big they even had their own courier service. He was surprised they didn't have their own postcode yet.

Now to meet with Azami-dono.

Satoshi squared his shoulders and re-straightened his tie. He'd been doing that often, especially when he was stressed. He made his way to the Director's office suite which was just in the next corridor. There was a line of men-in-black there just as he had predicted. Guarding the hall like their life depended on it. He didn't let that derail him as he kept his eyes straight at ahead and walked through them without so much as a stutter in his step. Satoshi plastered on a pleasant smile

"I have an appointment with the Director"

The final men-in-black nodded and opened the door. It released a long-winded creak.

"Azami-dono. The former seventh seater is here to see you"

"Marvelous. Leave us be"

Satoshi stepped through the door and the air sank. Everything looked the same as how Senzaemon-dono had kept it. Except the computer monitor was on the right hand side and on the left was a silver tray of tea and tea biscuits. Satoshi casted a quick glance at the office lounge, coffee table and matching rug between him and Azami-dono. He still felt like he'd entering a whole different world. It was all in the atmosphere. It was heavy, clouded, dark and repressive. It was like stepping into the awaiting jaws of a dragon. The criminal in question, Nakiri Azami, self-proclaimed new and true Director of Tootsuki sat across the room in a much larger oak desk of the finest quality. The orange and red glare of the well-traveled summer sun flooded the large and ornate office in a hellish glow, casting the excommunicated Nakiri in a sinister shadow. His face was all smiles which creeped out Satoshi to some degree. It was a manipulative smile that hid his sickening charm and silver- tongue, dripping with sugary venom. He was glad that Azami-dono closed his eyes when he smiled, so that he didn't have to see the cruel empty, and soulless blackness that were his eyes. He was dressed in an expensive black dress shirt and gleaming silver tie, with a pinstriped waist coat over it.

In Satoshi's opinion, he was truly an ugly person. He had ugly thoughts, ugly dreams and ugly plans for Tootsuki. He was sure these things were in Azami-dono's heart every second, every day, every week and every year. Full of greed, insatiable hunger for power, cruelty and loathing for everything around him. That ugliness showed on his face despite looking so pristine, immaculate and handsome. One day it will become unbearable to look at him.

He had his arms perched on the desk, still in leather gloves with a Parker pen in his fingers, in the middle of signing his name on some documents.

"Isshiki-kun, please take a seat" Azami-dono gestured to the lounge in a good-natured way.

A secretary, trained to be a wallflower, came out of nowhere and placed a second silver tray of tea and biscuits. She poured the tea into both cups with an exact amount of tea and sugar. It seemed Azami-dono had a fondness of British tea. Senzaemon always poured the tea for his guest himself as he believed it had no meaning to the true act of hospitality if the host didn't perform the actions himself. Once finished, she briskly walking back the way she came from. Those biscuits looked something Souma-kun might need to take out a bank-loan to afford.

"No thank you, I prefer standing"

He kept his arms by his side and presented Azami-dono with his own disarming smile, letting him know that he didn't plan to stay long. Finally, the new Director opened his eyes. Satoshi wasn't disappointed. Those cold and calculative eyes were abysmal.

"Suit yourself. I want to know how you've been"

Satoshi gave a one-armed shrug. "I've relinquished my seat, so I'm managing as much as can be expected"

"I'm sorry it had to be this way. I want the best for this school even if it means a clean slate is needed for progressive change. In time, you will see it will all work out"

Azami-dono remained in his plush chair and stared at him from across the room. He leaned back casually into the over-sized back-rest and crossed his thin arms over his chest. The air of patronisation and arrogance was crystal clear. His hair was swept back neatly, as slick as his oily personality. The crows feet around his eyes were more prominent when he attempted to smile with his eyes.

"I understand Azami-dono. Only the best will work out in the end" said Satoshi.

The Director chuckled under his breath and lightly shook his head as if he said something juvenile and amusing. Satoshi remained still, letting the viper know that he was unaffected by him.

"You must be relieved that Yukihira Souma was able to overturn the decision to close down Polar Star Dormitory from winning against Mimasaka-kun. That's one point in the Rebel Alliance's favour"

"I'm glad my kouhais continue to have a roof over their heads. That is all I care for"

"Really now… And how is my Erina?"

In that moment, he opened his sky blue eyes and analysed Azami-dono's facial expression as best as he could within the few seconds. All the signs pointed to the fact that he still hadn't found out his daughter was in fact not being sheltered at Polar Star Dorm. At least that was what he hoped…

"She's doing fine. She is eating well and is being well looked after by the students of Polar Star Dorm"

"Thank you Isshiki-kun. I hope she isn't causing trouble for your kohais. As the daughter of a noble family, she's a bit ignorant of the ways of the world after all. So I am comfortable to leave her in your care"

The soft grin spreading across Azami-dono's thin lips sent a shiver down Satoshi's spine. This man was the type to be soft-spoken with barbed words and he took caution with this man to the fullest extent. For a father who supposedly 'valued' his daughter, whether as a tool or as his child, he didn't try to visit her at least once when the news had spread that Nakiri Erina had ran away to Polar Star Dorms. News that Souma-kun personally dropped here and there so that it could naturally spread up the ranks to Azami-dono's ears. It made the auburn-haired student wonder if the opportunistic Nakiri knew all along she wasn't on campus and was just playing them.

"You don't want to take your daughter back?" asked Satoshi.

He chuckled and shook his head "Fumio-san has informed me that Erina doesn't want to speak to me and so, I will respect her wishes. If she desires to remain at Polar Star Dormitories for now, remain there, she shall"

Satoshi simply nodded.

"That's enough about my daughter" Azami-dono unfurled his arms and propped his elbows on the table, lacing his spindly fingers together in front of his face. Satoshi made a mental note to never assume that same pose again whenever he was behind a desk.

"I like you Isshiki-kun. You remind me of my younger self"

"Oh? How so, Azami-dono?"

"Talented, skilled, strong, tenacious and respectable. You command awe whilst still keeping a benevolent and light-natured personality. It appeals to even the most savage beasts, which has made you very well liked amongst your peers. I was once like that as a student of Tootsuki. But you and I both know that's only on the surface. Our facade, that is. I've read your file. Underneath you can be quite cunning and manipulative when you need to be. You hide your true skill and only reveal it when it benefits you. You use clever tactics to get your way all the time, valuing brain over brawn. But you and I both know that it gets tiresome to play the part of a placid student mingling around the dim-witted and the talentless second-rated chefs"

Satoshi remained silent.

He found it hard to believe Azami-dono had a speck of that so-called 'benevolence' in his younger days, much less appealing to anyone, even if it was all a mask. When he also found out that Azami-dono was a Polar Star Alumni in his investigations, he felt the need to get all his kohais to scrub every inch of the dormitory clean to be rid of any left-over 'essence' of the man. He didn't know whether he should be disgusted or horrified to being compared to Azami-dono. Did he really see his younger self in him? It didn't sound like it boded well for Satoshi at all and it made his stomach turn.

'He's not totally wrong…'

It was true he donned a mask of pleasantness, at times even comical and silly displays around the Polar Star Dorms. He got by his days simply like that and a deeper part of him craved to be liked by his peers. He wanted to be dependable, he wanted them to rely on him, he wanted to watch over his kohais and care for them like a mother hen. It was one of the many ways he earned their respect. The only kohai who evoked a sense of challenge from him in a long time was Yukihira Souma. It re-kindled the youthful burning passion to test his mettle and seek different rivals to sate his hunger for shokugeki. He had been so comfortable in his seventh seat, that he'd forgotten what it was like to feel that, and from that encounter with Souma-kun onwards, he couldn't go about his days amongst the lower level students the same again.

The gap in skills became disparaging and in the end the pleasant senpai mask indeed became tiresome.

They all were so beneath him.

He wasn't particularly proud of his trait, but he couldn't deny that it was a part of who he was. Then came the calculating thoughts which bred behind his facade where no other being except Eizan-kun could tell. Schemes were plenty up is sleeves along with plans to put into action and supervise. Like this one right now. He was known to be the most cunning Elite Ten member that even Eizan-kun couldn't always figure his plans out. Azami-dono might thing he was looking into the mirror of his younger self through him, but there was one thing Isshiki Satoshi had that Nakiri Azami never did:

'The capacity to give a damn about the people around them'

That was why as his last act as a seventh seater of the Former Elite Ten, he passed a number of set rules to ensure fair judgement for all future Shokugekis, thus starting the Survivor's Purge. His final ditch attempt to protect his kouhais in the name of the Elite Ten.

"I need somebody like that, Isshiki-kun. Are you sure you don't want to support my administration and regain your seat? You will have more privileges than before. Your grant money will be substantially greater. Your own dishes will be made as part of the curriculum so that other students will learn it and walk in greatness set by you. You will have the opportunity to carve out your success and come on top of everyone else under my glorious dynasty. By mine and Erina's side we can do extraordinary things together"

Azami-dono had lifted himself from his seat in one fluid motion and strode around the huge oak desk towards Satoshi. He held his arms out wide in reverence to whatever holy blessing he thought he had. He smiled down at him, wide and gleeful, but his eyes remained black with a hint of mania. Satoshi's mouth had already broken from his usual smile to reflect the serious in which he felt in a tight lipped grimace. Once Azami-dono was right in front of Satoshi, he suddenly felt the repressive darkness from being within the close vicinity of the vile man. His expensive cologne assaulted his nose which only added to the repulsion he felt for the new Director. Nakiri Erina had endured most of her childhood in his toxic presence and it was a miracle she hadn't become as deranged as her father. Satoshi held his ground and looked at Azami-dono straight in those cold, dead eyes.

"As flattered as I am that you see some value in me, Azami-dono. I assure you. I definitely don't want to be part of your Central. Not for men like you"

He chuckled "There are no other men like me"

Satoshi exhaled and shook his head.

"There are always men like you"

'OH MY GOODNESS! Where did Souma-kun and Takumi-kun go?! They were just here second ago and now they've disappeared!'

Megumi rapidly paced in a frantic circle wondering how did this reconnaissance fall apart so quickly. She wrung her hands together, feeling all jittery and anxious. They were supposed to be quietly observing the Survivor Purge's matches to gain as much information as they could to formulate their plans. So much for blending in and being discreet! The Diner-Duo couldn't help themselves and sucked up all the attention in their fiery display of justice as they dropped a fantastic (but ill-timed!) speech against the new Central members.

AND NOW THEY'VE JUST LEFT HER BEHIND!

The bluenette was sweating bullets as she strained her brain to figure out if she should leave this arena and find Souma-kun and Takumi-kun, because with those two together running loose with a bounty on their heads, only chaos would ensue and she was the only one who had even a chance to stop them. Or maybe she was too confident in her skills!

'I'm sorry Fumio-san, I was supposed to be responsible and keep and eye on them. I've let you down!'

The first day of the Survivor's Purge was between Souma-kun and the extremely formidable Mimasaka Subaru, a new and proud member of Central. His underhanded tactics were boundless. His stalking skills were through the roof now and he went as far as to bribe the judges with his Central grant money to vote for his dishes before the taste-testing could begin! He created a series of rigged shokugekis until the student's hope for their RS's survival were crippled beyond compare and they dared not go against Central.

Until Souma-kun defeated him again.

The victory had once again been glorious! And Polar Star had celebrated with a huge banquet all the way into the night. Souma-kun had set a precedent for all the students, that it was indeed possible to defeat one of the Central members and even win against their dirty cheats! Hearing the news right after fighting tooth and nail to keep Mimasaka's new faction from breaking into Polar Star Dorms was a tremendous blessing and she thanked Kami-sama for being on Souma-kun's side!

Their very own Yukihira Souma of the Polar Star Dorms became the official face of the Rebel Alliance and a symbol of hope for the school.

"Ha! All you mother-fuckers are gonna go crying home to your mummies now?"

Megumi flinched at the high-pitched and callous voice of Kusunoki Rentarou.

He was terrifying to look at and she remained hidden behind the railings overlooking the stadium. He had wild blonde hair which was barely tamed by a black headband. He had a brow piercing and an ear piercing sporting a long chain with an inverted cross at the end. He had a jagged tattoo right under his eyes, completing his air of delinquency. He wore a flashy red and black chef's uniform which looked like the deadly red-back spider from Australia.

She was glad he finally ignored her after Souma-kun and Takumi-kun disappeared somewhere. He was incredibly violent in both his words and actions, pretty much on par with Kurokiba-kun when engaging in trash-talking. He reeked of confidence. He was absolutely ruthless in beating the captains of multiple RS's one after the other. His calm focus only adding to the intensity of his skills. Just like a row of tumbling dominoes, the RS's were disbanded one after the other like a rippling earthquake. Her heart caved into the emotional turmoil and trauma on behalf of the decimated students. Megumi's empathetic heart was a curse at times and she felt tears prickling her eyes as she watched the captains collapse onto their hands and knees in humiliating defeat.

The Spanish Cuisine RS

The Pudding RS

The Chanko RS

The Barbecue RS

And many, many more

All reduced to dust, just like that. None of them stood a chance!

"This is what happens when you think you have the balls to go against Central. I just cut them up, roast them, season them some nice parsley and garlic, topped with a thin crust of your flambéd pride, and serve it right back at your worthless and pathetic mugs on a silver platter with a side of your pulverised RS!" Kusunoki cackled and sneered at the captain of the Barbecue RS.

The defeated student punched the ground holding back his tears.

"We'll get C-Central for this… mark my words. You tear our communities apart and you will get your just desserts…"

"What was that? I can't hear you from the mountain of success I'm sitting on~"

Kusonoki grabbed the dish of beautiful barbecue pork ribs and ruthlessly threw it onto the floor. The dish shattered in jagged pieces and the meat was slathered all over the floor like road-kill in front of the captain of the Barbecue RS. The sticky homemade barbecue sauce splashed and smeared onto the captain's face. To make matters worse, Kusunoki-senpai stomped on it, grounding the succulent meat repeatedly under his heels and laughing loudly whilst the captain couldn't do a single thing to stop him. Megumi clutched her hands to her chest as she watched the cruel display unfold below her.

"There's one more RS isn't there? Where's the little runt!"

There was one more?! Megumi was sure that there was only eight scheduled in this arena.

A shriek pierced the air.

"Please! I beg of you! I-I've already submitted my paperwork to voluntarily d-disband my RS! Please d-don't make me do this!"

Megumi's heart stopped.

'Nguyen-san!'

She hurled her upper body over the railing and gaped. Her heart pounded in her chest. The young first year student was being wrangled by two male students twice her size, dragging her to the stadium by her armpits. She howled and cried, trying to kick out her legs and wrench her arm free but to no avail. Linh Ngoc Nguyen was the international transfer student she and Souma-kun were helping during the Summer Solstice festival. They had created a Vietnamese Food Truck to battle against Terunori-senpai in Nguyen-san's honour to make him apologise to the Vietnamese International student and take back his awful words about Vietnamese Cuisine being sub-par to Sichuan Cuisine. The dear girl was so timid and shy, so easily disheartened just like Megumi was before and by the end of the Summer Solstice Festival with some encouragement from Souma-kun, she found the courage the start up Tootsuki's first Vietnamese Cuisine Research Society. The poor girl was almost dangling in the air as she was being roughly man-handled, her school uniform twisting harshly around her limbs as it rode up her body. She continued twist and writhe, trying to set herself free.

"My boys told me you only submitted your application for dissolution this morning and guess what? It hasn't been processed yet, so your RS is still in it's miserable existence. I can't believe it only has one member which is you! That's like, the saddest thing I've ever heard! Goes to show how shit it really is"

He spat on the floor.

Nguyen-san was dumped at Kusunoki-senpai's feet and fell into a painful heap. She got up on her elbows, and shook and shivered on the floor, tears flooding from her wide and terrified eyes. Her long black hair was a mess and strewn all over her face, caked in tears. She was utterly petrified, staring up at Kusunoki-senpai's savage form. She managed to clamour to her feet and in a fitful attempt, tried to run off the stage with her fingers clawing through the air to get away. However the two male students who forced her onto the stadium prompting grabbed her by her arms before she made a metre, and threw her back without an ounce of mercy.

"Stop this at once! The girl is unwilling!" The unbiased judging panel yelled, the same ones from the Autumn Elections last year.

"HEY! You're paid to judge, not to intervene! Do I need to call security to escort you out?"

The judges were gobsmacked and paralysed with utter shock at the student talking back at them.

Nguyen-san yelped as her rump collided with the floor.

"Going somewhere?" Kusunoki-senpai smirked cruelly.

"W-What more do you want fr-from me…! I don't want to h-have a shokugeki with you, please! I've already d-done what Central wanted. This is wrong! I-I've discontinued my RS. I'm no m-match against you! Please let me go and let me keep my dignity!" Nguyen-san begged.

"Not a chance. You see, I'm on a roll right now with thirty two consecutive wins and I'm gonna get a shokugeki from you one way or another. You're so weak and defenseless, just how I like it"

He licked his lips maliciously, causing Megumi to involuntarily convulse in both fear and disgust and Nguyen-san to cover her mouth in horror.

"It makes your defeat and humiliation all the more sweet for me. Keep saying 'no' and defy me with that pretty little mouth of yours and Central's gonna expel you back to Vietnam. All that tuition your family spend on you will be worth shit and you will hold your worthless head in shame back to your parents as an ultimate failure. Do you want that?"

Nguyen-san only cried harder.

"N-No…!"

"Then do as I say. Let's have a shokugeki"

"Please… I d-don't want to! D-don't make me! HELP! Somebody help me!"

"Scream all you fucking want. No-one's gonna help you. It's just you and me. Now, GET OVER TO THAT BENCH!"

Kusunoki-senpai's demeanour instantly turned violent as he thrusted his finger towards the empty cooking station and roared at her. Nguyen-san instantly screamed and held her arms up over her head and body, shielding herself from him in reflex. His henchman sniggered nastily as they watched Nguyen-san sprawled on the floor, shaking and shivering in pure terror. He took a threatening step forward and bent down. He snatched her thin wrist in his larger more powerful hand and pulled it away from her face, towards him so she couldn't escape. She tried to yank it free but it was futile as his grip only tightened to make his intentions known and she winced in pain as his face neared hers. She screwed her tear-swollen eyes shut once more and turned her head away as much as she could, inadvertently leaving her ears exposed to Kusunoki's cruel lips.

"You don't want me to use force. It'll only be all the more painful for you. Give in and have a shokugeki with me, and it will be over really quick. I promise. Okay?"

"P-Please… have mercy…"

BAM!

"When a girl says 'no' it means 'NO'. Didn't your parents teach you that?"

The deafening slam made everybody's head whip towards the shokugeki stadium entrance. Her own braids almost smacked her in the face. The slamming of the opening doors cracked like thunder and rolled across the spacious stadium. Megumi wiped the tears from her face and craned her neck to see what on earth was happening. That voice! She knew that voice! The loud clicking of thick school shoes reverberated against the linoleum floor, capturing everybody's attention. Kusunoki-senpai screwed his pierced brow in confuse, displeased with the interruption and dropped Nguyen-san's wrists. He stood up with his back and arms tensed up. The silhouette figure interrupting the barbaric display of abusive power flicked her hair back over her shoulders.

Nakiri Erina!? It was Nakiri Erina!

She was back! She was back!

"Well, fuck me! You've decided to crawl out of your little hiding hole? Won't Daddy be pleased, heh" smirked Kusunoki-senpai, blatantly appraising her.

"So this is what the new Central has come to? Selecting savages like you to terrorise my students" she huffed.

"YOUR students? Oh, you think you own them do you?"

"I own no-one, and neither does Central"

The regal heiress folded her arms sternly across her well endowed chest. There was something different about her… Megumi could see it! She stood tall and held her head high, pinning Kusunoki with a resolute and determined stare with her electrifying violet orbs. She walked into the stadium with utmost grace and poise, lined with a strength in each step. Her mouth lips were pressed together tightly as she glowered at the savage student from down her aristocratic nose. Her long and gleaming golden hair swayed gently from the open draft of the stadium doors. Megumi had never been so relieved to see her heart-shaped face filled with steeliness in her life. Those eyes… There was a strength in them which Megumi had never seen before and simmering wisdom she never knew Nakiri-san had. The aura around her was pulsating with a fighting spirit that could rival Souma-kun's.

Wherever Nakiri-san had run away too, she returned a changed person. Megumi couldn't wrench her eyes from her, captivated by a raw power emanating from the Heiress.

"Nguyen-san… I apologise that you had to be subjected to this farce" Nakiri-san ignored Kusunoki-senpai completely and strode purposefully towards the cowering first year student.

"Y-You… know my name?" Nguyen-san squeaked in disbelief, hiccuping through her tears.

"Yes, now are you alright to get up?"

Nguyen-san hastily nodded and scrambled to her feet and flew over to the Nakiri heiress's side. She cradled her bruised wrist, holding it tightly to her chest as the small girl ducked behind Nakiri-san. Megumi was in shock and awe at the blatant display of concern and compassion from the usually volatile and pompous girl! What on Earth had happened to Nakiri Erina! The two hulking students didn't dare try to do anything in their Director's daughter's presence and continued to flank Kusonoki-senpai on both sides. She then turned her steely gaze back to Kusunoki-senpai.

"I believe forcing a shokugeki onto someone isn't part of any rules set up by Isshiki-senpai's Survivor's Purge. Explain your actions" she demanded.

"Just getting a bit of fun by having my way with her is all. I pretty much mopped the floor with everyone else and I've still got time to kill" he shrugged his shoulders like it was nothing and carelessly twirled his paring knife between his nimble fingers.

"Hmmph. You really are despicable" seethed Nakiri-san.

"Takes one to know one"

"Not to worry, Kusunoki Rentarou. I believe that's your name. You'll get your shokugeki. Nguyen-san, sign here on the dotted line"

Nakiri-san signed pulled a neatly folded piece of paper on from her inside blazer pocket, along with a twist-ballpoint pen. She handed it to Nguyen-san who received it with both hands and an awkward bow of the head. She dipped her head and her eyes skimmed over the lines, until her brown eyes widened and she gasped.

"Wh-What is this?" she asked.

"This contract states that I will become a new member of the Vietnamese Cuisine RS. Then I will fight for your RS in your honour. Please sign it" Nakiri Erina simply said.

"EHHHH?!" Megumi couldn't believe her ears!

She never thought Nakiri Erina would be generous enough to provide a helping hand, much less join an RS just to participate in a shokugeki for somebody else's sake. Nakiri-san didn't participate in any shokugekis and she usually dispatched a student to do it for her, thus freeing up her time to pursue more important matters like taste-testing jobs and important meetings. In other words, shokugekis were beneath her. Yet here she was pulling out a contract to say she will join an RS and participate in a battle! Where were Souma-kun and Takumi-kun to witness this unbelievable scene and confirm to her that she wasn't hallucinating!

"Seriously? You want to have the shokugeki in her place? Even if we did, once the paperwork finally passes through, the fucking Vietnamese Cuisine RS will be over anyway. So all your efforts will be for nothing!" scoffed Kusunoki-senpai.

"I've sent my aide, Hisako, to intercept the paperwork and withdraw it" she smirked at him.

A bulging artery pulsed on his wide forehead, very close to his brow piercing and his eyes were aflame. His waving blonde hair seemed to bristle and stand on end. He bared his teeth and sneered at Nakiri-san, as he realised he wasn't going to crush the Vietnamese Cuisine RS in the way that he wanted. Nakiri Erina cocked a delicate golden eyebrow, daring him to say something back as she stood there, unmoving and undefying in his face. The audience around them muttered and whispered as confusion and anxiety bloomed across the bleachers. Suddenly his snark turned into a nasty grin as he waved his hand in the air, throwing his paring knife into the air and deftly catching the handle in his other hand.

"Feh! I've always wanted to battle against an Elite Ten member anyway!"

"N-Nakiri-sama…"

"Is something wrong?" She took a break from giving Kusunoki-senpai the business end of her contemptuous glares and turned back to the Vietnamese chef, gazing at her cooly.

"Why are you d-doing this… You don't need to. I-I am nothing, I'm just an insignificant first year. The Vietnamese Cuisine RS is so small and only e-existed because I'm the s-sole member. I'm a n-nobody. So why is somebody as great and famous as you… going this far… for somebody unimportant like me?"

Nakiri Erina diverted her beautiful violet eyes to the ceiling. Something misted over them which Megumi couldn't quite comprehend. Her hands dropped to her side and her perfectly manicured fingers unfurled as she gazed upwards, her mouth slightly fell open and all the muscles in her elegant face relaxed, leaving a plain serenity to cascade over her porcelain skin. Megumi tilted her head to the side, trying to understand and guess what Nakiri Erina could be thinking in this moment. All she knew was that she had changed. This was a new Nakiri Erina who'd been reborn. It only lasted for a mere moment before she dropped her head towards the ground.

"A really infuriating person called me an Empress. He told me: 'You have a responsibility now. A real one this time. Do you know what to do?'"

Megumi couldn't make heads or tails over that comment. Who said that to her? But whatever it meant, it had struck something deep in Nakiri-san, from the way she whispered those words in such a poignant tone.

"And I DO know what to do now… Nguyen-san… You are a student in MY school, MY empire created by my family, and that makes you important. Every student who wants to be in Tootsuki is important. It might have taken a real jerk to make me realise this… But I'm not going to stand by and let everyone's future be ruined by Father when I can do something about it! I have a responsibility to every Tootsuki student!"

Nakiri-san suddenly yelled at Kusunoki-senpai, surprising everyone with her candour. Megumi was in reverance. Her respect for Nakiri Erina peaked. But Kusunoki-senpai made a big show of yawning, complete with patting his palms onto his wide open mouth.

"Erina-sama's learnt that a true Emperor is not judged on how many people are his servants, but by how many people he serves"

"WAAHHH!?"

Megumi jumped out of her skin and banged her side against the upstairs railing. She crumpled to the ground and rubbed her sore ribs. Owwwie… Suddenly a gentle hand helped her to stand up and she grabbed onto their shoulder for support. She hissed and open her eyes and was shocked to see the rosette-haired student, whom she hadn't seen in a week!

"Hisako-san?! What are you doing back here?"

Lo and behold, it was Nakiri-san's aide!

"Erina-sama decided that she wasn't going to runaway anymore. I've just gotten back from the Administration building. I've managed to withdraw Nguyen-san's application to dissolve the Vietnamese Cuisine RS just in time…" she huffed and puffed lightly, catching her breath.

She must've raced up the stairs. Was it just her or was Arato Hisako looked a bit tanned? She had some eye-bags, as if somebody sent her to work in a sweatshop. She brushed her short rosette hair behind her ears. Her hair was a bit longer, maybe just one centimetre and her eyes were equally determined as Nakiri-san. If they were back, it meant Alice-san and Kurokiba-san were back too right? Where were they?

"H-How did you know that Nguyen-san was scheduled to have a last minute shokugeki with Kusunoki-senpai?" asked Megumi.

"Funny you should ask that. Yesterday, I received an anonymous text that the first year student, 'Linh Ngoc Nguyen' was going to be subjected to a Shokugeki against her will in this arena. Erina-sama decided to take matters into her own hands"

"I-I see… But nobody knew about this match until now"

"I don't know, the text was anonymous. Look, I can't stay here for long. I need to find Isshiki-senpai really quick. I have something important to show him. Where might I find him?" Hisako-san grabbed Megumi's shoulder, a great urgency in her magenta eyes.

"Uh-Uh, he was packing his things from his Elite Ten office… I think he might still be there but—"

"BLAH! BLAH! BLAH! Enough of the chit-chat, Your Royal Highness. You don't need to make a fucking campaign out of it. Now let's have that shokugeki before I'm gonna have to smack a bitch up"

Kusunoki-senpai's obnoxious voice stole the two girl's attention away. He leered at Nakiri-san and Nguyen-san as he started to cackle, impatience and giddiness manifesting in the way he rapidly twirled his paring knife. Hisako-san glared in disapproval at such foul language directed at her Lady and her hands took hold of the railing, squeezing it tightly. She indeed was like a guard-dog.

Nakiri-san scoffed.

"You've got it the other way around. I'm the one who'll be smacking bitches"

NAKIRI ERINA CURSED NOW?!

"Oh Kami-sama… We've spent too much time with Hitsugaya-kun…" muttered Hisako-san, rubbing her hand over her face.

Megumi didn't bother asking who Hitsygaya-kun was. She had definitely seen it all.

Erina and the gang are back! :D Yay! Going away for a week was good for her, wherever Ryuusenka Apo-AAAAAAAHHHH! was.

As our beloved Eizan is sitting in jail 'reflecting' on his actions, he didn't battle against Yukihira in my story and rig the shokugekis like in the canon. Instead, Yukihira battled against Mimasaka who rigged the matches, and still won like a boss, AGAIN!

And what has Hisako have, to show Isshiki?

Don't forget to visit my poll and vote for your favourite OC in A Touch of Saffron :) Ayame, Chizuru or Kuchiyose! (and check out who's winning the race kekekeke).

Let me know what you think and I'll see you soon!

Signing-off

- TripWire-dono