"Speaking"
"thinking"
On with the story
Soma was sitting on the floor as the man was reading a manga in his hands
"ne, Soma. Are you sure you shouldn't be prepping your dish?" Erina asked the man as she had a manga in her hand while laying on her stomach on her own bed
Yukihira Soma was currently in Erina's room as the blonde invited the man in on the weekend
"I mean, it's okay if you practice cooking here" Erina told the man who just reads his manga
"it's fine" Soma said as he flips another page of the manga book "I promised you that I come and keep you company"
After the defeat against Hayama Akira, Hisako hasn't been seen since then as Erina's secretary disappeared from the mansion, now Soma came to her mansion to keep her company while being keen on any signs of Mimasaka or Sotsuda anywhere trying to get pictures of the two
Erina frowns a bit as she felt like she's forcing him to be with her when she is all alone
"and don't worry" Soma spoke out making Erina look to him "I'm sure Arato will come back..i just know it"
Erina looks to Soma before she smiles to him and then decided to sit beside him on the floor as the two read their manga together
After 3 hours with Erina, Soma was now going back home as the sun was setting in the horizon
"good luck with the Shokugeki, Soma" Erina said with a smile to Soma who nodded back with his own smile
"remember, Erina" Soma said "Arato is coming back, I promise that"
Erina nodded before she got a peck on the forehead by Soma as the man grins while she just blushed from the action
"see you later" Soma said as he gets on his bike and waved Erina goodbye
Erina waved back as Soma rides his bike back to his dorm
She watched as he leaves the front gate and now cycling his way to his dorm
"you better win, Soma" Erina said with a prayer
After two more days, the semi-final match came as the crowds filled the arena
The stadium that was to be used for the Autumn Election Semi-Finals filled up very quickly. Totsuki students and staff, some of the regular judges that preside over Shokugekis, and some of Japan's elite filled the stadium in eager anticipation.
Sotsuda paced one of the hallways, camera in hand, and looking a little nervous.
He paced back and forth before he sees Soma coming into view
Sotsuda immediately rushed over "Yukihira-senpai! It's almost time for your match to start! Where have you been?!" he asked in a frantic voice
"Ah, sorry, sorry. Just had a few errands to run this morning." Soma replied with a causal smile
"W-well?" Sotsuda spoke out, "Did you find some way to beat Mimasaka-senpai's Tracing Technique?"
"nope" Soma said as he walks past the junior
"Oh, okay. You have not" Sotsuda said while writing on his notepad before realizing Soma's reply
"YOU HAVEN'T?! W-W-WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU HAVEN'T?!" The journalist shouted out in shock
"it means that I haven't done anything to counter his trace" Soma replied "all that is left is to have fun in cooking, and that's all"
Yukihira Soma and Mimasaka Subaru entered the arena as the crowds cheered for the two
"Ladies and gentlemen, for the semi-final matches, we five chefs have the honor of being judges." The announcer spoke out as all of the Totsuki students within the audience gasped in absolute shock when they realized who the judges for this round would be.
Judges' Seat #1; 80th Graduating Class, Second Seat, Inui Hinako: Owner of Japanese Restaurant Kiri no Ya.
Judges' Seat #2; 79th Graduating Class, Second Seat, Mizuhara Fuyumi: Owner of the Time Restaurant Ristorante F.
Judges' Seat #3; 69th Graduating Class, First Seated Gemini Chef, Dōjima Gin: Head Chef of the Totsuki Resort Hotels.
Judges' Seat #4; 88th graduating Class, Second Seat, Tsunozaki Taki: Owner of Spanish Restaurant Taki Amarillo.
Judges' Seat #5; 89th Graduating Class, Second Seat, Kikuchi Sonoka: Owner of Western Cuisine Restaurant Shunkatei.
"they're all Totsuki's alumnus!" Marui exclaimed in surprise to see many legendary chefs
"oh, Hina-neechan! Been a while!" Soma greeted the Japanese chef
"oh, Soma-chan. you just love getting into lots of fun" Hinako said with a smile
"hahaha, Kojiro-sensei couldn't make it?" Soma asked as Hinako nodded
Gin takes a mic into his hand as he taps it a few times before speaking
"Ladies and gentlemen, the first semi-final match is Yukihira Sōma versus Mimasaka Subaru! Contestants begin cooking!"
Both chefs went on to prepare their dishes as it was as everyone had expected
Every single ingredient, Soma had, Mimasaka had it as well
"he traced him" Ibusaki said as all of Soma's action was copied by Mimasaka
"hehehe, it's time" Mimasaka said as he hauled a chain in his hand as it had a giant smoked bacon attached to it "Arrange!"
Everyone watches as Mimasaka made the beef stew first as his dish had one simple ingredient added in as it was the smoked bacon
"dig in" Mimasaka said Soma's catchphrase as the judges tasted his dish and instantly showered the giant of a man with praises
"Mmmmmm! My tongue feels like it could melt in pure bliss! What a wonderfully mellow and smooth flavor!" Kikuchi Sonoka complemented the dish with a drool near her lips as the dish was delicious
"Then that sharp Mesquite scent comes along and kicks you in the nose! It's so powerful it almost makes my eyes tear up. This is unbelievably delicious!" Taki Amarillo added in as she looks to the dish with amazement in her eyes
"I anticipated everything you'd think up." Mimasaka said to Soma with a grin "And that is exactly why I chose this bacon!"
"Five days spent aging and marinating the bacon. Another full day left out in the open air to dry, and five more hours spent smoking at." He explained as his knowledge of such technique was amazing
"but that's Ibusaki's specialty!" Yuki exclaimed in surprise as Ibusaki glared at the Stalker
"True." Gin agreed as he looks at the beef stew "The amount of time spent carefully crafting this bacon is obvious. Despite its sharp umami flavor, it doesn't overpower the oxtail. It even magnifies the beef's impact!"
"The power of time and effort. The strength of this dish lies on the exact opposite side of the spectrum from ad-lib cooking. Sōma… Can you overcome this kind of obstacle?" Gin thought as he looks to the young man
"Then that means Mimasaka-kun figured out ahead of time that Sōma would ad-lib his dish?" Ryoko said as Yuki's face horrified
"Oh gawd, it's the same as what happened to Takumi-chi. The guy knew what was coming, and already countered it!" she exclaimed
"You didn't think it through, Yukihira!" Mimasaka shouted with a mocking tone "Yeah, it might sound cool to say that you will rely on spur-of-the-moment inspiration to put together a dish last minute, but that's just avoiding the problem! You couldn't think of a solution, so you decided to stop thinking entirely! The details, Yukihira! Cooking is all about the details! The chef who prepares more thoroughly wins! You can come up with all the pretty tricks you want now, they won't help you! You're finished! Engraved today on your memory, Yukihira, because it's going to be your last day in Totsuki!"
The judges ate Mimasaka's beef stew as it was like being wrestled by a pig and a cow as the flavours correspond with each other
"The judges love it!" "Mimasaka-kun made five of the world biggest star chefs moan in delight!"
The crowds exclaimed as all hope seems lost for Soma
Erina watches the match as Mimasaka's dish was able to get high praises from Dojima Gin, a legendary chef
"you can win, Soma" Erina muttered out "you won't ever lose"
"give up, Yukihira! You can't win!" Mimasaka said with a laugh "you can say goodbye to all your friends and to Nakiri Erina"
As Mimasaka spoke out Erina's name, something snapped inside Soma as the man looks at Mimasaka with his golden eyes turning into voids of emptiness
"can you say that after this?" Soma asked as he takes the lid out of one of his pot as a powerful eruption of steam exploded as a delicious aroma filled the arena and made everyone's stomach growls in hunger
"what…..what is this feeling? Fear? Anxiety? Why am I feeling afraid?" Mimasaka thought as he was sweating nonstop
Soma grabs five plates as he served his dish to the judges
"This is Yukihira-Style Beef Stew Autumn Election Edition. Dig in" Soma said while crossing his arms
For what the audience could see, Sōma's beef stew was piled with all kinds of different cuts of meat.
"Is this some kind of joke? I've never seen beef stew that looks like this asked!" Taki commented angrily at Soma
"taste it and you'll find out the true meaning to this dish" Soma said
"is that really going to come together?" "would that really taste good?"
The two questions that spread out in the crowd as everyone was eager to know the result
"What a mess of random meat." Subaru thought "That's a poor last-ditch effort if you ask me. All that junk is nowhere close to my garnishes! Especially my special bacon, which I thoroughly smoked with all that tantalizing Mesquite goodness. There is no way he can reach the flavor I so carefully built over an entire week!"
"let us taste" Dojima Gin said as every judge took a spoon and a bite out of the beef stew
In an instant, their mouths were riding a flavour roller coaster as the beef and the many meat parts in the stew screamed at them
"SO GOOD!" Taki exclaimed before she started scarfing down the beef stew
This single comment shocked pretty much everyone in the stadium.
"The cheek meat is so tender it falls apart in your mouth! Then there's the gummy, chewy tripe and tongue -new textures and flavors to enjoy with every bite! It all hits you so fast it's like a roller coaster!" Taki exclaimed as she looks at the beef dish in amazement
"This charcoal-grilled skirt steak is particularly amazing. Usually, skirt steak is served thinly sliced. But these are thick-cut, taking their juiciness to a whole new level! Not only that, he added a grid pattern of shallow cuts to the meat's surface, so that once it was charcoal-grilled, it would have a pleasantly springy texture to it." Mizuhara Fuyumi added in "It makes for an excellent accent when dipped in the stew. At first blush, it looks like just a pile of random meat… But in reality, it is a meticulously constructed thrill ride of separate, yet perfectly prepared tastes! Together, they form one detailed, cohesive whole!"
"What?!" Subaru exclaimed in shock "Impossible! How can a last-minute ad-lib like that come together in so completely?!'
"Mimasaka" Soma called out to the man as he looks to him in surprise "I thought about the same idea you did. Adding something like smoked bacon as a garnish to give the beef stew a stronger punch. But in the end… That wasn't the flavor I was hoping to find." Soma said as he saw right through Mimasaka's plan
"Strong for the sake of being strong isn't good enough. That's not my kind of cooking. I wanted to make something more vibrant in flavors, with fun and varied ingredients. Something that can be built, piece by piece, right on the plate." Soma said as he looks to the VIP lounge where Erina was, "Much like loving someone"
"What creative originality! Who would have thought beef stew could have a taste this broad and multilayered! However did you get the idea to make something like this?" Sonoka said while taking another bite of the stew
"from another dish" Soma replied to the Alumnus
'He used another dish as a model? Which dish is it?' Taki thought as the possibility were few
"Chikuzanni" Soma replied
"WHAAAT?!" Taki and Sonoka exclaimed in shock as so did a majority of the audience
"Chikuzanni and beef stew?!" "One is almost all meat, and the other's almost all vegetables! That totally different dishes!"
The entire crowd exclaimed as Soma just rubs the bottom of his nose with a cheeky grin
"W-wait a minute… Isn't chikuzanni a common family dinner recipe?" Sotsuda stammered out
"Not always." Soma explained "You see, when a pro makes chikuzanni, they cook each individual vegetable separately before they put it together on the plate. Each vegetable is cooked individually, in the way that brings out its unique flavors and textures the best. Then they are all pieced together on the plate. Balanced one by one, with very careful attention paid to how their flavors will mix and match with others."
"Chikuzanni! That definitely a common man's dish! Which means it's right up Yukihira-chi's ally!" Yuki exclaimed with a big smile
'What the hell's going on here?' Subaru thought in shock as the distance between him and Soma suddenly felt so long "his skill….my perfect trace….doesn't work on him!?"
"In the end, the one who had given up thinking wasn't Soma at all. All the hundreds of footsteps in the sand. He left behind as he keeps searching for new ways to perfect his cooking… That is the true measure of a chef" Dojima thought with a smile as Soma's dish was 10 steps farther than that of Mimasaka
The judges took another bite of Sōma's beef stew. To them, the effort and skills put into cooking the dish was like a meaty land of dreams they never wanted to leave. A wonderful amusement parks of a paradise known as Yukihee Land.
After the weird little blissful moment, the judges came to a decision for the semifinal match/Shokugeki.
In a landslide victory of 5-0, Yukihira Sōma won the match.
Everyone instantly cheered as Soma emerged victorious
"it wasn't much" Soma said with a small smirk
Once everyone has settled down, a middle-aged man with black hair, rectangular-shaped glasses, and wore a mellow yellow business suit with playing card patterns on it, stepped into the arena. This man is Kageura Hisanao, the president of the Shokugeki Administration Bureau/Department
Kageura-san held up two documents for the audience to see
"what I have here are the contracts by which Yukihira Sōma's education here at Totsuki would be permanently terminated. And the other one is the life contract of his career as a chef. The headmaster had signed both of them. All that would be required is his thumbprint, and Yukihira Sōma's life here at Totsuki would be over." The man said before he suddenly rips it into two "now that he has won the Shokugeki, they are annulled and therefore useless"
"my perfect trace….failed…" Mimasaka thought in shock before he looks up and sees Soma giving him a plate of his meat dish
"taste it and see the true meaning of cooking" Soma said as Subaru took the plate and then take a bite of the meat
In an instant, a harlequin Soma appeared as he was spinning around in a teacup with Mimasaka Subaru
"…it's….Delicious!" Mimasaka spins around in the teacup before he was sent flying to the air filled with meat
a forklift came as it was hauling in a huge container into the arena.
When the forklift put down its load, Kageura went and opened the container, "According to the results of this Shokugeki, Mimasaka Subaru's right to own these implements have been revoked!" he said as inside was the knives, Mimasaka had taken into his posession
"Also, in the event of Yukihira Sōma's victory, it was his wish that these implements be returned to their former owners." Kageura said as Soma nodded
It took roughly 30 seconds for a stampede to head towards the container. All of these feet belong to the original owners of the cooking knives. Each one of these individuals took back the implements that were taken to from them. It seemed to be a very blissful reunion.
"Um, Yukihira-kun," one of the female students said as she walked up to the redhead, her reacquired knife case cradled carefully in her arms. "I inherited this cleaver when my mother died. It's a family heirloom." She said in tears before she bowed "Thank you. Thank you so much!"
As everyone reobtained their knives, they all sent glares at Mimasaka as they walked pass him with a sneer
"Guess this is it," Subaru said as he sits on his knees "I will leave Totsuki. My life as a chef is over,"
"After this miserable loss, I don't have anything much take pride in," he stated out before he got a knock on the head hard by Soma
"one, that was for stalking me when I was going to Erina's mansion" Soma said "and two, are you stupid? If you do that then the purpose of this Shokugeki would be meaningless"
Subaru looks in confusion to the man before Takumi came into the arena as his Mezzaluna was still in the giant container
"destroying chef's pride and joy just to win? That's not fun at all, cooking with all your heart, now that is fun" Soma said as Takumi grabs hold of his knife case "and also this"
Takumi got in front of Mimasaka as he grabs his collar
"I may have lost to you, but there's no way in hell I'll lose to you next time! If you take one step forward, I'll take two… No! I'll take 10… 100… 1000 steps! This isn't over! I'll get you back for all the humiliation!" Takumi exclaimed before he handed Soma his knife case "till that day comes, the Mezzaluna will be in Yukihira's care, remember! I will come and defeat you!"
Takumi then storms off the arena as Soma sighs to his friend's action
"See? Anybody who's here looking to become a pro chef is like that. We're all hard-core competitors who never back down. Besides, losing at just one matches isn't going to keep anyone down for long." Soma told the man before kneeling down to Subaru's level "I know that sometimes failing so badly can cause your self-confidence to plummet, or even if you've been so humiliated you don't feel like you can set foot in public again. However, the next day, no matter what, there is a possibility that it can get better and that your restaurant has got to open, especially when you know you have people who support you and believe in you. That's what it means to be a chef and anything else you decide to do."
Dojima Gin and Hinako smiled as they knew that the young red headed chef would win and would help a fellow fallen chef out
Subaru looks at the Beef stew in his hand as he sighs before bowing
"thank you…Yukihira" he said as Soma smiled with a nod before standing up
"come by to the Polaris sometimes" Soma told the man "I'll whip you up some of Yukihira's specialties"
Mimasaka nodded as Soma walks off the arena stage
The Stalker King looks to his meal as he takes another bite then another before his braids released as his long hair was shown to everyone
Erina was awaiting Soma to arrive into the lounge as after a few minutes of waiting, the door to the room opened as Soma came in
"Soma! You did it!" Erina congratulated the man before he suddenly fell towards her "Kyaa" she let out a small scream as Soma looks very tired
"sorry, Erina" Soma said while looking tired "spent a whole night cooking and haven't got a good night sleep in a while"
Erina looks to the man before sighing with a smile
She helped him to the couch as Erina laid his head on her lap
"thank you for the hard work" Erina said to the man before giving him a kiss on the forehead
Soma rested himself up as the man quickly snores
the next match started as it was now Hayama Akira vs Kurokiba Ryo
Akira and Ryo looks at each other as fire burns in their eyes
"let the cooking! BEGIN!" Dojima shouted out as the match undergoes in an instant
Erina watches the match as Ryo's dish was based on eel while Hayama was using duck
"both are not giving an edge to the other, huh?" Soma suddenly spoke as the man looks to the screen
"you should be resting," Erina told the man whose eyes just watched the screen
"can't, not while those two are having an awesome match," Soma said with a grin as Erina sighs before smiling as it was just like him to act in that way
(the cooking would be like in the manga, my fingers are going overdrive but it can't make that much and my eyes are going red soon, so very sorry you guys)
"looks like they're reaching the end" Soma said as Kurokiba and Hayama were finishing up their dishes
"both are experts in their dish's main ingredient, and the winner might be anyone's guesses" Erina said before the judging start and the result of the vote was unbelievable
Hinako and Fuyumi voted for Hayama Akira, while Gin and Taki voted for Kurokiba Ryō. But Sonoka was unable to choose between either, which in turn caused outrage among 92% of the audience. Gin practically stepped between his fellow judge and the audience,
"Ladies and gentlemen, I can't say I don't understand her reluctance. These two dishes are that perfectly even with each other." Dojima Gin announced out before he raised a finger "how about if we allow both to participate in the final?"
In an instant, Isshiki, Eizan, Erina, and even Soma appeared on the arena's stage.
"In the case of a Shokugeki when, for whatever reason, the judges can't reach a decision. The match is declared a draw and a rematch is set for a later date, correct?" Dojima asked the three, Elite Ten members
"Correct." Satoshi replied with a smile "But this is the Autumn Election. We have many illustrious guests and VIPs in the audience today. These are very busy people, chef Dōjima. As are the five of you judges, I am sure. Finding an open date on which to have a rematch is, unfortunately, quite impossible."
"Thus my proposition. There is one and only one way to resolve this deadlock." Dojima said with a smile "and that is a three way final autumn selection match!"
This surprised everyone in the audience as Yukihira Soma, Kurokiba Ryo, and Hayama Akira would be in a dead lock match with each other
"I will approve this with my authority as Director of this Academy!" Senzaemon shouted out from a vip lounge room. "Soma Yukihira will join the two of them in the Final Round"
"a three way dead lock match against the two of you, huh?" Soma said as he was face to face with his two rivals before he smirks excitedly "I couldn't ask for more!"
Ryo and Akira felt the same as they smirked to each other and sparks of rivalry flied between the three in the form of a triangle
Isshiki smiled to the three rivals as he knew that having them in the final match would be one interesting and amazing one
"the Harlequin, the Mad Dog, and the Spice Master, in a three way deadlock match," Isshiki thought as he imagined the three wielding weapons of their specialty against each other in a deadly match to the death "who will reign supreme?!"
"now for the finals' dish theme" Eizan said as a staff pushed up a cart with a giant block of ice
"a giant block of ice?" Soma said seeing the giant block
"every year, the finals' dish theme is always changed" Erina told the man before Isshiki grabbed a sledge hammer and slammed it on top of the block of ice
From within the ice, came out Pacific Saury
"Before it was eaten only by the common masses. It's been served in high-end Restaurants in recent years however. I feel an odd sense of fate that all of you will be advancing to the Final Round. Pacific Saury is a fragrant Fish, a highly valued Seafood, and a Fish with deep ties to the common people's table. This Ingredient will allow each of you to capitalize your own strengths. The Match will begin in ten days and I hope it will be an ultimate battle" Isshiki said as everyone marvelled to the high levelled ingredient
"looks like this one is Kurokiba's specialty" Soma said as he grins to Kurokiba who grinned back
Hayama grins as well as the fire within him was raging even more
The final match
Yukihira Soma
VS
Kurokiba Ryo
VS
Hayama Akira
A three way dead lock match of the history
Who shall win and reign supreme!?
That's a wrap!
what do you think?
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Going on a temporary hiatus
Bye bye