"Speaking"
"thinking"
On with the story
Erina was running in the hallway after finishing her exam test as she was on her way to check Soma and the others
"Soma!...everyone!" Erina ran around a corner before she reached to a door and opened it to see Soma and the others ok and fine
"Nakiri-san? Were you running?" Megumi asked Erina as her hair was a mess
"you guys did it, right!? You passed, right?!" Erina asked as Soma nodded and gave her a thumbs up
"we won the exam" Soma said with a grin as this brought a big smile to Erina
Everyone was happy around each other before Nakiri Azami's aide came in
"sorry to cut your short celebration" Hideki said before looking to Hayama who was in the room with Shiomi "but I'm here to informed that Hayama Akira is expelled from the institution"
"what?!" Takumi and Megumi exclaimed in shock to hear such news
"that was the deal" Hayama explained "if I fail, I leave Totsuki"
"I also have news of your friends as well" Hideki said before showing a piece of paper that showed all of the rebels' faces "they are all expelled"
"Hisako….Alice….everyone!" Erina looks in shock as she didn't want to imagine her friends, all gone
"Isami…" Takumi clenches his fists as his younger twin brother was defeated
"everyone….they're gone?!" Megumi thought in tears as the only remaining rebels are just the four of them
"I will go!" Erina exclaimed as everyone looks to her "I will go and beg my father to rescind the expulsion of Hisako and the others"
"what?! No! Nakiri-san!" Megumi tried to reason with Erina but her mind was set and cleared
"where is he?" Erina asked Hideki who pointed up to the ceiling
"at the Helicopter land site" Hideki said before Erina started running out
"wait! Nakiri-san!" Megumi tried to stop Erina but she just keeps on running to find her father and to beg him
Soma watched it all before he walks outside and followed Erina
"are you going after her?" Takumi asked his rival who nodded
Erina reached to the top where she finds her father about to climb onto his helicopter
"Father! Please! Hisako and the others! Please don't expel them!" Erina begged her father
Needless to say, her father didn't agree and was about to leave.
"hey" Soma called out to Azami as the dean turns his head to look at him "isn't it a bad thing to not listen to your own daughter?"
"what are you implying, Yukihira Soma?" Azami asked to Soma who just looks back at Azami with his golden eyes glowing
"a Regiment de Cuisine Shokugeki" Soma said as this got Azami's eyes to perk up
"why do you know that?" Azami asked before seeing Joichiro and Senzaemon appearing behind Soma
"that's because I told him" Joichiro said as he patted his son's shoulder before going to Azami
The two former friends stood against each other face to face
"Saiba-senpai…" Azami spoke out to Joichiro
"been a while, Nakamura" Joichiro greeted him "you know getting your kid mad and sad isn't something a parent should be doing, you know"
Azami wasn't talking as the man's eyes were staring holes at Joichiro
"let's do it…the Shokugeki" Joichiro said to Azami
"and the wager of the match?" Azami asked "all of you have nothing to offer me that would mae it interesting for me"
"really?" Joichiro asked looking at Azami "even if I offered to become one of your pawns if you win?"
This got Azami's face to look surprised to hear Joichiro's offer
"and I add in Yukihira's closure in it as well" Joichiro added in "so, what do you say?"
"then you have yourself a deal" Azami said with an excited smile
"then let me suggest the location of the Shokugeki" Senzaemon explained as the shokugeki will take within an island where the last advancement exam is located at "further rules and details of the shokugeki will be decided upon time permits, is that acceptable?"
"yes, eminently" Azami said with a nod "this is such a good day for me"
"to think that I would be able to show Saiba-senpai, the liberated cooking world"
"that's a very prideful thing to say" Soma spoke out as everyone looks at the redhead chef, His red hair raised up and his golden eyes glowed golden, his entire aura turned dark and raging like fire "but don't think that you would be winning so soon"
Azami merely chuckles before going to his helicopter "I will see it all in Rebun island, farewell"
He entered his helicopter before it flew away as everyone watched it flies away
"now then" Joichiro said as he clapped his hands a few times "it's time to start your training"
"training?" Megumi and Takumi said at the same time
"hey, you think you can take on the Elite Ten with your current skills? Those guys are going to rip you guys to shreds" Joichiro said to them before looking to Soma who was still looking to the sky where Azami's helicopter had left
"you as well, Soma" Joichiro said as Soma turns to look at his father and nodded
With that, their training begun
Joichiro was at a bar as he was drinking some whiskey with him
"you call?" Soma came in as he seated next to his father
"yeah, just needed some father and son bonding time for a second" Joichiro said as Soma ordered a glass of water from the bartender
"what's the real reason you called me here?" Soma asked while thanking for his glass of water
"guess nothing gets pass you once you're in a serious mood, huh?" Joichiro said while shaking his drink
"you, Dojima Gin, and Nakiri Azami, what happened between you three in the past?" Soma asked
Joichiro took a sip of his drink before placing it down on the table
"Soma" Joichiro started off with a small speak as he looks at his reflection from the glass "I never graduated from Totsuki"
"what do you mean?" Soma asked as Joichiro gives a long sigh before grabbing his drink again
"let me tell you a story" Joichiro said as Soma crossed his arms while looking at his father
On another part of the train was Dojima Gin who was in conversation with Takumi and Megumi
"the truth is, the greatest student of the 69th generation was not me" Dojima said "but it was Joichiro"
He told the two everything about Joichiro's past, his past of horrendous achievements and his past filled with tragedy
"his talent destroyed him, made him into losing his own joy of cooking, everything looks normal but inside, the man was breaking apart because of cooking" Dojima said with a solemn frown as Megumi and Takumi were awestruck to hear the story of Joichiro's sad past
"in the end, he dropped out of Totsuki and left" Dojima said while looking at his highschool photo with Joichiro and Azami "that's when Azami started to change"
"that's the whole story" Joichiro said looking at his drink "I won't blame you if you let it in on one ear and letting it out on the other. And I'm sure Gin is apologizing is apologizing to your friends, right now"
Soma looks at his father before sighing and standing up from his seat
"you sure went through a lot, pops" Soma said and started to leave the bar "but you came back right?" Joichiro looks to his son as he was about to leave the bar through the door "you're still cooking right here and right now, right?"
Joichiro felt a smile forming around his lips as he sighs before finishing his drink
"I'm going to take a dump first" Soma said "gotten stressed up for a while"
Joichiro chuckles to his son's words and looks to him before seeing a dark aura around him
"Soma….did you used that knife?" Joichiro asked as he saw himself beside his son, and it was his past self, the Shura within him
That's a wrap!
Bye bye