"Speaking"
"thinking"
On with the story
A few hours before Soma's match against Asahi
Erina and the others were face to face with Senzaemon
"g-grandfather!?" Erina looks in surprise "why are you here?!"
"it has been a while, father" Mana greeted him as Senzaemon nodded
"just a minute, Senzaemon-dono" Takumi spoke out "you said that you know why Yukihira became like that?"
"indeed" Senzaemon said nodding
"what happened to him?" Megumi asked
"let's take this conversation a bit more private" Senzaemon said as he started walking away "there is a few people that can explain to you all…especially to Erina"
Erina looks to her grandfather before following him with Takumi and the others coming behind
Senzaemon lead them to a room down to the corner of the hall where Joichiro and Dojima Gin were seated there alongside with a woman who Erina felt like she has seen her before
"yo, Erina-chan" Joichiro greeted her with a smile
"Joichiro-san!? Dojima-san too!?" Erina looks in surprise as everyone entered the room
"so, she's Mana-san daughter, eh?" the woman said with a smile
"yes," Senzaemon said "Erina, let me introduce to you"
"her name is Ebisawa Riko, a 70th generation Totsuki Alumnus and also mentor to Yukihira Soma when he was young"
"Ebisawa Riko, that Ebisawa Riko?!" Takumi exclaimed in surprise
"you know her, Takumi-kun?" Megumi asked as Takumi nodded
"she's the first female chef to have ever gained 3 Michelin stars for her restaurant in just one go!" Takumi explained as the chef was a great legend
"you flatter me, Takumi Aldini" Riko said with a smile
"why did you bring us here?" Erina asked Senzaemon
"not yet, not all of us are here yet" Senzaemon said before
"GRANDFATHER! SORRY TO KEEP YOU WAITING!" Erina hears the familiar shouting of her cousin as on cue came Alice with Hisako
"Alice?! Hisako!" Erina looks surprised as she was confused on why they were here "why are you two here?"
"ah! It's because we got asked to do something from Grandfather and Joichiro-san of course!" Alice said with a happy face "ah, by the way! It's nice to see you again, Dojima-san!"
"yes" Gin nodded with a smile
"did you bring him?" Senzaemon asked as Alice nodded
"it was hard trying to find him but Hishoko and I just caught him just in time before he left the country!" Alice said before she went out and pulled someone's hand into the room "now get in here, Uncle!"
Erina then saw her father, Nakiri Azami yet again only this time the man looks different than usual
"fa…ther…" Erina looks in surprise to see him again after the Regiment de Cuisine Shokugeki as she had thought that it would be the last time, she would ever speak/ see him ever again
"good" Senzaemon said crossing his arms "everyone is now gathered around"
Azami took a seat beside Gin as he crosses his fingers on his lap
"why…did you call me here?" Azami asked
"you're related in all of this, remember?" Joichiro asked "and you're also partly responsible in changing Soma as well"
"he what!?" Erina exclaimed
"it's true," Senzaemon said "Azami gave his cooking teachings to young Yukihira and changed him to the man he is now"
"why!?" Erina shouted at her father "you've changed Soma! You turned him into a monster!"
Azami looks down before Senzaemon holds his granddaughter's shoulder and stopped her from trying to kill Azami
"I'm not finished, Erina" Senzaemon said "it is true that Azami gave his cooking teachings and everything towards Yukihira but not willingly"
"what? What do you mean?" Erina asked confused but still furious over her father
"Yukihira Soma…he wanted me to teach him everything about my cooking technique through a Shokugeki" Azami said
"he….what?" Erina said in shock
"Soma tracked down Azami and forced him into a shokugeki" Joichiro said "and he won against Azami"
"then…Azami gave Yukihira what he wanted…is that what you are saying?" Takumi said as Joichiro nodded
"I believe this is where I explain the rest" Riko said as she coughs a bit to her fist "I've known Soma ever since he was a little boy. When I first saw him in the kitchen, I thought he had no cooking talent. He also gives the impression of a second-rate chef. It wasn't until the day when Tamako, Joichiro's wife and Soma's mother passed away that I realized I was wrong." Ebisawa explained "I saw it"
"saw what?" Erina asked
"the Shura's Blood" Ebisawa said as the image of Soma's entire aura was just like Joichiro in the past "just like in the past when Joichiro defeated 50 chefs in just one day. That day I saw the same thing within Soma"
"Soma's will, his determination to cook was tainted on the day, Tamako passed away" Joichiro said as he remembered his wife's passing "he hated seeing the people he loved, going away. Especially Tamako"
"he wanted to make so many dishes for her but could never achieve it when she passed away" Joichiro spoke out "I tried to prevent Soma from becoming like me…to stop him from destroying himself..but I was too weak"
Soma standing on top of a pile of defeated Chefs as demon's hands gripped his shoulder while Soma made an evil grin
"his talent already surpassed mine" Joichiro said with a solemn look
"Nakiri Erina, do you remember the black knife, Soma has used in his time at Totsuki?" Riko asked as Erina nodded
"that black knife was once mine" Joichiro said "I've used that knife many times during my time at Totsuki…it was when I was about to go to BLUE that I decided to seal it away"
"then, is the Black knife making Yukihira more dangerous?" Takumi asked as Riko nodded
"in the past, the chef's knife shows the skill of a chef but that black knife is cursed" Dojima said as the image of Joichiro in his youth while holding the black knife appeared in his mind "that knife has been used so many times that it has been cursed by Joichiro for sealing it away"
"how do we stop him!?" Erina exclaimed "do we need to take away the black knife!? I will do it! He will let me do it!"
"it's not that of a simple task, Erina" Senzaemon said "the real reason of why Yukihira Soma needed the teachings of Azami…was because of you"
"me…?" Erina looks in confusion
"Soma loves you and you love him…if he sees you get taken away just like his mother…what do you think he would do just to prevent that from happening?" Joichiro asked as Erina's eyes started to tear up "he wanted to keep protecting you…to prevent you from disappearing in his life….and because of that..he is willing to sacrifice his own life just for you"
"because of me….Soma is…." Erina muttered out as her tears started to fall nonstop
"Erina!" "Erina!" "E~Ri~Na!" "Erina!" "ERINA!" "erina"
Soma's voice keeps calling out to her as she recalled all of the times, the two had spent together, the smiles they both share, and the times Soma had come to save her
"he protected me so many times! And yet….i keep forcing him on!" Erina felt guilt striking her heart as Alice and Hisako went to her to console her
"but it's not too late" Riko said as Everyone looks to her "there is still away to save him before it's too late"
"how? His skill surpassed that of Joichiro-san and he even defeated an Alumnus like Nakamura Azami, how on earth are we supposed to defeat him?" Takumi said
"not any of us" Riko said before looking to Erina "only you, Erina"
"Erina-sama?" Hisako said
"none of us can hope to defeat Soma, even Saiba Asahi who I can tell will be defeated by Soma" Riko said before pulling out a suitcase that belonged to Soma and opened the case before turning it around towards Erina and the others "but you can save him, Erina"
In the case was the white knife and Soma's white headband and bracelet
"this white knife belonged to Tamako, she gave it to Soma before she passed away. It's a memento of hers" Joichiro explained as he takes the white knife and gives it to Erina "use it, Erina. Use this knife and save Soma"
Erina looks at the knife as she takes it and felt a warm wind past fly her
"this knife…..the feeling to it…it's amazing!"
Erina then takes Soma's signature headband and bracelet as she wears the bracelet alongside hers and wraps the white headband around her wrist
"there is also one dish that will help you as well" Joichiro said while lifting up a finger "this dish was Soma's number one favourite dish cause this is what Tamako always makes for him when he was little"
Erina nodded as she listened to the dish
"it's fried rice" Joichiro said as this made Erina and the others sweatdrop
"fried rice?" everyone said in unison as Joichiro nodded
That's a wrap!
Bye bye