SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 39 out, this is Chapter 40 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts? So, please be a dear and read and review. Seriously guys, we need more obscure Sailor Moon crossover fics!
Disclaimers: Shokugeki no Souma and Sailor Moon belong to Tsukuda Yūto-sensei and Takeuchi Naoko-sensei respectively. Me, on the other hand, own absolutely nothing, except the pairings in this fic and plot, I hope.
Pairings: Unofficial!Takumi/Ami, Souma/Megumi later, established!Isami/Makoto
Chapter 40: A Single Blade
"I'd say you just proved the saying 'Know your enemy, know thyself and you shall not fear a hundred battles.'" Saitō quoted. "Takumi Aldini. You may be my enemy, but I applaud your tenacity."
On the sidelines...
"Nii-chan." Isami held up a hand for a high-five.
"That win was definitely worth it." Marui declared.
"Now Central has only four people left." Hisako agreed.
"I never knew you had such a vindictive streak." Ami teased.
"Eizan-senpai picked a fight first." Takumi retorted, before pulling the heiress into a kiss.
"Oh my..." Alice broke the silence that blanketed over the area at the unexpected show of affection.
"Since when were you two in that kind of relationship, Takumi-cchi?" Yoshino teased.
"I'll deal with you later." a heavily blushing and embarrassed Ami promised.
"On that, I'm sure.' Takumi smirked.
"The next match is Saitō Sōmei-senpai versus Yukihira Souma." Urara got her bearings back. "Their theme is butter."
"The theme of this match is butter, right?" Yoshino wondered. "I wonder what kind of dish uses butter to bring out its fullest potential."
"Now that you mention it, what even is a butter dish?" Shōji pondered.
"It's not something you use as a main ingredient." Ibusaki pointed out.
"Maybe they'll saute white fish or scallops in butter?" Daigo suggested.
"But would that make butter the main ingredient?" Mito asked.
"They maybe baked potatoes with butter." Yoshino piped in.
"That's too simple." Sakaki reminded.
"I'm sure Yukihira will think of something." Hisako was confident. "Butter was one of the items used in Erina-sama's butter seminar, after all."
"What was your lecture like, Erina?" Alice asked.
"We covered the full Western history of butter as well as it's chemical components." Erina answered. "Yukihira is basically a butter professor now."
"There are actually only a few dishes that don't use butter in French cuisine." Hayama recalled.
"Butter is also often used in northern Europe, too." Kurokiba added. "There are plenty of ways to use it."
"I wonder what Saitō-senpai has up his sleeve." Alice remarked.
"Oranges?" Sakaki gaped when Saitō halves several oranges.
"He's started juicing a ton of oranges." Mito noted.
I see. Erina realized what Saitō was doing. It appears that Saitō-senpai's goal is...
"This makes me even more curious to see what he'll come up with." Urara's interest was piqued. "Now, let's see what kind of preparations Yukihira Souma is doing. Is that... mochi?" she blinked at the packaged mochi.
In the arena...
"Yup, kirimochi." Souma grinned. "You guys really do have all kinds of ingredients. I threw in some chopped up kirimochi into a pot of heated soy milk, stirred it up and once it all melted, I added some pepper and salt to make my imitation white sauce."
At the judges' table...
"Usually white sauce is made by heating butter and flour mixed in a roux, then diluting it into a thick sauce with milk." Charme noted.
"Wouldn't you usually try to use butter in it, since it's the theme?" Histoire inquired. "Why use mochi?"
"We'll find out as soon as we try his dish." Anne reasoned. "I believe that's what he's implying."
On the sidelines...
"Both contestants are now throwing their theme ingredient, butter, into their frying pans." Urara declared.
At the judges' table...
"Mister Yukihira is sauteing chicken, onions, shrimp and rice." Anne noticed.
"Meanwhile Saitō Sōmei is letting the garlic's aroma settle in for a moment, then throwing in some soy sauce, squid and squid liver." Histoire added.
"He's heightening the wonderful aroma of the sea coming from the seafood with the rich scent of butter." Charme gushed.
In the arena...
No, Saitō refuted the judges' observations. He's still simmering something in that covered pot. Since I'm facing him, I can tell. This man has not actually drawn his blade yet. How interesting. Let's see how well you can entertain me when you finally strike, before I slice you into half, that is. "Now, let's see if you'll be able to take my strike." he presented his dish.
On the sidelines...
"Salmon meunière, piping hot ans steaming with the rich aroma of butter." Kurokiba recognized the dish.
"Sauteed squid liver, boldly fragrant with the scents of garlic and soy sauce." Hayama added.
"And a gleaming mound of glittery salmon roe marinated in soy sauce." Alice concluded.
"It's a gathering of the ultimate gourmet ingredients." Marui declared.
"Saitō Sōmei-senpai has created an amazing buttered seafood rice bowl." Urara announced.
At the judges' table...
"Even more steam came out as soon as I dug in with my chopsticks." Anne cut the salmon slice. "The anticipation is warming up my body."
"This gleaming seafood is riding upon a wave of butter that's about to come crashing down on my tongue." Histoire was overwhelmed by the flood of seafood flavor.
I just can't stop eating it. All three judges gobbled down the rice bowl.
The salmon is perfectly cooked. Histoire praised. The trace amounts of sugar in the flour combines with the butter in a chemical reaction, creating a wonderful fragrant and perfect meunière.
The butter is gently wrapping the saltiness and pleasant bitterness of the squid liver. Even Anne was impressed.
He added pomegranate seeds and tonburi to the roe he marinated with soy sauce. Charme recognized the additional flavors. The three separate flavors are brought together perfectly by the butter.
On the sidelines...
"He used mounds of butter and yet, the flavor doesn't seem heavy due to an important secret in the sushi rice." Erina added. "It's a special sushi rice made with orange and lemon juice rather than vinegar."
"Of course, if you add a clump of grease, such as butter, to seafood that's already greasy, the flavor would be too rich." Marui continued.
"To lighten the greasiness into a more pleasing and palatable flavor, he chose to use the refreshing tang of oranges." Ibusaki noted.
"Many staple French sauces traditionally used butter and oranges together." Hisako supplied. "He even paid attention to the rice, all to bring out the most in the butter."
"And because of that, he was able to bring out the best of the butter's aroma." Hayama concluded.
"He really brought it out to another level." Kurokiba admitted.
"It's as though his dish is a samurai who put his entire spirit into his blade and is poised to strike at any moment." Isshiki stated.
At the judges' table...
It's amazing! Anne scuffed the rice into her mouth. It's too amazing!
We still have to deliberate. Charme reminded himself.
But I'll be satisfied if I filled up on this one plate. Histoire mused.
On the sidelines...
"As much as I hate to say this, I'm sure that seafood rice bowl is satisfying as hell." Mito admitted. "It's definitely a dish in a single bowl."
"I thought the theme would give Yukihira an advantage, but..." Yoshino was no certain.
"No one expected he'd be able to bring butter to that level with a seafood bowl." Sakaki remarked.
"That ingredient usually has nothing to do with sushi." Isami pointed.
At the judges' table...
"My duty lies in sushi." Saitō assured. "That's why I was able to use butter at this level. People believe that the fish makes or breaks the sushi, but that's not the only important factor. The true stars of the dish are the supporting actors in the shadows, the vinegar and salt. Only when they are in perfect balance, can the fish, the main ingredient, show it's true power. It's not just with sushi. With any dish, the chef must know the best base ingredients and the best way to use them to make the blade known as 'fish' gleam. Which means that all base ingredients are within my field; no, they all lie within reach of me."
On the sidelines...
"He's not just talking out of his ass, either." Kurokiba confirmed. "No matter how delicious the fish itself might be, depending on how you use the base ingredients, the whole dish could be ruined."
"Where the hell does his obsession with fish come from?" Hayama wondered.
"Saitō-senpai's family runs a small shop, but it thrived, loved by its regulars." Isshiki explained. "His mother was his pride. She ran the restaurant and raised her son on her own and even managed to get him into Tōtsuki." he then recounted on how the older Saitō woman was going to get trained in the famous Shigarami Sushi. "But what awaited his mother at her training were harsh conditions and customs. The old-fashioned way of thinking where women were not allowed to step foot into the kitchen; she wasn't even allowed to touch the rice, let alone the fish and was forced to do chores. She continued to work from morning to night, but eventually, she reached her limit. And that's how Saitō-senpai made his way up, all on his own, with fish as his blade."
At the judges' table...
It's true that this butter seafood rice bowl has his style dwelling within it. Anne admitted.
If the fish is his blade, the butter is his sheath. Histoire mused.
This is essentially swordplay on a dish. Charme noted. Any who tasted it and stand before it's lightning strike slash, will fall.
On the sidelines...
"Amazing, Saitō-senpai." Urara squealed. "He managed to split all the judges into two with one bowl."
"The enemy managed to bring out the full potential of butter." Ibusaki admitted.
"Will Yukihira be able to win?" Marui wondered.
In the arena...
"I might actually be in trouble." Souma admitted to himself.
There are some things that only opponents acing each other can understand. Saitō knew where Souma was coming from. You already see it, don't you, Yukihira Souma? You see your blade being shattered by me.
"You cooking really is amazing." Souma confessed. "So, why the heck did someone like you side with the Azami Administration?"
"The reason I joined this revolution is to follow Bushido and to protect the weak.?" Saitō answered.
"I see." Souma nodded. "But in that case, we're in the same boat. And for the sake of my ideal cooking world, I'm gonna use this dish to face off with you. All right, order up." he opened the oven. "Dig in!" he pulled out the inarizushi sushi he had baking. "I call it Yukihira Style: Toasted-Butter Pilaf Inari Sushi!"
On the sidelines...
"He must had abura-age pockets simmering in that pot." Sakaki realized.
"Those inari sushi have pilaf in them rather than sushi rice?" Yoshino gawked.
At the judges' table...
"The impact is intense." Charme gasped, all three judges had their stomachs instantly growl due to the butter's aroma.
On the sidelines...
"Usually, with inari sushi, it's important to have the sweet abura-age balanced with the mild flavor of the sushi rice." Mito explained. "No matter how you look at it, the butter pilaf is going to make it heavy."
At the judges' table...
Just bringing out the butter is no enough for our theme in this match. Saitō mused. So, let us see the answer you came up with.
The butter that seeped into the abura-age keeps spreading through my mouth every time I chew. Anne squealed, taking a bite. Even my mind is being drenched in butter.
The abura-age is so juicy and yet the pilaf inside is so delicate. Histoire mused.
The flavors don't overwhelm each other. Charme was enjoying the full flavors. The unami of the ingredients keep flowing like a geyser.
"First, I sauteed the rice without washing it." Souma explained. "That's the key when you're making pilaf. Then, I thoroughly washed the abura-age with hot water to remove the extra oil. But the most important part of my dish is my special mochi white sauce made with soy milk and kirimochi."
"I see." Histoire realized. "Conventional white sauce made with flour and butter would overwhelm this dish."
"There is a rich texture, but it doesn't linger." Charme added. "The light flavor of this mochi white sauce is absolutely essential."
"Then, I sprinkled a blend of special cheeses on top of everything and toasted them in the oven." Souma stated.
"Because of that, the saltiness and mellowness are preserved." Anne gushed.
"Basically, I shoved all the tasty things I could think of into this dish, and pushed the rich, savory flavors as hard as I could." Souma declared.
Some ingredients melted with the butter's richness into mellow deliciousness and other ingredients have become richer because of the butter. Anne mused. There is an immense amount of work put into every one of these small inari sushi pockets.
The mochi white sauce subdues the greasiness, so each of the flavors reach its peak in harmony. Charme gushed.
This is a huge contrast with Saitō Sōmei's single heavy strike. Histoire admitted. This blade is a continuous barrage of flavors.
"How did you..." Saitō was impressed. "How did you become this strong?"
"Because I knew I was gonna be in trouble." Souma replied. "I knew I couldn't defeat you with just a single blade."
"This cheese blend balances out the dish with its saltiness." Charme gaped.
"I see." Histoire realized. "Aldini must have put this together so it'd go along with these inari sushi."
"I finally understand." Anne piped in. "The reason this dish is so rich, but not overwhelming. It's Miss Tadokoro Megumi's apple butter. It's refreshing taste cuts back on the greasiness."
I see... Saitō mused. So this is a true Team Shokugeki. But, this cannot be the work of just three. "I spent all this time polishing my blade so that I would not lose, yet you don't care how many blades you break in order to win. So you also truly a warrior of Bushido."
"Nah, I'm just a plain first-year kid." Souma corrected. "But I've faced off with a lot of people. That might be how I got all these ideas. I'm pretty sure everything I've learned from everyone at Tōtsuki is right here backing me up. I'm a Tōtsuki Academy High School first-year and a member of the 92th Graduating Class. I'm Yukihira Souma."
Because of the helplessness I felt with my mother, I thought the weak should be protected. Saitō mused. I thought that was why I became stronger. But Yukihira doesn't label other chefs weak or strong. He learned from every blade he has ever faced. You are the one who has truly walked the path of Bushido. "I have lost." he conceded.
"It is unanimous." Histoire declared. "The winner is Yukihira Souma of the resistance."
SailorStar9: Any OOC-nes is regretted. *Grins* Don't you just love plot bunnies sometimes? Reviews are much appreciated.