Chapter 56: Salvaged Home

'Transference of Deeds pertaining to the Kyokusei Dormitory, within the grounds of Tōtsuki Academy, signed 1872'.

Those words at the top of the document had made Isshiki's heart thump harder in his chest. Hope... he felt hope. He tried to look further at the document but was thwarted by his fellow second year hand, as Kensuke then bolted from the room looking the most determined he'd ever seen him.

The seventh seat had been expecting his fellow second year to be heading to where Sōma and Eizan were, by now, finishing their food war. Yet, to Isshiki's confusion; and slight apprehension, Kensuke had run all the way to the school legal department and all but dragged a lawyer with them towards an awaiting car. "Take us to Kyokusei dorm!" Kensuke had demanded at the driver, who blinked at the roused third seat.

And so no more than ten minutes later, this was where Isshki found himself, standing outside his school dormitory digging his nails into the palms of his hands and trying to keep his rising temper in check. Watching the almost 'pitche battle' between Eizan's followers, trying to break down his home that his dorm mates were defending, was infuriating. What had once seemed, assumedly by Eizan to be an easy task, was now given over to chaos and confusion.

Isshiki could make out smoke balloons, water balloons being utilised by his fellow dorm mates to keep the invaders from getting inside. "Get back you worthless assholes!" The unmistakeable voices of Shōji and Daigo yelled appearing at the main doors gripping riot shields, as Ryōko and Shun held flowing water hoses in the direction of central's followers.

"I'll have their heads for this!" Isshiki growled, mo longer feeling the pain from his nails digging into his hands, as he and Kensuke stood beside the car that had driven them to the dormitory. "Damn you, Eizan!"

He was immediately interrupted from making any further pronouncements of disgust by the cars driver sending off a short sharp blast of the horn before revving the engine, before then driving away, leaving the two Council of Ten members. Instantaneously, the 'pitched battle' before them ceased and the involved parties turned around or looked towards them in confusion at the departing black sedan car and two of the Ten.

"You will desist from further intruding upon grounds not within Tōtsuki, or Central's, sphere of influence", Kensuke growled. His voice was commanding, resulting in a few of Eizan's followers openly flinching. "You are trespassing on land that Tōtsuki doesn't own! This land and the building were given by the schools second Director to the first Dorm Master a century ago! Therefore Central, and Eizan, has no right to evict the Kyokusei residents out of their own property!"

Removing the parchment from his jacket pocket whilst also holding a book that he had removed from the Tōtsuki archives, the third seat gestured to the lawyer that he had dragged here with him. "The school lawyer, Tetsuya Koji shall authenticate this historical document and ensure that Kyokusei remains out of the hands of Tōtsuki and Central".

Just as Kensuke was about to speak again, one of Eizan's bailiffs barged forwards and attempted to grab the document. "If no such paper exists then the eviction can continue..." The very blatant attempt at destruction of deeds, which could have nullified the century old agreement, was stopped by Isshiki bolting forwards and slamming his fist into the guys face. Knocking him to the ground, with a bloody nose.

"Don't you even think about fucking messing with Kyokusei, now that we have legal independence!" Isshiki's narrowed eyes and deep voice frightened Ryōko, and made Yuki cower behind her but it was Megumi who made her way down the steps of the dorm towards her brother.

"Ken...?"

Yet just as the blue haired girl reached her bother and reached out a hand to him, the older dark haired glasses wearing boy held out the document towards her. "This belongs to the mistress of Kyokusei dorm, and be kept upon dorm premise henceforth. Central will not, and cannot, act against such a legally binding transference of land and property ownership".

Throwing her arms tightly around her brother, Megumi openly wept tears of relief and gratefulness. And guessing from the similar sounds of crying coming from behind her, she knew that her friends were all of the same thought. "I-I-I don't know what to say... I'm just so happy right now!" Megumi didn't care that she was bawling her eyes out, she was just so happy for her dorms continued survival. Now all she wanted was for Sōma to make it back so she could 'kill' him for making her worry.

Slowly disentangling herself from the embrace with her brother, Megumi dried her eyes on the sleeve of her cardigan before taking the parchment.

Looking over the black ink kanji script, which appeared as fresh and crisp as the day they were first written nearly a century ago, gave her a great sense of honour and joy. Turning her head, she nodded at her fellow Kyokusei dorm mates to come forwards; which they did with great aplomb, to read the document together.

Then all together the Kyokusei dorm mates leapt in the air and cheered as they all realised that what Kensuke had said before, about Eizan having no right to evict them, was true. Their home was free from both Eizan's plots and from Tōtsuki. "It appears..." Yuki grinned striding forwards and pointing at the shell acolytes of Eizan, "that Kyokusei shall not be demolished. Now, would you please vacate our property before we get legal on your asses!"

From his place beside Kensuke, Isshiki bolted forwards and embraced his fellow dorm mates. "Guys... please know I wasn't just sitting idly by..." the seventh seat then found himself lunged upon by his friends all hugging him and reaffirming their trust in him. "We never thought I'll of you Isshiki! You live here with us all after all", Ryōko grinned. "Yeah, Kyokusei all the way!" Shōji and Daigo yelled concessively.

"I wonder how... crap we forgot about how Sōma is getting on!" Zenji announced frantically, resulting in everyone blushing in embarrassment. Megumi spun around and was about to bolt indoors to watch the school food war channel when she saw Hisako exit the building grinning. "He's done it!" The rose haired girl exclaimed grinning. "Sōma beat Eizan!"

It was as if all her worry and exhaustion had just caught up to her at that precise moment, but Megumi wobbled on her feet before being caught in the arms of Ryōko and Kensuke. Which made the purple haired girl blush, as she was standing next to her forbidden crush. "Thanks Ken~" Ryōko sighed dreamily before mentally kicking herself and being helped by Hisako to carry Megumi inside the dormitory.

"Hey... you're Megumi's brother", Yuki exclaimed strutting forwards and pointing outwards. "And you're a the third seat on the Ten, so why are you supporting a director who is threatening her, and everyone else's, culinary dreams!"

"Yuki!" Ishhiki interrupted, upon seeing a look of shame etch its way onto Kensuke's face. Turning around to face his fellow councillor, Isshiki bowed his head and spoke carefully. "Ken, we of Kyokusei, are all grateful to you for finding this document, which protects us from Central's overreach..." the bowing of his head led the others, minus Ryōko and Hisako who had carried Megumi indoors, in showing their relief and gratitude as well.

"However; as different as Yuki could have phrased her question, she does raise a point. You voted to name Azami school Director, but I can clearly see in your eyes confusion. So why... why are you defending us when your a part of Central?" Visibly flinching, Kensuke made to turn around and walk away, not wanting to be confronted about being conflicting between his own culinary continuity and his wish to never be a burden. Unfortunately, Isshiki grabbed his arm.

"Ken. Please talk to me?"

"I just want to cook... all I want is to be able to not feel as if I'm perpetually inside a pressure cooker. I know that people have different culinary styles, and I know they're are going to be loads of dissatisfied students... but all I want is to never again feel presumed to know what I want is set in stone!"

With a hard jerk, Kensuke managed to get free from Isshiki's grip and then walk back towards the awaiting car. "I didn't know Eizan would do this, nor did I know anything about Erina being confined to the Nakiri mansion. Yet, I willingly go along with Director Azami as he promises me a world free from that hell!"

Before Isshiki could muster another word, Kensuke clambered back into the car and slammed the door shut, yet for a brief moment the seventh seat could clearly see tears shining in his friends eyes. "Ken..." Isshiki murmured, as the car drove off leaving a cloud of dust behind it. "Why don't you talk, instead of becoming so deeply conflicted".

He was about to turn back towards his dorm mates when he spotted the familiar tuft of red hair, walking through the gates. "Sōma!" The sheer excitement and exasperation from the others made Isshiki want to laugh out loud, but instead he kept himself composed and lunged forwards and wrapped the redhead boy in a tear filled embrace. "Sōma... thank you! You saved the food war system for the school!"

With that usual grin plastered across his face the residents of Kyokusei dorm couldn't stay mad at Sōma for long, therefore a "party" was declared for their redheads victory. "Hey, guys" Sōma asked ponying to the parchment that Yuki was holding, "what's that?" Now it was their turn to grin, gleefully, the defiant residents all exclaimed: "Kyokusei's independence!"

"No fricking way!" It took all he could muster to not inadvertently shake with disbelief as he read the words on the parchment before him. The document in his hands was remarkably clear, and as well as the signed legal note attached from Tōtsuki's lawyers, the meaning had been reaffirmed forever now.

Legal Document:

As you all know Tōtsuki stands on land that was once owned by the old Tokugawa shogunate; from whom my ancestor Ryōjō Nakiri was given permission to build this Academy. However, when Emperor Meiji took back control of his government, and the shogunate was disbanded, Ryōjō decided to not remove Kyokusei, as he liked the idea of keeping a remnant of the last shogunate around school. As the Nakiri family were despondent at the fall of the Tokugawa's from power.

To spite the Imperial Family.

And so on this crisp autumnal day in 1908. I, Ieyasu Nakiri, relinquish land ownership of; and the deeds to, the building known as Kyokusei to the stewardship of mister Anzai Itō'.

R.I.P - Violetta Elvin (ballerina)