Food Wars: Conquering the Mountain

by Kuro no okami 23

The 92nd Class of Totsuki set the culinary world ablaze with their skill and determination. Now as the years passed and the Jewel Generation continues to make names for themselves, it is now time for a new generation to rise. When a young chef from America travels to Japan to attend Totsuki, things will never be the same. These are the tales of the Steel Generation!

3. Chapter 3

Food Wars: Conquering the Mountain

Chapter 3: The First Hurdle

As the sun rose on a new day in the city of Tokyo, Luke Anders awoke at the crack of dawn both from habit and from excitement with just a touch nervousness. Today was the day that he would take the Transfer Exam for Totsuki Academy. If he passed, this would set his culinary career on a sure fire path to success. Luke was currently in his room in Hinako's house with his feet on the bed and his hands on the floor doing some push-ups. He always liked to do some light workouts in the morning to keep himself in shape. It was a habit that had been ingrained in him after he started to get more serious about his health.

After doing a few more push-ups, Luke got off of his bed and laid on his back so he could do some sit ups. After that, he got back to his feet and did a few martial arts combinations with his fists and feet. He specialized in Muay Thai, but he incorporated a few different styles into that as well. After he was done with his combos, his body was covered in a thin sheen of seat and the morning sun rays became brighter as they entered into his room. Luke took a deep breath in before he left his room and headed to the bathroom, easily avoiding being seen in his underwear by Hinako. His relationship with the older chef was rather pleasant, even though they had only known each other for a day she had given him some really good ideas for dishes he could make in the future and told him to be prepared for Totsuki because you never knew what could happen at the school. Luke was grateful for the advice, any help that he could get would be appreciated.

Luke entered the bathroom and jumped into the shower to clean off the sweaty from his morning workout and to wake up the last bit of tiredness from his body. After cleaning off his body, Luke headed out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He headed back into his room and got ready for the day ahead. He knew that he would be cooking since that was the entire test he was going to take, so he wanted to wear clothes that were comfortable enough in the kitchen. Luke pulled on a pair of grey socks with some underwear and over that he wore a pair of black cargo pants. He threw on a light grey t-shirt with a red, long-sleeved shirt over it along with his shoes, hat, and all of his accessories.

He grabbed his backpack and put his knife roll and his chef coat inside, if he was going to pass this test, he would do it his way. With his style. He also put his hat in his backpack as well just in case he needed to wear something on his head. With everything that he needed to take the test, Luke left his room and headed downstairs. Once he got to the bottom level, he saw Hinako standing in the kitchen in her pajamas with a mug of coffee in her hands. She actually looked rather nicely despite having the appearance of just waking up.

Hinako noticed the young man coming towards her and gave him a smile, "Good Morning, Luke." She said happily.

Luke inclined his head to the chef, "Good morning to you as well Chef. I'm surprised to see you awake given the late night that you got home last night." He said. The night earlier when Luke was still falling asleep, he heard Hinako come into the house, wobbly and delirious from an obviously busy night. Luke didn't want to bother the older woman, so he let her do her thing before she fell asleep. Thankfully she didn't pass out in the hallway.

Hinako yawned, "Well, today is my only day off so I don't plan on staying up for much longer. I just wanted to hydrate myself," she said holding up the glass of water in her hand, "Oh also. Something arrived for your last night." She said moving over to her front door. Luke raised an eyebrow, but a smile soon formed on his face when he saw the female chef carrying a set of keys that he knew all too well.

"When I was coming home last night, a delivery man was dropping this off for you. Apparently, it came from your home state." Hinako said handing him the keys.

Luke nearly snatched the keys right out of Hinako's hands before he let loose a cry of joy. He ran passed the chef and headed outside where he saw the familiar shape of his reliable motorcycle Slepnir in the front driveway.

Luke cheered, "Ha ha, awesome! Aniki was able to send me Slepnir faster than I thought!" he said as he mounted his trusted steed.

"Well, it seems like you already know what this machine is." Hinako said as she stumbled out of her house to meet Luke in the driveway.

Luke smiled at her, "Yes I do. My older brother passed this on to me after I got my license. A day hasn't gone by when I haven't ridden this beast somewhere." He said as he placed his gear into the side compartment of Slepnir.

"Well, I hope that your trusty steed serves you well. I want to wish you the best of luck on your test today. You can never really tell what Totsuki is going to throw at you so be prepared for anything." Hinako advised.

Luke smiled as he grabbed his helmet, "Trust me chef, if there is one thing that I have learned from my time in the culinary industry it's to expect the unexpected." He said as he pulled on his helmet and revved the engine of Slepnir.

Hinako gave Luke once last smile and waved him off before he drove off, ready to take his exam head on.

"Good luck," she said before she yawned, "Okay, back to bed." She said before she headed back into her home to get some more sleep.

Food Wars

As Luke made his way to Totsuki, several other potential students made their way onto the school grounds. As anyone could expect from the school's reputation, many of the potential students were dressed to the nines in fancy clothing and being escorted by butlers or bodyguards. Even though the school had become a mecca for children who came from common eateries, the ruthlessness of the school itself made it very hard for anyone who wanted to make it in but those with higher standings thought they had it made. Not too mention, those that had connections and a lot more training obviously caught the eye of a lot of the higher ups in Totsuki but there were always those select few that knew how to shake up the game.

Among the few potential students who came onto the Totsuki campus, there were a few young individuals who caught the eyes of some of the examiners. One of them was young girl with straight cut black hair that reached her shoulders with dark brown eyes, slightly pale skin, and a nicely developed figure for a girl of 15. She was dressed in a pair of black stockings with black shoes, a dark green skirt, a leopard skin shirt, and what looked to be a dark green army jacket. The coat itself may have looked a bit odd to some people but the young girl made it work for her.

The girl's image wasn't the only thing that made her look interesting but the fact that she was surrounded by several men and women and a number of motorcycles. The young girl had become used to this sight as it was what she spent half of her life around once she officially adopted.

"Alright Eri, this is it!" A tall man said. The man was in his mid-to-late twenties with slicked back black hair, brown eyes, a muscular build, and dressed in a long-sleeved dark blue shirt with jeans and heavy boots.

The girl now called Eri smiled at the older boy, "Thank you Yamato-nii. I cannot believe that I'm here. If I can pass today, then I can finally get on the right path to becoming a chef." She said.

An older girl the same age as Yamato came forward and gave the younger girl a hug. The older girl had long auburn hair and was dressed in a similar manner as Eri but with heeled boots instead of shoes.

"Just trust yourself Eri. You have been through so much already and now that you are here, all you have to do is use those incredible skills of yours to show this school what you are made of." She said.

Eri could feel tears forming in her eyes but quickly wiped them away and smiled, "Thank you Lala-nee. I swear I am going to make everyone proud." She said with determination in her eyes. Most of her life, Eri had suffered in a level of poverty that was below the line for most. She never knew her birth parents but the area where she grew up in known as the Nameless city gave her a sense of peace. The people of that area made her feel like family, and she was very grateful for that. When the Nameless City was destroyed, most of Eri's siblings stayed in the surrounding areas since they didn't know anywhere else to go but Eri was adopted by Yamato's mother who took her into her family.

Eri learned all of her cooking skills from Yamato's girlfriend Naomi who ran a traditional Western style restaurant. The food that Naomi made and the joy that she was able to give the people she fed awakened something within the younger girl that she never knew she had. She started cooking at the restaurant more and more and even began incorporating different styles of Chinese and Japanese cuisine into the Western style diner where she gained all her skills. Now she had the chance to show the best of the best in the food industry what she could do and to honor those of the Nameless City that were no longer with her but helped her get her to where she was today.

While the other members of her adopted family were with her and gave her more words of encouragement, another potential student was walking up to the front gates of Totsuki.

This potential student was a young man with white skin that had a slight tan, shaggy light brown hair that was tucked underneath a dark green beanie. His eyes were an interesting shade of hazel green and he had a lanky yet fit body, similar to a swimmer. He was dressed in a short-sleeved black shirt, a pair of dark green cargo pants, black boots, green wristbands on both wrists, and a beaded necklace around his neck. This young man was Himura Josuke.

Josuke was the oldest of 4 siblings all of them who were with him along with his mother and father, both who worked very simple jobs but gave Josuke and his siblings all the love they could need. They didn't have much but they had a roof over their heads, beds to sleep in, and they had each other for them that was enough.

"Oh man, I cannot believe the time has finally come!" Josuke's father said with a big smile on his face. Josuke's father, Tetsuo was a very happy go lucky man. He loved to keep a positive outlook on things, but he was a very hard worker and incredibly devoted to his family. Josuke's mother Mayumi was the one who kept the family grounded. She would make sure they all had their proper assignments done, chores finished, and food eaten. She was a very loving mother who doted on her children and made sure they were taken care of.

"It's still unreal that you are going to try out for Totsuki of all places." Mayumi said as she crossed her arms.

Josuke scratched the back of his head as a blush formed on his face, "Well it was a bit shocking to me as well. But I don't really know to put it. When I make food for people, especially you and the kids, it just makes me feel good. Plus, I feel like all the practice that Uncle Kazuma has given me shouldn't go to waste." He said as his siblings held on to him.

"You're going to be great Josuke-nii!" His younger sister Jyuka said.

"Uh huh, the food he makes is the best!" His younger brother Ryo said.

"He is going to be the best chef in the world!" His youngest brother Akio said as he jumped up and down.

Josuke smiled at his younger siblings' antics and felt very proud of how much they believed in him, but he knew it wouldn't be easy. Totsuki was the best chef school in basically the world and the graduation rate was so low that only the best of the best was able to make it passed the trials that the school sent their way. Josuke knew that it was risky to try out for this school, but he didn't want to give up, he knew that if he could become a successful chef then he could not only carve out a nice future for himself and his family.

Josuke's younger sister Houki who was only two years younger than him came up and wrapped her arm around his, "Just be yourself Josuke. You've been able to create incredible foods for all of us for years and if you can show Totsuki that passion that you have showed us, then they will see your true worth." She said giving him a smile.

Josuke smiled back at Houki and wrapped her in a hug, "Thanks Houki. I promise, I'm gonna show everyone just how amazing Himura Josuke is." He said.

Mayumi placed a hand on her son's shoulder, "While I do appreciate that, please try your best to find a good woman for you."

Josuke choked, "Oh mom, would you stop that?! I am perfectly capable of finding a girl on my own!" he said with his face turning red.

Mayumi grunted and crossed her arms, "Then do it! I want some grandchildren from you!"

"I'm only 15!"

"Which is the perfect age for you to find a potential wife."

Josuke groaned loudly. While he loved his mother dearly, she really wanted him to find a bride already. She was an enormous romantic and had always dreamed of having grandchildren and as the oldest, that duty fell on him. While Josuke did want a girlfriend, it wasn't the main priority for him. Right now, he needed to focus on getting through the exam.

"Ugh, how disgusting." A haughty voice said.

Josuke, Eri, and their families all turned their heads to see a boy and a girl around 15 surrounded by a number of different bodyguards and attendants and dressed to the nines in fancy clothing. The boy had slicked blonde hair with green eyes while the girl had long honey, blonde hair with hazel colored eyes.

"I cannot believe that the great Totsuki Academy would actually lower itself to even considering enrolling such low born commoners." The boy scoffed.

"I agree brother. It really hurts my heart to even think about that we have to stand in the same space as people like this." The girl said.

"Oi, what is that supposed to mean?!" Yamato shouted as he approached the two blondes but was held back by a serious looking blonde boy.

The boy scoffed, "What I mean is that people like you have no place here at Totsuki. It actually sickens me to think that people like you even have culinary skills at all."

Ryo growled, "How would you guys know? You haven't even seen Josuke-nii cook or had any of his food!"

The girl sighed, "Oh such ignorance child. We can tell just by looking at your brother and you that you don't have skills. You all look so…dirty."

"The hell you just say?" Josuke said as he neared the duo. Before he could get closer, the loud roar of a motorcycle came soaring into the area silencing everyone. All eyes turned towards the bike as it rushed past everyone and skidded to a stop right in front of the Totsuki gates. The bike rushed past the two blonde surprising them before it parked and cut the engine.

"Oh, nice bike." Yamato said as the other men around him nodded in agreement.

The two blondes' faces were red with anger as they both approached the rider.

"Excuse me! What do you think you are doing?" the boy said.

The rider turned his head to the boy, "What do you mean?" the rider said revealing his voice to be male.

"You nearly ran us over! Don't you know who we are?!" The girl shouted.

The rider leaned back in his seat, "No I don't. And in my defense, I didn't come near either of you. If you ask me, if you didn't have such a big entourage with you then you wouldn't have been at such a risk." He said.

The blonde duo fumed while the others in the area chuckled at their expense.

"You do not talk to us like that! We are Hikari and Hikaru Banba! We are the heirs to the Banba Catering Company, the biggest catering service in Japan!" The girl now named Hikari shouted.

The rider nodded, "Who cares?" he said

"What?!"

The rider shrugged, "Just because you are part of a large legacy doesn't mean you can put out good food. You won't be able to hide behind your family name if you want to make it far at Totsuki." He said pulling off his helmet, revealing the familiar face of Luke Anders. Luke's face seemed to surprise the majority of the people around, more than likely from the fact that Luke was a foreigner. While it wasn't unheard of for a foreigner to try and attend Totsuki, it was still a surprise for those who weren't accustomed to seeing them all that much.

Luke ran his hand through his hair and looked over at the two siblings, "While your background may be a part of who you are, it isn't everything. If you can't prove who you are with your skills in the kitchen, then you won't get far at all in the culinary industry.

"Oh, that guy is saying some good things." Yamato said.

Lala nodded, "He isn't afraid to stand up for himself. Easy on the eyes as well." She said as she and the other girls giggled.

Eri giggled as well, "Well despite his handsomeness, he seems like he knows what he's talking about."

Josuke crossed his arms and smirked, "Well what do you know? Someone around here who knows when to stand their ground." He said. As someone who didn't come from much, Josuke had been the target of bullying for most of his life. He learned to defend himself and his siblings and had learned to never let anyone walk all over him.

Food Wars

Luke was getting really annoyed by the two blondes in front of him. He had met a lot of people like them. People who were more concerned about their family name then what they could actually do. People who used their connections to get ahead in life and thought that they could use that walk all over every other person that they came across. Luke didn't stand for any of it, so if he could use the chance to tell off a few arrogant kids then he would do it.

Luke swung his leg off of his bike and looked at the twins, "I don't know why you guys are here but I came here from The States so I could learn and grow as a chef. I plan on using every bit of skill that I have under my belt to make as far as I can. If you two aren't going to give that much, then you may as well leave now." He said.

Josuke's siblings all laughed at the special that they saw, "I like him! He looks like someone fun!" Ryo said.

Josuke nodded with what his younger brother was saying, "I agree Ryo. Nice to know that there are some people here with some backbone."

Hikaru and Hikari were absolutely fuming at this point. Never in their lives had they ever had anyone talk to them the way that Luke was doing. And they didn't like it at all.

"We don't have to take this from some weak commoner like you," Hikaru said as he poked Luke's chest, "I don't even want you near me! I bet someone like you can only put out trash food!"

That was the wrong thing to say.

Faster than anyone could see, Luke grabbed Hikaru's collar and lifted him up off of his feet. Shocking his sister and their butlers.

"You haven't even seen what I can do or had any of my food. So don't go disrespecting me or my skills." Luke said with a glare in his eyes before he dropped Hikaru on his ass.

"Brother!" Hikari shouted in fear as she rushed to her brother's side to help him up.

"If you got anything you want to say to me, then you can say it with your food." Luke said as he turned his back to the twins. Hikaru and his sister were not very afraid of Luke and didn't want to get involved with him any further.

"We are going to remember this!" they both shouted before they ran away.

Luke chuckled, "Wow, that's sad." He said as he pulled off his shirt and grabbed his knives and gear from his pack on his motorcycle.

A low, loud laugh caught his attention, "Man, I knew that Totsuki would be interesting, but I did not expect anything like this before school even started." A male voice said.

Luke turned his head and saw a boy his age dressed in very casual clothing and a green beanie on his head. He looked very laid back, but Luke could tell that he was someone that you didn't want to get on the bad side of. Although, the several younger children around him kind of brought the scary look of him down.

"I don't normally see a lot of people standing up to rich folk but what you just did gave me a lot of hope!" the boy said with a smile.

Luke laughed lightly, "Well, my grandmother used to have a saying when she was younger. Lips and tongues can lie but deeds never do."

The boy raised an eyebrow, "What does that mean?" he asked.

"Basically, you can't always trust what someone says but you can always trust what they do." Luke explained.

The boy nodded, "Oh, well that makes sense. Your grandma must have been badass."

Luke shrugged, "From what I know she was," he said as he and the boy laughed, "Names Luke. Luke Anders." He said holding his hand out.

The boy smiled and shook Luke's hand, "Josuke. Himura Josuke. Nice to meet you man." He said as they separated.

Luke smiled, "Likewise. So, I don't mean to sound mean but why are there so many kids with you?" he asked.

Josuke smiled and put his arms around the kids, "These are all my younger siblings. Ryo, Akio, Jyuka, and Houki. In that order from youngest to oldest."

"Nice to meet you!" all four siblings said as they bowed to Luke.

Luke bowed back and greeted all of the younger kids. Luke now knew that Josuke was a good man, no one bad enough would bring their siblings out like he did.

Josuke smiled, "My siblings and my parents wanted to see me off before my exam. We're kind of close like that." He said as he looked over to his parents who waved at him.

Luke nodded, "I can understand that. It's always nice to have family in your corner when you go through big things like this." He said thinking of his own family back in Arizona. Knowing that they were given him all the encouragement that he needed.

"So, you ready to take on the exam?" Luke asked his new friend.

Josuke grinned widely, "You know it! I have been preparing for this day for months!" he said excitedly.

Luke laughed, "I feel you on that. It feels like I've been waiting for this day my whole life." Luke said as he and Josuke looked up at the looming gates in front of them. The two young men were both bursting with excitement and nervousness. This was the moment that would decide their future.

Luke turned his new friend, "Well, no time like the present. What do you say we start making our way inside?"

Josuke nodded, "Sounds good to me," he said before he turned back to his siblings, "Okay guys. I'm gonna head inside so that I can start preparing for my test. You guys head back to mom and dad."

Josuke's siblings nodded at once before smiling, "You got this Josuke-nii! Luke-nii!" they all said. The brotherly term of endearment took Luke by surprise, but he smiled and inclined his head to the children. Josuke's siblings all gave him a big hug before running back to their parents.

Josuke turned back to Luke and cracked his neck, "Okay, let's do this."

Luke nodded, "Let's. Oh right, before I forget." He said as he took out his keys and pressed the button on it, turning on the security alarm. Scaring some of the few guys that were starting to surround his bike.

Luke smirked, "Got to make sure no one gets any sneaky ideas." He said as he and Josuke laughed. Josuke made sure that he had all of his gear while Luke grabbed his hat and placed it on his head. They both looked over at the large group of people that seemed to be giving a young girl their age some words of encouragement.

"Wow, now that's a big family." Josuke said.

Luke hummed, "That's for sure." He said. None of the people around the girl looked like they were physically related, but the girl could be adopted or something like that. Luke didn't want to make any assumptions, so he just smiled at the large group. One of the things that he learned from spending so many years with his friends back home and with his sister in law was that family wasn't just about who you share flesh and blood with but it's also those that you grow close with over so many events and years. And from the way that the large group of people acted around each other, Luke could tell that they were extremely close.

Before the girl left group, some of the few older women around her walked towards her and handed her some kind of jacket. Luke and Josuke couldn't tell what kind of jacket it was but from the emotional response that the girl got from it showed them that it meant a lot to her. Not wanting to intrude on such a special moment, Luke and Josuke headed past the gates and onto Totsuki grounds. The school itself was incredibly beautiful, the scenery itself looked like a traditional Japanese garden with several other fancy dressed young men and women milling around, some of them looked stuck up and haughty while others looked like they meant business. Either way, it looked like Luke and Josuke had some serious competition.

"Man, competition looks serious, don't it?" Josuke said.

Luke nodded, "I hear that. But that just means that we just need to show them what it is that we can do."

Josuke laughed, "I like you more and more Luke." He said.

Luke chuckled as the two boys fist bumped and continued on their walk but before they got too far, they both turned around and saw the brown haired girl from outside that was talking with the large group of people. When she saw that Luke and Josuke noticed her she let out a squeak of surprise and jumped in place.

"Um, are you following us?" Luke asked her.

The girl shook her head, "No, no, I wasn't doing anything like that! Well, I mean I was, but I didn't mean anything by it!" she said with her face turning bright red.

Luke and Josuke looked at each other before turning back to the girl who tried to get her thoughts back in order. After a few deep breaths, the girl turned back to the two boys with a lighter blush on her face.

"I just thought that we could walk together. You two seem like the most down to earth people here so I thought it would be easier to be around you guys then being alone." She said as she clutched the clothing that was in her arms.

Luke looked at Josuke once more who nodded with a smirk on his face with Luke doing the same.

"That's no problem at all," Luke said as the girl looked surprised, "I understand why you would think of us as the most down to earth considering how everyone around here looks and acts."

Josuke nodded, "When it comes to Totsuki, the only thing that can get you far is your skills and if you have the guts to even show up here to take the test, then that shows you have skill."

The girl seemed surprised by the words that Luke and Josuke said but ended up smiling, "I agree. It's nice to see other people here that think the same way I do when it comes to cooking."

Luke nodded, "I'm Luke. Luke Anders. This guy right here is Himura Josuke." He said introducing himself and his new friend.

The girl bowed, "Asahina Eri. It's nice to meet you both."

The three young Totsuki hopefuls quickly struck up an easy friendship and since they were all together, they were able to ward off any other annoying or stuck up examines that may have come their way.

The trio made their way towards the main area where several men in black suits and sunglasses were directing other examinees like them into a large, open, kitchen area where they all stood amongst themselves while they waited for their examiner.

"Man, there is a lot more people here than I thought." Eri said sounding nervous.

Josuke nodded, "Considering the reputation that the school has I can't say I'm surprised but yeah, there really is a lot of people."

Luke crossed his arms, "But just because there are a lot of people doesn't mean that everyone is going to pass. The graduation rate of Totsuki itself is so low so the number of people that will get accepted is probably going to be even lower than that."

Eri nodded, "That makes me really nervous but what I'm even more nervous about is who our examiner is going to be." She said as she clutched the coat in her arms tighter like a lifeline.

Luke smirked, "Oh, I can tell you that."

Both Josuke and Eri looked at Luke with wide eyes, "Really?!" they practically shouted.

Luke chuckled, "Yep, our examiners are…"

"May I have your attention please?"

Luke's explanation was halted as he, his new friends, and the others in the area turned their eyes to the front of the kitchen to see a young man who looked around their age or possibly a year younger with long pink hair that was pulled into a ponytail with bangs framing his face and light green eyes. He was dressed in the typical Totsuki male uniform with blue pants, black shoes, a white button up shirt and tie bit the tie was slightly slackened around his neck. His eyes weren't on the group in front of him but rather on the electronic table that was in his hands.

The boy looked up from his tablet and addressed the crowd, "Greetings, and welcome to Totsuki. My name is Hayama Genji, I am a member of the Totsuki middle school division, but I also serve as the Aide for many people on the Elite Ten. Today I will be assisting the examiners in how they decide to go about your exams." He said.

"Holy crap, its Hayama Genji."

"The Son of the Spice Sultan and the Medicinal Mistress."

"Hayama Akira and Hayama Hisako taught their child so much that he was able to work alongside the Elite Ten even though he's only in the middle school division."

Luke heard the mutters around him, and he understood. Just from the name that he gave told Luke of how strong of a legacy Genji came from. His mother Hayama Hisako formerly Arato Hisako was someone who incorporated Chinese style medicine into her food not only making food delicious but also food that aided your body in numerous ways. Even though she never actually made it onto the Elite Ten, her skills were recognized by Nakiri Erina herself. Then you have Genji's father who was basically a damn prodigy with a sense of smell that was 10 times stronger than any other humans. Hayama Akira used that skill to propel himself into the Elite Ten and stood side by side with his generations strongest. Now he is known as one of the best lecturers at Totsuki and as someone who is commonly seen at the Totsuki resort.

Luke didn't know what kind of skills the young Hayama possessed but if he was anything like his parents the Luke knew that he needed to watch out for him.

"Now that I have explained the basics of who I am, allow me to introduce your examiners for today's exam." He said as he turned to an open door. Like two goddesses gracing the mortals with their presence, Yukihira Marina and Kurokiba Alice made their way into the kitchen area. Drawing the eyes of everyone around and Luke couldn't blame them. The mere image that these two had made everyone speechless, not just because of their obvious beauty but also their skills and reputation.

Genji smirked, "Today, your food will be judged by the current 9th and 10th seats of the Totsuki Elite Ten. Yukihira Marina and Kurokiba Karin." He said as the two young women walked up and stood next to the young man.

"Thank you Genji," Marina said, "Greetings everyone, for those of you who don't know my name is Yukihira Marina and this is my cousin Kurokiba Karin." She said gesturing to Karin.

"Hello everyone!" Karin greeted everyone with a smile.

"Today will most likely be the most important day of your culinary lives. For those of you who are able to pass today will be allowed to enter the grounds of Totsuki Academy." Marina said.

"But don't think that it will be any easy," Karin said, "In order to pass your exam today, you will have to impress both myself and Marina." She said as the two cousins nodded.

The people all around Luke started muttering about the whole situation. Primarily the fear about having to serve Marina and Karin while others were speaking about how wonderful it would be to make either one of them theirs which upset Luke a bit. He didn't like it when guys spoke about women like they were objects or about how they could just make them look good but for right now he needed to focus on what would be coming his way for this exam.

As he looked towards Marina and Karin, the young Kurokiba woman lit up when she saw him and immediately made her way over to him. Once she got near him, she gave him a smile that made him feel warm.

"Well, looks like you made good on your promise to get here Anders-kun." She said with a giggle.

Luke chuckled, "Of course Kari-chan. How am I supposed to make a name for myself if I don't impress you and Mari-chan." He said.

He couldn't see her, but he knew that the cute nickname that he gave Marina would make her upset, "I told you not to call me that!" he heard her shouting which just confirmed his theory.

Luke chuckled from Marina's outrage but also at the shock that so many people around him had on their faces from the casual interaction he was having with Karin.

"Hey, who's that guy talking to Karin-sama?"

"He's some kind of foreigner. Do they know each other?"

"He's kind of handsome."

"Yeah, he is."

"Grr, how dare that uppity commoner talk so causally to Karin-sama."

Luke heard the last comment and smirked, no doubt coming from one of the Banba siblings, but he didn't really care. Although the handsome comments did make him feel good about himself.

"So, Kari-chan, what is the task that you have set for us today?" he asked.

Karin giggled, "Well what we have set today is a bit of a tradition at Totsuki for this exam. Right Marina?" she asked her cousin sweetly.

Marina's face was slightly tinged with red, but she daintily coughed into her hand to regain her composure, "What my cousin says is true. Today all of you will have to create a dish using the egg as a main ingredient." She said holding up said ingredient.

"We won't restrict the genre of food, but your dish has to be good enough to impress either myself or Karin. If you cannot, then you will not enter Totsuki." Marina said with a tone of authority that seemed so natural to her but to Luke and the rest of the examinees, knew that the next few moments were going to define their futures as chefs.

Food Wars

After learning of their prompt, Luke and the other examinees were then separated into different venues to where they would take their test. Due to the fact that Karin and Marina were the only ones that would be the judges, the group would be broken down into smaller amounts so that each examinee would get their chance to impress the two cousins. However, Luke and his new friends got their turn rather quickly than any of them had expected. Like Luke had expected, it was not easy to impress those two young women. Every single examinee that came before them had been turned away and declined their invitation into Totsuki, their dishes just weren't up to par for what they were looking for.

As Luke, Eri, and Josuke entered into a fully stocked kitchen area, the pressure had suddenly hit all three of them and they were now feeling the stress that was going to be coming their way.

Eri literally trembled, "I am so nervous! Every single person that went ahead of us failed, and now there's only a few of us left!"

Josuke looked like he was about to jump out of his skin, "I honestly didn't expect everyone to fail. I thought at least one group would pass but I didn't expect any of this." He said.

Luke shrugged as he pulled out his knife roll and placed it on the countertop in front of him, "When you are cooking for people like Mari-chan and Kari-chan who have such distinguished culinary heritage, you kind of have to expect that impressing them wouldn't be easy." He said.

"I guess you have a point but aren't you nervous?" Eri asked.

Luke cracked his neck and threw on his chef coat over his shirt, "Where I'm from, I serve hundreds upon hundreds of people a week when I'm on the food truck I work at back home. I have to make sure I get food out at a quick pace and make sure its up to the proper standards that all my customers expect. Not to mention, I serve food to the less fortunate people in my town in some of the roughest neighborhoods that you can imagine. In all honesty, this doesn't really compare to all the stress that comes from that. But if I want to go farther in this industry, then I need to get the best kind of training that I can," he said as he turned to his new friends with a smile, "After all, isn't that why we're all here?"

Luke's words, while simple, had a lot of impact on the other two young chefs. They came to Totsuki so that they could grow as cooks and become better people in the industry, they couldn't let this one test deny them the path to their dream.

Josuke punched his palm, "You got that right Luke! I am not going to let this test stop me from making my dreams come true!" he said as he set up his own station.

Eri looked down at the pink and red coat in her arms, given to her by the older women that she considered sisters. She had come from basically nothing and she discovered the joy of cooking with her family. The family she had been adopted into and the one that she had known as a child meant the world to her, they gave her so much support and love when she said she wanted to be a chef. Now that the first real step was in front of her, she wasn't going to let her family down.

Eri nodded, "Yeah, you're right. I can't let this test stop me from achieving my goals." She said with a new fire in her eyes. She quickly took off the green jacket she had on and threw on the coat that her sisters gave her. The coat was a long bosozoku jacket with the main color being pink with some red and white trim. On the back of the coat in the center of her back were the words "SWORD For Life" in honor of the two different SWORD districts that she grew up in. Eri gripped the edges of the coat before she went to her own station and set up her own things, ready to tackle the challenge that was set in front of her.

The Banbasiblings were with the trio as well, looking haughty and overconfident, most likely thinking that there was no way that they could fail. Little did they know, they would be in for a rude awakening.

"Okay, let's get this started." Genji said as he stood at the front of the kitchen. All eyes were on him as Karin and Marina joined him.

Marina crossed her arms before she addressed the people in front of her, "You will have 90 minutes. In this time frame you must cook a dish that must meet our expectations, if you cannot then you will not be able to enter Totsuki. Is that understood?" she asked getting nods from everyone in the room.

Marina nodded and turned to her cousin who smiled at her.

"Now, begin cooking!" The two cousins said at the same time.

At the sound of the starting signal, everyone in the kitchen rushed off to different areas of the kitchen to begin the prep for their own dishes. With the theme being to create a dish centered around the egg, that gave Luke a lot of options. The egg is featured in several different types of cuisines and featured in many kinds of dishes, so Luke knew that he needed to pull something great out if he wanted to pass the exam and impress Marina and Karin. Luke looked over and saw the immersion circulator.

He smiled as a thought came to his mind, the dish centered around one main egg creation that he had done only a handful of times, but this was the time to go big or go home. And he wasn't going home.

Luke went over to the circulator and set the heat to 156 degrees Fahrenheit. He wanted the water to be the perfect temperature for when he dropped his eggs in. As the water heated, Luke gathered several eggs and placed them on his station. He started cracking eggs and separating the yolks from the whites while keeping the yolks intact. With all of his eggs separated, he grabbed a whisk and started whisking the whites at a rapid pace. Once the egg whites were at a stiff peak, he set them aside for a minute before he grabbed some cling film and a ring mold.

Luke placed the mold onto a flat surface and took a piece of cling film over the top of the mold. He the spooned some of the whipped egg whites into the mold and created a small divot in the center, after that he gently laid one of his yolks in the center of the egg whites and covered it with more egg whites. He repeated this process two more times before he wrapped the eggs and yolks up with the cling film till it looked like a small purse. He tied all the purses off before grabbing a small pan and going over to the circulator and placing the purses inside the water so they could cook. Luke used the pan to keep the purses submerged in the water while they cooked.

"I wonder what he's planning on making?" Genji asked as he watched Luke work.

Karin hummed, "It looks like he's planning on doing some kind of sous vide egg but is that all he plans on making?"

"I don't think so," Marina said with a shake of her head, "When Luke cooked for me and our aunts the other day, he created an interesting combination of Japanese and Creole flavors which was not something that I had seen before. Whatever he makes today, I plan on looking forward to his flavors."

Karin giggled, "Wow, I don't think I've ever heard you say you were looking forward to an examinees dish before Marina. Is there something between you and Luke?" she teased.

Marina's face turned bright red, "D-don't be ridiculous! I just know what he's capable of and I want to see if he can do more!" she said which made Karin giggle more.

Luke was too busy with his own dish to worry about what Marina and Karin were saying so he just focused on his own dish. But there was a small part of him that was curious as to what his new friends were doing so, he looked up from the pork belly that he was cutting up to see what Josuke and Eri were doing. From what he could see, Eri was making some kind of custard that she was placing into small bowls while Josuke was in the process of slicing some bread while making what looked like a bechamel sauce. I didn't see anything that he was using as a protein, but Luke had faith in his new friend's skill.

After Luke finished up with his pork belly, he set it aside and grabbed some beautiful looking cassava, sweet potato, and some very nice russet. Along with a few different peppers. After that, Luke was ready to get the show started. He went over to his bag and pulled out a small Bluetooth speaker.

"Thank God I was able to find one so easily." He said quietly to himself. He set up the signal from his phone to the speaker and smiled once he was connected. Setting his phone down, he grabbed the sleeves of his coat and pulled, turning his coat sleeveless. The actions surprised everyone in the kitchen and made the girls around him blush.

"Oh my." Karin said as she laid her eyes on Luke's muscular arms with a blush creeping along her pale cheeks. Marina as well enjoyed the sight but kept herself more composed than her cousin.

Luke selected the song he wanted to play and got ready for his performance, "Now…it's showtime!"

Insert Song: "Seein' Red" By Dustin Lynch

"Yee-haw!" Luke yelled in joy as his body moved to the sounds of the high energy county song echoed throughout the kitchen, setting his body ablaze with movement.

"Ha-ha, now that is how you have fun in the kitchen!" Josuke said as he dunked the bread he was working on into an egg wash. Even moving slightly as he heard the music.

"Wow, I've never seen someone dance while they cook. But it looks like fun." Eri said with a giggle as she began to bake off her custard.

The Banbasiblings didn't even acknowledge Luke's movements and called over Karin and Marina to evaluate their dishes.

While the music played, Luke used his sense of rhythm to slice up the rest of his ingredients. He took all of his peppers which included red and green bells, poblanos, and one jalapeno and roasted them over an open fire. Roasting peppers allowed for more of their natural flavors to be released and brought an extra layer of smokiness to whatever dish you added them too. After roasting the peppers and placing them into a bowl, Luke got to work on all of his starches.

Rhythmically and skillfully, Luke peeled all of his potatoes and the cassava root as well, being sure to remove the wooden-like center and to peel off all the skin. Luke moved his body to the rhythm of his song and quickly diced his potatoes and cassava and quickly got them into some boiling water to soften them up.

"Whoo!" Luke cheered out as she glided across the floor as the heavy, rock-sounding country song played around him. From the corner of his eye, he could see that neither of the Banbasiblings were able to impress Marina or Karin and were swiftly told to exit the kitchen. Luke smirked, he knew walking into this that getting passed Marina and Karin wouldn't be an easy feat, so he prepared himself to give everything he had for this. Once he saw that his potatoes were partially cooked, he pulled them out of the water with a spider and placed them in a bowl with his cassava. As they cooled, Luke peeled the charred edges off of the peppers and small diced them. He then took his potatoes and mashed them up together into a fine, stiff paste and added the peppers to it along with some salt, pepper, onions, and garlic. After tasting it, Luke was pleased with the seasoning and mixed everything together.

Once everything was incorporated well enough, he set it aside and glided over to the circulator. He pulled the pan off the top and scooped out the egg purses he had inside. He set them back down at his station and carefully cut the plastic around the eggs, gently enough to not break anything. The plastic stripped away easily revealing the beautiful form of an egg souffle. Happy with what he saw, he placed them on a plastic lined sheet tray and placed them under a broiler for only a few minutes.

While the souffles broiled, Luke took his potato and pepper mixture and shaped them into a ring mold so they were round with a hole in the center where he would place his souffle. Luke placed his ring of potatoes into a vat of hot oil so they could get fried and crispy. While they fried, Luke took some cherry tomatoes and macerated them in some garlic, olive oil, salt, and basil. He let that sit, pulled out his souffles, and grabbed his potatoes after he pulled them out of the oil and let them drain. He then cooked off his pork belly and seasoning it with just a little bit of char siu sauce. Once that was done, Luke began assembling.

He placed his ring of potatoes down first and placed some of his macerated tomatoes inside, when he tasted them, he got a fresh herbal flavor that enhanced the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. He then placed his pork belly on top of the tomatoes before topping the whole thing off with his egg souffle. Luke knew that his dish was wonderful, but it just needed one more thing to finish it off. Covering his dish with a cloche, he used the continuing sounds of the music around him to grab some tomatillos, serrano's, cilantro, onions, and some salt. He then sliced all of his vegetables into more manageable pieces and blistered his tomatillos and chiles, he then purred them both along with the cilantro until it was a fine mixture. He rinsed off the onion and drained the remaining water off from it before adding it to his salsa and seasoning it with salt. Luke decided to keep that in a separated container for when he would serve it for judging.

End Insert Song

Luke let out a sigh as his song finished. He turned off his speaker and turned his head over to where his new friends were and from the looks of it, they were finishing up their dishes as well.

Luke smiled and grabbed his dish, he made his way towards the front of the room where Marina, Karin, and Genji were waiting. Josuke and Eri joined him as well as they all placed their dishes on the table in front of the judges.

"Looks like we all managed to finish." Luke said.

Eri let out a sigh, "That was probably the most nerve-wracking experience I had cooking. I've never been judged by anyone before, other than my family members."

Josuke shrugged, "My siblings judge me all the time so I'm kind of used to harsh criticism," he said as he turned to Luke, "Seems like you were in your own little world their Luke. Do you always play music when you cook?"

Luke nodded and tapped the area over his heart, "Music and food are the foundation of who I am. I can't cook unless I have music playing at some point." He said.

Marina caught everyone's attention, "Well, now that everyone has finished up, why don't we begin the evaluation? Who would like to go first?" she asked.

"I say ladies first?" Josuke asked aloud looking over at Luke who nodded back at him.

"Go ahead and start us off, Eri-chan." He said with a smile.

Eri seemed a little flustered but went along with what the boys were saying, "Oh, um, okay," she said as he lifted the cloche off of her dish, "I would like to present my Itokan-style Breakfast Chawanmushi." She said revealing a beautiful little compact custard dish inside of a small dish topped off with some pickled vegetables.

Marina raised an eyebrow, "Chawanmushi? A traditional custard based dish typically eaten at Japanese breakfast tables. But what is the Itokan part?" she asked.

Eri smiled fondly, "Itokan is the name of the Western-style diner where I learned to cook. My adoptive sister runs it on her own and the rest of siblings make the place their daily hangout. It was there that I learned all of my skills. Well, that and cookbooks." She said with a slight blush on her face.

Karin giggled, "Well, let's see if those skills translated here. Shall we Marina?" she asked. Marina nodded and the two cousins grabbed some spoons and dug into the custard. When they brought their spoons up, the sight of the Chawanmushi surprised them both.

"The Chawanmushi is double layered!" Karin exclaimed.

Marina nodded, "I have to say, I have never seen a Chawanmushi layered this way. Well then, let's taste." She said. Bothe cousins put the thick custard into their mouths and were shocked at what they tasted. They both closed their eyes and savored the flavors of the custard, which was not what they were expecting.

"What a shock. The top portion of the Chawanmushi is more salty and has the reminiscent flavor of bacon." Marina said.

"Then the bottom layer is smooth and creamy with the accent flavor of parmesan. Normally layering these kinds of flavors would be too much and overly savory but the addition of the pickled onions and tomatoes that accompany it, the flavors all work together rather nicely." Karin said.

Eri seemed to beam at this, "Oh yes, when I make Chawanmushi for my family they usually always have bacon with it. I once saw my older brother Tetsu pour some bacon grease on top of it once and that gave me the idea for this dish. But I didn't want it to be too heavy so the I added the pickled vegetables to balance it out."

Luke raised an eyebrow at this, "So you're specialty is classic Japanese food?" he asked.

"Well, that's what I primarily make but I also enjoy adding some different flavors that you wouldn't normally see. So, I guess you could say that my specialty is Nouveau Traditional Japanese Cuisine." She said with a giggle.

Marina set her spoon down and addressed Eri, "I would have to agree with your statement. The skills you have demonstrated are definitely a combination of new and old school styled techniques you wouldn't traditionally find in a Classic Japanese restaurant. However," she said giving Eri a sterner glare, "If you wish to succeed in the industry you are going to need to step out of the box you are in. Japanese food can only get you so far and from the looks of it you have a good mindset on where you want to go. But you are going to need to expand upon what you already know in order to grow." She said.

Eri swallowed over the words that Marina said knowing that she was right, "I will do my best Yukihira-san." She said with a firm look in her eyes.

Marina then gave her a kind smile, "You are a diamond in the rough. All you need is a bit of polishing." She said making Eri smile.

Luke smiled, "Well, one down. You go ahead next Josuke." He said.

The beanie-wearing young man smirked, "Don't mind if I do." He said lifting the cloche off of his plate. His plate was something that looked like a toasted and grilled sandwich with a white sauce over the top.

Luke raised an eyebrow at this, "Is that a Croque Monsieur?" he asked.

Josuke chuckled, "It is…but it isn't." He said crossing his arms with a smirk. Marina and Karin both looked a bit skeptical about what the young man in front of them meant but as they were the judges, they needed to taste everything that was in front of them. Genji took it upon himself and sliced the sandwich in half which revealed a multitude of ingredients.

"Oh, now that is a surprise." Marina said. The two cousins each grabbed a piece of the dish and took a bite, the minute they did their eyes widened from the taste. Even going as far as to lick the white sauce off of their hands.

"My word, I see what you meant. This has all the elements of a delicious Croque Monsieur, but it is so much more of that. The brioche bread is so moist and soft that it soaks up the flavors of the ingredients as well as the sauce on top. And inside you have the sweetness of tomato, the saltiness of the cheese, the freshness of the spinach, and then you have the wonderful yolkiness of the fried egg that is inside the sandwich adds just another layer of richness that adds to the overall flavor." Karin said.

"But the most impressive factor of this is the egg dip that you did on the bread. Thanks to that, not only did you get a wonderful crisp but you don't lose the taste of the egg. But something is different. Normally Croque Monsieur's are very heavy due to the bechamel sauce on top but the one you made is very light." Marina said.

Josuke smirked, "That's because the sandwich itself is vegetarian while the sauce is a vegan white sauce, using soy milk as the base." He said which surprised everyone.

Luke laughed, "You made a vegetarian version of one of the most classic French dishes? You are mad man, but I respect that." He said.

Josuke laughed as well, "Well, all I really make is vegan and vegetarian food." He said.

This made Marina interested, "You specialize in vegan and vegetarian foods? Why specialize in something so technical? Most chefs tend to stay away from this kind of cooking." She asked.

Josuke sighed, "It was actually out of necessity for the most part. All of siblings have celiac disease while my parents are lactose and one of my sisters is a vegan. I myself have Type 1 Diabetes so when I was old enough to cook without burning myself, I found ways to feed my family and myself tasty food that wouldn't hurt us due to our conditions."

Karin gave him an impressed look, "You took on cooking so you could feed the people you love?"

Josuke nodded, "Family is the most important thing in the world to me. I would do anything for the people I care about."

"Amen to that my man." Luke said holding out a fist. Josuke bumped his fist against Luke's in respect.

Marina wiped her mouth and cleared her throat, "Well, I must say that the risk you took was rather impressive. Not a lot of people would go the vegetarian route and for the most part it worked but I am missing the flavor of meatiness that usually comes in a Croque Monsieur," he said making Josuke clicked his teeth in frustration, "Even if vegan cuisine is your specialty you will need to break free of that mold in order to broaden your horizons." She said.

Josuke nodded, "I understand."

Marina again gave him a kind smile, "But, if you can feed your family this well I would say you are doing quite well." She said making Josuke grin.

Marina then turned to Luke, "Now then, Anders-kun, what do you have for us today?" she said with a smirk on her face.

Luke chuckled as he lifted the cloche off of his dish, "This my take on Huevos Rancheros." He said.

Karin clapped her hands, "Ooh, I have been waiting for this. I've been so interested in what kind of food you make Anders-kun."

Marina rolled her eyes, "Karin, please calm yourself. Wait until you taste it then have your reaction." She said flicking her hair over her shoulder. Karin stuck her tongue out at her cousin before she grabbed a spoon with Marina doing the same. The two of the broke into the egg souffle on top and watched in awe as the bright yellow yolk poured out of the solidified white.

"Well, now that is rather impressive." Marina said as she and Karin grabbed a little bit of egg, potato, pork, and tomato in one bite before placing it in their mouth. Their eyes widened and their bodies were racked with a wonderful sense of pleasure at the taste of Luke's creation.

"What is this?" Karin asked as she took another bite with her face looking flushed.

Marina was also flushed but she held herself together better, "The tomatoes on the bottom add a wonderful sweetness that is further enhanced by the flavor and starchiness of the potato ring with the pork adding just the right amount of saltiness and umami. But the real star is that egg souffle. It's so foamy that it dissolves in the mouth and the yolk acts as a natural sauce to the dish." She said having another bite.

Luke smiled, "Thank you very much. While I haven't made this egg souffle a whole lot before I do remember the correct procedures of how to make it right. The ring is a combination of sweet potatoes, Irish cobblers, and Cassava. Cassava is something I am very used to working with so I knew it would work with the other types of potatoes. I added a mixture of fire-roasted peppers into the potatoes to bump up the overall flavor. But please don't finish it just yet." He said as he took some of the salsa verde he made and poured it over the rest of his dish.

"This will make the dish even more delicious," he said as he pushed the plate towards the girls once more, "Dozo, Oagari yo."

The two girl's faces became even more flushed at the thought of having even more added flavor to the already incredibly delicious dish they had eaten. As the last of their defenses crumbled, Marina and Karin grabbed their spoons once more and dug into the salsa covered egg dish once more. The minute the food touched their tongues, their taste buds went into overdrive. So many flavors from sweet, savory, acidic, and slight tanginess all coming together in the perfect kind of harmony you wouldn't expect from a dish like this. The salsa verde that Luke added on top just brought everything in complete, harmonious circle that the girls couldn't get enough of. The girls nearly got into a fight over who got to eat the next bite which made Luke chuckle.

"Well seems like you both enjoyed that. I'm glad you did." He said happily.

The two cousins recollected themselves before addressing Luke, "I happen to have enjoyed it very much. It was rather delicious Anders-kun." Karin said with a smile.

Luke inclined his head to her, "Thank you Kari-chan. And please just call me Luke. If you don't mind me calling you Kari-chan I think you can go ahead and call me by my first name." he said making the girl blush.

"Well, if you insist." Karin said.

Luke then turned to Marina who had her arms crossed but her face still looked flushed, "And what about you Mari-chan? Was it delicious?" he asked.

Marina turned her head away from Luke as if to hide her blush, "It was pleasing Anders-kun. But you are going to have to do a lot more than this if you want to make it to the top of Totsuki." She said looking back at Luke.

Luke tsked before smiling, "Damn, looks like I still have a bit of a ways to go before I make you say delicious Mari-chan."

Marina smirked, "I would say that you do but thankfully you will get your chance. All of you will actually." She said making all three examines head's shoot in their direction.

Eri was the first to speak, "D-does that mean?"

Marina turned to Karin who nodded with her cousin, "Yes we do. Asahina Eri, Himura Josuke, Luke Anders. Congratulations, you have all passed. Welcome to Totsuki." She said with a smile.

Eri squealed in joy as she jumped up and down. She couldn't wait to go back and tell her siblings that she made it.

"Boo-yah!" Josuke shouted as he pumped his fist in excitement. His younger siblings were going to go crazy once they heard the news.

Luke grabbed his hat and placed it over his heart and bowed, "Eien ni, gracias!" he said with a smile just as excited as his new friends. All the hard work over the past years he had done got him to the starting line. Now he just had to make it to the finish.

Food Wars

The following week after the exam, a ceremony for all of the incoming first years was held. Here, students who were in the middle school division would step foot at the high school division for the first time and meet other students who were in the same situation as them. With the students arriving and the bright pink Sakura petals flowing in the wind made for a rather picturesque scene, if not for one new student shaking like a leaf.

Asahina Eri was standing with her new friends waiting to address the crowd of people in front of a large stage where the teachers, instructors, and Karin and Marina waited for the festivities to begin. Dressed in her new Totsuki uniform but with her green Army jacket wrapped her waist she was positively a nervous wreck.

"Oh, why do we have to address the entire set of first years? I am not prepared for public speaking!" she fretted.

"Aren't you the girl who helped bring down the Kuryu Group? You stood in front of a huge crowd of photographers then and you were just a little girl." Josuke said. The shaggy-haired boy was with her and dressed in the male version of the uniform, but he didn't wear the blazer and kept the white button up open and his tie hanging lazily around his neck. His beanie was still on his head as were his wristbands around his wrists.

Eri gave him a small glare, "That was years ago, and I was prepared for that! This I'm not!" she yelled out.

Luke chuckled at his friends' antics, happy that they were getting along so easily. He too was in the Totsuki uniform but with his own style added onto it. Instead of the slacks he wore black cargo pants with his boots, he still had the blue blazer and the white button up, but he wore a black t-shirt under it all. He didn't wear the tie since he hated ties, but his rings, chain, and army cap were still on him as usual. He and his friends were waiting for the ceremony to start, as they were the only ones who made it passed the transfer exam they were supposed to address the incoming student body with a few words. Luke didn't understand it but he wasn't going to go against tradition.

"Eri-chan, just relax," Luke told the young girl, "Just get up there, say a few words, then leave the stage. That's all." He said.

Luke's words seemed to calm the girl down a bit, but she still took a few deep breaths to get herself back in order, "Yeah, yeah you're right. Say a few words then get off the stage. I can do that." She said as Luke and Josuke chuckled.

"Greetings everyone."

Luke, Eri, and Josuke turned their attention to the main stage where they saw the Headmistress of Totsuki herself. Dressed in a classy black skirt with a button up blouse and suit jacket with matching heels. Her long, honey blonde hair flowed down her shoulders framing a beautiful face that defied her age and her bright, violet eyes scanned over the entire student body. The God's Tongue, Yukihira Erina, was just as angelic looking as they had heard but the woman also emanated a sense of authority and power that you rarely saw in people today. Her mere presence told them that she was meant for power.

"I want to welcome you all to Totsuki. Here you will all take your first steps towards becoming chefs in the industry and making a name for yourselves in the culinary industry. However, I must tell you that here at Totsuki, nothing will come easy." She said scaring a few of the students.

"The schooling here will be rigid, harsh, and in some cases unfair. Some of you may see this as too much for students like yourself but here at Totsuki we don't just teach you how to be good chefs we also teach you how to get ready for the world outside these walls. That's why 99% of you will most likely fail and not make it to graduation but the remaining 1% of you will go on to big and bright things. So what I say to you is be prepared for what comes your way."

Erina then smiled, "In a turn of good news, we had 3 different students from 3 different walks of life pass the transfer exam this year," she said shocking a lot of the people in the crowd, "Allow me to introduce them one by one. The first up we have the sole female who passed the entrance exam, please welcome Asahina Eri." She said clapping.

Eri looked over at Josuke and Luke for some last minute words of encouragement, but they just gave her a slight push forward with smiles on their faces. Strangely enough she felt a bit more at ease with her new friends having her back. She took a deep breathe and stepped onto the stage, not even caring about the numerous eyes on her.

Reaching the microphone, Eri steeled herself before she spoke, "Hello everyone. My name is Asahina Eri. I was born in the Nameless City but spent most of my life in the Sannoh District. I know I may not have the same kind of training as a lot of you do I plan on doing my absolute best to become a great chef. So please, don't look down on me. Thank you for your time." She said as she bowed, even getting a few claps from the audience.

Eri quickly shuffled off the stage to where she got high-fives from Luke and Josuke, "Thank you for those words, Asahina-san," Erina said, "Now next up we have the sole vegan chef amongst you all, Himura Josuke."

Josuke gave his friend a two finger salute before he stepped up to the mic with his classic smile, "Wassup Totsuki! Himura Josuke here, I'm a man of few words so all I'm gonna say is I look forward to seeing what all of us can do once we are on the big Totsuki stage. And look out, because I am going to show you all just how awesome vegan and vegetarian food is." He said giving bow. Some of the people in the crowd laughed at how Josuke acted but there were more claps then Eri had.

Erina smiled before going back to the mic, "Thank you for that Himura-san. Now, last but certainly not least we have a young man who seems to have pleased the tongues of both my daughter and my niece. Not to mention, he seems to have captured their hearts as well." She said with a snicker. But a lot of the young men in the audience were not happy with that statement but it just made Luke confused.

"Say what? Captured their hearts?" he asked aloud. Josuke seemed to laugh at that while Eri's face grew bright red.

"Mother!"

"Auntie!"

Luke heard both girls shout from their position on the stage but Erina didn't seem to mind and ignored the two girls.

"So I must say that everyone should watch out for this young man, please welcome Luke Anders." She said. Luke sighed and made his way up the stage, not missing the sneers and annoying comments from the audience.

"What the hell? Who is this guy?" one boy said.

"A foreigner? What does Marina-sama see in him?" another boy yelled.

"I am much more accomplished then some foreign commoner!" another boy shouted

"Well, he is kind handsome." He heard one girl in the crowd say.

Luke never really thought of himself as handsome or anything like that but I guess there were some women out there that liked the way he looked.

Luke went up to the mic and cleared his throat, "Hello everyone, my name is Luke Anders. Now before all of you try and murder me, I don't know what Headmistress Erina meant by captured their hearts but they are my friends so if you guys don't like that, it ain't my problem." He said making the men in the audience even more angry.

"I came to Totsuki to grow my skills as a chef so that I can one day have a place of my own where I can serve good food to good people. No matter what walk of life you come from. But while I'm here, I also plan on enjoying myself and I hope all of you do as well," he said getting confused looks from some of the people in the crowd, "Don't be afraid to break a few rules, go on a few dates, get your heart broken, break a few hearts, go out with your friends, have fun. These are our high school years so we might as well enjoy the time that we have here. Not to mention…all the different Shokugeki's that we'll all have." He said making a few in the audience excited.

"We never know how many battles we may have but no matter who you go against, give it your all, learn from the experience, and gain as much knowledge as we can from all the chefs that we will meet. In the words of one of the best chefs to ever come out of Totsuki, let's have fun, clashing in these wild, wild wastelands!" he said punching his palm for effect. Those words seemed to have an effect on everyone, and they all cheered, agreeing with the words that Luke said.

Luke looked behind him as his eyes were drawn to what looked like the summit of Totsuki. He clenched his fist in a silent promise, he would work as hard as he could to make it to the top of Totsuki. No matter what.

Hello everyone, Kuro no Okami 23 here. First, I want to say a big thank you to everyone that has read and followed this story. Food Wars is one of my favorite anime's and as a chef myself I really enjoy bringing a little bit of the real food world into this show.

The next thing I want to say is that, as a disclaimer, Eri is not my own original character. She is an older version of a character from another TV/Movie series that I love. If anyone can guess which show she's from, I'll give you a shoutout next chapter.

Next is that I don't have all of my characters decided yet except for a few. I am still working on who will be living at Polar Star Dorm and who will be Luke's rivals throughout the series. If anyone wants to submit a character that you would like to see in my story then don't be afraid to send me a PM and give me a little description about them. The one character I do plan on having is the child of Shun and Ryoko. I just love those two together.

Anyway, that's all from me. See you next time and please check out my other stories as well.