Chapter 19
Two Worldly Experiences, Go At It

"Hey, there he is. You kept your knife good and sharp?"

Saiba smiles, "Of course. And I bet the real reason you came back is because of the score we still need to settle. Right?"

"Indeed. I wanna see how far you've come along...or how far you've fallen behind." Joichiro sounds serious as he emits a red hot aura. "Show me right here and now. I'd say it's been too long since we had a proper food battle." His half of the kitchen because furious red.

Saiba emits a blue fiery aura, "I'm gonna give you everything I got since I came here." His half of the kitchen because a cold blue.

The kitchen sparks with intensity between the two as they prepare for a food battle!

Saiba pulls out his headband, strap it on, and pulls out his knife, "Ready when you are, old man."

They both tie their aprons and ready to cook as flames appear all around them.

"Alright." Joichiro says, "As the theme of this culinary battle;" he looks away as the flames disappear, "Hey! Gonna need a judge in here!"

"Huh?" Saiba went.

"So, what are ya in the mood to eat?"

Fumiyo enters the kitchen with a chuckle, "So the love of battle runs in the family. You two are cut from the same cloth. I swear."

"Ms. Fumiyo is our judge?" Saiba asks.

"But I'm not the only one." Fumiyo points her thumb at the door, "So are they."

Erina and Hisako enter the room.

"It's been a while since I had Joichiro's cooking. Since I was a child." Erina says before licking her lips, "But being able to taste both dishes of the two men that I admire; now what woman would be crazy enough to turn that down?"

Hisako raises her hand a little, "I got tagged along by Ms. Erina."

Fumiyo explains, "Joichiro asked us last night to judge. The three of us will be running this challenge whether you like it or not."

"How very interesting." Isshiki says while sitting on a stool, "This must be worth the watch."

Fumiyo does a small scream out of surprise, "You scared me to death! What're you doing here, you strange little boy?!"

Hisako screams at Isshiki, "PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!"

Erina covers her eyes, "Oh my god! Why is he always in his underwear!? Why can't it be Saiba!?"

"Don't put me in the same category as him!" Saiba says in an upset tone.

Isshiki explains, "Well, Ms. Fumiyo, I was coming back from working out in the fields but I caught wind of a rather interesting challenge."

Fumiyo calms down while not noticing Megumi coming in, "Well, unfortunately, you can only watch the battle. It will take only an odd number of judges for-"

She stops when she notices Megumi opening the refrigerator door.

"Um, Megumi?" Saiba asks.

Megumi hears Saiba. She close the door and look at him, "Oh, hey Saiba. Morning." she still sounds like she's asleep.

Saiba notice how terrible Megumi looks, "Whoa! Megumi! You got some major bags under your eyes!"

Megumi looks like she hasn't gotten a single wink of sleep and looks miserable, "So, uh, I'm really tired the more I think about out training camp. I can't seem to make myself go back to sleep." She wobbles side to side with her eyes close as if she's about to pass out after remembering all the stuff she went through, "You know, I'm surprised I even made it out alive."

"Um, Megumi, I think you should go back to bed."

Then Fumiyo gets an idea, "Oh! Her timing's just right." She waves Megumi to come over, "Come here, Megumi."

"Huh?" Megumi is still half asleep and has no idea on what's going on."

Hisako states, "I think we have our odd number of judges."

"Great." Isshiki agrees, "Now we have five judges. Don't we all agree?"

Joichiro nod his head in agreement, "Mm-hmm."

Saiba nods, "Yeah."

Fumiyo sighs, "Let's see. I'm getting pretty up there in age. My stomach can't handle anything too rich in the morning. And I've got students up at all hours. That's it! The challenge is: Make a dish that makes someone feel young and invigorated. Especially first thing in the morning."

"An energy giving breakfast." Hisako stated.

"Exactly, my dear. You're free to use whatever you like, provided that its available in the kitchen. Your time limit is one hour. And so; BEGIN!"

Saiba and Joichiro immediately get to work on making breakfast for five people. Joichiro ties his hair as Saiba tighten his headband. On one side of the kitchen, Saiba is already cutting up lotus roots and carrots. On the other side, Joichiro is cutting up lotus roots and turnips. As they prepare their dishes, Megumi finally snaps out of her sleep depraved state and notice what is going on.

"Uh, what?" Megumi went. "Why are they battling each other?"

"Megumi." Isshiki says, "Glad you can join us. I see that you're finally awake."

"Huh? Yeah. But what's this all about?"

Hisako explains, "Joichiro is having a food battle with his son to test his skills and see how far he has come since joining Totsuki."

"Seriously?!" Megumi is shocked, "But his father's a former member of the Ten! There's no way you can win!"

"I wouldn't say that." Fumiyo says as the father and son started boiling their pots. "They're currently at 450 draws, 18 wins for Saiba and 19 wins for Joichiro."

"HHUUUUHHH?!" Megumi is even more shocked than she was before.

Both of them then start using a grater on their yuzu citrus fruits before moving onto the ebi-imo roots.

Erina smiles at both Joichiro and Saiba, 'Both of the greatest chefs cooking for my breakfast.' She licks her lips, 'I wonder who will make the best dish for me to taste. I can't wait.'

Saiba then pulls out something alongside the soy sauce and sake. It is white

'Huh?' Megumi went, 'Is that tofu?' But Megumi notices that Joichiro is dong the same, 'Are they making the same dish?'

'What exactly are they planning?' Isshiki is in thought, 'They look like their using the same ingredients and cooking them in similar styles. Both of them have their own world traveling experiences. Joichiro has traveled the world more times than anyone care to count with plenty of experiences. Yet Saiba, he has gone to the continent where ingredients and foods are rare and hard to come by that hardly anyone can survive. This will be a close match.'

Hisako gulps in anticipation on who is gonna finish first. Then a timer went ping as Saiba pours some tea into his bowls and finishes first.

He comes over with a tray full of steaming bowls, "Order up!" He gives the bowls to his judges, "Try the Yukihira-style Breakfast Ramen."

"RAMEN?" the five went.

"In the morning?" Megumi says.

They all look at their dishes and see a rich broth ramen dish with fried lotus roots and something brownish on it.

"That's too rich!" Hisako complains.

'True.' Isshiki says in his thoughts, 'Ramen is eaten for breakfast in some regions. But this looks like a thick, dense seafood broth. For sleep deprived Megumi and are somewhat aged Fumiyo, this dish is a little much.'

Fumiyo complains, "Saiba, you're just like your father! He goes overboard with his creativity at your age! Even in a Food War! He had no problem serving a new dish he concocted and some other strange creation."

"Wait!" Erina smells something in it, "The broth may look rich but there is a mellow and sweet scent coming from it."

Hisako takes a whiff, "She's right! This isn't a seafood broth! It's a vegetable broth of some kind."

"Oh?" Fumiyo looks down at her bowl. "Then let's take a taste."

They all start slurping their ramen. But when they finished with their first slurping, something hit a cord with them.

Megumi looks at the bowl, "You're right, Hisako! The broth! The way it all taste! I love this! The noodles are infused with citrus."

Erina says, "Rich and enticing. Yet mellow and sweet. And the broth. It's made from mushrooms and kelp. It is also a delicate blend of soy milk and charred miso yet still contain its rich, flavorful taste with grated ebi-imo root that gives it the robust flavor. Making it both creamy and rich."

Megumi fans herself, "I feel like my body is getting warmer and warmer."

Hisako says, "There is hot sesame oil, grated fresh ginger, and minced scented garlic."

"The soy milk mellows them out." Isshiki says after eating more, "So they slowly caress the body from the inside."

"And the toppings are an incredible parade of detail to adorn the finished dish." Fumiyo says, "Thinly sliced lotus and burdock roots fried to a nice crisp. With carrots and turnips grilled over charcoals, giving it just the hint of char then sprinkled with rock salt to draw out their sweetness. Just like garnishes in French cooking, each ingredient were treated individually to create a depth of flavor to holistic energy. But the most impressive of all is this..." She holds something square in her chopsticks, "Tempeh."

"Tempeh?" Megumi went.

Isshiki says to Megumi, "Yes. It is from Indonesia. It is an ingredient made from fermented soybeans. It is fermented by using bacteria from hibiscus or banana leaves. It is considered a traditional food. One that has found popularity in the region for four hundred years."

Megumi takes a bite from the tempeh, "It's so thick, but the taste is so light and refreshing. It's like char siu!"

Hisako says, "Texturally, it is a lot like meat. Many vegetarians and macrobians, or anyone that tries to avoid eating meat or dairy related products like to eat it. Yet it is infused with soy sauce and sake makes it teriyaki-style."

Erina shouts, "Wait a minute! There's no meat or fish in this dish! He managed to create this much richness and depthness of flavor!"

Joichiro is holding his tray, "Saiba, you damn copycat! That's my ramen!"

"What 're you talking about?!" Saiba argues, "I just came up with that on the fly!"

"That ramen is something I made a long time ago, over seas! I stayed at a temple where I met a priest who lamented about giving up meat and fish. He was having a hard time with it."

We cut back in time when the priest screams, "I WANT MEAT! MORE MEAT AND FISH!"

"Then that was when I came up with this ramen. But it looks like you- Whoa!" Joichiro looked at the judges and is freaked out.

Saiba looks in the same direction, "What are you- WHOA!"

Megumi, Isshiki, and Hisako have turned into kindergartners while Fumiyo is a young and beautiful teenager. Erina got reverted into a slobbering and energetic puppy that drools for more after they all finished.

The four say, "Thank you for the delicious food!" while Erina barks.

Saiba gets freaked out, "Okay, that's too much!"

"I bet its gonna be another tie." Joichiro give his dish to the judges, "Although, I'm not sure they can handle another one."

They all taste Joichiro's ramen and find it good. However, they noticed that something is missing.

"Hmm?" Joichiro is confused, "Something wrong?"

Megumi speaks, "It does taste good, but there is something missing from it. Something that was a bit subtle in Saiba's dish."

"Huh?!" Joichiro went. He looks back at Saiba, "Saiba, what else did you add in there?"

"Simple." he said. He holds up the tea pot, "The subtle sweetness and health benefits of green tea."

"Green tea?!"

Hisako lays some trivia, "Green tea is one of the most healthiest teas in the world. It contains ingredients used for teeth benefits, antioxidants, gives one healthy skin and so forth. Yet if brewed wrong or seeped too much, it will be bitter."

Erina smiles, "I declare Saiba Yukihira the winner." she says.

"Huh?!" Joichiro went, "All because he added some tea!?"

"Exactly. The excellently brewed tea added a subtle sweetness that goes well with the soy milk and yuzu citrus that gives it a unique flavor profile and the health benefits one needs through the day." Erina smiles, "In other words; Saiba wins!" She look at the other judges, "I'm sure everyone here is in agreement."

They all agree.

"So then, Saiba Yukihira is the winner."

Saiba jumps up in the air, "Woo-hoo! I got nineteen wins!" But his celebration was short-lived, "Wait a minute! That means we're tied again!"

Fumiyo look back at the bowls, 'Both of them made an incredible dish with a slight deviation that showcase their creativity and culinary exploration. It's just the gentle push to get the day started. Both dishes were equal, but Saiba, being an actual fox, came up with something cunning to surpass his father. However, with all those ties, it's hard to say who is the more excellent chef.'

Erina says to Joichiro, "I'm sorry, Joichiro, but your son managed to make the dish even more nutritious."

Joichiro does a consent sigh, "It's fine."

"But I can make you the winner if you let me marry your son!" Erina is eager to have Saiba with hearts in her pupils, flash blushing and drooling a little.

"Whoa there!" Joichiro staggers back, "Sorry, but you have to go through my wife first. She's the only one that judges which girl is best suited for him."

Saiba has a sour face, "So mom is in-charge of who I get to be with?"

"Although." Joichiro is upset, "We resulted in a tie again."

Both Saiba and Joichiro open their little notebooks and write down what they did.

"Man this is tedious!" Joichiro complains, "We're gonna have to find some sort of tie-breaker to settle the score."

Saiba says to his father, "At least I won't have to eat that crap you keep on giving me whenever I lose!"

Megumi states, "They write it down? All of their food challenges up until now?"

"That seems highly organized for a couple of nincompoops." Fumiyo says.

Saiba heads up stairs with Erina and Megumi following him and he is carrying his knife set.

"That was incredible!" Megumi is inspired, "You managed to win against your father, a former member of the Ten!"

"But it was still a draw." Saiba mopes.

"Still though, I'm impressed you managed to get the one up on him." Erina says.

"Well now," Saiba stops and looks up, "I'm gonna go to uncharted lands that will bridge the gap between worlds. Aim as high as the sky." He looks at Megumi, "So let's do our best to make it to the Council of Ten, Megumi!"

"Huh?! Wha-?!" Megumi is flabbergasted.

"I'll do my best too!" Erina says with excitement, but reality sets in, "Oh wait. I'm already on the Ten."

Saiba just laughs at Erina.

Hisako calls out to Erina, "Miss Erina! Your appointments start soon!"

Outside, Joichiro is already saying his goodbyes to Fumiyo.

"You're leaving already?" Fumiyo asks. "That was one of your fastest visits yet. Why not stay a little while longer and give him some fatherly advice?"

"I'm not really a hands on type of parent. Besides, he beat me fair and square. ...okay, he may have had the same idea I had, but still."

"You are so full of crap. You wanted to encourage him to keep on moving forward, which is the whole point of your food battle. The Fall Selection is coming up after all."

Joichiro turns around, "Is it?" he turn his head to Fumiyo and smiles, "Nah, I just wanted to see the frustrated look on my boy's face. But that obviously didn't happen."

"You still can't be upfront with me? Ah well, I won't hold it against you."

"Besides, I needed to stop by Totsuki Academy to run a little errand of my own."

"Errand?"

"Yeah, but its nothing major. See ya later ma'." and so, Joichiro leaves. "Someday soon, I'll come cook for ya again."

"I swear, even when they get older, wanderers never change."

As Joichiro walks down the street, a car pulls up next to him. It is Erina's car with Hisako sitting beside her as the window rolls down.

"Need a lift?" Erina asks.

"Nah, I'm good." Joichiro says with a smile, "I'm heading off somewhere to do. Nothing major."

"But can you at least say goodbye before you leave." Erina states, "I swear, you're like a cat. Just hope Saiba won't pick up any of your bad habits when he gets older."

Joichiro laughs, "Don't worry. He's fine the way he is. But don't you have an appointment to go to?"

Erina sighs, "I guess. Hope to see you again someday."

The window rolls up and drives down the road.

"Although." Joichiro looks a little worried as he looks over at the dorm, "Just hope he doesn't become like his grandfather back home when he brings It back."

Back at the dorm, Fumiyo tells everyone that Joichiro left already.

"Huh?" Yuki went while holding a basket of eggs, "Did Joichiro seriously leave already?"

"What? When did he go?" Megumi went.

"Just a little while ago." Fumiyo explains, "I don't even know where the man plans on going from here."

Saiba sighs and rubs the back of his head, "Yeah, that's dad for ya. He runs off doing who knows what." But he starts smirking, "Yet probably embarrassed about me beating him in a food battle and refuse to show his face after his defeat."

"You beat him?" Ryoko asks while holding a small plastic box, "When was that?"

Saiba already has a tray of his winning ramen, "Come and get it! This is the ramen that defeated my dad! The perfect breakfast for the day so you won't have to eat whatever disgusting creations he makes!"

"That's one hell of a grudge." Shun says while holding his chainsaw to make more wood chips.

Daigo and Shoji can be heard stampeding through the hallways, "Can we have some!?"

Everyone gathered around and tried out Saiba's ramen.

But Fumiyo goes, "By the way, Saiba, Joichiro wanted me to deliver you a message. You need to go and tend to the shop once in a while. That's it."

"Oh?" Saiba went while holding an empty tray, "Well, I was planning going back home during my vacation. Yet I wonder, why he need to tell me that? Something is happening or what?"

"I don't know, but best to visit. You're probably feeling homesick or your mother wants to see you. Either way, best to get goin'."

"Yeah, my mother is overly protective and an emotional time bomb. So why not?"