Chapter 87: Shakeup

After twelve minutes of intense group chat or 'rangling' , as Isshiki, Megumi and Erina called it, with Kuga, Alice and Sōma over the sheer lack of callousness for others - even if they were in his own team - from the Director.

And as Kuga continued to muse angrily, describing Azami as 'an sadistic sociopath' , much to the agreement of Alice and Megumi, the other rebel chefs finally managed to extricate their fellow teammates out of the venue hall and back to their allocated common room.

"We shall now depart the venue hall for an hour and a half sojourn!" Senzaemon had bellowed moments ago, causing the hall's occupants to shudder with both exhilaration and frustration. "When we return the regiment de cuisine shall continue".

Deciding to have the rebels quickly ushered out of the venue hall before a fight could re-break out between the furious Takumi and Eizan, whom were still practically pawing at the ground to get at one another, Dōjima managed to skilfully move forwards and stand in between the two rival teams and gestured for them each to exit along their correct paths.

As he watched the central chefs leave the hall, Dōjima sighed in frustration before moving over to the 'special seating area' and unlocked the cage door allowing all the expelled students to go accompany their friends; as well as cheer them up and on.

Just as he had completed a final head count of competing chefs and their expelled friends he noticed Megumi and Erina both staring over to one side of the cooking stage where Jōichirō was visibly frowning standing next to his glowering son and holding him firmly by the shoulders.

"We should leave them be", the executive chef murmured, gently gesturing the two girls to follow the others in the direction of their common room. "It's clear that something is troubling Sōma, and Jōichirō is trying to help his son. Come, you both need rest and time to rethink the coming battles".

"Come on now!" Kuga abruptly piped up. "I noticed a Nintendo Wii back in our waiting room… so let's get a challenge sheet up!"

Grinning, clearly trying to lighten the tense mood, Kuga bolted past the executive chef and started pushing Takumi and Akira through the door into the waiting room. "Just pretend that the person you want to beat is in the game".

As he watched the group relent to the former eighth seat's planned video game competition file into the waiting room with small smiles on their faces, Dōjima was once again grateful that simply by coming into contact and learning from Sōma's positive culinary outlook Kuga had changed from his previous selfish attempts to crony people around him in the pursuit of recognition from the indifferent and emotionally distant older top three seats.

Kuga was no longer the self centred, blunt and cocky chef as he had once been, he could still be childish and some of his cockiness had been retained but all in the round he was free from his self doubt.

"I'm proud of you Kuga…" Dōjima heard the former seventh seat: Satoshi Isshiki whisper to the former eighth seat, resulting in the latter's ears reddening in embarrassment.

"That was a good idea you had back there - to have everyone relax and be distracted from the prior situation by video games", Isshiki grinned, proudly. "You've grown up soo much".

Turning away from Isshiki, Kuga tried and failed to hide his flushed face with his not-long-enough spiky blonde fringe; happy with his own decision to side with Sōma and the rebels, as well as being given the chance to continue cooking his own style of cuisine rather than be forced to toe the line of Central.

"T-T-Thanks… Isshiki", the former eighth seat stammered whilst blushing

Smiling to himself the executive chef turned back towards Senzaemon to discuss the events that had just occurred, and how to punish those who had perpetrated, abetted or been privy to knowledge of Azami's designs after the said organisation and its leader were ousted from Tōtsuki.

"I'm going to bring a criminal case against Azamj", Senzaemon growled. "I want to see that man bankrupt, internationally disgraced from his supporters and jailed for life".

Nodding in agreement, Dōjima clenched his fists and glowered in the direction of the emcee. "Don't forget Sean Aida..." he added in a low voice as to not alarm anyone to what they were discussing. "His actions today and the way that he has conducted himself as Tōtsuki are reprehensible".

Turning his head away slightly he saw the blood on the floor we being mopped up by a member of the cleaning detail, and immediately his mind went straight back to the first, second and third seats.

For the briefest of moments Dōjima had felt genuine hope that the first and second seats showcasing such sorrow, regret and anger for what had happened to Kensuke, and Azami's contempt and frustration towards him might break them out of central.

However, that hope faded quickly when the Taukasa and Rindō had bolted after Kensuke into the on site medical ward; and he was overcome with disappointment that all three of them still seemed stuck in Central's orbit despite no longer believing in the so-called Azami Doctrine.

'The White Knight, the Barbarian and the Silent King…' he mused to himself, thinking about how he'd always been curious as to the depth of their relationship with each other.

"I get how you feel Dōjima", Senzaemon spoke sadly. "I too feel a great regret towards those three. I wrongly assumed that they could successfully manage to bolster each other's feelings and anxieties".

Hanging his head and allowing his king silver hair to fall over his eyes, the former director sighed loudly before suddenly straightening himself where he stood.

"I should have suggested Kensuke do the same thing as Jōichirō did all those years ago", the former director announced solemnly. "The depth of his anxiety and the emotional frustration he felt were obvious, but I didn't see properly. Kensuke should have quit cooking and gone out to see the wider culinary world for himself before deciding whether or not it was the path he wanted to continue down".

"Oh well", Dōjima interjected bitterly and regretfully. "It's too late now. It's out in the open now, they'r friends who have been mistreated, misunderstood and taken advantage off by the culinary world they want to be a part of".

Sōma was still seething with anger as he was practically frogmarched, by his father, out of the hall to an adjacent room to have a calming chat.

"Let. Me. Go!" The boy growled trying it weasel his way out of his dad's grasp and start screaming angry swears at both Azami and the directors chief aid.

"Dad! Let go dammit!"

"Not happening son…" Jōichirō sternly replied as he manhandled his teenage son into the sideroom and locked the door behind them. "You and I need to chat".

Scowling, the red headed boy scrunched up his face as he petulantly tried to fitfully manoeuvre himself towards the door.

"You and Megumi…" Jōichirō suddenly announced, "you're together and I get why your angry but you need to remain level headed".

Placing both his hands on his son's shoulders, Jōichirō dug his finger nails into his sons shoulders to force him to pay attention. Alarmingly aware of his son's increasing fury, Jōichirō sighed loudly as he grabbed his son by ten chin and made him look directly into his eyes.

"Son", he asked firmly, "tell me…. what do you plan to do now? How are you going to displace the remaining Ten, whilst keeping your pride intact?"

"We. Will. Win!" Sōma gritted out flatly, his voice dripping with rage and determination. "Central will be disbanded, Tōtsuki will be returned to how it was before; with a new Council of Ten, and me and all my friends will be able to cook however we like!"

With an even bigger scowl on his face Sōma glowered, annoyed by his father's question and tried again to move past him.

"There I answered your question! Now can I go join my friends now… I have to go prepare for my rematch against chef Nene!"

However, Jōichirō again grabbed his son's shoulder and spun him back around to face him.

"Sōma!"

Jōichirō's voice was now devoid of its usual jollity and was uncharacteristically stern as he peered at his son. "You are a good chef, your intuition is far better than mine but your one weakness is that nasty habit of yours by which you let your emotions get the better of you".

Enraged by his father's words Sōma lunged forwards and made to punch him, only for Jōichirō to move aside resulting inter sixteen year old Sōma to tumble to the floor.

Glowering up at his father as he bit his tongue, preventing himself from saying anything that could permanently end his relationship with his father, Sōma attempted to once again weasel himself out of the room suddenly stopped his rage filled tirade when he saw Isshiki walk into the room; a frown on his face.

"Isshiki… what are you doing here?" Sōma asked, his voice immediately loosing its annoyance and instead becoming distinctly curious.

Frowning as he stared down at his fellow Kyokusei dorm mate, Isshiki turned his gaze back to the older man trying to get him to say something else. Unfortunately, Jōichirō remained silent as he watched his calm but still angry son sitting in the floor.

Replying hastily but cautiously the blonde haired second year approached his fellow Kyokusei resident, knelt down and patted Sōma on the shoulder.

"I came to see you because after what has just happened and considering your relationship with Megumi; as well as you having gained Ken's respect and burgeoning admiration, you must be feeling angry and vengeful..."

Immediately cut off by Sōma pushing himself to his feet and grabbing him by the shirt, Isshiki simply held onto his dorm mates arms.

"You father and I want to know, with confidence, that you're not going to allow your emotions to run wild in the next stages of the team food war", Isshiki stated plainly. "I know it sounds wrong but you need to be able to focus on your own cooking and not on Kensuke and Azami".

A returning angry sneer danced across the red head boys' face as he narrowed his eyes dangerously, daring the two people before him to challenge him.

"You did see what just happened right…?" Sōma snarled, startling both his father and Isshiki - neither of them having ever seen him this angry before.

Pointing towards the door leading back to the main venue hall Sōma spoke with forced restrain but still obvious rage. "Kensuke was just stabbed! And Azami was so indifferent about it he was practically gloating!"

Sighing as he stamped his foot down on the ground before moving forwards and firmly grabbing his fellow dorm mate on the left arm Isshiki narrowed his eyes as he spoke plainly.

"Don't you dare make me out to be uncaring, Sōma", Isshiki retorted bitterly. "Ken is my best friend and I will make it my mission after we win this team food war to see that all of Central are sued into bankruptcy for what they've done!"

"Then show you fang!" Sōma yelled back. "You say you care but all you're doing is talk and stand back..."

"I'm doing what needs to be done in order to win!" Isshiki yelled loudly, inadvertently shoving Sōma backwards.

"I already told you how I feel, but we need to be mute to Azami's machinations from now on, no matter how much they offend or aggravate you", the former seventh seat sniffed sadly. "If we loose our cool we could potentially jeopardise the rest of our team battles".

"I know your angry about Azami's treatment of and behaviour towards your girlfriend's brother…" Jōichirō interrupted, "but you have to remember that this team food war was, first and foremost, started to dismantle Central..."

Shoving his way past his father and Isshiki, not letting either of them finish what they wanted to say which had the affect of immediately ceasing their speech to him, Sōma levelled a hard glare at both of them.

Levelling them both with a hard glareX the red headed boy gritted out a harsh rebuke before finally storming out of the room.

"Just watch me…" Sōma growled opening the dirt and stepping outside. "I will see to it that Azami defeated, Central is disbanded and Tōtsuki is protected!"

Slamming the door shut behind him the boy stormed past the emcee before ripping open the doors to the rebel waiting room and marching inside to be with his other friends; whom all more or less believed in the same central bashing as he did.

After a two hours break, extended by half an hour due to Megumi having an incredible emotional phone call with her mother - whom ended up having to both console her and then calm her vengefulness - the rebel chefs returned to the venue hall to continue where they'd left off from the Team Food War.

Yet as she, Sōma, Erina, Isshiki and Takumi walked back out, followed by their expelled friends, they immediately found their eyes drawn to the dais where the judging panel sat.

However, this time the three chairs were filled by three new persons. And chairing the panel was Director Azami himself.

Anne, Charme and Histoire were all standing before the judging table ferociously arguing with the three new persons and trying to take back their places.

"Rebels…" the voice of Mister Aida announced to everyone in attendance, cutting over the judges arguments. "As of now you will be cooking for the Director himself as well as two of the WGO's Executive Critics: Mistress Decora and Mistress Corage".

With an over the top bow, Azami's chief aid gestured towards the two women sitting either side of the Director before pivoting on his feet towards the three ousted judges.

"We would like to extant our most heartfelt thanks to Histoire, Charme and Anne for their judgement so far… but as of now Central has decided that a change of procedure is required within this Regiment de Cuisine".

Joining the rebel chefs, and their expelled fiends, on the right hand side of the cooking stage - all three of them glowering - were the three ousted judges whom still continued to openly voice their resentment at being so flippantly removed.

"You can't do this!" Anne yelled hands on her hips. "The judging panel was decided upon weeks ago by the WGO committee and then finalised by the Head Book Master herself!"

An extremely subtle flinch overcame Director Azami as he heard that particular detail causing him to narrow his eyes and clench his fists.

'Her… what is she doing?' He mused to himself, trying to recall the last time he had seen his estranged wife.

"A change to the judging panel part way through the team food war is against all Tōtsuki precedent. Not to mention humiliating to those invited to be said judges". Charme added stubbornly. "Director Azami you have no right to do this!"

"Egregious!" Histoire angrily as well. "The Food War; whether it be individuals or teams, is a cornerstone of Tōtsuki's teaching!"

"And if the judging can be changed half way through to suit one particular side over the other then there becomes no point to anyone at the academy to even try to further themselves within the principle of culinary-competition!" Charme again stated.

"Thank you for your input…" Decora spoke, folding her arms across the bodice of her black dress which had the added affect of pushing up her breasts and making all the males in the room blush bright red. A sultry look overcame her as she knew very well what her body and her vivacious attitude was doing to those in the audience.

"But the decision still stands, and you will stand down", she spoke plainly staring down each of her three WGO junior colleagues.

"Well said Decora…" the other woman: Corage, injected dismissing with a wave of her hand: Anne, Histoire and Charme. "You three always were naïve when it came to properly choosing to ally with a cause worthy of accreditation".

As the two new female judges grinned smugly from their seats at the judging table, Sōma noticed Azami gesturing to the emcee whilst nodding for another person standing somewhere off side to come forwards.

Tall, pale skinned and dark of hair, a younger man walked into the cooking stage and bowed to Azami and the two new female judges.

Although not much older than maybe Tsukasa or Isshiki, Sōma got the distinct impression that this new person was going to create more trouble for the rebels.

"And now…" Mister Aida introduced to the whole venue hall, "let me introduce to you all to Tōtsuki's new, permanent, deputy director: Saiba Asahi".

R.I.P -

Vyvyan Howard. Soldier and Great Escape prisoner who survived Stalag Luft III.

Louise Fletcher. Actress [One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are brilliant]

Pharoah Sanders. Influential expressive and spiritual jazz saxophonist.