Classique

by Zancrowe

{Soma / Erina} As rival schools attempt to crush Tootsuki in the biggest Tournament Arc; Azami finally attempts to retake control of his daughter; while Asahi decides it's time to usurp the Nakiri Throne from that very heiress. Only problem? Erina's boyfriend. [ft. Asahi/OC; OC/Nao; Ryou/Alice; Isshi/Nene; Taku/Hisa; Akira/Megu] ((23: Les Cuisiniers Noirs (I)))

23. Les Cuisiniers Noirs (I)

"In memory of Grandma,

the trunk of my tree,

I live my life as her legacy."

"In Memory of Grandma" – Michele Meleen

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Disclaimer: Don't own Shokugeki no Soma.

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It was named Restaurant Yukihira, or sometimes Yukihira's Diner, or just plainly Yukihira's as most locals would call it. A tried and true, all-Japanese special-of-the-day restaurant situated squarely in the middle of the Sumire Shopping District, a very unassuming place if Dove had ever seen one. The infamous little restaurant was utterly underwhelming at first sight, just a neat, little, compact two story structure that served as both a restaurant and a home, with a big red banner illustrating the name for all would-be patrons to see. It also spotted a huge sign which read "CLOSED" right smack in the middle of its main doors. Locked doors at that, which made the girl frown. She swore if she took this entire trip for naught she would be complaining to Asahi throughout the entire ride back to the Tootsuki Resort.

She turned, with both herself and the young man now out of the limousine, both currently standing mere feet from the unassuming establishment. It was here she noticed that Asahi seemed to be outright glaring at the place.

"…Have you been here before?" Dove asked after a moment of hesitation. She was still unsure of what the goal here was, even if she could feel that it was a very important one for Asahi.

"No," he replied, eyes on the banner and the name. "…I've seen enough pictures. And he described it at length many times. I have to say, I'm kinda unimpressed."

"Oh, samesies," Dove added, her head now tilted a bit to the side. "Are we, like, going to vandalize it or something?"

"I-wait, what? No, why would that be your first thought?" Asahi asked, now turning to her, his expression clearly baffled, which did make her smile.

"What?" she defended, outstretching her arms. "I'm still new at this whole "Les Cuisiniers Noirs" thing you do. Feels like this would be the sort-of petty stuff you guys would get off on."

"I am not petty."

"Well…"

"Dove, seriously," Asahi said, but he laughed a little more. "Man, really glad I brought you along."

"Where did that come from?" Dove asked, putting up a front, even if hearing his earnest tone did make her a bit red behind the ears. "Just tell me, what are we even doing here?"

"…Just trying to face my past, I guess," Asahi replied, his eyes back on the shop itself, this time fixated on the main entrance and the sign. Dove looked on, her wide blue eyes soaking in his words, and wondering if someday she too could say such a thing with such conviction. She both envied and admired that trait of him. For his part, he still had to take a deep breath, before he closed his fist and pounded on the doors, the silence of the early night causing his knocks to echo throughout.

They both waited, both of them blinking for a moment at the lack of a sudden response, with Dove wondering if there was even anyone there and Asahi wondering if he had been lied to. It was a chilly night, which made the waiting seem even longer than what it really was, which caused Dove to shiver a bit and hug herself to warm up.

"…And I just had a warm shower," she complained, trying to shake the chill off, "If I catch a cold and do a poor performance because of it I am so blaming you for –"

Asahi then promptly caused her to shut up the moment he took off his jacket and placed it on her. It was dumb, she knew, since it wasn't even an expensive jacket to begin with. Or a thick one at that. It barely concealed her from the cold at all, but just the mere gesture made her heat up in an instant. The boy didn't seem to notice, and she had to mentally argue with herself as to why she could have guys from all parts of the globe pull the biggest, most expensive romantic gestures imaginable (her name in fireworks, diamond encrusted gifts, actual songs made in her honor, like, she had seen it all after she got famous) and she wouldn't bat an eye, and yet, the stupid little things like a few roses or the gentlemanly thing of giving her a jacket to protect her from the cold outright made her melt. It just wasn't fair.

Asahi raised his fist again, either ready to knock again or taking her up on her suggestion and just punching through the door, she couldn't really tell which, but he was stopped the moment the doors opened up.

Asahi glared, hand still raised, fist still clenched.

Dove looked on, her bright eyes catching sight of the man she had never met, yet knew so much about.

Jouichirou Saiba.

"…Hey," he greeted, and he sounded different to what Dove had imagined him to. He sounded both glad and nervous at the same time, strangely enough. "Glad you decided to show, and I mean that genuinely. Thanks for giving me the chance to do this… And come in, its cold out. Don't want you kids to get sick or something."

"How very thoughtful of you," Asahi said, and Dove had to almost look at him to make sure it was the same guy she had arrived with that had just spoken up. In an instant, he had pulled the mask back on and spoken with that fine sarcasm of his that was so hard to detect even for someone like her who almost spoke sarcasm as a second language. "Dove."

"Huh?" she blurted out, her focus having been elsewhere, as she noticed Asahi was signaling at her to go in first. She nodded, taking a few steps and walking right in, just as Jouichirou stepped aside and allowed the Queen of Noirs to enter Yukihira's. "So this…" she said, as she soaked it all in. She looked around, catching the sights of what seemed like a very cheap, yet very cozy little place. "…Is Restaurant Yukihira's. You have no idea how much I've heard of this place in this last year alone."

"I hope you're not disappointed," Jouichirou noted, as Asahi walked inside as well, also looking a bit around, but not as curiously as Dove did. If anything, he looked angrier now. "You must be Azami's protégé. Dove… Dillinger, was it?"

"Oh my," Dove replied with her hand over her lips, her tone almost matching the professional one Azami himself used to an eerie extent. "To think that the famed Jouichirou Saiba knows of little ol' me."

"Oh please kiddo," Jouichirou merely said with a laugh, and at this Dove pouted. Kiddo? Did this man not know a grown woman when he saw one? "No need to be modest. You are one of the biggest up-and-coming talents in the culinary world. Even for a guy like me, who has purposely tried to steer clear of the spotlight, has of course heard of you. Even before the Intercontinental Shokugeki at that. You've been making waves for a while now."

"Is that so?" Dove noted, with a little pride evident.

"I'm more surprised that you came alongside Asahi here," Jouichirou added, turning to the Noir, who merely frowned. "For someone as competitive as you, and who, might I add, threw my advice right back to my face, I did not expect you to bring one of your biggest rivals to something so personal."

"Don't get the wrong idea old man," Asahi quickly countered, and he was about to open his mouth to continue, but Dove beat him to the punch.

"Excuse me?" she asked, sounding genuinely insulted. And, it wasn't directed at Jouichirou, but rather, at Asahi himself, who quickly gave pause when he noticed her tone. "And that's supposed to mean, what… exactly?"

"…I, erm, what I meant," Asahi stammered a bit, before he cleared his throat and corrected himself, "Jouichirou, this is Dove, she's my… girlfriend."

Asahi seemed outright flustered upon saying it aloud.

Dove looked equally flustered despite her initial protests.

Jouichirou just found it adorable. He also couldn't help but be a little bit proud. And also a little bit worried about the wellbeing of his son and his little girlfriend, all things considered.

"Well then," Jouichirou spoke up, if nothing else but to try and cut the silence. "It is an utmost pleasure to meet you Dove. Hope you take care of this troublesome boy."

"You're the last person that has to tell her that," Asahi argued, as he walked right next to Dove, while Jouichirou took a few steps towards the kitchen, before he flicked a switch and turned all the lights on.

"Its fine," Dove noted, looking around once more, now that everything was given light and she could see everything clearly. "Also, I feel I shouldn't ask but I really deserve to know so Imma ask anyways, were you and Azami, like, a thing back in your Tootsuki days?"

Both Jouichirou and Asahi seemed to shatter like glass, both frozen in place for a solid three seconds, as she just looked on, curiously.

"Dove, like, seriously!?" Asahi spat out.

"What?" she defended, "You try to live under the same roof as that man for almost three years hearing Jouichirou this or Jouichirou that and not come to the same conclusions!" she added, before she extended her hand and pointed her finger judgingly at Jouichirou. "Come on, fess up! Did you or did you not break my Master's heart during your high school days?!"

"I… I'll admit, I was mentally prepared for a lot of things today, but this was not one of them," Jouichirou replied, slowly coming to, "And sorry to disappoint, but as far as I'm aware off, we weren't like that. Truth be told, there were times I wasn't sure we were even friends… Azami, he… I mean, he's your mentor, I should just leave it at that."

"Oh come on, share," Dove pestered. "I can take it. I know the man enough to not be surprised by anything at this point."

"Can we please change the subject," Asahi outright begged, "You're looking way to into this. He and my father were rivals or something like that. Daddy dearest has certainly worst taste in partners than Jouichirou here, like, you know, my mom?"

"As disgusting an individual as your mother is, which I mean I'm still not sure how Azami mustered the courage to stick it in there," Dove explained, and in all honesty she couldn't tell which of the two men were more uncomfortable at her words, but she lived for this. "But, you severely underestimate just how much talk of the great Jouichirou Saiba Loren and I had to endure during our time with Azami. Like, take me and your dumb sister for example. You could sort-of say we're rivals, if by rivals you mean she barely scrapes the bottom of my heel, but in the technical term –"

"– Dove."

"– Fine! She's good or whatever, stupid time for you to start catching genuine sibling affections, but whatevs," Dove continued, her arms now crossed to her chest. "But you don't see me bringing her up in almost every, single conversation we have. Like I'm sure I know more about this stupid man…" she argued, pointing at Jouichirou as if he wasn't even there. He sure felt stupid right now. "…than even his son knows! Like I could tell you his shoe size, his favorite foods, what shows he watched back at Tootsuki, who he dated, who he wanted to date but didn't, who wanted to date him but he rejected, his entire win, loss, draw records and even his damn underwear size!"

"…You, you've got to be exaggerating just a bit, right?" Asahi asked.

"Am I?!" Dove shot back, and he honestly couldn't tell anymore.

"Alright kids," Jouichirou softly interrupted, for once a bit genuinely worried about what else would come out of the girl's mouth. "Let's just say Azami is very observant when he wants to be. But, as far as I know, our relationship was strictly platonic all the way through," he added, "And I'm sorry you had to hear so much about me. I can assume it was quite the exercise in frustration."

"Oh, you have no idea," Dove merely retorted.

"Still," Jouichirou continued. "It is a pleasure to meet such a lovely, if not somewhat spirited young lady like yourself."

"Oh, you have no idea," Asahi added, which caused Dove's little glare to shift to him, pout and all.

"But I know you kids have a busy set of weeks ahead of you," Jouichirou expressed, as he then turned, motioning to the kitchen. "And I do want to make it up to you Asahi. You told me the only place I was honest was in the kitchen, well, then, let's work with that. You up for this?"

"Up for this?" Dove asked, her eyes on her boyfriend (a term which still made her hot under the collar but she ignored it as best she could). "You're actually challenging… him?"

Asahi instinctively frowned, even if he really, really didn't want to show that emotion at all. It was just the way she had said it, like such a high level of respect for the chef. And he knew it was warranted, because it was the Jouichirou Saiba, one of the outright best chefs in the entire world. So of course, even with her skill, Dove would still be wary of him, but a little dumb part of him felt… envy at hearing her doubt that he could win. He just stammered about, unsure of what to say, because he didn't expect to feel like that with just one sentence of hers.

"Don't say it like he's unbeatable," Asahi voiced, his sharp eyes on hers. "No one is."

"…Oh," Dove slowly spoke, realizing something he very much hope she wouldn't. The moment he saw that sparkle in her eyes was the moment he knew he had messed up. "…Oh, someone's jealous."

"That's not what I meant!"

"Oh, please, don't be too hard on yourself," she teased, "I know how tough you are, but it stands to reason a little boy wouldn't fare too well against an actual man, you know?"

"Keep that up and I'll have you wait in the limo!"

"I'd like to see you even try to force me to move an inch from where I'm standing."

She had kept her playful tone, but added just the right hint of menace to it to make it clear, that yes, she wasn't just a little plaything of his to be locked up when inconvenienced. And she fully expected him to counter her, with the same level of snark she had grown accustomed to, but instead his features softened considerably.

"That's not what I meant Dove," he told her, softly. Gently. "I'd never force you at… anything. It was just a dumb empty threat okay, not…"

Then she just hugged him, tightly, her full body on him.

"Relax, just teasing," she told him, her head buried at the nape of his neck. "I told you since that little pinky promise of ours. I trust you. I know you won't hurt me. I'm just messing with you. I mean, if I didn't trust you up to this point, I most certainly wouldn't have slept with you."

"Dove!"

"What?"

"He's still here!" Asahi, red as could be, shouted while pointing at Jouichirou.

"I am indeed still here," Jouichirou affirmed, looking away. Seemed the kids had been pretty busy. Guess something about those Tootsuki Resort rooms had that effect, as he could himself attest with Riko way back in the day.

"And he's going to tell who exactly?" Dove just noted. "If we have to pretend so much back at that stupid academy, at least we can be honest here!" she added with a grin. "And those little thoughts aside… go and kick his ass then."

He looked at her for a moment, soaking in the girl he never once thought would be in his arms like this, before he gave her a quick little kiss on the lips, one that seemed to catch her off-guard, and proceeded to slowly walk towards the kitchen. Dove turned around, still flustered, but her eyes on both chefs. Asahi quickly took out his new knife, one that had belonged to this very establishment since before even Jouichirou himself had set foot inside it. The man answered in kind, taking out his own matching blade. And despite the cheapness of the locale, those knives were top quality, Dove noted.

"Alright, enough posturing Jouichirou," Asahi declared. "Let's settle this. And to make this a true match, if I win… when I win, I get that knife of yours too. Need the matching pair, you know?" Asahi added, signaling to his own knife.

"That's fine," Jouichirou agreed. "Then, if I win…" he added, and Asahi could already hear him tell him that if he won Asahi was to drop out of the competition. That it was too dangerous or some stupid excuse like that. But to his surprise, instead he said, "…we sit down and talk. For real I mean. And you actually promise to at least listen to what I have to say."

Asahi stared for a moment, a bit surprised by this being the challenge presented.

Dove, taking a seat by the stools, after fighting with one for a bit to get it to the required height, looked on.

Jouichirou waited for a response, until Asahi just nodded.

"Alright, that's a bit out of left field, but I can work with that," Asahi said, "You ain't winning though. So… what's the theme and ingredient? I'd say your son's favorite dish could work, but do you even know what it is?"

"You really do have quite the poor idea of my paternal skills," Jouichirou noted with a little laugh, "But, hold up for a sec. We don't even have a proper judge yet," he added, before he turned to the Queen. "Unless, of course, little Miss Dove would do us the honor."

"You want me to judge?" Dove asked, her head rested on her closed fist. This was a strange night indeed.

"If you can keep it just a tiny bit unbiased, then I'm –" Jouichirou joked, but the moment Dove's glare intensified he promptly shut up. It was a sudden reaction that surprised even him.

"Dove?" Asahi voiced, turning to the girl.

"…Do not insult me Jouichirou Saiba," was all she said to the man, before she turned to Asahi. "And as long as you don't mind. This isn't my fight after all."

"Nah, there's no one I'd trust more to be honest than that sharp, unfiltered tongue of yours," Asahi commented, before he turned to Jouichirou. "Sure thing, Dove's got this. So, pick the theme and ingredient old man."

Jouichirou just looked on, his eyes briefly on the girl seated across the table, and he couldn't help but inwardly laugh at the irony of it all. Her words and her ice-cold expression the moment her craft and professionalism was even merely put into question outright made him picture the very visage of two other notable girls who had sat just where she was seating at.

"What?" he heard Tamako Yukihira say.

"What?" he heard Erina Nakiri say.

"What?" he heard Dove Dillinger say.

"…Nothing," he would always reply, before he turned back to the kitchen. He wouldn't say it now, but it was still something worth noting, amusingly so, how it seemed that the Saiba / Yukihira boys certainly had a type. And what a type it was.

-0-

It was already late, but he needed to make sure. He had screwed up already once before with one of these siblings, so the last thing he needed was another screw up. It helped, that when it came to the rules of, well, any establishment, he had act for breaking them utterly and none being the wiser. Which was why Julius Bedlam currently found himself once more in his boss' son's quarters, his eyes scanning the dozen upon dozen of medals and certifications the younger Etsuya had garnered across his academic career. With such a resume under his belt, he knew the young yakuza did not really need that Tootsuki diploma to be successful in life, but…

"Just spit it out Julius," Eizan voiced, sitting on his couch, looking like something a cat had dragged in. Gone was the bravado and the menace, and all that was left was a very tired young man. "I know this isn't a social visit. It never is for you."

"Surprising as it may seem to you," Julius corrected. "I still very much care about your wellbeing," he explained, taking hold of one of Eizan's latest trophies. Second Place in his year's Autumn Elections, quite the accomplishment. "Which is why words can't describe how shocked I was when I saw you throw your hat into the ring and actually ended up representing Tootsuki. I've done so much, put in such a good word for you… Your father is not at all please."

"You may take that very trophy you're holding," Eizan noted, "And tell him he knows where to stick it."

"Etsuya."

"I am done," Eizan voiced. "I am not going back to father. You know me. I won't grovel. But if it keeps your mind at ease, I am not suicidal either. I have no plans of attempting to take you or any of those other Neo-Noirs on. Losing on the grand stage, in front of everyone who's anyone in the culinary world, including the WGO, is quite the black mark by itself, and even I'm not crazy enough not to know what getting absolutely destroyed there will do to me. All those accolades… rendered useless if I can't even put a dent on any of you."

"So you are aware?"

"Of the difference in skill between you four and the rest of us, of course," Eizan said, resting his head further back, "Dove Dillinger is outright considered unbeatable by anyone near our age-range, all the statistics point to her being this generation's finest chef. Then there's that lunatic Ashitaro, the outright heir to the Sadatsuka Culinary Academy, Tootsuki Academy's oldest rivals and he is basically a Frankenstein's Monster made exclusively to take anyone who wears our uniform out. And that Asahi Saiba or whatever surname he fancies, he leads an entire armada of underground chefs and has been compared to the legendary Jouichirou Saiba himself. What the hell would I even do to try to oppose any of them?"

"Then why –?" Julius asked, turning to Etsuya.

"…I couldn't will myself to just say no," he admitted, closing his eyes. "Nene's trying so hard to keep things afloat. After everything I did, might as well help a bit. But she knows this is as far as I go. I'll set foot in the ring, make it so it's four on four, and once my turn is up, I'll just forfeit. No more, no less."

"I promise you this is the right call," Julius noted. "Whatever comes to pass, I'll make sure you're alright. Your future is secured."

"Yeah, yeah," Eizan just muttered. "Not like I have a choice. Dove, Ashitaro, and Asahi. They are literally the second coming of Nakamura, Ebisawa, and Saiba. And they don't call them the Golden Era for nothing. And as much as I know how good Isshiki is, he ain't quite there yet. And don't get me started on the mess that is the little princess or that idiot Yukihira."

"Hey now, if you keep praising my teammates so much," Julius said with a very calm smile. It made Eizan tense up despite knowing this man for such a long time. "I'll think you actually consider them to be above me."

"That's not it," Eizan denied. "If anything, you're the Doujima of their group. I know more than anyone how you like to keep yourself out of focus. Hell, wouldn't surprise me if you could take out what was left of the Elite Ten on your own."

"Now you're just saying what I want to hear," Julius commented with a little laugh. "No need to patronize me Etsuya," he added, "But… I am glad to hear that you won't be foolish enough to engage against any of us. It is, for the best. If I could offer another piece of advice, well, you should –"

The door suddenly opened up, stopping Julius mid-advice, while causing Eizan to sit back up, his eyes on the doorway. And the sudden visitor was not exactly unexpected, but it still made him tense up. Julius, for his part, if he was shaken at all, he didn't show it. The man had a poker face like no other.

"…Didn't realize you'd have company," Yukichiko voiced, a clear disdain in her voice.

"Uh… That's, well…" Eizan tried.

"I was just about to take my leave," Julius simply commented, before, hands on his pockets, he proceeded to walk right past Yukichiko after offering her a soft bow. "Excuse me Milady."

"Milady, wow, aren't we the proper gentlemen," Yukichiko added with a scoff, which did manage to make Julius pause. Eizan was trying to sink himself into his seat to no avail. "Word of advice, Julius. Etsuya no longer wishes to have any contact with our father, so I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't come in and pester him about what our old man is whining about now."

"I shall refrain from such activities then," Julius voiced. "Believe it or not, all I am doing is looking out for his wellbeing."

"My, that would be something," Yukichiko added, her tone utterly venomous. "It would be nice if you actually cared for at least one of us."

"Yukichiko…"

"I really, really would prefer if you two took your arguments elsewhere," Eizan noted, frowning. He had heard this exact conversation so many times before.

"Apologies, little brother," Yukichiko replied, but it didn't quite sit well with Eizan. That tone… Had he said something wrong? Before he could ask, Yukichiko turned to Julius for a moment, the glare of her glasses hiding her expression perfectly. "You still do work for my family, correct?"

"Of course –"

"Then leave, that's an order," Yukichiko instructed. Julius looked at her for the briefest of moments, before he merely smiled and nodded, offering the young woman another bow before he turned away and left the siblings alone. Eizan was sure he'd be hearing quite the speech, and he was already preparing every single counter-argument he could muster to make it as quick and as painless as possible, but to his utter surprise, rather than anger or fury, her sister spoke in a much, much worse tone, "…I didn't actually expect for you to keep on talking to him as if nothing happened."

"What…?"

Her tone sounded… hurt. And he couldn't even begin to fathom why.

"I guess it's not your fault. We were raised this way. Logic over emotions. Profits over everything else," she noted, and he couldn't even frown anymore. His eyes betrayed him. "I was so proud, you know? To see you up on that stage, doing what you do best, cooking in such a way that it looks like outright alchemy to me because I can't even follow along on even the most basic of steps. To see you fight for this school in earnest. Not because of self-gain, not to please father. Just for you, and for your friends. It's nice, for a change, to be the good guys in all of this."

"The world's not black and white sis," was the best Eizan could offer. "This is still self-interest. It just so happens that it aligns itself with their interest. And they are just nicer overall. I just don't get why you make it sound so… Why you sound so…?"

"Hurt?"

"…yeah."

"I wonder why?" she spoke so coldly he felt himself shiver. But her next words almost broke him, "When Shouko hurt you, I made sure you were alright. I didn't care about her side of the story, all that mattered to me… was you. I know we were raised to be as we are, so maybe I'm the one that's wrong, so… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for somehow expecting you to offer me the same genuine affection and actually show a little backbone against the man who hurt me so much."

Eizan just stared, blankly.

Never in his life had he ever been caught so off-guard by anything in his life. Not even getting wrecked by Yukihira and Nakiri at the showcase could compare. Because he had never, ever heard his sister sound so utterly… disappointed in him. He couldn't even mouth the words to try and argue her assessment, to explain himself. To rationalize why he continued his working relationship with Julius despite the fact that he knew, well, all of it.

About her pregnancy scare.

About how Julius had outright vanished of the face of the Earth until it was confirmed to be a false alarm.

How much he had seen her cry.

The same sister that took care of him almost like a mother would, and yet, there he was, bowing down to a superior opponent just to save his own skin.

"Yukichiko, listen, I –"

"Goodnight Etsuya," she interrupted, smiling at her little brother. "Whatever it is you decide to do, just remember, you're not a kid anymore. Don't make a mistake you won't be able to talk your way out of… okay?"

And then she left, leaving him without any further words to say. And as Etsuya Eizan stared at the closed door of his now empty dorm, for the very first time in his life, he had absolutely no plan on what to do. Not anymore.

-0-

Riko Ebisawa quickly found out that the person she was looking for wasn't in his dorm. After asking around, and getting strange looks from almost everybody, the once proud member of the Elite Ten of the Golden Era found herself in one of the many kitchens that made of the Tootsuki Resort, and if the lights weren't an indication, the sheer putrid stench certainly was. The woman made her way into the kitchen, lightly pushing the doors aside, revealing the cloaked figure she had been searching for. She felt her chest tighten at the sight, and after a deep breath, she forced herself to speak.

"Ashitaro."

The Warlock gave pause, stopping his stirring of a gigantic cauldron he had somehow gotten permission to use. Only he could make such barbaric equipment produce such pristine results. The young man clad in blacks and blues slowly turned, his pale complexion slowly setting their sights on the woman, and a sinister smile quickly filled his face.

"My, even you've been forced back in here," he noted with a little hint of glee. "Have you come to try and persuade me to spare these… Elite Ten of the humiliation that's sure to come their way? Or is this a social visit?"

"Ashitaro, please, all I want to do is talk," Riko said, walking up to the boy. Despite everything, and she meant everything she knew he had done, and worse, could do, a part of her still saw him as the same little boy she met when she first got together with his father. "…I've tried everything. Don't… Don't do this. This is beyond just competing. You are putting lives at risk. You are hurting your little sister."

"What did Nao say I did to her now?" he said with a scoff, his dark eyes on her. "She's always exaggerating everything. All we did was talk."

"You went into the girl's bathroom!"

"Because I was worried about her," Ashitaro countered, "Or do you believe I would do something… unsavory to my own kid sister."

"I…" she had to pause herself. She wasn't ready for any of this. But she knew she'd never truly be. "I want to believe you'd never go that far. That you actually do care about her. That you don't blame her for what happened to your mother."

"Is she saying I do?"

"Ashitaro," Riko said firmly. "She's scared. And you know she has every right to be. You hurt her. You burned her. You –"

"That was an accident."

"And yet not once did you even apologize!"

"I'm certain," Ashitaro voiced, letting go of the large mixing spoon and taking a few steps closer to Riko. "…That my old man pinning me to the ground and punching me until I was bleeding all over his fancy floor was enough of an apology. I didn't see you stepping in then."

"Ashitaro, you know I did," Riko countered, looking at him firmly in those lost eyes of his. "I begged him to stop. I sent you away to receive help. To see a professional, but your father pulled you right out. All because of whatever stupid drama that could cause and the damage it would do to the family name."

"Father has been very clear that medications make me numb," Ashitaro explained. "My craft is at its strongest when I have a clear mind."

"It's not worth it if it hurts people," Riko countered. "Ashitaro… Its little Nao. Please, you care about her. You two used to play together so much. And you are an adult now. Even if your father whines about it, if you seek help, he can't stop you… and I will be there at every step of the way. I won't leave you on your own."

"…Heh, I take it father doesn't know you're here," Ashitaro noted with a laugh. Of course he didn't. He'd never allow this.

"You know he doesn't," Riko replied. "But… please. Let's find help. Mental health is a very, very delicate issue. And it doesn't make you weak to find help. If anything, it proves you're strong. Please, for me, for Nao, for yourself… Just back off from this competition and let me help."

Ashitaro gave pause, his eyes scanning Riko's for a moment, just the briefest of moments, and for a second, she could actually see the little, lost boy she had met all those years ago… And in that very instance, he was gone once more.

"…I'm sorry, mother," he spoke in a tone that sounded almost outright remorseful, and she wasn't sure if he even meant her or not. "…It's too late for me," he added, before he just cracked a smile. "And I enjoy it here. Tell Nao, that if she behaves, then she has nothing to worry about. Satoshi Isshiki, on the other hand, as well as any of those other Elite Ten students that want to get in my way, well… it's their funeral."

"Ashitaro!"

"I will always be grateful that you taught me so much of the culinary arts," he noted, before he turned right back to his cauldron, and it was here Riko realized she had nothing else to say that could sway the conversation in her favor. "It must be hard to watch the very skills you helped foster be used to take down the very establishment that made you who you are. Oh, and since I know Nao keeps whining to you about everything, make sure she keeps herself away from that blonde boy. She's still much too young for anything that perverse."

"Ashitaro," Riko outright warned, "Do not make me –"

"Save your threats," Ashitaro countered, "If you could have done something, you would have already. It is as you said. I am old enough to decide… But Nao is not. Father still has every say on what happens to her. So play your cards right, and allow me to live my life as I want to, or her life may become an outright living hell. We clear?"

Riko said nothing else, just glaring at the monster the little boy she knew had become, and despite herself, she just wanted to cry. She didn't want to hurt him, but she couldn't allow him to hurt her little girl. She knew there was no amount of talking that would resolve this, and she very much feared what she would have to do if she hoped to at least save one of them.

And that was the worst possible decision for any mother to make. To choose one child over the other. But she needed to, and fast, or she'd likely lose both.

-0-

"Hey! Soma! You in here! …eh?"

Upon seeing the light of Yukihira's turned on, two girls that had been making their way back home from a spontaneous shopping trip quickly barged into the little diner. Well, one of them did, as the other had desperately tried to encourage her friend to not be as shameless. Still, upon catching sight of the scene before them, Aki froze in place, while Mayumi didn't know where to bury herself.

Soma was in fact, not there. There was a girl seated at the counter, though, who had turned to look at the two as soon as Aki had opened her big mouth. Or at least, Mayumi assumed she was a girl. She could honestly be a doll for all she knew. Absolutely stunning in every way. Another of Soma's friends from Tootsuki, was it? Wait… No, she knew this girl. Or rather, of this girl. Wasn't she…?

"I think we're closed," Dove told the two with a sly little smile. "And sorry, but Soma Yukihira isn't home right now. He's back at Tootsuki, but worry not, he'll be back here in about two weeks at most. I'll make sure of it," she added with a little wink.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aki quickly flared. "On that topic, who the heck are you?"

"…I've seen you on TV," Mayumi softly added, which caused Aki to freeze, and made Dove smile.

"So word does spread even to these parts," Dove noted. "And who might you two be?"

"I'm Mayumi Kurase," Mayumi introduced herself with a little curtsy. "And this is Aki Koganei."

"Why are you introducing –?"

"Aki, behave," Mayumi quickly reprimanded, sweetly as always, before she turned back to Dove. "And you're from the main team that's challenging Soma's team. The Neon-something."

"Close enough sweetheart," Dove said with a little laugh. "Name's Dove, and I have no idea what the policy here is, so…" she added, before she turned towards the kitchen area. "Hey, old man, you've got customers!"

"Oh?" Jouichirou popped his head right out, before he noticed the two girls, quickly smiling at them. Both of them grinned in turn, as they were utterly happy to see him at least. "Why if it isn't little Mayumi and Aki. What brings you two here so late at night?"

"Just Mayu spoiling Hiro," Aki explained, pointing at the girl and her little bag.

"This is not spoiling him!" Mayumi argued, pouting, "It's his birthday soon, and he's been talking about this game non-stop, so I wanted to make sure they weren't sold out when his birthday came around."

"And you're totally not giving it to him early, as in tonight, right?"

"Of course not… maybe… I mean, probably… most likely… yes, I am, but he's done great at school so he deserves it!"

"Case in point," Aki noted, signaling to an increasingly blushing Mayumi. "Spoiling the kid, thy name's Mayu."

Jouichirou just laughed, before he signaled to the girls to take a seat. "Let her be, Hiro's a good kid. And feel free to join us. We're going to have a set of dishes come out in just a bit, so feel free to join in."

"Oh, we couldn't possibly – Aki!" Mayumi screamed, even more flustered, as Aki was already seated right next to Dove, waving at Mayumi to come join them. Utterly red in the face by how shameless her friend could be, Mayumi simply pushed on forwards and took the other seat next to Aki, her eyes still stealing glances at Dove. The girl from the television screens. The girl that had declared she'd crush the very academy Soma and Erina had struggled so much to get him back in and then to keep open. That very girl, the closest real-world equivalent to an archenemy they had, seated right next to them. I mean, why was she even here?

"Something on your mind… Mayu?" Dove asked, turning her big, blue eyes towards the shrinking violet, who almost shrieked in response. It was only due to her prior experience with a similar ice-cold look from Erina that kept her in check.

"Oh! No, I didn't mean to stare," Mayumi quickly apologized. "It's just a little surreal to meet someone you've only seen on TV. And I have to say, I love your hairstyle. I would love to have mine be that long but it grows into a tangled mess that I can't even come close to managing, so I keep it short. But you rock that look."

"Huh?" Dove muttered, tilting her head for a moment and frowning. "I really am in another side of the world it seems."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aki quickly came to Mayumi's defense.

"Not what you think," Dove noted. And it irked her. Just like with Soma Yukihira, this petite girl had spoken to her, praised her looks and style, so damn earnestly that she didn't know how to respond. There wasn't even a hint of mockery or sarcasm in her tone. She simply complimented her, and this was where Dove felt the most uneasy at. Hard to mock people when they are just being kind to you. "You just remind me of… well, Soma. You what, a cousin of his or something?"

"What? Oh, no, just a friend. We've known each other since we were kids is all," Mayumi corrected.

"Childhood friend? Ouch. You have my condolences," Dove replied, and while Aki glared a bit at the older girl, Mayumi just nodded. No lie in her words anyways. "And there's a game shop around here, somewhere?" Dove added, ignoring Aki's glare, and focusing on Mayumi's bag.

"There's quite a lot of shops actually," Mayumi quickly perked up, which also annoyed Dove. She didn't deal well with so much positivity.

"It is a shopping district after all," Aki added with a scoff, and Dove felt like she could have an easier time talking to this other girl instead. But…

"If you need anything in particular, just ask," Mayumi added, "We can most certainly point you in the right direction."

"No thanks," Dove simply said, but her eyes never left the little bag. Mayumi noticed her stare, and misunderstanding what Dove was observing, simply took the game out so she could see it clearly. "This is what I bought. I'm sure my little brother will love it."

"Mayu, please, this girl is filthy, stinking rich," Aki tried to explain the gap in, well, everything between them and the goddess seated next to them. "I'm sure if she wanted something, she could outright buy this entire district. I'm more surprised that she's even here in the first place. I would consider it way too – huh?"

Aki had every intention of keeping Mayumi away from any potential conversation with this girl that gave off such a threatening vibe, which of course, sweet innocent Mayumi never picked up on, but midsentence Dove seemed to pout and just bury her face into her arms right on the table.

"Eh?" Aki voiced, utterly baffled.

"Aki! You made her feel bad!" Mayumi reprimanded, "We didn't mean whatever Aki said, okay Dove?"

"…It's not that you stupid yet charming little girl," Dove muttered, turning her head to face the two. "Just…" she tried to keep it to herself, but even she had a limit, and just seeing Mayumi with that game made her snap. "…Ah, what's happening to me!? I want to go out and buy a game and play it with my baby brother! But no! I have to stay at that damn resort and he – he now acts like such a grown up. Such a big boy that he doesn't need his big sister anymore! Phooey!"

"Eh…?" both Mayumi and Aki muttered, utterly confused, as Dove seemed on the verge of crying on the spot. This was not the ultimate enemy they had expected from her appearances on screen and everything social media spoke about her.

Before either girl, or, more exactly, Mayumi tried to comfort her, the three girls were hit with an intense aroma outright beyond the levels even Mayumi and Aki were used to in this restaurant. For a second, the two schoolgirls could have sworn they had been outright stripped of all their clothing right then and there, and, given the increase in their body heat due to the sheer desire for whatever it was that was being cooked, they had to struggle with the urge of not disrobing right then and there for real

Dove was far more used to this amazing gourmet, but it still caught her eye. The Jouichirou Saiba was almost done, and even to her, someone who had eaten so much of Azami Nakamura's handmade crafts, it still captivated her senses to an extent. How good, she wondered, would this be? How high was this glass-ceiling?

Jouichirou walked in, several plates on his hands and arms, expertly carried as one would expect, and his demeanor had changed completely. Gone was the doubt in his eyes, or the caution in his stance. Instead, what appeared before the girls was nothing but the picture-perfect visage of a true chef, and Dove just glared.

Behind him, having finished at roughly the same time, walked in Asahi, carrying his own set of plates, his eyes looking far less certain than the elder man's, but much more determined in a way. Dove felt herself swallow a bit harder than usual. Was she really prepared to go through with this judging no matter the result?

"They're having a Shokugeki?" Mayumi asked as she recognized what they had walked into.

"Who is that?" Aki asked, her eyes all over Asahi, utterly captivated by the sight. Was he Soma's cousin or something, because damn, was he easy on the eyes. And that look he had, that was the exact charm of an older boy she could only dream about. But…

"Careful of where you are looking, dear," Dove warned, and her tone sounded murderous. "He's taken."

"Ah! Oh, no, I didn't mean…" Aki quickly flinched, shifting her eyes and blushing madly at her mistake. Because of course that would explain a lot.

"…I've seen him too…" Mayumi muttered, her eyes wide, slowly realizing who that other boy was.

"Dinner for three is it?" Asahi noted upon seeing two additional girls next to Dove. "Friends of Soma I take it."

"Yeah, pretty much, so try to be nice," Jouichirou replied, and Asahi frowned.

"I always am," Asahi countered.

"But not too nice," Dove added, which confused the boy.

"Wait, what? Why?" Asahi just asked, before he shook his head. Probably just Dove being Dove he guessed. Then he moved forwards, ready to put the plates onto the table. This had to be enough. All his struggle, all his pain, he needed to represent it properly on this dish. To this man. This was the only language his would-be father understood, so beating him soundly here was the only way he'd get his message across and get him to back off so he could focus on his plan once and for all. But as he moved, he was stopped…

…by Jouichirou's hand on his shoulder. Gently, as not to make the boy spill anything. Asahi turned, outright glaring at the man, but Jouichirou merely smiled.

"There's still time left," he told Asahi, and before Asahi could conjure up a sarcastic reply, he added, "Make sure it's your best work."

"You think I'd make anything but my best against you?"

"Probably not," Jouichirou admitted, "But… it's not just for me this time, is it?"

Asahi gave pause, confused for a moment, until he noticed that Jouichirou had turned to look away. His eyes were now focused on the table. On the judges. And it was here, that for the first time in so long, Asahi felt a slight panic when it came to his craft. When it came to presenting his dish to someone. Because it wasn't just Jouichirou. Or even this two new girls. No…

This would be the very first time Dove would be eating something made directly by him.

Asahi stood by for a moment, and Dove was a bit confused upon seeing him hesitate. That was so not like him. He was direct, very much so, as her bed could attest, and never seemed to doubt himself at all. Was this whole thing with Jouichirou Saiba that heavy a subject for him? But, upon seeing his eyes, how they landed squarely on her, she slowly picked up on what his eyes were saying. This dish… would be for her.

Dove didn't know how to even react. She was sure her face was red. She shifted herself in her seat, squirming about. No. No! This wasn't fair! She had not been brought out into the middle of nowhere just to be faced with yet another gesture like this. A home cooked meal, in a sense, now what? Dedicated to her. Absolutely not!

"Wait…" Dove almost stammered. "Hey!"

"Your call kiddo," Jouichirou told Asahi who closed his eyes for the briefest of moments.

"I'll just take a quick second look," Asahi decided, turning right around and going back to the kitchen.

He set the plates down. Both he and Jouichirou had decided on that stupid "Secret Menu" of theirs, number five to be exact, the "Beef Stew". It had been Soma's first true dish to get approved by his father, and of course, by Asahi's current standards, the original dish was utterly mediocre. Which is probably why Jouichirou had suggested they both make a better version of that dish and work with that. Asahi had agreed. Jouichirou had even explained how Soma himself had improved the original dish for the Autumn Elections, and while an interesting tactic, Soma's modifications were still lacking for someone of Jouichirou's or his level. To be fair, he was sure Soma, as he was now, should be capable of an even better dish than that, he had held his own during the Intercontinental Shokugeki after all, but what Asahi aspired to achieve was far, far more than that.

So he had prepped the best dish he could muster, with the sole intent of crushing Jouichirou, closing this long overdue, painful chapter of his life, and taking his knife while he was at it. It would most certainly help him in his fight against Azami, Ashitaro, Julius, and…

…Dove.

It didn't quite hit him until now. Dove was going to judge his dish. Actually taste his craft. And… it made him nervous. He held onto the knife, looking at his finished dish, and wondering if he could even boost it further. His mind told him he had done it perfectly, or as close to as he could, but now… Thinking about Dove tasting it, having it made for her, he felt he hadn't pushed himself enough. That he could still do just a bit more. So he took Tamako's knife, in Tamako's own kitchen, and got to work.

On the opposite side, where a very flustered Dove sat, alongside a still embarrassed Aki and a totally just happy to be included Mayumi, Jouichirou proceeded to place his dishes before the ladies.

"Feel free to dig in," Jouichirou told them, as the three plates of steaming beef stew were placed before each girl. Both Mayumi and Aki had to struggle not to outright drool over it, while Dove kept her frown in place. This… unassuming dish was Jouichirou Saiba's best effort? It looked good enough. Smelled decently enough. The texture seemed well done. The colors were evenly distributed, the meat seemed cooked at the exact desired quality. She couldn't really find much fault to the plate before her, or to the other two served to the two schoolgirls, but it still lacked any polish or grand design for it to be considered true gourmet. She expected more. "You can have as much as you want Dove," Jouichirou added, which caused the girl to turn her glare up to match his smile. "You are dissecting my dish just as much as Azami did back in the day. So much that it's almost uncanny. But I'll tell you the same thing I used to tell him. Let the dish do the talking. Taste it, then you can judge it if you think it looks too simplistic."

"I know how to judge," she sharply responded, taking hold of one of the cheap spoons this place had and proceeded to take a spoonful of the stew. From the corner of her eye, she could see Mayumi and what's-her-face also take a spoonful, and within moments, the three girls took a bite.

And it was like finding yourself in a rollercoaster all the sudden. The flavor hit like zero to sixty in the span of less than a second, sending all three of them through the seemingly randomly generated tracks, as each bite brought in a new, unexpected flavor, so much that it made all three girls weak at the knees. It was utter brute force, a strength so powerful that it made their head spin, and with each loop, all they could feel was the sheer thrill and ecstasy of what was one of the best tasting dishes they had ever sampled. The ride was never-ending, and they didn't want to get down. Such a juicy meat, such savory vegetables, such a delightful blend of broths. It was almost too much…

"~Amazing," Mayumi outright moaned in pure euphoria.

"I want to marry this stew," Aki declared her love as she hugged the bowl closer to her frame, almost crying.

Dove simply swallowed, letting the sensations hit her body, and with just a slight tremble, she turned her sharp eyes towards an expectant Jouichirou. "…I guess Azami does have a point. You are gifted. This dish, despite its seeming simplicity, actually has quite the complex methods behind its constructions."

"Complex?" Jouichirou asked, his eyes on the girl. "How so?"

"A mixture of Japanese and American styles of culinary arts at first glance," Dove noted, her eyes on the dish, spinning her spoon on it. When had she taken a second bite out of it? "…But you actually modified the recipe quite a bit. You used ingredients and crafting techniques usually found in French cuisine, like the Alsatian Potato Crêpe to give it texture, and several Indian spices like Cumin to season the beef, alongside the combination of paprika, oregano, salts, garlic and vinegar, or as the Philippine cuisine calls it, adobo. In fact, even the cooking oil was spice up with sofrito, was it not, a famous albeit basic mixture of aromatic ingredients found in Italian or Latin American cuisine. Was there any part of the world you didn't plagiarize with this dish?"

Both Mayumi and Aki just stared, mouths agape, utterly in shock at just how much this girl had gotten out of what, two tastes of the dish? She was like a whole encyclopedia of culinary techniques!

Jouichirou looked, his eyes widening slightly before he smiles. "That's pretty much it," he admitted. "And to think you could unmask my new and improved secret menu so effortlessly. I have to say, I'm beyond impressed."

"I harbor no desire to impress you," Dove shot back, resisting the urge to take another bite with all her might. Mayumi and Aki had to resist the urge not to lick their empty bowls.

"I know, I know," Jouichirou said, taking a seat opposite the girls, as they waited for his opponent to finish up. Dove kept her glare up, her eyes on the elder man, but his tone softened considerably. "I just want to be genuine. You are insanely talented, and very knowledgeable. I know it doesn't mean much coming from a guy like me, but I sincerely hope Azami knows just the caliber of chef he has in you. And he damn well better be proud of you."

"I…" Dove voiced, but she couldn't quite reply to that. Azami? Proud? Of her? That… That wasn't the point. That wasn't part of the deal. She was just there to get that man his daughter back, and take out Tootsuki if need be. Nothing more, nothing less. Still, she said nothing else, deciding to simply look away from him, just in time as Asahi came into view. This proved to be a mistake, as she felt her heart stop when she saw him.

Unlike how he had appeared moments before, he had shifted completely. His eyes showed nothing but determination now, and he looked utterly out of breath. Drenched in sweat and about to utterly collapse. It was strange to see him that worked up. Jouichirou, for his part, didn't look unfazed, but he still looked like he could muster another dish or two. Asahi looked like this was his final dish ever. The young man took a few steps, and ignoring Jouichirou entirely, placed the first plate right in front of Dove.

She couldn't even remember how to breathe.

He seemed to forget how to talk.

"I know they're our enemies but this is still so cute…" Mayumi softly whispered to Aki, who frowned. They weren't supposed to be cheering those two on.

"…Dove."

"Yes!"

"…I, well," Asahi forced himself to say, "This was a dish made with you in mind, so… I hope it's to your liking."

"What? Trying to bribe the judge now?" she tried to play it off, despite the fact that her head was spinning.

"Maybe, I don't know," he admitted. "Just… I hope it measures up. Enjoy it… my Queen."

Dove outright short-circuited.

Mayumi outright squealed.

Aki was wondering if this guy had a brother or something.

Even Jouichirou had to take his hat off at that delivery. Kid had certainly not picked that up from him, that was sure. Or Azami at that.

Asahi ignored everyone there except for Dove, his eyes on her, his fists clenched to avoid shaking in place. Dove motioned to another one of those cheap spoons, her vision outright blurry by now, before she took a spoonful and took a soft, delicate bite. It was completely different from Jouichirou's earlier dish. While his was a rollercoaster of flavors, each more intense than the last, this was more like she found herself sitting atop a Ferris wheel, the amusement ride currently halted, with her on the topmost seat, staring out to the prettiest sunset she had ever seen. The flavor was so tender, so sweetly crafted that it was completely unlike anything she had been served in the last few years, despite how high quality that all was. If she could have her way, she'd rather stay here forever. Feeling the breeze on her skin. Knowing she was finally free to be with everyone she wanted to. Just living the moment.

Maybe her mother was up there with her. Smiling at her little girl as she always did. Finally able to relax, since for once in their life, Dove could handle things herself.

Maybe Loren could be there too. Whining or complaining as he did, but she'd make sure they would go one whatever dumb ride he wanted to before they left.

And Baby Ruth. She could finally hold her. Look at those deep blue eyes on hers, at that precious little smile, and tell the little girl that she was finally free. She was finally home.

And maybe, just maybe, if he wanted to, Asahi could also just…

She forced herself away from such imagery. She didn't need to have the things she couldn't have be rubbed in her face like that. But still, the girl who was currently blushing madly, and fighting back the tears, just looked up, her eyes on Asahi, as he looked utterly petrified at what her next words would be. She had never once seen him like this.

"…Are we going to get to taste that one too, or…?" Aki muttered.

"I think if you try and get a taste she may stab you," Mayumi softly advised.

"Well, judge?" Jouichirou voiced in, leaning a bit towards the young girl. "What is our verdict?"

And Dove said nothing. She simply lifted her trembling hand, and pointed.

-0-

"Hey Vaaan," Bridgette called out from the other side of the bathroom door. The twins, like most of the rest of the Challengers, had already grown tired of being around the Resort, and Tootsuki in general, and usually retired to their quarters early in the night. Gone were the days were they would party at every opportunity, especially whenever a team eliminated any of those pesky Elite Ten members. If anything, they should be celebrating, as Lestrade has eliminated two of them, but, with everything that had transpired, they were no longer in the mood. Which was why, the would-be Team Leader of Lestrade, one Van Autumn, currently found himself soaking in the bath, trying his best to wash away the stench of defeat.

"What?" he asked, turning towards the closed door.

"Imma head out," Bridgette said, "I wanna go to the arcade before it closes at ten!"

"Just don't get lost again!" Van simply told her, because he was so not in the mood to play hide-and-sick with her all throughout this massive place. He heard her fuss about how that had only happened once, but he said nothing else. He heard her head towards the door, and still pissed off at, well everything, he simply turned on his music from his phone, sent into to the sound system in the room via Bluetooth, and blasted the rock music both twins enjoyed to try and shake off the funk.

"…It really is the hardest choice so far," that judge, Decora, had said, clear as day, "But, after heavy consideration, I have to give my vote to Lest –"

Van just glared at the roof. It didn't make any sense.

"Pardon me, as I was saying. I have to give my vote to Lestrade, or rather, would have, had it not been for one small, nearly insignificant detail," she had added after a very pregnant pause, and he still couldn't fathom why. "The choice of sauces made it for me. Marinated made the best use of the Wagyu, just barely, but still… So my vote also goes to Tootsuki."

"It's not that I want to be a sour loser," Van muttered to himself, blasting the music even louder because he wanted to drown out her voice from his head, somehow. "But that did not sound natural at all. Am I… overthinking this? Damn it… Something's off about this whole damn thing and I don't know what I can even do anymore…"

As her brother sulked in the bath, which she couldn't really blame him for, since she felt just as shitty, Bridgette still decided to try and go out and enjoy herself as best she could. A few games at the arcade, just before they all got the boot and got sent back home with just a "thank you for participating" award and, depending who won, part of their school's shares missing. How utterly magnificent for them…

So she opened the main door…

…And was surprised to see a very particular collection of people just standing right outside.

Bridgette paused, blinking for a moment, half wondering if they were all just pissed off at her for losing and were there to just beat her up. I mean, why else would the other five Team Leaders be at their door?

"…hi?" she offered, utterly lost.

"Well, that's one twin," Alex from Cocina Real was quick to say, signaling to Bridgette, as she tilted her head in confusion. Were they there to beat up both her and her brother?

"Apologies for the… sudden visit," the always imposing (and seriously hot, because damn was he built) Hakeem from Akintola's explained, "May we have a word with you and Van?"

"With us?" Bridgette asked, "Uh… I mean, I guess, sure… But this is kinda strange."

"I am aware this must feel weird, we don't usually get together like this," Lucrezia from Scuola Dotata told her, "Not all six Team Leaders at least."

"For whatever that title is worth nowadays," Gautier from École des Plats added, with a scoff. "We've been made a mockery off. Not sure if even our combined forces will amount to much this late in the game."

"We will nevertheless try. So, Bridgette Autumn, is your brother available?" the final Team Leader, the seemingly ruthless (and admittedly, utterly gorgeous) Ekaterina from Moscow asked, her glare the most intense of the group. "This is an urgent matter."

"He's… taking a bubble bath," Bridgette replied in earnest. The other five just stared for a moment, each of them slowly coming to the conclusion that this little last-minute plan of theirs was dead on arrival. However, it seemed it wasn't just the Team Leaders present, much to Bridgette's surprise, as another two girls popped their heads in from the background.

She quickly recognized one as that very vocal hostess who was at every match, Urara.

The other one, she had not really met, but she knew about pretty much thanks to her brother's not so hidden crush on her, Yua.

Both hostess quickly moved past the leaders, or rather Urara pushed her way through and dragged a trembling Yua alongside her.

"Hey Baby Bree!" Urara greeted with her trademark smile and a wink. "This is a very important matter. And the group leaders here were kind enough to invite me, AKA, an official representative of Tootsuki Academy, to help moderate this little plan of theirs. And also Yua!" Urara explained, before she signaled to the other hostess, who in her nervousness and confusion just offered the other girl a little wave.

"…Okay?" Bridgette just said, still utterly confused, but stepping aside. "Come on in then. I'll call for my brother, but you may have to wait a bit… Oh, and he's in a very bad mood, so there's that."

"Its fine, we came prepared!" Urara cheerfully stated, as they were all let into the sibling's room. For as loud and airheaded as they were, it was far less messy than any of them would have assumed.

"What do you even mean by that?" Alex asked, turning to Urara, who had the biggest grin imaginable.

"When you called for me, you told me you had not yet convinced Van of this little stunt of yours, and that you certainly needed all six schools to agree, no?" Urara explained with utter delight.

"…Yes?" Alex replied, still unsure.

"That's why –!"

"That's why she brought Yua Sasaki along," Ekaterina interrupted, causing Urara to glare at the Russian princess. "What? Your mind works in predictable ways Urara Kawashima. And Van Autumn's dumb crush on the shy hostess is evident."

"~Ah, the wonders of young love," Gautier almost sang, to Yua's utter confusion.

"They're our age genius," Lucrezia merely stated, as she signaled to Bridgette if they could take a seat as they waited for Van, to which the younger twin quickly nodded. The Prima Studentessa took a seat, legs properly crossed, still unsure if this plan was worth it or not.

"Urara," Yua almost cried out, "Why is everyone saying stuff about crushes or love?! You told me you needed me to come along to be a witness for whatever event they are planning here! Like a co-signer or something! You never said anything about… that!"

"Easy," Urara quickly brushed off, laughing sheepishly at Yua's increasing embarrassment. She might have altered the real reasons for calling Yua in the middle of the night for what was a very dubious affair as long as Tootsuki was concerned, but it was, one, the best secret weapon they had on hand, and two, it was so much fun to see.

Of course, not even Urara could have predicted in her wildest dream, that no sooner had everyone settled in and Bridgette had motioned to go to her brother, than said brother had walked into the room with a massive amount of steam and rocking out to the loudest rock music imaginable.

And, as they all noticed, only those two things on him.

Van Autumn, mid-verse, just froze in place.

The eight people in his room, however, all sported rather different expression. From those embarrassed for the lad, like Alex or his sister, those embarrassed for what they had just seen, like Lucrezia or Yua, those bursting into tears due to the laughter like Urara or Gautier, or those utterly indifferent to it all like Hakeem who just closed his eyes and signed or Lucrezia who just rolled her eyes at the sight.

"Why the hell are you all in my room?!" he cried out, quickly covering himself with what seemed like a decorative plate. It was the first thing Bridgette had been able to hand to the guy. "Bree!"

"I was going to tell you," she almost cried in response. She was very, very clear she had messed up and he was in fact very mad at her. "I didn't mean for them to see your pee pee."

"Don't use such a diminutive term!" Van almost roared, red in the face. It became much, much worse when he clearly saw just how many of his fellow competitors there where, as it seemed like Bridgette had brought half the Resort's guests into his room, but worse of all… Yua. She was there.

Yua had no idea of what spot of the roof to look at anymore. Her face couldn't be redder, and she felt her heart about to either burst out of her chest or fly out of her throat. She had been a good girl. Always proper. She had never even seen a boy in his underwear before. So it was a bit much to see way beyond that, as try as she might, she could still picture the water droplets fall from his exposed chest, down his navel, all the way to the very tip of his…

She was sure she lost consciousness for a brief moment there, falling into Urara's lap, as the other girl was seated next to her.

The poor boy just screamed out a few other things before he basically moonwalked back into the bathroom and closed the door once more, and all that could be heard was a string of apologies from his sister, who was clinging to the door outright begging him to forgive her. The poor girl was in tears, and the rest just awkwardly waited to see how this would all play out.

After about five minutes Van slowly reopened the door, his glare fixated on everyone in that room save for one.

"…I'm sowwy," Bridgette cried, still on the floor, clinging onto his leg.

"Let go me Bree," Van softly growled, moving past her, still red in the face, and taking a seat before the rest. "…Let me repeat. Why?! The hell?! Are you all in here?!"

"Not for that show that's for sure – Gah!" Urara had begun, laughing but she got utterly shut up when Yua elbowed her right in the solar plexus. It utterly knocked all the wind out of her.

"We're so sorry!" Yua quickly apologized, her hands connected over her face to both give emphasis to her apology and to also hide her insane blush. "We didn't intend… well, for that to happen. Don't be mad at Bridgette, she was going to tell you."

"We sort-of forced her to let us in," Alex admitted.

"And worry not," Gautier added with a hearty laugh and a proud thumbs-up. "There's nothing to be ashamed off. Be proud brother, you left the ladies utterly speechless!"

"I didn't want to look," a blushing Lucrezia quickly protested.

"…I didn't care to look," a clearly disinterested Ekaterina added, "But may we be adults and focus on what's important. We are all about to lose everything we all worked years to achieve in mere days."

"She's right," Hakeem added, "Van, apologies for the intrusion, but the fact is we have come here to ask for your participation in our, well, last ditch effort to right the wrong we all feel has been done to all our schools."

"The heck is that supposed to mean – Bree, damn it, stop crying! I forgive you already, just stop clinging to my leg!" Van began, then turned to his still sobbing little sis, as she gave him the puppy dog eyes before she nodded and got up, still with her nose all runny, as she sat down right at his lap and hugged him. He looked peeved, but he didn't push her away, snot and all, so that was some progress. "What the heck are you lot planning?"

"Revenge," Ekaterina replied plainly.

"That's… not exactly it," Lucrezia noted.

"But not inaccurate!" Gautier added.

"It's about Mr. Nakamura and his team of Neo-Noirs," Hakeem explained.

"We got together due to our mutual dislike of how this entire event seems to have been handled," Alex continued, "We were promised fairness, utter unbiased sportsmanship, yet, now all the sudden, the Neo-Noirs get an extra week to prepare for a match after we have dwindled the numbers of the Elite Ten to exactly the four members they need for it to seem fair."

"You saying the matches were fixed?" Van asked, frowning at the implication. There was no way, right? But, recalling his own matchup…

"We have no proof of that," Ekaterina replied, crossing her legs as she fixated her sharp eyes onto the twins. "But it is a breach of our contract to give the Neo-Noirs additional time when we were given none. If he is allowed to make modifications, then it stands to reason that we can as well. Which is why we found ourselves at your doorstep –"

"You went a bit further than that," Van noted with a frown.

"– Get over yourself Van Autumn," Ekaterina merely replied with another roll of her eyes. "But we do need your help. If all six of us complain, and request an opportunity for a modification in our favor, then, perhaps, we can force Azami Nakamura's hand."

"B-But what is your plan exactly?" Baby Bree, true to her nickname, said as she practically meshed herself onto Van, who looked increasingly about to toss her aside but held out.

"We declare a challenge to the Neo-Noirs," Hakeem responded, and the twins' eyes widened at the very idea of it all. "One that alters the conditions into a fairer middle ground."

"You must be as pissed off as we are," Lucrezia added, "Neo-Noir is going to beat Tootsuki, and everyone is just going to accept it wholeheartedly, rather than acknowledge that they are only going to win because we dwindled their numbers down."

"So, what do you say?" Gautier concluded. "Want to give those Neo-Noirs a duel they'll never forget?"

"But…" Van voiced, still processing it all, "…Could we even try?"

At his words, the other Team Leaders all turned, in unison, towards Urara, who quickly flashed the biggest grin imaginable. Van just glared. He swore, if she was going to laugh again he was going to throw Bridgette at her. However, instead of any teasing, the hostess simply replied with, "Here at Tootsuki there is a method you guys can use that I'm sure even Azami can't talk his way out of. While the Intercontinental Shokugeki has become our outright biggest event in history, before it, there was this one, other challenge that pretty much took that title…"

"You mean…?" Yua asked, slowly realizing what Urara meant.

Then all seven of the Challengers stared, hearing a term they were unfamiliar with, but as Urara slowly explained, one they could must certainly work with.

"It's called the Régiment de Cuisine."

-0-

Asahi Saiba was not a person who could be surprised all that easily. He was always expecting the most unexpected, just to make sure he had a backup plan just in case, and a backup for the backup just cause. But, lately, he had been losing his touch. First it had been Dove utterly wrecking Erina at the family dinner of theirs, giving him a reality check that, yeah, the fact that he was usually ranked alongside Dove, Julius and Ashitaro wasn't just a hyperbole. These three Noirs were in fact just as good as he was, and he was utterly flabbergasted by it.

Then, of course, meeting Jouichirou again rattled him, and nothing could have prepared him to having Erina, his dumb, fake little sister, receive all his volatile pain and harsh words with nothing but kindness and understanding (and a little bit of snark, because they were indeed related).

And now, he stood back at the kitchen, still processing how the match had gone down. It shouldn't feel this strange to him, because it was just as he planned. There he stood…

…the victor.

Dove had pointed at him, although whose face was redder he couldn't recall.

"You've really grown," Jouichirou stated, walking towards the young man. "That was an insanely well-crafted dish. I take my hat off to you. Been years since I've been so soundly beaten."

"Don't," Asahi managed to spit out. "Don't give me that crap. You let me win."

"I thought you said I was only honest in the kitchen," Jouichirou countered, "Or are you going to keep moving the goalpost?"

"I was wrong, evidently!" Asahi exclaimed, turning to Jouichirou and facing him head on, both men standing nearly equally in height. "You knew my dish wasn't up-to-par to yours, and you let me go back and rework it. Had I served that original version of it, I would have lost."

"And me defeating an opponent who's distracted, like you were, earns me what merit exactly?" Jouichirou shot back, which caused Asahi stammer back. "…You were distressed, and I get it. You had every right to be. But I wanted you to give it your all. And if I had to nudge you a bit to do so, then so be it."

"In a match you don't get points for correcting your opponent and helping them out," Asahi argued. "This doesn't count. To beat you, it has to be on my own merit, not because –"

"You made an incredible dish," Jouichirou cut in, "Because you were going to serve it to that girl. That's what pushed you beyond your limits. I wanted to show you, that as poorly as I handled our relationship in the past, the advice I gave, it holds meaning. And, more importantly," he said as he gave a short pause, taking out the wagered equipment. "Here… you won it."

Asahi looked down, his eyes on the famed knife of the Asura, and he could see his own glare reflected on it. Then…

"I don't want it."

"Damn it, are we sure you and Soma aren't related?" Jouichirou said with a very loud laugh, which made the boy frown.

"This is not the same," Asahi argued softly. In warning.

"You're both sore losers and, evidently, sore winners too," Jouichirou noted. "So let's compromise then. You don't want to accept this as a true win? Fine. I disagree, but let's do it your way. But it's not a loss on your part either. That dish you made for that girl, I can't replicate, not right now. I lack that drive. Back in the day, sure, I could go toe-to-toe with you on that. Someday in the future? Maybe, who knows? I wish I could one day move forwards. But, until then, I can't surpass what you achieved today."

"You know that if I take your knife," Asahi voiced, softly, looking down at the tool. "I'll use it to crush everyone on my way, including Soma."

"Yeah, most likely," Jouichirou replied, still smiling at the boy, before he handed his knife to him, handle first. Asahi slowly picked it up, and held it right next to his other knife. Both knives, that once cooked in this very kitchen for years, now in the hands of a young man who had only just set foot in Yukihira's an hour or so ago.

He tightened his grip on both, before he examined them for a bit, crossing both knives against each other, before he sighed and placed them both onto his belt. He then turned back to Jouichirou.

"So, if we are to declare this an unofficial draw, will you at least hear me out?" Jouichirou asked the boy, his tone sounding a lot more cautious now, "Allow me to properly apologize to you?"

Asahi looked on, his eyes on Jouichirou once more, and he was going to simply nod for the hell of it, even if he didn't intend to take any of his words to heart. But, for the life of him he couldn't understand why, now of all times, her words echoed in his head.

"…I admire Mr. Yukihira more than anything, but if you feel hurt by his actions, then it's not he who needs to talk to you, but rather, he should listen."

"You know what Jouichirou?" Asahi said, raising his hand and pointing at the man, quickly cutting him off. "No, I won't. You already had your chance. You know what you need to do? Shut up and listen. You hurt me, a lot. You abandoned me when I was so damn sure you would have at least adopted me, or hell, at least kept some level of communication with me. But nope. That's not the Jouichirou way is it? Damn the rest, I do whatever I want. And now, just because things are looking dicey, you want to clear the air and give me lessons. Cook for someone you care for? I'll give you that one. But don't think I'll stop there. I'll destroy Soma Yukihira, and it will be on you. Because you failed us both. And you think everything can be solved by cooking. I'll show you how the real world works. So when Soma comes to you, utterly broken in every damn sense of the word, I would pay to hear what you even try to say that even resembles paternal advice. Because it will be all your fault. You could have prevented this. But you pushed me too far, and now, you gave me an even bigger motive. Two at that. Cook for someone you love," he said as he held one of the knives, "And cook to crush those who hurt you," he added, with the other knife on hand. "With two knives now, I think I can manage both lessons in unison."

Asahi then flashed Jouichirou the biggest smile, and with a nod, turned and left, leaving the older man with the biggest conflict of emotions imaginable. He didn't expect to hear so much hatred on his voice even after all of this. This boy, he really was aiming for Soma's neck, and this didn't bode well at all.

Jouichirou, despite this, still walked out of the kitchen, just in time to see Dove quickly get up and bounce her way towards Asahi, as both Mayumi and Aki just turned to him, both as quiet and quiet could be.

"You alright?" Dove asked upon reaching the Noir. "We kinda, sorta, heard all of it."

"Good," Asahi noted, still all smiles. "Hope that means he heard it clearly then," he added, signaling to Jouichirou, before turning back to Dove. "Shall we go on then?"

"Sure!" Dove happily said, as she turned towards the others, "It's been nice to meet you all! And goodbye Mr. Yukihira, even if I may end up destroying your son, his girlfriend, all their friends, and the very academy you all went through when you were young and wow this goodbye is kinda weird so I'll just leave it at that!"

And with a little curtsy, Dove turned right around and, holding onto Asahi's hand, left alongside the boy. Jouichirou just stared, utterly perplexed by it all, as Aki wondered what the hell was even happening anymore. To her surprise, her best friend, on the other hand, had gotten up and walked right up to Jouichirou.

"Mr. Jouichirou?" Mayumi spoke up, her always meek voice causing the man to turn to the younger girl.

"Yes?"

"Was that all true?" she asked, "What he said. Asahi, I mean."

"…Pretty much."

"…Well," Mayumi took a moment before she seemed to pout at the older man. He was confused by this, but he got his answer when she added, in the angriest tone her cute voice could muster, "That was a very bad thing you did. I am ashamed. You just don't do that to an orphan. And now Soma and Erina have a target on their backs because of what you did. So you better fix it. Understand?"

Jouichirou just blinked, as he never had gotten such a stern lecture in such a calm manner before. Much less from Mayumi of all people. All he could muster was to nod, which didn't seem to please the girl much, but she nonetheless nodded right back and walked away, with a very shocked Aki following right behind. This left the elder chef alone in his kitchen, completely and utterly unsure if he had made things better or worse.

'…I screwed up so badly even Mayumi gave me a scolding, damn…' he thought to himself as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. Was a situation like this what Senzaemon referred to when he recalled the Summer of '59? He wasn't sure, but he sure felt like he was at the absolute worst point imaginable. 'Damn it, what else can I possibly do?'

And he found no answer in the silence.

-0-

Far away from all the commotion and the duel that he wouldn't know of until much later, Soma Yukihira laid on his bed, still dressed in his casual wear, as sleep seemed intent on evading him tonight. There was a lot on his mind, and at the same time, not enough, ironically enough. The redhead chef had gotten through quite the set of predicaments in the past, but he couldn't quite shake how this last match-up had left him with quite the feeling of unease. Even more so, it seemed that Erina felt worse and worse with each passing day. Not that he could blame her. Or worst still, he couldn't find a way to help her. Come the match against the Neo-Noirs, he wouldn't be allowed to stand by her and hold her hand. It would be strictly a one-on-one affair. And he was afraid for her. No, not just her, for once in his life, he was also a bit afraid for himself. He wanted to fool himself, to pretend otherwise, but despite his best attempts, deep down, he knew…

He knew just how utterly outclassed he was against the Neo-Noirs.

Asahi Saiba had utterly dominated him with an ingredient he prided himself in, making an outright mockery of his without any visible effort on the Noirs part.

Dove Dillinger had pretty much knocked him out with what effectively was a preheated TV dinner courtesy of little Loren and his antics.

Julius Bedlam had outright held back during the showcase back then, as Soma now had it all but assured the yakuza bodyguard could have crushed both him and Erina effortlessly had he been given the green light to do so.

And Ashitaro Sadatsuka… He was genuine afraid of what that guy would do to Nao if he got closer to her. If he was given even a fraction of time alone with the little witch. So far, he had been kept at bay thanks to the combined herculean efforts of both Isshiki, and surprisingly enough, little Loren, who despite it all proved to be quite the sweet… well, not sweet, more like decent enough a kid deep down. But would that luck last?

More importantly, could Soma, in this little extra time they were given, even hope to push himself past where he was now and at least match any of those four?

It was a scary thought, and the more time passed, and the more he saw Erina and Nao get crushed by the fear, the anxiety and the desperation; the more he realized that for the first time in his life, the thought of challenging such a powerful force no longer seemed as exciting as it would before.

Hard to feel the thrill of the challenge when the result of a loss would entail the pain and suffering of a person you held dear. He loved Erina, he knew that, and he really hoped she knew just how much he did. And he had grown to care for Nao. For as strange and kooky as the girl was, she was still oddly charming, and sweet, and all-around nice. He could understand why, despite his extreme denial, Loren had fallen for her.

He sighed.

He trusted Isshiki. He really did. He knew his senior would somehow impress them all and give the Neo-Noirs a good fight.

He… didn't much trust Eizan, as much as he really wanted to force himself to. Eizan's way of managing his fights was far closer to the Noirs that it was to the Tootsuki alumni. When the guy said he would only help them reach the finals and nothing else, there was nothing that could give Soma hope that he'd have a change of heart.

And of course he believed in Erina above anyone else, even himself. But… he knew just how utterly hurt and broken she was because of all of this. And it hurt, since he knew, if she were at one-hundred percent, then she would have a shot. She could go toe-to-toe with any of them. But as she was now…

Heck, as he was now…

As his mind drifted to the thoughts of the girl he held most dear in his entire life, he found himself with the knife she gave him on his hand. Such a high quality craft, stainless steel made to look outright like platinum, with the name "Nakiri" engraved onto its very handle. So different from the wooden-handle knives he and his family used. The one Asahi now sported on his belt, much to his frustration. But… This knife was also special. He didn't think he could live with himself if he lost this one too. It may be one of many for Erina, but for him, it meant everything.

He gave a quick pause to his thoughts, the moment he felt his phone vibrate. Wondering if it was Erina, having brought her to him with his thoughts, he was instead surprised at receiving a message from a friend that rarely, if ever, texted him. That wasn't his style, so Soma surmised, it had to be important. So, kicking himself off the bed, and tucking his new, precious knife away into its holster, Soma got out of his room and headed to the kitchen where he had been summoned to. He stood by the main entrance, his eyes on the friend he didn't much speak to but still very much treasured, and it somehow felt… off.

"…Hey," Soma greeted, feeling a tension in the air he couldn't quite describe.

Shun Ibusaki slowly turned to him. Soma noticed how the Smoke Master had his full chef's uniform on, and he stood by the stove, with a plethora of ingredients set before the main table. Was he still practicing recipes this late at night?

"Everything alright man?" Soma asked, a concerned tone evident in his voice, "Need a little help on anything?"

"…I don't think I'm the one that needs help here," Shun replied, and the chill in his voice was colder than Soma had ever heard the other boy use. Something was definitely wrong.

"Shun –"

"Let's have a Shokugeki Soma, right here, right now," Shun declared, his eyes, as always, hidden away by his hair, making it hard for Soma to decipher the guy's actual intentions, since this made no sense.

"Dude? You want to practice with me this late?" Soma asked, still taken aback.

"No, you misunderstand," Shun corrected, and he took out his knife, and held it out in what was a clear sign of a true challenge. "This is going to be the real deal. I can't just sit back and watch as you fail to defend this school that means so much to us. To me."

"What the heck?!" Soma blurted out, feeling a sudden fire burn in him that he very much didn't like. He did not like where this conversation was heading. "You have got to get a haircut man, because you clearly haven't seen what I, and the rest of the Elite Ten, have done just to keep this place open. Every single one of us, even Eizan for crying out loud, have fought tooth and nail just to keep you all safe!"

"That's not true, and you know it."

"What?"

"…We were the ones who risked it all just to get you back into this academy," Shun began, and Soma felt a sting. He did not expect that to be rubbed in his face, much less from a "friend". "And that little stunt opened the flood gates for all this to happen. Then, what have you done? Dropping your food during your match against a twelve year old, almost costing you the match. Having to use the Mezzaluna just to barely survive a match against the Italian's Second Student. Then risking everything for the sake of what? Keeping a little traitor like Loren in our school? And against Lestrade, even you had to notice something was off with that judging. Face it, you and Erina won because of a pity vote."

"Shun," Soma voiced with a clear sign of warning evident in his voice. "I don't know if the stress is getting to you, but that's some mighty thin ice you are threading on."

"If only you treated your actual matches with that same amount of seriousness and hostility," Shun simply shot back, "Then we wouldn't be in this mess."

"You welcomed Loren into this dorm just like the rest of us!"

"…I was the one, if you don't remember, that voted against him during his folly of a match against Nao," Shun explained, "I saw through him instantly. I expected you or Isshiki to act upon it, but no, you two seem to still see this as just fun and games."

"You think I see Erina breaking every time she sets foot on that stage and in my mind the only thing I have is cooking for the fun of it?!" Soma shot back. "Shun, damn it, you have to see how much this whole thing hurts her! Nao too! Heck, all of us!"

"…Then you should have reassured us better," Shun simply retorted. "Given a better performance so we could be at ease. But face it. You've gotten worse with each passing match. And… I'm sorry, but I can't trust you to help us survive. Not anymore, I'm afraid."

"Shun, this is very out of character for you!"

"What do you even know about me?" Shun simply said, and it made Soma flinch. "Not all of us are content with just being your cheerleaders, you are aware, aren't you?"

"I have never considered any of you as –"

"I've been invited to join the Noirs," Shun simply said, and Soma's eyes went wide. Wait, what? "…And, truth be told, I really wish I didn't have to do this at all."

"You don't have too!" Soma almost screamed. Damn it, what the hell was even happening? "Just trust us! Trust me! I'm sorry if I made you worry, but I assure you, we can manage! We will win! Help us! Help me! Train with me, help me get better!"

"Too little too late," Shun said, and for the first time, there was a hint of pain in the other boy's voice. But then, he turned back to Soma, and for one of those very few times, Soma could actually see his sharp eyes on him. "I no longer trust your words, but if you are so sure of yourself, then prove it. Take me on, and defeat me. Defeat me, and I'll do nothing. But if you lose, well, this is the last night I spend with you all."

"You can't possibly serious…"

"I'm sorry Soma," Shun simply said, eyes narrowed. "…But the real Food Wars between Tootsuki Academy and Les Cuisiniers Noirs begins tonight, and you and I are the opening act…"

---

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Tootsuki vs. The Noirs Begins With… Soma vs. Shun?!