Shokugeki no Sōma: Nashi Saito de Chīfu

by Gale-Dragon

Ever since he picked up a kitchen knife at age three, Sōma knew he wanted to be a chef. For twelve years, he cooked in the kitchen of his family diner. But he doesn't cook like you or me. No, he has his own cooking style, and that style will change the world of cooking forever. After all, Sōma's blind.

4. 4: The Meat Master

Gale-Dragon: Well, Here's the next chapter.

~}i{~

Shokugeki no Sōma: Nashi Saito de Chīfu. Chapter 4: The Meat Master and the First Official Shokugeki.

~}i{~

"Talking"

'Thinking'

(Author commenting)

~}i{~

Everyone in the Polaris Dorm was waking up and doing their morning routine.

While Sōma was brushing his teeth, he couldn't help but think that Isshiki-senpai was going easy on him, or didn't use his speciality. Either or, the redhead wasn't sure which.

~}i{~

Sōma, Megumi, and Mayu walked out of the Polaris Dorm. All three of them had a free day, so they decided to explore Totsuki grounds a bit.

Isshiki watched the three left from the entrance facing balcony.

"Isshiki-senpai, why'd you challenge him to a match? If you could call it that a match," Shun walked onto the same balcony as the Seventh Seat.

Isshiki smiled and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Shun frowned and said "Oh please, you didn't take it seriously. You didn't even use your "Specialty"! That dish you made, was something you could make in your sleep."

Isshiki just smiled.

~}i{~

"Research Societies?" Mayu asked looking at a billboard that was covered with fliers.

Megumi smiled and said "Yeah, there are lots and lots of societies at Totsuki that research different kinds of foods and dishes. They get together after class and work on new dishes, practice techniques, and even participate in cooking contests outside the Institute."

"So they're like normal after school clubs, huh," Sōma said tapping his cane with his index finger a bit, then asked, "Do these research societies also participate in Shokugeki as well?"

Megumi nodded and said "Yeah, they do. Usually with each other and usually for more turf, a bigger budget, memberships, or sometimes combining societies."

"Wow, when pops said that Shokugeki is everything here, he was right," Mayu said in a rather impressed tone. She and Sōma have heard stories about Shokugekis from their father, all were amazing; although, some of those stories were rather out there, making the twins wonder if those were fabricated.

"Not all of the research societies participate in Shokugeki. The Home Cooking Research Society, the one I'ma part of, isn't all that interested in expanding. Well, not right now at least," Megumi said with a small smile. The Yukihira twins were rather impressed.

Mayu spotted a flier for Donburi Research Society. "Wow, this place even has a Don Society," the brunette stated as she read the flier. This got Sōma's attention.

'I've been wanting to make a new Don recipe. This place I gotta check out,' Sōma thought with a small smile. "Mayu, Tadokoro-chan, let's check out the Don RS," the blind redhead said happily.

"Wha! Why do I have to go with you?" Megumi asked in a bit of a panic.

"Well, you've been on the campus longer then us, so you would know where everything is," Mayu said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Well... That WAS true.

~}i{~

Nakiri Senzaemon was extremely, positively, absolutely disappointed in his granddaughter AND the eight of the nine other Seats of the Elite Ten (Isshiki was not among the group, he was currently working on his garden on the Polaris Dorm's grounds. Plus the Headmaster didn't call him), whom he is currently scolding right now in his closed office.

This kind of thing is something that the Headmaster was NOT okay with, especially since it goes against what is Totsuki stands for, not to mention that it also brakes a couple of rules.

"But Grandfather, every single one of those Shokugeki were all in proper order," Erina said, trying to surpass a whine.

Senzaemon frowned at his granddaughter, and the other Elite Seats, when he said in a serious tone "Are you 100% sure about that? Because that's not what I'm hearing from other students and staff members."

The nine of the ten Elite looked at one another. They were sure the Shokugekis were all according to the rules. Right?

"I'm starting to think that you should schedule a mandatory seminar on Shokugeki, to "Reaffirm" all of the Shokugeki rules, Headmaster," said a new voice, whom just walked into the office. The voice belonged to a tall, young man, who looked like he just graduated from college, with perfectly groomed short black hair, dark eyes, small nose, thin lips, wore a perfectly ironed office suit, and polished black shoes. This young man had a neat stack of papers in his hand.

The students watched the young man as he walked to the Headmaster's desk.

Nakiri Senzaemon cleared his throat and said "Allow me to introduce Yamano Shin (1). He is one of the main officials for the Shokugeki Administration Department. One of his main jobs is reviewing past Shokugeki. He is also the one to find some of the "Improper" methods for a lot of your Shokugeki." The Headmaster was putting stress on the word Improper.

Yamato Shin nodded at the students before reading what was on the papers, out loud.

~}i{~

"Yukihira-kun, why'd you step up for us like that?" Kanichi Konishi, a second-year high school student and the Don of the Donburi Research Society, asked the blind first year. He just couldn't believe that the first-year student would get involved with this horrible plight, especially since it wasn't any of his business.

Sōma said "Our family runs a cheap, little family restaurant. So, we just can't just sit back and listen to him say that pricey meat is the best just because it's pricey."

Mayu tapped the Don recipe booklet and said "Besides, this place is too cool to be shut down. I mean, according to all of these recipes *opens the booklet* this RS has way too much to offer this school. That snotty little princess obviously doesn't care about that or she really can't see past her nose. Also Nii-san, Mito Ikumi is a she, not a he."

"Really? You sure?" Sōma asked with a raised brow. The redhead could've sworn that the Meat Master sounded like a guy, or maybe he didn't clean his ears out completely this morning.

"With that giant bust, she's defiantly a she," Mayu stated, remembering Mito's oversized bust juggling up and down with each step she made.

Sōma then said, rubbing the back of his head, "Guess it's a good thing I didn't call her a he when she was here then."

"Ano... Do either of you have a plan on how to beat her?" Megumi asked the twins in a nervous tone. Could Sōma have a plan to beat the Meat Master of Totsuki?

"Not really. But don't worry I'll come up with something," Sōma said in a cheerful tone.

Megumi somehow knew he was going to say something like that.

Mayu pinched the brim of her nose and mumbled: "You're too much like Pops Nii-san."

"We have three days until the Shokugeki. So let's prepare for battle!" Sōma said in a tone that was a mixture of excitement and joy.

~}i{~

Now Nakiri Senzaemon was furious.

"THIS sort of behaviour is NOT acceptable in Totsuki! Especially NOT by ANY member of the Elite Ten!" the Headmaster shouted at the nine Elite in his office. All of whom flinched.

"Ano, but Headmaster..." the current First Seat, Tsukasa Eishi, stuttered out.

"No buts!" Senzaemon snapped, causing the white-haired teen to coward in fear. The Headmaster then stated sternly "With this kind of behaviour, I am starting to think I should use one of my Nulls (2) to remove ALL of you from the Elite Ten!" The nine of the seated Elite Ten were utterly shocked.

Yup the Headmaster was completely PISSED.

"Nya~ what about Issiki~?" Kobayashi Rindou sweetly asked the enraged headmaster.

Senzaemon folded his arms and stated "Unlike the nine of you, Isshiki-kun hasn't participated in a Shokugeki for quite a while; therefore, he is excused from this conversation and potential punishment. And before you ask Kobayashi, I called you nine here to tell ALL of you that you're on VERY thin ice, even the ones here who have yet to do anything against the rules."

Megishima Tōsuke and Kuga Terunori, who were both sitting at the farthest right, glared harshly at the rest of the present Elite Ten. They had to be the only two here who didn't break any Shokugeki rules.

A staff member walked into the office and handed Shin a pile of papers. The Shokugeki official looked over the papers and said "Alright, all of the Shokugeki of the Elite Ten has been completely reviewed. Megishima-kun, Kuga-kun, you two are excused from this meeting and are officially free from any wrong-doing."

With that, the two members of the Elite Ten left the office. Kuga slammed the door shut, causing the entire room to shake.

"His anger is understandable," Senzaemon stated, glaring at the remaining Elite Ten. It was obvious what he was implying.

"Looks like there has been a change to the upcoming Shokugeki with the Donburi Research Society," Shin told the Headmaster, looking over the rest of the paperwork.

"The one the 10th Seat instigated," Senzaemon said firmly, eyeing his granddaughter. Erina gulped.

(Wow, he MUST be more than pissed if he's not mentioning his granddaughter by name).

Shin nodded and said, "The Don RS has chosen to switch out their champion for the Shokugeki."

"Oh? Who's this new opponent?" Senzaemon asked the Shokugeki official.

~}i{~

Konishi just finished explaining to the Yukihira Twins and Megumi what the Rating Scale for Beef. He also explained that Mito was going to use the best-ranked beef, an A5. That rank was soooooo tender you could drink it. Now Konishi was bringing himself down with his own words.

"We agreed to use a Beef Don challenge, so we're going to use beef," Sōma stated in a deadpan tone before adding with vigour "Besides, you said it yourself senpai, a Don is the epitome of "Fast, Cheap, and Good". That's exactly what Nikumi was insulting! If we want anyone to respect Dons, we have to it with an inexpensive Beef Don or it's meaningless!"

Konishi stated that Sōma was right. The Don RS needed to beat Erina and her henchmen with cheap meat in order to prove them wrong. "But... With the money have from the new budget... I don't think we have enough to even buy practice ingredients let alone the ingredients for the Shokugeki," the Don captain stated, depressing himself.

One of the main parts of a Shokugeki was that the students involved have to bring their own ingredients to use. The ability to procure what is needed is an important skill for a chef.

"How much are we talking about?" Mayu asked with a raised brow. She wasn't sure if Konishi was exaggerating because of his personality or if he was telling the truth.

Konishi mumbled out the number.

"Could you repeat that a little louder? I don't think anyone heard you," Sōma asked.

Konishi motioned the three to move closer. Mayu tugged on Sōma's arm, telling him to come towards the Don captain.

"!"

Mayu was completely shocked when she practically shouted "That's the budget for the entire Don RS! There's no way you can buy any ingredients with THAT! It's not even enough to buy a Kid's Meal at a fast food joint! How the hell was THAT approved as a budget!?"

Konishi twiddled his thumbs and stated "Well, you see... Nakiri makes "budget proposals" to the Research Societies Comity to slash the budgets of the RSs she doesn't like and see the proposals through. Well, it's more along the lines of her hounding the Comity members until they give in and agree to her proposal."

Sōma was quiet for a second or so before saying "Pops told us what the rules of this school are, and I'm pretty sure that she needs a real good valid reason for slashing an RS budget like that. Slashing a budget like that on an RS just because you don't like isn't a valid reason. I'm pretty sure that stuck-up princess is "Suppose" to know this particular fact, especially since she's the Headmaster's granddaughter and a member of the Elite Ten."

Mayu sighed and stated "I'm sure she knows but chooses to ignore it. I'm also sure that the Headmaster isn't going to be happy about it when he finds out."

"Also true," Sōma said with a sigh as he thought 'This is one reason why pops decided to raise us in a modest setting.' "I guess we can use some of the money from the allowance Ojisan (3) set up for us. I mean there is technically no rules against students using their allowance for the Research Societies," Sōma stated after a minute or so.

Mayu nodded.

Megumi was rather surprised that the Yukihira Twins would use their own allowance to help the RS. 'Sōma-kun and Mayu-chan are good people,' Megumi couldn't help but think.

An official for the overseeing of Shokugeki walked into the RS. He needed official confirmation that Sōma was going to participate in the upcoming Shokugeki. Sōma smirked, he decided to let Erina know how exactly how he felt about her "Methods".

~}i{~

"The transfer student..." Eizan Etsuya stated adjusting his glasses with a sigh.

This change gave the seven Elite Ten in the office a very odd mixture of expected and unexpected. 'What is with that guy?' Thought six of the seven Elite. Erina was pretty peeved by that "annoying" red head, ruining her plans to create a "Perfect" Totsuki.

"Oh? He left a message for the Tenth Seat," Shin stated looking at a note attached to the document. He read the note. "He's certainly... An honest person," the Shokugeki official stated as he handed the note to the Headmaster.

Senzaemon read the note, he couldn't help but chuckle. "My, my, he certainly speaks his mind," the Headmaster said with a smile, then he said with a serious look on his face "But he is speaking the truth. You seven are going to have to be punished for your behaviours."

The seven Elite Ten members gulped.

~}i{~

Konishi and Megumi were utterly shocked.

How on earth could the redhead say such a thing to a Nakiri?!

Mayu wasn't all that surprised at all. She knew her brother too well.

~}i{~

The next day...

Erina was sitting at her desk, thinking over what her grandfather told her and the six other Elite Tens, who were also in trouble.

He wasn't going to have them removed from the Elite Ten, for now at least, but he DID want them to undo what they did. Meaning that Erina had to restore all of the Research Societies she destroyed, with HER OWN MONEY and had to PERSONALLY apologize and re-recreate all of the members from each RS back into their respective RS. Senzaemon was very specific on those tasks for those seven of the Elite Ten.

Erina couldn't understand why her grandfather was against her plans to create a Perfect Totsuki.

}{ Flashback }{

*What Senzaemon told Erina during the start of the year when she told him about her plans*

"That is not "Perfecting" Totsuki, it will be DESTROYING it!"

}{ End Flashback}{

The honey blond couldn't help but wonder what her grandfather meant by that.

There was a knock on the door on Erina's office. She told the person to enter.

Mito Ikumi entered the room with a proud smile. Erina was interested in what the Meat Master was smiling about.

With that smile still on her face, Ikumi explained her preparation for the Shokugeki and added "I'll use a Japanese Back Wagyu fillet. It will, of course, be A5 Grade. Not only that, but it's also been aged for over a month. Two days from now, it'll hit its peak flavour. In other words, that fillet will be... An A5 to surpass all A5s." The Meat Master ran her thumb across her neck and added: "I'll use techniques designed to bring out every drop of that flavour and crush that Don RS like a bug."

Erina rested her chin on her intertwined fingers and said "Excellent. We shall rid ourselves of that worthless RS and get rid of that "Annoyance" all in one blow."

"It'll be easy," Mito stated before asking Erina "But, is he really blind? He seemed to know where I was standing, he was even staring at me, pulse he knew I specialized in meat particularly beef." The Meat Master found it hard to believe that a blind kid could even get into Totsuki.

Erina raised a brow.

~}i{~

"Oi Sōma-kun," Konishi said getting the red head's attention. That was when he asked, "You're blind, right?"

Sōma nodded.

"So, how'd you know where Nikumi was standing?" Konishi finally asked.

Sōma smiled and said with a snicker "It wasn't hard to find out where she was since she was yapping up a storm about expensive meats. Plus, she reeks of beef, so that's how I knew she liked beef more than the other meats."

Megumi thought 'Right, his other senses should be stronger in order to compensate for his lack of sight,' when she heard this.

~}i{~ The Day of the Shokugeki ~}i{~

Fellow student and Shokugeki MC, Kawashima Urara, appeared on stage and announced through her mic "Sorry to have kept you waiting, everyone! We have received word from the Shokugeki Administration Department, they have validated this Shokugeki as official! In a few moments, the battle will begin! *Winks cutely*"

99% of the guys in the audience cheered for Urara, most shouted that she was soooo cute. And that caused the gals to become annoyed.

Urara then announced "Three judges have been appointed. Today's theme will be Donburi and the main ingredient will be meat! Now, from the East and West corners... Contestants, take your places!"

The crowd cheered.

Waving her left hand to the east, Urara announced "The first out is the Meat Master herself... Mito Ikumi!" The tanned student threw off her cloak, releaving that she was wearing a flamed printed bikini top and blue very short shorts.

The same 99% of the guys in the audience cheered as Ikumi walked onto the stage, her breast jiggling with each step she took. Urara was annoyed with this.

"And now for the other contestant, Yukihira Sōma!" Urara announced trying to get the attention back onto her.

The reaction for the blind student as he walked in with his twin sister, Megumi and Konishi weren't well-received, to put it simply.

"Annoying bigots," Mayu stated sourly.

Sōma chuckled and told his twin "Watch the language Imōto (4), I don't want to tell Pops about it."

"Sorry Ani (5)" Mayu giggled before saying seriously "I forget that they're not worth the time." Sōma smiled as the brunette helped him up the stairs to the stage.

Once Sōma was standing in front of Ikumi, someone in the crowd saw that Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, Kinokuni Nene, Saitou Somei, Akanegakubo Momo, Kobayashi Rindou, and Tsukasa Eishi walked into one of the VIP lounges of the auditorium.

"LOOK IT'S SEVEN OF THE ELITE TEN!" "What are they doing here?" "Mito's part of Erina's faction, right?" "Yeah, that's why she's here but what about the others?"

That was when Urara announced "Attention, please! I'm sure you all are wondering why seven of the Elite Ten are here. I'll explain why!" Getting the attention back on her. "So let's review the conditions of the Shokugeki! In the event Mito wins, the Donburi RS will be disbanded and Yukihira Sōma will be expelled! In the event Yukihira wins, the Donburi RS will receive increased funds, larger facilities, and better equipment, not only that, but Mito Ikumi will become an official member of that RS! Also, the present members of the Elite Ten have made a bet with the Headmaster!"

A surge of murmurs echoed through the arena. The Yukihira twins smirked.

"Here's how the bet stands, the present Seven of the Elite Ten have placed their bets on Mito while the Headmaster has placed his bets on Yukihira!" Urara announced, causing the audience to mutter in confusion. Urara continued "If Mito wins, the Headmaster will expunge any wrongdoing from the present members of the Elite's record, but it Yukihira wins then the present Elite must, ano, *reads a note in her hand*. Wait! Is this right?" The MC asked a nearby official, who nodded.

"Really?" Urara asked before finally announcing "If Yukihira wins, then the present Elite Ten members must... Work at the Yukihira's family diner for as long as Yukihira is attending Totsuki!"

The crowd erupted in rage.

"You got a lotta guts to pull that one, blind boy," Mito stated with a sneer.

"Actually, it was all the Headmaster's idea. He said something along the lines of them losing touch with what Totsuki stands for or something like that," Sōma stated pretty nonchalantly.

Mayu then added cheerfully "So he figured our nice family diner would both punish them and open their eyes at the same time. Besides, the Headmaster already asked our father about it and he gave him the okay."

Mito shook her head and stated with a smirk "Well, it was a waste of effort, you're leaving Totsuki today."

Sōma unwrapped his white bandana from his wrist and said casually "I wouldn't be so sure about that." The blind redhead wrapped his bandanna around his forehead as Megumi and Konishi sat in some folding chairs next to the stage.

"Let the Shokugeki BEGIN!"

The two chefs walked to their cooking stations.

"The layout is the same as the classrooms," Mayu stated looking at the counters of Sōma's station.

"Just like the Headmaster said," Sōma stated as he took a couple of onions.

"Mayu~chan, how are you going to be able to follow your brother's instructions for this Shokueki~?" Urara asked through the mic in a cutesy tone, but she was thinking that only she should be the only girl on the stage who should get all of the guy's attention.

"Excuse me?" Mayu stated in an insulted tone.

"Will you be able to cook an amazing dish as your brother instructs you?" Urara asked in that same cutesy tone.

"Sōma is the one cooking," Mayu said sourly before adding "The only thing I "Will" be helping him with is dressing the plates, that's all." The brunette was really losing her patents with all of these ignorant students at this school.

Urara blinked and said "But, he's blind. Aren't you worried he's going to hurt himself while he cooks?"

"My chances of an injury in the kitchen is no greater than Nikumi's chances of getting injured," Sōma stated flatly as he pleaded some of the onions, his back to the two girls.

"Nii-san has lived in the kitchen since he was three, he knows what he's doing, so he's perfectly capable of cooking by himself," Mayu stated as she shooed Urara away from her twin. The female Yukihira didn't want the annoying MC to distract her brother.

Ikumi stated, rather loudly, "Oi, blind boy, I'm not sure if this matters to you or not, but let me show you an ingredient a small-timer like you'll never get to handle! This is the ultimate meat!" With that, a very large slab of beef fillet stamped with an A5 rolled onto the stage.

Sōma sniffed the air and said with a smirk "Japanese Back Wagyu that's been aged. Do you think I'm surprised by that? I already knew you were going to use that, the smell of it was all over you when we met three days ago. So you going to cook it or just show it off like a statue?"

Ikumi flushed red and shouted at Sōma to shut up before she pulled her butcher cleaver out and started slicing the slab of meat with it. The Meat Master seared the slab, constantly basting it in melted butter.

"Mmm! The rich scent of butter is filling the arena! The smell alone is enough to make me hungry," Urara said through the mic as a bit of drool dripping down the corners of her mouth.

With a smirk, Ikumi thought 'By searing the meat on all sides, I'm building a barrier that will keep all of the meat's juices inside.' The next thing Ikumi did was putting the marble of meat in the oven. She glanced at Sōma's station, wondering what he was doing.

Urara then announced, "Let's take a look at the other side of the- EEEEEEEKKKK!"

Sōma jumped as he dropped the knife he was using to mince the onions and stated in a panic "What! What happened!? Is there a fire!?"

"Nii-san calm down there's no fire," Mayu stated as she placed a hand on her brother's shoulder and added, "Stand still, the knife's on the edge of the table, blade pointing out."

Sōma blinked and said, "If there's no fire then why'd the MC scream?"

"Ano, Sōma-kun, why don't you let Mayu-chan chop the onions, so you don't cut yourself," Urara said in a worried tone.

"Are you kidding me? Are you f*ing kidding me? THAT's why you screamed?" Sōma snapped at Urara before adding in a hissed tone "Do you know how f*ing dangerous that was? I had a knife in my hand, I could've accidentally stabbed either myself or Mayu because of you!"

"I was just trying to help, I mean, since you're blind and all," Urara said into the mic as she took a step back. She'd NEVER had anyone snap at her like that.

"Help? Help?! The only thing you would have "Helped" with that scream was putting someone in the hospital!" Sōma shouted at the MC.

Mayu then added in a harsh tone with her hands on her hips "I believe I told you that Sōma is perfectly capable of cooking on his own, that INCLUDES using a knife. It doesn't matter that he's blind or not, you do NOT scream like that unless it's a REAL emergency!" Mayu then stomped towards Urara as Sōma carefully felt around for the knife, so he could continue chopping the onion, and practically shouted at the MC "Do something like that again and I WILL file a complaint that you were more interested in distracting Nii-san from cooking rather than doing your job and have you thrown out of the Shokugeki arena. Am I clear?"

"Cr-crystal cl-clear," Urara stuttered out before quickly walking away from the brunette.

Ikumi and the rest of the arena were utterly stunned and very quiet. Okay, yeah, that whole incident was called for, but...

The Meat Master went back to cooking her dish. She didn't even look at the blind student when he pulled out some cheap meat he got on sale, she didn't even complain about it. The audience, who seemed to hate Sōma said absolutely nothing about the cheap meat.

Even the seven members of the Elite Ten were completely silent about it.

~}i{~

It was now time to present the dishes.

Ikumi presented her dish first.

"This is my dish, an A5 Wagyu Rôti Don," Ikumi said with a smile.

First Judge: Traditional Inn Kuraki CEO, Kuraki Shigeno. She said with a smile "My! The slices of meat are arranged like flower petals. I never thought I'd see such a lovely Donburi."

The three judges took a bite of the dish.

"It's so wonderfully delicious, it makes me weak in the knees!" Kuraki stated with glee.

Second Judge: Japanese Black Wagyu Critic, Bito Yoshiki. He said "This! That powerful intensely rich flavour is the true greatness of A5 beef. And this cut was roasted taking into consideration the angle of heat! Heating a cut of meat perpendicularly to its grain ensures the meat will heat evenly and that the greatest amount of juices will be produced. First-class chefs always read the meat's grain when they cook it!"

Third Judge: TV Show 'Bring It On! Gourmand' Producer, Okamoto Katsunori. He said with glee "Don't forget the rice hiding under the beef petals! Steamed in butter and the beef's own grease, this garlic rice is exquisite. I could probably eat three whole bowls of it just by itself!"

"It's a dish so seductively delicious, it's almost sensual! What a marvellous performance by Mito Ikumi!" Urara announced.

With a smirk, Ikumi thought 'How do you like that, blind boy? This is the real pleasure of meat.'

~}i{~ VIP Lounge ~}i{~

"She's won," Eizan stated as he entertained his fingers together.

"Of course she did, I wouldn't let any chefs that are less than perfect in MY faction," Erina said as she flipped her hair.

Rindou yawned and said, "Ma~n how boring, it's like wa~y to obvious that Mito-cha~n is gonna win, she's practically the Goddess of Meat." The cat-eyed Second seat looked at the dish Ikumi made and said: "A~w, I wish I could eat that yummy looking dish too~."

~}i{~ Stage ~}i{~

"Next, let's have the Judges taste Yukihira's dish," Urara announced.

Mayu placed the three bowls on a tray as the MC walked up to her and asked: "And what is the name of the dish?" The brunette frowned at Urara. Mayu grabbed the MC's wrist (the one holding the mic) and positioned it to that it was in front of Sōma.

"It's HIS creation, ask HIM," Mayu said flatly.

"You obviously meant well, I'm sure," Sōma stated sarcastically as he pulled his collapsible cane out of his pocket. "It's called Yukihira Style Chaliapin Steak Don," the blind redhead said as he straightened the cane out.

Bito sighed and said "Chaliapin steak, eh? So it's cheap meat tenderized by onions. *Turns to Okamoto* Let me be blunt. This, after that masterpiece of a dish?"

Okamoto agreed by saying "I'd sure like to go home with the taste of A5 beef still on my tongue."

"What is this your first time judging a Shokugeki?" Mayu asked sourly as she slammed the covered bowls in front of the two, causing them to jump. Glaring at them, the brunette snapped "A judge for a Shokugeki is suppose to comment on the food AFTER they taste it, not BEFORE."

The two men couldn't help but tremble in fear. The aura emitting from this teenage girl was like that of a demon.

"Mayumi!" Sōma said, snapping his sister out of the grips of the unholy aura. "Calm down! There's no need for That," Sōma stated tapping the end of his cane on the ground.

Mayu mumbled an apology before removing the lids off of all of the bowls and poured some sauce on all of them.

Bito picked up the bowl and said with a slight tremble in his voice "Well, ano... It l-looks tastier th-then I expected."

The three judges took a bite of Sōma's dish.

Ikumi scoffed mentally as she thought 'There's no way meat that cheap could make a good dish.'

The next thing everyone in the arena knew, the judges were wolfing down the dish.

The three judges couldn't stop praising and complementing the dish.

"Is there some secret hidden in this dish?" Bito asked as he shoved another scoop of the food into his mouth.

"Yup," Sōma said happily as he grabs a glass jar of his counter and added, "I added in some handmade pickled-plum to the rice."

"To put it simply," Mayu said before adding with a sinister smile "It's crisp plum-seasoned rice."

Bito practically exclaimed "Aha! So that's it! That brisk aftertaste that encourages you to eat another bite is pickled plum! The tender, fragrant steak... The beautifully thickened perfect sauce... And the fresh tartly flavoured plum-seasoned rice. Every piece of the Don works to make the others taste even better! You can't help but dive in!" The critic was now scarfing down the bowl.

By the time the three judges came up for air, they'd finish the entire dish.

Kuraki asked if there was enough left over for seconds, she also told Ikumi "Your Rôti Don was an exquisite dish, dear... But THIS is the Don that makes me want more!"

With that, Ikumi noticed that the judges didn't even finish her garlic rice.

"They clash," Sōma told Ikumi before adding "The Wagyu Beef and the garlic rice. Both have strong flavours, so both would compete against each other. Your dish may have seemed like a Don, but it wasn't really one. It's just like the captain said." The blind redhead made a circle in the air with his index finger and said "A true Donburi is "Complete in One Bowl"!"

"Sh-shut up!" Ikumi shouted then added "I still say that's all garbage! Your crappy meat can't match my top-quality beef!"

Sōma sighed and said "If you still aren't convinced, how about you give it a listen? Taste what this Don has to say." The redhead walked up to his counter and felt around for the bowl he made for Ikumi. When he found it, he held it out to the Meat Master and said: "Dig in."

Ikumi took the bowl from the blind student. After looking at the dish for a bit she took a bite. 'Why?' Ikumi thought as she took another bite. 'Why does this Don taste as good as it is?' she thought as she started scarfing the dish down. 'Damn it! He's right. This Don does have something to say. It's telling me to dig in, in any way I want,' Ikumi thought as she remembered her not so happy ninth birthday. 'Why does this dish keep whispering to me to be who I want to be?' the tanned blond thought as a tear ran down her cheek.

The judges pressed the button of the dish they liked the most.

Winner of the Shokugeki: Yukihira Sōma.

Sōma took off his bandana and said: "Happy to serve!"

Ikumi sank to her knees.

"Oi, Nikumi! Can have a bite of your Don?" Sōma asked happily, like the match never happened.

This angered Ikumi when she snapped "Baka! Don't go getting a big head! And don't you dare call me that name!"

"Why not?" Sōma asked cluelessly, then added, "I think it sounds pretty cute."

Ikumi got flustered.

"I hope we can be friends, Nikumi," Sōma said with a big smile.

Ikumi was red with either embarrassment or heartthrob when she shouted "Y-you baka jerkface," as she raced off.

Sōma waved Ikumi off (in the wrong direction) when he said: "Be sure to stop by the Don RS tomorrow!" Mayu moved Sōma's waving arm in the direction Ikumi went. "Oh, she went that way. Whoops sorry," the redhead chuckled out.

~}i{~ VIP Lounge ~}i{~

The seven of the Elite Ten were utterly stunned.

How the hell did that happen!?

~}i{~ The Next Day ~}i{~

Ikumi was pacing outside the Don RS, wearing the Totsuki uniform shirt, skirt, and tie.

"I think it sounds pretty cute," Ikumi remembered Sōma saying the day before. The tanned girl shook her head, trying to get the image out of her head. She quickly fixed her hair, after looking at herself in the reflective window.

Ikumi walked into the Don RS where Konishi greeted her.

"Ano, Where's Yukihira-kun?" Ikumi asked, trying her best not to act too giddy.

Konishi told her that Sōma wasn't apart of the Don RS and was just dropping by to see what the RS was about. That ticked Ikumi off.

~}i{~

The day after that, Mito Ikumi's temper suddenly became much shorter.

~}i{~ In the Headmaster's Office ~}i{~

Nakiri Senzaemon just handed Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, Kinokuni Nene, Saitou Somei, Akanegakubo Momo, Kobayashi Rindou, and Tsukasa Eishi each a uniform for the Yukihira Family Restaurant and some "Real World" instructions in a folder.

'Damn it! He WAS serious,' the seven thought as they looked at their new respective clothing. The Yukihira Twins were in the office with them.

"Since Pop is out of the country," Mayu started.

"The two of us are in charge of the diner," Sōma finished.

"That means they are your bosses when you are at their diner," Senzaemon stated and added "Meaning you WILL do what they say when you at Yukihira, understood?"

Nikiri Erina, Eizan Etsuya, Kinokuni Nene, Saitou Somei, Akanegakubo Momo, Kobayashi Rindou, and Tsukasa Eishi nodded reluctantly. 'This is sooooooo humiliating,' the seven thought at the same time.

"Don't worry Headmaster, we'll take good care of them at Yukihira during the summer," Sōma said happily. He was glad that he was going to have the extra help when Yukihira Joichiro, the twin's father, was away.

Senzaemon nodded and said, "If they cause any trouble, don't hesitate to call me."

"Don't worry, we will," the twins said in unison.

As the Totsuki students walked out of the Headmaster's office, Mayu said: "Make sure you guys and gals keep those uniforms in good condition, because *demon aura appears around her* if you come to Yukihira without those uniforms you're going to have to work in just your underwear."

Erina turned red, she wasn't sure if it was from anger or embarrassment, as she practically shouted "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING! THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD WEAR THIS *indicating the Yukihira uniform* OR WALK AROUND IN JUST MY UNDERWEAR!"

"You either wear the uniform or nothing at all when you're working at Yukihira, it doesn't matter to me all," Sōma stated as he rubbed his ears. He was blind, so weather someone was standing practically naked in front of him wouldn't matter.

Mayu folded her arms and said "You guys were the one who made the bet with the Headmaster in the first place, so deal with it. Besides, you guys are on a very strict budget now, so I'd make sure those uniforms are in perfect condition when summer comes around. If you don't, well, *demon's back* let's just say you'd better get used to walking around people in your underwear."

"I think we have a couple of extra aprons in the storage area, so I guess you can wear them when you serve the customers," Sōma said as he thought back to his home for his entire life.

"I guess so, I mean, we don't want to scare the customers away," Mayu said as she placed her hands behind her neck.

"There plenty of time until summer, so make sure you keep those uniforms safe until then~," Sōma said happily as he and Mayu started heading back to the Polaris Dorm.

"Hold on!" Eishi finally vocalized. Getting the twins' attention. "Ano, are these uniforms made of cotton or some kind of material that shrinks in the wash? I really don't want to make that mistake and have you two yell at me," the First Seat said nervously as avoided eye contact.

"Nope, no shrinking material. Just make sure to use some kind of fabric softener when you wash them, alright," Sōma said in a pretty casual matter. Mayu was just looking at the First Seat like he was an idiot.

Eishi sighed relief.

'Was that the only thing he was worried about?' thought the six Seats at the same time.

Sōma and Mayu just left the Seated Elites. The two needed to get to bed early since they were helping out in the Polaris Gardens in the morning.

Nene was the one to finally say to her fellow Elite "This is the punishment we get for Some of us sabotaging the opponents before the Shokugeki."

Eishi then added, "I don't know about all of you but booking all of the kitchens until the Shokugeki didn't make a whole lot of sense, but does that count as sabotage?"

Perhaps these students should think over their methods of operation.

~}i{~

To Be Continued...

~}i{~

1; Yamato Shin is an OC of my creation. He's just there to somewhat mediate the confutation between students, the Elite Ten, the Headmaster, and of coarse Sōma.

2; In this story, Nulls are basically overturns that the Headmaster of Totsuki can use when the Elite Ten makes a decision that the Headmaster finds "Un-Totsuki-like". The Headmaster can also use these Nulls to remove one or more of the seated Elite Ten from their position when they do something unethical. In this case, because Senzaemon found out that some of the Elite Ten members were sabotaging their opponents before the scheduled Shokugeki, he is threatening to have them removed from the Elite Ten. Plus, I also thought that the Headmaster should have SOME kind of say in the decisions of the Elite Ten.

3; Ojisan is Japanese for Uncle.

4; Imōto is Japanese for a younger sister.

5; Ani is Japanese for an older brother.

~}i{~

Gale-Dragon: I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Please comment and tell me what you think.