Rating: T+
Pairing: Soma/Erina
Genre: Romance; Drama; Hurt/Comfort; Shonen; Slight Mature Themes
Notes:
Hey Everyone! Zancrowe Here!
Usually a writer tries to keep key plot points and revelations secret to entice readers and make the work more enjoyable to both write and read. Subvert you audiences' expectations and all that. But there are times, when I think that shouldn't apply. Take Megumi Tadokoro. I adore this character. And I, alongside many of you I imagine, was very disappointed by just how underwhelming her role in the latter arcs of the Shokugeki no Soma manga / anime turned out to be. Her four biggest duels in the story (Shinomiya, Kurokiba, Momo, & Asahi) all ended in her defeat and the poor girl in tears. All that supposed potential, and yet, nothing to show for it. So I will not bullshit you here, not now. Megumi Tadokoro deserved better, and I hope this Chapter can at least offer a little bit of that. Because sometimes, we don't need to be surprised, just having our desires met is enough.
Enjoy…
Disclaimer: Don't own Shokugeki no Soma.
It took everyone by surprise.
The news spread like wildfire, as anything that had to do with Intercontinental Shokugeki would. This event had already gotten ratings far greater than anticipated, far greater than anything anyone from Senzaemon, Soe or even Azami could have ever imagined. Granted, a large reason for this was the whole online movement created to protect Erina Nakiri thanks to some very specific comments made by her boyfriend Soma Yukihira and further given wings thanks to the very public declarations made by her cousin Alice Nakiri.
So, it was a given, that when the news that a special round of the Intercontinental Shokugeki was going to be held, everyone was tuning in. Even more so, thanks to Shouko Kaburagi's involvement, not only was this event televised like the rest, but it also was being streamed for free on the internet, from all of her social media accounts, from Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Dollhouse, and even .
So word spread to every corner of the culinary world, and then some, but none faster than to a certain professional chef. Said chef had rushed over to where her husband worked, and walking in like she owned the place (which she sort-of did), she quickly kicked open the doors to the kitchen and practically shouted to everyone present.
"Stop what you're doing!" Hinako demanded, causing the chefs present all to flinch at her sudden presence and turn to her, each with a confused look on their features. All except for her husband, of course, who felt his blood pressure rising. "Kou! I came as soon as I heard the news trending everywhere! We need to watch this, come on!"
"Hinako, what on Earth are you doing here?" Shinomiya voiced, turning from his work to her, his hands still holding onto his knife, firmly, while his eyes shifted to his wife and her ever increasing belly. "You have to be careful you dolt. You look utterly out of breath. You need to rest and-"
"Of course I'm out of breath!" Hinako shot back, pouting. "You try lugging this heavy fellah around all day," she noted tenderly towards his stomach, before she turned back to Shinomiya. "But that's not the point! Megs is having an official match in the Intercontinental Shokugeki, against a Seated Member at that! We have to watch that! Heck, I would have driven there if it wasn't already starting!"
"Seriously…" Shinomiya noted, sighing. "Hinako, you need to take things easy. And I have work to do," he replied, as he signaled to the rest of his group. "As do they. I can't just stop my job to keep track of every stupid things those kids do."
"Kou, seriously, it's about to start," Hinako voiced, her tone less bothered by his words than the others would have imagined. At this Shinomiya frowned. "So let's fast-forward all your denials and excuses and just get to the point where we sit down to watch the match, okay? Okay! I'll be at your office setting up the stream! Love ya!"
"Hina-" the man tried, but she just flashed him a smile and bounced her way into his office, because of course she did. As the rest of his team turned to him, all deeply judging their "unshakable" leader and boss but not saying anything just to allow the man some shred of dignity intact. "…ko," he finished, weakly, as he placed the knife down and sighed even deeper. "…Why did she have to get so attached to those brats, damn it. And especially to that dunce? Taking on an Elite Ten student, right… ah, to hell with it, Abel, cover for me, and no mistakes, you've got that!"
"…Ah, sure thing," the Sous Chef replied, moving towards his boss' station, as Shinomiya moved past him and headed into his office to join his wife. His very persuasive wife. As the trio watched him leave, they couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "He really does have a very unique way of showing affection."
"What was your first clue?" Gao Wei said with a little laugh, as she turned towards the other two. "Our boss loves that woman. Of course he'd bend over backwards for her if she needed him to."
"Hmm… I don't think it's just that…" Lucie Hugo, Shino's Head Boucher Chef, stated, which made the other two pause and turn to her. Lucie, for her part, had a very soft smile on her features. "It's maybe just me, but it would help if we don't forget…"
And as she spoke, the other two could only nod, because despite everything Kojirou Shinomiya said again and again, the truth couldn't be any clearer.
"…Soma Yukihira is not the only protégée our Boss has after all."
-0-
The stream was now live.
"Hey there my lovelies!" Shouko quickly greeted everyone who was tuning in, which according to the numbers displayed, were quite the lot. The girl was a true influencer at this point, if those numbers were anything to go by, and with both the internet and the television at her disposal, her insanely large audience had practically doubled, which was exactly what she wanted. "And welcome to what I've been promising you guys for so long! Today is the day, where I, Shouko Kaburagi, begins the process of finally saving Tootsuki Academy!" she exclaimed, excitedly extending her arms into the air, the widest smile on her face. "After the disastrous performance by our Elite Ten, just barely managing to hold on, it is finally time we show these chumps what Tootsuki prowess really looks like! So, remember to like, share and subscribe for more of my journey as I take on the establish rule and save my precious school from the verge of collapse! …Oh, and hashtag Protect Erina, and all of that, of course~!"
"Is that bitch seriously using your movement for views?" Alice asked, with outright murder in her eyes. Erina could only stare, frowning at the notion, but knowing that if she tried to get involved, all it would do is get Shouko even more attention. In this stage, there was really no such thing as bad publicity, and Shouko was clearly cut from the same cloth as Eizan. As in, this was her in her element.
The rest of the Elite Insert-Whatever-Number-Fits-Here and the Polar Stars all watched, having moved to the side to allow the match to be set up, their eyes all collectively fell on just how many cameras Shouko had gotten, alongside with the WGO's actual television crew. There was no denying it anymore, this really was, effectively, another match of the Intercontinental Shokugeki. Heck, it probably had more people tuning in than ever before, no doubt thanks to Shouko being such a marketing genius.
Their eyes then fell on her opponent. Little Megumi Tadokoro, who looked utterly baffled by all that she was witnessing. The poor girl's eyes were wide as plates, as she tried to make heads or tails about what was going on. She knew, from the moment she declared herself Shouko's opponent, that this would be a big deal. This would make or break the Elite Ten in a way that could not only affect the outcome of the matches to come, but outright wreck the very livelihood they all strived to protect.
Even more so, it could severely hurt Erina, and that thought alone, worried Megumi most.
"Now then!" Shouko continued, bouncing about, as she motioned towards Megumi. "There has been a… little setback, change of plans as it were," Shouko noted, and her tone lowered a bit, the clear resentment being evident. But the hearts kept filling in her screen, so she clearly wasn't losing any of her fans over it, if they even caught it at all. But Megumi did. "The match-up I promised you all wasn't meant to be. Sad, I know, seemed like Satoshi Isshiki does not view me as a worthwhile opponent, as he will not dignify me with a match despite my open declaration for it… But, hey, what can I do?! If such a confident and talented man has to send a young girl, a junior of ours at that, to fight his battles for him, then the message is clear. The Elite Ten clearly do not have the courage or skill to win this, so rest assured my lovelies, I will course correct everything from here on forwards!"
"She's slandering you, that damn snake woman!" Nene raged, outright fuming.
"Don't let her get to you," Isshiki merely replied his eyes not on Shouko, but on Megumi. 'Or to you. Let her talk all she wants, just focus on your craft. You can do this. You can save us.'
"So let me present you my actual opponent!" Shouko beamed, signaling to a frowning Megumi, who despite her attempts at making her displeasure clear, just looked adorable regardless of her expression. "This cutie is Megumi Tadokoro, an aspiring chef here at Tootsuki, Second Year, and the unofficial runner-up of the Elite Ten selection process. And, as we've come to learn, Isshiki's attack… well, not dog, per say… attack poodle?"
"Isshiki's not at all-" a pissed off Megumi tried, but Shouko quickly cut her in.
"That's great to hear!" Shouko interrupted. "Now then, let's get started! The fight between us is set, so let's head over to our esteemed judges from the World Gourmet Organization and hear what they have to say!" Shouko declared, and the cameras were all changed to focus on the judges, as all but Anne all quickly flashed their prized smiles the moment the cameras hit them. They clearly lived for the spotlight. Anne, however, had her eyes on Megumi. The little lass' expression was certainly something, the judge noted. Shouko, however, turned towards her opponent, and dropping all hints of her act, just plainly stated, "Not too late to back down. You sure this is how you want your story to end, eh, No Seat?"
"I won't let it end here," Megumi firmly stated, despite the fact that she couldn't quite hide the way her hands trembled. Shouko quickly took notice, and just smiled.
"Then you'll have no further sympathies from me," she told her junior, before she bounced her way back towards the spotlight, leaving Megumi trying her best to calm herself down.
It happened quickly afterwards. The judges were all given their introductions, and as Shouko noted a few more things, like explaining to the audience what the arena they were at meant for the school, offering a little history of Tootsuki while she was at it, before she was notified of an expected, if not belated, part of the event.
That's when their hostess, one Yua Sasaki, timidly entered the arena, utterly shocked at the fact that she had been assigned such a huge event. 'Where are you Urara?' she almost cried to herself, especially the moment a camera was shoved right into her face and she was seen by millions.
"And here we have Tootsuki's… other hostess," Shouko noted, taking hold of Yua's little face and pressing her cheeks together with a single hand. Yua could only blush and pout at this, as her soft complaints went unheard by most. "Yua Sasaki everyone! Isn't she absolutely adorable?! Make sure to follow her at, what was it, yua_sasaki_98 right?"
"Y-Yeah," the hostess without the mostess quivered a reply.
"Oh!" Shouko added, almost shoving Yua from the frame and signaling to herself. "And make sure to follow me at its_shouko too, if you're not already of course~!"
-0-
"Oh… how I hate this girl!" Urara screamed into the air, holding onto her phone so hard she almost made the screen crack. Her boyfriend, Kotaru, just looked on, half amused at seeing her far more irate over this than anything they went through during that fateful cruise trip. Priorities and all that. She then turned to him, with almost tears in those sparkly eyes of hers. "Can you believe she has more followers than I do?! How on Earth is that fair?!"
"You are aware I really don't get all the craze behind that stuff," Kotaru noted with a shrug, as he pushed himself back a bit into the chair. It wasn't everyday he found himself in such a fancy resort, he noted, as Tootsuki's premium Resort was indeed something else. It was odd for him to be somewhere so fancy that wasn't floating above salty waters. Then again, he was grateful for the break and for Tootsuki's, especially Gin Doujima's offer to allow him and his little crew to stay here while the Intercontinental Shokugeki took place. It certainly made Ava and Yoshiaki's day when they were told, little Kanon's even more, and in a sense, it was good to wake up to Urara banging at his door on her days off, even if she clearly did not enjoy having today off.
"You are following me at least, right?" she asked something that sounded much closer to a threat than anything else. He nodded.
"Yes," he replied. "Less you forget you made me create an account for the sole purpose of following you."
"You better be active on it, leaving a like and comment on every post as you should," she added, pouting at the screen once more, which made him laugh.
"Should I give this Shouko girl a follow too?" he asked, clearly meant to tease. "Gather enemy intel and all that?"
His laughter subsided the moment he saw Urara's neck twist in ways a human body shouldn't, and he was quick to add that he was joking and he would never follow her. Urara's glare remained, but at least when she spoke, it was in human tongue.
"That bitch did this on purpose," Urara noted, still glaring. "Asking for Yua specifically because she knows Yua gets stage fright."
"What kind of hostess gets stage fright?"
Urara and Kotaru both gave pause, both turning to the side as a somewhat familiar set of faces popped into view, with the girl who had just spoken right in between them all.
"Oh, Linda," Urara noted, quickly recognizing the girl that had taken out their First Seat (and helped make this mess at that, but that was neither here nor there) alongside her little team of four. "Surprised this match-up would catch your interests."
"It's not just us," Linda noted, using her thumb to signal towards the conference hall, which was about two halls from the dining area they were currently using for their breakfast buffet. "Old man Doujima even set up a screen for us all to go and give it a watch."
"It is rare for us to have the chance to see an actual Shokugeki between two Tootsuki students take place," Alex added, as Christina nodded while Beto looked around, noting that most of the other teams were probably already there.
"We should move," Beto said. "Not sure how many that place can seat, but it seems all other teams are already there."
"Not just the teams," Christina corrected. "But most of the guests in general are probably there. News spread like crazy. I think that Shouko girl is currently trending and everything."
"Ah!" Urara cried out, sulking into the table. "I hate this! Why am I not there?! I should crash it, no?!"
"Keep calm Urara," Kotaru voiced, not wanting her to hurt her image or ruin Tootsuki's chances at survival either. "That said, all the rival teams are also invested in this?"
"Most of them," Alex noted, his eyes shifting towards the exit. "From what I saw, it seems Lestrade isn't there, which is funny considering they're the ones that'll have to content with whatever comes from this match."
"Neo Noir isn't there either," Linda added, her eyes narrowing a bit. "I mean, I'm glad that the creepy guy isn't in there, he doesn't seem all that interested in the matches as is. And Julius has always give off this "lone wolf" aura, so I'm not surprised either, but…"
"Linda," Alex quickly cut in, fully knowing what his childhood sweetheart was going to hint at. "Don't pry."
"Just saying…" she still said it, "I totally saw Dove and Asahi go into her room last night, and I did not see him exit it while I was around."
"Oh that sounds like gossip to me!" Urara quickly beamed, surprising the four, as Kotaru just frowned. Of course that would catch her ear. Still, her smile was only half in place, as she still slumped over the table once more. "Ah… But even if that's true, I can't announce it if I'm not in the thick of it… Damn that Shouko and her carefully selected procedures…"
"She's really taking this hard," Linda noted, her hands to her hips, offering the other girl her sincerest sympathies.
"…You guys want to join us there?" Alex offered, as he signaled to the exit. "I think your friends are there too. At least I'm sure I saw the little blonde girl arguing something or the other with little Aisha."
"Oh boy, Kanon's at it again huh?" Kotaru noted, before he simply nodded and stood up. "Yeah, let's. Urara, come on," he told his girl, who was still sulking. "Better to see this match on a big screen than on your phone. Besides, we still need to cheer our friends on, don't we?"
"…I guess," she said solemnly, before she raised her arms like a sad little child. "…Carry me."
"You really are a handful," he noted, and to Linda's and Christina's flustered surprise, the young man did indeed motion to take hold of Urara, who quickly sported the biggest blush on her face when she realized he had every intention of obeying her dumb little request. Her very embarrassing, princess-carry of a request. But, before she could say anything, he took hold of her… just not how any of them expected it. Less like a princess, he held her up to his side, with just one hand, as if she were just extra luggage. "Let's go."
The four from Spain just looked on, blinking at the scene, before all four of them just nodded at the display.
Urara was now blushing even more intensely. "T-This isn't romantic at all!"
As the six made their way into the conference hall, with Kotaru teasing Urara all the way through until he actually flipped her around and held her like she had originally expected him to, which in turn made her too self-conscious about it which ended with her asking to be put down, the biggest blush on her face, they were indeed greeted by a very overcrowded space.
Gin had properly prepared, though, which was commendable given the short timeframe he had to work with, and he had set up multiple screens all throughout, with plenty of seats for everyone and then some.
And, just as the group had said, all the other teams were already set up, and funnily enough, they were, for once, not grouped up with each other. Instead, for what seemed like the first time, they were intertwined with each other, actually chatting away and even placing bets. Very one-sided bets in Shouko's favor, but, well…
"I'm shocked you actually placed your bet on that Megumi girl," Camille said, turning to her date, as the two sat on a table for two, eyes on each other than on the screens themselves. "We really know very little about her as is."
"I just find Shouko Kaburagi to be utterly insufferable," Ekaterina explained, her eyes on Camille, giving the girl a little smile. "Too stuck up, utterly egocentric and way too show-off-y… Why are you giving me that look Cam?"
"What look?" Camille quickly voiced, her eyes to the side.
Ekaterina then frowned, and pouted, "I am not like that at all if that is what you are implying!"
"Hey, you said it, not me," Camille noted, before she just laughed. "B-But I also would like it if that Megumi girl wins. She seems nice. I hear she's a close friend of Takumi's, and any friend of his has to be a good person, don't you think so Katya?"
"Hmm…?" Ekaterina noted, as she turned to a nearby table, "That question is better suited for our neighbor, is it not, Miss Lucrezia Russo?"
Lucrezia just frowned, as she currently found herself sitting at the table next to the Russian princess and the, what they all assumed was, the second-in-command of the French team. "I only know the brothers," Lucrezia responded. "I don't know enough about anyone else to even make a bet," she added, before she turned to the boy sitting with her. It had been a surprise for her, a welcomed one to be sure, that he had accepted to come visit after she had spent all night debating back and forth over sending the text. Last thing she expected was that such a huge event would take place in that very timeframe. "…You are friends with her, no?"
"Yes, very," Isami noted with a warm smile, his eyes on the screen. "And I'm telling you, if you want to win this, bet on Megumi. She's got this. Trust me."
"I am not going to bet anything," Lucrezia noted, pondering for a moment. "We're not allowed to bet money anyways."
"I am trusting your judgment Isami Aldini," Ekaterina voiced, her eyes on the currently slim boy, before she turned back to the screen. "Let's see what this shrinking violet has to offer-"
"It's always the quiet ones you have to look out for!" Gautier appeared out of nowhere, hugging both Ekaterina and a giggling Camille tightly, as he stared down at the screen. "Look at that beauty! Perhaps my aim was misguided. Megumi Tadokoro, I shall make you mine!"
"Let go off me!" Ekaterina quickly growled, elbowing the would-be Casanova right in the chin and pushing him aside. He stumbled, but held on. "Don't just threaten a girl, have at it and what not. And do not drag me into your stupidity Gautier Pierre."
"You'll get used to him Katya," was all a very happy Camille offered.
"…Oh I highly doubt that," Ekaterina just noted, her eye twitching at the thought.
"I would advise against trying to… erm, charm Megumi," Isami offered, as Gautier turned to the younger boy with a questioning look.
"Why so?"
"She's currently dating someone."
"As if that would be an obstacle for one such as I."
"I don't think Akira would much appreciate that sentiment."
"…Akira? As in… Fifth Seat Akira Hayama?" Gautier asked, to which Isami just nodded, during which Gautier's very self-indulgent smile began to falter greatly, before he solemnly added, "…damn it. Why is this world so unjust?!"
As laughter at Gautier's expense, and expressions, filled the small area they shared, the rest of the groups all exchanged banter in far friendlier terms than any of them ever expected to when they first set foot within Tootsuki Academy. From Aisha and Kanon arguing one moment, then laughing together when they pulled a little prank on Aleksei, to Keelan unsuccessfully attempting to flirt with Aurora much to her elder brother Alessandro's clear apprehension, to even Ikumi having snuck inside the resort for a total not-date with Hakeem, everyone was busy with their own stuff until the moment the screens flashed.
At this, everyone's attention got focused solely on the match that seemed about to start. The screen showed the judges, and within moments, the title card got played, as the background music flared.
Sixth Seat Shouko Kaburagi vs. Megumi Tadokoro
"So let's begin this, shall we," Charme took the lead, as he signaled to the contestants to get ready, and to the very nervous hostess that she was almost due. "I do believe this also signals the start of the other, strictly Tootsuki-related match-up, no?"
"That's what we were told," Histoire noted, as he turned to the two boys. "A shame really. The last match between these two was quite the spectacle. I feel we are missing out. Why couldn't we judge one match first, then have the other one take place right after?"
"Not our call to make," Anne replied, as her eyes shifted towards Soma, and she offered the boy a knowing smile. She vividly recalled the massive upscale battle the boy had fought just to be granted that match back in the showcase, and she was sure she only witnessed the final parts of what was probably a very convoluted plot. "You two ready?"
"As I'll ever be," Soma replied, hand meeting fist, trying to fool himself into believing he was at his absolute best right now. Still, right now, his little situation came second, as he turned to his side, his expression serious, yet as calm as he could manage. "Don't let her get to you Tadokoro," he told his best friend in the whole world. The young girl turned to him, the hint of worry still evident in her eyes, but the flame was burning just as bright. "…You have this."
"I know…" she replied, with a smile and a nod. "For once, I actually have faith in myself. So please, don't worry. Focus on your match. Let's do our best and save Tootsuki!"
"Sure thing!" Soma shot back with the biggest smile he could muster, as he turned back towards the judges. Anne was quick to signal him to where he was supposed to go, another kitchen entirely if he had understood it correctly, which made sense. If he were to face-off against Eizan anywhere near where Megumi was having her match, he'd probably lose on the account of being too busy watching her performance, and she was right. He needed to focus on himself. And he didn't lie. He trusted her.
"Be ready for anything," Erina suddenly voiced, stepping right next to him, her long flowing hair brushing slightly against him. He turned to her, and it was quite clear she was not at all pleased with these turn of events. Granted, none of them were, but he had to imagine that someone as shady as Eizan or Shouko pulling a fast one on the very school you call a home and you having to just sit and take it was a bit of a low blow. And it wasn't even the first time at that. "…But, you beat him once, you can do so again."
"Yeah," Soma replied, his expression softening as he took her visage in. How could this girl be so absolutely stunning without even trying? "…But, last time it was a match for my sake. Today, well, today they made the mistake of making it for yours. That's something I can't afford to lose."
"Hmm… dummy," she coyly said, before adding, "Need me to go cheer you on? Megumi has quite the crowd here as is."
"No, that's okay," he replied. "She's the one with the official Intercontinental match, not me. Stay with her. Make it clear we all stand by her."
Erina said nothing else, simply nodded in confirmation. It made the most sense, and she really did trust Soma. He had grown greatly in skill since he had last faced off against Eizan, so there was little doubt in her mind that he could wipe the floor with him once more. Not that she expected Eizan hadn't improved, but the sneaky little weasel wasn't the one actively facing off against the best the world had to offer on a biweekly basis, now was he?
"Soma…" Nene called out, mere moments before the boy had moved. Both he and Erina turned to their First Seat, who seemed to pause for a moment as she collected her thoughts. "…Just, trust your gut feeling, okay?"
"Ah… Yeah, sure!" Soma replied, a bit confused by that pep-talk, but deciding to take it. Nene was their First Seat after all, and so far, she had proven to be an excellent leader for them all to follow. "And, hey, thanks for everything Kinokuni! You're pretty awesome you know that?"
"Eh? W-Where does that come from?" a blushing Nene asked, utterly unprepared for sudden praise.
"I mean it," Soma replied without a hint of dishonesty. "We would have never made it this far without you guiding us. Like, I know I told off Ekaterina's team because they relied too much on their Team Leader, but in a way, you are ours, and we'd be utterly lost without you. Just felt like I haven't really told you, so I did."
Nene just frowned. She could sort-of understand why Erina always seemed so red in the face whenever she was next to this guy. He had a way of being so genuine it made people like them, people so used to the prim and proper lifestyle where hypocrisy was like a second language, that hearing someone speak so earnestly without a hint of arrogance was simply too much at times. "…I see," she noted, using her hands to pretend to fix her glasses but in reality was to hide her little blush and proud smile. "Thank… you. I didn't know I kinda needed to hear that. But, go on. You have a match to win. We'll be right here, cheering Megumi on. Let's see if we can finally have the Elite Ten with, you know, ten actual members for once."
"Yeah," Soma replied with a nod. "Otherwise we might have to officially change our team name."
"Are you serious?" Erina asked, eyebrow raised. That was the least of their problems right now.
"I mean, can't call ourselves the Elite Ten when we lack ten people," Soma noted, very invested in this topic for some reason. "And calling ourselves the Elite Nine sounds like a downgrade, so I suggest spicing it up, like, say, calling ourselves The Nine Supernovas!"
"The Nine… Supernovas?" Erina just flatly asked, feeling a sweat drop. That had not sounded like he made it up on the spot. Had he really been spending time brainstorming a rebranding of all things. And didn't that name sound like…?
"From One Piece?" Nene asked, her head tilted in confusion, before she realized her mistake when Soma's eyes outright sparkled.
"Yeah! I mean, I know there are eleven of them in the manga, but considering our circumstances, I feel it could help make us sound utterly badass," he noted with glee, cracking his knuckles even. "They are called the "Worst Generation" after all, so it would fit us well… well, worst as in the troublemaking kind, not worst as in we are the worst out of… eh, you know what I mean."
"Soma," Erina quickly cut in, eyes narrowed, "Focus on your match," she practically ordered, unamused, before she turned to Nene, with the same look. "And… seriously?"
"What?" Nene defended, still red in the face. "I-I like One Piece."
"Yukihira," Eizan's voice cut in on the conversation that had completely gone astray. Soma, Erina and Nene all turned towards the former Ninth Seat, who was staring Soma down as if it were the showcase all over again. Soma, of course, answered in kind, because some things just come natural. "Enough postponing," he told him, "Let's get moving."
"Yeah, sure," Soma replied, eyes narrowed at his opponent, before he turned to Erina for a sec, and without warning, gave her a quick kiss on the lips, making the girl freeze up on the spot. "One victory, coming right up!"
His trademark confident smile. Her trademark flushed pout.
He then left, walking right next to where Eizan was, as the two were lead towards where they were expected to face-off. Erina was, as always, left without words, and frowning at herself for always getting caught off-guard by those simple things she should be very well damn used to by now after months of dating the guy. Still, those small, seemingly insignificant shows of affection were still such a rarity in her life; that she couldn't help but freeze up and be unable to reply properly until it was too late. She really needed to fix that.
"You two are so bold," Nene noted, feeling a bit awkward. "…But it's very sweet. I'm glad to finally see you so happy."
"Huh?" Erina asked, sounding utterly surprised by the observation, as she turned towards Nene. "…Do I really look that happy?"
"When you're with him, yeah," Nene noted, and Erina had no idea what else to add to that. Did those emotions really reflect in her features that much?
As the rest of the Tootsuki students stayed behind, ready for the match to come, Soma and Eizan were led to another kitchen rather far off from the Chandra's Room, much to Soma's dismay, because it meant he couldn't try and wrap things up here quickly and at least catch the ruling of Megumi's match. Still…
"This is all quite touching in a way, don't you think?" Soma sneered as he looked over towards Eizan. "To go to all this trouble over a little rematch against me?"
"Don't start small-talk with me," Eizan grumbled back, his hands on his pockets, and his eyes firmly set on the kitchen arena they were approaching. At this Soma frowned. He knew Eizan well enough. The guy had been quite the thorn on his side for a while back during his First Year, and despite how much of a pain taking him down was, Soma was still certain of the fact that Eizan was quite skilled, and quite dedicated at that. So why…? Why did it feel that he was forcing himself to do this?
Then, as soon as they got inside their would-be arena, a much less impressive looking set, Soma finally realized that his feeling of unease was very much warranted. His eyes widened at the sight, at the judges sitting at the table utterly nonchalant, and, most of all, at…
"H-Hey! What the hell does that mean?!" Soma voiced out, utterly caught off guard, his eyes burning a glare into the screen meant to showcase their would-be results. But instead… "Why are the results of our match already decided?!"
And it was here that Eizan's trademark cocky smile finally shined through, as he extended his hands in a showcase of the sheer control he had over this farce he had set-up long before either contestant had even agreed to this thing.
"I guess this is a lesson you really should have learned by now, but for what it's worth," Eizan told Soma in the most menacing way possible, "The Shokugeki is dead."
-0-
"S-So h-here we finally a-are, erm, the match is r-ready to start!" Yua didn't really announce, as she more or less just screamed those words out after much stuttering. The judges all looked on, somewhat worried about the poor girl, while all the students had their eyes on the two main participants that would decide their very future. "Shouko Kaburagi! Megumi Tadokoro! Are you b-both ready?!"
Megumi and Shouko stood at the middle of the arena, facing each other off. Shouko had quite the knowing grin plastered all over her face; while Megumi was busing digging her nails into her palms to stop her hands from shaking.
"Naturally!" Shouko cheerfully replied.
"Yes," Megumi answered in kind.
"…Okay, what comes next?-I mean! Judges, our theme… right?" Yua sort-of announced, as she turned to the judges, as all five just nodded, not wanting to make the girl feel bad over her performance.
With that spoken, however, the main screen began to flicker, as several themes began to flash by, until it settled into the chosen theme.
Apples
Shouko's smirk grew.
Megumi forced herself to take a deep breath and focus.
"It's quite the versatile ingredient," Erina noted, now standing alongside her peers. The whole lot of them stood to the side, away from any prying camera, but close enough. Far closer than normally allowed in the main arena.
"And it works pretty well with her area of expertise," Isshiki noted with a smile.
"Which is?" Kuga asked, turning towards him. Rather than Isshiki, Akira replied first.
"Comfort foods and hospitality," he said, his sharp eyes glued to Megumi.
"From what I know Shouko is rather fond of apples too," Nene added, her eyes instead on the source of all her most recent headaches. "From what little we worked with her, I did see her sipping some brand of apple tea every now and then."
"Who cares?! Megumi is like our Japanese Snow White!" Alice barked, standing all fiercely in a show of force and support. "She's got this!"
"Didn't the apple poison Snow White?" Kurokiba just asked, his eyes on his former Autumn Election opponent.
"That's not my point!" Alice shot back, annoyed, which only made the mad dog sneer.
"Megumi has always been very good with the basics," Takumi observed, his eyes also on his petite friend. "She's got this. We all know she does."
"Damn right!" Yuuki cried out at the top of her longs, as soon enough Ryoko, Marui, Madoka, Daigo and Shoji joined in on her battle cry, "Kick her ass Megumi!"
Only Shun kept to himself, content to instead wave a small Megumi-labeled flag that Yuuki somehow had on hand and had given him to use. He felt stupid, but it was for Megumi, so he'd endure.
Nao, for her part, also kept mostly to herself. She didn't much know Megumi, but that still didn't mean she wanted her to lose. And not just because her losing meant Ashitaro had a better chance at reaching her, but putting her own safety aside, she still felt Megumi was way too kind a person and such a hardworking girl to deserve the humiliation Shouko was sure to aim her way if she had her way. But, those thoughts aside, what did surprise her more, were the words from the one person she least expected to be invested.
"…She has a garden back at the dorms, right?" Loren noted, his eyes shifting from the arena back towards Nao, since unbeknownst to the two, they always ended right next to each other, even when not assigned as such. It… didn't seem to bother them all that much anymore.
"I think she does," Nao replied, her visible eye a bit wide at the unexpected observation. "I think that does include an apple tree or two… not sure. Still, where does this sudden interest in our wellbeing come from? Eh?"
"Don't flatter yourself witch," he shot back, but he didn't sound all that annoyed. "Out of all you idiots, she's the kindest. I just don't like to see a girl get hurt and humiliated is all."
"Funny," Nao shot back, frowning, "You didn't seem to much mind humiliating me during our match."
"I said "girl", didn't I?" he corrected, which earned him a quick kick right across the shin. "Hey! Ouch! Watch it!"
"You watch it!" she shouted back. "Don't think I haven't forgotten that you practically cheated during that match! I've been doing your homework all this time for naught!" she added, to which he winced, since she was right. Still, she didn't add much to that, much to his surprise, since he expected her to use that as an opportunity to alter their arrangement over that Shokugeki which was technically Dove against Nao instead of him. But she didn't. He didn't push it either, but he couldn't really understand why she was smiling all of the sudden. But, for her, it was hard not to smile. 'You really are invested,' she noted with the strangest sensation of pride, 'Soma was right. There is a chef in there… somewhere…'
"Contestants!" Yua announced, mustering enough courage to finally sound proper, much to the delight of the judges and to everyone watching. And, on baited breath, she said the words that began what would be forever known as the turning point of the Intercontinental Shokugeki, "…Begin!"
Megumi and Shouko both moved towards their stations, and within moments, they both had taken hold of a variety of different colored apples and several other ingredients for their prep.
Shouko was quick, very quick Megumi noted, as she had taken hold of the apples of her choice, big, bright red fruits that were clearly of the highest quality, and with a flick of her wrist, proceeded to begin to peel of the flesh with pinpoint accuracy. She basically spun the apple in her hand, and allowed the knife's edge to grace the fruit ever so gently, and in seconds the apple was utterly naked in her hand. In no time, she had a rather large batch of freshly peeled apples on the side, dipped into a large bowl with enough water to cover them all.
She then proceeded to grab a second set of fruit: Lemons.
Cutting the small yellow fruit in two, Shouko proceeded to juice them until she had enough material, and then, slowly dripped the lemon juice into the water, mixing it gently, and after firmly securing them, she proceeded to take out one of the apples. And, one at a time, she began to cut around the core, with such intense precision she could have been mistaken for a surgeon. In no time, she had taken the core out, leaving only the fresh "cheeks" of the apple.
"Apples and lemons, huh?" Charme noted, his eyes on the ever focused Sixth Seat, who looked utterly masterful in her handling of the ingredients. Her dedication and craft was such that it brought the likes of Eishi Tsukasa to mind, as she too seemed outright capable of conversing with her ingredients and getting them to play along to her whims and desires.
"I would imagine the lemon juice is to keep the apples from losing their lush color," Decora mused, also with her eyes observing everything Shouko did. "It's smart, allows her to give each and every fruit her utmost attention without having to rush."
"As expect of an Elite Ten student," Courage said, all smiles. "Ah, this is going to be rough Dee. I didn't get a chance to eat, thanks to this being so sudden and all. I can't wait to get whatever she's making into my hands…"
"Try to stay unbiased, please," Anne noted, frowning, because she knew her seniors well enough. Courage just let out a cheeky laugh in response, while Decora just scoffed.
"True, even if Miss Kaburagi has started off strong," Histoire observed, his eyes on the opponent, "It doesn't seem like Miss Tadokoro has backed off just quiet yet."
Megumi, as everyone noted, had set her apples aside, not even bothering to start peeling them just quite yet. Instead, in a surprising move, she had taken hold of a very different ingredient: Chicken.
Taking hold of a careful selection of whole chicken thighs on the bone with skin. Using the biggest knife in her arsenal, she had sliced the chicken to the desired cuts, before she proceeded to season the meat with grounded salt and pepper. She took her time, her eyes almost unblinking as she prepared the meat to the level of seasoning she believed optimal, before she filled a large pot in oil, and setting it into medium heat, proceeded to brown each piece of chicken as best she could. It took her a while, as she needed enough for five plates… no. Not five.
'Six,' Megumi reminded herself, 'Make enough for at least six.'
"And as you can see my lovelies," Shouko's voice cut through the silence, as the older girl turned her attention once more to the cameras, her apples expertly sliced into very thing cuts and set aside for the moment. Seeing this, Megumi couldn't help but flinch. She had done that so carefully yet so quickly. Despite her attitude, Shouko was insanely skillful. "My prep work is mostly done. Apologies for keeping quiet there for a bit, but concentration is a must for chefs of my caliber, isn't that right No Seat?"
Megumi just frowned, but said nothing. It was clear this girl loved the sound of her own voice too much.
"Um… shouldn't you not, you know, not be breaking her concentration?" Yua asked, holding her microphone as best she could, almost quivering with it. She quivered even more when Shouko outright glared at her.
"I wouldn't have to speak up if our hostess actually did her job and narrated what was happening," Shouko countered, which caused Yua to shriek and apologize. "…Not everyone who watches this knows their way around the kitchen as well as we do. So it's a given that we need to explain the process, or are we not a culinary school? Still…" Shouko added, turning back to Megumi, who had just set aside her pieces of semi-cooked chicken for the moment. "A little banter isn't going to be enough to unnerve someone of our level, eh No Seat? I mean… that's what I'd hope for someone representing Satoshi Isshiki. Although… focusing on chicken meat so much, you did read our theme properly, did you not?"
"I am aware," Megumi replied, as she took hold of several onions and garlic, as she prepared to dice them into the necessary pieces.
"Glad to hear that!" Shouko noted with the biggest of smiles, before she turned back to her craft.
"Um…" Yua tried, hoping to do her job properly enough so as to not get called out again. "A-As Megumi proceeds into her prep with the vegetables, Shouko has now turned her attention towards… Huh?"
Shouko was now holding onto a large bowl, and proceeded to combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg into it. She then began to stir it with much ferocity, much more than expected from a girl of her slender frame, before she dropped the apple slices into it, stirring it once more to make sure each slice was perfectly coated by the sweetness, before she set it aside.
"Brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and…nutmeg?" Yua described, her eyes on the mixture, as the sweet aroma slowly but surely filled the arena, and despite everyone's best attempts, their mouths began to water.
"Correct!" Shouko replied happily. "It shouldn't be a surprise that when given apples, the best answer is clearly a very sweet dish. What else can possibly bring out this fruit's best essence aside from the sweetest of delicacies?"
Shouko then took hold of a nearby cast-iron pan, and began to line the pie dough around it, before she took hold of a fork and began to prick the dough all around. It was almost mechanical the precision Shouko had, even with the simplest of tools, as the end result seemed like some sort of symmetrical work of art. She placed it away in the fridge, setting the timer to twenty-five minutes, before she motioned to the oven, and set it on.
The target was 375°F.
She then worked in select batches, removing the apple slices from their cinnamon-sugar bed and carefully squeezing the excess moisture out of them with her firm grip. Once more, she moved insanely quick, getting through dozen upon dozen of slices in mere moments, setting them on a separate large bowl, while saving the liquid left over for her sauce.
"I hate how easy she makes it look," Kuga noted, frowning at the display of talent he really, really wished she had used to their advantage.
"She is skilled, we cannot deny that," Isshiki added, arms crossed, eyes drifting from Shouko to Megumi constantly, as he told himself over and over again that he had made the right call. That it would be alright. That she could do this.
"She earned her Seat," Nene said with quite a bit of disdain, as she couldn't deny the obvious. "We knew this much when we got challenged. All we can do now, is put our trust in our junior. I spoke a lot about that back when twenty-eight of our classmates got expelled, might as well apply it to myself now."
But, despite how they, alongside all the other students, kept on cheering, either internally or externally (as was the case for most of the Polar Stars) Megumi couldn't help but feel intimidated at the display. She knew she shouldn't. She knew what she was getting into. But that little voice inside her head still spoke to her. Still told her that she had messed up.
How could the dead last student of her generation, who had only lasted long enough to become somewhat good thanks to Soma and Isshiki constantly sticking up for her, ever hope to defeat an opponent even Isshiki himself was wary off?
'Isshiki should be the one doing this… I, my pride and anger got the best of me,' she heard herself think, 'This was too important to leave in my… No! None of that! Not now! You wanted to help, right? Then this is how you help… This…'
Megumi then turned, her eyes on her opponent, who was happily working on her craft without a care in the world, the total opposite of Megumi. But, even then…
"…Why?"
Megumi heard herself speak without even intending to.
Shouko was also surprised, as she gave a little pause and turned towards the petite chef before her.
"You say something No Seat?" Shouko asked, staring Megumi down out of the corner of her eye.
"…Why are you doing this?" Megumi decided to just voice her thoughts and frustrations. Because, in all honesty, she didn't understand it. When Shouko gave her a playfully curious look, Megumi explained, "Why are you trying so hard to harm us? This is your school too, isn't it? You're a Third Year, together with Isshiki, Kuga and Kinokuni. We are your classmates, your team. Why…? Why do you want to harm us so?"
"I'm trying to save you," Shouko replied almost as if practiced, because it probably was.
"That's not true!" Megumi shot back, a little louder than intended, but she couldn't quite help herself. "I'm like you say, a No Seat. I don't have access to their meetings, to their agenda, to their plans, to anything… And even still, I've seen their struggle…"
Shouko turned to the girl, frowning. Megumi's eyes were a strange mix of tears and fury, and she couldn't quite decipher which emotion was overcoming the other. It was annoying to say the least.
"I've watched my best friends give it their all to protect this academy, to protect all of us," she added, her body quivering, but her glare fixated on Shouko and Shouko alone. The rest of the students all kept quiet during the exchange, and even the judges said nothing. Yua, in particular, was very sure she was to kept her mouth shut now of all times. "…You tampered with my senior Kinokuni's equipment, humiliating her in front of thousands-"
"Hey, that's slander," Shouko "corrected". "I did no such thing. Nene just-"
"And yet you stood by as Isshiki burnt himself cooking to his limits to help us survive just one more day!" Megumi cut her off, her voice almost breaking as a result. "And you don't feel a thing?! Day in, day out, all they do is try and fight for us, to keep this place open, to keep all of us with dreams so big that they can't quite possibly be true with at least some sliver of hope that we can make it. That we can be the best of the best, if we try hard enough, if we give ourselves into our craft. And you just spit on all of that!"
"You are getting a bit too emotional," Shouko warned, and it was clear she wasn't very appreciative of Megumi's little outburst.
"Kinokuni, Isshiki, Kuga, Erina, Akira, Soma, Alice, Ryou, Takumi," Megumi listed each and every member of the Elite Ten, of her friends, giving emphasis on each and every name. "I've seen each and every one of them give it their all, go above and beyond, just to protect our very way of life! For us at the Polar Star Dorms, this school, this place, this is our family! A place where even someone like me… Someone like me… could actually believe that I have the ability to be amongst the best, if I can just study with them. If I can just get better alongside them. And I'd give anything to help them, to ease their struggles if even just a fraction, and yet, you just stand there, with the power and the skills to help, and all you do is stab them in the back… why?"
"Hmm…" Shouko mused, as she turned her eyes towards the judges. "Say judges, isn't she getting a bit too personal and subjective in her remarks? Wouldn't want a repeat of Gautier's comments against Alice, now would we?"
"She has a point," Decora was quick to confirm, much to Anne's frustration. The dark skinned woman then turned her sharp eyes onto Megumi. "You best kept you banter friendly, my dear, or we'll be forced to eliminate you right here and now."
"That woman…" Akira voiced, the scorn in his voice evident. The rest of the students all muttered something or the other, but they all knew intervening in any way would just make Shouko's job easier.
"No need to go that far!" Anne quickly defended, her eyes on her senior.
"But she is out of line," Courage offered, signaling to Megumi.
"I mean, are her accusations true or not?" Histoire asked, turning to the others.
"…That is indeed the question," Charme voiced. "While I don't think she has any proof, we all were pretty underwhelmed by the First Seat's performance back then. Could that have been-?"
"If that had been the case," Decora cut in, arms crossed against her chest, firmly. "Then these students would have brought this to the WGO's attention eons ago. They didn't, so either they have no proof, or more likely, it's just nasty rumors."
"Pay her no mind my lovelies," Shouko quickly told her audience, smiling from ear to ear. "This is sadly common amongst students here when they realize they are about to be expelled. They show their true colors. This… This is what I have to correct. It's quite clear they can't truly handle all the pressure that comes with being an Elite Ten student."
"Pardon?" Megumi voiced, and she looked utterly unfazed by Shouko's words or by Decora's warnings. Instead, her eyes were piercing straight through the former. "Pressure? Are you kidding me?"
"What's with you?" Shouko shot back, smirking. "Hit a nerve? Don't tell me you think you have it worst just cause you couldn't get yourself a seat and ended up having to watch the Intercontinental Shokugeki while sitting on your butt for several hours straight. Like, seriously, I can't begin to imagine how rough it's been for you to-"
"Not me," Megumi cut in, before she absolutely screamed her response with the most anger anyone had ever heard her utter. "But how can you spout that when we have Erina absolutely breaking apart during these matches?!"
The room grew quiet once more.
Erina's eyes were wide. That anger in her voice. That pain in her tone. She knew Megumi cared, but to this extent.
"I mean, of course I'm not comparing myself to-" Shouko tried to correct her story, but Megumi cut her off.
"Erina Nakiri is the one who has this entire academy on her back!" Megumi cried out. "And she's my friend! She tries to play it off, to pretend she's okay, but this would break anyone! Having her entire family split off like some sort of Civil Food Wars is something I can't begin to even imagine! So, I'm sorry Shouko, if you fancy yourself some sort of savior or something, but she's the only one that gets that call. And I will not stand by as you take advantage of her pain for your own gain. We can't prove what you did? We can't change what has happened until now? Then, fine! But we'll survive, we will fight on, and we will protect Erina… I know I have never been a match against you, but right here, right now…"
And upon hearing the declaration, Shouko could no longer contain the sheer anger behind her eyes.
Because no one had ever dared to speak to her that way before.
"I will match your might!"
Megumi then huffed, a very sharp contrast to all the highly emotional exchange that had just occurred, as she unfortunately for her still sounded and looked utterly adorable even when scoffing at someone, but Shouko didn't much find her all that cute. Insulting would be a better term. To think that a No Seat would ever dare to talk down to her, in front of all her fans to boot, was almost too much for her to restrain herself.
She could see, from the corner of her eyes, how the comments had outright tripled over that exchange. And views were divided. Most backed Shouko, because of course, they were here fans. They should, no question. Still some seemed conflicted, confused at the allegations and the declarations, asking what was going on. But even worst, some, a very small minority, but no less vocal, had actually turned against her.
Against her!
Cheering Megumi on. Connecting the dots and theorizing, correctly, that it made sense that someone like Shouko could have hindered the Elite Ten and caused the First Seat's unexpected defeat. They were actively cheering for the No Seat now.
This made Shouko's blood boil.
She turned, seeing red, and took hold of her tools. She proceeded to line the apple slices onto the pie dough, overlapping each piece over each other to create rose shapes. She even rolled up a slice and placed it on the center, to create the illusion of a rose bud. She then set it on the heated oven and set it to bake for thirty minutes. The clock still showed more than an hour left, which gave her enough time.
Enough time to perfect this dish so much that not only would it crush the No Seat, but one that she'd actively challenge any of the Elite Ten members to even dare and outperform.
Megumi, despite all the bravado, was starting to feel her adrenaline give way and her nervousness hit her again, 'I spoke without any filters!' she noted, eyes wide, '…No, I needed to get that off my chest. I needed to…'
She took hold of her knife, and her vision was blurry.
She stammered, quivering in place, realizing just the gravity of the situation. She was afraid… terrified even. But…
'…I'm far more afraid of living even one more day like this,' she reminded herself as the tears fell from her eyes. 'Being unable to help. Seeing all my friends struggle so much, up on that stage, giving it their all, while I just cheer them on from the audience. I can't…'
Because that's all she saw.
She saw them cooking way past their breaking point.
Putting on a brave face and carrying on forwards despite the fear she knew they felt.
All for the sake of everyone, past and present, who had ever worn a Tootsuki uniform.
And she stood behind, like always, the gap between them and her widening with each passing day. She struggled so much. Fought so hard to try and get better. To try and help. She didn't want to just cheer. To just applaud when they won, or cry when they lost. She wanted to be right there with them. And she practiced. She joined the Shiomi Seminar to learn more. She cooked during the late nights to get better. She cried, and even bled, all to someday, someway, be able to help them.
…And this was it.
Her very first, and very last, opportunity to do just that.
A loud clap was heard, and Shouko had to turn to realize it had been Megumi clapping her hands together. She held onto that pose, almost as if in prayer.
Everyone looked on, lost on what to say, as Megumi took a deep breath, eyes closed.
'Enough crying,' she told herself, as she reopened her eyes, now sporting the sharpest of expressions, 'It's time to get to work.'
So she moved. She quickly took hold of several different herbs, and proceeded to place them close to her face, allowing her to sniff out their properties. Eyes closed, focused solely on her sense of smell. And in a split second she picked out three and set them aside: bay leaf, sage, and thyme.
"That's…!" Takumi exclaimed, utterly unused to seeing her cook in that style. It was almost as if seeing…
"She's outright copying you," Kurokiba noted, his eyes turned towards Akira, as the Fifth Seat couldn't help but give off a proud smile at this.
"No, not copying," he corrected. "She modifying. Making a style that suits her and her alone."
Taking a spoonful of Dijon mustard and some chicken stock, Megumi placed all the ingredients back into the pan she had first pre-cooked the chicken in, including the chicken itself. She then began to stir, and it was here Shouko couldn't help but glare. The speed, the movement, she was stirring just as fiercely as Shouko had done so before.
She then poured something else, so quickly the judges couldn't quite tell what it was, before she turned the heat on, and bringing it all to a boil. Once at the required temperature, she allowed it to simmer, and left it in a low heat without the lid.
It was here she finally retook her apples, quickly peeling and coring the apples at a pace that matched Shouko's earlier demonstration blow by blow. Cut by cut. She then moved quickly, leaving the apple as wedges, she cooked them in butter and caramelized them, before she poured in some cream, and in movements almost too fierce for a girl her size, she flipped and tossed the wedges up and around, all over a flame so intense that it was making her sweat all over.
She ignored it. Ignored the sensation of fear. She focused on her craft. And with one hand on the saucepan, she used her other free hand to take hold of both the salt and pepper once more, before she added bit by bit into the slowly cooking chicken.
'Please!' she outright begged, 'Just this once! Let me be the one to save them! Give me the strength and skills needed… to bring her down!'
Scoffing at the sight of a girl trying too hard against the impossible, Shouko simply took hold of her own dish, and took it out. She boiled the cinnamon-sugar until it was reduced by half of the original amount, and added heavy cream, stirring once more.
Her pie was done. She took it out, placing it on the plates meant for the judges, and juggling all five plates at once, two on each arm, one on her head, she approached the judges, the biggest smirk on her face.
"And it looks like Shouko is done," Yua noted, her eyes on the delicious looking pies, as Shouko effortlessly placed them before each judge.
"Not quite…" Shouko corrected, as she in turn poured the caramel sauce over each pie, overflowing it like a colorful fountain of flavors. "Now, then… please enjoy, my esteemed judges."
And as such, Shouko presented them with her Caramelized Rose Garden.
The smell alone was intoxicating.
"Damn her," Kuga noted, pissed off, "That level of pastry is practically at Momo's level. What the hell?"
"She definitely spared no expense," Erina acknowledged, but her eyes shifted towards Megumi, who despite the fact that she was sure the intoxicating smell of Shouko's dish must have hit her like a truck, was still hard at work on her dish's finishing touches.
"…This certainly smells divine," Anne noted, as she took hold of a nearby spoon, and as soon as she pressed onto the rose-shaped dish, it almost got sucked in. "~So soft."
"It's almost as if it opens up upon the slightest touch…" Decora observed, as she took a spoonful of the little pie before her.
"~Almost like a real flower," Courage added.
"~Or like a woman's~!" Charme and Histoire added almost in song.
"None of that!" Anne cried out as she took out a paper fan and smacked both perverts right across the jaw in unison, causing both men to fall down; both muttering an apology. Still, even Anne couldn't deny it. It was simply too much to resist, they couldn't take it. The judges all had a bite, and true to the scent and texture, it really was something else.
"~So sweet~!" they all exclaimed, as they all were stripped completely naked by Shouko's knife almost effortlessly, all the while being bathed in the sweetest of caramel sauces. They floated in it, surrounded by nothing but small roses covering up their naughty bits, as Shouko watched up from above, like the goddess she was, apple in hand, smiling at the sheer sense of euphoria she had just made each of them experience…
"While I will ask you folks to keep your comments, shall we say, family friendly, as per my viewership guidelines," Shouko noted, although she added with the naughtiest of tones, "Rest assured that earlier comparison is close, but my taste is even sweeter than even these. Ask Etsuya!"
All the students kept utterly quiet at her words, at her little flirty smile and wink. They just stared blankly at the scene before them, eyes almost completely white.
"Um… okay, this school keeps getting weirder which each day, but moving on…" Yua tried, blushing at whatever it was that had just happened, but pressing forwards regardless. 'We're in the homestretch. Got to stick the landing at least. Urara must be proud of me for holding my own so far!"
-0-
"I hate everyone on that screen!" Urara suddenly shouted for no reason whatsoever, much to the fright of everyone present. They proceeded to ignore her.
-0-
'…I bet she is!' Yua noted to herself with a smile, before she turned towards the judges, who seemed to have collapsed on their assigned table from sweetness overload. "Um… judges?"
"…Y-Yeah?" all five answered in unison, each sounding more out of it that the last. Yua had no idea what to respond to that. Shouko could barely hide her glee. But then…
Megumi stood forwards, carefully placing a dish before each judge, and stepping back. She held her hands together, formally, and offered a small bow to the judges. "Here's my dish," she announced.
"Gotta give you points for at least fighting until the bitter end," Shouko noted, her good girl act once more in full display.
"I made one for you too," Megumi told her, the politeness in her tone matching Shouko's own hypocrisy perfectly.
"Hmm… you really shouldn't have," Shouko noted, but Megumi simply turned her attention back towards the judges.
The five gave a look to their dish before them. Four of them frowned at the sight. It was a type of chicken casserole dish. A fine enough attempt, as Megumi had added apples to it near the end, but (a) it felt like the main theme was chicken as opposed to the specified apples, and (b) having what was essentially a main entrée after such a rich dessert was almost unappetizing.
"…Let's give this a try then," Anne announced with a smile, as each judge took a piece of the apple-covered chicken, and proceeded to bite down on it. Even Decora, already knowing it wouldn't change anything, still took her bite…
She did not expect to experience the taste of home.
Decora outright dropped her fork, her eyes wide, and for just a bit, her eyes watering.
Courage, on the other hand, was crying. As was Histoire.
"Damn it," Charme noted, eyes also misty, "It's like the showcase all over again."
"Huh?" Shouko couldn't help but blurt out, eyes wide, her head tilted to the side, "Like the what-now?"
"…Such a delicate flavor, yet so strong," Anne expressed, her smile soft as could be. "Such flavors, almost as if finally coming home after so long."
"Wait, what?!" Shouko cried out, not liking the flashbacks she was getting. Not like him, not against her!
"She's getting a strong reaction!" Ryoko cried out, as Yuuki jumped for joy, with all the Polar Stars and the Elite Ten or Supernovas or whatever all poised themselves. Please, please be enough!
"This… What is this?" Decora had to ask, her eyes on Megumi, on that petite girl that looked so exhausted she was about to drop, but who held on by sheer force of will.
"That's…" Megumi replied.
And at the other end of the screen, watching everything unfold from his office, the world famous chef answered at the same time his protégée did.
"Chicken à la Normande," Shinomiya voiced just as Megumi did, his arms crossed as he stared at the screen, and at the little would-be dunce making something right out of his playbook of all things. The nerves on these brats. He would use that as the justification as to why he was so invested (as in, "insulted") that he failed to notice that his entire staff had joined them in the office to witness the match's conclusion.
"That's it Megs!" Hinako cheered loudly, pumping her fists into the air like a proud mama. "Oh my goodness, she looks so utterly exhausted, the poor dear, but damn it, she rocked it!" she added, before she turned to her husband with the widest of grins. "Didn't hear many complaints from you during the whole thing."
"Hmph," he merely scoffed. "She made plenty of mistakes, just that she was able to correct them quickly enough, is all. Nothing praise worthy."
"Ah, you big softie!" Hinako teased. "You should have seen your face. You couldn't look any prouder unless you had given birth to her. And I mean actual birth, like pooping her out of your butt."
"I swear I will put a lock on our fridge."
"Ah! You cruel monster!"
All over the world, everyone was seeing Megumi present her dish, her French dish, to the WGO, and no one had any idea who to respond. From the surprise cheers of the once-upon-a-time challengers at the resort, to the teachers, the fellow students, and even Senzaemon in his hospital bed, everyone was seeing it clear as day, that little Megumi Tadokoro had managed to, somehow, match one of the Elite Ten. Her senior at that!
"Chicken Normandy?" Shouko noted, frowning.
"Yes," Megumi nodded, "Or rather, a version of it…"
"But this flavor is too much," Courage noted, finally being able to speak without tearing up. "And the taste of apple permeates throughout. How? You only added the caramelized apples at the very end."
"That would be thanks to this…" Megumi replied, as she held the little bottle that she had used before, the one the judges had not been able to tell what it had been. Seeing it now, it was surprising, but it also made sense. Shouko glared at the sight. How had that gotten such a reaction?
Megumi was holding onto a bottle of apple cider.
"I cooked the chicken with all the aromatics and veggies with this," Megumi explained, smiling at the judges. "My… My Master Shinomiya specializes in French cuisine, and he is very, very specific in his craft. So much so that he almost had me expelled because I altered one of his recipes by just a teeny tiny bit," she added with a little laugh. Unbeknownst to her, Shinomiya had the biggest struggle of his life not to grin at her comments. Hinako saw through his act, however. "Normandy, a very notable coast of France, is famous for a variety of top ingredients, chief among them being their apple cider. Made with the juices of their locally grown apples, this fermented juice is usually low on alcohol, and comes in a few varieties, such as brut, doux, or demi-sec. It's very lightly sparkling, but very rich and intense in its fruity notes."
"So you used everything according to its region to come up a solution that soaked the chicken in the apple flavor without losing the taste of the protein itself," Anne noted, eyes wide, far more impressed than even she thought she'd be. Why wasn't this girl a seated member?
"That's thanks to the aromatics I mentioned," Megumi happily noted. "My time in the Shiomi Seminar has taught me a lot about different spices and herbs, and how to best apply them to increase or retain certain tastes. I may not be as, say, sensitive with my nose as Akira, but I am becoming a close second!" she added with so much pride and joy it made Akira outright flinch and blush intensely at the mention.
And of course, Alice caught him in the act, given her wide smirk.
"I didn't think it possible," Histoire voiced, also surprised, "After such a stellar dessert dish, to have such a reaction from this… I can't even put it to words," he added, as the rest of the judges seemed deep in thought. Decora especially seemed to be glaring at Megumi's dish intently.
Because Megumi had presented them with her Chicken Normandy – French Apple Cider Casserole.
"Are we ready for a verdict?" Yua asked, her eyes on the judges, and her stomach growling like crazy. Everything smelled divine.
The five judges all stared, deep in thought, and for the first time, Shouko felt a shiver run up and down her spine.
"You can't be serious?!" she cried out. "You can't actually be considering this! There's nothing to consider! There's no way No Seat here could ever match my masterpiece! She's not at my level! She's never-!"
"This is why I made you a dish," Megumi softly interrupted, handing a plate over to Shouko. Shouko glared at the girl, fully intending on breaking that plate on the ground or over her head if needed over the mere suggestion that they could ever be considered equals, but Megumi did not falter. "Just a taste. This is everything I've built up studying here in this academy you are so desperately attempting to shut down. This is what the dead last, worst student of her year can achieve if given the chance to grow."
Shouko snatched the dish right out of her hands, glare still evident, because if she was so desperate to get called out; then fine! She'd prove these judges wrong by tasting it herself, and proving that it was nowhere near her level. So she took a bite, and-
-She was a little girl again.
She was back home. Not her current home. Not the big mansion. Not the one with the fancy pool. Not the one with the staff. Just the small, dirty, broken place she hated now but adored back then. On one side of the table was her father, on the other, her mother. And little Shouko was in the middle, with a small plate before her, as she ate her meal.
"I'll be rich one day!" the seven-year-old girl announced, stubbornly. Her parents turned to her in surprise, wondering where this had even come from. "That way daddy won't have to be unemployee."
"Unemployed sweetheart," her father corrected with a laugh, "And don't say it so intently, I intend to find work soon enough. Don't worry, we'll get by."
"But you and momma are always sad, just cause we don't have enough money," little Shouko explained. And it was true. She didn't fully realize it then, but she did now. Living in such poverty, not knowing if they'd have enough to last them until the end of the month, it had been a living nightmare. Going to bed hungry, never having any nice dresses, any nice toys, anything at all. Having the entire extended family look down on them because her mother had married her father instead of the rich actor she once knew, just because she loved her daddy more. Because she married out of love, and not… "I'll make like a gazillion!" she told them, extending her hands to the roof that would leak when it rained too much.
"Sure you will honey," her momma assured.
"And I will hold the fort until you do," her daddy added, as he then asked her, "How's the food anyways?"
"Yummy!" she replied, all smiles. She never noticed it then, but there had been times it was only her eating, as her parents sat there without plates, clearly hungry, but leaving what little they had to her. And, ever since she joined Tootsuki on a grant in middle school, her life of poverty ended, and she swore she would never fall back into it.
Ever since then, she had learned what true food tastes like. What true cuisine was supposed to be. What True Gourmet really was.
But even so…
Little Shouko still smiled, as did her parents, just as her dad playfully pushed down on the oversized baseball cap he had gifted her. Such a cheap gift…
…But just like that dish from those dark days, after tasting all the finest plates the world had to offer, not a single dish had ever compared to all the love her parents poured into that single, cheap plate…
Shouko didn't even realize she was laying on the ground, until she saw Megumi offer her hand. Her eyes were wide as could be. She had fallen over, landing on her bottom, her hand on the floor, but Megumi's plate… she had held onto it correctly. Tightly.
"H-How?!" was all Shouko was able to blurt out, her eyes tearing up and her body starting to shake. "Just… Fucking how!?"
"I don't know what made you view us as enemies, or what drove you to try and harm us all-" Megumi began, a knowing look on her face, and it hurt, because it wasn't any longer pain or fury behind her junior's eyes, but rather, pity.
Anne finally cast her vote.
"-But this is our home, and I will defend it-"
Charme joined in and offered his as well.
"-I hope someday we can be friends, I really do-"
Histoire gave them his vote too.
"-But my priority right now is to save my friends-"
Courage cast her vote, after juggling her options over and over.
"-To protect Tootsuki Academy when it needs us, when it needs me most-"
Decora just inwardly cursed and joined the others, realizing there was nothing to salvage here.
"-So I apologize if this sounds rude, or even cruel, but Shouko, if you'd be so kind…"
The students all roared the moment the screen flashed the results. And all around the world, the triumphant cry was heard, especially in every corner of Tootsuki Academy. From the students all the way to the challengers, the amount of emotion was almost deafening. Because…
In a five-to-nothing vote…
Winner: Megumi Tadokoro.
And as Shouko looked on, the realization slowly hitting her of what had just transpired, the little No Seat told her the roughest four words she had ever heard the petite girl utter…
…No, apologies. The roughest four words she had ever heard the new Sixth Seat utter…
"Get off my seat."
-0-
Dove woke up slowly. As her eyes regained their sense of sight, soaking in the darkened surroundings of her now familiar resort room, with only a small peek of sunlight coming in from the tiny spaces in-between her curtains, she managed to try and keep herself awake, less she just closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep for who knows how long. It had been so long since she had slept that well that she was honestly confused. She had no idea what time it even was. She had not set an alarm. She had not set anything really. Not after last night.
'Oh… right,' she noted, as the memories came flushing back, make her face as red as it could. She bit her lower lip, almost timidly, as she reached out to the other side of her bed.
Her hand found no one there.
She forced herself to sit up, her eyes on her empty bed, and despite everything she tried to tell herself, she still felt a new type of pain built itself somewhere around her chest. She frowned. How stupid can one be to claim to know what would happen if she did this, and still end up doing exactly the one thing she knew would leave her hurt? What more could she expect?
Cursing under her breath, she pushed the sheets of her body, noting that she really had gone to sleep with nothing on. Her clothes where there, scattered all over the floor. She forced herself to stand, and her body still ached a bit. It was not a bad pain, she would have noted, but a part of her was too pissed off to say it.
Mad at herself, or mad at him, she didn't know. Maybe at both.
"…So much for seeing right through him, Dove, aren't you just so much better than the average love-struck schoolgirl?" she mocked herself, with a tone of disdain evident. Why? Why had she fallen for him of all people so hard? Every cell in her body screamed that he was dangerous, not to be trusted, and here she was, just another notch in what she imagined was a pretty decorated belt of his. "…You really are a special type of idiot Dove…"
"You always treat yourself so harshly in the morning?"
Dove yelped, bouncing in place at the sudden sound of someone else in her room, and as she flipped, her eyes shifting towards the bathroom's door, where in the biggest shock of her life, there he stood.
Asahi, wearing just what seemed to be the most form fitting boxer-briefs on Earth, which left very little to the imagination, and a towel lazily clung to the back of his neck and over his exposed chest. The smell then hit her, of bath salts and shampoo, and it made it clear to the awestruck girl that the boy had just freshly stepped out of the shower.
"Asahi?" she managed to voice.
"Morning babe," Asahi said with that damn smile of his she hated so. "Looking good."
She paused, confused, until she remembered she was… well…
"Hmm!" she muttered in a huff as she grabbed the bed sheets and pulled them over her exposed body, since unlike him, she had been wearing nothing. Her face was beet red, and it became even redder as she heard him laugh. "Hey!" she screamed out, with an embarrassed pout, "Have some delicacy, won't you?!"
"I just don't get why you look so embarrassed after last night," he noted as it were utterly obvious. And, well, she knew he had a point, but still… "Though I must say," he added, and the shift in his tone made her weak in the knees. He had used that tone a lot last night. "…Getting a good look at you with a little natural sunlight as backdrop," he observed as he did a little click with his tongue, "Now that's one hell of a way to start my morning."
"Oh stop!" she ordered, trying to figure out how to move without leaving herself exposed again, which was kinda hard since the bed sheet was very stuck to the mattress, and her nearest article of clothing was just slightly out of reach. "Hah… Do you mind?"
"You really that embarrassed?" he asked, as he approached her, taking hold of her scattered clothes as he did, before her handed them to her. "I'm just messing with you Dove. You look beautiful, but if it bothers you, I'll wait in the bathroom until you get dressed."
"…Asahi," she tried, since her thoughts were so jumbled she didn't really know what to say at this point. "Why are you still here, I had thought-"
"Ouch," he quickly interjected, mocking being physically wounded. "Was I that bad?"
"I'm not talking about-You know what I mean!" she shot back, blushing madly but glaring with just as much intensity. She was going to argue her point further, but he put a stop to that effortlessly.
His hand over her face, caressing it so gently she had to bite her lips once more as to not outright purr like a kitten. She still closed her eyes, allowing herself to soak in his touch.
"I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you babe," he told her, and she was sure the room was spinning. "I mean, I love teasing you, that's a given," he added, and laughed at the childish pout she gave as a response, "But… You really think I wouldn't be here the morning after. Cuddling's the best part."
"You are so damn corny," Dove just replied. It was his turn to pout.
"Hey… I'm not hearing a "I love you back" or "You were insanely amazing last night" back," he noted, which made her laugh. "At this point of our relationship, I'll accept either."
"Which of those two replies would boost your ego more, I wonder?" she asked, licking her lips and giving him the look that made it difficult for him to hide his intentions given his limited wardrobe. She definitely noticed, if her little embarrassed smile was anything to go by.
His other hand found itself on her waist, and within moments, he had pulled her in for another kiss. She let out a moan in response, taking hold of the two ends of the towel he had over himself to pull him in. The kiss deepened intensely, as the sheets covering her fell to the floor, long forgotten, as he took hold of her and seemed on the verge of pushing her right into the bed once more, just as her nails dug into his chest, lowering themselves into his waist, both lost to the moment-
-Then there was a knock on the door.
Dove practically pushed Asahi off of her, her face glowing red, as she brushed her hair back and quickly took hold of the jumble of clothes he had given her earlier. Asahi almost tripped as he motioned backwards, likewise as surprised by the sudden interruption. Now it was his turn to be embarrassed, as he seriously couldn't hide his eagerness anymore.
"You ordered room service?" Dove silently mouthed at him, no longer worried about him seeing her, as she tried her best to put her underwear on correctly. He shook his head, and she cursed, half because it was clearly not a member of the resort staff, and two because she had put on her panties backwards. Still… "Just a second!"
"Dove."
Both Dove and Asahi froze at the voice behind the door, a chill on their spines.
It was Azami.
The two lovers turned to each other, both starting to freak out, although Asahi was letting out a little laugh at the coincidence. What were the odds, he noted. But she didn't find it funny. This… This whole entire thing was the definition of going against the man's wishes to the maximum. Still, she needed to say something.
"Oh! Azami! I-erm-I'll be right there, just have to-ack!" she almost tripped on her skirt. This could not be happening. Asahi, on the other hand, was wondering what Azami's reaction would be to seeing him inside that room in just his underwear. I mean, shouldn't a father be proud? Still, he knew the biggest problem was his reaction against Dove, so as much as it hurt his pride, this was the one time he needed not to confront the man. But, hide where exactly?
"I've called and texted you several times," Azami told the girl, who was currently fighting against her bra. "We have a meeting to attend to. Something's… changed. We have to act accordingly. This is important. Basically why you are here in this first place, so I need you out now."
"I'm coming!" she barked, trying her best, and realizing that getting dressed under such pressure made the task ten times as hard. She turned to Asahi, who gave her a tilt of his head, to which she understood the implications off rather quickly. "Save your jokes," she mouthed, warning him, before she signaled at him to hide. He motioned back at her, asking her where, to which she pointed to the bathroom, the closet and then under the bed. "Your pick," she mouthed again, finally managing to get half of her clothes back on.
It was here she realized her entire wardrobe smelled of Asahi's cologne, and she was damn certain Azami would pick that up in a heartbeat. She felt her entire world crack and shatter like glass. She was screwed.
"I do not have the luxury to wait for you," Azami just told her, and she knew that tone. Her eyes went wide, as Asahi began to move towards the bathroom, because why not? But then Azami added the few words that made them both freak out even more, "I have a spare key to your room," he told her, and she felt her spirit leave her body, "So I'm coming in. Hurry up and get ready to-"
"No!" she shouted so hard she was sure the elder man actually jumped in response.
"Dove, why are you…?" he asked, and she could tell from his tone she had made him suspicious.
"Don't come in, I'll be right out!" she pleaded.
"Dove," he warned, clearly not in the mood for this back and forth. "You've been acting strange lately. And you made me a promise. It's not like you to oversleep, or to ignore your duties, so I need you ready now or I'm coming in and-"
"I'm naked!"
At this Azami clearly halted his attempts at opening the door, letting go of the doorknob as if it were of fire, as he shook his head and cursed to himself. He took a moment to collect his thoughts, before he spoke once more, "Dove," he said, "I have told you a thousand times that it is not safe to sleep in that manner."
"I know!"
"If there's an emergency and we are all asked to evacuate you won't be given the chance to dress yourself properly," he explained, and it surprised Asahi to hear actual parental advice from the man for once. He sounded less mad at her and more annoyed and even embarrassed. Kudos to Dove for getting such a reaction from the guy!
"I know!" she repeated, also sounding less like the feared God Slayer and more like a bratty teenage girl getting scolded by her father. "But you caught me about to jump into the shower. Sorry I didn't answer, must have left my phone on silent by mistake. So can I please take a quick shower and get myself dressed without you waltzing into my room. I'm eighteen already, I'm sure I can handle myself just fine!"
Asahi looked on, utterly baffled by the change the conversation had taken, and how Azami sounded less like the threatening man he knew and more like an awkward single father trying to speak to his clearly grown daughter.
"Dove, I didn't mean-"
"I need privacy!" she cut him off. "So don't come in! I'll take my shower and I'll be ready in, erm, fifteen minutes or so… so just text me where I need to go."
Azami let out a long sigh from behind the door, probably cursing something to himself under his breath, before he seemed to just say, "Fifteen minutes," he agreed. "I'll text you the room number. Try to act professional, alright?"
"Always do!" Dove shouted back, this time in a much livelier tone than before. "Love ya!"
Azami said nothing, but the man could be heard stepping away from the door and walking away. And surely enough, a few moments later, her phone vibrated, indicating the message received. Both Dove and Asahi took a moment to catch their breath, before they turned to each other, and after a moment of silence, both of them burst out into laughter.
"That was badass babe," Asahi commended, extending his hand and giving her a praising motion.
She responded with a curtsy, before she said, "I almost shit myself." They both laughed again, before she moved past the boy and headed to the bathroom. "Gotta take that bath and get ready though, don't think I can pull that again, so," she paused, turning to Asahi, who had to pretend he had not been just checking her out. "…You should wait until I'm with him at whatever meeting to leave my room, don't ya think?"
"I could wait in there if you want," he replied, signaling to the bathroom.
"Asahi!" she softly cried out, blushing again. What was it with this guy? "I need to be somewhere important. We just barely avoided getting murdered! Behave."
He just laughed at this, before to her surprise, but not displeasure, he gave her a soft kiss on lips. "Love you babe, I'll pass the time watching some TV or something."
"Hmm…" she simply muttered, smiling, as she closed the door, leaving him chuckling at the reaction.
"I'm going to make you say it, you hear me!" he told her through the closed door, still laughing.
"Can't hear you!" she replied as she turned the shower on, deciding it best to ignore what her answer to that would be.
-0-
The news of the conclusion of the extra round of the Intercontinental Shokugeki spread like wildfire. Granted, not only was it televised and streamed, but Mitsuru had been at the scene, the only reporter to manage that on the account of being part of the Polar Stars, and as such, she had written a detailed report of the entire match as it went along, managing to get the story sent to his publisher (the newspaper club) in record time.
Just in time for him to join the rest of the Polar Stars as they all dog-pilled Megumi upon her victory was declared. Megumi barely had time to react, as one time she had been talking firmly to a still shell-shocked Shouko, the next she was getting thrown into the air to an insane amount of cheers.
"Wh-Wh-Ah! Guys!" she cried out in laughter mixed with tears of pure, unfiltered joy.
"Now that's girl power!" Ryoko cheered, as soon as they all allowed Megumi to land with her feet on the ground. "You did it Megs! You really did it!"
"Y-Yeah…"
"You took out the Sixth Seat!" Marui exclaimed.
"You probably just saved Tootsuki Academy as a whole," Shun noted, still waving the little makeshift flag. "If that doesn't look good in a resume, I don't know what does."
"That was so kickass!" Daigo and Shoji cheered in unison, almost as if the two had turned into Megumi's personal hype-men.
"Polar Star now has three Seated Members!" Berta said with outright sparkle in her eyes. Both she and Cilla had the utmost respect for Lady Alice and Lady Erina, but neither could deny that Megumi was just as talented.
"We should probably call her Lady Megumi now, don't you think?" Cilla voiced, her eyes on her twin, who nodded in response.
"Please don't," Megumi squeaked, trying her best to keep the room from spinning in her head. She had not fully grasped the reality of the situation just quite yet.
"Five-to-nothing, my goodness, that's nothing short of amazing," Nene voiced, her eyes wide, completely in shock at the results, but being unable to hide the satisfaction of getting back at Shouko, even if by proxy.
"I told you," a very proud and barely keeping his tears at bay Isshiki replied. "She had this. All the way from that little garden of hers, she now stands side by side with the world's best, and as the whole world saw, she more than earns her spot."
"That really was something," Kuga noted, before he turned to the one Polar Star he was sure would have been the first to rush over, but for some reason, was standing by the side. "Something wrong there?"
Yuuki seemed to give pause. She took a deep breath, as tears streamed down her face, before she turned to Kuga, which made the older boy give her a confused look. Then she spoke, "Hold our baby."
"…What?"
Then she gave him Terrubunny, which the increasingly confused senior took hold of, before she smiled so brightly as she rushed over to the others. With a very loud cry of "Megumi!" Yuuki tackled the poor winner to the floor, crying all over her uniform, as Megumi struggled to keep herself from getting smashed into the concrete and took hold of Yuuki tenderly. "You did it! You crazy girl! You did it! You got in! You're a Seated Member! You! Are! Amazing!"
Kuga just looked at the display without any idea of how to respond, merely turning to Terrubunny, as the small white rabbit just wiggled his little nose and whiskers. "Your mommy has a few screws loose," he told the bunny. Terrubunny scratched his ears in response. "…Yeah, I like her too."
As Megumi was able to get herself on her feet once more, Isshiki approached her, and the rest of the Polar Stars moved aside to give the two room.
She didn't even allow him to speak, instead she threw herself into his arms, as he held onto her tightly, allowing her tears to flow. "Thank you," she said into his jacket. "Thank you for giving me the chance… a-and for believing in me, and for-for helping me at every step of the way…"
"No," he softly told her, pulling her away a bit, gently raising her face with his fingers to have their eyes meet. "You earned that right. Your hard work, perseverance and dedication earned you this victory. And it's you who saved us, not the other way around. So… thank you, Sixth Seat, for making the Elite Ten whole again, and giving Tootsuki Academy a fighting chance."
Megumi was actively sobbing now.
The rest of the students all walked up to her, with all of the cheering her on and praising her for her performance. From Alice giving the girl a very tight hug, Takumi following suit, to even Kurokiba offering one of those rare grins of his as he patted her shoulders and praised her adaptability. It was simply too much.
"…So how does it feel to be the Sixth Seat of the Elite Ten?" Akira asked her, taking a step towards her, and her vision was still blurry. She wiped her tears away as best she could with her sleeve, before she turned back to him.
"I… I couldn't have done it without… eh?" she suddenly said, her head a bit tilted, and her eyes blank. It finally hit her. "…Wait. Oh! That's right! Wait?! I'm the Sixth?!"
Everyone just stared, all of them silent for a moment, before they just nodded. That was the deal.
"I-I got so caught up in the moment it didn't fully click!" Megumi almost shrieked, now trembling at the realization. "In my mind I knew I was fighting for a Seated Position, but I don't know, I kinda just rationalized it that if I'd win we got Shouko out, and like, you all moved up a Seat and I'd, I dunno, get the Tenth, if at that, because you all have been fighting all this time and-!"
"Megumi," Akira cut in, his hand on her shoulder, as he and all the others just smiled at the increasingly nervous girl. Then he spoke the words she never thought she'd hear, and using the very word she had told him all the way back then. "What's the point of so much potential, if you're not going to use it? You fought for the Sixth Seat, and you won. You are the Sixth Seat of the Elite Ten, and not a single one of us will ever argue against it."
"How very true," Alice noted with a sly smile. "Even if I am a bit envious."
"We'll challenge you for it," Kurokiba added, smirking, "But first we need to get ready. You're not an opponent to take lightly."
"That's if you even deem us lesser seats as worthy opponents, of course," Takumi said jokingly, smiling at the still awestruck chef.
"Don't even joke like that," Megumi shot back, pouting. "You guys are all amazing, it's just… wow," she noted, still soaking in the news. 'Wait, I'm the Sixth…' she realized, as her eyes widened, 'I'm higher than Soma!' Megumi was certain that there was no way she would have ever predicted such an outcome. This… This was really too much. But, wait… "That's right, Soma!"
"I'm sure he's fine," Erina cut in, stepping up to Megumi, causing the petite girl to turn to the heiress. "…But having said that… Thank you so much, for what you did, and for what you said. My Sixth Seat," Erina added, and to the shock of many, gave Megumi a soft bow, causing the girl to freak out.
"E-Erina, too much! Too much!" she cried out, deciding to stop her bowing by simply hugging the blonde girl. "We're friends! Of course I'd fight to help protect you! It's what friends do!"
"…Hmm," Erina voiced with the warmest of smiles. "My apologies Megumi. It's just that I have spent my entire life with so very few friends; that I am unsure how to respond when I am confronted with the truth that I now have the best friends in the world."
Both girls offered each other the brightest of smiles, their hands connected, showcasing an unlikely bond that was now stronger than steel.
But just as everyone was to continue their celebrations, the doors of the arena were opened once more, and out came a sight that sent a chill down the spine of everyone present. Erina specially, felt a very real fear hit every inch of her body. "…Soma?"
In came Soma Yukihira, looking utterly pissed off and crestfallen, while Eizan waltz in all triumphantly. As most of the students, especially the Polar Stars, all glared at the former Ninth Seat, he walked right passed them all, and headed right towards Shouko, who was still seated on the floor. The girl looked up at him with an expression he had not ever really seen her sport before.
"You got your ass kicked?" Eizan asked, eyes on her.
"…You won?" she asked in turn, her eyes widening.
"What do you think?" he responded with his own question, as he turned back towards his former opponent, just as the entire squad of student crowded the boy and began to bombard him with questions.
Soma could barely hear them. He was still in shock, his eye was still twitching, and his fists were still clenched. This all felt so unreal. So… wrong.
"Soma!" Erina's voice broke through, and he turned to her, finally trying to shake the shock off. "What happened?! Oh God, don't tell me…?! There's no way you could have, did he cheat?! I swear we will not have a repeat of that whole fiasco again! Just tell me what happened and I assure you that Etsuya Eizan will be out of Tootsuki by the hour so help me-!"
"Eh, no," Soma just said, "That's not quite it," he told her, and by extension, all the others. Then he took a deep breath, and explained, "You see. What happened, as far as I could understand it, was…"
"H-Hey! What the hell does that mean?!" Soma voiced out, utterly caught off guard, his eyes burning a glare into the screen meant to showcase their would-be results. But instead… "Why are the results of our match already decided?!"
And it was here that Eizan's trademark cocky smile finally shined through, as he extended his hands in a showcase of the sheer control he had over this farce he had set-up long before either contestant had even agreed to this thing.
"I guess this is a lesson you really should have learned by now, but for what it's worth," Eizan told Soma in the most menacing way possible, "The Shokugeki is dead."
And there the results clearly displayed, in a three-to-nothing vote, the clear winner of the match that had not even begun.
Winner: Soma Yukihira.
"By which I mean congratulations on your impressive victory, well fought," Eizan told him in the most jovial tone Soma had ever heard the elder boy use, as Eizan took a seat and even took out a toy party horn and comically blew into it as a form of celebration. "You really were quite overwhelming. Curses, foiled again, and all that…"
Soma felt something inside him break.
"What the hell is that even supposed to mean?!" he barked out, having to restrain himself from strangling Eizan right there and then. "Since when do you-?! Since when does this even-?! What's going on?!"
"Man… you really are slow when it comes to things that are unrelated to cooking, aren't you?" Eizan just said with a clear disdain, which made Soma's glare intensity. "How you were able to dismantle my entire operations so effortlessly will forever be an eternal mystery to me."
"What's that?!" Soma asked, his left eye twitching. "I don't know what you are playing at, but don't think you'll throw me off my game like this!"
"Allow us to explain Soma Yukihira."
Soma gave pause, upon hearing one of the judges speak up. He recognized the voice, somewhat. He turned, and he hadn't noticed it when he walked in, but he did recognize all three of the judges now. "Oh, it's you," he said, "Playing Card Guy."
"How rude," the man adorned by the very flashy suit with the playing card symbols adorning it said, fixing his glassed as he added, "My name's Hisanao Kageura. I'm the President of the Shokugeki Administration Bureau."
"Oh, yeah, I've heard of ya," Soma noted. "Erina adores your suit."
"~Oh," he replied, with a light blush. "It fills me with pride that Miss Nakiri would think so highly of my wardrobe, even if I was requested by the Headmaster to change the pattern, as my original set of suits were deemed too distracting to the students. They just can't seem to understand-"
"Stick to the topic on hand, please," Roland Chapelle, the second would-be judge, cut in, his eyes on Soma, "I fully understand how confusing this all must be for you. Be at ease boy, this is no trick."
"Can't blame the kid," the final judge, one Jun Shiomi added, "He has history with Etsuya after all," she said as she turned to the former Ninth Seat, "And you've been a very bad student, you know?"
"That's old news Prof," Eizan waved off. "I say that with Azami breathing down our necks, and his little team of Neo-Noirs about to take the center stage, we have much bigger fish to fry."
"The Neo-Noirs?" Soma repeated, his eyes on the apparently carefree Eizan, before he turned to the judges. "Chappy; and Miss Shiomi, you're both here as well."
"Don't call me Chappy," Chapelle grunted, as Jun just laughed.
"Yeah, Etsuya wanted to make sure the judges were teachers you trusted," she explained, "That way you wouldn't, well, rightfully mistrust what we are attempting to do here."
"That's half true," Eizan corrected, still sitting without a care in the world. "I picked Professor Chapelle because Yukihira trusts him. I picked you Professor Shiomi because I heard you smacked the shit out of Yukihira when you two met and I found that hilarious."
"I apologized for that!" she cried out.
"You did what?" Chapelle asked, turning his menacing glare towards her, making her shriek.
"I didn't mean it!" she said, waving her arms around frantically, almost crying. "I would never, ever harm a student on purpose. It was just that I saw his father in him, and a fight-or-flight response kicked in, but I have no excuses! I was sorry then, and I'm sorry now! Don't fire me!" and now she was crying.
"It's fine, don't get mad at her," Soma waved it off, feeling awkward all the sudden. "My old man was sort-of a bit of a bully back in the day," said the boy without an ounce of self-reflection. "Still, ignoring that, one of you three… explain!"
The three judges gave a pause, before they all nodded.
"This was a deal that was sketched out by Etsuya Eizan and our First Seat, Nene Kinokuni," Kageura began, "After her shocking defeat during the first round of the Intercontinental Shokugeki, Kinokuni had been in contact with me over the logistics behind it all, and while she suspected Shouko Kaburagi's involvement, she couldn't quite prove it."
"All that changed when Eizan here challenged and defeated Dakarai Akintola right before your Second Round, thereby insuring your continued participation in the event," Chapelle continued, "After this, Kinokuni got in contact with Eizan, and they began to work out behind the scenes how to have Shouko replaced."
"But given Etsuya's, well, past behavior, it was very hard to take his word at face value," Jun concluded, "So Nene had a very difficult choice to make if she would trust his word over all the evidence that pointed to the contrary. We, as in Professor Chapelle and I, only got brought in at the last second. Pretty much all of this was set up between Nene and Etsuya, with only Kageura here being let in every now and then… And that took a lot of convincing to have him agree to this."
"Huh…?" Soma replied, barely understanding a thing. He still turned to Eizan. "…You're actually on our side this time around?"
"Don't be an idiot," Eizan shot back. "I've never been anything but on Tootsuki Academy's side. Don't forget, when we fought, you were the outsider, not me. Still, no matter what I or Nene plan behind the scenes, it won't mean a damn thing if the girl Isshiki picked doesn't pull through. We had planned on Isshiki against Shouko, but this, well… who knows?"
"She'll win," Soma said in no uncertain terms.
"For your sake, she better," was all Eizan replied.
"…And that was more or less what happened," Soma explained, his fist to his face, contemplating his own story as it sounded too far off even after he himself had lived it. "That said," Soma added, before he turned to Nene, as the look he gave her made her flinch. "…You knew."
"Uh… I, erm," Nene tried, as all eyes fell on her, and she felt herself begin to shiver. "S-Soma, I assure you, I didn't mean to trouble you. Even now, all of this wasn't a guarantee. Etsuya picked everyone and didn't tell me a thing. I just called him, on a whim, right after you guys won the second round of the Intercontinental Shokugeki. That's when he told me his plan, and the jerk never again picked up any follow-up call I made. So going into this, it was a fifty-fifty on whether he was telling the truth or not. I… I choose to believe him, but I knew the risks, that's why I told you-"
"To trust my gut feeling?" Soma asked, hands on his pockets, eyes on the First Seat.
"Yeah…" she replied. "If there's one thing I've learned, is that when the chips are down, you are truly dependable. So I knew, that if Etsuya tried anything, you'd be able to work your way out of it. I'm sorry for not telling you, all of you," she directed herself to everyone, "about all of this, but I needed us to act the part. And I sort-of figured, that if you knew Etsuya really didn't mean to duel you, you might have not been all that happy."
"I'm not," he stated flatly, but added, "But what can you do? If it helps Erina and the school, then so be it. At least I was able to sit back and watch Tadokoro's match," he added, as he turned towards his best friend, "Quite the show," he told her with a grin. She matched it with a smile. "And you're now even seated above me, I can't believe I feel prouder now than I did when I got my own seat. Crazy huh?"
"Nonsense," Megumi replied, crashing into his arms for a tight embrace. "That's how I feel every time you surprise us with everything you do. Every single time."
"Love you Tadokoro," he told her.
"Love you right back," she replied.
As everyone stood by, letting the two hug it out, while also absorbing the news, Shouko slowly caught on, as she, eyes even wider, stared up at Eizan. For a moment, she couldn't even find her voice. "…Etsuya?"
"Hmm?" he asked, as if nothing strange had just happened.
"Don't you "hmm?" me!" she cried out, forcing herself into a standing position. "D-Did you seriously throw your match against Sev-I mean, Yukihira?! What?! Why?! That was all you talked about! All you wanted?! We made this plan together?! We were going to save Tootsuki, and-and win this thing with me in the First Seat and you in his Seat! Why did you betray-?!"
"Betray you?" Eizan calmly asked her, and before she could scream back, he pulled out an envelope from his jacket, which made her complexion turn ghastly pale. "I was fully onboard with everything you wanted, at least back when I really thought you meant every word."
"T-That's…"
"You reached out to my father, all the way back when I was still picking up the pieces of my pride after Yukihira moped the floor with me at the Showcase," Eizan explained, as everyone looked on, and Shouko felt her entire world collapse. "You two struck a deal. You'd play your part, keep stringing me along, and pretend you really wanted to "save" Tootsuki, but that was never the goal, was it?"
She visibly flinched.
"Of course not," he continued, "During the First Match, if Nene hadn't noticed something off about the equipment, you would have just let them fail right then and there. You gave them no clues, no hints. You could not have predicted her deciphering that. I could have, but you don't know her as well as I do. You fully intended to have Tootsuki lose, and when that failed, that's when you moved to Plan B, to create this make-believe plan with me, when in reality, once you had the First Seat, you had every intention of losing to the Neo-Noirs, or am I wrong?"
"I…" Shouko tried, and as all eyes fell on the two, everyone taken back by everything being said, Shouko mustered enough anger to properly respond. "And what if I did?! Why does it matter?! Can't you see we can't match those monsters! I know Julius, and you know him better than I do. That man's a monster, we can't win against that! And if those other three are as good as they say, then it's a pointless fight! What good does it do us, to try and fight an unwinnable battle?! What's so wrong with trying to ensure a profit out of an impossible situation?!"
"…Thing is, I don't disagree with you," Eizan replied, much to her surprise. "We really do think alike. Such a decision, I would probably had made the same… But, I know you lost faith in my abilities when I lost to Yukihira, but it still stings that you'd lie to me and strike a deal with my father of all people. I never thought I'd say this, but I rather go down with this ship, than ever have to get on my knees and beg that man for anything. Not anymore. Never again. Not after everything he did. Not after… Not after what Yukichiko did to finally get me away from his influence."
"This is going to destroy us!" Shouko cried out, her hands over her mouth, trying not to cry. "I lied because I knew you'd never accept his offer, I had to keep it secret… I-I-"
"Again, a smart move," Eizan praised, "And one I'm sure I would do myself on anyone without batting an eye… anyone except you."
"Y-You don't know that," Shouko said while actively sobbing at this point.
"Yes, I do," Eizan replied, doing his best to keep his tone in check. "…You played it well, outright fooled me into thinking you actually cared. I fell for it. You beat me at my own damn game, well played. You just couldn't stick the landing, and that too, I'm familiar with. Here," he said, handing her the envelope, which she took with her trembling hands, "There's the check father wrote for you. Maybe you can still cash it before he cancels it. He's stupid like that. But… I guess this is the end of our business venture, thank you for everything Shouko."
"Etsuya…" she outright cried, "Please, listen, I… I…."
"We're done here," he coldly stated, as he turned around, and walked away, leaving the girl crying, as she slowly slid right back down to the floor. The Tootsuki students, all with clear mistrust and disdain for the girl, still couldn't help but feel bad about all of this. Eizan, however, just walked right past all of them without a word, and left the Chandra's Room, never to involve himself with Elite Ten business again.
Or so was his intention.
"Etsuya, hold up," Nene called out, and he didn't know why he stopped.
"…I held up my end of the bargain," Eizan told her, without turning to face her. "This ends our agreement."
"Etsuya," Nene softly spoke, stepping a little closer. "Save the act. You said it yourself, you know me well. And I know you," she told him. "She hurt you a lot with that, didn't she?"
"Don't be absurd-"
"Etsuya," she simply said. "…It's just me."
He turned glaring at her, until his expression softened against his will, and he let out a loud laugh. "I was a fool for thinking there really was anything there other than self-interest," he noted, "and after all the shit I pulled against Yukihira, Nakiri and the lot of them, I can't say this isn't karma biting me right up the ass."
"That may be true," she replied, "Doesn't mean I can't offer my support to a friend."
"Indeed," to their surprise, Isshiki spoke up, walking down the hallways alongside Kuga, as both boys stood next to Nene. For what seemed like the first time in ages, the once-Second Years of the Elite Ten stood together once more. "We are still your friends Etsuya, if you'd have us that is."
"And time heals all wounds, even broken hearts, or so I've heard," Kuga added.
"Since when do you own a rabbit?" Eizan flatly asked, eyes on Terrubunny, who Kuga was holding up ever-so tenderly.
"It's… quite the story, actually," Kuga replied.
"Etsuya, listen," Nene voiced, her eyes on her friend. "If this is too much to ask, I'll understand. But, Tootsuki hangs in the balance, so I must. And I'm not asking as the First Seat, but as your friend. There's one more thing that still worries me about all this. Would you help us, with just one more thing?"
Etsuya Eizan stared at the three, frowning at all the possible implications, and for the longest time, he said absolutely nothing at all.
-0-
Dove exited the elevator only to be met by the sight of a very annoyed Azami checking his wristwatch, quickly making eye contact with the girl once she approached. She smiled, he just sighed.
"You're two minutes late," he noted.
"Hey, you've been a husband," she defended, "It takes a girl time to get all prim and proper in such short notice. Besides, business doesn't start until we enter the room, does it not?"
He was about to counter her argument, but she said it so cheekily he could help just smile and nod. Azami then signaled to Dove of where they were being expected, and to her surprise, they ended up in one of the many rooms currently housing participants. With a knock from Azami, the door was opened for the two of them, and they were invited in. It was here Dove came face-to-face with the other team with some stakes still in this game.
The Lestrade International Academy of Culinary Arts, and all six of its members.
"Please, make yourselves at home, Mr. Nakamura, Miss Dillinger," Victor greeted the two, as he signaled them to the many couches that the team had apparently pushed together to create this little meeting of theirs.
"Many thanks," Azami replied, as he took a seat, and signaled for Dove to follow suit.
"My, how kind," she noted, taking her seat. She gave the team a look, as she wasn't all that well versed with any of them. In fact, if she wasn't mistaken, their Team Leader was…
"Ha! I knew you'd show up eventually!" Van quickly boasted, sitting cross-legged and cross-armed across the sofa, smirking at the two. "After all the other teams failed, you have wised up and realized it is us who will take home the-"
"Get your feet off the sofa," Victor instructed as he smacked Van right across the head with a sandal, causing the younger boy to yelp.
"Come on Van, you promised you'd show restraint," Timonthy, seated to the side, almost pleaded. Victor just scoffed at the notion, before he took a seat next to his boyfriend. Both young men just eyed Van, as he seemed utterly annoyed at being called out.
"I am showing restraint!" Van cried out, in a demonstration of anything but.
"He's acting up even more now," Emilia noted, sitting on the opposite side, next to her boyfriend Benjamin, who she quickly turned to, "I knew we should have made you our Team Leader instead Ben."
"Nonsense, if anyone were to lead us it would have been you my dear," he replied back, with Dove outright imagining the little cartoon hearts floating about. He sounded way to soap-opera-y for her tastes. The resulting giggle Emilia gave out, actually finding such dumb things charming, was utterly beyond her comprehension.
"Don't bring that up!" Van shot back. "You all decided on giving me the spot because you lazy bastards didn't want to deal with the paperwork!" he accused, and they all just shifted their glances, much to his fury. "And you'll be sorry, cause once we win this, it'll be my name in all the news, with you lot added is as extras. You bunch of melts."
"Calm down," a girl with a very baby-ish voice spoke up, popping in right behind Van and rubbing his head softly. It surprisingly seemed to work, making him let out a long breath before he turned towards Azami and Dove. The girl, Bridgette, quickly hopped over the sofa, and after a little roll, landed right next to Van.
Finally all six had their eyes on their guests, and, Azami hoped, their attention too.
"Very well," Azami began, "I'll make this short. Your team is up next, and I've gotten in contact with your Headmaster, about this upcoming matchup. And, as I'm sure she had made it clear to you all, she left the final decision up to you. My offer is to allow us to switch things around," Azami explained, and upon hearing his words, Dove couldn't help but have her eyes widen. "Allow my team, the Neo-Noirs to have the next match. As per the offer I gave your Headmaster, if we win, we'll give you half of the winnings, considering how you had allowed us this opportunity. If we… were to lose, well, then you'd have an even weaker Elite Ten to content with. What do you say?"
"You want your team to go next?" Timonthy asked, surprised, since while their Headmaster had told them Azami was interested in speaking to them, she had not disclosed the details to any of them. She trusted them that much? She trusted Van that much?!
"Absolutely not!" Van quickly shot down, causing the other four, excluding Bridgette, to flinch.
"H-Hey, don't be so quick to jump the gun," Emilia quickly spoke up.
"My darling is right," Benjamin joined in. "We've seen all the other teams boast endlessly, and still lose at the end. Half of the spoils isn't that bad of a deal."
"So now you're putting a price on our worth, that it?" Victor shot back, eyes narrowed, causing Benjamin to stiffen. "Hate to admit it, but I'm with Van on this one. We can take those Elite Ten on. We're not running away."
"Besides," Timonthy added, "We've seen their teamwork. They are monsters of their craft, that's true, but when it comes to working together they are a mess. And unlike Ekaterina's methods, ours should prove, well, problematic for them."
"I'm cool with whatever Van says, so," Bridgette just added, her eyes on her phone, only looking at the guests every now and then.
"I need this to be concluded sooner rather than later," Azami expressed, his expression darkening. "And while I had been told countless of time over and over by all your Headmasters that you six schools were indeed capable of taking out the Elite Ten, alone even, all I've seen is five loses in a row, with naught but four Elite Ten students eliminated so far. These were not the results I was promised… Dove?"
Dove looked on, and she understood what she was meant to do. So she spoke up. "My team is more than capable of taking on the remaining six Elite Ten students. In fact, I feel no need to even ask them to meet our numbers equally. The four of us, Ashitaro, Julius, A-Asahi and I are more than sufficient. You all would be wise to accept this offer, as it is the only one we will make."
The six all stared for a moment, until Van seemed to take in a large breath, and despite everyone bracing themselves for the scream to follow, he spoke softly, for once. No, more than that. He spoke completely serious.
"We'll match their six with our six," he told Azami and Dove, his expression far colder than expected. "I'm sorry, but no deal. We will not be bought. Every other team took the Challenge as initially drafted. If we lose, then we lose, but it will be without the shame of bending over to you twats. If that is a problem, Mr. Nakamura, then the God Slayer is free to challenge us afterwards, if she's up to it, that is."
"~Oh my," Dove couldn't help but voice. "Little boy thinks he can handle me."
"Don't go around flirting with the enemy Van," Bridgette said with a childish pout, which Van just ignored.
"Relax sweetheart," Dove assured, waving it off, "He's all yours, I have no interest. But you'd be wise to keep your boyfriend in check."
"…He's my brother," Bridgette said, utterly confused. Dove just paused, blinking. Brother? Siblings? She looked at the two of them, sitting so close together and outright holding hands, with her head rested on his. I mean, they looked similar, but…
"You're…" Dove blurted out, head tilted, "I thought you guys were all couples?"
"We are," Timonthy noted, signaling to himself and Victor.
"As are we!" Benjamin added, signaling to himself and a still giggling Emilia.
"Lestrade specializes in teamwork," Azami explained, "Two-on-two matchups, but not one of chef and assistant, but rather two chefs, one dish. Almost what you attempted to do with Erina… that day."
"Ah," Dove said, realizing why they were saying that the Elite Ten had a big flaw in their teamwork. So they would challenge the Elite Ten two at a time. That was new. Still… "Then why do those two act like more of a couple that the rest of you!" Dove cried out, which was really none of her business, but she couldn't quite shake it, as she pointed to Van and Bridgette.
"Why'd you say that?" both twins asked in unison, both with the same blank expression. Both still holding hands like the creepy twins from The Shining, only if one of them were a boy and didn't shut up.
"…We've been told," Timonthy noted, letting out a little laugh.
"They have insane chemistry when cooking," Victor added, "What they do privately is none of our business."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Van went back to screaming, eyes on Victor, who just shrugged.
"It doesn't matter anyway," Bridgette softly noted. "Once we win we'll be superstars. I don't know why everyone keeps saying our relationship is weird, I mean, all siblings cook, eat, bathe and sleep together, no?"
'No they don't!' everyone else in the room collectively though, but before Dove began to dig in further, because he knew her, Azami got up. "I suppose you have all reached a decision, and I respect it," he told the group, but added. "But be aware of the consequences. I fully hope you will be able to achieve a victory, I really do, but be warned. Tootsuki Academy has gotten desperate, and after this last, unexpected "extra round" their forces have strengthened, or so they believe…"
"Extra round?" Dove asked, utterly lost, as she got up and followed Azami towards the door, before she turned to the team and wasn't really sure if she should be polite or not. So she settled on giving them a soft bow before she placed her hand on her forehead in the shape of an "L" and blew a raspberry at them.
The six had a range of emotions at all this, but as Bridgette turned towards her brother, his expression was… new. "…Van?"
"He's lying," Van noted, and once more, his expression was ice cold, "He's not worried we won't measure up. He's scared we'll win. Or rather, that we'll get little Miss Erina Nakiri kicked out of her own home turf."
"What extra round?" Dove asked as they went back to the elevator, with Azami taking it to the first floor to tend to his business, whatever that was, as she pushed the button to go back to her own floor, which she hoped was now Asahi-less.
"This is why I need you attentive," Azami told her. "There's been a slight change. Shouko Kaburagi is officially out. The Elite Ten mean to replace her with Megumi Tadokoro-"
"Who dat?"
"Irrelevant," Azami replied. "But they will find that such a substitution is not meant to be. It is in the fine print after all," Azami explained, before he turned towards the young girl. "That said, make sure your team is ready. Your time is almost here. If they will not listen to reason, then I'm afraid there's little I can do except survive until you take the stage. Remember, Julius, Ashitaro and especially Asahi matter not. Just you. All I need is you."
"…Of course."
The elevators opened up, and without another word from either of them, Dove bounced away and headed to her room. She knew what Azami meant by that. No distractions, no escapes, no relationships of any kind. Nothing in her mind other than the match and her victories. She was meant to save Erina Nakiri, and funnily enough, that meant having to beat her into the dirt first. Still, Dove was sure Azami didn't know what had gone down between his son and herself, but she was also wary that he was suspicious of them. She needed to go back to her initial act whenever she was around the boy, for her sake, and his as well…
So, deciding that it would be best if she just kept Asahi at bay for the moment, she opened the door, and was met by a bed filled with rose petals in the form of a heart.
The door closed, and she held her hands to her face, eyes wide, blushing madly.
Asahi wasn't even there. How on Earth had he…? Damn it, was he crazy?! If he got caught, they'd both be dead!
And you're worth it.
His words came flushing right back, and the girl that had initially mocked Emilia's over-the-top reactions to dumb, romantic words and actions, began to bounce up and down like a schoolgirl in mad love, utterly giddy at getting such a gesture dedicated to her. And for what seemed like the first time in her life, Dove Dillinger felt truly happy…
…Azami's warning now long forgotten.
-0-
The time passed by fast, much too fast to the Elite Ten's liking.
They tried to take advantage of their now full squad to continue their training with their former seniors: Eishi, Rindou, Tosuke, Momo, and Saitou. But, as per Nene's request, and the Second Years insistence, the former Top Five of the Elite Ten stopped holding back during their practice matches, and as such, much to the dismay of everyone involved, the victories the current Elite Ten managed to get out of them came to a screeching halt.
Despite their best attempts, there was still a clear gap in skill between the current ten and the former five. Not that big, but noticeable nonetheless.
With all ten facing off against the five, over and over, each bouncing back and forth between opponents, and when not engaged against their seniors, they'd face off against each other, all to try and polish their skills as best they could, they couldn't help but be disappointed at the results.
It wasn't just losses, however. Occasionally, like in every one out of five matches, one of the current Elites would snag a victory, but this was usually when one of their former seniors got stuck with a theme they weren't the best at, and even then it was close. Granted, Isshiki and Akira managed to get a victory over Tosuke and Saitou respectively in themes that neither party excelled at, which was a huge plus… but, as Nene noted, not enough.
Especially, that while Tosuke, Momo, and Saito all saw a few losses, the biggest concern where the other two. Once they got serious, well…
Rindou only lost once, to Soma at that, but not because of her skill, but because she got distracted talking to him that she almost accidentally burnt the stadium down. Soma was more pissed off at that loss that she was, and with reason.
Eishi, however, didn't lose a single match.
And most worrisome of all, even if the rest of the current Elite Ten students managed to score a win here or there…
…Erina Nakiri did not win a single match.
So when the day for their Sixth, and hopefully, Penultimate Match came, tensions ran high. The current six students left in the Elite Ten all stood at the edge of the ever-filled arena, ready to be called in, and they much suspected their opponents of Lestrade were awaiting the same.
The remaining four Elites, alongside the former top five, all seated at their designated area, as all the Tootsuki students crowded the stadium, with the Polar Stars and friends on their spot, with all the Challengers watching down from up above.
"Tag-team matches you say?" Asahi asked, his eyes on the arena before he turned to Dove, who had her bright blue eyes on him. She really was stunning. "T-That does spell trouble for these guys."
"That's what Azami believes," Dove noted. It had been days since their shared night of passion, and still her heart would not leave her throat whenever she looked at him or heard his voice. So she tried her best to play it cool.
'These two clearly boned,' Julius though, utterly unable to hide his contempt. 'And here I am weeks away from my two year anniversary of not getting laid… I hate them both.'
Ashitaro, of course, paid them no mind. His eyes were observing a certain someone, as it was too strange. There was no way. As he looked down, down at the crowds, he could see his little sister, sweet, dumb, useless little Nao, laughing and teasing and playing around with that blonde boy that was the little brother or something to Dove. Who, exactly gave him the authority to play around so closely with his little sister?
Down at the arena, Urara took a second to soak in the cameras once more, feeling like an addict finally getting hold of her fix, before she took hold of the microphone and screamed out, "Welcome one and all, to the Sixth Round of the Intercontinental Shokugeki!"
The applauses and cheers exploded afterwards, as she let out the biggest grin possible.
"Show of hands!" she called out. "How many of you thought we wouldn't make it this far?! The Challengers don't count! So… Ha! In your faces, you non-believers, as we are here, and stronger than ever! Now then, let's bring in our judges, who are still the same five that have been here since the start, but I have to introduce them in a contractually acceptable manner, so here they are!"
As Urara reintroduced the judges of the WGO, she later moved on to signal the screen, which quickly flashed the names of the six members of the Elite Ten who were going to take part in the matches today. This showed:
Second Seat Satoshi Isshiki
Fourth Seat Erina Nakiri
Fifth Seat Akira Hayama
Sixth Seat Megumi Tadokoro
Seventh Seat Soma Yukihira
Eight Seat Alice Nakiri
The cheers overwhelmed the sound of even Urara's mic, as the surge of popularity and support for the Elite Ten had grown immensely after Megumi's stellar performance. Urara, following along, then signaled to the opposite team, the members of Lestrade International Academy of Culinary Arts, which showed up in the screen as:
Van Autumn
Bridgette Autumn
Benjamin Bracken
Emilia Bailey
Victor Slingby
Timonthy Humphries
"And here we have it folks!" Urara beamed, "Contestants, to the arena!"
All twelve contestants moved forwards, exiting the halls and entering the stadium. The cheers only grew, and as the Tootsuki chosen six walked forwards, they all stared up at the audience, at the VIP area, where Azami Nakamura stood, his eyes on them all.
"You sure he's going to complain?" Soma asked.
"…I know my father," Erina replied, eyes narrowed. He was a business man through and through, so he'd cling to any little detail as long as it was convenient, and she knew, they all knew, he had some basis for this.
Nene, up above, was basically clinging onto her chair thanks to the nerves, but she was ready. She had the microphone handy, just in case Erina and Alice's prediction came true. She had no reason to doubt the girls, though. If anyone knew that man, it was them.
All twelve participants reached the arena, as the cheers continued, with the six from one side staring down the six from the other. Then…
"In three…" Nene counted down.
"…two…" Dove softly voiced.
"…one," Erina noted, eyes sharp.
"I apologize for the interruption," Azami spoke up, breaking through the cheers and turning all the attention back to himself, much to the shock of everyone outside those in the know. The six from Tootsuki turned to him, with Soma outright glaring at the man and Erina doing her best to keep herself composed. "I think we are all aware of a certain… change that has occurred with the line-up of the Elite Ten. Shouko Kaburagi bet her Seated position, and lost. In her place, Megumi Tadokoro has obtained it. This was overseen by our fair judges of the WGO, so I have no objections or even say in the matter. It is a mostly Tootsuki related event, which is perfectly fine…"
'However,' Erina, Alice and Dove all thought at the same time.
"However," Azami added, "Our rules are specific. Such a change is not allowed in the Intercontinental Shokugeki. The same reason as to why Tootsuki Academy has not been expelling students during this event, they are also not allowed to officialize any student as an Elite Ten until this event has concluded. While I will not argue Megumi Tadokoro's position as the new Sixth Seat, she cannot participate in this event any further."
"You guys really guessed it down to the letter," Megumi noted, a sweat drop on her little head.
"He's desperate," Akira noted with scorn.
"That he is," Isshiki voiced.
"Uncle Azami is really grasping at straws after all," Alice added.
"Well, we knew it would come to this," Soma said, "I can't believe we actually managed to come prepared, for once!"
"Let's see if that's true…" Erina mused, as all their eyes fell to their First Seat, who Kuga had to basically push to get her started. She was nervous, damn it.
"Pardon me," Nene interrupted, after much fuss, directing herself to Azami. The man turned to her, his eyes showing he did not appreciate the interruption. "We understand, and we are aware of the rules. But Shouko Kaburagi has indeed been relinquished of her seat. So even if Megumi Tadokoro cannot participate in this Intercontinental Shokugeki any further, we should not be penalized because of the former's absence."
Azami looked on. "…That is true," he admitted, whether begrudgingly or not, they couldn't quite tell. "While I could make the case against that, I shall be a good sport, and allow this to continue, even if you are challenging a team of six with just five members. I can make that exception."
"Uh… appreciated, but unneeded," Nene voiced, which caused Azami to glare at her. She glared right back. "What I mean is, if Megumi is still not an official Elite Ten student, which we all heavily disagree with, but, taking it at face-value, then we are well within our rights to substitute her for an acceptable member. After all, you did state before that substitutions were acceptable if a party was unavailable and a proper substitute was available."
Azami outright scoffed. He seemed to catch himself, as he cleared his throat and replied, "That is true," he said, "But you have no such members. Outside of the five that seat alongside you, Eishi Tsukasa, Rindou Kobayashi, Tosuke Megishima, Momo Akenegakubo, and Soumei Saitou are the only individuals officially qualified to be a seated member," he explained, as the five graduates mentioned all stared the man down. "…But it was my belief that both your Headmaster and your Acting Headmaster were clear that they would only challenge these other schools with their current students, and not bring in even a single graduate, or… has the situation turned so dire that they must now go back on that word?"
Silence followed, as everyone waited on baited breath.
Nene just frowned.
"No," she replied. "Our word is a guarantee, and we will win, with just our students here…"
Hearing this, Megumi smiled, and turning to the other five, gave them a soft bow. "Guess this is where I jump off. Hope I was able to help you guys enough."
"Do not speak like that Megumi," Erina corrected, as she and the others all offered their fellow Elite Ten member the fondest of smiles. "We only managed to make it here thanks to you. Thank you, and remember, your seat it up there with the other Elites. Do not let my father or anyone else tell you otherwise."
Megumi let out a little laugh, before she happily bounced her way off the stage, much to the confusion of those watching. As she passed by the entrance, she stopped next to her would-be substitute.
"There is no one qualified," Azami could be heard saying.
"Actually, there's just one other…" Nene countered.
"…Best of luck," Megumi told him, and he just scoffed.
Then, out of the silence, and out of the halls, he walked out, and not a soul knew how to react to this turn of event. After all, it wasn't in anyone's bingo card that…
…Etsuya Eizan would be making his way into the arena.
"Etsuya Eizan," Azami noted, eyes narrowed. 'What on Earth is Fukuhara's brat doing on their side?'
"While he may have lost his seating, Etsuya is fully qualified as an Elite Ten student, long before this event was even thought of," Nene explained, the small hint of smugness evident in her voice. "Nothing in the rules argues against him being Megumi Tadokoro's official substitute for the remainder of the Intercontinental Shokugeki, or am I mistaken?"
Azami said nothing. He clenched his microphone so tightly he almost broke it. This was… unexpected. But, at this point, it was vividly clear. His Neo-Noirs, originally meant as a safety-net, were to be the ones who would need to handle this mess. Well, so be it. "No, this is within the rules."
"Got the bastard!" Leonora said with glee, punching the air, as she watched alongside Soe and a very reluctant Mana in their area. Soe then signaled to the staff, and as planned with his daughter and niece, the screens changed, now sporting Eizan's name alongside the rest.
This gathered mixed response from all those watching, some thrilled at his inclusion, others wary of his past and dependability. Still, six-on-six sounded better than just five, so they had no choice. But out of all the reactions, the two most notable had to be…
'Etsuya…' Julius noted, his eyes on the boy, 'Just what are you playing at now?'
'…You've got this,' Yukichiko, seated further back, thought, her hands joined in almost prayer. 'You don't need father anymore, you can move past all of it. I believe in you. Kick some ass little brother.'
"And with that mix-up out of the way!" Urara quickly announced, once she was given the go-ahead. "And thanks to the tremendous effort our new Sixth Seat Megumi Tadokoro gave in ensuring we even got this far, the Sixth Round is officially ready to start!"
"Glad to have you onboard Etsuya," Isshiki told his classmate with a smile as soon as the young man reached the others.
"Hmph," Eizan simply retorted. "You're just lucky Nene is convincing, plus, I do want to flip my father off, so this works, but," he added, his expression as cold as usual. "Remember our deal. I help you reach the final round, and that's it. I am not facing off against any of the Neo-Noirs."
"A bother until the very end," Erina said with a shrug, which caused Soma to laugh.
"See? Told ya it was a good idea to keep the guy around," Soma told her with quite a bit of pride. Erina just scoffed.
"As if you could have predicted this whole mess," she shot back, "Besides, he fully intends to leave us out to dry come next round."
"Eh, more Noirs for me then," Soma simply said, and Erina couldn't help but laugh, because of course that would be his answer. The team that had everyone, from Shouko to herself, scared out of their wits, was one Soma looked forwards to face-off against with almost childlike excitement.
"Now then!" Urara began, "This next round is special, because of course it is! This time, the wacky gimmick is a two-on-two match. Same rules as usual, best three out of five, but now two participants will, erm, participate per team! And, I should specify, not like last time! No aides this time! Both chefs have equal input, and must serve a single dish crafted by both in equal measure!"
"This is going to be a pain," Eizan noted, his hands on his pockets. Why on Earth was he even doing this? Going so far just to help these idiots? "…Still, at least the teams we agreed sound fine enough."
"Truly," Isshiki replied. "You and I have our history, so we should be able to work something out."
"And Erina and I have been working together since we were kids!" Alice noted with glee, "Granted, also fighting since we were kids, but that also helps, I hope! Sorry I kinda stole her from you this round Soma!"
"That's fine," Soma noted, completely calm. "It's time I show Akira just how good I've gotten anyways."
"We're on the same side, remember," Akira added, frowning. Out of the teams they had picked, he had the least faith in his and Soma's. There was talent to spare, but also clashing egos for days on end.
"So let's pick which teams face off against each other then-eh?!" Urara announced, before she got a notification, which caused her to open her eyes widely. "Wait… what?!" she screamed out, turning towards where Azami was standing at. "What do you mean Tootsuki's teams will be random?!"
The Tootsuki six all flinched at that news, and the Elite Ten up above, which Megumi had just managed to reach at sit down, were all hit by that like an ice-cold wave. They had most certainly not planned for that.
"What's wrong?" Azami asked, the mockery dripping from his tone like acid out of a Xenomorph. "As such an illustrious and prestigious academy such as this one, it shouldn't matter who gets paired up with who. Tootsuki will power through and win the day, will they not?"
Then the screens began to flicker, and while Lestrade's side showed that their teams were pre-selected, Tootsuki's side showed that both students would be chosen at random.
"That bastard," Akira couldn't help but say.
"Damn it Uncle!" Alice screamed out, pouting fiercely at him.
"Well, there goes our pre-planned preparations," Isshiki noted.
"Hey, come on guys, I don't think this is really the blow we think it is," Soma was quick to say, turning to the rest. "We may not be the best in terms of teamwork, but we're friends, and we know each other pretty damn well. So, believe me, no matter what that screen shows, there's no way we won't-"
Then the screen stopped. And everyone in the audience felt a sense of dread hit each and every single one of them. Because those damn screens now showed:
Etsuya Eizan & Soma Yukihira vs. Benjamin Bracken & Emilia Bailey
There was almost an audible crack in the very air itself, as Soma and Eizan had both frozen on the spot, both staring each other down out of the corner of their eyes while still facing forwards. You could actually picture the glass breaking in-between the two of them, thanks to the intense glares they were sending to each other.
And all that could be heard was the complete and utter silence, as everyone in the audience struggled to even comprehend how such a result could have ever happen. Never in a million years would anyone ever expect those two to not only be on the same side, but to have to work together with one another. And as the silence only grew, the only noise that could be heard was the uncontrolled laughter coming from Alice, who was clenching her sides and apologizing because she knew it shouldn't be funny, but damn it…
"Hah, hah, hah… ah… we're so screwed…"
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