Chapter 8: A Concerto of Creation and Imagination

In a dark room somewhere in the academy, Prof. Chapelle is peeking out the blinds as something special will begin soon.

"So it is that time of year once again, is it?" he says to the other staff in the room. He turns to one and asks, "What can you tell me about the message to the students?"

"It'll be finished today." one of the male teachers replied.

"Hmm." He looks back out, "Some will prove their worthy, and others are destined to fail. This is where the culling begins."

Over at the Polar Star Dorm, everyone in the first year classes have received a notice about a camp trip. They are gathered at the cafeteria and looked over a book, except for Erina and Hisako. The pamphlet shows a chibi chef with a dog wearing a chef shirt that reads: In the Spirit of Friendship Overnight Training Manual. There is a speech bubble that the chef speaks: You'll make lots of memories! The dog also have a speech bubble: Make sure you leave nothing behind!

Saiba look it over, "Overnight training camp?"

"So it's that time, is it?" Yuki says over Saiba's shoulder.

"What exactly is it? Sorry, but I don't understand the customs."

Ryoko approaches, "We had those in elementary school and middle school. It was an outing where we stayed outside for a few days."

"So it's sorta like some camping trip?" Saiba looked up and notice that Megumi is in shock with a gloomy aura and drool from her mouth. "You okay, Megumi?"

Zenji answers, "Because she knows. This training camp is like a trip to hell. And we all have to face it to survive."

Saiba looks back at the manual, "So it is like some sort of hunt for a legendary ingredient, but more organized and no one dies. In a literal sense."

Yuki explains further, "All of the freshman students get sent to the mountains and are subjected to a whole bunch of brutal tests." She is starting to look serious, "If you don't manage to pass everything, you're told to leave the academy! They say it is for the spirit of friendship."

That is when Yuki imagines what the pamphlet is truly saying. The manual turns black with both the chibi chef and dog having evil expressions and glowing red eyes. The speech bubble of the chibi chef now reads: You'll make traumatic memories! Even the dog speech bubble has change and it says: If you've got no talent, just get out!

"The truth of it is; this is for the spirit of pain and torture AND FAILURE!" Yuki sounded dramatic at the end.

Yet Isshiki isn't worried, "It's not that bad. It's a bit of competitive education. In the words of the principal: This is where the process reveals the best among us."

Daigo asks, "Yo, bro? Didn't you go to that training camp last year? How'd you survived?"

"Very carefully. Even back then, dozens of students were forced to leave the premises. A few others were even expelled."

Shoji goes, "What, expelled?"

Shun remembers something, "At a camp a few years ago, they apparently got rid of more than half the students."

Megumi became white as a ghosts and faints onto the floor. Everyone notices when she fell down.

"Uh, Megumi?" Yuki wonders if she is gonna be alright.

Megumi smiles with her eyes close and sounds like she is on death's door, "Everyone, it's been nice knowing ya." and passes out with tears in her eyes.

Yuki is being overly dramatic as she holds Megumi in her arms, "MEGUUUUUMMMMIIIII!"

Yet Saiba is looking over what is gonna happen at the camp with the manual, "Let's see here. We're allowed to bring cards and shogi. No cellphones. Hmm?" He looks at the schedule, "Why isn't there a bath schedule?"

Yuki yells at Saiba, "HEY! SAIBA! HOW CAN YOU BE WORRIED ABOUT YOUR BATHS AT A TIME LIKE THIS!? DID YOU NOT HEAR POOR SWEET MEGUMI'S DYING WORDS!?"

Saiba closes the pamphlet, "Half the students will make it, right?" Saiba sounds serious, "Let's make sure that includes all of us."

Isshiki says to everyone, "I have faith in all of you." he smiles, "I'm sure everyone at Polar Star will return with grand smiles."

With Isshiki's words and Saiba's determination and confidence, they are fired up and ready to pass.

Daigo shouts, "Hell yeah! We'll kill it!"

Shoji slams his fist on his palm, "You know we'll be back, bro!"

Zenji pushes his glasses and is determined, "Bring it on!"

Over them, they have 'Marked for Death' arrows pointing at them.

Ryoko speaks, "They are okay!"

Yuki is fired up, "We are totally pumped up! Alright, don't spoil the child before sparing the rye!"

Shun interjects, "That's not how it goes."

What Yuki is actually saying, 'Even a crying child will shut up.' It actually means, 'Something so powerful, influential, or terrifying that it would make even a crying child suddenly stopped. This is not quite using the expression correctly.

"We are gonna pass this thing without breaking a sweat!"

"Now that's the spirit!" Isshiki is glad that his dormmates are gonna give everything they got.

"Before we do anything," Saiba stands up and looks at Isshiki, "Isshiki, you need to tell us everything what you did at the camp. With that knowledge, we might increase our chances of survival. Did they call in Totsuki graduates? What methods do they have in mind?"

Zenji is impressed by what Saiba is thinking, "Trying to get a leg up on the training camp from hell and formulating a strategy. I like that."

Saiba looks at Zenji, "Zenji, if they are using Totsuki graduates, we're gonna need every record we have on them." He looks at Ryoko and Yuki, "Ryoko. Yuki. You two help out Zenji. He might need an extra pair of hands or two." He looks at Daigo and Shoji, " Daigo. Shoji. I need you two to listen in on any conversations the upperclass students are saying. Rumors or anything they may have experienced that may come up in any conversations. Information is key to winning any battle. Even in hunting, knowing what you are in for is vital."

Yuki suggests, "How about we use the internet?"

"Uh?" Saiba seems confuse, "An internet? What's that? Is that some form of net or something for capturing prey? Why do we need a net for cooking? Oh wait, is it some kind of hair net?"

Everyone has completely forgotten that Saiba isn't from this world and still has a lot to experience.

So three days pass by as the dreadful day of the training camp. Everyone have been preparing for it as they back, refine their techniques, study hard, and pray for success. They want to make sure they got everything before they would go through the 'Camp From Hell' to see if they got what they have to pass...or they would fall. Their mode for transportation to the 'camp', are buses.

All the first-years of Polar Star are surprised to see a lot of them.

"I think I have a stomach ache." Megumi speaks.

Saiba looks at Megumi, "You get motion sickness, too?"

"No."

Saiba takes a deep breath, "Right." He looks at his fellow dormmates, "Listen up! Let's use everything we learned from the past three days and pass!"

Eveyrone loads all their luggage and bags into the buses as they take a road down to wherever the camp is being held. Along the way, Saiba is getting motion sickness as the fleet of buses make it to their destination: Totsuki Resort Hotel. When they got there, many of the Polar Star students look at the large building with awe, but Megumi is frightened and Saiba looks confused with five question marks appearing over his head and still feeling a little sick.

"THAT'S AWESOME!" Shoji and Daigo express their amazement.

"This is the training camp location?" Saiba asks. "I thought it might be a bunch of cabins in the woods or something. That's my definition of camping. This is a super large luxury tower. The school actually own this?"

Shun speaks, "Well, it might shock you, but Totsuki runs all the hotels around here."

"That's a hotel?" Saiba keeps on looking at a building, "Those are giant inns in this world. Right?"

Zenji adjust his glasses, "Indeed. I also heard a dozen or more are functioning under the Totsuki Resort brand. And a lot of the former graduates are currently working in their kitchens."

Shun speaks again, "If you stay for the night, I heard it can cost up to eighty-thousand yen."

The girls are freaking out as Yuki shouts, "That's like rent money for an entire month!"

Yet Saiba is confuse again, "How much is that in the currency back home?"

Zenji moves closer to whisper how much it costs in terms of gold and platinum coins.

Saiba freaks out, "THAT MUCH!? Holy fox-fire! That's how much a merchant can make in four months depending on how successful they are! Now I'm shocked!"

"At least you know how we all feel now." Megumi notices that Saiba is sweating a lot and his eyes have veins showing.

Yuki is all sparkly as she claps her hands together, "We get to stay here for the whole time, right? Time for some luxury!"

"If you can survive each days agenda." Shun breaks down Yuki's hopes.

Yuki just do a raspberry at him. "Shun, can you let a girl live in her dream world?!"

"I'm keeping it real. Come on, we have to assemble as soon as we put our luggage down."

"Yeah, fine."

Once everyone got their luggage out of the buses and into their assigned rooms, they head down to the assembly hall. Yet Saiba notices a vending machine on the way down and they have rice crackers. He buys three bags of them, but them in his bag, and heads off. Yet when the Polar Star students got there, the tension in the air is so thick that you can cut it with a knife. Some of the students look like they're about to lose hope and confidence.

Ryoko notes, 'This place is so eerily quiet. To think over one thousand students are gathered here.'

Indeed. The red hall with golden trimmings on the wall and golden chandeliers, despite being wonderful, it is severely quiet as students are gonna have to face the worst this camp will throw at them.

Yuki gulps, 'The calm before the storm. It's coming. This is where the training camp of hell is about to begin. I wonder how many of us gather here will make it.'

Despite the silence, Saiba breaks it as he notices a familiar face, "Hey, it's Ikumi!"

Ikumi turns around and notices Saiba, "S-Saiba?" Her face is blushing when she sees him and toying a strand of her hair.

Saiba waves, "Been a while, hasn't it?"

Yuki whispers to Saiba, "Saiba, don't you feel nervous at all?"

Saiba chuckles a little, "Who wouldn't be?" he turns to face Yuki with a very determine look, "But being nervous and gloomy won't solve anything. It maybe easier said than done, but hey, it takes real guts just to be here at all. I mean look around. We have a thousand students who are just as nervous as we are. However," he slams his fists together, "I say bring it on! It'll take more than some camping trip to bring me down. Just need to set my eyes on the prize and crash down any obstacle that gets in my way!"

Erina does a slow clap five times close by, "That's our transfer student." She stops clapping, "Totsuki students should always strive through. You are a perfect example of what a chef should do when push comes to shove."

"Oh hey, Erina." Megumi greets Erina.

Saiba just takes a few steps back to keep his distance.

Many of the students murmur to each other about how Erina gave Saiba, a transfer student from another world, a compliment. Some of the stuff he said does give the new generation of chefs some hope, yet some still have their doubts. Yet all that is silenced when Prof. Chapelle came on stage.

"Good morning, everyone! I will now briefly go over the details of this required training camp. You will be staying here for six days and split into groups. You will tackle various food related challenges, as well as test the limit of your stamina. Any student that falls below the standards set by the instructors will receive a failing grade. You will be returned to the academy and then asked to leave."

Megumi gulps at that last part.

"We have invited some guest instructors who will act as judges for your challenges."

"Guests?" one of the male students say and has no idea what is going on, "What kind of guests?"

"Though they are incredibly busy, they have gathered here for this event!" Chapelle looks to his left and introduce the guest, "Please welcome the graduates of Totsuki Academy!"

Many of the students are freaking out because they get to meet those that graduated from Totsuki and became renowned chefs. As a reminder, Totsuki Academy has a graduation rate of less than ten percent. Meeting one graduate is considered an honor for many students. But meeting a multitude of graduates that have survived the grueling challenges that Totsuki has thrown at them is like being in the presence of gods. Many men and women of different cooking genres have appear on stage to greet them.

Daigo freaks out, "Those are actual graduates!"

"And they all came here for us!" Shoji states and is just as freaked out, "Dude, they must be like geniuses to actually graduate from Totsuki!"

Saiba takes a good look at what he sees. He and his dormmates have went over everything to make sure they manage to succeed. They studied everyone of the graduates that is standing on stage, what kind of challenges will they expect, studied the different genres. Yet there is one that will be the most challenging among them all. And that one person caught a whiff of something in the air. This one person has coral-colored hair that comes to his neck, with bangs parted to the left. He also has a prominent undercut on his right side. His left ear is pierced with a silver hoop earing and he wears glasses over his amber colored eyes. He is also wearing a red scarf on his chef uniform.

He points out, "You there! In the ninth row from the front! The young man with brown hair!"

Saiba points at himself to see if this chef is talking about him.

"No, next to you!"

Another male student next to Saiba's right points at himself.

"Yes, you! You're expelled. You may leave now."

"Wha'!?"

The chef comes down from the stage to explain his reason, "Your hair product has a citrus aroma to it. That would mask the scent of your cooking, yes?" He approaches the kid which terrifies him, "Obviously I know it's important to look good. But a suarvy looking chef would lessen the appeal of his food." He walks away, "Perhaps next time you should chose an unscented hair product like the guy next to you."

Saiba's eyes widen a little as if this chef knows that he is using scentless products.

Yet the student outburst, "I'm expelled? Seriously!? For something like that?!"

The chef stops, "Something like that can be enough to lose customers." His voice sounds a little harsher. He turns his head to give a glaring disapproval look, "You little troll! Are you out to destroy my restaurant!?"

The student gets scared by his menacing eyes.

The chef continues to walk back on stage, "That'll be all. Get out of my sight."

Saiba whispers to Zenji, "Is that the guy?"

Zenji whispers back, "Yeah. Chef Kojiro Shinomiya. He's the first Japanese chef to ever win France's Pluspol award." Then he explains about the other chefs, "And that's Chef Fuyumi Mizuhara from Ristorante F. That's sushi restaurant Ginza Hinowa owner, Chef Hitoshi Sekimori."

Megumi is impressed, "Oh wow! All these chefs are featured in top magazines almost every month."

One chef with blonde hair approaches Megumi, "Just as unassuming as a dutch clover."

"Huh?"

The man smiles at her.

Zenji explains who it is, "From Auberge Tresor, Chef Donato Gotoda!

Donato holds onto Megumi's hands with everything being sparkly, "I was put on this earth so I can lay eyes upon you." He's starting to sound like some romantic, "Would you like to go back to my auberge? Where we can talk til the sun rise?"

Megumi is confuse on what is happening, "Huh? I uh- 'Cuse me, what was that?"

"Oh leave her alone, Chef Gotoda." A woman's voice is heard. She looks like she is smiling, but the shadow over her eyes tell a different story.

"Hmph. Hinako."

Zenji explains again, "That's Hinako Inui from the Japanese restaurant, Kiri-no-ya."

Hinako pushes Donato out of the way and hold Megumi's hands, "Oh sweetie, it must've been very frightening for you."

Megumi is now even more confuse on what is happening to her yet is a little creeped out.

Hinako places one hand on Megumi's cheek, "You certainly are adorable, aren't you?" then she turns her attention to Saiba, "And you. Despite you're a boy, you're just as adorable."

Saiba had large sweat drops on the back of his head, 'Why me?'

Donato interrupts, "Hinako." Chapelle is angry at them, "Master Chapelle is scowling. Let's go back."

Hinako looks at the angry scowl of Chapelle, "Oh."

The two head back on stage yet Hinako says to the two, "Come by my restaurant anytime."

Erina grabs onto Saiba's left arm and scowls Hinako. Megumi is still clueless.

Zenji says, "That's him! Oh my god!"

He is referring to a man in a brown suit with some sort of brown tie with a tree-branch-like pattern(?) and bald head that is on stage and holding the mic.

"He took the top spot of his graduation exam with the highest scores in history. That man turned down over eight-hundred offers from first-class restaurants all over the world, just to be in his current position. He's the executive chef of the Totsuki Resort chain and sits on the board of directors. Gin Dojima!"

Gin emits a very overwhelming aura that screams authority and charisma in the color of purple and the shape of flames.

Zenji sheds some tears, "I am freaking out! The elite chefs making a name for Japanese cuisine are all right here in front of us!"

Ryoko says, "Looks like Isshiki is right about Totsuki graduates being our instructors."

Yuki nods, "Yeah, and it looks like Saiba called it."

Erina look at Yuki and Ryoko, "What are you two talking about?"

Ryoko smiles, "We'll explain later."

Gin begins to speak, "Welcome students, to the illustrious Totsuki resort. All the graduates you seem before you are chef owners. Masters of their domains. For the six days you're here, we're going to treat you exactly as if your our employees at our restaurants. Do you know what that means? Anyone who does not perform to our liking," he makes a line with his thumb close to his neck, "is done. Meaning you're expelled."

Saiba just looks at Gin Dojima with a fire burning in his eyes. Erina notices as she noticed that his hand was squeezing to make a fist. For the moment, she swears she saw some sort of blue ember in one of his eyes.

"As you have seen, your teachers have the power to send you home at any moment."

Erina looked around and noticed that most of the students have the same look of determination and perseverance as Saiba does. Usually, students will be overcome with fear and anxiety when their future careers as chefs are hanging by a thread. Erina smirks as she looks back at Saiba. She believes that his words have meaning and given inspiration.

"I wish you good fighting. Now then, you know your groups. Get moving!"

Almost everyone scream out, "YEEEEEEAAAAAAHHH!" which is a surprise for most of the chefs. Even Gin was surprised yet smiles at such determine students that want to succeed.

Ryoko says to the other members of Polar Star as everyone around is getting to where they need to be, "Even if we are split up, let's do our best."

Shun nods to Ryoko.

Shoji and Daigo shout, "LET'S DO THIS!"

Yuki passes by, "I'll see ya!"

Saiba gives a thumbs-up, "Break some legs!"

Yet Megumi is still scared.

Saiba says to the boys, "Oh. We should meet in my room to come up with some strategies for the next part. And Zenji, if you get too tired, go to your room to get some sleep. Everyone'll be partying in my room so they won't bother you."

Zenji has tears streaming down his face when he turns to face Saiba, "Thank you!"

As the last of the students leave, Gin thinks for a moment, "Did I miss something that gave the students courage? What, or who, ever encourage must know something."

FIRST DAY!

Somewhere at one of the resort areas, the first challenge for Saiba and Megumi revolves around whatever Hinako tries to do. They are in a building in a middle of nowhere that is fenced off full of nature. Everyone is already in the kitchen and prepare for the first challenge.

"Okay, looks like we're all here. For this exercise, I would like for you to pair up and work in teams. You'll be in the same pairs as your first lecture of the semester so please head towards your labeled stations."

Megumi runs up to Saiba, "Thank the freakin' cosmos! I'm so glad to be paired with you again."

Saiba pets Megumi on the head, "There, there. No need to worry."

A boy with blonde hair approaches Saiba, "You're Saiba Yukihira, aren't you?" Turns out to be Takumi.

Saiba gives a serious glare at the boy, "That depends."

Takumi grins, "I was hoping to cross paths with you buddy. Never thought we would end-up in the same group. I really like the speech you made at the entrance ceremony. However, I'll be taking the number one spot. Too bad I wasn't invited to your club so I can finally meet you, face to face. I'm looking forward to crushing you and surpass whatever dish you make that will rival the ingredients of the Special Region." He is giving off a fiery aura with his brother behind him.

Saiba just look at Takumi with a straight face, "Sorry, who are you?"

Takumi nearly falls over just like the old anime cliche while his brother laughs.

Takumi regains his composure, "I'm Takumi Aldini. And I'm going to destroy you."

The chubby brother introduces himself, "I'm Isami Aldini, his twin brother."

"Twins?" Megumi asks.

"Okay. ...so...?"

"Okay everyone!" Hinako talks about the lesson while opening a bag of rice crackers and a tea set next to her on her seat, "I will be sitting her the whole time. If there's anything you don't understand, ask."

All the students are already don't understand what they're supposed to be doing.

"Um, chef?" one of the male students speak, "You haven't given any instructions on what to cook yet."

"Oh, I guess not!" Hinako stands up, "Okay, um, my challenge for you today," she shows an empty table, "is to use the ingredients here to make a dish emphasizing traditional Japanese cooking."

Now the students are even more confuse as they look at the empty table.

"But there isn't a supply of ingredients here."

"Well of course there is. The bounty of nature is at your disposal. And there is a lovely stream with plenty of options."

"So we're hunting?" Saiba is getting excited, "Hunting for ingredients?!"

"Exactly. You have seasonings, oils, and cooking utensils. Feel free to also use the fishing equipment. The surrounding area is our own land. You can go as far as the fence. Crossing the fence is an automatic failing grade. You'll get your ingredients solely from within the designated area and then cook with only them. As long as you make a dish that satisfies my palette, you will pass. You have two hours to complete your meal. Now get going and begin your journey."

"ALRIGHT!" Saiba yelled out that freaked out the other students. "Oh wait." Saiba gets out a pen and paper and writes something on it before giving it to Megumi. "Megumi, I may need your help getting these. Do you know what they look like?"

Megumi looks over the paper and it reads: Japanese angelica buds, ostrich fern, and butterbur sprouts. She immediately recognize the ingredients Saiba written down and goes, "Yeah. I grew up in the mountains, so I know what they look like."

"Good!" Saiba runs at the window, "I'll get the main ingredient, I'm counting on you. See you when I get back." Saiba opens the window and jumps out and heads into the forest areas.

"Huh?!" Megumi tries to process what she saw, "Did he just jump out the window?"

Takumi runs up to the window and shouts at Saiba, "Saiba, hold on! I haven't challenged you yet!"

Isami just laughs, "That guy is hilarious! It so came out of left field!"

The students just stood and try to process what happened.

Yet one of the female students snaps out, "What are we doing!? We should get the ingredients now!"

When they all realize that, they burst through the doors and try to find whatever ingredients they can cook.

Hinako smiles as they all left, "I'll see ya later~." and eats a rice cracker.

Saiba checks the area as he thinks, 'People in this world have narrow-minded thinking when they're place in an unfamiliar situation. Not to mention all the conveniences that this world has that made their whits dull and senses duller. They need to think outside of the box when their options are limited. Yet I already knew that the moment I entered that school. I love this challenge!'

As Saiba looks for something he can use, everyone else are searching for whatever they can find in hopes they can make something out of the limited options. Not to mention being ignorant of certain ingredients that are right next to them. Close by, the Aldini Brothers have caught a duck and already remove the head, feathers, and feet.

"That should do." Takumi says as he removes the last feather.

Isami looks over to his left, "Is that Saiba Yukihira?"

Takumi looks over and sees Saiba up in a tree and peering down at the three chickens below.

"What's he doing?" Isami asks.

Saiba jumps down from the tree as he grabs one of the chickens by the neck and ripped its head off with his mouth. Takumi and Isami are a little freaked out by seeing Saiba's more savage side. Saiba rips off all the feathers with amazing speed and without damaging the skin. Then he proceeds to rip the feet off with his teeth before squeezing the blood dry from the chicken's carcass. The other chickens runaway from such a sight as Saiba retrieves two eggs from where they made a nest. Once he got what he needed and finishes his prep work, he dashes out of the area. Takumi and Isami are still freaked out by what they saw.

"Brother?" Isami says to Takumi.

"Yeah?"

"Make sure you don't get on his bad side."

"N-noted."

Back at the main building, Megumi waited for Saiba to show up until he did.

"MEGUMI!" Saiba shouts.

She looks at the direction where Saiba shouts and notices he already has his chicken in his left hand and two eggs in another.

"I got the ingredients!"

"How did you pick the chicken clean? Wait, how did you get the chicken?"

"Nevermind that, let's head in and start cooking."

"Hold on a moment!" Takumi is running up with his brother behind.

"Oh hey...uh...who are you again?"

"TAKUMI ALDINI! GET IT MEMORIZED!"

Saiba chuckles a little, "I was only joking, Takumi." Saiba leaned over and spies a cooler Isami has. "So you guys got a duck, eh Isami?"

"How did you know that?" Isami asks.

"I can smell it." Saiba heads inside, "Come on, let's finish this challenge or we're all expelled."

Inside, almost all the students are prepping fish dishes as they gut and clean the fish.

Takumi acts all smug, "Well, well, well. The theme is Japanese so everyone is gonna use fish. Seems a little bit narrow minded is you ask me."

Many of the students don't like Takumi's tone.

"Now, now." Saiba says to Takumi, "You shouldn't look down on people, even what you said is a little true."

Now the students are angry at Saiba.

"The idea of cooking should be more focus on creativity rather than following the same set of rules everyone follows." Saiba smirks at Takumi, "How about you show off that duck of yours?"

"That you never ask." Takumi pulls out the duck he had in the cooler.

This was a surprise to the other students as one says, "You were able to get duck?!"

"And that's not all there was. There are a few rabbits out there too, yet Saiba here managed to get a chicken." He turns his attention to Saiba, "Which I gotta say, you have a weird way of prepping it. And you manage to not get any of its blood on you despite what you did."

Saiba gets embarrass, "You saw that?! Well, old hunting habits die hard. Heehee." He makes a light chuckle as he rubs the back of his head.

"You used to hunt?" one of the female students asks.

"Oh yeah." says one of the male students, "He told me about it back at the Special Region Research Society. He traveled with his grandfather to the new continent when he was just a little kid."

Saiba's fists are squeezed hard whenever someone mentions his grandfather. A bit of a touchy history there which we'll get to later.

Takumi moves through, "Out of the way." he makes his way towards Saiba and place his hand on his shoulder, "Move it, Saiba."

Saiba notices something when Takumi touches his shoulder before backing away. Something about Takumi's hand that felt all too familiar.

Now, the two brothers get to work.

"Isami!"

"It's go time."

Isami pulls out a knife, with a menacing smile, as he slices the wings off before moving on with the rest.

Megumi leans over and looks, 'He's slicing the breast and thigh meat with such precision. He's so fast. Without damaging any of the organs at all. What truly skillful knife work.'

Isami stops and turns his head towards Megumi, "Yeah? Can I do something for you?"

Megumi panics, "Oh! No! I was just noticing how good you are with that knife."

Isami organizes the organs and meat cuts, "Oh? You think so? Well my brother over there is three times faster than me." He slides the tray over to Takumi.

Takumi's hand is moving so fast and with such precision that it is hard to keep up as the two brothers prepare their dish.

Megumi is amazed, 'There are no breaks to his movement. There's no wasted motion what so ever. Who on earth is he?'

Saiba is leaning back as he goes, "Yeah. This guy has what it takes."

"Huh?" Megumi looks back at Saiba.

"His hands. Those are hands that obviously worked at a full-time restaurant."

Takumi puts the already simmered duck meat in the oven as he says in Italian, "Luce, forno." It means, 'Light, oven.' As the oven cooks Takumi says to Saiba, "Allow me to introduce myself again, properly. My name is Takumi Aldini. And this is my twin brother."

"I'm Isami Aldini."

"The two of us had already worked in the kitchen at our family's trattoria."

"Trattoria?" Megumi asks.

"What's that?" Saiba is confuse on the meaning of the word.

"It's Italian. It's a casual high-volume bistro. In other words, a restaurant."

Saiba's eyes perk up.

"You and I aren't so different." Takumi shows his trattoria signature on his left sleeve, "I as you, am a chef working to protect my family's restaurant. Yet like I said, I do like that speech you made at the entrance ceremony. Yet you also declared a challenge about being a top quality chef who had worked on ingredients people on this side of the portal had yet to taste. If I beat you with only the ingredients from this world," he points his finger at Saiba, "then I'll take my place at the top. Aldini versus Yukihira. I'll show you who is the top chef of this academy here!"

Saiba grins and chuckles as he put his headband on, "Good. I'm glad to finally have a challenge! So bring it on!" Something inside of Saiba has just woken-up. A deep fire burning deep within his soul.

"In that case..." Takumi brings out his prized, family possession, his mezzaluna.

"What is that!?" one of the students gasp at.

"A mezzaluna?" Saiba recognize what it is when he sees it.

"So you know what it is. I'm surprised to hear that. Mezzaluna means half-moon in Italian and it is primarily used in Italian cooking." Takumi grips the mezzaluna tightly, "Here we go." He chops up the greens with such lightning speed as he shouts out, "Tritare!" Which means 'Chop'.

The other students are amazed by what they see.

"He's totally mastered that strange knife-thing!"

"He's reducing the ingredients to paste in seconds!"

Isami is holding a metal bowl, "The duck is just about done, Takumi!"

"I'll have the salsa ready!"

"Gotcha! I'm finished on my end as well!"

"In that case," he hands the mezzaluna to Isami, "okay!"

Isami takes the mezzaluna while having that menacing smile on his face again and chops up the other ingredients. Before anyone knows it, they already finished.

Hinako giggles a little, "You guys finished first, did you?"

Takumi explains, "Speed is one of the sacred hallmarks of proper Italian cooking."

All the other students where blown away by how fast Takumi and Isami finished.

"That was way too fast!" one of the female students whispered.

One male student says, "And they still had time to drice the duck?"

"That didn't even take an hour!"

Takumi presents his dish, "This is an herb-grilled duck. With a fresh green sauce on the side. Buon Appetito." Which means, 'Enjoy your meal.'

Hinako takes her chopsticks and takes a piece of the duck, "Well then, let's have a taste." She takes a bite. 'The duck is so rich. It's brimming with the taste of the wild.'

In Hinako's mind, she can hear Italian opera music playing, 'Then there's a burst of artful refreshment that elevates the flavor.' She enjoys it, 'The combination of the wrappingness and elegance forms wave after wave reverberating to the stomach.'

Then she is in an opera house where a man dressed in a black suit and wearing a duck mask with his handsome face peeking out from the beak singing on stage with a purple spotlight shining down on him. He sings as he holds Hinako in his arms after she comes down from the air.

'It's like a... An aria of waterfowl.'

She stares deeply into his eyes and...yeah you can get the idea.

'I want this duck, to embrace me.'

Back in reality, one of the male student points out, "Ah man! Check out that green sauce he made. It's a salsa verde."

"It's got anchovies and chopped Italian parsley. That's a stable of Italian cooking."

"What're you guys thinking? The theme was Japanese."

"That's got to be an automatic fail."

"Wrong!" Saiba says in Takumi and Isami's defense. "It is Japanese. The sauce is salt-broil char and uruka entrails rather than anchovies."

All the students gasp that Saiba, who is now supposed to be Takumi's rival, stands up for the Aldini brothers.

"Correct, Yukihira." Hinako says which surprise the students more, "Yet I seem to recall that uruka generally take a week to prepare. But you made this on the spot, correct?"

Takumi says, "Yes. We washed the sweet fish entrails and boiled them in sake and added mirin, soy sauce and salt. Doing so, we made an impromto rich tasting uruka with a touch of bitterness."

"That's not all you did to convert it, did you? Rather than traditional Italian parsley, they used diced chives in its place. By using that, they made a refreshing green sauce. Also, instead of garlic, they used a citrus and pepper paste giving it a very Japanese flavor. The unique elements enhance the whole dish."

"I like to call it, Japanese-style salsa verde, which improvise uruka at its base."

The students are at awe by the creativity.

"They were able to make Japanese-style Italian sauce?"

"Dude, I'm drooling just hearing about it."

"It's incredible, I can't believe they were able to combine so many ingredients from just a small area!"

Hinako does some trivia, 'Unlike Japan, Italy has a long history of eating meat. And in Tuscany, where these brothers are from; duck, rabbit and boar are often served depending on the season. That explains where they learned to prepare duck. The breast excellent because it was grilled and glazed with soy sauce, spicy mustard and black pepper and honey. The salsa verde adds a perfect compliment." Hinako says to the brothers, "The dish was infused with Japanese elements and was measured in a creative way. A flawless combination of Japanese techniques and imagination. For that, you both pass!"

"Grazie!" the two say as they high five each other.

Everyone is completely amazed by what just happened and how a dish was prepared.

Megumi is thinking, 'With limited ingredients, he was able to come up with something on the spot. That guy reminds me of...of Saiba.'

Saiba cackles a little before laughing before drawing attention to himself. "Looks like it's my turn to be creative! Not to mention bringing my A game!"

Saiba pulls out his knife box and opens it. However, instead of using the knives that everyone can see, he pulls back a piece of cloth that shines a bright light.

"What is that?!" the male student ask as he covers his eyes.

Megumi shields her eyes, "SO BRIGHT!"

Takumi tries to see in the blinding and notices something. "Wait a minute. Is that a...a..."

Saiba pulls out his very own, custom made mezzaluna. The blade is black as coal with one part of the handle in a form of a minotaur while one is in the shape of a Roman emperor in battle armor, which both are as black as the blade yet the blade itself has a super sharp edge that gives it a steel coloration.

"A black mezzaluna!?"

TO BE CONTINUE!

AN: Hot damn! Finally got this finished. Whew! Hope you guys are doing great out there despite the idiocy of Trump supporters for the election. And please, I beg of you, don't vote for that clown. And before I forget, Happy Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year. Just in case I forget when loading new chapters. Stay safe, stay healthy, and please don't vote for Trump. I think we had enough idiocy to deal with as it is.

Until then, see ya guys later!