Notes:
Hey Everyone! Zancrowe Here!
And we begin! After our daily countdown over at Twitter where we ran down the days for this upcoming update (as well as chatting about the series, the fanfics, and all the turmoil that comes with creative writing), we are finally here. Nine (9) years in the making, I have finally reached the climax of the story I began with Nouvelle and have continued into Classique (and Something Borrowed, and… technically Citrus too!), so let's jump to it!
Remember, we are going to have weekly updates every Saturday for the rest of October, so be on the look out for that, and please, if you can, leave a Review with your thoughts on it. It can be even the shortest thing, but trust me, it would mean the world to me and it helps me so, so much whenever I get stuck, which when you are trying to get out four (4) chapters in one month, it happens a heck of a lot!
Shout-Out: Many thanks to Lea (known as IceColdSea, AKA the writer behind "Shokugeki no Kimiko" and a few other gems (like, go read her stuff and give her my thanks!)) for assisting me with the German opening statement we use to begin this very Chapter! Danke!
Twitter: ~ Zancrowe ~
Disclaimer: Don't own Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma.
"In Tokio findet heute das Finale des Interkontinentalen Shokugekis statt. Nach zwei Monaten in denen sich die größten und einflussreichsten Kochakademien gegeneinander gemessen haben, wird heute ein endgültiger Sieger unter ihnen gekürt werden…" a German television host began, with the Tootsuki Academy arena as a backdrop…
"…Qui décidera du sort du monde culinaire tel que nous le connaissons. L'Académie Tootsuki restera-t-elle le leader du système éducatif...?" a French reporter continued; the same message carried across many languages…
"…En esta Guerra de Comida total entre los Élite Diez y los Neo-Noirs que se ha estado gestando, o deberíamos decir, cocinándose desde hace bastante tiempo, en..." a Spanish commentator added, as it seemed everyone in the world was tuning in…
"…What will be our biggest, and final, Shokugeki in the history of the culinary world!" Urara concluded with her hands raised, eyes utterly wide at the spectacle of it all, but she knew, knew just how much was at risk. And for once, even she felt nervous to be on a stage and below those imposing spotlights.
It outright felt like the very Earth beneath her had shook the moment those eight chefs had walked onto the arena itself…
"I can't believe that I am getting genuinely nervous for this," Histoire noted, standing by, alongside the rest of his fellow WGO members. "I mean, we are no strangers to big events, we've hosted BLUE damn it, and yet, this thing…"
"It is very frightening, I'll admit," Charme replied, standing next to him. "Even with BLUE most of our spectators are related in some way to the Culinary Arts and World. This…? Everyone is watching. Makes you feel like the stage itself has its own gravity, pushing down on you."
"We best keep our spirits up," Anne was quick to say, "We have an obligation to those kids after all," she added, and both Histoire and Charme nodded. Still, Anne gave a pause, and turned, her eyes staring at her other co-worker for a moment. Decora. There was no way, right…? 'I have no reason to believe she's ever done something improper, but I don't see Gin Doujima or Riko Ebisawa… or that other guy, making false allegations like that. I mean, with Mana out, Decora is the next-in-line to become the Bookmaster, but… No, she couldn't be doing this for…'
"Something on your mind, Anne?" Decora asked, catching her staring. Anne quickly stammered and shook her head. Decora observed her for a moment, but just scoffed. "Don't go getting nervous now. This is what we've been building up to."
"We have to look super good today! Who knows, maybe my future husband is watching!" Courage noted, utterly oblivious to the tension in the air. Decora just laughed and playfully patted her friend on the head as if she were a child, before she turned to the other two in the waiting area with them.
One was little Miss Lanterby, currently sitting down and with her arms crossed. No longer working for Mana, the young woman seemed to have been a bit… gloomy as of late.
Next to her, however, was her little brother (or clone), Rantabi, and Decora almost glared at the young guy, and given how he flinched, he caught it.
"Why are you nervous?" Lanterby asked her brother, only half interested in the answer. "It's not like you're going to be on television or anything?"
"I-It's not that…" Rantabi argued, but he could still feel Decora's eyes on him. And he remembered Azami's warning. No, not warning. Threat. If he said anything, his sister would pay. And he knew Decora was practically the next Bookmaster as was, now that Mana was out, so for his sister's sake he had to keep quiet. But… damn it, this felt so… wrong.
"It's time," Decora announced, and she, alongside Courage, Histoire, Charme and a very conflicted Anne walked out toward the stage, just as Urara announced them and the crowds gave them a heartfelt cheer.
"And here we have them folks!" Urara introduced, again, all the while Yua remained on stand-by, rather petrified at the moment, "Our esteemed guest judges from the World Gourmet Organization. Featuring the lovely Anne Waltz, the charming Charme Gabler, the dashing Histoire Oakley, the gorgeous Decora Sinnerfield, and the beautiful Courage Summers!"
All five judges reached their table, each giving the audience, both on the stadium and back at home, a greeting of their own.
"And if that sounded like I'm kissing up to them it's because you damn right I am! I hope it works!"
'This girl…' they all thought in unison, eyes narrowed at the ever-perky hostess.
"Now then!" Urara continued, "Before we begin, let us explain the rules one last time! For this match-up, the Final Round will be played by the rules of "The Last Chef Standing", meaning our chefs will be cooking until all four opponents of the opposite team are taken out, no matter how long that takes! Both teams are free to choose whoever they wish to participate, so no random match-ups, but the ingredient will still be random!" she added, smiling brightly, before she gave Yua a firm slap on the rear, which caused the other girl to yelp, "And what else Yua?!"
"Eek! I-I mean, a-and this time both dishes presented to the judges must be a main course that follows the WGO's ratings standards," Yua quickly summarized. "W-Which means only the best of the best shall be accepted as a dish worthy of being judged today for this final round!"
"If I wasn't so professional, I'd comment on how you could taste the manipulation in the air, but since I am professional, I won't!" Urara added with a sly grin, and everyone there felt a sweat drop. This girl had no filter.
"Last chef standing huh? That sounds kinda fun…" Soma noted, smirking at the scene, even if to his own annoyance, he still found himself nervous at the sight of the Neo-Noirs, since the weight of it all was indeed quite noticeable.
"I imagined you'd think that," Erina said, her eyes on Soma, before the shifted towards the enemy's team, and her eyes fell on Asahi… 'So it's come to this brother… What can I even do here…?'
Eizan had no interest in playing along with Yukihira's suicidal tendencies of taking on those monsters, but her did turn to Isshiki, his eyebrow raised. "…Did you manage to get the results you wanted?"
"I wonder," Isshiki replied, and both Erina and Soma turned to the older boy, curious about what Eizan meant. "But against these opponents, we won't be sure until we're engaged against them…"
On the opposite side, Julius took a look at each of the Elite Ten present. "…Satoshi Isshiki, Erina Nakiri, Soma Yukihira, and… Etsuya Eizan… My, to think they'd actually end up with just four members at the end, what are the odds of that?" he noted with a little smirk, even if his tone sounded a bit annoyed. "So, you all heard the girl, last chef standing and we pick who goes, what do you suggest Leader?"
"I call dibs on Erina, it's time I end this farce of hers once and for all," Dove replied, before she turned towards her ex-boyfriend, her stare cold, as she spoke with a warning, "I assume you have no objections on the matter?"
"Me? Nah, you go and kick her little butt," Asahi said playfully, and it annoyed Dove. Was she the only one still hurting because of their split? Had he been able to move on just like that, or was he…? "But it is nerve-wrecking to be the opening act… Don't suppose any of you want to take a crack at it first?"
"My, that makes it sound like I should send you first," Dove teased, although it wasn't as playful as before. Asahi did his best not to frown and simply smiled at her.
"Come now, don't be a meanie."
"If it's all the same to you three…" Ashitaro cut in, and his voice was dripping with so much venom it did cause them all to turn to him defensively. Ashitaro, however, had his eyes on someone else. "I'd be more than happy to take out our only noteworthy threat."
"Oh?" Asahi noted, amused.
"Isshiki I take it?" Julius noted.
"…By all means," Dove said, as she signaled to the arena's center, "Go ahead."
Ashitaro's reply was a murderous slasher smile, as the Warlock Supreme began to walk forwards to the stage, quickly garnering a surge of whispers from all the audience members. Urara felt herself flinch at the sight of him, and Yua hid behind her, utterly terrified.
"…Ashitaro Sadatsuka seems to be the challenger from the Neo-Noirs side…" Urara announced rather reluctantly, before she turned to the opposite side, "And our representative from the Elite Ten shall be…?!"
Soma stared at Ashitaro, and he frowned. For as much as he was wary of all of them, given how Dove was the leader, Julius had first-hand experience cooking against three out of the four of them, and Asahi was, well, Asahi; Ashitaro just made his stomach turn. The abusive older brother of Nao's, that had made that girl's life a living nightmare. He outright despised this feeling, which was quite a unique sensation for a guy so carefree as he normally was.
"I can start, if you guys don't mind," Soma noted, smashing his fist into his palm, ready to go once given the green light by his team.
"Excellent strategy. We start by losing. They'll never see it coming," Eizan mocked, and Soma felt a vein pop.
"Like we can depend on you helping?!" Soma barked back, utterly annoyed. Eizan just stared him down, and both boys seemed on the verge of just duking it out right then and there.
"For the last time, behave!" Erina quickly called out, and both of them gave a pause, even if they were still discreetly glaring at each other. "We cannot take this lightly. Soma, do you wish to engage against… him?"
"I want, no, I need to help Nao," Soma declared, "And I have a duty to my Polar Stars, so I –"
Soma was interrupted, however, when he felt Isshiki's hand on his shoulder. He turned, confused, as Isshiki smiled to him.
"Very well said Soma," Isshiki noted, proudly. "Spoken like a true Polar Star should. And I do recall telling you, way back when little Nao and little Loren were fighting like cats and dogs, that you could not depend on me to handle all the troubling affairs, as I graduate this year, but…" Isshiki added, his eyes now onto the stage, "…That does not mean I will ever stop taking care of my friends. So, take it easy for now, and if you will, allow me to handle things once more…"
Soma stared, his eyes wide, but he nodded instantly. If anyone could do it, he knew it was Isshiki.
Erina also gave him a nod of approval. After everything she had seen, if there was one chef she placed even above herself, it was the Second Seat.
Eizan did a click of his tongue, but said nothing. If any of them could realistically score a win, it would be him, but…
Isshiki gave them all a smile, and flashed them all a firm thumbs up, before he marched down towards the stage, his eyes on the mad grin the Warlock now sported.
"…A-And it's our Second Seat Satoshi Isshiki," Urara barely managed to announce, her nerves getting the best of her, "Okay, wow, why does this feel like the final match of them all, and it's just the first…?" she couldn't help but blurt out, and Yua gulped.
"What say you Isshiki?" Ashitaro greeted, "Time you learned not to meddle in affairs that do not concern you…"
"Save your threats," Isshiki replied, "For I am in no mood to humor you."
The screen came alive, and it quickly flashed the beginning of the end. It read:
Satoshi Isshiki vs. Ashitaro Sadatsuka
Loren stared down at the scene, and he knew how bad things where when all these loudmouths seated next to him were so quiet you could hear a needle drop. He frowned, his eyes on Ashitaro. But before he could say anything, he felt a weight on his shoulder, and he didn't mean that figuratively. He turned, confused, and saw how Nao had rested her head on it.
"Nao…?" he asked, blushing a bit.
"Just seeing him there makes me feel light headed," she admitted, and her tone was clearly that of a very frightened girl. It made him mad at not being able to do more.
"Don't worry, if all else fails, we'll just run away…"
Nao gave out a little smile. "…Dummy," she said, a little embarrassed about not being sure if he had said it in yest or if he meant it. If he did, she wouldn't really reject his offer, she'd note, but never say.
"But," Loren added, softly, and it was a far cry from the boy she had met initially who had everyone fooled but her. "If anyone can take him down, it's Isshiki. He's just as good as Dove is."
And Nao bit her lower lip. She knew that was the highest compliment Loren would ever give any chef; and it sounded almost unreal to hear it. But she prayed, prayed he was right. Because she also knew… Just how horrifyingly talented her older brother was as well…
"It's Isshiki vs. Ashitaro in what feels like the end of the tournament but it's just the start!" Urara began, mustering up the nerve to declare the Food War, "Judges, what will our – Huh?"
Urara paused, flinching, as she felt Yua sink behind her.
Azami Nakamura had walked onto the stage.
The man clad in all-black paused, his eyes on his son for a brief moment, who simply offered him a smirk, before he turned towards the Elite Ten. Eizan just stared back. Soma was outright glaring. And Erina…
"My, you really are going through a rebellious phase," Azami noted, microphone on hand, and the crowd knew not if they should sneer at him or something. "Cutting off your lovely hair, what a pity."
"My hairstyle is not meant to please you, father," Erina sharply replied.
"Oh, I am aware," Azami said, "And, before the entire world tries to cancel me any further, worry not, I am merely here to observe. I will be joining the judges in tasting the dishes made by the first, of soon to be many, of my Academy's student's finest dishes; and, of course, those made by the remaining Elite Ten members… But, do not worry, I am aware I will get no vote on the matter, for the purpose of a fair and unbiased ruling."
Up at the seats, the rest of the Elite Ten looked on, and they all felt a collective shiver at seeing that man down there, as he snapped his fingers and a seat was brought out for him. "…He's up to something, I can feel it in my bones…" Kuga noted, sticking his tongue out at Azami.
"He always is…" Nene replied, eyes narrowed. The rest of the group could all feel it, but she kept her eyes on Isshiki. 'Be careful Satoshi. He is just as cornered as we are. You have always been perfect to an insufferable degree… I need you to keep that up for just a little longer…'
"How… lovely…" Urara forced herself to say, still trembling at the new "guest", before she cleared her throat and tried again, "A-Anyways! Judges, our theme!"
With her hand raised, the screen began to flicker once more, and all eyes fell on it. The silence was almost too much to bear as they all waited, some not even breathing due to their nerves, until it came to a halt and gave the contestants their theme. And, as Nao stared utterly horrified, it was the worst theme imaginable.
Ashitaro let out the widest of grins.
Isshiki frowned, but he did not look shaken.
Shark
"W-Why was that the theme…?!" Nao blurted out, her eyes wide, looking at the screen as if it outright spelled out her doom. She couldn't believe it. There was no damn way, that out of all the opponents Tootsuki had faced, they'd end up with that theme against Ashitaro of all people. And just like that, thoughts she desperately tried to keep buried surged back all at once…
"Ta-da!" her mother Riko showcased proudly, as she and her family made their way into the luxurious resort room that had been offered to them. Well, less "room" and more "fancy house", but the point stood. Riko gave the three a wide grin. "Not too shabby for our first time in Iceland, now is it?"
"Oh, no, it's quite… spectacular," her then husband, Toshio, noted. The man pretended to smile, even if in the back of his head all he could think of was how the invitation for the event they were heading towards had been addressed to "Riko Ebisawa plus one", and he felt utterly insulted by it.
"It's huge!" little Nao, almost six at this point, marveled at the sight, soaking in the sights. She quickly ran all over the living room, before she begun to bounce on one of the couches. "Bouncy! Ashitaro, look! I can bounce higher than you!"
Ashitaro, recently turned nine, gave his sister a look, before he nodded. "…Try not to fall on your face. Momma has an important event to go to, and she can't take time away to run to a hospital with you."
Nao just stuck her tongue out at him as she continued to bounce.
"Now!" Riko announced by clapping her hands together. "You kids better behave today. You'll be with your nanny and all of our staff, but if anything happens, you give me or your father a call, okay?"
"We'd rather call you," both Ashitaro and Nao voiced in unison, both utterly stone-faced as they said it, and Riko felt an eye twitch. Toshio grumbled something before he turned away.
"I-I see… Sure, you do that!" Riko powered through. "Still, make sure to keep each other safe, okay. And watch over your little sister Ashitaro."
"Yeah, yeah," the young boy replied, as he walked through the living room, and in one fell swoop, caught Nao as she was bouncing about, and carried her away. She complained something she can't recall, but she remembers laughing and giggling all the way through.
They made their way through the complex, marveling at the sights, with Nao asking him about every little thing, and Ashitaro replying whenever he could, and if he didn't know the answer, he made it up. But of course, both of them soon found themselves in the kitchen, where the Sadatsuka staff was currently unpacking everything. Nao stared at the work with eager eyes, as Ashitaro's focus was drawn elsewhere…
"What's that?"
Ashitaro asked, pointing at a very large container marked strangely.
"Oh, young master?" one of the staff members voiced in surprise. Nao no longer remembered her name. She was one of the many who quit after Ashitaro burned her and her father did nothing about it. She had been a kind person. "That's something for a local delicacy your mother… I mean, Mrs. Riko is going to be preparing tonight for the event. Do you wish to see it? I do warn you; the smell is… quite strong."
"I'm used to stinky foods," Ashitaro boasted, his eyes never leaving the container. It looked like an actual coffin.
"I like them too!" Nao said with her little fist in the air. "They taste very yummy if you cook them good! And momma does, as does Ashitaro!"
"Oh, yes, quite," another staff member noted, "And your father too, right kids?"
"…eh," both siblings said, eyes to the side.
The staff felt an urge to laugh, but held out like champs. Still, Ashitaro, with Nao trailing behind, got close to the container, as the nice lady warned him about the stench that would come from it, but since they couldn't say "no" to these kids, she let him have a look.
The container was opened, and in an instant, the absolute worse smell invaded the entire complex. Ashitaro could hear his father, all the way back at the living room, complain, as Riko laughed and explained what it was, all the while little Nao took a good five steps back.
"That's not stinky!" the little witch cried out, covering her nose and with tears in her eyes. "That's horrible! I can't breathe! And it looks scary! Cover it up!"
"It's…" Ashitaro noted, grimacing at the strong stench, which even he had trouble resisting. The smell was too strong, almost like stagnant urine left out, or an outright rotting corpse, which, in essence, it was. His eyes did marvel at the sight, however.
He had never seen a dead shark before…
Ashitaro began to cackle like a madman, as he relished at the choice of theme they had been given. Isshiki stared him down, his glare fixed on the Warlock. Ashitaro slowly stopped his mad laugh, before he turned his red eyes towards Isshiki. "…What a shame Isshiki," he "lamented", "And here I had considered that I would at least find a decent challenge in you, but… it seems fortune has looked down on you today."
"I will assume you are quite proficient with this theme, correct?" Isshiki noted, and Ashitaro laughed a bit more.
"Oh, like you wouldn't believe it!" Ashitaro boasted, his mad grin in full display. "I'll show you! Show all of you! What a true chef's specialty can really be! You will be forced to bow down before my –!"
"Hákarl, I imagine…" Isshiki cut in, and Ashitaro's laughter slowly subsided, as he turned towards Isshiki once more. He frowned. Isshiki smiled. "It does not surprise me that one of the worst smelling dishes known to man would be part of your repertoire if I'm being honest."
"Do you feel confident that with that knowledge, you can counter it?"
"We will see that soon enough…"
"And the theme is shark!" Urara announced, signaling to the screen. "Can we get the Jaws theme to play? What? No? Because of copyright?! Seriously? But aren't we filthy stinking rich…? Oh, fine, imagine it then folks! Or open a tab on YouTube and play the theme as this match goes on! Anyways, contestants, are we ready?!"
Ashitaro's wicked slasher smile outright resembled those of an actual shark.
Isshiki kept his eyes focused, knife on hand, the grip ever so tight.
"Now then…!" Urara began, and soon Yua joined in, with both girls raising their hands in unison and officially declaring that the Final Rounds of the Intercontinental Shokugeki had begun, as they both announced, "Shokugeki… Start!"
Before Isshiki even had the time to walk towards to his side of the kitchen, he saw, from the corner of his eyes, as Ashitaro raised his arm, and with a loud snap of his fingers, the WGO staff quickly rolled out a little cart carrying what looked like an outright coffin on it. Isshiki stared at the materials being brought in, and he frowned. Despite it being members of the WGO carting it in, the container was clearly marked with the "Sadatsuka Culinary Institute" logo.
"Do not think I am engaged in any foul play Satoshi Isshiki," Ashitaro told him, as he walked towards the container, his boney finger trailing over it, before, with his fingers, he removed the locks with audible clicks. "My cooking style often requires cured ingredients, and those take weeks to even months to get ready. I couldn't compete at my utmost if I was limited in this usage. Although, considering that one girl in your dorm, Ryoko was it? With her, I take it you are at least familiar with this type of cuisine?"
"T-That freak knows you by name?!" Yuuki asked, feeling a shiver run down her spine, as she turned to Ryoko.
"How does he know how I cook…?" Ryoko said with a little nervousness in her tone, "Was it during our matches against the Noirs? Did he figure my entire style out in just that one match?"
"Soma did say all these Neo-Noirs were insanely observant!" Marui cried out, terrified.
"Either that… or when he broke into our dorm he did a little more than just take Nao's picture…" Shun added, as he turned to the side, his eyes on the currently terrified little witch.
"…I wouldn't put it past him," Nao voiced, biting her nails, trying and failing to keep herself calm. She had already confronted him. She had said her piece. But she knew she was still far from safe. And with such a theme…
"Relax," Loren's voice cut through her train of thoughts. She turned, a little surprised at the seriousness behind his tone. Loren's eyes were focused fully on the duel below them all. "Everything we here know of your brother, Isshiki does too. And he doesn't look scared. He's staring that asshole down. He's got this. He can take him out…"
"…I would appreciate it if you kept my friends' names out of your mouth," Isshiki softly told him, eyes narrowed. "And, just so I don't come off as being unclear in my meaning… That includes little Nao as well."
"My sister has so many simps it would seem…" Ashitaro said with a mocking laugh. "Isn't she a little too young for you?"
"She seems quite happy with our resident troublemaker, well, our latest I mean," Isshiki replied with a little grin, and Ashitaro scoffed. How he hated being reminded of that one. And at how he couldn't yet do a thing about it as long as that kid had the protection of Dove, and by essence, Azami himself. But… soon.
"Whatever…" Ashitaro continued, and took hold of the large lid, "Don't faint now, Isshiki. At least make this fun for me, won't ya!"
And he outright threw the lid aside, and like a curse being placed onto the very stadium, in the span of less than a second, the area was engulfed with the worst possible stench imaginable. Hundreds of cries and groans could be heard through out the crowd, as they were all hit by the ever-consuming stench. It was a curse, it had to be. There was no other way to explain how something could stink so much of death and not be malicious in nature.
Nao covered her face with her hands, tears in her eyes. She could see how Loren almost fell back at the stench, and how everyone there with her, from the Polar Stars, to their closest friends, all seemed to be gagging at the moment. Even Ryoko, a fellow expert of fermentation, looked about to gag.
Up above, the Elite Ten all recoiled, each of them feeling as if they had just been slapped. Megumi had to even forget about her own misery for the moment and tend to Akira, who felt he had just been nasally violated.
"Damn…" Jouichirou noted, giving the stench a little whistle. "Kid cured that himself?"
"…Yeah. He fell in love with this practice ever since he was a boy," Riko replied, her eyes narrowing in outright regret. "In the art of fermentation, even I can't compete with him…"
Gin said nothing, his eyes on the stage. And on Isshiki, who if they all felt it hit them this hard from this far away, for the Second Seat it must be like…
Isshiki took a step back even against his own volition, and cursed at himself for it, as Ashitaro noticed and laughed.
"It is normal," the Warlock mocked, "It is normal to reel in fear against something you cannot comprehend!"
"H-How are we supposed to comment when we can barely even breathe?!" Urara cried out, no longer on the stage, but hiding behind Soma. "I think Yua even fainted!"
Yua was sitting down, next to Erina, currently with her head spinning, completely lightheaded.
"It is quite the… strong smell, even for Hákarl," Histoire noted.
"Fermented shark made from the competitor himself months ago, this was supervised by the WGO, correct?" Anne asked, her eyes towards the rest.
"Naturally," Decora quickly confirmed, "Do not underestimate these ones, Anne. The WGO actually offered to supply any type of fermented ingredients for the chefs to use given the time constraints and randomness of the themes, but Ashitaro Sadatsuka declined our offer. In his words… We would have delivered an inferior product, no matter who it was."
"Quite the proud fellah," Charme said with a hint of annoyance.
"I don't think we can argue with the results," Courage added, "It truly feels like something that only he, and he alone, could accomplish…"
"Indeed," Azami proudly boasted, as the five judges turned to him, Decora trying to hide her smirk, as Anne tried to hide her frown. "…Young Ashitaro Sadatsuka is a master of his craft. And under his hands, only the best of fermentation techniques are utilized. He is a master of the art, capable of making corpses bend to his will. A true gourmet necromancer…!"
"H-How is this theme fair if it falls right into this guy's specialty?!" Urara cried out, outright crying because her nostrils were being assaulted. Azami just scoffed.
"It is, and always has been, random selection," Azami replied. "The only ones with control over any of this is our dear WGO. Are you implying that such an esteemed institute is acting in nothing but pure professionalism?"
As Urara just fidgeted and was unable to reply, Anne frowned. 'Coincidence? I mean, it is possible. Soma Yukihira got a pizza theme against Alessandro Costa, and that had to be random… Right? Azami has no way to alter or choose what appears on that screen… But…' her eyes shifted, from Azami to… 'Decora could… No, there's no way! Nobody in the WGO would risk so much for something like this? What would she gain?! Damn it, why do I feel like something very wrong is happening here?!'
"Don't mind that so much Urara," Soma told the hostess, with a little smile. "After all, Isshiki hasn't complained, so I am certain he has this."
"H-How can you sound so damn calm!?" Urara blasted right at his ear, before her eyes widened. "D-Don't tell me… You trained so hard that even this unholy stench no longer even phases you…?!"
Soma gave her a very confident smirk…
…Before his eyes went wide with tears and he shook his head.
"Heck no! I feel about to faint, just powering through!" Soma declared, and Urara lost so much newfound respect for him. She also looked at the other members of the Elite Ten. Eizan's face looked even more contorted than usual, which was quite a sight, while Erina outright had a little oxygen mask on, as she stood proudly, smirking at having thought ahead.
"Seems your team's a bit shaken up by just this…" Ashitaro mocked.
"It is a rather strong stench, but not quite enough to make anyone who wears this uniform run away from a kitchen," Isshiki asserted.
"Is that so…?" Ashitaro asked, and Isshiki looked on. That tone sounded off. "You say that, but as much as I hate to admit it, take a good look at your team, and then look at mine!" Ashitaro exclaimed with his tongue sticking out. "And then tell if we're in the same playing field or not!"
Isshiki, and upon hearing his words, Erina and Soma, all turned towards the Neo-Noirs, and it really was a frightening sight.
Dove, Asahi and Julius stood by, utterly unbothered by the stench.
'…This is impossible,' Eizan inwardly thought, frowning.
'They're not affected at all…?' Soma said to himself, half impressed, half annoyed.
Erina just stared, her eyes narrowed at the three of them…
"It is quite the impressive display," Isshiki admitted, before his twirled his knife in place, and stood next to his counter. He took out a small can of something, opening it up and placing it aside for now, before he continued with, "But there's more to a chef than merely having a strong stomach, I do assume you know this?"
"If that makes you feel better, say whatever you wish…" Ashitaro shot back, and moved to take hold of his prize. The entire shark he had cut to pieces and left to rot for months. He pulled the putrid pieces out, and you could hear scattered gasps at the sight of that crusty monstrosity being taken out and placed onto the kitchen counter. Then Ashitaro took out his sharp knife, and with a sadistic grin…
…He began to learn how to prepare the shark for the curing process. It was a heavy procedure, but one he felt was so rewarding. Ashitaro worked tirelessly to learn how to perfect this process, and little Nao always loved to watch all of it, even if she found the giant dead fish utterly frightening. Sort-of fascinating too…
And Ashitaro loved the entire thing. He took his knife, and made sure to take care of each shark. Take hold of the beast, sink his knife well into its flesh, gutting the dead creature, and discarding the fins, tail, innards, the cartilage and, lastly, the head. He used a large cleaver for it. And it always made him laugh to decapitate them. He would then cut the flesh into large pieces, making sure to wash what he would store in running water to get all slime and blood off.
As he did, Nao looked on, her eyes wide with curiosity and awe. Her brother was very talented, and he was oh-so fun to watch. He could maybe be even better than…
"You're about as good as mom," Nao noted, and while she didn't notice, Ashitaro paused. Little Nao moved closer, examining the pieces of the freshly cut sharp, now made mincemeat. "I'm still not good with cutting something so gigantic…"
"Is that so…?" Ashitaro voiced, before his grip on his knife tightened. She was close, and he wondered, just wondered, if it was so easy to cut up such a frightening creature, then how hard would it be…?
"What do you do next?" she asked him, her eyes sparkling in anticipation.
He stared at her for a moment.
Then he bent down…
…he flipped his knife around, making it face away from her.
"Don't get too close to the counter, I could cut you by accident," he told her, and gave her a little shove to get her to move away. She pouted, but did as she was told and went back to the little seat they had provided for her. And she continued to watch her brother work, utterly unaware of the mess that his mind was slowly becoming…
…And it was like outright dark magic, as Ashitaro made a clean cut over the skin of the shark, removing the golden-brown crust that had formed over it, revealing the whitish flesh underneath. Just one slice, and it seemed as if no better cut could have been made. There was no trace of crust left on the meat, and no trace of meat on the discarded crust.
"One has to be careful when prepping a shark," Ashitaro explained, utterly thrilled. "And I was extra careful with this one. Did it the old fashion way. Dug a hole, covered it in gravel, left it buried for two months thanks to the warmer weather. It had to be perfect, enough space to let it breathe, but not enough to let the sun hit it directly. Let it rot just right…"
He then flipped his knife around, and began to cut the pieces into tinier portions. It was almost maddening to see how effortlessly he handled such hazardous material.
"You better have a good response for me Isshiki," Ashitaro warned, his grin wide as can be, as he took hold of the shark's sharp jaws, which he had stored in there purely for show, and held in on his hand, playfully "biting" at Isshiki, "Otherwise you will just be another prey to fall victim to my craft!"
"…Naturally, I did not come to this match underestimating you," Isshiki offered. "There is simply too much at stake. But I take it you have been too busy showing us your process that you haven't been paying attention to what I've been doing…?"
As Isshiki said this, Ashitaro frowned, his eyes now on a saucepan Isshiki had been boiling. He was right, Ashitaro had not noticed. And it made him smile.
"Oh? So you are going to fight back after all…"
"Fight back? No, I am going to destroy you…"
And Isshiki took off the lid of his saucepan, and it a second, the entire putrid smell from Ashitaro's would-be Hákarl got eclipsed by a fragrance of aromas. It outright cleared the air in the entire stadium, and allowed many people there to finally breathe again. And they all stared in disbelief. What in the world…?
"That's…!" Ashitaro exclaimed, clenching his jaw at the realization.
"Frightening as your skill is, if I already know what sense you attack the most, why, it makes sense I could devise an effective counter," Isshiki explained, as Ashitaro glared. "One of my fellow Elite Ten members has quite the nose when it comes to these sorts of things, so I am borrowing a page from his book, and challenging your stench with the world's best spices."
The judges all looked on, eyes wide.
Azami for his part kept his polite smile up, even if his eyes did shift into the saucepan Isshiki had just unveiled.
'Ashitaro went at it without holding back, no doubt thanks to his father's warnings,' Julius noted, observing the two. 'But to think Satoshi Isshiki would counter it with an aroma so intense it outright eclipsed the Hákarl's smell… Quite ingenious…'
'Seriously…?' Asahi thought with his eyes narrowed, annoyed, 'Damn it, I need to plan this out properly! And it doesn't help if they both keep upstaging one another. I don't care who wins, just make it clear!'
Dove kept her eyes on the match, her eyes shifting from Ashitaro, to Isshiki, to then, Azami. She said nothing, but her eyes were searching for something even she wasn't sure how to describe.
"W-Wait! The stench is barely noticeable now! How?!" Urara excitedly announced, as she dragged Yua and herself back onto the stage. "In an impressive show of force, Isshiki has just blown away the competition, in a slightly literal way I suppose! What was used I wonder?!"
"A very delicate choice of spices is all," Isshiki noted, as he began to take out a few vegetables and cut them into the necessary prep. "All I used was –"
"Crushed garlic, chili peppers, rosemary, basil, parsley, thyme, marjoram, sage, saffron, and cumin," Ashitaro noted, and Isshiki frowned. He didn't miss a single one. "And I assume you aren't planning on just throwing all of them into your dish. You are attempting to trick me. Make me confused over which ones are meant for your plate, and which ones are just there to help displace my stench…"
"How very observant…"
"And how very risky…" Ashitaro added, glaring. "To attempt to combat me, in my domain, with the polar opposite of my craft, why, that's an equivalent as if we were samurai, and you…"
And that's how everyone saw it…
Ashitaro, a mad man, the biggest criminal to have ever graced Japan. A man that they had long attempted to execute, but he survived still. Shot in the head, burned alive, and he still lived on. Covered in bandages, only showing his mad eyes and madder grin. And on his hand, Mugenjin, the saw-like blade meant not just to kill, but to mercilessly maim and gruesomely murder; and without wear and tear. That sharpness, was currently aimed at Isshiki…
Isshiki, for his part, was nothing but a wanderer. A man with no home, a samurai with no aim to ever kill again. He had been nicknamed the Battōsai, and on his hand, challenging Ashitaro's frightening weapon of killing, was a unique Sakabatō, a thin katana with the unique property of having the edge of the sword facing the wrong way. A reverse-bladed sword!
"…Were challenging me with an ill-fit weapon," Ashitaro observed.
"It is not our blades that will decide this match," Isshiki announced, as he scrapped the cutting board with his knife, tossing all his perfectly cut vegetables right across the kitchen and into their pan, to a collective gasp from the audience. "But our skill. So bring me everything, for as much as you think you have observed me, I too, have observed you. Hákarl is a delectable meal, but don't think me foolish enough to believe you'd be content with simply serving our judges that without any addition or alteration."
Ashitaro laughed. "Quite… just Hákarl alone would not… suffice. Very well. I shall use all my skills, and cut you down right here!"
And both young men turned back to their kitchens, with Ashitaro taking out several vegetables, as well as a few other choice ingredients…
'That's gorgonzola,' Isshiki noted, 'Italian blue cheese, quite buttery and salty, with a taste comparable to the traditional Hákarl itself… Is he attempting to sync similar flavors to boost them up? But… that's not all he took out. The veggies I can easily figure are meant to fill in the gaps and give texture, but…'
Ashitaro had also taken out a bottle.
'That's…!'
"If you have any doubts, feel free to ask me," Ashitaro gloated. "I have no problem explaining to you anything you fail to understand my dear Isshiki," he added, before he turned to the side, "Or to you two, my dear hostesses…"
"No thanks!" Urara quickly shot back, sticking her tongue out at him. Yua just panicked and hid behind Urara. Why was she here? The poor girl wanted this nightmare to end.
"I do appreciate your… kindness, is it?" Isshiki replied, "But it is unneeded. I can tell you brought out quite the spirit there. An akvavit, is it not?"
"Quite observant… Even after I went through the trouble of removing the labels…"
"It is appreciated, we don't want to showcase any brands we are not sponsored by," Isshiki stated matter-of-factly, but it still unnerved him. 'That type of spirit is made with quite a few herbs and spices, and the flavor is intense. Don't tell me? Is he actually planning to take his dish in a similar direction to mine? But, something so strong, mixed with a meat so putrid, the effect could might as well be…!'
…The moment Ashitaro lunged at Isshiki, his blade ignited into flames. The fat still feeding the blade created an intense flame, one which caught Isshiki off-guard. He attempted to block, focusing on not the flame, but on the tip of the sword, but the moment Ashitaro's sword was pulled back, it seemed to explode in a fiery eruption, increasing its speed and slashing Isshiki down, bringing him down to his knee.
"How…?" Ashitaro asked through his mad laugh, his blade burning. "How was your first taste of the pain of being cut and burned at the same time?!"
'…I cannot get careless,' Isshiki noted grimly. 'The taste this man is attempting to achieve here is no joke. I have to reply in kind, or after the judges taste his craft, they will not even bother with mine. It will simply look too unappealing as a result, and they could very well vote against my dish on that merit alone… No, calm down, focus. He cannot win. He will not win.'
Isshiki continued with his dish, taking out the main portion of his own theme. In his hands…
"S-Shark fin?!" Urara announced, eyes wide.
"…But compared to Ashitaro, that's…" Yua voiced, feeling a sense of dread hit her.
"Shark fin? Really?" Ashitaro asked, unamused. "Such a dull flavor… Is this really your answer? Attempt to "spice up" a shark fin?"
"My… I gave you the benefit of the doubt when you seemed to be headed down a simple dish," Isshiki noted, "I had expected you'd offer me the same courtesy…"
Isshiki then took out a chunk of pork meat, and began to slice it until it was fully shredded. He followed up by taking hold of an entire chicken, and cutting it down, slicing it off with a little saw, effortlessly, before he separated all the breast meat there was.
'The shark fin is rather dull on its own, but it can be transformed if used correctly,' Isshiki noted, 'I have the vegetables frying, I have the spices ready. Get the meat done, then prepare a batch of cellophane noodles, that way I can…!'
And Isshiki moved to strike, his dish slowly forming itself into an attack, as he lunged at Ashitaro, in blinding speeds…
But Ashitaro caught is sword with his hand.
"I've already seen that before," he taunted, "Once I've cooked a dish, it won't work against me. Isshiki… Shall I fee on you as well?"
And to Isshiki's horror, Ashitaro opened his mouth as wide as a shark's, and sunk his teeth deep onto Isshiki's neck, making the young samurai scream in agony.
It was Ashitaro's laughter that first caught him off-guard, as Isshiki had moved to continue, but Ashitaro's mad eyes said it all. "…Shark Fin Soup, a Chinese delicacy," he observed, and Isshiki felt everything grow cold. "You think if you just mix it up enough, if you combine the traditional recipe with the newer variant, the so-called "Imitation", you can produce a dish that is both timeless and new, and get the most out of the shark's fin, don't ya?"
Isshiki was frozen in place, hand on his cut meat. 'How…?'
"I did warn you this was my domain," Ashitaro gloated. "You plan on attacking my dish with but a portion of a shark, while I have the entire beast under my spell! Don't you see! That dish you are preparing; it was what I started with before I could handle the entire thing! You are attempting to challenge a master with a beginner's craft!"
"…Menacing words," Isshiki noted, "But I would not be so quick to judge. While it is true my inspiration lies with the traditional combined with the new, this dish's true nature will surprise you when –"
"With your usage of the dried black fungus and the Chinese black shrooms?"
At this Isshiki felt his world fall apart. He hadn't even taken those ingredients out yet. And somehow… He knew. Ashitaro knew. He had thought off what Isshiki was going to use before Isshiki had even started, and now, Isshiki could actually feel it.
'No…' Isshiki thought, eyes wide, as the sweat feel from his temple. It felt as cold as ice. 'I cannot counter his dish with this… It won't work. Everything I studied upon regarding his father, it isn't enough. Ashitaro… he eclipses his father by too much. I can't win if I serve this…!'
It was like if Ashitaro had been utterly unaffected by Isshiki's strikes, and with just a few of his own, had made the samurai collapse, and now held him by his robes, completely at his mercy.
"I told you, didn't I." Ashitaro told Isshiki in the most murderous tone, "You'll go out in a blaze of glory."
And as if he had gun powder stored under his wraps, Ashitaro ignited his palms and blew Isshiki into a bloody mess, the young samurai collapsing with a massive, bleeding wound on his chest. His eyes blank.
"Oh? Did I really kill him?" Ashitaro said with utter disappointment. "What a waste!"
The arena had grown utterly silent, as everyone looked on, the sight of their Second Seat utterly petrified was unheard off, and it frightened everyone. Up above, Nene looked on, biting her lower lip, and pleading inwardly… 'Come on, you can do this! You can think of something! You've always been a genius at everything you do! This… This can't be the one thing you can't master. This monster of a chef cannot be the one mad man you are incapable of overcoming! Satoshi… please… just one more time, do what you always do…!'
And it felt like they were kids again…
"…I can tell you're there, Nene," a young Isshiki voiced, sitting down on the lawn of her house, as the young Nene "hid" behind a nearby tree. She pouted something fiercely, before she pushed herself away and walked towards this damn freeloader that wouldn't leave.
"I was just… well, I wanted to challenge you again! I-I can totally beat you this time, and prove last time was just a fluke!" she declared, her index finger pointed at him.
"…Last time? What about the ten times before that?" he asked innocently, turning to her, and she felt a vein pop.
"Flukes! All of them!" she cried out, ready to throw hands if need be, when she saw his face. He looked like he was crying. And for as much as she wanted him gone, it wasn't a sight she wanted to see. "H-Hey, is something wrong?"
"Huh? Oh… no, I don't think…"
She fidgeted a bit, biting her lower lip, wondering what her response should be, before she simply sat down next to him. "Tell me. You're not usually like this."
"…Do you enjoy this?"
The question was surprising.
"Huh? This? Our duels you mean, or…?"
"Oh, no, those are fun," Isshiki admitted, "I mean, what your parents want of you, or… what my parents want of me. It… It feels like its not what I want."
"Oh, like you have any room to complain!" Nene barked, "At least you live up to their expectations, unlike me…"
"…I do, don't I…?" was all Isshiki said, and they didn't much talk about it. The next time Nene saw him, he was back to his usual insufferable self, and she didn't pay it no mind. To her, he had been always mocking her, making light of all the hard work she did to be able to just barely match him. But now, looking back, she knew better. She knew what that loneliness represented. What it looked like. To be seen just as a tool for your parents, to have your entire life planned out without your say in the matter. And she knew now, too, how much he had not really ever looked down on her, but instead, in his own words, found inspiration in her…
…Which is why, right now, she wasn't going to make the same mistakes she did as a child. She stood up, her hands on the rails, much to the surprise of her teammates.
"Snap out of it Satoshi!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Don't let anyone dictate the path that you are going down in! Not your parents, not me, and especially not this guy!"
And as everyone looked at the sudden outburst from the First Seat, most of them slowly catching on, Isshiki looked at her. His eyes widening for a moment. She really was beautiful, no matter what. And he felt his fist clench, as his expression shifted. Focused. He nodded to her, and turned back towards his craft. Ashitaro looked on, glaring at Nene for a moment, before he shifted back to Isshiki, ready to laugh at that pathetic display, when, to his shock, Isshiki outright discarded everything he had been cooking up until now.
It was like the fallen samurai had stood right back up, outright slashing the nearby falling leaves with just his will.
"…You'd discard everything…?" Ashitaro voiced, surprised.
"You aren't wrong," Isshiki responded, "It was foolish of me to think I could counter your craft with an inferior version of your dish. So, allow me to reply with one of my specialties, just improved to better suit this Shokugeki."
Before Ashitaro, Urara, Yua, or any of the judges, could even ask, Isshiki began his new prep, quickly taking out a large chunk of fresh shark meat from the storage, and wheeling it in. The crowd all stared in surprise, as the young chef took out his knife, and gave the meat such quick, clean cuts it was in perfect chunks before anyone could even see his hand move. Then, the Second Seat placed it to the side, and took out a very peculiar tool.
"Oh?" Nene noted, still standing against the railing, her eyes on her boyfriend, "He's using an otoshibuta."
"You're going to braise the shark meat, huh?" Ashitaro noted, frowning at the Japanese drop lid Isshiki had just taken out. It was a special wooden piece of equipment used when braising foods in Japanese cooking, and as Ashitaro noted, perfect for Isshiki's actual area of expertise: Traditional Japanese Cuisine.
"Something like that," Isshiki confirmed to an extent, before he began to work on the simmering sauce. Isshiki made a mix of soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar; making sure to make the flavor profile was primarily the soy. Historically, ginger is used as an aromantic, but Isshiki took out both ginger and garlic, and focused on finding the perfect balance between the two. In no time, his sauce was ready.
As the simmering sauce was boiling, Isshiki took the pieces of shark meat, with the skin still on, and scored them. He proceeded to set them to a boil as well, to both clean it and to cook it slightly, before he drained the water, and placed them immediately in cold water. And as soon as he heard the simmering sauce begin to rattle, he drained the cold water, and threw the newly created shark fillets into the saucepan and covered them with the wooden otoshibuta. He then began to cut several new vegetables and even fruits, into perfect slices, as the shark simmered.
"I-I, okay, wow, Isshiki just restarted his dish with less than an hour to go on this match and he has already, in the span of just ten minutes, looks like he is right back to where he was before!" Urara stated, genuinely in awe at the skill on display. "And he just thought of this on the spot?! Like, damn, that's our Second Seat for ya!"
"…Amazing," was all Yua could voice, her eyes wide, at the techniques on full display.
Ashitaro, for his part, was far less amazed or amused. He glared at Isshiki, having halted his own cooking for a moment. This… He had just thought up of this right now? He wanted to laugh, to mock, to decry the sheer arrogance from the Second Seat to even imagine that he could match Ashitaro's own art with something he just thought up, but… but… for the first time in his life, Ashitaro saw someone else cooking and just wanted… to have a taste…
'W-What?! No! That's not it!' he furiously denied to himself, 'The aromas from his dish are getting to me, but that's just surface level! I am aware even with my own craft, the stench alone is not all the dish has to offer! He's taking a huge risk! I know this! And yet…! It feels as if…!'
Ashitaro, taken completely off guard, was smacked right across the jaw by the reverse-blade. As he stammered back, blood on his mouth, Isshiki did not relent. A jumping slash right against his torso, then a jumping slam of both blade and fist to his jaw, then a spinning slash right to the base of his neck, and finally, a spinning slash that hit the now lowered back of his head, sending the bloody Ashitaro right to the ground with a thunderous thud.
A five-part attack.
"Is that all you have?!" Ashitaro cried out, his anger blocking his pain, as he managed to regain his stance by sinking his feet onto the concrete itself. He gave Isshiki a mad smile, but his own counter attack was ineffective against Isshiki, who retaliated a massive series of quick attacks, culminating with a stab with not the sword, but the hilt, sending Ashitaro flying back and crashing onto a nearby wall…
Was the fight… over?
'…No!' Ashitaro's eyes went mad, as he took out another ingredient. The crowd looked on, having not expected the Warlock Supreme to pick… yogurt?
Isshiki gave pause, eyes on Ashitaro's choice. "…You?"
"You think I will be taken by surprise by your creativity?" Ashitaro asked with a wide grin. "Do you think yourself the only one capable of improvising?! You wish to alter your dish to a higher degree, then, I shall do so as well. The creaminess of this yogurt will mix with the texture of my shark to a degree none who have studied in this failure of an academy have ever witnessed!"
"Big talk," Isshiki replied. "Trying to mellow out the flavor to better match…" Isshiki stopped, frowning, "…No, not mellow, you're…"
"Enhancing," Ashitaro replied, as he emptied the entire can of yogurt onto a pan. "And don't think I've figured you out. What your doing, or attempting to do… It's Sakana no Nitsuke, isn't it?"
Isshiki frowned, but he did nod. It was frightening how easily this mad man could see through every craft of his. But, knowing this did not mean he could still counter it. Not when Isshiki was going to improve upon it still.
Ashitaro moved in, and began to coat his shark meat in the yogurt, before he began to coat it. This shocked many, before he began to reveal his true hand. Igniting his fryer with seasoned oil, he threw the chunks in there, and began to fry them.
And it was like the whole arena where the two samurai fought in had been engulfed in flames, reacting to Ashitaro's ken-ki just like the leaves had to Isshiki's. Ashitaro appeared from the rubble, his body battered, but his eyes fully focused on Isshiki's. Both opponents were at their limit, yet at the same time, they weren't. They refused. They could, no, would surpass them.
Right here…
Right… Nao…?
"Wait?! Fried hákarl?! Can you do that?!" Urara exclaimed, utterly shocked.
"…I thought you ate that raw…" Yua added, softly, as both girls, and everyone else, stared in disbelief.
Isshiki took out his fillets the moment the simmering sauce had been reduced exactly by half, and substituted them for his spices and herbs, while he began to decorate his plates with the shark fillets, vegetables and fruits…
"I don't think… I want to do what my parents want me to do…" A young Isshiki had said.
Ashitaro took out the perfectly fried, deep golden chunks of hákarl and began to set them onto their plates, with a lush salad with cashews and oils accompanying it…
"I don't want… to do this father! Mom says I need help! Isn't she…? Isn't she…?!" a young Ashitaro had cried out.
A dash of pepper and salt…
"Help me…" Isshiki remembers Nao managing to say, utterly ashamed of herself despite having no reason to be so.
One last decoration on the plate…
"Please… don't… brother, please…!" Ashitaro remembers Nao pleading, hugging herself in fear. Why? Why did she get to be protected when he wasn't…?
"And time's up!" both Urara and Yua called out, as Ashitaro took hold of all his plates, while Isshiki immediately removed the sauce from the fire, and poured it on all the dishes, before he joined Ashitaro on their march towards the judges' table. Everyone was utterly silent, as both contestants placed their dishes before the five judges and Azami.
On one side, Isshiki's Amakakeru Sakana no Nitsuke.
On the other, Ashitaro's Tsui no Deep Fried Hákarl.
The judges all stared, and they felt their throats dry up at the sight of the dishes on display. This was not something they could have ever expected going in into this Intercontinental Shokugeki. From such young chefs, they had seen the best of what Tootsuki Academy could offer, of what the other six (now seven-ish) academies could offer. They had even seen, every few years, what the best in the world could serve up during BLUE. But this… These dishes served before them now reminded them of none of those. This felt like outright being served a restaurant's specialty to be judged to be awarded an outright WGO Star.
"These kids did… these?" Histoire voiced, utterly shocked, even when he knew they had. He had seen the process with his own eyes after all. Yet he still couldn't believe it. Not just the clashing aromas, but the presentation and design across the plates was like a work of art in itself.
"I'm almost afraid to take a bite… but damn, I really want to ~" Courage said with a tone that sounded outright seductive. She desired those dishes so much, but she had to force herself to remain professional.
"No kidding… For once, I feel we may be a bit underqualified for this…" Charme added, feeling his body in cold sweat over what was just offered. And they still had six other chefs to go through…
Only Anne and Decora kept their thoughts to themselves, but both women turned to the competitors, and were the first two to pick up their chopsticks in order to begin the taste test…
"…Oh boy, here we go…" a very stressed-out Urara announced, as she struggled to hold on to her microphone firmly without shaking. She then turned towards her co-hostess. "How you holding up Yua?"
"Waaah!" was the best Yua could offer, a shriek mixed with a cry.
"Excellent Waluigi impression, good girl," Urara decided to just roll with it, her eyes still on the judges as they took a sample of the dishes before them, and gave them a good, solid first bite. '…Come on, please, please be enough…!'
"It's been a good duel," Ashitaro broke the silence between Isshiki and himself, his eyes on the judges, "I haven't had this much fun since a time I can no longer recall."
"Though I can't say I've enjoyed this," Isshiki noted, his eyes also on the judging that was underway, "Your skills are truly admirable, but I must put a stop to this madness."
"It isn't over yet. Not as long as I remain in this arena."
"It ended the moment I entered this arena."
And the judges all took a bite of each dish, some of Isshiki's first, Ashitaro's afterwards, others the opposite. The end result was still the same. A clash of flavors so distinct, yet so powerful it made the five of them outright gasp and moan and kneel over due to how insanely tasteful these dishes ended up as.
Azami took his time, but even he couldn't quite deny it. While Toshio Sadatsuka had not lied, and Ashitaro had indeed improved to a level he could outright compare to his precious Dove, and by extension, himself, Satoshi Isshiki had outright, somehow, matched him blow-for-blow. And it unnerved the man, but he also had a flashback of sorts, as the flavor brought back the memories of trading blows against his former First Seat, and he couldn't help but glare at the dish the current Second Seat had offered up. '…So it was you Gin.'
"…Isshiki, your dish, this version of the Sakana no Nitsuke is quite the delectable treat," Charme began, still recovering from the utter euphoria on a plate he just experienced, "Simmering is an old tradition, made in order to help meats not spoil, back in the day when refrigeration did not exist. It helped remove traces of strong odor, excellent for a fish like the shark, yet one so hard to get right that not many chefs usually bother to begin with. But, not only did you replace the strong odor with excellent aromatics with your use of herbs and spice, you also added a thin layer of…"
"Grounded komatsuna, eh?"
Isshiki's eyes widened, turning from Charme towards Ashitaro, as the Warlock let out a wide grin. '…how?'
"The simplest tradition for any Sakano no Nitsuke is always fish, ginger, salt and the Japanese mustard spinach, otherwise known as komatsuna," Ashitaro noted, before he erupted into a mad laugh that utterly freaked out the nearby Urara and Yua. "You damn fool! Did you really think if I didn't see you prepare it, I wouldn't expect you to cover all your bases?! You are an expert of the traditional! It's how you're built!"
"W-What is he babbling about?!" Urara asked, frowning at Ashitaro before she turned to Isshiki, who's brow was utterly covered by cold sweat, even if his eyes remained fierce. Focused.
"…I take it this means you prepared a suitable counter?" Isshiki asked.
"Let them tell you…" Ashitaro offered, signaling to the judges.
"…It is indeed exquisite, but Ashitaro's version of the Deep Fried Hákarl also incorporated the Japanese mustard spinach into it's vegetable mix that was wrapped around the shark meat before it was set to fry," Anne described, one of the rather plump balls of meaty goodness in her hands, handkerchief and all, "It serves as yet another layer of this deep fry, helping to protect the fine, rotten flavor of the hákarl while countering it's strong stench and aftertaste in one bite. The dish itself gives you the full taste of the shark meat, while also following up with an immediate palate cleanser that wraps around it. I… I'm having a hard time describing how it even works."
"…Palate cleanser?" Isshiki voiced, frowning. "Then his dish, it means…"
"It means Ashitaro created it in a way it could be enjoyed by even those with the weakest of stomachs," Azami cut in, enjoying the taste, "Hákarl is quite an… acquired taste. Many avoid it by smell alone. Ashitaro, as a result, crafted the ultimate way to enjoy this delicacy, keeping the essence of hákarl intact, while wrapping it in the vegetables and yogurt mix that serve to do two functions, emphasize the taste and mitigate the aftertaste, all in each, single, bite…"
And everyone, from the Elite Ten down below, to those up above, the other Neo-Noirs, and everyone else watching both at that stadium and all around the world, waited with their hearts on their throat for a verdict, as it was like finally watching…
Isshiki had swung his greatest attack, the Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki, a technique no man or woman had ever countered, much less beaten. A full swing, using his secret stance, meant to put an end to this once and for all. But… Ashitaro blocked it.
The Warlock blocked it by analyzing the very ingredient Isshiki would have used, and had been ready all along. The unstoppable technique had been stopped.
Ashitaro then used that very force of the clash to both push Isshiki back, off his stance, and prepare his own blade to counter. To cut. To kill. Ashitaro ignited his blade as he prepared the killing blow against his most hated opponent.
"Tsui no Hi-ken – Kaguzuchi!"
And Nao could just stare, in utter horror, as her brother's mad cackling got louder and louder, as all the judges seemed to agree with Azami's observation. Isshiki remained steadfast, but he kept his eyes on Ashitaro for the moment.
"You lose…" Ashitaro said with the widest grin. "And my team, they're wrong. They all see this as a real competition. That defeating you in pivotal to defeating Tootsuki Academy, but I see the truth. There never really was a difference. Your team doesn't matter. Defeating you, Satoshi Isshiki, means defeating Tootsuki Academy!"
"What a frightening chef you are, how I wished you truly were not such a horrible human being…"
"Flattery won't save you," Ashitaro warned.
"…That's not my point," Isshiki countered. "But you should at the very least hold off on celebrating at least until a verdict is given."
At this, for once, Ashitaro gave pause.
He turned, eyes on the screen up above. And it was… still empty.
"…What gives?" Ashitaro mouthed, before he turned towards the judges, "Hey! Why haven't you lot cast your votes yet?!"
"It's not that clear cut," Decora quickly stepped in, less she allows Anne a chance to call Ashitaro out. This young man was too volatile for their own good. "…While you are correct in your prediction of the usage Satoshi Isshiki gave the komatsuna… it wasn't the only secret ingredient he added to these fillets, now was it?"
And here Ashitaro felt his body grow cold. He turned, eyes wide, to Isshiki.
"There was nothing else…" he said, almost growling at him.
"…Nothing traditional yes, that's correct," Isshiki noted, before he took hold of one of his plates, and offered it to Ashitaro. "If you'd allow me a taste of your dish, I will allow you a taste of mine. Let us judge for ourselves what we did and didn't use, now, shall we?"
Ashitaro wanted nothing more that to spit at that notion, but he knew he needed this win, no matter what, and if he had to make those judges see the light himself, then so be it. He took a taste, as did Isshiki… And Ashitaro's eyes went wide…
"…T-This…?!"
"A familiar taste, is it not?" Isshiki said with a wary, little grin. "It was one of the first ingredients I took out, just after you revealed your hákarl, and I was hoping you wouldn't notice…"
"This is…" Ashitaro commented, his eyes scanning the fillet before him, noticing that deep within that mush of komatsuna something else had been mixed in. It had been shredded so much it looked like outright powder, and he could have confused it for freshly grounded pepper, but it wasn't. This clearly was… "…Surstömming…"
"A very peculiar fish with quite the strong odor itself, but never to the extremes of hákarl," Isshiki explained. "I knew the moment you took out your fermented shark meat you'd be too busy boasting to notice me open a little can and place it aside. And the smell would have been dwarfed by your hákarl as well, meaning it would go utterly undetected by you. But it would not go undetected when the meal was prepared. Crushing it into almost nothing, and mixing it evenly with the komatsuna gave my fillets a little extra… kick, which I knew would be needed after you practically spiked your shark."
"You used another fish as a spice for your shark meat!" Ashitaro finally deduced, but damn it, it worked. It gave it enough of a kick without any of the stench or after taste. While he had made a dish served to counter the aftertaste with that very bite, Isshiki had actually merged not one, but two putrid smelling fishes together and outright made them cancel each other out in regards to smell, but amplified the taste. This was not just shark anymore. This was a taste of the deepest parts of the ocean itself!
…And as Ashitaro lunged to kill Isshiki, he felt some force begin to pull at him.
'What…? What the…? Hell is this?!'
It was as if he was being pulled towards Isshiki, and it was here he noticed, that the samurai chef he had believed he had pushed back, off his stance, had instead used that very momentum to reshape his stance, and now had taken aim at Ashitaro once more. And Ashitaro had realized it too late.
"No!"
But his scream was in vain, because even if you block or dodge a dragon's fangs, the claws are soon to follow, and they can rip you in two. And Isshiki's attack had been, from the start, a two-step attack, that left no openings!
Isshiki's reverse-blade struck Ashitaro directly, making his rips crack against the cold, hard steel, as he was forced to spit out a sizeable amount of blood. His body was flung upwards from the strike, flinging aimlessly, until Ashitaro crash landed back onto the concrete, cracking it. He tried to get right back up, biting his lips, tasting his own blood, but his body wouldn't respond anymore…
Histoire cast his first vote.
One point towards Isshiki.
"…N-No… No! You couldn't have done this! This is my domain! Where did you…?!" Ashitaro cried out, feeling lightheaded, as his senses began to dull.
"You know exactly who I learned this from," Isshiki said utterly cold, his eyes staring Ashitaro down with an anger very rarely seen in the young man. "Say her name. It's alright, I'll allow you to do so just this once."
"You…!"
Courage gave her vote next.
Another point towards Isshiki.
"…It couldn't have been…?" Ashitaro tried, but he couldn't even see straight anymore. "…Nao taught you this…?"
"Nao Sadatsuka is a brilliant young chef," Isshiki noted, proudly. "And she has taught not just me, but Loren, and even Soma, a lot of techniques and recipes that were utterly unknown to us before. The little girl you so freely love to terrorize has become a very near and dear person to us all. And that abuse ends today. Stay away from her, Ashitaro, because today we settle things with our dishes, but if a next time is required, I will not be this professional."
Charme then gave his vote.
It also went towards Isshiki.
"Yes!" Urara exclaimed, jumping up and down with so much thrill, so much that Yua had to quickly hold her down as she was basically flashing the entire audience. She didn't care. "W-With three votes already down, he did it! Satoshi Isshiki has taken the lead, and with it, the victory, and with it, the first win of this Final Round!"
"N-No! T-This has to be a mistake! I-I can't, couldn't h-have… hmph!" Ashitaro cried out, but the sudden urge to just throw up hit him hard, as he had to clench his mouth to avoid doing so. He was still gagging in his own saliva, utterly winded, as his nerves spiraled out of control. He lost? He lost?! And he could feel his father watching. After all he promised, after all the work he did, he lost! He was dead! He was so utterly dead! This couldn't be real, it just couldn't!
"Damn right!" the Polar Stars all cheered in unison, their fists high in the air, as the others all looked like their eyes had outright sparkles in them. He did it. Somehow, someway, Isshiki had won.
Loren couldn't help but smile at the sight, as he turned towards Nao.
She was crying, the tears streaming down her cheeks, as she bit her lower lip, trying and failing to save face. She expected him to tease her about it, but instead…
"You're finally safe…"
"…y-yeah," was all she could muster to say, and she couldn't quite remember the last time she cried out of nothing but pure relief.
"Oh goodness," a very winded Nene said, as she slumped herself back onto her chair. "If all the matches are going to be this intense, I'm not going to survive today."
"Most likely, but…" Kuga noted, smiling fondly at his close friend standing ever-so exhausted but proudly down on that arena. "Damn it if he's not really the best of us all."
"He's almost too good, actually…" Takumi observed, smirking at the sight.
"That asshole Ashitaro is utterly losing it down there," Kurokiba added, "Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy."
"I had never seen Isshiki that livid at anyone before…" Akira told the others, and his tone made it clear he was indeed surprised by it all.
"Let that serve as a warning to never hurt this little one," Alice added with a playful wink, as she gave Megumi a little hug, all the while Akira nodded and shivered a bit at the very real threat there. "Still… sweetie, he won, you shouldn't be crying."
"I… can't… help… it…" Megumi spoke up through her tears. "Isshiki has done so much for us all, I knew he'd pull through. I just knew it!"
"Damn…" Soma noted with a little whistle of appreciation. "And to think I actually challenged Isshiki to a Shokugeki for his seat when I first entered the Polar Star dorms. Had he agreed, you wouldn't have had to worry about getting me kicked out at all, since he would have wiped the floor with me."
Erina just laughed a bit at this, finally taking off her little oxygen mask, believing it to be safe now. "He did set us straight back on the cruise, so we have ample reasons to be in awe of his prowess."
"Haven't heard you complain either," Soma said, mockingly, as he turned from Erina towards Eizan. But the look Eizan gave him, or rather, not him, but at the judges, made Soma pause. "Eizan…?"
"What a display of prowess…" Julius noted, hands on his pockets, smirking at the scene. "I'm starting to think Ashitaro was right. Satoshi Isshiki is indeed leagues above the other Elite Ten twerps."
"It doesn't matter, not anymore…" Dove noted, even if this still felt icky. But if she noticed it, she was sure… "I imagine you saw it too?"
"Hmm?" Asahi just voiced, and his voice gave nothing away, "Whatever do you mean?"
Dove frowned, but said nothing. They all turned their attention back to the judges.
Decora was a mess. 'There's nothing I can do here! Three votes have already been given to Tootsuki. It's their victory. I'm sorry Azami, I told you we should have tried to bring in Courage into our plans too!'
Anne was also hesitant, but for different reasons. 'Why hasn't Decora voted? Damn it woman, stop giving me reasons to distrust you!'
Then, to everyone's surprise, Azami stood up. Isshiki turned to him, eyes focused, glaring in the most professional way he could. Azami offered the young man a nod.
"I have no complaints with the votes given," Azami offered, and everyone tensed up. What was happening now? "From the two dishes presented to us all, even if it is by a very slim margin, Satoshi Isshiki's dish does indeed surpass Ashitaro Sadatsuka's. However, that's if we're allowed to taste the dish in its full."
All five judges, Urara, Yua and everyone in the audience turned to him, as whispers and murmurs began to make the rounds. Everyone was confused by what Azami meant, until the man raised his hand, and signaled to the screen. In it, replacing the three votes Isshiki already had in his favor, marking him as the clear victor, came a replay of the last seconds of the duel itself. And, upon Azami's request, it replayed those last seconds again, but in slow motion…
"H-Hey…?!" Urara almost gagged herself, as Yua stared, eyes wide as plates.
"What is…?" Erina mouthed.
"That's…" Soma added, feeling his body freeze up.
Eizan stared at the screen, and closed his eyes. Because of course.
The judges all stared, confused for a second, until they realized what Azami was getting to. The man himself then raised his hand, and extended two of his fingers…
"Two seconds…" he explained.
And on the screen, everyone could see it. The match's time-limit had officially ended… and it had taken Isshiki two additional seconds to remove the sauce he poured over his dish from the fire.
"Satoshi Isshiki went over the time-limit," Azami added, and you could feel the dread all-around, "Thereby, the dish he served has been altered beyond the timeframe given to our chefs to do so, and it is therefore, invalid to be tasted and judged."
"What?!" Urara cried out, her scream echoing all over thanks to her microphone. "S-Since when are we that damn strict?!"
"Tootsuki Academy may not be, but my Neo-Noir Academy will be true to our word. Two hours, not a second more. Those were the terms," Azami explained, "It was not us who made Satoshi Isshiki restart his dish midway through the match, but this is the price you pay for such a gamble. Such a thing would be unheard of in True Gourmet."
"Father! That's completely…!" Erina tried, feeling her fists clench, but her father simply offered her a knowing smile.
"It is the fine print, something you adore ever-so much to flex," Azami countered, and Erina felt herself flinch. "And the evidence speaks for itself…"
The judges all gave pause, eyeing the recording, the replay, and they all sighed. All except Decora. She was struggling not to laugh out loud then and there. This man really was unbeatable, wasn't he?
The screen changed once more…
This time showing the results as…
In five-to-nothing…
The winner: Ashitaro Sadatsuka.
Nao felt her world grow the coldest it has ever been. She knew Loren said something. Knew the rest of her friends all tried to reassure her. But… she couldn't even hear them. All she could hear was her brother's maniacal laughter echoing inside her head…
…which was of course, just in Nao's mind, as Ashitaro was doing anything but laughing. He was hunched over, barely holding on, his panic attack almost overtaking him entirely, as he glanced up at the new results. He won? He actually won? But… like this?!
The entire crowd could be heard crying foul, from the other Elite Ten members, to the Tootsuki alumni (both past and present), to even the Challengers up above who did not recall such precise ruling being considered when it had been their turn.
Isshiki, meanwhile, stared at the screen, and he clenched his fist in sheer agony and fury. Azami had been planning this from the start. And who knows what else. This wasn't just who cooked better. Azami was gunning to crush them all no matter what it took. And he couldn't do a damn thing to stop the man. And he saw his team look at him, utterly livid over the perceived injustice being done to him, but Isshiki didn't much want them to feel that way. His pride could take the blow, Nao could not. And as he turned, he could see… see how much it hurt not just Nao, or Erina, or Alice. Even Urara, usually carefree and risqué as all hell, looked outright pained as she forced herself to announce…
"…T-The winner of the first round of the Final Round of the Intercontinental Shokugeki is Ashitaro Sadatsuka…" she said, her eyes outright beginning to tear up, as Yua held onto her for whatever support she could offer her best friend. Urara held onto her hand tightly. "…And with it, our Second Seat… Satoshi Isshiki… is hereby e-eliminated from the Intercontinental Shokugeki…"
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…In Just 2 Seconds, Hope Is Lost…
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Round 2 – Saturday, October 14, 2023
