Classique

by Zancrowe

{Soma / Erina} As rival schools attempt to crush Tootsuki in the biggest Tournament Arc; Azami finally attempts to retake control of his daughter; while Asahi decides it's time to usurp the Nakiri Throne from that very heiress. Only problem? Erina's boyfriend. [ft. Asahi/OC; OC/Nao; Ryou/Alice; Isshi/Nene; Taku/Hisa; Akira/Megu] ((38: Finals! Unlimited Cross Knives))

28. Because I Swore

Notes:

Hey Everyone! Zancrowe Here!

One, I want to apologize for the last few chapters. My intent was always to give the secondary characters something, anything to do; but I have to admit that a large chunk of the whole Tootsuki vs. The Noirs can come off as "filler", sort-of. I mean, it still serves the plot and helped a lot with getting Soma back into the groove, so to speak, but I do understand that it may not have been everyone's cup of tea. None of you (rightfully) called me out on it, so I do appreciate that. But…

Two, and more importantly, I thank you all for your patience, as from this Chapter onwards, there is no "filler" to be found. All the Romance, Drama and Shokugeki Action you want, that you signed up for, will now be presented to you nonstop. I honestly adore what I do in this Chapter, and I really hope you do too. Do let me know if you did, or even if you didn't.

Remember Reviews are the lifeblood of any fanfic, and this one is no exception.

Poll: Visit my Profile Page to cast your vote on your favorite Side Pairings! It doesn't show up on the Mobile Site, only on the Computer Browser version! You have until Sunday, March 5, 2023 to cast your vote! Afterwards the Top 10 winners will be announced over on my Twitter Page (Urara's too, with some added commentary from the winners), before the entire list is featured on my Profile Page and the Top 10 are listed on the Next Chapter's update. Good luck!

Disclaimer: Don't own Shokugeki no Soma.

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The first time she ever saw him was at the Middle School Entrance Exam held by Tootsuki Academy.

Unlike their tougher, more cutthroat style of immediate expulsion and higher standards often found within the High School division, these earlier years were a little more flexible, or so she had been told by her parents. In truth, such a worldview, that the Middle School division was "easier" only made sense once you set foot in the High School itself and witnessed just how unforgiving it truly was. For these kids currently trying their best to just get into the Academy it was still a series of seemingly unforgiving tests and exams meant to weed out the unworthy in favor of those with enough skills, intelligence and pure guts to survive the years.

So, when she learned all of this, witnessed it all, it was shocking to say the least that she had not expected that the most harrowing experience that day did not come from the students themselves, but rather, from the exam proctor.

Said proctor, a model student, a Third Year who had introduced himself boastfully as a member of the then current Elite Ten (which Seat exactly she didn't remember, but it wasn't in the top three) had all but collapsed onto the floor, his wide eyes on one of the first few dishes served to him by one of the aspiring would-be alumni currently taking the test.

This was the first time she ever heard the name Ashitaro Sadatsuka.

The young boy, whose messy black hair covered almost all his face, and whose pale complexion helped resonate those dark, red eyes of his that seemed to somehow glow, stared down at the fallen exam proctor with a look of utter disinterest, or rather, disdain.

"The Elite Ten were the ones who defeated my father all those years ago, right?" Ashitaro asked, and even then, his voice did not match the boy that it came out off. It sounded… wrong. As if someone, or something, had possessed a child and spoke right out of him. "…How can you claim to be one of them, when something this simplistic, unnerves you so?"

"I am an Elite Ten student!" the exam proctor exclaimed, pushing himself up. He ignored how all the other kids, the ones he was supposed to be testing, were all pressed against the wall, as far away from Ashitaro and his dish as they possibly could, as the stench from that dish made them all outright nauseous. It was too much. "And you, young man, you have clearly cheated, which we here at Tootsuki Academy do not allow. That dish certainly did not come from any craft of yours."

"Huh?" Ashitaro just mouthed, frowning. "Did you not just see me make it? You told me to make the best dish I could. I told you it was pointless because your Headmaster already knows my Grandfather and he was the one who invited me over. I have no need to partake in this, but… you insisted, so I made this," Ashitaro noted, signaling to the boiling plate on his side, using his sharp knife to point to it. The dish seemed almost alive, as if something was moving within the dark broth. That was less a dish and more like a warlock's dark concoction. "…If you are so pathetic that something this trivial upsets you, then maybe you Tootsuki lot have clearly lost your edge. Perhaps it was your "Golden Era" students who cheated that day, hmm?"

"Enough of that young man!" the Elite Ten student told him, taking hold of Ashitaro by the wrist, firmly. The boy did not look pleased. "We are going to the Headmaster's office this instant! There is no conceivable way that someone so young could ever cook a dish better than – I mean, to a degree that almost matches that of an Elite Ten's craft."

"Let me go."

"We are going to the Headmaster's office," the exam proctor repeated. "Move!"

"…Do you even know who I am?"

"I do not care," he replied. "I am the authority here, and Tootsuki is filled to the brim with the best and brightest of the entire world," he added, all the while she could hear how Ashitaro softly repeated himself, telling the Elite student to "let him go". She really felt like he really should. But he didn't. "And no cheater will ever be allowed entry into such an illustrious Academy, not over the watch of –"

She recalls the next moment vividly.

The Third Year was boasting, pulling the kid right out of the room, and in a moment, he let go.

Not willingly, she knew. Ashitaro stammered back, glare ever present, but now his knife was stained in blood…

The Elite Ten student cried out in pain, his arm slashed, his sleeve staining itself in crimson. He cursed a word she had not heard before, and rushed out of the room, screaming for a teacher or someone else. Thinking back on this, this was the worst possible decision he could have made. As that left Ashitaro alone…

…with all the other kids.

All frightened at the display. All utterly unsure of what was even happening. All backed into the wall, as the little boy with the blood-stained knife turned to them for a moment. She knew some of them cried, some of them just hid behind others. She, for her part… just froze. She didn't move. She didn't scream. She didn't even blink.

Maybe that's why he noticed her first.

She noticed him once he was just a few feet from her.

He stared at her eyes; she stared at his knife.

It still dripped…

"What's your name?" Ashitaro asked, and it was the closest he had come to sounding like a boy his age. The silence of the room, excluding the few crying children, was almost deafening.

"…S-Sonoka," she replied, trembling a bit.

"Hmm…" the boy seemed to observe her for a bit, before smiling at her. "I liked your dish. The idea was good. I also come from the States, so seeing a western-inspired dish was unexpected, unlike most kids here and their same-y styles. So boring. But you have some uniqueness in you. I like that… Say, Sonoka?"

"…hmph?" was the best sound she managed to muster at the moment.

"No, wait, we're in Japan," Ashitaro seemed to realize. "Last names should be used instead, right? What's yours?"

"…N-No, you c-can just call me Sonoka," she replied, her eyes still on that knife. It still dripped, staining the floor.

"That's good," Ashitaro said with a smile. "That would in turn make us friends. Do you want to be my friend, Sonoka?"

"…y-yes…?" she doesn't even remember if she made it sound like a statement or a question, but she was certain it was a lie. He seemed to buy it, as his smile didn't fade away.

The next thing she does remember is the doors bursting open, and Senzaemon walking in, with the would-be exam proctor right by his side, still clenching his wounded arm, but clearly signaling out Ashitaro. The young boy just turned, knife still in his hand, his dark, red eyes now on the older man.

"Go to the infirmary, I'll handle this," Senzaemon told the older student, who despite the clear indignation in his features, simply did as he was told. Then the older man turned to the young boy, and sighed. "…Ashitaro. What am I going to do with you?"

"Tell them all," Ashitaro simply suggested, smiling at him. "Tell them how I don't have to take this dumb test, because I already outclass them. Just ask my father. He says, in just a little bit, I will outclass even him! So… am I a student now?"

And all Sonoka remembers is being outright terrified at the sight, at such a young boy, at such a little monster…

"…The entrance exams were obviously postponed, and upon all our parents hearing our… wildly exaggerated takes on the situation that had occurred, well, Tootsuki was in quite a bit of hot water for a while," Sonoka carried on to say, recalling those vivid memories and shivering slightly at the thought. She then gave herself a short pause, before she turned to the little group of former juniors of hers, now also graduates, amongst which was her current boyfriend Tosuke, as well as his entourage made up of Eishi, Rindou, Momo and Soumei. "…All of this is just me saying, you have to be careful. Ashitaro is not someone we can just… I mean, he's dangerous. You all should not just go in there expecting an easy victory with this idea you have."

"If he did do all that," Momo mused, hugging Bucchi against herself tightly. She did recall the look that guy had given her when the former Elite Ten and the Neo-Noirs saw each other, and it still unnerved her. It unnerved her even more now in hindsight. "Why does he still have a career? He should have been banned form ever holding a knife, at minimum."

"Guess when your father is a powerful man, and your grandfather is an even more powerful man, you get certain… perks," Soumei replied, shifting his eyes towards Eishi for a moment. "It is your call, but if we proceed, not only do we risk a very angry Elite Ten gunning for us over this perceived "betrayal", but also engaging against quite the formidable foes."

"We cannot just do nothing," Eishi replied. "And Sonoka, thank you for the information, and for coming all this way to meet us in person," he added, signaling to this event they all found themselves at. The six former Tootsuki alumni were currently inside one of the many properties scattered across the globe that belonged to Stuffed International, with this being the second time Eishi and the rest (sans Sonoka) would have some business with them… to an extent. "Our focus remains Azami Nakamura. We knew from the start that his Neo-Noirs are considered the best our generation has to offer. That is precisely why it must be us to engage against them, rather than the current Elite Ten. We'll… deal with explaining our rash action to them later. Dealing with them will still be simpler than what we are about to do here."

"Still…" Soumei noted, his eyes to the side, "I would feel a lot more comfortable if you would be willing to assist us in this endeavor Tosuke."

The gentle giant seemed to just keep to himself for a moment, as he usually did, before he simply moved towards Sonoka and stood beside her. "…I came here only for support," he offered, his hand on hers, as she simply smiled. "You are aware of my dislike for the Shokugeki system. Now that I have graduated, I feel no need to ever engage in one ever again."

"…I mean, we are thankful you're even here to begin with," Eishi offered, giving out a light laugh. "But I understand where Soumei is coming from. Having all of us together in this would be reassuring."

"But how would that even work?" Bucchi quickly asked, or rather, Momo did, as she lifted her plush to meet at eye level with the rest of her peers. "There are only four Neo-Noirs: Dove, Ashitaro, Julius and Asahi. I don't think they'd allow us to challenge them with uneven numbers on our end."

"The fact that you didn't give any of them a nickname is a little unnerving," Eishi admitted, his eye twitching a bit.

"…They're not cute," Momo defended, pouting. "But that's beside the point. How would we even incorporate Tosuke into our four-man team if… wait… Soumei! Don't tell me you secretly want to oust me from the team!"

"Eh?" Soumei blurted out, as the entire group turned to him, all of the curious, except Momo, because she knew. She just knew it. "…Do not take this the wrong way sweetie, what I am referring to is –"

"You want Tosuke to replace me in our would-be matchup," Momo accused, and somehow, both the petite girl and the plush seemed to be glaring at him in equal measure. Soumei frowned a bit, but sighed and decided to just be honest.

"I-I don't think that's –" Eishi tried, but Soumei cut in.

"Sonoka's right," Soumei said. This caused the group to turn to him. "I mean no offense Momo. I am fully aware we graduated from Tootsuki Academy with me seated below you. This is not meant as an insult to your skill, but… that man, Ashitaro Sadatsuka, he worries me. The way he looked at you that day still crosses my mind, and it makes me instinctively reach for my blade. If the matchups are random, I honestly would be worried if he were to be pitted against you or Rindou… or Eishi, if I'm honest."

"H-Hey!" both Eishi and Momo blurted out, the former blushing and the latter still pissed off.

"Listen, I know I told a very scary tale of him," Sonoka quickly offered, "But this would be under a controlled environment. I don't much think he'd be willing to risk his whole future in any attempt to do something against anyone in public."

"A man like that, like a rat, when pushed into a corner, will bare his fangs at anyone," Soumei replied, his eyes closed. "It takes mere seconds for something horrible to happen, and I would find no solace if he is ruined after the fact."

"…I've never heard you be so wary of an individual before," Eishi commented, his eyes on Soumei, who just shrugged. "I can't deny, that between that and Momo calling them un-cute, I don't much appreciate how dire you all seem to be making this for us."

"If you want dire, look no further than her," Soumei offered, extending his finger and pointing towards the former Second Seat, who just stood by the side, her eyes towards the fancy crowds all gathered deeper into the main halls, all celebrating whatever this was, "Rindou hasn't spoken a word. And as far as bad omens go, that one takes the cake."

Rindou could be heard laughing at this, as she turned around, finally facing the other five, her little smirk evident.

"Rin's fine with our plan," Eishi noted, his eyes on her, "Right?"

"I told you I would back you up on whatever you decided to do," she responded. "But this does leave a sour taste in my mouth, and not the good kind. You all may have brushed it off, but what Nene told us is true. This could put little Erina in further danger, and I'm not sure I am fully onboard with taking that risk."

"Such a thing would only be true if we lose," Eishi offered, "And I don't care what the tabloids say, those four are not as invincible as they claim them to be. As the WGO claim them to be. You saw the results. Ashitaro lost a point, Julius lost two. They can be defeated."

"They lost against opponents we deem inferior just cause the Elite Ten managed to defeat them, give or take a lost or two from them almost every round," Rindou countered, "How can we be so sure, say, if those six schools had challenged us last year, when we made half of the Elite Ten, that we could have defeated all of them as effortlessly as you imagine we would?"

"We dueled constantly against the current Elite Ten, trying to raise them to our level," Eishi noted. "If they struggled so much against us, yet they won against those other schools, simple math states that we would obviously win against them. Perhaps, giving it the benefit of the doubt, we'd lose a match here or there, but we wouldn't have been pushed against the wall like our juniors are now."

Rindou seemed to want to say something, but she bit her lip and turned around. Eishi gave her a questioning look, curious, but quickly noticed what it was she noticed. The six former Elite Ten graduates all looked on, as Azami and his aide Shawn approached the group, with the former tucking his phone away before offering the young men and women present a very practiced smile.

"I apologize for making you all wait," Azami told the six. "I had to put a pause on my conversations with Mr. Roberts and certain other notable individuals heavily invested in this upcoming Grand Ball of ours. Seems the news have certainly made the rounds, and everybody wants in," he added, before clasping his hands together, "Between that, and a call from my protégé, I got slightly held up. But, I am here, and it has been brought to my attention you all wish to speak to me."

"Ah, well, yes, we do Mr. Nakamura," Eishi commented, pausing for a moment when Azami extended his hand towards the former First Seat, which Eishi took and shook once he managed to carry on with his introduction. "I do apologize for the interruption, but it is regarding this Intercontinental Shokugeki of yours, and the effect it is having on our respective careers."

"Oh, now that would be the last thing I would ever want," Azami noted, and the other six just stared, offering their best attempts at a cordial smile as the man spoke, which basically boiled to a perfect smile from Sonoka, half smiles from Soumei, Momo or even Eishi, no smiles at all from Tosuke, or an outright pout from Rindou. Shawn just stood to the side, stone faced as always. "What exactly can I do for you fine chefs in order to assure you, that, once Tootsuki Academy falls, all your accomplishments and education received will not be rendered meaningless… as I take it that is your concern, no?"

"More or less," Eishi noted.

"We're also worried about the perceived unfairness in regards to skill levels and ages between the current Elite Ten and your team," Soumei added, causing Azami to turn his fixed gaze towards the former Fifth Seat.

"Your youngest is Dove," Momo added, frowning, even if it just made her look cuter. "Aged eighteen, with both Ashitaro and Asahi at nineteen, and Julius at twenty. All four past high school age."

"Meanwhile Tootsuki's oldest are just seventeen, with more than half of them sixteen," Eishi concluded. "It does seem a tad unfair, wouldn't you agree?"

"Such terms were agreed upon by your former Headmaster, Senzaemon," Azami countered, his eyes on the group, his smile ever present. "And signed into accord by the current acting Headmaster, Soe, with the World Gourmet Organization also agreeing to these terms. As per Tootsuki's own justification, they want to prove their own teachings are enough, no outside sources needed. Using graduates, such as yourselves, in Senzaemon's own words, would not fully represent the pure Tootsuki experience."

"I think he said word-for-word exactly what Mr. Nakiri said he would," Rindou commented, etching closer to Eishi, but not really lowering her voice at all. Azami seemed unbothered, unlike Shawn, who frowned.

"Rin," Eishi softly commented, trying to keep her inline, before he turned back to Azami. "That may be so, but as the most recent graduates from the Academy, mere months at that, I feel we cannot just overlook the unfairness on display just because of a technicality."

"So what exactly do you propose Eishi?" Azami asked, and Eishi felt the chill in his spine. Making a deal with this man was a very dangerous affair, but it needed to be done. "You wish to alter the arrangement."

"Just enough to allow Tootsuki an actual fighting chance," Eishi noted. "I assure you the news of our return would more than earn you all a substantial boost in your already stellar ratings."

"Plus, ya know, giving your own daughter a break might make you seem like less of a dick," Rindou added, and the way Eishi's face contorted made it clear she wasn't following any script.

"Young lady –!" Shawn quickly decried, but Azami merely held his hand out and silenced him.

"Spirited as always," Azami said with a little laugh. "I had always heard how unmanageable you were, my dear Second Seat. But, let's say I do, for reasons, humor this offer. What, in turn, would you all be willing to offer me?"

"If your team wins?" Eishi asked, eyes narrowed.

"Let's speak like the adults we are," Azami corrected, and his tone took quite a turn. Malevolent didn't come close to describe it. "When my team wins is the only outcome here. Why, I would even allow all six of you present here to take part against my team of… four," he seemed to force himself to say. "Last man standing, and all you'd be wagering on your end, would be your servitude to my administration."

"Your administration?" Sonoka couldn't help but ask, utterly surprised that she was getting roped into all of this. She, like her boyfriend, was only here for support and to warn them all of Ashitaro, not, you know, actually challenge the guy.

"You didn't think that my victory against Tootsuki is the end stage of my plans, did you?" Azami said. "No, that's just the start. Once I have Tootsuki under my name, I will reshape it into what it needs to be. And I have need for great talents, such as yourselves, to help me bring that vision into a reality. It is still a work in progress, one I call… Central, but you will understand it better once I show you the merits to it."

"You want us to work for you if we lose?" Momo asked, clearly disinterested.

"It is quite unorthodox, I am aware," Azami admitted, for what it was worth. "To lose and then get the prize anyways. You would become the first in a long line of chefs to help me revolutionize what true gourmet means all across Japan, and then, later on, worldwide."

"…Are you seriously aiming for world domination?"

The seven other members present in that meeting all seemed to freeze for a second, since what six of them had thought, only one had actually voiced, and Eishi didn't know where to hide himself. Azami, surprisingly, seemed mostly unbothered. In fact, he just smiled.

"That's not quite what I'm after."

"It sure does sound like it," Rindou reiterated. "I sort-of imagine this blonde twat over here," she added, signaling to a very unamused Shawn, "Going "Gee Azami, what are we gonna do tonight?" only for you to respond "The same thing we do –""

"Rin, we get it," Eishi quickly cut her off, his hand raised, "Excusing my friend here, I –" Eishi tried, but Rindou seemed to outright growl at him, which quickly caused him to correct himself, "Excusing my precious girlfriend here, I am not quite sure how we all feel about this job offer of yours. Is this truly all that it would take for you to consider switching out the current Elite Ten for us?"

"Eishi, we spoke once, before you graduated, before my plans… shifted," Azami explained, "And you were curious. You saw how people didn't see the hard work, the perfection in your craft, and just ate it all like pigs, truly lacking in the knowledge of your craft," he explained, and at this Rindou frowned. She remembered him approaching them both. And it had given her a "fight-or-flight" response then, and it was doing so now. "But now I have something far greater. My "True Gourmet" is at its utmost state. So I do not mind any change you wish to make. Bring all of you, all six of you, and my team will emerge victorious. And when you lose, you will see the light. And you will thank me for allowing you all the opportunity to form a part of this. You six, if you agree, could become my very first instructors for a course that will change the culinary arts as we know it forever… So I ask you… Do you wish to challenge my Neo-Noirs?"

"Eishi…" Rindou voiced, her tone for once lacking her playful side. She did not like this at all.

"Do not involve me," was all Tosuke said, his arms crossed.

"B-But, shouldn't we help?" Sonoka said, a very conflicted look in her eyes. A part of her wanted to be nowhere near Ashitaro, but she also didn't want to be the one that led Tootsuki astray in their time of need. She owed that school too much.

"He is clearly trying to bait us," Momo noted, her emerald eyes on Eishi.

"…And it is a bait we would be wise to not fall into so carelessly," Soumei added, "We know not of the full details of the contract between this man and Tootsuki. For him to be so eager to accept, on a six-on-four matchup at that, it does not give me ease at all."

"…What about Erina?" Eishi simply asked, and for once, Azami did seem to give pause. "Under this little arrangement of ours, were we to agree, and… lose. Would this alter her predicament in any way?"

"Now…" Azami replied, and despite his smile, his tone made it clear he did not appreciate the question at all. And Eishi held his ground, even if he felt like a cobra had sprung from the ground and was tightening itself right across his neck… "Why would I need to inform any of you about anything that is only meant to be between myself and my daughter?"

"Why indeed?"

The seven former Elite Ten chefs (and Shawn) all gave pause, turning to the side as a familiar voice spoke up, one that Azami was certain had not been invited into this current gathering, but it was no less amusing to see.

"My…" Azami noted, his eyes narrowing, "Isn't today just filled with surprises. So many Elite Ten members under one roof. Will wonders never cease? And what can I do you for, Nene Kinokuni?"

"I am merely here to apologize on behalf of my… seniors," Nene noted, with a certain amount of frustration, as she turned towards Eishi and the others. Eishi gave her a look that showed neither anger nor worry, but he was cautious. Nene had managed to figure out his plan, it would seem, and both Isshiki and Kuga were right with her. "Tootsuki Academy has not given them the green-light to approach you, nor are we offering any alterations to be made to our contract. The International Shokugeki will be held as initially envisioned."

"Nene…" Eishi began.

"Eishi," Nene countered, "I believe we were clear we did not approve this little gambit of yours," she noted, before turning to Azami, "Please ignore them. This is an internal Tootsuki affair, we shall handle this promptly."

"Now hold up just a moment Miss First Seat," Azami quickly held his hand up, signaling an interruption. "Internal affairs as it may be, it has already reached my doorstep, so to say, and I do find their proposal… interesting," he noted, and Nene could feel the manipulation in his tone. "And, correct me if I am mistaken, but Eishi and the others have already graduated from Tootsuki, so it does grant them some autonomy to handle business on their own."

"Perhaps so," Isshiki offered, "Then they are more than welcomed to challenge your Neo-Noirs as a third party, as, in your own words, they do not fully represent Tootsuki Academy anymore."

"That is," Azami noted with a smile, "A very fair point young Satoshi Isshiki. Quite a pity that one as bright and gifted as you… is on the opposite side of greatness."

"I am were I am needed."

"And no amount of fancy words is going to change that," Kuga added. "So are we going to solve this the civil way, or…?"

"Nene, Satoshi, Terunori," Eishi spoke up, his eyes on the trio, "I understand your concerns. I… do not wish to make light of your hard work. None of us do. But there is too much at stake here for us to sit back and do nothing."

"And then what?" Nene countered, "You'll faced down the Neo-Noirs? On a grand stage? In front of thousands, with millions watching over the television and live-streams? If the Neo-Noirs don't defeat you, your stage fright will."

"T-That's not entirely accurate," Eishi tried to counter, even if he was a bit shaken by her words. "I will manage," he managed to argue, "And I am surprised you managed to track us down, I really wished we could have resolved this as a team, like we used to be."

"The Elite Ten will," Nene told him firmly.

"And finding you six was not really that hard, if we're being honest," Isshiki added.

"Not when someone keeps posting about it on social media, that is," Kuga concluded, taking out his phone and showing his screen to them all. On it was Momo's social media page, with a picture of her and the building's decorations in full display. The entire group all turned towards the petite girl, who felt her face heat up.

"…The decorations were cute," she weakly offered, "I couldn't not take a selfie with them."

"Marvelous work Momo," Eishi simply said, before he turned to Nene, who had honestly become quite the troublesome individual in this last few weeks. He was equal parts annoyed and proud, funnily enough. "I don't suppose you'll simply allow us to try this our way, despite how much sense it makes?"

"Of course not, but we are prepared to offer a counter-argument as it were," Nene replied, "If you truly wish to prove your supremacy to the current Elite Ten, then, by all means, earn it."

"Earn…?" Eishi asked, confused, but before he, or anyone, could elaborate, the main doors of the building opened up, and a group of six very notable figures entered. The former Elite Ten students all looked on, each of them surprised by the party-crashers, so to speak, but none more so than Eishi. Azami, likewise, was quite unpleased with the sight of these kids of all.

"It seems we made it just in time," the current Fifth Seat Akira Hayama said.

"Everybody really is here," the current Sixth Seat, Megumi Tadokoro noted.

"And of course there's my uncle, plotting as usual," the current Eight Seat, Alice Nakiri snickered.

"Are we challenging them or not?" the current Ninth Seat, Ryou Kurokiba asked.

"Do you even need to ask that?" the current Tenth Seat, Takumi Aldini voiced.

"Yeah…" the current Seventh Seat, Soma Yukihira, spoke up with his fist on his open palm, "Better question is, who gets to go against who, eh?"

And thus, six of the current seven Second Year Elite Ten members stood before Azami, who simply nodded at this little "coincidence" in participants.

Azami led the surprisingly large group of Tootsuki alumni, both current and former, well into the main halls of whatever activity Stuffed International was having that day. As Soma and all the others quickly noted, this was a massive get together of the who's who of the culinary world, which made sense given the presence of such a "white shark" like Azami lurking about. And while Soma had quite a bit of difficulty recognizing most of the important people there, both Nene and Isshiki managed to offer a little bit of commentary about who was who, as discreetly as possible, all to let their younger teammates know just how carefully they had to thread.

From the likes of the head honcho himself, the ever charismatic and rather strange Mickey Tiberius Roberts; the owners of Haubii Foodstuff and former poster children of massive recognition, the twin sisters Natsume and Orie Sendawara; the owner of the esteemed "Restaurant Kuraki" Shigeno Kuraki; both the executive producer and the host of the "Is That A Kitchen?" television show, Makito Minatozaka and Luka Miyano respectively, alongside the latter's little girl Akari, looking utterly bored as a kid could be; the infamous Urban Life Planner Yaeko Minegasaki, who looked like she had seen a ghost the moment Soma walked in (even if he for the life of him failed to recall the woman who tried to ruin Yukihira's days before he first entered Tootsuki); the one familiar face in this sea of mystery men and women, Kaito Sakamoto, current co-owner of the Japanese Luxury Cruise Hiei and a very good friend of Jouichirou's; and, a set of names that did cause the boy to glance at the two, Takeo Sadatsuka and Toshio Sadatsuka, the former being Senzaemon's old "buddy" that was part of the first Intercontinental Shokugeki, while the latter being Ashitaro's and Nao's father, and current business partner of Azami.

"If I may have your attention please," Azami announced, as all the celebrities currently gathered, for what they all learned was for Stuffed International's big boss Mickey Roberts' birthday party (with Marvel Comics decorations, because why not?), turned towards him, fancy champagne in hand, the rich and famous all curious at what this man was now going to propose. "I know you all have a history with Tootsuki Academy, to varying extents, and what better way to celebrate our dear friend Roberts' big day, than to offer him the genuine Tootsuki experience with all its fascinating showmanship?"

"Oh my, Azami, you spoil me!" Roberts quickly cheered with a clap. "What could you possibly have in mind?"

"Are we going to bear witness to any of your True Gourmet dishes today?" one-half of the poster-children for the Haubii Foodstuff, the blonde woman Natsume Sendawara, coyly asked as she walked up to Azami and "accidentally" brushed herself against the man.

"How did Mana Nakiri let such a perfect man slip out of her grasps?" her twin sister, Orie Sendawara, added, smirking at him. "My, if it was me, I'd hold you so tightly you'd have no choice but to come back home with me."

"Now that," Azami noted, taking hold of both their hands, and placing a light kiss on them, "Is a most tantalizing offer… But, I have something a bit different in mind. A clash, between the former against the current Elite Ten, all for your viewing, and tasting, pleasure."

"Oh?" both sisters gasped in unison, and Azami was sure Roberts did as well. The crowd, all made up of the biggest names in the culinary industry, all looked on in anticipation, as Azami signaled Shawn, who in turn signaled the twelve young chefs meant to take center stage.

From the former Elite Ten, in walked:

Eishi Tsukasa – Former First Seat

Rindou Kobayashi – Former Second Seat

Sonoka Kikuchi – Former Second Seat

Tosuke Megishima – Former Third Seat

Momo Akenegakubo – Former Fourth Seat

Soumei Saitou – Former Fifth Seat

And representing the current Elite Ten, in walked:

Akira Hayama – Current Fifth Seat

Megumi Tadokoro – Current Sixth Seat

Soma Yukihira – Current Seventh Seat

Alice Nakiri – Current Eight Seat

Ryou Kurokiba – Current Ninth Seat

Takumi Aldini – Current Tenth Seat

All twelve chefs faced each other down, six on one side, six on the other, as Azami proudly (or as best as he could fake it) showcased them all to the crowd. Said crowd erupted into cheers, most notably at the sight of Eishi, whose visage alone seemed to make the Sendawara sisters outright drool over his handsome features and deep eyes; all the while Roberts seemed to almost suffer a heart attack at the sight of Sonoka for two very big, massive reasons.

Nene, Isshiki and Kuga all stood to the side, their eyes on the six Elite Ten members they were betting it all on.

"Sometimes I think we ask too much of them," Nene admitted.

"Trust me. They would not have this any other way," Isshiki noted.

"Plus, if our youngest Elites can beat Eishi and company, there goes their main argument about age being a factor in all this," Kuga explained, his eyes on his squad, wishing them all luck and fortune.

"We don't need to do this," Eishi voiced, his eyes on his former juniors. This… He really didn't want to hurt them like this. He knew they had done enough. He was grateful. To be humiliated like this, was almost too cruel. "Just let us fight this final battle. You've all done enough, far more than any of us could have during our Second Year at –"

Eishi was promptly shut up the moment he was outright slapped right across the face by a white glove of all things that Takumi had taken out of his pocket. The crowd all stared, dumbfounded, as even Azami himself seemed perplexed by the sudden animosity on display by the Italian, to which Takumi quickly cleared his throat and with a light blush said, "Apologies for that…"

"T-Takumi!" Eishi cried out, holding his face, shocked.

"Ain't that a bitch slap," Rindou teased, which caused her boyfriend to frown, as everyone else just observed, still confused.

"I wanted to throw the glove down, as a proper declaration of… our duel," Takumi offered, signaling to his glove, as the audience all looked at him. "It sort-of got stuck in my pocket and I had to pull on it to get it out, and, well, sorry," he ended up saying, before adding, "Although smacking someone with it still conveys the same message, so take it as you will."

"My, chaotic as ever," Azami noted with a coy little smile, before turning back to the party. "It has come to my attention that the former top five of the Elite Ten wish to alter the arrangements present within the Intercontinental Shokugeki we have all been following and enjoying so much," Azami explained, his left hand extended towards Eishi's group. "…All the while the current Elite Ten members want to oppose that, and remain in this fight as was originally agreed upon," he added, this time raising his right hand, signaling Soma and the others, "So… in order to be fair to both parties, they have agreed to engage in a sudden death, so to speak, Régiment de Cuisine, six against six, all willing to serve their best meals to each of you."

"…Since when did we agree to that I wonder?" Alice noted with a little smirk. Her uncle and his little tricks.

"Hey, as long as it works," Soma said with a grin, before he turned to Eishi and the others, "So I take it we're all in agreement, no? We win this six-on-six, and you six back down, for real."

Eishi seemed to sigh for a moment, before he turned to Soma directly, the sharp look in his eyes causing Soma to have to force himself not to flinch. He mustn't forget who he was staring down. Not here, not now. "…Very well," Eishi agreed, "But be warned, once we win, no matter what deal we strike with Azami Nakamura, you'll abide to it, no more protests," he declared, before turning to Nene, "Right?"

"Naturally," she replied, arms crossed, eyes just as sharp as Eishi. At this Soma couldn't help but smile, because despite it all, this girl had really become quite the fighter for their cause. He was pretty sure this team wouldn't have survived as long as it did without her guiding them constantly. Isshiki was right to view her in such high regards, as Nene Kinokuni was turning out to be an amazing First Seat, something, he noted, that even Eishi was noticing, given the little look in his eyes as he stared her down.

"So…" Azami began, "In this first, and quite possibly, only round, who will be pitted against whom?"

Eishi, Rindou, Momo, and Soumei all stood at the ready, allowing their former juniors to pick their opponents as they wished, knowing it wouldn't really matter. They didn't have Erina Nakiri, especially not Erina Nakiri in her prime in their ranks, the only current Second Year who could have realistically given most of them a run for their money. And, for whatever reason, they had decided against using the Third Years, who could have been trouble. These six, while formidable, wouldn't require that much too finally put this discussion at an end. Tosuke, for his part, had to practically be dragged into place by Sonoka, who was worried for all of them, and was now convinced this was the right thing to do, so the man relented. What was one last Shokugeki if it meant saving the school, he begrudgingly noted.

With the six standing in a line, shoulder to shoulder, ready to duel, the current six from the Elite Ten, without having to say anything to each other, simply walked up to their chosen opponent. The matchups that resulted from this were both expected, and somewhat, surprising in equal measure.

"Now isn't this… interesting," Azami noted, licking his lips, as the battle was set to start…

"That's quite the look in your eyes, I like it. I hope you are prepared this time, this is no practice round. I will cometh at you with all that I have," Soumei told his opponent.

"Please do," Takumi replied, taking out his Mezzaluna, all to (figuratively) lock blades with that of Soumei's. "Because unlike those practice round, we have too much at stake to lose this time."

"Heh, I can respect a man who knows how to handle a blade, this may end up quite the match after all…"

Matchup #1: Soumei Saitou vs. Takumi Aldini

"I keep forgetting you are, more or less, an official Elite Ten member," Momo noted, her eyes narrowed, holding onto her beloved Bucchi tightly. "You should have kept it at just your victory against Shoukyan. I hope this doesn't make you cry."

"I don't know why exactly," Megumi replied softly, even if her expression was anything but, "I really, really don't want to lose to you."

"And isn't that adorable…"

Matchup #2: Momo Akenegakubo vs. Megumi Tadokoro

"We are doing this to help you guys out, honest!" Sonoka tried to explain, her hands clasped together, "I understand how much this means for you, but this is the best way to solve this. Trust in Eishi's plan."

"No way fun-bags," Alice shot back, which caused Sonoka to blush and quickly cover her chest with her arms. "Eishi doesn't decide what is best for my family or my school, and neither do you."

"I'm trying to be nice, you know…"

Matchup #3: Sonoka Kikuchi vs. Alice Nakiri

"Let's get this over with," Tosuke said firmly, "This is the last time I'm going to humor this Shokugeki system of yours, so be grateful."

"Funny," Kurokiba sneered, "You should really rethink that. Cause it's not going to look good in your damn resume that the last Shokugeki you had ended up in a crushing defeat!"

"Hmm…"

Matchup #4: Tosuke Megishima vs. Ryou Kurokiba

"Wait, hold up!" Rindou quickly cut in, her catlike eyes wide at the sight, "You are the highest seated member amongst this group, heck, you were an Elite Ten member when we were still around, so why…?"

"Why am I pitting myself against you and not Eishi?" Akira concluded her question. The boy seemed to give pause, before, with a knowing smile, explained, "It is true that I am seated higher, and while I will not say I do not plan of making my superiority clear in the near future, right now, I am not the one of us both that is still in the Intercontinental Shokugeki. He got a point higher than I did in our Round against Moscow International, and he defeated the team that got me eliminated. So, as much as I hate to admit it, at this very moment, Soma Yukihira is our generation's Captain."

At this Rindou didn't reply, at least, not verbally. Her eyes said a lot, before she quickly turned her expression into a very expressive grin. This sounded oh-so promising…

Matchup #5: Rindou Kobayashi vs. Akira Hayama

"Captain, eh?" Eishi noted, turning from Rindou and Akira, and towards Soma, "While I do consider you a very gifted opponent, so much so that I did vote in favor of bringing you back into Tootsuki precisely because of your skill and sheer determination, I have to say, I don't think you're quite there yet. But, do not be discouraged. You have time. Once we save Tootsuki, I'm sure that you'll –"

"Sorry the interrupt ya, but you have it backwards," Soma cut in, and the calmness in his voice just rubbed Eishi the wrong way. "You see, unlike you guys, I believe Tootsuki is talented enough to save itself. I am not its savior or anything like that. We will all fight to protect it, but it doesn't just fall to me to do so. But… I will protect Erina, which is something that comes off as an afterthought to you guys. And I just don't trust you enough to leave such a massive task in your hands, no offense of course, former senior of mine."

"I understand your concern for Erina," Eishi admitted, "We are not pushing her needs aside. If anything, it being us actually helps us in –"

"What if it was Rindou?"

"Ah…" Eishi voiced, softly, his eyes wide. He had not expected such a question from this boy. Soma didn't even seem all that focused, as he simply turned and looked at the girl with the long, red hair. At this Eishi felt something inside him outright burn. It didn't matter. Pretty words and powerful declarations meant nothing when the only thing that would be judged would be your craft. So, instead of answering Soma, Eishi simply warned, "You have never actually beaten me Soma Yukihira. Do not forget what seat I held back at that academy."

"You were the First Seat," Soma replied matter-of-factly, "But what does that tell me? Is that meant to scare me? I haven't beaten you before, then fine, I'll just have to do so now. Or, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there always a First Seat at Tootsuki? Since that school opened and its system was established, the best student was awarded that seat, and unless they were defeated while betting it, they graduated with that seat. And in a school with so much history, and such talented chefs such as Chef Doujima, my Master Shinomiya, and now our Leader Kinokuni, tell me Eishi, why would I be afraid of just a mere First Seat?"

"…Yukihira…"

Matchup #6: Eishi Tsukasa vs. Soma Yukihira

"Now then…" Azami announced, as the entire audience looked on, and all twelve chefs got ready, "Let us begin…"

-0-

"SOMA WHAT THE HELL?!"

Soma had to pause for a moment when he received a very out-of-character text from Mayumi of all people, causing the redhead to raise an eyebrow at the message. He had started writing up a response, trying to ask what she was even referring to, but quickly heard the call to action, which made him alter his text and tell her that he'd give her a call as soon as he finished up his current match. She replied with about five texts almost instantly, which worried him, but he really needed to focus on one thing first, so he just hoped she wasn't in any danger, and turned his attention towards the Shokugeki.

Megumi, likewise, had to be called in too, as she had been also busy texting, in her case to her mom, letting her know that she was going to clash against a former Elite Ten student, and to wish her "baby girl" the best of luck.

With their phones tucked away, both Soma and Megumi joined Akira, Kurokiba, Alice and Takumi, as the six began to prepare for the matchups at hand. Azami had declared the match to start soon, and in the intention to be "fair" to both parties, or so he claimed, he had picked a theme that would suit both contestants.

For the matchup between Takumi and Soumei, the theme of Rice was chosen, as it was a primary ingredient in both Risotto and Sushi, an expertise for both chefs respectively.

For the matchup between Megumi and Momo, the theme of Fruits & Veggies was chosen, in order to allow both chefs to utilize their best ingredients to their fullest abilities.

For the matchup between Alice and Sonoka, the theme of Contemporary Western Cuisine was chosen, allowing for Alice's use of her Molecular Gastronomy skills, while also focusing it to Sonoka's area of expertise.

For the matchup between Kurokiba and Tosuke, the theme of Seafood Ramen was chosen, forcing both men to cook a dish that would feature both of their greatest skillsets.

For the matchup between Akira and Rindou, the theme of Exotic Spices was chosen, giving the Spice Master his ace-in-the-hold, while forcing him to content with Rindou's far wilder assortment of ingredients and techniques.

And, lastly, for the matchup between Soma and Eishi, the very peculiar theme of Diner Deer Dish was chosen, which Azami explained as allowing Eishi to use his greatest ingredient, but limiting it to something that could be realistically served at a local diner, thereby granting Soma some leeway with his use of lesser quality ingredients. Or something like that, as Azami didn't quite say it so nicely, to put it bluntly, and Soma knew a backhanded insult when he heard one. Still, he could make this work, and by the look Eishi gave when the theme was explained, so could he.

Then the matches started in earnest.

The former Elite Ten members all quickly moved into their allotted kitchen. The staff had to be cleared out, as all the guests gathered around to watch these genius graduates cook. They each went directly towards what they knew best, all of them silently agreeing, that despite their hesitation, they couldn't afford to hold back. They knew these kids were being pushed against the wall, and that is where an opponent is the most dangerous. So they would go with all they had.

Eishi took out the finest deer meat that establishment had, and made a careful selection of just how little he would serve per dish where he could maximize the flavor while keeping the costs at a realistic level.

Rindou, being Rindou, outright freaked everyone out the moment she pulled an entire snake out of who knows where (Stuffed International was certain they did not have that in any freezer), and proceeded to slice the poor thing up in moments.

Tosuke quickly took hold on of an assortment of various seafood ingredients, from shrimp to lobster to fish, all setting it up to prep, with the broth already having been set to a boil.

Sonoka had chosen burger meat for her main ingredient, setting it aside, and with her knife, cutting it down effortlessly. It was surprising, for such a gentle looking young lady, to slice such meat in such stellar fashion.

Momo, peeved at even having to entertain this farce, had already taken out several fruits and proceeded to get them prepped properly, before she took hold of a few vegetables, smirking at the thought that this would allow her the cutest sweets imaginable.

Soumei had already begun to prepare his rice, before setting it aside as he began to set the fillings and meats that he would use to fill out his sushi, all the while being extra careful with the preparation process.

It was amazing, most of the audience members noted. How these young men and women, barely out of high school, could cook so effortlessly with a theme they had just been randomly given. Tootsuki really was no joke, and while this left the partygoers drooling of the dishes to come from these six, Azami, and by extension, Eishi, couldn't help but turn towards their opponents. And it was… surprising. He knew they'd give them a fight. He knew them well enough to know that no matter how impressive the former Elites started, it would not be enough to deter these kids. Not so late in the game. Not with so much at stake. But they all had expected to see them working hard on their prep, a dish or at least an idea in their mind. Instead…

The six of them were all gathered together, forming a circle, brainstorming their ideas with one another. Eishi couldn't help but stare, eyes wide, as this was almost like seeing…

"Call it Captain," the man wearing the Iron Man armor, Akira, said to the man wearing the red, white, and blue, Soma.

"Alright, listen up," Soma, dressed as Captain America addressed the group, his waiter's tray turned Shield steady at his hand, and his tone sounding far more collected and composed than ever before, despite their entire world seeming on the brink of destruction. The other five listened in, awaiting their orders. "Until we finish our dishes our priority is assisting one another. Megumi, I want you on prep, eyes on everything, make enough vegetable cuts to serve for all six of us."

The girl with the bow and arrow nodded, as little Megumi dressed as Hawkeye was all but ready for this.

"Hayama," Soma continued, turning to the Iron Man, "You handle the spices. Every dish we make needs your touch. Either you spice things up, or you get rid of it."

"Keep me company?" Megumi asked shyly, to which Akira smiled.

"Let's do this Little Légumes," Akira replied, moving alongside her towards their station.

"Takumi," Soma told the blonde God of Thunder, often mistaken for Thor himself, "We have to avoid a bottleneck once all the prep is done. Use that Mezzaluna, and get all the prep that comes your way into the microwave, into the stove, into any saucepan we have; if it needs cooking, light it up."

With a fierce swing of his Mezzaluna, who only the worthy can wield, Takumi nodded, and moved towards his own station, setting all the stoves and grills into the desired temperature.

"You and me," he then instructed Alice, dressed in that very form fitting black leather of the Black Widow, "We focus here. Get the meats ready. Our job it to cut everything and to prepare it to the precise quality and quantity our team needs," he instructed, and she nodded. Then, turning to their last member. The huge, green goliath of a man often called The Hulk, Soma added, "And Kurokiba…?"

"Hmm…?" the ever impatient, ready to just murder everything in sight mad-dog almost growled in response, but, bandanna and all, he still awaited whatever instruction the Captain was going to give. And of course, he just spoke Kurokiba's language.

"…Fry."

The biggest grin imaginable filled Kurokiba's entire face, before he launched himself into his station, reading the oils in order to deep fry the shit out of whatever ingredient was aimed his way.

And with that, these culinary Avengers of sort, began to cook, and to the surprise of the citizens that surrounded them, they worked as a unit, not cooking an individual dish per chef. Not even simply assisting each other like the Challengers had done so previously. No. This was six chefs, cooking six different dishes in unison.

And the main big bad, the God of Mischief himself, the ever Loki (Lucky?) Eishi looked on, his trademark long grater knife now turned scepter, glowing in anticipation for the clash to come. Beside him, his team, all mutated into hideous, monstrous, scaly, animalistic beasts (which we all know would still get fan art made out of them because Rindou as a monster girl was, well, Rindou as a monster girl, Tosuke and Soumei were two very buff dudes wearing very little, Momo looked absolutely adorable even as a little goblin girl, and Sonoka was, well, Sonoka).

And the man in the chair, Azami Nakamura, looked on. To challenge the Elite Ten was to court death, now was it? How exciting…

"Let's rock!" Soma cried out, and with a heavy cheer from the rest of the team, they all moved to begin. And it was almost unreal. As the crowd looked on, the current Elite Ten all worked in unison in every single step of the cooking process. This was less like seeing a team battle and more seeing an actual restaurant being run. These Second Year students, working with the synergy of a staff that has known each other for years and have worked alongside one another for just as long. How was this even possible?

Megumi made a batch of veggies, and then another, followed by another. Her match against Shouko still flashing in her mind, she was ready for this. She knew how to cook this much, and even more so. So just like that, she had to push herself and prepare enough for everyone present.

And without even needing to say anything, Takumi sliced his Mezzaluna right across Megumi's board, and tossed all those veggies into his many skillets, which were roughly ten feet away, and not a single one fell out of the skillets. His own match against Lucrezia ringing in his mind, he had taken great pains to study up on his teammates skills, a little detail that had saved him then, and that could very well save them all now.

They all begun to cook, all the while Soma and Alice got down and dirty with the meats, cutting it down to the bone if needed, and then even setting the bones aside for additional use. Soma twirled his now trademark "Nakiri" knife flawlessly, causing Azami to frown at the name engraved on the blade, knowing fully well who that knife belonged to. It didn't matter to Soma, as it may not have been his mother's knife, but using it to clash against the likes of Loren, a forced team-up with Eizan, and even a dreadful match against Van and Bridgette to protect Erina, he had more than grown accustomed to this new knife. This was his knife now, and he wielded it expertly.

Alice, not to be outdone, kept up skillfully, as just like her match against Gautier, she pushed her equipment to the side and focused on cutting everything by hand, and her touch was something else. In no time, they both had the best cuts, and, again, without a word, they both tossed their meats to the side, landing where Akira was, who proceeded to spice it all expertly.

He knew what each dish needed. Some were exotic (like his), others required cheap or minimal touches (like Soma's), so he focused on giving each the exact amount of spices and herbs needed to make it the best he could. And he didn't just focus on his nose for this. Thanks to his battle against Hakeem, he knew now how to gauge his spices with all five senses.

Lastly, Kurokiba was given each meat as it was prepped to fry to perfection. And it didn't matter to this monster of a man how many dishes he needed to complete. After running that gauntlet of three matches in a row against the French Team, taking on Kitsch, Camille and Lumiere in succession, he felt he could do this for hours on end. So he proceeded to fry it all to the utmost perfection.

The lone hour allotted for this "sudden death" matchups passed in a blink of an eye, and with over nine eager judges ready to sample the dishes (Mr. Roberts also wanted to judge, but Azami made a point that his vote would not count, discreetly of course). That left the judging to: Kaito Sakamoto, Natsume Sendawara, Orie Sendawara, Shigeno Kuraki, Makito Minatozaka, Luka Miyano, Takeo Sadatsuka, Toshio Sadatsuka, and Yaeko Minegasaki, with Azami excluding himself but still demanding a taste, while Mr. Roberts would still cast his "vote" even if it would not really mean a thing. It was strange, they noted, as they didn't much trust half of these celebrity judges, but they all swore to uphold the judging in a non-biased form, so they guessed they would play along for now.

As such, all twelve chefs presented their twelve dishes before the judges, and at the buffet of pure, culinary delight, everyone began to dig in. The twelve chefs all looked on, outright holding their breaths. Nene, Isshiki and Kuga all looked on, hoping against all logic that they could score enough wins and save their school and Erina, and Alice, and Nao and everyone else.

Azami took a careful taste of each dish presented, and he couldn't help but… frown.

Soumei had served his Ten Pieces of Tuna Ruby Orbs Sushi w/ Gunkan Maki, an expertly crafted set of sushi rolls that made the judges' mouth water, but he was utterly shocked, when instead of risotto or something similar, Takumi had responded with his Cured Prosciutto Italian Sushi Rolls w/ Roasted Red Peppers.

"You outright challenge me in my domain?" a stunned Soumei couldn't help but utter. "But you had every right to focus thy craft on your area of expertise."

"Now, what kind of chef do you take me for?" Takumi replied, knowing smirk in place. "Is it really proper for an Elite Ten chef to hide away in his small domain and be afraid to venture into the unknown and challenge that which seems unbeatable?"

At this Soumei's eyes went wide, noticing just how carefully crafted his opponent's sushi was, and it was like that, the moment he clashed his sword against the Mezzaluna, a huge bolt of lightning erupted from the curved blade, shattering Soumei's Maguro Bōchō in an instant. As the Samurai looked on, the Italian God before him made it quite clear from just his gaze alone. He was just not worthy.

Winner: Takumi Aldini.

In a seven-to-two vote.

Momo, frowning at that display, proceeded to serve her Queen's Apple Tart ~ Rose Garden Version. It was a dish that, unlike her traditional dish, incorporated a handful of vegetables to make the resulting dish the perfect blend of fruits and vegetables, all the while serving the roses with stems made from kale and the leaves made from spinach. The Rose Syrup outright basked the veggies in sweet delight, transforming what could be mistaken as a downgrade into a proper improvement. She then turned to little Megumyan, the scorn evident in her little eyes, until she saw her dish, and she could help but find it… adorable?

Megumi presented her Fragrance of Parisian District Vegetable Marinade ~ Baby Apples Variation. The vegetables, cooked to perfection, using the Légumes Oubliés, also known as root vegetables, which had been a rarity in French Cuisine until he made them a thing, all carefully crafted to resemble a small, little baby crib, not unlike her Master's magnum opus, except with the added factor of assembling a little baby figurine made of carefully handcrafted apple slices, tucked away in a spinach blanket. It was too adorable for words, and with one taste, the judges seemed to agree.

"…How?" Momo couldn't help but ask. "T-That's a dish from… from The Légumes Magician himself. How are you even able to replicate such a –?!"

"He is my Master after all," Megumi replied sweetly, despite just how utterly drained she felt. It had been so hard, so very easy to just ruin it all. Her master was really something, but she couldn't just not try. She had seen Erina suffer too much already, it was time to step up. "And I can't hope to someday surpass him if I can't get past you, right?"

Momo had no idea how to even respond. The judges, however, did…

Winner: Megumi Tadokoro.

In a six-to-three vote.

Sonoka, now a little concerned over what appeared to be two back-to-back losses, presented her Slow-Roasted Gourmet Burgers, a tray of several colorful and juicy hamburgers well-crafted in the most modern of styles, all of them outright oozing from the meat's juices and steaming from freshness. However, to her surprise, Alice offered in turn her own take on a similar dish, this being her Molecular Burger w/ Ketchup & Mustard Caviar.

It was a surreal looking dish, as while it was a burger, in a sense, it was like a tower of different parts. The veggies on the bottom, a block of perfectly cooked meat in the middle, and topped off with little spheres of ketchup and mustard caviar, the little beads holding their shape perfectly, creating such a colorful display.

"To think you could build such a delicate dish, in less than an hour at that," Sonoka noted, outright impressed, her hands to her frame, timidly. "I had been told you students needed more assistance. That this was too unfair for all of you. But, sweetie, you've actually…"

"Yeah, we did kinda leave a bad first, and second, and third impression, that's not a lie," Alice noted, outright out of breath at this point, "…But, that doesn't mean we haven't been forcing ourselves to improve. Clashing against the rival teams, against you graduates, against ourselves, we've all spent every single waking moment trying our best to improve. So I am grateful for your concern, honestly, but since this puts my cousin at risk, I simply cannot stand by and allow these negotiations to be altered even in the slightest."

Winner: Alice Nakiri.

In a seven-to-two vote.

Tosuke outright frowned, slowly realizing what they had done. Combining all their strengths and using each other to cover for what they lacked. This was rough, as if facing six chefs with just one plate. As such, Tosuke brought forth his Red Sea Ramen, a very spicy dish made with jumbo shrimp, crab meat, tuna, cabbage, red bell peppers, shallots, ginger, scallions and fresh cilantro. It looked to be boiling even as he served it, causing the shrimp pieces to look as if they were even swimming around the bowl. But… as he suspected, Kurokiba meet him with a dish of quite the caliber.

Kurokiba offered in turn his Red Coconut Curry Seafood Ramen, a rainbow of ingredients on a bowl, featuring a flatfish halibut cooked to perfection as it's center piece, with lobster claws to the right, and tail-less shrimp to the left, all resting in a bed of chewy ramen noodles and a sea of spicy, fragrant red curry.

"To think we'd end up with similar finished results," Tosuke noted, his eyes on the mad-dog. "Are you certain this is the right way to do things?"

"Right or wrong," Kurokiba shot back, "This is to protect Lady Erina… And Alice. So, like we told ya, step back, you lot don't belong in Tootsuki anymore, so go mind your own damn business!"

Winner: Ryou Kurokiba.

In a six-to-three vote.

"Damn… You guys really went all out! I'm so proud! So…" Rindou said with a huge grin, her little fangs visible as she turned to Akira, with both their dishes side to side, "How about you? Have you managed to finally surpass someone of my oh-so esteemed caliber?"

"Hmm, you really are hard to dislike," Akira noted with a little knowing smile, "But let's allow the judges to decide that for themselves. I do assure you however, that I did put my all into this dish, as anything less would certainly result in a failure against someone like you."

And there both dishes stood, Rindou's My Anaconda Don't, a snake-based soup with snake meat alongside chicken, pork bone, fish maw, dark soy sauce, black fungus, ginger, lemon leaves and quite the amount of heavy spices for quite the aromatic feel. Akira, in turn, had offered his Four Seasons Chicken-Fried Bear, a dish he had been practicing for quite a while now, and given the theme, fit perfectly. Using his mastery of the exotic spices provided, Akira had transformed the bear's natural bone stench into a highly delicious flavor that soaked up each and every spice, all the while harking back to the traditional fried chicken dished so popular in the western world.

"You kids really have grown…" Rindou voiced, and for that moment, her tone harbored to sense of teasing or mockery. There was a very pure fondness to her words, and Akira simply nodded.

"And it is in no small part thanks to all your guidance," he noted, "So we are thankful, and please, rest assured, we will defend Tootsuki Academy."

Winner: Akira Hayama.

In a five-to-four vote.

"Man, my team is amazing, I have to say," a very out-of-breath Soma noted, hands on his knees, looking like he was about to drop at a moment's notice. Eishi turned to him, glaring. "I mean, I'm kinda pissed off at this too, since all five of them improved so damn much while I've just been struggling along. Like, seeing this, I'm sure I could have just taken these guys with me against the Noirs and we would have kicked their collective asses effortlessly, but, what you gonna do?"

"What does this prove?"

"Huh?"

"What… does this prove?" Eishi repeated, his eyes on Soma. "You six cooked in unison, forcing yourselves to the brink, and making up for any shortcomings by assigning whatever task to whoever amongst you was better suited. If your purpose here is to demonstrate, that as a team, as a unit, you have better synergy than we do, then perhaps I can give you that, but… when the Final Round comes, when you are faced against the Neo-Noirs, that won't come into play. It will just be you, and one of them. No outside help. So what do you prove with this little stunt here?"

"Simple," Soma replied, and he sounded completely sure of his words. "That we will do whatever it takes to win. If we can help each other out, then we will. And even when we can't, we still have each other, cheering us on, helping us create, and pushing us forwards. In order to protect Erina, I will do whatever I must to win."

"But that –" Eishi tried, but was caught off.

"Credit where credit is due," Azami cut in, his eyes on the dishes before the judges. From Eishi's White Armor Plate: Sauce Chevreuil, the French Venison Roast dish that had slowly become the former First Seat's specialty, as the White Knight of Cuisine had somehow managed to keep the flavor intact despite purposely keeping the usage of the ingredients at a minimum. Against it was Soma's Le Plat Véritable ~ Protect Erina Style ~ a dish that had been clearly created and practiced with Erina Nakiri, as Azami could outright taste his daughter's style in this dish, just tainted with this boy's own style and use of cheap and outright disgusting ingredient combinations, just pushed to the brink and outright made to boost each other up rather than destroy the entire dish outright. He was also… not fond of the name, but… "You were too focused on your own craft Eishi, and I understand, it is what a chef should do, but young Soma here, he went a little beyond that…"

"Beyond?" Eishi asked, eyes wide. Azami couldn't be insinuating…?

"My, I don't know if young Soma here even realized it himself," Azami explained, and Soma was already frowning, already anticipating an insult or something. "But aside from giving out the initial orders and having his team all focus on their areas of expertise, Soma Yukihira then spent the entire hour jumping all around the kitchen, helping out each of his teammates and making sure they had everything they need. Lessening their load, allowing them some room to breathe while he took part of the weight off their shoulders. In essence, the so-called "Captain" of a generation ended up working as a kitchen supervisor during this round. Quite an impressive sight."

"Well, actually, the reason it looked like that –" Soma began, slowly understanding what this man was getting at, but Eishi spoke up.

"And what does that matter in the end result?" he asked, "If he took time away from his own dish to help the rest, I can understand why, perhaps, my team lost, but that leaves my dish against his, and in no way does it then mean that he would have enough strength left to –"

"Please," Azami interrupted him, pushing Soma's dish towards the former First Seat, "Give it a taste, and you'll understand."

Eishi stammered for a moment, as Soma just frowned. Why was Azami helping them all the sudden? But, Eishi still took a spoonful of the dish, and upon tasting it, for the briefest of moments, he felt his entire body collapse onto itself, an image flashing before him unlike any other. "H-He…?!"

"Soma Yukihira purposely strained himself to help his team, so that in the end, when it came down to putting the finishing touches on his own dish, all six of them could contribute and end up with a dish that featured the very best of each chef here present," Azami explained, and Eishi felt faint.

'That image I saw,' he noted, sweating, 'An endless field of different cooking utensils. No end to be seen. He used all of his friends, no not just friends, friends, rivals, and enemies' best skills to come out with a highly superior dish. This guy, he outright directed all that last-minute effort into creating such an attack against me that I simply… can't…'

Winner, at a nine-to-nothing vote: Soma Yukihira.

"…And it wasn't much," Soma proudly said, taking a deep breath, as he removed his bandanna and tied it back upon his wrist, before he turned to Eishi and the others. "Now, like you guys promised. Leave this to us, and don't risk Erina's safety anymore with these little stunts. We clear?"

Eishi was still glaring at the dish before him, all the while everyone looked on, with the judges lost to the dish's deliciousness, as Rindou walked up to him and offered him a playful kick to the sides. He turned, and sighed, "That crazy guy outright risked all the other matches just to focus all six of them against me. He bombarded me with the talents of all six of these guys."

"Yeah, pretty crazy stunt there," Rindou commented, her eyes shifting to the teens, as the six all quickly got back together, all celebrating a hard-earned victory, as six hands clapped against each other. "But, I think with this we can leave it all up to them. I do believe in what he's saying, that he will do anything to protect Erina. And, I mean, someone in love is willing to do crazy stuff, so if we keep meddling, he might just outright stab us, ya know?"

"What if it was Rindou?"

"Yeah…" Eishi finally admitted, smiling to himself at the sight of those "kids" currently celebrating their victory. "No choice anyways. We leave our future, and that of Tootsuki's, in their hands."

As the Elite Ten, all six that had just won, and the three that had been witnessing, all got together, they each praised the excellent job done, with Nene proudly boasting about each and every one of them and their performance, but said celebration was cut short the moment they heard that man begin to clap to regain everyone's attention. From the Elite Ten, both current and former, and everyone in attendance, they all turned to Azami, who smiled.

"Now then, with that attraction out of the way, I believe it is time we return to our regularly scheduled entertainment," and as endless chatter began amongst the partygoers, the young chefs all nodded to each other and decided it best to leave for now and prepare for that Final Round, as despite all their boasting, they knew part of what Eishi said was true. It would be one of them, versus one of the Neo-Noirs. No last-minute saves to be found. But… "That said," Azami added, causing the retreading kids to give pause, outright against their better judgment. "Soma Yukihira, while I am most impressed by the dish you brought forth today, as well as your ability to manage your team, I feel I should warn you. Please do desist on claiming your goal is to protect my daughter."

"What?"

The others just froze. Soma's tone had sounded outright alien to them, as the boy had turned, hands on his pockets, his glare on the elder man, who just smiled.

"Such talks, even if not meant in earnest, could still get you in trouble for slander, or worse," Azami noted. "If you have no solid proof, then you should not be speaking about family affairs that do not concern you. I would not wish for such a promising young career that you have before you be tarnished thanks to such uninformed comments."

"You very well know why I say what I do," Soma shot back, turning to Azami, and the man's expression seemed to darken.

Isshiki was the first to approach Soma, his hand on the redhead's shoulder. "Just keep walking," Isshiki suggested. "He's trying to bait you, don't fall for it."

"Do you want me to tell you why I can prove you don't mean the words you say, young Yukihira?" Azami asked, and despite everything in him, and Isshiki outright trying to pull him away, with the rest of the Elite Ten all whispering at Soma to just walk away, the boy couldn't help but turn to the elder man, as if quietly screaming out "What?!" to him. This pleased Azami. "The mere fact that you have followed my Intercontinental Shokugeki down to a fault, never deviating. If my daughter's wellbeing was truly at risk, and if you truly cared, you would have long tried to put a stop to it all. But we all know, that that is not the case, and as such, you played along to my perfectly crafted event."

"If I could have stopped this thing I would have done so from the start!" Soma, against his better judgment, called out. "You clearly made that contract iron-clad, so there's no way I could have ever –"

"Why not challenge me directly then?"

Soma froze. No, more than that. The entire room seemed to freeze in time, as all the students stared blankly at the man who had made such a declaration, while Soma didn't even seem to register what was even happening anymore.

"If my daughter truly matter to you," Azami continued on to say, and every word made Soma's vision blurrier. "You could have challenged me to a Shokugeki. You win, and I call it off, all of it. And before you say you'd be putting your team at risk by doing so, if I win, all I'd ask is for you to step down and stop with your false allegations, nothing more. Your team remains intact. In fact, I'd even allow Megumi Tadokoro to take your place, thereby still allowing for a four-against-four in the Final Round. Tootsuki would not risk a thing, yet you could "save" everything. But… because you know I'm right, and my dear daughter has never been in any danger, you never found it necessary to do so."

"Mr. Nakamura this is certainly not a fair matchup no matter how you phrase it," Nene quickly called out.

"A student taking on a member of the Golden Era is far from a matchup any of us could ever hope to walk out with a victory over," Isshiki added, glaring at the man.

"Then Tootsuki is slated to lose," Azami concluded, and upon all the glares he got, he explained, "Why? It is simple. You claim none of you could ever hope to stand to me, and yet, my protégé, Dove, most certainly can."

At this everyone utterly felt a chill. He had to be lying, no?

"Uncle!" Alice screamed out, hands to the side, utterly pissed off. "There's no way that Dove could match you! Stop lying!"

"My dear Alice, I assure you, it is not a lie," Azami softly corrected. "And not just match. The reason she is my team's leader, is because, to be frank, she has actually beaten me previously. Ashitaro, Julius, and, of course, my dear son Asahi are all considered to be the next Golden Era of the culinary world. None of those four would ever hesitate to challenge anyone, not even me… not even your father, Soma Yukihira."

At this, the image of Asahi with both of his parents' knives on his belt, flashed into Soma's mind, and he frowned. It was true. It had to be true.

"Perhaps we should discuss this elsewhere," Eishi offered, trying to help pull Soma away from Azami and his intentions. But the boy just kept his glare fixated on the elder man.

"I am giving him the opportunity to prove he truly means what he says," Azami warned. "Leave, and if you ever speak ill of my treatment of my daughter again, there will be legal consequences. You want to be man enough to be my Erina's boyfriend, then prove yourself to me Soma Yukihira. Challenge me, defeat me, prove your love for her triumphs mine, and if you do, then she is, in your words, saved. Protect Erina, that's what you want, no?"

"Soma, don't!" Megumi outright begged.

"This is clearly a trap Yukihira!" Takumi argued.

And Soma agreed with them both, but he also… couldn't just walk away. So despite the evident concern from everyone present, the boy simply met Azami's own prideful look with the sharpest look he could muster.

"Fine…" Soma declared, hand on Erina's knife once more, gripping it tightly. "Let's do this then."

And the Devil smiled…

-0-

Jouichirou had been busy unpacking all his luggage, as a man who traveled as much as he did, he never quite got around to properly settling back at his home. And now that this Intercontinental Shokugeki was headed towards its Final Round, he knew he had to stick by to the bitter end, come what may. Thankfully, Soma wasn't around, as the kid was probably back at Tootsuki getting ready for that big match (or so he presumed), so his son wouldn't go about mocking him endlessly for the fact that, for some reason Riko had been staying over more and more nights. It wasn't like they had decided to get back together or anything like that, as Jouichirou knew her priority was defending one kid from the other (much like his) but it was still a bit strange to be living with your high school ex-girlfriend after so long.

It felt stranger to hear her sing in the shower, as he could hear her clearly from his room. Girl always had a nice voice, and even now in a more mature age, she hadn't lost a step.

He sighed, he was really getting too old for this. But, in order to prove that the universe had it out for him, no sooner had he set himself to finally unpack properly, than he got a call. He took hold of his phone, saw that it was from his old pal Kaito Sakamoto, and before he could get a "Hello" out, Kaito quickly laid it all out for him.

"Jou, get your ass over to Stuffed International's headquarters here in the city," he told Jouichirou with quite the rush in his voice. "Azami is here plotting something, and it seems he is baiting your son into a match, and none of these idiots seem to see this as anything more than just a friendly competition, but we know the guy."

"What? – No, never mind, I got you, thanks, I'll rush right over," Jouichirou managed to get out, before he promptly hung up and, after almost tripping over all the shit he had on the floor, proceeded to knock on the bathroom's door. "Riko, hey, we've got a situation," he called out, which was promptly ignored by the woman singing to her rather loud music. He cursed inwardly, before he simply pushed the door open (it still didn't lock right) and peeked his head inside. Luckily, she was behind the curtain, and he focused his eyes elsewhere regardless. "Riko!"

"~ Because I – Ah!" she cried out mid-song. "Jouichirou, what the hell? Wait your turn!"

"Riko, sorry, but I need to go," Jouichirou told her, and Riko peeked her head out of the curtain, worried, as his tone made it clear there was something wrong. "Azami's plotting something and it involves Soma. I have to stop it, and now, so lock up until I get back," and with that said, he left, leaving her shaking her head in confusion until she managed to grab a towel, cover herself, and chase after him.

"Wait, hold up!" she cried out. "I'll go too. Just… just give me five minutes to get dressed and I'll be right there with you!"

-0-

"Okay, let's finally start this thing!"

As the kitchen from Con Calma came alive, Asahi signaled to both sides of the matchup, with Ashitaro to the left, and Nao and Loren to the right. The Warlock Supreme had death in his eyes, while Nao was glaring as best she could right back at him. Loren, meanwhile, was just resting himself against the stove, hands on his pockets, watching Nao.

"With Dove, Julius and myself as judges, whereupon we solemnly swear to be non-biased and proper and all that junk, we hereby formally declare the start of this Shokugeki between Nao and Loren versus Ashitaro," Asahi announced, now signaling to the middle of the arena. "Contestants, you all agree to the theme set forth by contestant Nao?"

The little witch had brought forth, what else, but Surströmming, her trademark can of disgustingness. Ashitaro simply nodded, and thus, the match was declared.

"Very well then," Asahi declared, his eyes fixated on Ashitaro just in case, "Shokugeki… start!"

Nao quickly began, taking hold of several cans of the stinky fish and proceeded to open them all up, filling the entire place in that unbearable stench in mere seconds. On the side, Erina had to outright cover her whole face to keep herself from fainting, before, to her surprise, Asahi quickly walked up to her and gave her a scented handkerchief, which she wordlessly thanked him for it, before she used it. It didn't quite get rid of the stench, but it helped.

Asahi then stood next to his little sis and Dove, the latter who had her eyes glued to her own little bro, utterly shocked, as if she couldn't still fathom what she was seeing. Julius merely sat back, still keeping himself occupied with his new guitar, but even he couldn't help but notice…

…Ashitaro had not moved at all. The Warlock Supreme had his arms crossed, and his eyes closed, still standing still. Nao turned to him for a moment, frowning.

"He clearly wants to humiliate me," she noted, before she turned towards Loren. "…You sure you want to do this?"

"Stop asking," Loren shot back. "I've already gotten used to the stench, kinda. Either that or I'm losing my sense of smell. Regardless, what do you need me to do?"

"…Hmm?" Nao pondered for a moment, before she said, "I need to go all out, so I need to start a broth and bring it to a boil. Do you think…?" she hesitated for a moment, before she shook her head. No second-guessing now, she trusted Loren, for as strange as that was in hindsight. "Can you prep the Surströmming? Just prep, I'll take care of the cooking, but…?"

"Yeah, I got it," Loren replied, taking hold of the various open cans, before he moved to his own little space in the kitchen, and proceeded to pour the can's contents into a bowl, draining it. He still flinched, as the smell just got worse, but he powered through.

"Once you have a set prepped just pass it onwards!" Nao instructed, the little witch prepping her huge black cauldron. "Then go back and do another can. Don't try to do them all at once."

"Yeah, yeah," the boy currently fighting back a wave of nausea replied, really asking himself where it all went wrong for this to be such an important moment in his life, but nothing to do there. And as he took hold of his knife, the rest all watched on, with the First Years, Mitsuru, Cilla, Berta and Raymond all cheering him and Nao on, as Erina looked on. Still, even the God's Tongue couldn't quite not notice her biggest enemy's expression.

Dove looked like she simply couldn't process what was going on. Loren was cooking. Genuinely cooking. The kid had no talent for this, nor any desire to learn. Ever since they both got… hired by Azami, Loren had looked at her lessons in True Gourmet with nothing but pity, and she understood why. He was right. This wasn't meant to be fun. This was a job like any other, and she was fine with Loren being kept away from this. So… why…?

Loren began to cut the first set of fish before him, slicing them as cleanly as possible, before he cut again and again, leaving the fine lines of meat as evenly as he could muster. Then, as he was told, he set them aside, and motioned to hand them over to Nao…

And at this, Dove felt her heart sink. 'Oh Loren… You're not supposed to cut them like that,' she noted, biting back her tongue so as not to say it aloud. 'Kiddo, this isn't for you. The correct way to cut something like that takes a whole lot of effort, and I get your intentions, but all you are going to do is get in little Nao's way. Not that she could ever realistically win, but still…'

Nao then extended her arm, her eyes on her cauldron, ready to take the prepped fish, before her fingers didn't quite reach. She turned, confused, as she could have sworn she had seen, from the corner of her eyes, Loren motion towards her. But instead, the boy had pulled back his prep, and after staring at it for a while, he let out a little curse, and pushed it to the side. Nao looked on, confused, before Loren just said, "Sorry, got my fishes mixed up. That was the wrong cut, I'll get you the correct one right away!"

And at this Dove felt her spirit leave her body. '…Wait? What…?'

And just like he said, Loren went back, knife in hand, and proceeded to cut the fish the way he was supposed to, into smaller and smaller chunks. Making outright blocks of meat with them. And it was a sight Dove had never seen. Her little brother, the same little brother that would spend an entire day sitting on the couch watching television or playing games, never setting foot in a kitchen unless it was to sample something she had made, was now holding a knife properly. No, not just that. He was cutting the Surströmming efficiently, quickly, and, to her surprise, without him even probably noticing, upon finishing a batch, he did a little flip of the knife. All to keep the knife's edge away from Nao as he handed her the prepped portion. And that flip, such a dumb little detail, but it was a mirror image of seeing Soma Yukihira do the same thing.

Nao took hold of the prepped Surströmming, and upon seeing the work before her, the little witch let out a very proud smile. Loren smiled back, blushing a bit, as while he'd never outright tell her, this girl was cute when she smiled earnestly like that. Then, of course, she spoke up, and he felt his heart skip a bit. "…attaboy."

"Cooking seems so draining and tiresome," Dove remembered Loren telling her, "I can't wait until you no longer have to do it. I can't imagine it's anything fun."

"It's not," she had replied, "And it's not supposed to. It's just a job, and one I have to do so we can finally be free. Nothing more, nothing less."

"That is the essence of True Gourmet," Azami had been heard telling the two, as both kids turned to him. "Tootsuki Academy fools its students into thinking there is fun to be had in the craft, and then crushes them when the cold reality hits them. This is why you two are here. To finally end the farce that is that Academy. That Academy doesn't teach, all it does is force the lesser students to be used as practice for the top one-percent, and even then, that very top will end up lost once they see what true cooking is like. It is a system that hurts everyone, and we will shut it down."

So now, Dove just looked on, her eyes still wide, as the little brother she had sworn to keep safe, who had dyed his hair to look like her, who despite sharing no blood relationship with her at all, she didn't mind cooking for, bathing with, or even sleeping next to. Loren was her little brother, no matter what, so, what was going on? He was cooking, genuinely cooking. He caught his mistake, and corrected it, and as he moved to the next batch, he moved… like an actual chef.

'Are you actually telling me, that in a little over a month…?'

Loren sliced and diced the fish with a precision that she knew could match those of actual students…

'The time he spent inside that useless Tootsuki Academy…?'

Loren then passed the last of the prepped fish to Nao, who proceeded to throw all of it into the cauldron, setting it all to boil, as the smell intensified even further…

'Has actually taught him this much!"

…

On the opposite side of the city, another matchup had begun, as the Elite Ten all stood by, all of them conflicted beyond belief, as Soma Yukihira began his Shokugeki against Azami Nakamura. The crowd was going crazy, at just the mere thought of eating a dish from Azami personally, all the while Soma tried his best to keep calm and focus. He knew this was a horrible idea, but what else could he do? Walking away meant letting this bastard get away with anything that happened to Erina from here on onwards. And he couldn't allow that. So he needed to win, no matter what. Given the theme of the match had been, as chosen by Azami, outright anything, he had to pull of the biggest win of his career or else.

So Soma began to move, gathering a handful of ingredients and beginning their prep, his mind focused on using the best of each of his better dishes, in the hopes of finally creating a specialty that would hopefully counter Azami's true gourmet.

As the rest of the students looked on, they all felt powerless to help, knowing fully well how unfair this was, but what could they even do? That bastard Azami had planned this perfectly. Megumi, for her part, just took out her phone, and texted sincerely, "This is bad. Soma was challenged by Azami with his elimination in the line. This isn't fair."

Then she hit sent, then she put her phone away… then she pulled it right out again. Her eyes went wide. 'Wait… That was the wrong M… wrong contact! I'm dead!'

As Megumi seemed to grow paler for some reason, the rest all looked on, as Soma began to take out several meats, placing them all around his counter. 'Mom, Dad, Master Shinomiya, Isshiki, Ikumi, Takumi, Alice, Mimasaka, Akira, Eizan, Aisha, Asahi, Alessandro, Loren, Van, Bridgette, Eishi… even you Erina. Every opponent I have ever taken on, I need to learn from every mistake I made, and every correct call I did, and make something that can match this damn monster!'

But then he smelled it. He outright felt it.

Azami had set a plate of his True Gourmet on the table for the judges. A few scattered gasps could be heard, and Soma turned, eyes wide. It… It hadn't even been twenty minutes. The man clad in black just smiled.

"This is True Gourmet," he informed, proudly, "Once I take possession of Tootsuki Academy, this will be just the standard dish served in those halls. Even a student from the Middle School division will be able to do something of this caliber. Because I will take the time to teach them the correct way. The right way. The only way."

"Sacrificing any traces of creativity for a flavor that is already assumed to be of the utmost quality," Isshiki noted, frowning at the dish being presented.

"…If I didn't know any better, I could swear I'm hearing my own family talking," Nene said with a hint of disdain, and Isshiki could help but nod. It reminded of his own family too. That obsession with perfection that left no room for error. No room for growth.

Soma glared at that, seeing everything that had pained Erina all this time represented in a dish, but it didn't matter unless he could defeat what Azami had served, so he went back to it, and began to recreate the best parts of all the dishes from all those opponents he had fought against. He sliced with his knife, effortlessly, until… he felt his vision get hazy once more. He gave pause, feeling his body in cold sweat. He frowned, realizing what this was… 'Back at the hospital, and even now. Calm down, this is the worst possible place and time to get a panic attack. You have to be strong, for Erina. Everyone is gunning for her, for once, prove what you say and protect her!'

And he pushed on, shaking his head and forcing himself to focus, despite how much his hand would not stop shaking…

…

"Are you done playing around?" Ashitaro's voice made Nao flinch, but she forced herself to glare back at him. He just sneered. "I gave you quite the head start, and I'll grant you some merit, the smell ain't half bad… but you know you can't win," he told her, and began to move. He took out his own can of Surströmming and opened it up, and within moments, he had sliced the whole thing to perfect pieces. Using his own cauldron, he set things to boil, a slasher smile right across his face, "So talk tough all you want little sister, but your school will fall, and you will be in my arms eventually," he threatened, and at hearing this, she couldn't help but take a step back, hugging herself. Ashitaro moved, not directly to her, but towards the side, still purposely passing closer to her than needed, "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe, my dear, sweet –"

He was made to swallow his words the moment he tripped and almost smacked his face against the counter, having to hold himself to the nearby stove to avoid landing face-first onto it. He paused, eyes wide, noticing how Nao had an equally surprised look on her face. But, where was…?

"Oh, careful, floor's pretty slippery," Loren told him, and Ashitaro felt a vein inside him pop. The traitorous little kid had somehow slipped right beside him and tripped him up and Ashitaro had not even seen him. And even worse, the kid was now next to his cauldron, "What are you making I wonder?"

"Stay on your side!" Ashitaro barked, causing Loren to laugh and bounce right back next to Nao. Ashitaro, utterly fuming, looked at his prep, and didn't notice anything off about it, but he knew what this blonde kid could and would do. Loren's smirk was evidence enough. "…If you even try to ruin my craft…"

"If you stay on your side I'll stay on mine, how about that?" Loren simply shot back, wink and all, and Nao's face was something else.

"L-Loren!" she practically squealed, feeling her heart outright skip at seeing this boy stand up to such a monster like that. And she wasn't the only one, as Berta and Cilla both bounced in unison, both holding hands, cheering Loren on. Mitsuru meanwhile, was busy taking pictures of it all.

'Damn, kid's smooth,' Asahi praised.

'…Fine, Soma, you're right, keeping Loren around was the right call,' Erina noted with a little smile.

'What? Is? Going? On? In? Here?' Dove could barely think let alone ask. 'This… This is beyond just helping a friend. Who is that girl to Loren? Why is my baby brother acting like such a grown boy when he's with her? What's with that smug look? And why is she looking at him with outright sparkles in her eyes?! What's going on?! He's a baby! He is not allowed a girlfriend until he turns thirty!' Dove inwardly lamented, her eyes tearing up, her demands a bit… off, but this was still a new phase for her. Older sisters had to protect their baby brothers, and Loren was still a baby. What was all this?!

Ashitaro found it far less charming or cute, outright furious at the kid, but he knew that if he wasn't careful Loren could easily ruin his craft, and he was sure that none of his "teammates" would call the kid out on that. So, fine… he'd focus on his craft. He'd have enough opportunities to discipline Nao in the future. Once she was back home. Once she was away from Tootsuki. Once this bastard kid was no longer allowed to see her again.

So with that in mind, Ashitaro turned to his cauldron, and threw everything on it, setting it into a boil, and mixing it like an evil wizard would do a magic spell.

Shockingly, Nao was at that very same step, as the Boiling Witch brought everything to a boil, and began to mix her ingredients with all the strength she had. Of course, despite her prowess, her older brother had more strength that she did, so he mixed faster, and as she tried to speed up to match him, she felt someone take hold of the mixing spoon from behind her.

"Need a hand?" Loren asked, and Nao was now utterly crimson. Ignoring the squeals from the two blonde twins, or how both Erina and Mitsuru seemed to avert their eyes, Nao just swallowed hard and nodded. She tried her best to ignore just how close Loren was to her, how even the stinky smell of her dish was being completely overcome by his cologne, or how she had to stand absolutely still to avoid brushing herself against his groin… She was going to faint. She was going to just faint and drop right inside her own cauldron. He was evil, there was no other explanation. But when Nao turned to him, utterly red in the face and about to ask for mercy (as in, tell him she could manage) she saw that he had his eyes fixated on Ashitaro. Purely on her brother. And his expression was livid.

'Loren…' she thought, and she could no longer tell if her heart was beating or not, 'You really are doing so much, all of this, just for me…'

As everyone watched, and as Dove felt herself about to have an emotionally-induced seizure, the Warlock Supreme and the Boiling Witch both finished their dishes at roughly the same time, and with the three would-be judges before them, and Erina and the First Years as witnesses, the two served their dishes to be tasted.

Ashitaro stared, already anticipating his victory.

Nao was holding on firmly, but her hand motioned to the side, and took hold of Loren's own.

Loren held her tightly, his eyes seemingly on the judges, but keeping watch of Ashitaro from the corner of his eyes.

…

The crowd looked on, as Soma Yukihira walked towards all nine judges, fittingly the biggest amount he had ever had for such an occasion. His dish was placed before them all, and in it, was everything he could ever hope to muster. Azami looked on, outright scoffing at the offering, as the judges, already basking in the glory of Azami's earlier offering, still took a taste of Soma's dish, as the boy who still couldn't keep his hands from shaking or his vision straight held on, hoping against all odds, to somehow, actually save Erina.

But the reaction seemed outright tame when compared with the sheer euphoria from Azami's earlier offering.

"As you can see my dear Soma Yukihira, our craft speaks for itself," Azami noted smugly. "Now then, please allow Shawn to handle the paperwork for you to be removed from the Intercontinental Shokugeki and, for now on, agree to stop this blasphemous allegations against my person and my daughter. So –"

"T-They haven't voted yet," Soma noted, almost about to collapse, as this had been too much. Against a former First Seat, then against this man. Too much, but he refused to fall down. And upon hearing what Soma said, Azami gave pause, and turned, his eyes widening at the sight of the judges. It was true. Not a single vote had been cast yet.

"…Judges?"

"Oh, apologies," Shigeno voiced softly, "We're… well, we're just thinking it over."

"Thinking it…?" Azami blurted out, letting out a little laugh, before he covered his mouth with his hand and took a deep breath. "What is there to consider? You cannot possibly be suggesting that this boy's dish is…?"

"Something wrong Nakamura?" Kaito asked, eyeing the elder man. "It is a difficult choice, as while your craft is indeed masterful, the cheer originality and ingenuity on display in Soma Yukihira's dish deserves some merit."

"What?"

"Yes, quite," Orie added, as her sister Natsume nodded. They all seemed to ponder it, with the exceptions of the Sadatsuka men, who had already decided to vote for Azami, but kept that to themselves so as to not vote first. Yaeko wanted to do the same, but she honestly found that brat's dish better, so she was utterly at a loss on what to do. Azami was about to break something, but then he heard the boy speak…

"Here, try it," Soma offered, extending a plate to the man. "…I've been meaning to get the chance to actually hit you straight on with the full force of my flavors, and especially with this. You see, this is something I've been tinkering with during the past few months with Erina, and despite what she says, I know she loves it. It was a dish first made by my mom, which later on Erina, back at Yukihira's, managed to outright nail. Now, we've both been trying to bolster it again and again, failing a lot, but that's… that's what drives us."

"What nonsense is that?" Azami just shot back, but he still took hold of the dish. If he needed to break down every single flaw in it that these pathetic excuses that the judges could not, then so be it. So he took a bite, and his eyes went wide…

…

The three Noir judges took a taste of both dishes, as Erina stood alongside the First Years, covering her nose with the handkerchief that she was sure had done all it could already. Ashitaro's dish was everything they expected, truly a dish well served and one of their own caliber, that despite their own pride, all three of them had to admit that it was really up there with them. So, it was obvious, when they tasted Nao's dish, the result was underwhelming. Ashitaro noticed it the moment they ate it, and he began to laugh like crazy.

"Tell her!" he ordered, "Tell my little sister which dish is truly superior! Let her know how hopeless her little tantrum is! She can't match me! No one from that stupid school can! Only I can –!"

"You're not exactly right," Dove cut in, her eyes on Nao's dish, eyes narrowed. Ashitaro outright froze in place, glaring at his "Leader", as she turned to him. "I don't think this is as clear cut as you believe it to be."

"She's not wrong," Julius offered, which served as another stab to Ashitaro's pride.

"What?!"

"…They're saying that your little sis made something, well, it's a bit hard to explain," Asahi noted, and Ashitaro was now certain they were just playing favorites and purposely talking out of their asses. But then, to his surprise, he was approached by none other than Nao herself.

This put Asahi and Loren in high alert, the former glaring at Ashitaro, while the latter was still holding onto the little witch's hand. She, on the other hand, just stared him down.

"Try it," she said, and he outright scoffed. She did not relent. "Try it coward. If you're so certain of your superiority, then taste my craft and denounce it yourself!"

Gritting his teeth at all this stupidity, Ashitaro still grabbed the bowl from Nao's hand and, despite his better judgment, took a solid bite of her clearly inferior craft…

…

It was a taste that brought him back to High School. To those days of adventure, and romance, and friendships, and lots of tests and homework and all the crap in-between, but it brought him back, and he didn't know how to react.

Azami stood, holding over the plate, his eyes trying to examine it. Its taste was inferior to his own, that much he knew, but there was something there. Like an attempt to go beyond what should be possible, as if the Soma had tried to receive a score of one-hundred and twenty percent when the limit was only one-hundred. It sounded outright moronic, but he could taste that attempt. It didn't quite land, he didn't manage it, because of course, it was nonsense, but to be able to taste that attempt, so hard to describe, outright unnerved the man.

"…What taste were you even attempting here?" he blurted out, before he caught himself. Soma just smiled.

"If you had really been paying attention to your daughter, you'd already know," Soma offered knowingly. "This is our grand design, something we have been working on. The dish that one day I will make so great that she will have no choice but to admit it's delicious. Something as boring as your True Gourmet can't possibly accomplish this, eh?"

"There you go again," Azami shot back, "Hell-bent on adding "fun" and "creativity" into this line of work. Things do not work this way."

"They can," Soma countered, "And they make wonders. You haven't seen it yet, but you will. That little girl you still think is so afraid of you, she will surprise you. She is amazing, talented, beautiful, and she will show you, just how wrong you are…"

"…why?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you so insistent in interfering with my family's affairs?"

…

"What the hell is this?!" Ashitaro cried out, setting the plate to the side, his eyes wide, his body shaking. He turned to Nao, and she was smiling. She was a mess. A big sweaty, nervous wreck of a mess, but she was smiling so brightly.

"I finally did it, didn't I?" she asked, and he couldn't even fathom how. "It's… It's mom's dish. I managed to finally get the flavor right, didn't I…? Ashitaro?"

"M-Mom?" he voiced, his eyes on the dish. This was… the dish his mother used to prepare for him when he was little. But… how…?

"I may have never met her," Nao noted, still shaking, but standing firm, "But I've seen all the home movies. I know how thrilled she was when she learned she was pregnant with me. How much she wanted to meet me. How she went into labor despite knowing the risks. How she placed my safety above her own. I… I have tried to follow the recipes she left behind, and it wasn't until today, that I know for a fact, thanks to that look you just gave, that I finally made it right."

"You actually want to claim you can cook like mom?!" Ashitaro barked, and before Nao could reply, Loren beat her to it.

"Hey, face it zombie, she made you second-guess yourself," the blond shot back, smirking, "And after you lost a point to the hot Italian girl, well, you're not all that tough, it would seem."

"…Why the hell are you so intent on interfering with our family's affairs," Ashitaro outright growled. "You're a good looking kid, you could easily score yourself any girl much cuter than this sister of mine. Why go through all this damn trouble, outright throw away the perfect chance to ruin Tootsuki, all for… all for her?!"

Nao seemed to tense up at those words, while Loren simply squeezed her palm a little tighter.

"…It's because I swore…"

…

"Because I swore," Some replied, and despite feeling about to collapse, he still forced a smile.

"Because you…" Azami repeated, glaring at the youth…

…

"…Swore?" Ashitaro asked, utterly confused by his choice of words.

"It's something I picked up from a very annoying guy," Loren admitted, as Nao looked on, her heart beating at record speed, her eyes outright watering.

…

"Because I've seen her cry enough…" Soma began.

…

"…And because I'm tired of everything always falling on her shoulders…" Loren added.

…

"That's why I swore…" Soma declared.

…

"Which is why I swore…" Loren affirmed.

…

Then, in two very separate places, divided by miles and miles of distance, two young men screamed out in unison the one truth between the two of them…

"THAT I WOULD NEVER LET YOU HURT HER EVER AGAIN!"

…

Azami's eyes went wide at this declaration getting screamed at his face, and, during this, he noticed that the judges had finally given their match their scores. And the man looked positively… livid.

The judges, with enough time to ponder, decided to cast their votes, and upon doing so, to the sheer horror of all the Tootsuki alumni present, the final results ended up as…

Winner: Azami Nakamura.

And the victor in question outright glared at the results.

It had been seven-to-two. Kaito had voted for Yukihira, as had one of the twins, Orie. The man clad in black felt his pressure rise at the thought. 'A perfect score was not needed,' he tried to assure himself, 'That was simply a basic True Gourmet dish. Soma Yukihira could have never gotten even a single vote had I done a true specialty of mine.'

…

As Ashitaro looked on, outright at a loss for words, the three Neo-Noirs just offered their vote. It had been closer, much closer than any of them anticipated, but the sheer gap in skill was still there. Ashitaro was still leagues above Nao, or anyone that wasn't them, pretty much. And with that, the voting closed.

Winner: Ashitaro Sadatsuka.

With an obvious score of…

"Eh…?" both Asahi and Julius voiced, blinking, at the sudden score of two-to-one. They two turned to Dove, who had her arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"Save it," she told them coldly. "I liked Nao's dish better, so my vote is valid."

'She's professional to a fault as long as it doesn't involve the kid brother…' both Noirs thought in unison, but they knew it was pointless to argue it against her. Plus, the sheer look of outrage in Ashitaro's face when he saw that Dove gave Nao a point was utterly priceless…

"Close enough I guess…" Nao lamented, even if she did offer her "audience" a little courtesy, before she turned to Loren, and smiled at him. He felt a bit self-conscious at the moment, having not really been meaning to scream all that, especially not with the twins outright squealing in delight at all the "romance" before them.

"But…" Ashitaro then broke the silence, "…You. You never ate her food!" he shouted out. "How the hell can you say that…? That it's…?"

"You tell me," Nao simply replied. "But, we both know the truth. I did it. I managed to reach her level. I am not fooling myself. I know you are above even that, by quite a bit, but now, dear brother, you can't just brush me aside. Brush my talent and skills aside. I will get better, but right here, right now, I made something just like mother used to, so if you ever call my craft mediocre again, then you are calling her craft the same!"

"You!" Ashitaro screamed, like an outright demon out of hell, as he outright lunged himself at Nao, "You don't get to compare yourself to her!"

He moved fast, too fast that the others had trouble reacting on time, and it wasn't until he struck his target that they were able to get to him. But… Ashitaro gave pause, as instead of smacking his big mouthed little sister right across the face as she deserved, his fist had connected with Loren instead. And to his surprise, the blond boy staggered, but he held his ground, and he closed his fist, as if he was perfectly willing to retaliate.

"Are you shitting me – Ack!?" Ashitaro tried to question this damn pest that just wouldn't get out of the way, but before he could even react, Dove outright broke a crystal glass right across his face, shattering it and causing him a sharp pain right at his temple and very near to his left eye. The Warlock stammered back, feeling the blood droplets begin to fall down his face, as he turned his glare towards his Team Leader.

"You do not get to touch them!" she said in no uncertain terms.

"You cannot tell me what to do with my own damn sister, you stupid –"

Ashitaro had no choice but to swallow his next set of words, as one moment he had been facing down a very pissed off Dove, the next he had gotten himself slammed against the wall, with a far more pissed off Asahi staring him down. And, despite all the anger in the Warlock, he had to calm himself, otherwise the knife Asahi held right at his artery could go just a few inches deeper.

"I warned you," Asahi said, and his voice sounded so very different than what anyone there was accustomed to. The closest to hearing it that way was Dove when he had spoken to Jouichirou, and even then this was much, much darker. "Such a big man when it's against a young girl. You really want to get all that aggression out, then come on, try it with me."

"…Do it," Ashitaro voiced, "See where that gets you."

"You think I won't?" Asahi replied, and then Ashitaro felt the knife get deeper, so much that if he tried to swallow he could cut himself. The Warlock's eyes widened. He wasn't sure he could call Asahi's bluff anymore.

"Asahi!" both Erina and Dove called out, in unison, and given the gravity of the situation, for once, both girls ignored their animosity towards each other. "Brother, that's enough," Erina added, "Don't… don't go that far."

"Loren, take Nao out of here, okay?" Dove told the kid, and despite him glaring daggers at Ashitaro, he did nod and, taking her by the hands, took the back exit out of Don Calma with her.

"You four also wait by the limousine," Erina instructed to the other First Years, who quickly protested, despite how utterly shocked they were at all they were seeing, until Erina added a very persuasive "Now!" and the practically ran away. Erina then turned back, and voiced, "Please brother, not like this."

Asahi sighed, and smiled at Ashitaro, "Look at that, a man who gets off on hurting his own little sis, getting saved by my sis," he told him, as he pulled the knife away, and the pushed Ashitaro away too, causing the young man to tumble onto the ground, his emotions all over the place. "Get the fuck out of my restaurant."

Ashitaro seemed inclined to say something, but a hand on his shoulder made him pause. It was Julius. "That's enough of that," the elder boy voiced, "I shall escort Ashitaro here back to the resort. It was fun, for a while Asahi, I wish you the best, and thank you for the gift," he added, signaling to his new guitar. Then he turned to Dove, "I shall be seeing you at the Finals," he said, then turned to Erina, "And I presume, you as well. Take care."

Both girls just nodded, as Julius tugged Ashitaro along, and despite everything, the Warlock knew when to fold them, and just walked right out alongside Julius, leaving the trashed bar now empty save for Erina, Asahi and Dove. The three had to take a moment to even register what had happened.

"You both okay?" Asahi asked, eyes on the girls.

"That man cannot be allowed within Tootsuki!" Erina expressed, slowly coming to terms she almost witnessed her brother murder a psychopath.

"Yeah, tell that to your father," Dove simply replied, before she moved away, and before Asahi could ask, she added, "I'm going to go check up on Loren and Nao. And I swear, if he hurt Loren, I will kill him in his sleep."

Loren and Nao, at the back exit of Con Calma, also took a few moments to recover themselves from all that mess, and while Loren tried to speak first and ask Nao if she was alright, she beat him to it, motioning right next to him and gently placing her open palm across his cheek and caressing her thumb over his lips.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Huh? Me? Yeah," he replied, "Your brother's a bitch, hits like one too. I'm fine."

Loren then tensed up, as Nao's other hand found itself on his other cheek, outright cupping his face tenderly, her red eyes filled with worry. He tried to speak, but again, she spoke first, "I won't keep asking why. I feel you must be sick and tired of hearing me ask that… But, I am horrible at this, you know?"

"At what?"

"At… At the whole feelings and confessions and all of that," she admitted, her face getting redder. "So, please, Loren, I apologize in advance if I somehow read this whole thing wrong, but when a boy goes so far to protect a girl, well…"

He tilted his head a bit, wanting to ask what she was getting at. He did want to ask her in turn if she was okay, as that whole ordeal was hers, and rightfully so. But he couldn't quite voice it. Not because she interrupted him again, but because she kissed him.

Loren's eyes widened at the soft sensation of the little witch's lips on his, nervously caressing his own in a very tender and sweet embrace. A girl's lips were insanely soft, he came to learn, and despite it all, he was so glad she was safe. So he kissed her back, which seemed to make her smile, or at least he thought she did. He could feel her smile through their kiss. It was a quick kiss, a beginners kiss, and they soon separated, both blushing, both giggling a little, both still holding onto each other, Nao cupping his face, Loren holding her by the waist.

"I-I guess all that traitor talk from you really –" he tried.

"Yes, let's save the back and forth banter for latter," Nao quickly cut in, "You have no idea how long I wanted this!"

And she kissed him again, causing the boy's eyes to go wide. She pressed herself a bit further this time, and he let her. She kissed, he kissed back, and these two once mortal enemies now locked lips just like lovers do, neither certain of what their future would hold, but at least happy that right now, they were together…

"Hey Lo-oh?!" Dove voiced, coming out of the restaurant, and coming up to quite the sight. The two quickly separated, landing like six feet from each other, both blushing deeply, and both averting their eyes. Dove felt slapped. "…I had like over a dozen questions regarding all of this… I think this answers half of them."

"Dove, hey," Loren voiced, still tasting Nao's lips on his own. "Let me formally introduce you to Nao. Nao, this is my sister Dove."

"Nice to meet you," Nao greeted, her eyes on the floor. "You are very hot."

"Nao that's a weird way to greet my sister."

"Shut up, I'm nervous."

"No, that's alright, we've all have to get used to new things, eventually," Dove noted, forcing a little laugh. 'And here he is, little Loren getting back at me for not telling him about Asahi, quite directly at that… They grow up way too damn fast…'

-0-

The uproar from the crowd was staggering, as Azami quickly called for everyone to calm down, before he turned his attention back to Soma, the boy who looked just about ready to collapse, and who's eyes made it clear he was realizing just how deep a grave he had just dug up for himself.

"Congratulations on the hard fought match," Azami forced himself to say, "But this is the end of the line for you, Soma Yukihira. As per our agreement, you are hereby eliminated from the Intercontinental Shokugeki, and you must desist on making any false statements regarding my relationship with my daughter… Do you understand?"

Soma gritted his teeth, his mind almost blank, as he felt the panic hit him again. No, he couldn't just get kicked out now. He trusted Tadokoro, of course, but leaving Erina to fend for herself was not something he could allow. He needed to do something, anything. He could hear his team all cry out at the unfairness of it all, but Azami just brushed them off, noting how this had been agreed and it was already too late for any changes. And as a panicked Soma tried to desperately think up of any possible solutions, he, and everyone else in that place, heard the doors open up…

…

With a swift kick at that, the main doors were burst open, and in came none other than Jouichirou Saiba himself, knife in hand (Kazusato's at that, given how his own now was under the possession of his eldest troublemaking boy), as he exclaimed, "Azami, you dirty little rat, leave my kid out of this damn mess of yours! If you want an opponent to challenge then go ahead and… eh?"

All the guests at the wedding currently taking place turned to the man, all of the utterly confused, and some of them frightened, at the sight of this weird guy just barging in, knife in hand. A jealous ex-boyfriend perhaps.

"…Sir?" the closest doorman voiced, an old gentlemen, giving him a very peculiar look. "I take it you have the wrong address."

"Uh… isn't this Stuffed International?" Jouichirou asked, "You know, Mickey Roberts' birthday party or something to that extent?"

"Oh, that would be from the opposite entrance of this building, down the block," the old man told him, and Jouichirou just nodded.

"Okay," he said, before turning to the crowd, "Sorry about this, wrong building, my mistake… You two make a lovely couple by the way," he added, before he turned right around and ran back outside, just in time as Riko was making her way in. "Go back, wrong entrance!"

"Really?!" she cried out, flipping around and rushing after him. "Pick the right place, damn it! Do you have any idea how hard it is to run in heels?!"

…

The doors had in fact opened up, slowly, as a certain individual walked in. Immediately whispers began to spread all across the halls, and Azami frowned. The students all looked on in awe, outright surprised by the interruption, while Megumi was about to faint. Soma, for his part, couldn't even register it. But then, slowly, he recalled their promise.

"Listen, and listen well," he had warned, and Soma stood up straight, despite how damn exhausted he felt. "…You did well today."

"Eh?"

"And I will never repeat myself, but you get one," he informed, raising his index finger at the boy, signaling the single digit. "One time, for whatever you need, if you have no one else to turn to, I have your back, no questions asked."

"It's…" Megumi squeaked.

"Master…" Soma voiced.

"…Kojirou Shinomiya," Azami Nakamura acknowledged, his glare fixated upon the Légumes Magician, who was sporting quite the scowl himself. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"I see you get your kicks in beating up brats," Shinomiya noted, before he turned to Megumi, "Thanks for the heads up, you did alright," he told her, which almost caused her to faint. She had not at all intended to accidentally text him of all people. Then he turned to the distraught Soma, and said, "And you look like crap. Always taking on more than you can chew, huh?"

"…Yeah," Soma admitted, laughing a bit. "You know me. Don't know my own limits."

"Moronic, but admirable," Shinomiya commented, before he turned to Azami. "You know, you've been making waves lately, and I'll be honest, I really don't care about your True Gourmet bullshit or what you do with Tootsuki Academy if you win it or not. I'm already far too established for that to have any effect on my career."

"Your words and your tone do not match," Azami noted, eyes narrowed. "If I did not know any better, I would think you were mad at me."

"My career is secure, but these brats still have ways to go," Shinomiya replied, matching Azami's glare with his own, "And pitting them against your super team is one thing, but for you, a grown ass man to challenge a student, that really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Regardless of how annoying they are, these kids, they are also students of mine, so… Azami," Shinomiya added, rolling back his sleeves, as his eyes seemed to outright glow in anger, "…Why don't you try and pick a fight with someone of your own damn caliber?"

---

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The Légumes Magician Appears!

…

…

…

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Notes:

Hey Everyone, Zancrowe Here! Again!

You guys have no idea how much I wanted to see this matchup done in canon. Out of every, single, Shokugeki we could have had, Shinomiya vs. Azami would have been my dream bout!

Many thanks to my lovely reviewer LoveGlutton for doing a wonderful job at adding so much detail to "Nouvelle's" TV Tropes Page. If you haven't given it a read, please do so, it is very fun to look back at all that from a different point of view!

Also, if you are bit lost about the promise referenced here between Shinomiya and Soma, make sure to check out my other story "Something Borrowed", especially the 2nd Chapter, where you will find your answer.

Youtube Page: I have one with upcoming Sorina & Food Wars content (I swear, content is coming!)! Link is on my Profile Page or just search up "Zancrowe" on Youtube.