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))

34. The End Is Where We Begin

Notes:

Hey Everyone! Zancrowe Here!

Thank you all for your patience, kindness, support and amazing feedback! As we finally reach the starting line of the climax, I hope you are all ready for non-stop action, thrills, reveals, and everything in-between! I also had to go over this Chapter a thousand times, because if I missed something important here, well, there's no going back. Can't retroactively add it in without it losing impact, so I hope I got everything I needed in. More Notes after the Chapter, so make sure to check that out after you finished reading!

And as always, don't be afraid of leaving your thoughts in a review! I reply to all of them if I can, and they are still the biggest source of inspiration, and the biggest remedy for Writer's Block, I have ever known!

Twitter: Follow mine at, well, Zancrowe! I tweet on the daily about stuff (mostly my writings, bad jokes or about Food Wars)! If you wanna be mutuals, just ask, as I like to follow anyone who shares interests with me (and if you are reading this, we already share a few things in common as is)!

Disclaimer: Don't own Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma.

---

He didn't even bother to park his car at all, simply leaving it in the clear middle of the parking lot, the closest he could get the vehicle without driving into the restaurant with it, and just bolted towards the main entrance. The staff at hand, all already on high-alert as was, were outright startled when Kojirou Shinomiya just kicked the front doors open and rushed inside.

"Where is she?!" he outright roared, demanding as ever. Or, no, that wasn't quite right. The sheer amount of worry in his tone which could have been confused for outright fear was something they weren't quite used to hearing from the man. Of course, this was very hard to discern from his sheer rage that was also very evident when he added, "Or rather, where is that son of a bitch?! If he's craving a damn challenge, I'll show him that the last place he should be causing trouble is here of all damn places!"

"Uh… boss?" Diogo softly voiced, hand meekly raised. How the staff who worked under this man, who they all knew pretty well given their respective bosses' relationship (and the holiday parties), kept a level head around him when agitated was beyond any of them. "The Miss is currently in the kitchen, but she did state –"

Diogo, for his part, tried, but no sooner had Shinomiya registered the words "in the kitchen" than he had outright rushed right past the nervous employee and into said kitchen. Granted, nobody in the staff was going to even attempt to stop him, he was basically their second boss in a way, but that didn't matter. They understood his frustrations, his ire and, admittedly, his fear.

And, as they would all note, also his confusion that followed…

"Kou?" Hinako asked, tilting her head to the side, as she prepared a dish with her trademark mist covering the entire area. Even the air filtering system had a hard time keeping up with her craft. But, much to the magician's surprise, rather than stepping into a grueling Shokugeki between a helpless mother-to-be and a soon-to-be jailed (or worse (it all depended on how fast the police got there to stop Shinomiya from tearing him apart)) delinquent, he ended up at just… his wife's work kitchen, with absolutely nothing out of the ordinary in sight. "…You don't have today off, are you skipping work Kou? Is this you trying to get me to skip too so we can sneak out?! How naughty… Give me a sec, I'll grab my things!"

"…W-Wait a second!" he tried, his left eye twitching at the sight. "What even…? I mean, Hinako, hold up for a second. We're not skipping out on work! Just… What happened?! I just got off the phone with Donato and he told me Fuyumi called you and while she was on the phone with you that Saiba brat arrived here and declared an open challenge to you, or something like that…"

He trailed off, eyes scanning her from top to bottom. She looked as she usually did after they had arranged to lessen her workload until she gave birth. Not over stressed, not hurt in anyway. Did that mean…?

"Did you rush all this way because you were worried about me?!" she asked with utter thrill.

"We are married and expecting a child together woman! Don't say it like it surprises you I give a damn about your wellbeing!" he barked back, clearly annoyed, but granted, he'd much prefer this scenario to the dozen or so that have been floating about inside his head as he broke several laws driving here. He still sighed, as she laughed, trying to recompose himself. "…What happened? I don't suppose a two-hour long Shokugeki took place in the span of the less than forty minutes it took me to get here."

"That would have been something, eh?" Hinako said with a little wink, placing the lid on the pot she was currently cooking on before she turned to him fully. Even now, as heavily pregnant as she was, she was still utterly breathtaking. And her smile even more so. "…But, it's not a false alarm, that young man, Asahi Saiba, he was here, but, well…"

…Hinako just slowly placed the phone away and hung up on the call, despite how she could hear the protest from the other end as the call went silent. She understood Fuyumi's worries, she knew her friend had the right idea. But… She was still a chef, and it didn't sit quite right with her to just run away and hide. But, it also didn't sit well with her to risk her baby, so it was quite the conundrum she found herself at right now. Still, Hinako looked on, at the young man clad in all-black, wearing that heavy scarf that hid everything but his eyes, as he stood before her. On his belt were tools she knew, of friends she cherished. Was he that strong? Could he really take them all out, the best of the Tootsuki graduates, all in the span of a single day?

This… This was what the current Elite Ten were expected to face-off against in just a few days?

"I've been made aware you have an issue you wish to discuss with the Head Chef," Hinako addressed, her eyes on Asahi, "Or, well, me, I guess. Anything I can help you with?"

Asahi's eyes narrowed, sharpening even more-so, and Hinako expected the challenge, and before she could think of what to do, the young man in question spoke up. It just… wasn't what she expected to hear.

"My apologies," Asahi said, and his tone was far softer than what she expected from the culinary criminal that stood before her. But it was here she noticed he wasn't looking her in the eyes, but rather, at her belly. "I must have stopped by the wrong establishment. I apologize for causing a scene, it won't happen again," he added, before he turned towards the rest, the crew and the guests, and gave them all a soft bow, "Please continue to enjoy your evening."

And with those words, he left, leaving everyone utterly confused, worried and relieved, all in equal parts. As her staff all seemed to begin whispering to each other over what they had just witnessed, much to their shock (which, given who their boss was, they should have known better by now) Hinako pouted and went right out the door herself, causing the entire staff to just lose it.

She didn't even notice.

"Hey! Hold up! Mr. Boss Noir Dude," she called out, as Asahi just walked, before he seemed to increase his speed, to which she just pouted harder, before she sighed, and in a softer tone, added, "…Asahi, just… Two minutes, that's all, please…"

Against his better judgement, he stopped. He didn't turn to her, but she didn't need him to.

"…I won't ask what you are doing or why, since I think I get it," Hinako began, eyes on the young man. "We Tootsuki bunch can be a bit too pretentious every now and then, so I can see why knocking us down a peg or two can be warranted, but, you do know… Your sister genuinely cares for you, like, a whole lot, right?"

"Just… forget this happened. Go back to your kitchen," Asahi told her, before he tilted his head a bit and added, "And I don't mean that in a sexist way, just like, literally, go back to your job and stuff."

And Hinako just couldn't help but laugh.

"And I can see why, even now, you can't help but make a joke out of things, can you?" she noted, and Asahi seemed to clench his fists. "You remind me a lot of him, you know?"

"…Who? Jouichirou?" Asahi asked, annoyed, "I've heard that comparison before."

"No, not really… I mean, I really don't know him at all," Hinako admitted, "I meant Soma!"

Asahi outright felt like an arrow had pierced right through him. Such a comparison. Really? Him and Soma?!

"Okay! Three wins and a loss, that's how I'm counting this one," he told himself out loud, and Hinako laughed again. "But I would appreciate if such comparisons are kept to a minimum Miss, otherwise –"

"Hinako!" she quickly cut him off, and he stammered. She sounded far angrier now than at any prior point. "I'm not that old, okay? So just Hinako is fine, really, and you don't want the comparisons yet you act just like he does. Blockheads, the both of you," she added, and Asahi, finally turned to her, trying to glare but the best he could manage was a frown. "…And, I won't pretend to know much about you, King of Noirs, but… you're still just a boy. This isn't right, not just for those kids, but for you. You have your whole life ahead of you, and you are so very talented, don't just throw it away trying to harm people, like, I'm sure if you put it all to good use you could eclipse us all by your own merits alone."

"This world isn't built like that," Asahi said, and Hinako could tell there was pain in his voice. And experience too. "Hard work has a limit, no matter how much everyone tries to tell you otherwise, and that glass ceiling that divides the filthy rich from us commoners is unbreakable unless you use force," he expressed, and she frowned. Despite herself, despite disagreeing, she couldn't quite say she didn't understand him. "You can't reach their level, unless you force them down to yours. That's… what I've learned, and I will prove it."

"Even if that includes your little sister?"

"Even if it includes her," Asahi confirmed, "But… rest assured, she's not the one who'll suffer the worst of it, not anymore," he added, and the shift in his tone signaled to Hinako that someone, or several people, had deeply, deeply hurt this boy, "And, for what it's worth, you seem on your way to becoming a wonderful mother."

These words did surprise her, and Hinako's eyes widened as such.

"Take care of them. Of your family," Asahi said, giving her the faintest smile, "Let the kid know, that no matter what, they don't have to measure up to anything just to feel wanted. I'm sure you'll get it right, you seem far too genuine not to."

"Asahi –"

"Again, apologies for the disturbance," he said to her, and just like that, he was gone, and Hinako did not like this at all…

"…I don't like this at all!" Hinako repeated the earlier statement to add emphasis to it, as Shinomiya just looked on, unsure if he should still be mad at Asahi for even attempting what he did or at her for rushing after a known criminal like that. But then his wife added, "We should totally adopt him, what do you think Kou?"

The magician felt his glasses shatter.

"Why the hell would that be our first response to this whole mess?!" he blurted out, before he tried to collect himself. "He's a grown ass man, and he's threatening all of Tootsuki. The livelihoods of those brats are at stake here, our priority shouldn't be on the King of Noirs or whatever title he carries."

"He's young, Kou," Hinako countered, as she sat down on a nearby stool, hands on her belly to keep herself steady. Shinomiya had already jumped in and continued to cook what she had been boiling, as the Mist Empress added, "And he's hurting. And I know what you'll say. How he's a threat, and he deserves whatever is coming to him. How our priority should be how he's wiped out, and not on helping him… But a boy that hurt, is bound to do horrible things just to right what he deems wrong, no matter who he hurts…"

And as his wife spoke, Shinomiya just frowned. Sometimes, she made too much sense…

"…A person like that won't just stop at a victory," she said, and the fear in her voice was very real, "They'll become fixated on punishing those that hurt them. Kou, if he's not stopped… If the Elite Ten don't win against him specifically, I don't think there can be a happy ending for anyone involved in this, because someone with that frightening level of talent, and nothing left to lose, will prefer, rather than taking home the glory, to go down in flames if it means taking everyone else down with him…"

-0-

To say Loren didn't much enjoy this would be an understatement.

Time and time again, for the last three years or so, he had been told how horrible and worthless a place like Yukihira's was. How it basically represented everything True Gourmet stood against. How it was his role in helping Azami and Dove in taking such establishments down and setting the new status quo, one that would ensure that no chef would be left to suffer…

…But the more he saw of this other side of the world, so to speak, the more it was clear that the ones causing most, if not all, of the suffering were those related to the True Gourmet ordeal.

Azami didn't seem to care much anymore for any of them, if he ever did to begin with.

…And Dove seemed outright miserable, and it hurt. It pained him to see her that way.

Which is why, against his better judgment, which could really describe his entire experience as a Tootsuki student in a nutshell, he found himself at Yukihira's, currently seated on one of the stools, being offered a nice, steaming, hot bowl of home-made ramen just for…

"W-Wait a minute!" he barked, "I didn't even order anything! Stop pampering me! I am not on your side you bunch of idiots!"

"That's a relief," Soma noted with a grin, as he crossed his arms triumphantly before Loren. "He didn't even have to take a bite, and he's already acting like his usual self. Now that's service, ain't it?" he added, turning to Nao and giving her a knowing wink, which causing the little witch to laugh, "It wasn't –!"

"Save your stupid catchphrase!" Loren quickly interrupted, as Soma felt himself inwardly twitch. Seriously? Kid even got to interrupt his catchphrase? Loren really held nothing sacred it would seem. "And you didn't even cook any of this, Azami's man-crush did, so don't start boasting like it was you!"

"Man-crush?" Riko repeated, confused, her head tilted to the side, turning to the chef in question.

"Don't humor him, I already had enough with who I assume is this one's older sister regarding that particular misconception," Jouichirou noted, as he stepped out of the kitchen, eyes on the young blond. It was a breach on their arrangement, granted, as he had instructed that only Soma or Erina could cook until the finals, but a young boy in distress did qualify for a one-upon-a-lifetime exception. "And while I may not know much about the behind the scene details, you are still a fellow classmate of these three here, and someone who looks like he hasn't eaten in a while, so consider the Jouichirou Special Rich Ramen on the house!"

"…Did you really put your own name on the dish?" Loren noted, eyes narrowed as he examined the thing, "How conceited."

As Jouichirou struggled not to flinch at the accusation from the clearly not all that grateful (when he really should be in the Chef's humble opinion) kid, Riko still walked up and took a seat right next to the boy. He, in turn, turned his frown from Jouichirou to her.

"What?" he asked.

"You really are quite the handful," she noted, and despite his annoyance and hesitation to even be there, the fact that she spoke so tenderly to him, and even began to caress his hair, did make him melt. He inwardly told himself this was just due to her being Nao's mom, so he needed to be respectful, nothing more. "Such a stubborn young man, almost reminds me of Azami back in the day…"

"Eh?" Loren voiced, unable to contain it, "…Do not!"

"And there's quite a bit of Soma in there too," she added with a tease, and Loren outright glared. Soma just stared, smirking, even if he was unsure if that had been a compliment or an insult, to both of them at that. Erina, who had said absolutely nothing during the lead up to this, just observed. Nao, meanwhile, moved past the others and took a seat opposite of Loren's and her mom's.

"Hey, doofus, eat up," she ordered, "If you let it get cold and then use that to complain about the quality, I am so kicking you out of here myself."

"Lay off!" Loren shot back, turning to her, but the sharpness in her stare still made him stammer a bit, and rolling his eyes, he still took hold of a pair of chopsticks, and began to eat a bit of this seemingly meatless ramen. He had intended to just tell everybody to back off and let him just speak to Soma in private, his initial intention from the start, but the moment he took a bite his eyes went wide as plates, "Holy shi–!" he cursed, but then remembered that Riko was sitting right next to him too, and he rephrased, "–itake mushrooms! This dish is intense! Miles better than anything Soma has been able to produce!"

"Hey!" Soma barked, "You have yet to taste my latest creations, so don't go spewing lies like that!" the redhead added defensively, as everyone on that diner just looked to the side and chuckled a bit. All except for Erina, granted. "Keep that up and I'm adding you to my "will make them say it's delicious" list, you hear me?!"

"No thanks, I've seen your strategy at work, and I don't want to date you," Loren just shot back, and as Soma felt himself twitch in response, as Loren, dropping the façade, proceeded to devour the ramen in moments. Oh, so damn good, which, of course, meant he said, "…It was pretty decent."

"Add to that a little bit of Erina in you too," Jouichirou noted, smirking at the boy.

"Why are you all the way out here Loren?" Nao asked, tilting her head to the side. Riko said nothing, but she could tell, that despite her act, her daughter had been insanely worried for the boy ever since he set foot in here, she just refused to show it. Guess that's the result of your little boyfriend bending over backwards to keep you safe, that her little girl looked moments away from brewing an actual hex over anyone who had caused him any distress. "Is something wrong?"

"Besides the usual you mean?" he noted, sighing. "I'm fine, it's not –"

"No, you're not," Nao quickly countered, "You looked distressed as hell. Is this about Dove?"

"…That easy to tell, huh?"

"You don't really take care of yourself as much as you should," Nao noted, "So, if something got you like this, the only person I can think about is your older sis. You aren't that hard to read, if one knows where to look."

"Yeah, yeah," Loren just mouthed, trying to will his blush away. He wasn't used to Nao speaking so softly and intimately with him, even if they were technically dating now. "It's about Dove. And I didn't really think things through. I just came back to the Polar Stars, saw that everyone was running around like chickens with their heads cut off, asked where the hell he was," he paused, signaling to Soma with his chopsticks, "And got directed here by the twins, mostly because Mitsuru was also away at the office working on his little news thing due to everyone there being deemed criminals or whatever the hell Asahi did. I didn't much follow any of it. Berta told me you had gone off too, but I didn't know you had come here."

"I sort-of got tricked into coming here," Nao noted, eyes narrowed, "I just learned my mom is dating his dad, so it was super weird."

"They're dating?" Loren asked, somewhat surprised. "Wait… Wouldn't that make Soma your older step bro?" Loren added, eyeing Soma for a moment, as the redhead got ready for whatever new insult Loren would fling his way. Surprisingly though, the blond boy stared for a moment and then just shrugged, "Eh, still an upgrade over your actual one, so kudos."

"Man, you really do need help," Soma noted with a laugh, as he motioned to Loren, "So, what happened?"

"You told me you could help me if I needed it. So…" Loren began, before he frowned, turning to Soma directly, "I was, look, it's a very strange and delicate situation we're all in, so I get it if it sounds weird, but you told me you'd protect me, so I was hoping you could maybe extent that and help, well…"

"Dove?"

Everyone in the room froze for a moment. Loren especially.

It hadn't been Soma who had finished voicing his request (of sorts), but rather, Erina herself.

And Loren had been actively looking anywhere but at her during this entire thing, since he had not been made aware of the fact that she would be here too. And he knew, knew what this girl had been through. All the pain and misery that she had to confront, and chief amongst that was Azami, which in turn, led to his sister. Dove. And if there was one thing he clearly knew, was that for as much as Dove hated Erina, the same could be applied in reverse. Which made it super awkward to even try and ask what he was asking of them…

"Hey," Soma whispered, turning to Erina, "I know how you feel about her, but Loren looks pretty shaken up. So maybe we could –"

"Zip it," Erina instructed, shutting her boyfriend down. She frowned at him, before she turned said frown at Loren, who instantly stood-up straight. It was almost like staring down a pissed off Dove, which aside from him refusing to voice that comparison, was something he still wasn't really able to quite manage. An always loving elder sibling being utterly, and rightfully, pissed off at you was not something he knew how to manage without just crying for mercy. Even if in this scenario, unlike with Dove, who would relent if she saw Loren even begin to cry, he knew he'd get no such sympathies from Erina.

He still was, after all, an enemy of Tootsuki Academy.

"You came into my academy for the sole purpose of keeping tabs on me, on Soma, and to destroy our Elite Ten from within," Erina said in no uncertain terms, "I allowed Soma to keep you in my school. I looked the other way during your match-up against Ekaterina's team, and even decided against calling you out or outright kicking you out, since as far as I am aware off, all of your dishes that have gotten you placed as your generation's top chef have all been fraudulent, no?"

"…Yeah," Loren just nodded, "That was Dove's cooking, all of it… B-But –"

"But nothing," Erina just cut him off, "Overlooking everything you did was already a lot, but if you think you can waltz in here and we'd all quickly jump in to, what, help Dove Dillinger of all people? Is that what your actually expecting would happen if –?"

"Can't you just hear him out?"

Erina gave pause, eyes to the side. Loren flinched, again, because he had not expected that at all.

And it seemed, neither had the girl who had spoken up, because the little witch looked awfully pale all the sudden. Still, she kept her sharp, red eyes on Erina. "Loren could have crushed us from the start, Soma even gave him the damn plate. Least you could do is… offer up… an ear, or something…" she tried her hardest, even if she was melting under Erina's glare like the wicked witch on water.

"My, even you are speaking up against me," Erina noted, "This really has developed in quite the unforeseeable ways."

"He is my boyfriend after all!" a heavily blushing Nao responded. "You did the same when it was for Soma!"

The two girls stared each other down for just a moment, and while Loren felt like fainting, Soma just smiled. Because he knew Erina, and he finally caught on to what she was doing. Because, obviously…

"Yeah, I guess I did," Erina voiced softly, a warm smile on her features, surprising both the witch and the traitor. "Love does make you stupid, after all, so I guess it is unavoidable," she added, before she took a deep breath, knowing that despite her act, a part of her still meant what she had said. There was still a lot of anger and resentment in her, but she also knew, it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair for herself, or to others. So… "Let me be clear," she began, as she turned to Loren, smiling at him, "My First Year, that as long as you wear that uniform, you are under my protection. And, as much as I hate, hate to have to say this, if that protection includes Dove, then… much like I told Soma myself, where do we draw the line?"

As she spoke, and the others didn't quite understand, Soma, however, recalled her words.

They had not drawn the line at Mimasaka.

They had not drawn the line at Eizan.

They had not drawn the line at Loren.

And despite his cold feet, Erina would not allow him to draw the line at Asahi, even now. So, of course, that would also mean.

"I will not draw that line at Dove," she confirmed, despite sounding utterly unsure of herself at this moment. Because making such a promise carried far more weight that she imagined, and she now understood her boyfriend's initial hesitation. But this is what Tootsuki stood for. "We do not leave our chefs, any chef, to wallow in despair. So, tell me what's wrong, and I will do my best to help your sister in any way I can."

-0-

"Suspension, then?"

As Hiroto Arato asked, placing the finishing touches on his homemade dinner, his current house-guest, if you could even call her that, because to him, this would always be hers, nodded. His ever-dutiful daughter, Hisako, sat at the family table of two, but room for more, as she explained the "miracle" solution Soe Nakiri had managed to come up with alongside her and the help of the recent graduates. It had been quite the undertaking.

"Tootsuki doesn't do suspensions, which is why there wasn't an actual protocol in place for this," she explained, as she began, out of habit, to play the Super Mario Bros theme with her chopsticks, before she realized how childish she was being and stopped, "But it is an unprecedented event, to get called out and tricked like that, and given how we had genuinely put a hold on expelling students because of the Intercontinental Shokugeki, Mr. Nakiri was able to fib his way into creating a load of paperwork that would put all us offending students on a temporary leave, more or less…"

As she explained, her father, currently serving their plates, just nodded. "Sounds stressful."

"So says the man who does open-heart surgery for a living," Hisako shot back, smiling.

"I didn't do that until I was in my early thirties, you aren't even out of school and here you are working with legal loopholes and fine print misdirection," her father quickly countered, and it made her feel giddy to be praised. "If you weren't such a fine chef, I would have been your number one advocate to get you into law school."

"I mean," Hisako said with a little laugh, "Maybe a… say, Legal Chef?"

"That in itself implies there are Illegal Chefs out in the wild."

"What else would you call the guys who caused this entire mess?" she countered, "The Noirs are pretty much that, career-criminal-chefs, and they dress just as stupidly as they sound."

"Point taken," her father noted, as he walked towards the table and served his daughter her plate, before setting his own. "See, still in culinary school and already providing a solid counter-argument to my stance. Law school, think about it."

"I adore being a chef," Hisako voiced, even if she tilted her head a bit. "But I will humor it. Maybe, I dunno, minoring in legal defense? I can be a full-time Chef, part-time Culinary Lawyer, that sounds like a fun life."

"Both your mother and I know you can be whatever you wish to be," he simply told her, and Hisako pouted. Not because she didn't believe him, because she did, but because, the more she saw of Erina's own relationship with both her mother and her father, the more she realized just how blessed she was with the ones she had. Even if they were divorced, even if she would have wished to have grown up with them together, never did she ever feel either one placed anything or anyone above her, and for that, knowing what she did now, she was eternally grateful. And it hurt, to know this security and love, was something that Erina lacked.

"Are your other friends okay?" her father asked. "Have they also dropped-in unannounced at their respective parents' homes?"

"Are you implying I am not welcomed here?" she asked with a playful huff.

"Never," he quickly replied. "Your room is still just as you last left it. The one who keeps telling me not to drop by at Tootsuki every week is the young lady before me, because, and I quote, she's "totally a grown woman now and having her father always over is kinda embarrassing", end quote."

"I didn't say it like that!"

"You did," he countered, "Word for word."

"You make me sound like a brat!" Hisako argued, and when all her father did was raise an eyebrow she pouted harder, "I am so not a brat! And, ignoring this, to answer your prior question, not that I know of. Most of my friends don't have their parents' home this close by, but we managed to get that covered too. Mr. Nakiri made a clause in their, well, our suspension that, because of the historic event, we couldn't get thrown out, so we could remain at the dorms until the competition finishes. Which, would be grand if we win, since then, the Elite Ten can put the motion into a vote and get our suspensions terminated and get us reinstated, but…"

"But?"

"…I don't want to say it," Hisako simply voiced, and her father nodded. He knew very well what she meant. The infamous if. If they won, everything could be salvaged. But if they lost, to Azami's Neo-Noirs, then Azami could easily turn that suspension that was currently held up by legal band-aids into a full-blown expulsion, and nobody, not even the Elite Ten, could stop him. And again, that's even if the Elite Ten were still a thing during the would-be Azami Administration. It was a terrifying thought, and one Hisako refused to voice out. She didn't want Erina to fall into that man's hands again, but there was nothing else she could do.

She trusted the Elite Ten.

She believed in Erina. In Soma. In Isshiki. In… well, she didn't believe in Eizan, but three out of four was still something, right?

Before her father could try and lighten up the mood, however, the doorbell rang, causing both father and daughter to give pause.

"Don't suppose you invited your boyfriend over?"

"I-I did not!" Hisako quickly cried out, red in the face, "…Besides, he's not suspended or anything, not that I would have invited him over to my house if he was. A-Anyways, I'll see who it is, so don't keep trying to bring Takumi into our conversations."

Hisako spoke firmly, and with another huff, got up and went towards the door. Hiroto just looked on, finding her utterly adorable and so, so in love. It seemed blond hair was quite the weakness when it came to the Arato family…

Then Hisako opened the door with a polite smile, which quickly turned into quite the scowl.

She had not expected to see Mana Nakiri standing there.

And, the elder woman, it would seem, had not expected her daughter's secretary to be the one to answer the door. Or to be there at all, given her expression. Still, Mana managed to recollect herself and try and offer the younger girl a small smile.

"Hisako sweetie, hey…" she tried, but trailed off. Given the pinkette's expression, it sounded just as out-of-place for her to hear Mana call her "sweetie" as it did to the older woman to say it.

"Who's at the door?" they heard Hiroto ask.

"Nobody," Hisako replied without skipping a beat, making Mana flinch.

'Okay, maybe I do deserve that,' she noted inwardly, before she took a breath and tried again. "…I know this isn't pleasant, I didn't wish to interrupt. But –"

"Then don't," Hisako cut in, firmly, before she motioned to close the door, "Good night then."

"W-Wait, I just want to speak to your father for a bit, nothing more," Mana almost begged, hands raised, ready to plea if needed, "You have every right to not want anything to do with me, trust me, I'm not blind. I realize what a shitty person I am, and how much damage I've done. I just… well, frankly, I'm not even sure why I'm here… maybe you're right and I should just…" she trailed off again, eyes to the side, and for as much as Hisako hated this woman, she was also a medical expert, in a sense, and she wasn't someone who could see someone in genuine distress (deserved or otherwise) and turn a blind eye. So, as much as it pained her to say it…

"…Wait," Hisako voiced up, in complete monotone. It was the best she could manage. "Are you experiencing any symptoms of anxiety or depression that could or have led to thoughts of self-harm, up to including suicide?"

Mana felt her eye twitch.

Hisako just stared, blankly.

"T-That's the driest intervention I have ever heard addressed to anyone."

"Best I've got," Hisako just added, "So, need any medical assistance?"

"I, erm, well, I…" Mana tried, again, but she had not at all been prepared for any of this. Before she could try and rationalize her, well, whatever, she did catch a glimpse of Hiroto, who had walked up to the entrance after noting how long his daughter was taking. It was here Mana felt even worse, since not only had she screwed her own relationship with her daughter so badly that it had led to all that, but now here she was, interrupting another parent / daughter moment with her unwanted presence. "…I made a mistake coming here."

"You do not look well," Hiroto simply voiced, and Mana bit her lower lip. That would be an understatement, and Hiroto wasn't known to give those out. Meaning she had to look horrible. Still, to her surprise, without being asked (or forced) to, Hisako did move aside and opened the door fully.

"You caught us in the middle of dinner," Hisako noted, "We clearly did not make enough for three, but maybe we can still scrape something if you'd honor us in having it."

"Please ignore my little girl's venomous tone," Hiroto offered, and Hisako just pouted. Mana just shook her head. She couldn't blame the girl. "But her offer does hold merit. Do you wish to join us for dinner, and perhaps an evaluation while we're at it?"

"I didn't come here to mooch off of you!" Mana quickly decried. "And this isn't a doctor's visit! I just, well, damn it Hiroto, I… I just needed to talk to my friend, that's all."

"You have friends?!"

"Hisako," Hiroto playfully warned, as his daughter had used the highest amount of surprised mockery he had ever heard his girl utter. She just laughed a bit, before waving it off.

"Sorry, it was just too good to pass up," she noted, before she turned around, "I'll go set an extra plate for our… guest. I'll leave her in your care then."

"She is very defensive of little Erina, you know?" Hiroto offered, after Hisako had walked back into the kitchen, his eyes now on Mana, who was busy staring at the floor. This was beyond stupid, even for her. She should have been on a plane by now, running away from everything, just like she always did. Just like her daughter had screamed at her face that she did.

"…I'm quite the horrible mother, aren't I?"

"Quite."

Mana just laughed. "And I cannot even get an ounce of sympathy today it seems," she said, but at least she was smiling a bit more genuinely now. "I think my daughter disowned me, and the worst part is, the more I think about it, the less excuses I can come up with on my behalf. She's right… She's so damn right. I've hurt her so damn much, and I have absolutely no idea how to take any of it back."

"Why don't we start with getting you inside. It's late, and it's cold, and you've never been the strongest when it comes to illness, so I would heavily suggest you also take my daughter up on her generous offer and have a bite to eat," Hiroto noted, as he ushered her inside, "If what you need is someone to talk to, then, despite everything, I never did lie to you. You are still my friend, and I will assist you in whatever way possible. So, please, won't you join us for dinner?"

And Mana just nodded. And she pleaded, inwardly, that she could force herself to behave and not ruin another family reunion. One was enough already.

But, much like how Hisako had offered (by the given definition of offered), Mana was treated to a home-cooked meal, which to her felt outright alien at this point. It tasted well enough, she supposed, but she was much too medicated at the moment to even register the taste properly. The God's Tongue had that effect whenever the person's mental health took a hit. Either too much taste, or barely no taste at all, no in-betweens. Still, it was warm, and she knew she needed to eat something. She had gone the entire day without a single bite, and, with Hisako glaring at her throughout the entire thing, she knew it would be best not to voice any objections at the generosity offered.

"Hisako, sweetie, if you can?" Hiroto asked, turning to his daughter. Said daughter frowned, pouted, before she stood up, grabbed the empty plates, and took them away. It was a clear signal to give the two adults some space, which Hisako clearly did not enjoy in the slightest but she still played along. It was here Mana noted just how much of Hisako's body language resembled Erina's.

The way they frowned.

The way they'd scoff and turn in a huff.

The way their glare would be expertly hidden away, in a way you'd only catch glimpses of the disapproval. Very professional.

It was clear these two girls had grown up together, and Mana noted how she really should be thanking Hisako for being Erina's friend for all these years, yet she knew that no matter how she voiced it to the girl, it would still sound fake.

"Need to get anything off your chest?" Hiroto asked, eyes now on Mana. "Say it quickly, as I'm not sure how long I can keep my daughter preoccupied."

"She's a sweetheart," Mana said, and she hoped she sounded like she meant it, because she did. "Even despite everything, she didn't just close the door on my face. That's far more that I would have done."

"Her mother and I raised her well," Hiroto boasted, "And she's a good girl. But there's nothing here for you to feel inferior to. I assure you Erina is as well."

"Because father raised her well," Mana repeated his words, just modified. "As did my brother, and my sister-in-law… who has quite the mean right hook, I have to say."

"Leonora punched you?" for once Hiroto's voice carried some surprise, which made Mana smile, mostly in self-misery, but still.

"Either that or she hit me with a bat, not entirely sure," Mana replied, almost laughing to herself. "I didn't even register it until I was on the ground. Pretty sure if Soe hadn't stepped in I'd be in your hospital right about now."

"You really must have done something quite extraordinary I take it?"

"I just said the worst possible things, at the worst possible time, to the one little girl who I should above all else protect and cherish and care for…" Mana began, and she couldn't quite keep her tone in check. "I hurt her, Hiroto, again. Just like always. I say some stupid shit, I worry about what doesn't matter, and then I run away. It's just this time, I wasn't running away from a little kid, but a grown girl, who knows better. Who knows that Mommy isn't always right, who knows that what I'm saying and doing is nothing but cowardly. So she rightfully called me out on it, and I didn't know how to respond, so I didn't. And I made her cry, because that's all I'm good for, hurting her, and those around her…"

"You can always apologize," Hiroto offered, his eyes on her. "I can't guarantee she'd accept it, you can't force anyone to forgive you, but you can at least offer it."

"I wouldn't know what to even say," Mana admitted. "A part of me knows Erina will simply be better off without me in her life. She's got enough on her plate as is."

"That may be true," Hiroto noted, "But you know that also means that –"

"I won't have her in my life," Mana concluded Hiroto's words, and of course she was crying. She couldn't quite keep herself in check. Not anymore. "I-I don't want that. I don't want to just be away. I can't imagine myself not being her mother. Like, I know how horrible I am, but she's still – she's still my little girl. I gave birth to her, held her, raised her during her early years. Her second words were "mama" for crying out loud… granted, her first words were "eww" but that comes with the territory. It was why we always joked that her first words had been "not enough depth of flavor", because she clearly did not seem to enjoy being breastfed…" and she laughed as she recalled all these things. The memories from before. "…I was genuinely happy back then, despite the cracks that were starting to show in my marriage. Despite all the accumulating stress of being the God's Tongue. I was happy just to hold her, just to see her take her first steps, just to see her actually cook and present me those dishes to ask for my opinion on it. Then the stress caused me to spiral out of control, only way I could even sleep was to over-medicate myself, which led to my God's Tongue trying to murder me, which led to my divorce, and-and I just ran away from it all. I left her, rationalizing that I was doing my family a favor to not have to deal with me, when all I did was hurt them more. Hurt her more…"

Hiroto just stared, listening carefully. It wasn't a story he was unfamiliar with, but it was still new to hear it directly from Mana of all people.

"…I should have been stronger," Mana continued, "Should have tried to be there for her. And now it's too late to fix anything. Hiro, if you had seen her face… I broke her, and I-I can't…"

"I know it is difficult, but try to calm down," Hiroto offered, moving his hand and placing it on her shoulder. "Last thing you need is to give yourself a panic attack right now. Breathe in, breathe out, and try and keep your focus on any one thing. Let's start there."

"…You really are incapable of not giving medical advice, aren't you?"

"Would you prefer a more… friend-like advice?"

"…Do you remember what you told me when we first met?"

"I do," Hiroto said with a nod. "I said, and I quote: "Terribly sorry Milady, but I am indeed a boy, and you shouldn't just walk out of the bath without a single article of clothing on, it is unwise", end quote."

"T-That's not what I mean!" Mana stammered, blushing bright red. Seriously, why did he have to bring that up?! "I was a kid, and father had told me he had gotten me an aide, so forgive me for assuming my father had gotten me a girl to help me, not a boy! I didn't know!"

"It's nothing worth being concerned over. Like you said, we were kids, there was nothing really there to see," Hiroto "consoled" her, nodding proudly at his own statement, as if they were the wisest of words. She felt like hitting him. "Still, I fail to understand how any of that is relevant to the issue at hand here."

"Because it's not!" Mana cried out. "What I meant was, after… that, you told me we'd always be friends, and that you, well, would never lie to me. Ever. Not just as my aide, but as my closest confidant. And I… I need that now, more than even back then. What can I do?"

"What do you want to do?"

And Mana opened her mouth to reply, but she paused. His words, they felt like déjà vu. Just… not directed at her. But rather, the words that had caused her daughter to finally snap. What did she want? To scream, was it not? Erina had declared it for the whole world to hear, consequences be damned, and Mana, it would seem, finally understood why. How nerve wrecking that must have been for Erina, and yet, how courageous her daughter managed to be. Certainly not inherited or learned from her. But, maybe…

"I want to be a good mother, even if just once…"

"Then let's start with that," Hiroto said, standing up, gesturing to her. When Mana gave him a look that just screamed confusion, he added, "We'll get nothing resolved if we don't take care of you first. You have a lot of groveling to do, so best be at your best for it," he explained, and she just nodded. He was usually right, despite how much it used to annoy her. Kinda still does. "And to start, why don't you stay over for the night? You look much too distressed to be out-and-about this late at night," he added, and before she could protest, because he knew she would, "Hisako would be happy if you used her room," he lied, he knew it, she knew it, Hisako knew it, "So please take one of those nice, long, warm baths you love so, and then head to the room on your right. We'll talk more about it after you've had a decent rest."

"You do realize your daughter will be absolutely thrilled with that idea?" Mana noted with all the sarcasm imaginable, side-eyeing the good Doctor as he walked out of the dining area. He just gave a brief pause.

"She'll come around," was all he offered, and Mana had to resist the urge to simply give out a childish pout. Because, when it came down to it, she really did not want to stay by herself tonight anyways…

-0-

"It's gotten so, so late," Riko noted, as she stood by the doors leading in and out of Yukihira's, alongside Nao and Loren. The little duo just looked on, with Nao ever so often glancing at Loren, pretending not to be concerned over him, while Loren was staring at the floor, feeling like he had betrayed his family of the last three years by just coming over here and saying what he did. It was so hard to rationalize whether this was the correct call or not, because he knew Dove wouldn't approve, and Azami would throw him out on the streets he imagined. Still, what's done is done, he supposed. "I'll be taking these two then," Riko added, placing her palms tenderly on the two, "Given the circumstances I'll rent a few rooms at a local hotel so we can crash, then we can be right back here tomorrow for more training."

"You're not taking us back to Tootsuki?" Loren asked, turning to Riko, "Oh thank goodness! Yes, please, actual, genuine rest, yes!"

"How many rooms are you getting momma?" Nao asked, head tilted to the side.

"Three," her mother replied, firmly, before she quickly grabbed Nao by the cheeks and pulled, much to the girl's frustration. "And by that I mean, we each get out own room, so don't go getting any ideas."

"I didn't say anything!" a blushing little witch shot back.

"Let me drive you guys there then," Jouichirou offered, "It is quite late, as you said, and I don't want to be a bad host."

"My, how very charming of you," Riko teased, "Guess the situation is so dire it has even affected you, huh?" she said, and he just laughed.

"So your new daddy is taking us?" Loren asked, turning to Nao, as she frowned.

"I still haven't fully approved," she noted.

"Behave you two," Riko said, as the two just shared a little laugh, before she then turned to the other couple in the area. "And that leaves us with our wonder couple. Although, given what Jou has told me, this wouldn't be the first time the little Tootsuki princess has stayed over, hmm?"

"T-That was under completely professional circumstances that I gave him the courtesy of staying over since Soma needed the support," Erina quickly clarified, side-eying her boyfriend, "As for right now, I can quickly call up my team and have myself picked up, no problem," she added, her side-eying intensifying, 'Well? Aren't you going to beg me to stay over? Don't make me say it, because I won't! It's undignified for a lady to even suggest such a thing!'

"You aren't staying?" Soma asked, utterly oblivious, somehow. She felt a vein pop.

"I-I mean, I have no further business here until we reopen tomorrow," Erina explained.

Then there was a pause.

"That makes sense," Soma replied, and Erina felt herself shatter. Seriously?! Was he that damn dense or was it like one of those scenarios she had been warned about that after the guy got, well, that, the interest just wasn't the same anymore? No, she shook her head. She knew him better. Knew him enough. That wasn't it. He was just an idiot. "Still, you crashed here before, just do it again. You did mention how you were now a delinquent daughter after all, and isn't this what such a bad girl would do?"

He grinned, and she pouted.

"Sometimes I hate how your logic works."

"Is that a yes?"

"…Fine," she relented, sort-of, "But only because you begged me so."

"Oh?" Soma shot back, and she felt herself flinch at the way he looked at her. "I was the one begging now was I?"

"Do not –!" she almost roared, red in the face, before she bit down and tried to rephrase herself, "One more word and I am leaving, you got that!"

"Yeah, yeah your highness," he said with a mock salute, and she was pouting aggressively at him, but of course, since this was Soma, he quickly softened his tone and added, "Besides, I do sleep a lot better whenever you're near me, so I would have begged regardless. This place is always open for you, no matter what."

And to this she couldn't quite form a reply. A frown, a pout, and a shift in her eyes. That was the best she could manage.

"They are adorable," Riko whispered to Jouichirou, who simply nodded. That they were. "I think the family is going to expand sooner rather than later," she added, and he frowned. They could wait, they better be able to wait.

Despite all that, Jouichirou, ever the gentleman, still left to take Riko, Nao and Loren to whatever hotel of their choosing, as Soma finished closing up shop after little Loren had interrupted their earlier efforts. It was indeed way too late, and they had to open up shop early tomorrow. They couldn't waste a single minute of this training of theirs, because their entire way of life depended on it. Erina's life as a whole depended on it. But it wasn't much, as he'd like to say. Even when it was just him and Erina at his home, they worked as if they had done this before, because, they had.

They both cleaned, they both stored, they both made a quick count of the inventory, before they both stated it was good enough, and they moved to get ready. It was here Erina noted she, once more, had not brought anything with her, having not really been expecting to stay the night. Soma, of course, just handed him one of his shirts and a pair of shorts, which she took after a moment of hesitation and about a dozen different excuses as to why she had forgotten her things and it so was not like she was happy to have to wear his clothing again. He just nodded.

She went to take a quick shower, because she smelled of nothing but spices and oils, and it was both nostalgic and new, to be back in this shower, to get back in this home, to once again open the wrong valve and get doused with cold water which made her yelp before she switched to the hot water.

Soma took the trash bags out, closed the front door, noting that his father had his own keys, so whenever the old man returned he could just open up again, and went inside. He walked past the bathroom Erina was using, given how he could hear the shower still running, and he tried his best to keep his thoughts clean, otherwise he'd need quite the cold shower tonight. He then went into his room and opened the door…

"Soma!" a very naked Erina cried out, rewrapping herself with her wet towel, as Soma quickly closed the door shut, his hand still on the door handle. Then he gave pause. But didn't they just… the night before at that…? But, more importantly…

"Wait, who's in the shower?"

"I couldn't get it to turn off!" Erina called out, and he could tell she was flustered. "Learn to knock! You told me to stay in your room, you pervert!"

"I was going to get my things," he said with a laugh, "And, wait, why are we reacting like this, I mean, after all, didn't we just –?"

"Zip it!" she called out, "And before you get any ideas, no, I don't regret it. Yes, I love you too. And no, we're not doing it again right now!"

"Okay, that answered pretty much everything I wanted to ask," Soma said with a firm nod. "Just leave whatever stuff of mine out by the door. I'll go take a shower now."

"…I should walk in on you to see how you like it…"

"The bathroom's door still doesn't lock, so I ain't stopping you!"

"You didn't hear me say that!"

He laughed, she argued something else, and he went ahead to the bath. Taking everything off in turn, he sighed… and switched the still open showerhead into its coldest setting possible. He had to tell himself, that no, he wasn't at all disappointed she never did barge in on him as she had threatened.

After his much-needed shower, Soma, wrapped in just a towel, walked past his room, took hold of the neatly organized pile Erina had left for him to take, and went into his father's room. Erina really was something else, he noted, as she had expertly folded all his clothes and had stuffed his deodorant and cologne (which he didn't need now, but thanks anyways) into the clothes. He got dressed, turned off the lights, and threw himself onto the bed. It had been quite a bit since he had been home, and a lot longer since he had been on his father's bed. He just hoped, that whenever his father returned, he would be quiet enough that he wouldn't wake Erina up. She had been through a lot, and she needed the rest.

Then he heard the room's door open up, and he almost congratulated his father, since the man had been silent to a fault, since Soma had not even heard his car, much less the man, but when he turned to snark at him, instead, he caught sight of Erina. And his eyes went wide.

He didn't know why exactly, but the sight of this girl in nothing but a shirt of his, and, he assumed, his shorts, was almost too much. And, he still wasn't used to her short hair. It was too much, and it was too unfair at this point. Still, he sat up, and resisting the urge to undress her with his eyes (or, if given the green light, his hands) he spoke up, "You okay? Don't tell me the bed's too cheap for you?"

"It is, I have no idea how you can even sit on it, much less use it for sleeping," she noted, before she rested her frame on the door, and Soma felt his heart begin to pound against his chest. How? How did this make any sense? He had seen her with nothing on, and yet, every time he saw her, he felt even more nervous than the time before. What spell did this girl have on him? "Move," she ordered, and he obliged, because her words could move mountains. "I'm just a little shaken by the rollercoaster that was our life today, so I'm just going to lay here for a little while. I'll go back to your room before you father arrives…"

Soma said nothing, simply observed as she took a seat at the bed, before she paused, then, she just dropped herself on the bed, bouncing a bit as she did. Soma stared, almost laughing at how elegant she could be one moment, and then so immature the next. But, no matter how she acted, she always looked beautiful. Long hair or short hair. Smile, pout or scowl. Eyes sharp or a soft expression. Bouncing with energy or utterly exhausted. Wearing her Tootsuki uniform, his own shirt, or absolutely nothing at all. No matter in what way he saw Erina Nakiri, she really was the prettiest girl in the world.

"Stop staring…" she voiced while staring at the ceiling.

"Then stop being so pretty to look at," Soma just shot back, and she frowned. Where did he learn to reply like that? Soma then just joined her, resting himself on the bed, his eyes still on her as she looked up. "But you sure you're okay? You have to be a massive dummy if you think you can't tell me if something's bothering you at this point."

"How utterly romantic," Erina noted with a little smile. Then she turned her head, shifting her gaze towards him. He couldn't hide how his eyes just soaked her in. "…Do you think I really can get myself to a point where I can realistically take on Dove?"

"I mean, she's a bit taller than you, so I suggest hitting her with a frying pan before she sees you."

"I wish! But you know what I mean!"

"Yeah, I'm sure we'll get there," Soma said with a hearty laugh. It felt so nice to just lay in bed with her. "You are amazing, always have been. There has just been too much stressful stuff getting flung your way. You'll do great, and I'll be with you every step of the way."

Erina said nothing, her eyes searching his for a moment. For what, he wasn't sure.

"…Do you think I can beat Asahi?" he asked, voicing his own worries (despite how much it irked him to admit it), since she had voiced hers and he was sure it irked her just as much. Erina seemed to pause for a moment, pondering, until…

"I mean, despite everything, he's still my older brother," she admitted, her eyes now to the side, but before Soma could ask about her change in tone, she added, "I'm preoccupied with… weird thoughts. Some part of me wants… wants you to lose to him, Soma."

Nothing but silence followed.

Erina stared to the side.

Soma stared blankly, not even blinking.

Eh…?

EH?!

Soma instinctively opened his mouth to complain about fifty different things at once, which would have likely made zero sense because of it, but he was caught off guard by her softly growing laughter. Then he just stared, before his shocked expression shifted into a frown. Damn it, she had gotten him good.

"Can you imagine if I actually meant to say something like that to you?" she said as she laughed harder. And, by everything, was her pure, genuine laughter such a beautiful sound. "Girlfriend of the year right there… No, but for real, I do care about my brother, but someone needs to knock him down from his high horse. And I have full faith, if someone can, it's you," she added, and to his surprise, she slowly extended her hand, and placed her index finger on his chest, "This right here, is the heart of a chef. And I'm sure, no matter how invincible Asahi, Dove, Julius or Ashitaro really are, we have something they can never replicate, not until we force them to."

"…You really think that?" Soma asked, with his heart about to burst right out. This was too much. But also, he was, for once, not really following what she meant. "What do you mean when you say we have something they don't?"

And she just smiled. And she told him. And he's eyes went wide…

Because he never imagined he'd ever hear her say that…

Still, as the young couple continued to talk, the topic slowly drifted, even if Soma did playfully suggest that maybe it would work if they switched it up. He'd take on Dove, she could face-off against Asahi, if she'd prefer. Erina quickly shut that idea down. She then snarked if he was that afraid, not to worry, she'd find a way to take them both out, to which he shot back that that was his line. They shared a laugh, playfully teased each other, before she noted that it was getting way past the time they should have long been asleep. Soma agreed, but before she could say anything else, he simply moved in…

And placed the sweetest, most tender kiss on her lush lips, making her freeze up. But not as much as the words that followed.

"Good night then," he simply said, before he went back to his pillow. She, blushing madly, quickly flipped around, her back now to him, trying her best to keep her thoughts from overwhelming her and failing miserably at doing so.

'Why did that feel just like how married couples act in movies and shows?!' a very happily distressed young woman screamed in her head, trying to cool herself off so she could go back to her (his) room and get some hours of proper rest…

…She fell asleep a few minutes later, right next to him, her little feet touching his own, because even if she had turned away, she still needed to feel him to sleep soundly.

He found it adorable, and he didn't want to remind her to go to his room, so, if his old man came a-knocking, Soma would redirect him to the other room. Sorry, this one was taken for tonight. Still, as everything that had happened repeated itself on his mind, Soma couldn't help but smile. He was still wary of taking on the Neo-Noirs, he knew how very real this threat was. But, for Erina, to keep her this happy, to help her protect her very home and way of life, he would have to measure up, somehow. Just like how he had boasted before, he was a chef. Like he'd ever run away from the kitchen…

But also, just as he managed to drift off to sleep, it was still so surprising to hear…

The Erina Nakiri, of all people, repeat those words in earnest…

Because, it would seem, even after everything they had gone through, there were still things he could learn about her that made him love her more and more…

Because, she was right. He was sure it was something the Neo-Noirs utterly lacked. And those had been his words after all…

"Because we've gained the experience of failing."

-0-

It was the dead of night, and Mana Nakiri felt just as dead inside.

She had agreed with Hiroto, against what she was certain was Hisako's wishes, to stay over and crash at the young girl's bedroom. So, as she exited her warm bath, letting the water droplets drip off her body as she wrapped herself with one of the borrowed towels (that she swore were the very same ones they gave patients at the hospital), Mana made her way out and, passing by the dark hallway, made her way to the room on the left. She went inside, and to her not-surprise, it was almost a library rather than a bedroom, given how many books young Hisako seemed to have. Girl really did take after her father, Mana noted, before she came across a full-body mirror, and she frowned.

She really did look as bad as she felt.

She dropped the towel off her body, and almost glared at the reflection. She really had lost weight, again, so much so that, while her clothes could hide it, here, laid bare, she could tell it wasn't even close to healthy. Her skin was pale, her hair had long lost its trademark lush. Was she like some sort of vampire? Sucking the life of those around her just to keep herself in check?

She hated the idea of that, but at the same time, it frightened her to absurd degrees of what exactly she needed to do to try and fix things. She knew, knew that she needed to beg her daughter, if nobody else, to forgive her, and she also knew that there was the very big possibility that her daughter would simply deny it, and Mana could not blame Erina if she did that… But…

That was still her little girl. The same one she had dedicated that video to. She knew why her brother had sent her that. Out of everyone, she knew he still believed in her, even if just a little. So, even if her daughter spat the apology back onto her face, she couldn't just leave. No, not again. She had meant it. She wanted to be a good mother, even if just for just one moment…

"I said to your right Mana," Hiroto voiced, rather bluntly, as the blonde woman outright shrieked and quickly covered herself with the discarded towel. Her face was so red she didn't think she had any blood left anywhere else, and she felt faint because of it. How utterly humiliating. But, considering she had sworn to herself she wasn't there to ruin anything, she forced herself to speak.

"I swear this isn't me making any type of pass at you Hiro!" she almost cried. "I got it mixed up – I mean, my entire head is mixed up! Just – Just, don't think this is me trying to seduce you or anything like that!"

"Worry not Mana, of that I am assured, I know the type of woman that you are," the good Doctor noted, "Besides, I am certain if your intention was seduction, you would have probably shaved first."

"Stop being such an idiot!" Mana screamed, and flustered beyond belief, she flipped herself around, making sure the towel covered what was left of her shame properly, and walked right out… right as Hisako was making her way into her father's room. The girl gave a pause, examined Mana from top to bottom, and if looks could kill, well… "I… got the wrong room, terribly sorry, please, if you're going to kick me out of the house, just let me get dressed first," she outright begged, since she was sure the thought crossed the young secretary's mind. Just push her right out of the house, hell, without the towel at that. But Hisako thankfully only glared at the older woman, as she sheepishly made her walk of shame all the way from Hiroto's room and into Hisako's, closing the door after she got inside.

Hisako turned to her father, the disapproval more than evident.

Hiroto raised his hands defensively. It hadn't been his intention at all.

Mana just rested herself against the closed door, and despite it all, she could help but laugh a bit, 'Yeah, I kinda deserve that too…'

-0-

Loren had outright thrown himself into the bed (finally, and actual expensive bed, not whatever those pieces of junk back at Polaris were!), and he was sure he had drowsed off to sleep when he heard a soft knock on the door. He groaned (even here he got people at his door? Why?!), then pushed himself up and answered.

It was, of course, Nao, hugging a pillow to her chest and eyes to the side.

Loren looked on, and sighed.

"…Is this a booty call?" he teased, and she visibly flinched.

"You wish!" she barked back, before she bit her lower lip, since she couldn't be too loud or her momma would catch her. "Let me in," she whispered, "This shouldn't be surprising to you anymore."

The boy seemed poised to make fun of her some more, but he was dead tired, and despite himself, he just liked having her around, so he moved to the side, and the little witch quickly made her way inside. Just like back at the dorms, before he could say a thing, she had already placed her butt on his bed, still hugging her pillow.

Loren paused, slowly processing that, yeah, even if he mocked her for it, it still felt embarrassing to have this girl in his room so late in the night, what with both of them wearing so little at that.

Nao seemed to stammer about, trying to look at everything expect at her boyfriend rocking those short-shorts, or imagining him with even less. Silence followed for a bit, until…

"Are you okay?"

They both asked in unison. They both then paused, and then they both laughed. Loren just moved on, walking past her, to the opposite side of the bed, and got on it. She looked at him as he did, and she couldn't hide the little smile of hers despite the pillow and all her hair that covered most of her face.

"I'm nervous," Nao admitted. "But I trust my friends. I trust they can defeat these Neo-Noirs. I trust my brother can be stopped, or that my father won't keep getting away with everything. And I trust momma will do everything to protect me if the worst comes to pass…" she added, before she turned to the side, and with a little smirk said, "Or, if not, my boyfriend will step in again."

"Really? Sounds like a great guy, that boyfriend of yours."

"He's arrogant, annoying, pretentious, a huge faker and a massive fraud," Nao noted, and Loren just frowned. "…But he can be sweet. Protective as can be, always manages to show up just when I need him most, and… he turned full circle, having intended on crushing us, now fully onboard with helping us save our school."

"Fully is a debatable term," Loren corrected, narrowing his eyes. Nao just looked on.

"The Goddess – I mean, Erina will help Dove out, you can believe her," Nao assured. "I know you're used to just lies and manipulation, but she, and Soma, will do everything they can to make sure your sister is not hurt by all this."

"What worries me is not their intentions," Loren admitted, "Is the fact that I'm not sure they can. You tasted it yourself. Just reheated leftovers from Dove were enough to place me at the top of the First Years. Dove can't be beat, of that I'm certain. And… And I feel like such a horrible brother for actually wanting her to lose, but, it's just…"

"Loren," Nao quickly cut in, dropping down and poking his cheek with her index finger. "Everything you do is for Dove. Nobody, not even her, can ever put to doubt just how much you adore her. If something is telling you she's going down a dark path, you should trust that gut-feeling. Trust me… I wish I could have intervened against my brother before I lost him to, well…"

"Dove would never go down that path."

"I know," Nao assured. "She'd never hurt you. But she doesn't seem to much mind hurting others, or herself. And… even us little siblings have to save the older ones every now and then."

Loren said nothing for a moment, and Nao bit her lips. She wasn't used to this, so she wasn't sure if she had overstepped or not. Still, the boy motioned towards the side, taking hold his phone, that he had left charging by the nightstand, and proceeded to begin browsing through it. Nao looked on, before she grinned.

"Careful," she teased, "Those can break very easily."

"Especially if I have to kick it down a flight of stairs because of nosey dormmates," Loren replied, smirking at the recollection. As Nao let out a little laugh, but before she could ask him if he had turned to his phone in an effort to get her to shut up (like, if she was doing a poor job at handling this subject, he could tell her, she'd change the subject or just shut up, whichever he preferred), but, to her surprise, he turned the phone's screen to her.

And on it was the cutest little girl she had ever seen.

"Is that… Dove?" Nao asked, her eyes on the kid. Didn't look older that two or three.

"Close," Loren replied, before he took a deep breath, and said, "This is… Baby Ruth. She's my little niece."

"Oh," Nao replied. Then… Wait… "Wait! What?!"

"Yeah, it's a very big secret," Loren noted, eyes on the little girl in the photo. "Dove didn't tell me until about a year ago. I always thought she really was her younger sister, even if in hindsight, the story never did match up. At first Dove used to tell me her mother was going to have another baby, then, suddenly, the girl had already turned one. I was so confused, but I never did put two-in-two together until Dove explained it to me."

"Dove's a… mother?" Nao asked, eyes wide.

"This is who she's fighting for," Loren said, eyes narrowed. "This is what worries me. I know my sister. I know how good she is. And if it's for Ruthie, I know to the lengths she's willing to go to destroy herself or those who oppose her. That's what frightens me… Soma, Erina, even Isshiki or the other guy… I don't think any of them can match this devotion."

Nao just looked on. She really didn't know what advice to offer here. Just like how she was terrified of what would happen if Ashitaro won, she could perfectly understand that Loren was equally terrified of what would happen if Dove lost. And she wished she could come up with a perfect solution, but she knew there wasn't one. But, even so…

"If you ever feel like telling that to the others, it's up to you," Nao said, and Loren turned to her, slightly confused, "But, as far as I know, nothing you say to me leaves this room. Although, I have to say, Baby Ruth was it?" she added, and Loren nodded, "She's adorable. She looks like an outright clone of Dove, though. Not sure how she managed to fool people."

"Yeah, I always did say Dove had pooped her out," Loren noted, and he laughed at the memories.

"…You both are so close," Nao said with a fond smile. "It's outright adorable to see…"

"She's my big sis," Loren stated, "We've been through thick and thin together. Training under Azami was rather… rough. Many times he simply wasn't around, and Shawn was the last person you could ever call dependable. Heck, I remember one of my first outings with Dove, just the two of us, because she didn't have any menstrual pads, and after she had given birth, her periods had been absolutely horrible, or so I learned later on. Back then, I was twelve, and I knew jack-shit of how any of that worked…"

…Which was why Loren had been aimed by a very dizzy Dove, currently sitting on one of the benched of the pharmacy they had taken a cab to, hoping she didn't stain anything and make a fool of herself. She had really wanted to avoid this, but she was down to her last pad, and Azami was nowhere to be found, because of course. And she refused to ask Shawn for this. But, her intentions to go alone proved difficult because the pain was killing her, so she had to convince Loren to go with her (and by convince she meant drag him away from the big screen television set and all his games). Dove still pointed at the correct aisle, told him to grab whatever brand he saw first, and rush right back. Buy it quickly, go back, and pray this pain and misery away. But, her little brother, bless his heart, was a little bit too stupid at times.

"Hey Dove!" he screamed so loud that the whole pharmacy probably heard him, as he held three different bags of pads, "What size is your thingy?!"

"Loren! For goodness' sake you idiot that doesn't work like that!" the blushing girl who's sole wish was that the ground would just open up and swallow her whole screamed even louder. Oh, God, it hurt to scream…

"…I don't think she ever forgave me for that," Loren admitted, thinking back and realizing just how much he had screwed up. Nao felt her eye twitch.

"Wouldn't surprise me if that was her villain origin story," the little witch noted, "Would have been mine."

"Nah, close, but it was something worse… someone worse," Loren said, and Nao could see how his fists clenched up. She still said nothing. She'd only speak on whatever he wanted to share, nothing more. "She's been hurt, a lot. And I understand, for as much as I owe Azami, she owes him tenfold. But… It's not fair. I don't like it how he dangles her feelings like he does. She's always almost a daughter, but never quite. And I guess I'm…" Loren gave pause, then turned his phone off and placed it back onto the counter. "It doesn't matter."

"As much as we all collectively hate the man," Nao voiced, "He did raise you. It is fair that both you and Dove see him as a father. Hell, I'm sure he had a bigger presence in your lives than mine ever did in mine. So, I don't think it's wrong to feel that you should be treated better. He is your dad, it's only fair you be a little more selfish with him," she said, and Loren looked on, surprised by her choice of words, before he said anything she just bounced back onto her feet, all in a single motion, "Yep! And I really should go back to my room, because if momma catches me I am so dead."

"…Uh, okay…"

She then turned to him, and she had the smuggest grin imaginable.

"You want me to stay over, don't ya?"

"Piss off Nao!" Loren barked, pointing at the exit, blushing madly. Nao just laughed, but before she left, she leaned in, and taking hold of the boy by the cheeks, planted the deepest kiss imaginable onto his lips, leaving him utterly breathless.

"But, no matter what, I want you to know," she said with the brightest smile, "I will forever be grateful Azami brought you into Tootsuki, you failure of a traitor. I love everything about you, my hero."

And for once, the boy who had a spit-fire response to anything, was caught without a single word left to be uttered.

-0-

The alarms woke Erina up, as she slowly opened her eyes, and she found herself snuggled up to Soma like she had absolutely no shame to her name. The girl turned fifty shades of red, inwardly yelped a dozen or so things, darted right off the bed and out the bedroom, and rushed towards her (his) room to grab her things and get ready. One bathroom visit later, she was ready, Chef's attire properly set up, as she made her way downstairs, hoping that nobody…

"Morning princess," Jouichirou greeted her as he finished setting up the kitchen for the kids to use. "Sleep well?"

"We didn't do anything!" she quickly cried out, defensively, before she noticed he had not accused her of a thing, so she, blushing madly, cleared her throat and rephrased, "…I slept well, thank you. Apologies for falling asleep on your bed…"

"Relax," Jouichirou replied with a knowing wink. "Let's make a deal, I won't tell your grandpa about this if you don't tell Soma I didn't quite make it home until roughly thirty minutes ago, deal?"

Erina nodded before she processed the request, but then she got it, and her face got redder. "Oh? Oh! Mr. Yukihira!"

"Deal?" he repeated, with extra emphasis. The girl gave out a little smile and nodded.

"Deal," she affirmed, and he smiled.

"Good, now get ready, Yukihira's about to open, and unlike last night, you two have an entire shift to run today, so you need to be at your best," he instructed, and she nodded firmly. He then turned towards the stairs, "Soma! Wake up! You need to be in this kitchen in five minutes!"

"H-Huh? W-What? Wait, what time is it?!" Soma could be heard slowly coming to. Erina just rolled her eyes, as Jouichirou waited, before the older man voiced a "four", to which Soma could be heard adding, "I'm getting ready! Will be down there in two!"

How boys got prepared so fast, Erina would never know.

Still, he managed it. When Jouichirou declared that the shop was to open up, both Erina and Soma were there, ready to seize the day, standing side by side, both of them pushing their doubts away and focusing on the here and now. And with a little flip of the "open / close" sign, in no time, Yukihira's came alive, and with it, Soma and Erina were rushing all over the kitchen in order to fulfill every request.

This was what followed for the next couple of days. Cook for every customer, and during the down-times, engage in a duel against Jouichirou or against Riko, the latter who usually joined them shortly after the shop opened up, alongside a tagging along Nao and Loren. Jouichirou, always trying to improvise on their training, even had Nao and Loren join in, to serve as aides to Erina and Soma respectively, as he gave them harder and harder dishes, using Tootsuki's own methods. A random theme, and forcing them creatively as they could not present the same dish twice. It was adorable to see, Riko would note, all these kids making such an effort, and enjoying it so. Some… a bit too much, admittedly.

"Nao! Stop drooling over me and focus on what I need!" Erina called out to her aide, who had been spacing out staring at her ass.

"I-I'm trying, but those pants are so tights and you're so sweaty that I feel faint my Goddess, but for you, I will persevere!" Nao declared, and despite Erina's objections (of which they were many), the little witch was still a fantastic chef, so once she focused on the correct thing, she helped out tremendously. Which, was a stark contrast to…

"H-Hey!" Soma cried out, protecting his face with a skilled, as he had been moments away from getting pelted by a recently peeled apple. "…Loren."

The blond boy in question looked up, then laughed a bit, as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Erm, my bad, force of habit."

And they continued this from sunrise to sunset.

At one point Eishi and Rindou popped in, right out of the blue, to everyone's surprise. Soma didn't waste a single second in challenging the two to a Shokugeki, and despite herself, Erina had the same urge.

"If you serve us something that we have no choice but to call yummy, then you are so on!" Rindou declared, which lit a flame in Soma's very soul.

"…I suppose there's no helping it," Eishi noted, as he turned to Erina, "We do owe you guys this much at least." And while Eishi said nothing else, and Erina didn't quite understand it, the former First Seat recalled Soma's words to him… "What if it was Rindou?" And, while he looked at his girlfriend, currently edging Soma on with so much joy (as she does), he nodded. He'd go to hell and back for her, so it stood to reason, Soma would too, for Erina. And, what's a good former senior to do, but help his juniors every way he could?

That day the duels shifted a bit, with now Eishi and Rindou taking over for Jouichirou and Riko, with a constant back and forth between the four. Soma versus Rindou ended in her victory; while Erina versus Eishi ended in his. Next round, it was flipped, Soma defeated Eishi, and Erina defeated Rindou. Once more, and it was different, with Soma defeating Rindou, while Erina and Eishi's match was declared a draw, as it had been too close. Again and again, they continued to duel, all the while Jouichirou gave them all pointers on how to improve each time. Riko too.

Nao and Loren just watched, getting to try the dishes and offer their own input as well, with Nao being very biased towards Erina at every turn, while Loren, while he snarked at all of them, the one thing he said that did worry them all, because they knew he wasn't lying, was…

"This still isn't at Dove's level…"

Another day, and to the couple's surprise, a new set of special guests arrived. This time it was his Master Kojirou Shinomiya and his wife, and their other Master, Hinako Inui-Shinomiya.

"I got a call from my other dunce (Megumi) that this idiot here (Soma) was training for the big event," Shinomiya noted as soon as he walked into Yukihira's. "And from the look of things you still have ways to go. You too princess, come on, time to cook for real."

Jouichirou allowed the Magician to take over for the day, with Hinako joining Riko by the seats, greeting everyone fondly, as, in her own words, her husband proceeded to torture Soma and Erina until they either got better or died. She hoped for the former.

Jouichirou and Riko just stared, feeling their eyes twitch. The dude was really hardcore, it would seem.

"I'm not your father Yukihira, I'm not going to baby you, so you two either work hard or you're screwed," he instructed, making them run all over the kitchen at double the speed that Jouichirou had them at. "And I already had a duel against your father Nakiri, so I know of the level he's at. And if he's there, then he's team is likely there as well, so I need you two brats to get to that level yesterday!"

"Wait, he dueled father?!" Erina cried out, surprised and exhausted.

"Yeah, it was awesome!" Soma, just as exhausted, replied.

"Less talking, more cooking!" Shinomiya scolded the two, which quickly got a "yes, sir!" from them both, as they proceeded to continue to cook both for the guests there, as well as whatever new technique or recipe Shinomiya would fling their way. Hinako would also offer a suggestion or two every now and then, and despite her calm demeanor, her requests were so out there (pregnant woman after all) that they proved even harder to accomplish than even the Magician's.

This continued until the second-to-last day before the final round, where, now almost at closing time, while Soma was busy with the last guests, Erina found herself alone in the kitchen cleaning up. She was busy making sure the huge stove was properly polished and had the oil changed, when she felt a little tap on her head. She turned, and Jouichirou motioned a little book towards her.

"Huh? What's this?" she asked, eyes on the book, before she noticed the word "Recipes" scribbled on it.

"That was Tamako's," Jouichirou explained, and Erina felt as if the book had gotten just a bit heavier. "I'm sure you know by now, but she was a master in the kitchen, much like you. Granted, like Soma, when she experimented, and failed at that, my God was the result atrocious. But, that's why she was so amazing, because she wasn't afraid to fail. Her style never quite suited me, but, maybe you can find better use for that than I ever did."

"O-Oh Mr. Yukihira, I couldn't just…" Erina tried, but Jouichirou just patted her on the head, and gave her a little wink.

"We're past that, little Erina," he told her, "You're family already, whether you like it or not."

And she couldn't help but smile. And as he left her, taking hold of all the trash so she didn't have to handle any of that, Erina stayed behind, taking a seat on the greasy floor, and opening the book right up. There were so many recipes in here, and she smiled when she saw the Chinese-American ones that Soma had made her cook during her first visit here. But that had just been scratching the surface, it would seem, as the more she read on, the more complex they got.

The woman had quite the imagination, and she wrote down both her successes and her failures, of which they were surprisingly many. Makes sense, she supposed, as this was where Soma got it from after all. Then she reached the end of the written notes, and she gave pause.

"Wait… Is this…?"

As Jouichirou took out the trash, Soma took care of the last two tables left. One was a common sight around these parts, as his grandfather Kazusato was currently engaged in the most heated chess match against Gaston, with both men locked at a stalemate. Soma just smiled, even if he didn't much understand the game. He turned his attention to the last table, a group of friends it would seem, celebrating quite the noteworthy anniversary…

"That food was amazing!" Ryota Watari said with outright glee, the teen raising his glass of soda as if it were beer and he was offering a toast.

"Behave Watari!" Tsubaki Sawabe reprimanded him, her eyes shifting from the boy, and then towards the Chef, "Apologies, this is why were never take him anywhere," she said, and she laughed when he complained.

"No worries," Soma assured, "If there's one place that welcomes spirited personalities, it's this one!" Soma boasted, before he turned to the quietest member of the group, "And what about you buddy, everything alright over this side of the table?"

"…Oh?" Kousei Arima voiced, before he cleared his throat and replied, "Yes, very, it was amazing. My apologies for us overstaying our welcome here," he said, and Soma quickly shrugged it off, letting the group know they could stay for as long as they wanted. Kousei, fixing his glasses with his fingers by pushing them up by the frame, nodded at this, before he turned, and with overflowing concern in his voice, asked, "…And I'm sorry for all the specifications we made regarding this dish, but…"

Soma looked on, because it was true. Out of all the tables, this had been the most complex one, and, given what they had been talking about it made sense. Because…

"I'm just a delicate flower after all, the list my nutritionist gave me was so tiny I thought I was going to simply die of starvation instead," the cherry blossom girl, hair a dull-blonde, but with the brightest of smiles, said. "Thank you for going through so much trouble for us, erm, for me. My compliments to the Chef, well, to you!"

Soma bowed softly before her. Before them. Nothing was better than happy clients, especially, if he had heard right…

"You sure you're okay Kaori?" Kousei asked, his eyes on his girlfriend, as she quickly flashed him a hearty thumbs up.

"Perfectly fine!" she assured. "Never better. In fact, so good I think I could have dessert!"

"No," Tsubaki quickly objected.

"No way," Watari did as well.

"Absolutely not!" as did Kousei.

"…But I wanna…" Kaori Miyazono said with tears in her eyes, but her group still shot her down. Doctor's orders and all that. She relented, eventually, and just added, "Still, thanks guys. Really. Being stuck in that hospital was dreadful, I can't believe you guys went through so much trouble just to get me out here."

"Nonsense! What are friends for?" Tsubaki replied.

"We can't celebrate the one-year anniversary of your successful operation without you," Watari added, "I mean, you were clinically dead for like, what, three minutes?"

"Don't even mention that," Kousei quickly cut in, despite his girlfriend just happily nodding in affirmation. He hated to think about just how close to losing her he came, while she found it so relieving to have swallowed her fear and had gone through with it. Heck, even if she had not made it, she wouldn't have had it any other way. Then Kousei turned to her, and even if they were technically together, she still felt nervous whenever he did. "But we should go. Can't have my violin partner getting sick after she went through so much trouble, now can we?"

"Sooooon…" Kaori playfully said, already itching to get back on the stage. She had seen him play, streamed of course, but she had already been given the greenlight to attend a concert, and if she kept at it, she could, maybe, hopefully, play alongside him once more. "But, yeah, let's go. Oh, and I imagine the sick girl doesn't have to pay, right?"

They all shared a laugh at this, which quickly turned into the four of them telling Soma that there was absolutely no need for the chef to go that far, but the redhead shut them all down and declared that the entire meal had been on the house, no buts about it.

And with that, the girl who had made that one little white lie in April and her friends departed, and Soma closed up shop.

He came back to the kitchen to find Erina cooking up something. Something else, something new, and at the same time, something nostalgic. He stared, by the entrance, as she didn't notice him at all, fully engrossed in her cooking, and by gods, she looked so, so stunning…

-0-

"Sato-oshiiiiii!" Nene voiced as she almost tumbled herself right off the roof, before her boyfriend took a firm hold of her and helped her get up to where he had been seated at. She brushed herself off, pretended she had not just almost fallen to her death, and proceeded to sit at the Polar Star Dorms very roof, because of course that's where she'd find Isshiki. She swears he had not matured at all since they were children.

"Come here to join me in some stargazing?" Isshiki asked, and she kept her frown in place.

"I've spent several days wrestling not just with the paperwork and duties of the Elite Ten while being three, technically four, members short," Nene commented, "But add to that having to help officiate the suspension proceedings for so many of our best and brightest, half of which are quite literally half your dorm."

"That Asahi Saiba," Isshiki noted, "Quite the troublemaker it would seem."

"Yeah, understatement of the century," Nene said, "But, if that weren't enough, and as much as it sounds like it, this isn't a jab at Terunori, but most of my current Elite Ten team are guys who just got in, only to be thrown right into the Intercontinental Shokugeki, so excluding Teru and Akira, they don't really know how to do Elite Ten paperwork properly, and understandably so. Megumi and Takumi are sharp, at least, so the catch on quickly, but I swear Alice should no better by now. She's part of the family that runs this place after all! Ryou too, for that matter."

"That is true," Isshiki replied, his eyes still on the stars. "Nene, have you given it any thought? What we'll do with our lives once we exit Tootsuki Academy?"

"Hmm?" Nene voiced, her eyes widening a bit, before she frowned. "Once we graduate, you mean?"

Isshiki didn't much reply. He tilted his head, a motion that said neither yes or no, and Nene sighed.

"Satoshi, look at me," she said, stretching her hand and taking hold of his chin, pulling his gaze away from the starts and into her. "You've got this. I hate to admit it, but for as good as any of those Neo-Noirs are, you are better. You are every much a genius as everyone so annoyingly points out. I know… it has to be frustrating. Even you, the weight of this whole thing, it has to be rough."

"I don't much care if I lose my place here," Isshiki admitted, his eyes now not on the unreachable stars, but on the jewel herself within his reach. "I placed my position here at risk in order to help Soma return, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. For him, for anyone really… But, this is goes beyond that. Erina, Alice, Nao… these girls very livelihoods depend on me being good enough at cooking. That. That doesn't feel right or fair. Bad men can do bad things if I fail, and that's it, I can't do anything else but try and not to."

"And you won't," Nene assured, finally smiling at him, because despite it all, she adored this protective side of him. "I can't imagine the pressure you're currently under, but I wouldn't trust anyone else not to crumble under it besides you. If anyone can do this, it's you. So, if you can't trust in yourself… then put your trust in me. Trust that I trust this guy so much that I can bet anything that he'll be invaluable to our upcoming victory."

She finally made him smile, and he nodded. She was very persuasive when she wanted to be.

"I heard Erina and Soma have been staying at the latter's family restaurant," Nene added, "I can picture just how hard they have been training for this… And speaking of, was Etsuya with you, or is that one of those hallway rumors that grew out of hand?"

"He was," Isshiki affirmed. "Up until yesterday. He was studying up something else, refused to let me see what it was, but he seemed very interested in it. He swore up and down that he wasn't going to step in, even as he left, but… well, I want to believe in him. That our friend is still there, somewhere."

"I trust him too," Nene admitted, "As does Terunori. We need to have our juniors' backs, and despite how he behaves, well, always, I know he is trying. We all are. We will get through this… We have to."

"Yes, that we do," Isshiki affirmed once more, and soon enough, the words between them ceased, and all that remained was a soft kiss, as the couple embraced near the sky, as a world of turmoil awaited, but for this one moment, they had each other, and that was more than enough…

-0-

There was not a misplaced cloud in the sky…

The very streets of every major city seemed utterly empty…

The amount of people checking in had broken numbers to unforeseeable levels…

The crowd was overbearing, as many would-be attendants had outright camped outside the new and improved stadium with the hope of being able to get seats to see the big event…

Everything that carried the Tootsuki brand was there on full display. The Tootsuki Rangers on one side, making a show of fighting the vile grotesque food monsters, all quick to take photos with the kids. On the other was Chef-kun and Dog-kun, Tootsuki's oldest mascots, cheering and dancing along with the crowd and everyone who was anybody watched on, all eager for the event that would decide what the culinary world would be from here henceforth.

"Ladies and gentlemeeeeeeeen!" Urara and Yua cheered out in unison, both tilting to the side and posing with each other as massive flares shot out of the ground and lit up the arena. "Welcome to the Final Round of the Intercontinental Shokugekiiiiiii!"

Everyone roared, as they all moved to their seats, chatter everywhere, the music blaring, and the giant screens showing a "best-of" from the prior matches.

'We're finally here!' Urara thought, holding the pose and the smile, 'Please, we have to win this! You guys have done miracles so far, please, we need one more!'

'I'm so nervous I think I'm going to wet myself!' Yua thought, holding in her pee, 'No! Be professional for once! Van's watching!'

And as the screens showed clips of all the matches that came before them, it too, slowly shifted into a little presentation, designed by Tootsuki itself, that showed their Elite Ten at their best. Their names in bold lettering, all caps, with their Seat Number right next to them, alongside a little clip of their best moments. All of them with their recorded words echoing through the entire arena, as a showcase of how Tootsuki Academy was meant to be. A united front, come what may.

And, this time, the whole world was indeed watching…

"I couldn't even dream of being the Tenth Seat, if I couldn't do at least this much." – TAKUMI ALDINI (10th Seat)

Senzaemon laid on his hospital bed, but at his behest (a rather strong-willed one at that), he had been given the biggest television possible to watch this last round. He said nothing, but the spark on his eyes spoke volumes, and even Dr. Hiroto couldn't help but steal glances at the screen every so often…

"Five to nothing, that's how this is going to end." – RYOU KUROKIBA (9th Seat)

On the same hospital the old man was staying at, a young kid, roughly six years old, was currently institutionalized. While he spent most of his time watching movies, his curiosity got peeked when he heard all the music from the older man's room, which was right next to his. So he changed the channel, and came across this culinary event that could very well make for the greatest of movies. And it was here a young Hajime Shinichi smiled for the first time in ages…

"And my priority will always be to… Protect Erina!" – ALICE NAKIRI (8th Seat)

On another side of Japan, just as the camaras had stopped rolling, the entire production team had halted their work and tuned in to the culinary event to end them all. It was a spectacle, they all noted, and as they all played around and made bets on who'd take home the gold, a very young actress, about only six, looked on, eyes sparkling at the sight. If anyone ever made a movie about these events, a young Hinaki Kurai decided then, that she would do anything to star in it. Only problem was, would she lobby to play Erina or Dove…?

"So, sorry, but no dish made by a chef afraid to ever challenge their Team Leader could ever hope to match any of us!" – SOMA YUKIHIRA (7th Seat)

"There he is!" Mayumi screamed out with utter glee, as she had gotten together with all her friends to be able to watch this on the biggest screen possible. From her best friend Aki, her little brother Hiro (currently texting little Akari, but she'd deal with that later), her current friend group of Honda, "Second" Takumi, and their entire class from Fumizuki's Class F, to even long-lost friends who had dropped over unannounced like Kengo and Junichi, everyone was there. And they all cheered as loud as they could, for that one commoner who had weathered the storm and now stood alongside giants…

"When your goal is to crush someone, you study up everything about that individual." – ETSUYA EIZAN (6th Seat)

Yukichiko took her seat, her sharp glare on the screen. As much as she felt utterly bothered by even being here, she just didn't have it in her to not be present at something so monumental, whether or not her brother decided to show. She wanted to do otherwise, but her maternal instincts were too much and she ended up here regardless. Near her she could see her coworkers, with Kotaru cheering for Urara and the others, alongside Ava, Yoshiaki and little Kanon. Yukichiko had also sent an invitation to a certain other person, but it remained to be seen if it would work or not…

"If you'd be so kind… Get off my seat." – MEGUMI TADOKORO (6th Seat – The Real One)

The cheers from all her fisherman buddies, currently seated to the far end of the stadium, as that was the only spot Megumi managed to squeeze them into, was almost deafening. They had massive flags and banners to showcase their love for their little country girl who had gone above and beyond anything they had ever dreamed of, and, seated right alongside all of them, was Megumi's mom, smiling so fondly at the sight of her little girl saying the coldest line imaginable…

"So, if you feel it was too cold when you tasted the dish, let it simmer, and enjoy it once more." – AKIRA HAYAMA (5th Seat)

"My baby boy!" Jun said, outright crying, since even if she had seen the video clip beforehand (it was made by Tootsuki after all), seeing it on the big screen was simply too much. She was currently seated in a special area, alongside Gin, Jouichirou, Riko and a host of former graduates, including Shinomiya, Hinako, Fuyumi, Mamoru, Hagi, Donato, Taki, Hitoshi, and several others. And as the screen switched again, Shinomiya looked on, because he really had, despite himself, grown fond of all these brats, including…

"World Gourmet Organization as you may be, if you desire to taste more of my dishes, you will have to pay for them." – ERINA NAKIRI (4th Seat)

"My baby girls!" Leonora cried as she pumped her fists into the air, as Soe monitored everything, making sure his girls, and everyone else at that, had been captured at their very best. It was something that made it difficult for him to compose himself, but he had to be strong. They needed him to be strong. Yet, unbeknownst to him, miles away, still in Hisako's room, Mana was also tuning in, hugging herself, as she saw her daughter boast proudly on screen, and she bit her lip. It was now or never, in so many ways…

"Insulting my height and my do, you're making it pretty hard for me not to take this personally." – TERUNORI KUGA (3rd Seat)

"They all look so cool!" Yuuto Takai, a middle-schooler of Tootsuki Academy, said with all the excitement in the world, as he turned to the side and pointed at the screen to his friend Shun Terumoto. The other boy nodded fiercely. Once they graduated from middle school, after the Elite Ten saved this school, they would so ask to be transferred into the Polaris Dorms. Unbeknownst to the two, the head of said dorm, Fumio herself, sat somewhere behind them, her eyes briefly on the two kids, before she turned towards the screen with all the fondness of the world. Because, after all, her best boy was about to appear…

"If a genius I am, then I need to hold myself to even higher standards than they do. All so I never fail them again." – SATOSHI ISSHIKI (2ND SEAT)

"He utterly outclassed all of us, effortlessly," Rindou boasted proudly, smiling at the display, as her boyfriend Eishi nodded. They were seated in another special area handpicked for former top graduates, alongside their friends Tosuke, Sonoka, Soumei and Momo, alongside a few others. All their attention, of course, was on the arena, as this was the moment to do or die, and they all knew, knew their careers hinged on this more than any of them were willing to admit…

"We can and will win. After all, we are Tootsuki Strong!" – NENE KINOKUNI (1st Seat)

"Damn right!" came a collective defiant shout from all of the Elite Ten's closest friends, as Yuuki (currently with Terrubunny on her lap), Ryoko, Shun, Zenji, Madoka, Daigo, Shoji, Mitsuru, the golden twins Berta and Cilla, Raymond, Isami, Ikumi, Subaru, Julio, Miyoko, Kanichi, and even Ken (because he was Kenough) all showed their highest support for the massive efforts their friends had been and were currently undertaking.

Nao looked on, quietly, but she had her hand interlocked firmly with Loren's, who was staring intently at the screen, almost with bated breath as he waited for her to finally walk on out…

Up above, all the former Challengers sat by, holding onto cheering for anyone for now, but, no matter if from Spain, Nigeria, Italy, France, Russia or England, if it came down to it, they all silently agreed that they would much rather prefer that Tootsuki take the win today than the Neo-Noirs, but, they also knew, that if one looked at it logically, well, the odds were oh-so staked against the Elite Ten…

"Quite the noisy bunch. Wonderful AMV though," Julius noted with a little smile, as he looked on from one of the entrances into the arena, awaiting their signal to walk in. He still turned, having long noticed something but deeming it appropriate to voice it now. "That said, Team Leader, are we not missing a member?"

"Did he chicken out?" Ashitaro said with outright ire, his eyes also on the God Slayer, who simply shook her head.

"I… I think he may not be joining us today," Dove voiced, although she quickly corrected, "At least, not right now. He'll make an entrance, I'm sure of it, but if he thinks him not being here disqualifies us by default, well, he's sadly mistaken."

"Oh, am I?"

Dove flinched, as she, Julius and Ashitaro turned, just in time to see Asahi walk right to where they all awaited. Dove felt a little faint, as she had not talked or seen him since they had broken things off, and here he was, same smile as always, properly sporting the Neo-Noirs uniform, all the while outfitted with a very decorative belt currently holstered with various tools that she had never seen him sport before.

"…So you did make it after all," Dove noted, biting her lower lip. She knew him. This wasn't him folding. What was he planning?

"Of course," he said, and his voice gave nothing away, "I wouldn't dream of missing this. Such a thing, would honestly break my heart, you know?"

And Dove said nothing at all…

"It's now or never," Kuga noted, as he and the rest of the Elite Ten (except for four of them) walked towards their special seats, "Everybody, don't panic! I said don't panic!"

"You're going to make us panic if you keep that up!" Nene quickly reprimanded him, as she turned to the others. "…Nothing else we can do, but pray for the best. Let's hope we did enough."

"I know these guys well," Takumi said as he clenched his fist in a show of force, "We didn't get this far just to lose it inches from the finish line. They'll make it, I know it!"

"Takumi's right!" Alice quickly agreed, "They can win, and they will! Isn't that right Ryou?"

"…Yeah, these aren't guys who'd fold easily," Kurokiba offered, "Even if their opponent are those Neo-Noirs."

"Agreed," Akira added, "All we can do now is trust in them. They got this far, they'll get us through this mess… Somehow…"

Only Megumi said nothing, her eyes on the arena, feeling as if her chest had become an outright knot, but hoping, against every sense in the world, that they could pull this off, 'If anyone can do this, it's you guys. Please… Win!'

And on the opposite entrance, the four Elite Ten students still on this event all stood by, ready for the fight of their lives. Ready for the fight of the lives of everyone they held dear, and to say the pressure felt unbearable would be to undersell it.

"Are we ready?" Isshiki asked.

"You know it!" Soma replied with a grin.

"Come what may," Erina added.

"…This is the stupidest way to fail at life," Eizan noted, and Soma and Erina glared at the yakuza, as Isshiki just laughed. Still, he kept his promise, he made it to the starting line at least.

Then the lights changed, and both the Elite Ten and the Neo-Noirs noted that the signal was moments away from being given, only thing that was left was…

"Okay!" Urara announced, her hand held up high, "Everyone, please, stand up with your hand over your heart, and give all your attention to my dearest Yua with the Tootsuki Academy Anthem!"

On their feet, hand over heart, the entire stadium stood, as the lights flickered once more, and a very nervous Yua took center stage. She took a deep breath, and Bridgette almost dislocated Van's shoulder for how excited she was at seeing her future sister-in-law about to sing. The Yua began…

"~In the land of Rising Sun's bosom, in high spirits, tusks gather. Looking up at the summit of food, alas, it's time to rouse yourself.~"

The screens began to change, and the first team got the signal to walk into the arena. Tootsuki Academy's very own Elite Ten:

Satoshi Isshiki

Erina Nakiri

Etsuya Eizan

Soma Yukihira

"~Hone yourself, hone yourself. The holy land of gourmet food Tootsuki Academy is here. Under the moon far away in the sky, it's time for the true ordeal.~"

The screen flickered once more, this time showing the enemy team, meant to destroy Tootsuki Academy and everything it stood for. As Azami, up above, looked on, he frowned, since there was a name there that he didn't expect to still be there. It of course read:

Dove Dillinger

Julius Bedlam

Ashitaro Sadatsuka

Asahi Saiba

"~Oh youngsters, serve meals on the tables. Alas, it's time to fire up.~" Yua sang, as she raised her tone, mixing the song with what felt like an outright heartfelt plea. "~Make them yield! Make them yield!~"

And as everyone watched, the eight competitors, four from one end, and four from the opposite end, all walked into the middle of the arena, as a massive cloud of awe and worry filled the arena. But as what many outright called the eight best chefs of their generation stared each other down, their sharp eyes almost burning right through each other, it was official.

The Intercontinental Final Round was about to take place, and with it, the future of the culinary world was in the balance…

The duel of the century… begins!

"~The military rule of gourmet food…~"

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…TOOTSUKI ACADEMY IS HERE!

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Notes:

Hey Everyone! Zancrowe Down Here!

The Intercontinental Shokugeki Finals have officially begun, and excluding finally getting to use the Tootsuki Anthem (I have been trying to add that damn thing into my stories for years now), we have finally arrived at the biggest duels I could ever hope to write! So, if you'll allow me, let me take a little extra time off to get them just right, and then, well…

Round 1 – Saturday, October 07, 2023

Round 2 – Saturday, October 14, 2023

Round 3 – Saturday, October 21, 2023

Round 4 – Saturday, October 28, 2023

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