Azami placed the phone down, smiling to himself. It was a pleased, indulgent expression that he didn't often take. But there was just cause this time.

Katsumi had disappeared out of his and Erina's lives over ten years ago. One day, he'd come home and she'd simply been gone. A few of her things were missing, likely taken with her, but the vast majority of her possessions were left behind. He'd attempted to track her down, of course he had. She was his wife; he'd been worried. He was concerned that she'd been abducted against her will; she was a prime target for ransom considering her status and position as the Nakiri heiress.

But a brief discussion with Senzaemon had convinced him otherwise.

The old man had told him that Katsumi had left of her own free will; he didn't know where she went or why she did but she'd departed and left everything of her old life behind. Including her daughter.

Azami hadn't believed him; he'd known his wife. She wouldn't simply vanish like some wraith. He was confident in that. He'd had her too well trained; too well conditioned to do something so rash and deviant. And that wasn't even to mention what feelings she had towards their daughter. He'd argued against him but Senzaemon had shut him down at every turn, sticking firmly to his story and not offering Azami the slightest foothold.

Azami had hired several investigators to try and track down his errant spouse but they'd had no luck. It was as if she'd simply vanished from her room in the mansion one day. There were no traces online of her presence; no attempts to access to any of her bank accounts and no mention of anyone going by that name. Even as the expense grew and the search net expanded, Azami had continued. He knew something would turn up eventually.

But then Senzaemon had banished him and he'd lost access to the prodigious resources of the Nakiri name and been forced to amass his own fortunes. An endeavor that had taken him the better part of ten years. In that time, he'd been lax in his search for Katsumi but he'd still sent out the occasional feeler and always got the same response; nothing.

He knew Katsumi. He knew she wouldn't have been able to keep herself this well-hidden for this long without some form of outside assistance. But he'd investigated all of her close acquaintances (not that she'd had very many between her status and his pushing her to focus solely on him and their family) and nothing had been amiss. Whoever was helping her was doing an amazing job, he had to admit.

But that was all over now, thanks to his foresight. It was funny, really. He'd asked the hotel to notify him if there were any outgoing calls from Erina's room because he wanted to filter her contact with the outside world. She was still fragile, only having recently been triggered, and it was important for both her mental health and his plans that she be kept in strictly controlled conditions. So when he'd gotten the alert from the front desk, he'd raced upstairs and walked into the room just in time to see Erina staring into space, the receiver held close to her ear. She hadn't responded when he called and so he'd plucked it from her unresisting hands, assuming it was perhaps Alice attempting to interfere with his daughter once more.

But what he'd gotten instead was much, much more than he'd bargained for. He'd barely had the chance to place the phone on speaker and track down the bell but he'd been fortunate. And now it was only a matter of time before Katsumi made her way back to him.

Azami chuckled, shaking his head. He'd never forgotten about Katsumi but he was forced to admit that she'd certainly taken a backseat in his thoughts as of late. He had much more important things to focus on; after all, it was Erina, not Katsumi, that controlled the destiny of the Nakiri now. Katsumi had lost that privilege years ago, thanks to her prolonged absence. Senzaemon had been forced to disown her, at least publicly so because, as far as the world knew, she was missing. And Senzaemon had been pushed to name Erina as his heir apparent in her place, which he'd done after some protracted debate

Which meant that having both Erina and Totsuki in hand pushed Azami that much closer to being in position to reshape the Japanese cuisine industry into its ideal image. Just a few more pieces needed to be put into place and then nothing would be able to stop him.

"Erina, dear." Said Azami.

Erina didn't move. She continued staring at the wall, her eyes blank and her mind clearly very far away. Azami placed his hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently. Her body rocked with the motion but she didn't react otherwise. Azami placed his hand on his chin, frowning. He'd been so caught up in his excitement with Katsumi that he hadn't thought to consider just what kind of impact such a thing would have on Erina.

As far as he knew, she hadn't spoken to her mother since she'd left years previously. He knew there were unresolved feelings there but he'd presumed they would be a non-issue. Katsumi had seemed content to stay out of their lives and he was content to let her. Until he deigned to track her down, that is.

Azami gently shook Erina's shoulder again.

"Erina. Erina, your father is speaking to you." He said firmly, putting just the right amount of authority into his voice.

Erina jolted, swiveling her head back and forth. She looked around before looking up at Azami.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Erina swallowed before opening her mouth to speak.

"H-Hai, Otou-sama." She said haltingly. "I was…I was surprised by my conversation with K-K…Katsumi-san. I'm sorry for ignoring you."

"It's quite alright." Said Azami, smiling. He patted her on the shoulder in what was meant to be a gesture of comfort. "That must have been shocking for you, wasn't it? My apologies that you had to go through that."

Azami went to say more but his phone rang, cutting him off. He looked at the screen and frowned softly.

"Excuse me, I must take this. I'll be back in just a moment, Erina."

Azami crossed the room and stepped into the adjoining suite. Only after shutting the door behind him did he raise the phone to his ear and hit the answer key.

"Saiba-senpai. Greetings."

"Howdy, Nakamura. I heard you were trying to get in touch with me?" said Joichiro, his voice light. "Sorry I was doing some exploration of the countryside; cell service isn't the greatest out here."

"I understand." Said Azami. "Be that as it may, my calls were of a rather urgent nature. But I suppose what's done is done."

"Yup. Bygones and all that. So what'd ya need?" asked Joichiro.

"I was just informing you that you were fired." Said Azami. The silence that met his declaration caused Azami to smile ever so slightly.

"Fired, huh?" asked Joichiro. "That eager to be rid of me?"

"Oh no, Saiba-senpai. That's a decision you made when you so recklessly allowed my daughter to wager your tenure on that farce of a shokugeki she had with your son." Said Azami tightly, his voice hated. On some level, he despised how much power those informal little cook-offs had within the confines of Tōtsuki. But Senzaemon's bylaws were quite clear and ironclad and none were moreso than the school's rules regarding Shokugekis. They held true power at Tōtsuki and this was reflected in every aspect.

Even with months as the new Director, he'd only managed to make a few select changes. And even those had required much of the goodwill he'd had with Tōtsuki's administrative board. They'd been worth it though.

"I see, I see. So I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you fired me on the day of the third Elite Ten trial huh?"

"That's correct, Saiba-senpai. Did one of my missives notifying you actually reach you?" queried Azami.

"Nah. But I heard that Erina and you were back on speaking terms by the start of that task. So I figured that's when it had to happen. For all that you bend and stretch the rules, you rarely outright break your word." Said Joichiro.

"Thank you, Saiba-senpai. I do try." Said Azami.

"It wasn't a compliment." Responded Joichiro. "It just means that you like to give people just enough rope to hang themselves with. You like to watch them squirm."

"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean." Said Azami, shaking his head. He didn't like to watch people squirm; he rarely had the time or inclination for petty sadism. It was beneath him.

"Whatever. Is that all you needed?" asked Joichiro.

"Yes, that's all. For now, anyway. Though I must say, you are taking this news rather well. Based on your son's reaction, I had assumed yours would be a bit more…emotional."

"I'm sure you did. But unlike Sōma, I've known you for years, Azami. I'm not dumb enough to give you anything to use against me, no matter how small." Said Joichiro.

"So your son doesn't fall into that category then?" asked Azami lightly. The answering pause was answer enough.

"Goodbye, Nakamura."

With a click, the call disconnected and Azami chuckled, placing the phone into his pocket. He'd tried to resist but the opportunity to jab at his former senpai was simply too great to pass up. And the joke had been rather funny, in his opinion. And maybe he was still rather angry; despite all he was doing for him, Saiba was so unappreciative. He'd been brought low and made weak by his marriage to that wretched woman.

Yukihira Kumi…even now, her name annoyed him. She'd been a constant thorn in his side. She'd stood in the way of him meeting Katsumi for months. For months, she'd vehemently threatened her then-boyfriend to never let him anywhere near the Nakiri heiress after their first meeting. Despite the fact that Azami had been nothing but kind and polite to her; his dislike for her and her uncouth ways perfectly hidden behind his façade. Even after he'd started dating Katsumi, he was sure the Yukihira was still doing her best behind the scenes to turn Katsumi against him.

That woman had an almost eerie ability to see straight through him. She'd identified parts of Azami that he hadn't even known were there until years later when he grew into the person he was now. It was only now, with the benefit of age and hindsight that he could retroactively see that almost everything Kumi had accused him of was actually true. She'd known him better than he'd known himself at that time. An impressive feat for someone as guarded as he was. He would've been impressed if he wasn't so irked with what she'd done to his beloved senpai. And what she'd attempted to do to his marriage.

Luckily, as years had passed, he'd been able to convince Katsumi to leave the other woman behind. After one particular incident, he'd even managed to have her banned from Tōtsuki grounds and, by extension, the Nakiri manor. It had only been a matter of time then until Katsumi's correspondence with her became limited to Christmas cards. And even those were little more than lip service, composed and sent out by servants.

Azami shook his head, breaking himself from his nostalgia. It was rare that he allowed himself to be caught up in reminiscence but he felt justified. Today was a surprisingly auspicious day. He couldn't be blamed for indulging himself just a little.

Azami chuckled, pocketing his phone and reentering his daughter's suite.

"My apologies, Erina. That was Saiba-senpai and I…"

Azami paused as he noticed the chair where she'd been sitting absent. He looked around the room, puzzled before calling Erina's name again. When silence was the only response he received, Azami marched around the room, checking each adjoining room and bathroom.

It took him very little time to determine that his daughter was nowhere to be found.

Erina walked among the streets of Tokyo, doing her best to make her way through the crowd without shoving or being unduly shoved in return. It was a difficult task, much more so than she'd expected but she welcomed the challenge. It helped to distract her from the chaos in her mind. Over and over, she kept replaying what she'd heard from…from her mother.

A woman she'd come to loathe and love in equal measure for the better part of a decade. Even as a misled child, who'd thought herself deserving of her father's punishments, she knew on some level that they weren't that of a loving parent. And so she'd grown to resent the only other parent she had for leaving her. Her feelings of resentment had only grown once her father had left. She'd had…mixed feelings towards his departure. On one hand, there was untold relief at no longer being subjected to his…lessons…but on the other hand, the love she felt for her father was still there and she couldn't help but feel as if he was abandoning her too.

Her grandfather had tried; no one knew that more than Erina. He'd been there for her as much as he could but even that felt like little time to a girl of her age. He'd been kept busy managing both the Nakiri Empire and Tōtsuki. Even with Alice's father taking up much of the slack, there was only so much Sōe could do from his position halfway across the world.

As a result, she'd mostly been raised by a retinue of serving staff that had been only too eager to please and cow to her will. Erina had taken up her role gladly, shoving down her true feelings and doing her best to act the part of the Nakiri heiress. She'd evaluated dishes, conducted herself with decorum and been every bit the proper lady that she thought she was supposed to be as opposed to the child she actually was. Were it not for Hisako's introduction into her life at an early age, she didn't know what she would've done.

The thought of her former aide made Erina's heart ache and she stopped, swaying slightly as she held her head. Her mind was still a muddled mass of confusion; she hadn't expected to be free from the cage she'd been trapped in so suddenly and so swiftly but her mother's impassioned tirade had done something to the younger, chained version of Erina that had been her warden and her father's staunchest defender. The young girl now sat in a ball, crying to herself in the very cage that the elder Erina had found herself imprisoned inside of. Erina could see it clearly in her mind, as if she was looking at a picture.

It had been a shock to suddenly jolt to her senses after so long without so much as the will to even move in her own mind. The shackles her father had instilled in her so long ago still held firm and the appearance of her younger self; an Erina that still very much loved her father and thought he could do no wrong had been more than apt to restrain her.

But that younger Erina was a child. And every child yearns for their mother, no matter how much they may claim to hate them. And Katsumi's voice had done what Erina herself had failed to do, no matter how she'd tried and Erina was now back in control of herself. She'd taken the opportunity for what it was and immediately escaped from her father, moving as fast as her legs could carry her down the hotel stairs and out to the streets of Tokyo.

She had no idea how long she would remain in control; the younger Erina still wept within the cage but who knew for how long that would be. Erina found it odd that she didn't feel more compassion or sympathy for her younger self. She didn't feel anger either; she was simply ambivalent. She watched her younger self cry endlessly and all she could think was that she hoped she'd continue crying so that Erina was not the one put back in that cage.

This wasn't her. She knew she wasn't the most empathetic of people but she was not one to simply accept a child's suffering. There was more to this, she was sure of it. But she didn't understand what was going on. She needed answers; a way to fix whatever her father had done and she could only think of one person that would be able to help her.

Yukihira Sōma…

She thought back to the boy who'd worn so many different masks since he'd returned from his...time away. She hadn't fully grasped just what had occurred but this latest harrowing experience had made everything crystal clear to her. Yukihira Sōma had been split, much as she had, and he'd managed to find his way back. For some time anyway.

She thought back to the emotionless, passionless Sōma that had laid waste to Tōtsuki in her father's name. And then she thought back to the smiling, lighthearted boy that had answered her and Megumi's questions. And then she thought back to the hollow shell that had been her fellow judge during the third task.

She paused, halting her walk.

That was right…she'd almost forgotten. Sōma had been corralled back to her father's side just as easily as she'd been. She didn't know the finer details but her father had implied it to be certain with the cool confidence that she knew meant he was completely serious. And for all that he'd been informative, Sōma had been subservient, docile and completely beholden to her father from what little she'd observed of their interaction.

If she approached him for help, she knew he would immediately contact her father.

But who else could she approach? She had no idea how much time she had before her other self-reasserted control. She had no idea how to stop her either; from the moment her father had uttered those words, she'd lost all say in the matter. She'd been completely paralyzed. She needed more information; there had to be someone that knew something.

Unbidden, a memory came to her mind. One tinged with shock and fear and sadness. But it was not her emotions she concerned herself with; it was the content of the memory.

I could care less if he subjected every single student here to the same kind of training he put you and Sōma-kun through.

The memory angered her but more importantly, it made her realize that perhaps there was someone else she could ask. Someone she knew whose loyalty to her father was circumstantial at best. It was risky but she preferred a risk of being turned in by Kobayashi Rindō than the near certainty of being turned over to her father by Sōma.

"Thank you, sir. Are you sure you don't require payment? I assure you my friend would be able to compensate you…"

"Relax, lass!" said the cab driver, smiling at her. "I'll get to tell people I had the Nakiri Erina in my cab. That'll definitely drive up business."

"You flatter me, sir." Said Erina, smiling softly and nodding as she exited the taxi. "Have a good day then."

With one last honk of his horn, the taxi driver pulled away and left Erina standing at the gate to a modest, two story house. The house itself was only barely visible as the yard in front of it was quite expansive. Scattered across it were several plants and trees, all at various stages of growth. They were all fruits and vegetables and the collection was eclectic and almost without order. Pumpkins grew alongside squash while chili peppers grew in the shade of small apple trees. It grated against Erina's more ordered sensibilities but she ignored it, marching through the gate and up the small pathway to the front door.

She knocked briskly and was rewarded with the door opening almost immediate to reveal the grinning face of the Second Seat of the Elite Ten Council.

"Erina-chan! Hi there!"

Rindō engulfed the younger girl in a hug, affectionately rubbing her cheek to the other girl's. Erina bore it with stoic dignity, choosing to ignore the girl's exuberance.

"Greetings, Rindō-senpai." She said.

"I must admit; I was surprised to get your call! You've never visited me before but all of a sudden you want to sit down for tea? Plus I heard Azami-sama's in a right fit searching for you as we speak." said Rindō.

Erina stilled, widening her eyes but Rindō laughed, taking the girl by the wrist and pulling her inside.

"Relax, Erina-chan. My curiosity outweighs my desire to be a good little soldier so you're safe."

The 'for now' was implied by the devilish edge to Rindō's smile as she ushered the girl into the living room of her house.

She sat down on a chair across from Erina, who took it upon herself to perch on the edge of the coach. Rindō rested her elbows on her knees, placing her chin in her cupped hands as she stared at Erina.

"So what can I do for ya? I'm assuming you didn't stop by just to say hi right?" asked Rindō, tilting her head.

Erina took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she wondered if this was the right decision. She'd thought her decision over several times on the way over but she hadn't been able to come up with anything better. And though her younger self remained in the cage, she'd stopped sobbing some time ago and simply remained curled into a ball, her hands wrapped around her knees. The chains around her wrist clinked every so often as she shivered. There was no telling when she would try and reassert control. She needed to do this now.

Erina opened her eyes.

"I have a problem. And I'm willing to pay whatever price you have if you can help me solve it."

Rindō blinked twice before grinning, her smile stretching from ear to ear.

"Oh…interesting. Tell me more."

And so Erina did.

And Rindō nodded along, stopping her every so often to ask a question but for the most part letting the heiress speak.

Once she was done, Rindō hummed thoughtfully and told Erina to wait. She left the living room for several minutes, causing Erina to wonder if the girl had changed her mind about reporting her to her father, but Rindō soon reentered with two steaming cups of tea. Handing one to her guest, Rindō took a seat, sipping slowly on the hot beverage for a minute or two more before deigning to speak.

"I'm afraid I cannot help you, Erina-chan." Said Rindō, shaking her head.

"Why not?" asked Erina, her voice tight. "All I'm asking for is more information."

"Oh, I have that in spades, I assure you. But you need a more urgent form of help. And any information I give you could prove troubling, if not outright counterproductive. So it's best I let you go into this blind, so to speak."

"Into what blind?" asked Erina carefully, furrowing her brow.

"Oh, you'll see what I mean soon. For now, just drink your tea. It's a blend I created myself based on a lovely little leaf I found in Tibet. The monks there swear by its mind cleansing properties."

Erina frowned but raised her teacup regardless. She sniffed at the steam wafting from it, blowing gently on the surface of the tea, before taking a sip. She analyzed the flavor as the tea spread across her tongue, her palate going to work seamlessly as she….

Wait.

Erina took another sip, feeling the warm liquid wash over her tongue once more. She tried to ascertain what type of tea leaf Rindō had used or perhaps how much sugar had been put into the tea but she wasn't able to. Erina took another sip, her tongue moving around and examining the liquid from all angles a third time but having just as much impact as the first two sips.

It was only after Erina had completely drained the tea cup that she began to grasp just what was wrong.

"I…I can't taste this."

Rindō blinked at Erina, still only halfway through her own cup of tea.

"Pardon me, Erina-chan?" she asked.

"Your tea...it's…I can't…"

Erina struggled to form words as the magnitude of what she'd just discovered began to wash over her.

"I can't taste it. I can't taste your tea, Rindō-senpai."

Rindō pouted exaggeratedly.

"Is that some sort of joke? Are you calling my tea flavorless? Because I'll have you know it's gotten rave reviews elsewhere, Ms. God's Tongue."

The mention of her gift, her special talent, the thing that had defined her for as long as she could remember made Erina begin to quiver. She couldn't taste the tea. Aside from being able to tell that the tea was rather hot, her tongue had given her no other sensory information. Tasting was an ingrained part of who she was; a single taste was all she needed to give a thorough, comprehensive breakdown of anything placed on her plate, from gourmet dishes of the highest quality to fare of the most common.

But now, for the first time in living memory, her tongue had failed her. It had failed her completely. Rindō's tea could have tasted like ash and Erina would have been none the wiser. What was happening to her?

"No, Rindō-senpai. It wasn't that. I'm…I'm unable to taste things, it seems."

Despite the icy pit that had developed in her stomach as she drank her tea, Erina found that she was remarkably calm all things considered. The loss of something as integral to her as her divine palette should have been an experience so terrifying it bordered on traumatic. But though Erina did indeed feel fear and concern, it was nowhere near the levels to which she would've expected.

"Nakiri Erina? The God's Tongue? Unable to taste things?" queried Rindō, tapping her chin. "If I had to guess, I would say you've got the little brat in your head to thank for that, Erina-chan. Can't think of any other reason your tongue would be on the fritz."

"What do you mean?" asked Erina.

"Well…" Rindō paused. "I'll explain that later, if I have to. Remember, I don't want to give you more information than necessary, counterproductive and all that."

"That's not a statement that fills me with confidence, Rindō-senpai. Especially considering your more…fanciful proclivities." Said Erina, her expression hard. "My tongue not working is of great concern to me and I would like to know the cause. Sooner rather than later."

Rindō didn't waver in the face of Erina's stern countenance. She simply smiled, continuing to sip at her tea.

"I'm sure you would. But good things come to those who wait."

Erina glowered at Rindō but if the older girl was affected, she gave no sign. She simply continued to smile contentedly and give Erina the little infuriating smirk that she'd patented for toying with those whose buttons she knew how to push.

A knock at her door caused Rindō to perk up, turning away from Erina's glare.

"Now I wonder who that could be?" asked Rindō in a singsong voice. She got to her feet. "Just a minute!"

Rindō walked towards the door, exiting Erina's line of sight but Erina could still clearly hear her.

"Hi there! You got here pretty quick; thanks for rushing on over."

"You said it had to do with Erina-chan. What is it?"

The familiar voice sent a jolt through Erina's heart and she gasped. She looked up towards the hallway, where she could hear the steps of the person Rindō had invited inside.

"Go on into the living room; I think you'll want to see this for yourself."

The person continued walking and Erina's heart began to beat faster and faster as she waited, staring at the door to the hallway, her eyes wide. She'd stood to her feet in anticipation, though she felt as if she could barely feel her legs.

As the person rounded the corner, their eyes met and they both froze, gasping in unison.

Tadokoro Megumi stared into the eyes of Nakiri Erina for several seconds, her mouth opening and closing, her expression one of sheer shock. The two girls looked at each other, neither speaking.

Erina had only barely laid eyes on Megumi before she felt her heart start to pound almost painfully in her chest. She felt a pressure behind her eyes but no tears came and she simply continued to stare at the other girl; she hadn't realized how much she'd missed her, even though it had only been a day since they'd seen each other.

Suddenly, Erina felt her world begin to spin. She swayed, struggling to stay on her feet but several seconds later, her eyes went blank and she crumpled to the floor.

With a gasp and a sudden jerk, the world was righted and Erina no longer stood in Rindō's living room.

Erina recognized the place she stood. It was the same place that she'd been seeing the sobbing image of her younger self in her mind's eye all morning. The cage was gone however, as was the crying. The younger Erina glared up at her older counterpart, her eyes red rimmed from tears.

What are you doing?

Erina blinked down at the younger girl, tilting her head to the side.

"What do you mean?"

Don't play dumb; Otou-sama told us not to leave. So why are we here?

Erina frowned.

"I shouldn't have to explain it to you; you would remember it even better than I."

The childlike Erina flinched as the space around them changed. Panels of sight and sound grew on either side of them as memories were called and brought to the surface for display. Azami locking Erina into the training room; Azami throwing away another plate of food; Azami telling her that her mother abandoned them.

More and more panels emerged, each of them involving Azami and none of them pleasant. In them all, Erina's father was a figure of fear and intimidation, whispering softly in a pleasant voice that only served to hide the antipathy beneath it.

Stop it!

The panels blew away, fading from sight as the young Erina panted. The chains on her wrists clanked together harshly as she swiped her hands from left to right.

Otou-sama loves us; he deserves our respect and our obedience. That's why he punishes us. It's for our own good.

To hear her father's words parroted back to her by herself incensed Erina for more reasons than one. It wasn't an easy thing to hear what you'd once believed repeated back to you with such conviction. Erina remembered when she felt this way; when she'd taken her father's words at face value. That she was the one at fault; it was she that needed to be better.

"Nothing about what he did to us was for our own good." Said Erina, her face stoic. It was only to hide the inner turmoil she felt, though the soft rumbling of the space around them indicated that she wasn't very successful.

Otou-sama wanted the best for us; he wants us to be the best chef and Nakiri we can be. That's all he's ever wanted.

"You're right; he did want us to be the best Nakiri we could be. But that was all he needed us to be."

You speak lies. Father loves us; it is simple fact.

The fierce believe in her voice only hurt Erina more but she hardened her heart. Nothing but the truth would suffice here; they were one and the same. Deceiving the young girl would be equivalent to Erina deceiving herself and Erina was not going to do that. She'd done enough of it over the years. It was time to face reality.

The sudden clarity of thought surprised Erina. It wasn't as if this was the first time she'd thought in this manner, that she'd thought negatively of her father and what he'd done. But those thoughts were often accompanied by rationalizations and justifications; reasons as to why Azami had needed to do what he did. Excuses she could use to hide herself from the truth.

But this split changed things; Erina could feel it. She wasn't quite herself; she was different. She lacked certain things; things she saw reflected in her younger self here. They weren't two people; simply two halves of the same whole.

But as a result, this half of Erina saw things clearly; she saw things she'd been too blind to see or simply too stubborn to accept. But she would need to, if she had any hope of resolving this. She was sure of it.

Erina crouched down, sitting in seiza so she was roughly eye to eye with her younger self; her more innocent self. The Erina that saw things in simple black and white and had the childish naiveté and stubbornness to resist changing her beliefs.

Erina took a deep breath, steeling herself for the coming conversation.

"Do you remember when Tou-san first locked us in that place? The very first time?"

Erina's child self flinched as the world around them changed and they were both sitting in chairs at the large dining table in the empty room that her father chose to train them in. The darkness was complete around them, to the point where Erina couldn't even see her hand in front of her face.

The room shook as the panic of her younger self began to grown.

"Yes. This is what I wanted you to remember; the darkness and the fear and the cold."

With each word, the sensation Erina described encroached closer and closer upon them. Erina found that, for once, she was not afraid of it. But that was because it was her other side that contained those childish fears.

No! Stop! Please; I'll be good, I promise!

Instantly the room vanished, leaving both Erina's sitting on the ground as they had been in the void of their mind.

Erina shook her head.

"No. I am not him. I am not here to subjugate and pressure you into doing what I want. I'm here to help you…to help us."

Erina clenched her fist, willing herself to say what she'd known for so long but could never speak out loud.

"We love our father, Nakiri Azami. But he does not love us."

That's not true!

Erina lurched back as her younger self yelled, her anger almost a physical force. Erina did not let it sway her; she knew her own tantrums better than anyone.

"Yes. It is. What parent would do this to their child? Commit this sort of needless torture?"

It wasn't torture! It was discipline. There's a difference!

"You're right; there is a difference. Discipline is a stern talking to, being sent to bed without dessert or perhaps even a spanking." Said Erina, shrugging her shoulders.

Otou-sama would never raise his hands against us.

Erina gestured and a panel came forth; of a frightened Nakiri Erina with her wrist held in Azami's much larger hand. The pain on her face said it all as she struggled to keep hold of the plate in her hands.

"Let it fall, Erina. Trash belongs in the garbage can. And that is what this food is. Do you understand me?"

Azami punctuated his statement by squeezing down on her wrist. Hard. Not so hard as to leave a mark or injury but more than hard enough to hurt Erina to the point of tears.

Both of the Erinas watching the memory flinched, their hands going to their right wrists.

"He may have never raised his hands. But he wasn't exactly hands off either." Said Erina tightly, narrowing her eyes at her younger self, who's face had fallen as they watched the scene from the past.

That's different. We should've listened to Otou-sama. He…he only did what was necessary.

"For him. He did what was necessary for him. Not us." Said Erina firmly.

The young Erina bit her lip, her brow furrowing as she glared at Erina.

You're lying!

The childlike Erina's mood swings were fierce and unpredictable but Erina was used to them. They were her own, after all, simply without the temperance of age and proper bearing. If her younger form contained some parts that she did not, it stood to reason that the reverse was also true.

We were a bad girl. And Otou-sama punished us. And so we learnt not to be bad.

"You're right. We did learn. We learnt every painful lesson our father ever gave us because we knew what the consequences were when we didn't learn fast enough."

Exactly! And so we didn't make those mistakes again. And we learnt even more. We were everything Otou-sama wanted us to be.

"Again, you are correct. We were exactly what he wanted to be. But were we exactly what we…what I wanted to be?"

The childlike Erina frowned but didn't respond, confused by the question.

Otou-sama knew the best path for us to walk and guided us accordingly. He was doing what was best for us.

"How?" asked Erina.

Her childlike self paused; uncertain. The doubt was quickly overtaken by simple, childish confidence.

Look at our accomplishments; we've critiqued food from around the world, we've brought honor to the Nakiri name, we've become the best chef in our year. We've been an exemplary acting heiress for years now and are set to inherit our grandfather's legacy once he sees fit. We have money, power, fame and wealth beyond most people's wildest dreams.

The child planted her fists on her hips, her confidence growing with each word until she was smirking at Erina with a haughty look she knew well.

If that's not what was best for us, then I challenge you to tell me what would have been.

"Gladly." Said Erina, standing to her feet and startling her other self. "First, I shall challenge your assumptions. Do you think Ojii-chan is incompetent? An imbecile, or a fraud perhaps?"

Erina's childlike self glowered at her.

Of course not; Ojii-chan is an amazing chef and family leader. We should be proud to call him grandfather.

"And yet isn't he the one that banished Tou-san years ago?" asked Erina.

Yes, but even great men make mistakes. That's universally true.

"True. But do you really think he would've continued making that same mistake, year after year? He continued to blockade our father's every effort to return to his position; it was only recently that our father managed to slip past him. Why would Ojii-chan invest that much into doing something that was a 'mistake'?"

Erina didn't give her younger self time to collect her thoughts; she continued speaking.

"More importantly; we are a Nakiri regardless. It is our mother and not our father that determines that. His contribution is immaterial compared to the birth right we have."

Even so, he refined our tongue into its current divine form and…

The look of condescension she was receiving from her elder self made the childlike Erina pause, mid-sentence.

"Please." Said Erina, flicking her hair. "Our tongue needed no refinement and you know that. All we needed to do was match taste to ingredient. Discerning them was never an issue for us."

But Otou-sama taught us the difference between food and trash; there is a standard that we must hold ourselves to!

"Do you recall Yukihira Sōma's entrance exam?" asked Erina mildly. She gestured once more, bringing up a panel of the memory. "Specifically, remember the dish he made us? The one we scoffed at and dismissed as commoner's fare only to find that it tasted better than many of the so called 'real foods' that we'd been reared to revere?"

That's…well…

Erina's younger self had no real rebuttal. It was true. She'd tasted dishes that were most certainly gourmet and high class yet they lost out to the simple fare that Sōma had produced time and again.

"As for your claim that he made us a better chef…think of our time in Polar Star. Specifically, think of the time spent in the kitchen. Cooking and learning with everyone else."

Panels sprung to life once more, each depicting a different scene of kitchen activity between Erina and a member of the Polar Star dormitory.

"We learnt so much in our time there; so much beyond what we'd ever thought possible. At Polar Star, they didn't care about rules or guidelines or what was and wasn't gourmet cuisine. They simply cooked because they loved it. And whether you agree with their philosophies or not, we have become an objectively better chef because of it and that is something you can't deny."

It was true. Her cooking had improved by leaps and bounds from just being inside those four walls. Her style had become noticeably less rigid and more robust. Though she still favored dishes of a certain caliber, she was a more well-rounded chef than she'd ever been in her life.

Their food is beneath us.

The protest was weak and they both knew it.

"We share this tongue. You've tasted what I have. You know that for all that it is beneath us, the foods we've had in that dormitory have more often than not outclassed the restaurants we frequented."

The childlike Erina's silence was more telling than any response she could give.

"In addition, were it not for our time there, we would never have been able to meet Joichiro-sensei again. To train under him along with…"

Unbidden, an image of Todokoro Megumi came into being on the panel before them.

Erina paused and smiled. Even if she didn't possess the same depth of feeling that her childish half did, she still felt her heart beat for Megumi's.

Stop that.

Erina glanced at her younger self, who refused to look at the panel.

I know what you're thinking; it's not true.

But it was. And Erina would ensure that she knew it. At her will, another panel popped up, this one depicting Erina and Megumi in the bath, pitting their rubber duck toys against each other. Then another panel showed them sitting under a tree in the forest behind the Polar Star dormitory, holding hands and talking. Yet another panel showed them standing over a pot, laughing as Megumi stirred it.

More and more panels began to emerge, each picturing a memory of a time spent with the blue haired chef.

I don't care how many pictures you bring up; it's not true. It can't be true.

Erina's younger self shook her head violently, balling up her fists.

She has no place here. This is a place only for Otou-sama.

"A position that he is unfit for; that he no longer deserves."

That's not true!

Erina's childish yell was so loud that it shook the very foundations of her mind. But the panels filled with Megumi's smiling features stayed, unmoved. Erina watched as her other self swiped at them, trying to will the panels away much as she'd done before. Each failure only served to make her more and more angry until she was hyperventilating; pounding her small fists on the nearest panel as hard as she could.

Erina didn't move, content to wait. She didn't have to wait very long.

You're trying to trick me; you don't want to listen to Otou-sama and so you want to make me not listen to.

Erina's childlike form did not speak with confidence now; she spoke with desperation. She was not blind to the emotions Erina felt and it scared her; it scared her because of what it had the potential to make real.

"You're right. I have no desire to listen to that man. But I am not trying to trick you. I'm giving you a simple fact; one that we know but that you refuse to accept."

Erina strode over to her younger self, kneeling beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Our father may love us in his own twisted way, true. But he hurt us. And he used us. And he plans to keep using us to get what he wants. He is so focused on himself and what he wants that, rather than accept our choices, he turned us into a slave to his every word. He made us a servant instead of a daughter."

Each word hurt Erina to say but she found that, unlike before when she'd flirted with this realization, she had the strength to continue saying it to herself. Her childlike self burrowed into Erina's side, beginning to sob as the truth of each word hit home to her.

But Otou-sama loves us.

"Possibly. But would you treat Alice or Hisako-chan the way he's treated us?" asked Erina simply. "Even if you thought they would be better chefs for it?"

No…

"Would you treat Megumi-chan that way if you thought it would refine her palate?"

Never.

"Then how can you call what Azami does for us and did to us love?" asked Erina. "If you wouldn't wish his treatment on our worst enemy."

Erina felt her childlike self begin to sob even harder, her hands fisting in Erina's shirt as she continued to cry. The mindscape around them shook with each rattling breath she took but Erina bore it stoically. She ran her hands through the child's head, much as her mother once did for her.

A panel bearing Katsumi's face popped into existence, startling Erina. Katsumi was smiling down at her daughter, her expression set into one of maternal affection. Erina swallowed as she stared at the picture, reminded of her recent conversation with her estranged mother.

At least Otou-sama had no choice when he left.

Erina knew what she meant; she'd known for years that her mother had left of her own free will though her father and grandfather agreed that they did not know why. Erina had wracked her brain so many times trying to come up with plausible reasons as to why she left them but none ever fit or seemed the least bit likely, especially considering her father made it a point to poke holes into any theory she came up with.

But now…she found herself thinking.

Another panel popped into existence; this one blank. But soon, sound started to emerge from it.

I'm here baby. I'm so sorry for everything. I'm sorry for leaving you all of those years ago. I love you; I love you so much!

She knew her mother was telling the truth. She didn't know how. But she knew. She could tell. Just as she could tell when her father was being dishonest with her, she sensed honesty in her mother's words.

And I don't care if you hate me for the rest of your life, I am never leaving you alone again, do you hear me Erina? Never!

She didn't hate her. How could she? All of her resentment was fuelled by the love she still felt to this day. But it was also fuelled by the fear; a fear that Erina had harbored since she'd woken up one morning to find her mother gone. A fear that had only grown as time had passed, never truly leaving Erina's mind but always lurking just out of sight. A fear that few, if any, knew because Erina had barely had the courage to face it herself, let alone share it with others.

It began as a dream. Erina would find out where her mother was was. Exactly how varied; sometimes it was by a phone call, sometimes it was due to a chance meeting, other times there was no explanation at all. But Erina would find her mother's location and go to her immediately at a sprint. No matter where she was, she would make her way as fast as she could.

Sometimes her mother would be at a restaurant; other times she would be at an apartment; one fateful time, she'd even been inside her old room.

Erina would run up, chest heaving, unable to get a word out. She would simply stare at her mother, hands on her knees as she gasped for breath. The noise would alert the woman and she would look up at Erina. She would give the girl a small, polite small and a nod but remain silent.

Erina would catch her breath and state that she was Nakiri Erina. And her mother would respond in the exact same way, every time.

Who's Erina?

That was her fear; that not only had her mother not loved her enough to stay but that she was so dismissive of her that she hadn't even deigned to remember who Erina was. A silly fear, perhaps, but an honest one.

I love you so much. I love you so, so much, do you hear me! I've missed you every single day for the last ten years!

Every single day for the last ten years. She'd thought about Erina every single day. She'd never forgotten her. Never. Not once.

Erina blinked, finding her vision blurry. She touched her cheeks and found them wet with tears. She was crying…how?

She found her arms empty. Her childlike self was nowhere to be seen.

But she was not gone. She was simply back where she was supposed to be. They both were.

Erina felt her tears continue to flow and she wiped at them as she stared at the picture of Katsumi; her words playing over and over in her mind.

Her mother loved her.

More panels began to emerge, arraying themselves with the panel holding the picture of Katsumi. But these panels didn't depict Katsumi; they depicted different people. One held Alice's mischievously grinning face as she stuck her tongue out at Erina; another held Joichiro's roguish grin as he ruffled Erina's hair. Another panel showed her grandfather's smiling visage.

But one panel stood out from the rest; it was a large panel that came to rest right next to her mother's. In it was an image of a pair of clasped hands. She easily recognized them. One was hers. The other was Megumi's.

Erina took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders before turning to face what she'd felt growing behind her as the array of light and positivity had grown in front of her.

It was a single massive panel. It dwarfed every other panel in size, seeming to stretch to the ends of Erina's mind. In it, Azami's coolly smiling face was held. He gazed down at Erina with familiar eyes; eyes of ownership and pride.

Erina stared at the panel, feeling all of the previous fear and apprehension that she'd been distant from shoot up her spine. But she did not bend to it; she did not cow to the hold her father had over her. She raised her hands, holding them apart.

Clap.

The panel rumbled ominously but Erina was not deterred.

Clap.

It rumbled even more violently; the image of Azami wavering. Its eyes shifted to look at Erina, fixing her with the full weighted gaze of her father and all that he'd done to her.

And just what do you think you're doing, Erina?

The voice boomed over her, blowing her hair back with the sheer pressure it exuded. Erina narrowed her eyes, refusing to be intimidated.

"Leaving you. For good this time."

Clap.

The panel shifted, cracks forming throughout it as it buckled under some great pressure. Azami's image was still coherent, though covered in spider web cracks, and he leaned forward, looming over Erina.

You will never be free of me, Erina. I love you.

Erina closed her eyes.

"I know."

She raised her hand, flicking the panel with a finger. At her touch, the entire pane broke and shattered into so much dust, fading into nothingness and taking the last of her father's hold over her with it.

Erina sighed, looking back at the array of panels that held those she cared for. Another panel had joined the pattern. Nakiri Azami's smiling face was depicted in it as he held an infant Erina. It was one of the few times Erina could say she remembered her father's smile feeling both real and without malice.

Erina touched the panel, sighing. She would probably never stop loving her father. But she would not be shackled by her love any longer.

Erina felt herself begin to rise, no longer weighed down by her father's chains. She felt herself begin to fly upwards, faster and further, seemingly without end. She immersed herself in the feeling, smiling joyously as she continued to rise into the empty space. She thought she would fly forever until she saw a glass ceiling manifest where there was only empty space before. Beyond the glass was bright light.

Erina's body flew through the glass, shattering it with ease and diving straight into the light. As it overwhelmed her, Erina had one final thought before she found herself consumed by the brightness.

I'm coming to find you, Kaa-chan.

A/N: Wanted to continue more here but I think the chapter would've been way too long if I did! Happy holidays to all but you can blame them for the delay. Next chapter should be right on schedule though. Please review and give me some feedback or receive some of your own if you so desire! See you guys later!