Rating: T+

Pairing: Soma/Erina

Genre: "Shokugeki no Soma" is a sports manga disguised as a cooking manga. Isn't that weird?

Notes:

Hello everyone! Zancrow here!

This is it! The Third-To-Last Chapter! Only Two (2) more remain! Can you all believe it? I sure cannot! Ha! In your face all those that doubted when I said I was planning on ending this fic in 2019! Who's laughing now, huh?!

But kidding aside, thank you all for the support and kindness, I love you all greatly. Also, our great Manga is coming to an end, and the Anime will soon follow suit, so let's all be thankful for all the joy in brought. Heck, for me personally, "Shokugeki no Soma" is one of the reasons I got into the food industry in the first place, so I owe it my career, in a way. So guys, please drop a review, share your thoughts, and I'll see you all on the next one!

Also, if anyone likes the Manga / Anime of "Astra Lost in Space" (or, "Kanata no Astra" if you prefer), I published a little story of that yesterday; so go check it out! Or don't, sure, it's not like I wanted you too or anything...

Trivia (4 / 5):

Can you say Sequel?

Okay, Imma lay out my plans here bare to you all. I've had plans for a while to make a Sequel to "Nouvelle", which would be called, what else, "Classique", and would be dealing with fallout of the events shown in these next coming chapters. I'm sure a few of you may have picked up a few hints of some unsolved scenarios or characters which won't probably be showing up here, but could, theoretically, appear in a Sequel. Thing is, like I mentioned in my notes, the Manga / Anime is ending, so I'm not sure how many of you would be interested in following along to another story in this same universe. And, I know what you're asking: Will it take another 5 years to complete? Short answer: I hope not! It would be shorter, there's that. But, just share your thoughts with me, and I'll give you guys more information on the next update!

Disclaimer: Don't own Shokugeki no Soma.

"-because all I'm saying is I'd much rather be inside, but since Urara already got-huh? Wait, what? We're live?! Oh! H-Hi everyone! This is your co-hostess of the evening, Yua Sasaki, live from Stuffed International's Grand Hiei Gourmet Fest, hosted by none other than our grand Tootsuki Academy!" the timid student-turned-hostess did her best to ignore her own blooper and introduce herself to the rolling cameras before her, as they all stood right outside the main entrance to the stadium rented by the Eizan family for their end-all event. Yua, microphone in hand, began to showcase all the guests and attractions that were arriving to this grand cooking competition, still slightly annoyed that the more outspoken Urara got the better deal of the two and was hosting the event from the inside. "And right now, getting ready to entertain all the little kiddies in their seats or back at home, let's give a warm welcome to Tootsuki's very own mascots: Chef-kun and Dog-kun!"

"Hey kids!" the guy in the incredibly uncomfortable looking Chef-kun costume greeted, as Yua placed the microphone near his face, or where she presumed his face to be. "We are all here ready to cheer on our Tootsuki students on! No matter who wins today, at Tootsuki, you're all winners!"

'That's an utter lie,' Yua forced herself not to say. "Right, of course! And what about you Dog-kun? Anything you'd like to add?"

"…woof."

"He's a dog silly, dogs can't talk!" Chef-kun cheerfully explained, as Dog-kun nodded.

"…But he talks in the fliers," Yua muttered, and both Chef-kun and Dog-kun froze, looking at each other and then back at her.

"Wait, what?" Chef-kun asked, cheerfully confused.

"He's supposed to talk as well," Yua whispered into Chef-kun's "ear", trying not to let the audience hear it.

"Oh, he talks," Chef-kun cheerfully said.

"Oh, I talk," Dog-kun disappointedly said. "No one told me that."

"And we're still live!" Yua reminded the two, keeping her own cheerful demeanor despite the scenario before her. "And, let's see if we can try to handle all this excitement, as all of our competitors are already inside, as well as our VIP guests, so let's see if we can slowly but surely get a move on inside as well, right?" she said, which sounded more like begging the higher ups to let her in that hyping up the event in any way. "So, let's wish our contestants our best!"

"Cook on you guys! And remember, always "Tootsuki Strong"!" Chef-kun cheered cheerfully, as he waved to the camera.

"I can talk now!" Dog-kun added, since the poor guy didn't have a script, while also waving to the camera.

"That you can, that you can," Yua played along, on the verge of tears, pitifully waving to the camera as well. "Please, let's go see what's going on inside… Please."

-0-

"Gotta give credit where credit is due," Alice noted as she peeked out of the door from the VIP room they were escorted to. "They sure know how to advertise, this place is packed!"

"I can be certain when I say I did not miss this when I went away," Erina added, as she came into view from within the huge room, itself interconnected with several other rooms for all the Nakiri family and their plus ones, dressed from head to toe like a proper princess, in a fancy gold and black dress that matched her very well.

"Oh, look at you!" Alice beamed, as she eyed her cousin from head to toe. "Fits perfectly. Gold as you hair and as black as your heart, nice!"

"Oh screw you!" Erina blasted, though rather than out of malice, both girls proceeded to give out a laugh, which was something that Erina had indeed missed from her time away from Tootsuki. "You look presentable, at least."

"You're just jealous I rock silver dresses better than you do," Alice boasted, as she gave herself a little twirl to show off in front of Erina, who only scoffed at the display.

"It fits, you were always the "silver" among us two…" Erina stated, even if she could barely finish the sentence properly as Alice pouting face made her erupt in laughter. "Ha, ha, I-I… I've missed this."

"I've missed you," Alice told her, as she moved from the door and proceeded to pull Erina into a tight hug, almost causing her cousin to squeal by the suddenness of it all. "And you look gorgeous. No wonder Soma's so hell-bent on getting back, right?"

"You're the worse."

"And you love me for it," Alice sang, before she turned to face another one of the separate rooms that connected them all together. "And speaking of gorgeous, looking hot there Hi~sa~ko!"

"Don't call me Hishoko!" Hisako instinctively blurted, then blushed when she realized she'd been played, evident by the smirking Alice. "…I hate you."

Alice playfully stuck her tongue out at her.

"Anyways…" an annoyed Hisako tried to carry on. "Erina! I just heard the news! Everything's about to begin, have you heard from "you-know-who" yet?"

"He should be on his way here," Erina replied, but she instinctively took out her phone in the hopes of having received any confirmation from the boy about his current whereabouts. "He hasn't called or texted yet. Ah! This is stressing, I should have sent a private escort to go pick him up or something."

"Relax cousin of mine," Alice beamed, being the least one worried of the trio. "Soma will be fine! He's been planning this for quite some time, I'm sure he'll get here any minute now."

"Yeah, but you guys are already being called down to the stadium," Hisako explained, using her hands to fix up her dress that she felt she should not be wearing, given how expensive it looked. But then again, Erina would have not have it any other way, so she couldn't exactly complain.

"And we are live! Are my little princesses decent?" announced a voice from another room, behind the closed door.

"Yes daddy!" Alice replied, quickly beaming at hearing her father like the daddy's little girl she was. "You can come in!"

The door quickly opened revealing the other members of the Nakiri household, with Soe Nakiri entering first, followed by his father and Headmaster of the empire, Senzaemon Nakiri, following. Ryou Kurokiba followed closely behind the two, with Leonora Nakiri right behind him as she placed the finishing touches on his hair.

"M-Ma-am," Ryou embarrassingly spoke up. "I think that's about right."

"Shush now," Leonora told him, as she combed his messy hair once more. "I've told you a thousand times to use conditioner more often. Your hair is very messy."

"Oh my God you look like such a dork!" Alice shouted out as soon as she saw him and his combed hair, covering he mouth as she laughed, while he glared at her.

"No one asked you!" he barked.

"Ah, my sweet little babies!" Soe beamed as he reached his little girl, giving her a tight hug before pulling both Erina and Hisako into it as well. "You all look so pretty!"

"Of course!" Alice cheerfully agreed.

"Uncle! You're going to mess up my dress!" Erina complained, but she sounded more like an embarrassed child than a troubled young lady.

"Ah, thank you, Mr. Nakiri!" Hisako politely added, blushing heavily at the notion.

"Don't bother the girls dear," Leonora spoke up, as her husband turned to her and pouted, which looked… a little less cute than when Alice did it.

"But they're so cute!"

"I know, but still," she argued back, still all smiles.

"…Seems like forever since we've all been together," Senzaemon stated, causing the group to stop and turn to him, almost as if his voice demanded the attention. "Well, most of us at least."

"I called her," Soe mentioned, fixing Erina's dress as she looked at him with an accusing pout. "She said she was busy, but that she sends her regards."

"She should very well know where to shove those regards," Leonora muttered, as Soe gave her a shocked expression, to which she added, "What? We're all thinking it."

"Can't say auntie's wrong," Erina muttered, and Soe patted her on the head, understanding her frustration that they all shared.

"She'll come to regret this, I have faith," Senzaemon added, a hint of sadness in his voice, but he quickly pushed those thoughts aside. "But, Mana aside, we have important business to tend to, and mistakes of mine to correct! Isn't that right, my dear?"

"Oh, yes!" Erina replied, turning towards her grandfather.

"So… has our star player shown up yet?" he asked, and the rest of the Nakiri family turned to Erina, wondering what the next move was going to be.

"Umm… not yet," she muttered, blushing slightly as they all just stared. "B-But I can fix that, let me just text him and see what we're dealing with… We may have to stall for a bit."

"I'll see what I can manage," Soe said, pondering how to pull this off without looking like he, or any of them for that matter, were playing favorites.

"I just can't believe my little niece is all grown up with a boyfriend and all, and here I thought that would be something you'd finally show some nerve and beat her at Alice," Leonora teased, as both Nakiri cousins turned bright red in embarrassment.

"Aunty!"

"Mom!"

"…Whatever did I say?"

As Alice argued with her mother about her lack of delicacy or something, Erina shook her head and began to text the boy in question, knowing that they had everything on the line and they depended on him arriving soon. So, there was no need for beating around the bush at all. Just one simple text was all that was needed.

"WHERE ARE YOU?"

-0-

"WHERE ARE YOU?" was the text he received from Erina, and for as much as he wanted to tell her everything, Soma found himself unable to put it into words properly. He was in a car, a rather expensive one at that, being driven to the event at speeds above the limit he was sure, but a man who he had just found out was the very same father than Erina despised, or resented, or something. Basically, the man was bad news for Erina, and Soma was using the guy as an Uber driver.

'Not sure that's what I want to tell her,' he thought, knowing they had enough on their plate as it was. Dealing with Azami Nakamura or Nakiri or whatever the heck he was would have to wait for a later date. He did, however, reply as best he could: "Almost there, like three blocks away."

"You seem like a popular fellow," Azami broke the silence, as Soma squirmed a bit in his seat at hearing the man speak up again. His tone was still the same, polite to a fault.

"What makes you say that?"

"You can't seem to put your phone away," Azami commented, his eyes still on the road. "Granted, most kids your age tend to do that all the time, seems to be a youth thing."

"Yeah, perhaps," Soma replied. "In my defense, I'm texting a few worried friends, from all over… Oh, and this last one was my girlfriend, or at least that's what I think we are."

"Oh?" Azami voiced, sounding somewhat impressed. "A chip off the old block I see. I would still offer up the friendly advice of focusing on your studies first and foremost. I know a girl can be very distracting, but let me tell you, women can be quite the handful."

"Oh you have no idea!" Soma blurted out, despite trying not to drag out the conversation with Azami any further than needed. He inwardly cursed himself.

"That sounded like it came from the soul," Azami noted.

"…Heh, yeah," Soma muttered, realizing that there was no harm in offering a little more context. "She and I met during the entrance exams earlier this year. We mixed like water and oil, pretty much, and man oh man, was it hard to understand her."

"Seems like my advice is already a bit tardy," Azami replied.

"Yeah, but, you know, rather than her affecting my studies, she's helped push me forwards," Soma added, feeling like leaving it at Azami's implication would leave a sour taste in him. "I mean, in all fairness, she's half the reason I got kicked out, indirectly, but then again, she's been there every step of the way, so much so that I really can't imagine myself cooking without her as my end goal, or something like that."

"I see…" Azami paused. "…Quite the young romancer you seem to be."

"I wouldn't go that far," Soma sheepishly admitted. "I've made more mistakes than I can keep track off… What about…?" he paused, pondering whether or not to continue. He decided he might as well. "…What about you? Are you married?"

"Me? No, not anymore," Azami replied, his tone still the same, but there was a hint of something in it that Soma couldn't quite decipher. "She was, and in some ways, she still is prideful to fault, yet beautiful as they come. I fell for her in a way I never thought I man was able to, and yet, we simply couldn't make it work. I couldn't quite save her from herself, despite my best intentions."

"…I'm sorry."

"It's alright, it seems like a lifetime ago now," Azami admitted, before he activated the signal of his car and moved towards his left, and as he did so, Soma was able to see that it seemed they had finally arrived.

STUFFED INTERNATIONAL'S GRAND HIEI GOURMET FEST.

Big bold letters written up in a banner, showing the entire world what the stadium was hosting tonight. From the looks of the red carpet, most of the guests and the participants had already arrived, if not all of them, and were already inside, getting ready. Which, for all intents and purposes, meant Soma was late.

"I take it this is it?" Soma asked, even if it felt he was stating the obvious.

"Indeed, it's all on you now," Azami replied, before he extended his hand to the young chef, who was slightly surprised by his action. "Best of luck in there, Soma Yukihira."

"…Thanks, for everything, really," Soma replied, taking the elder man's hand and giving it a firm shake. As he opened the door, and allowed himself to get out, Soma felt a wave of uneasiness in it all. On one hand, Azami was the father of Erina, the man who had caused her so much pain. On the other, he had helped him out a lot in being able to get, hopefully, back together with her. So, in all fairness, Soma felt he ought to be somewhat sincere with his feelings. "Oh, and Mr. Nakamura?"

"Yes?" Azami asked, moments before he was ready to drive along.

"Thanks a lot for the dating advice," Soma told him with a smile, "I'm sure it will come in very handy for me in making your daughter very happy."

"Of co-What?" Azami did a double take as Soma flashed the man his trademark grin.

"Make sure to root for me Daddy-In-Law!" Soma cheerfully told the shocked man as he shut the door in between the two and began to dash towards the arena, laughing as he did but at the same time knowing just how utterly late he was.

As Soma entered the stadium, Azami could only watch his retreading form, as what the boy told him slowly pieced itself together on his head, causing the man to clench his steering wheel with a force and grit his teeth. All this time, and all that talk, and it was this boy that had caused that change in her that he had seen on that video? That had made her avoid his calls and texts? All because of this boy? Who had the audacity to brag about his relationship to his little girl in such a shameless manner?

"That little shit…" Azami muttered, as he began to drive away. "…I may need to start moving my plans along a little bit more…"

-0-

"I'm her!"

"I'm heve.*"

"Damn it!"

"I'M HERE!**" Erina read from the four texts she received almost all at once, as her eyes flashed wide open at the notion of what they meant. She looked around, since they were all being lead to their places in the stadium, the event well on its way and the contestants of the first round already in the arena waiting to start. Knowing the Eizans, if Soma tried to get in after the first match started, they'd have grounds to forbid it, so they needed to get him in before the match begun. As she and her family was led to the main area for their seats, Erina quickly turned to Soe and muttered: "Uncle, it's him, he's here."

Soe nodded in understanding, before he excused himself from the aides guiding them, on the guise of having to use the bathroom real quick. Unorthodox as it was, they really couldn't say "no" to a man of his stature.

Even without Soe Nakiri, the rest of the family was positioned at their grand seats, overlooking the entire arena, their seating just above the judges table, which was currently being filled up as well. Erina looked on, seeing just how massive of a crowd was all around, and for the first time, she felt nervous next to so many people.

Below them, the judges were taking their seats.

"I didn't expect this place to be sold-out, like damn, that's the Tootsuki brand for you," Second Class Examiner Histoire Oakley noted, as he took a seat on the right. "Didn't expect to be assigned alongside you either. How's married life treating you?"

"So far so good!" an excited Charme Gabler, a fellow Second Class Examiner, replied, taking the left seat because he knew that she loved to seat in the middle. "I hit the jackpot with Kazune, I tell you; you should really consider the wedded life yourself."

"Can you imagine Histoire actually married?" the third judge, and only First Class Examiner amongst the three, Anne Waltz, mockingly asked. "I'd pity the poor woman who actually says yes to the man."

"Oh, pardon me, like you're such catch, huh Anne?" Histoire jokingly added, to which she stuck her tongue out at him and faked being hurt but his words.

"That aside, any idea what we're in for today?" Charme asked, as Anne simply smiled.

"Just a showcase between business partners," she stated, her tone soft and her gaze shifting towards the contestants in the arena. "I really wouldn't expect much out of this if I were you."

The four contestants, all Second Years of Tootsuki, "hand selected" by either Eizan or Shouko, were awaiting their orders. This were the ever cocky Rentaro Kusunoki, the former president of the Chan RS Kiyoshi Godabayashi, the wannabe Eizan lackey Yoh Bunna, and the ever nervous president of the Don RS Kanachi Konishi.

All four students looked ready to get the event started, well, all three students, as Kanachi looked like he was about to barf any second. Not only was the stress plentiful, but having to fake a competition in front of the Tootsuki faculty staff, the WGO members and the Elite Ten was almost too much for him to handle.

The aides had already done their part, prepping all the food and getting everything ready, and they had been escorted to their proper seating, so they could also watch the matches unfold. Honda Ito glanced at his watch, then at the arena, then at his watch again. "…Come on, you can do it…"

"You seriously think he's going to show up here?" "Second" Takumi asked him, scoffing at the plan between the two. "This is Tootsuki we're talking about, one kid can't just challenge the whole system and expect to win."

"Have some faith man," Honda shot back, frowning at the other boy. "If he does this, it's like a win for us all. The eternal underdog story, how can you not be invested?"

"…You watch too much TV."

The attention then began to shift, as not only had the Nakiri family been seated, but the creators of the event themselves, the Eizan family, had also appeared and were being directed to their seats.

"We should be ready to start now," Julius commented, as he escorted the family himself.

"Good, this is a live broadcast after all," Fukuzawa Eizan told him, as he glanced towards the arena. "And we're paying by the hour, so let's get a move on."

"Always on such a rush," Yukichiko Eizan complained, fixing her glasses a bit as she smiled to the many cameras currently capturing their arrival. "Can't we for once enjoy a night out? We are the main attraction after all."

"I think you mean I'm the main attraction dear sister," Etsuya Eizan corrected, taking a step away from his family. "While you all are seated, I'll start the presentations, as we need to make it crystal clear to all of our viewers at home who really is hosting this event."

"Oh, pardon me," Yukichiko mockingly replied.

"Are you sitting with us, or…?" their father asked, as Eizan confirmed with a shake of his head.

"I have my duties," he replied. "So I'll be seated alongside my peers, in our little Elite Ten gathering area. Can't ignore my position tonight of all nights."

"Very well, tend to that," was all their father said, and Yukichiko, despite her desire, added nothing else to the conversation. Eizan soon turned away from them and headed towards the arena, not before setting his sights on the area where the Elite Ten were seated. Ten seats; reserved in order; nine of them already taken. He could see Eishi, Rindou, Tosuke, Momo, Soumei, Nene, Satoshi, Terunori, and Akira all in their places, with just his own seat waiting to be filled.

Ah, how happy it made him, to have a business venture work out so flawlessly!

He approached the stage, where the ever present Hostess stood.

"Thank you for your services Urara Kawashima," he greeted, as she flinched slightly when she saw him but pretended otherwise. "May I?"

"O-Oh, of course!" she replied, as she handed the microphone to Eizan.

"It's my utmost pleasure to present to you all, with much love and care from my family to yours, the first ever Grand Hiei Gourmet Fest! Bought to you by our very own Stuffed International and my home away from home, Tootsuki Culinary Academy!" Eizan introduced out of the top of his lungs, with a fist in the air as the crowd began to cheer, just the reaction he was fishing for. "My name is Etsuya Eizan, the Ninth Seat of the Elite Ten of Tootsuki, and I hereby present to you all, with our gourmet extravaganza!"

Once again, the crowd went wild, and Eizan couldn't be happier.

"Go ahead and start it now," he told Urara off the mike as he handed it back to her, before he went on his merry way to his seating next to the other Elite Ten. Urara gulped and looked around, and as far as she could see, everyone was seated and ready to begin. Even her other co-hostess, Yua, was finally making her way towards her, having finished up outside. She looked… none too pleased, for some reason.

"…Right," Urara spoke to the audience, before she shook her head and got into character. "Alright, who here wants to see some truly gourmet cooking?!"

The crowd cheered even louder. At this she smiled. 'See, you damn bastard,' she thought, smirking inwardly at Eizan. 'I can move the crowd even more than you can!'

"So let's get this show on the road!" Urara continued, as she pointed to Yua. "With me, my adorable co-hostess, Yua Sasaki! Say "hi" Yua!"

"H-Hi," Yua followed suit, trying her best to not drag Urara down. "We are ready to begin, aren't we?"

"Yes indeed, we are all set!" Urara continued, as she turned towards the Nakiri's seating one last time, and her eyes met Erina's…

…who quickly began to shake her head at her as most inconspicuously as she could. Both Alice and Hisako, also seated there, did as well. It wasn't that hard to see the implications.

"So, let's officially begin the-ack!" Yua began, before Urara caught her off by shoving her away with a "friendly" bump.

"Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut, before we do that! Let's first hear from our competitors!" Urara announced, as she bounced away from an utterly confused Yua and approached Rentaro. "Rentaro, your name sounds almost like Hamtaro, care to comment on that?"

"What?" he blurted out, trying his best to hide the glare he was aiming towards the girl, since she was making him lose his concentration.

"I'll take that as a no…" Urara carried on, taking a few steps back before she approached Kanachi. "So, rice bowls huh? What's the deal with that?"

"Uh… excuse me, what?" a completely dumbstruck Kanachi meagerly replied.

"Come on, what's the secret behind your methods, don't worry, I won't tell," she played along, hoping he'd catch her drift and help her, because she didn't know how long she could keep this up. "Any truth to the rumors you almost got your clubroom shut down a few months ago?"

"Well, that's…" he tried.

"Or that some foreign student is your best member, out of like, what, three of you?"

"Actually, he's not…" he tried again.

"Or that you may be romantically involved with a rather attractive member of your group who loves breaking the uniform code?"

"Now there may be some truth to that," he answered.

"Oh, so that's where you can answer me properly… figures," she muttered, as she glanced back up to Erina, who simply waved her fingers, telling her to "carry on". 'Bitch, you think this is easy?' she inwardly cursed at her. 'You get your royal ass down here and distract these people!'

"What is that girl doing?" Fukuzawa blurted out, his annoyance evident. He turned his eyes towards his son, who was already seated next to the other Elite Ten, looking just as confused and angry as he was.

"She seems quite bubbly," Mickey Roberts responded, having taken a seat next to the elder Eizan. "She does make for a fine hostess, even if a little excessive."

"She's making a fool of herself," Yukichiko noted.

"Or," Julius added, resting has back against his seat, right next to Yukichiko, his eyes glued to the young Urara. "…She's stalling. She was on the cruise with them, wasn't she?"

"Oh, that's right!" Yukichiko recalled, turning to Julius. "Wait, you can't think that they'd…?"

"Excuse me everyone," a voice was heard through the intercoms, causing all the guests to turn their attentions to the announcement. "We have a new request for a new competitor, can we please get a confirmation on his approval?"

"What?!" Eizan blurted out, taking a stand from his seat, as the other Elite Ten looked on. "A new contestant, since when…? Did any of you?"

"My, my," Isshiki spoke up, his attention still focused on the arena despite the glares coming from Eizan. "Now who would be so daring?"

Nene had to struggle not to laugh.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Fukuzawa spoke up, as he quickly stood up and made his way to the central area, grabbing one of the microphones there to properly address the committee currently asking for permission. "The event has started, no one else has permission to enter! That's final!"

"We understand," the announcer replied. "However, he does have all the proper credentials and is an employee of you company, that, and he's been approved by the Nakiri family."

"What?!" all three members of the Eizan family blurted out at the same time.

"So he has the authority to participate, as per your instructions," the announcer continued.

"I see…" Fukuzawa replied, clenching the mike harder. He had to play this smart, and avoid being seen as confrontational in live television. "I understand, however, we already have sixteen candidates who were confirmed ahead of time. We simply cannot add another, as it would disrupt our well organized tournament."

"You are completely correct, Fukuzawa Eizan!" came the response, but not from the announcer. Pulling another microphone from who knows where, Senzaemon Nakiri stood proudly before the stadium, on the opposite side of where the elder Eizan stood. "Both Stuffed International and Tootsuki Academy, for the intent of fairness, have appointed sixteen competitors for this match, no more, no less. This cannot be changed at the last minute!"

"That's right," Fukuzawa agreed.

"Grandfather!" Erina and Alice shouted in unison, but the old man did not react.

"However," he added, and everyone froze in place. "…If any of our competitors currently in the match wish to forfeit their spot for our newly registered guests, then that is something we could all allow."

"What? As if someone would willingly," Eizan began, but was quickly proven wrong.

"I'm out! Me, take my spot!" Kanachi quickly spoke into Urara's mike, causing everyone to turn to him in shock.

"What? Why?" Fukuzawa asked, flabbergasted.

"I… uh, feel sick."

"You sounded fine just moments ago!"

"I just got a very bad case of stomach ache, yeah, and I think I shouldn't cook, you see?"

"That's not a worthwhile reason for you to surrender your well-earned spot in this!"

"Um, well, you see…" Kanachi began, taking a deep breath, before following with, "According to the Fundamental Five code that many restaurants abide by, any and all employees who feel they have symptoms related to or possibly influenced by sicknesses that may cause vomiting, upset stomach or diarrhea must notify their superiors and avoid at all costs handling any and all foods or instruments that may cause illness to buyers or suppliers counting but not limited to: outbreaks of Salmonella, Hepatitis A, Listeriosis, Botulism, Diphyllobothriasis, or even Pinworm Infections!"

The crowd was totally silent.

Fukuzawa Eizan just stood there, mouth slightly agape, microphone still in hand.

Even Senzaemon was silent, staring at the funny looking young man as if the guy had grown an extra head.

Kanachi just stood there, completely serious and out of breath, but his stare fixated on Fukuzawa.

Urara said nothing.

Eizan said nothing.

Erina said nothing.

Alice, ALICE, said nothing.

"…He's not wrong, from a technical perspective," was offered softly by Anne, who didn't need access to a microphone to be heard thanks to the silence all around. Everyone looked at her, then back at Kanachi, then at Senzaemon. The old man smiled.

"Very well then, amazingly if not somewhat weirdly accurate," he told Kanachi. "You are hereby excused, go tend to your… illness, or whatever. I do hope it's not that severe."

"As do I!" Kanachi cheerfully replied, as he bounced away from the stage, the happiest ill person the world had ever seen.

"So…?" Urara began.

"So I suppose our new challenger can then step forwards, no?" Senzaemon asked, his knowing smile ever present.

"…Bring him out," Fukuzawa instructed, as he clenched the microphone even tighter and glared at the screen. The names were being edited.

Rentaro Kusunoki vs. Kiyoshi Godabayashi vs. Yoh Bunna vs. Kanachi Konishi… became…

Rentaro Kusunoki vs. Kiyoshi Godabayashi vs. Yoh Bunna vs. SOMA YUKIHIRA.

"Oh shit!" was the collective reaction, as the crowd began to talk once more, from those of them who knew the name, and those who had no idea who this mystery challenger was. All those in attendance that belong to Tootsuki, however, knew full well that they shouldn't be that surprised. He had promised to use them all as stepping stones, had he not? Well, even kicked out, he seemed to still be intent of meeting that goal.

"I told ya!" Honda exclaimed, proudly.

"…T-This can't be real," was all "Second" Takumi could say.

"That damn bastard pulled it off," Ryou spoke, as Hisako looked on.

"Careful Soma, now the really hard part begins," Hisako spoke softly.

"He's got everyone in this stadium going crazy," Alice noted.

"In this stadium?" Erina repeated, a soft smile on her face. "Look again, the cameras are dying to catch a glimpse of him. After tonight, the entire culinary world will know his face and his name… and he woouldn't have it any other way."

"How did that little…?!" Eizan blurted out, as his face looked to be about to contort itself over itself. He quickly took out his phone and called back at the office. "Yes! Listen to me, why is Yukihira here?! …What? He completed the meal?! How?! …No! I don't care how delicious it is! You listen here, I want to know exactly how on Earth did Yuki-No! I don't want you to save me some! Stop eating and listen to me!"

"Something wrong, Etsuya?" Rindou asked playfully, as the Ninth Seat could only growl in response and rush right out of the seating arrangement, reaching the arena in record time and snatching the microphone away from a complaining Urara.

"Yeah, hey everyone, let's settle down for a bit," Eizan began, doing his best to keep his demeanor in check. "While I know of this… Yukihira personally, I'm afraid we are jumping into conclusions here. Even if a position became… available, all of our competitors were handpicked by the Elite Ten members, and let you all not forget, this is an event hosted by Tootsuki Academy, so we can't just spit in the face of their selection and add some random chef from our company, regardless of how qualified he might be."

"Always the snake," Alice muttered.

"He's grasping at straws," Erina noted, closing her eyes as she tried to zone his voice out.

"Very well," Senzaemon replied, nodding at the young Eizan. "You are most correct, Etsuya Eizan."

Eizan quickly flashed a winning grin…

"So, our correct course of action should have been, from the start, to ask out Elite Ten students whether or not they'll allow for this change to take place," Senzaemon added with a smirk.

…and Eizan's grin turned into a massive frown.

One of the Elite Ten quickly stood up, signaling his approval. To the surprise of many, even Eizan and Erina, it wasn't who they thought it would be first.

"What can I say?" Akira Hayama, Tenth Seat, replied. "I still owe him a rematch."

"Oh my, you beat me to it," Satoshi Isshiki, Seventh Seat, said as he stood up as well.

"…I can't believe I agreed to this…" a complaining Nene Kinokuni, Sixth Seat, added as she also stood up.

"I have no idea what's going on, but I like that kid, so count me it!" Terunori Kuga, Eight Seat, said as he joined his classmates.

With that, four of the Elite Ten stood tall in approval, much to Eizan's disgust and anger.

"That's still only four," Eizan growled softly, which was as polite as he could manage at this point. "Still not a majority vote."

'I should say something like: "I'm about to end this man's whole career", but I don't hate the guy, so I'll keep that to myself,' Rindou Kobayashi, Second Seat, thought with a smirk. 'Still, sorry to do this…'

Then a fifth Elite stood up, but it wasn't Rindou, who turned to him in shock.

"…Really?" she asked.

"…For what it's worth," Eishi Tsukasa, First Seat, replied, already standing up. "…I do see great potential in him, were he to act a little more professional from time to time that is."

"Oh hell yeah!" Rindou cheered as she stood up as well. "This is so great I could kiss you!"

"We are in live TV."

"Don't push me because you know I will."

"I know. I know."

"So we're in agreement then?" Soumei Saitou, Fifth Seat, asked as he stood up as well, joining his friends.

"It would seem…" Tosuke Megishima, Third Seat, replied, also standing up. The four had become eight, much to everyone's shock, and they all turned to their last member.

"…Am I the only one without an attachment to that kid, like, really?" Momo Akenegakubo, Fourth Seat, asked, as she pouted and pulled her stuff toy closer to her chest.

"Come on now, don't be like that," Soumei stated, giving her a soft pad in the head. "Where's your sense of duty to your fellow underclassmen? You know how much that kid struggled against us. It takes balls to challenge Eishi like that."

"Don't be a sour puss Momie," Rindou added, using a sweet voice as if she were addressing a child. "You know you want to."

"If you bug her she'll just shrink further into the seat," Tosuke muttered, as a still pouting Momo turned her glare from Rindou towards him, before she signed and stood up as well.

"Let it still be know that I have no investment whatsoever on this guy!" she complained, "But he better damn win if he pulled this damn stunt!"

"You can say that again," Akira agreed.

"Well then," Isshiki stated, as he clapped his hands together, "I think this is a worthwhile enough answer."

"He… convinced… all of them…?" a bewildered Eizan muttered, as Senzaemon gave a loud roar of approval into the mike, silencing the arena once again.

"There we have it!" he announced. "So let us not wait any longer! The Grand Hiei Gourmet Fest will now begin! Contestants, to your kitchens!"

The arena doors where then opened, and, as cameras all over zoomed into the challenger, Soma Yukihira peacefully strolled out the gates, carrying all his utensils lazily over his shoulder, with a goofy grin on his face. Everyone began to ask about him, from the guests in the audience, to the news anchors on TV; everyone wanted to know more about the sudden challenger.

Soma made his way towards the kitchen he had been pointed towards, his thoughts clouded by the sheer loudness of the crowd, and the bright lights adorning the stage almost blinded him. As he walked, he began to see a bit cleared, and he could see the Elite Ten looking up from above, all of them standing, all of them having approved his participation. He smiled at Isshiki, who smiled right back at him.

Soma then turned to the crowd. He could see plenty with the familiar Tootsuki uniform, some he knew, others he didn't. He could see future reporter Mitsuru Soutsuda on the stands, loudly cheering for him. He could also spot fellow classmates, like Nao Sadatsuka and Miyoko Houjou and that girl that was always with Marui (he couldn't quite remember her name). A little further back was Honda, alongside "Second" Takumi, the former smiling and the latter in shock. Granted, they all looked shocked, but they were also grinning from ear to ear at his presence. Then one voice stuck out like a sore thumb.

"You go Soma Yukihira!" his once upon a time partner Julio Rossi Saotome screamed out of the top of his lungs, waving his hands like a lunatic towards the redhead. "Show them what Goldilocks is all about!"

"Why are we seating next to him…?" an embarrassed Berta Pedersen muttered, trying her best to ignore Julio's display.

"We wanted good seats, didn't we," her short haired twin sister Cilla Pedersen replied, comforting her sibling. "Besides," she added, with a cheeky grin, "I can see why Lady Erina is so enamored with that boy. Talk about cute!"

Soma reached his area, winking at a nearby Urara, who smiled right back at him. He owed her quite a lot; hell, he owed a whole lot of people a lot, he'd hope he'd get to repay that someday. Then he turned his attention upwards again, this time to the VIP area. He could see Alice, and Ryou, and Hisako of course, but more than any of them, he could see her.

Erina Nakiri, and she was smiling just as brightly as she did in his memories. He didn't need to say a word to her, he knew that without a microphone, she wouldn't hear him anyways. But, in front of the entire world, he wanted to show her he was no longer afraid. So he placed his index finger, middle finger and ring finger onto his lips, and blew the princess a kiss.

And the camera caught it all.

The cameramen followed the kiss as if it were visible, from the moment it left Soma's lips, until it reached it's desired recipient, a furiously blushing Erina who turned towards the invading cameras and quickly looked away, severely red in the face.

"Oh my!" Urara added, living in the moment. "Looks like we have far more at stake here than just the competition, don't we?!"

As the crowd went wild, Soma turned his kissing hand into a fist, and threw it up into the air, his stance straight and proud, or like the kids would say, "Tootsuki Strong"!

On a far off seat, away from the spotlight, an older man couldn't help but tear up a little. "If you could only see our little boy now Tamako," Jouichirou softly whispered, taken in by the sight of the young man before him. "…Give them hell kiddo."

Senzaemon looked on at the display, and he knew what it meant. The nerve, blowing a kiss to his granddaughter right in his face, and standing there, all proud and sure. This kid, was something else, almost as if he were being slapped right across the face. Not since 'the Summer of '59' had Senzaemon felt so utterly dominated.

Senzaemon was slapped right across the face, like the bitch that he was, by Soma Yukihira, who stared at him coldly as he asked. "What does this mean now, huh?"

"…That she now calls you daddy," the old man replied, out of breath and admitting defeat.

"And?" the boy asked, threatening to give the elder man another slap.

"…That I do as well," Senzaemon shamefully admitted, tears running down his face. "…Daddy."

"WHAT IS THIS KID MAKING ME THINK?!" Senzaemon shouted out, to the confusion of everyone present. They decided it would be best to simply ignore the agitated and blushing old man.

Soma then placed his equipment on the table, before he noticed that someone was starring daggers into his skull. That someone was of course Eizan. Soma simply smiled at him, while silently voicing something he knew the elder boy would understand.

"I'm coming for you."

Eizan did his best to ignore the threat and walked away, but not before walking right past the other participants.

"Eizan…?" Rentaro asked, his glare now focused on the invading Yukihira.

"Change of plans," Eizan instructed, his voice oozing venom. "Crush him. I don't care how; just end him."

They all nodded. And with that, Eizan proceeded to join his family, deciding against sitting next to the "traitorous" Elite Ten members which had so coldly betrayed him.

"All right, shall we begin?!" Urara beamed, as she turned towards Anne and the judges, who gave her a firm nod. With a loud cheer, the showcase officially began, and all cooks rushed to make their fine dishes. The Theme? Grouper Fish. In any style the chef wanted. Soma knew Eizan had personally prepared the recipes of his competitors, so he had best bring his "A" game, because even if he wasn't directly facing him, this was still the handy work of an Elite Ten member, and Soma Yukihira was done losing.

So he decided on something simple which he could then elevate further with his own techniques, most notably those he learned in the cruise, from Rindou and from Erina. So he began to marinate the fish, deciding to create a Broiled Grouper Parmesan dish, one which he could flavor with a special sauce to make it more unique. As he prepared his stock, noticing the wide array of products that Honda and the others had prepared (from other produce, to plantain, to cherry tomatoes, to milk products, to even bottles of ketchup and mustard), he also took the time to glance at his opponents, all head first into their dishes.

He smiled, it was working.

They had forty five minutes for each match, five in total, so they needed to be fast. Soma was done in less than thirty, the first among them despite not having access to a cheat sheet like the rest. Superstitions be damned, he walked towards the judges table, as the crowd went silent. Soma also noticed another one of his competitors begin to approach the table, Yoh Bunna if he had read his name correctly, meaning that they could be pretty quick too. He'd best keep that in mind.

But, as soon as he was mere feet from the judging table, he collapsed.

Or rather, Yoh Bunna clashed right into him, sending them both onto the floor and splattering their dishes onto the ground, ruining everything.

Soma's eyes went wide. 'Are you being serious?!'

"Hey!" Anne quickly shot out, standing up from her chair. "You guys alright?"

"What was that?" Urara asked, having been looking elsewhere, while Yua looked outright startled.

"Oh come on!" Erina shouted as she stood up and pressed herself against the rails, almost as if she were going to jump right down onto the arena herself. "That was clearly deliberate!"

"Oh, I think we're fine," Yoh replied, as he got back onto his feet.

Soma followed suit, but his eyes were fixated on the dishes now adorning the floor. 'He clearly aimed for me, man, I knew they'd be desperate, but that still caught me off guard.' He noted. 'Still, he clearly cooked something properly, a Grouper Burger it seems, and the smell's not that bad. This could be problematic.'

'All right, good, still, contestant Yoh Bunna, you are disqualified," Anne addressed, and the young man looked at her in surprise.

"What? Why? It was clearly an accident," he defended.

"I'll be the judge of that, out, now!" she commanded, and, job well done, he did as he was told. Soma remained standing still, his eyes fixated on the two broken plates and scattered food. The other two contestants just smirked, especially Rentaro, who knew this assured his victory, just like Eizan had planned. "Contestant Soma Yukihira, if we are able, perhaps we can allow you more time to…"

'What? No! None of that!' Eizan thought, as he got ready to grab another microphone and explain, in detail, why they couldn't allow that. But he didn't need to.

"Oh no, that's fine," Soma cheerfully replied, causing the entire stadium to grow silent once again. Even the background music that they had set up once the match had begun seemed to fade out to allow the audience to hear the young chef properly. Said young chef then proceeded to crouch down, and with all cameras and eyes on him, placed his index finger on the ground scooping up a tiny amount of the sauce from the plate his opponent had "dropped". He took the sauce mixture and gave it a slow lick, licking his finger for a moment before a devilish smirk appeared in his face, tongue still out. His dominance was staggering.

"…I would never ask that boy to pull out."

"Cilla!" Berta exclaimed, red in the face.

"What?" her sister defended, feeling no shame whatsoever. "You thought it too."

"…Are you sure?" Anne asked, confused, as both Charme and Histoire looked on, their attention all focused on the young Yukihira.

"Yeah, be back in a sec," Soma responded, as he went right back to his area.

Rentaro Kusunoki and Kiyoshi Godabayashi quickly finished their dishes, and upon the evaluation by the three WGO judges, despite them not outright stating it, it was clear Rentaro was the would-be winner… Just like how Eizan planned it.

But Soma had not given up yet, and as much as Eizan wanted to believe he was simply witnessing a desperate last ditch effort by the chef, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was off. Then the time ran out, and with it, Soma Yukihira once again approached the judge's table, careful not to let anyone trip him over again, and placed his new dish on it.

"Thank you for waiting," Soma told the three. "Please enjoy."

On the table, a completely different dish from the one he had prepped before.

"This is…" Anne began.

"What they call…" Charme continued.

"A Mofongo…?" Histoire asked, concluding the statement.

The entire audience stared, at that ball of food covered in sauce. Soma was grinning from ear to ear. "Yep! A Mofongo it is! It's a famous Puerto Rican dish made with plantain, or cooking bananas as some call them. I used the leftover Grouper meat and diced it and used it as filling. Gotta give props to Yoh, because his dish was the inspiration for this one, thanks to him mixing ketchup, mustard and mayo in on, it made me think of MayoKetchup, which Latinos are famous for using. Very savory stuff, despite its simplicity. I had already seen we had plantain, so I put two and two together, and voila! 'Yukihira's Mofongo Relleno de Mero con Salsa Criolla'!"

One taste was all they needed. Within moments, the underdog became the clear favorite, and as crowds cheered on, with a display of his name as the clear "WINNER", Soma Yukihira advanced into the next and final round. The judges were captivated by his dish, and the crowds' mouths watered by the sheer smell and texture of it all, but those that knew him well, knew that that was just the start.

"It wasn't much!" the once rejected chef proudly proclaimed, as the applause filled the arena.

"You dummy," Erina muttered, even if she could fight back the smile on her face. "You're actually doing it."

"He cannot win!" Fukuzawa threatened, as Eizan buried his fingernails onto his palms.

"I know! I know!"

"Are you sure he was from Tootsuki?" Julius pondered, as he turned to Yukichiko. "Seeing him cook is more like seeing a Noire at work."

"…All I know is," Yukichiko admitted, her eyes wide in sheer shock. "That that kid, that chef, is simply…"

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UNSTOPPABLE!