Year Three

Prologue

When Nakiri Senzaemon, the Food's Demon King said that ninety-nine percent of all Tōtsuki students were going to be used as "sacrificial stepping stones" to polish the remaining one percent… everyone knew he wasn't lying; and those that were foolish enough not to heed his words were definitely not among the few standing in front of him today.

The elderly man with long spiky hair, a full beard and mustache was overly intimidating that day, but the look that he shared to his final group of culinary students was anything but. Smiling from ear to ear, he eyed them warmly. They were indeed the best of the best… that one percent. Out of the one thousand first years of the 92nd generation… only a measly eleven had remained.

They were lined up, shoulder by shoulder, facing forward in a military sort of fashion, dressed neatly in their uniforms in his moderately large office. From left to right, they stood based on rank from eleventh seed to first. That was one of the key differences to start with in their final year. Everyone had a rank so they knew how their peers saw them. Based on performances in class, tournaments, and Shokugeki's, they would either move up or down depending on the result.

As of now, in the eleventh spot stood Ibusaki Shun. He was one of four Polar Star Dorm students that made up the final eleven; it was ironic how the Polar Star hostel was deemed an ancient relic, a washed up home for the lowest students of Tōtsuki yet for this generation it made up the majority of the remaining students. Shun stood as straight as he could, his long curly brown hair hanging messily over his face, hiding his eyes from Senzaemon. The Tōtsuki director need not see his eyes to judge his character; anyone that made it this far had been put through enough. Dubbed The Prince of Smoke, Shun had earned his right to be among the eleven.

The Nakiri elder's eyes' then made their way to Sakaki Ryōko, the tenth seed. She was another student from the Polar Star Dorm, whom he would have not figured to make the remaining bunch. Long purple hair about waist length partnered with an amazing bust and a pretty face, Ryōko had surprised many along her way. She was out to prove not only to herself but everyone out there that with determination and hard work, her salt-water cooking style could be one of the best in the world. However, most of her motivation came from the promises she made with Yoshino Yūki and Marui Zenji at the end of their second year. Ryōko and the remaining students of the Polar Star family promised to achieve it all for their fallen friends. Yūki especially, was always on her mind.

Standing ninth was the voluptuous and ever so confident Mito Ikumi. The ganguro queen of meat always knew she would make it to this point. However being ninth was not what she had envisioned. Having been humbled by her eventual red haired crush, she learned just having the best materials did not necessarily make the best dish. It's how you used your resources, and how you make them compliment one another that will lead you to success. The boy with the peculiar scar above his left eyebrow had opened her world, and thus unbelievably, helped her reach this point. But it was not just the red head; Konishi Kanachi had played a big role as well. As much as she would want to deny it, the black pompadour haired man had become a friend and a guide to her. Helping her blend her skills with meat in the style of Don R's, Ikumi plans to graduate Tōtsuki and further the positive reputation of donburi dishes at the school.

Bright and bubbly as always, Tadokoro Megumi was proud to be among the last eleven. Ranked eighth, her journey to the summit probably seemed the most unlikely out of all the students in her generation. She stood proper and held her head high, knowing she put everything she had into reaching this spot. She again, was able to keep up with him… Since his arrival at the school the spiky haired son of Saiba Jōichirō had turned her fortunes around. She went from the girl that was laughed at and unreliable, to one that her family and friends all the way back home can speak about with pride. She had also grown not to lean on the Yukihira genius, developing her own confidence and skills. Her fish handling abilities paired with her kindness and love that was felt through her dishes became popular news around the school and made her a lovable figure for all the new students. She was still the clumsy and often brainless girl she was when she first came to Tōtsuki, but with the guidance of her red haired idol, Megumi realized she had potential for so much more.

Kurokiba Ryō had one thing on his mind. Move up from this seventh place rank so he could be closer to the one who vowed to show him the world. The silver haired beauty that had calmed the beast inside of him was running away… the distance between his cooking and hers were now starting to show, even though at one point he was the better cook. The messy haired red-eyed boy that was once referred to as a Mad Dog was now finally starting to understand just what the Nakiri daughter meant when she said "the vast world of gourmet food." Everyone here was a perfect example of that, all having his or her own styles and specialties. And this was just the tip of the iceberg. He needed to catch up to the Denmark native and fast… for the farther he slipped away from her, the more the beast came out. She was his Belle, and without her guidance the dark haired teen would fall back into madness. Strange... he knew. How she had come to have this power over him, he had no idea.

Known as simply the Tōtsuki princess' aide for the longest of times, Arato Hisako had dutifully followed her cherished idol into the final cluster of students. Much like Ryō before her, she had similar thoughts on her mind. How could she have possibly let the enemy get so close to her life-long friend! This was unacceptable! She had to improve upon her rankings and fast. Though she had to admit, over the years, the Yukihira cook had slowly started to win her respect with all his impressive feats. Also after finding out his lineage at the end of last year, Hisako looked at him slightly different. No longer was he a cook from the base, he had some root of novelty, even though he never bragged nor cared for that. However, her opinions on that man mattered not. All that counted now was to keep him away from the prized Nakiri jewel.

Nakiri Senzaemon now turned his gaze upon the final five. As he watched them keenly, he noticed a gap difference. These five were on a completely different level from the previous six. In fact, he wondered if the rankings past this point even mattered. Just standing before them, they were all emitting an aura of skill beyond their young years.

Closing out the top five, Hayama Akira stood as calm as ever. Senzaemon noticed the look of ease he had compared to the ones he gazed upon before. In fact, he looked so at ease that it seemed as if his mind was somewhere else completely… If only the director knew. Akira's mind wasn't really all here at the moment. In fact, his thoughts continued to drift back to just a few hours before he arrived in Senzaemon's office, where he and Shiomi Jun had a heart-to-heart conversation. She told him starting today, he would have to devote everything he had towards the school. There was no more room for him to be wasting his time and energy on her. It sounded like she was pushing him away, but he knew she wanted what was best for him… but was it really for the best?

The Italian wonder-kid, Takumi Aldini showed no signs of pressure or fear. In fact, out of all the students he seemed to appear the most determined. The fourth rank Tōtsuki student had much to fight for this year. There were so many subplots involved with his journey. From his brother, Isami dropping out because the family restaurant at home needed help, to the Yukihira genius ranking above him… He vowed he would be number one at Tōtsuki when their final year was up. He was even so sure that he made that statement to his rival in front of everyone after the last day of classes. However much like in Yukihira fashion, the red head did not hear a word Takumi said and it lead to an embarrassing proclamation from the Italian chef.

Third huh? Thought Alice, a small smile gracing her delicate features. She was fine with this… only two spots short of number one with a whole year left to go. Plus she knew the difference level in cooking and the points separating her from being ranked number one was as thin as a strand of hair. She looked to her left and her smile widened. After her first semester at the school, she had known for a long time she would be facing down with the two in front her. She knew it the day she saw them standing together at the Hellish Training Camp, they would be the only ones to oppose her reign. She was going to be beat them, it was that simple… she had the skill, the ability to produce, and the creative intentions to pull it all off. Tōtsuki and the Nakiri family will have a new princess, and the one they call Yukihira will be humbled at the end of this year. She gave her grandfather a wink, and he returned her playful gesture with a smile.

Nakiri Senzaemon looked upon Yukihira Soma with much delight. He knew from the moment he tasted the boy's dish during the entrance exam, he would be something special, so he took the risk and accepted him even though he received a failing grade. And when he witnessed the sparks of challenge between his granddaughter and the scar-faced boy at the entrance ceremony, he knew then and there he made the right decision. He would be the man to push his granddaughter to a whole new level. Would he have guessed that Soma would push not only the little princess, but his other granddaughter as well and also practically everyone standing before him? Only someone from the future could see that far ahead. But he was definitely pleased. For a second, thoughts of whom would be in front of him raced by if he had not forcibly accepted the talented cook.

There really wasn't much to say about second place. As Yukihira Soma saw it, it just means he's the first loser. However he still kept a grin on his face. He was confident and cool, like always. Did he foresee he would be sandwiched between the two Nakiri dolls and ranked second in the whole school entering his third year? Yeah, knowing Soma he probably did, for he never saw himself as anything but the best. This however did not mean he was arrogant. He was humble, kind, and welcoming to all. Always the first to defend those being picked on and worked his tail off to get to where he was today. But he couldn't deny the selfish need of wanting to be first! It was the competitiveness in him. He also needed to prove to his old man he was one of the greatest cooks in the world, and the day of him surpassing his father was growing ever so closer. To his savior, the annoyed look to the person left of him made him feel slightly better and it was this which was the cause for the grin on his face. Since the day she met him, she'd always try to remind him of his position and that he would never reach the likes of her. And now here they were, shoulder by shoulder… He poked his elbow out, nudging her in the side as if to remind her how close their proximity, and better yet, their ranks were. This caused an immediate scowl and glare on the face of the woman ranked number one.

This action did not go unnoticed by the Tōtsuki director. He smiled knowingly.

Outwardly, Nakiri Erina appeared cool, stoic, and a bit smug. On the inside however, there were so many battles going on with her emotions. It's true that she was unsurprised at the fact that she was number one entering their final year. She expected nothing less. But she hid her excitement and her annoyance. She was excited and happy that she was first because she wanted to show her grandfather she was definitely going to be the best in Tōtsuki. She wanted to show Hisako all the hard work they did together amounted to success, even if people thought they were just exceptional with everything. She wanted to jump for joy, party, and do all the other foolish yet seemingly fun things that normal people do… But she couldn't. She was not normal. She was the Nakiri Erina, the one that was "gifted" with "God's Palate." She was not afforded these silly things, at least well in public. She had a reputation to uphold.

Her annoyance on the other hand stemmed from the man next to her.

Who would have guessed that some lowly boy from a special-of-the-day shop would eventually become her greatest threat to the Tōtsuki throne aside from Alice? Add that on top of the fact that he turned out to be the son of her role model, yeah life sure had a cruel way of playing jokes. She would of actually even praised him for all his achievements had they not started off on the wrong foot. Come to think of it, she would have even offered him the chance to join her faction. Erina inwardly smiled, imagining the thought of sitting on Soma like a chair and ordering him around. If only he was more like a trained dog… the thought brought her back to one of her first impressions of him. He never understood her nobility. Just like a stray dog who doesn't understand a gem's value… This was her year. She would make him learn they were not equals. She would once and for all, remove this plebeian from her sanctuary.

After glancing over them one last time, Nakiri Senzaemon felt it was now his time to speak. He was going to introduce them the challenges of their final year.

Authors Note: Bam! And that right there is the Prologue! I got so many ideas for this Fanfic and I'm just bursting with excitement. Also, I think this is the first Shokugeki No Soma Fanfic on the site! Hahaha! Oh man so excited! I saw on the FB fan page that they had created a category! Really excited! Hope to see other Shokugeki No Soma works out there as well.

Also yes, there will be romance in this Fanfic. I've been thinking of a whole bunch of different stuff and have settled on four couples for this fic. Hahah. I won't reveal three of them, but I will let you know the main one, Erina x Soma. I absolutely adore Megumi but I personally prefer Erina as the main romantic interest for Yukihira. However don't worry, I got some ideas for our little Megumi! I think... Haha.

Read and Review! Let me know what you think!