I deeply apologies for the wait. I write this Chapter as a celebration to the the new Anime Release of everyone's favorite Cooking Manga. Please Enjoy - Writer

Stepping into the first-class, sparkling room, the Polar Star Dorm was engulfed in the ray of sparkles in every angle. "Uwaa…" Yuki just stood there in a state of pure bliss. "Hieffu!" She lunged face-first into the bed, laying there.

"Come on Megumi, You too." Ryoko offered sitting down.

"It's so luxurious, I think I might get divine punishment." Megumi was still nervous since getting to camp.

Laughing lightly Yuki couldn't have felt more in heaven. "Yuki I know you're happy, but your laugh lacks grace." Ryoko sighed "And Marui-kun… I think you got thinner."

Their friend with glasses seemed to be nothing more than skin and bones by this point. "Is that so? Then listen to me and let's end all this for tonight. We should all rest up for tomorrow."

"He's here!" Leading the charge, Souma put on a wicked grin.

It was only a few minutes before every member of the group was dead-asleep on the bed "It seems fatigue hit them all in one moment." Ryoko sighed out.

"Let's leave them like this until it's time for lights-out." Shuu suggested.

"Barely half a day and we're already full of headaches." Sai laughed at the state of their group "If this is just the introduction to hell number one, then the future is going to suck." Sai groaned as he leaned back.

"Megumi, Aren't you sleepy too?" Ryoko looked over to her friend. "You usually go to sleep early."

Megumi gave a light smile. "It's weird. I'm tired but I can't bring myself to sleep."

"Well, we steeled ourselves all day." Souma mentioned.

"You're right… but that's not it.." she said. "I always get nervous in class, and I always get worried when I think about failing… but today was different as I was helping Souma-kun." she clutched her chest. "I felt a little confident and because of that… I'm really excited."

"Of course it was mostly thanks to Souma-kun who gave me directions!" Megumi began panicking in her own, relatively normal way.

"That's not true." Souma stated, waving off Megumi's words. "If you didn't get the ingredients I would have been in trouble. You also cooked without any problems too."

"That's right Megumi! You can do it if you try!" Ryoko added in an attempt to boost her confidence. "Keep that confidence, okay?"

Nodding quietly, Megumi gave a small smile. Making an oath in her heart, Megumi swore that she would make sure to do her best.

"So what were your assignments like anyway?" Souma asked curiously.

"Chef Shinomiya had us all make an extremely difficult dish." Yuki answered.

"For me it was a bunch of appliance failures" Sai sighed and looked at the time. "I have to get going" H said, excusing himself as he got up from where he laid.

Souma nodded. "Where to, Shiokawa?" He asked, seeing the American boy leave. Sai paused for a moment before answering

"It's about time I gave my report back home." Was his explanation before he left.

Sitting in his own room, Sai plugged in the computer and started up a program. "Hey bro." Sai greeted as he leaned calmly on his hand.

"Sai! How have you been!" The voice of his little brother was heard through the speakers, the two staring at each other through their screens as though they were literally right in front of one another.

The next day, Souma and Megumi were assembling in the chefs' room and were handed a recipe. "Is this what we're making?" Souma asked, reading down the list of ingredients and how to use them. He felt Megumi shaking beside him. "Don't worry about it! Remember what we all said last night?" Then Souma laughed, patting Megumi on the back.

"Bu-but Souma-kun-" Megumi had started to complain before she was cut off.

"Good morning." The Alumni who was to test them took the the stage after greeting everyone. "I'm Shinomiya, an Alumnus from the 79th generation." As their superior chef gave his introduction, a wave of distress and panic engulfed the students.

"For this assignment, you'll have to cook a dish that I designate." He explained, scanning the room and those who were in it. "Have you all received the recipes?"

Everyone nodded, feeling chills due to the intensity residing within the dish. "I chose one of my simpler ones. If there are any complaints, would you like one a little more difficult?" He taunted. "One last thing: you won't form pairs for this assignment."

Megumi's eyes widened. "You should finish your dish alone and exchanging information or giving advice is forbidden while cooking." He declared.

Glancing over at Megumi, all Souma saw was a shaking animal forced into a corner.

"You can select any of the ingredients gathered in the back of the kitchen." He smiled as he continued. "And just a piece of advice: it would be wise to think that all those around you are enemies." Is how he concluded, looking up. "The time limit is three hours. You may begin."

At that moment, every chef in the kitchen shot back towards the ingredients as fast as they could.

Reaching for ingredients, Megumi was pushed down. "You're in the way!" He screamed, passing her.

On the ground, the rattled Megumi could only watch, seeing her classmates run around in a wild fury trying to survive, mercilessly scrambling past and sometimes over one another. The tension within that room was even greater than the day before. Struck with determination, Megumi rose to her feet. "I won't stay scared forever!"

Once again entering the battle for ingredients, she quickly determined which one's were in the best state and collected eight of the primary ingredients. Running over to the Cauliflower after seeing other chefs begin, her heart stopped.

The only one's left over had started oxidizing and growing dull in color. If any of them were used to follow the recipe, then it would turn out to become a failure as its usual, proud appearance would be ruined.

Turning around, Megumi ran to Souma for help but stopped. Pulling out her charm, she held it up to her chest. "I have to pass this. On my own feet!" She declared to both herself and the world itself...But there was still the Cauliflower problem. She had to preserve its color while keeping the taste balanced.

That was when an idea sparked up within her head. "That's it!" With that, Megumi turned and began cooking.

After the student right before him got expelled, Souma presented his dish. "Alright, you pass."

Taking a relieved sigh, Souma looked back at his partner who was moving passionately through her kitchen. He was worried she might have problem but saw that it was unnecessary.

Pouring on the last of the sauce, Megumi smiled brightly. "I did it!" She cheered, looking over the dish she had made.

While still a little nervous, Megumi brought her completed dish to the Alumni. Said Alumni cut off a piece and placed it into his mouth. Chewing slowly, the Japanese chef waited for her results but could not help but feel her despair towards his cold words.

"Tadokoro Megumi, You're fired." His words were as calm as they were cold. He got up and gazed around the room. "Now everyone's submitted their dishes, right?" He asked. "All those who failed can go back to the hotel and pack. Then meet at the lobby for further instructions" His orders were equally cold.

Stuttering, Megumi tried to regain the attention of the judge who deemed her dish a reason to fire her. "W-Why? Why is my dish no good?"

Looking down, Shinomiya adjusted his glasses. "When you boiled the Cauliflower that had started going bad, you used 'wine vinegar' right?" Megumi nodded in response. "It has a bleaching effect to preserve it's color and it also works as a seasoning to increase the Cauliflower sweetness. The vinegar's mild sourness also made an exquisite combination with the flavors of the vegetables sweetness."

Hearing his explanation Megumi nodded "Then… Why?" She panicked. He had no negative opinion on the taste itself, so the question was: Why was he firing her?

"Who said you could change the recipe?" He gave his simple yet practical reason. "This dish is made so that you can enjoy the harmony creating by the sweetness of every vegetable. Was there any part of the recipe that said to 'make the best use of sourness'?" He asked. "You submitted a completely different dish, and so naturally you are now disqualified."

Shinomiya turned away from her without hesitation, leaving the shaken Megumi. However, before he could go, a fellow Polar Star student with red hair raised his voice. "I can't agree with that!" He shouted, rejecting such a harsh judgment. "What Tadokoro did was inevitable. There were ingredients that were already declining mixed in there!" Souma took the spotlight as he showed no hesitation in revealing the truth.

Under the worried and incredibly fearful gazes of his fellow classmates, Souma continued. "To begin with, we're acting as Senpai's employees, right? Then, the responsibility of the management of the ingredients should lie on you, Shinomiya-senpai, since you're the boss." Souma lowered his voice as he asked the next question. "Isn't that a fault as a 'Chef'?"

Hitting the table before him, the Red-haired, four-eyed man glared at Souma. "You brat. Who do you think you're talking to?" His voice was edging along the lines of anger. "I'll tell you since it seems you didn't understand. The cauliflowers in a bad state were mixed in there on purpose, in order to narrow the number of passing students."

An alarming thought of distress passed through the students as they heard the truth from their senpai.

"Cauliflowers are a triple threat; They oxidize easily, go bad easily, and are difficult to cook. They're one of the vegetables you have to be most careful with. I fire the those who lost their composure and couldn't judge well without omission. The same goes for the people who started late and couldn't secure good ones."

"I'm telling you! Tadokoro came up with an original idea to cover up for that lateness-" Souma tried to say before he was interrupted.

"I'm the chef." Shinomiya decreed with a final, absolute authority. "There's no way an underling is allowed to revise the recipe I made!"

Within Souma's eyes, his rebellion towards this decision couldn't be hidden. Thus the Alumni came with an easy and simple response. "Listen, if you keep defying me," He got close to Souma, gaining a slightly more menacing appearance, "Should I fire you too? On my authority as the chef?"

Megumi couldn't take it anymore. She jumped out to grab Souma. "Souma-kun! It's okay!" She pleaded. "It's fine already!"

"What?" Souma looked back, shocked by Megumi's words.

"Souma-kun will get expelled too, right? So, stop it already" She stared at Souma, her eyes watering. "It's okay! I… I… I'm fine already" Despite clearly being upset judging from her tears, Megumi still tried to smile and bring out a small laugh.

Ticked off and annoyed beyond belief, Souma released himself from Megumi's clutch and approached the Alumni. "Excuse me, Shinomiya-senpai!" Souma called out, "May I ask you one last thing?"

Shinomiya turned back around to face Souma, the two chefs' steely gazes meeting one another without hesitation, silently engaging in a battle of wills. "What, Monsieur Yukihira? Another complaint?"

Shaking his head, Souma spoke calmly. "No. This really is just a question." Souma raised his hand. "Do the rules of Tootsuki apply for Alumni too?"

Curious by the sudden question asked by Souma, Shinomiya responded with slight curiosity. "What are you talking about?"

"Shokugeki." Unwrapping the towel around his hand, Souma spoke that single word. "If you lose in a Shokugeki, could you please take back Tadokoro's expulsion?"

All that remained in the air was a sudden, harsh silence. Then Shinomiya took a deep breath, breaking that silence. "Shokugeki… Ah, such a nostalgic sound." He smiled, reminiscing about pleasant memories.

"What's the transfer student thinking?! The opponent is an Alumnus! One of the monsters that live on the frontline of food!" The audience could not hold back their voices, but they still couldn't speak up towards the conversation.

"A Shokugeki against someone who isn't enrolled. It's not like there's no precedent." Shinomiya explained. "But for a Shokugeki, you need approval of both parties, right? Sorry, but I don't feel like accepting your challenge. No matter how much you want to struggle, Tadokoro's expulsion is already set in stone…" Shinomiya was about to end the conversation once more before being cut off by another voice.

"Hey now. Not so fast." They both turned to the door at the unexpected voice. "It seems something interesting is happening here, Shinomiya."

"Doujima-san?"

Walking over to them, the Alumni gazed down at the dish. "Tadokoro Megumi-san's dish." Hinako took a bite. "Isn't it delicious?" She ran around Shinomiya. "If it's like this, it should be fine to let her pass. Shinomiya-senpai, you bonehead! Big-headed Narcissist!"

Reaching out Shinomiya, took hold of her head. "Be Quiet Hinako." He ordered before walking over to Gin. "Doujima-san, this assignment was entrusted to me."

"Of course, Shinomiya. I'm not dissatisfied with the test contents or the criteria you established." Gin explained. "However, at least she coped with the situation, correct? Don't you think her guts are worth considering?"

Turning away, he replied harshly. "I don't think it is at all."

"I think they are!" Hinako interrupted, causing the veins on Shinomiya's face to pop up.

"And with this, we have a tie. It's now unavoidable." Gin concluded, taking Hinako's opinion into account as well. "It can't be helped." Gin grinned. "This unofficial Shokugeki. I'll take charge of it! So to call it a casual match! But of course, we can't throw the training camps program into disorder so I'll have you two battle Shinomiya after all of today's assignments."

"Wait Doujima-san! Why do I have to keep up with this…" Shinomiya attempted to retort.

Without letting him finish, Doujima Gin gave a dark yet powerful smile. "Accept it." He ordered with a voice leaving no shred of an opening for discussion. "Shinomiya."

Finding that it was impossible to escape, Shinomiya shook his head. "Okay. I'll go along with your wishes." Shinomiya relented, turning towards the door. "Okay, Yukihira! If you win I'll take back her expulsion, But when you lose, I'll have you both fired."

Souma didn't give a hint of reaction. but accepted the conditions added to the challenge.

"With that said, Yukihira and Tadokoro. After you finish your afternoon assignments, come to the hotel's annex." Gin ordered. "Show me your worth."