Food Wars: Taste Reversal

At the entrance of the Sumo Hot Pot Research Association, an extremely awkward scene was unfolding.

The members of the research group, alerted by the commotion, rushed down from the upper floors. At the same time, Erina Nakiri and Hisako Arato had arrived with their decoration (demolition) and repair (relocation) crew to scout the area. Meanwhile, Shiraki and Kuga Terunori appeared with their own similar crew, ready to stir up trouble. None of the three parties had coordinated, resulting in an unexpected encounter at the same place and time.

"..."

"..."

Erina and Shiraki stared at each other in silence, their eyes shifting to the respective teams of workers behind each other. It didn't take long to deduce why the other was there.

Shiraki's plan was simple: use a Shokugeki to take the Sumo Hot Pot Research Association's territory for his purposes. On the other hand, Erina had decided—on a whim—to expand her facilities after realizing her fifth cooking building felt too cramped. She planned to convert the Sumo Hot Pot Research Association into her sixth cooking building. The unplanned confrontation left both parties unsure of how to proceed.

The members of the Sumo Hot Pot Research Association, watching this scene unfold, grew increasingly uneasy. Before long, their leader made an appearance.

A large, portly student with a sumo wrestler's build emerged from the group. He was none other than Hayashi Kiyoshi, the current general of the Sumo Hot Pot Research Association.

"Eighth Seat of the Elite Ten, Kuga Terunori, and Tenth Seat, Erina Nakiri. What brings both of you to our Sumo Hot Pot Research Association today?" he asked, crossing his arms in an attempt to look composed. But beneath his clothes, sweat was already dripping down his back.

The sight of the large transport trucks accompanying Erina and Shiraki made Hayashi Kiyoshi painfully aware that neither party had come with good intentions. If it were just one Elite Ten member, he might have had a sliver of hope, but against two? The odds were overwhelming.

"Little fat brother over there, let me clarify something," Kuga said, smirking. "I'm not the one in charge here. That would be the man standing in front of me. Don't get it twisted."

Kiyoshi glanced at Shiraki, his expression skeptical. Not recognizing him, Kiyoshi dismissed the statement as a joke and returned his focus to Erina.

"Well, it's clear now."

Just as Hayashi Kiyoshi and Erina were about to continue, Shiraki suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.

"You're both here for the same reason, aren't you? To take over the Sumo Hot Pot Research Association?" Shiraki said, crossing his arms. "That puts us in a tricky spot. There's only one workshop, but two groups of us. What now?"

"What do you mean, only one workshop is not enough?!" Kiyoshi shouted, his voice filled with indignation. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Shiraki's casual tone and lack of acknowledgment toward the research group stung. For years, the Sumo Hot Pot Research Association had been a large and respected group within Totsuki.

"Hey, can you lower your voice?" Kuga said, smirking. "You're not even part of this conversation."

Kiyoshi's face turned red with frustration, but the cold reality of the situation silenced him. Both Shiraki and Erina ignored him entirely. In Totsuki, strength was the ultimate measure of worth. Without results, a research group was destined to fade away, no matter how glorious its past had been.

Erina had targeted the Sumo Hot Pot Research Association for two reasons: to expand her cooking facilities and to remove an outdated group from the academy's roster. Shiraki's interest was much simpler—he wanted the large territory they owned, knowing the group lacked the strength to resist.

"So," Erina finally spoke, "how do you propose we settle this?"

She had no intention of contesting Shiraki for such a minor group. Her original plan had been to find an excuse to back out gracefully, but recalling Alice's teasing words from the day before, she hesitated. Giving in too easily might send the wrong impression.

"Let's have a Shokugeki," Shiraki said with a smirk. "The winner gets the Sumo Hot Pot Research Association."

"Huh?"

"What?"

Both Erina and Hayashi Kiyoshi were taken aback. The idea of fighting over a research group with a Shokugeki just to determine which of the two would claim it was absurd.

Erina froze for a moment, caught off guard by Shiraki's bold suggestion. She had initially considered handing over the group without a fuss, but now Shiraki had escalated the situation. A direct confrontation wasn't something she wanted—not because she feared losing, but because her thoughts became too scattered whenever Shiraki was involved.

Still, rejecting his proposal didn't seem like an option.

"Alright," Erina said after a moment of contemplation. "Tomorrow at 3 p.m. I'll send someone for the Shokugeki."

Without waiting for a response, Erina turned on her heel and left with Hisako.

This left Hayashi Kiyoshi trembling with frustration, glaring at Shiraki and shouting, "Wait! What do you people think of our Sumo Hot Pot Research Association?!"

Shiraki smirked, ignoring him completely.

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