Ch. 75 Another Month in Hell, Frozen Over

            Trudging through the snow and making his way back to the hotel, Torrey's mind was swarming with negative thoughts. This unfortunate condition, resulting from a hollow victory, was something that few Shokugeki winners ever experienced. Torrey realized that if Soma Yukihira was here, he'd be getting an earful about learning to accept the consequences of his actions. 

The relatively short walk seemed to last much longer, thanks to the frigid temperature and the copious amount of snowfall. Immediately upon returning to his hotel room, Torrey jumped into the shower to cleanse away the feelings of guilt.

By the time he got out, his phone already had several missed calls. This left him even more anxious than before.

What's going on? Azami, Rindo...even Tsukasa? This must have something to do with Central, he thought.

Figuring that any of these three would be able to explain things, Torrey immediately ruled out two of the options for a callback. Azami would likely spend the conversation gloating about the destruction of the Resistance. Tsukasa...well, it was almost impossible to even imagine a phone conversation with him.

Rindo was the preferable choice, and naturally, she answered on the first ring.

"Kohai! Great job out there today. Not that I ever doubted you or anything."

"Thanks, Rindo-Senpai. Wait, you already know the results?"

"Yup, yup. It's all thanks to that Shirase guy. He's really good about keeping everyone informed. I also heard that Azami left your match early, soon as he knew that you were gonna win."

"Seriously? I was really nervous after that. I thought I messed up big time and that he couldn't bear to watch or something."

"Nah. And geez, have some confidence, kiddo. You're on the friggin Student Council!"

"True. Thanks for the support, Senpai."

"Any time. So...was there something important you wanted to say to me? Something that's been weighing on your mind?"

"Huh? I thought...you called me, right?"

"Sigh. I guess there's no fooling you, Kohai. I was kinda hoping, I don't know...that you randomly decided to confess your love or something. But yeah, I did call you first."

"So, what's up?"

"You're not gonna believe this! We had this crazy confrontation on the roof, and the helicopter was like 'FWUP FWUP FWUP', and Nakiri was in tears, poor thing, and Tadokoro and Aldini made me some delicious stuff, so of course I had to pass them...oh! And the best part was when Azami was all 'What an utterly ridiculous waste of an idea, Yukihira'. I swear I'm not making this stuff up!"

"..."

"Kohai? You there?"

"...yeah, still trying to process everything I just heard. So there was a confrontation?"

"Big-time confrontation. But it all worked out in the end. We're gonna have a Regiment de Cuisine on Rebar Island."

"Say that again?"

"You're not gonna believe this! We had this crazy confrontation on the roof, and the helicopter was like..."

"Whoa whoa whoa. Not THAT far back. I meant the part about the Regiment Day magazine."

"Magazine? Kohai, now you're just talking nonsense."

"On second thought, maybe I should talk to Azami after all."

"He's probably really busy getting ready for the REGIMENT DE CUISINE. REGIMENT DE CUISINE, Kohai."

"Ohhh...but what IS it?"

"Read the last chapter, already! There was a big note about it, straight from the manga. IN BOLD."

"In the Halloween chapter?"

"No, that was just an interlude! It doesn't count as a...wait! Why am I explaining this to the main character? You should know by now!"

"Right, sorry."

"I guess I'll summarize it for you. A Regiment de Cuisine is basically just a fancy name for a team Shokugeki."

"Then why didn't you say that in the first place?!"

"Because part of my responsibility as your Senpai is to make sure that you get a proper culinary education, and all that good stuff."

"'All that good stuff' meaning french vocabulary lessons?"

"Precisely."

"That makes sense. I really appreciate it, Rindo-Senpai."

"Good. And I can't wait to see you again, Kohai. We're supposed to meet up tomorrow, at this spot where the routes converge. To go over the rules for the epic battle. The train might get kinda cramped after that, so it won't surprise me if we're forced to share a room again..."

"Kshhh. Kshhh. Sorry, I didn't catch that. I think...Kshhh. Kshhh. Yep, we're breaking...Kshhh...up."

Beep.

Rindo stared at her phone for a moment.

It must be this damned weather, she thought. Hokkaido sucks...

****************************************************************

Torrey was informed via text message (from Shirase) that the Moon's Shadow 3 would be arriving at the Otaru station to pick him up in one hour, and that Nene, Eizan, and Saito were already aboard. Momo, who's Shokugeki took place just a few blocks away from Torrey's, would be joining him as well.

Realizing that he hadn't eaten all day, Torrey decided to head down to the hotel kitchen to fix himself something to eat. Unfortunately, to reach the kitchens from the second floor, one would have to descend and then proceed through the lobby. Standing smack dab in the middle of the lobby, were Alice and Ikumi. They were clearly there to see Torrey, and there was no way for him to avoid them. He approached cautiously.

"Hey," said Torrey.

"Hey, you big jerk!" said Alice, sticking her tongue out.

"Why'd you take off like that?" said Ikumi, straight to the point.

"Sorry, I guess I just couldn't face you guys after everything that's happened."

"That doesn't even make sense. You were willing to face us as opponents in the kitchen, but you couldn't face us after the fact?" said Ikumi, her sharp green eyes piercing into Torrey's soul.

"You could have at least offered me a shoulder to cry on," said Alice, pouting.

Torrey was getting the impression that, once again, he'd been overthinking things.

"Yeah, that was kinda heartless," said Ikumi.

"Sorry..."

"Stop saying that! We already forgave you for all that Central stuff," said Alice.

"Torrey, we're your friends. If something's bothering us, we'll let you know. And we expect you to do the same," said Ikumi.

"This...really means a lot to me," said Torrey, on the verge of tears.

"Aww, Torrey-kins! Here, you can cry on MY shoulder," said Alice, turning to emphasize it. She didn't expect him to actually go for it, though. When Torrey embraced her for a hug, Ikumi awkwardly spun to face the other direction.

"Whaa...Torrey? I could get used to this," said Alice, smiling. "Not the crying part, but like, being this close."

"Thanks, Alice," said Torrey, finally letting go after a minute. Alice frowned. "So, uh...what's next for you girls, then?"

"We still need to pack our bags, and after that, we're getting shipped back to Tokyo," said Ikumi.

"Hold your horses, Nikumi," said Alice, knowing that Torrey and Soma were the only ones with permission to call her that. Ikumi scowled.

"What is that supposed to mean? We just got expelled. Where else would we go?" said Ikumi.

"North! With our friends. I just talked to Yukihira on the phone, and apparently they're heading to Rebun Island for a team Shokugeki, to settle things with Uncle Azami once and for all. There's no way we're missing that!" said Alice.

"That sounds great and all, but are you sure Azami will let it happen?" said Torrey.

"Puh-lease, Torrey-kins. I ALWAYS get what I want. Nobody can throw an epic hissy fit like I can!"

**********************************************************

An hour later, Torrey walked Ikumi and Alice to their bus, which was waiting just outside the hotel. Thanks to Alice's complaining, ALL resisters were given the opportunity to attend the team Shokugeki on Rebun Island. The bus had already picked up the rest of the expelled students.

Moon's Shadow 4, the train that was taking Erina, Soma, Megumi, and Takumi to Rebun Island, had already departed from its station elsewhere. Moon's Shadow 3 was currently waiting for Torrey at the Otaru station.

"Hey, it's Torrey," said Yuki Yoshino, glancing up from her window seat. Ryoko Sakaki, who'd just been picked up from her failed exam, sat beside her.

"He won though, right? How come he looks more upset than those two?" said Ryoko, referring to Alice and Ikumi.

"It's tough to imagine what's going through his mind right now," said Marui, sitting with Shun Ibusaki in the seats behind Yuki and Ryoko.

"He has been acting rather strangely ever since we arrived in Hokkaido," said Hisako, sitting alone, on the opposite side of the aisle from the boys.

She'd been worrying about Erina nonstop since they'd been separated, so she was glad to take a mental break from that. Though she just realized that she was also worried about Torrey.

"It's amazing that he's been able to improve so much as a chef, with all the distractions from you girls," said Ibusaki.

"Hey! We are not distracting," said Ryoko. She turned to Yuki. "Are we distracting?"

"Us? No way. Don't listen to Ibusaki; he's just jealous that he hasn't been getting any girls with that hentai protagonist haircut of his."

"Heh?" said Ibusaki.

"You heard me!" said Yuki.

"Now that you mention it, he does look like a character from this series of doujins that I..." started Marui.

"Whoa, Marui reads doujins?! I never would have guessed," said Yuki.

"I wonder if Torrey reads doujins..." Ryoko wondered out loud.

"But more importantly, what KIND of doujins..." added Yuki.

"Q-quit being so improper! What would Miss Erina think if she found out that we were discussing such a vulgar topic, while she's bravely leading the last of the Resistance north to face our enemies in battle! Have some decency," said Hisako. Everyone was staring at her.

Maybe I should have let them continue. It would certainly be worthwhile to hear their thoughts about Torrey's interests... for future reference, thought Hisako.

"When you put it that way..." said Yuki, overcome with guilt.

"Sorry, Hisako. You're right, although I admit, it's kind of nice to think about something else for a change. Worrying about the others won't do us any good, right now," said Ryoko.

She looked over Yuki and out the window, where she finally witnessed Torrey saying good-bye to Alice and Ikumi. With hugs.

And there's another thing I don't want to be worrying about right now, Ryoko thought glumly. Hokkaido sucks...

**************************************************************

After stepping aboard the Moon's Shadow 3, Torrey immediately found his room and set down his bag before heading over to the lounge car. It was there that he found most of his fellow council members.

"Tor-myan!" said Momo, with a smile. "I heard you won, easy-peasy. I expected nothing less from my protégé."

Momo was clutching Butchy, her favorite stuffed cat, while playing a chess match with Saito. Torrey could tell who was winning without even looking at the board. Saito was scowling.

"It was actually a tough match. Everyone went all-out, and all three dishes blew the judges away," said Torrey, trying to stick up for his friends. He wasn't just giving them the benefit of the doubt; Alice and Ikumi's dishes were truly impressive.

"Hmm...well they did manage to make it this far. Azami wouldn't have gone to such extensive means to eliminate them, if they didn't possess some degree of talent," said Nene, thinking it over carefully.

"A warrior who doesn't respect his opponent, will soon find himself on the wrong end of a sharp blade," said Saito, nodding smartly.

"Is that an ancient samurai proverb?" asked Nene.

"No; it's a Saito original. You're welcome to quote me on that."

"No; I don't think I will," said Nene.

"Speaking of blades, have you been keeping up with your training?" said Saito, turning to Torrey.

"No, I haven't really had the..."

"Wrong answer," said Saito, tossing Torrey a wooden practice sword that had apparently been hid underneath the table.

By the time Torrey caught it, Saito was already on his feet and standing directly in front of him, pointing a blade of his own.

"A game of chess is like a sword fight. You must think first," said Saito, pausing to slash at Torrey, "before you move."

"I came here tonight to play chess. Nobody ever mentioned anything about a sword fight," said Torrey, after deftly stepping aside to avoid the strike. He raised the wooden blade and took up a defensive stance.

"Do you think your Wu-Tang sword can defeat me?" said Saito, closing in on Torrey with a flurry of slashes.

"En garde, I'll let you try my Wu-Tang style," replied Torrey, deflecting the blows with impressive speed.

"What the hell is happening right now?" said Eizan. He danced awkwardly out of the way when Torrey and Saito's fight brought them to his corner of the room.

"Uggh, So-myan's quoting Wu-Tang again. And Tor-myan's encouraging him..." said Momo, unamused.

"This is a terrible place for a sparring match!" said Nene, also doing her best to avoid the clashing of swords. As spacious as the Moon's Shadow was, it wasn't nearly wide enough to accommodate a sword fight.

"If what you say is true, the Shaolin and the Wu-tang could be dangerous," said Saito, continuing his assault.

"Yes! That's what I'm trying to tell you!" said Nene.

Saito finally managed to disarm Torrey, sending the practice sword flying across the room, where it crashed against the window right beside Eizan. Eizan jumped, and Saito pointed the sword at Torrey's throat to signal a victory.

"My power has diminished," said Torrey.

"Yes, but...I know your Kung Fu is still very good. If you practice again, no one could possibly be your match," said Saito, helping Torrey up.

"I'm so confused," said Nene.

"These quotes don't even make sense," said Momo, rolling her eyes. After travelling with Saito so much lately, she'd gotten used to this habit of his. Not that she approved of it.

************************************************************

The next morning, Torrey and the other's disembarked from the train, stepping onto a snow-covered platform. It appeared that this station hadn't been used for quite some time, though it was still the most convenient place for everyone to meet up. Azami, Rindo, and Tsukasa were already there.

Standing on the opposite side of the tracks, was Erina, Soma, Megumi, Takumi, Senzaemon Nakiri, and two adults whom Torrey had yet to meet (Joichiro Saiba and Gin Dojiima).

"Oh hey, Waldenpond's here. Yo, Waldy!" said Soma, waving excitedly.

"Hey..." said Torrey.

"Yukihira! This is supposed to be a serious moment," said Takumi, shaking his head. His icy blue eyes looked right at home in the Hokkaido tundra.

"W-why are we on opposite sides?" asked Megumi.

"Erm, sorry about that. A bit of poor planning on my part," said Azami, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, should we go over there? Or are you guys gonna come over here?" said Soma.

"We can go to you, it's no trouble, really," said Tsukasa, starting to head across the platform.

"Don't be such a wuss! We should make them come to us, right?" said Rindo, grabbing Tsukasa by his jacket collar to prevent him from leaving.

"Yes, of course! An excellent suggestion, young Kobayasahi. He-hem. You Resistance dogs will join us on our side of the tracks. Otherwise, the deal's off," said Azami, looking rather pleased with himself.

"Now I see where Nakiri gets it from," Soma whispered to Takumi.

"Like father, like daughter, I suppose," Takumi replied.

It took a minute for the Resistance members to cross the platform and join the Central side. Once everyone was there, Azami asked Nene to begin the proceedings.

"Kinokuni, if you would please review the current schedule for us," said Azami.

"Yes, Sir," said Nene, opening a sturdy leather pouch and producing a typed document with an official Totsuki seal. She continued.

"The sixth and final stage of the advancement exams will take place in one month's time," said Nene, adjusting her glasses as she read the agenda.

"Gwaaah?!" said Torrey. Everyone turned to look at him. "Oh, sorry...it just seems like these exams are taking a really long time."

"Haha, you got that right, Kohai. I can't stand this cold," said Rindo, moving closer to Torrey.

"As I was saying...an extra venue will be set up at the southern tip of Rebun Island, where our Regiment de Cuisine will be held. The plans for this venue include spectator seating for the regular students currently making their way northward through the exam," said Nene.

"Understood," said Senzaemon, speaking for the Resistance. "And for the team that claims victory on that stage...they will receive all ten seats on the council to allocate as they see fit."

Torrey hadn't seen the former Dean since the last night of the Moon Banquet Festival, when he'd been usurped by Azami and the Student Council. Senzaemon was the one who made a special exception to allow Torrey into the Institute. Was he disappointed with Torrey's decisions?

"That is acceptable," said Azami. "Lastly, there shall be no limit on the number of members allowed on each team. Groups of differing sizes clashing is one of the highlights of a team Shokugeki. We have the precedent of Saiba-Senpai's 50-on-1 battle, after all."

"If Yukihira's team wins, they take over the Council of Ten. Then, just as you did to Sir Senzaemon, they are free to remove you from the Office of Dean," said Dojima.

"Ah, but when we win, the Resistance will be expelled. There will no longer be anyone inany position to meddle with my plans. Not only that, Saiba-Senpai will join my army," said Azami.

Come to think of it, when I first met Azami, he told me the story of Joichiro Saiba. Could he be one of these other two?  thought Torrey, eyeing the unknown adults on the Resistance side.

"Excuse me," said Takumi. "Your concerns may only be about your war, but the thing we want is the return of our friends! This Shokugeki is for them!"

"Yeah, you tell 'em! Don't you forget about our friends, y'hear?" said Soma, raising a fist.

"Oh, I haven't," said Azami, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handful of booklets. Swff.

"Noooo, it can't be!" said Torrey. Out of everyone there, he had the most extreme reaction to seeing the booklets. Once again, everyone turned to him.

"Hmm? What're those?" said Soma.

"Can't you see what's happening here? He captured their souls and transferred them into those booklets! Those ARE our friends!" said Torrey.

"EEEK!" Megumi screeched.

"Heh? Tormund, I can assure you that I am capable of no such thing. I think you have me confused with some sort of super-powered shonen villain," said Azami, waving the booklets. "These are simply the Institute's student booklets, which previously belonged to the now-expelled resisters."

Megumi breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oops, my bad...I actually never got one of those," said Torrey.

"Kohai, you're a riot!" said Rindo, busting up laughing again. By this point, she was pretty much cuddling up against Torrey to stay warm.

"Don't worry about that right now; I suppose we can provide you with a booklet at another time. Anyways...as the resisters are no longer Totsuki students, they have no need for these. So of course I had them turn them in," said Azami, passing them along to Saito.

"These booklets are the symbols of a student's status as a part of the Totsuki Institute," said Saito. "In fact, they could be called a symbol of that student's life as a chef."

These things sound really important. I guess I don't have a symbol... thought Torrey.

Saito abruptly grabbed Butchy from Momo's hands, opening a pouch on its back and inserting the booklets safely inside.

"AAAH! What did you do that for? Give 'im back! Gimme my Butchy back, So-myan!" said Momo, jumping up and down in an effort to reclaim Butchy. Saito was simply too tall for this to work. Or rather, Momo was too short.

"That was so mean! Treating poor Butchy like nothing more than a convenient pouch...you're horrible!" said Momo, crouching down in tears.

"This coming from the one who regularly drags, punches, rips, and bites this thing apart?" said Saito.

"A-anyway! You can rest assured that we are taking good care of them. If you'd like them back, then come and take them," said Tsukasa.

"Does that cover everything, then? Oh!" said Azami. "Yes, yes. There is that. I'd almost forgotten, heh heh. I'm in such a good mood that it had nearly slipped my mind. Erina, just to confirm things...for this team Shokugeki, you will of course be participating for our side, correct?"

"Hey! Hold on! What are you even talking about?" said Soma. "Who says you get to decide that, Nakamura-Senpai?"

"That should be my line," said Azami. "Central is ruled by the Dean of the Institute and the Council of Ten Masters. As the tenth seat on that council, Erina is officially a member of Central."

Azami turned to face Erina with a dramatic flourish. DUN.

"Come, Erina. Your fun and games as a runaway are over. I'm no longer allowing any more of this childish selfishness," said Azami, concentrating his evil aura on Erina. His pupils began to swirl slowly, as if hypnotizing her.

"Father..." said Erina, who'd been silent up until this point. Rather than continuing, she took a long pause. Then a few deep breaths. Then a few more.

Is she all right? thought Torrey.

"Father...I understand what you're implying. In which case, effective immediately...I relinquish the tenth  seat on the Council of Ten! As of now...I am simply Erina Nakiri!" said Erina, with her signature dramatic hair-flip. The Queen was back.

"You're seriously throwing away the tenth seat?" said Eizan, who'd also been uncharacteristically quiet.

"If I don't, then I can't say that I'm truly their friend to the bottom of my heart!" said Erina.

I get it now...she was just working up the courage to stand up for herself. And to show everyone how much she cares, she's throwing away her seat. I wish I had that kind of courage, thought Torrey.

He was overwhelmed with emotion. Erina was making strides to overcome her fears and do everything she could to help her friends, which was inspiring. However, it also reminded Torrey of his own inadequacy's. He was happy for her and the Resistance, but sorry for himself.

"Heh...heh...heh...to think that you've learned how to back talk me, Erina. All right, resignation accepted. But when you lose, I will have you accept your own special penalty. Simple expulsion is far too light. Instead, you will use your skill and talent for the betterment of Central, for the rest of your life. You will follow my orders to the letter without fail. No further defiance will be permitted in any way. Ever. Understood?" said Azami.

"Yes, Father," said Erina.

Without another word, Azami turned to board the Moon's Shadow 3, along with Tsukasa, Saito, Eizan, Momo, and Rindo. Torrey lingered on the platform for a moment, staring off into space.

Rindo stopped as she reached the train, turning to face Torrey.

"Hey...are you comin'?" she said.

"Yeah..." Torrey replied, looking back at his friends. Erina's words had struck a chord with him.

'If I don't, then I can't say that I'm truly their friend to the bottom of my heart!' Was Erina indirectly telling me that I can no longer call myself their friend? Should I have thrown away my Council seat and accepted my expulsion long ago?

Torrey shook his head and boarded the train. He still had another month to go in Hokkaido. Worrying about these things would be counter-productive.

Hokkaido sucks... he thought.