Soma: The Phantom Seat (Abandoned)

Chapter 6 Ikumi Mito

"How about this donburi?" Soma asks after showing several attempts to make the dish, and Konishi tastes and replies, "It is delicious, but that's not enough."

He also explains that Mito was going to use the best-ranked beef, an A5. That rank was so tender you could drink it. Now Konishi was bringing himself down with his own words.

"We agreed to use a Beef Don challenge, so we're going to use beef," Soma states. "Besides, you said it yourself senpai, a Don is an epitome of "Fast, Cheap, and Good". That's exactly what Nikumi was insulting! If we want anyone to respect Dons, we have to do it with an inexpensive Beef Don or it's meaningless!"

Konichi says, "You're right, we need to prove them wrong."

"But may I ask what is the budget?" Soma asks, and Konishi is depressed again, "With the money have from the new budget... I don't think we have enough to even buy practice ingredients let alone the ingredients for the Shokugeki,"

"But we still can't give up like this." Soma sighs. "Maybe I should use some of my pocket money to help."

He sighs and thinks, "It's a good thing that I managed to beat that ninth seat, though. But still, Dad could have given me more money..."

After making more dishes, time passed in vain as they could not find a proper dish that could rival Ikumi's A5 meat, and Konichi is paled again.

"Soma-kun, how about you rest up a little bit? If you have a change of pace, you might come up with an idea to overcome this like in the first class..." Megumi says.

"Oh? You mean the class when I softened the meat with honey?" Soma then realizes what he can do and he holds Megumi's hands, "You're a lifesaver! Tadokoro! There was one! A way to give impact...to meat with cheap prices!"

Then he starts to use the beef steak to do various procedures in making a beef steak donburi. He cuts the steak with a net pattern, and then beats it to stretch it. Then he covers both sides of the meat with finely chopped onion and leaves it for a while. After removing it, he adds salt and peppers as seasoning, and take the button melted on the fry pan, and use the juices that grilled the meat to fry the onion, then it is done, he just puts the fried onions on the steak and use the knife's stomach to mark the net lines and put it on the rice to complete it.

"That's...Chaliapin Steak! It is a dish made in 1936 for the Russian opera singer Feodor Chaliapin when he visited Japan. At the time, he was suffering from toothaches and said, "I want to eat a tender steak." This dish was devised to answer to his request." Konichi says.

As Megumi and Konichi taste the steak, they are very satisfied, and Soma knows that this is going to be the one to beat Mito Ikumi.

In Erina's office, Mito Ikumi is standing in front of her as she says, "I'll use a Japanese Back Wagyu fillet. It will, of course, be an A5 Grade. Not only that but it's also been aged for over a month. Two days from now, it'll hit its peak flavor. In other words, that fillet will be... An A5 to surpass all A5s."

The Meat Master runs her thumb across her neck and adds, "I'll use techniques designed to bring out every drop of that flavor and crush that Don RS like a bug."

Erina rests her chin on her intertwined fingers and says, "Excellent. We shall rid ourselves of that worthless RS and get rid of that "Annoyance" all in one blow."

The day of the Shokugeki arrives, and everyone is already seated as they are going to watch how the transfer student does his work. On the stage, the emcee: Urara Kawashima, says, "Sorry to have kept you waiting, everyone! We have received word from the Shokugeki Administration Department, they have validated this Shokugeki as official! In a few moments, the battle will begin!"