The early morning sun had barely crested over the dormitory rooftops when the scent of sizzling oil drifted through the air, mingling with the crisp scent of dew. At the Polaris Dormitory, the kitchen was alive far earlier than usual. Riku Kaizen stood at the stove, sleeves rolled to his elbows, meticulously searing duck breast in a cast iron pan.
He wasn't cooking for an assignment or a competition this time. He was cooking to think.
Each movement was deliberate—the tilt of the pan, the precise flip of the duck to render the fat, the gentle basting with rosemary-infused butter. In the silence of the empty kitchen, it was easier to process what had happened the previous day. Eizan's sudden appearance. The veiled threats. Erina's quiet concern.
Riku had faced pressure before. Critics. Teachers. Rival chefs in high-stakes matches. But Eizan was different. Not because of his culinary prowess, but because of his ruthlessness. Riku knew men like that—those who saw the kitchen as a battlefield and would sabotage anyone who stood in their path. It wasn't just about flavor or technique. It was about domination.
As he plated the duck with a smoked cherry reduction and a cauliflower purée, he heard footsteps approach. He didn't turn. He knew that rhythm.
"You're up early," Erina said softly as she stepped into the kitchen, her arms folded and a faint crease on her brow.
"I could say the same," Riku replied "Didn't expect to see you before the sun."
"I couldn't sleep," she admitted, stepping beside him to examine the dish "Eizan got to me more than I expected."
"He wants you rattled," Riku said, handing her a fork "That's how people like him win. Not on the plate, but in the mind."
Erina took a bite of the duck and was silent for a few moments "Still… it's hard not to be affected. He's cunning. He wouldn't have approached us if he didn't have something planned."
"He does," Riku said bluntly "But worrying about it doesn't stop him. Staying one step ahead does."
She nodded, slowly chewing before setting the fork down "Have you always been this… composed?"
"No," Riku answered after a pause "There was a time I let my emotions lead. Anger. Arrogance. I lost something important because of that."
Erina tilted her head slightly "What did you lose?"
Riku stared at the faint ripples in the sauce on the plate, his gaze distant "Trust. From someone I cared about. It took me a long time to rebuild it—in myself and in my cooking."
Her expression softened, and she leaned slightly against the counter beside him "You cook like someone who's carrying a weight. Heavy, but not destructive."
"It keeps me grounded," he said "Every dish is a reflection. Every flavor, every burn mark, every cut—it's a memory I've either owned or moved past."
Erina looked at him, the firelight of the stovetop reflecting in her violet eyes "I think that's why I gravitate toward your cooking. It's not just skill. It's conviction."
Before Riku could respond, the dorm door burst open and Megumi Takokoro stumbled in, clutching a folded sheet of paper.
"There you are!" she said breathlessly "You won't believe what just got posted!"
Both Riku and Erina turned sharply "What is it?" Erina asked, already moving toward her.
Megumi handed her the paper, and Erina's eyes narrowed as she scanned the printed message. Her lips tightened into a thin line.
"They changed the Fall Elections format," she said grimly "It's not just preliminaries and finals anymore. There's a new round in between."
"What kind of round?" Riku asked, now taking the paper from her hand.
"Team Battles," Erina answered "Three-person teams. Randomly assigned, supposedly. Each team must present a unified course meal—appetizer, main, and dessert—where cohesion and harmony are evaluated along with flavor."
Riku raised a brow "That's a pretty big curveball."
"It's also perfect for sabotage," Erina muttered "If Eizan had a hand in this, he could rig team assignments. Place people he wants to undermine with incompatible partners. Wreck their chances before they reach the finals."
Megumi nodded anxiously "They're posting the team list tomorrow morning."
Riku leaned back against the counter, arms folded "Then we adapt. I'll work with whoever they assign. But if they put me with dead weight on purpose, I won't let it drag me down."
"Let's not assume the worst just yet," Erina said, her voice more composed now "We'll prepare for synergy-focused cooking today. Practice creating harmony between vastly different styles. If they're going to throw chaos at us, we'll respond with balance."
Riku glanced at the duck dish still sitting beside them "Want to start now?"
Erina offered a small, rare smile "Always."
The rest of the day passed in an intense, focused rhythm. In the Polaris kitchen and the nearby test labs, Riku, Erina, and even Megumi worked through mock team formats, challenging one another with wild flavor combinations. Riku paired a heavy, smoke-laced main course with a delicate rose petal dessert. Erina countered with an herbaceous risotto and an aggressively bitter palate cleanser.
Each round forced them to think not just like chefs, but like composers—designing a flow, pacing the meal like a narrative. It was exhausting, but invigorating.
By sunset, their sleeves were stained with sauces, their hands dusted with flour and herbs, and their eyes slightly red from the constant taste-testing. But despite it all, there was a sense of accomplishment that none of them had expected.
As Erina wiped her hands and leaned against the sink, she looked toward Riku.
"If we end up on different teams, what then?"
"Then we show the world that there's more than one path to the top," Riku replied "And if we end up on the same team?"
Erina smirked, tired but resolute "Then we remind them why we're feared."
He held her gaze for a moment, then nodded "No matter what happens, we don't break pace."
Megumi, standing at the table with her apron half-off, smiled warmly "You two… you really are like fire and steel."
Erina raised a brow "Which one of us is which?"
Megumi giggled "Does it matter? The best blades need both."
They all laughed, the tension easing just slightly. It was a brief, precious reprieve before the storm they knew was coming.
As the last light of day faded from the horizon, Riku Kaizen looked out the window toward the distant silhouette of the Tōtsuki main building. The dome gleamed in the twilight like a watchful eye.
Tomorrow, the team assignments would be revealed. And with them, the first real curveball of the Elections.
But no matter the odds, Riku's resolve was set.
He wasn't just here to participate. He was here to claim fire's place among the elite.