Soma: The Phantom Seat (Abandoned)

Chapter 25 Yukihira Land

Mimasaka is taking out bacon to his meal, and that bacon is shining brilliantly. Everyone thinks that the bacon is going to be for the Garnish, which means that is what Mimasaka plans to win against Soma.

Mimasaka notices Sotsuda in the stands, and he says, "Oh, isn't it Sotsuda Mitsuru you have here? You should change your password to a more elaborate one. If it's your birthday, it makes things too simple."

Sotsuda is now panicking and he asks, "You accessed my PC?"

"I had many other ways to go about it, Yukihira Soma is not a person I can trace on, but thanks to you, it makes my job easier." Mimasaka says.

Sotsuda realizes that it is his fault that Soma's recipe is stolen, but Soma has other plans as he takes out the box. Soma notices one of the judges and says, "You were Tsunozaki Taki senpai, right?"

"Huh?" The said judge glares at Soma, who says, "I heard from the Phantom that you like to complain a lot. And it seems you've been saying a lot of things about me. I'll listen to all your complaints after I've finished serving my dish."

Much to everyone's shock, Soma takes out Beef Cheek, Bee Tongue, Beer Tripe, Fillet, and so on, and he's slowly begun cooking each of them.

"Judges, I am going to take you all to the "Beef Amusement Park!" Soma says with a smirk, causing everyone to be surprised.

"What is this about?" Sotsuda gasps in shock, "All the time he was making tests...he only used tail meat..."

"That's right, Mitsuru. All of these are the meat I chose and bought this morning." Soma says.

Everyone gasps as all of Soma's actions from then on would be completely ad-libbed. Sōma quickly set to work cooking the tongue and fillet. As he brought out his steak skirt, Sōma suddenly left the arena to fetch a shichirin.

"Yukihira, I see, as I thought you are one of those types. All the cooks who've fought me without knowing about my perfect trace were either defeated without being unable to do anything against my Alpha Arrangements or tried to evolve their dish on the spur of the moment like Takumi Aldini. Then what about the ones I know how I work? They are trying to sneak attack or either Ad libbing. Most cooks would fall into panic and lose without even presenting a complete dish, but Yukihira will probably bring out a decent one. You're not the kind of guy who'd panic in the middle."

"What's that? You're giving an awful lot of praise." Soma says.

"I believe in you, after all, I know everything about you. Even that you stopped by Aldini's apartment and that you bought plenty of meat afterward." Mimasaka says.

"Really? Are you saying that now because I am making it right now?" Soma says, "I know for sure that your perfect trace can't beat Angel's Eyes."

"Angel's Eyes..." Erina gasps as she remembers what Soma says about the Phantom, but she shakes off the idea of Soma being the Phantom.

With his dish done, Subaru presented his dish first, a Beef Stew with Bacon Garnish.

"The garniture is that bacon plus mushrooms and small onion glace...to begin with, glace means to freeze in Spanish, its glossy luster pulls the dish together. The Legendary chef Escoffier advocated the importance of garniture, and..."

"Shut up! Enough of showing off your knowledge! Just eat it!" Taki yells at the girl.

After tasting, they find that the dish has a sort of mellowness, and the mesquite's aroma was sharp enough to almost produce tears.

"I read all of your train of thought. That's exactly what the special bacon is for." Mimasaka says as he reveals that his bacon was cured and pickled for 5 days, followed by a day to dry, and 5 hours to smoke.