Passion || Shokugeki no Soma

In the Midst of a Storm (2)

And the storm rages on.

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Right after Isshiki Satoshi's threat, no one dared to badmouth his brother. His words were a command from the heir of the proud Isshiki house.

Even so, Shiratsu Julio was not fazed at all. Instead, he was inspired and more determined to win. The desire to beat someone he'd admired was so strong that he felt he was on fire, to the point where he no longer fooled around and focused intently on his own craft.

Without his ridiculous claims and gossip, the jeers from the audience lessened, and the battle continues.

"Ten minutes left!"

Two teams, six competitors.

One goal.

To win.

Nakiri Azami watches with a kind smile, even so, his eyes reflect glee.

His dream is so close that he could taste the victory.

He had everything under his control from the beginning till the end. Like a tyrant pulling strings, he'll be the victor in the end.

"Sir. The previous headmaster demands entry." He didn't even turn to greet his guard.

"Guide him in."

"Yes sir-"

"Wait." Azami stood up.

Everything is under control.

His control.

"I'll do it myself." He took one last glance, at both his daughters before he left in strides.

It's exciting, Soma thinks.

The adrenaline in his veins keeps him going, and pushes him to think harder. About the next steps, the next creative twist, and the next everything.

It's been some time since he was so determined to win...perhaps since the Shokugeki against Shinomiya Kojiro.

As if victory is the only result he'll accept.

To exaggerate this entire battle, it feels like a life-or-death situation.

Every win is valuable, and Soma knows. But at the same time, he can't help but test the limits, experiment with what he has, and improvise on the spot despite irritating too many people.

Because as much as he cares about the outcome, he cares about the journey.

He's a simple man that really can't hold too many complicated thoughts or plans in his mind.

So sometimes he wonders, just how does Nakiri Erina or Saiba Shiro do it?

Their minds are like endless webs of information, schemes, and plans. But don't get him wrong, he doesn't dislike it. He's quite thankful that he got people like them around, but he sometimes doesn't get why so much effort has to be put into planning when they can just fight head-on.

Too many times Soma wonders just what goes in their minds, especially his twin. Even if he doesn't want to, his eyes naturally just somehow manage to sneak a few quick glances at his twin a couple of times during the match.