Three days had passed since Ikumi Mito challenged Hikari Yukihira to a Food War in order to keep Bowl Club in commission. During those three days, Hikari had been working almost day and night in order to create the perfect beef rice bowl possible, and though she almost positive that her dish was perfect, like every dish she's ever tasted, she was just as harsh.

Her brother, Soma, watched over her carefully, giving her small tips from time to time on her sauce and her meat.

Meanwhile, everyone all over campus was talking about the upcoming Food War happening that very day.

"Hey, did you hear about today's Food War?" One of the students asked his friend.

"Yeah, it's gonna be Meat-Meat versus Bowl Club, right?"

"Man, you gotta be sorry for Bowl Club. I mean, Erina Nakiri has it out for them."

Just then, another student ran up to the two boys, "Hey, guys, have you read the Totsuki's Sports?" He shouted, "It says that someone else is cooking. Look, now it's that tomboy transfer student Hikari Yukihira."

The buzz was all over campus, and the odds were that if you asked any student about who would win the battle, they would most likely favor Ikumi Mito.

However, perhaps the cooking gods would favor someone else in this battle. Someone who belonged in their realm.

~~~~

Hikari and Soma were doing a final check to make sure that Hikari had enough ingredients for the dish she wanted to make. 

"That's all the tools and ingredients you'll need for the battle, Hikari. I made sure to get everything you asked for." Kanichi said. 

"Nice." Soma and Hikari said, standing up and smiling.

"Thanks a lot, Kanichi, for all your help."." Hikari thanked.

"So, Hikari, were you able to get any sleep last night?"

Hikari chuckled, "Well, I wanted to tweak the sauce just a little bit after we were done last night. Thanks to Soma urging me to take a break, I got about two hours."

Soma laughed and playfully messed up his sister's hair, "Yep, that's my little sister, always staying up to perfect her dishes."

"Would you stop messing with my hair, Soma?!" Hikari shouted, pushing her brother off of her. 

Just then, Hikari could hear the crowds from the arena just outside their waiting room. It was much louder than she had imagined, so Hikari reached up to her ears and turned the dial up, so that her hearing would be comfortable enough for the challenge. 

"Hikari, whatever you do, don't look out at the audience." Megumi said in a panic, writing the Japanese character for man on her palm, "All right, there's no need to panic, everything's going to be just fine, okay? You just need to keep calm and--"

"All right, Megumi, but first you need to calm yourself down." Hikari chuckled, snapping Megumi from her private freak out.

"What?" Megumi questioned, "You're not even a little bit scared? I mean, you have to go cook in front of all those people watching."

Hikari scoffed, "Not at all. I mean, not compared to standing in front of customers with our family restaurant's name on the line. Right big brother?"

Soma nodded, "Yeah, my sister can take this challenge no problem."

"Will the contestants in today's battle, please gather your ingredients and tools. The match will begin shortly." A announcer said on the speakers.

Hikari smirked, taking her knife case and ingredients before heading out to the arena.

~~~~

"Sorry for the wait, you guys!" The MC said, "The Food War Administrative Bureau has just officially recognized this challenge as a Food War."

The crowds cheered excitedly, ready for the battle to begin.

"And, as always, I will be your MC. I'm Urara Kawashima, freshman in the high school division. Love you!"

Almost every single boy in the crowd screamed out Urara's name, saying how much they loved her. But to the girls in the stands, they knew she was just an attention hog acting all cutesy. And if Hikari were there at the moment..... serious words would be said.

"Now then, from their respective corners, here come the contestants!" Urara announced.

From one side of the arena came a figure dressed in a long black cloak and her name appearing on the large screens above.

"The first contestant to enter the arena..... The Meat Master! Ikumi Mito!"

Ikumi shed her cloak, showing off her appearance to everyone. Her.... assets being shown off with her white and red flame printed bikini top and her bottom half hardly being hidden with a pair of short shorts. Trust me, the guys weren't complaining.

"And now... to introduce our next contestant."

Her name appeared on the screens, but was met with no applause.

Hikari and her team walked out of their respective corner, only to be met with the jeering and obvious hate from the crowd.

"Get out of here, you dumb transfer!"

"Go back home to your diner!"

"This is the part where you get what's coming to ya!"

The insults and jeering continued, but Hikari wasn't fazed. She had heard it all before.

"The transfer student who is not afraid to say what she thinks and has received great reviews since admission.... Hikari Yukihira!"

The team walked onto the stage, looking around at the booing crowds.

"What is with these people and their attitudes?" Kanichi commented, "I'll never forget back when I battled the Standing While Eating Soba research society. There was no MC, not even an audience. The only ones there were stray dogs, drawn by the scent of food. Hikari, Soma, didn't you two just transfer here this spring? Why do they all hate you two so much?"

"Don't know." Soma answered, "I don't think I did anything for them to hate me so much."

Hikari chuckled and smirked, "I know why they hate me at least. Before the entrance exam, I kind of beat up a student who tried to hit on me because he thought I was easy. Then I shamed a girl because she was making fun of me since I was from a little diner. Guess my actions made it across campus. Oh well."

Megumi and Kanichi stared at the red haired girl in shock as she explained her actions so casually. It like she was talking about the latest weather pattern on the news.

However, they didn't have time to ask anything else, as the MC spoke out. Everyone but Hikari and Ikumi were thrown off the stage so the battle could begin.

"Let's have a review of the rules." Urara said, "We have three honorary judges. The theme is rice bowls, and the main ingredient for today's battle is meat!" The crowd cheered knowing that the battle would be in Ikumi's favor.

"If Ikumi Mito wins this battle, the Bowl Club Research Society will be disbanded, and Hikari, along with her twin brother Soma, will leave the academy. But if Hikari wins, the Bowl Club will get more funding and better cooking facilities. Also, Ikumi will become a member of Bowl Club."

The people in the stands whispered, but Ikumi was smirking in her predetermined victory.

"Hey there, short timer. It looks like this will be the last day you and your brother are here at the academy. If you have any last words, now's the time to say them." Ikumi said.

Hikari smiled and reached for the headband around her wrist, "Actually, I was going to let my cooking do all the talking for me." She pulled the headband from her wrist and tied up her hair, "Besides, we can talk all we want, once you come over to the club."

All of a sudden, everyone's attention went up towards the private box above the stands. Walking inside was the God Tongue herself, Erina Nakiri. No one had ever expected to see Erina appear for a Food War, but there she was, staring down at the two in the arena.

"Hey, Food Princess!" Hikari shouted to the private box, "Good to see ya again! Did you finally get rid of your bad attitude?!"

Everyone gasped at what Hikari had shouted.

"How dare you talk to Miss Erina like that?" Ikumi shouted back at Hikari.

"How dare I?" Hikari said, getting up closer to Ikumi, "Because I'm no sheep that falls in line to the shepherd. No way, little miss Meat-Meat, I'm the wolf that will devour the leader of the pack. I don't fall in line."

Ikumi growled and took a step back, not sure whether to be afraid of this girl, or to admire the courage she had.

"Contestants, are you ready? Get to your cooking stations!" Urara said breaking them up and the tension in the air, "It's winner take all, a decision made by the palette. Let the Food War begin!"

The horns sounded and the crowd went wild as the Food War began and the time started. But just as Hikari was grabbing her ingredients, Ikumi decided to taunt her a little.

"Hey transfer student!" The Meat master said, "Let me show you the type of ingredient a piss ant like you will be able to use."

Hikari turned around a little, not very interested, but was indeed not very surprised by the meat she had chosen.

"Presenting... the ultimate grade of beef!" 

It was the entire cow, aged to almost perfection hanging from a stand with the A5 grade imprinted onto the delicious surface. Keeping an eye on Ikumi, Hikari watched from her side of the arena.

Ikumi got right to work handling the meat like a pro, holding her large butcher cleaver and making meticulous cuts in all the right places of the cow. Finally, when she was done cutting, Ikumi had the finest slab of beef you could have possibly imagined. The marbling was perfection and the meat and fat had delicious luster.

Hikari could smell the subtle sweetness of the beef, even over all the onions she was cutting. Just then, a new scent tickled her senses. The sweet scent of melted butter. So, Ikumi was basting it for a slight color.

"The aroma of melted butter spreads throughout the whole building." Urara said, "It's making me ravenous from just the scent alone."

Ikumi turned on the oven and placed the meat inside, then turned around to face Hikari, only to see her chopping the last bit of her onions.

"Meanwhile, as for Hikari's dish... it's like she's been chopping an awful lot of onions." Urara commented, "Just what do you think she's going to do with them?"

Then, Hikari reached into her grocery bag that held the meat. Everyone in the building waited for the meat and wondered how it would compare to Ikumi's beef.

And..... it didn't.

The meat Hikari got was from a discount supermarket. No voices were heard as they read the labels on the packaging.

"It was on sale...?"

"Uh... half price?"

Hikari took a look at the meat again and smiled down at her brother.

"Nice job, Soma! This is the best deal you've ever gotten at the store. It's a good day today!" She laughed happily while her brother smiled back at her.

The silence was quickly replaced by the students in the building roaring over the cheap meat Hikari was preparing to serve. They threw garbage down into the arena, almost hitting Hikari with it all.

The Yukihira girl was already fed up with Ikumi and her attitude, but now she had to go through this nonsense.

She slammed her hands onto the table.

"WOULD ALL OF YOU JUST SHUT YOUR TRAPS FOR GOD FORSAKEN MINUTE!!!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, "ALL OF YOUR USELESS CHATTER IS DRIVING US INSANE! WHAT KIND OF FUTURE CHEFS ARE YOU IDIOTS GOING TO BE IF YOU CAN'T FOCUS ON THE COOKING AT HAND? NOW SHUT UP AND WATCH!"

The people in the crowd slowly quieted down, and Ikumi laughed at Hikari and her cheap meat.

"How about you use whatever time you have left and pack your things?" She taunted.

"How about you use the time you have left to actually focus on your cooking?" Hikari shot back.

Ikumi staggered back, but regained her composure and took her meat out from the oven. She stuck a skewer into the meat and touched it to her lips.

"64 degrees. No, it's more like 65. Perfect." She muttered to herself and began slicing the meat delicately. That's when she heard the sound of frying from the other side.

She turned and laughed, seeing Hikari still there cooking.

"You're still here?" Ikumi asked, "You seem to have gotten pretty quiet over there, haven't you? What happened to that attitude of yours from just a bit ago?"

Hikari didn't answer.

"Hmph! Guess it's hard to talk smack when you know you're about to lose this match. How pitiful."

"I don't need to say anymore to the likes of you." Hikari finally answered and twisted her neck so that she was looking at Ikumi while still frying her onions.

"In just a little bit, my food's gonna do all the talking. And besides, what was that saying again? The dog who barks the loudest has no bite. And the chef who keeps running their mouth has the dullest blade. So how 'bout you cut out your insults and actually cook."

"What did you just say to me, you little--" 

Ikumi was cut off by the rich aroma of the onions. It caressed her entire body like a wave of warm wind in the spring. She had nothing else to say before returning to her cooking. Soon, the time was up and the real competition began.

"We will now begin the judging." Urara announced, "The first: Ikumi Mito's dish."

Ikumi walked off the stage with her dishes prepared, then set them in front of the judges.

"This is an A5 Wagyu Rotti rice bowl." She said.

"Rotti is French for roast or broiled. So, it's like used to describe something cooked in an oven, duh. I love you!" Urara said in the most sickeningly sweet way possible.

The three judges were all well known people in the food industry.

The first was Shigeno Kuraki. President of Kuraki Japanese Restaurants.

The next was Yoshiki Bito, a well known Wagyu beef critic.

And finally, the Gourmet Glutton himself, Katsunori Okamoto.

"The meat has been cut to resemble a flower in bloom." Shigeno said amazed by just the appearance, "I never dreamed I would lay my eyes on meat of such beauty."

The three judges took their spoons and dug in, immediately being blown away by the taste of this beautiful meat flower.

"It's almost delicious!" Shigeno moaned in pleasure.

"Amazing. This profound depth of flavor is truly A5 grade." Yoshiki commented, "When she was preparing the meat, even the angle of heat was taken into consideration. When the flame is applied at the right angle to the grain of the meat, it causes the meat to heat uniformly, and allows the juices to run free. Taking in the meat's fiber into account is the mark of a true master chef."

"And underneath these, ha, petals?!" Katsumori laughed, "This garlic rice was cooked in melted butter and beef fat. I would happily eat three bowls of this exquisite rice alone. The way this dish was made you could even call it sensuous. The execution is simply incredible."

The crowd gasped in awe and Ikumi stood tall upon her throne, thinking that the match was hers to be won.

But her opponent had not presented just yet.

"Now for Hikari Yukihira's dish." 

Hikari walked up to the judges.

"So tell us, what is your dish?" Urara asked, holding the mic to Hikari.

"Well, let's see... How about Yukihira style: Chaliapin Steak Rice Bowl." Hikari answered, happy to share her food. But the judges seemed to have determined who the winner was already.

"You want us to try your Chaliapin steak?" Yoshiki said unamused by the sound of the dish, "So all you did was use onions to make cheap meat tender? And after what we've just eaten..."

Katsumori laughed, "I think I'd rather go home still basking in the juicy glow of that A5 meat flower." 

Hikari set the bowls in front of each judge, smiling as if nothing was wrong.

"Dear judges, from Ikumi Mito you've tasted a dish that introduced you to the pleasures of the flesh.... But from my dish... are you prepared to have all your senses rattled beyond recognition?"

Hikari took off the lids of the bowls and revealed a delicious meal fit for the panel. They gulped at just the sight of it.

"Well, it does look more enticing than I had imagined."

"Um... shall we have some then?"

Each judge took their chopsticks and took a bite, the three carefully eating that first bite.... before beginning to scarf it all down.

"What's going on here? My hand.. they won't stop moving!" Shigeno said as she continued to eat, "The meat is so tender but also.."

"This sauce!" Yoshiki continued, "This special sauce is infused with minced onions and really wets the appetite. What is this?"

"Such a depth of flavor!" Katusmori said, "After the steak was cooked, the frying pan was deglazed with red wine."

"She simmered the remaining meat juices in the wine, and then used that to fry the onions!"

"She added cornstarch to make it smooth and allowed to melt perfectly with the meat and rice in a beautiful dance."

"The flavors are rounded out with a mere and infused soy sauce. The browning of the rice gave it a whole new depth of flavor."

Ikumi glared down at the judges, not understanding how the panel could change their tune from her dish to Hikari's in such a short amount of time.

"The meat and the sauce are both full of flavor, but the more I eat the hungrier I get."

"You're not kidding, I feel like I could eat this forever."

"These undertones of acidity... don't tell me..."

Hikari smiled and pulled from her pocket a small jar of pickled plum paste her brother had made her.

"That's right, my secret lies in the rice." She announced shocking everyone, "My brother suggested that I use a whole made pickled plum paste with the rice. And when I tried it, it created a refreshing taste that ended to meal perfectly."

"I knew it! That's the refreshing taste that makes you want to keep eating!"

The judges continued to eat the entire bowl in a matter of minutes, and once they were done, their senses were indeed rattled to the bone.

They could taste the gloriousness of the beef's flavor gliding down their throat.

They felt the fluffiness of the rice on their tongue and the warmth of the juices caressing their entire being.

They could hear their moans of delicious pleasure as they ate the dish with all the strength they could muster.

They could see what seemed like a vision of themselves physically enjoying and playing in the rice.

And they could smell every single ingredient and all the hard work Hikari had put into the making of this dish.

All of their senses were rattled as they were activated at the exact same time.  

"Oh, god! I'm already finished with my bowl!" Katsumori groaned upon seeing his empty bowl.

"Is there anymore left? Where can we get some more of this?" Shigeno asked, "The Rotti rice bowl was excellent, but my chopsticks went more towards this bowl."

"Wait, what was that?" Ikumi said shocked in disbelief, "But what about my garlic rice?"

Her bowls were not even emptied of their rice.

Hikari walked up behind Ikumi.

"You know, I though long and hard about how I should flavor the rice in this dish." She said, "From what Kanichi said about how you would most likely used marbled beef, the sweet scent you had from three days ago, the amount of muscle I could feel in your arms, and the tone hidden behind your voice, I could tell exactly what kind of dish you would prepare."

Ikumi turned around in a huff, "What are you talking about?"

"Well, to keep the beef's flavors prominent, I figured that you couldn't use any bold seasonings in the rice. Face it, little miss meat master, your rice bowl is