Everyone is amazed at the building where they are going to have the Autumn Elections, except for Soma, who has already been here before.
"Soma-kun!" Megumi calls out to the boy, who turns around and smiles, "Tadakoro! You were already here? How was your summer break?"
"Well, I think I'm well-prepared for this." Megumi says, and she is hugged by Yuki and Ryoko as they all meet up with each other.
"Your fingers are dyed with the faint aroma of spices." Just then, Hayama Akira appears behind Soma, who turns around and faces him.
"It seems you've worked quite a bit." Akira says.
"Yeah, I wanted to let you eat an extraordinarily good curry." Soma says with a smirk.
After Hayama leaves, Takumi is the next to come as he yells, "Yukihira!"
"Oh, Takumi, long time no see." Soma greets the Half-Italian boy.
"I'm going to say it once more! I'm your true rival-" But Soma cuts him off as he sees a person unfamiliar to him next to Takumi. "Wait a second, who is that guy next to you?"
"That's Isami of course." Takumi says, and everyone is shocked to see how thin he is right now. Takumi asks, "What's wrong with it? Isami loses weight when he gets fatigued due to the summer's heat."
"This is because of Summer heat fatigue?" The others are surprised, and Isami says, "I've stabilized already, so it's fine. My body goes back to normal through Autumn and Winter."
But just then, the lights are off as Senzaemon is going to have a speech for the opening of the elections.
"When I breathe in this place's atmosphere, I can feel my heart and body being surrounded by vitality. This venus is also known as "Chandra's Room", by and large, it is only used for Shokugeki "Between members of the Elite 10"."
Soma thinks, "Yeah, even me as well..."
"To honor all of the people who have been in possession of the first seat, it's our tradition to hang their portraits here."
Soma looks at the paintings and notices that both the 70th and 71st are the same person, who Soma thinks is the third seat when his father is the second while his mother is the fourth. Soma also sees Shinomiya's picture on it as well. But much to their surprise, even the Phantom's painting is hung on the wall as the 89th to 91st is there.
"Many great matches and many special ties were born here, for that very reason, they linger here like sediment, the continuous memories of battle! And the Autumn Elections "Main Tournament! Will be held here."
After the speech is over, Soma asks, "Did you want to say something? Takumi?"
"Just forget about it." Takumi sighs as he completely misses the thing to say.
And as the rules continue, there are 50 participants in each group, and only 4 of them will advance to the quarter-finals. And much to everyone's surprise, the judges of the elections are no other than the Sendawara Sisters, who reign over the curry market with an annual income that's said to be 200 billion yen, which is what led them to be called the Curry Queens.
"Listen well, this country's curry industry went through a great expansion during the post-war period, by now, curry has completely matured and become something loved by all citizens! This current state bores me. I'm looking for it! As a manager as someone who loves curry, I'm looking for an idea that will open up the future of Japanese Curry. Now show me! A curry dish that will make me shudder!" The older sister, Natsume says.
In the competition area, Ikumi is not fazed at the high standard as he is cooking, as for Kurokiba, he ties his headband on as he starts to become very energetic. Soma smiles and says, "Well, looks like Kurokiba is not holding back, huh?"
Sakaki Ryoko, Hayama Akira, Ibusaki Shun, and Marui Zenji are also working on their own food to make everyone look in awe, Natsume says, "Hm...well, it seems like this will be somewhat entertaining. So? Who are you recommending, Eizan-kun?" Natsume asks the 9th seat, who adjusts his glasses and says, "Hmm...let's see...choosing someone to recommend is hard, but...there's one person whose real ability I want to assess."
Ikumi and Hayama decide to see what Soma is doing, only to see him sitting in front of his own stand as he is sleeping. But once Soma smells the spices, he opens his eyes wide and opens the lid.
"Now it's a good time!" Soma says, and the aroma is spreading out the whole kitchen field, and they all realize that Soma is making a Risotto. Hayama says, "Your pot...you added a paste made of apples, bananas, and carrots, by doing that, the dish thickens and comes out like a Risotto."
"Oh...I wouldn't expect less, you're correct. You know, I was concentrating so hard to make out how the smell was changing that I dozed off a bit. But there is still one more ingredient that you forgot to say it."
Hayama is surprised, and he thinks, "He's still hiding something? Even though he isn't using any special spice to add to the aroma, what is it? What's the source of this complicated aroma?"
"Well, just watch. My cooking's only getting started!" Soma says.
In Block B, where Isshiki is with the other Curry Queen: Sendawara Orie, who asks, "Isshiki-kun, when are you going to come work for our company? Hurry up and become one of my possessions, okay?"
"I'm still a student, so..." Isshiki is sweat-dropping, but when asking for the dishes, she says, "It looks like there's a lot of boring kids there, like that girl."
Isshiki knows that she is referring to Megumi, who has been booed by a lot of students because of her low grades in the Entrance Exam, but thanks to Daigo and Shoji, who glares at the mean students that causes them to back away.
Takumi and Isami are making Italian Dishes, and Yuki is doing well with her own curry with Duck fat. Alice and Hisako are also working hard as Alice is using some new machines, while Hisako is just mixing some spices.
"How unusual, to think you would use your signature technique." Alice says to Hisako. "I see that being in the same block as I made you take this seriously. That makes me happy."
"I just thought I couldn't hold back at this stage. Since Erina-sama is part of the administration as a member of the Elite 10."
As for others, like Sadatsuka Nao, her curry is so black, and Hojo Miyoko is using Chinese spices on her curry. Now Orie is interested in all the students, except for Megumi.
And Megumi tries to get her own main ingredient, only to bump into Hojo, who says, "Do you know what kind of people are the most troublesome when they're in the kitchen? It's the careless ones that don't pay attention to their surroundings."
"I'm sorry, I'll be more careful." Megumi says as she rushes off. And after a while, she comes back with something that is covered by a blue sheet.
Hojo is frying her rice as she thinks, "When I heard the rumors of your Shokugeki against Shinomiya, I overestimated you and thought that you were strong enough to fight on equal terms against men. But you were just the weakling you seem to be, huh?"
But after the sheet is taken off, it is a Monkfish hook by its mouth. The crowd is shocked to see Megumi trying to butch the fish with her own might. And that causes everyone to look at her in a different way, as they think that Tadokoro Megumi is different from before.
Now it is time for the judging, in area B, some students are showing their meals, only to be given low scores, as the well-known judges are Kita Osaji, the sponsor of the "Kita Gastronomy Club" Who will only meet with first-rate cultured people and leaders of the financial world. And Andou Shingo, an essayist who writes about cuisine in general. The paragraphs he writes are said to decide a restaurant's fate.
But when Satsuka Nao presents her dish, which is Jet Black Curry Laksa, it stinks everyone on the field, but the judges can't help but eat it even though it stinks. And they give her a score of 84. However, Hisako Arato goes with the Mutton Meat Shimotsu-to Curry, which is one of the Medicinal Cookings that Hisako specializes in, and it gains 92 points in the end. Satsuka Nao and Hisako Arato have been fighting to be Erina's secretary, but Hisako wins again, so Hisako gives her the dish, and Nao seems to be purified.
Back in Area A, Kurokiba Ryo presents the French Curry Lobster Rice with Cognac, which causes Natsume, the judge who has been giving 0 scores, a high score considering that the dish made her conscientiousness fly away. And the score is 93 in the end.
"As expected from Kurokiba..." Soma says as he sweatdrops a little.
Ikumi is next as she presents Dongpo Pork Curry Don, it causes the judges to be unable to stop eating, as they treat her as the Meat General. She got 86 points in the end, and she said that it is thanks to Soma who taught her the ways of donburi.
Sakaki Ryoko is next as she goes with Curry Soy-Natto Rice, with her skills for fermented goodies, she gets a score of 86 as well.
Marui and Ibusaki are not giving up as they each serve White Potage Curry Udon and Special Smoked Curry, which served them a score of 88.
And the next is Hayama's turn, he says, "I made a portion of curry for you too."
Soma says, "Oh? What a coincidence. I did the same." Then they decide to compare the taste.
Back in Group B, Hojo and Yuki use their own Pineapple Fried Curry Rice and Duck Cutlet Curry to get 87 and 86 each, and then it is the brothers of Aldini. Takumi and Isami go with the Naporitan Curry Fettuccine and Curry Bread Calzone, with Isami don't want to be a burden of Takumi, but in the end, they get 90 and 87 each in the end.
Alice is next as she presents the Thermal Sense Curry, which causes the judges to unable to think of any comments for the dish, and she gets the highest score of 95.
And as Group B is about to end, the final person is no other than Tadokoro Megumi, who brings out the Monkfish Dobu-Jiru Curry. After tasting the dish, the judges feel warmed up.
"After that last dish I feel it even more...how should I say it...this dish is full of human kindness..." Kita says.
"The ingredients begin with Monkfish meat, skin, fillet, and other parts, and Kogiku Pumpkin, Tachikawa Burdock, and Red Daikon!" Andou says.
"Yeah, all of them are ingredients from my hometown." Megumi says as she starts to remember the first time she did Monkfish butchering. And in the end, she gets a score of 88, which makes her the fourth member to get past the preliminaries.
"I did it..." Megumi is shocked as she is now in happy tears as she gets into the second round. Hojo also walks towards Megumi and wishes her good luck in the main tournament, which the girl nods.
And here is the first part of the preliminaries, the next part will be Soma and Hayama's dishes. I hope you like this chapter.