4Shokugeki No Soma: The wasteland truly is cruel
Chapter 1: The wasteland that consumed
There he stood one week from returning home to the dinner learning from many American restaurants both high end and low-end learning after being told so many times that he could not do it after coming up with so many ideas being and everyone only expecting the next thing being compared to his dad as a culinary genius.
Group text started
Hey, Nakiri-san, Alice-chan, Old man, Gramps, Aldini 1 and 2, Azami-senpai, Old Lady with expert tongue, Asahi-chan, Yuuki-chan, Marui-chan, Master Shino, Hamiko-senpai, Gin-senpai, Fish boy, Spice boy, and Isshki-senpai
Erina: I told you call me Erina not Nakiri! Don't you ever listen SOMA!
Alice: Lovers quarrel over here… Soma when are you gonna marry Erina since nobody else will? Hahaha
Saiba: Why did you call me old man I am not even 50 yet When are you and Erina gonna give me grandkids? Alice is right nobody else will put up with you Soma my wittle boy
Soma: EWWWWW never Erina and me nope
Erina: Yeah I would never sink beneath and be with Soma the biggest Pleblian in the world
Mana: Why does it say old lady with expert tongue Soma are you trying to get me to beat you
Soma: You actually tell me the truth about my dishes unlike someone I know
Azami: Why am I in this chat?
Asahi: I was thinking the same thing
Isshki: SOMA are you finally coming back like right now?
Shino: Why does it say Master and why am I in the chat/
Soma: I am not leaving yet but I want everyone at the dinner one week from today I will be back. Oh yeah and old man and gramps I will send you both somethings I need make sure nobody else finds out what I am having you get -cough- Erina.
Everyone: Whattttttttttt
Erina: You can and never will be able to satisfy my tongue but I will try this dish
Mana: I see what you mean Soma
Azami: Maybe we will be grandparents after all Mana hahaha Soma wouldn't be a bad son-in-law
Asahi: Soma can I call you brother since your gonna marry Erina
Soma: Why would I ever marry that witch
Erina: That almost hurt dinner boy who can't satisfy my palette
Soma: Still can't be honest maybe I wont come back then I will just have to search more
Erina: NO COME BACK
Old man: I smell love coming
Soma: nope that might be my new top 3 worst dishes though hahaha
Old man: Oh you think so?
Soma: Squid with habanero peppers, grape jelly, fermented beans, soaked in green tea
Everyone: NOPE NOT TRYING IT
Old man: Well looks like I will have to try it but don't be down when I tell you its not gross enough
Everyone: These two are impossible
Asahi: What is my teacher doing
Gin: this is the real Saiba he tortured so many Kohais with his evil concoctions
Soma: all right bye see you all in a week
Soma muted his phone as he sent pops and gramps a list of ingredients and equipment he needed.
Soma worked harder passing even more hurdles slowly losing his thoughts only on how to make the next best dish as his bright yellow eyes slowly darkened over the next four days.
There he was in the barren wasteland but nobody was there tornados were all around him and trees branches flew at him rainless storms over him as he heard thunder getting louder and louder as he moved forward to the next dish he couldn't hear anyone or anything.
Yukihira Dinner
Joiricho and Senzaemon were the first there making sure nobody could see what he had them get putting them in Soma's room upstairs and in the family fridge as they opened up the dinner. Locals all over coming over to be turned away as he explained that Soma was coming home to cook for a group of people when Gin showed up smiling with Azami next to him talking with him and his son Asahi and Mana. Alice and Ryo showed up with Megumi and Isshki. Slowly everyone else arrived but Erina who couldn't decide what to wear to meet Soma in but finally decided that she would go in a shirt he left behind and black skinny jeans as she finally arrived around 11:30. Everyone there just stared at her.
Group chat
Everyone: WHERE ARE YOU SOMA YOU SAID YOUD BE HERE AT 9 AND IT IS NOW 12 AND YOU ARE NOT HERE!
Erina send a picture of her in his shirt
Erina: Maybe I will just cook and nobody will be disappointed then with what you were going to make
Soma finally walks through the door around 1pm as everyone stared at him wondering what happened to him. "Hey pops and everyone" Soma said walking past with a few bags in hand as he went behind the counter and just started cooking with everyone just staring at what looked to be a shell of the former glory.
"Soma are you ok" Erina asked noticing he was not giving his usual banter glancing to only see his dad looking at him as if he knew what was happening as she walked over to him and whispered in his ear "What is wrong with him and don't say nothing because your face says you know something!".
Gin, Azami, and Joiricho just looked at her and motioned everyone outside "Soma we will be back in a few minutes" Gin said looking at him with fear and concern in his eyes showing.
"Soma is lost in the wasteland something made him snap while overseas from what I can see and the only way to get him out is to help him enjoy cooking" Joichiro stated as he looked down.
"What do you mean the wasteland" Erina said as she stared at them
"The wasteland is where you wander inventing new dishes as you push further then you get lost more and more and even if he has his mom's attitude its no surprise that he still got lost seeing as he lost his reason for cooking he lost his way" Joiricho said dejectedly.
"Then we will help him after all he has helped all of us in some way shape or form" Erina seethed out as she thought they were giving up on him.
"It might be best if Soma leaves cooking like I had you do Joiricho" Senzaemon said.
"NO I WONT LET SOMA GIVE UP COOKING I WILL SAVE HIM IF YOU WONT HELP I WILL SAVE HIM MYSELF BECAUSE I LOVE HIM" Erina was crying she didn't want to see Soma stop doing what he loved and lose the only passion he had in him.
Everyone stared at her as she just confessed to loving Soma.
"It's a long shot but you are the only one who might be able to save him but I would need to get that recipe for you and we would see what effect it would have on him" Joiricho said just as they heard the plates being grabbed as they all went inside to see what Soma had made.
"Soma can I make you something really quick" Erina looked at him trying not to cry in front of this man.
"Sure I guess" he said dejectedly as if the world was black and white.
She went on to push Soma to sit next to her dish as she went behind the counter thinking of the worst combination she could make as she grabbed squid, garlic, peanut butter, chocolate and soy sauce and mixed it all together "Close your eyes Soma" she said hoping this might help.
Soma looked around and slowly closed his eyes as she fed him a squid only to get no reaction from him as he opened his eyes "Why would you feed me something so terrible you should only serve the best food possible Nakiri-sama" Soma said as he watched as they all ate the best Wagyu steak dish he could provide with hints of garlic as well as mushrooms and onion on top of the steak and sushi on the side.