"So… now that things have turned out like this, what do we do next?"
Rindo Kobayashi was the first to speak up.
According to Azami Nakiri's original plan, the next step should have been led by Eizan Etsuya—reclaiming all the research societies outright.
Any troublemakers would be dealt with through Shokugeki, expelled on the spot. It would be a perfect example: crush one to keep the rest in line, and establish the absolute authority of Central.
But now, Eizan didn't even need to lift a finger. One research society after another had voluntarily dissolved their on-campus clubs and moved outside the school. As for the funding that had already been distributed, there was no way that money was coming back.
In other words, the first step Eizan was supposed to handle had already been completed—just in a completely different way.
Destroying the research societies and making an example of them had been step one. Step two was supposed to be recruiting talent.
Azami had targeted students' weak points—Hayama Akira, for example. His weakness was Shiomi Jun and the place they lived in.
Under Azami's rules, that place would also be torn down. In the original story, Hayama had been forced into submission that way.
But now, taking Hayama meant nothing.
Back then, Hayama had been the Autumn Elections champion. Pulling him into Central would have had huge value.
Now? The real monsters from the Autumn Elections were all living in Polar Star Dormitory. And that group had no exploitable weaknesses Azami could grab onto.
Every plan had been thrown into chaos.
Rindo watched the group with mild amusement. Among the six Elite Ten who had sided with Azami, she was the only one who wasn't truly on his side.
She'd defected for one reason only: Eishi Tsukasa.
Eishi was the type to spiral once he locked onto an idea. Extreme to the core. And that was exactly why Azami had managed to rope him in.
Rindo joined purely to keep Azami from completely toying Eishi.
Of course, that decision had already sealed her future. Life wasn't going to be easy for her after this. Maybe she'd regret it someday—but regret didn't come with a rewind button.
"What else can we do?" Eizan snapped irritably. "Every angle's been locked down. There's nothing we can do at all."
A lot of these steps had been planned by him personally. Seeing it all fall apart like this naturally made his blood boil.
"The research societies can wait," Azami said coldly. "They've moved off campus. We can't touch them anymore."
His eyes flashed.
"In that case… we'll move against the forces that are still inside Totsuki."
From the moment he'd returned to Totsuki, Kael had been standing in his way. Again and again. And every single time, Azami ended up humiliated.
He was supposed to return in glory, seize the position of Director, and command everything from above.
Instead, he wasn't quite a figurehead—but he wasn't far from one either.
If he couldn't touch them, then he'd go after Polar Star Dormitory.
Polar Star was still on campus. Even if Kael and the others could move off-campus, the building itself wouldn't survive.
It wouldn't really hurt Kael in any meaningful way—but in Azami's eyes, tearing down Polar Star Dormitory would be enough to damage Kael's prestige. And maybe, salvage a bit of his own dignity.
"I'll handle this," Eizan said eagerly. "It was my responsibility to begin with."
He was practically itching to lead the operation himself.
"No," Azami said flatly. "You'll send people. You're not to go near Polar Star Dormitory, and you're not to have any contact with its residents."
That single sentence doused Eizan's enthusiasm like cold water.
"Why can't I go myself?" Eizan asked, confused.
Across the room, Nene Kinokuni couldn't help rolling her eyes. Was this what it meant to be too deep in it to see straight?
"With who you're dealing with, you still don't understand?" she said coolly. "Polar Star Dormitory has two Nakiris—and Kael, the youngest Nine-Star Chef in the world."
"If you provoke them, forget your future business empire. Even your current partners will drop you instantly. Or do you really think they'd stick their necks out for you?"
Cold sweat instantly broke out across Eizan's back.
She was right. His plans being ruined had made him reckless. Anger could fuel action—but it also dulled judgment. Under normal circumstances, he'd never make such a basic mistake.
"I get it," Eizan said after steadying himself. "I'll just send people. That should be fine."
"Good. And bring cameras," Azami added. "I want to watch Polar Star Dormitory get torn down with my own eyes."
It was a rare chance to reclaim some face. Still, the pettiness of it was obvious.
If anyone outside the Elite Ten were present, they'd probably think Azami utterly unfit to lead.
And honestly? That wasn't wrong. Even in the original story, for all his imposing presence, Azami had done little more than bully students.
With the plan set, Eizan quickly prepared the demolition documents and dispatched his people to Polar Star Dormitory.
Soon enough, a group of thugs armed with tools surrounded the building. One of them carried cameras.
Back in Azami's office, the footage played live on the screen.
"Who are you people?"
Once preparations were complete, the thugs kicked open the front door.
The noise immediately alerted everyone inside. Fumio Daimido, closest to the entrance, stepped out at once, glaring at the intruders.
"We're from Central," one of them said arrogantly, waving a document.
"See this? Approved by the Director and the Elite Ten. This dormitory is history."
They could have skipped the formalities—but legitimacy mattered.
Everyone from Polar Star had come out by now. Kael looked at the group and honestly didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.
If you were going to demolish a building, couldn't you at least hire professionals? These guys looked like street punks. It almost felt intentional—like Azami wanted to disgust him.
"The paperwork's legit," Kael said with a smile. "But are you really sure you want to do this?"
He didn't even need to read it. Azami did have the authority. As Director, backed by a majority of the Elite Ten, Polar Star Dormitory couldn't survive on paper.
Legally speaking, Kael had no clean way around this.
But Kael was Kael.
Rules were tools to him—useful when they worked, meaningless when they didn't.
In the original story, Soma Yukihira had protected the dorm through Shokugeki. But that path wasn't available here. Azami wasn't stupid enough to send Elite Ten members to provoke a Nine-Star Chef.
So no Shokugeki. No loopholes.
"Scared to demolish it?" one thug sneered. "We've got legal documents. Why wouldn't we?"
People like him became thugs for a reason—no brains, just brute force.
"True," Kael said calmly. "You can demolish it."
Then his smile sharpened.
"But I'll say this once. Touch Polar Star Dormitory—even one window—and I'll make you regret being born. I promise."
The words sent a chill down everyone's spine.
Kael didn't have a legal solution, so he chose an illegal one.
And whether he could back it up wasn't even a question.
Behind him stood the Nakiri family. And those Midnight Chefs still rotting underground were proof enough.
More importantly, he wasn't saying this for the thugs.
When he came downstairs, he'd already noticed the cameras.
This was Azami's little show—watching Polar Star fall, watching Kael lose face.
Instead, Kael flipped the board.
The room in Azami's office fell deathly silent.
Eishi Tsukasa pressed a hand to his forehead.
"Isn't this… going a little too far?" he muttered.
This wasn't a chess match anymore. It was a table flip.
And Kael absolutely had the power to follow through.
"Eizan," Azami snapped, "call them. Tell them to leave. Now. Don't let them touch anything."
Those men were brainless. If they did something stupid, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Eizan immediately called their leader.
At Polar Star Dormitory, the thugs were frozen in place when the phone rang.
"Boss? Perfect timing—I've got something to report—"
"I know," Eizan shouted. "Get everyone out. Immediately. Don't damage anything. Not a single thing."
That was all the confirmation the thug leader needed.
"Retreat! Everyone out! Watch your steps—don't touch anything!"
The cameras were still rolling.
"Stop," Kael said lightly. "Who kicked the door?"
The thugs stiffened. All eyes turned to their leader.
Sweat poured down his face.
"I—I'm sorry," he stammered. "I'll pay for it. I'll pay for everything—"
He could barely get the words out.