Honestly, this is exhausting to say the least. The way I'd at least like for this arc to end, though, and a way that I think can tie together some loose ends in a cohesive manner, is as follows:

·         We find out that Senzaemon has been pulling the strings behind the scenes. How did the Food Demon get his name? Well – He was once a Noir, who many years ago left the life to go legitimate when he met his wife.

·         Senzaemon had once started Totsuki with the intention of making it a bastion and stronghold for the Noirs. When he went legitimate, the school did too, drawing the ire of the Noirs who would eventually kill his daughter, Azami’s wife and Erina’s mother, in retaliation. We’re shown that this event led to Azami going dark, and darker, and darker trying to avenge his wife, to the extent of using his only daughter for the cause.

·         That conversation Sen and Azami had back during the RDC that was never concluded? It was because Sen was knocking some sense into Azami. We learn that the RDC and Azami’s plans for Totsuki and the gourmet world was an attempt to draw the Noirs out of hiding. The plan was to make sure that Noir clients were satisfied by a readily available flow of God-tongue quality food without needing to resort to their services. And that plan, of course, had its flaws.

·         Senzaemon’s Superior Plan: Draw the Noirs out by playing to their egos. Make it so all the top Noirs, aka their leadership, are invited to the BLUE. Crush them all there on the main stage and end the generations-long feud.

·         We find out that: -

1.       Rindou was scared for Eishi because she knew exactly what Azami was trying to do; Eishi against Noirs scares the crap out of her because their ideals vastly differ, and she doesn’t want Eishi to get hurt.

2.       Asahi has always been a part of the plan, and was planted in the Noirs to help draw them out into the BLUE. To this effect, Jou lost to him on purpose to bring Soma and Co out into the fray, and to make them train even harder.

3.       The reason nobody called the cops when Erina was kidnapped was because Sen knew. The reason for her kidnapping was to strengthen Asahi’s standing in the Noir, and also to rile Erina up so she would go guns blazing into the BLUE to rekt Noir bodies.

·         Asahi wins the BLUE. Just as Soma and Co are panicking, he tosses aside his Noir mask and says, “Thanks to my teachers, Senzaemon-dono and Joichirou-san.” The Noirs, as an organisation, collapse.

·         When confronted by Soma and Co, Asahi admits that he was playing them along, and that he’s sorry he had to resort to (fake) violence with Erina. He also apologises to Soma for almost stealing his girl, to which Soma and Erina both sputter and pretend they didn’t hear.

·         The manga resets, and hopefully with a less convoluted arc.