Round One: "Knife Skills and Freshness"
"Time up—the match begins!" Yamabuki Ai shouted excitedly into the microphone, announcing the official start of Round One.
The timer's digits began to tick down. Phoenix-in Chinatsu instantly entered a state of focus, the surrounding clamor seemingly cut off by an invisible barrier.
Her slender fingers elegantly stroked the chilled sea bream, her gaze focused and calm, like a master examining a jewel about to be sculpted.
Without the slightest hesitation, her left hand pressed steadily against the fish like a precise mechanical claw, while her right hand already grasped the gleaming Deba bōchō (heavy fish knife).
However, her next movement was not a crude chop, but rather—
The blade began to vibrate at high speed with a minute, barely perceptible amplitude, emitting a low, unnerving hum, like the hiss of a venomous snake poised to strike.
With a deft pull of her wrist, the vibrating tip of the knife seemed to gain life, accurately wedging into the junction between the gill and the body, and slicing downward!
In the first row, a girl who often prepared her own lunch box suddenly stood up, eyes wide:
"No way...! That spot is incredibly difficult to handle! The muscles and bones are complex; usually, you have to be very careful not to rupture the bile duct or crush the flesh... How, how did she slice through it as smoothly as cutting tofu?! What kind of technique is that?!"
The flash of the blade continued its fluid movement, clinging tightly to the curve of the central fish bone, making an extremely faint'shh-shh' sound.
It wasn't the sound of cutting, but rather the blade guiding the bone and flesh to separate naturally.
Amidst the flash of silver, an entire, flawless, and even translucent piece of fish fillet was perfectly separated, the skin cleanly left behind on the cutting board.
The entire process was seamless and flowing, without a single wasted motion, as if rehearsed a thousand times.
Yozakura Mai spoke rapidly, pushing up her non-existent glasses:
"There it is! The Phoenix Court Contestant is using the extremely advanced 'Blade Guidance' technique! By using high-frequency micro-vibrations, the blade cuts more easily into the gaps between the food fibers, while minimizing damage to the cell membranes to preserve the ultimate freshness! Look! Her Understanding of the sea bream's skeletal structure has reached an anatomical level! Not a single error!"
At this moment, the large screen in the center of the venue lit up cooperatively, displaying the sea bream's skeletal structure, highlighting the complex area where Chinatsu had just cut, along with a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of the "Blade Guidance" technique, drawing another round of gasps from the audience.
Next, she placed the perfect fillet on the cutting board and switched to a lighter, thinner, and sharper Yanagiba bōchō (long slicing knife).
She took a deep breath, leaning slightly forward, forming an elegant and stable bow shape.
The next moment, she moved. Hikigiri (Pull Cut)—the blade was held almost parallel to the cutting board, not pushed by arm strength, but pulled in a long, fluid cut using the power of her entire body, pivoting from her waist.
Her movements possessed a unique sense of rhythm and power; every breath was synchronized with the movement of the blade.
Yamabuki Ai gestured excitedly:
"It's the legendary technique, 'Hikigiri'! The pinnacle of sashimi preparation! Look at the Phoenix Court Contestant's posture! It is as beautiful as a dance! This requires perfectly coordinated control over the strength of the wrist, elbow, and waist! The angle and force of every single slice must be absolutely identical!"
"Swoosh—"
"Swoosh—"
The sound of the blade hitting the cutting board was almost nonexistent, replaced only by the extremely faint sound of the fish flesh parting.
With every elegant pull, a slice of sea bream sashimi, thin as a cicada's wing and nearly transparent, quietly took shape and was gently moved aside.
Every slice was perfectly uniform in thickness, size, and shape, radiating a lustrous glow under the lights; one could even clearly see the wood grain of the dark cutting board beneath the flesh.
The entire venue continued to murmur in awe:
"So... so incredible..." "The thickness... it's unbelievable..."
"It feels like it would float away if you blew on it..."
"How on earth did she make them so uniform?! A machine couldn't do better than this!"
Tobiichi Origami, seated at the judging panel, offered a calm assessment:
"Knife switching timing: perfect. 'Hikigiri' technique angle control error: below 0.5 degrees. Fish muscle integrity: 99.8%, juice loss rate: far below standard. Extremely high efficiency."
Murasame Reine, also seated at the judging panel, spoke with slight weariness but hit the nail on the head:
"...The vibrating knife technique effectively reduced tearing of muscle fibers, slowed the rate of ATP degradation, and fully preserved the flavor compounds. A perfect display of technique."
Just as everyone was still immersed in Chinatsu's dazzling and precise performance—
Fujibakama Mii suddenly swung the camera to the other side: "Majikku! While we marvel at the Phoenix Court Contestant's divine skill, the Itsuka Contestant hasn't fallen behind at all! Look!"
The camera switched, showing Itsuka Shido equally focused. He was using a general-purpose Santoku bōchō (all-purpose knife), and his technique was drastically different from Chinatsu's flashy display.
His movements were solid and steady. The cuts were decisive and the angles precise, relying on long-honed experience and feel.
He also skillfully skinned, deboned, and sliced the sea bream into sashimi.
His slices might not have the extreme thinness of Chinatsu's, but they were uniformly thick, the flesh moist and glossy, possessing the substantial feel unique to handmade food.
Occasionally, he would gently touch the thickness and elasticity of a slice, a serious yet satisfied expression on his face, as if confirming that every "family member" was in optimal condition.
Yamabuki Ai shouted, clutching the microphone:
"The Itsuka Contestant is just as impressive! Look at those solid fundamentals! Every slice is filled with the warmth of handmade care! He truly deserves his reputation as the strongest househusband in our class!"
"Classmate Itsuka is amazing too!"
"He looks so reliable!"
"Two different styles, but both look delicious!"
"Go for it! Show the beautiful transfer student your tamashii (soul)!"
"That's Itsuka for you, easily doing things the rest of us can't!"
Tonomachi Hiroto, also serving as a judge, sat at the panel, continuously taking photos with his phone:
"Hmm... While you certainly have skills, Shido, my Younger Sister Chinatsu is still more... (He was muffled by someone next to him)"
"Hold it, what are you saying, you idiot!"
Teacher Tamae, resting her face on one hand next to Hiroto, smiled excitedly:
"Oh my, Classmate Shido's technique is very steady! You can tell he often cooks for his family and friends; it's full of love!"
Both contestants, with drastically different styles, had flawlessly completed the preparation of the sea bream, laying a solid foundation for the next steps. The contrast between ice and fire on the field grew even sharper.