Encouraged by Kotori's "Go for it, Big Brother! Win this with your true heart!" Shido took a deep breath, turned around, and stepped back onto the stage.
His gaze was firmer than before, filled with the conviction of victory.
However, the moment he stood still, he was met by an extremely displeased look from Phoenix-in Chinatsu.
Her icy blue eyes no longer held the previous aloofness or carefully constructed fragility, but instead carried clear dissatisfaction and a hint of... pouting?
(It's all this guy and his sister's fault!)
Chinatsu was furious internally.
(Standing there like two gate gods, staring constantly, preventing me from finding a well-ventilated corner to rest! I have to stand here like an idiot in front of the cooking station, toughing it out! What good is this tiny breeze doing!)
She felt like her back might be sweating again, making her mood even worse, so the look she directed at Shido naturally carried the color of displaced anger.
To outsiders, however, this looked more like her unwillingness to accept the crushing defeat of the previous round and her serious preparation for the final battle.
Shido felt a little guilty under this resentful gaze.
(As expected... she really cares about winning and losing. It seems I must treat this even more seriously!)
Instead of backing down, he straightened his posture even more, returning the gaze with determination, as if saying, "Bring it on! I won't lose this time either!"
Seeing his "high-spirited" appearance, Chinatsu became even angrier, so she simply let out a cold snort and turned her head away.
Just then, the trio finally finished distributing (or rather, having the dishes snatched from) the food carts and began clearing the stage.
Yamabuki Ai, holding a microphone, energetically dispersed the students who were still reluctantly lingering around the food carts:
"Alright, alright! Food time is temporarily over! The stage for the ultimate showdown needs to be cleared! Audience members, please return to your seats, the grand finale is about to begin!"
Yozakura Mai and Fujibakama Mii expertly wheeled the empty food carts off the stage and quickly tidied the surface.
The stage became neat once more, and the lights refocused. Yamabuki Ai walked to the center, Yozakura Mai and Fujibakama Mii stood on either side, and the large background screen lit up again.
"Thank you all for waiting—!!" Yamabuki Ai's voice boomed through the microphone, instantly capturing everyone's attention.
"After two rounds of fierce engagement, the score is—1 to 1! A tie! The final victor will now be revealed on this final stage!"
Yozakura Mai stepped forward, pushed up her nonexistent glasses, and the large screen displayed shocking, stylized text:
[Round Three: Heart and Creativity!]
"The theme for the final round is—'Heart and Creativity'!" Yozakura Mai explained rapidly.
"This is not just a competition of technique, but a clash of souls! It is the ultimate challenge of infusing the chef's emotions, stories, and imagination into the ingredients to create a unique, soul-stirring masterpiece!"
Fujibakama Mii's camera scanned the ingredients area for the final round, where completely different ingredients had been laid out: "Majikku! Final ingredients, released!"
The core theme ingredients for this round were listed on the large screen: ["The Dessert Stage of 'Infinite Possibilities'—Create Freely using 'Eggs,' 'Milk,' 'Flour,' and'Sugar' as the foundation!"]
At the same time, the dazzling array of free-use ingredients was displayed, even richer and more varied than the previous two rounds:
Flavor Core: Various high-quality chocolates (dark, milk, white), various fresh fruits (strawberries, mangoes, raspberries, lemons, etc.), nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios), spices (vanilla pods, cinnamon, cardamom), tea powders (matcha, black tea), alcoholic beverages (rum, liqueurs).
Texture Secrets: Gelatin, heavy cream, cream cheese, mascarpone, various starches, fermented butter.
Finishing Touches: Edible gold leaf, silver dragées, edible flowers, various molds.
"No restrictions! No constraints!" Yamabuki Ai opened her arms, her voice fervent.
"Whether it's exquisite wagashi, gorgeous Western cakes, or original fusion desserts! Both contestants will have 90 minutes to use their ingenuity and passion to create the dream masterpiece that best represents their 'Heart' and 'Creativity'!"
She dramatically pointed her arm toward the giant timer, which had just started its 90-minute countdown, and shouted with all her might:
"This is the materialization of the soul! It is the ultimate art of deliciousness! Round Three, 'Heart and Creativity'—Time... Start!"
"Ooooh—!!!" The atmosphere across the venue instantly reached a climax!
The countdown numbers began to tick. The final showdown had begun!
Shido and Chinatsu exchanged glances; electricity seemed to flash in the air.
Shido's eyes held unreserved determination, while Chinatsu's eyes carried the displeasure of being "disturbed" and an even colder fighting spirit (at least on the surface).
Both of them turned simultaneously and quickly walked toward the dessert ingredients area, which was full of infinite possibilities. The final confrontation was about to unfold on this sweet battlefield.