The richness of the coffee liqueur, the creamy fragrance of the mascarpone cheese, the moist softness of the soaked ladyfingers, the slight bitterness of the cocoa powder... Every flavor reached textbook standards. The texture was impeccable, and the layers of flavor were distinct.
This was undoubtedly an extremely authentic Tiramisu, crafted with peerless skill.
However, after tasting Shido's mousse, which was full of "sincerity" and unique memorable points, this absolute "perfection" seemed to lack that unique "soul" that could strike deep into the heart.
It was perfect, but precisely because of this, it felt a bit... standard, lacking unexpected warmth and emotional resonance.
After the teacher seriously tasted it: "Very, very delicious! Extremely authentic! But... compared to Classmate Itsuka's, it feels like it's missing a certain... heartwarming touch?"
Tobiichi Origami: "The technical execution is flawless. Flavor reproduction is 99.9%. But in terms of 'uniqueness' and 'emotional added value,' it falls slightly short."
Murasame Reine: "...All parameters have reached optimal values. But it lacks a 'nonlinear emotional variable,' similar to the special syrup."
After the trio discussed it: "It's super delicious! But it tastes about the same as what we'd eat at a famous Italian restaurant... whereas Itsuka-kun's is truly one-of-a-kind!"
Tonomachi Hiroto struggled painfully: "Perfect! Younger Sister Chinatsu's cooking is perfect! But... Shido's... has the taste of 'home'! Ugh..."
[Voting Segment]
The result was practically predetermined the moment the tasting ended.
Tobiichi Origami did not hesitate: "Itsuka Shido."
Murasame Reine calmly pointed: "Itsuka Shido."
The trio said in unison: "We vote for Classmate Itsuka!"
The teacher looked toward Chinatsu with apologetic but firm eyes: "I'm sorry, Classmate Hōōin, your work is outstanding... but Classmate Itsuka's dish moved my heart more. I vote for Classmate Itsuka."
Tonomachi Hiroto made one last struggle, letting out a wail, and finally pointed at Shido: "Younger Sister Chinatsu, I'm sorry—! Shido's'sincerity' is just too much of a cheat code!"
5:0!
"The results are in—!!" Yamabuki Ai shouted excitedly.
"The winner of the third round,'Sincerity and Creativity,' is—Classmate Itsuka Shido! And with a total score of 2 to 1, he has won the final victory of the Raizen High School Dream Cuisine Showdown—!!"
The venue erupted in thunderous applause and cheers! Surrounded by the crowd, Shido scratched his head awkwardly, his face radiating joy and relief.
---
Amidst this scene of jubilation, Phoenix-in Chinatsu was unusually silent.
Her icy blue eyes were fixed intently on Shido's mousse, which had been tasted and was sitting on the judges' table.
Without saying a word, she walked over, picked up a clean spoon, and carefully scooped a negligible amount from the edge of the mousse, putting it into her mouth.
She closed her eyes and savored it meticulously.
The next second, she snapped her eyes open! Her pupils contracted sharply, as if she had perceived something that completely overturned her Understanding.
(Now is the time!)
Without the slightest hesitation, her body moved, and she instantly appeared like a phantom in front of the cooking station Shido had just used! Her speed was so fast that the cheers momentarily stalled!
"What is she doing?!" Everyone was stunned.
Chinatsu's gaze was sharp as a scanner, quickly sweeping over Shido's remaining ingredients, the jar of special syrup, and every piece of kitchenware he had used—the spatula, the mixing bowl, the thermometer... Then, her hands moved!
Jurisprudence Authority—Perfect Imitation, activated!
Her movements were no longer the elegant precision of her personal style, but rather an exact, perfect replication of Shido's every previous action!
From the way he held the knife, to the angle of stirring, to the force applied by the wrist, and even that momentary hesitation when switching the heat... everything was identical!
Utilizing the Jurisprudence Authority's ultimate perception and control over the flow of matter and energy, she achieved a theoretically impossible 100% precise reproduction in terms of physical properties and operational procedures.
She even used the Authority to microscopically analyze the composition of Shido's jar of special syrup and perfectly simulated it during the process!
The entire process was like pressing a replay button, only the speed was increased several times over.
A raspberry chocolate mousse, virtually indistinguishable from Shido's in appearance, texture, and aroma, appeared in her hands.
She immediately tasted it again.
Meticulously, analyzing it with every sense she could muster... and then—
"Bang!!!"
With a loud crash, her fists slammed heavily onto the cooking station, making the utensils rattle.
She lowered her head deeply, her icy blue hair falling to obscure her face. Only her shoulders could be seen trembling slightly.
In the silence, her trembling voice, filled with disbelief and the agony of shattered conviction, clearly echoed throughout the pin-drop quiet venue:
"I cannot accept this..."
"It's clearly... the same ingredients... the same utensils... and even... the exact same cooking technique..."
"Why... why are they two different flavors?!"
She suddenly lifted her head. Her face was no longer the usual cool indifference, but was instead filled with obsession, confusion, and a mixture of "anger" and "unwillingness" at the subversion of "absolute rationality."
Her icy blue eyes locked onto Shido, as if trying to see through him, and her voice abruptly rose:
"I cannot accept this! Cooking... cooking should be able to achieve the same result through precise calculation and perfect reproduction!"
"Data does not lie! Technique can be copied! Why is it that your... your'sincerity'... can create variables that data cannot explain?! Why can't it be perfectly replicated?!"
These words, full of stubborn adherence to the belief that "cooking is absolute science" and frustration when facing the unquantifiable, perfectly portrayed a genius who prioritized technique above all else.
This was the result of a fierce cognitive conflict and mental turmoil arising from encountering a phenomenon that existing theoretical frameworks could not explain.
The entire venue was silent.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden, dramatic, and impactful scene.
They watched the transfer student, who had always been as cool and perfect as an iceberg, now displaying such a "vulnerable" and "obsessed" side because she could not replicate her opponent's "sincerity."
Shido was also startled. He looked at Chinatsu's eyes, which were full of "unwillingness," and his heart was filled with complex emotions.
(She... is actually so obsessed with technique and replication? To this extent?)
Only Chinatsu herself knew how perfect this performance of "breakdown" was.
(Good... The persona of the 'cooking fanatic obsessed with technique who cannot comprehend sincerity' has been completely established, and the point of 'inability to understand Shido's sincerity' has been brought to the forefront in the most intense way possible... Now, you should come and 'capture' me, Itsuka Shido? That way, I won't attract the ultimate boss, Takamiya Mio.)
This spectacular cooking showdown finally concluded with a shocking finale, orchestrated entirely by Phoenix-in Chinatsu in the form of a "shattering of conviction." And the true confrontation, perhaps, had only just begun.