The choice of competition format lay with Beatrice. After agonizing over the decision for a long while, she finally spoke.
"A Black Tea Showdown, please."
"Contestant Beatrice has selected a Black Tea Showdown! Does she believe this offers her the best chance to close the gap with Chairman Ein? Whatever the reason, following the finals, the format for this match has once again been set as a Black Tea Showdown!"
In a way, it was probably the safest choice. According to the commentary, Beatrice had broken through her shell during the finals and evolved beyond the rank of a Super Maid. It stood to reason that the tea she had produced in that battle was her strongest weapon.
Even so, challenging Ein with tea felt more than a little reckless.
"I see... tea it is," Ein noted calmly.
"Yes. I grasped the sensation during the final match. With my current skills, even without triggering a Maid Burst..."
"Wait, what is this?! Behind Contestant Beatrice as she prepares the tea, the Angel of Black Tea we saw in the finals has manifested once more!"
I still couldn't see a thing, but apparently, the Angel was back. This meant Beatrice had completely mastered the technique she used to defeat Alexandra in the finals.
Watching her, Ein let out a faint smile, visible even from a distance. Then, just as Beatrice finished brewing her cup, Ein began to move.
"Splendid growth. By the way... is the 'God of Black Tea' you mentioned something like this?"
"What?!"
"Wh-What is this?! A divine God of Black Tea has appeared behind Chairman Ein! What a staggering presence..."
Apparently, in response to Beatrice’s Angel, Ein had manifested a God. I couldn't see either of them, of course, but I really wished they would stop with these mysterious supernatural battles.
"Ultimate movements are inhabited by visions worthy of them," Ein explained. "However, for a performance to project a God to others, one must be in a state of having truly mastered the art. Conversely, if one has achieved such mastery, they can manifest the God of Black Tea even if they aren't a maid. It is a matter of technique, conviction, and experience. You have not yet reached this level. Continue to devote yourself to your craft."
"Kh..."
"Contestant Beatrice has fallen to her knees! Is this the end?!"
"...I surrender," Beatrice whispered.
Ein’s dominance was overwhelming. And I really wished she’d stop using maid theory to claim that just anyone could manifest a tea god. Even if they could, no one but a maid would be able to see the damn thing.
"Th-That was an incredible battle," Frau stammered. "As expected of Chairman Ein... she is absolute."
"Indeed," Luna added. "Beatrice-sama showed techniques worthy of a Super Maid, but Chairman Ein didn't even break a sweat. The peak she stands upon is simply too high."
As usual, Frau and Luna were caught up in the fervor, discussing the battle with breathless excitement. Since Beatrice had conceded, the match ended in Ein's victory.
"The challenge to Chairman Ein has once again ended in her overwhelming victory. Will we ever have the chance to see her truly give her all? At any rate, the matches conclude here, and we will now proceed to the award ceremony—Oh?"
The announcer cut off mid-sentence. The reason was simple: a new figure had appeared in the arena before anyone noticed.
It was a woman with long black hair dressed in a maid uniform. Her face was hidden behind a mask. There was no mistaking it—it was Alice. She had clearly changed her appearance for this.
"Who is that? That maid... wait, that’s strange," Frau muttered. "I can't feel a Maidric Aura at all."
"Y-Yes, I don't feel anything either," Luna agreed. "Does a maid without an aura even exist?"
They spoke with solemn expressions, but the answer was obvious. She wasn't a maid, so of course she didn't have a Maidric Aura.
As the arena fell into a confused hush at the sudden appearance of the mysterious maid, Ein spoke, a predatory smile spreading across her face.
"You’ve kept me waiting quite a long time. Finally, I can compete with you on this stage!"
Alice remained silent.
"Wh-What is this?! Chairman Ein’s Maidric Aura is surging with incredible intensity! Such... staggering... power..."
I didn't really understand what was happening, but Ein’s aura had apparently spiked. Frau, Luna, and the rest of the spectators were turning pale. Frau and Luna looked particularly distressed, their expressions pained.
"E-Even at this distance, it feels like my body is being crushed! What a terrifying aura..."
"Beatrice-sama is on her hands and knees, desperately enduring it! To be exposed to that from so close—No way?! That maid... she’s standing there perfectly fine, even while being bathed in that aura!"
"That's impossible! To be a maid and remain unfazed by that supreme aura... Unfazed... Ah, I see! It’s not that she doesn't have an aura. We just can't perceive it! It’s like a phantom..."
"A phantom... Could it be... the Phantom Maidric Aura?!"
The reason she was perfectly fine while exposed to that supreme aura was simple. I wanted to scream it. My heart was overflowing with the urge to shout, "She’s not a maid!" But in this atmosphere, there was no way I could say it. I could only stand there with a complicated expression on my face.
Supreme Maidric Aura Often called the ultimate aura, it can only be worn by those who have reached the true heights of the maid profession. This aura suppresses all other Maidric Auras, rendering the use of maid techniques impossible and exerting massive pressure on lower-ranked maids. Consequently, Ein usually suppresses this aura to its absolute limit.
Phantom Maidric Aura A mysterious aura said to be the only thing capable of rivaling the Supreme Maidric Aura. It cannot be sensed even slightly by those of lower rank, leading it to be described as a "phantom" because it seems as if it does not exist. It is said to be immune to the effects of any other aura; even the Supreme Maidric Aura can neither seal nor intimidate it. At least, that was how Ein described it—Alice, meanwhile, looked thoroughly annoyed by the whole explanation.