With play-by-play commentary from the announcer filling the arena, the cooking duel between Ein-san and the Phantom Maid progressed steadily, with both competitors finishing their dishes with time to spare.
Neither had prepared a formal multi-course meal, opting instead for something resembling a single-tray set. Ein-san had crafted a menu centered on a refined meat dish; it felt like a high-end version of the Western-style platters one might find at a family restaurant.
Alice—or the Phantom Maid, as the crowd knew her—had prepared a quintessential Japanese set meal. The main protein was fried, so I assumed it was tonkatsu, though there was a chance it was a beef cutlet. Regardless, both looked mouth-watering.
"Both participants have completed their dishes! We will now proceed to the judging phase. From here, it appears both have intentionally chosen to present relatively simple fare."
Just as the announcer noted, they had indeed kept things simple... but I had a nagging suspicion they had done so specifically with me in mind.
I had never been comfortable with the kind of fancy, high-end French cuisine where table manners were more difficult than the eating itself; I had always preferred home cooking. Ein-san and Alice were undoubtedly aware of that, and they had likely prepared their dishes in a way that would be easy for me to enjoy.
At any rate, I started with Ein-san’s Western dish... and was immediately floored. It was incredible. The overall balance was nothing short of miraculous; while the meat took center stage, the other ingredients harmonized to elevate the flavor. It was a perfectly cohesive plate that I couldn't stop eating. Before I knew it, I had finished the entire thing.
It was honestly too good. It was so delicious that it killed my vocabulary; the only thought my brain could muster was a single, repetitive loop of how amazing it tasted.
As expected of Ein-san, her skills were truly in another dimension.
Next, I tried Alice’s Japanese meal. This, too, was dangerously delicious. The flavor hit my personal preferences with pinpoint accuracy. Whether it was the rice, the miso soup, or the cutlet, my only possible reaction was that it was supreme.
If I had to put it into words, it felt like a meal that had been calibrated to my tastes to an extreme degree. Everything was so perfect that I felt it couldn't possibly be improved upon. Despite having just finished Ein-san’s plate, I polished this one off just as quickly.
They were both truly formidable. Their culinary prowess was otherworldly... Right. And since this was a competition, I had to decide a winner...
...But I couldn't. How was I supposed to choose one over the other? This was way too hard. If they had both made the same dish, I might have stood a chance at judging them, but this was a showdown between Japanese and Western cuisine where both were at the absolute peak of quality. Determining a superior dish felt impossible.
"It appears all of our judges have finished their tasting. We will now move to the final evaluation! Judges, please slide the dish you favored to the front."
Wait, what? Hold on, I haven't decided yet! In my mind, they both scored a perfect hundred. There wasn't a single factor that allowed me to put one above the other. Besides, it wasn't as if I had a particularly refined palate; I couldn't even begin to grasp the subtle technical differences at this level.
"Oh! Judge Emily is the first to cast her vote, choosing the Phantom Maid’s plate!"
"I was deeply moved by the skill required to prepare a rice dish—which isn't common in our world—to such a flawless standard. I feel as though I’ve glimpsed a new culinary frontier."
"A fascinating perspective! Next, Judge Alexandra has put forward Chairman Ein’s dish!"
"Both dishes represent the pinnacle of world-class flavor, making it nearly impossible to rank them. In the end, I had to rely on my own preferences. To my eyes, the aesthetic presentation of Chairman Ein’s dish was slightly more elegant..."
The judging continued while I sat there agonizing, my sense of panic mounting. In my mind, they really were in a dead heat. Even factoring in my personal tastes, there wasn't a hair's breadth of difference between them. This was bad... what was I going to do?
"And now, Judge Beatrice has also put forward Chairman Ein’s dish!"
"This is an agonizingly difficult choice. Even now, I find myself wavering, but in the end, my personal preference led me to conclude that Chairman Ein’s dish was just barely superior."
"Finally, Judge Camellia has put forward the Phantom Maid’s dish!"
"It comes down to a matter of taste for me as well, but I found the preparation of the vegetables in the Phantom Maid's dish slightly more to my liking. Therefore, I cast my vote for the Phantom Maid."
"The tally is a perfect split—two to two! The final decision rests entirely with our Special Judge and Maid Advisor, Kaito-sama!!"
Whaaaaaaat!? No, stop! Don't do this! The responsibility of deciding the winner was way too heavy. From the perspective of the Maid World, this was the moment that would determine whether Ein’s legend of invincibility would finally come to an end. What was I supposed to do?
The "correct" ending, the one that would wrap things up cleanly, would be an Ein-san victory. It would be the natural conclusion to see the Zenith of the Maid World retain her title. On the other hand, if Alice won, it would be a historic event that might shake the very foundations of their world.
But I couldn't just pick Ein-san for a reason like that; it would be an insult to Alice's effort. What do I do? How am I supposed to handle this... Seriously... someone, help me!!
Natural God: "...I have heard his plea. I simply must help him."
Serious-senpai: "Wait, stop! What are you planning to do... are you really going to subject Kaito to even more stomach-turning stress...?"