Hearing Chihaya Natsume's question, Yumeko Jabami explained with a smile. She had put a lot of thought into selecting the duck, finally settling on this water duck with crispy skin and tender meat.
"Excellent, the aroma of the braised duck is very rich. Just smelling it makes my body tremble slightly. That's perilla on top, right, and a faint fragrance of lemon leaves."
From the surface, one could only see a large amount of perilla and one or two lemon leaves, followed by the steaming braised duck served in a clay bowl. The rich aroma went straight to the heavens, making one's mouth water.
"Is there a portion for me?"
Looking at such a well-presented dish, Hoshino Sora immediately moved closer to Yumeko Jabami, blinking his eyes as he asked, looking exactly like a puppy begging for food.
"Yes, I've already prepared it for you. Have you prepared your dish for me?"
"Absolutely, otherwise, how can I make you lose convinced?"
"Anyone can talk big! The result still depends on the taste of the dish. This is a dish I've researched for a month, there's no way I could lose to someone like you who just cramming at the last minute…"
As she spoke, Yumeko Jabami picked up the Fire Roasted Duck Heart made by Hoshino Sora. Originally, she thought that her meticulously researched dish would easily defeat the opponent's casually presented dish.
But the result was…
Her arm flailed in mid-air, searching for a long time before finding the table to rest upon. Her chest rose and fell dramatically, and her face was filled with disbelief.
"This texture, how is this possible! Duck heart can actually be made crispy on the outside and tender on the inside like this!?"
A hint of shock flickered in her eyes, her mouth slightly agape. After chewing for a moment, Yumeko Jabami swallowed the duck heart, her calves still trembling uncontrollably.
"Indeed, this braised duck has improved a lot compared to your previous dishes. You must have added rock sugar to it, right? The fresh sweetness of the duck meat is exceptionally prominent."
While Yumeko Jabami was tasting Hoshino Sora's dish, Hoshino Sora was also tasting hers. The fresh and sweet duck meat was very distinctive, and this was probably the key point she wanted to express.
The rich dish bursting in the mouth felt exceptionally wonderful. Sweetness, oiliness, perilla flavor—all kinds of flavors converged in this pot of braised duck, creating an excellent experience!
Compared to the Autumn Elections period, Yumeko Jabami's culinary skills had matured greatly. She was an opponent that had to be taken seriously to be defeated!
"A duel of simplicity versus complexity?"
After tasting both dishes, the judge in the middle seat rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought. Although Fire Roasted Duck Heart was simple to make, it greatly tested one's skill, and the cooked texture and taste were excellent!
The braised duck had a rich flavor, for which much preparation had been done. The mellow taste was captivating, and the dish's flavor was intoxicating. It had to be said that the quality of both dishes was very high!
"If possible, please place green onion shreds and cilantro segments on the duck heart. Only then will this dish be a complete dish."
With a gentle voice, Hoshino Sora kindly reminded them, looking at the motionless green onion shreds and cilantro on the edge of the plate. While the focus of Fire Roasted Duck Heart was indeed the duck heart, the side dishes were also very important.
"The color of the side dish is the same as the plate, I actually subconsciously overlooked it, what a mistake!"
Looking at the side dishes on the plate, Chihaya Orie exclaimed in surprise. Because the color of the plate base was similar to the side dishes, and the Fire Roasted Duck Heart was exceptionally eye-catching, they hadn't noticed the side dishes next to it.
"Side dishes…"
Yumeko Jabami also noticed the side dishes next to her. Her expression clearly panicked for a moment, because a dish without side dishes and a dish with side dishes were completely different things.
"Try it, put the cilantro and green onion shreds on top of the duck heart, and then put them all in your mouth together."
Looking at Yumeko Jabami's slightly startled expression, Hoshino Sora kindly reminded her, then continued to taste the braised duck in his hand. He had to admit, the taste was truly excellent, fully expressing the fresh sweetness of the duck.
Currently, Yumeko Jabami's strength should be not much different from his during the Autumn Elections, perhaps even slightly superior. However, unfortunately, she was challenging him now.
"Mm."
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Yumeko Jabami nodded absently, then followed his instructions, placing the green onion shreds and cilantro segments on the duck heart and tasting them together.
"Ah~ How could this be! It's just adding side dishes, but the taste is completely different from before!"
"That's right, the spiciness of the green onion, the aroma of the cilantro, paired with the perfectly cooked and perfectly temperatured Fire Roasted Duck Heart, it's too wonderful!"
"So amazing!"
As her body twisted more and more, Hoshino Sora stepped forward and supported Yumeko Jabami.
She was currently looking down at the Fire Roasted Duck Heart on the plate, her eyes filled with disbelief. The warmth transmitted from within her body made her exceptionally shy, and her calves felt a little weak from the tingling sensation.
She lost, and she lost completely! Because her dish couldn't give her such an 'orgasmic' experience. At this moment, her skirt was already a mess, and it was fortunate that Hoshino Sora was supporting her, preventing a greater embarrassment.
The three judges behind her were even more so. Although sitting in their chairs made it impossible to see anything unusual, their expressions, which were desperately suppressing pleasure, truly made one's imagination run wild.
Especially since all of them were beautiful women, their rosy cheeks were incredibly alluring. Such actions made the audience below stare with wide eyes, and many sounds of swallowing could be heard.
"I lost, but next time I will definitely win!"
Her eyes instantly dimmed, as if speaking this sentence took all her strength. Nearly a month of research couldn't defeat a dish made casually by the other party. Was their gap really that big?
"I'll wait for you to defeat me. As long as you wish, I will accept your challenge anytime."
"Mm."
Noticing Yumeko Jabami's dejection, Hoshino Sora took her hand and, in front of everyone, embraced her, declaring his claim over her.
At this moment, the girl's body was still trembling slightly due to the influence of the dish. The lingering taste in her mouth made her unable to stop, and even her body occasionally trembled during the embrace.
"When we go back, I'll give you a treasure that can enhance your cooking skills. You'll definitely thank me. At that time, your culinary skills will also improve dramatically."
Noticing Yumeko Jabami's disappointment, Hoshino Sora whispered comforting words into her ear.
"What kind of thing can directly increase cooking skills?"
"It's a secret for now. You'll know when the time comes. Anyway, I promise you won't be disappointed."
Hearing the excited voice in his ear, Hoshino Sora smiled mysteriously. Feeling the tremor in his embrace lessen, he changed from hugging to holding hands: "Let's go back after the final result is announced."
"Okay."
Nodding, because she heard Hoshino Sora say there was a treasure that could enhance cooking skills, Yumeko Jabami's mind was in turmoil at this moment, with all sorts of imaginings floating in her mind.
What exactly was this mysterious treasure?
"Then I announce that the winner of this Shokugeki is Hoshino Sora, the Ten Elite First Seat!"
As time passed, the three judges unanimously wrote the three large characters of Hoshino Sora on the white paper with a brush. The outcome of the entire match was determined, and Kawashima Rei also announced the final winner.
If the Fire Roasted Duck Heart without side dishes and the braised duck were evenly matched, then the Fire Roasted Duck Heart with side dishes directly crushed the sweet and fresh braised duck!
The dishes on site were also completely eaten by the three judges the moment the winner was decided. Happiness radiated from each of their faces. A Shokugeki between the Elite Ten was truly wonderful!
[Task Completed]: Trial of the Brave
[Task Requirement]: Defeat the opponent. The Trial of the Brave will completely disappear if the Shokugeki is lost.
[Task Reward]: 5000 Reputation Points
"Can I borrow the microphone?"
Hearing the system prompt in his mind, Hoshino Sora's eyes instantly lit up. Wasn't it worthy of being the Elite Ten? It actually provided him with 5000 reputation points!
This feeling was too wonderful! At this time, he must give a speech.
Thinking of this, Hoshino Sora released Yumeko Jabami's hand and jogged to the stage, asking Kawashima Rei, who had just announced the match results.
"Ah? Of course, Hoshino Sora."
Looking at Hoshino Sora, who suddenly approached, and his incomparably handsome face, Kawashima Rei subconsciously swallowed her saliva, then somewhat infatuatedly handed him the microphone.
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