The moment the judging concluded, the entire venue exploded into chaos!
No one had expected it. No one could have predicted it.
Despite the undeniable deliciousness of the Black Forest cake, it had been utterly overwhelmed by Alice's molecular gastronomy.
"Whoa!"
"Are my eyes playing tricks on me?"
"Senpai lost just like that? Not a single vote for her Black Forest cake?"
"It's over. It's all over."
"I was thinking of joining the Dessert Culinary Research Society… but that dream's gone now."
"Sigh…"
"Even a 3:2 or a 4:1 loss would've been better than this."
"But to lose 5–0? That's just embarrassing."
"Starting school and already taking down upperclassmen… Alice Nakiri might be the freshman closest to reaching the Elite Ten!"
"Who knows? Either way… it's best to stay far away from the Nakiri sisters."
…
In an instant, the whole hall was abuzz with the aftermath of the first Shokugeki of the year.
Naturally, in Totsuki's ruthless environment, many harbored a sense of schadenfreude. One less research society was simply one less rival.
Meanwhile, Shiro stood frozen, his face drained of color.
"Why…?"
"Why did my proudest Black Forest cake lose?"
He struggled to accept the crushing reality of defeat.
"Senpai."
"If you're still not convinced… why not try my dish?"
Alice's voice was surprisingly gentle.
Instead of gloating over her overwhelming victory, she offered Shiro a plate of her creation.
The dish gleamed under the lights: light purple noodles, shining like strands of grape essence, glossy and vibrant.
A sweet, fresh scent wafted through the air — a pure, mellow aroma of grapes that was impossible to resist.
Shiro hesitated, then picked up a strand of the noodles.
At once, he could feel their silky texture, delicate yet resilient. They were thin and translucent, resembling strings of violet pearls.
Without thinking further, he placed them in his mouth.
The first sensation was the lively bounce of the noodles, dancing against his tongue like mischievous sprites. Then, an explosion of sweet-tart grape flavor flooded his mouth, both refreshing and rich.
As he swallowed, a lingering fruity aftertaste remained — so vivid it felt less like eating noodles, and more like savoring the very spirit of the grape itself.
"This… this dish…!"
Shiro's hands trembled slightly.
He understood.
His Black Forest cake, despite all the effort and skill behind it, could not match the creativity and innovation of Alice's dessert.
"The match is decided."
"According to the rules of this Shokugeki," Alice announced loudly, her voice carrying across the hall, "the Dessert Culinary Research Society is hereby disbanded."
Her words were absolute, her presence radiant.
Alice Nakiri might not have the overwhelming authority her cousin Erina possessed, but today, she proved she was a force to be reckoned with.
…
"Wait!"
"Please… don't destroy our society!"
Desperation clouded Shiro's face.
He clutched at the last threads of hope.
If he had known it would end like this, he would never have accepted Alice's challenge.
But regret was meaningless now.
The moment he lost, the society's fate was sealed.
"Hmm?"
Alice tilted her head slightly, a teasing smile playing on her lips.
"You think I'm going to destroy it?"
Shiro's heart leapt with fragile hope.
But Alice's next words crushed him completely.
"I'm not planning to demolish it. I'm simply turning your society's building into my first research lab."
Alice leaned in closer, whispering the cruel truth with a dazzling, wicked grin.
"No!"
"You… you can't!"
"That place… it was built by me and my senpai… it holds our dreams, our memories!"
"You can't just erase it like it's nothing!"
Shiro collapsed to the ground, clutching the hem of Alice's pants like a desperate child.
But Alice only looked down coldly.
"There's an old saying in Tian Dynasty: 'The victor becomes king, the loser turns to dust.'"
"I challenged Erina with the resolve to crush everything standing in my way."
"You should have understood that before you accepted my Shokugeki."
With a flick of her leg, Alice shook him off and walked away without another glance, her figure proud and untouchable.
"Demon… she's a demon…"
Behind her, Shiro sat stunned, despair filling his heart.
Totsuki Academy was merciless — and today, he had learned that the hard way.
Meanwhile, in the bustling streets of Akihabara—
Erina Nakiri strolled leisurely, a black rabbit doll clutched tightly in her arms.
Her steps were lighter than usual, and a small, satisfied smile played at the corners of her lips.
Technically, she hadn't won the doll herself.
Yet every time she remembered how easily Zane had snatched it with just a single coin, she couldn't suppress the warmth bubbling in her chest.
"Zane, about this doll…" she murmured, cheeks pink.
"If you like it, then consider it a gift from me."
Zane, ever nonchalant, replied with a simple "Oh."
Then he added, "Thanks."
Erina's heart skipped.
Her fingers clutched the doll tighter.
She stole a glance at Zane from the corner of her eye. He was casually walking beside her, completely unaffected.
But to Erina, everything about him now seemed different.
The manga he had lent her. His quiet understanding. His confident cooking.
The certainty she once held about him — about keeping her distance — had begun to crumble.
Terrifyingly, the more she got to know him, the closer they seemed to grow.
The invisible bond forming between them was something she could neither stop nor deny.
Even though she had tried.
Even though she told herself she shouldn't.
It was as if fate itself was weaving them closer together, thread by unseen thread.