The final round had arrived. The five teams that made it to the championship were standing at attention, all prepared for the decisive showdown.
"Welcome, everyone, to the grand finale of the Culinary Tournament!"
The host's voice rang out with infectious enthusiasm. "After a full day of fierce competition, fists flying and flames blazing, our five finalist teams have emerged!"
"Since these exceptional contestants are already familiar to everyone, I won't waste time introducing them one by one. Instead, let me explain the final round's rules!"
"But before that," the host grinned mischievously, "I have a question for our audience and contestants. What's something you can't do without at sea, must have at a feast, and even need before bed?"
From the crowd came boisterous replies:
"Pretty girls!"
"Meat!"
"Alcohol!"
"Exactly!" the host shouted. "No one can live without alcohol! So, the final competition... is a cocktail challenge!"
"Cocktail mixing?" Tifa's heart gave a sudden flutter. If that was the challenge, then this round was as good as hers.
"Take a look!" the host gestured dramatically as the red curtain behind him was pulled aside, revealing an array of cocktail ingredients and spirits in dazzling variety.
"The rules are simple: Each team must mix a signature cocktail. The judges will score it based on taste and appearance. The team with the highest total score wins!"
"But take note - each team may select no more than five different base spirits. Supplies are limited. Waste is forbidden. Once mixing begins, changes are not allowed."
"Let the final round... begin!"
As the last word fell, Tifa cast a glance at Ethan Chen, then charged straight for the ingredient table.
She already knew what she wanted to make: her specialty, Meteor Gorge.
As for Ethan and the others, she'd have to teach them how to prepare simpler cocktails on the spot.
Mixology wasn't too difficult as long as someone was guiding you. Add the ingredients in the correct order and amounts, shake a few times, and pour - that was the essence.
With that in mind, Tifa quickly secured the ingredients for Meteor Gorge:
Cranberry juice, sea salt, whiskey...
Just as she reached for the whiskey, another hand grabbed it at the same time. She locked eyes with the other contestant, and before he could react, she delivered a swift upward kick that sent him sprawling - eliminating the competition in a flash.
Having lived in this world for several days now, Tifa had come to understand one truth:
In this world, only fists speak the final word.
Seizing the whiskey, she quickly added Johnny Black, almond liqueur, lemon, and a bucket of ice to her collection and carried everything back to her team's station.
"Ethan, I'll teach you how to make a cocktail - the Godfather."
"The Godfather? I've heard of it. Classic choice."
"Mm, this is my modified version. It's a bit different from the standard one. I'll guide you through it. You do the mixing."
"Got it."
"Start with the ice. Stir it a bit, then add 50 ml of Johnny Black…"
Ethan followed her instructions closely. Under the supervision of bar owner Tifa, he steadily added each ingredient. After the final stir, he garnished the drink with a twist of lemon peel. A ruby-colored Godfather cocktail now sat proudly before him.
"All done," Tifa said, satisfied. "Even if the ingredients differ slightly from what I'm used to, the flavor should still be on point."
With that, she dashed back to the stage to help 2B and Mona pick out their cocktail ingredients. Only after they had their drinks underway did Tifa begin preparing her signature Meteor Gorge.
"All whiskey-based cocktails?" one of the judges, an older man known for his refined palate, remarked. "Whiskey is a man's drink. The flavor's hard to go wrong with, but from a presentation standpoint, it lacks flair. Appearance-wise, I can only give it an 8."
"I understand," Tifa responded calmly. "But a drink's worth isn't judged by appearance alone, is it?"
"True," the judge nodded. "Appearance counts for only ten percent. The real weight is in the flavor - that's ninety."
He picked up Ethan's Godfather, gave it a swirl, inhaled the aroma, then took a small sip. Without another word, he quietly noted his score.
The other judges did the same, sipping and scoring without much commentary.
The drinks so far were decent - pleasant enough, but none had truly dazzled.
Then came Meteor Gorge.
The judges' expressions finally changed.
"This one…"
"It's called Meteor Gorge," Tifa explained. "It's the signature cocktail of the Seventh Heaven."
"Meteor Gorge, huh? Impressive." The old judge downed the remainder in one gulp and set the glass down with a satisfying thud. "I'll give this one a ninety."
Then he moved on to the next team.
Tifa turned to Ethan. "Think we can win?"
"At least we gave it our best," Ethan said as he nervously took her hand, unsure if this would be their final moment as teammates.
"Yeah."
After sampling each drink, the judges returned to their seats and whispered among themselves. Finally, they passed a slip of paper to the host.
The host took a look and stepped back onstage. Raising his voice, he announced,
"The winner of this Culinary Tournament is... Team 88!"
The group froze for a second before bursting into cheers, hugging one another in unrestrained joy.
Mission: "Food is Heaven, Taste is King"
Companion Requirement: A cook (preferably female, no unusual fetishes)
Mission Status: Complete
Reward: 1 Skill Point (freely assignable; irreversible once chosen)
Side Quest: Culinary Showdown
Objective: Win the Culinary Tournament
Status: Complete
Reward: Permanent Summon - Tifa Lockhart
Bonus Reward: Due to exemplary performance in Antia Town, an additional Skill Point is awarded.
Two reward notifications rang out in Ethan's mind, sending a wave of euphoria through him.
Securing Jerusalem was now in the bag.
Overwhelmed with joy, Ethan leaned in and kissed Tifa deeply, their lips and tongues entwining in a fervent embrace.
Not one to be left out, 2B joined in - pressing her lips to theirs, their three mouths mingling, their tongues twisting in shared passion.
It was Tifa's first time experiencing such a kiss, and she was caught completely off guard. She tried to pull away, but with Ethan's arm firmly wrapped around her shoulders, she had no choice but to submit - their tongues dancing, their lips exchanging warmth, as both Ethan and 2B devoured her mouth in turn.
"Enough already!"
A furious Mona, who had been left out due to her shorter stature, pushed them apart. Her cheeks flushed, she scolded them, "We're in public, you know! There are people watching! Have some decency!"
"Sorry, got carried away," Ethan said with an apologetic smile. Then he wrapped his arm around Mona's waist, pulled her in, and planted a deep, lingering kiss on her lips.
Tifa watched, stunned, as Mona didn't even resist.
So even Mona's on board now…
Looks like the relationships on this ship are way more tangled than I thought.
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