With the end of the third singles match, Hyōtei had already secured two victories. Now, they only needed to win one more match, either in the second or first singles, to defeat Rikkai Dai and advance to the Kanto Tournament finals.
Atobe, with his eyes closed, made his way to the player bench. Immediately, the team members rushed to hand him ice-cold towels. Atobe placed the towel over his eyes, hoping to ease the pain.
Oshitari stood up and stretched his body. When he returned from warm-up, the match was still in the tiebreak. Seeing Atobe's state, Oshitari took a deep breath, his gaze firm as he approached the sidelines.
On the other side, Rikkai Dai's player bench was quiet. Sanada, panting heavily, slowly walked to Yukimura. With a low voice, he said, "Sorry, Yukimura! I've disappointed you again."
"No need to apologize, Gen'ichirō! You did your best. Go rest now," Yukimura said calmly, showing no sign of reproach. He could tell that Sanada had given it his all. There was nothing more to say—this time, Atobe had simply won.
Meanwhile, Niō Masaharu slowly stood up, pulling a hair tie from his pocket. He gathered his hair into a small ponytail and then grabbed his racket as he walked toward the court.
"Next, we have the second singles match, with Rikkai Dai's Niō Masaharu facing Hyōtei Academy's Oshitari Yūshi. Please welcome both players to the court!"
Niō and Oshitari entered the court, Oshitari's expression solemn, while Niō wore a sinister smile. However, both Yagyū Hiroshi and Yanagi Renji knew that this version of Niō was truly terrifying.
As they reached the net for the pre-match bow, Oshitari sighed and said, "I never imagined we would meet like this, two doubles players, facing off in singles."
"Fufu, riding a black horse forward and backward—it's inevitable," Niō said cryptically, causing a puzzled look from Oshitari.
With that, they didn't speak much more. After the referee's prompt, the two began to choose who would serve first. Niō won, as expected. For anyone who knew Niō, it was clear that he was always the one to serve.
"The first game starts now! Rikkai Dai's Niō Masaharu to serve!"
"Hyōtei's genius, Oshitari Yūshi? Let's see what happens, fufu," Niō muttered to himself from the baseline.
As Niō finished speaking, his form suddenly blurred. A figure, unanticipated by the other players, appeared where Niō had just been standing. It was none other than Hyōtei's former captain, Ochi Tsukimitsu!
"No way! He actually summoned Ochi-senpai's Illusion!" Oshitari said, his mouth twitching. The terrifying height of Tsukimitsu's figure had been replicated by Niō's Illusion.
On the sidelines, Ryōma rubbed his eyes in disbelief. He wasn't sure if he had seen it right, but no matter how he looked, the person on the court was definitely not Niō Masaharu.
"What's going on? Did they switch players?" Ryōma asked, confused. Even the three small ones were left speechless.
"Didn't you have a match with Niō during the training camp, Ryōma-chan? No wonder you're surprised. That's Niō's special ability—Illusion!" Kikumaru explained to Ryōma.
"Illusion?" Ryōma still didn't fully understand.
"To put it simply, Niō can use his Illusion technique to create any player and mimic their play. As long as he has gathered data on a player, he can summon their Illusion," Inui said, speaking calmly.
"Seriously? But the Illusion Niō summoned just now was wearing the team uniform of another school. I've never seen that before," Ryōma said, staring at the "Ochi" Illusion wearing the uniform of the Neon Team.
"You'll understand more after the national tournament!" A voice suddenly cut through the conversation. It was Akashi.
Hearing Akashi's words, Fuji's eyes shot open as he looked at Akashi and asked, "Is it confirmed?"
"Yes, after the national tournament, we will all gather there," Akashi nodded.
"I see. That's why you said that during the last match, Akashi-kun!" Fuji spoke seriously.
"Captain, Akashi-senpai, what are you talking about?" Ryōma asked, still confused.
"Like Akashi-kun said, you'll know soon enough. For now, you need to focus on improving yourself, Ryōma," Fuji said seriously.
"It looks like I need to develop new drinks to help everyone replenish their energy!" Inui said quietly from the side.
On the court, the "Ochi" Illusion took out a tennis ball, his long bangs covering his face. He tossed the ball into the air and began his serving motion.
Oshitari barely noticed the ball coming his way. A moment later, he heard it hit the ground behind him, and he couldn't believe it. Although he knew Ochi-senpai's serve was unbeatable, this was just Niō's Illusion!
"ACE! 15-0!"
"That serve looked a lot like the one Akashi-senpai just did!" Ryōma said unconsciously.
"It's not just similar, it is! That's called the Mach Serve! But neither Akashi nor Niō's Illusion has used its full power. That serve only went at 253 km/h," Inui explained.
Akashi glanced at Inui and was genuinely impressed. He had the Emperor Eye, so he could discern the speed of the ball, but how Inui had figured it out was impressive. Was the data tennis really that incredible?
Regardless of Oshitari or the others' shock, "Ochi" remained calm. He pulled out the second ball, tossed it, and in the next instant, it appeared in Oshitari's backcourt, bouncing out of bounds.
"ACE! 30-0!"
"ACE! 30-0!"
"ACE! 40-0!"
"GAME! Rikkai Dai Fuzoku! 1-0!"
Using the Illusion of Ochi Tsukimitsu, Niō effortlessly took his service game with four Mach serves, leaving Oshitari standing there, unable to react at all.
This shocked Oshitari deeply. He could barely return the new cannonball serve from Fēng Chángtài, but Niō's Illusion Mach serves left him no time to react. If the real Ochi-senpai had served that, how strong would it have been?
"How does it feel to play against Hyōtei's former captain?" Niō asked Oshitari with a playful grin.
"To be honest, it really surprised me. I didn't expect your Illusion abilities to reach this level," Oshitari responded with a bitter tone.
"Well, this is my limit. I don't think I'll be able to use that serve again anytime soon," Niō smiled.
"Oh? You're telling me this important information out of kindness?" Oshitari didn't believe Niō's words.
"Well, who knows? Fufu~" Niō blew a bubble from his mouth.
The second game was Oshitari's serve. As Oshitari prepared to serve, Niō's figure blurred again. A figure appeared in front of everyone—someone with messy hair, wearing Fudomine's official team uniform. It was none other than the highly praised one-half of the best doubles team in the country, Chitose Senri.
From outside the court, Chitose was even more intrigued, watching without caring about Niō using his Illusion technique to mimic him. Even Ootori Choutarou, also watching, found this interesting.
"Chitose, huh? Well, let's give it a try!" Oshitari's glasses glinted in the light.
At the baseline, Oshitari held a tennis ball in his left hand, gave it a counterclockwise spin, and then released it to fall freely.
Once the ball dropped to the right spot, Oshitari swung his racket from below, applying a strong spin. The ball flew straight toward "Chitose."
"Disappearing serve!"
"It seems like the captain's skill really works—so many people can use it," Ryōma commented from the sidelines.
"I'll take that as a compliment from you, Ryōma!" Fuji replied with a smile.
"Chitose" watched the ball disappear in the air, quickly stepping back to the right and then swiping at the air with his racket. The ball appeared on the racket and was returned immediately.
"The disappearing ball isn't the only one who can do it! Kamikakushi!" "Chitose" said with a laugh, his voice sounding exactly like the real Chitose.
After the ball flew over the net, it disappeared from Oshitari's sight, but he didn't panic. He quickly ran to the baseline and, upon reaching the backcourt, swung his racket at the air with force. A tennis ball appeared on the racket and was sent back.
"D?F?D?R!"
"Chitose" watched the ball come and suddenly emitted a seven-colored glow from his body. He focused the energy into his legs, quickly reaching the landing point. The light moved to his right hand, and with a forehand, he sent the ball back with tremendous force.
"Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami!"
Oshitari furrowed his brow but immediately ran to the landing point. With both hands on his racket, he met the incoming ball. However, it seemed like he hadn't fully adjusted to the power of the ball, so he ended up hitting a lob.
"Chitose" quickly moved to the net, leaping high to slam the ball. The ball sped toward Oshitari's frontcourt.
But just before it hit the ground, the ball was intercepted by a racket. Oshitari spun around and used centrifugal force to return "Chitose's" slam. The ball flew high, following a parabola, and dropped toward the baseline.
"Higuma Otoshi!"
It turned out that Oshitari's seemingly uncontrolled shot was actually a trap, designed to wait for the opponent's slam and allow him to hit the Higuma Otoshi.
However, as soon as "Chitose" landed, his form twisted, and "Kite" appeared at the baseline. With a diagonal backhand, the ball was sent across the net and smashed into the sideline, flying out of bounds while Oshitari was still executing the Higuma Otoshi move.
"0-15!"
"Oh? This guy even learned my 'Shukuchiho' technique?" Kite said, surprised.
"It seems he only mastered the front-back movement," Krauser coldly observed.
Looking at the shifting figure of Niō, who had transformed from "Kite" back into "Chitose," Oshitari suddenly felt a headache. Niō's technique was far too tricky, making it feel like he was facing multiple opponents at once.
Despite the difficulty, Oshitari knew he had to keep pushing. If things went as expected, Yukimura would take the first singles match for Rikkai, and Hyōtei's chances of winning were close to zero. He had to win this match against Niō.
Taking a deep breath, Oshitari hit the "disappearing serve" again. However, the move didn't work against "Chitose," who easily countered with "Kamikakushi."
Oshitari immediately saw through the Illusion's movements and returned a side spin ball, immediately running toward the net. It was clear that he couldn't match "Chitose" from the baseline.
"S?S?A?S!"
Seeing this, "Chitose" activated Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami again, adding extra power to his swing. But as Oshitari reached the net, he leaped high and slammed the ball down.
The ball hit the racket handle of "Chitose" unexpectedly, causing the racket to fly out of his hands. The ball bounced back into the air, and Oshitari quickly jumped again, slamming the ball once more.
"Rondo Towards Destruction!"
The tennis ball flew past 'Chitose,' exploded at his feet, and bounced out of bounds. His racket had been knocked away, and 'Chitose' could only watch as Oshitari scored with a smash.
"15-15!"
"Not bad~" After picking up his racket, 'Chitose' spoke with a playful tone, looking at Oshitari.
"Well~ I advise you not to say such inappropriate things to someone else's face, Niō!" Oshitari shot back.
'Chitose' shrugged and didn't say anything else. He turned around and went back to the baseline, waiting for Oshitari's next serve. Oshitari, without hesitation, immediately hit a diagonal serve, knowing that the disappearing serve wouldn't work anymore.
'Chitose' used the power of "Mu" to quickly reach the landing point, then immediately returned with a doubled shot. Oshitari, however, responded with a backhand Jack Knife, clearly trying to force 'Chitose' into a lob.
But this time, he miscalculated. 'Chitose' met the ball with both hands, and with the power of "Muga," he returned it with even greater force. As soon as the ball made contact with Oshitari's racket, the racket was knocked out of his hands.
"30-15!"
Oshitari picked up his racket and returned to the baseline, his mind racing as he tried to figure out how to counter 'Chitose's' Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami. With just two or three of those balls, his own strength would no longer be able to keep up.
But just as Oshitari stood at the baseline, 'Chitose's' power of "Muga" surged into his brain, and his entire body was surrounded by seven-colored light, sparkling stars flashing around his hair.
"Saiki Kanpatsu no Kiwami!"
"4 balls!" 'Chitose' made an absolute prediction.
Oshitari instantly grew irritated. This Niō could even Illusion the ability of Saiki Kanpatsu, it was like cheating! But he still managed to suppress his frustration and threw the ball for the next serve.
After making his absolute prediction, 'Chitose' converted his power of "Muga" into Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami and began a counterattack against Oshitari. Sure enough, on the fourth ball, Oshitari's racket was again knocked out of his hands, and the ball flew out of bounds.
"40-15!"
After picking up his racket again, Oshitari's pupils suddenly lost focus, and his presence seemed to diminish, his face becoming expressionless.
"Closed Mind!"
"Oh? You plan to use Closed Mind to block Saiki Kanpatsu no Kiwami? Don't underestimate the power of 'Muga,' Oshitari!" 'Chitose' said with a bit of amusement.
"Niō really does mimic you well!" Kikumaru, watching from the sidelines, said with a laugh.
"Yes! He certainly has some of my flair~" 'Chitose' also smiled.
On the court, 'Chitose' entered the state of Saiki Kanpatsu no Kiwami again. Even though Oshitari had locked his heart, it didn't affect his mental simulation.
"6 balls!" 'Chitose' made another absolute prediction.
In the state of Closed Mind, Oshitari didn't show any emotional fluctuations. He tossed the ball high and hit a sharp-angled baseline shot.
The two continued their fierce exchange, with Oshitari pushing himself to the limit. He used various techniques, but still couldn't stop the points from slipping away. On the sixth ball, 'Chitose' hit a passing shot. The ball flew toward a gap on Oshitari's left side, landing and bouncing out of bounds.
"GAME! Rikkai Dai Fuzoku! 2-0!"
Oshitari, having lost his service game, couldn't help but give a bitter smile. Even in the state of Closed Mind, he wasn't sure who Niō would Illusion next. How was he supposed to continue?
Meanwhile, 'Chitose's' form blurred, and he returned to his original Niō Masaharu appearance. With a fox-like smile, he said, "Fufu~ It's my turn to serve again~ Do you think I'll turn into Ochi-senpai this time?"
"Stop with these childish mental tricks!" Oshitari calmly responded.
Niō just smiled and slowly switched his racket from his right hand to his left, causing a chill to run through Oshitari. A bad feeling stirred inside him.
"Hey! You don't mean..." Oshitari said, surprised.
Before he could finish, Niō's figure began to blur again. In the next instant, a person with short brown hair, dark-brown eyes, and gold-rimmed glasses appeared in front of Oshitari. It was none other than Tezuka Kunimitsu.
"Give it your all, Oshitari!" 'Tezuka' calmly said from the baseline.
"It's really Tezuka! Spare me~ Geez!" Oshitari said helplessly.
'Tezuka' didn't waste any time. He pulled out a tennis ball, tossed it high, and, as the ball descended to the right spot, used his left hand to strike. The ball slowly flew toward Oshitari's side, spinning with a complex rotation.
Oshitari couldn't believe that Niō had managed to mimic Tezuka's serve. He rushed to the landing point, but upon seeing the slow speed of the ball, he hesitated.
When the ball hit the ground, it spun rapidly, then began to slowly roll back, coming to a stop only when it hit the net.
"Zero Shiki Serve!"
"ACE! 15-0!"
Oshitari stared at the ball in disbelief. He never imagined that Niō could even mimic Tezuka's Zero Shiki serve. Had his strength really reached Tezuka's level?
In reality, Niō's serve looked like Tezuka's Zero Shiki, but only Akashi, watching from the sidelines, could tell that the ball still had a slight rebound, though it was so small and close to the ground that no one else could notice.
Ignoring Oshitari's shock, 'Tezuka' calmly tossed the ball again, delivering another Zero Shiki serve. Oshitari, unable to respond, could only watch as his points continued to slip away.
"GAME! Rikkai Dai Fuzoku! 3-0! Court Change!"