While waiting to take the court, Akashi couldn't help but think about the recent events. While warming up, he received a sudden call from Mifune, saying he had something to discuss.
"Akashi-kun, I need to talk to you about something!" Mifune got straight to the point on the phone.
"Oh? What's the matter, Head Coach?" Akashi was curious about why Mifune would need to talk to him.
"It's like this. The International Tennis Federation has officially announced that every country must send junior high school students to participate in this year's World Tournament, and the number of participants must be no less than 14 people. Many countries are already starting to make preparations," Mifune said in a serious tone.
"Is that so? But I'm confident. Right now, Japan's junior high school tennis strength is stronger than any other country. We'll definitely surprise them at the World Tournament," Akashi replied calmly.
"Yes! I'm aware of that, so the reason I'm contacting you is to ask you to temporarily give up your No. 3 ranking. The expedition tournament is about to start, and many countries are keeping an eye on Japan. If they notice we're missing the No. 3 player, they'll definitely try to investigate," Mifune explained directly.
"Of course. Don't worry, once your national tournament is over, and all the junior high school players come to the training camp, we'll make sure to get your ranking back," Mifune quickly reassured Akashi.
"I don't mind the No. 3 ranking. But when I join U-17, I don't need any special arrangements. Just follow the normal process. During the reshuffle battle, just let me face Hōō Byōdōin!" Akashi thought for a moment before responding.
"Is that so? So, you plan to take the No. 1 spot from Byōdōin, huh? That's fine, but don't blame me if you lose to him! I won't step in and help you out!" Mifune said with a joking tone.
"Don't worry! So far, I've never lost to anyone in anything, and I won't start now!" Akashi said calmly and confidently.
Afterward, Mifune briefly updated Akashi on Byōdōin's recent situation, mentioning that Byōdōin's extreme tactics had caused many people to leave the training camp, so Akashi should be cautious when facing him.
"Now, let's start the Singles 3 match, with Fudomine's Akashi Seijurō against Seigaku's Fuji Fuji Shūsuke! Please welcome the players to the court!"
The referee's voice interrupted Akashi's thoughts. Akashi walked onto the court with Fuji, and as they reached the net to bow, Fuji looked at Akashi and said with a smile, "It's rare to see you without your jacket, Akashi-kun~"
"Be thankful! This is my way of recognizing your strength, Fuji!" Akashi said in his usual calm tone.
"Is that so? Then I'm truly honored~ Let's have a good match this time, Akashi-kun!" Fuji opened his eyes, speaking with great seriousness.
In fact, after reaching a 100% fusion, Akashi no longer needed to deliberately mimic the behaviors of the Kuroko's Basket Akashi. Now, he only had to maintain a certain level to ensure the development of his alternate dimension. However, after years of imitation, certain habits had formed, causing Akashi to perform or say things naturally without realizing it.
After exchanging a few words, Akashi and Fuji began their coin toss. Fuji won the right to serve, and Akashi no longer had any hope. To him, it didn't matter anyway.
"Game 1, Seigaku serves first!"
Standing at the baseline, Fuji didn't maintain his usual squinted eyes but instead focused on Akashi with unwavering determination, getting himself into the best possible state.
Both Seigaku and Fudomine's members, whether on the court or outside, were all focused. No one could predict how this match would progress.
Feeling the slight breeze on the court, Fuji calmed himself and tossed the tennis ball high. With a crack of the racket, the ball shot quickly towards Akashi's left corner.
Fuji didn't use his disappearing serve, knowing it wouldn't affect Akashi. Instead, he decided to face him directly and play a fair match.
Akashi quickly moved to his left corner, and with a backhand swing, he sent the ball flying past the net even faster than it came, landing at Fuji's feet and quickly skimming out of bounds before Fuji could react.
"0-15!"
"Sure enough, when facing Akashi-kun, there can't be any slack!" Fuji said seriously after losing the point.
Without overthinking, Fuji regained his focus and served again, delivering another high-quality serve. However, it had no effect on Akashi. Aside from a Mach Serve, nothing could pose a threat to him, not even a Zero Serve.
Akashi effortlessly returned Fuji's serve. The ball speed was still astonishing, but Fuji focused intently and quickly moved to intercept. With his racket raised high, he executed a slice, adding more spin to the ball.
"Hoo Gaeshi!" Fuji called out.
The ball flew over the net with a powerful spin and dropped quickly after landing, skimming forward. But before it could go any further, Akashi swiftly returned it with a groundstroke, sending it hurtling across the court with more force than Fuji's shot, causing it to slide out of bounds.
"0-30!"
"Fuji, is this your tennis now? Such techniques won't work at the World Tournament!" Akashi said coldly, looking at Fuji.
Fuji glanced at the ball off-court but didn't respond. He simply turned and walked back to the baseline, remembering the first time he and Akashi had met.
"Senpai! I didn't expect the captain's moves to be so well-known!" Ryōma said in surprise from the sidelines.
"No! Ryōma, you're mistaken. Akashi-kun's move just now wasn't Hoo Gaeshi, it was Bullfighting of Spain!" Inui Sadaharu corrected, raising his glasses with a serious tone.
"That move's name sounds strange, but it looks similar to the captain's!" Ryōma asked curiously.
"This is a technique from a high school senior. It looks similar to Fuji's Hoo Gaeshi, but its effect is far more powerful. If you get the chance, you'll meet that person!" Inui Sadaharu gave Ryōma a meaningful glance.
Standing at the baseline, Fuji quickly served the ball, gathering all his focus and staring intently at Akashi's movements. Akashi, still calm, casually hit a cross-court shot.
Fuji quickly moved to the landing point, placing his racket horizontally to let the ball roll and spin more rapidly on both sides. The ball, spinning intensely, flew towards Akashi's half of the court.
"Hecatoncheires no Monban!" Fuji called out.
"This technique is indeed impressive, but breaking it is very simple!" Akashi said calmly, watching the ball come at him.
When Akashi's racket made contact with the ball, a dazzling golden light emitted from the ball. With a loud crack, the ball shot like a cannonball toward Fuji.
"Glowing Shot!"
Ryōma, watching from the sideline, instinctively swallowed. He had seen this technique before during his time at Fudomine's tennis club, used by a senior named Akutsu. He hadn't expected Akashi to use it as well.
The golden ball easily flew over the net. The spin from Fuji's "Hecatoncheires no Monban" didn't affect it at all. After crossing the net, the ball transformed into a massive light sphere. Fuji appeared tiny next to it.
However, Fuji showed no sign of fear on his face. He gripped his racket with both hands and faced the light sphere. In the next moment, the massive light ball disappeared, and a tennis ball was wildly hitting his racket. But there seemed to be an invisible force on the racket's face, quickly neutralizing the ball's energy.
"Void Tranquility!"
Though Fuji's technique reduced much of the power from the Glowing Shot, his clenched teeth revealed it was a struggle. After all, it was a technique-based move, not something like Tanegashima's "Halt Destruction Nothingness."
Fortunately, Fuji had already mastered the Super Sweet Spot technique, so intercepting an ordinary Glowing Shot wasn't a problem. Fuji then tried to return the ball, but Akashi was already waiting at the landing point. He swung a forehand, and the ball exploded at Fuji's feet before flying out of bounds.
"0-40!"
Fuji's ability to return the Glowing Shot was something Akashi had anticipated. Otherwise, he wouldn't have used it in front of so many spectators. When Fuji returned the Glowing Shot, Akashi's Emperor Eye had already predicted Fuji's next move.
"Even if you've mastered the Super Sweet Spot, you still need to develop corresponding techniques. Otherwise, even if you block the Glowing Shot, you won't be able to score!" Akashi spoke again to Fuji, as if giving him advice.
Fuji let out a long breath. It felt like déjà vu. When he first faced Akashi before entering junior high, Fuji felt that Akashi could always predict his shot paths. Now, Fuji's skills were far beyond what they were back then, but this situation hadn't changed.
Standing at the baseline, Fuji felt the gentle breeze. He served the ball once more, and the moment Fuji hit it, Akashi had already started running. By the time the ball crossed the net, Akashi was already at the landing point.
With ease, Akashi returned the ball. His Emperor Eye keenly analyzed Fuji's movements, and Akashi immediately understood what Fuji was trying to do. However, this technique also had no effect on him.
Fuji reached the landing point and, with a backhand slice, sent the ball spinning violently. As it crossed the net, it suddenly shot upwards.
"Hakuryu!"
Akashi's figure had already appeared at the baseline. With Emperor Eye, he saw through the spin on the ball and predicted its bounce after landing.
The ball fell directly toward the baseline before ricocheting to the left. Akashi intercepted it and responded with a backhand. As the ball passed over the net, it transformed into a giant phoenix, soaring towards the sky. Then, in a flash of flames, it hit the baseline and flew out of bounds.
"GAME! Fudomine! 1-0!"
Fuji stood frozen, staring at the ball that Akashi had returned. Although he had seen this technique before, experiencing its power firsthand was a whole different matter.
"Inui-senpai, that wasn't Fuji-senpai's Hakuryu, was it?" Ryōma looked at Inui, who was sitting on the coach's bench.
"That's right. That was the Phoenix of Egypt, another senior's move!" Inui said, slightly surprised. He had started to understand what Akashi was doing.
Yes, those two moves were techniques that Byōdōin had learned during his travels around the world. They resembled Fuji's Triple Counters but were far more powerful.
Akashi was showing Fuji the true strength of Byōdōin, letting him experience the power of the other countries' top players at the World Tournament. He wanted to see if Fuji could evolve during this match.
Although Akashi had known for some time that junior high students would participate in the World Tournament, Mifune's call still made his mood shift. Right now, Fudomine's strength in the junior high world was unquestionably the best. Winning the national tournament would not be a challenge.
So, it was time to stimulate Fuji, Byōdōin, and other top players. At least, he wanted them to have the strength to compete with the top ten in U-17 after entering.
Since mastering the alternate dimension, Akashi rarely needed to use any abilities in junior high school matches. He relied mostly on plain attacks to crush his opponents. But in this match, he used Emperor Eye's collected data and his mental strength to replicate Byōdōin's world-class techniques.
The second game was Akashi's serve. After thinking for a moment, Akashi remembered Ochi's Mach Serve. Although he couldn't reach Ochi's 293 km/h, given the difference in height, with mental power added, he could still produce a decent amount of power.
Akashi tossed the tennis ball into the air and made a move to strike it. Then, Fuji heard two almost simultaneous sounds: the sound of the racket hitting the ball and the sound of the ball landing on the ground.
"ACE! 15-0!"
Fuji turned around in disbelief, seeing a tennis ball quietly lying outside the court. Even Ryōma, standing at the sidelines, was in a daze. He knew Akashi was strong, but he hadn't even noticed when Akashi served.
"275 kilometers per hour! How... how is that possible!" Inui Sadaharu was also stunned.
Kikumaru, although curious about how Inui had measured the ball speed, didn't have time to dwell on it. His gaze shifted toward Fuji with a hint of concern.
"Akashi's serve just now, I couldn't even see it clearly. How strong is his power, really?" Tachibana Kippei said, giving a wry smile.
"Maybe only Tezuka and Akutsu would have an idea of what it's like~" Chitose Senri replied with some helplessness.
"The stronger Akashi's power, the further he can lead us. Instead of focusing on his strength, we should work on improving ourselves!" Kite said calmly from the sidelines.
"Wow! I couldn't see anything! Those two moves were so cool! I've got to ask Akashi to teach me next time!" Tōyama Kintarō said excitedly, completely forgetting about Krauser behind him.
Krauser watched Kintarō bouncing around with a barely noticeable smile on his face, then lightly coughed, immediately silencing Kintarō.
Akashi stood at the baseline as though nothing had happened, tossing another tennis ball into the air. Just like before, Fuji didn't even see the ball's flight path before losing the point.
"ACE! 30-0!"
"ACE! 40-0!"
"GAME! Fudomine! 2-0!"
In the third game, it was Fuji's turn to serve again. However, Fuji hadn't yet recovered from the previous game. It wasn't until the referee called for him that Fuji snapped back to reality.
Without hesitation, Fuji served the ball. Facing Akashi, who had brought out world-class power, Fuji felt an overwhelming pressure.
Fortunately, Fuji's will was strong enough to not give up easily. After all, in the original story, Fuji had once considered giving up on tennis after entering U-17, following his match with Tezuka, where he had intended to quit.
It was only after that match that Fuji completely changed his playing style, adopting a more aggressive approach. With Akashi's involvement, he had activated his competitive spirit in his first year. Though his techniques were still called "Triple Counter," aside from "Void Tranquility," all his other offensive techniques were equally powerful.
Moreover, Fuji had already developed "Aoi Fubuki" in advance, so even though he had no chance against Akashi now, he still intended to fight with all his strength until the end.
Watching Akashi casually return the ball, Fuji lowered his racket and attempted a sharp flick. The ball soared high into the air, disappearing from sight.
"Hoshi Hanabi!"
Akashi didn't look at the fireworks in the sky. Instead, he activated his ultra-wide defense, quickly moving to the baseline. In the next second, he felt the ball rapidly falling toward him.
With enhanced reflexes, Akashi struck the ball with his racket before it even touched the ground. The ball flew over the net, landing on the left sideline of Fuji's half and then shooting out of bounds.
"0-15!"
"Looks like that move didn't work on you either?" Fuji murmured to himself.
All of Fuji's techniques were ineffective against Akashi. As for the "Kirin Otoshi" and "Aoi Fubuki," Akashi would have to perform a smash for those to work. For now, Fuji could only concentrate and think of a way to break through.
"GAME! Fudomine! 3-0! Court Change!"
In the next three points, Fuji still had no resistance and Akashi easily scored. The gap between national-level players and world-class players was just too vast.
During the break, Fuji lowered his head and thought hard. Inui Sadaharu didn't disturb him, knowing Fuji well enough. There was no need for his analysis, and he couldn't really offer any help.
Ryōma, seeing Fuji like this for the first time, raised his opinion of Akashi's strength even further. He had initially thought Akashi was only slightly stronger than Fuji and Sanada, but now he realized Akashi was in an entirely different league.
After the break, Fuji again lowered his head and changed sides with Akashi. Seeing Fuji like this, Akashi simply stared at him for a moment, then prepared to use his Mach Serve again.
At that moment, Fuji's brain was racing with thoughts, images flashing before his eyes. But by the time he had realized, Akashi had already served the ball, and it had already flown out of bounds.
"ACE! 15-0!"
On the next point, Fuji pushed his focus to the limit. He kept his eyes on Akashi without letting them stray even a millisecond, but still, Fuji saw a flash, and then the referee's voice called out the score.
"ACE! 30-0!"
But Fuji was somewhat encouraged. Although he still couldn't see the ball clearly, he at least caught a glimpse of its shadow. This made him more focused, and his mind was analyzing the situation furiously.
"ACE! 40-0!"
After Akashi delivered another Mach Serve, Fuji still couldn't respond. But Fuji knew in his heart that he had at least tracked the ball's path this time.
Akashi, calm as always, tossed another tennis ball high into the air. Fuji, more focused than ever, felt his mind clearing. As Akashi's racket struck the ball, Fuji's senses sharpened, and everything around him seemed to slow down.
It was like time itself had slowed down, becoming a slow-motion sequence. Everything froze in place, even the ball that Akashi had hit.
"Really have to thank you, Akashi-kun! Wind attack technique—Light Wind!"