The match entered a pause, and at that moment, 'Tezuka's' figure flickered and turned back into the real form of Niō, who casually walked off the court with a relaxed expression.
"Pfft~ seems like it was still a bit too much," Niō murmured, rubbing his left arm as he returned to the Rikkai players' bench.
Even though he had been training more with spin shots and had used his mental force to assist him just now, the Zero Serve still put a heavy load on his arm. Unlike Tezuka, Niō had to practice many techniques, so it was impossible for him to focus solely on spin shots.
On the other side, in the Hyōtei players' bench, Oshitari walked back with a frustrated look. He was now feeling lost, not knowing how to deal with Niō's ever-changing playing style.
"Oshitari, maybe you should try changing your own playing style as well, something like the Muga no Kyōchi!" Sakaki Taro suddenly spoke up from the coach's seat.
"But coach, in the current situation, even if the Muga no Kyōchi works, my stamina won't last until the end of the match!" Oshitari hesitated.
"Do your best in this match. Don't give up any hope until the game is over!" Sakaki Taro spoke seriously.
"I understand, coach!" Oshitari nodded, his gaze now resolute.
The break time soon ended, and after Niō and Oshitari switched sides, the match was ready to continue. The fourth game was Oshitari's serve.
Oshitari stood at the baseline, and suddenly, a milky-white airflow surrounded him, clearly indicating that he had entered the Muga state. Seeing this, Niō narrowed his eyes and revealed a playful smile. His form flickered, and then, the image of Rikkai's strategist, Yanagi Renji, appeared before everyone.
Now in the Muga state, Oshitari's expression was cold as he tossed the tennis ball high into the air. As the ball descended to the right spot, he swung his racket, applying a fast spin to the ball, sending it flying towards 'Yanagi Renji's' front court.
'Yanagi Renji' quickly moved to the ball's landing point, preparing to strike, but when the ball bounced, it only lightly touched the ground before skimming along the surface and shooting out of the court.
"Tannhauser serve!"
"ACE! 15-0!"
'Yanagi Renji' merely glanced at Oshitari before turning and moving to the backcourt to prepare for the next serve. Oshitari knew that getting a point with Tannhauser was already a good result.
Oshitari calmly took another tennis ball, using his left hand with great force, pressing all five finger joints against the ball until it began to deform. Afterward, he tossed it up and quickly swung his racket to hit it.
The ball spun wildly in an irregular motion, speeding toward the backcourt of the opponent. 'Yanagi Renji' hardly moved, as the ball was heading straight for him.
After hitting the ground, the ball spun quickly but didn't bounce immediately. As 'Yanagi Renji' prepared to intercept it, the ball suddenly bounced to his left, flying out of the court.
"Knuckle Serve!"
"ACE! 30-0!"
"Nice serve, even more threatening than Kirihara's~" 'Yanagi Renji' nodded approvingly.
For the third ball, Oshitari once again hit a side spin serve, but this time it didn't faze 'Yanagi Renji'. He easily intercepted it, returning with a topspin shot.
Watching this from the sidelines, Ryōma adjusted his cap, while Oshitari raised his racket high, slicing down on the ball with a rapid spin. The ball flew over the net.
"Tsubame Gaeshi!"
As the ball was about to land, a racket intercepted it, and 'Yanagi Renji' immediately launched a high-speed diagonal cut, sending the ball to Oshitari's front court.
As Oshitari reached the ball's landing point, the ball had already begun spinning rapidly on the ground, and suddenly it bounced directly towards his stomach.
"Kama Itachi!"
Oshitari quickly retreated a step, blocking the ball with his racket. The ball's spin and power were absorbed, and he launched a lob shot.
'Yanagi Renji' came to the net, leaping high and preparing to smash, but as he was about to strike, he changed his movement, letting the ball drop short. He knew Oshitari would make a mistake and get caught at the net.
The ball lazily flew over the net, and Oshitari ran forward. Just as he was about to return it, the ball hit the ground but didn't bounce; it simply rolled towards his feet.
"Utsusemi!"
"30-15!"
The match continued, with Oshitari using a variety of techniques, and 'Yanagi Renji' countering each one. However, everyone could tell that 'Yanagi Renji' was stalling for time to collect data.
The intensity of the match increased, thrilling the audience. Players capable of the Muga no Kyōchi were always popular with spectators, as it allowed them to witness a variety of techniques in play.
In this match, not only did Oshitari display the Muga no Kyōchi, but Niō also unleashed an unbelievable Illusion, providing the audience with an incredible spectacle.
The score kept shifting back and forth, and it seemed 'Yanagi Renji' intentionally dragged the score to 40-40, keeping the match suspenseful.
"Niō Masaharu! What a well-thought-out move! Not only did it increase Oshitari's physical exhaustion, but it also gave him time to collect data!" Even though his vision was still impaired, Atobe spoke up, his insight still intact. He could clearly see that Niō was intentionally delaying the match, which wasn't a good sign for Oshitari.
"GAME! Hyōtei Academy! 3-1!"
In the end, Oshitari gave it his all and managed to win the fourth game from Niō. Although Niō's Illusion had turned into Yanagi Renji, his expression didn't change at all, as if he wasn't bothered by losing the point at all.
The fifth game was Niō's serve, but this time he didn't change the Illusion. He maintained Yanagi Renji's appearance and delivered a powerful serve.
Oshitari, still in the Muga state, rushed to the landing point and countered with a backhand Jack Knife. The two of them continued their intense back-and-forth.
Oshitari relentlessly attacked with various techniques, and 'Yanagi Renji' relied on data prediction to counter him. However, since the data wasn't fully collected, Oshitari still had the advantage overall.
"GAME! Hyōtei Academy! 3-2!"
After winning the fifth game, Oshitari felt a little less pressure. He released the Muga state because it was exhausting, and there were still more games to play. He couldn't afford to burn out.
The match moved to the sixth game. Niō didn't change his Illusion, still using Yanagi Renji's form, which surprised Oshitari, but he knew now was not the time to overthink.
It was Oshitari's serve. Though he had released the Muga state, he still served a Tannhauser serve. Unfortunately, 'Yanagi Renji' anticipated the ball's bounce perfectly, using a low swing to scoop it up.
The next few exchanges confused both Oshitari and the onlookers. Niō's Illusion of 'Yanagi Renji' didn't seem serious at all. It appeared like an intense exchange, but there was no real desire to attack.
Though Oshitari didn't understand Niō's intentions, it was good news for him, so he continued attacking with all his might, pushing his limits.
It seemed like Oshitari's full effort was paying off, and for a moment, 'Yanagi Renji' was on the defensive. The real Yanagi Renji, watching from the sidelines, furrowed his brow. He understood that Niō's Illusion wasn't weaker than his own abilities. However, Yanagi Renji was puzzled by what Niō was up to.
Even Akashi, watching from the sidelines, didn't fully understand, but he knew Niō must have a plan. After all, the self-proclaimed "court fraudster" wouldn't let anyone easily figure him out.
"GAME! Hyōtei Academy! 3-3! Change sides!"
With his full-on burst, Oshitari finally won the sixth game. Niō then returned to his original form and sighed in relief.
"Finally managed to do it, but I wonder how much effect it'll have~" Niō muttered quietly.
During the changeover, Niō did something strange. As he returned to the Rikkai bench, he casually grabbed his jacket.
After switching sides and entering the court, Niō draped the jacket over his shoulders, causing Oshitari's eyes to widen. There were only two people who liked to wear their jackets during matches, and neither of them was someone Oshitari could handle.
The seventh game was Niō's serve. As he stood at the baseline, his figure began to blur, and Oshitari nervously swallowed.
In the next moment, a boy with rose-colored hair, dressed in a black jacket, and with cold, indifferent eyes, appeared before everyone. It was none other than Akashi Seijūrō, known as the number one middle school tennis player in Japan!
"Oh? You can even Illusion me!? I see, those last three games were to gather comprehensive data on Oshitari?" Akashi said with some surprise.
Once Niō's Illusion turned into Akashi, it became clear to everyone. Niō had been collecting data to simulate Akashi's abilities, since Niō didn't possess the Emperor Eye. He had to use data to replicate Akashi's skills.
"Your performance in the last few games was impressive, but your defeat is inevitable, Oshitari!" 'Akashi' said coldly, staring at Oshitari.
"What nonsense! Niō! I don't believe you can fully mirror Akashi's strength!" Oshitari shot back, his face turning pale with anger.
"Heh~ You... are too arrogant!" 'Akashi' replied, his tone turning ice-cold.
Looking at 'Akashi,' Oshitari felt the pressure that had just eased suddenly intensify, making his body feel tense and stiff.
'Akashi' then completely ignored Oshitari's reaction, tossing the tennis ball high into the air. As the ball descended to the right position, 'Akashi' swung his racket sharply, sending the ball flying with incredible speed toward the opposite side of the court.
Oshitari just heard the sound of the ball hitting the ground when a yellow beam of light flew past his eyes. Before he could react, the umpire's voice rang out.
"ACE! 15-0!"
Cold sweat poured down Oshitari's forehead, and the pressure in his heart grew, escalating several times over. It was especially intense when he saw 'Akashi' staring at him coldly.
'Akashi' tossed the ball high into the air again and served a regular fast serve. Oshitari, feeling as if his body had frozen, couldn't move and could only watch as the ball flew out of bounds.
"ACE! 30-0!"
"Wake up! Oshitari! The person you're facing isn't the real Akashi, it's Niō's Illusion, don't get it wrong!" Atobe's angry shout suddenly reached Oshitari's ears.
Atobe's voice was like a heavy hammer, completely shattering the immense pressure in Oshitari's heart. He took a deep breath and his gaze became resolute once again.
At this moment, 'Akashi' briefly glanced at Atobe on the sidelines, noticing that Atobe was still staring at him with bloodshot eyes, but 'Akashi' paid no attention to the gaze and remained indifferent.
"Hmph! Just a fake!" Atobe sneered dismissively.
As 'Akashi' hit another fast serve, Oshitari barely managed to keep up with the ball's speed, rushing to the landing point and just managing to return it.
Though Niō's five-dimensional abilities couldn't compare to Akashi's, Niō had used a bit of Mach serve technique combined with mental force to assist him, making the ball speed reach around 230 km/h, about the same as first-year Akashi.
After returning the serve, Oshitari suddenly realized that 'Akashi' had already reached the landing point. With a swift pull, the ball appeared at his feet, in the hardest-to-return position. Oshitari didn't have any reaction time and the ball bounced out of bounds.
"40-0!"
For the fourth ball, 'Akashi' served another regular fast ball. Oshitari, who had almost recovered, quickly ran to the landing point and returned the ball.
But it seemed like 'Akashi' had already predicted his return trajectory, appearing right in the path of the ball, and as soon as the ball was returned, he rushed to the net.
Oshitari didn't back down. He too moved to the net after his return. He didn't believe that 'Akashi's' abilities were as strong as he thought. Niō's Illusion surely had its limits.
The two immediately began a volley at the net, but Oshitari quickly realized that 'Akashi' always seemed to know his next move, reacting before him.
At that moment, 'Akashi' made a motion to hit a cross-court shot. Oshitari quickly prepared to move left to intercept, but in the next instant, 'Akashi' suddenly hit a straight shot. Oshitari instinctively stretched out his hand to intercept it to the right, but somehow he lost his balance and slowly fell to the ground.
"GAME! Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku! 4-3!"
"I told you before! You... are too arrogant!" 'Akashi' stood in front of the fallen Oshitari, wearing his jacket, his tone cold.
On the sidelines, the real Akashi sharply noticed the mental energy fluctuations from Niō as he hit the previous ball. Clearly, Niō had used another method to make up for the lack of the Emperor Eye, which piqued Akashi's interest. He wanted to see just how far Niō could go.
Oshitari silently stood up. Although he knew it was Niō on the other side, he still felt the pressure, perhaps because of his deep impression of Akashi's immense strength.
When the eighth game began, Oshitari, helpless, once again entered the Muga no Kyōchi state. He used various serving and returning techniques, but nothing seemed to work on 'Akashi'.
'Akashi' seemed to always see through every one of his moves and easily countered them, completely controlling the game. The feeling of being dominated made Oshitari play with immense difficulty.
"GAME! Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku! 5-3!"
Before long, 'Akashi' won the eighth game. Now, Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku only needed one more win to reach the singles, and Hyōtei had almost no chance of winning.
Just as 'Akashi' prepared to serve, his jacket suddenly fell to the ground and transformed back into Rikkai's team uniform. Then, a sweaty Niō appeared before everyone.
"Can't hold on after just two games?" Niō said with a bitter smile.
In the previous match, to simulate Akashi's Emperor Eye, Niō had been calculating all kinds of data in his mind, using mental force to enhance his insight, which drained him immensely.
"You're truly a monster. I guess I can't easily mimic you anymore, Akashi~" Niō shook his head and muttered quietly.
Niō then requested a timeout from the umpire, picked up his jacket, and placed it back on the bench. While doing so, he shook his left arm, feeling almost fully recovered.
When Niō returned to the court to resume the match, he switched his racket to his left hand and immediately morphed into 'Tezuka'.
"It's about time to end this match, Oshitari!" 'Tezuka' said with a calm expression.
Oshitari's face turned pale. He had just been relieved that Niō had dispelled the Akashi Illusion, only to find that Niō had now turned into Tezuka. Thinking about the Zero Serve's power, a wave of despair filled his heart.
"Fault! 15-0!"
"ACE! 30-0!"
"Fault! 40-0!"
'Tezuka' served three Zero Serves in a row. Oshitari, refusing to give up, tried to counter, but, as expected, all of his attempts failed. The match moved to the final match point.
After the fourth ball was served, Oshitari, despairing, closed his eyes. The tennis ball landed, spinning quickly, and slowly rolled toward the net, eventually hitting the net and coming to a stop.
"GAME! 6-3! Match over! Winner, Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku!"