Before the start of the fourth game, Yagyū was swinging his right hand in the backcourt, clearly still trying to shake off the numbness. It seemed like the sensation hadn't fully returned yet, but he bent down seriously, preparing to receive the serve.
In the frontcourt, Nioh once again used his illusion to transform into 'Tezuka.' Since he could only use his left hand to play for now, creating the illusion of 'Tezuka' seemed like the most appropriate choice.
However, Akutsu wasn't concerned with these little details. This was his service game. He tossed the ball high and unleashed a powerful fast serve.
The ball flew with incredible speed towards the backcourt, and as it reached Yagyū's feet, it exploded and flew out past the baseline. Yagyū didn't even react in time.
"ACE! 15-0!"
Akutsu didn't pause. He quickly threw up another ball and struck it hard with his racket. This time, the ball flew directly toward Yagyū.
Yagyū focused all his attention and quickly ran to the landing point. He rushed to intercept the ball, feeling the weight of Akutsu's serve, and just managed to return it with his left hand.
Kite flashed forward and intercepted the ball's path, hitting it fiercely, but 'Tezuka' effortlessly blocked it and sent it back.
At this point, Akutsu had already reached the net and started his aggressive attack. Yagyū and 'Tezuka' managed to handle it for a while, but soon, 'Tezuka's' domain formed. Every shot from Akutsu automatically flew toward the baseline, where 'Tezuka' was.
Just as Akutsu was about to break through the domain, Kite suddenly appeared in the return path and intercepted 'Tezuka's' shot, sending it back. But unexpectedly, the ball was not absorbed by the domain and instead slammed into the baseline, flying out of bounds.
"30-0!"
"I've been studying how to defeat Tezuka for a long time. If your illusion is only at this level, I suggest you give up, Nioh!" Kite said coldly, eyeing 'Tezuka.'
'Tezuka' didn't respond, but suddenly a seven-colored glow enveloped his body, signaling that he wasn't planning to listen to Kite. Instead, he was preparing to use Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami to counter.
When Akutsu served again, Yagyū gave it everything he had to return the ball. His strength was good enough to receive Akutsu's serve—if it were anyone weaker, they probably wouldn't have been able to handle it.
'Tezuka,' using the power of Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami, began to move against Akutsu and Kite, relying on doubled returns to try to win the point. However, Akutsu activated his "Wildness," instantly increasing his explosive power.
Surprisingly, it was 'Tezuka' using Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami who couldn't hold up first. After going back and forth for three rallies with Akutsu, his endurance reached its limit. On the other hand, Akutsu remained completely relaxed.
"40-0!"
Seeing this, even Nioh couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart. However, on the surface, 'Tezuka' still wore a serious expression.
"GAME! Fudomine! 3-1!"
In the end, Nioh and Yagyū couldn't hold on and lost the fourth game. To be honest, Yagyū's current strength wasn't enough to compete with Akutsu and Kite. Unfortunately, Yanagi Renji was injured and couldn't participate today.
When the fifth game began, Nioh continued his illusion of 'Tezuka.' Since this was his service game, he planned to use his Zero-Shiki serve again to score.
On the other side, Akutsu didn't enter the "Shura" mode this time. He simply maintained his "Wild" state and was already familiar with Nioh's illusionary Zero-Shiki serve.
Sure enough, when 'Tezuka' used Zero-Shiki, Akutsu responded with more composure than before, and he noticed that the height at which the Zero-Shiki bounced was slightly higher than the first round.
Once the Zero-Shiki serve was broken, even Nioh had no solution. After all, he wasn't truly Tezuka, and his strength was on a different level. Although he kept trying to return, it wasn't very effective.
"GAME! Fudomine! 4-1!"
Nioh and Yagyū lost the fifth game once again. Fortunately, Nioh felt his right hand had recovered enough, and Yagyū's right hand had fully recovered after the previous game.
Before the sixth game started, Nioh switched his racket to his right hand and took a hat from his pocket, placing it on his head. His figure shifted again, and the next moment, 'Sanada Genichirō' appeared before everyone.
Not only that, but a milky white aura rose around 'Sanada' and slowly drifted toward Yagyū. When it surrounded Yagyū, their pupils turned pale gold.
"Forced Synchronization!"
"Synchronization? That's really a troublesome ability, but it's still lacking!" Kite muttered as he watched the synchronized pair.
Without hesitation, Kite immediately unleashed his Big Bang serve. But 'Sanada' activated his Immovable as Mountain technique. The illusory mountain that rose behind him blocked the ball and sent it back.
With Synchronization boosting him, 'Sanada' and Yagyū's coordination became even more seamless. Since it was Nioh's one-sided synchronization, as long as Yagyū didn't resist, Nioh's power could be pushed to its limits.
In contrast, although Akutsu and Kite had some coordination, it was nothing compared to the current synergy between Nioh and Yagyū. While their power was strong, this was doubles, and the match was back-and-forth.
Of course, this was assuming Kite and Akutsu didn't use Glowing Shot or Dark Side. 'Sanada' used Fūrin Kazan to increase his offensive power and even used Moving Like Thunder.
But scoring was still difficult. Kite's all-encompassing Shukuchiho and Akutsu's Wild state allowed them to appear anywhere on the court.
"15-0!"
"15-15!"
"30-15!"
"40-15!"
In this game, overall, Akutsu and Kite held the advantage, but Akutsu's expression began to show signs of impatience. Nioh across from him was starting to annoy him.
Just as Akutsu was about to explode, Kite took the first step and revealed his trump card. A dark aura surrounded Kite, and his whole demeanor turned even more ominous.
"Shura Path!"
Kite threw the tennis ball high into the air and then slammed his racket down. With a thunderous sound, the ball, glowing with a dark light, rocketed toward Yagyū.
Yagyū held his racket with both hands, reaching the ball's landing point. He swung his racket at the incoming ball, but the next moment, his racket was sent flying, spinning through the air before hitting the ground.
"GAME! Fudomine! 5-1! Change sides!"
The players swapped sides again, preparing to start the seventh game. After Kite entered Shura Path, even Nioh didn't have any good solutions, even when he created the illusion of Tanegashima again.
Kite's strength had grown considerably. For this game, it was almost all Kite's efforts in returning and scoring points, and Akutsu hardly even made a move, standing by and watching Kite's impressive display. There was a mysterious light flashing in his eyes.
"GAME! 6-1! Match over! The winner is Fudomine Middle School!"
In the end, Nioh and Yagyū lost the match decisively. Even though they were unwilling to accept it, there was nothing they could do. The difference in strength was clear, and they could only work harder to make up for it.
On the sidelines, Seigaku's coach, Yukimura, sighed slightly. The loss in doubles two meant that Rikkai was already far behind. He had originally hoped that Nioh would secure a win in doubles, but that didn't happen.
On the other side, after Akutsu and Kite left the court, Akashi smiled at them and said, "Well done!"
"Che~ the opponents were too weak!" Akutsu muttered, dissatisfied.
Akashi didn't comment further. Akutsu's strength had indeed surpassed that of middle schoolers, and probably only Yukimura in Rikkai could match him.
"Kite, how did you feel about using Shura Path in this match?" Akashi turned to Kite and asked.
"It was good, but I'm still not completely familiar with controlling the Shura Path. It took me quite a bit of time to activate it!" Kite replied calmly.
Akashi nodded but didn't say much more, letting the two of them go to rest. At that moment, Tachibana Kippei and Chitose Senri had already finished their warm-up and came over to Akashi, waiting for the next match to begin.
On the Rikkai side, Marui and Jackal had also arrived at Yukimura's coach seat. Marui was still eating a piece of cake, while Jackal was using an electric razor to shave his bald head.
"Next, we begin the doubles one match, with Fudomine Tachibana Kippei and Chitose Senri facing off against Rikkai Marui Bunta and Jackal Kuwahara. Please, both teams, enter the court!"
The four players came to the net and bowed to each other. There were no words exchanged, as they were familiar with each other. Trash-talking before the match didn't serve any purpose.
Then they began to decide who would serve first. This time, Tachibana Kippei won the toss for the serve. Marui and Jackal both wore serious expressions. They didn't have much confidence in this match and could only give it their all.
"The match begins! Fudomine to serve first!"
After the referee announced the start of the match, a milky white aura rose from Marui and Jackal, merging into one. Their pupils turned pale gold.
They entered Synchronization mode at the start of the match. Against Tachibana Kippei and Chitose, they couldn't afford to be careless. When Tachibana Kippei saw this, he smiled playfully.
Then Tachibana Kippei and Chitose activated Beast Synchronization. The deep red aura connected them, and their minds immediately synced. But then, Tachibana Kippei's expression became a little strange.
After exchanging a glance with Chitose, Tachibana Kippei tossed the ball up. With a fierce swing, the ball flew toward the opponent's half-court, and as it bounced, it suddenly split into multiple ball images.
"Abare Jishi!"
However, Marui had seen this move many times before. He raised his reflexes to the extreme, blocking all the shadow balls and then returning the true ball.
Chitose reached the landing point and returned the ball with a backhand. The ball spun violently and flew toward the opposite side. It crossed the net and disappeared right in front of Marui and Jackal's eyes.
"Kamikakushi!"
But soon, Marui swung his racket at the air to the left, sending the ball back toward the right side of the net. It hit the top of the right post and bounced toward the opposite side. Tachibana Kippei and Chitose, unable to react in time, watched as the ball rebounded onto the court.
"Wonderful move—Iron Post Strike!"
"0-15!"
Tachibana Kippei didn't mind losing a point to that move. If they used it again, it wouldn't work on him and Chitose. He quickly retaliated with another Abare Jishi, but Marui returned it again.
After returning Tachibana Kippei's serve, Marui immediately adopted a blocking stance at the net. From there, he blocked every return shot from both Tachibana Kippei and Chitose.
"Wonder Castle!"
With Marui's interception defense, Tachibana Kippei and Chitose couldn't score easily. Even if they let a few balls through, Jackal was always there to cover and counter.
Seeing this, Tachibana Kippei moved to the net. When Marui returned another shot, Tachibana Kippei leapt on one foot, hitting the ball hard. The ball instantly split into twenty ball images, launching a massive attack on Marui.
"Abare Dama!"
Marui saw the numerous ball images and quickly lowered his head, trying to find the real ball. He couldn't intercept all the shadow balls in time, and when he finally spotted the real ball, it was too late.
"15-15!"
The match continued, with Marui maintaining the Wonder Castle defense and Jackal constantly covering. The two worked together perfectly, but Tachibana Kippei and Chitose were in Beast Synchronization mode and matched them in teamwork and coordination.
At this point, the importance of individual strength was clear. With Tachibana Kippei and Chitose's current power, Marui and Jackal could hardly keep up and could only continue losing points.
"30-15!"
"40-15!"
"GAME! Fudomine! 1-0!"
The second game was Jackal's serve game, but at that moment, Chitose activated his ability, Saiki Kanpatsu no Kiwami. Instantly, the simulation results in his mind were transmitted to Tachibana Kippei.
"8 balls!"
Chitose made a prediction, causing Jackal to change his expression. Although Saiki Kanpatsu no Kiwami seemed to have little effect now, it was still incredibly powerful against players who didn't have special techniques.
After Jackal served, both sides began to compete once again. As predicted by Chitose, at the 8th ball, Tachibana Kippei scored a point using Abare Dama.
"0-15!"
The rest of the match played out as Chitose had predicted. With Marui and Jackal's current strength, they couldn't break Chitose's Saiki Kanpatsu no Kiwami, and Chitose's predictions continued to come true.
"GAME! Fudomine! 2-0!"
Under these circumstances, Marui and Jackal quickly lost the second game. However, they still didn't plan on giving up. Even if they were defeated 6-0, they would fight until the end.
The third game was Chitose's serve game. After Chitose tossed the ball into the air, he swung his racket, imparting special spin to the ball. As soon as the ball left the racket, it disappeared from Jackal's view. By the time Jackal reacted, the ball was already out of bounds.
"Kamikakushi • Kai!"
"ACE! 15-0!"
The fusion of Abare Dama's traits in Kamikakushi • Kai left Jackal helpless. This type of spinning ball wasn't something he could handle easily, and he could only watch as he lost the point.
"ACE! 30-0!"
"ACE! 40-0!"
When Chitose delivered the fourth Kamikakushi • Kai, Jackal suddenly saw the ball's location in his mind. It was Marui, who had spotted the ball's path through the shadow on the ground, and then relayed the information to Jackal through Synchronization.
Jackal finally managed to return the ball, which surprised Chitose. But soon after, Chitose activated Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami and finished the third game without even letting Tachibana Kippei return the ball.
"GAME! Fudomine! 3-0! Change sides!"
During the break, even Yukimura couldn't think of a way to help Marui and Jackal win the match. Watching Marui eat a large slice of cake to recover, he could only offer some encouragement.
On the other side, at Fudomine's coach seat, Akashi simply gestured for Tachibana Kippei and Chitose to keep going. However, the two came up with an idea and, after thinking for a while, Akashi agreed.
When the break ended, the fourth game quickly began. The players changed sides and stood in position, ready to begin.
This was Marui's serve game. Before serving, Marui and Jackal entered Synchronization mode again, but Tachibana Kippei and Chitose didn't activate Beast Synchronization.
This puzzled Marui and Jackal, but it was an opportunity for them. Marui immediately served the ball and rushed to the net.
At this moment, Tachibana Kippei suddenly released a deep red aura, much stronger than the Beast Aura. Slowly, a hint of gold mixed with the red aura.
"Beast King's Aura!"
Tachibana Kippei had continually refined his Beast Aura, evolving it into the Beast King's Aura. Not only was the power boost far superior to the Beast Aura, but he could also perform Lion's Roar without needing resonance with his abilities.
As Marui approached the net, Tachibana Kippei's Beast King's Aura enveloped his racket. With a mighty swing, the ball shot toward Marui, accompanied by a barely audible roar.
"Lion's Roar!"
As Marui reached the net, he extended his racket to intercept the ball, but when the racket made contact with the ball, a deafening roar exploded in his ears. The impact stunned him, and the ball sent his racket flying.
"0-15!"
Marui shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears. Seeing him still standing there, Jackal quickly grabbed the racket from Marui and approached him to check on him.
Marui took the racket from Jackal's hands. His condition had improved, and the ringing had subsided. He looked at Tachibana Kippei, who had just performed the shot, with an expression of surprise.
Through the experience with Yanagi and the others, Marui knew that Tachibana Kippei had a move called Lion's Roar, but it was rarely used. He wasn't sure about the exact effects, but now he had a firsthand experience—one he found unpleasant.
After Marui served the ball again, Tachibana Kippei didn't use Lion's Roar this time. It was a draining technique for him, and he couldn't use it continuously, as he wasn't a mental-type player like Yukimura.
But Tachibana Kippei still activated the Beast King's Aura. With this boost, he single-handedly engaged in a rally against Marui and Jackal, while Chitose stood at the backcourt, watching without moving forward.
The rally grew increasingly intense. Although Tachibana Kippei's strength far surpassed Marui and Jackal's, he was still one person, and they were in Synchronization mode, so it was inevitable that there would be some lost points. Overall, Tachibana Kippei had the advantage.
"0-30!"
"15-30!"
"15-40!"
"30-40!"
The rally continued. Just then, Marui saw an opening and hit a cross-court shot. The ball passed by Tachibana Kippei and flew toward Chitose at the back.
As Tachibana Kippei was about to turn and chase it, Chitose suddenly released a brilliant cyan glow, causing everyone from Rikkai to freeze. They had seen this scene before, back in first year with Tezuka.
Chitose made a simple movement with his arm, and the ball appeared at Marui's feet. It then bounced out of bounds before Marui could react.
"GAME! Fudomine! 4-0!"
"I see now! So this is the feeling of Ten'i Muhō no Kiwami?" Chitose said slowly as his hair moved without wind.