In the next second, prompted by the umpire, Tokugawa quickly stood up and returned to the backcourt. By then, Akashi had already tossed the ball into the air and launched another ultra–high-speed serve, sending it straight toward Tokugawa.
Tokugawa barely caught up to it and hit a forehand drive. The two exchanged shots again, but Tokugawa was clearly struggling. Gradually, he noticed Akashi moving up to the net, and soon that weightless sensation washed over him once more.
"30–0!"
"40–0!"
Watching Tokugawa fall repeatedly on the court, many players on the sidelines were shocked. His skill was among the best in the entire training camp—many even believed he could at least rank in the First String's top ten.
"Ara~ how pitiful," Shiraishi propped his head with his left hand and said with a hint of pity.
"Hmph!" Atobe gave a cold snort, clearly reminded of some unpleasant memory.
"Oya? Looks like Akashi-chan really isn't holding back~ Tokugawa-kun is in trouble," Tanegashima said lazily from the stands.
"This is practically like a match between an adult and a child…" Fuji, at some point, had already opened his eyes, speaking with a heavy tone.
"The probability of Tokugawa-senpai winning this match is…" Inui Sadaharu adjusted his glasses and began to speak slowly.
"Zero percent! Right, junior?" But before Inui could finish, Mitsuya's voice suddenly sounded beside him, with Yanagi Renji standing just behind.
"That's right, Mitsuya-senpai… Renji!" Inui turned to see the two behind him and nodded in greeting.
And so, the U-17 Head Strategist stood with the two apprentice strategists, continuing to watch the match. On court, Akashi had already fired another ultra–high-speed serve, while Tokugawa, looking grim, did his best to return it.
Although giving up all his premonitions and predictions did help Tokugawa avoid being misled by Akashi's future projections to some degree, it also meant his reactions were always a beat slower, making it easier for Akashi to manipulate his balance.
When Akashi advanced to the net yet again, Tokugawa knew exactly what he was trying to do. He bent his knees slightly, lowering his center of gravity to avoid falling again. But the next moment, that familiar weightless sensation crept up from his ankles once more.
"This time, I will not fall so easily! I didn't stand here to become a joke! Akashi Seijurō!!!" Tokugawa roared, pushing hard against the ground, ignoring the stabbing pain from his ankles, and forcefully steadied himself.
Just as he was about to feel relief that he'd avoided falling, his balance suddenly shifted again. This time, he had no strength left to adjust, and his knees buckled. He collapsed into a kneeling position as the ball skimmed past his cheek, leaving a shallow cut.
"Those who dare defy me—falling isn't enough. So… kneel!" Akashi's cold voice rang out in perfect timing.
"Game! Akashi Seijurō! 4–0!"
"That guy Tokugawa is still holding back, even now. Is it just because his opponent isn't Byoudouin?" Oni frowned on the sidelines.
"His obsession with Byoudouin runs too deep. But he doesn't realize… Akashi-kun's strength has likely already surpassed Byoudouin's," Irie sighed in response.
"Maybe I've been too lax with his training." Oni shook his head, clearly disappointed.
"Oni, don't say that yet. Let's keep watching," Irie replied, his usual smile gone from his face.
Tokugawa stood up quietly, head lowered, and returned to the baseline, deep in thought. Just as he was about to serve, Akashi spoke again from across the court.
"With your current level, you dare claim you can defeat Byoudouin? Or… has Byoudouin's strength declined this much since I've been away?"
'Byoudouin… That's right! What am I doing? Looking like this, how can I possibly defeat that man!!!' Tokugawa snapped his head up, his eyes filled with unshakable resolve. The deep violet glow around him flared brightly, and faint ripples of hidden energy began to emanate from his body.
Immediately after, Tokugawa fired off an ultra–high-speed serve. This time, he completely abandoned the Rainbow Serve, focusing all his attention on Akashi. The uncertainty in his eyes vanished entirely.
The players on the sidelines were startled to see Tokugawa slowly begin matching Akashi's rhythm. The two traded rallies back and forth, the dust on the court growing thicker, even starting to obscure vision.
But ignoring the gap in their five attributes, just Akashi's Emperor Eye alone wasn't something Tokugawa could easily counter. After only a few rallies, that sensation of being completely controlled descended upon him again.
"0–15!"
"Only now do you think of going all out? Too bad your defeat was decided long ago. No matter how you resist, it's useless!" Akashi said coldly after scoring.
Tokugawa didn't respond. He continued pouring out his full strength, doing everything he could to go head-to-head with Akashi. As his conviction grew stronger, the bonus from the Divine Path of the Asura also increased, gradually cutting down the effect of Akashi's mental pressure.
Now all of Tokugawa's five attributes had risen to 5.2, even surpassing his original stats slightly. This at least allowed him to catch his breath under Akashi's offense, though scoring remained extremely difficult.
"0–30!"
"Although our First String's abilities are limited to sixty percent when facing Second String members, the probability that Akashi-kun is currently using less than fifty percent of his strength is 99%," Mitsuya said with an unreadable expression as he watched the match.
"Probably because his opponent is too weak. Akashi-senpai doesn't even feel like using his full strength," Ryōma said arrogantly, his eyes fixed on Tokugawa.
"Echizen Ryōma…" Mitsuya glanced at him but said nothing more.
A yellow streak of light shot past Tokugawa. By the time he moved to intercept, it was already too late. Even though he didn't give up and sprinted at full speed toward the ball, he still failed to reach it.
"0–40!"
"Still not enough? If that's the case, then I'll have to do this. But with his ability, he should be fine," Tokugawa muttered quietly after losing another point.
As Tokugawa served again, Akashi quickly stepped in and returned it with a sharp drive. But this time, a dazzling golden light gathered on Tokugawa's right hand. As he swung, he shouted loudly:
"This is the power I gained after being dragged into hell by that man! I will change history!!!"
The moment Tokugawa's racket struck the ball, the golden light flared brilliantly. The tennis ball transformed into a massive sphere of light, hurtling toward Akashi. Yet Akashi's expression remained calm and cold.
"Change history? What can a Glowing Shot of this level do? Let me show you what a true Glowing Shot is—Mana Cannon!!!" Akashi's voice was indifferent as he swung his racket to meet the incoming light ball.
In the next instant, an even brighter golden light burst from Akashi's racket. The tennis ball pounded violently against it, threads of force tearing through the air to crash into the wall behind him, leaving cracks across its surface.
But in the end, the ball was returned. What appeared before Tokugawa's eyes was a massive light sphere wrapped in blue plasma. The sight reminded him of Byoudouin's Destruction.
"So you've mastered this kind of power too? But I will never lose! Akashi Seijurō!" Tokugawa gritted his teeth and charged forward.
With both hands gripping his racket, he poured every bit of strength into smashing at the massive light sphere. The next second, an unimaginable force surged through the racket into his wrists, making him feel as though they were being torn apart.
No matter how unwilling he was, the ball still broke free of his racket's control and slammed into the wall behind him. In an instant, a huge dent appeared in the wall, and flying debris made the spectators raise their arms to shield themselves. Tokugawa was blasted backward by the shockwave.
"Game! Akashi Seijurō! 5–0!"
"Now you should understand the gap between us. You have no hope of winning," Akashi said mercilessly, looking down at the prone Tokugawa.