With Legendary Radiance backing him, Oni's strength had already broken past the world-class boundary and stepped into the realm of the professional tier. Yukimura, still only at world-class, was already struggling to keep up.
But not every professional player had true pro-level strength. Some barely scraped by at national level. For example, Germany's brothers Polk and Berti—both professionals. Berti wasn't weak, but compared to his brother Polk, the gap was plain to see.
In the original, only a handful ever reached true professional level: Polk, third-stage Byoudouin, ultimate QP, the genius Medanore, Echizen Ryoga. Oni, Amadeus, Reinhardt—at best, they only had half-pro-level strength.
Of course, even within the professional tier, there were wide gaps in power. The undisputed world No.1 was Polk. Though the story ultimately killed him off, his strength was undeniable.
On the court, Oni fully unleashed his attack. The enormous Oni God behind him completely crushed Yukimura's Alternate Dimension. Morpheus's figure was fading into transparency.
"Game! Japan Team! 5-3!"
"Game! Japan Team! 5-4!"
"Game! Japan Team! 5-5!"
With the overwhelming power of Legendary Radiance, Oni quickly evened the score. Yukimura now looked just like in the dream he had woven—his mental energy and body both at their limits. Against such a massive difference in power, even the Child of God was helpless.
"Heh… what a joke. The dream I wove actually came true…" Yukimura panted, a bitter smile on his face, mocking himself.
"Still planning to continue? You know this match has no meaning anymore. Keep pushing and your body may not hold out," Oni finally spoke, trying to dissuade him after taking the tenth game.
"Giving up halfway is never something a Rikkai player would do! And I'm not just representing Rikkai right now!" Yukimura forced himself upright, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
"So that's how it is? You guys really never change. Fine, then let's finish this match. Just don't get hurt~" Oni shook his head, knowing he couldn't convince Yukimura, and accepted.
He tossed up the ball again. At this point, he didn't even need the Golden Great Guillotine. The gap in all five attributes gave him total control of the match's rhythm. Yukimura hadn't even noticed—his Alternate Dimension had already begun collapsing.
"Other than against Akashi-kun, I've never seen Yukimura-kun in such a sorry state!" Fuji said gravely, not sure what else to say—he could clearly see the gap between Oni and Yukimura.
"Didn't think Oni-senpai was this strong! Even Yukimura can't handle him? Then what about Byoudouin Houou, who could defeat him…" Oshitari swallowed hard, his first time wavering about Akashi's chance of victory.
"You're underestimating that man. Look closely at Yukimura's eyes! That's not the gaze of someone who intends to give up," Atobe scoffed, refusing to believe Yukimura would surrender so easily.
"So Oni… during our match, he wasn't even serious! Damn it!" Akutsu growled, frustration and unwillingness in his voice.
Rikkai's team fell silent. They all believed in their captain, that he wouldn't lose so easily. But the match itself kept hammering home the reality—Yukimura was finished. There was no hope of victory.
"Game! Japan Team! 6-5!"
While the middle schoolers talked, Oni had already taken another game. Since awakening Legendary Radiance, he had reeled off five straight games. Everything Yukimura had done earlier now looked like a joke.
The lightning in Yukimura's eyes had vanished, meaning he couldn't even hold Zone anymore. His Alternate Dimension had dissipated back on the very first rally against Oni. He was facing utter despair.
And yet, even so, Yukimura had no intention of giving up. So what if his Alternate Dimension was gone? So what if he couldn't maintain Zone? As long as he stood on the court, the match wasn't over. Yukimura Seiichi would keep fighting to the end.
"This kind of terrifying willpower… no wonder he reached world-class as just a middle schooler. Too bad his opponent is Oni," Kimijima said with some regret as he watched the almost powerless Yukimura.
"Tch~ so we're the only ones who lost to a middle schooler. That's really embarrassing!" Tōno muttered in annoyance.
"Right now, the only ones who could fight Oni are probably Akashi-chan and Byoudouin~" Tanegashima whispered as he watched the match.
On court, seeing Yukimura in such a state, Oni slightly eased the strength of his shots. But he didn't hold back completely, still pressing him fully. Because if he truly went easy, that would be the greatest disrespect to Yukimura.
"Game! 7-5! Second set finished! Winner, Japan Team! Total score 1-1! Next will be the final set!"
Dragging his exhausted body, Yukimura returned to the bench and covered his face with an ice towel. His condition was terrible. His mental energy was heavily drained, and his wrist, after withstanding Oni's heavy shots for so long, had begun to sting and swell.
Adding the massive stamina drain from constantly maintaining Zone, it only worsened his state. Akashi saw everything clearly. To be honest, aside from himself, whoever played this match was almost destined to lose. Even Akutsu would have been the same. Akashi knew Oni's strength too well.
"So, how does it feel, experiencing pro-level strength firsthand?" Akashi asked, glancing at Yukimura under the towel.
"This match… you arranged it for me and Oni-senpai, didn't you?" Yukimura didn't answer Akashi's question, but instead posed his own.
"Looks like you've noticed. There were other considerations too, but you're not wrong," Akashi nodded, not denying it.
"I knew it… borrowing my ability to help Oni-senpai find himself, take that crucial step forward, and then using his breakthrough into pro level to give me the drive and direction to keep moving, right?" Yukimura removed the towel, his sharp eyes fixed on Akashi.
"Not entirely, but the current outcome is indeed within my expectations," Akashi replied calmly.
"As expected of you, Akashi-kun~ just how far into the future do your eyes see…" Yukimura sighed. He didn't blame Akashi—on the contrary, he was satisfied with how the match had been arranged.
Yukimura had faced power players before, but they were far weaker than him, so he could easily neutralize their heavy shots with technique. He never paid much attention to them.
Tezuka, who fought him evenly, was a technical player. Even Akashi leaned more toward the mental side. Yukimura had never fought a power player of equal level before.
This battle with Oni gave him a brand new experience and realization. He understood his own weakness, and he was glad that his ability had helped Oni achieve a breakthrough.
"Get a good taste of pro-level strength now. At the World Cup, there'll be no shortage of pro players," Akashi said seriously, his tone sharp.
"I understand. No matter what, I'll fight to the very end in this match!" Yukimura nodded firmly, then slowly stood and walked toward the court.
Oni also rose calmly. Since Yukimura refused to give up, Oni's job was to make sure he didn't get hurt. Not only out of kindness, but also as gratitude toward Yukimura.
The third set began quickly. As everyone expected, Yukimura, having already used all his trump cards, couldn't mount any effective resistance. The moment he failed to win the second set, the outcome had already been sealed.
"Game! 6-0! Match over! Total score 2-1! Winner, Japan Team!"