"You saw right through my Exotic of Japan so easily? That means your eyes must be something special." Byoudouin ignored Akashi's earlier words, his sharp gaze fixed on Akashi's mismatched pupils.
But after only a glance, Byoudouin grabbed another ball and tossed it high. With a loud crack, the ball shot across the court carrying immense force.
He didn't use Destruction again—he knew it was useless against Akashi. The moment Byoudouin swung, Akashi had already run to the landing spot. His Emperor Eye had long since traced the ball's path.
His racket intercepted cleanly. As Akashi swung, the ball turned into a streak, whizzing past Byoudouin's ear. In the next instant, Byoudouin flashed forward, chasing it down. A fiery red aura wrapped around his racket.
"Then try this one! Claw of the Chinese Fire Dragon!" Byoudouin shouted, his right hand snapping upward as he slashed at the ball.
The ball became a roaring crimson dragon lunging at Akashi. Watching the fiery beast twist through the air, Akashi, for once, gave silent praise in his heart before swinging.
"A divine dragon, is it? It does look impressive. But such a trick can't trouble me. Gate of Babylon—Fangtian Halberd!" Akashi cut through Byoudouin's Claw of the Chinese Fire Dragon. The flaming dragon dissolved, replaced by the shadow of a massive, domineering halberd.
The halberd's image shot skyward, then grew several times larger before crashing down toward Byoudouin. His brows furrowed slightly, but he swung to meet it.
The instant racket met ball, a crushing weight surged through Byoudouin's arm. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to hold on so his racket wouldn't fly away.
But though he held his racket firm, his balance faltered. His footing collapsed, and Akashi's return sent him staggering, his whole body knocked back through the air.
"0-40!"
"No way! Did I just see that? Someone actually blasted boss back! Even Russia's captain Boris couldn't do that!" Farino shouted from the stands in disbelief.
"It doesn't look like Akashi used brute force. He must have read Byoudouin's lower-body balance the instant he swung," Tanegashima said, eyes locked on Akashi.
"Little Akashi's eyes are terrifying. At least in terms of vision, neither Atobe nor I could match him," Irie added, his usual smile gone, his tone grim.
Though he'd been thrown back, Byoudouin quickly steadied himself. He didn't fall, only slid a short distance before stopping.
"You shifted my balance with nothing but a swing? Looks like I underestimated you," Byoudouin muttered, now taking Akashi far more seriously.
His expression hardened. He walked back to the baseline, grabbed another ball, tossed it high, and snapped his wrist down, hammering it with his racket.
The ball spun furiously toward the opposite court. But Akashi didn't head straight for the landing spot—he moved sideways instead. When the ball crossed the net, it exploded into countless shadows, scattering in every direction.
"Pirates of the American!"
"I already told you—tricks like this mean nothing to me. Don't you have anything else, Byoudouin?" Akashi muttered as he swung through one of the shadows, sending the true ball flying back.
"An illusion, huh? Then try this one, brat! Pirates of the World!" Byoudouin rushed forward, slamming the ball. Instantly, dozens of shimmering blades shot toward Akashi.
Akashi's eyes narrowed. A surge of mental force burst from him, and a massive golden barrier rose behind him. Every blade melted away on contact. Then, from within the barrier, countless weapons of every shape slowly emerged.
"Just pirates? Then I'll show you the true Gate of Babylon!" Akashi declared coldly.
The storm of Noble Phantasms rained down on Byoudouin.
In his mental world, Byoudouin was torn apart by endless weapons, sky and earth collapsing under their assault. Still, the torrent did not end.
In reality, a golden beam grazed past Byoudouin's foot. He stood frozen, unresponsive, while the ball landed on the baseline and bounced out of bounds.
"Game! Second String Selection! 1-0!"
As the umpire's call rang out, Byoudouin snapped back to himself. His mental strength, greater even than Yukimura's, allowed him to quickly shake off Akashi's interference.
"So that was the true Gate of Babylon?" Sanada muttered from the stands, his earlier faith in his Radiance of Cloud, Unhindered as the Void wavering after what he'd just seen.
"Tachibana, don't you think Byoudouin-senpai's move just now looked a lot like your Abare Dama~?" Kite didn't bother dwelling on Akashi's Gate of Babylon. He was long used to Akashi's strength, so he teased Tachibana Kippei instead.
"Probably a similar technique. After all, he's Team Japan's current No. 1. Pulling out that kind of move is only natural," Tachibana Kippei replied, not caring about Kite's words. For him, watching Akashi and Byoudouin's match was what mattered.
"As expected of Akashi-kun~ But Byoudouin-senpai's strength is a little beyond what I thought. Still, I've collected some very nice data," Niō said with a faint smile, a trace of surprise hidden in his voice as he watched the two on court.
Akashi walked slowly to the baseline, coat draped over his shoulders. It was his turn to serve. Testing the ball's bounce in his hand, he suddenly looked up at Byoudouin.
"Warm-ups should be over by now. Enjoy what's left of your time as Team Japan's No. 1, Byoudouin Houou!"
Behind Akashi, a regal figure appeared, dressed in robes reminiscent of the Middle East. The golden hair and ruby-red eyes made his identity unmistakable—it was Akashi's Alternate Dimension, Gilgamesh.
Absolute Beast Frontline—Gilgamesh.
"Akashi's Alternate Dimension looks different again... is this his second-stage Alternate Dimension?" Inui Sadaharu said, eyes gleaming behind his glasses, though no one else could see them.
"Not the same as Oni-senpai's case. More data is needed," Yanagi Renji frowned, clearly not agreeing with Inui's quick judgment.
"I think Renji's right. Akashi-kun's Alternate Dimension feels special—like it really exists," Yukimura said softly, his deep eyes probing.
Across the court, Byoudouin, seeing Akashi unleash his Alternate Dimension, also released his full aura. A black shimmer spread from his body, and in an instant his half of the court became a vast ocean. A sailing ship drifted into view, with a skeleton in captain's garb standing at the bow.
"Alternate Dimension—Pirate!"
As Akashi tossed the ball up, the Gilgamesh behind him opened a massive metal-bound grimoire. From the ground rose a towering wall, lined with colossal cannons, all aimed at the pirate ship.
With the crack of a serve, dazzling golden beams charged in every cannon's mouth before firing into the sky. A barrage of fire rained down, tearing into the pirate ship. Explosions boomed as flames roared high.
"Alternate Dimension Technique—King's Barrage!"
In the real world, countless ball shadows hammered into Byoudouin's court. To him, each one carried the same power as a normal Glowing Shot. Even he froze for a second in shock.
But the bounce of the ball snapped him back. Behind him, the wall collapsed again, rubble scattering across the stands—luckily that section had no spectators.
"Ace! 15-0!"
Akashi didn't give Byoudouin a moment's breath. As soon as the umpire called the score, he tossed the ball up again. The grimoire in Gilgamesh's hands flared red.
Akashi's right hand swung the racket down hard. A streak of crimson light flashed, the ball turning into a massive flaming serpent that flew across the court with crushing force.
"Treasure Unleashed—Flame Serpent!"
Byoudouin recognized it instantly. Similar to his own Claw of the Chinese Fire Dragon—Akashi was answering him directly. He refused to back down. As the serpent crashed and rebounded, he leapt high, swinging in a fierce backhand.
The ball became a giant blazing bird, soaring straight at Akashi. The net caught fire under the searing heat of the two attacks, leaving the spectators stunned.
"Chinese Phoenix Dance!"
Akashi didn't flinch. In a flash he was at the front court, swinging into the firebird. It dissolved back into a tennis ball and vanished into his strings. A spear glowing with holy brilliance appeared in midair.
"Gate of Babylon—Declaration of the Great God!"
Byoudouin froze. The spear pierced through his chest in the spiritual world, his body paralyzed as the ball shot past him and out of bounds.
"30-0!"
In Byoudouin's mindscape, the skeletal pirate captain burned away under the spear's divine radiance, crumbling into ash that drifted slowly down from the ship. A sharp sting seared into Byoudouin's spirit.