Because he had mastered Glowing Shot—Destruction and multiple world-class techniques, Byoudouin always gave the impression of a wild, aggressive playstyle mixed with sharp technique. But in truth, his greatest strength was his mental force.
Unlike Yukimura, he hadn't gone fully down the mental-path style. Instead, he strengthened himself across the board. Power, speed, and skill—he had reached world-class level in every area. Combined with his overwhelming mental strength and Divine Path of the Asura, Byoudouin had stepped into the threshold of pro-level.
Even though his Alternate Dimension—Pirate had been badly damaged by Akashi's Declaration of the Great God, it quickly reformed. The phantom reappeared, though Byoudouin's face grew heavier than before.
He had known since the France World Tournament, when Mifune told him, that Akashi was a mental-type player. But he hadn't expected Akashi's mental force to be this powerful. If not for his own hellish training, he might already be crushed under it.
While Byoudouin was inwardly shaken, Akashi had already tossed the ball again. Behind him, Gilgamesh blazed with golden light, and when the glow faded, he wore ornate golden armor.
A massive vortex appeared in the sky. From within it, a crimson radiance emerged. With a sharp crack, the ball transformed into a scarlet spear and shot straight at Byoudouin.
"Gate of Babylon—Gáe Bolg!"
Byoudouin rushed to the landing spot, ready to strike back, but in the next instant the spear pierced through him. The ball hit the ground and flew out of bounds.
"Ace! 40-0!"
In fact, both Declaration of the Great God and Gáe Bolg were the same weapon—just with different emphasis at different times. With his immense mental force, Akashi poured these special properties into the ball itself. Unless an opponent's mental strength exceeded his, returning them was nearly impossible.
Without pause, Akashi unleashed another Gáe Bolg. Once again, the ball became a crimson spear lunging at Byoudouin.
This time, the black aura around Byoudouin surged wildly, spreading outward. An overwhelming presence erupted from him.
In the mental world, the Pirate phantom raised its cutlass and blocked the incoming spear. Though it shattered instantly under the strike, it bought Byoudouin a fleeting moment.
In reality, when the ball landed, Byoudouin stiffened only for a split second before swinging, sending it back. Relying on sheer mental and spiritual strength, he ignored Gáe Bolg's sure-hit mental damage.
He struck with the frame's edge, driving the spinning ball at a wicked angle. It landed, bounced, then veered suddenly the opposite way, darting bizarrely away from Akashi.
"Wallace Giant Bee!"
But his brows furrowed. The shot only avoided an afterimage—Akashi had already read it. The real Akashi was waiting where the ball had to pass, and with a swift backhand, he sent it back spinning viciously.
Byoudouin lunged forward, lifting his racket overhead and slamming down. The ball turned into a massive bull and charged at Akashi.
"Spanish Bullfighting!"
The ball skimmed low after the bounce, sliding across the court like a pair of horns tearing forward.
But before those horns could ram far, they shattered against Akashi's racket. As though he had predicted it, Akashi easily scooped the ball up. His Emperor Eye captured Byoudouin's balance completely.
Seeing his Spanish Bullfighting broken so easily, Byoudouin sighed inwardly but didn't stop. He sprinted toward the net, determined to wrest control of the pace.
Akashi raised his racket to strike. The golden rings of the Emperor Eye flickered, and his motion shifted from a crosscourt swing into a passing shot. Byoudouin reacted instantly, trying to adjust—but his footing gave way, his legs buckling as he staggered backward.
Akashi finished the stroke. The ball whistled past Byoudouin's head, slamming the baseline and bouncing out. Byoudouin steadied himself with his left hand, barely avoiding a full fall.
"Game! Second String Selection! 2-0!"
"Stay kneeling in worship like that and keep looking up at me. Your defeat is already decided, Byoudouin. No matter how you struggle, it's all meaningless," Akashi said coldly as he walked to the net, looking down at the battered Byoudouin without a shred of emotion.
"So that's it! This is your confidence, Akashi Seijurō! Even I have to admit your strength. But next, I'll show you the true terror of the world and shatter that pride of yours completely!" Byoudouin straightened, his dangerous gaze locked on Akashi.
"Anyone who dares defy me, even my parents, I won't forgive. You… are too arrogant, Byoudouin Houou!" Akashi's aura surged higher, and the crushing pressure of the Emperor Eye poured down on Byoudouin.
Sensing the tension spiraling, the umpire forced out a warning. Byoudouin didn't respond, but after staring at Akashi deeply, he turned and walked to the baseline.
"That was close... way too close... I thought they were about to fight for real!" Kikumaru clutched his chest, looking shaken.
"Even though the rally was brief, that level of Alternate Dimension clash is already far beyond normal. Whether it's Akashi-kun or Byoudouin-senpai, their mental force is likely stronger than mine," Yukimura said, that same sense of helplessness from facing Oni rising again.
"Heh~ So even our Child of God feels fear? Doesn't matter how strong they are—someday, Ore-sama will defeat every last one of them!" Atobe sneered, voice dripping with arrogance.
"You should worry more about keeping your body from collapsing mid-match, Atobe!" Sanada snapped back, unwilling to let Yukimura be mocked, even by his recent partner.
"Hah? And a guy who can't even stabilize his own Alternate Dimension dares to lecture Ore-sama?" Atobe bristled instantly, lashing back at Sanada's weakness.
The others watched the clash between them with exasperated shakes of their heads. Even Yukimura, momentarily distracted, placed a hand on Sanada's shoulder, halting the argument before it escalated further.
Of course, neither Sanada nor Atobe truly meant to fight. It was just that after witnessing Akashi and Byoudouin's match, the tension wound too tight inside them, and they found a convenient outlet.
"Fuji, didn't Byoudouin-senpai's last shot look a lot like your Phoenix Return?" Oishi said suddenly, changing the subject.
"It looked similar, but the drop speed and impact power were far beyond my Phoenix Return. Seems my Triple Counters still have room for improvement~" Fuji replied calmly, eyes narrowing in thought.
"But even a powered-up Phoenix Return was handled by Akashi-senpai like nothing. Just how strong is he, really?" Ryōma muttered, oblivious to his captain's faintly dangerous glance.
While the middle schoolers whispered, Byoudouin reached the baseline and tossed the ball high. As he swung, the aura of the Asura Path around him flared violently.
"Let's take this to another dimension and settle it there!" Byoudouin shouted, surging with immense mental force.
In the mental world, the skeleton pirate blazed with black radiance and charged at Akashi. But Gilgamesh, especially now clad in golden armor, was no easy prey.
A sharp "Zasshu!" rang out, filled with scorn and contempt. Gilgamesh drew a gleaming longsword from the void behind him, effortlessly locking the pirate's blade. A closer look revealed the weapon—Durandal, the Holy Sword.
In reality, Akashi flashed to the landing point and intercepted Byoudouin's serve with ease. His body erupted with overwhelming mental energy, and his pupils had turned entirely crimson—his flawless Emperor Eye.
With a single sharp gaze, Akashi drove the ball to Byoudouin's left foot. Byoudouin halted mid-run, lowering his racket to scoop upward—but the ball passed clean through his strings.
In the mental world, the pirate's slash cut nothing but air before Gilgamesh's sword pierced his back and lifted him contemptuously. Gilgamesh's eyes were filled with disdain, as if gazing upon garbage.
"0-15!"
"It seems the path you've chosen leads only to failure," Akashi said coldly, staring at Byoudouin with chilling detachment.