Speaking of Haizaki Shōgo, one cannot ignore his special ability—Plunder. At first glance, it looks very similar to the Copy of another Teikō regular, Kise Ryōta, but in truth the two are vastly different. If Kise's power is replication, then Haizaki's power is cutting.
After Haizaki mimics an opponent's technique, he alters the rhythm and speed to match his own style. Though the move looks identical, the rhythm is slightly different. Anyone who sees him perform it will unconsciously have their own rhythm broken, making them unable to use that technique again.
In the world of Prince of Tennis, the one whose playstyle most resembles Haizaki's is none other than Echizen Ryōga. His ability, Devour, can also absorb the opponent's power and strip them of their tennis.
But Ryōga and Haizaki's abilities are fundamentally different. Ever since Akashi faced Ryōga at the training camp, he already understood that Ryōga's Devour targets not techniques but abilities.
For example, Reinhardt's ability to repair weaknesses in the original story was devoured by Ryōga. In their second set, Reinhardt lost points repeatedly at the same spot, while Ryōga repaired all his weaknesses from the first set and completely crushed him in the end.
If at the training camp Byoudouin had used his racket instead of his hand to take Ryōga's Glowing Shot, then his Destruction ability would also have been devoured. That is why Byoudouin declared Ryōga an extremely dangerous existence—his tennis destroys teams.
Put simply, Haizaki plunders techniques, while Ryōga devours talent. Which one is stronger is hard to say, but in terms of results, Ryōga clearly has the edge. After all, Haizaki cannot plunder the skills of the Generation of Miracles.
As for why Akashi could use Haizaki's Plunder ability, it goes back to his match with Ryōga. In that tiebreak, Akashi awakened a power hidden deep in his soul, which manifested into a special Alternate Dimension.
On court, Haizaki's phantom slowly faded behind Akashi. The coming match no longer required Plunder. Volk only had Wirbel Taufe, and that was not a conventional technique—it was a mental-force intimidation, which was useless against Akashi.
"Making the opponent unable to use the same skill again… this feels a lot like Mutogami's experience! Could it be that Akashi-kun has the same ability as Echizen Ryōga?" Kimijima frowned on the Japan Team bench.
"No! They may look similar, but I'm sure Ryōga's ability and that brat Akashi's ability are completely different! Mutogami could still use his tennis techniques, but he lost his natural talent," Byoudouin replied coldly.
"According to the latest reports, Mutogami-senpai has started gradually recovering with professional help, but clearly he won't make it in time for this World Cup. That shows Ryōga's ability isn't permanent," Mitsuya analyzed aloud.
"Even so, losing one's talent is a devastating blow to a player's psyche. Mutogami may never return to his peak. He's already lost the edge that defined him," Irie added.
In the audience, the U.S. team looked shocked. Reinhardt and Ryōma in particular understood Ryōga's Devour better than anyone. None of them expected to see a similar ability appear in Akashi.
While the First String discussed Ryōga's ability, the fourth game began. This time it was Akashi's serve. He walked to the baseline, picked up a ball, and his aura suddenly grew wild.
A deep blue aura slowly wrapped around his body. This sight left Akutsu and Tachibana Kippei momentarily stunned, while Kintarō's eyes lit up in excitement. They knew this technique very well—it was the same type of aura as Tachibana's Beast Aura.
As Akashi tossed the ball, a black panther's phantom flashed across his body. The ball streaked like a shooting light, landing deep on Volk's baseline before bouncing out.
"Ace! 15-0!"
"That serve just clocked 283 kilometers per hour! Who would have thought Japan had another player besides Ochi Tsukimitsu who could hit such high-speed serves?!" Bertie exclaimed after seeing the speed display.
Since Ochi Tsukimitsu played in the previous French World Cup, his Mach Serve was no longer a secret. With a little research, the data could be easily found—but that was from two years ago.
Akashi tossed the ball again, the Beast Aura flaring even stronger, and blasted out another ultra-fast serve close to Mach speed. This time Volk unleashed all his speed, reaching the ball just before it went out and managing to return it.
But Tanegashima easily intercepted Volk's return, the ball vanishing off his racket. Fortunately, Bertie had predicted the general trajectory. He dashed to the left side of the court and swung at empty air. A sharp strike rang out, and the ball flew straight into Tanegashima's blind spot at his back left.
But Akashi had already stepped in front of the ball. Behind him, the phantom of a short-haired blue-haired boy appeared. Akashi's racket swung upward, sending the ball into a high lob.
Aomine Daiki.
Volk was about to rush forward to smash it, but in the next instant, a yellow afterimage shot past him, slamming into the right baseline corner and bouncing out.
"Formless Shot!"
"30-0!"
"Impossible! That was clearly a lob, so why did it turn into a passing shot at the baseline?!" Seefried exclaimed in disbelief from the German bench.
"That middle schooler used a lob motion to hit a passing shot? How did he even do that?!" Bismarck also looked confused, staring at Akashi.
"That wasn't a lob. Akashi never intended to hit one. His movement was just flowing naturally, like hitting without thought. Yet the ball still landed exactly where he envisioned. That kind of control already surpasses Frankensteiner," Q.P. explained, though a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Akashi quickly sent out another ultra-fast serve. With the wild aura of the black panther boosting him, both his shot speed and movement speed had risen, like a weaker version of Light of Pride without its erosion effect.
But Volk truly deserved his title as the strongest pro. He had fully adapted to Akashi's serve speed. His figure left afterimages as he appeared instantly at the landing spot, hammering a heavy forehand return.
The two clashed in an incredibly fast rally. Tanegashima and Bertie barely had a chance to step in. Dust rose from the court, making it hard for many in the crowd to even see clearly.
Akashi's figure flickered like a ghost across the court, almost as if he could teleport. His strokes were wild, unpredictable, yet every ball landed with perfect precision, targeting Volk's blind spots. This gave Volk real trouble.
But Volk wasn't one to crumble. After a brief adjustment, he found his rhythm. Though Akashi foresaw every return, Volk relied on his overwhelming five-attribute power to fight evenly, trading more than a dozen shots.
At this stage, Volk no longer hid his strength. While not at full power, he had already unleashed at least eighty percent. Meanwhile, Tanegashima strolled to the backcourt, casually watching like it was a show.
Finally, their duel found a winner. After Volk struck a two-handed drive, Akashi again made the motion of a lob. Volk instinctively widened his coverage.
But this time the ball really did soar high. The phantom behind Akashi dissolved, replaced by a tall, green-haired youth wearing glasses. The figure lifted his arms in a shooting motion, as if Akashi's lob was his shot.
Midorima Shintarō.
The ball rose straight up and disappeared from Volk and Bertie's sight. Volk knew such a ball would not fly out—it would fall precisely inside the court. He spun and sprinted toward the baseline.
A yellow streak plummeted before his eyes, smashing onto the line. Bertie, already in the backcourt, reacted instantly and dove at the spot.
But after bouncing, the ball spun in place for a moment, then froze still on the line. Bertie's dive was meaningless. He could only watch helplessly.
"40-0!"
Both Fuji and Tezuka were stunned. It felt like a fusion of Hoshi Hanabi and Zero Shiki Drop, but there was no time to dwell—Akashi was already serving his fourth ultra-fast ball.
Once again, Volk and Akashi locked into the same furious rally. This time Akashi used Formless Shot to bypass Volk and aimed at Bertie. Though a pro, Bertie was still a step below Volk. Akashi's Emperor Eye caught a gap in his defense, forcing him into a desperate lob. Akashi dashed forward and leapt high.
"A smash is coming! Watch your position, Bertie!" Volk shouted.
In midair, a flash of savagery passed Akashi's eyes. Behind him appeared a new phantom—a tall youth with long purple hair, raising both arms with crushing presence. Akashi spun once in the air, then smashed with brutal force.
Murasakibara Atsushi.
"Hammer of Destruction!"
The ball blasted forth like a shockwave, screaming toward Bertie. Gritting his teeth, Bertie braced with both hands, but the raw force flung him out of bounds. His racket bent from the impact.
"Game! Japan! 4-0!"
"Akashi-chan! What were those moves just now? I've never seen them before!" Tanegashima asked curiously after Akashi secured the fourth game.
"Alternate Dimension—Chaldeas," Akashi replied coolly.
Alternate Dimension—Chaldeas!