"He actually returned Krauser's Wirbel Taufe head-on?!" Tachibana Kippei exclaimed in surprise at the sideline. As Krauser's teammate, he knew better than anyone how troublesome that move was.
"Liliadent's Wirbel Taufe still has quite a gap compared to Volk. At the end of the day, the principle is just vertical spin. It's only because Volk's strength is overwhelming that it carries such devastating power." Akashi replied calmly, fully aware of the massive five-attribute difference between Volk and Krauser.
"If I'm not mistaken, those two Greek high schoolers still haven't gone all out. Krauser and Kite might be in for a tough battle this match." Fuji had already opened his eyes, his expression solemn as he spoke.
Niō stayed quiet, though a faint regret stirred in his heart. If he had known, he would have gone on court himself. Playing against opponents of this caliber would have been excellent training to push his own limits.
On court, Krauser quickly calmed his inner surprise. His Wirbel Taufe wasn't being cracked for the first time. Back in training matches against Akashi and Tezuka, both had managed to return it head-on. He was already somewhat used to it.
He tossed the ball again, unleashing another Wirbel Taufe toward the Greek side. This time, Vulcan was ready. Clutching his racket with both hands, he endured the stabbing pain shooting through his wrist and forced the ball back. But Hermes keenly noticed the strings on Vulcan's racket loosening.
The ball sped toward the left sideline. Kite suddenly appeared, twisting his wrist to send it back with fierce spin. Hermes exchanged a glance with Vulcan, then blurred forward to the net.
The moment the ball's trajectory shifted, Hermes seemed prepared. He swung his racket into empty air at the right rear corner. As if cooperating, the ball struck the racket directly, a yellow afterimage flashing past Kite before slamming into the baseline.
But Krauser slid into position at the bounce point. Just as he swung to return, the ball suddenly shot off in the opposite direction of his swing, grazing his golden hair as it flew out.
"Trickster Thief!"
"30-30!"
"Sometimes common sense can't be trusted, boy!" Hermes said lightly to Krauser before turning back toward the baseline.
Krauser frowned but wasted no time. He tossed again, this time swinging with greater amplitude. The ball spun violently, whipping like a spiral storm toward the Greek backcourt.
Hermes's dash left afterimages trailing. Using his sprint's momentum, he caught the ball at the bounce, reducing the vertical spin's effect to a minimum. But the control was too difficult. Though he returned it, the ball failed to clear the net, twisting it up as it struck.
"Ace! 40-30!"
"You increased the spin's intensity, throwing off my calculation?" Hermes said as he watched the ball slowly roll down from the tangled net.
But on the next serve, Krauser didn't use Wirbel Taufe again. With his experience facing Yanagi Renji and Inui Sadaharu many times, he had already realized Hermes was a data tennis player. Continuing with the same pattern would only hand over more of his data.
As the ball shot toward him, Hermes froze briefly before realizing Krauser's intent. His expression grew heavier. He flashed to the bounce point and struck.
Krauser had already rushed the net after serving, switching with Kite. Using Kite's movement as cover, he swung fast, meeting the ball.
The ball carried fierce spin as it cleared the net. Hermes lunged to intercept, but his expression changed instantly. It was too late to adjust. His racket went spinning skyward while the ball rocketed out of bounds.
"Game! Japan! 2-1!"
The fourth game was Hermes's serve. Stepping to the baseline, he wasted no time tossing the ball. With a sharp strike, it cut across the net and dropped instantly at the right corner baseline.
But Kite blinked into position, his racket ready. The ball bounced—yet instead of rising toward him, it kicked back toward the net.
"Trickster Thief!"
"Ace! 15-0!"
"Eh? Isn't that Kirihara's irregular serve?" Shiraishi said as he watched the screen from the players' hall, unable to hold back his voice. Even Kirihara, standing nearby, looked a little surprised.
"It's different! That Greek high schooler's serve just now looked almost the same as a normal flat shot, but he can control the ball's rebound direction. That's far trickier than Kirihara's irregular serve!" Yukimura frowned and answered in a low tone.
"Hermes Kounellis! The Greek team's chief strategist, skilled in data tennis and high-speed movement. In fact, he's nicknamed the God of Intelligence on their team! Other than Zeus, he's the number two of Greece. His strength should never be underestimated!" Mitsuya fixed his gaze on the screen, slowly reciting the intel he had gathered.
Byoudouin and Oni simply observed quietly. This kind of performance from the Greek team was already within their expectations. After all, they were ranked tenth in the world.
On court, Hermes tossed the ball again. This time, after crossing the net, it flew toward the left sideline. Kite flickered to the bounce point, focusing his mind completely. The moment the ball rose, he slid one step to the right using Shukuchihō and struck the ball, which had bounced that way, cleanly back.
But Vulcan was already at the net, gripping his racket with both hands. He swung down fiercely at the incoming ball, sparks flying as the shot turned into a blazing fire stream roaring across the court.
Krauser flashed into its path, raising his racket sideways. Using the frame, he sliced against the ball. The vibration stung his wrist, but he managed to return it.
The ball trembled violently in midair. Just after crossing the net, it suddenly plummeted. Vulcan dashed to the bounce point, but when it rose, it split into multiple shadows, forming a cross as they blasted toward him.
"Crucifixion!"
Vulcan failed to react in time and was blasted off balance by the ball. Luckily, he adjusted quickly, dragging long marks across the court with his feet before regaining stability.
"15-15!"
Straightening, Vulcan twisted his neck and slowly walked back from the baseline. Glancing at Krauser, he confirmed his suspicion—this Japanese boy's style was very similar to his own two eccentric teammates.
'He took Krauser's Crucifixion head-on and came out unfazed. His physical strength is terrifying…' From the backcourt, Kite thought silently as he saw Vulcan unharmed.
After Krauser and Kite switched positions, Hermes immediately tossed the ball again, serving with Trickster Thief. It landed in the Japanese left backcourt.
Krauser sprinted to the spot, eyes locked on the ball. Suddenly, it shot up at a sharp angle toward his abdomen. Krauser reacted quickly, blocking with his racket. Only then did he realize the ball carried almost no force. Even without blocking, it wouldn't have hurt.
But although he blocked it, he had no time to control the return's direction. The ball sailed high. Vulcan leaped instantly at the net, his body arching back like a bow. With all his strength, he smashed down on the ball.
In the next instant, Krauser and Kite's court turned into a blazing furnace. The ball had become a giant hammer crashing down. Kite flickered to the center line, gripping his racket with both hands to meet it.
Yet even he couldn't hold on this time. The enormous impact tore the racket from his hands in an instant. The ball kept its momentum, slamming into the ground before bouncing out of bounds.
"30-15!"
"Didn't expect Vulcan to unleash a true Skyfire Hammer on the Japanese boys! Looks like he's getting serious now~" Zeus said with a faint smile from the sidelines.
Kite's face darkened as he picked up his racket. His aura grew heavy and oppressive. Adjusting his glasses with a dangerous glint in his eyes, he made no effort to hide his killing intent. Krauser, noticing it, immediately guessed what might come next.
"Tss~~~ That look from Kite… someone's about to have a bad time," Chitose muttered from the sideline, sensing the danger.
"Against players from other countries, who knows how far he'll go…" Tachibana understood well. On the world stage, players like Tōno weren't rare. Violent tennis was sometimes unavoidable.
Fuji and Niō both knew Kite's nature. Unlike Tōno's straightforward violent strikes, Kite preferred lurking in shadows, waiting for the moment to deal a fatal blow. His title as an assassin was well earned.