Kite and Krauser both knew that what they had just pulled off was a surprise attack, something impossible to succeed with a second time. But as long as it scored, it was enough. Soon, Kite fired off another Barrage Serve.
Hermes quickly returned the serve. Krauser moved up to the net, striking the ball with a sharp shot that spun heavily toward Hermes's right-side gap.
But Vulcan suddenly appeared before it, both hands gripping his racket as he unleashed Tenkaikō, hammering Krauser's Wirbel Taufe back. Instantly, darkness fell over the entire court, and Kite countered without hesitation with a Dark Strike.
A massive shadow sphere roared at Vulcan. Already familiar with this move, Vulcan didn't flinch. The phantom volcano rose again behind him, flames scattering the shadow away. The ball turned into a blazing hammer and came crashing down toward Kite and Krauser.
Kite's eyes sharpened. That Dark Strike had already exposed their weakness. Shukuchihō ignited, and his figure flashed to the net. Asura's aura burst from him, and the hammer was wrapped in ghostly blue light. In the next instant, a beam of light shot into Vulcan and Hermes's blind spot.
Just before it landed, Hermes, glowing silver, suddenly blocked the front. His racket swung to intercept—only for the strings to snap with a sharp crack. The ball pierced through and smashed into the ground, bouncing out of court.
"Majestic Mountain Haze!"
"GAME! Japan! 3-2!"
"So that's it… concentrated speed, precision, and overwhelming penetration. This must be one of the techniques born from Super Sweetspot." Hermes looked at the hole in his racket and spoke slowly.
From the many techniques born of Super Sweetspot, Light Strike was the most famous. But Dark Strike and Lightning Strike also had some renown. And depending on the player's own traits, many unique techniques could be created.
After mastering Dark Strike, Kite had been developing moves to pair with it. Majestic Mountain Haze was what he'd realized during his match against Irie, taking the ability to read flaws through Dark Strike to its absolute peak.
Kite's gift for creating techniques wasn't far behind Fuji's. In the original line, nearly all of Higa's techniques had been his creations. In this timeline, Kite had focused on improving his five attributes and Asura Shindō, but whenever he wished, creating strong techniques wasn't beyond him.
Meanwhile, in the US team's locker room, Ryōma, fresh from finishing his own match, was watching the broadcast. Strangely enough, the Americans weren't reviewing their own game—they had tuned to Japan vs. Greece instead.
"Didn't expect Japan to send all middle schoolers for their first group match! That's way too bold," Kiko said, tone full of curiosity. He was today's starting ace for the US side.
"Not bold. Confident. Those Japan guys trust their middle schoolers' strength completely," Ryōga replied casually, biting into an orange.
"By the way, Ryōga—how was it, playing doubles with your little brother for the first time?" Kiko suddenly asked, his expression playful as he looked at him.
"Uh… let's just say the runt's not really cut out for doubles." Ryōga smirked, eyes teasing as he glanced at the silent Ryōma beside him.
"Hmph! In singles, you're still far behind me! Anyway… is the Greek team really that strong? They've pushed Kite-senpai and Krauser-senpai this hard!" Ryōma's face reddened slightly, but he covered it with a sharp retort and quickly changed the subject.
"Greece may only be ranked tenth, but they've got at least top-six strength. Even against the BIG4, they've got the foundation to clash. Their captain Zeus is absolutely professional level—and not a weak one either," Kiko said seriously.
"But that guy never seems willing to go all out. It's like he's scared his game might hurt people. A pretty gentle guy, really," Ryōga added.
"Zeus, huh… I wonder, compared to Akashi-senpai, who would be stronger…" Ryōma muttered under his breath.
On court, Hermes and Vulcan exchanged a glance. Their minds were set. Neither had expected that even after unleashing Olympus Holy Light, the two Japanese middle schoolers were still managing to push them back.
Right after, the two moved to the baseline, and the glow around them began to ripple in waves. On the sidelines, Tachibana Kippei and Chitose felt a strange sense of familiarity, and soon they realized where it came from.
The light around Hermes and Vulcan slowly connected, fusing into a bizarre state of half-silver, half-amber. At the same time, both their pupils turned pale gold.
"Olympus Synchronization!"
"So it really is that… now Kite and Krauser are in trouble!" Chitose's heart shook as he watched, worry rising for Kite and Krauser.
"I wonder how much stronger they'll get after synchronization. That merged glow really bothers me," Tachibana said, brows knitted.
'Could this be the prototype of Zeus's Olympus Rainbow Light?' Akashi thought to himself as he stared at the strange radiance covering the two.
At that moment, Vulcan tossed the ball high again. Just like before, he unleashed a blazing Divine Flame serve, but Krauser had prepared well, timed his swing perfectly, and sent the ball back cleanly.
The next instant, Hermes flashed to the net. As the ball crossed, he struck sharply toward the far corner. Kite, mid-step with Shukuchihō, froze as the ball landed right in front of him, then veered off at a crooked angle out of bounds.
"15-0!"
"I've already read your footwork. From now on, you won't move an inch," Hermes said calmly after scoring.
"Heh… is that so? Let's see how you make me stand still," Kite sneered, his gaze colder than ever.
But Hermes backed up his words. For the first time, Kite's speed was crushed completely. Every attempt to use Shukuchihō ended with the ball landing just ahead of his feet, shattering his rhythm.
Meanwhile, with half of Silver Light fused into him, Vulcan's serves and shots carried far greater power. Krauser struggled to withstand him, and his Wirbel Taufe had completely lost effect against Vulcan.
"30-0!"
"30-15!"
"40-15!"
"GAME! Greece! 3-3!"
In an instant, Greece had taken the sixth game. Hermes and Vulcan's five attributes surged upward, and under synchronization they played with flawless harmony. Kite and Krauser's teamwork was strong, but still a step behind that kind of fusion.
During the changeover, Saitō Itaru offered Kite and Krauser some advice, but Akashi remained silent. With the Emperor Eye, he could see that the problem wasn't tactics—it was raw strength.
Krauser and Kite were far stronger than in the original line, but they had only just touched the world-class threshold. To defeat opponents already brushing the edge of professional level was too much to ask. What Akashi wanted now was for them to gain experience and breakthroughs in this battle.
He also noticed that with the fusion of two types of Olympus Holy Light, both Hermes and Vulcan's abilities had already surpassed ordinary world-class players. With synchronization on top, they were without question a full-fledged professional-level doubles team.
That left Akashi baffled. Why had the Greek team in the original put all their strength against Japan, only to throw the match away so carelessly, collapsing in the group stage? Even in this timeline they weren't doing much better. Just what were the Greek coaches thinking?