"Thalatta already using Silver White Light of Mount Olympus this soon?" Hermes muttered from the Greek lounge as he watched Hercules glowing silver on screen.
"It shows how troublesome those two Japanese middle schoolers are. If he holds back any longer, he'll lose badly," Zeus replied calmly.
On court, Hercules' aura surged higher after activating Silver White Light of Mount Olympus. Tachibana Kippei and Chitose both felt the pressure, instantly on full alert.
Evan tossed the ball and smashed his serve into the open left corner. But by the time it bounced, Tachibana was already there, swinging and sending it back across.
Evan immediately retreated to the side. Hercules, moving like teleportation, appeared at the net. His silver-glowing racket smashed the ball, sending a beam of silver particles straight at Chitose.
Chitose dared not take it lightly. Muga no Kyōchi instantly focused into his left hand. Gripping the racket with both hands, he swung against the incoming beam. The frame creaked under the crushing force.
For a brief moment, he endured. Then Muga's power erupted, his rainbow aura flaring. He managed to return the shot, doubling its force and spin.
But Hercules acted as if he felt nothing. He struck back instantly, the shot blowing Chitose's racket out of his hand before he could fully recover.
"15–0!"
"This is the world, boy," Hercules said with a sigh, glancing at Chitose clutching his wrist.
Evan stood frozen. He'd felt the crushing impact in the sound of that shot, but Hercules had returned it like it was nothing, without even a tremor in his hand.
Tachibana's gaze sharpened. In Synchronization, he could tell Chitose wasn't seriously hurt, just his wrist stung. But it made Tachibana sense the danger of this high schooler.
At Hercules' signal, Evan served again and quickly stepped aside. The ball shot forward, and Tachibana locked on. Beast Aura wrapped his racket. As he swung, the spectators swore they heard a deafening roar.
"Roar of the Lion!"
In Hercules' eyes, the tennis ball transformed into a charging lion. Silver radiance whirled around him, particles orbiting his body, almost identical to Ten'i Muhō.
The lion vanished as soon as it touched his racket, but the roar still rang in his ears. Instinct urged him to release his grip, but he snapped back to focus. Power burst from his right hand, sending the ball back with a crushing blow.
Tachibana immediately stepped in front of Chitose, bracing his entire body. He raised his racket and hammered the ball back. Countless ball shadows scattered through the air.
From the corner, Evan noticed a shadow on the ground. He hesitated, then clenched his teeth and leapt from behind Hercules. His body soared, bathed in sunlight that gave him a sacred glow. He tapped his racket against a single shadow. Instantly, all the illusions vanished.
"Mirage Whispers!"
The ball floated gently over the net, dropping fast. Chitose blurred forward with a trailing afterimage, lifting it and striking Kamikakushi. But before it could vanish completely, Hercules swung both hands through empty space.
A massive silver beam tore between Chitose and Tachibana, slamming into the baseline with an explosion of dust. The ball gouged a deep scar into the wall before rolling down.
"30–0!"
"Good timing, Galos," Hercules praised.
"Thanks… but call me Evan," he insisted again.
As Evan stepped to the baseline for another serve, Chitose's Muga no Kyōchi began surging toward his brain. Sparks of starlight flickered around his head as countless simulation images filled his mind, syncing instantly with Tachibana at the front.
"Saiki Kanpatsu no Kiwami!"
"Four balls!" Tachibana and Chitose shouted together.
Evan didn't understand what the two on the other side meant. Just like before, he tossed the ball up fast, but this time it went unnaturally high. His whole body shot up like a rocket, soaring into the air, then he smashed the ball down like a dunk into the opposite court.
But this serve was very similar to Sengoku's Tiger Cannon, so Chitose wasn't shaken at all. He slid into position, and as the ball bounced, he swung cleanly, sending it like a phantom streak toward the baseline.
Hercules appeared in its path again. His eyes locked on the gap to Tachibana's left. With a strong strike, he drove the ball across the net with massive force straight toward his chosen spot.
Tachibana's Beast Aura suddenly flared. His calf muscles exploded with power, his golden hair trailing a vivid afterimage in the air. His racket flashed with a golden glow as he swung hard.
The ball, wrapped in faint gold, split into dozens of shadows as it crossed the net, scattering in all directions. Evan immediately scanned the court, looking for the shadow on the ground, ready to repeat his earlier trick and slip behind Hercules.
But then he noticed the real ball was flying straight at him. He had no time to think. Instinctively, he swung to intercept. Hercules couldn't stop him now even if he wanted to.
In the next moment, Evan and his racket were blasted away together, tumbling across the ground several times. He scrambled back up quickly, luckily unhurt.
"30–15!"
'Ah… still too little match experience. That shot was obviously a trap. And before Galos even served, they already predicted the rally and called the ball count. Could this be Data Tennis?' Hercules sighed inwardly as he watched Evan looking battered. Then his thoughts clicked into place.
A memory of last night's recording flashed in his mind. In the exhibition match, that middle schooler named Tezuka had used the exact same technique. And if the reports were right, his partner was a Data Tennis player.
"Japan, huh? What an interesting country. But I bear heavy responsibility. Sorry, boys," Hercules murmured softly, a single tear sliding from the corner of his eye.
Right after Tachibana scored, Chitose began another simulation. But the visions in his head suddenly shattered. Shocked, he looked up. Behind Hercules, a towering phantom silhouette had begun to form.
"Alternate Dimension? No… something feels different," Tachibana said with hesitation in his voice.
"It's not exactly Alternate Dimension, but it's definitely the same level. We need to be careful, Kippei," Chitose answered gravely.
Evan felt the crushing aura spilling off Hercules and cursed silently. He never expected Hercules would even use this. It was his very first time on the world stage, yet he was being thrown into a match of this level. Were those two on the other side really middle schoolers like him?
Even with such thoughts, Evan didn't hesitate. He tossed the ball quickly and fired a high-speed serve before dashing aside. He knew what was coming.
Chitose stayed wary but still rushed to the bounce point. With a backhand, he sliced the rising ball, adding acceleration. It quivered, then vanished instantly, even without the usual cutting sound.
Hercules' eyes gleamed red as he instantly saw through the ball's path. He sprinted diagonally back to the rear court. As he swung through empty space, a thunderous crack rang out. The ball exploded into a silver shockwave aimed straight at Chitose.
Just as Chitose readied himself, Tachibana appeared in front of him. With both hands, he intercepted the ball. But the sheer weight made veins bulge across his forehead. His Beast Aura wavered wildly as he fought with all his strength.
Even so, he couldn't hold it. The ball ripped the racket from his hands and sent him staggering backward. He would've fallen if Chitose hadn't grabbed him quickly.
"40–15!"
"Ah, looks like those Japanese middle schoolers failed the trial," Zeus said with a meaningful smile from the Greek lounge. Beside him, Vulcan and Hermes both nodded.
Tachibana retrieved his racket and twisted his wrist. No injury. He quickly returned to the baseline. Chitose's eyes, however, grew complicated. He knew Tachibana had stepped in to take that ball for his sake. After all, Chitose wasn't suited for power battles.
Evan gave Tachibana a sympathetic glance, then fired his serve. Tachibana countered with Roar of the Lion, but Hercules ignored the mental interference. He blasted back another crushing shot, this time straight at Tachibana.
Tachibana bristled, refusing to back down. His aura surged as he stepped into it. But to his shock, the instant his racket touched the ball, an unknown force blew it out of his hands. The whole sequence happened so fast he couldn't react.
"Game! Greece! 2–1!"
"Fail the trial, and you won't get a second chance," Hercules said calmly, his expression solemn as he looked at Tachibana.