When Kite and Krauser returned to the bench, both looked at Akashi with a trace of guilt in their eyes. They had never imagined their very first World Cup match would end in defeat.
But Akashi didn't scold them. He knew Kite and Krauser had done their best. Against a professional-level doubles pair, getting the match to this point was already commendable. If it had been Tachibana Kippei and Chitose on court instead, they might not have won either.
"Liliadent, you need to quickly strengthen your control over your own mental force to stabilize your newly awakened Alternate Dimension. As for you, Kite, your Shukuchihō strike is a good idea, but it's not perfect yet. I'll give you some suggestions about Shukuchihō later—you can think about whether there's room for improvement." Akashi looked at the two of them and spoke calmly.
Hearing Akashi's words, both let out a breath of relief and hurriedly nodded. In truth, Akashi had already noticed the weakness of Shukuchihō long ago, but since he didn't know Ryūkyū kobujutsu himself, he hadn't suggested changes on his own.
It was only recently that, through family connections, he found a master deeply versed in ancient martial arts. Akashi explained his views on Shukuchihō from the perspective of Emperor Eye, and the master had been intrigued—it was an angle he had never considered before.
The night before Akashi and the others left training camp, he received a return call from the master. On the phone, the master shared his latest research results on Shukuchihō, which led to the advice Akashi had just given Kite.
As the Japan team members comforted Kite and Krauser, a gentle voice suddenly sounded beside them:
"So then, which one of you will be my opponent next~?"
Everyone turned their heads. At some point, Greece's captain Zeus had appeared before them, smiling as dazzling golden light radiated unconsciously from his body.
Zeus Iliopoulos.
Everyone except Akashi was shaken by the sheer force emanating from Zeus. But the next moment, Akashi stepped forward. His own powerful aura erupted, vast mental force blanketing the area and pushing back Zeus's glow.
"An all-knowing, all-powerful god? Let me see if you're really qualified for that title." Akashi's tone was cold. His mismatched eyes slowly shifted into identical color—Akashi had activated his Complete Emperor Eye even before the match began.
"A captain against a captain? That's fair~ I'm looking forward to our match, Akashi Seijurō." Zeus wasn't angered by Akashi's words. He simply smiled and replied before turning back toward Greece's bench.
"So you've already decided to step up for Singles Three, Akashi-kun." Fuji looked at Akashi, whose aura was overwhelming, and sighed inwardly. But he quickly calmed himself. He knew he absolutely wasn't Zeus's match.
"Yeah. You be ready too. You'll finish this group match in Singles Two." Akashi glanced lightly at Fuji and spoke flatly.
"Oh my~ looks like I won't be getting a chance to play." Niō grinned as he looked at the two of them.
Soon, Akashi and Zeus walked slowly toward the court. The Japanese middle schoolers in the stands were stunned when they saw Akashi stepping onto the court for Singles Three. None had expected him to appear so soon.
"Up next, Singles Three! For Greece—Zeus Iliopoulos, first-year high school! For Japan—Akashi Seijurō, third-year middle school! Players, please enter!"
By now, the crowd was no longer shocked at Japan sending out yet another middle schooler. Some had even asked staff on-site and learned that Japan had entered seven middle schoolers into the group matches.
After the referee's call, Akashi and Zeus stepped into the court. They saluted at the net, saying nothing—after all, they had already exchanged words just moments ago.
In the coin toss, as expected, Akashi again lost the serve. But he no longer cared. Whatever the outcome, he had long since gotten used to it.
"One set match! Greece to serve first!"
Zeus walked to the baseline, his gaze fixed on Akashi across the net. He had watched the recording of Akashi's exhibition against Volk yesterday. To be honest, Zeus wasn't fully confident he could defeat Akashi.
Now was not the time for stray thoughts. Zeus picked up a ball from the side, tossed it into the air, and with a sharp swing of his racket, smashed it at incredible speed. The ball shot past the net and landed deep in Akashi's back right corner.
But the ball struck against Akashi's racket as he appeared at the corner in an instant. His racket flashed, and the ball turned into a blur, firing back across the court.
Zeus rushed left at once, eyes locking on an opening. Before the ball touched down, he swung and drove it away, the shot tracing a diagonal line through the air toward his target.
Akashi had already predicted it. The moment the ball cleared the net, he slid sideways a step. When it bounced, it collided neatly with his racket once more, as if choreographed in advance.
This scene startled Zeus. He had seen from recordings that Akashi's shot prediction was terrifyingly precise, even more so than Hermes with his data tennis. But facing Akashi in person, Zeus realized those recordings hadn't shown the full extent of his true ability.
When the ball landed behind him on the right baseline, lightning flickered in Zeus's eyes. His figure suddenly vanished, and in the next instant, the sound of a strike rang from the corner. The ball came flying back at even greater speed into Akashi's half.
Yet Akashi was already at the net. He simply angled his racket left, and the ball was deflected back into Zeus's side, clipping the sideline before bouncing out.
"0-15!"
Though it seemed the two had traded many rallies, only a few dozen seconds had passed. The crowd erupted in cheers—this kind of high-speed, high-quality exchange was what they loved most.
"As expected… Japan's captain has predictive ability far beyond normal! And I can confirm, this isn't data tennis!" Hermes said seriously from the sidelines.
"Then his style is quite similar to Zeus-sama's," Vulcan replied in a deep voice.
"Don't worry. Even so, that boy can't escape the captain's palm!" Hercules said, full of faith in Zeus.
On court, Zeus unleashed another super high-speed serve. But for Akashi, it meant nothing. With his Complete Emperor Eye, Zeus's every move was laid bare. Akashi instantly processed all the gathered data, predicting Zeus's next action.
Their rallies grew faster and faster. Dust kicked up thick around the court. The crowd groaned at their obstructed view, but there was nothing to be done—both players had professional-level power.
Then, as Akashi read Zeus's next move and countered, the ball suddenly reappeared on the baseline behind him. Akashi gave no reaction.
"15-15!"
"Hehehehe~ What's wrong? Surprised, boy?" Zeus smiled charmingly after scoring, eyes on Akashi.
"In front of these eyes, I've never met an opponent who could still pull tricks. This is interesting!" A rare spark of excitement showed on Akashi's face. Zeus's ability was truly remarkable to him.
"Is that so? Then let's end the pleasantries~ It's time to start the real match, boy!" Zeus laughed, and dazzling silver light burst from his body.
"Olympus Silver Light!"
'So it's only Silver Light? Looks like Zeus isn't planning to go all out just yet.' Akashi thought, eyes narrowing. Red lightning flickered within them, and his aura surged even higher.
"Zone!"