Seeing Akashi's aura surge, Zeus was momentarily stunned, but quickly realized it was a technique similar to his own Silver Light. Noticing this, Zeus's smile deepened.
"Didn't think I'd meet an opponent like you in the group stage. Looks like I'm lucky today~" Zeus said with a grin, tossing the ball in his hand.
As his words fell, a streak of light shot toward Akashi's back left court. But two faint red flashes cut across the air, and Akashi appeared at the landing spot. His racket struck, sending the ball back even faster.
But Zeus was already in place. Silver brilliance radiated from him, lighting up half the court. Before the ball could land, Zeus smashed it back.
Trailing afterimages, Akashi darted forward to the net. Emperor Eye pierced straight through Zeus's next move. He swung instantly, driving the ball toward an open spot at the front left court.
Zeus moved to intercept but suddenly sensed the ball's drop point would be right between his feet. He adjusted his steps at the last second, arriving deliberately late. The ball bounced, and he countered with a quick half volley.
Yet Akashi had foreseen it. He slid sideways, and the instant the ball crossed the net, he redirected it sharply toward the left corner. But Zeus had already started running that way right after his return.
When Zeus stopped, the ball bounced directly toward him. He swung with a backhand, sending it high with heavy underspin.
Akashi didn't leap to smash right away. Instead, he retreated quickly, then sprang high at the baseline just as the ball plummeted. Without hesitation, he slammed down a long-distance smash.
The shot targeted Zeus's backcourt line. Zeus vanished again and reappeared behind the baseline. He didn't rush forward, but waited for the bounce before leaping straight up and countering with his own long-distance smash.
But Akashi had already read it. Right after his smash, he'd rushed to the net. Facing the oncoming ball, he countered with a backhand slice. The ball's force was instantly neutralized, floating lightly over the net and dropping on Zeus's front court.
"15-30!"
"Against eyes that can see the future, your so-called control of the match is nothing but a joke!" Akashi straightened up at the net, gazing down coldly at Zeus.
"To this extent, huh? But the future is the most uncertain thing of all, boy~" Zeus smiled as he answered, unbothered by the lost point.
The audience was stunned. Fierce rallies weren't new, and some had even seen dozens of consecutive exchanges. But never had they seen anything like this—every shot seemed to lead seamlessly into the next, as if prearranged.
"If I didn't know Akashi-kun and Greece's captain had never met before, I'd really think they were feeding each other shots!" Niō said playfully from the bench.
"Both of them can predict several steps ahead. That's the terrifying part!" Fuji's heart surged with shock. He had never seen anyone match Akashi in foresight—not even Mitsuya could compare.
"Greece's captain Zeus… from what I know, he doesn't play data tennis. How is he predicting his opponent's attacks?!" Chitose said, surprised at Zeus's performance.
"An all-knowing god… I think I understand why Greece calls Zeus that!" Kite's gaze stayed fixed on Zeus, his voice heavy.
"Olympus Silver Light… as captain of Greece, there's no way that's his only move!" Tachibana said seriously, reminding everyone Zeus hadn't shown his full power yet.
On court, Zeus had already served again. The two launched into another blazing rally, each showing unmatched foresight, always one step ahead of the other's attack.
Zeus darted to the right sideline and cut off Akashi's crosscourt shot. His racket sliced sideways, and the ball spun violently over the net, plummeting toward the ground.
Just as the ball was about to land, a racket suddenly blocked between it and the ground. In the next second, Akashi flicked it up into Zeus's half. A figure soared high—Zeus leapt and smashed down hard.
But before the powerful smash could touch down, Akashi's racket was already whipping forward. A streak of light flashed past Zeus's feet toward the baseline. Just when everyone thought Akashi had scored again, the ball vanished abruptly near the line, reappearing in Akashi's backcourt. After bouncing a few times, it rolled slowly out.
"30-30!"
Wreathed in silver light, Zeus now stood behind the baseline, still holding his follow-through. With a smile, he looked across at Akashi, though this time he said nothing.
'That sudden burst of speed… it felt like something pushed the ball. Was that… wind?' Akashi's eyes flickered as he recalled the detail his Emperor Eye had caught.
Zeus fired his fifth super high-speed serve. Akashi flashed to the landing point and returned it cleanly. But Zeus changed his approach, rushing the net right after serving. On the run, he gripped the racket with both hands and smashed the incoming ball.
The shot drove straight toward Akashi's feet, aiming to seal his movement. But Akashi's response defied Zeus's expectations. Instead of stepping back or forward, he simply pressed his racket downward against the ground. The ball slammed into it and was blocked back.
Zeus slid a step to the right at the net. He didn't swing but instead held his racket in front of the cord. The ball struck and dropped softly behind the net.
Akashi's figure appeared at the net the next second. Before the ball landed, he countered with a sharp crosscourt backhand, sending it racing to Zeus's left corner. Yet halfway there, Zeus's racket cut it off.
After intercepting, Zeus launched a straight shot at Akashi's right-side gap. But Akashi had foreseen it. Right after his last return, he had already shifted to the right.
A yellow afterimage flashed. To Zeus's surprise, the ball shot past his defense and struck the right baseline corner, bouncing quickly out.
"30-40!"
"You just did something I couldn't quite grasp, didn't you? The ball actually slipped through your racket—that's fascinating!" Zeus's eyes shone brightly, his expression full of interest as he spoke to Akashi.
"You're right that the future is uncertain. But precisely because of that, one who can see the future like me is unbeatable!" Faint red lightning crackled in Akashi's eyes as he answered coldly.
"Unbeatable, huh? You're quite the bold boy~ Then let's continue!" Zeus only smiled, without denial or mockery, and turned toward the baseline.
"This is the first time I've seen anyone gain the upper hand under Zeus-sama's control!" Hermes said from the sideline, his tone deep.
"Usually, those facing Zeus-sama act like they don't care, trying to use strange, fanciful tricks to break the situation, to purify his beautiful illusions. But this boy instead chose to alter the flow of the future itself, tearing apart the chains of reality by force," Vulcan replied calmly.
As the Greece team discussed, the match on court blazed again. Akashi and Zeus's foresight pushed even further—often predicting not just the next shot but the next two or three.
But no matter how powerful Zeus's vision, it couldn't match the flawless Emperor Eye. After more than ten rallies, Akashi finally spotted an opening in Zeus's defense and scored with a drop volley.
"Game! Japan! 1-0!"
"What a brilliant return—even I couldn't react. But it looks like your jacket will need a wash, boy~" Zeus said with his usual smile despite losing the game.
As his words fell, Akashi's team jacket slipped from his shoulders to the ground. A breeze swept past, carrying dust that settled lightly on the Japan representative jacket.