"Game! 6–0! First set over! Winner, Greece! Overall score: 1–0!"
At the match between the United States and Greece, Echizen Ryōma stood frozen on his side of the court, disbelief clouding his face. He had just lost the entire first set without taking a single game. No matter what he tried, his opponent always found a way to score—swiftly, effortlessly, almost mockingly.
Zeus, the captain of the Greece Team, had finally revealed the terrifying depth of his control. Every gesture, every glance seemed to pierce straight into Ryōma's mind, predicting his thoughts before he even acted.
When he faced Akashi before, Zeus's Sixth Sense had been nullified by the Emperor Eye, making him seem like just a powerhouse with a monstrous serve. But against Ryōma, Zeus's full ability came to life, overwhelming him completely.
Throughout the set, Ryōma was like a puppet on strings, dragged along by Zeus's intuition. He tried changing tactics, seeking weaknesses, but every attempt was effortlessly countered. Even when he activated his Samurai Alternate Dimension in the final two games, the moves that once made him unbeatable felt powerless before Zeus's presence.
"Something was off in that set, Ryōma," Hopkins called out as Ryōma returned to the bench. His tone carried both concern and confusion.
But Ryōma didn't respond. He sat silently, head down, eyes unfocused. Hopkins opened his mouth to say more, only for Reinhardt to raise a hand, stopping him.
Chico and Dodo, sitting nearby, stayed quiet as well. They could already guess the reason for Ryōma's state of mind—it had to do with Ryōga. Yesterday, when the Echizen brothers watched Japan's match against France, both had worn strange expressions. And now, with Ryōga missing, everything began to make uneasy sense.
Reinhardt's gaze drifted over the stands—and suddenly stopped. A hooded figure in a Spain Team uniform was walking toward the exit. Something about the man's presence struck him as eerily familiar, though he couldn't recall where he had seen him before.
'Weird… I've studied Spain's lineup in detail, but I can't match that silhouette to anyone on their roster. Wait—wasn't Spain supposed to be facing China today? Did they already finish their match?' Reinhardt thought, eyes narrowing as he followed the figure's fading back.
A strange suspicion crept into his mind. He thought of Ryōga again—his sudden disappearance, his cold distance the day before—and then the hooded man's familiar frame. The thought that surfaced made Reinhardt's breath hitch.
'No way… don't tell me Ryōga joined the Spain Team?'
Once that possibility took root, it refused to leave. Reinhardt inhaled sharply, trying to calm his thoughts, but his chest still felt tight. If that were true… then what would happen when Ryōma found out?
As those thoughts churned, the second set was about to begin. Ryōma stood without a word, gripping his racket and walking toward the court. The brim of his cap cast a shadow across his face, hiding his expression completely.
Across from him, Zeus returned to his position wearing the same easy smile—calm, confident, and utterly in control. Not a drop of sweat marked his brow. He had dominated the first set effortlessly, his sheer power and technique far outstripping Ryōma's.
The second set began with Zeus serving. Standing behind the baseline, he suddenly let his smile fade, his voice turning serious.
"Forgive me, boy. I take no pleasure in this, but I must win this match."
Ryōma didn't reply. Instead, a surge of bright blue light erupted from his body, dazzling the entire court. The radiance was so intense it seemed to devour everything around him. Countless azure particles rippled outward like waves, weaving together into a breathtaking scene in midair.
"This is… Radiance of Pain?!" Chico gasped, jumping up from the bench, disbelief etched on his face.
"Wasn't Ryōma supposed to have awakened the Radiance of Love? What's going on?" Dodo stammered, equally stunned.
"So that's it," Hopkins murmured, realization dawning. "That's why he went silent earlier. He wasn't lost—he was awakening the Radiance of Pain!"
He finally understood—Ryōma's awakening came not from joy or victory, but from struggle and pain, from facing a challenge unlike anything before.
The reason Ryōma awakened the Radiance of Pain was strange and profound. The condition for awakening this radiance was to experience the origin of overwhelming power and to recognize the fleeting limit of one's own strength. For Ryōma, that origin of power was Akashi—the unreachable existence he had been chasing.
Through his match against Zeus, Ryōma had fully realized the vast gap between them. And yet, Akashi could defeat such a powerful opponent with ease. That realization struck Ryōma harder than anything—making him painfully aware of the immense distance separating them. The weight of that difference brought despair, but Ryōma refused to give up.
He knew he couldn't end things that way. He had to prove his worth and strength on the court. The clash between his despair and determination reshaped his state of mind—and from that collision, the Radiance of Pain was born.
On the court, after Ryōma activated the Radiance of Pain, he didn't stop there. The energy within him kept surging outward. The blue glow surrounding his body became even brighter, almost blinding. Beneath the rippling waves of light, a new ring of blue particles formed, slowly orbiting him.
"Radiance of Love!"
"Radiance of Pain!"
Ryōma had activated both forms of radiance at the same time. Even Zeus couldn't hide his surprise. He had seen many who awakened the Light of Pride, but this was the first time he had encountered someone so young who could manifest two different radiances simultaneously.
"Impressive, boy. In that case..." Zeus said softly, admiration flickering briefly in his eyes. Then, a distinct, oppressive wave of energy rippled through the air.
In the next instant, dark clouds gathered above the previously clear sky, and the air pressure dropped noticeably. Yet most spectators didn't sense the change—they remained on the edge of their seats, eyes glued to the court, eager for the next exchange.
The faces of the U.S. Team, however, grew grim. Reinhardt was the first to notice the shift. He knew exactly what it meant. There was no mistaking it—Zeus was about to unleash that terrifying serve.
Sure enough, as Zeus tossed the ball into the air, thunder cracked through the heavens like an explosion. A bolt of lightning split the sky, and the tennis ball became a blazing streak of electricity, striking straight toward the U.S. court.
"Thunder Serve!"
Even with both radiances active, Ryōma was stunned. Watching a recording or broadcast was nothing like facing it in person. He had seen this serve before, had thought he could return it—but now, with that monstrous lightning rushing toward him, his instincts froze his body in place.
"Ace! 15–0!"
"To avoid unnecessary injury, I suggest you surrender, boy," Zeus said sincerely after scoring, his tone calm but absolute.
——————
Meanwhile, at the Japan versus Switzerland venue, after Henri won the second set, Kirihara was still visibly exhausted—but his eyes shone with an intense, burning light.
He returned to the bench, using every second to recover. The rest of the Japan Team wanted to ask what had happened at that final moment of the set, but they all knew this was the most critical time for his recovery, so no one spoke.
Four professional sports masseurs surrounded Kirihara, working to relax his overstrained muscles. As they did, Kirihara suddenly turned his head toward Yanagi Renji, a complicated emotion flashing in his eyes.
Yanagi froze for a moment, then seemed to understand what Kirihara wanted. After a brief hesitation, he leaned toward Inui Sadaharu and whispered a few words.
Inui's face twisted into a mischievous grin. He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a large bottle, then took several strange-looking plants from his pocket. After some mixing and shaking, he walked toward Kirihara holding the bottle proudly.
"Here! Special ultra-deluxe Inui Juice! I've completely adjusted the flavor this time!" The reflection on Inui's glasses gleamed ominously as he spoke in a tone that was anything but reassuring.
Kirihara's eye twitched as he stared at the bottle, swallowing nervously. With the resolve of a man walking to his doom, he grabbed the bottle and drank deeply—it was his own idea, after all.
But instead of the disgusting taste he expected, a gentle sweetness spread across his tongue. Kirihara blinked in surprise, almost doubting it had come from Inui.
"Usually, my Inui Juice doubles as a punishment drink, so I adjust the flavor accordingly. But since this is meant to help you recover, I didn't go overboard~" Inui said, smirking as he pushed his glasses up with a satisfied gleam.