On the court where Spain faced China, the Singles Three match had already begun. But the second-year player from China now looked disturbingly strange—his eyes were blank as he kept shouting, "Alamenoma!"
What shocked everyone even more was that, except for the captain Qian Sen, every member of the China team was shouting the same thing. Even most of the spectators in the stands joined in the eerie chant. And the one responsible for all this was the player on court, who kept swinging his racket and scoring points again and again.
"Game! Spain! 2–0!"
"Seda really knows how to surprise people~ I can't believe he managed to develop his hypnosis technique this far in such a short time!" Romeo said in disbelief from Spain's bench, staring at Seda on the court.
"More than Seda's talent, what I find curious is why the China team never sends out any third-year players. It seems that in every World Cup, they only use second-years," Mares commented, glancing at the China lineup with curiosity.
"You two always focus on weird things! Hey, what we should be worrying about now is how to stop Seda from hypnotizing the spectators any further! Good thing he still has some restraint—at least he didn't hypnotize the umpire too!" Friō's usual smile was long gone, his face full of frustration.
"What a reckless brat~ I wonder what would happen if he faced the little one," Ryōga muttered from the audience with a mischievous grin, as if imagining something amusing.
Spain's main lineup (from right to left): Bambieri, Romeo, Ryōga, Julio, Medanore, Mares, and Seda.
———
"Well, how confident are you about beating your opponent?" Amadeus asked Henri during the break.
"Don't worry, captain! I've basically figured out his state now!" Henri answered confidently.
"Don't get careless. I can feel two powerful forces inside that Japan team junior. That so-called full concentration burst state of his—it's just the shockwave caused by those two forces colliding," the Swiss Coach Jin suddenly warned.
"That's right. Just like Coach Jin said, throughout this World Cup, none of the Japan team's middle school players have been easy to deal with. So don't let your guard down, Henri," Ranbiell added firmly.
"I know. But the one who'll win this match will definitely be me!" Henri said confidently as the break ended. Grabbing his racket, he strode back onto the court.
"Henri's gifted, but he admires you too much, Alexander. His playstyle unconsciously mirrors yours—that's not necessarily a good thing," Tatsuta said quietly, watching Henri's back.
"I've noticed that too. Hopefully this World Cup helps him see his own tennis more clearly," Amadeus replied after a brief silence.
The fourth game began with Henri's serve. He tossed the ball high and swung down hard, sending it spinning fast toward Kirihara's left baseline corner.
Kirihara, fully recovered during the break, immediately entered his full concentration burst. A blur flashed across the court—he was already at the baseline corner. Without hesitation, he swung and smashed the ball.
"I was right—you still can't fully control your own speed!" Henri's voice came from the net as he intercepted the shot with a clean backhand, sending the ball flying toward the opposite baseline.
But Kirihara, still in his burst state, ignored his words. After several blinding afterimages, he appeared on the right corner and returned the shot instantly.
It was as if Henri had predicted it all along. He was already waiting near the front court. The ball had barely crossed the net when Henri stepped forward and volleyed it sharply to Kirihara's back left corner.
Kirihara tried to lunge sideways, but in that moment his body went weak—the ten-second burst had ended. He could only watch as the ball zipped past him and bounced out of bounds.
"15–0!"
"So it only lasts ten seconds, huh? Looks like I've already figured out both of your biggest weaknesses," Henri said, smiling with a hint of satisfaction.
"Tch! So what if you did? Ten seconds is more than enough for me to take you down!" Kirihara shot back, refusing to yield.
"Heh~" Henri chuckled softly, ignoring him. Returning to the baseline, he tossed the ball again. With another sharp swing, the ball spun rapidly toward Japan's side.
"That Swiss junior's serve spin is strange," Atobe said, eyes narrowing as he focused on Henri.
"His spin's impressive, sure—but with Kirihara's strength, he should handle it fine," Sanada replied with a slight frown, still trusting his teammate.
"That's true in normal circumstances," Yukimura said calmly, "but if Kirihara is in his burst state, he might not have time to fully neutralize the spin. His shot speed increases dramatically, but that also means the opponent can predict his return path more easily."
Just as Yukimura and the others were talking, Kirihara entered Full Concentration Burst again. His incredible speed was already close to Kaji's level, and his shot power nearly matched Ten'i Muhō. Normally, Henri shouldn't have been able to keep up.
But on court, Henri moved like Akashi himself. He always appeared a step ahead, right on the ball's path, and every time Kirihara's burst ended, that brief moment of weakness was all Henri needed to score.
"30–0!"
It all looked complicated, but the principle was simple. The spin Henri put on the ball worked similarly to the Tezuka Zone—though far weaker. If the opponent returned the ball following that spin's direction, the ball would curve exactly where Henri wanted it to go.
In normal state, Kirihara could easily counter that spin. So theoretically, it shouldn't affect him at all. But once he entered Full Concentration Burst, his sudden increase in movement and hitting speed left him no time to adjust or cancel out the spin.
Henri had seen through that flaw. By exploiting both weaknesses of Kirihara's Full Concentration Burst, he kept scoring again and again. His precision and awareness were impressive—coming up with such a tactic to handle Kirihara showed just how sharp his mind was.
"40–0!"
"Game! Switzerland! 3–1!"
"Damn it!!! How the hell does he always predict where I'll hit?!" Kirihara shouted angrily after Henri took another game, frustration clearly boiling inside him.
'The burst time is still too short. Kirihara can't fully adapt to his speed. All that's left is for him to awaken that state…' Akashi thought silently, watching the furious Kirihara.
When the fifth game began, Kirihara poured all his anger into his shots, hitting with more power than before. But it was useless against Henri, who kept using those same two weaknesses of the burst to gain control of the match.
"If Kirihara doesn't use Concentration Burst, he's overall weaker. But once he does, he gets trapped by Henri's spin shots. The guy's been cornered perfectly~" Tanegashima said, shaking his head regretfully as he watched.
"Tch! If you ask me, the seaweed-head brat should just crush his opponent outright. He's built for Execution Law Tennis but insists on suppressing his nature~" Tōno said irritably. He clearly approved of Kirihara's violent instincts.
"I think you're the only one who'd say something like that. Don't forget, Demon Mode puts extreme strain on the body. One wrong move and it'll shorten your career—just like your knee. You should really take the time to fix it," Kimijima replied, glancing meaningfully at Tōno's left knee.
"Game! Switzerland! 3–2! Change courts!"
Once Henri figured out Kirihara's Full Concentration Burst, the match completely flipped. No matter what Kirihara did, he couldn't stop losing points. His expression grew darker by the second.
"Still can't find that feeling from the end of that last match, huh, Kirihara-kun?" Mifune asked as Kirihara returned to the bench.
"Feels like I'm close, but not quite there! Even if I can't enter that state, I'll still finish him off!" Kirihara gritted his teeth and answered.
"I see. Then go ahead—just remember to stay in control," Mifune nodded, saying nothing more.
Kirihara sat down, drinking water while bouncing his leg rhythmically. His impatience was obvious. Sanada frowned, about to scold him, but Yukimura stopped him and gestured toward Kirihara's eyes.
In that moment, Kirihara's gaze was burning with fighting spirit and unshakable determination. After nearly two years together, Sanada had never seen that look before—not even when Kirihara challenged the Three Kings back then.
As soon as the break ended, Kirihara rushed back onto the court. His aura suddenly shifted—dark and menacing. His skin began to flush red, his black hair faded to white, and even his eyes turned a deep, glowing crimson.
"Devil Mode!"
"I've had enough! I'm gonna turn you completely red! Hahahahaha!!!" The white-haired Kirihara burst into a manic, cruel laugh, his eyes locked on Henri with feral aggression.