"Tezuka!!!" Tachibana Kippei's expression changed instantly as he shouted in alarm.
Chitose Senri and Krauser were already about to rush onto the court, but Akashi Seijurō stretched out his arm and stopped them. He stared at the two with an icy gaze, forcing them to grit their teeth and retreat.
"Look carefully at Tezuka's eyes! Unless he gives up on his own, no one is allowed to stop him from continuing this match!!!" Akashi said coldly, his voice freezing to the bone. At the same time, an overwhelming mental force spilled out, making everyone's hearts tremble.
While everyone watched Tezuka with deep worry, Tezuka himself showed no sign of discomfort on the court. He stayed calm, slowly picked up the racket with his right hand, then bent forward and waited for Q.P. to serve.
Q.P. silently watched Tezuka, who still intended to continue the match, and his emotions grew more complicated. To be honest, this was the first time Q.P. had ever encountered a player with such unshakable will. Most opponents who refused to give up were simply unwilling to accept defeat, but Tezuka truly believed he could win.
"Is this the effect of the Radiance of Strong Heart, or is your own belief just that unbreakable?" Q.P. murmured softly as he tested the bounce of the tennis ball behind the baseline.
"But… no matter which it is, this match ends here! Tezuka Kunimitsu!" Q.P. said solemnly. Right after that, he tossed the ball up.
As the ball slowly fell to the right height, Q.P. did not hesitate at all. His left hand drove the racket down with full force. A massive impact echoed through the entire stadium as the ball blasted toward the Japan Team's half like a cannon shell.
Tezuka instantly flashed toward the landing point, leaving behind a blue streak in midair. When he arrived, the ball hit the ground and violently rebounded straight at him.
Seeing this, Tezuka did not hesitate. Holding the racket in his right hand, he swung directly into it. The enormous impact traveled through the racket into his right arm, but Tezuka clenched his teeth and held on desperately as rainbow-colored light continued to gather on his right hand.
Very soon, however, the power of Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami seemed to collapse. The light scattered, replaced by milky-white airflow swirling around him. Yet in just an instant, even that milky-white airflow representing the power of Muga no Kyōchi dissipated as well.
Next, the blue light that had originally covered his body gradually dimmed too, as if Tezuka's body had reached its limit and could no longer sustain the Muga realm and Ten'i Muhō no Kiwami.
Just as everyone thought Q.P. was about to take this point, a blinding golden light suddenly burst from Tezuka's body, painting him entirely in gold, like a statue forged from pure metal.
"Legendary Radiance? No… Tezuka hasn't opened the Asura Path… so does this mean the three lights have completely fused?" Oni Juujirou said excitedly from the Japan Team's player seats.
"Yare yare~ so he finally did it, huh? In that case, those brats from the Spain Team are going to be in trouble. But… there's no need to worry too much, after all…" Echizen Nanjirō muttered thoughtfully in the stands, feeling genuinely happy for Tezuka's success in fusing the three lights.
On the court, Tezuka suddenly felt an endless surge of power flowing out from within his body. Even the impact coming through the racket weakened significantly. Without hesitation, an image he had seen before surfaced instinctively in his mind.
A far brighter golden light gathered on Tezuka's right hand. His racket swept upward from below, and the ball, wrapped in golden radiance, shot instantly into the high sky over the Germany Team's half.
Q.P. noticed Tezuka's change, but there was no time to think. He quickly retreated, reaching the baseline in the blink of an eye. Staring at the golden light ball plunging down from above, he swung to meet it head-on.
The moment the ball struck his racket, Q.P. felt as if he were holding a massive boulder weighing thousands of kilograms. His body sank slightly without him realizing it, and the racket face visibly caved inward under the impact.
In a flash, Q.P.'s right hand grabbed onto the racket, resisting the terrifying weight with all his strength. The white light representing Ultimate Quality on his body flickered violently.
Meanwhile, Tezuka—the one who had hit the shot—saw the golden light around him begin to fade. In the very next moment, countless blue particles surrounded his body. Even his uniform started to flutter without wind, while rings of white airwaves spread outward from beneath his feet.
Still struggling to hold on, Q.P. suddenly heard a sharp cracking sound, like something snapping. His calm, unchanging expression finally shifted drastically, because he knew exactly what that sound meant.
Sure enough, in the next second, the racket in his hands snapped cleanly in two. The ball continued to slam toward the ground, and with a thunderous "boom," thick smoke engulfed the Germany Team's half of the court.
"Glowing Shot—Meteor!"
"GAME! 6–7! Match over! Winner, Japan Team! Final score 2–1!"
"That little brat actually learned my move without anyone noticing! But… damn well done! Hahahaha~" From the coaches' seats, Mifune burst out laughing as he looked at Tezuka.
That was right. The image that had flashed through Tezuka's mind at the very last moment was the Glowing Shot—Meteor that Coach Mifune had used back when they played each other. The impression it left on Tezuka back then had been unbelievably deep.
"Q.P. actually lost! How is that even possible…" On the Germany Team's bench, Elmer Siegfried muttered in disbelief.
"Elmer Siegfried! Pull yourself together! Q.P.'s first loss is already a fact. Now you're the Germany Team's final line of defense!" Jürgen Borisovich Volk snapped sharply. Even though he was shocked by Q.P.'s defeat, he still kept his composure.
"Tch tch tch~ things actually turned out like this. That's really…" Michael Bismarck shook his head and didn't finish his sentence. There was no point saying anything now. From here on, the Germany Team had to win every remaining match.
On the other side, at the Japan Team's bench, Tezuka was escorted off the court by everyone crowding around him. Medical staff quickly began treating his arm. Even though they had won Singles Three, there were hardly any smiles. Everyone was focused on Tezuka's condition.
"We've done emergency treatment. Based on the initial diagnosis, it's a large-area muscle strain. As for whether there's tearing, he'll need further checks at the hospital. Also, the nerves around the wrist may have been affected. In the short term, intense movement is probably impossible," a medical staff member reported solemnly to Akashi Seijurō.
After hearing this, Akashi frowned slightly but wasn't overly worried. Under the Emperor Eye's observation, Tezuka's injury looked serious, but with proper rest, it shouldn't leave any lasting aftereffects or hidden damage.
"I understand. Take him to the nearest hospital right away. Make sure someone stays with him the whole time. If needed, use your own judgment on whether to follow the local doctors' advice," Akashi said calmly.
These medical staff were professionals Akashi had hired at great expense. They were far more experienced than ordinary hospital doctors. As for Australia, Akashi didn't really trust it much.
Tezuka wanted to stay and keep watching the matches, but under the strong insistence of Akashi, Byoudouin Houou, and Mifune, he could only follow the medical staff to the hospital for treatment. Everyone else turned their attention to the upcoming doubles matches.
After half an hour of intermission, Doubles Two was about to begin. Ochi Tsukimitsu and Mōri Juuzaburō had already stepped in front of the coaches' seats, listening to Mifune's final instructions.
"Next up is the Doubles Two match! Germany—Dankmar Schneider (third year high school), Bertie Borisovich Volk (third year middle school)! Japan—Ochi Tsukimitsu (third year high school), Mōri Juuzaburō (first year high school)! Players, please enter the court!"