Even though once a Domain is successfully formed, it can usually be activated again within two or three rallies during subsequent matches…
It still takes two to three rallies!
Due to the limitations of serving and the predictability of the first return shot,
trying to establish a Domain during a serve or first return is nearly impossible.
Glancing at Tezuka's expression out of the corner of his eye, Yoru said calmly,
"Don't be surprised. Once your five stats completely crush your opponent, this becomes possible."
He spoke in Japanese, so Schneider didn't understand.
Not that he had the time to react anyway—Yoru's racquet had already struck the ball.
Smack!
A thunderous sound echoed through the court.
The moment the tennis ball left the racquet, it vanished from sight,
tearing through the court and kicking up dust as it shot toward Schneider with terrifying power.
Yoru was going for a direct assault, intending to shatter Schneider's defense head-on.
Seeing the incoming ball, Schneider's expression shifted.
He swung his racquet forcefully at the incoming shot.
A visible tornado of spin enveloped his racquet—his signature move:
Tornado Counter.
This technique amplified the power and spin of his opponent's shot and sent it back,
while simultaneously enhancing his own resistance to impact.
Its mechanics were similar to Tezuka's Zero Shiki Drop Shot, but used in reverse.
"So, you want to go head-to-head with me?"
Yoru sneered and struck again, doubling the return's power.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each rally increased the ball's density and pressure.
Even spectators in the stands could feel the ground trembling.
Gulp…
Tezuka swallowed hard.
What he was witnessing had clearly surpassed his understanding of tennis.
Just imagining himself on the court—
he would've likely been pushed to match point already.
"Tough guy, huh?"
"No wonder he's got the turtle-shell defense type. In that case… I'll go a bit harder."
Yoru's arm muscles bulged slightly, and the white mist surrounding his arm thickened.
Boom!
With a thunderous strike, the ball distorted into an irregular oval—
infused with the force of his Thousand-Forged Strike.
In a flash, the tennis ball pierced through the court, detonating in front of Schneider.
"What?!"
The ball was so fast that Schneider didn't have time to reposition.
All he could do was raise his racquet to block in front of his chest.
BOOM!
From Mugitani and the others' perspective in the stands,
a beam of light smashed into Schneider's large belly, sending him stumbling backward before collapsing.
From Yoru's perspective, Schneider's racquet couldn't absorb the impact.
His fingers involuntarily released it, and he was struck head-on.
That massive body of his was blasted completely out of bounds.
"Impossible…"
Harold Adler was visibly shaken.
Schneider's ironclad defense had just been broken through directly.
Only Borg had ever managed such a feat!
Among Germany's next-gen elites, Schneider was known as their best defender,
yet now—he was utterly crushed by someone nobody had even heard of.
And it was a clean, head-on defeat.
Harold felt like he was dreaming, desperate to deny what he'd just seen.
Mugitani and Yamato had their mouths wide open in shock.
Even Tezuka forgot to call the score.
"Why… why did the power suddenly increase so much…"
Struggling to his feet, Schneider looked across the court in disbelief.
Yoru replied coolly,
"I fought you using Domain and Thousand-Forged not because I had to—
but because I wanted to."
"Even without those two techniques, just my base stats alone would've overwhelmed you.
Now that I'm bored, and you've got nothing new to show… let's wrap this up."
The following rallies backed up Yoru's words completely.
His returns and serves shattered Schneider's defense every time.
With max-level 8 stats and max-level 8 base skills,
his Thousand-Forged shots had reached the power level of mid-tier 9-star players.
Schneider, even at his best, was barely brushing the 8-star threshold—he had no chance.
The score quickly skyrocketed.
"Point for Yoru! Score: 2–0!"
"Point for Yoru! Score: 4–0!"
"Point for Yoru! Score: 5–0!"
...
Five games, twenty rallies.
Schneider, a player who had already passed the pro-level assessment,
was completely crushed—utterly dominated from start to finish.
"Huff… huff…"
Gasping for air, sweat dripping from his chin,
Schneider's body was bruised and battered, purple welts covering his flabby physique.
His lifelong pride—shattered in a single match.
The last person to do that to him… was his own teammate, Borg.
He had believed no one else in the world could break him the same way—
but in terms of efficiency, Yoru was even more brutal than Borg.
"I'm supposed to be a future pro… how could this happen…"
Watching Schneider half-kneeling on the court, Yoru said coldly,
"You're a doubles player, right? Singles may not be your strength,
but you're also ignoring a crucial fact."
Hearing this, Schneider raised his head, gasping too hard to respond.
"Getting registered as a pro doesn't mean your strength is on par with actual pros.
It just means your club and country gave you preferential access."
"If I remember correctly, the full pro registration process takes at least two years."
"Don't get cocky."
In the Prince of Tennis world, becoming a pro wasn't as simple as in the real world.
Besides personal strength, you needed a recommendation from an ITF-certified organization.
Solo registration was nearly impossible.
By Schneider's age, he wasn't bad.
But he still didn't meet the minimum bar to survive in the pro circuit—not even in doubles.
This match was a message for Tezuka.
Yoru couldn't accept that someone he had his eyes on had been taken by the German team.
So, he wanted to tear down the honor they stood for—
to show Tezuka that the German Elite Club was not the best option.
Yoru had a plan.
The National Tournament was just a stepping stone.
His true target was the World Championships—and Tezuka was his future teammate!
With that thought, he turned to Tezuka and said,
"Watch these next four rallies carefully.
This is another way to use Domain."
Another way to use Domain?
Tezuka looked puzzled.
What other application could there be?
"You don't need to keep kneeling either," Yoru said to Schneider.
"You'll have plenty of chances to kneel later. Go serve from the baseline."
Schneider's face twisted in anger and humiliation, but the situation was what it was.
Besides venting his frustration, there wasn't much else he could do.
Still, he was determined to finish the match—
even if he was going to be shut out.
If he had to lose, he'd lose on his feet.
With steely resolve, Schneider pushed himself up and trudged toward the baseline.
Yoru watched with disdain.
A loss is a loss. Standing or kneeling, it's still the same.
The Prince of Tennis original story was full of "glorious defeats,"
but to Yoru, those were just jokes.
Losing with flair was still losing—and just made it even more embarrassing.
"Hm?"
Just as Schneider was about to serve,
he noticed that the mist around Yoru's arm had vanished.
Could it be… he's finally out of energy?
This might be a chance!
Taking a deep breath, Schneider tossed the ball and served.
Though the serve was weaker than at the start,
with the Chrysanthemum Aura active, it was still decent.
Yoru predicted its path and moved into position—
swiping his racquet to return the ball.
The shot flew across the court, spinning with a unique twist.
Thud thud thud!
Schneider's heavy footsteps echoed as he rushed toward the ball.
Yoru's return wasn't fast,
so Schneider had time to plan his response—
maybe even score a point.
Just as his racquet was about to meet the ball…
Yoru's voice rang out across the court:
"Tezuka, remember this—Domain can also be used as a finishing move!"
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