"Game over. 6-0, Yoru wins."
QP's voice cut through the silent night with chilling clarity.
Ralph stared at the mangled wire fence behind him and let out a bitter chuckle.
Clap, clap, clap.
Applause echoed from the sidelines.
The intensity of this match had completely shattered their understanding of tennis.
Only now did they realize—tennis could be played this way. And also...
Their own captain wasn't that invincible after all.
---
Match End.
Dudu Obando brought Ryoma back.
Yoru, now out of his heightened state, ruffled Ryoma's hair. "You'll try anything, huh? Got a death wish?"
"Instinct..."
Ryoma's cheeks flushed slightly as he avoided eye contact.
After giving Ryoma's hair one last rough tousle, Yoru turned to Dudu and the others. "Anyone else here still feeling invincible?"
Hell no!
We're scrubs!
All three shook their heads violently.
After witnessing that level of play, they'd be lucky to leave the court alive.
Ralph then sidled up to Yoru with a sly grin. "Hey, Yoru~ Let's make a deal."
"What?"
"You already beat me up tonight, so... no doing it again tomorrow, okay?"
"..."
---
After dropping Ralph and the others at their hotel, Yoru studied Ryoma's youthful face—and a new idea struck him.
On the way home, he made an unplanned stop at a sports store.
He didn't buy anything. Just exchanged a few words with the owner before leaving, leaving Ryoma and QP utterly confused.
---
That Night.
Yoru stood in the yard and muttered, "System, open my stats."
[Host]: Yoru
[Age]: 12
[Techniques]:
- Personal Five Dimensions (Lv. 10)
- Tennis Fundamentals (Lv. 10)
- Twist Serve (Lv. 9)
- Three Great Domains (Lv. 10)
- Muga no Kyōchi (Lv. 8)
- Hyakuren no Kiwami (Lv. 7)
- Sharp Angle Drive (Lv. 9)
- Super-Speed Vertical Serve (Lv. 9)
- Shinobi Hayate (Lv. 8)
(+ 2 less significant techniques folded)
[Combat Power]: ★★★★☆ (11 Stars)
[Talents]:
- Ten Senses Control
- Perfect Copy
- Super-Perfect Quality (2/3 Hikari unlocked)
No changes.
Yoru frowned. "System, has my body undergone any recent changes? Or... is something about to awaken?"
[All information is as displayed by the system.]
Yoru pressed, "Is it possible that something is awakening, but the system can't detect it until it fully manifests?"
[Boss, I'm just an employee. I don't make the rules... I'm just the messenger.]
Useless.
Yoru gave up. Over the years, he'd realized the voice wasn't the system's true will.
Earlier, when he'd pushed himself to the limit, he'd felt something—like Muga, but far more intense.
---
Next Morning.
Byakuya "Phoenix" Kujō and Tetsujin "Iron Man" boarded the train to Tokyo Tennis Park.
Thanks to media hype, the venue was packed.
The challenge tournament had loose entry rules: open to anyone 15 or younger.
The exhibition would run for three days. Each player could accept up to three challenges per day (best-of-one set). Winners received cash prizes—¥50,000 per victory.
The slots filled instantly.
As the sound of rallying balls echoed through the park, Phoenix and Tetsujin strolled in.
Before long, they spotted four players in blue-and-white uniforms emblazoned with "Seigaku" on their chests.
"Seigaku, huh?"
Phoenix and Tetsujin exchanged a glance and moved closer.
---
Seigaku's Group
"Damn it! Ralph signed QP up for the last slot, so I had to enter Hopkins' bracket. Let's try again tomorrow!"
"Nope. One day only. Training resumes tomorrow."
"Yamato, who'd you sign up against?"
"Baliantyin."
Yoru and the others chatted while waiting for matches to start.
Since he'd promised Ralph, Yoru sat out today, guiding Tezuka and Ryoma as spectators.
Ten minutes later...
Dudu Obando defeated his first opponent.
"Next match: Yamato Yuudai vs. Chikako Baliantyin!"
The announcement boomed across the park.
Yoru nudged Yamato. "Pump yourself up."
(A/N: This was a bug discovered during the Kanto Tournament—Yamato could buff himself more than others!)
"Right!"
Yamato slapped his cheeks and muttered, "Come on, don't embarrass Seigaku."
+0.8 BUFF activated.
He stepped onto the court, radiating confidence.
---
The Match Begins.
Yamato seized the early advantage.
With his rune-enhanced playstyle, he dominated with aggressive shots, forcing Baliantyin into defensive positions.
By 2-1, Yamato had already analyzed his opponent's habits—setting up deceptive shots that exploited Baliantyin's blind spots.
He even surged to 3-1.
Just as the crowd thought Yamato had it in the bag... something strange happened.
Though Yamato still seemed in control, Baliantyin kept scoring—almost as if by luck.
3-1 → 4-4.
With so many points shifting, it couldn't all be luck.
The final score: 6-4, Baliantyin wins.
---
Phoenix's Observation
Tetsujin frowned. "Captain, was that luck? Every shot had some weird bounce that messed up Yamato's returns."
Phoenix shook his head. "He used environmental factors. That Baliantyin kid has terrifying insight and precision. He aimed for small rocks to alter the ball's trajectory."
He glanced at Yamato. "But... that Seigaku player's no slouch either."
---
Post-Match Debrief
Back with the team, Kirihara voiced the same confusion.
Yoru's explanation mirrored Phoenix's.
Baliantyin's style resembled Momoshiro's "Insight Mode" in the original series—exploiting micro-factors to disrupt rallies.
---
Next Match: Kirihara vs. Alan Hopkins
(Note: Kirihara recently turned 15, hitting a growth spurt. His stats jumped to ★★★★☆ [8 Stars]. But Hopkins, who developed earlier, sits at ★★★★★ [9 Stars].)
Match Start.
Like Yamato, Kirihara dominated early with his Supersonic Serve and Supersonic Volleys, leaving Hopkins scrambling.
The crowd erupted as Hopkins struggled to even touch the ball.
Kirihara's performance outshone Yamato's by miles.
Even Phoenix looked impressed.
"Kirihara, huh? Not bad at all."
---