"Inui doesn't play Data Tennis—though the effect is similar. His style is far more troublesome. You could call it... 'Psychological Prediction'."
Psychological Prediction?
The team's eyes locked onto Yoru, unfamiliar with the term.
Yoru patiently explained: "Ever heard of psychological profiling? It's analyzing someone's behavior to deduce their mental state, personality, environment, profession, upbringing, etc."
"Psychological Prediction flips that. It uses personality, habits, and all other factors to anticipate someone's actions."
"Inui must've collected vast amounts of data to build a psychological profile of QP, predicting his behavioral patterns. This kind of mental trap is way harder to counter than Data Tennis."
While Data Tennis also involves prediction, it mostly relies on return habits.
Inui's pure psychological approach was far more insidious—changing mental patterns is harder than breaking physical habits.
"This skill is pure talent."
Yoru sighed.
As the Nationals progressed, more and more freaks of talent were emerging.
Like Inui's innate ability—[Battle Master].
[Battle Master]: Possesses unique insight into real-time combat adaptations, with effectiveness scaling over match duration.
At first glance, it seemed passive.
But paired with Weakness Insight and Psychological Prediction, it allowed Inui to lock down QP's actions mid-match.
The Seigaku team erupted in shock.
"Wait, so if every move is predicted, doesn't that mean QP's doomed?" Kaedechi blurted.
"Prediction ≠ Guaranteed Return."
"You're all underestimating QP."
Yoru shook his head.
In the original series, Oni Juujirou once said:
"Inui's strength lies in his comprehension—he controls the rhythm of every match, a masterful conductor."
To achieve that, mental manipulation was key. Otherwise, how could he force opponents to dance to his tune?
---
BAM!
Inui scores! 30-0!
...
BAM!
Inui scores! 40-0!
...
BAM!
Inui takes the game! 1-0!
Within minutes, Inui secured the first break.
Kaedechi's jaw dropped. "H-How?! QP lost his serve first game?!"
Yamato frowned. "Why isn't QP using that mode?"
"Because he doesn't want to."
"…"
A perfectly logical answer—yet it felt off.
Yoru smirked. "Look at QP's expression."
The team turned.
His face was still ice-cold, but...
His brow had relaxed slightly. Almost like he was... enjoying himself.
"I've never seen QP make that face before," Kawasaki whispered.
"Wrong!" Kiriya interjected. "I've seen it—during his practice matches against the Captain!"
Yoru crossed his arms. "You think QP's true strength is his Experience Mode?"
"No. His real power is extracting imperfection from every attack, analyzing it, then refining his own playstyle toward absolute perfection. Glorious Experience is just a step in that evolution."
Yamato blinked. "So… like Ralph?"
"Similar in form, but Ralph adapts his playstyle to fit his strengths, maximizing performance—even overperforming."
"QP chases perfect form—whether it suits him or not. If it doesn't, he forces himself to adapt. They're fundamentally different."
---
BAM!
QP scores! 1-1!
In the time it took to explain, QP had already decoded Inui's psychological trap—refining his mental defenses to perfection.
Two games.
That's all it took for sweat to bead on Inui's forehead, his eyes widening at QP.
"What kind of monster...?"
Never before had he encountered someone who could self-correct mid-match against psychological warfare.
Worse—QP's playstyle had no exploitable flaws.
Most players mold their style to their strengths.
This freak molded himself to an idealized, flawless style.
---
BAM!
QP scores! 2-1!
...
BAM!
QP scores! 3-1!
...
"First time seeing Inui like this… and it's not an act."
From Mayumizaka's bench, Fuji frowned.
Inui loved theatrics, but this was genuine tension.
"Trust him," Shiraishi muttered, eyes locked on the match.
Even after years of friendship, Inui's full capabilities remained a mystery.
Playing against him felt wrong—like opponents unknowingly surrendered points, puppeteered by an invisible hand.
---
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
On court, the rally intensified—
No.
Inui was on the defensive, scrambling to set up 'deceleration zones' while QP dominated.
Yet despite the pressure, Inui kept stealing points in bizarre ways.
QP was stronger.
But the rhythm belonged to Inui.
---
BAM!
Inui scores! 3-4!
...
BAM!
QP scores! 4-2!
...
BAM!
Inui scores! 4-4!
...
"What the hell?! QP's dominating, so why is Inui catching up?!"
"I wanted to ask earlier but didn't wanna sound dumb!" Yamato and Kiriya groaned.
Yoru's voice cut through the confusion:
"Rhythm control."
Tennis rhythm manifests in serve motion, footwork, swing tempo, and strategy.
Through subtle cues—stance shifts, return angles—Inui had hijacked QP's tempo, quietly pilfering points.
Every skill Inui wielded served his [Battle Master].
And it was terrifying.
Even in the original timeline, Inui never had a true on-screen match.
After seeing his stats, Yoru had rated him highly—and still underestimated him.
QP had become a puppet on strings.
"But… QP isn't one to stay controlled."
---