Thwack—!
The crisp sound of the racket striking the ball echoed across the court.
Most spectators couldn't even track the ball's trajectory—by the time it became visible again, it had already slammed into the wall behind Kurobe Tetsuhito.
"Kirihara scores, 40-0!"
"Even spin can't suppress that speed...?"
Kurobe's expression darkened.
His Mirror Eye required time to analyze and counter his opponent's techniques. But with Kirihara scoring point after point in an instant, the match would be over before he could even adapt!
His mind raced, searching for a way to slow down the bleeding.
After about ten seconds, the referee checked his watch and called out, "Kurobe Tetsuhito, you're approaching the serve time limit. Please proceed."
"Right!"
Kurobe quickly served—this time, a pure spin shot with extreme rotation.
But the result was the same.
The moment the ball bounced, Kirihara—who had been at the baseline—blurred forward, his racket flashing.
Boom—!
Another thunderous strike.
Super Speed Return.
This one was even faster. The ball vanished mid-flight, and before Kurobe could even turn his head, the thud of it hitting the back wall froze him in place.
"Kirihara wins the game, 1-0!"
The entire game had taken barely over a minute. If not for Kurobe's delay on the serve, it might've been even shorter.
---
Break Time.
Kirihara walked off to hydrate.
At Seigaku's bench, Yoru nudged Yamato, who immediately cheered, "Keep it up, Kirihara-senpai! We're counting on you to take the first point!"
"Don't let up! That guy's strong, but we believe in you!"
The moment the words left Yamato's mouth, a tiny "+0.6" buff flickered above Kirihara's head.
"Uh... sure." Kirihara scratched his head, bemused.
He didn't understand why Yoru always made Yamato give these pep talks, but he did feel oddly energized afterward.
Yoru turned to Yamato. "From now on, no matter who's playing, you're in charge of motivational speeches. Got it?"
"Understood." Yamato nodded, though he had no clue why.
The rest of Seigaku's team exchanged puzzled glances—only QP seemed to grasp the reasoning.
Yamato's encouragement directly boosted muscle efficiency, with zero side effects. It was ridiculously useful.
---
In the Stands...
The other schools' players were deep in discussion.
"Kurobe's panicking. The pace is overwhelming him." Inui observed, smirking.
Compared to Seigaku, they much preferred seeing Fudomine struggle—especially after their underhanded pre-match tactics.
"Even if Kurobe manages to analyze the Super Speed Returns, Kirihara still has his Lightning Mode, right?"
"If he activates that, no amount of Mirror Eye counters will work. That speed is beyond reaction."
Inui's group stiffened.
They'd forgotten about Lightning Mode—a state where Kirihara's speed transcended human limits. Mirror Eye could replicate techniques, but not biological overclocking.
---
Match Resumes!
After losing his serve, Kurobe looked visibly shaken. Even Fudomine's usually composed players grew restless.
Then—
Crackle...
Electricity began arcing across Kirihara's body.
Lightning Mode—activated in the second game.
"Impossible!"
Kurobe yanked off his eyepatch, his glass-like pupils dilating in horror.
This wasn't supposed to happen yet!
According to data, Lightning Mode drained stamina brutally—it was a last-resort move, sustainable for three games at most. Kurobe had planned to counter early, then stall until Kirihara exhausted himself.
But now?
Thanks to the Endurance Rune, Seigaku's stamina reserves had skyrocketed—and technique side effects were minimized.
Kirihara could now maintain Lightning Mode for an entire match.
---
"Tch."
Atobe Keigo sighed from Fudomine's bench.
If Kirihara dared use Lightning Mode this early, it meant Seigaku had solved the stamina issue.
Thwack! Thwack!
Kirihara served—Super Speed Serve + Lightning Mode.
The ball's speed was obscene, triple sonic booms merging into one. Even QP's Experience Mode might not match this velocity.
"Kirihara scores, 15-0!"
"Kirihara scores, 30-0!"
"Kirihara scores, 40-0!"
"Kirihara wins the game, 2-0!"
Four serves. Less than a minute.
The crowd erupted in applause—and disbelief.
Who'd have thought the national finals would feature such a one-sided stomp?
---
Kurobe's Nightmare Continued.
His painstakingly recorded Super Speed Returns? Useless against Lightning Mode's enhanced versions.
By the third game, even his own serves were instantly obliterated. Every return was a Lightning-infused Super Speed Strike, leaving him rooted in place.
"Kirihara-senpai's improved," Yamato murmured.
Previously, Kirihara couldn't combine Lightning Mode with his special techniques. Now? A complete evolution.
---
"This match is over." Shiraishi shook his head.
At this speed, even he would struggle. Kurobe stood no chance.
And just as predicted—
Four more games. Five minutes total.
Adding the first two, the entire match ended in under ten minutes with a merciless 6-0.
---
Seigaku's First Victory.
The stadium roared for Kirihara, applause shaking the stands.
Meanwhile, Kurobe stood frozen, unable to process being curb-stomped in under ten minutes.
Just as QP had strategized—the more brutal the defeat, the harder it would crush Fudomine's morale.
Post-match handshakes were a numb formality.
---
Fudomine's Bench.
"I... failed you, Captain." Kurobe bowed, voice thick with shame.
"Rest." Atobe's tone was icy.
He hadn't expected much from Kurobe, but this? Pathetic.
The thought of entrusting Fudomine's future to him was almost laughable.
"Tohno. Akutsu." Atobe's gaze sharpened. "Go. Take back our pride."
---